How to write a thesis proposal

I. Framework
II. Structure of a thesis proposal
III. Order in which to write the proposal
IV. Tips
V. Resources
I. Framework
Senior research projects in Environmental Sciences have the following elements in
:common
.An environmental issue is identified.1
.Other people's work on the topic is collected and evaluated.2
Data necessary to solving the problem are either collected by the student, or.3
.obtained independently
.Data are analyzed using techniques appropriate to the data set.4
Results of the analysis are reported and are interpreted in light of the initial.5
.environmental issue
The final outcome of this process is a senior thesis that you will complete in the
spring semester. The goal of the fall semester is that you identify a research topic,
find a research mentor, formulate a hypothesis, understand the background of your
project, develop or adapt appropriate methods, and summarize the state of your
project as a thesis proposal. The goal is to progress as far as possible with the
elements listed above during the fall semester. The more you can accomplish during
the fall, the further you can drive the project in the end, and the more relaxed the
.(spring semester is going to be for you (and us
The purpose of writing a thesis proposal is to demonstrate that
;the thesis topic addresses a significant environmental problem.1
an organized plan is in place for collecting or obtaining data to help solve the.2
;problem
methods of data analysis have been identified and are appropriate to the data.3
.set
If you can outline these points clearly in a proposal, then you will be able to focus on
a research topic and finish it rapidly. A secondary purpose of the proposal is to train
you in the art of proposal writing. Any future career in Environmental Sciences,
.whether it be in industry or academia will require these skills in some form
We are well aware that the best laid out research plans may go awry, and that the best
completed theses sometimes bear only little resemblance to the thesis planned during
the proposal. Therefore, when evaluating a thesis proposal, we are not trying to assure
ourselves that you have clearly described a sure-fire research project with 0% risk of
(.failure. (If there was no risk of failure, it wouldn't be research
Instead, what we're interested in seeing is if you have a clear handle on the process
and structure of research as it's practiced by our discipline. If you can present a clear
and reasonable thesis idea, if you can clearly relate it to other relevant literature, if
you can justify its significance, if you can describe a method for investigating it, and
if you can decompose it into a sequence of steps that lead toward a reasonable

1
 conclusion, then the thesis proposal is a success regardless of whether you modify or
even scrap the actual idea down the line and start off in a different direction. What a
successful thesis proposal demonstrates is that, regardless of the eventual idea you
.pursue, you know the steps involved in turning it into a thesis
II. Structure of a thesis proposal
.Your thesis proposal should have the following elements in this order
Title page•
Abstract•
Table of contents•
Introduction•
Thesis statement•
Approach/methods•
Preliminary results and discussion•
Work plan including time table•
Implications of research•
List of references•
The structure is very similar to that of a thesis or a scientific paper. You will be able
to use a large fraction of the material of the thesis proposal in your final senior thesis.
Of course, the state of the individual projects at the end of the fall will vary, and
.therefore also the format of the elements discussed below
Title page
contains short, descriptive title of the proposed thesis project (should be fairly•
(self-explanatory
and author, institution, department, resreach mentor, mentor's institution, and•
date of delivery
Abstract
the abstract is a brief summary of your thesis proposal•
its length should not exceed ~200 words•
present a brief introduction to the issue•
make the key statement of your thesis•
give a summary of how you want to address the issue•
include a possible implication of your work, if successfully completed•
Table of contents
list all headings and subheadings with page numbers•
indent subheadings•
Introduction
this section sets the context for your proposed project and must capture the•
reader's interest
explain the background of your study starting from a broad picture narrowing•
in on your research question

2
review what is known about your research topic as far as it is relevant to your•
thesis
cite relevant references•
the introduction should be at a level that makes it easy to understand for•
readers with a general science background, for example your classmates
Thesis statement
in a couple of sentences, state your thesis•
this statement can take the form of a hypothesis, research question, project•
statement, or goal statement
the thesis statement should capture the essence of your intended project and•
also help to put boundaries around it
Approach/methods
this section contains an overall description of your approach, materials, and•
procedures
?what methods will be used○
?how will data be collected and analyzed○
?what materials will be used○
include calculations, technique, procedure, equipment, and calibration graphs•
detail limitations, assumptions, and range of validity•
citations should be limited to data sources and more complete descriptions of•
procedures
do not include results and discussion of results here•
Preliminary results and discussion
present any results you already have obtained•
discuss how they fit in the framework of your thesis•
Work plan including time table
describe in detail what you plan to do until completion of your senior thesis•
project
list the stages of your project in a table format•
indicate deadlines you have set for completing each stage of the project,•
including any work you have already completed
discuss any particular challenges that need to be overcome•
Implications of Research
what new knowledge will the proposed project produce that we do not already•
?know
?why is it worth knowing, what are the major implications•
List of references
cite all ideas, concepts, text, data that are not your own•
if you make a statement, back it up with your own data or a reference•
all references cited in the text must be listed•

3
cite single-author references by the surname of the author (followed by date of•
(the publication in parenthesis
(according to Hays (1994 ...○
population growth is one of the greatest environmental concerns ...○
.(facing future generations (Hays, 1994
cite double-author references by the surnames of both authors (followed by•
(date of the publication in parenthesis
(e.g. Simpson and Hays (1994○
cite more than double-author references by the surname of the first author•
followed by et al. and then the date of the publication
:e.g. Pfirman, Simpson and Hays would be○
(Pfirman et al. (1994○
.cite newspaper articles using the newspaper name and date, e.g•
this problem was also recently discussed in the press (New York....○
(Times, 1/15/00
do not use footnotes•
list all references cited in the text in alphabetical order using the following•
:format for different types of material
Hunt, S. (1966) Carbohydrate and amino acid composition of the egg○
.capsules of the whelk. Nature, 210, 436-437
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (1997) Commonly○
asked questions about ozone. http://www.noaa.gov/public-
.affairs/grounders/ozo1.html, 9/27/97
Pfirman, S.L., M. Stute, H.J. Simpson, and J. Hays (1996)○
Undergraduate research at Barnard and Columbia, Journal of
.Research, 11, 213-214
Pechenik, J.A. (1987) A short guide to writing about biology. Harper○
.Collins Publishers, New York, 194pp
Pitelka, D.R., and F.M. Child (1964) Review of ciliary structure and○
function. In: Biochemistry and Physiology of Protozoa, Vol. 3 (S.H.
.Hutner, editor), Academic Press, New York, 131-198
Sambrotto, R. (1997) lecture notes, Environmental Data Analysis,○
.Barnard College, Oct 2, 1997
Stute, M., J.F. Clark, P. Schlosser, W.S. Broecker, and G. Bonani○
(1995) A high altitude continental paleotemperature record derived
from noble gases dissolved in groundwater from the San Juan Basin,
.New Mexico. Quat. Res., 43, 209-220
.New York Times (1/15/00) PCBs in the Hudson still an issue, A2○
it is acceptable to put the initials of the individual authors behind their last•
names, e.g. Pfirman, S.L., Stute, M., Simpson, H.J., and Hays, J (1996)
...... Undergraduate research at
III. Order in which to write the proposal

4
 :Proceed in the following order .
Make an outline of your thesis proposal before you start writing.1
Prepare figures and tables.2
Figure captions.3
Methods.4
Discussion of your data.5
Inferences from your data.6
Introduction.7
Abstract.8
Bibliography.9
This order may seem backwards. However, it is difficult to write an abstract until you
know your most important results. Sometimes, it is possible to write the introduction
.first. Most often the introduction should be written next to last
IV. Tips
Figures
Pictures say more than a thousand words!" Figures serve to illustrate"•
important aspects of the background material, sample data, and analysis
.techniques
A well chosen and well labeled figure can reduce text length, and improve•
proposal clarity. Proposals often contain figures from other articles. These
can be appropriate, but you should consider modifying them if the
.modifications will improve your point
The whole process of making a drawing is important for two reasons. First, it•
clarifies your thinking. If you don’t understand the process, you can’t draw it.
Second, good drawings are very valuable. Other scientists will understand
your paper better if you can make a drawing of your ideas. A co-author of
mine has advised me: make figures that other people will want to steal. They
.will cite your paper because they want to use your figure in their paper
Make cartoons using a scientific drawing program. Depending upon the•
:subject of your paper, a cartoon might incorporate the following
a picture of the scientific equipment that you are using and an○
;explanation of how it works
a drawing of a cycle showing steps, feedback loops, and bifurcations:○
;this can include chemical or mathematical equations
a flow chart showing the steps in a process and the possible causes and○
.consequences
Incorporate graphs in the text or on separated sheets inserted in the thesis•
proposal
Modern computer technology such as scanners and drafting programs are•
.available in the department to help you create or modify pictures
Grammar/spelling

5
 Poor grammar and spelling distract from the content of the proposal. The•
reader focuses on the grammar and spelling problems and misses keys points
made in the text. Modern word processing programs have grammar and spell
.checkers. Use them
Read your proposal aloud - then have a friend read it aloud. If your sentences•
seem too long, make two or three sentences instead of one. Try to write the
same way that you speak when you are explaining a concept. Most people
.speak more clearly than they write
You should have read your proposal over at least 5 times before handing it in•
Simple wording is generally better•
If you get comments from others that seem completely irrelevant to you, your•
paper is not written clearly enough never use a complex word if a simpler
word will do
V. Resources/Acknowlegements
 The senior seminar website has a very detailed document on "How to write a
thesis" which you might want to look at. Most of the tips given there are relevant for
.your thesis proposal as well
 Recommended books on scientific writing
: Some of the material on this page was adapted from
 http://www.geo.utep.edu/Grad_Info/prop_guide.html
 http://www.hartwick.edu/anthropology/proposal.htm
 http://csdl.ics.hawaii.edu/FAQ/FAQ/thesis-proposal.html
http://www.butler.edu/honors/PropsTheses.html

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Assignm .1 < Monash University > Education > Students > Current > Resources
ent & thesis
writing advice -
Thesis writing
Home ?What is a thesis
reading .2 A thesis consists of an argument or a series of arguments
for academic combined with the description and discussion of research you
purposes have undertaken. In the case of a PhD and an Ed D, and to a
writing an .3 lesser extent, a Masters (research) thesis, the research is
essay expected to "make a significant contribution to the chosen field"
writing a .4 (Phillips and Pugh, 1994: 23). This does not mean to
proposal revolutionise the field (though some PhDs may). You are
writing a .5 expected to review critically the available publications in the
thesis field and attempt to add an element of original research to it.
referenci .6 This may simply mean that you adapt someone else's research
ng plan for the situation you want to investigate; in this way you
extend the knowledge about an area. Your supervisor will
.advise you about suitable research
Minor theses (eg, for coursework Masters programs or Honours
theses) may also contribute to the knowledge in the field,
though the main requirement is that they provide evidence of an
understanding of the field. Reporting on minor research studies
may take a wider variety of shapes than the minor thesis.
Accompanied by appropriate commentaries and adequate
discussion of the related issues in the field, videotapes, books,
and works of art and literature have all satisfied the
requirements for Master of Education coursework programs’
.research report
Preparing to write/research
The following recommendations may help you to work
efficiently, and, eventually, confidently while carrying out and
.presenting your research

Know your role as a researcher.1

The general responsibilities of a PhD and EdD student
and their supervisors are set out in the Research

7
 Degrees in Education Handbook and the University
handbook for research students. Many of these
responsibilities are also applicable to M Ed students and
writers of theses and their supervisors. An important
feature of these stated responsibilities is the expectation
that a researcher will be fairly independent, and that
he/she will ask for help when it is needed rather than
expect the supervisor to infer this need. On the other
hand, it is the responsibility of the supervisor to teach
the beginning researcher how to develop a focus,
conduct research and write about this (possibly
simultaneously). Remember, though, that in the
Australian academic tradition, teach does not mean tell;
.rather, it means guide
It is not easy to ask for help, especially when you are
feeling surrounded by unachievable tasks and
incomprehensible texts. Just remember that
independence is related to expertise. No-one can
reasonably expect a beginning researcher to know all
there is to know about research or about the field they
are working on. Nor can a supervisor guess when you
feel like you're drowning in a sea of unknowns. You
have to tell them that you need to know what the next
step should be (and negotiate this with them), or ask
them to help you identify the important areas in a field,
or to tell you how to go about finding out which central
theorist to begin reading. Your sense of independence
will grow, and your questions will change as you
.progress
Research students may find that an intensive schedule
of consultations with the supervisor is necessary in the
initial stages. Supervisors may take a more dominant
role at this point (usually because they feel they have to
help you get things started). If you feel that you are
losing a sense of this being your work, think carefully
about the direction you would like it to take and discuss
.this as soon as possible with your supervisor
You should meet your supervisor on average at least
once a fortnight. Plan small, achievable tasks to do
between meetings, rather than huge assignments.
Research students often feel disappointed with the
amount of work they achieve in a given time, because
their aims are overambitious, or because they do not
realise how complicated a task is (Phillips and Pugh,
1994). If you want to discuss something you have
written with your supervisor, provide a copy of it at least
three or four days prior to the meeting if it is a short
.piece, more for a longer piece

Get to know the software available to help you.2

For all students, it will be very important to know how to
use a computer for accessing information and writing
the thesis. Courses on the use of software are available
in the University, and support (not courses) is available

8
 in the Faculty. Endnote is a very useful program
available to you. Find out how the software can help you
to do tasks like fill in citations, maintain a consistent
style, create a Table of Contents, and import work done
.on other software
You must also get to know how to use the systems in
the library and the LMR/Faculty library (on-line on
students' computers) which provide information needed
to find publications. Courses are available for these. Ask
the Faculty library (LMR) or the Education librarian(s) in
.the main library

Decide on the set of writing.3

conventions you will follow
Conventions are the rules you need to follow in writing
regarding citations, bibliographies, style (eg, language
free of gender bias), page setup, punctuation, spelling,
figures and tables, and the presentation of graphics.
Note that computer programs such as EndNote are
available on Faculty computers, so you may like to find
out which systems of conventions they employ and
choose accordingly. Programs such as Word for
Windows include templates for dissertations (and other
kinds of writing); these help you to maintain a consistent
.use of conventions throughout your thesis
You should discuss conventions with your supervisor at
the beginning stages. If you need any help
understanding how the conventions work, you may
consult Rosemary Viete or Steve Price (9905 5396) or
by email: rosemary.viete@education.monash.edu.au
and steve.price@law.monash.edu.au. Manuals are
.available in the LMR and the bookshop

Look at other theses in the field.4

Hundreds of theses are available for your perusal in the
LMR. Look at ones in your field to get ideas about the
:main features of their
organisation
language use
use of subsections and styles for the heirarchy of
headings/subheadings
page numbering and font
It will help you a great deal in the final stages if you
have decided early on the conventions, the font and the
use and style of subheadings and headings, and use
them consistently. Many programs, including Word, can
help you to create and manage heading styles, and to
.use this to later generate your Table of Contents

Remember that writing is a.5

9
 thinking process
When we write, we often change or considerably
develop what we think. Writing is not just translating into
words the images of our thoughts; it's not as simple as
that. In writing, we may transform our thoughts, redefine
them or, with great pain and effort, give shape to our
ideas. Thus, it is important to give ourselves time to
write. Many students find it helpful to begin writing early
in the process of doing a research degree. With the time
constraints on a thesis writer, an early start is
imperative. Remember, what you write is not
necessarily what you will print in the final draft (though
in some parts it may be). It is not necessary, in fact it is
often impossible, to do all the thinking and then 'write it
.'up
It is also important to remember that writing is
experienced differently by different people, and the
processes they prefer are also different. Chandler
:(1994) categorises writers as
Architects (those who consciously pre-plan and
organise and do little revision); Watercolour artists (who
try to write a final draft on the first attempt - little
revision); Bricklayers (who revise at sentence and
paragraph level as they proceed), and Oilpainters (who
pre-plan little but rework text repeatedly). Into (or in
between) which category(ies) do you think you fall, if
any? It is useful to know how you prefer to go about
writing academic pieces, but you may actually find it
useful to try out other ways with a thesis, since this is
probably a considerably longer piece of work than any
.you have undertaken before

