|
NOTE: I am
not on staff during the summer term. Please do not ask me to
direct your thesis, meet with your committee, or read comprehensive
exams during the summer or between term breaks.
Download FORMS by Going Here and Right Click!
This location:
http://onlineacademics.org/CA797/
|
DURING THIS PROCESS,
please NEVER FORWARD MY EMAIL OR ANYONE'S
EMAIL!
Read this information carefully and follow
it. Do NOT send daily, or multiple daily emails to your
advisor or anyone else on campus.
For the student, you may feel frustrated at times, but you have
a better chance of success if the faculty, IRB, graduate school,
and director of the library has a positive attitude toward you.
As in any organization, some parts of this process require
knowledge and diplomacy of organizational politics. I know
campuses where students have to wait 6 months for faculty to
read theses. At Park, I've seen faculty give students
responses in just weeks, which is amazing compared to what I've
seen elsewhere.
Organize yourself! Be efficient on the front end when you
have control, so there is plenty of time near your graduation
date (when you have no control). |
|
|
SUBMITTING ASSIGNMENTS
TO YOUR COMMITTEE
Send your committee versions along the
way. Make sure you attach the
thesis file with each communication with
your committee.
Begin the file name with your last name
and include the version at the end, such
as
AitkenJoanProjectProposalVersion1.doc
AitkenJoanFinalProjectVersion1.doc
Only use a single, .doc or .txt file.
Make sure the version changes each time,
including when I add comments.
For the PowerPoint for the defense, use a small .ppt
file, with the text outline of what you
plan to say in the defense. Avoid pictures, although you may
use charts.
ABSOLUTE FINAL TERM 1 COURSE DEADLINE IS FRIDAY, WEEK 8 and
for TERM 2, FRIDAY, WEEK 4.
|
Term 1 Sunday
Deadlines |
Final Term Sunday Deadlines |
|
Week 2
Proposal Draft |
Week 2
Final Thesis to Advisor, send to
committee, schedule defense meeting. |
|
Week 5 Upload Final Thesis
Proposal to Advisor |
Week 5 Send finished thesis and
signed forms to Grad School, etc. |
|
Week 6 Send Proposal to
Committee.
Complete Comprehensive Exams. |
|
|
Week 7 Upload Human Subject
Certification and IRB application draft. |
Week 7 Submit final copy to
library, etc. |
|
Week 8 With committee approval,
submit IRB proposal. |
|
|
|
 CA797
IMPORTANT GRADUATE THESIS INFORMATION |
 |
Make sure you
complete all admission and graduation requirements before beginning
this course:
http://onlineacademics.org/DoIt/
All assignments are due by
Sunday night of the assigned week.
Make sure you have taken care of
all admission and graduation requirements. Admission requirements
were due within 60 days of beginning the program.
Grading is based on submission of
quality work, meeting deadlines, and faculty
approval.
Term One: The thesis proposal is
due week 5. The revised thesis proposal needs to be sent to your
committee by week 7. IRB submission, if required, is needed by
Monday of week 8.
Final Term Enrolled: The final
thesis is due to your advisor week 1 of your final term.
Weekly attendance is based on
your direct communication with your
professor. Send a progress email each week.
Consult
the Graduate Catalog and Graduate School Procedures. These
requirements are the ones that must be followed.
Supplemental help is available for the thesis:
http://onlineacademics.org/CA797/
http://onlineacademics.org/DoIt/
|
 Select an Advisor-- |
|
Do NOT expect faculty to be available over holiday weeks, Winter
break, between term breaks, or during the summer when they are
not on staff.
Dr. Joan E. Aitken: 816-584-6785
joan.aitken@park.edu
Aitken has expertise in Communication Studies, including
research in interpersonal, educational, organizational, public,
Internet, public relations, media, 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.
|
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 enrollment terms. 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). Comps need to be PASSED at least 8
weeks prior to graduation. 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. If you plan to
do research on human subjects, please do the thesis option.
