- College Regulations on Independent Study
- Departmental Requirements
- Acknowledgments
- Abstracts
- Appendices
- References
- Typing and Binding
- Graphs and Tables
- The Uses of Headings and Subheadings
- Using Numbers
- Proofreading
- Procedure for Research in Wooster Schools or Nursery School
- Human Subjects Review Process
- Sample Title Page
- Sample Table of Contents
COLLEGE REGULATIONS ON INDEPENDENT STUDY
For a full account of I.S. regulations, please see the Handbook for Independent Study.
All candidates for the B.A. degree at The College of Wooster are required to complete one course of Independent Study plus a two-course I.S. Thesis. The student will be expected to register for I.S. Thesis during the Fall and Spring semesters of the senior year. Exceptions to this regulation will be rare and must be approved in writing by the Dean of Faculty prior to registration. Students are expected to meet weekly with their I.S. advisors. As part of the I.S. Thesis requirement, all students will be expected to present a successful defense of the thesis or project.
Two copies of the Thesis are due in the Registrar's Office by 5:00 p.m. on the first day of classes following Spring Recess or four weeks prior to the end of classes for Spring Semester, whichever date is sooner. Any delay in turning in the thesis automatically gives the student a grade of "I" for the paper. The conditions for changing the "I" to a passing grade will be established by the Dean of the Faculty after consultation with the student's advisor. The "I" automatically becomes an "NC" two weeks after the deadline for the submission of the thesis unless prior approval for an extension of the "I" has been given by the Dean. No thesis turned in after the deadline will receive a grade of Honors without the unanimous vote of the department and the approval of the Dean.
Departments and advisors may impose deadlines for the purpose of commenting and advising when the work is in progress. The student should not expect editorial comment, guidance,and advice on drafts of the thesis or versions of the project submitted after the eighth week of classes of the semester in which the student enrolls in I.S. 452. Any advising at all in the final few weeks before the thesis is due in the Registrar's Office will be made on the basis of individual arrangements between student and advisor.
Assignment of Advisor
One faculty member will be assigned as the major advisor for the project and will meet weekly with that advisor. Assignments will generally be made in the first week of class, taking into out account student preferences, faculty expertise, and faculty workload. You will be asked to indicate your area of research prior to the time of the committee assignments. Another faculty member will be a second reader of the thesis after the I.S. has been submitted. Both will participate in the evaluation of the project.
EVALUATION
The oral exam generally lasts about one hour. You will be asked certain questions regarding the thesis and relevant questions relating the thesis to the broader discipline (e.g., questions covering operationalization, conceptualization, other research designs that could have been used for your topic, discussion of results in light of theory, etc.). On the basis of the examination, the committee members may require that minor changes in the thesis be made. These changes may only be small changes in formatting or presentation. Substantive changes may not be made at this time. The changes are to be made before the thesis grade is submitted to the Registrar. As part of the evaluation process, a written critique of the thesis work will be given to you.
In evaluating the project, faculty members will consider the four elements of Independent Study and the manner in which these are combined in the realization of the project. Most students are concerned about the evaluation process, therefore you should discuss this issue with your advisor at the onset of the project. Understand clearly what is meant by content, method, form, and process.
Content: The choice of the topic should reflect a considered and stated judgment as to the significance and manageability of the subject, and the completed project should represent a serious and systematic attempt to deal with it by having used effectively the available resources. The theory(ies) explaining the phenomenon to be studied should be completely and systematically presented along with an assessment of it (them). The literature, consisting of previously conducted studies on the topic, should be thoroughly reviewed. The theory and literature should, in appropriate cases, be clearly linked to the hypothesis(es) generated. Overall, the paper should be well-organized and clearly written.
Method: The choices made in selecting a methodology should be clearly explained. Concepts should be operationalized or otherwise defined, and the technique to be followed outlined in detail. Sampling design should be appropriate and any statistical technique used should be explained and justified. Possible strengths and weaknesses in methodology should be anticipated. The methods chosen should then be followed in analysis.