Preparing proposals and applications to the Ethics.6

Committee
If you are writing a thesis for a PhD or an EdD, you will
have to prepare a proposal in order to show your
department and supervisor that you have developed a
suitable focus for your research. In the case of an M Ed
thesis, the same may apply. A separate booklet (blue)
provides an outline of the contents of a proposal.
Sample proposals are also available from Rosemary
.Viete
As soon as you have worked out what you wish to do,
you should establish whether or not you need to apply
to the University Standing Committee on Ethics in
Research on Humans (SCERH) for approval of your
research. If you are going to observe, talk to, consult
or deal with living human beings (or animals) in any
way, significant or minor, you must apply for
approval. Applications involve detailed explanation of
what you will do, so it is important to think about your
methods at an early stage., and in particular to think

10
 about how any participants you work with will be
protected from harm. Applications are filled out on a
proforma available at the following address:
./http://www.monash.edu.au/resgrant
The Committee may take some time to consider your
application; it is well worth making your application a
good one, so it isn't rejected (if you are well-advanced in
writing your proposal, this will help in filling out the
ethics forms). You are not permitted to undertake any
research involving people or animals until you have
approval. It is important to work on this application
.as early as possible
Components of a thesis
Theses come in various sizes. The components of many theses
are similar although their functions and requirements may differ
according to the degree they are presented for. The
components and their functions and characteristics are set out
below. Note that not all theses must contain all components.
Consult with your supervisor and the regulations governing your
degree to identify which components you need. A notable
exception from the following format are theses that do not have
an empirical element, and historical studies. The ways in which
data are related to the literature can vary enormously, so that
there may be no clearly defined differentiation of function
amongst your chapters regarding literature and data
.presentation
COMPONENTS of A THESIS: FUNCTIONS and
CHARACTERISTICS
Cover page
Identifies topic, writer, institution, degree and date (year .1
.(and, if you like, month
Title, candidate's name and qualifications, degree aimed .2
.at, faculty, university, month and year presented
Declaration
States that the material presented has not been used for .1
.any other award, and that all sources are acknowledged
States that the approval of SCERH was received and .2
.(gives the reference number (where this was necessary
Download a sample Declaration page (pdf 6kb) or alternative
(version (rtf 1kb
Acknowledgements
To thank anyone whose support has been important for .1
.your work
The supervisor generally receives the first vote of .2
thanks. Don’t forget your participants (Though remember
confidentiality). This section is the least bound by convention.
.You may speak from the heart
Table of Contents
Lists all major divisions and subdivisions marked by .1

11
 .numbers and indicates which page they are on
The titles and subtitles of sections should appear in a .2
style and size consistent with their position in the heirarchy (see
.(style manuals for help in selecting your system
Numbering hierarchy: 1, 1.1, 1.1.1, 1.1.1.1 .3
Lists of Tables / Figures / Illustrations / Appendices
.Lists all of these and the pages on which they appear .1
A separate section is used for each of these categories .2
(It is often handy to number such items using the chapter
.(.number first: eg, Fig 1.1, Fig. 2.1, Fig.2.2, etc
Abstract
Orients the reader / presents the focal points of the .1
.thesis
Summarises the thesis, mentioning aims/purposes, .2
focus of literature review, methods of research and analysis,
.the findings, and implications
(Introduction (may be given a more descriptive name
Provides background information and rationale for the .1
research, so that the reader is persuaded that it will be
useful/interesting. It usually also serves as frame within which
.the reader reads the rest of the thesis
Provides background information related to the need for .2
.the research
Builds an argument for the research and presents research
.question(s) and aims
.May present a theoretical starting point .3
.For a minor thesis, it usually includes methodology .4
.Gives an outline of subsequent chapters .5
Literature Review (this may consist of more than one chapter
(with descriptive titles
To show the reader/examiner that you are familiar with .1
issues and debates in the field (you need to explain these and
.discuss the main players' ideas
To show the reader that there is an area in this field to .2
which you can contribute (thus, the review must be critically
.(analytical
This is the section where you cite the most, where your .3
use of verb tense becomes most important in conveying subtle
meanings, where you must beware of unwarranted repetition.
.This is where plagiarism becomes an issue
You must remember to discuss theory which is directly .4
.relevant to your research
In a minor thesis, this may be incorporated into other .5
parts of the piece presented (eg, in the introduction, throughout
a video, in a discussion). Alternatively a literature review may
be the main source of data, and fulfill the aims of the thesis, in
which case it may need to consist of one or more large

12
 .chapters
Methodology
Presents an understanding of the philosophical .1
framework within which you see your inquiry (ie, discusses
.(epistemology of the research - using literature
Presents a rationale for the methodological approach .2
.((using literature
Describes and justifies the methods of research and .3
.(analysis (using literature
Reveals the boundaries of the research (this may occur .4
.(instead in the Introduction
Describes what you did (past tense) for selection of site, .5
.participants, data gathering and analysis
It may include illustrations (eg, a timeline depicting .6
.(stages/steps in the research
.In minor theses, this section may appear in the Introduction
Describes steps taken to ensure ethical research .7
practice (shows you are a serious researcher who takes
.(account of how research may affect participants
Results
Presents the data and findings, ordered/analysed in .1
.(ways justified earlier (methodology
.(Past tense is a feature here (usually .2
Data in tables should be carefully set out, checked and .3
.discussed
Discussion
Discusses findings, drawing out main achievements and .1
.explaining results
Makes links between aims, and findings (and the .2
.(literature
May make recommendations – these could appear in .3
.the Conclusion chapter
Conclusion
.Draws all arguments and findings together .1
Leaves the reader with a strong sense that the work you .2
set out to do has been
.completed, and that it was worthwhile .3
.Summarises major findings .4
.Presents limitations .5
.Presents implications .6
.Suggests directions for future research .7
.Ends on a strong note .8
Appendices
Provides a place for important information which, if .1

13
 placed in the main text, would
.distract the reader from the flow of the argument .2
Includes raw data examples and reorganised data (eg, a .3
.(table of interview quotes organised around themes
Appendices may be named, lettered or numbered .4
.((decide early
(References (for minor thesis) / Bibliography(for major thesis
Shows the reader which texts/materials you have .1
.consulted
.Is in alphabetical order .2
.May be annotated, though usually is not .3
.Should not include works you found of no use .4
Glossary/Index
Helps reader where the context or content of the .1
.research may be unfamiliar
.A list of key terms/topics .2
Although these components appear approximately in the order
in which they are presented in a thesis, they may appear in a
slightly different order (especially the sections of the body of the
thesis). You are very likely to compose them in a completely
different order. The introduction is often written late, and is
certainly revised in conjunction with the Conclusion, and the
abstract should be written last. When in doubt, consult your
!supervisor
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14
 Steps toward the thesis proposal
One of the first steps toward a thesis is to begin writing a thesis proposal. The
following comments, generated during review of a student's initial pass at a thesis
.proposal, will give you a feel for what is required
,Dear Foo
I like your paper. I think the issue of web-based search and retrieval is very interesting
and topical. The paper is a very good first draft of a proposal. Here's some ideas about
.how to move it forward
?What is the thesis
A thesis should always include a thesis statement. This document does not
explicitly include a thesis statement. A good thesis statement has two
important qualities: (1) It is an *assertion* about the world, and (2) It is
(.testable (either qualitatively or quantitatively
Your first paragraph states, "Are we developing useful tools for searching the
web? If so, how can these tools become more useful?" This is a rather weak
thesis statement, since it is not an assertion, but rather a question. However, on
the last page you say, "I plan to prove that search engines are useful and can
be improved....." Now that's more like it! If that is indeed the thesis, then I
suggest that you move that last sentence up to front and center stage in your
:document, and label it explicitly for the reader
The thesis of this research is that WWW search engines are useful and can be
improved by applying the principles and theories of on-line database
.searching
?What is the method
Now that we've got ourselves a thesis statement, we can deconstruct it to
determine what else needs to go into the proposal. Specifically, how are you
going to test this assertion about the world? Given the thesis statement above,
:I'd want to know answers to such questions as
?"What constitutes a "WWW search engines•
What is the operational definition of "useful"? Is it determined by•
analysis of the mechanism itself, or by user survey, or by some other
?method
?"What are "principles and theories of on-line database searching•
What is the operational definition of "improvement"? Is it determined•
by analysis of a WWW search mechanism that has been augmented
?with "principles and theories of...", or by some other approach
These might each become sections or subsections in your proposal. You might
find, upon deconstructing your thesis statement, that you want to change it in
.certain ways. That's perfectly OK
?What is the time line
A thesis proposal needs to explain not only what you're going to do but when
you're going to do it. Provide a time-line, broken down by months (or even
semesters), that list the major tasks and when you plan to finish them. Include
milestones: documents, programs, demos, experimental data, etc. that you can
provide to one or more of your committee members and that provide a sign

15
 that a particular task has been completed. This also gives you something
.concrete to aim for
.CSDL resources on theses and thesis proposals
It's very helpful to look at other theses and thesis proposals. In particular, look
at the table of contents to see how they're structured. All theses and proposals
have a basic canonical structure. Ask other professors for their old students'
proposals and finished versions; all of CSDL's are available on-line at
.http://csdl.ics.hawaii.edu/Publications/category-Thesis.html
.Net resources on research and writing
There are some good net resources on research, writing, and the graduate
:student process
A general compendium of links to resources on research and writing•
.OOPSLA's excellent guidelines on how to make a paper publishable•
.How to be a Good Graduate Student/Advisor by Marie DesJardins•
."The CSDL "Personal Thesis Process•
.Meta-level comment: what we're looking for
Committee members are well aware that the best laid research plans may go
awry, and that the best completed theses often bear little resemblance to the
thesis planned during the proposal. Therefore, when evaluating a thesis
proposal, we are not trying to assure ourselves that you have clearly described
a sure-fire research project with 0% risk of failure. (If there was no risk of
(.failure, it wouldn't be research
Instead, what we're interested in seeing is if you have a clear handle on the
process and structure of research as it's practiced by our discipline. If you can
present a clear and reasonable thesis idea, if you can clearly relate it to other
relevant literature, if you can justify its significance, if you can describe a
method for investigating it, and if you can decompose it into a sequence of
steps that lead toward a reasonable conclusion, then the thesis proposal is a
success regardless of whether you scrap the actual idea 3 months down the
line and start off in a different direction. What a successful thesis proposal
demonstrates is that, regardless of the eventual idea you pursue, you know the
.steps involved in turning it into a thesis

16
 Writing Theses and Dissertations

Choosing a Topic] [Writing the Proposal] [Conducting Research] [Finding Models]]

[Maintaining Focus] [Organizing] [Obtaining Feedback] [Revising] [Working with
[Your Committee] [Managing Your Time] [Acknowledgments

Choosing a Topic
Choosing a topic is often the most difficult part of the dissertation writing process.
:Try to
Develop a topic that has interested you throughout your graduate or•
undergraduate career
Think about the top three issues you want to study, then turn them into•
questions
Review papers you have written for classes, looking for a pattern of interest•
Look at class notes; professors may have pointed out potential research topics•
or commented on unanswered questions in the field
Talk with professors or advisors about possible topics•
Replicate somebody else's study•
Conduct research on a broad topic to discover gaps in the literature•
:Keep the following cautions in mind•
Get feedback on a potential topic from your advisor; your topic may.1
not interest others in the field as much as it interests you
Do research to discover why your topic has not been studied before.2

Writing the Proposal

The proposal serves as a recipe for the thesis or dissertation. Therefore, you should
:be as detailed and specific as possible. Remember to
Identify gaps in the literature•
State your thesis clearly•
Outline the questions you plan to address in the dissertation or thesis•
Establish a strong research design or theoretical framework for your study•
Describe the topics you plan to cover in each chapter of the thesis or•
dissertation
Speculate upon potential results of your study•
Discuss the importance of your study to the field•
Conducting Research

17
 Writers often have difficulty maintaining their own voice when they work with
:sources. The strategies listed below will help you to use your sources effectively
Keep a researcher’s notebook in addition to taking notes on specific sources. •
The notebook keeps you in continual dialogue with your sources and your
.topic
Take summary notes as well as specific information notes•
Discuss your ideas with others as you conduct research•
Think about how each source specifically applies to your topic. The authors•
of your sources are advancing their argument, not yours. Therefore, you need
.to carefully consider which source material you will use
Writing the Thesis or Dissertation
Finding model theses or dissertations can help you gauge how much (or how little)
you have to do. A good model can also serve as an inspiration for your project. Look
.at theses or dissertations that your department has accepted
Maintaining your focus is the key to completing your dissertation or thesis. Try the
:following strategies
Tape a copy of the proposal to your computer, asking yourself if you have•
expanded on all of the ideas advanced in the proposal
Work "within" your proposal, adding key words and concepts and then•
expanding upon them
Write your first chapter early in order to make sure that subsequent chapters•
fulfill promises made in the introduction. This strategy helps some writers to
focus their writing; for others, however, writing the first chapter proves
.difficult. See what works for you
Know your thesis and let it dictate what you include; refrain from writing•
everything you know
Organizing both your workspace and your ideas will help the research and writing
:process proceed smoothly. You may want to
Purchase a file cabinet just for the thesis or dissertation; each drawer may•
contain drafts and research notes for each chapter. Write explanations of the
contents of each file folder and file drawer
Date drafts to remember the order in which you worked on chapters•
Set deadlines for submitting drafts of each chapter. Meet your deadlines even•
if you cannot deliver everything you promised
List what each chapter or section should cover, including both general ideas•
and specific examples
Look at style guides; they may provide an organizational formula for your•
field
Use outlining software or the outline tool on you word processor•
Obtaining feedback from advisors and colleagues will help you to refine your ideas
:as you write. Try the following strategies
Present sections of your thesis or dissertation as conference papers or submit•
them for publication. Audience members and editorial boards frequently
provide valuable comments

18
 Meet regularly with committee members to get feedback on your work-in-•
progress
Get advice on your work throughout the writing process (while developing•
(and organizing ideas, during the drafting phase, as you revise
Form a dissertation or thesis group that focuses on presenting and critiquing•
work-in-progress
Bring your dissertation or thesis to a writing center consultant for feedback•
Revising is essential to the thesis/dissertation writing process. Often, you will
discover new ideas as you write, or your ideas will change as you research your topic
and receive feedback on your work. The following link will take you sources on
:effectively revising your work

Working with Your Committee

When forming your thesis or dissertation committee, keep the following
:considerations in mind
Choose committee members who know your work well and whose feedback•
has benefited you in the past
Make sure that the majority of the committee members--especially the chair--•
have tenure
Consider whether potential committee members will have strong•
methodological and/or theoretical conflicts with each other
Talk to other students who have worked with your potential committee•
members
Establish what kind of role each person on the committee will play. Some•
committee members may want to see every chapter, while others only want to
see a completed draft and others will want to respond informally to your work-
in-progress
Take special care when choosing the chair of your committee. Some chairs•
will set regular deadlines for you while others will encourage you to work
independently. Additionally, some chairs will serve as the "final word" when
committee members offer conflicting comments. Others expect the writer to
deal with these differences
Pay attention to your outside reader, making sure to include him or her in the•
process of feedback and approval
Analyze your committee's comments before revising your work. Consider•
whether the comments take your research in a valid direction

Managing Your Time

Finding time to write is often students with jobs, families, and other commitments.
:The following techniques should help you manage your time effectively
Make the completion of your thesis or dissertation your top priority. Do not•
waste time on points or questions outside the scope of your research
Spend time on your dissertation at least five days a week. Even if you only•
have one hour on some days, consistent work will help you to keep ideas and
source material fresh in your mind

