CA 797, CA 798, CA 799 Thesis Guidelines

Updates:  http://onlineacademics.org/CA797/

Dr. Joan E. Aitken:  816-584-6785 joan.aitken@park.edu

 

Table of Contents

Term 1 Schedule & Due Dates - Term 2 Schedule & Due Dates

Forms ____ Textbook ____ Thesis Organization ____ Web Resources ____

Dr. Aitken's Tutorials: APA Style Requirements - Course Expectations - IRB  - Library Database Tutorial

 

Buy and use the APA manual!  

The APA manual contains all the information you need about what goes into the thesis and how to write.  For my summary on writing, see my APA Style Requirements.  For my summary on formatting and organization, see below.


Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association

 

Read All of This Information!

Select an Advisor

 

 

Dr. Aitken has expertise in Communication Studies, including research in interpersonal, educational, organizational, public, Internet, and intercultural communication.  Leadership studies can be a broad field that fits into this area.  Only research clearly relevant to human communication will be acceptable.

If you are interested in studying Mass Communication and Media Studies, Speech and Rhetorical Studies, or Telecommunication Studies, you will need a different advisor.

 

Important Links

 

Dr. Aitken's Forms:  http://onlineacademics.org/CA797/Forms/

Course Syllabus: http://www.park.edu/syllabus/list.aspx

Research on Human Subjects Tutorial: http://onlineacademics.org/IRB

Online Database Tutorial for Review of Literature: http://onlineacademics.org/LibraryTutorial/

Writing in APA Style: http://onlineacademics.org/APA.html

 

Please contact the College of Graduate and Professional Studies at (816) 842-6182 ext. 5525 or by e-mail gradschool@park.edu, if you have any questions.


G11.05 - Master’s Thesis Procedures
G11.06 - Academic Honesty
G13.01 - Minimum Requirements for a Master’s Degree

------------------------------

Copyright Management Center at Indiana University

United States Copyright Office

 

You must meet the mandatory deadlines from the Graduate School

 

 

Term one CA 797. Prepare thesis proposal.  Do NOT sign up for this course unless you have completed a major paper on the topic and received advisor approval in advance.

 

YOU WILL WANT TO COLLECT DATA AND WRITE THE THESIS BETWEEN CA 797 and CA 798. The thesis must be COMPLETE WEEK 2 of your last term. The 8-week sessions move very quickly. Thus, the thesis needs to be completed before you enroll in CA 798 for the last 3 credit hours. The process of defending, revising, and submitting to the thesis to the graduate school will take the whole final 8 weeks.

 

 

Term two CA 798 Do NOT sign up for term 2 unless your thesis draft is complete!  Your thesis is due to your advisor week 1 and to the committee week 2!

 

See Department Guidelines for Thesis Requirements.

 

DEPT. & PARK RULES. The student has the responsibility of finding out and following departmental and Park University rules. You will find those in the graduate catalog. Your advisor cannot over-ride departmental or university rules. The department and university requirements supersede faculty requirements.

 

GRADUATE RECORD EXAM (GRE).  Park University requires that you complete the GRE and submit your scores to the Graduate School.  You cannot graduate from the program without completing this step. See http://www.ets.org/

 

COMPREHENSIVE EXAMS. The department or university requires separate comprehensive exams of graduates.  This exam is in addition to the Graduate Record Exam (GRE).  TComps need to be PASSED at least 8 weeks prior to graduation.  Ask three faculty--probably your committee--to submit questions to Dr. Cohn.  When you are ready to take the exam, you contact Dr. Cohn to schedule the test.  Exact requirements are up to the faculty involved.  Typically, you will receive the questions via email, and you will have 24 hours to write and return the exam.  Typically the comps are not proctored, so you can use any books or materials, but you canNOT use help from any person.  Here is Dr. Aitken's information about comps http://onlineacademics.org/comps/

 

APPLICATION FOR GRADUATION.  Go to the Park website, find and complete the online form (Application for Graduation), and pay fees for graduation.
 

August Completion or December Commencement Deadline: April 1

 May Commencement Deadline: November 1

 

THESIS OR PROJECT? The thesis should be original research that makes a contribution to the learning in the field.  The thesis will be bound and made available to the general public through the library.

 

TOPIC. Select a topic you love, which you have been studying in the program so far. The topic must relate to human communication or leadership.

 

COMMITTEE. You will present your thesis and defend your work, perhaps with other enrolled students during a meeting set up by the department.  This meeting can be conducted by teleconferencing for distance students.