Form: Form is an essential element of clear expression. The project should reflect explicit attention to the requirements of form for our discipline. Consult appropriate journals for examples of how components of the research process tie together into a clear, integrated whole, and on directions on how to present tables, headings, and referencing. The department follows the form used in the American Sociological Review for referencing. Tables should be clearly and accurately labeled, and easy to read. The sections of the thesis should be tightly integrated; chapters should flow from one to the next. Typos should be eliminated and proofreading carefully done.
Process: The first reader will also take into account the manner in which the thesis was completed. Did the student work independently, show up for appointments, meet deadlines, etc.?
Theses are graded in the following manner:
Honors: Outstanding in terms of content, method, form, and process. Honors is granted when both first and second readers agree on this grade; and when submitted to department members, no more than two persons dissent on the honors grade.
Good: Significantly above average in terms of content, method, form, and process.
Satisfactory: Acceptable overall in terms of content, method, form, and process, though consideration may be given to balancing weakness in one area by strength in another.
No Credit: Seriously deficient in content, method, form, and process, with no compensating strengths in other areas.
I.S. projects are, by definition, the responsibility primarily of the student. The College, the department, and the advisor can be expected to make available an adequate framework of support for reasonably conceived projects. The educational challenge that I.S. constitutes can only be fully realized if the student takes full personal responsibility for a conscientious effort. To the extent that the I.S. thesis or project can be conceived of in advance, it can be supported more effectively by coursework, efficient organization of resources, and deliberate choices of method.
Differences in the style and strategy of I.S. advising among faculty members are inescapable and, up to a point, desirable. However, relatively few undergraduates are capable of doing an I.S. thesis without considerable guidance, and those few will have their I.S. experience enriched by the experience of working with a mature scholar. While guidance must be available, the I.S. thesis must not become the advisor's project. In general, the student may expect advisor guidance in the following areas: (1) To encourage the student to attempt an inquiry of appropriate rigor within the limitations of the student's potential, the time available, and the College's and the student's access to resources; (2) To advise the student toward the successful completion of the chosen I.S., meeting the general specifications as interpreted by the department, which suggests counseling as frequently as appropriate for each student on content, method, and form. Reference to the Study Skills Center may be necessary if writing difficulties are apparent. (3) To assist with the editing of the thesis in typical errors of logic, style, and mechanics which may occur (he or she is not expected to edit and proofread these drafts paragraph by paragraph and sentence by sentence) and when the completed I.S. thesis is submitted, the advisor is responsible for indicating to the student all specific typographical and mechanical errors which must be corrected to make the document acceptable in meeting the standards of the department and the College. Evaluation and grading will be based upon the total I.S. project and not merely on approved chapters submitted to the total I.S. thesis.
Following the table of contents, you may wish to acknowledge by name each person who gave you substantial help or whose special cooperation was essential to the project. Examples include school or institution officials who gave necessary permissions, teachers who released children from class or who rated their usual behavior for you, faculty members or other professionals with whom you consulted extensively, friends who helped you or others your social sensitivity tells you should get due credit.
The abstract allows readers to survey the contents of your thesis quickly; therefore, it should be self-contained and fully intelligible. The abstract should contain statements of the problem, method, results and conclusions. Specify the subject population and describe the research design. Mention the data gathering materials necessary. Summarize the data, including significance levels, if any, as appropriate. Report references made of comparisons drawn from the results. The trick is to accomplish all of the above in roughly 200 words or less. (See sample.) The abstract is probably the most difficult part of a paper to write. It should be written last. Example:
ABSTRACT
This thesis explores Protestant attitudes about ecumenism, correlating those attitudes with socioeconomic status and with Allport's intrinsic-extrinsic model of religious motivation by suggesting that class determines religious motivation which, in turn, influences attitudes about ecumenism. Three denominations -- the United Church of Christ, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), and Churches of Christ -- reflect class differences sufficiently so that the religious motivations and attitudes toward ecumenism of their respective members could be examined within the framework of the class-motivation-ecumenism hypothesis. This was done by distributing questionnaires, which measured socioeconomic status, religious motivation, attitudes toward ecumenism, and other control variables, to 376 members of these churches. Results showed that the relationship between socioeconomic status and the religious motivational factors was often reversed and that the intrinsic-extrinsic concepts were not useful in determining attitudes toward ecumenism. Future research is suggested, focusing on the development of new typologies which may be discovered through the interview technique. One such typology which might be of use in predicting attitudes toward ecumenism is the dogmatic versus non-dogmatic approach to religion. More emphasis might also be placed on institutional factors found within each church and denomination.