19
 Know your personality and choose a working style that goes with it. For•
example, if you are a social person, you may want to work in a computer lab
instead of at home
Know your distractions and schedule your work time when distractions are at•
a low level
Give yourself time to think; you often will need more time to think than you•
do to write
Set aside time for yourself, your partner and your children (negotiate the time•
together so that you will be available at the same time). It is important to
communicate with those around you
Try out different schedules, for example, shifting from morning to evening•
hours. Sometimes taking a break from particular work habits is helpful
Acknowledgments
Much of the material on this web page came from a dissertation workshop conducted
at Claremont Graduate University in the spring of 1995. We would like to thank
panelists Kathy Humphrey (Ph.D., English), Thom Kerr (Ph.D., Economics), Lisa
Magana (Ph.D., Politics and Policy) and Lisa Wolf (Ph.D., Education) for their
.valuable comments on the dissertation writing process

[Home] [Students] [Faculty] [Staff]

Page created and maintained by The Claremont Colleges Writing Centers. Page last updated 26 June
.1999. Please send all comments and questions to: writing_center@hmc.edu

Copyright © 2004 Monash University ABN 12 377 614 012 - Caution - Privacy -
CRICOS Provider Number: 00008C
Last updated: 10 February 2006 - Maintained by web@education.monash.edu.au -
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20
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<- Use It -> Writing papers, theses

Suggestions for writing theses and dissertations

A thesis or dissertation is a requirement for academic degree programmes
that include a research element. It must be written such that the results
presented can be validated and form the basis for further investigations.
Writing theses and dissertations requires thought, planning and organization.
Theses and dissertations concentrate on a particular subject and require a
.great deal of time, effort, research, and an extensive bibliography

First, it is important to check the guidelines and regulations governing the

layout for theses or dissertations set by your institution. For students at the
:University of Manitoba, see

Faculty of Graduate Studies - Registration and Academic Guidelines

Choosing a topic
:Choosing a topic is often the most difficult part of the writing process. Try to

21
 Develop a topic that has interested you throughout your graduate or•
.undergraduate career

Think about the top three issues you want to study, then turn them•
.into questions

Review papers you have written for classes, looking for a pattern of•
.interest

Look at class notes; professors may have pointed out potential•

.research topics or commented on unanswered questions in the field

.Talk with professors or advisors about possible topics•

.Replicate somebody else's study•

.Conduct research on a broad topic to discover gaps in the literature•

:Keep the following cautions in mind•

Get feedback on a potential topic from your advisor; your topic.1

.may not interest others in the field as much as it interests you

Do research to discover why your topic has not been studied.2

.before

Writing the proposal

The proposal serves as a recipe for the thesis or dissertation. Be as detailed
:and specific as possible. Remember to

.Identify gaps in the literature•

.State your thesis clearly•

.Outline the questions you plan to address in the dissertation or thesis•

Establish a strong research design or theoretical framework for your•

.study

Describe the topics you plan to cover in each chapter of the thesis or•
.dissertation

22
 .Speculate upon potential results of your study•

.Discuss the importance of your study to the field•

For detailed information on writing proposals see our list of suggested

.publications

Conducting research
Writers often have difficulty maintaining their own voice when they work with
sources. The strategies listed below will help you to use your sources
:effectively

Keep a researcher's notebook in addition to taking notes on specific•

sources. The notebook keeps you in continual dialogue with your
.sources and your topic

.Take summary notes as well as specific information notes•

.Discuss your ideas with others as you conduct research•

Think about how each source specifically applies to your topic. The•
authors of your sources are advancing their argument, not yours.
.Carefully consider which source material you will use

Writing the thesis or dissertation

Finding model theses or dissertations can help you gauge how much (or
how little) you have to do. A good model can also serve as an inspiration for
your project. Look at theses or dissertations that your department has
.accepted

Maintaining your focus is the key to completing your dissertation or thesis.

:Try the following strategies

Type a copy of the proposal, asking yourself if you have expanded on•
.all of the ideas advanced in the proposal

Work "within" your proposal, adding key words and concepts and then•
.expanding upon them

Write your first chapter early in order to make sure that subsequent•
chapters fulfill promises made in the introduction. This strategy helps

23
 some writers to focus their writing; for others, however, writing the
.first chapter proves difficult. See what works for you

Know your thesis and let it dictate what you include; refrain from•
.writing everything you know

Organizing both your workspace and your ideas will help the research and
:writing process proceed smoothly. You may want to

Purchase a file cabinet just for the thesis or dissertation; each drawer•
may contain drafts and research notes for each chapter. Write
.explanations of the contents of each file folder and file drawer

.Date drafts to remember the order in which you worked on chapters•

Set deadlines for submitting drafts of each chapter. Meet your•

.deadlines even if you cannot deliver everything you promised

List what each chapter or section should cover, including both general•
.ideas and specific examples

Look at style guides; they may provide an organizational formula for•

.your field

.Use outlining software or the outline tool on your word processor•

Obtaining feedback from advisors and colleagues will help refine your ideas
:as you write. Try the following strategies

Present sections of your thesis or dissertation as conference papers or•

submit them for publication. Audience members and editorial boards
.frequently provide valuable comments

Meet regularly with committee members to get feedback on your work-•

.in-progress

Get advice on your work throughout the writing process (while•

developing and organizing ideas, during the drafting phase, as you
.(revise

Form a dissertation or thesis group that focuses on presenting and•

.critiquing work-in-progress

24
 Bring your dissertation or thesis to a writing center consultant for•
.feedback

Revising is essential to the thesis/dissertation writing process. Often, you

will discover new ideas as you write, or your ideas will change as you
.research your topic and receive feedback on your work

Managing your time

Finding time to write is often challenging for students with jobs, families, and
other commitments. The following techniques should help you manage time
:effectively

Make the completion of your thesis or dissertation a top priority. Do•

not waste time on points or questions outside the scope of your
.research

Spend time on your dissertation at least five days a week. Even if you•
only have one hour on some days, consistent work will help you keep
.ideas and source material fresh in your mind

Know your personality and choose a working style that goes with it.•
For example, if you are a social person, you may want to work in a
.computer lab instead of at home

Know your distractions and schedule your work time when distractions•
.are at a low level

Give yourself time to think; you often will need more time to think•
.than to write

Set aside time for yourself, your partner and your children (negotiate•
the time together so that you will be available at the same time). It is
.important to communicate with those around you

Try out different schedules, for example, shifting from morning to•
.evening hours

25
 Working with your advisor or a committee
For information about the roles and responsibilities of graduate students and
faculty see the guide prepared by the University of Manitoba Faculty of
:Graduate Studies

http://www.umanitoba.ca/faculties/graduate_studies/studentguides/roles.pdf
.- requires Adobe Acrobat

Information presented here is taken from the Web page created and
.maintained by The Claremont Colleges Writing Centers

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 !Your continued donations keep Wikipedia running

User:Karmafist/manifesto
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
User:Karmafist >
Jump to: navigation, search