 

Your thesis needs to be completed and your committee needs to be on-board

 

Graduate School Checklist for Thesis Students

Proposal defense Date ____________________

Thesis Defense Date:______________________

Thesis submitted to Graduate School for approval: _______ (Yes) ________ (no)

Four Copies of thesis submitted on good quality bond paper_______ (Yes) _______ (No)

Additional copy submitted if copyright is requested _____ (Yes) _______ (No)

Copyright application form completed _______ (Yes) ______ (No)

Copyright fee paid _________ (Yes) ________ (No)

Fee for binding of the thesis paid ________ (Yes) ______ (No)

 

Due week 2!DUE WEEK TWO OF LAST TERM BEFORE GRADUATION

 

Hardcopies with a cover memo of your timeline of the completed and revised thesis must be submitted to all committee members no later than six weeks prior to the date of commencement. That gives your committee only two weeks to read your thesis and for you to defend it. Obviously, that probably won't work. Make sure you warn the committee of your deadlines in advance, and you will want to send materials as you go along so there is less for them to read and respond to at the end. If you wait too long, you may not be able to graduate. During summer, you may not be able to have a committee meeting at all, so make sure the faculty you need will be available.

 

Please be sure to send an electronic copy to each chapter to each committee member as soon as it is done.

 

 

Due Week 5!THESIS DUE TO GRADUATE SCHOOL WEEK FIVE OF LAST TERM
We have no control over this deadline, so meet it! This means the paper is in final form, all corrections made, on the correct paper, with forms signed. The Graduate School should receive a copy for final approval no later than three weeks prior to the day on which the degree is to be conferred.

 

Application for Graduation Deadlines

 

August Completion or December Commencement: April 1 

 Yes, April 1!

 

May Commencement: November 1

Nov. 1!

 

Departmental Requirements

 

Consult the Graduate Catalog and Graduate School Procedures Manual for additional information on thesis procedures. A minimum of 36 hours is required under this option, including five to six hours of CA797 Thesis design and research.

 

Graduate School Requirements

 

 

The writing of a thesis is a highly valued academic exercise and has been traditionally regarded as the culminating activity in a master’s degree program. Students may earn up to six hours of graduate credit for writing a thesis, by enrolling in 700 and 701 courses, sequentially. Continuous enrollment for an additional 1 hour is possible, with the approval of the Committee Chair. Due to the demanding nature of research and writing, all theses hours will be offered only in the traditional 16-week format.

 

Students should carefully plan their activities, in order to ensure that they develop a workable proposal, conduct the research, write the thesis, and get it approved by the Committee, in a timely manner. A copy of the completed thesis should be submitted to the major advisor no later than six weeks prior to the date of commencement. The Graduate School should receive a copy for final approval no later than three weeks prior to the day on which the degree is to be conferred.

 

Thesis Committee

Candidates should consult their major advisor in forming a Committee and clarifying the role of the Committee members in the research and writing process. The primary responsibility for directing the thesis resides with the major advisor. The Committee should consist of a minimum of three approved graduate faculty, including the major advisor in the discipline area. It is advisable to include additional faculty member(s) from outside the discipline, because faculty external to the discipline can bring fresh perspectives or provide valuable assistance in the conduct of research.

 

Enrollment in XX 700 (3 credit hours)

The candidate must register for a 700-level course in order to begin the process of developing a thesis proposal. The registration allows the student to receive advice from a member of the faculty and to utilize University facilities in preparation for the thesis. While enrolled for this course, the student is expected to be actively working on developing a formal proposal related to an area of research interest, under the direction of a faculty member who will be the major advisor or the Committee Chair.

At minimum, the research proposal should identify the problem, clarify the thesis statement, select an appropriate research methodology (including the data gathering instruments and data analysis techniques) and provide an effective overview of the scholarly literature. The following general outline may be helpful in developing a proposal.

 

·         Key concepts and definition of the project. Concisely and clearly state what the project intends to accomplish. What are the basic questions to be explored?

 

·         Significance of the study. Why should the scientific community be interested in this study? What contribution will it make to the discipline, the profession and the society?


 

·         Review of relevant literature. How does your research relate to the work of others? Where are the gaps in literature? What do you hope to add to the literature?

 

·         Methodology. How do you plan to approach the subject? What is your methodology and what instruments or procedures will you use to gather the data/information that you would need to address the questions? What is the justification for the use of this methodology? Do you have the resources to conduct the study, such as access to people, data, archives, collections, time, etc.?

