Getting A Head Start WithYour Thesis

7/25/2019 Getting A Head Start WithYour Thesis

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IF THERES A BOOK YOUREALLY WANT TO READ, BUT IT

HASNT BEEN WRITTEN YET,

THEN YOU MUST WRITE IT.-TONI MORRISON

Managing Your Thesis:Getting a Head Start WithYour Proposal


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What You Will Learn Today

Learn how to analyze the thesis proposalrequirements

Deelop a strong resear!h question

Gain resour!es "or #eing su!!ess"ul in this thesisproposal pro$e!t


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ANALYZE THE

THESISPROPOSAL


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Why Write a Proposal:

%t&s li'e a !ontra!t: You say you will do () and i" you do() then you&e "ul"illed that !omponent o" the gradprogram*


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Why Write a Proposal


%t "or!es you to !on!eptualize what you are trying to do#e"ore starting the thesis pro$e!t) as well as arti!ulate itpersuasiely to your !ommittee who may or may not #ee+perts in your proposed "ield o" study*


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Why Write a Proposal


%t "or!es you to !on!eptualize what you are trying to do#e"ore starting the thesis pro$e!t) as well as arti!ulate itpersuasiely to your !ommittee who may or may not #ee+perts in your proposed "ield o" study*

%t demonstrates that you understand how to !ondu!tdis!ipline,spe!i"i! resear!h within an a!!epta#le time,"rame* %n other words) it "or!es you to demonstratethat you 'now how to #e part o" the dis!ourse*


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The essential elements o" a su!!ess"ul thesis proposal

%nquiry -e*g* resear!h question) pro#lem) gap ins!holarship) opportunity "or e+ploration.


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/a!'ground -e*g* rationale) lit reiew) de"initions)

assumptions.


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assumptions.Purpose -e*g* signi"i!an!e) impli!ations) 0so

what12.


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assumptions.Purpose -e*g* signi"i!an!e) impli!ations) 0so

what12.

Methodology -e*g* pro!edure) s!ope3limitations)approa!h) timelines.


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4inding dis!iplinary,spe!i"i! guidelines

Sear!h "or 0Graduate student hand#oo' -"ill in yourdepartment.2 on Western&s we#site


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Google 0-"ill in your department. thesis proposal

e+ample2


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Google 0-"ill in your department. thesis proposal

e+ample2Tal' to an adisor or "ellow graduate students "or an

e+ample


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GETTING (ORREFINING) YOUR

RESEARCHUESTION


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Getting Your 5esear!h 6uestion

The "irst part o" any thesis pro$e!t is the resear!hquestion

Haing a good resear!h question is not only the "irstthing you should start with) it is the "oundation "orall the wor' you will do

Pi!' something you are passionate a#out7


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Tal' a#out your ideas

8olla#oration and !ommuni!ation are 'ey !omponents

o" resear!h and will help you to re"ine your topi!

Tal' with people "rom di""erent #a!'grounds 9disors and pro"essors

4ield e+perts Peers The Graduate 5esear!h3Writing 8enter


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Tal' to someone #rie"ly a#out your resear!hinterests*


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%" you !ould #oil down your interests into oneresear!h question) what would it #e1

Write it down


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+ample 5esear!h 6uestion:

What kind of renewable energy is good for thecommunity?

;ow let&s 0interrogate2 the question


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5e"ining Your 5esear!h 6uestion

6uestion < =: What words are!"#$%or$&'%&"*+%1 Good

Good as in what1 Healthy1 Sustaina#le1

There are many 'inds o" good) so whi!h one is it1

Community Whi!h !ommunity1

The Western !ampus !ommunity1 /ellingham !ommunity1 >S

!ommunity1


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6uestion < ?: What is the %/'/+/#01 How would we measure i" !ertain renewa#le energies are good "or the

!ommunity1 Would we test them all1 %n eery !on!eia#le way1

%" you&re realizing that the methodology is impossi#le "or the time"rame inwhi!h you hae to produ!e your thesis) it&s time to re"ine your resear!hquestion een "urther*

%" your methodology is doa#le) you still may een !onsider reising i" you&re"inding that your resear!h question doesn&t really line up with the method o"resear!h that you a!tually want3plan to do*