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
.
|
Application
for Graduation Deadlines |
 |
August Completion or December Commencement: April 1
May
Commencement: November 1
|
Departmental
Requirements |
|
Nothing
in these course materials can over-ride Department or Graduate
School 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! |
 |
|
 |
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.
|
|
APA (2009). Publication
manual of the American Psychological Association. 6th 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 |
-
Ask faculty to be
on your committee.
-
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)
-
Read some interesting articles about writing research
proposals (University of Maryland),
click here.
|
Title Page &
Abstract Due |
|
T 1 Wk 2 Problem
|
-
Write problem
statement chapter essence (APA
1.08), about 5 pages long.
-
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 |
-
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 |
-
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.
Forward the approved
thesis proposal with the Park Graduate School Thesis Proposal Form
signed by everyone. |
|
BETWEEN
CA 797 & 798
|
-
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.
-
Collect Data. Once you have a
prospectus meeting--collectively or individually--proceed
with your data collection as soon as you obtain IRB
approval.
-
Analyze Your Data
-
Write the Discussion
-
Check the Thesis
requirements and add all the preliminary data.
-
Format the Thesis
according to the guidelines.
-
Meet regularly
with your advisor as you begin analyzing the data and
writing up your results, and revising other chapters..
-
Send a preliminary
summary of results and discussion to committee members.
-
Write the thesis. Remember to complete everything
in the APA format.
-
Contact the
graduate school about any questions.
-
Take your thesis
to the Academic Support staff for help BEFORE submitting to Dr.
Aitken.
-
Send your work as it stands to all
committee members so they know where you are.
Send any new chapter
major revision to all committee members as you go along.
You must keep your committee up to date.
|
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.
MAIL OR DELIVER HARDCOPY TO EACH COMMITTEE MEMBER! The
committee must have at least two weeks to read the final
hardcopy, which is actually a rather unreasonable request.
The more time, the better.
|
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 copies to library for bindery.
|
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)
-
Introduction – This is the background to the problem.
-
A
brief history of interest in the area.
-
Specify unresolved issues, theoretical questions, and/or social
concerns.
-
Rationale for the study.
Chapter 2:
Survey of literature. (30-50 pages)
-
Review of the Literature -- This is a survey of the theory and
research related to the problem. It should provide the
following:
-
Define key variables.
-
Critique and summarize prior research. This is a review of how
the variables have been
studied and includes
results, conclusions, and weakness.
-
Establish the basis for your study, which isolate issues that
merit further research.
Chapter 3: Problem
Statement. (5 pages)
-
Problem Statement -- Drawing from the literature review of 20-50
sources, explain the ideas you plan to investigate. Include the
following:
-
Identify variables (dependent and independent variables).
-
Delineate the research problem to explain the relationships
expected among variables (research questions or hypotheses).
Chapter 4:
Method
(5 pages)
-
Method
-
Describe why the research method (e.g.,
survey research) is used.
2.
Instruments or measures
-
Operational definitions of dependent and
independent variables
-
Instrument – rationale for the measure to
be used (e.g., questionnaire, focus group, interview).
-
Participants and procedures
-
Selection of subjects (i.e., who and how
to get them -- sampling procedure).
-
Explain how materials will be
distributed.
-
Describe how data will be collected.
-
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
Vita
|
|
|
Thesis and Project
Requirements Communication Arts Department Requirements
The
M.A. in Communication and Leadership has two program
options. The first is the thesis option,
which will provide students with the knowledge and skills to
further research interests or gain entry into a Ph.D.
program in communication or related areas. The second is
the project option,
which provides the
opportunity for practicing professionals to sharpen their
skills or change careers. The project may be a video,
an
information campaign,
or media kit, for
example.
Both
options require the completion of a prospectus/proposal and
the same level of ethical standards and rigor.
Additionally, IRB procedures must be followed for both the
thesis and the project options.
Typically, Thesis or Project hours cannot be started until
the student has completed CA500, CA501, CA516, and CA517.
Option 1: Thesis
Option 1 requires a graduate GPA of 3.0 or higher after 10
hours of graduate courses.