 

·         Plan of work and timetable. Present a realistic timetable including specific dates by which you plan to complete specific facets of the research. It would help you and the Committee to decide if you can realistically complete the project.

 

·         Bibliography. Present a working bibliography that includes scholarly books and articles. Naturally, you will revise and expand this bibliography as you continue with your project.

 

Proposal Defense and Submitting the proposal to the Graduate School

When the proposal is ready for defense, the student must work with the Chair in setting a date for the proposal defense. The defense must be conducted at least a semester prior to graduation and the proposal must be submitted to the Graduate School once it is approved by the Chair and all members of the Committee.

 

Submitting the Proposal to the Graduate School

The student must work with the Chair in submitting the proposal to the Committee members for their approval. Once approved by the Committee, the Chair will forward the proposal to the Graduate School office at least a semester prior to the semester in which the student is expected to graduate.

 

Human Subjects Protection and IRB review

In preparing the thesis proposal, students must be aware that any research which involves human subjects must be approved by the Institutional Review Board of the University in order to assure compliance with applicable federal regulations and University policies. The proposal must be reviewed and approved by the IRB according to the University procedure. Failure to gain the IRB approval will result in denial of the proposal. It is a violation of the procedures to contact human subjects prior to the IRB approval of the proposal. It is highly recommended that the IRB approval be received prior to the submission of the proposal. Additional information related to the IRB may be found at: http://captain.park.edu/irb/index.aspx.

 

Enrollment in XX 701 (3 credit hours)

Following the approval of the thesis proposal, students may enroll in 701 and begin data gathering. Data may be collected using qualitative, quantitative, participatory, documentary, or

action research methodologies, as may be appropriate. The writing of the thesis may then begin, with the guidance of the Committee Chair. Students are encouraged to consult the Chair regularly, to ensure that they receive timely and useful feedback throughout the research and writing process.

 

Thesis Defense

An oral defense of the thesis must be satisfactorily completed and approved by the Committee, and the result of the defense must be submitted to the Graduate School, three weeks prior to graduation. Thesis defense is open to the University community.

 

Enrollment in XX 799 (1 credit hour)

When additional time is needed to complete the thesis work, enrollment in XX 799 is permitted, in consultation with the Chair.

For additional information on the thesis procedure, please consult the Director of your graduate program, or the Executive Director for the Graduate School.

 

 

REQUIRED TEXTBOOK

 

Buy an APA Manual and use it! 

 

APA (2001). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association. 5th ed. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

 

IDEAS from other universities

 

The Master’s Thesis will address an appropriately phrased research question of interest to the student. The student may seek to answer a question through one of the following.

 

1. A strategy for solving a specific communication problem
2. A communication environment
3. An investigation of theoretical or experimental issues
4. Test of a specified hypothesis
5. A case study of an organization
6. A quantitative, experimental study
7. A qualitative analysis of some texts
8. Field research and analysis of observations made
9. A historical study of some “communication events” or person(s)
10. A critical analysis of some “communication events” or texts
11. A theoretical essay, critiquing current theory and/ or directed towards developing new theory
12. A theoretically informed and data-driven case study of some “communication problem” and interventions attempting to solve it
13. A theoretically informed and data-driven proposal for a new curriculum or training program to meet a specific need

 

The subject of study may come from two general sources:

1. The communication environment, with which the student has first-hand experience.

2. A traditional research investigation of a particular aspect of corporate or organizational communication or leadership. In some cases, the subject may be a combination of the two sources.

TERM 1 SCHEDULE

WEEKLY REQUIREMENTS

DEADLINES

T 1 Wk 1 Abstract

  1. Ask faculty to be on your committee.

  2. Decide the exact topic and title (see APA 1.06 Title Page
    Write an abstract that includes the research question and method.  (see APA 1.07 Abstract of 250 words)

  3. Read some interesting articles about writing research proposals (University of Maryland), click here.

Title Page & Abstract Due

T 1 Wk 2 Problem

  1. Write problem statement chapter essence (APA 1.08), about 5 pages long.

  2. Begin reading and writing the review of literature.  You may need to broaden or narrow your topic.  When the thesis is done, expect to have about 100 sources cited to show you have a comprehensive review.

 

Chapter 1:  Defining the problem.

Due

T 1 Wk 3 Lit Review

  1. Conduct review of literature. Library Database Tutorial

T 1 Wk 4 Lit Review

B. Review of Literature: Theory Building (Group according to ideas, NOT according to research articles).
1. Paragraph about first idea from review of literature.
2. Paragraph about second idea from review of literature.
3. Paragraph about third idea from review of literature.

