The%20Senior%20Thesis:

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The Senior Thesis

• Systems for Survival

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or

• The Senior Thesis
• It seemed like a good idea at the time

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Gina Sampson BA(Hons), MA, BEdThe Writing
CentreImmaculata Hall867-5221http//people.stfx
.ca/gsampson
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What brings you here?

• What is the one thesis survival question you need
  answered?

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The Graduate/Masters Thesis presents challenges
on many levels

• Intellectual
• Creative
• Personal
• Organizational

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• "We have not even to risk the adventure alone,
  for the heroes of all time have gone before us -
  the labyrinth is thoroughly known. We have only
  to follow the thread of the hero path "
• Joseph Campbell

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Whos here to help?

• Your supervisor
• Your peers
• The Library
• The Writing Centre
• The Counseling Centre

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How your supervisor will help you

• Your first and most important support for dealing
  with all challenges.
• Some will be very hands on.
• Some will let you lead.

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How the library staff can help you

• Book an appointment for an individual
  consultation to plan your research approach.
• Ask for support using RefWorks.
• Use Novanet Interlibrary loan.
• Consult Undergraduate Thesis Collection
• http//libmain.stfx.ca/newlib/collections/

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How the Writing Centre can help you

• Create a time management plan.
• Discuss your ideas.
• Review and strengthen your writing.
• Review documenting.

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Meeting the Organizational Challenge

• Organizing your time
• Organizing your search
• Organizing your findings
• Organizing your writing

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A thesis requires multiple organizational plans.
You need to allow yourself time to create
these plans.
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Can you explain the systems you already use?

• Time management system
• Research strategy
• Strategy for organizing your references
• Strategy for organizing information
• Strategy to guide your writing
• Plan for revisions and editing

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The Time Management Strategy
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TM strategies

• Big tasks become manageable when broken into
  small tasks.
• Schedule fixed dates first. Plan backwards.
• Block off thesis time.
• Dont wait for feedback to move on.
• Allow adequate time for revision.
• Ask you supervisor for input into your TM plan.

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Sample TM Plan Term 1
Summer Read something -- Get ideas
September Learn RefWorks Create TM plan with supervisor Create research plan with Librarian Create bibliography
October Oct 1 Title, outline, bibliography to supervisor Thesis Fridays/Saturdays
November Nov 15 Detailed outline due Thesis Fridays/Saturdays
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Sample TM Plan Term 2
December Nov 28-Dec 5 Rough Draft Chapter 1
January Jan 2- Jan 8 Rough Draft Chapter 2 Jan 12 -Jan 16 Rough Draft Chapter 3
February Feb 8- 15 Draft Chapter 4 Feb 15 Complete rough draft to supervisor Feb 22- March 3 -- corrections
March March 5 Final draft to supervisor March 15-30 Final corrections March 31 Thesis Due!
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Time Management Tools

• Not all planners are created equal. Use a
  combination of long term and short term planners.
  
• Daily Plan To Do Lists
• Post-it Notes
• Weekly Planner
• Monthly Planner
• Four Month Calendar

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On line Time Management Tools

• Rainlendar Customizable Calendar
  http//vapaa.dc.inet.fi/rainy/Rainlendar.html
• Countdown Events http//www.contactplus.com/produc
  ts/freestuff/count.htm
• Online Post-it Software Note http//www.3m.com/mar
  ket/office/postit/com_prod/psnotes/
• Microsoft Outlook

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The Research Strategy
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Research strategy

• Work with your supervisor to create a research
  plan.
• The library can help as well.
• This strategy will produce a complete examination
  of past and/or current academic discussion on the
  topic.

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Search within an academic discourse

• Web of Science
• http//libmain.stfx.ca/newlib/
• Google Scholar
• www.scholar.google.com

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More about research

• Research is an organic process new directions
  grow out of findings.
• Look from broad to specific.
• Go back and forth between outlining, writing and
  research. Consider this when planning your time.

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The Organizational Strategy
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It is crucial to develop a system for recording,
integrating, and organizing research
findings.Why?What systems have worked for you?
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How the note card system works

• Each card contains only one idea plus
  bibliographic information.
• Add a category heading to each card.
• Add some critical or analytical reflection to
  each card.
• Cards are easily shuffled to outline paper.

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Source Category

• Your quotation or paraphrase one idea per card
• Bottom or back of card Your reflection,
  questions, etc.

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Advantages of using a note card system for note
taking

• Easily integrate information from multiple
  sources
• Ideas do not get lost or forgotten
• Facilitates critical thinking
• Facilitates paraphrasing
• Easy to maintain organization
• Highly visual and kinesthetic
• Not technology dependent portable

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Possible Disadvantges

• All that writing?
• Transporting?

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Try using PowerPoint instead

• Gives you the flexibility of note cards in an
  electronic format
• You can even print the slides ( in handout
  format) and cut them to give you the advantages
  of note cards.

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Jacobs 2003 self esteem
Sample Note Card Note taking using PowerPoint

• Compare Burns 1997 for suggestions about
  classroom strategies to deal with this.
• Is it possible that LD G students have lower
  self esteem than LD students in general?

• DQ High ability/learning disabled (LD) students
  perceive themselves as deficient more frequently
  in academic areas, which most likely increases
  their motivation to avoid school tasks.
• Para Gifted/LD students are critical of their own
  performance and this can lead to underachievement

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Organizing Bibliographic Material
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What is RefWorks

• RefWorks is web-based bibliographic software
  package that enables you to
• Organize your research
• Include citations while you write your paper
• Build a bibliography in a variety of formats
• Import references from many data sources
• Create bibliographies in different document
  formats (Word, RTF, HTML, etc.)
• http//libmain.stfx.ca/newlib/

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Furious activity is no substitute for
understanding. - H.H. Williams
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Additional Resources

• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• http//www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/honors.htm
  l
• Simon Fraser University MS Word and the Thesis
  
• http//www.lib.sfu.ca/researchhelp/writing/theses
  formatting/WorkshopPlan051.pdf
• PurdueUniversity
• http//www.cs.purdue.edu/homes/dec/essay.dissertat
  ion.html