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
hours of CA797 Thesis Design and Research.
The
thesis is original scholarship that includes an exhaustive
review and evaluative synthesis of literature or documentary
evidence and the collection and analysis of data not
previously available.
Park University faculty
believe the Master's thesis is a major part of the student's
educational experience. An acceptable thesis
-
demonstrates independent thought and research,
-
contributes to understanding or potential resolution of
an issue in communication, and
-
communicates effectively to a relevant audience.
Students in the thesis track are expected to prepare a high
quality thesis. Ideally, the thesis should be suitable for
submission to a peer reviewed journal or equivalent
publication.
The
department recommends this option for students planning to
pursue graduate study at the doctoral level.
Under
this option, the department expects each student to present
a satisfactory thesis and defend it before a thesis
committee of three members
of the graduate
faculty (one member
may be from another department). Non-graduate faculty may
be committee members if they possess expertise in the area
under study.
The
Process
The
first step is the selection of a thesis advisor.
Student-thesis advisor relationships are established in one
of two ways. Either the student becomes interested in a
topic then selects a thesis advisor on the basis of his/her
interest and competency in the area, or the student first
becomes interested in the work of a particular faculty
member, and then decides to write his/her thesis in that
area. Either approach is acceptable. The important thing is
that the student feels free to approach any member of the
graduate faculty concerning the question of thesis advising.
The
thesis subject should be selected by the student and
approved by the thesis advisor who will direct the research
and writing. Through consultation with the advisor, the
student will chose the additional members of the committee
and contact them to obtain their commitment to assist the
student. Typically, a committee has three members from the
graduate faculty, and may include one member from outside
the department.
The
student should complete the prospectus while talking the
initial two hours of CA797 Thesis Design and Research. The
thesis advisor will assist the student until both advisor
and student are satisfied with the prospectus. The student
will then submit the prospectus to the other members of the
committee for comments and revisions. The faculty believe a
well-developed prospectus is essential for smooth
development of the thesis, so students are urged to be
thorough in developing the prospectus.
The
prospectus should indicate (1) the purpose of the study, (2)
a justification of the study, (3) a review of the
literature, (4) a research supported explanation of the
method to be used, (5) a timeline for completion, (6) an
outline of the chapters and (7) a bibliography. The
committee members will act on the prospectus in group
conference.
It is best if the student attend the meeting, although
attending via phone is acceptable.
After
comment and revision to the committee’s satisfaction, the
student may take the final three thesis hours. After the
advisor approves each chapter, it should be submitted to the
other committee members for comments and revisions. If the
student does not complete the thesis after five hours of
class credit, the student must remain enrolled in CA
799—Thesis Continuing Enrollment, until the Thesis has been
approved by the committee.
Instructions regarding the preparation of the thesis may be
obtained from the Graduate School. The department uses APA
style. Please note that it is the responsibility of the
student to comply with the thesis regulations established by
the graduate school. Failure to comply with regulations may
result in delay in awarding the degree.
Once
the final draft has been received and read by the thesis
committee, the student will undergo an oral defense of the
thesis. Students must come to campus to present and defend
their thesis. If this represents an extreme hardship, the
student’s committee may elect to make other arrangements
(e.g., a videoconference). The thesis advisor will serve as
a chairperson of the examination session. The grade is
pass/fail. The thesis committee has the option to: accept
the thesis, reject the thesis, or request revisions.
Following the defense, the committee will meet in private in
order to evaluate the final work. The committee may decide
to accept it as is, reject it, or require revisions or
further work. Grades are on a pass/fail basis.
NOTE:
The student should continue work on the thesis even if not
enrolled in thesis hours. Typically the thesis will take
about six months to complete. Students are advised to
consult the current university catalog regarding dates and
deadlines related to graduate work.
Option II: Applied Learning Project
Option II requires a graduate GPA of 3.0 or higher after 15
hours of graduate courses.
A
minimum of 36 hours is required under this option including
two to five hours of CA 700—Graduate Project.