 

Right now, you need 25 peer-reviewed, scholarly journal articles from communication, but you need about 100 when you are done.  No popular press materials.  No websites.  No newspapers.  No magazines.  No books.  Only peer-reviewed journals permitted Everything in the reference list must be cited.  Everything cited must be in the reference list.  Every direct quotation must have a page number cited.  Everything paraphrased must be cited. 

Chapter 2:  Survey of literature. Due

T 1 Wk 5 Method

  1. Deadline for full proposal submitted to advisor including the method. Take everything you have so far and add: APA 1.09 II. Method, APA 1.13 References. APA 1.14 Appendix (e.g., survey, measure or unpublished test and its validation).

Full Proposal Due, including problem statement and method.

T 1 Wk 6 Proposal

Deadline: Entire revised proposal together and HARDCOPY submitted/mailed to each committee member.  Advisor will forward to the committee.

Revised Proposal Due.

T 1 Wk 7 IRB

Student needs to complete the human subjects certification and IRB proposal.  See tutorial, IRB/

Proposal defense to faculty committee.  Submit your proposal to your committee and receive their written approval. The Committee should consist of a minimum of two approved graduate faculty including the major advisor in the discipline area and one additional faculty member. It is advisable to include additional faculty member(s) from outside the discipline because faculty external to the discipline can bring fresh perspectives or provide valuable assistance in the conduct of research. 

Human Subjects Certification &

IRB application draft due.

 

T 1 Wk 8 Data

Divide what you have into the chapter format.  Broaden your review of literature to include another 30 peer-reviewed, scholarly references.  Read one a day and integrate the information into your thesis.

 

Write two or three pages a day and you will have the essence complete in 30 days.

 

Begin data collection AFTER you receive IRB approval.  The IRB may require changes in your method.

 

Read APA appendix A, p. 331.

If not already done, complete objective style comprehensive examination.

Submit IRB application after committee's approval.

BETWEEN CA 797 & 798

 

  1. If you conduct research using human subjects, you need IRB approval. That includes everything, even benign newspaper-reporter style interviews. Even if you are exempt, you must have their approval because only the IRB can decide you are exempt. If using human subjects, complete the training course first. If using human subjects, submit your proposal to the IRB Application.

  2. Collect Data. Once you have a prospectus meeting--collectively or individually--proceed with your data collection as soon as you obtain IRB approval.

  3. Analyze Your Data

  4. Write the Discussion

  5. Check the Thesis requirements and add all the preliminary data.

  6. Format the Thesis according to the guidelines.

  7. Meet regularly with your advisor as you begin analyzing the data and writing up your results, and revising other chapters..

  8. Send a preliminary summary of results and discussion to committee members.

  9. Write the thesis. Remember to complete everything in the APA format.

  10. Contact the graduate school about any questions.

  11. Take your thesis to the Academic Support staff for help BEFORE submitting to Dr. Aitken.

Comprehensive Exams due.

TERM 2 SCHEDULE

WEEKLY REQUIREMENTS

 

To graduate, the thesis draft needs to be submitted to your advisor week 1 of this term!

THESIS DEADLINES

If you miss a deadline, you will not graduate this term and will need to enroll in additional hours.

 

T 2 Wk 1 Draft

Submit final thesis to advisor.  In addition to previous content, this includes the APA 1.10 Results, and APA 1.11  Discussion.

Schedule defense committee meeting.

Have the Academic Support Services staff or someone proof everything before submitting to me.

 

Thesis Draft Due

T 2 Wk 2 Thesis

CRUCIAL DEADLINE
A copy of the completed thesis should be submitted to the major advisor no later than six weeks prior to the date of commencement.
 

Revised Thesis for Committee Due

T 2 Wk 3 Formatted

Meet with advisor to go over any final changes, then revise, and submit to committee.

Formatted Thesis Due

T 2 Wk 4 Defense

Oral defense.

Make needed changes.

Submit to graduate school by final deadline.

Oral Defense Due

 

 

T 2 Wk 5 Grad School

 

CRUCIAL DEADLINE Week 5

Submit completed thesis to graduate school.

Submit Thesis and scanned copy of the signed form to Graduate School. FINAL DEADLINE

Enroll in CA 798 only if your thesis draft is finished, and you are ready to graduate. Otherwise, you will find yourself paying extra tuition for continuous enrollment (CA799)!