Contents
[hide]
Main Manifesto 1•
Signers 1.1○
Disagree 1.2○
Proposed Amendments 2•
(Amendment(s) by Mike (T C 2.1○
Signers 2.1.1
Kinneyboy90 Extensions 2.2○
Extensions of Amendments 2.2.1
Remedies 2.2.2
Questions to Consider 2.2.3
Conclusion 2.2.4
Support 2.2.5
Oppose 2.2.6
Amendment(s) by Karmafist 2.3○
Signers 2.3.1
~~~ Amendment(s) by 2.4○
Signers 2.4.1
[edit]
Main Manifesto
.I am a Wikipedian
I believe wholeheartedly in the ultimate goal of Wikipedia set forth by its founder,
Jimbo Wales: a free and comprehensive encyclopedia of all human knowledge. I also
wholeheartedly believe in the community that has sprung up around that effort, and
the belief that anyone who wishes to assist that community should be able to do in one
way or another regardless of their situation, and most of all, I believe that we are all
.equal under the policies and guidelines set by the community in achieving this goal
Unfortunately, not everyone within Wikipedia sees things this way, a viewpoint that
.may have spread as far to Jimbo himself
Wikipedia can no longer be ignored. It is already the world's largest encyclopedia and
is one of the world's largest websites. However, its credibility will be in doubt if it
cannot provide a full and balanced view, which cannot be done if certain people have
.control over it and can squelch information critical of them

28
If we are to create a free source of information for all people, we must first make sure
that the source is protected, both from outside forces who wish to pervert it and from
forces from within who wish to have control over it. If we are to do this, I believe that
.these points must be addressed and adopted by Wikipedia as a whole
A sociocratic (not democratic) bicameral legislature (with a lower house made.1
up of all users and an elected upper house) to decide the projects' policies and
.guidelines
An understanding that once these policies and guidelines are agreed upon by.2
.the community, that they must be followed until changed by the community
.An understanding that the role of the Arbitration Committee is judicial.3
RFCs need to be more structured and better enforced. If people still agree with.4
them after consensus has been met within the RFC, it is then sent to the
.Arbitration Committee, which will serve an appellate function
The understanding that all people who wish to assist the Encyclopedia are free.5
to do so as long as they respect others and understand that when anything
conflicts with the accuracy and maintenance of the Encyclopedia, that the
.Encyclopedia must come first
Admins are not infallible, I have seen too many times this statement: "They.6
are an admin therefore they aren't doing something wrong". Admins are like
cops, they do bad things they do great things, you have to view them with the
.same glasses you view editors
Jimbo is not infallible, and his word shouldn't be taken as God's. It should be.7
given the same amount of scrutiny as a registered editor. Why? Because like
you, me and everyone here (except the bots) we are HUMAN, and humans
!make mistakes
Please, if you agree with my beliefs, sign my manifesto. If you disagree with it, I ask
you to do so in the true Wikipedian manner: in a civil and constructive manner,
.offering collaboration on the talk page of this document
,Sincerely
Andrew Sylvia A.K.A Karmafist

Note:This document has been inspired by the 95 Theses of Martin Luther

[edit]
Signers
Agreed --pquentinj 1 March 2006.1
Agreed in general. More comments to come later. --Aaron 20:36, 8 February.2
(2006 (UTC
(Agreed James S. 00:24, 9 February 2006 (UTC.3
Agreed without comment. Adrian Lamo ·· 00:30, 9 February 2006 (UTC) I.4
have some deep concerns about methods you've allegedly proposed elsewhere,
(Karmafist. — Adrian Lamo ·· 07:02, 21 February 2006 (UTC
(Agreed —Locke Cole • t • c 02:15, 9 February 2006 (UTC.5
(jnothman talk 04:42, 9 February 2006 (UTC.6

29
Agreed but I would like to learn more about #1 Swilk 07:16, 9 February 2006.7
((UTC
Agreed especially the simpler version. Dr Debug (Talk) 08:47, 9 February.8
(2006 (UTC
(Agreed in general. talk to +MATIA 15:21, 9 February 2006 (UTC.9
(Agreed KingKiki217 20:15, 9 February 2006 (UTC.10
(Agreed Wudman 00:24, 10 February 2006 (UTC.11
(Definitely agreed. NSLE(T+C) 10:11, 10 February 2006 (UTC.12
Details need to be worked out, but clear support in principle. —NIGHTSTALLION.13
((?) 14:19, 10 February 2006 (UTC
(Completely Agree --Jake Wilhite 14:59, 10 February 2006 (UTC.14
(Agree, Support Mike (T C) 15:37, 10 February 2006 (UTC.15
(Agree need I say more?--Acebrock 20:40, 10 February 2006 (UTC.16
Agree completely and without remorse pickelbarrel 19:55, 11 February 2006.17
((UTC
Agree umm I don't know if I'm qualified to call myself a wikipedian yet but I.18
(totally agree. Freddie deBoer 03:38, 11 February 2006 (UTC
Agree I completely agree....even though I'm a n00b. :P--silverhawk79 20:40,.19
(10 February 2006 (UTC
Agree with vigor & horns.--The Emperor of Wikipedia & Protector of.20
(Wiktionary 03:58, 11 February 2006 (UTC
(AgreeTan DX 08:21, 11 February 2006 (UTC.21
Agreed Japanese Wikipedia should have similar one too. :) Yassie 15:24, 11.22
(February 2006 (UTC
(Agree Arundhati bakshi 01:19, 12 February 2006 (UTC.23
(Agree in principle. -- Colle 01:45, 12 February 2006 (UTC.24
(Agreed. zafiroblue05 | Talk 01:46, 12 February 2006 (UTC.25
Agreed. User:Bachs 12 Feb 2006.26
Agreed. User:DarkShinigami4711 12 Feb 2006.27
Agreed. User:CarbonUnit 12 Feb 2006.28
(Agreed. Riordanmr 23:28, 12 February 2006 (UTC.29
Agreed. Sullenspice.30
Agreed. WhiskeyBoarder 12 Feb 2006.31
(Agreed. MasTer of Puppets Picture Service 01:07, 13 February 2006 (UTC.32
Agreed that something needs to be done to stop the Stanford Prison.33
Experiment, but not sure this is necessarily it (see talk). ElectricRay 09:38, 13
(February 2006 (UTC
Agree with the proposal's intent and the sentiments of ElectricRay. ‣ᓛᖁ ᑐ.34
(01:33, 14 February 2006 (UTC
Mostly agree. Suggest rotating admins to break the power structure before it.35
(breaks the encyclopaedia. Grace Note 05:32, 14 February 2006 (UTC

30
 Agreed, although I also agree with rotating admins. Zooey stoke 08:59, 14.36
(February 2006 (UTC
Agreed I agree too. That's a great idea. Jinchuu Crusader 06:13, 14 February.37
(2006 (UTC
(Agreed. Analogdemon (talk) 12:29, 14 February 2006 (UTC.38
(Agreed. Lawyer2b 23:56, 14 February 2006 (UTC.39
Agreed. Whilst Wikipedia generally seems to be 'ruled' by a benign dictator,.40
Jimbo won't be around forever and he needs to take steps to protect the
wonderful idea he has created. This proposal goes a long way to protecting it
and I heartly support the proposal. Maustrauser 03:27, 15 February 2006
((UTC
(Agreed I to Agree Brian | (Talk) 07:56, 15 February 2006 (UTC.41
Agreed. We are but voices in the wilderness now. But every scream must start.42
with a whisper.--R.D.H. (Ghost In The Machine) 22:34, 15 February 2006
((UTC
(Agreed. -- Tvaughn05e (Talk)(Contribs) 22:52, 15 February 2006 (UTC.43
Agreed anything that stops Jimbo/certain admins from being able to ignore.44
agreed community policy and force out those who wish to uphold it, has to be
(a good thing Cynical 11:59, 16 February 2006 (UTC
Agreed with the reservation that this is incomplete. An additional necessary.45
point is that policy must be interpreted strictly as written or with leniency
towards the individual whose actions are in question. One must be able to
know beforehand whether or not an action is permitted. No more of this
"Yeah, strictly speaking, you're fine, but common sense says that you're wrong
so I'm going to block you anyway" bullshit Kurt Weber 13:50, 16 February
(2006 (UTC
(Agreed. - Mailer Diablo 15:53, 16 February 2006 (UTC.46
(Agreed. --Dragon695 04:37, 18 February 2006 (UTC.47
Agreed for the most part. The Ungovernable Force 09:52, 18 February 2006.48
((UTC
(Agreed, and gladly so. Rogue 9 13:03, 18 February 2006 (UTC.49
Agreed, should of seen this earlier. WikieZach| talk.50
Agreed. Wikipedia is not a democracy, but it shouldn't be a dictatorship.51
(either. -Branddobbe 04:27, 19 February 2006 (UTC
Agreed. I say we overthrow the dictator and set up a true sociocratic.52
community driven project. No more ruling by decree, deletionist admins (the
Cabal). Эйрон Кинни
(Agreed.--Susten.biz 05:35, 21 February 2006 (UTC.53
(Agreed --Terence Ong 15:31, 22 February 2006 (UTC.54
As Nightstallion said - I would like a more clear cut sense of this, especially.55
#1 but I strongly support you on principles. Noirdame 09:32, 23 February
(2006 (UTC

31
Agreed. If Wikipedia were a state, it should be a constitutional monarchy with.56
Jimbo as its head, not as its dictator. I'm suprised Jimbo has not yet said
("Wikipédia, c'est moi". --Thorri 13:52, 24 February 2006 (UTC
(Herostratus 09:25, 25 February 2006 (UTC.57
(Agreed Misza13 (Talk) 19:04, 28 February 2006 (UTC.58
Strongly Agrees and you have my full support --Andy123 00:23, 2 March.59
(2006 (UTC
Agree The sociocratic idea could definitely work, but it would take lots of.60
(mainenance.La Pizza11 20:43, 4 March 2006 (UTC
Agreed. And there's not much else to say. Matt Yeager ♫ (Talk?) 05:40, 6.61
(March 2006 (UTC
(Agreed. Friendly Neighbour 16:16, 12 March 2006 (UTC.62
I find myself in basic agreement with this. I wonder a little bit about the first.63
point; I think that kind of detail about what sort of arrangement is best is
unwarranted at this stage, and an arrangement should be settled upon by the
community at a later date. (Personally, I'd favor a more democratic
arrangement: a large, elected body of users, unicameral, that would reach
decisions with something greater than a simple majority but less than what we
presently consider consensus—somewhere in a 55%-60% range is what I tend
(towards.) Everyking 07:05, 13 March 2006 (UTC
(Good work. Sam Spade 20:45, 17 March 2006 (UTC.64
I agree with the spirit of the manifesto, and agree that “the Encyclopedia must.65
(come first”. --Bhadani 13:23, 18 March 2006 (UTC
(Generally agree. Joe 20:07, 18 March 2006 (UTC.66
(Agreed. Clayrocks369 03:50, 20 March 2006 (UTC.67
Coming out of my WikiRetirement to Agree juppiter bon giorno #c 02:47,.68
(29 March 2006 (UTC
Agreed so when does the coup begin? ALKIVAR™ 19:58, 2 April 2006.69
((UTC
(Agreed - WarriorScribe 00:31, 3 April 2006 (UTC.70
(Agreed - jeffthejiff 10:48, 11 April 2006 (UTC.71
(Agree mgekelly 15:24, 14 April 2006 (UTC.72
Agreed. I like this place, and discovering that it's not all mellowness and light.73
is disturbing (especially having come from a very similar situation on
(everything2) Cammy 05:59, 8 May 2006 (UTC
Agree in all particulars and I support a move to institute this system on.74
Wikipedia. I share your feelings about the importance of Wikipedia. It can't
continue without better transparency and accountability methods being
(implemented. Kasreyn 23:04, 10 May 2006 (UTC
[edit]
Disagree
Disagree — While the premise of a need for a governing body is sound, the.1
implementation suggested here is not stable. A governing system works only
for those who consent to it. The implication that rules need the same process

32
 for repeal as for adoption means that half or more of a growing community
could find the system of rules non-consensual. All of these people would be
working, to some extent, against the system. We cannot maintain good articles
in an environment where a significantly large percentage of the editors are
working against the system, unless we have dictatorial control. The only
system better than a dictatorship is government by consent of the governed,
and it's an all or nothing proposition. Human history backs this claim without
(exception. --Rummie 22:51, 30 April 2006 (UTC
[edit]

Proposed Amendments
If you have changes or new portions that you think should be added to the manifesto,
(please feel free to add them below. Karmafist 05:43, 17 February 2006 (UTC
[edit]

(Amendment(s) by Mike (T C
–Two things I want to amend are this
Admins are not infallible, I have seen too many times this statement: "They.1
are an admin therefore they aren't doing something wrong". Admins are like
cops, they do bad things they do great things, you have to view them with the
.same glasses you view editors
Jimbo is not infallible, and his word shouldn't be taken as God's. It should be.2
given the same amount of scrutiny as a registered editor. Why? Because like
you, me and everyone here (except the bots) we are HUMAN, and humans
!make mistakes
[edit]
Signers
(Mike (T C) 08:37, 17 February 2006 (UTC.1
Karmafist 16:36, 17 February 2006 (UTC) After around 10 or so, we'll add it.2
.to the main one -- this is a good point
ElectricRay 23:08, 17 February 2006 (UTC) - very good point - Admins are.3
janitors, not policemen. The Admin election process should be deformalised,
.to make it easier to become an admin
I fully agree. I was in IRC the other day discussing Jimbo's powers. A lot of.4
people seem to think Jimbo is the highest authority, when he shouldn't be
treated than anything more than what his user levels (like any other sysop).
(NSLE (T+C) at 00:32 UTC (2006-02-18
I reworded/reformatted it, but agree, of course. —Locke Cole • t • c 00:43, 18.5
(February 2006 (UTC
(I fully agree. --Dragon695 04:36, 18 February 2006 (UTC.6
(Agree fully. The Ungovernable Force 09:53, 18 February 2006 (UTC.7
(Agree. -Branddobbe 04:27, 19 February 2006 (UTC.8
I agree completely, especially with #2. Sophy's Duckling 04:33, 19 February.9
(2006 (UTC
(Agree. zafiroblue05 | Talk 19:21, 19 February 2006 (UTC.10

33
 (Agreed. -- Tvaughn05e (Talk)(Contribs) 20:46, 20 February 2006 (UTC.11
Agreed. Jimbo should be respected...but not worshipped. When he is wrong.12
we should, respectfully, point this out and try and convince him of better
alternatives. Both he and the admins need to understand that while the project
does not exist for the community, it would not exist without it either. Hence,
he should respect the concerns and wishes of the community as well, even if
this means going against those of his lawyers, PR and YES-People. As a
collection of fallible, human, "Meat bots", all parties should be willing to cut
eachother some slack.--R.D.H. (Ghost In The Machine) 02:54, 24 February
(2006 (UTC
Agree. I agree to this generally, but I must also point out that the bots are.13
made by humans, and the (GIGO) concept applies for them. So, they can err
(like the humans do. --Andy123 00:28, 2 March 2006 (UTC
Agree. I have bad experience with WP admins. One of them banned my.14
previous account for believing it was created to break Wikipedia rules. No
proof of actually breaking the rules was needed and the ban was indefinite.
(Sigh. Friendly Neighbour 16:16, 12 March 2006 (UTC
Agree. I am an administrator, but I am basically an editor building the Project..15
Yes, I have sometimes observed traits, which may not be conducive to the
long-term credibility of the Project, and its possible de-generation into the
largest blog ever created so far. We humans are infallible, and there is nothing
(wrong in accepting this fact. --Bhadani 13:36, 18 March 2006 (UTC
I agree wholeheartedly. Too many times I see another administrator telling a.16
user that what they're doing is not wrong, and when they're held to it they
threaten a block. That needs to stop, and this comes from an admin as well as
(many others. SushiGeek 05:15, 21 March 2006 (UTC
(Agree ILovEPlankton 01:06, 29 March 2006 (UTC.17
(Agree Cambodianholiday 21:21, 26 April 2006 (UTC.18
[edit]
Kinneyboy90 Extensions
Karmafist made a number of proposals in his Manifesto, in order to make Wikipedia a
more fair and sociocratic, community-driven project. I wholeheartedly agree.
However, there needs to be some extension for his proposed Amendments, and I will
introduce them below. So, these are proposed, and detailed extended amendments to
.better the utility of Karmafist's manifesto
[edit]

Extensions of Amendments
The bicameral legislature will consist of both admins and regular contributors..1
All regular contributors will be considered the lower house, and the
community shall elect the upper house, which is, administrators. Collectively,
the legislature will decide the projects policies, projects, and guidelines. They
will also decide what gets deleted and what is kept, etc. per the
aforementioned policies. However, all policies must be enacted beforehand, so
as to make sure an abuse of power is not being instituted and the consensus to
delete/keep/merge/etc. must be made by both houses, and executed by the

34
upper house, admins. But only, and only, with the approval of the lower house
.shall an act be carried out
.The Arbitration Committee shall serve as the Judicial Branch of Wikipedia.2
An executive branch, which oversees all activity over Wikipedia and carries.3
.out some functions, but only those that are within Wikipedia guidelines
[edit]
Remedies
Legislatures that violate policies and disregard the general opinion of hundreds.1
of thousands of Wikipedians need to be punished. Therefore, for admins, there
should be a process of impeachment, styled much like the VFD consensus
process. For lower house members, temporary block will do, and if that
.doesn't work, a much longer block be instated
For the Executive, he shall lose his position if he is found--by consensus and.2
.common held opinion--to be abusing it
For the Arbitration Committee, they should get a warning if they are caught.3
obstructing policies, as a first warning. When it gets out of hand, they should
.be denied the ArbCom position they had abused
[edit]
Questions to Consider
You are welcome to post additional questions by your own accord, if you feel them
.necessary
Should Jimbo Wales remain dictator of the project, or should we overthrow•
?him and install a policy-following individual in the Executive position
?Should there be term limits for the executive? If so, what•
?Should there really be an executive (director of Wikipedia) at all •
[edit]
Conclusion
This is just a proposal to extend the Manifesto of Karmafist, and I don't intend anyone
to agree with me. If you agree, go on to sign your name at the bottom, and if you don't
.post on the relevant talk page
[edit]
Support
Эйрон Кинни 19:58, 19 February 2006 (UTC). Of course I support it, I.1
.drafted it
.Karmafist 20:48, 19 February 2006 (UTC) I support the extentions.2
Clarification: The Executive idea is superfluous, in my opinion. I apologize
(for not making this clearer, earlier. Karmafist 18:32, 23 February 2006 (UTC
zafiroblue05 | Talk 04:06, 20 February 2006 (UTC) Support, but some.3
questions need to be answered - what exactly would the executive branch do
that the administrators could not? And you mention an Executive - a single
person? How is this person chosen? What function does he or she serve? "Out
of hand," "by consensus and common held opinion" - vague terms, and

35
 potentially too-huge blocks to overcome. Why not term limits to simplify
?matters
Cynical 17:05, 20 February 2006 (UTC) Jimbo has to either start listening to.4
the community or step down/be forcibly removed in favour of someone who
(will Cynical 17:05, 20 February 2006 (UTC
We aren't a democracy, however we aren't a cabal either, and the admins have.5
lost sight of this. We need stronger and more sociocratic rules to foster
pluralistic consenus as well as debate. I'm somewhat shocked about the
autocratic blocking policies used by some admins, which will no doubt
(influence my support of this. Canadianism 01:48, 21 February 2006 (UTC
(Terence Ong 04:22, 5 March 2006 (UTC.6
(ILovEPlankton 22:09, 3 April 2006 (UTC.7
Kasreyn 23:23, 10 May 2006 (UTC) Seems to make sense. I'm not an admin,.8
.but I've been here long enough to tell we need a better system
[edit]
Oppose
People who believe this should fork. It's unworkable, impossible and self.1
contradictory. A policy following executive cannot exist; an executive has the
ultimate authority. This will simply make policy the executive. Steve block
(talk 13:16, 21 February 2006 (UTC
And what precisely is wrong with that? Policy [when it's written properly,
unlike T1] gives people a clear view of what is acceptable and what is not
(Cynical 16:33, 25 February 2006 (UTC
For problems on using written policy as an executive, see the battle•
over gun control in the United States, which centres on interpretation
of the Constitution. Contentious issues will always appear regardless of
the system. And you make a huge and gaping statement when you
assert that policy will always be well written. If policy is the executive,
how can it be rewritten? If it is badly written, who decides that?
Already you are moving away from having policy as the executive, but
having instead those people with whom you agree on the interpretation
of said policy as the executive. Steve block talk 10:32, 8 March 2006
((UTC
I agree with Cynical. Why don't you fork? More users are here than admins,
and it seems more often than not users support userboxes. Эйрон Кинни
(02:30, 28 February 2006 (UTC
Where did I mention userboxes? And you'll find the onus to fork will•
be those that disagree with the wiki foundation, who own the servers
(and the legal identity. Steve block talk 10:32, 8 March 2006 (UTC
You are of course aware that the silent majority couldn't care less about
(userboxes? Johnleemk | Talk 03:36, 28 February 2006 (UTC
You mean the 95% + of accounts that are rarely (if ever) used (I read in an
article, think it was on BBCi, that something like 2.5% of the user accounts
make most of the edits). You could argue that against ANY proposal (how
many of those people are likely to care about WP:NPA or WP:DEL? does that
(make them unimportant?) Cynical 09:40, 28 February 2006 (UTC

36
 Oh, don't you just love begging the question? Who said anything about those
accounts? I'm referring, of course, to the ~700 (or fine, be pessimistic and put
it at 400) admins who have never bothered with the userbox debates, and a
presumably similarly proportioned chunk of active editors (~2000 accounts
have made more than 1000 edits as of December 2005; how many have
bothered with this userbox scandal?). Johnleemk | Talk 12:40, 28 February
(2006 (UTC
Another interesting metric is the number of users who have edited in the past
five minutes who have userboxes. Of the 258 editors I found (as of a few
minutes ago), only 87 had any userboxes at all. Johnleemk | Talk 18:36, 28
(February 2006 (UTC
Jimbo should remain the director of the foundation, and making the wiki more.1
of a power structure/struggle is not good. Leave it as it is, but read my 2 points
above, thats how I feel about the whole admin/Jimbo situation. Mike (T C)
(06:40, 22 February 2006 (UTC
He should remain director of the foundation, but stop arbitrarily modifying
policy in defiance of community consensus Cynical 16:33, 25 February 2006
((UTC
[edit]
Amendment(s) by Karmafist
Note:Now that the petition has so many signers, it seems improper to add
additional amendments without approval. The custom is 10, after 10 signers i'll
add it on. However, unlike Kinneyboy, i'd ask instead of signifying opposition
here, please indicate on the talk page why you disagree with it or how it can be
.modified to your liking
All Wikipedians are entitled to as objective as humanly possible analysis of.1
situations in regards to when third parties intervene in disputes (Rfcs,
(.Mediation, Arbcom, etc
Policies and Guidelines should be as clear as possible to avoid confusion or.2
.loopholes
Consensus should be decided in regards to certain issues in a centralized.3
.location, and with clear and consise language
[edit]
Signers
(Karmafist 21:41, 23 February 2006 (UTC.1
(KI 23:20, 23 February 2006 (UTC.2
(R.D.H. (Ghost In The Machine) 02:57, 24 February 2006 (UTC.3
Although I have not signed the main manifesto, I will sign this BostonMA.4
(04:18, 24 February 2006 (UTC
(Thorri 14:01, 24 February 2006 (UTC--.5
Locke Cole • t • c 09:39, 25 February 2006 (UTC) Agreed; part of the—.6
problem with many policies on Wikipedia is that they don't go into specifics
but instead use vague terminology which just leads to frustration later when
said policies are enforced. We should try to minimize instruction creep, but
.not at the expense of being impossible (or at least, really difficult) to interpret

37
 (Cynical 16:34, 25 February 2006 (UTC.7
(Friendly Neighbour 16:16, 12 March 2006 (UTC.8
(ILovEPlankton 01:04, 29 March 2006 (UTC.9
(jeffthejiff 10:52, 11 April 2006 (UTC.10
Comments please make #2 stating ".. as clear and concise as possible ...". does
making things clear in lengthy detail really help? we can find endless and often
confusing policies in written law. cf. to what locke cole said
i for one stand for concise and clear guidelines instead of detailled policies. while the
latter might make it clearer to those who study those policies, the former are easier to
grasp in addition to stimulating discussions/dialogues that aim to clarify how those
guidelines should be carried out or be implemented respectively. some may find it
wearisome to explain the same things over and over, but i to me it is a vital process.
firstly because there will always be new users who need to grow into the whole thing,
and secondly because we need to reflect on why we keep doing the things we do.
--Terrestrian 15:30, 12 March 2006 (UTC) (sorry in case this isn't the right place to
(add my thoughts; i'm new to user discussions
[edit]
~~~ Amendment(s) by
[edit]
Signers
"Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Karmafist/manifesto
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39
 Bachelors Theses
About The Thesis and Previous Topics
The following is the official information package for the Bachelor
.Thesis 2002/2003. Click here to download all the previous thesis topics
Requirement and Objectives
:The Bachelor Thesis requirement is
To carry out individually or in groups of two academic work of a
significant nature which fulfils the academic criteria for the SSE Riga
.B.Sc. degree
The objective of the Bachelor Thesis is to apply the skills and concepts
learned from your courses at SSE Riga in a rigorous analysis of a well-
defined question. The standard of excellence that you are expected to
achieve is well beyond any course paper that you have prepared, as the
Bachelor Thesis requires you to synthesise theories and concepts
learned in various courses into a single, unified piece of academic
research. The Bachelor Thesis is designed to be the culmination of your
academic career at SSE Riga. The Bachelor Thesis should be a result of
original work and not consist of compilation of the materials published
elsewhere or produced for other purpose. Please remember that the
Bachelor Thesis is not a business report, but a piece of academic work
on the basis of which your degree is awarded. Also, do not forget that
the Bachelor Thesis is your own work, and you bear a full responsibility
for its success or failure. The Bachelor Thesis should contribute to
research work of SSE Riga, and it should be relevant both for academic
.studies and economic development of the Baltic countries
Organisation
The Bachelor Thesis project is organised with a series of interim
deadlines to make sure that your work progress is smooth throughout
the process, and the quality of the work matches the standard set by SSE
:Riga. The major stages of the project are as follows
Thesis Proposal .1
Research Design Description .2
Formal approval by Degree Committee .3
Review of Empirical Findings .4
Writing up seminars .5
Thesis Draft .6
Thesis .7
Examination of Thesis .8
Revised Thesis .9
The emphasis throughout the process will be that your work is focused
tightly on answering the question that you have chosen, utilising
appropriate data and analytical techniques. Although the Degree
Committee that will supervise the overall writing-up progress is
generally sympathetic to serious difficulties you may encounter due to