The
project is intended for students who are mid-career or who
would gain academically and/or professionally from a course
of study other than the intensive research and writing
experience required in a thesis.
Under
this option each student must demonstrate the ability to
engage in independent study resulting in a creative or
research endeavor involving the formulation of new problems,
the elaboration of new implications, or the development of
new relationships. The student should consult with their
advisor to determine the number of hours appropriate to
their project. For example, developing a business plan and
web page for a home business should take only two credit
hours but developing two training and development programs
or media kits may require the full five hours of credit.
Students may prepare a degree project that could take a
variety of forms, including a place-based problem solving
exercise, a specific policy proposal, a website, business
communication training materials, a creative video or
photography exhibit, business promotion materials, or a
videotaped program or other project that is not
predominantly written material. Such projects must meet the
same standards of academic excellence as the traditional
thesis.
An
example project is to create two training and development
programs. These may be instructional units on topics
relevant to the student’s employment or developed through
consultation with area nonprofit organizations. Another
example would be to create two media kits, which contain an
array of promotional writing and mediated materials designed
for at least two different nonprofit organizations. For
example, a student might have the goal of starting a
business to develop media kits for non-profit
organizations. The student’s idea for the project is to
develop a media kit for a woman’s shelter where he/she
volunteers. Because the student completing this project has
not demonstrated the ability to work for a variety of
different non-profit organizations, he or she needs develop
at least two different media kits for the project to help
the student reach his/her business goal.
In all cases a
student must also submit a summary of the research and/or
data collection that was necessary for the completion of the
project.
Project
Process
The
project subject should be selected by the student and
approved by the advisor who will direct the research,
writing, and practical work. Through consultation with the
advisor, the student will chose the two additional members
of the committee (this can include one member from outside
the department and/or one member with subject-matter
expertise) and contact them to obtain their commitment to
assist the student.
The
student should complete the initial stages of the project
while talking the first few hours of CA700—Graduate
Project. The student will first develop a proposal. The
project proposal should match the complexity of the project
itself. At a minimum, the proposal should indicate (1) the
purpose of the project, (2) a justification of the project,
(3) a clear explanation of the project, and (4) a timeline
for completion. Larger projects may require a literature
review and bibliography. The
project advisor will assist the student until both advisor
and student are pleased with the work. The student will
then submit the work to the other members of the committee
for comments and revisions. The committee members will act
on the prospectus in group conference. It is best if the student attend the meeting, although attending via
phone is acceptable. The department will schedule meetings
during the second week of Fall I and Spring I and the fourth
week of Fall II and Spring II for project review. Students
are advised to plan ahead to finish their work for
consideration at these meetings.
The faculty believe a well-developed plan is essential for
smooth development of the project, so students are urged to
be thorough in developing the prospectus.
A Project Committee may include one faculty member who
does not have graduate standing, if his/her expertise is
relevant and necessary for the specific project.
After
comment and revision to the committee’s satisfaction, the
student may take additional hours of CA700—Graduate Project
as determined by their advisor. The final work will be
presented by the students at a meeting of graduate students,
the project
committee, and other faculty members. The
department will schedule meetings during the second week of
Fall I and Spring I and the fourth week of Fall II and
Spring II for project review. Students are advised to plan
ahead to finish their project for consideration at these
meetings.
Students must come to campus to present and defend their
project. If this represents an extreme hardship, the
student’s committee may elect to make other arrangements
(e.g., a videoconference).
Following the public presentation, the committee will meet
in private in order to evaluate the final work. The
committee may decide to accept it as is, reject it, or
require revisions or further work. Grades are on a
pass/fail basis.
Students are advised to consult the current university
catalog regarding dates and deadlines related to graduate
work.
Comprehensive Exams
All graduate
students will be required to take comprehensive exams in
order to graduate.
The comprehensive
exam is designed to assess the student learning and the
success of the program.
Students are
reminded to read the statement on academic honesty in the
graduate catalog before beginning the exam.