 

Thesis Organization

 

Blank page or copyright page
Abstract
Approval page
Table of Contents
List of Illustrations (if figures/graphs/etc. are used) List of Tables (if manuscript has tables)
Acknowledgments (if used)
Preface (if used)
Dedication (if used)
Abstract.
 

See Appendix A, p. 331 APA Manual.

 

Chapter 1: Defining the problem. (5 pages)

  1. Introduction – This is the background to the problem.

  1. A brief history of interest in the area.

  1. Specify unresolved issues, theoretical questions, and/or social concerns.

  2. Rationale for the study.

 

Chapter 2: Survey of literature.  (30-50 pages)

  1. Review of the Literature -- This is a survey of the theory and research related to the problem. It should provide the following:

  1. Define key variables.

  2. Critique and summarize prior research. This is a review of how the variables have been

studied and includes results, conclusions, and weakness.

  1. Establish the basis for your study, which isolate issues that merit further research.

 

Chapter 3: Problem Statement. (5 pages)

  1. Problem Statement -- Drawing from the literature review of 20-50 sources, explain the ideas you plan to investigate. Include the following:

  1. Identify variables (dependent and independent variables).

  2. Delineate the research problem to explain the relationships expected among variables (research questions or hypotheses).

 

Chapter 4: Method (5 pages)

  1. Method

    1. Describe why the research method (e.g., survey research) is used.

2. Instruments or measures

    1. Operational definitions of dependent and independent variables

    2. Instrument – rationale for the measure to be used (e.g., questionnaire, focus group, interview).

  1. Participants and procedures

    1. Selection of subjects (i.e., who and how to get them -- sampling procedure).

    2. Explain how materials will be distributed.

    3. Describe how data will be collected.

    4. Describe how data will be analyzed.

Chapter 5:  Results (5 pages).  Just the facts.

 

Chapter 6:  Discussion (10-30 pages).  See the APA manual.


References (Only peer-reviewed, scholarly journal articles in APA style)
Appendices
Bio

 

 

 

 

Web Resources

 


Dr. A's writing expectations: http://onlineacademics.org/APA.html

Heffner, (2003). Research methods. All Psych Online. 

There are few areas in education that are covered on the Internet as well as research, so you may find this choice most helpful. Many of the test questions come from Heffner, which is totally available online. http://allpsych.com/researchmethods/researchcontents.html


Additional online books about research
, which you may help you in this course (from http://www.slais.ubc.ca/resources/research_methods/online.htm )

Air University Sampling and Surveying Handbook

Cognitive Aspects of Survey Methodology: Building a Bridge Between Disciplines: Report of the Advanced Research Seminar on Cognitive Aspects of Survey Methodology [online book]

Evaluation Cookbook


Know Your Audience: a Practical Guide to Audience Research

Listener Survey Toolkit

The Little Handbook of Statistical Practice, by Gerard E. Dallal

Marketing Research and Information Systems
, by I.M. Crawford

Methods in Behavioral Research, by Paul C. Cozby [site includes support materials, but not complete text]

The Qualitative Methods Workbook, by David W. Stockburger

Questionnaire Design and Analysis Activities, by Allison Galloway

Questionnaire Design and Analysis: A Workbook by Alison Galloway [excellent source]

Research Methods, 3rd edition, by Anthony M. Graziano and Michael L. Raulin [site includes support materials, but not complete text]

Research Methods Knowledge Base by William M. Trochim [excellent source]

Sampling: A Workbook, by Alison Galloway

Simple Data Measurement: A Workbook, by Alison Galloway

Six Phases of the Research Process, by Marion Joppe

The Whole Art of Deduction: Research Skills for Allied Health Scientists by Rodger Marion

 

Grading: The thesis will be pass/fail, if the department uses that approach.

 

 

Term 1: 100% of the thesis grade is based on the advisor's evaluation of the proposal/project submitted by week 6 and revised by Monday of week 8.

 

Term 2: 100% of the project/thesis grade is based on the advisor and committee decision on the quality of the final proposal submitted to the department/graduate school week 5 of term 2.

 

eCollege Login

 

 

Please use the discussion/post area of eCollege/eCompanion to submit your weekly progress reports and brainstorm with other people in the course. To access your course online, login here: http://parkonline.org/ with your OPEN password. If you have forgotten your User ID or Password, or if you need assistance with your PirateMail account, please email helpdesk@park.edu or call 800-927-3024. If eCollege doesn't work correctly, you need to contact eCollege. For technical assistance with the Online classroom, email eCollegeHelpDesk@parkonline.org or call the helpdesk at 866-301-PARK (7275).

