Thesis Handbook论文手册.doc

1 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION . 2 PURPOSE OF THE THESIS 3 OVERVIEW OF THE THESIS 4 RELATIONSHIP TO MSCP COURSES. 5 LOGISTICS AND PROCEDURES. 6 RESEARCH GROUPS. 6 FACULTY SUPPORT. 6 PROSPECTUS PRESENTATION 8 ORAL DEFENSE 9 SUBMISSION OF COMPLETED THESIS 11 EXTENSION OF TIME TO COMPLETE THESIS. 11 FORMAT AND STYLE 12 WRITING STYLE 12 FORMAT. 12 ORGANIZATION OF THE COMPLETED THESIS13 TITLE PAGE 14 SIGNATURE PAGE. 15 COPYRIGHT PAGE. 15 TABLE OF CONTENTS 15 LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES. 16 ABSTRACT. 16 TEXT OF THE REPORT. 17 REFERENCES. 17 TABLES AND FIGURES. 17 APPENDICES 17 CHAPTER DESCRIPTIONS 18 INTRODUCTION. 18 BACKGROUND (LITERATURE REVIEW). 18 METHOD 20 RESULTS. 22 DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS 23 SAMPLE PAGES APPENDICES 2 INTRODUCTION “.people involved in the research process have an almost undying passion for understanding what they study and coming as close as possible to finding the truth. While elusive and sometimes even unattainable, researchers work toward these truths for the satisfaction of answering important questions and then using this new information to help others. Early intervention programs, imaginative curriculum design, new counseling techniques, effective drug education programs, and even changes in the law as to when people should retire all resulted from evidence that researchers.spent their work days collecting. And while not always perfect, each little bit of evidence in the form of a new study or a new idea for a study contributes to a vast legacy of knowledge for the next generations of researchers.“ (Salkind, 1991, p. 3) The results of empirical research are a pervasive part of our Western culture. Not only are thousands of professional journals published each year but, even in the popular press, it is almost impossible to pick up a magazine or newspaper without seeing numerous references to “studies“ that have been conducted. In our culture, therefore, one mark of an educated person is having the ability to glean meaningful information from the many studies that have been conducted, and to discern well-conducted studies from those that are substandard. As a professional, these educational goals are particularly 3 important, in that you must be able to keep abreast of new developments within your field; to do so, you must be able to read and evaluate research publications, and to add to the discipline through research efforts of your own. Purpose of the Thesis The Master of Science in Counseling Psychology (MSCP) degree program at Southern Nazarene University is based on a scientist-practitioner model of professional training. This model is based on the view that “the theory and application of professional psychology are characterized by a disciplined scientific attitude“ (McHolland, 1992, p. 160) and assumes that to become professionally qualified, you must seek to understand the research underpinnings of the discipline while simultaneously developing the counseling knowledge and skills used in day-to-day delivery of human services. Therefore, the curriculum for the Graduate Programs in Counseling emphasizes the development of knowledge, skills, and attitudes relevant to both professional practice and research. One of the primary tools for understanding the research underpinnings of counseling practice and for developing competency in research is the completion of a thesis. The purpose of the thesis, therefore, is to increase your appreciation for well- conducted research and to develop your competency as a researcher. More specifically stated, the thesis is designed to help you develop an understanding of the entire research process evaluate research results from other studies design and conduct a research study 4 utilize an appropriate research design to conduct your study define and measure behaviors or attributes of interest develop skills in analyzing data you have collected learn the skills of interpreting research results (from both your own study as well as those of others) communicate (in both written and oral forms) the process and results of your research Although nearly all students have exposure to research results at some point in their undergraduate preparation, few gain experience in conducting research themselves. That endeavor is, in many cases, saved for post-baccalaureate work. Now that you have entered a graduate program, the thesis will provide your opportunity to “try your hand“ at research. If you are among the fortunate few who have conducted empirical research previously, you have the advantage (or perhaps disadvantage?!?) of hindsight on your side. Overview of the Thesis The thesis is an integral part of your academic work in completing the MSCP program and work on it spans most of the curriculum. The thesis work is begun during the Introduction to Counseling module, continues throughout the remainder of the program, and culminates with an oral presentation in the final weeks of the curriculum. The thesis involves completion of an empirical research study. Generally, the study begins by choosing the research program that intrigues you, generating an original 5 research question for that research program, and deriving hypotheses from the research question. While the research question and hypotheses are being developed, a literature search is conducted to set the background for what should be studied in the current endeavor. Based on the approaches and findings of other studies, an appropriate research design is developed to address the hypotheses, the variables of interest are identified and operational definitions are developed for quantifying these variables. Next, data is gathered, analyzed, and interpreted in light of the hypotheses being tested. As the study progresses, a written document is produced which describes the entire process of the study, along with the studys outcomes. Finally, two oral presentations are made (a prospectus presentation at the planning stage and an oral defense at the studys completion). When completed, you will have produced a journal-style, written document that summarizes your study. Descriptions of the specific information to be contained in each chapter are located in another section of this Handbook. In addition, general information describing these sections is provided in the APA Publication Manual. Relationship to MSCP Courses Much of the preliminary planning for the thesis is undertaken in the early courses of the MSCP program. For example, it is possible that the article reviews completed in the Introduction to Counseling course may serve as a starting point for the literature review in your thesis. 