Students should expect four to eight questions which will be
derived from the program goals. They should consult their
advisor about which faculty will submit and grade exam
questions. The program director will obtain the questions
from the faculty and pass them on to the student. Students
will have 24 hours to complete the exam. If students have
difficulty with particular exam questions, they should
contact the faculty submitting the question. Exam questions
will be
graded by the faculty member who submitted the question and
returned, with comments, to the program director. Results
will be returned to the students within two weeks.
If the student does not meet
expectations, they may be asked to rewrite portions of the
exam or address additional questions.
Such revisions must
be completed within one week of student receipt of the
request for revision. At that point, students will either
pass or fail the exam.
Exams must be passed at
least eight weeks before graduation. Students are advised
to plan ahead to meet deadlines.
|
PARK UNIVERSITY
PROCEDURES
G11.05 – MASTER’S THESIS
PROCEDURES
Effective 2007
I. Master’s Thesis Procedures
-
Purpose of a Master’s
Thesis
1.
The writing of a thesis
is a highly valued academic exercise and traditionally
regarded as the culminating activity in a master’s degree
program. The procedures that follow will guide students in
pursuing this option.
a.
Students may earn up
to six hours of graduate credit for writing a thesis by
enrolling in thesis level courses. Continuous enrollment for
an additional 1 hour is possible with the approval of the
Committee Chair.
b.
Students should
carefully plan their time 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
1.
Candidates should
consult their major advisor in constituting a Committee and
clarify 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.
-
Thesis Activities
1.
The candidate must
register for a 7XX-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 actively work 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.
2.
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.
a.
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?
b.
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?
c.
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?
d.
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.?
e.
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.
f.
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.
3.
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 (see
Appendix C).
4.
In preparing the thesis
proposal, students must be aware that any research that
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 proposal defense to avoid the need for
substantial revisions based on the IRB review. Additional
information related to the IRB may be found at:
http://www.park.edu/irb/
5.
Following the approval
of the thesis proposal, students 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.
6.
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 (see
Appendix C). Thesis defense is open to the University
community.
-
Enrollment in 799 (1
credit hour)
1.
When additional time is
needed to complete the thesis work, enrollment in 799 is
permitted in consultation with the Chair.
-
Style and Format
1.
Style: The
writing of the thesis should consistently follow the style
manual approved by the department/school. Recommended style
manuals for some disciplines are given below. Always
consult the latest edition of the manual. You may wish to
peruse the style used in a refereed journal in the
discipline for clarification since a thesis is expected to
be written in such a way as to be publishable in a
professional journal in the discipline.
Examples:
Business
Communication Leadership
American Psychological
Association. Publication Manual, latest version
published by the Association.
Education
American Psychological
Association. Publication Manual, latest version
published by the Association.
Public Affairs
MLA Handbook for Writers of
Research Papers, latest version.
Healthcare Leadership
American Psychological
Association. Publication Manual, latest version
published by the Association.
2.
Font and Type:
The text of the thesis must be 12-point in a standard font
such as Times New Roman.
3.
Margins:
The margins for each page shall
be as follows: Left margin, one and one half inch; all
other margins, one inch.
4.
Spacing: For the
body of the text, use a space and half or double-spacing.
Spacing of footnotes, long quotes, bibliography, figures,
tables and appendices should follow the style manual you are
using.
5.
Abstract: Every
thesis must include an abstract that summarizes the content
of the thesis in no more than 350 words. Abstract may be
single or double spaced. (See attached example for
suggested format.)
6.
Footnotes/Endnotes:
Footnotes can be placed at the bottom of the page or at the
end of the chapter, depending on the manuscript style you
are using. Do not footnote the title page. Footnotes can
be single-spaced. Use footnotes judiciously. They are used
to elucidate an idea without interrupting the movement of
thought in the main body of the text.
7.
Assembly of
Materials: Assembly of materials in the manuscript will
be in the following order:
a.
Blank sheet
b. Title Page (do not number)
c.
Signature Page (Roman
numeral ii)
d. Copyright Page (if
desired)
e.
Abstract
f.
Acknowledgements (if
applicable)
g.
Table of Contents
h.