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6uestion < @: How does this question ++ " #"1 in thes!holarship1 9 good resear!h question is em#edded within a "ield o"

s!holarship and adds to the !onersion

%" you already 'now the s!holarship surrounding your su#$e!t)you !an re"ine your resear!h question so that you are addingsomething new to the a!ademi! !onersion

%" you are unsure i" your question "ills a gap) you will want toidenti"y the topi!s you need to resear!h to 'now i" your questionis original to the "ield


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LOCATING YOURUESTION IN

THE FIELD OFRESEARCH


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4o!used

;oel

4easi#le

Theoreti!al

;ear,Term 5esults +tended

Grounded

8hallenging

mpiri!al

Long,Term Prospe!ts

/3 2 6

8ompared with other resear!h in the "ield) you want to ma'e sureyour resear!h pro$e!t "its in a happy medium "or ea!h o" thesedi""erent !onsiderations*


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Ta'e ea!h o" these #inaries and !onsider your own resear!h questionwithin the #ody o" s!holarship resear!h that you&e "ound already-or 'now you will need to "ind.*

7S

4o!used

;oel

4easi#le

Theoreti!al

;ear,Term 5esults +tended

Grounded

8hallenging

mpiri!al

Long,Term Prospe!ts

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MO7ING FORWARDFROM THESE

INITIAL E8ERCISES


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We&e started the pro!ess) now as' yoursel"

What do you need to "urther !onsider or "ind out a#outthe proposal assignment itsel"1

What do you need to "urther !onsider as you re"ine yourresear!h question1

What do you need to "urther !onsider in terms o" "ramingyour inquiry within a "ield o" resear!h1


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MANAGINGYOUR THESIS 9THE THESISPROPOSALPROCESS


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Why the thesis pro!ess is so hard

8hallenges in writing a thesis are o"ten not rooted in a!ademi!a#ility) #ut in #eing a#le to manage the pro$e!t as a whole*Arganizing your thesis pro$e!t resear!h3writing is a Her!ulean tas')to say the least*

Lu!'ily) there are many resour!es that ma'e this pro!esse+ponentially easier than it has #een in the past*

Lin's "or the "ollowing items !an #e "ound on the Graduate5esear!h3Writing 8enter we#page) whi!h you !an "ind throughWW>&s li#rary we#site*


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5esear!h

Z/%3/is a Bpersonal resear!h assistantB that helpsyou !olle!t) organize) !ite) and share your re"eren!es*

M%&'%+%0is a Bre"eren!e manager and a!ademi!so!ial networ'B that helps you organize yourresear!h and !olla#orate with others*

E&'&/%is re"eren!e management so"tware used to

!olle!t and manage #i#liographies) !itations) andre"eren!es*
http://www.zotero.org/http://www.mendeley.com/http://endnote.com/http://endnote.com/http://www.mendeley.com/http://www.zotero.org/


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Writing

G:/ is a mapping and writing tool that allowsyou to write spatially and in smaller !hun's*

S43!%&%3is a B!ontent,generation toolB that allows

you to !ompose in one pla!e throughout the writingpro!ess) "rom #rainstorming to "inal polishing*

E!%3&/%is a !ontent management tool that allowsto !olle!t) "ind) and share anytime an idea stri'es

you*
https://gingkoapp.com/https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener.phphttp://www.evernote.com/http://www.evernote.com/https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener.phphttps://gingkoapp.com/


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Planning and Mapping

Mindomois a mapping and tas',oriented programthat allows you to plan out what you need to get donein a pro$e!t*
http://www.mindomo.com/http://www.mindomo.com/


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People

9lthough all li#rarians !an help with resear!h) ea!h has asu#$e!t spe!ialty* Get to 'nowyour li#rarian*

Ceep in !lose !onta!t with your adisor-s.) sin!e they arethe ones to whom you are ultimately writing your thesisand thesis proposal*

mail us to ma'e an appointment to wor' with a GraduateWriting 8enter 9ssistant* Ar su#mit a dra"t onlineandwe&ll wor' with you asyn!hronously7
http://libguides.wwu.edu/content.php?pid=67879&sid=515163mailto:%[email protected]://library.wwu.edu/wc_send_paper_formhttp://library.wwu.edu/wc_send_paper_formmailto:%[email protected]://libguides.wwu.edu/content.php?pid=67879&sid=515163


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GOOD LUCK

WRITING;

Documents

Getting A Head Start WithYour Thesis