The appendix should include examples of data sheets or other special materials used in your project, tables of the raw data, formulas and explanations of statistical computations, identification and brief description of calculator or computer programs used or other pertinent supplementary material. If your raw data used are too bulky to fit into a few pages, consult your advisor for the level of summarized data for the study. Although not a part of the paper, an appendix is most important. You may also include written materials you wish to communicate but which would distract from the organization of the primary paper, for example: a more complete description of the instruments, a review of the literature that goes beyond the specific research topic, alternative methods of analyzing data, etc. Such material can indicate the level of your involvement and be helpful to others working on related topics.
The bibliography form is exactly the same as found in journals. For a more comprehensive discussion, Sociology students should consult the American Sociological Association Style Guide (see an abbreviated version of the guide here). For Anthropology theses, consult the American Anthropological Society Style Guide.
Leave a margin of about 1.5 inches at the left and 1 inch at the other margins. This includes figures and tables. If you center headings, tables, figures and the title page between edges of the page, they will appear better centered when pages are bound on the left. You may wish to use flush side headings for your different sections arranged in a manner similar to this page.
Please use the binding system available in the bookstore. At this point it is cheaper than buying a folder, and they do a nice job. You will hand in two (2) copies of the finished thesis to the Registrar no later than 4:00 p.m. on the first day of classes following Spring Recess or four weeks prior to the end of classes for Spring Semester, whichever date is sooner. The department will keep both of these copies. If a cooperating agency has been involved in your project, you are encouraged to make a copy of your thesis for their use.
All graphs and tables should be typed. In connecting the points on a graph use a ruled line. Do not draw a curve or freehand drawing.
Sample Table
Table 1. Number of Voluntary Associations Belonged to by the Respondent's
Total Family Income.*
Number of Family Income
Voluntary
Associations $6,999 & Under $7,000-14,999 $15,000 & Over
% % %
None or one 60 43 24
Two or more 40 57 76
Total N (149) (339) (185)
*Adapted from Curler (1970:6)
X2 = 22.4 (p < .05) df = 2
THE USE OF HEADINGS AND SUBHEADINGS
When chapters are long and several separate topics are covered within one chapter, students may find it helpful to use subheadings within the chapter. However, every division of a subject should contain at least two subdivisions. Each of the headings at the same level should be parallel grammatically, i.e., should be capitalized and placed in the same manner.
The following is an example of the use of subheadings and their order: you'll notice that there are three levels of headings (centered chapter heading, first-level subheading, and second-level subheadings).
Chapter 1
Theories of Sex Stratification
Triple-space above centered headings, and double-space below. Capitalize the first letter of each word except articles, conjunctions, and prepositions (e.g., "the," "of," "and," "but"). Underline the heading with a solid line. If the heading is more than four inches long, use two lines centering both of them.
Socialization Theories
On first-level subheadings such as this one, use double-space above and below the subheading. Align with the left margin. Use the same capitalization procedures as for the centered heading.
Piaget's development theory. Triple-space above second-level subheadings, indent them five spaces, and underline with a solid line as with the other headings. End the subheading with a period and start the text on the same line. Capitalize only the first word in the subheading.
Symbolic interaction and the self. Remember, if you use subheadings, you should have at least two under the higher-order heading. For example, you'll notice that under the subheading "Socialization Theories," we have placed two second-level subheadings, "Piaget's development theory" and Symbolic interaction and the self."