List of Tables (if
applicable)
i.
List of Figures (if
applicable)
j.
Text/chapters (begin
Arabic numbering)
k. Literature cited (may be
titled Bibliography, References, or Literature Cited)
l.
Appendices (if
applicable)
m.
Permission to copy (if
applicable)
n.
Vita
o. Blank Sheet
(Please see Appendix C for
example.)
8.
Numbering of Pages:
The two blank pages are not numbered; all other pages of
the manuscript must be numbered. All preliminary pages are
numbered with small Roman numerals beginning with the title
page, but the number does not appear on the title page. The
signature page is given page number “ii.” The body of the
manuscript beginning with Chapter 1 through appendices, and
bibliography and vita are to be numbered consecutively with
Arabic numbers. The first page of each major division of
the manuscript (such as the Table of Contents,
Acknowledgments, Bibliography, etc.) and the first page of
each chapter must be numbered in the center of the bottom of
the page, one line below the one-inch margin. Number all
other pages at the top, right-hand side.
9.
Format of Title page,
etc. The format of the title page, signature sheet,
abstract and vita shall follow the guides attached to this
procedure.
10.
Copyright. If a
copyright page is used, it will be numbered number “iii.”
Center “Copyright@year” as shown below:
Copyright 2004
John T. Goodfellow
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Registering your thesis for
copyright is not required, but you may wish to do so. The
Director of the Library will assist you in this process. To
register for copyright, send the three pieces of information
mentioned below to:
Register of
Copyright
Copyright
Office
Library of
Congress
101
Independence Avenue, S. E
Washington,
D.C., 20559-600
1.
A completed application
form.
2.
A $45.00 payment to
“Register of Copyrights.” (Please check the fee as it may
change). The fee is non-refundable.
3.
One non-returnable copy
of the work to be registered.
Your registration becomes
effective on the day the completed application and other
required items are received by the Copyright Office. You
can expect to receive a certificate of registration in 4-5
months. For additional information, please consult:
http://www.copyright.gov/reg.html
11.
Charts, Graphs,
Figures, Photographs, Diagrams. All such items must be
clear, clean and relevant. If photographs or pictures are
used, use of black-and-white copies is preferable to color
unless color photographs are necessary. When color
photographs or other pictorial items are used, all copies of
the thesis must contain original color photographs or
pictorial items.
-
Frequently Asked
Questions (see Appendix C)
-
Thesis Proposal Form
(see Appendix C)
-
Sample Abstract (see
Appendix C)
-
Sample Title Page (see
Appendix C)
-
Sample Vita (see
Appendix C)
-
Checklist for Thesis
Students (see Appendix C)
-
Submission of Thesis
1.
Only theses that have
the approval pages properly endorsed by the Chair and the
Committee members will be accepted by the Graduate School.
Before the manuscript is bound, a complete copy must be
submitted to the Graduate School, five weeks before
commencement, for scrutiny and approval. The manuscript
must be accompanied by:
a.
Four signature pages on
100 percent cotton bond, minimum 20lb. paper with each page
signed by the Chair and Committee members. No photocopied
signatures will be accepted.
b.
Binding and copyright
fees if applicable.
The Director of the Library
will handle binding and copyright.
2.
Corrections:
Corrections offered by the
appropriate School or its representative must be made before
the Senior Academic Officer can approve the thesis. After
making the corrections, make the final four copies on a good
grade of bond paper. Check each copy for order and copy
quality before submitting them to the School. Four copies
are required to be bound and they will be distributed as
follows: One copy for your department/school; one copy for
your major advisor; one copy for the University library; one
copy for you. If you wish to have additional bound copies,
please make arrangements for binding through the Graduate
School. The library copy will be placed on the open library
shelves and it will be accessible to the public.
CONTACT FOR INTERPRETATION:
Executive Director for the Graduate School
Appendix C
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q. To what extent should my
research be original?
