Getting Started
Most master's students have not undertaken a project as involved as a thesis and therefore find the prospect daunting. That is understandable, but there is actually no cause for concern. It is the scale of the project which is different, not the process. The total project may be complex, but the thesis unfolds a step at a time. ALWAYS REMEMBER, just focus on the next step. The earlier emphasis on becoming familiar with faculty research interests relates to selecting a topic. Ideally, the topic should relate directly to an on-going faculty research project. At the very least, it must be linked to some aspect of the faculty member's work. This congruence of interest benefits both the student and the faculty member. Note, however, that defining your topic is your responsibility, not your advisor's.
Your thesis is meant to be an original contribution to knowledge. However, what you learn by doing the thesis may be as valuable as the content. Put differently, process is as important as product. You may never again write something like a thesis, but you will likely be called upon to organize a large project and approach it systematically. That is when your thesis experience will serve you well.
Students often think that thesis topics come through inspiration. That happens, but perspiration is more common. Don't be concerned if a topic doesn't come to you in a flash of light. Keep thinking, keep talking and keep exploring new possibilities. That's how your topic will be defined. Remember, too, that while the process is time consuming -- and sometimes seems frustrating -- the time is well spent; it is better to invest the time in selecting a good topic than to face increased frustration months later because your topic hadn't been refined sufficiently. The thesis is a requirement for a Master of Science degree and represents a more modest contribution to knowledge than does a dissertation; however, the thesis should contribute to the literature and be worthy of publication.
The Proposal
Developing Your Proposal: Once you and your advisor agree on a topic, you should begin work on your research proposal. The proposal is basically the first three chapters of your thesis. That is why it must be carefully prepared; once it is done, you will have completed over half your thesis.
The format of a thesis is quite formal and carefully prescribed. Be sure to follow Graduate School guidelines precisely; such rules are absolute. On matters of style, consult the APA Publication Manual. The Graduate School's Guidelines for Theses and Dissertations should be followed precisely.
Your proposal should include:
INTRODUCTION. In the Introduction, you obviously tell the reader what you are going to do, but it is equally important to tell why you are doing it. You should provide a rationale for the project, giving the reader the overall context. Your theoretical framework should be introduced in this chapter. It is conventional to close the Introduction with a set of hypotheses or specific research questions, including operational definitions of terms. That creates some organizational problems, because you'll be doing much of this again later in more detailed fashion. There is no set way to deal with these problems. You simply need to develop a workable solution for your particular study.
REVIEW OF LITERATURE. The purpose of the Review of Literature is not simply to demonstrate that you have read a lot of books and journal articles. Rather, you want to provide a complete context for your work, demonstrating the importance of the topic and exploring what others have done. You may want to elaborate on your theoretical framework in this chapter and cite other studies which have used this framework.
The Review should move from the more general to the more specific. Thus, as you move through the Review, you'll be dealing with questions which are closer and closer to the ones you will be investigating. A carefully crafted Review should lead directly to your research topic. Once that is done, it will be easier for you to relate your findings to the others' work in your final chapter.
METHODOLOGY. Two simple words are the key to this chapter: be specific. You want to tell precisely what you are going to do and how you are going to do it. No detail is too small to include (and it is easier to take it out later than to find it when someone says it should be included). You will take the reader step by step through the research process, indicating exactly what will be done at each point. Take special care with the analysis section, for you will be committing yourself to that approach.
Obviously, you can't do all of this overnight. You need to begin exploring a research topic the first semester you are in graduate school. It is generally helpful to meet with several faculty members to discuss their research interests as well as your own early in your program. Many students begin writing their proposal in their Research Methods class, which is helpful, but not essential. Your advisor will provide guidance and critical assessment, but you are responsible for developing your proposal. The proposal will be developed through a number of drafts; that is a new experience for most students, but essential to improving the product.
The Proposal Approval Process: Other committee members (and possibly other faculty members not on your committee) may be involved as you work on your thesis proposal, but it is your advisor who is primarily involved. Work out a schedule with your advisor, setting realistic goals and target dates. Changes may be needed, but it is good to have an overall schedule in mind.
When your advisor agrees that your proposal has been refined sufficiently, you will be responsible for scheduling a committee meeting and reserving the room. Note: the decision rests with the advisor. All committee members must have a copy of your proposal at least two weeks before the meeting. No exceptions will be granted to this rule. In the committee meeting, you will give a summary of your proposal and outline the next steps in your research. Committee members will then ask questions and discuss concerns with you. Although the committee may suggest revisions, it is not the committee's responsibility to edit your proposal. Editorial changes are your responsibility. The departmental form, Committee Action on Student's Thesis Proposal, should be signed at the oral defense of the thesis proposal.
The Thesis
Completing Your Thesis: Once your project statement is approved, you are well on your way to completion. With your committee's approval, you proceed with your research, collecting data and undertaking the analysis. It isn't unusual to make some adjustments to what you said you would do in your project statement. Minor changes can be approved by your advisor, but the overall approach should not deviate from what your committee approved.
Your proposal -- including revisions suggested by your committee -- constitutes your first three chapters. To that you add:
RESULTS. This chapter is simply a straightforward report of what you found. You do not interpret or elaborate. It is essential, however, to report fully all your results. Obviously, that requires a grasp of all the statistics you have used.
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION. By now you have completed the bulk of your thesis. The final chapter brings everything together and provides an assessment of what you have done. The format may vary, but it is common to begin with a summary and an interpretation of the results reported in Chapter IV. As part of that, you may wish to highlight your most interesting findings; or, you may do that in a separate section.
Next, you should include a discussion of the implications of your work. This is your chance to reflect and elaborate on what you have done. As noted, a thesis is highly structured, but in this section, you are free to speculate on interesting aspects of your findings. You'll want to ask yourself "So what?" and answer that question for the reader. As noted above, you should also relate your findings to the material in your Review of Literature.
Finally, you should have a section of limitations of your study and suggestions for future research. Don't be reluctant to admit limitations. Your intent is to let the reader know that you know about the limits of your study.
Graduate students need to plan a realistic time schedule for completion of their research. Faculty members are not obligated to spend their evenings reading student work. Turn around time is not instantaneous and to expect this is not acceptable behavior.
The Thesis Defense: When your advisor agrees that your thesis is ready to go to your committee, he or she signs Part I of the Approval Form for Master's Thesis, Defense and Final Exam. You must then distribute your thesis to your committee and schedule your final defense. A Master's thesis may be defended when the advisor and one other committee member agree that the thesis is ready for defense and willing to sign Part II of the approval form. M.S. Advisory Committee members must have at least two weeks to read the thesis. Your oral defense must be at least three weeks prior to the date when you turn in your thesis to the Graduate School.
During the final defense, committee members will almost certainly recommend changes. If these are minor, they are usually made under the advisor's supervision (but note again that it is your responsibility to make the changes). Should major changes be necessary, subsequent review by the committee is likely. The remainder of the approval form is completed at the time of the final defense. Remember, it is not the committee's responsibility to edit the thesis, or to ensure that it meets Graduate School requirements . The student should work directly with the Graduate School in that regard.
Publication: Graduate students are encouraged to work with their major professor to submit their research findings for awards, for presentation at professional meetings and in professional journals.
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