40
unforeseen circumstances, missing the deadline may lead to termination
of Thesis writing as noted in paragraph 8 of Memorandum on Bachelor
.Thesis Writing
To provide continuity, keep the academic standards consistent and
interact with thesis Supervisors. Evita Lune will act as the Bachelor
Thesis Faculty Advisor to prepare and organise regular planning
sessions and channel information to students, administration, and
Supervisors. The Faculty Advisor would also be there to maintain
academic standards across the theses and assist with advise if the need
arises. A number of professors will act as Supervisors. The Degree
Committee - the collective body that would make all major decisions
regarding the thesis writing and awarding the degrees, will consist of the
.Rector, the Pro-rector, the Faculty Advisor, and a few professors
SSE Riga Writing Guidelines outlines the stylistic requirements for this
.project. Memorandum on Bachelor Thesis sets out the rules of the game
We would wish to make it as a norm that all pieces of your work are
submitted electronically to the address BachelorThesis@sseriga.edu.lv,
in addition Thesis Proposal and Thesis should also be submitted as a
.hard copy to Evita Lune
Thesis proposal by 23.09.2002
The Thesis topic should be up-to-date and relevant for Baltic economic
and business community and add value to academic studies. Your
challenge is not just to pick an interesting or exciting topic, but also to
narrow the research question through data collection and analysis; you
can realistically expect to give a solid answer to the question that you
have posed. For example, a topic such as "Tourism Industry in Latvia"
is too broad. The Bachelor Thesis is not simply a survey paper, instead
it requires a meaningful analysis on a quantitative and/or qualitative
level, therefore the topic should be focused. Make sure that the topic is
original and builds on previous students? research rather than duplicates
.it
The Supervisors will suggest a number of possible research topics, and a
number of consultants will be available to help you to choose an
appropriate topic. We recommend that you contact the possible thesis
.Supervisor and discuss the idea of the research
When selecting a topic, identify what research methods will be used for
your fieldwork and whether you can reach your ambition with given
.time and resource constraints
By 13:00 on September 23 you are required to provide the Thesis
Proposal of approximately 2 pages which outlines the title of your
Thesis, the question that you have chosen to analyse, justification of its
relevance, and what you hope to learn from answering the question, sub-
questions that you might need to ask in formulating the research
question, a brief of planned fieldwork with data sources and timing, a
list of readings you plan to use and an analytical framework for data
.analysis
Far from being a mere formality, such a proposal is very helpful in
focusing your mind and working out the first ?mental map? of your

41
research. By the time of the Proposal submission, you must have
established contact with your field site where you will conduct your
.fieldwork
You shall bear in mind that although you may still change the title, you
shall have to stick to the chosen field (e.g. marketing or human
resources management). Only in exceptional cases and on the basis of a
written application supported by your Supervisor you may change the
.chosen field at a later stage
From the moment of submission of the Thesis Proposal, the Faculty
Advisor will seek to appoint a Supervisor for your work. Please indicate
in your application if you have already established a contact with a tutor
you would like to work with. The school cannot guarantee, however,
.that your request in this respect will be fulfilled
Please note that the Thesis Proposal is not a draft of a Thesis, but an
outline of how you plan to develop your research over the coming
.months in a focused and effective fashion
Research design description by 28.10.2002
From the moment of submission of the Thesis Proposal, you should
focus your work on methodological issues and planning your fieldwork.
Since the time from the middle of December till the middle of January is
not an appropriate time for conducting fieldwork, we recommend you
.gather empirical data in November
By 13:00 on 28 October you should come up with the Research
Design Description with a detailed plan of your empirical study: how
are you going to use selected research methods, what is your sample
size, what questions are you going to ask and to whom, and a
questionnaire (if applicable). In addition, you should demonstrate some
progress in writing, and the thesis draft should contain the thesis title, a
research question and sub-questions, the structure, background
information, delimitation and theoretical vocabulary as well as a list of
.readings
All pieces of work that you deliver as the Research Design Description
may be directly used as parts of your paper, including methodology and
.(.appendixes (questionnaires, a list of interviewees etc
A number of experts will be available for consultations on research
methods both qualitative and quantitative. We suggest you use this
.expertise since it will not be available at later stages of the project
Research Design Descriptions will be reviewed by the Degree
Committee in order to evaluate how realistic and appropriate the
.methodology is. This is necessary for you to get the approval
If the Degree Committee have specific questions about the Research
Design Description, you may be required to make a formal presentation
(approximately 10 minutes in length) to the Degree Committee. The
goal of your presentation is to convince the Committee that you have a
clearly defined research question, that you know what data you wish to
collect and how you plan to analyse them, and that your research fulfils
the academic criteria of the school. If your Thesis framework is not
approved, you will be asked to revise your presentation and make a

42
 .second presentation at a later date
You must receive a formal approval before you can proceed with
.your Bachelor Thesis
Review of Empirical Findings by 2.12.2002
After receiving a formal approval from the Degree Committee you may proceed with
.conducting your research and collecting empirical data and writing your paper

By 2 December the results of the empirical part and main findings

should be reflected in your paper by this moment. You should be able to
provide an introduction, a survey of the relevant literature, a description
of the data used in the thesis, and a discussion of the theoretical
framework to be used in the analysis. It is important that you show what
data you have collected so far, what analysis has been performed and is
planned. The more substance you include in the Review of empirical
.findings, the more feedback you shall get from the Supervisor
The deadline for submitting the Review of Empirical Findings is 13:00 on 2
December. As you are probably still collecting and organising the data, as well as just
beginning the analysis, we expect that the review of empirical findings will not
.necessarily be a highly polished product
Writing-Up Seminars
The time between 2nd December and submitting the Draft of the Thesis is the most
difficult in terms of structuring the Thesis, finding the line of argumentation, and the
right way to present the data. It is also the time when you may feel ?suffocation? in
your own research issues and technicalities. To provide a comparative perspective,
opportunity to hear what your colleagues have done and discuss the strongest and
weakest points of your own research there will be writing-up seminars from December 3
through December 13. The seminars are compulsory, and the evaluation of your
performance will contribute to the final mark of the Bachelor Thesis. You shall comment
on the progress achieved by your colleagues and explain your own results as well as
answer the questions from the audience. The structure of the writing up seminars
should prepare you for the presentation and defence of the final Thesis. It is strongly
recommended that you prepare a paper to be presented at the seminar and circulate
among your seminar group members in advance to get quality feedback. In short,
writing up seminars are aimed at stimulating your mind, adding fresh insights from other
fields, sharing your concerns that may be similar to those encountered by your
colleagues. The joint effort of feedback from the Faculty Advisor, the Supervisor and
.your colleague students should set you on the track for the Thesis Draft
Thesis Draft 10.01.2003
The Draft of the Bachelor Thesis should be submitted by 13:00 on January 10, 2003.
Your paper should now begin to resemble its final form and contain all relevant
elements of the Bachelor Thesis. Is your research question the same or you have
diverted? Do you have enough data to support your conclusions? What are they? Are
the tables and graphs clear and conveying important information to the reader? Have
you appropriately separated information between the body of the paper and
appendices? Is your paper well organised and clear to the reader? Have you answered
the question of the Thesis? Please remember that by this stage you should have
completed all empirical research, and your main task now is to streamline and clarify
the line of argumentation and exposition to the reader. To put it simply, now you have

43
to make your research findings ?reader friendly?. The bulk of the work should now be
.done. Your Supervisor will help you further to refine and polish the Thesis

The draft of the Bachelor Thesis should contain the exact title of the
dissertation. After that date, no changes in the title are permitted. The
Examination session will be planned on the basis of knowledge that you
will submit the Thesis by January 31. Please note that if you have
serious matters that may preclude you from finishing the Thesis by the
submission date, January 10th is the last date you can apply for extension
of your submission period. Your application should have the consent of
your Supervisor and the faculty advisor and should be addressed to the
Degree Committee. The decision on your application is under the
discretion of the Degree committee that will consider the matters
.carefully
Before submitting the Thesis for examination, you shall have to make sure that it is in
accordance with other requirements of the Writing Guidelines such as layout,
referencing, lengths, footnotes etc. The quality of language and style is one of the three
criteria of the Bachelor Thesis (i.e., it is clearly written). By this time, the Faculty Advisor
would seek the opinion of a Supervisor as to the readiness of the Thesis for
.submission
Submission of the Thesis by 31.01.2003
The Thesis should be submitted by 13:00 on January 31, 2003 in both paper and
electronic form (Riga time). Any unwarranted delay in submitting either of the copies
that is not the result of force major condition may lead to withdrawal of the Thesis from
.the list of examinations
Thesis Examination
Based on the information of the exact titles submitted, the schedule for examination
sessions will be drawn by January 20. Your Thesis will be presented and commented
by a team of co-students, and the mark for the commenting is included as a component
in the final mark of the Thesis. Therefore, by January 24 you shall be required to sign
up for the role of a discussant in a team commenting on the thesis of your co-
student(s). It is also required that you participate in three examination sessions of other
papers as listeners, and you shall be expected to sign for the sessions you intend to
attend by the same date, January 24. The thesis examinations will be held from
February 3 through February 28 according to the schedule drawn by January 20. The
specific requirements and the format for the thesis examination will be provided in due
.course
Submissions of Revised Thesis
Following the examination, as a rule, a number of suggestions will be
given to improve the Thesis. The Thesis is not considered, defended and
evaluated until the Revised Thesis is not submitted. In order to
accomplish the task, a three-week period from the date of the
examination of your Thesis will be given. The Faculty Advisor and the
Supervisor will have to ascertain that the required changes and revisions
have been incorporated into the Thesis before passing the decision about
confirmation of the examination evaluation to the Degree Committee.
The Degree Committee will keep the right to reduce the mark given at
the examination or fail the Thesis if it will not be satisfied with the
.quality of the revisions
Special Notes

44
 On deadlines
The formal deadline is 13:00 of the set calendar day. Should your
documents, for whatever reason, not reach the Faculty Advisor (hard
copies of the Thesis Proposal and the Thesis) and
BachelorThesis@sseriga.edu.lv by that time, it will be considered as a
miss of the deadline. We therefore recommend submitting the papers
before the set deadlines so that the Faculty Advisor can check if
.electronic versions of the documents can be opened successfully
On Confidentiality
Thesis writing sometimes may involve the use of confidential
information, and companies providing it may be uncertain as to its
disclosure and further use. The school has two instruments to deal with
:this predicament
A confidentiality letter ·
.Restricted access in the Library ·
A confidentiality letter, addressed to the company and signed by a high
level representative of the school sets out the Thesis writing process
rules and delivers an institutional promise of confidentiality, i.e.,
assurance that the information contained in the Thesis will be used
solely for academic purposes and the subsequent access to the Thesis
should be controlled. The restriction means that you may require some
degree of control over who are allowed to read your Thesis deposited in
the Library. This means that provided you applied for the restriction,
whenever somebody wishes to read your Thesis, s/he should apply to
the Librarian for the permission, and the Librarian should contact you
for that before lending out the Thesis. This restriction is kept for one
.year and, if needed, subsequently renewed
On evaluation
The final mark for the whole Bachelor Paper exercise will be composite.
It shall have two parts. The first is the mark for the paper as it stands.
This mark will be determined by at least two independent examiners.
The mark will be determined before the examination session and it will
make up 2/3 of the final mark. The second part (1/3 of the final mark) is
the mark for your participation in the Bachelor Thesis writing process. It
:is a composite, too
for the Thesis commenting and defence, 30% for the participation - 50%
in the writing up seminars, and 20% for the progress and quality of the
Research design description, review of empirical findings and the Thesis
.draft as evaluated by your Supervisor
Copyright © 2001, SSE Riga. Last edited - May 26, 2004
Powered by Cocoon

45
 H A R V A R D U N I V E R S I T Y

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FAQ •
Planning Ahead and Choosing a Topic
It is never too early to start planning for the thesis. Many students begin by weighing
questions such as: What did I enjoy about my favorite courses? What initially drew me to
enroll in them, and what proved compelling in the subject matter? What historical
questions would I like to be a part of answering? Since work of the scope of a senior
thesis should spring from the writer’s academic background and concerns, students must
know what subjects excite them before taking the first steps toward a suitable topic. All
projects necessitate certain courses in advance of the senior year, such as those requiring
language or quantitative skills, and necessary background in a content area. Remember
that not all interesting questions can be answered in a historical study, and that many
questions are of a scope not answerable within the format of a senior thesis. Faculty and
tutors, especially those who know your work, are the best people to consult as you refine
and answer your research questions. Such conversations are often crucial first steps in
.finding a thesis advisor; please see page 22
Begin with the End in Mind: The Thesis Proposal
Many of the matters discussed above and below are usefully summarized in a thesis
proposal. The proposal will be required of the class of ’07 and beyond. To be approved, a
:thesis proposal must be at least five pages long and do the following

present a research topic and questions .a

offer a preliminary annotated bibliography of scholarly work on the topic.b

list at least two courses (not tutorials) in history taken in preparation for the.c
project

name faculty and/or graduate students consulted, and their potential to advise.d
the thesis

identify archival materials to be examined.e

46
 outline a plan for completing research in the summer or fall.f
The proposal is an integral part of the thesis-planning process, not something to throw
together the night before the deadline. An initial draft, in February or March of the junior
year, can form the basis for a summer funding application. Another draft will be drawn up
in advance of conversations with potential advisors, and successive drafts will reflect
input as faculty and tutors are consulted. The thesis proposal will be due at the start of
the senior fall. For those who wish to write a thesis but do not meet the standards for
.entering 99, the proposal will be due at the end of the junior spring
The Junior Spring
The spring term of the junior year is a watershed for starting the thesis. Those who have
a general topic and an advisor by the end of the spring term can make abundant use of
the summer months to read broadly and formulate a topic more precisely. Indeed, if you
wish to take advantage of the many funding sources available for summer thesis
research, you will need to articulate the general outline of your project much earlier than
the end of the junior year—the deadline for some funding applications is the last Friday in
.(February (more information on funding options below

