Student Learning Outcomes
At the completion of this unit of instruction students will be able to:
As we have discussed many times, one of the principal tasks before you is to develop a proposal for the research topic you plan to investigate. At CWU you do of course have three options: (1) Thesis, (2) Project, (3) Examination.
Whichever option you choose to pursue you will be expected to develop a proposal that outlines the area you would like to study. While the exact format for this proposal may vary depending on which of the three options you choose, you will be expected to show that you have by now developed a solid understanding of the way in which scientific research is properly conducted.
If you choose to propose a thesis, the guidelines outlined in the text explain the expectations of most graduate committees. In general, regardless of whether your advisor prefers a traditional five chapter thesis or some modified form you will be expected to have in your proposal the following: introductory information (statement of the problem, hypotheses, assumptions, limitations, significance, etc.), a review of the literature, and proposed methods of study. Project proposals or requests for the examination option will include similar types of information that clearly illustrate the way in which you propose to address the issue of interest.
Formulating the proposal will involve extensive library research, reading, and consultation with your advisor. You will remember that you should write the proposal in the future tense. Anticipate making many revisions to this proposal. The more input you can solicit early on, the less likely you will make mistakes later that might wreak havoc on your study. Finally, remember that if you plan to do something to someone (or some thing), try it out first in a pilot study. This is the best time to make mistakes.
The Proposal Process
Once you have a proposal in well-edited form it is usual to invite your graduate committee to a formal proposal meeting. As noted in the text you should have shared the proposal several times with your advisor and at least have discussed the main points with the others on your committee.
The written proposal should be distributed to committee members as far in advance of the meeting as possible. Remember that faculty have busy schedules and do not expect them to be willing to immediately read your proposal. You will also need to find a convenient time to meet, and with four or more schedules to juggle this can be quite a challenge.
The Proposal Meeting
At the proposal meeting, after some preliminary introductions and information from your advisor, you will be expected to make a formal presentation. Although each committee member should have already read your written proposal, the presentation gives you the opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge (or lack thereof!). Typically, presentations should be professionally conducted using the latest technology. Do remember that the audience already has some knowledge about your topic and avoid reading the same information you have already distributed to them. Rehearsing the presentation is recommended.
If you are confident and your presentation is well planned you should be able to keep it fairly brief and move along at a good pace. Questions will then follow the presentation. Sometimes, if the pace of your presentation is slower, or you show confusion or concerns while presenting, members of your committee might be tempted to interrupt and ask questions immediately.
In addition to explaining the topic of your proposal it is helpful to also include a proposed timeline for completion. Before the meeting look ahead to when you plan to graduate and find out the critical dates for completion. Then work backward and set deadlines for completing the various parts of the study. Once again you must remember that faculty cannot just drop everything to read your work. You must allow a week or more for materials to be reviewed. When you start to work with real dates you will begin to see how important it will be to establish a regular work schedule if you hope to finish on time.
Ideally, the meeting should conclude with an agreement about your proposal. It is usual to have suggestions for small modifications but substantive changes may require another meeting. Often committee members may defer to your advisor to ensure the smaller modifications receive attention. At this time you should also get agreement from your committee regarding further contact. Some committee members like to be kept informed on a regular basis. Others might tell you to contact them next when you have a draft of the completed study. Obviously if a committee member has a special expertise - perhaps in statistics - he or she will anticipate additional contact during the study regarding this topic.
It is essential that you leave the proposal meeting with clear expectations. In some ways it is like establishing a contract. You should have timelines established and be clear as to how you are to proceed with your topic. Writing a summary of what was decided and mailing copies to your committee is a good way of establishing both a record and a plan for the road ahead.
Special Considerations: Theses, Projects and Examinations
The preceding information relates most directly to the traditional thesis. If you choose to pursue either the project or examination option you are still expected to propose this course of research at a similar research proposal meeting. In many ways the meeting should be conducted similarly to the procedures described above. Be sure to read the department's Graduate Student Handbook for more detailed guidelines regarding the three options.
Contrary to the first impressions rule of life, while the project or examination option might appear the easiest route, both can be every bit as challenging as completing a thesis. Projects are expected to be top quality products - the main difference being that they answer some specific practical need rather than investigate a problem. Examinations demand not only the development of a comprehensive literature review but also the ability to be able to demonstrate your knowledge in written and verbal forms under examination conditions.
A thesis is the only option with an expectation that a copy of your finished study will be kept in the CWU Library. It is up to your advisor and the department as to whether a copy of a project should be kept somewhere at CWU. With both theses and projects, committee members may request a copy of the finished study.
(Revised 3/8/99)