6 During Research Methods I, you will develop a prospectus for your study. Therefore, most of the planning for your study will be completed by the end of this module. During Research Methods II, students will focus on the organization of their data, analysis of their data, and interpretation of their data. Appropriate statistical methods will be used based on the design of the study. To insure adequate progress, checkpoints are built in at various intervals throughout the program (see the Thesis Timeline). The first major checkpoint is the prospectus meeting with your thesis committee; this meeting occurs following the First Semester. Later checkpoints are built into the MSCP calendar and are called Thesis Review. When completed, you will receive three credit hours for your work on the thesis. These credit hours are granted in addition to those received in the thesis- related courses. LOGISTICS and PROCEDURES Research Groups To assist in the maintenance and completion of your thesis project, you will join a research group (chosen during of Research Methods I). From the time of this commitment, you will be required to communicate with your group members once per week using Blackboard discussion boards. MAMFT students will continue these posts through their prospectus presentations, whereas MSCP students will continue communication throughout Research Methods II. Communication with group members will be considered a requirement of the Research Methods I module. 7 Faculty Support The Thesis Committee. Each student will have a Thesis Committee, which must give approval for all thesis work. The Thesis Committee is composed of a Thesis Chair and one at-large member. The faculty sponsor of your chosen research program will serve as the chair of your committee. The Director of Research will be the at-large member unless required to be the chair. If this occurs, an additional member will be appointed to serve on the committee by the Program Director or the Director of Research in collaboration with the student. The Thesis Chair serves as your primary contact person for questions and advice regarding your thesis. The at-large member will be available for consultation, but is not your primary contact. Effort is made to match the thesis topic chosen by the student with the interests and expertise of the committee members. The prospectus meeting and the final oral defense are presented before this committee. The committee should have two weeks to read any draft of your thesis. The Thesis Chair. To provide support for your work on the thesis, a Thesis Chair is appointed for each student. During Research Methods I you will submit an overview of the general thesis topic you are pursuing to the Graduate Programs in Counseling Office. The faculty sponsor of the research project you join will serve as the chair of your committee. Once this commitment has been made, you should contact your Thesis Chair to plan a mutually agreeable approach and timetable to be followed in completing your study. The Thesis Chair serves as the facilitator of your Thesis project. The Prospectus 8 Proposal meeting and Oral Defense of your Thesis must be approved by your Thesis Chair prior to scheduling them. Prospectus Presentation At the close of the First Semester, you will meet with your entire Thesis Committee to present the prospectus you have developed for your thesis. For MSCP students, the prospectus presentation includes a complete journal-style thesis proposal with expected results and discussion of the project. For MAMFT students, there will be a group presentation in the format of your choice, to be discussed in more detail in Research Methods I. The purpose of this presentation is to solicit information from the Committee members, with the goal of clarifying the focus and scope of your research project. At the conclusion of the prospectus meeting, there should be agreement among all concerned (student, Thesis Chair, and Thesis Committee member) regarding the purpose, methods, and approach that you will pursue in the following months to complete the thesis. Your Thesis Chair must give approval before the prospectus meeting can be held. Once approval has been given for the prospectus presentation, you can proceed to contact the other committee member and schedule a meeting room (the meeting room is scheduled through the Graduate Programs in Counseling Office). Your Thesis Chair will assist you in facilitating the prospectus presentation, but it is your responsibility to initiate contact and do the legwork for the prospectus meeting. Before the prospectus meeting, you should forward each member a draft of your prospectus. This should be done two weeks in advance for each member to have thoughtfully read your draft and be prepared 9 to give meaningful feedback to you. The distribution of draft copies to each Committee member is your responsibility, as is the task of arranging an agreeable meeting time and location. Following the prospectus presentation, a Prospectus Approval Form must be submitted to the Graduate Programs in Counseling office for your permanent file. A copy of this form is found in the Appendix. The Graduate Programs in Counseling office will provide the Prospectus Approval Form to your Thesis Chair. This form must be signed by each