Following the successful first edition, this revised and updated book continues to provide students with a detailed guide to the planning and procedures they must consider when preparing dissertations in geography, environmental science and geology. Written by well-respected authors in the field, it takes new sources, improved technology in production of the dissertation, and changes in teaching style into account. Guiding the reader through each stage in the process, it deals with many of the common concerns and issues involved in dissertation writing, ranging from deciding which topic to work on, through research design and data collection, to handing in the final bound volume. With an extended consideration of different types of data (qualitative, quantitative and spatial) and a broad reflection on different approaches to problem solving, this useful text suggests practical ways of dealing with the tasks involved, locates the common pitfalls associated with each, and helps readers write the best dissertation possible.