A. A thesis is an original piece
of work. However, no work is so original that it does not build
on research that has already been done. A careful review of
scholarly literature will reveal that scholars have wrestled
with some of the same issues in different ways long before you
thought about them. Originality is matter of approach, filling
gaps in literature, examining the same issue in light of
additional new information, re-testing a hypothesis, challenging
the validity of given wisdom, advancing knowledge to a new
level, or making a contribution to professional practice.
Raising new questions about the subject is a mark of
originality.
Q. What is the appropriate length
for my thesis?
A. Although size is not
necessarily a measure of a work’s quality, size does matter for
a thesis. The length of a master’s thesis will depend on the
subject matter and the discipline. In humanities, education,
and social sciences a thesis may range from 60 to 150 pages. In
natural sciences it may be shorter. You are not expected to
produce a thesis that is longer than a 100 pages of text. A
thesis that is less than 60 pages in length excluding initial
pages, bibliography and appendices is likely to be too short.
Q. What is the style of a thesis as
a genre of writing?
A thesis should emulate
professional/scientific writing: concise, clear, cogently
argued, well-referenced, and objective. This does not mean that
a thesis should make boring reading. Your passion in the
subject must not bias your research, but it should energize your
writing. Have someone check the spelling, grammar, and
presentation before presenting the final draft.
The arrangement of chapters and the
overall structure of the thesis are as important as its writing
style. Does the thesis tell a good story of your research with
a clear beginning and an interesting ending?
Q. How long does it take to write a
good thesis?
A. It depends on a variety of
circumstances including your work habits. Write a few pages
everyday. As in other forms of writing, there is no substitute
for writing when the idea needs to be put down in writing. Do
not attempt to make your first draft the perfect document.
Share your writing chapter-by-chapter or section-by-section with
your major advisor to receive feedback. You may consult other
Committee members as needed, but it is your major advisor who
should direct and guide you in your work.
Q. What does the thesis Committee
look for in a thesis?
A. Keep in mind that during the
thesis defense, the Committee wants to know the following sorts
of things: Do you really understand the topic you are writing
about? Are you glossing over a problem or area of which you are
unsure? Can you place your research within a wider context and
explain its significance to people outside your field? Are you
familiar with the literature? Have you consulted not only
recent studies but also classics in the field? Can you defend
your methodology? Do your conclusions logically follow from the
data? How careful are you in interpreting the data? What are
the limitations of your study? What are the possibilities of
additional research?
Thesis proposal form
Sample Abstract
ABSTRACT
(as appropriate for designated
style)
TITLE OF THESIS
(as appropriate for designated
style)
Begin abstract, summarizing your
thesis. It should not exceed 350 words. Include the purpose,
research procedure, results, and conclusions.
Roman numeral for page number
Sample Title page
TITLE OF THESIS
(Center title between the left and
right margins. Succeeding lines of title must be shorter than
the preceding line. Use one space and a half or double-space
consistent with the body of the thesis)
By
YOUR NAME
(Placed approximately in the middle
of the page)
(Toward the bottom of the page)
Submitted to the
Department/School/Division of ____________
Park University
in partial fulfillment of the
degree of
YOUR SPECIFIC DEGREE IN CAPS (no
abbreviation)
Month, Year
(No page number)
Vita
VITA
(Limited to 350 words)
Begin vita by stating
when and where you were born, your educational history, brief
description of your professional accomplishments, and any other
relevant information.
Graduate School Checklist for
Thesis Students
Student name:
________________________________________________________
Current Mailing
Address:_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
________________________________________________
Current Phone Numbers
_________________ (H) _________________________ (W)
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)
Dr. A's APA writing expectations:
http://onlineacademics.org/APA.html Please read this information so
you can do your own editing.
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
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.
No incompletes.
If you don't plan on meeting deadlines, you will want to use a
different advisor.
YOU MUST BE OFF PROBATION AND HAVE
FULLY COMPLETED YOUR APPLICATION AND
ADMITTANCE TO THE PROGRAM.
COMPREHENSIVE EXAMS
need to have passed your comps
BEFORE your final term.