committee member before it is filed. Oral Defense The final step in completing your thesis work is to present an oral defense of your study. After you have completed your study and have prepared the most up-dated draft of your written report, you may request to schedule your oral defense. This defense occurs in the presence of your entire Thesis Committee. (Note: It is not unusual to have multiple drafts of your thesis revised by your Thesis Chair prior to the Oral Defense.) Because you must allow two weeks for the Thesis Chair to review each draft, students must plan adequate time to complete the thesis for a given graduation date. In addition, it is prudent to maximize each draft by writing in a clear manner that reflects careful analysis and scholarship. In returning each draft to your Chair, it is standard practice to return the last draft returned to you by your Thesis Chair. As with the prospectus presentation, your Thesis Chair must give approval before the oral defense can be held. Additionally, for the oral defense, the Director of the 10 Graduate Programs in Counseling must give approval as well. The defense must be scheduled a minimum of two weeks in advance and the Thesis Chair is required to give approval in writing before a defense can be scheduled. When you are ready to defend, obtain a Petition for Defense form (a copy is in the Appendix) from the Graduate Programs in Counseling office. Take the petition to your Thesis Chair for their approval and signature, and then forward it to the Director of the Graduate Programs in Counseling. Once all approvals have been given for the defense, you can proceed to contact the other committee member and arrange for the meeting and location (the meeting room is scheduled through the Graduate Programs in Counseling office). As before, your Thesis Chair will assist you in facilitating the defense, but it is your responsibility to initiate contact and do the legwork. It is assumed that you will have stayed in contact with your Thesis Committee throughout the studys duration, so that your readiness for the defense will not be a surprise to them. Prior to the defense, you should forward to each member a complete draft of your thesis, including all introductory pages, text narrative, references, and any supplementary pages that will be a part of the document. This should be done at least two weeks in advance, so that each member will have had time to thoughtfully read the completed draft. The distribution of draft copies to each Committee member is your responsibility, as is the task of arranging an agreeable meeting time and location. If your Committee members do not receive drafts at least two weeks in advance, your defense could be delayed. Each semester, a date is designated by the SNU Academic Dean as the final date for completion of all graduation requirements. To be eligible for graduation, the oral 11 defense (and all its accompanying paperwork) must occur before that designated date. The cut-off dates for each semester are available through the Graduate Programs in Counseling Office. Submission of Completed Thesis Upon successful completion of the oral defense, most students will have revisions required by the committee. After the revisions are made, the Thesis Chair will be required to do one additional review to verify that the thesis project has completed all requirements of the committee and that there are no errors in the final draft. After the Thesis Chair has approved the final draft, you should prepare two complete, signed copies of the thesis. These two final copies are to be submitted to the Graduate Programs in Counseling Office in an unbound format (no holes punched); binding for these two copies will be handled through the Graduate Programs in Counseling Office. One of the two copies is a personal copy for the student and the other is placed in the SNU Learning Resources Center. You cannot graduate until all completed, correct copies have been signed and submitted. Extension of Time to Complete Thesis Ideally, the thesis should be complete by the time you complete your course work. However, the vicissitudes of life and research sometimes interfere with the ideal. Should that be the case, arrangements may be made to extend the time limits for completing the thesis work. The general provisions for such a circumstance are described in the Graduate Programs in Counseling Addendum in the Student Handbook. It is important to review the thesis extension policy since students will be required to pay a thesis extension 12 fee of $300 for each 6 month period of time beyond an initial six month grace period that begins after completion of coursework. This fee will be assessed at the beginning of each six month period of time after the initial six month grace period. FORMAT and STYLE Writing Style As with all written work in the MSCP Program, the thesis follows the style guidelines published in the fifth edition of the of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (2001). Any variation from that style must be pre-approved by the students Thesis Chair. It is assumed that the student will have working knowledge of the prescribed style prior to entry into the MSCP program. Format General information concerning the formatting of the thesis manuscript is located on p. 283-320 of the APA Manual. The thesis manuscript will follow the general guidelines of manuscript preparation for publication. Some of the more salient aspects are highlighted here. If there is a contradiction between the APA style and this handbook, follow the guidelines of this handbook. Paper. When typing the report, use one side only of standard size (8 1/2 x 11) paper. Use a white, bond paper of medium weight (20 pound weight is preferred). Onionskin paper is not acceptable. All pages of the report must be the same size. 13 Margins. All margins should be one and one-half inches. The only time right justification is acceptable is if your word processor utilizes proportional spacing a