 

Finish on time!

 

 

Aitken's Homepage http://onlineacademics.org/

Guidelines for Students http://onlineacademics.org/Guidelines.html

Late Work http://onlineacademics.org/Guidelines.html#BE_ON_TIME

Office Hours http://onlineacademics.org/Guidelines.html#OFFICE

Teaching Philosophy http://onlineacademics.org/Guidelines.html#PHILOSOPHY

Just Guidelines Guidelines for Dr. Aitken's Thesis Advisees

 

Text Box: 1

 

1. Introduction

 

Refining the scholar’s analytical and problem-solving skills as a prelude to a life of further study and independent research is a primary goal of graduate study, and the process of producing a Thesis is intended to help the degree candidate achieve that goal. The procedure a graduate student must go through in getting his or her Thesis approved simulates, in many respects, the “real world” process of submitting a scholarly manuscript for publication. For example, scholarly work outside the university is subject to intensive scrutiny by peers in the author's discipline. Similarly, the Thesis is reviewed for content and rigor of methodology and relevance to the field by the degree candidate's faculty advisers. Prior to being accepted for publication in scholarly journals, manuscripts are not only reviewed for validity of content by other scholars who serve on editorial review boards, but they are also examined for conformance to specific format style guidelines. Failure to meet the appropriate standards in the disciplines will result in rejection of the work.

 

Correctly formatting the THESIS is a tedious endeavor; however, if the degree candidate reads the guide carefully and incorporates the formatting standards throughout the writing stage, the approval process will be much less onerous.

 

The completion of the graduate Thesis represents the culmination of the degree program. It is the apex of the candidate's achievement in the university, and it reflects the author's research methodology, subject knowledge, insights and thinking as a scholar. Printed copies of the THESIS will be bound, cataloged, and shelved in the Park library.

 

Master’s theses will also be published on microfilm through the University Microfilms International (hereinafter referred to as UMI) Information Service and made available to researchers throughout the world.

 

Steps in the Approval Process

 

Approval of the THESIS begins with the candidate's supervisory committee. The candidate works closely with his or her research advisers while writing the various sections of the manuscript. For all degree candidates, when the committee members feel the work is complete and ready for final defense by the candidate, each committee member will complete notify the committee chair. The committee chair will then determine a final defense date and announce that date with two weeks notice.

 

The candidate will print the two required deposit copies on archival quality, acid-free paper. These two, unbound copies are then deposited with the appropriate University Library by the deadline noted for the current term. One of the deposit copies must include the approval page with the original faculty signatures as well as the abstract with the original signature of their committee chair.

 

At the time of this printing, UMI's microfilming fee is $70 $60 - $100 for theses; however, UMI periodically changes the required fee. When the is ready for deposit, the candidate should check with the Reference Librarian to confirm the current amount of this fee. The Libraries will only accept a cashiers' check or money order, made payable to ProQuest Information & Learning Co., for both the microfilming fee and the optional copyright fee ($45). This may be two separate cashiers' checks or money orders, both made out to ProQuest Information & Learning Co.; it may also be one cashiers' check or money order made out to ProQuest Information & Learning Co., in the total amount of more than $100 for theses.

 

 

2. Producing the Thesis


Author's Responsibilities

 

A THESIS may be produced with a typewriter, word processor, or computer using word processing software. The author is responsible for:

  1. Ethical research.

  2. Collection of data.

  3. Writing content.

  4. The correct presentation of the content, references, and illustrative materials of the manuscript.

  5. Making sure the format of the finished document meets university standards.

  6. The appropriate arrangement of the parts of the manuscript as specified in this guide. Sentence structure, paragraphing, punctuation, spelling, accuracy and citation of

  7. Correct quotations, with exact page numbers.

  8. Proofreading the manuscript.

  9. Seeing that the bibliographic citations conform to the appropriate standard. Contacting the School of Graduate Studies Thesis Research Assistant to check the manuscript's format.

  10. Being aware of, and meeting, all departmental and School of Graduate Studies' deadlines for submission of Thesis for approval.

  11. Getting copyright permission for any copyrighted material included in the manuscript.

If someone other than the author, such as a professional typist, types the manuscript, he or she is only responsible for producing accurate, neat, legible copy that conforms to a specified format. Typists usually do not make editing decisions, spelling corrections, or changes in grammar or syntax. The author, not the typist, is responsible for the work.

 

 If your advisor provides writing help or a template, you still need to read all cited works and rework the information into your own words.

