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Mastering The Thesis

Mastering The Thesis. Planning, Pitfalls, & Pain Reduction By Coral Payne & Olivia Kienzel. Choosing A Topic - Planning. Choose topic you are passionate about . Contribute to existing knowledge/future career? What kind of thesis? MS, study, literature review, personal process .

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Mastering The Thesis

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  1. Mastering The Thesis Planning, Pitfalls, & Pain Reduction By Coral Payne & Olivia Kienzel

  2. Choosing A Topic - Planning • Choose topic you are passionate about. • Contribute to existing knowledge/future career? • What kind of thesis? • MS, study, literature review, personal process

  3. Choosing A Topic - Pitfalls • Too broad! • Getting off topic and onto tangents • Loosing perspective • Perfectionism • Fear of committing to a topic *Demo of a topic * Exercise

  4. Institutional Review Board (IRB) • Guidelines for Submissions • City U has great tip sheet • Ask for help and plan ahead • Send completed forms – turnaround time for omissions/errors • Research question tight and well worded?

  5. Thesis Outline • The right time – after preliminary research and before writing starts • Be concise and specific (use APA headings) • Should have a logical flow • Easier to write • Easier to read (very important) • Reminder that this is your topic, and your work – you are the boss!

  6. Thesis Outline - Pitfalls • Not sticking to the outline • Invitations to broaden topic (beyond the scope) • Not making the outline detailed enough – not a good enough roadmap

  7. Developing A Schedule • Thesis Group Schedule Template (CityU) • Hard deadlines (choosing topic, IRB,ethics, outline, chapter submissions) • Feedback – be proactive • Keep moving forward • Don’t lose momentum • Leave 2 months at the end for approvals, second readers, and revisions

  8. Schedule - Pitfalls • Be realistic (your life – sacrifices you are willing to make) • Motivation – what works for you? • Procrastination – Waging the war • Falling off the wagon • Motivation list in sight • Plan for missed deadlines • Reach out for help

  9. Schedules - Pitfalls • Don’t beat yourself up! • Learn from setbacks * Exercise – list of supports * Thesis support group

  10. Supervisors • Keep in contact – every two weeks • Let them know when you’ll be sending work • Don’t over contact – this is your work • Know their role and your responsibilities • Send them polished work • Find others to help you/read your work

  11. Supervisors - Pitfalls • Can entice you to stray from your topic • They are not editors! • Busy people: don’t waste their time • Can take too long to send feedback • Don’t be afraid to remind them you’re waiting • Your job to manage your schedule

  12. Writing Tips • Designate a physical workspace • Commit to blocks of time • Create a regular schedule • Communicate to family and friends • Keep in touch with supervisor, fellow students, mentors • Blocks – reach out; don’t suffer alone

  13. APA Style And Formatting • Buy the book! • Formatting • Headings and quotations • Software/Templates • Invest time and $$ to learn • Use for smaller papers in preparation for thesis

  14. APA - Pitfalls • Use APA right from the start – don’t try to retrofit • Tricky to learn, but worth it • Save $$$$$ so you don’t have to pay an editor

  15. References • Avoid plagiarism • Make a master reference list (use software – i.e. Microsoft Word, Qiqqa, and City U library resources) • Copy and paste references to avoid errors • Add each new article to the reference list • Keep articles organized in files by subject category

  16. References • Highlight portions of the article you wish to use (or use software like Qiqqa) – *Demo • Write the topic heading(s) – tags – at the top of the page (or use software like Qiqqa) *Demo

  17. Resource List • Olivia Kienzel 604-700-4521 olivia@compasscounselling.org www.compasscounselling.org • Coral Payne 604-362-5147 coralpayne@shaw.ca www.commercialdrivecounselling.com • Free library software: qiqqa.com • APA paper how-to for Word: www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGUfeM91mW8

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