DUE
WEEK TWO OF LAST TERM BEFORE GRADUATION
MAIL or deliver HARDCOPY TWO WEEK IN
ADVANCE
Make sure you get a hardcopy to all your committee members about a
week before the defense. Hardcopies
of your 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. At most universities, they are
given MONTHS to do this, so even two weeks is an unrealistic
expectation. 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 holiday times, between terms, and summer,
please do not expect faculty to read, correspond with you, or meet.
Please be sure to send an electronic copy
of each chapter to each committee member as soon as it is
done.
Tell them you just want them
to see your progress, and you welcome any suggestions or
corrections.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS PAGE
Of course you can say whatever you
want, but usually people thank each
committee member in the first
paragraph. Then they thank key
family and friends in the next
paragraph (e.g., for their support,
proofing of the manuscript). I've
seen thanks to other university
people who have helped, like a
librarian. Don't thank the the
company where your research was
done, but if you thank someone
from the company, do so in generic
terms to no one can they they were
part of the study. It's considered
bad form to thank pets. (grin)
DEDICATION
Again you can say whatever you want,
but for an author's first book, the
dedication is traditionally to
parents. Some people select
their significant other. It's
considered bad form to dedicate to
animals, causes, or things.
THESIS DUE
TO GRADUATE SCHOOL
WEEK FIVE OF LAST
TERM
We have no control over this deadline, so meet it! This means the
thesis is in final form.
Send an electronic version to Dr. sending them the electronic
version.
, 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.
|
IRB NOTIFICATION OF CONCLUSION OF RESEARCH |
|
You are required to notify the IRB that you finished
by contacting
Dr. Kerkman of the IRB
saying something like this.
This email is notification
that my research on human
subjects entitled
_____________ , tracking
number __________________ is
completed. I have finished
collecting collecting data.
Thank you for your help with
this work.
Make sure your advisor has four
copies of the signature page on 100%
cotton for the oral defense meeting.
Your advisor will send you changes
to your thesis after the committee
meeting for the oral defense.
Go back and REREAD THIS PAGE,
particularly being careful to comply
with the Park Procedures listed on
this page. You have to proof
your final version carefully because
no one will proof it for you.
You may want to hire a proof-reader
to double-check everything.
You need to make sure everything is
correct and in proper order.
Then send an electronic version to
the Director of the Graduate School
with the email copied to your
advisor.
Contact Dr. Schultis and
do exactly what she says. No
arguments. She is an important
and well-respected person at this
university. Be respectful!
Dr. A. Schultis
Director of Library Systems
Park University Library
8700 NW River Park Dr.
Parkville, MO 64152-3795
ann.schultis@park.edu
ph: 816-584-6704
fax: 816-741-4911
She will probably tell
you something like the information
below.
Houchen Bindery was used
in 2008 and 2009.
http://odp.houchenbindery.com/
Print your copies of your thesis on
high quality bond--acid free
paper--and mail to Dr. Schultis with
a check.
Be sure to include a copyright page,
if you plan to obtain a copyright.
Where to go for printing?
I recommend you go to some place
like Office Max or Kinkos and talk
to them about making your copies.
You want acid free paper because you
don't want pages to yellow. But
someplace I went said all their
paper is now acid free. Make sure
you ask about the acid free part.
Tell them you're having a thesis
bound and ask for their advice about
a good quality paper. 100% cotton is
hard to work with, too thick, and
very expensive, and I don't think
you'll be happy with it. There's no
reason to spend hundreds of dollars
on this, you just want a nice copy
that will last. Then you
deliver or ship them to Dr. Schultis.
How many copies?
One for the library.
One for the department.
One for you.
Aitken does not want/need another
hardcopy, so don't have one printed.
Check to see if the Director of the
Program (Dr. Noe) wants one.
The only professionally bound copy
you absolutely MUST have is the one
that you give to the library.
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
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Photos from Microsoft Office for use only in course
presentation materials for enrolled students.
Page reference: Aitken, J. E. (2008). Thesis
design and research. Kansas City, MO: OnlineAcademics.Org. Retrieved
month day, year, from http://onlineacademics.org/CA797
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