Of course, it is perfectly possible to write an excellent thesis even if the questions of topic
and advisor are not answered at the end of the junior year. However, you will need to
address these issues over the summer, or immediately upon returning to Cambridge.
Topics will then be limited to those which can be researched in Widener and/or other
historical collections in the Boston area (for many subjects, this is not a limitation at all).
Finally, do not imagine that History 99 is equivalent in work-load to other courses at
.Harvard. All thesis writers remark upon the intense focus required for such a project
Thesis Format
An undergraduate thesis in History will deal with some particular problem within the
scope of your major field of study. What is a suitable undergraduate thesis? This depends
on a number of issues, including the availability of research materials. There are no fixed
rules for the form of an acceptable thesis. Obviously, the Department hopes that theses
will involve both thorough research and original interpretation, and be written as
elegantly and concisely as possible. In the past, excellent theses of very different types
have been presented and have been evaluated on their own terms. It is expected that
students will undertake some amount of primary research, but they should also not lose
sight of the need to provide a convincing analysis and interpretation of the fruits of their
.research
The Tutorial Office has two resources for those who wish to examine past theses of
varying characters and styles. One is a database of all History theses (magna and above)
since mid-century; these theses may be viewed at the Harvard archives. See Laura
Johnson if you wish to consult this database. The other resource is a small but growing
collection of theses kept in the Tutorial Office. Finally, if you have identified a general
area of interest but have not yet formulated a specific topic, please consult a the Asst.
.DUS, a faculty member, or a tutor, for help on refining your ideas
Finding a Thesis Advisor
As stated above, the task of identifying the senior thesis advisor is ideally accomplished
by the end of the junior year, though it is possible to find one the following September.
Potential senior thesis advisors should be selected from the Department’s faculty and the
History graduate students who serve on the Board of Tutors. Both are listed at the end of
this Handbook. In addition, there may be graduate students not listed but available as
advisors; consult with the Tutorial Office. Joint concentrators for whom History is the
secondary field will find their thesis advisor in their primary department; please see page
.8 for more information

When seeking a thesis advisor, some students choose to approach faculty members for
their deep knowledge of fields. Each year approximately one-third of the theses written
are supervised by faculty, and students have remarked on the satisfactions of this
singular opportunity to work individually with a member of the faculty. If you are thinking
of asking a professor to supervise your thesis, it is best to approach him/her right after
spring break of the junior year. Some faculty may ask for a thesis proposal before making
a decision about which students they will supervise. Most faculty supervise only one
.thesis per year, or at the most two
In other cases, students arrange for a thesis advisor who is a graduate student. Reasons
include a preference for working with another, albeit more advanced, student. Sometimes
(but not always) a graduate student thesis advisor will be able to offer more regular
.assistance than might come from a faculty member

Please bear in mind that these general assumptions are just that—very general, and only
assumptions; individual experiences vary widely. Think about your own work habits and
how it is that you most easily handle feedback. Ask potential thesis advisors how they
prefer to work with students. In either case, faculty or graduate student, it is perfectly
appropriate to begin the communication with a request for general advice regarding your
topic. In this way you can assess the interest of several people in your project, and then
”?schedule another meeting to ask the question: “Will you advise my senior thesis
In April of the junior year, students are asked to provide an update on their thesis plans
in advance of the proposal deadline. Identification of the general subject area of the
thesis (at least), and the name of the advisor (or several names under consideration) will
allow the Tutorial Office staff to assist students who may need guidance during this early,
.but important, stage
Summer Funding
Each year a large number of rising seniors find funding for summer thesis research. The
Tutorial Office holds a meeting at the start of the spring term to advise students on how
to write a successful fellowship proposal. In addition, we have available each February a

47
 list of those organizations which have in the past supported the thesis research of history
.undergraduates
:The standard fellowship application includes the following

an application form.1
a transcript.2

a statement of purpose/research proposal/essay.3

a budget.4

letters of recommendation.5
.Each of these elements is discussed below

Application forms are relatively pro forma exercises, but make sure you secure the form
.in plenty of time. Typing is not necessary if you print neatly
Order any necessary transcripts as soon as possible. Do not let the simplest piece of an
application stand between you and a summer research grant. Transcript requests must be
made to the Registrar either in writing or in person, not by telephone. The normal
processing time for transcripts is two to three days. The Registrar’s Office is located at 20
Garden Street. For more information, including procedures and fees, consult
.www.registrar.fas.harvard.edu/Request.html

The statement of purpose is the heart of your fellowship application. Typically 2-4 pages
(consult the funding organization for specific instructions), this should be a concise and
elegantly written essay that persuades the reader of the importance of your project and
your ability to execute it. The budget (if required) should be a realistic estimate of travel
and living expenses (safe but not luxurious) for your intended location. If the funding is to
include the cost of travel, the proposal should indicate the necessity of going to your
intended destination; do not ask to travel to see materials that are available in a Harvard
library. When writing these fellowships applications, students are often in the initial
stages of identifying their thesis topics; writing with assurance about something you are
not sure about can be a difficult task, but it can be done. There are several sample essays
.available for your perusal in the Tutorial Office
Most undergraduate research fellowships will ask for one or two letters of
recommendation. The general rule of thumb is to request recommendations from faculty
or teaching fellows who know your work quite well; a letter from a well-known professor
will not help your case if it is cursory. It is perfectly appropriate to ask potential letter-
writers not simply whether they are willing to write you a recommendation, but whether
they can write you a strong recommendation. (Of course, if you ask this question, you
should be ready to handle an answer that is not positive.) You should give a letter-writer
a draft copy of your statement of purpose, and if it has been a while since you worked
.with that person, supply him/her with copies of the work you did in class
Senior Thesis Seminar
The Senior Thesis Seminar provides a useful framework for senior thesis writers as they
work through the intermittent difficulties that all thesis students inevitably encounter. For
many seniors, their thesis will turn out to be the best piece of writing done while at
Harvard. It will also be the longest and most complicated. Consequently, the Seminar will
focus much attention on the unique challenges of writing an extended, multi-chapter
work. The Seminar also provides a common forum in which seniors can share with thesis-
writing colleagues their feedback, successes, frustrations, interests, and techniques. This
kind of collegiality and exchange of ideas is at the heart of the academic seminar, and it
.can be the most rewarding aspect of History 99

The Senior Thesis Seminar is a cooperative effort that depends on the active participation
of all involved. It is also a part of your History 99 grade, and your attendance is required
to pass this portion of the course. More than two absences can result in a failing grade or
exclusion from the course, which would end your thesis project. The Seminar meets
approximately every other week, always on Wednesday evenings. Additional information
.will be available in the fall term registration packets, or posted in the Tutorial Office
Finally, the Senior Thesis Seminar prepares students for the Senior Thesis Writers
Conference, which is ordinarily held at the beginning of December. In a four-day
conference attended by Department faculty, tutors and teaching fellows, other graduate
students, and fellow undergraduates, each thesis writer will present a 15-20 minute paper
.that explains his/her project and prospective argument
Deadlines
All seniors writing theses will receive a “Timetable for Thesis Writers” which lists
approximate deadlines for staying current with work on this large-scale project. Included
on the timetable are deadlines for a thesis prospectus (early October), annotated
bibliography (mid-October), summary and outline (early November), first chapter draft
(mid-December), etc. Many thesis writers will submit work in advance of the deadlines
listed on the timetable, following schedules worked out with their individual advisors.
:Several of the deadlines listed on the timetable must be met; these are

Students enrolled in History 99 must inform the Tutorial Office of their thesis.1
.topic and confirmed advisor in late September

Soon after the Senior Thesis Writers Conference in early December, you must.2
submit substantial proof of research to your thesis advisor. This usually takes
.(the form of a chapter or two of the thesis (20 to 30 pages

For the academic year 2005-06, HONORS THESES WILL BE DUE ON.3
THURSDAY, MARCH 23, 2006. Theses that are handed in late or that do not
.meet the requirements on length will be penalized
Length and Other Guidelines

48
 The minimum length of the text of the thesis is 15,000 words (about 60 pages). Theses
shorter than the minimum may be excluded from consideration for honors. The maximum
length of the text is 35,000 words (about 130 pages). Theses longer than the maximum
may be penalized. Note that the minimum and the maximum stipulations are only for the
.text; they are exclusive of footnotes, bibliographies, glossaries, or appendices
All seniors writing theses will receive a Tutorial Office pamphlet, Instructions
Regarding Theses, early in the fall term. Also included with “Instructions” will be the
”.“Timetable for Thesis Writers
Dropping History 99
The Department may exclude from the tutorial program at any time a student who is not
doing satisfactory work in tutorial. Any student who is not seeing his or her advisor on a
regular basis or who has not turned in any or sufficient written work can be given an
UNSAT grade in History 99. Credit will be given for half of History 99 if the requirements
.set below are met

If you decide to drop the thesis mid year with half course credit for History 99, you must
submit a 25-30 page paper to the Tutorial Office by the last day of the fall term. If it is of
sufficient length, the paper submitted in December meets this requirement provided it is
organized as a self contained paper with a proper introduction and a conclusion and a
.central argument, rather than as a chapter of a longer length thesis
If you decide to drop the thesis after that date, you must do substantially more work (a
45-50 page paper) and submit this paper by May 1, again to the Tutorial Office, to
receive full course credit for History 99. As in the case of the 30-page paper, this longer
paper should have a proper introduction and conclusion and meet the requirements of a
.term paper
Thesis Readings
Each History thesis is read by at least two members of the History Department (faculty
and/or graduate student tutor). If History is the secondary field of a joint concentration,
there is only one History reader. Each reader assigns an evaluation to the thesis (highest
honors, highest honors minus, high honors plus, high honors, high honors minus, honors
plus, honors, or no distinction), and writes a report detailing the special strengths and
:weaknesses of the thesis. Theses will ordinarily be sent to a third reader when

the first two evaluations are at least 3 distinctions apart (e.g., one high honors .1
(plus and one honors plus
or

the thesis only receives one highest-level evaluation and the student has a.2
History grade point average of 3.75 or higher

The thesis evaluations are then converted into numerical equivalents, which are then
used to determine the recommendation for Departmental (English) honors, along with
.grades in courses and tutorials for which concentration credit were given

Last updated May 2006. Send comments to history@fas.harvard.edu

President and Fellows of Harvard College ,2005-2006 ©

49
 Forms and Applications

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Important Dates

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50
 Master's Theses Regulations
Forms / Applications
(Click here for the Application to Write a Master's Thesis (PDF Course Schedule
:PURPOSE Course Descriptions
Course Syllabi
The purpose of a master's thesis is to provide an opportunity for students to Divinity Students
undertake independent and concentrated research on a topic of interest. It Association
.normally serves as the culminating work in a particular area of study Bookstore
Learning Resources
DEGREE PROGRAMS McCATS ·
Canadian Baptist Archives ·
Master of Arts (M.A.): As part of the program requirements, M.A. students must Links ·
submit and orally defend a 40,000-word thesis based on original and independent Additional Resources ·
research in their area of major emphasis (Biblical Studies, Christian History & Faculty Resources ·
Theology, or Christian Ministry). A Master of Arts thesis typically will take a full Academic Rules &
.calendar year to complete Regulations
Academic Honesty ·
Master of Divinity (M.Div.) and Master of Theology (M.T.S): Students in the Standing & Grades ·
M.Div. and M.T.S.programs may elect, with the approval of the faculty, to Add/Drop ·
undertake and orally defend a 20,000-word thesis that explores a topic of interest Final Exams ·
in the student's area of specialty (Biblical Studies, Christian History & Theology, Inclusive Language ·
Christian Ministry). The M.Div./M.T.S. thesis counts as one full course (two half Incompletes ·
courses) of elective credit and will normally take a minimum of two consecutive Letters of Permission ·
.semesters to complete Master's Theses ·
Probationary Status ·
ELIGIBILITY Reading Courses ·
In order to begin the thesis writing component of a program, students must have Re-read of Work ·
.completed the following minimum requirements for their degree Sexual Harassment ·
Student Grievances ·
M.A. students who wish to register for the M.A. thesis, must have completed the Time Limits ·
:following Withdrawals ·
Women in Ministry ·
a minimum of 21 units of course work •

attained a B+ average overall•

attained a B+ average in the proposed subject area of the thesis •

have their thesis proposal approved by the Faculty •

M.Div. students who wish to register for the M.Div. thesis, must have completed
:the following

a minimum of 60 units of course work (this can include 2 years of•

(field education

attained a B+ average overall•

attained a B+ average in the proposed subject area of the thesis •

have their thesis proposal approved by the Faculty •

M.T.S. students who wish to register for the M.T.S. thesis, must have completed
:the following

a minimum of 30 units of course work •

attained a B+ average overall•

attained a B+ average in the proposed subject area of the thesis •

have their thesis proposal approved by the Faculty •

THESIS TIMELINES AT A GLANCE

A thesis proposal may be submitted at any time. For students intending to
:graduate in May, however, the following timelines must be observed

Submit thesis proposal to Office of the Dean or designate by April •

15 of the year prior to the thesis. The Faculty will review thesis
.proposals at the May meeting

.(Register for the thesis in the fall semester (if proposal approved •

Devote the fall semester to reading, writing, and submitting the •

.initial draft of each chapter to the first reader

By January 31, submit a complete draft of the thesis manuscript to •

.first reader

Dedicate February to further revisions and rewriting, as indicated •

.by first reader

By March 1, submit two copies of the final thesis manuscript to the •

Office of the Dean or designate. One copy will be forwarded to the
first reader and one copy to the second reader. Students must pay
(thesis binding fees by March 1. ($80.00 minimum

The supervisor, in consultation with the chair, second reader and •

student, will schedule the oral defence sometime between March
15 and the last day of class for the winter semester (provided
.(binding fees pre-paid
THESIS SUPERVISION
Master's theses will be guided by a committee of not fewer than two members
(first and second readers). The first reader will serve as the primary supervisor of
the thesis. The second reader ensures that the academic standards monitored by
the first reader have been met. A third external reader, if deemed appropriate,

51
 may be appointed by the Dean for the oral defence. The Dean or designate will
.act as chair of the oral defence

MASTER'S THESIS PROCEDURES

Students intending to write a thesis will obtain a thesis application .1

.form and proposal guidelines from the Registration Office

As early as possible, students will initiate contact with a faculty .2

member with the request to act as the thesis supervisor (first
reader). The thesis proposal cannot be forwarded to the Office of
the Dean until a faculty member has agreed to be its supervisor.
.This step is likely to require multiple drafts of the proposal

Students will complete and submit a thesis proposal and submit it.3
to the Office of the Dean or designate no later than April 15 of the
year prior to undertaking the thesis. The Dean or designate will
present the proposal to the faculty for consideration at the May
.faculty meeting

The designation of first and second readers for the thesis will be .4
.determined by the faculty

Once the thesis proposal and readers are approved by the faculty,.5
the Dean or designate will notify the Registration Office. The
Registration Office will contact the student to confirm acceptance
.and to discuss thesis registration procedures

Throughout the fall semester, students are expected to work in .6

close consultation with the first reader, forming a coherently-
argued thesis that demonstrates scholarly research skills and
.knowledge of the selected area of study

A complete draft of the manuscript must be submitted to the first.7

reader no later than the end of January. February will be dedicated
.to revisions and rewriting

Once approved by the first reader, the final manuscript must be .8

submitted to the Office of the Dean or designate no later than
March 1 if the student wishes to convocate in May. Two copies are
to be submitted, one for the first reader and one for the second
.reader

The student must pre-pay the thesis binding fees by March 1, at.9
the time they submit the final manuscript (see "Procedures for the
.(Binding of Theses" below

The second reader will receive a copy of the final manuscript no .10
later than March 1. The second reader may recommend revisions
.to the thesis prior to the defence

The supervisor, in consultation with the chair, second reader and.11

students, will schedule the oral dfence sometime between March
15 and the last day of class for the winter semester, providing all
.binding fees have been paid

Any revisions to the thesis after the oral defence must take place .12
before the grade submission deadline in order for students to be
.cleared to graduate