 

Formatting Standards Print Quality and Size

 

Print must be black, with a sharp, dark image. [The print must be letter quality. No dot-matrix printing unless type runs 12 pins per matrix (more than 200 dots per inch)].

Standard type size of 10-12 characters per inch is required. [If using word processing software with point-style fonts, the font size must be at least 12 points.]

 

Use standard type faces only; script, italicized or slanted type faces for the body of the thesis.  Use italics instead of underlining.

Use a uniform type face and size of type throughout the THESIS. This includes preliminary matter; text; reference list; within tables; for all headings, sub-headings, table headings, and figure legends; on title pages; for all page numbers; and for the text of all footnotes.

Print only on one side of each page.

 

Spacing

 

Double-space the body of the thesis .

Do not put an extra double-space between paragraphs.

Triple-space, leaving two blank lines, between chapter headings and either the subheading or first line of text that follows (this usually requires that the soft-ware used be capable of single and double-spacing).*

Triple-space before subheadings that are preceded by text. If, however, a subheading is preceded by another subheading rather than text, double-space between the two subheadings.

Quadruple-space, leaving three blank lines, before and/or after tables and figures that are inserted on the same page as text.

Lengthy quotations (more than 40 words or four typed lines) should be set as a block, indented from the left margin, and single-spaced.

Footnotes must be single-spaced, but, if there are multiple footnotes on the same page, there must be a blank line between footnotes.

The items listed in the Table of Contents may be single-spaced within the item, but must have a blank line between items.

Indent the first word of each paragraph 6-8 spaces (approximately 1/2 inch) from the left­hand margin. Be consistent throughout the manuscript with the number of spaces used for indentation (e.g. do not use 6 spaces for paragraph indentations in one place and 7 or 8 spaces in others).

 

*Hint for triple spacing in Microsoft Word - Keep all text double spaced, even between chapter numbers, chapter titles, and headings. THEN, use the "Spacing" Before & After" feature to set triple spacing where you need it as follows:

Click on the title or heading around which you need triple spacing.

Select Format/Paragraph.

Under Spacing/Before--After, add 12 pts (equal to one single-spaced line) before [By adding 12 points, or 1 line, to a double space...you get triple space!]


 

Margins

 

The following are minimum margin requirements for all pages of the manuscript. Margins may be larger, but not less, than these minimums. Material in the appendices must also meet these margin requirements. For some materials, this may require photo-reducing the page and then adding a page number on the photo-copy.

Left: Must be no less than 1-1/4 inches from left edge of paper.

Right: Must be no less than 1 inch from the right edge of paper.

Top: The first line of text must be at least 1-1/4 inches from the top edge of the page.

Bottom: Must be no less than one inch. The bottom of the page number must be above the one inch margin.

 

The margin is determined by the last letter or character in the longest line on the page. Some copiers enlarge the original about one percent. Therefore, production of an original with margins larger than the acceptable minimum is recommended if the deposit copies will be photocopied. Allowing an extra 1/8" on each side is advisable.

Page Numbering

- All pages must be numbered, with the exception of the title page, the copyright or blank page, the Approval page, pages with figure legends only, and part-title and/or appendix title-pages.

- All pages are counted in the numbering system, even if not numbered, except the copyright or blank page and the dedication page (if used).

- Preliminary pages (e.g., abstract, table of contents, acknowledgments, etc.) that precede the main text are numbered separately from the rest of the work, using lower case Roman numerals, beginning with the numeral "ii" on the first page of the Abstract. On these preliminary pages, the number is placed in the center at least one inch above the bottom of the page.

- The text, starting with Chapter 1, is numbered consecutively, beginning with Arabic numeral 1. All pages may be numbered at the bottom center, at least one inch above the bottom edge of the page.

- No portion of the page number may extend into the margin areas noted in the previous section.

- The word "page" is not used before the numerals.

- To keep their location and size uniform throughout, page numbers are added after reducing tables, figures, or over-size appendix materials to fit within the margin guidelines.

- On photo-copied materials in the appendices, the page number is enclosed in brackets to indicate it was not part of the original material.

- The font type and size of the page numbers must be the same as the text in the body of the THESIS.


 

Corrections

 

Handwritten corrections will not be accepted. The use of correction fluid, correction tape, pencil, ballpoint, or felt tip markers is not allowed in the final copy. Corrections must be made so that the final copy is clear and clean.

