Introduction to the Thesis Writing Project – MUSC 880

CG • Section 8WK • 07/01/2018 to 12/31/2199 • Modified 09/05/2023

Course Description

This course prepares the student to begin the thesis writing project.

For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the Academic Course Catalog.

Rationale

It is vital that each student understand the thesis writing process. This course will assist students in having a complete and thorough understanding of the thesis writing process and defense expectations. Students will have key instructors who will demonstrate how to accomplish the IRB Application and how to develop surveys and other research data.

Course Assignment

Textbook readings and lecture presentations/notes

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Peer-Review Discussion: Proposal Paper

Receiving and creating feedback in a peer-review is a valuable part of the learning and refining process in the development of the abstract, proposal, and first chapter. Therefore, the student will upload his/her proposal paper as a Word document to the discussion. The professor will post an initial thread containing pairing assignments for the peer-review. Each student will complete one peer review and comment on the student's paper according to the requirements in the instructions and Grading Rubric criteria. The reviewer will enter comments on the draft by using the “Review” function in Word. The student will also provide summary feedback at the end of the paper noting what the peer did well and what he/she needs to improve on. The student will then upload the paper as a reply, along with summative comments of encouragement. (CLO: A, B, C, D)

Peer-Review Discussion: Initial Chapter One

Receiving and creating feedback in a peer-review is a valuable part of the learning and refining process in the development of the abstract, proposal, and first chapter. Therefore, the student will upload his/her Initial Chapter One as a Word document to the discussion. The professor will post an initial thread containing pairing assignments for the peer-review. Each student will complete one peer-review and comment on the student's paper according to the requirements in the instructions and Grading Rubric criteria. The reviewer will enter comments on the draft by using the “Review” function in Word. The student will also provide summary feedback at the end of the paper noting what the peer did well and what he/she needs to improve on. The student will then upload the paper as a reply, along with summative comments of encouragement. (CLO: A, B, C, D)

Receiving and creating feedback in a peer-review is a valuable part of the learning and refining process in the development of the abstract, proposal, and first chapter. Therefore, the student will upload his/her Final Chapter One as a Word document to the discussion. The professor will post an initial thread containing pairing assignments for the peer-review. Each student will complete one peer-review and comment on the student's paper according to the requirements in the instructions and Grading Rubric criteria. The reviewer will enter comments on the draft by using the “Review” function in Word. The student will also provide summary feedback at the end of the paper noting what the peer did well and what he/she needs to improve on. The student will then upload the paper as a reply, along with summative comments of encouragement. (CLO: A, B, C, D)

Topic Inquiry Study Assignment

The student will complete a Topic Inquiry Study by using the Topic Inquiry Worksheets templates. The student will list three possible scholarly sources.  (CLO: A, C, D)

Quiz: Research Question and Hypothesis

The student will study the Research Question and Hypothesis Documents provided and complete the quiz. The quiz will be open-book/open-notes, contain 5 multiple-choice questions, and have a 1-hour time limit. (CLO: A, C)

This assignment provides the foundation for planning the capstone project required for the student’s degree plan. It also helps to identify potential faculty members who may serve on your committee. The student will use a digital form to answer questions about their future capstone. Once submitted, the student will submit a screenshot of the confirmation page.

Abstract Writing Assignment

The student will write an abstract of 200-250 words describing the topic’s description, rationale, the selected research approach, and the potential value to the field. The abstract must be submitted as a Word document, and must adhere to the current Turabian writing style as described in the required manual. The student will also fill out the provided template, which must contain three literature review quotes from a scholarly source, a problem statement, methods statement, and a findings and implications statement. (CLO: A, B, C)

Literature Review Assignment

Building a strong, relevant, and current collection of scholarly sources is imperative for a strong beginning of the writing process. Therefore, the student will identify 16 scholarly sources pertinent to the field of study and complete 16 literature review charts. Each form should include the reference entered in Turabian format and a three-five sentence summary of the article. The student will use the templates provided for the following:

  1. Four journal articles (published within the last 10 years)
  2. Four theses/dissertations (published within the last five years)
  3. Four books
  4. Four magazine articles (published within the last five years)

(CLO: A, C, D, E)

The student will write an abstract and a proposal of four sections as one document. The abstract will identify the gap in the literature, state the significance of the problem, and identify the methodology. The abstract must be one double-spaced paragraph with no indentation, consisting of 200-250 words. The body of the proposal paper must include four sections of the proposal in order of abstract, two unique research questions (half page), significance (half page), and core concepts (6 pages). The document must include a bibliography containing at least ten sources. The body of the paper must consist of a total of 7 pages of content, not including the title page, abstract, and bibliography.

Proposal Paper Assignment

The student will expand the four proposal sections into a seven-section proposal paper. The abstract will identify the gap on the literature, state the significance of the problem, and identify the methodology. The abstract must be one double-spaced paragraph with no indentation, consisting 200–250 words. The body of the proposal paper must include details concerning each of the seven sections of the proposal in order by identifying unique two research questions, and thoroughly discussing the significance of the research questions, core concepts, plus new sections of hypotheses (half page), method (half page), and research plan (2 pages). The student must highlight any new or revised material since the Abstract and Proposal: Sections 1-4 Assignment. The body of the paper must consist of 10 pages of content, in addition to a title page, abstract, and bibliography.

The student will write the first chapter for his/her doctoral thesis. The student will include the following sections with a centered and bold heading: introduction, background of topic, theoretical framework (if applicable), problem statement, purpose statement, significance of the study, research questions, hypotheses, identification of the variables (if quantitative), core concepts, definition of terms, and chapter summary. The chapter must cite at least 15 sources. The Initial Chapter One document must contain 15–20 pages of content, in addition to a title page, an abstract of 200–250 words, and bibliography page. The document must include page numbers beginning on the first page of content. Each page must contain at least one footnote. The paper must follow Turabian style. The student will upload his/her Initial Chapter One as a Word document.

Final Chapter One Assignment

The student will submit a completed Chapter 1 (The Introduction Chapter of the Thesis) containing the title page, abstract, introduction, background of the problem, statement of the problem, purpose of the study, three research questions, significance of the study, definition of terms, assumptions, limitations, and a working bibliography citing only the works referenced within the chapter. The chapter should be between 20–25 pages in length in addition to the title page, an abstract of 200–250 words, and bibliography. the chapter should cite at least 15 sources. The student will consult the Turabian writing manual for formatting and writing style guidance. The paper will adhere to the Turabian writing manual for formatting and writing style, and must be submitted in a Word Document. It is highly recommended that the student submit his/her document to the Liberty University Online Writing Center for feedback. (CLO: A, C, D, E)