Students who are unable to complete their thesis by the end of the .13
academic year may request a one-term extension from the Dean
or designate by completing an Application for an Incomplete. If the
thesis remains incomplete after the one-term extension, an
additional one-term extension may be requested from the Dean or
designate. If granted, a continuation fee of $200.00 will be applied.
If the thesis remains incomplete after the second extension, an
.automatic "F" will be recorded on the transcript
THE ORAL DEFENCE

The first and second readers, with the Dean or designate acting as.1
Chair, form the examining committee. Guests may attend as
.observers

The defence normally will last approximately one to one-and-a-half .2

hours. The student is normally invited to begin with a summative
statement on the thesis (15 minute maximum). The Chair takes
responsibility for ensuring that questions and responses occur in a
.rotational, equitable, and appropriate manner

At the conclusion of the defence, everyone other than the .3

examining committee leaves the room while deliberations occur.
The Chair does not vote except to break a tie. Once the decision of
the committee has been made, the candidate is invited to return to
.the room and is informed of the decision

:The committee will recommend one of four outcomes .4

Pass - with or without minor corrections○

Pass - with minor revisions○

Major revisions - with specified time limit for○

resubmission and new defence

.Fail with no option of rewrite○

Note: The designation of "pass" may be accorded the additional

".notation "with distinction

:POST-DEFENCE PROCEDURES ~ Required documentation

Report of Examining Committee on Thesis .1

Report of Oral Defence .2

License Agreement.3

(Acceptance of Thesis (signatures .4

(.Thesis insert (number of pages, etc .5

INTEROFFICE FOLLOW-UP OF ORAL DEFENCE

If the thesis is designated a clear pass or fail, the Defence Chair•

will immediately forward the signed documentation to the
Registration Office. If the thesis requires corrections or revisions,

52
 the Defence Chair will inform the Registration Office of current
status, but will retain the documentation until all the revisions have
been approved. The student is only clear to graduate if and when
the revised thesis has received final approval and all
.documentation has been submitted to the Registration Office
PROCEDURES FOR THE BINDING OF THESES

The student provides an original manuscript, plus a minimum of.1

three copies (four in total), plus licenses, to the Office of the Dean
or designate for binding. The final manscript must rigorously
adhere to the "Guidelines for the Preparation of Theses for
Binding", available from the Registration Office. Manuscripts that
.do not conform to these guidelines will be returned to the student

The office of the Dean or designate will forward the manuscript.2

copies for binding to Lehmann's (519-570-4444 for pickup). Within
two weeks, the bound theses will be returned to the office of the
.Dean or designate

The manuscript copies will not be sent for binding unless the .3
binding fees have been paid in advance. The cost is $20 per
copy. A minimum of four bound thesis must be ordered (one for
Mills Library, one for the Canadian Baptist Archives, one for the
first reader, one for the student). Additional copies may be ordered
.at the discretion of the student

All binding fees must be paid in full in order for the student to .4
.convocate

:The office of the Dean or designate will take responsibility for.5

Submitting the original bound manuscript with the ○

original license for the Canadian Baptist Archives,
.Room 152, Divinity College

Submitting one bound thesis, including a copy of the○

license, to Maureen Bentley, Room 504, Mills
.Library

.Submitting one bound copy to the first reader○

Placing a copy of license agreement in the thesis○

.licensing binder

The student is responsible for personally picking up his/her own .6

copy plus any additional copies of the bound thesis from the office
.of the Dean or designate

(Click here for the Application to Write a Master's Thesis (PDF

53
 Notes on
Writing Papers
and Theses
Ken Lertzman, School of Resource and
Environmental Management, Simon Fraser
University, British Columbia

Table of Contents
Back to General Index

Introduction

Know Your Audience

Basic grammar and spelling

!Do not turn in a first draft!-- Ever

Get and use style books

Avoid passive constructions

54
 Avoid abusing word forms

Do not use more words where fewer will do

Use an outline to organize your ideas and writing

Think about the structure of paragraphs

Pay attention to tenses

Captions

Focus on the ideas, not the authors

Show us don't tell us

Write about your results, not your tables, figures, and statistics

Focus on ecological hypotheses not statistical hypotheses

Develop a strategy for your Discussion

Introductions and conclusions are the hardest parts

Break up large projects into small pieces

Make your writing flow and resonate

Use word processors effectively

Take editorial comments seriously

Acknowledgements

Literature cited

Source and Credits

Introduction

55
 Many theses and class papers share a common set of problems in their early
drafts. In response to this observation, I began a set of notes based on my
repeated comments on student writing over a period of several years. These
notes eventually grew into a document that I include as a part of course
packages and give to students preparing theses. I was surprised to discover
that even graduate students often find it difficult to identify problems in
their writing and frequently lack tools to deal with the m effectively. The
following 21 suggestions should be relevant to both undergraduate and
graduate students. Apparently few students, at any level, have received
much instruction in the strategies and tactics for effective scientific writing.
Though the s uggestions I make here are based primarily on my comments
on student papers and theses, they also reflect common problems in
.manuscripts I receive for review

Know your audience and write for that specific

.audience
Scientific and technical writing can almost never be "general purpose"; it
must be written for a specific audience. For the kinds of writing I address
here, that audience will generally be the community of ecologists who read
a particular- journal or s tudy a particular subject. For class papers, this
community is represented by your professor. In all cases, you must adopt
the style and level of writing that is appropriate for your audience. Stylistic
conventions and acceptable jargon can vary tremendou sly from one field to
another, and to some extent, from one journal to another. If you are
unfamiliar with the conventions of a field, study them as they are
manifested in a selection of highly regarded papers and in the ''Instructions
.for Authors" for ke y journals

Your supervisor/professor is not here to teach

you basic grammar and spelling
The more time and emotional energy she or he spends on correcting basic
English usage, the less remains for issues of content or fine-tuning. You are
responsible for mastering the basics of the language; save your supervisor's
time for more substantive issues. A few glitches and non-parallel tenses will
slip through your own careful editing, but there is no excuse for frequent
ungrammatical sentences. Similarly, with word processors and spell-
checkers having become standard writing tools, typos or othe r spelling
errors should be very rare. Use a spelling checker before submitting
.anything for anyone else's reading
If you find you are about to submit a paper that you know contains poor
writing, consider why you are doing so. If there is a writing problem with
which you are having a hard time (for instance, organizing the structure of
an argument in its most effec tive form), it is legitimate to submit this for
someone else's review with the problem highlighted as a focused request for
assistance. Otherwise, submitting a piece of writing with known errors or
problems means either: ( 1 ) you do not consider your wri ting worth

56
 improving, (2) you do not respect the reader enough to present writing that
is as good as you can make it, or (3) you are incapable of improving the
writing. At some point, every piece of writing is as good as its writer can
make it without out side review.-That is the time to give it to your
.supervisor

!Do not turn in a first draft!-- Ever

Most people's first drafts are terrible. I wouldn't make anyone else suffer
through mine. Don't make others suffer through yours. I've read early drafts
of papers by eminent ecologists whose final products are jewels of English
construction. Their fir st drafts are terrible too. "Good writing is rewriting,"
and you should make a serious effort at editing, rewriting, and fine-tuning
before you give the manuscript to anyone else to read. There are few things
more frustrating to read than a paper in which you know there are pearls of
wisdom, but where those pearls are hidden by sloppy and ambiguous
writing. The chapters of my Ph.D. thesis had been through 3-5 drafts before
anyone on my advisory committee ever saw them. If you need to put a
piece of writin g away for a few days before you can approach it
dispassionately enough to rework it, do so. It takes much longer to read
poor writing than good writing. it is a waste of an advisor's or editor's time
to read material that i
Consider forming a mutual editing team with other students to review each
other's work. Publication quality scientific writing is usually a product of
the research community rather than the sole effort of the author(s):
reviewers and editors make a big difference to the vast majority of
published papers. You should become accustomed both to reviewing other
.people's work and to having your own reviewed

Get and use style books

All aspiring ecologists should have a library of books that supports their
technical communication. Distinguish between those that are primarily
manuals of accepted rules, those that address how to create a draft (e.g.,
disconnecting the creative from the critical voice, etc.), and those that focus
on rewriting. I recommend Williams ( 1990) as a manual for rewriting.
.Williams focuses on how to turn a draft into a finished product

Avoid passive constructions wherever possible

The rule that you must avoid personal pronouns is antiquated and has been
rejected by most scientific journals. If you collected the data using
Smerdyakoff's Bicranial Olfactory Apparatus, there is nothing wrong with
saying, "I collected the data using Smerdyakoff's Bicranial Olfactory
Apparatus." Where it would be repetitive to use personal pronouns ("I did
this. I did that. I did the other thing."), or where it makes the sentence more
awkward to use the active voice, you may occasionally, cautiously use the

57
 Avoid abusing word forms
Use words in the form that conveys your meaning as clearly and simply as
possible. A variety of writing problems arise from using verbs and
adjectives as nouns. Such word forms are called nominalizations (Williams
1990). Consider the sentence, "The low rate of encounters was a reflection
of the reduction in population density." The verbs, "to reflect" and "to
reduce" are used as nouns, and the sentence is more turgid and less direct
than when they are used as verbs: "The low rate of encounters reflects a
reduced population density." Some nominalizations are both useful and
effective, as in "taxation without representation." Williams (1990) has an
.excellent discussion of useless and useful nominalizations
Creating awkward phrases where nouns and verbs are used as adjectives or
adverbs is another common problem leading to awkward and wooden
writing. In his delightful critique, Hildebrand ( 1981 ) called nouns used
this way "adjectival nouns." Such constr uctions are almost invariably
clumsy and unclear. For instance, unless specifically referring to a
document, "the Chilko Lake park proposal" is not as good as "the proposal
for a park at Chilko Lake." The first form illustrates both a nominalization
("pro posal" as noun vs. verb) and adjectival nouns ("Chilko Lake" and
"park" as adjectives modifying "proposal" rather than nouns). Table 1
provides examples of adjectival nouns culled from papers and theses I read
during o ne month. It is distressingly easy to find awkward strings of
adjectival nouns in published papers, where they are common in titles.
Phrases built with one adjectival noun or verb are often useful (e.g., "hair
pin," "gut contents," "sampling unit"), but t hose with more are usually
awkward, rarely n

Do not use more words where fewer will do

Do not use long words where short ones will do. Do not use jargon where
regular language will do. Do not use special words to make your writing
seem more technical, scientific, or academic when the message is more
.clearly presented otherwise

Use an outline to organize your ideas and

.writing
When you first start a writing project, make an outline of the major
headings. List the key ideas to be covered under each heading. Organize
your thinking and the logic of your arguments at this level, not when you
are trying to write complete, grammat ical, and elegant sentences. Separate
out the three tasks of: (1) figuring out what you want to say, (2) planning
the order and logic of your arguments, and (3) crating the exact language in
.which you will express your ideas
Many people find it useful when making an outline to attach page lengths
and time lines to each subsection. For instance, section 2.4 may be

58
 "Evidence for differential use of canopy gaps by Clethrionomys." To this
you might append, '3 more days analysi s, 4 days writing; 10 pages." Such
time estimates are usually inaccurate, but the process of establishing them is
.quite useful
It is very easy to write and expand outlines with word processors. When
starting a writing project, I create a file in which I first develop an outline as
described above. I save a copy of the outline separately and then commence
the writing by expandi ng the outline section-by-section. I usually get ideas
for later sections while writing earlier ones and can easily page down and
write myself notes under later section headings. This is especially useful for
filling out the structure of a Discussion whil e writing the Results. (For
instance, "When discussing the removal experiment, don't forget to contrast
Karamozov's 1982 paper-- his Table 3--with the astonishing results in
Figure 7.") By the time I get to writing the Discussion, the outline has
usually been fleshed out substantially and most of the topic sentences are
.present in note form

Think about the structure of paragraphs

Poorly structured paragraphs are one of the most common problems I find
in graduate student writing. Though most graduate students can write
reasonable sentences, a surprising number have difficulty organizing
sentences into effective paragraphs. A par agraph should begin with a topic
sentence that sets the stage clearly for what will follow. One of my most
frequent comments on student papers is that the contents of a paragraph do
not reflect the topic sentence. Make topic sentences short and direct. Bu ild
the paragraph from the ideas introduced in your topic sentence and make
.the flow of individual sentences follow a logical sequence
Many writers try to finish each paragraph with a sentence that forms a
bridge to the next paragraph. Paying attention to continuity between
paragraphs is a good idea. However, such sentences are often better as a
topic sentence for the following paragr aph than a concluding sentence of
the current one. It is nice to conclude a paragraph by recapitulating its main
points and anticipating what follows, but you should avoid statements of
.conclusion or introduction which contain no new information or ideas
Strive for parallelism in structure at all times. When you present a list of
ideas that you will then explore further ("Three hypotheses may account for
these results: hypothesis 1, hypothesis 2, hypothesis 3."), make sure that
you then address the ide as in the same sequence and format in which you
have presented them initially. It is both confusing and frustrating to read a
".list presented as "1, 2, 3, 4" and then find the topics dealt with "1, 4, 3, 2
Think about how the structure of your paragraphs will appear to the reader
who is reading them for the first time. She should not have to read the text
more than once to understand it. Carefully lead the reader along so that the
structure of your argum ent as a whole is clear, as well as where the current
.text fits in it
Paragraphs containing only one or two sentences are rarely good paragraphs
because they can't develop ideas adequately. Two-sentence paragraphs
usually represent either misplaced pieces of other paragraphs or fragments

59
 .of ideas that should be removed o r expanded
Choppiness both within and among paragraphs often results from the ease
with which we can cut and paste text on the computer. Ideas that were
written separately but belong together can be moved easily. Unfortunately,
they often still read as if they we re written separately. This is a great way
to structure a draft. However, you must read over such text for continuity
.before submitting it to others for review
It is difficult to read for continuity on the computer screen because you can
see so little text in front of you at any given moment. It is also more
difficult to flip over several pages to scan for repetition, parallel structure,
etc. To do a really g ood job of proofing a paper, most writers find it
necessary to read hard copy at some point during the writing/ rewriting
process. Print all but final drafts on paper that has been used previously on
.one side

Pay attention to tenses

Problems of inappropriate or inconsistent tenses are common in student
writing. What you, or others, did in the past should be stated in the past
tense (e.g., "I collected these data . . ."). Events or objects that continue to
happen or exist can be de scribed in the present tense (e.g., "In this paper I
examine . . ."; "The data reject the hypothesis that . . ."). Events that will
take place in the future can be in the future tense. Whatever tense you
choose, be consistent. Be careful in using "might," "may," and "would" (as
in "this might indicate that . . ."). They are frequently used as ways of
.weaseling out of making a clear statement

Captions
Captions shouldn't merely name a table or figure, they should explain how
to read it.--A caption should contain sufficient information so that a reader
can understand a table or figure, in most cases, without reference to the text.
While very simple t ables and figures may require only a title for clarity,
and exceptionally complex ones may require reference to the text for
explanation, these circumstances are rare. Captions are often most effective
when they briefly summarize the main result presented in the table or figure
(for example see the caption for Table 1). Don't leave caption writing to the
end of the project; write captions when you organize your Results section
.and it will help you write the text

When citing a reference, focus on the ideas, not

the authors
Unless the person who reported a result is an important point in a statement,
literature citations should be parenthetical, rather than in the body of the
sentence. For instance, in most cases, it is preferable to write a sentence, of
the form "Though mean growth rates in Idaho were <10 cm per year (Table

60
 2), growth rates of >80 cm are common in populations in Alberta (Marx
1982)." rather than "Though mean growth rates in Idaho were <10 cm per
year (Table 2), Marx (1982) found growth rates of >80 cm to be common in
populations in Alberta." Sometimes the identity of the writer is important to
the meaning of a statement, in which case emphasis on the citation is
appropriate (e.g., "While Jones (1986) rejected this hypothesis, Meany's
.(".(1990) reanalysis of his data failed to do so