 

 

Acid-free Cotton Rag Paper Quality

 

After the Thesis has been certified for acceptance by the School of Graduate Studies, successfully defended, and approved in writing by the candidate's supervisory committee members, two unbound copies, printed on library appropriate acid-free paper. 

 

Graphics

 

Clarity and quality are required for all illustrative material (charts, maps, graphs, figures, tables, music, photographs).

 

Tables

 

- Use APA table format. Again, the style used must be consistent throughout the manuscript.

- If a table appears on a text page, three blank lines should be left above and below the table.

- No vertical rules are allowed at the sides of a table. APA does not allow any vertical rules in tables.

- Tables should be placed as close as possible after the first reference to the table in the text. APA tables are treated the same way, since this is a final manuscript, not an article to be typeset by the journal. See APA 5th Edition, Section 6.03, for more information.

- Table numbering. Tables are numbered consecutively in whole numbers throughout the text of the THESIS. Tables included in an appendix should be numbered separately from the tables in the text, such as A1, A2, and so on.

 

Figures

 

Technical requirements. Original material should be rendered with a permanent, non-water soluble, black ink (e.g. India ink, waterproof drawing ink) or produced by high quality computer line graphics. The same quality and size of type required for the text is required for headings, keys, and all other identifying information.

Originals or photocopies of line drawings, graphs and charts may be submitted. Count all illustrated pages, but do not physically number pages with legends only.

 

Legends and numbering. Legends for figures are single-spaced and are centered beneath figures on the same pages as the figures, if possible. On full-page figures, if adequate space is not available on the same page, center the legend for a plate or continuous figure on the facing page and place the figure on the following page.

The figure legend begins with "Figure" (or the abbreviation "Fig" followed by a period), the number of the figure, another period, two spaces and the title of the figure.

Figures are numbered with consecutive Arabic numerals throughout the thesis .

 

Oversize material. If graphic material is too large for the standard page and format, it may be photo-reduced to fit within the margins. However, all graphic material must be legible and must lend itself to microfilming. Figure legends and page numbers remain standard size; add them after the graphic material has been reduced.

If slight reduction of graphic material is not possible, the sheet may be folded and mounted on a blank sheet of acid-free bond paper. When folded, that sheet must fall within the regular margins as measured on the blank sheet. The blank sheet is numbered in the usual manner.

 

If oversize material must be used, fold it to fit inside a pocket that will be inserted into the thesis . It can be unfolded flat for perusal. Be sure to fold the oversize sheet to allow 1-1/4 inches on the binding edge and a smaller page overall--about 7 X 10-1/2 inches--so the bindery can trim the three edges of the Thesis without slicing into the folds. The trimming may remove 1/8 inch or more from each of the three open edges. Insert the pocket that will hold the oversize material near where the text mentions that material. (The document weight paper discussed in Mounting Photos and Other Prints, which follows, is sufficiently pliable to be folded in this manner.)

 

Placement. If figures (or tables) are too wide to fit within the margins for the standard "portrait" orientation on the page, they may be turned horizontally on the page with a "landscape" orientation. The top of the figure should then be placed at the book's binding edge (left margin of paper). On pages for these "broadside" figures (or tables), the page number must remain at the bottom center of the page. [This means that the student may have to run the page through the printer twice, once as a blank page with only the page number in order to put the page number in the proper place, exactly the same as on other

 

pages, and again to properly place the broadside figure or table on the page. Alternatively, the page number may be manually typed in the appropriate location.]

Figures inserted within the body of the THESIS must not precede the first mention of the figure in the text. All figures must be referred to in the text, by number, before the figures themselves are inserted in the THESIS. Place small figures on a page with some text, or center them on separate sheets. Position each full-page figure on a separate page immediately following the place where it is first mentioned in the text.

 

Special media. If videotapes or audiotapes are used, include two copies and note "accompanying material available" within the text. University Microfilms, Inc. (UMI) will not record videos. In order to include other types of multi-media components with THESIS, candidates must petition the Department of Communication Arts prior to beginning the work.

 

Mounting of photographs and other prints

- Use photos with images no smaller than 3-inch X 5-inch, no larger than 5-inch X 7-inch. Preferably, photographs should be printed directly onto a lightweight document paper that is washed and processed to reduce or neutralize the chemicals which cause deterioration, observing the margin guidelines, and trimmed to 8-1/2" by 11" size.

- Use no color photos: Color photographs are impermanent and do not reproduce well (or in color) on microfilm. If using color photos, they must be processed into black and white copies or color reproductions that will be mounted inside the thesis . Include original photos with both the Archives and library copies of the manuscript.