Use words to express the numbers zero through nine: "A total of five lists of 32 words were presented." Use words to express any number that begins a sentence: "Sixty-four items were on the list." In almost all other instances, it is better to use the Arabic number. In other words, use Arabic numerals for any numbers above or below 10 that represent: ages, times, dates, percentages, ratios, fractions, scores, page numbers, series of four or more (e.g., 1, 3, 5, and 7), and number groups for comparison within a sentence (e.g., "of the 40 trials, 6 percent were practice trials"). Avoid Roman numerals because they are cumbersome and difficult to read, except when they are part of the conventional terminology (e.g., Type I Error). Place page numbers at the top right hand margin. If you have a main center heading, place that particular page number at the bottom, centered between the margins. Use lower case Roman numerals for the dedication and abstract, beginning with page 1 for your introduction.
After typing the paper, it is important that you look it over for errors. Check all of your tabulations and calculations. An error made in the initial tabulation becomes confounded in each subsequent analysis.
PROCEDURE FOR THESIS RESEARCH IN WOOSTER SCHOOLS OR NURSERY SCHOOL
I. Procedure for city I.S. school research.
Because of the privacy laws, political implications, and rising demand, it has become increasingly difficult to conduct research in the local schools, and students should be warned about the possibility that their proposed research projects may not be approved. However, if a student feels that he/she wants to attempt to get approval for such a study, the procedures below must be followed.
A. Written proposal (submitted to the Superintendent)
B. Personal Conference with Mr. Ina, school psychologist
1. Discussion of mutual benefit
2. Data concerning children to be used
a. Number
b. Time
c. Age Group
d. Socio-economic status
3. Procedures for study
a. Methods to be used in the study
b. Evaluation of the study
c. Timetable for the study
d. Method for dissemination of information gathered
C. School Procedures
1. Contact principal
2. Contact teacher
3. Contact parents if necessary or desired by principal
4. Contact children
II. Procedure for obtaining children from Nursery School.
There are several nursery schools in the Wooster area. If you wish to study children participating in them, you will need to discuss the study first with the appropriate agency personnel. DO NOT WAIT. See them during the first two weeks of the first semester you plan to do your thesis, or better yet, the end of the semester previous to starting your thesis.
Carefully planned research projects which provide interesting and meaningful experiences for the children result in fruitful experimental sessions. If you plan to use children and wish to obtain subjects from the College Nursery School you must do the following:
A. Present a written statement of your research plan to your advisor. Include the number of children needed, the time involved, the task, the procedure and your proposed timetable. (A similar proposal should be drawn up for any nursery school study.)
B. These proposals will be considered by a committee of nursery school teachers and psychology department staff.
C. It should be recognized that the number of thesis proposals dealing with the College Nursery School children must be limited.
All students who research humans as part of their independent study are required to seek and obtain approval through the Human Subjects Research Committee (HSRC) prior to beginning research. This includes any project in which students are conducting interviews, surveys, focus groups, or participant observation (or any other methodology requiring contact with humans). There are exceptions to the policy (for example oral histories do not need to be reviewed nor do observation conducted in public places) but all students should check the guidelines before conducting research and should discuss the process with their advisor. If you plan to collect research while abroad or during the summer, obtain approval from the HSRC prior to leaving campus. Complete guidelines and applications are available at http://www.wooster.edu/psychology/hsrc/
If a student collects data without HSRC approval, the student will not be allowed to use those data in their independent studies. There are various levels of review, described in the guidelines. An exempt review takes the least time, often requiring a week or less. A full review can take several weeks. Students who need a full review of their research should submit the forms as soon as possible.
THE COLLEGE OF WOOSTER
INDEPENDENT STUDY IN SOCIOLOGY OR ANTHROPOLOGY
by A. Student
Presented in Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements of Independent Study Thesis
Senior Thesis
Supervised by: Name of Faculty Member
Department of Sociology and Anthropology
2006 – 2007
The form that the table of contents should take is indicated below in the following example. The table of contents directly follows the title page of the paper.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Acknowledgement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii
Abstract . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii
Chapter I: Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Chapter II. Literature Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Chapter III. Theory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Chapter IV. Results. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Chapter V. Discussion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Chapter VI. Conclusion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Appendix A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Appendix B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88