Show us don't tell us

Rather than telling the reader that a result is interesting or significant, show
them how it is interesting or significant. For instance, rather than "The large
difference in mean size between population C and population D is
particularly interesting," write "While the mean size generally varies among
populations by only a few centimetres, the mean size in populations C and
D differed by 25 cm. Two hypotheses could account for this, . . ." Rather
than describing a result, show the reader what they need to know to come to
.their own conclusion about it

Write about your results, not your tables,

figures, and statistics
Confusing and disjointed Results sections often arise because the writer
does not have a clear idea of the story she/he intends to tell. The frequent
consequence of this is a Results section consisting of a long, seemingly
unrelated sequence of tables and figures. We often go through a lengthy and
convoluted process in understanding the content of a data set; your paper
needn't document all the twists and turns of that process. Expect that you
will produce many more figures and perform many more statis tical tests
than will be included in the final written product. When preparing to write
your results, decide on the elements of the story you wish to tell then
choose the subset of text, figures, and tables that most effectively and
concisely conveys your message. Organize this subset of tables and figures
.in a logical sequence; then write your story around them
Novice writers of scientific papers frequently pay too little attention to
discussing the content of tables and figures. They sometime merely present
a list of references (e.g., "Table I shows this result, Table 2 shows that
result, Figure I shows the other result."). When writing Results sections you
should use the tables and figures to illustrate points in the text, rather than
making them the subject of your text. Rather than writing, "Figure 4 shows
the relationship between the numbers of species A and species B," write
"The abundances of species A and B were inversely related (Figure 4)."
Distinguish between your scientific results and the methodological tools
.used to support and present those results

Focus on ecological hypotheses not statistical

61
 hypotheses
Most graduate students have learned the importance of having and testing
clear hypotheses. Unfortunately, many focus their writing on statistical
hypotheses, not ecological hypotheses. Statistical hypotheses are generally
a trivial consequence of stand ard approaches to statistical inference, such
as the null hypothesis of no difference between two populations. They
rarely have inherent ecological significance and are meaningful only in the
context of the specific test being performed. Focus your writin g on the
ecological hypotheses underlying your research (e.g., that species A is
influenced by processes X and Y in a specific way, resulting in different
growth rates in habitats S and T), not the statistical null hypotheses required
to test specific pre dictions of those ecological hypotheses (e.g., there is no
difference in growth rates among populations of species A in habitats S and
.(I

Develop a strategy for your Discussion

Many novice paper writers begin their Discussion section with a statement
about problems with-their methods or the items in their results-about which
they feel most insecure. Unless these really are the most important thing
about your research (in whic h case you have problems), save them for
later. Begin a Discussion with a short restatement of the most important
points from your Results. Start with what you can say clearly based on what
you did, not what you can't say or what you didn't do. Use this s tatement to
set up the ideas you want to focus on in interpreting your results and
relating them to the literature. Use sub-headings that structure the
.discussion around these ideas

Introductions and conclusions are the hardest

parts
Plan on spending a lot of time on them.-- Many technical writers prefer to
write their introductions last because it is to difficult to craft that balance of
general context and specific focus required for a good introduction. Often it
is easier to ach ieve this after you have already worked through writing the
entire paper or thesis. If you need to write the introduction first to set the
stage for your own thinking, resist the temptation to perfect it. By the time
you have finished the rest of the pape r it will likely need substantial
modification. The same concerns apply to conclusions, abstracts, and
summaries. These components of the paper are all that many people will
read, and you must get your message across in as direct, crisp, and enticing
a ma nner as possible. Plan on taking your time and giving these
.components several more drafts than the rest of the paper

Break up large projects into small pieces and

work on the pieces

62
 Don't write a thesis; write chapters or papers. Many thesis writers have a
hard time starting to write because they are intimidated by the huge project
.looming ahead of them
As a result, their first few months' efforts are often awkward and disjointed,
as well as sparse. The thesis should be separated into small discrete
sections, ideally distinct publishable papers. The overall organization of
ideas should be done during the planning stage so that when you work on
.individual sections you can concentrate on them
Don't wait until you think you've completed all your analyses to start
writing. "Parallel processing" of writing one chapter while you complete the
analyses for others and make presentation quality figures is a good strategy
for avoiding writer's burn- out. Writing and analysis for any given chapter
or paper is often an iterative process. Writing the results section of a paper
is often the best way to discover the analyses and figures that still need to
.be done

Make your writing flow and resonate

Probably the most frustrating and useful review I have received was from
my masters advisor, Lee Gass, on a draft of a paper from my M.Sc. thesis.
He said that all the key points were there and that the writing was clear, but
it didn't "flow and resona te." He sent me back to rework it, and, eventually,
.(the published product did "flow and resonate" (at least we thought so
Once or twice a year I come across a paper that is written so well it is a joy
to read. If the content is as good as the writing, the experience of reading it
can shape my thinking for some time thereafter. Papers written so well that
they "flow and re sonate" are much more likely to influence your readers
than the equivalent message presented in a form that is merely clear. When
you find a paper that succeeds in this study carefully how the authors
constructed their arguments and used language; try to identify what makes
.the paper work so well

Use word processors effectively and back up

your work religiously
Computers have improved tremendously the ease with which we can edit,
shuffle, rewrite, and spell-check a paper. To do this efficiently requires
investing time in learning about your tools. You needn't learn how to use all
the more exotic features of y our word processor, but learn the options that
are available and how to find out the details when you need them.
Minimally, be familiar with basic requirements for document formatting
(character and paragraph formatting, how to make lists with hanging ind
ents, page organization, etc.) and basic operating system requirements
(copying and saving files, doing directory searches). The same comments
apply to the use of statistical packages, graphics programs, and
spreadsheets: it is often possible to get the j ob done with little finesse in
manipulating your software, but you will usually do a better job more
.efficiently after some investment in technical skills

63
 Almost everyone seems to require their own personal disaster to convince
them of the need for backing up important files regularly. The frequency of
"lost file" based excuses for late papers is remarkable. I save files to my
hard drive frequently durin g working sessions and at the end of each
session I make a back-up copy of any file that I would mind losing. The
working memory of your computer is transitory and easily purged of its
contents. Individual hard and floppy disks are little better as perman ent
storage forms. Redundant copies dispersed in space and time are your main
hope for avoiding disasters. When you have invested a lot in a writing
project (such as a thesis that is nearing completion), keep at least one recent
backup copy at home and on e at school at all times--in addition to your
working copy on a hard drive. Keep sample hard copies of recent drafts
.until you complete the project

Take editorial comments seriously

It may be clear from an editor's comments that they didn't understand the
point you were making. If so, that is a clear indication that you need to
improve your writing. Here is an example of my comments on an early
draft of a thesis. These are among t he most frequent recommendations I
.make
This section offers enormous opportunities for improvement. The text is"
choppy, both at the sentence to-sentence level and the paragraphto-
paragraph level. Many different points are mixed together in a sequence
.that often follows no logical flow
:You should
.Create a list of the main points that you want to make here•

Organize them in point form in a logical sequence in which one builds on what came previously. Then restructure your•
.text so it follows this sequence

.Write topic sentences that state the key issue for each point succinctly and without jargon •

Flesh out each paragraph with a carefully constructed sequence of sentences that builds the argument you want to•
.make

Make sure there is adequate conceptual 'glue' between paragraphs and major sections. Lead the reader along so there•
".are no surprising jumps in subject. The reader should anticipate your next subject before you get there

Acknowledgements
I would like to thank the many students who inspired and gave feedback on
these notes. I hope their pleasure in good writing justifies the pain of getting
there. Thanks also to Lee Gass for his continuing inspiration in the use of
language and to J. M. Williams for writing a style book that is a model of
.clarity, grace, and common sense

Literature cited
.Hildebrand, M. 1983. Noun use criticism. Science t21:698
Williams, J. M. 1990. Style: toward clarity and grace. University of
.Chicago Press, Chicago, Illinios, USA

64
 Sources and Credits
This article is reproduced from the Bulletin of the American Ecological
Society of America (June 1995). It was written by Ken Lertzman, School of
Resource and Environmental Management, Simon Fraser University,
.Birmabu, British Colombia, Canada V5A IS6
Email: lertzman@sfu.ca

Applied Ecology Research Group

University of Canberra, ACT 2601, AUSTRALIA Telephone: + 61 2 6201 5786 Facsimile: +61 2 6201 5305 Email:

director@aerg.canberra.edu.au

RESEARCH

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 Writing Theses and Dissertations

Choosing a Topic] [Writing the Proposal] [Conducting Research] [Finding Models]]

[Maintaining Focus] [Organizing] [Obtaining Feedback] [Revising] [Working with
[Your Committee] [Managing Your Time] [Acknowledgments

Choosing a Topic
Choosing a topic is often the most difficult part of the dissertation writing process.
:Try to
Develop a topic that has interested you throughout your graduate or•
undergraduate career
Think about the top three issues you want to study, then turn them into•
questions
Review papers you have written for classes, looking for a pattern of interest•
Look at class notes; professors may have pointed out potential research topics•
or commented on unanswered questions in the field
Talk with professors or advisors about possible topics•
Replicate somebody else's study•
Conduct research on a broad topic to discover gaps in the literature•
:Keep the following cautions in mind•
Get feedback on a potential topic from your advisor; your topic may.1
not interest others in the field as much as it interests you
Do research to discover why your topic has not been studied before.2

Writing the Proposal

The proposal serves as a recipe for the thesis or dissertation. Therefore, you should
:be as detailed and specific as possible. Remember to
Identify gaps in the literature•
State your thesis clearly•
Outline the questions you plan to address in the dissertation or thesis•
Establish a strong research design or theoretical framework for your study•
Describe the topics you plan to cover in each chapter of the thesis or•
dissertation
Speculate upon potential results of your study•
Discuss the importance of your study to the field•
Conducting Research

66
 Writers often have difficulty maintaining their own voice when they work with
:sources. The strategies listed below will help you to use your sources effectively
Keep a researcher’s notebook in addition to taking notes on specific sources. •
The notebook keeps you in continual dialogue with your sources and your
.topic
Take summary notes as well as specific information notes•
Discuss your ideas with others as you conduct research•
Think about how each source specifically applies to your topic. The authors•
of your sources are advancing their argument, not yours. Therefore, you need
.to carefully consider which source material you will use
Writing the Thesis or Dissertation
Finding model theses or dissertations can help you gauge how much (or how little)
you have to do. A good model can also serve as an inspiration for your project. Look
.at theses or dissertations that your department has accepted
Maintaining your focus is the key to completing your dissertation or thesis. Try the
:following strategies
Tape a copy of the proposal to your computer, asking yourself if you have•
expanded on all of the ideas advanced in the proposal
Work "within" your proposal, adding key words and concepts and then•
expanding upon them
Write your first chapter early in order to make sure that subsequent chapters•
fulfill promises made in the introduction. This strategy helps some writers to
focus their writing; for others, however, writing the first chapter proves
.difficult. See what works for you
Know your thesis and let it dictate what you include; refrain from writing•
everything you know
Organizing both your workspace and your ideas will help the research and writing
:process proceed smoothly. You may want to
Purchase a file cabinet just for the thesis or dissertation; each drawer may•
contain drafts and research notes for each chapter. Write explanations of the
contents of each file folder and file drawer
Date drafts to remember the order in which you worked on chapters•
Set deadlines for submitting drafts of each chapter. Meet your deadlines even•
if you cannot deliver everything you promised
List what each chapter or section should cover, including both general ideas•
and specific examples
Look at style guides; they may provide an organizational formula for your•
field
Use outlining software or the outline tool on you word processor•
Obtaining feedback from advisors and colleagues will help you to refine your ideas
:as you write. Try the following strategies
Present sections of your thesis or dissertation as conference papers or submit•
them for publication. Audience members and editorial boards frequently
provide valuable comments

67
 Meet regularly with committee members to get feedback on your work-in-•
progress
Get advice on your work throughout the writing process (while developing•
(and organizing ideas, during the drafting phase, as you revise
Form a dissertation or thesis group that focuses on presenting and critiquing•
work-in-progress
Bring your dissertation or thesis to a writing center consultant for feedback•
Revising is essential to the thesis/dissertation writing process. Often, you will
discover new ideas as you write, or your ideas will change as you research your topic
and receive feedback on your work. The following link will take you sources on
:effectively revising your work

Working with Your Committee

When forming your thesis or dissertation committee, keep the following
:considerations in mind
Choose committee members who know your work well and whose feedback•
has benefited you in the past
Make sure that the majority of the committee members--especially the chair--•
have tenure
Consider whether potential committee members will have strong•
methodological and/or theoretical conflicts with each other
Talk to other students who have worked with your potential committee•
members
Establish what kind of role each person on the committee will play. Some•
committee members may want to see every chapter, while others only want to
see a completed draft and others will want to respond informally to your work-
in-progress
Take special care when choosing the chair of your committee. Some chairs•
will set regular deadlines for you while others will encourage you to work
independently. Additionally, some chairs will serve as the "final word" when
committee members offer conflicting comments. Others expect the writer to
deal with these differences
Pay attention to your outside reader, making sure to include him or her in the•
process of feedback and approval
Analyze your committee's comments before revising your work. Consider•
whether the comments take your research in a valid direction

Managing Your Time

Finding time to write is often students with jobs, families, and other commitments.
:The following techniques should help you manage your time effectively
Make the completion of your thesis or dissertation your top priority. Do not•
waste time on points or questions outside the scope of your research
Spend time on your dissertation at least five days a week. Even if you only•
have one hour on some days, consistent work will help you to keep ideas and
source material fresh in your mind

68
 Know your personality and choose a working style that goes with it. For•
example, if you are a social person, you may want to work in a computer lab
instead of at home
Know your distractions and schedule your work time when distractions are at•
a low level
Give yourself time to think; you often will need more time to think than you•
do to write
Set aside time for yourself, your partner and your children (negotiate the time•
together so that you will be available at the same time). It is important to
communicate with those around you
Try out different schedules, for example, shifting from morning to evening•
hours. Sometimes taking a break from particular work habits is helpful
Acknowledgments
Much of the material on this web page came from a dissertation workshop conducted
at Claremont Graduate University in the spring of 1995. We would like to thank
panelists Kathy Humphrey (Ph.D., English), Thom Kerr (Ph.D., Economics), Lisa
Magana (Ph.D., Politics and Policy) and Lisa Wolf (Ph.D., Education) for their
.valuable comments on the dissertation writing process

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Page created and maintained by The Claremont Colleges Writing Centers. Page last updated 26 June
.1999. Please send all comments and questions to: writing_center@hmc.edu

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Successful Dissertations and Theses : A Guide to Graduate Student Research from
(Proposal to Completion (Jossey Bass Higher and Adult Education Series) (Paperback
by David Madsen

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:of 50 people found the following review helpful 35

Concise and Complete, September 8, 2000

Reviewer: Dr. Dennis Curry (FPO AE, AE USA) - See all my reviews
If you are about to start work on a disertation and intend to buy just one book on how
!to manage it, this would be a very good choice. However do read more than one

(Was this review helpful to you? (Report this

:of 24 people found the following review helpful 16

A comprehensive guide to the dissertation!, April 12, 1999

Reviewer: A reader
As someone who works privately with students, helping them with dissertations and
theses, I highly recommend this book. When students call me in regard to assistance

73
 with their dissertation or thesis, I recommend that they buy this book and use it as an
ongoing reference. As the title states, the information contained in this book
anticipates and answers many of the questions that students have about the
dissertation process, from proposal to completion. It is the most comprehensive
.guideline that I have come across in recent years

(Was this review helpful to you? (Report this

:of 93 people found the following review helpful 53

A comprehensive guide to the dissertation!, April 12, 1999

Reviewer: A reader
As someone who works privately with students, helping them with dissertations and
theses, I highly recommend this book. When students call me in regard to assistance
with their dissertation or thesis, I recommend that they buy this book and use it as an
ongoing reference. As the title states, the information contained in this book
anticipates and answers many of the questions that students have about the
dissertation process, from proposal to completion. It is the most comprehensive
.guideline that I have come across in recent years

(Was this review helpful to you? (Report this

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