2010 thesis guide

A GUIDE TO

THESIS PROPOSAL, PREPARATION,

AND DEFENSE

MASTER’S PROGRAMS IN INDUSTRIAL-ORGANIZATIONAL
AND GENERAL EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY
DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY
XAVIER UNIVERSITY

January, 2010

Table of Contents

I. From Idea to Data Collection................................................................................................................ 1

A. Where to Begin ......................................................................................................................... 2
B. Prospectus/Deadline to Select Thesis Chair ............................................................................. 2
C. Role of the Thesis Chair ........................................................................................................... 3
D. The Thesis Committee.............................................................................................................. 3
E. Scheduling Proposal & Defense Meetings/Distribution of Copies .......................................... 4
F. The Thesis Proposal ................................................................................................................. 5
G. The Thesis Proposal Meeting ................................................................................................... 5
H. The "Completed" Proposal ....................................................................................................... 7
I. Managing Changes to the Research Plan after the Proposal has been Accepted ..................... 7
J. Submitting the Project to the XU IRB...................................................................................... 8

II. Outline of the Thesis Proposal Document ............................................................................................ 8

A. Basic Elements and Format of Thesis Proposal Manuscript .................................................... 8
B. Page Layout ............................................................................................................................ 11
C. Formatting Figures and Landscaped Tables ........................................................................... 11
D. Copyright Issues ..................................................................................................................... 12

III. Finishing the Thesis ............................................................................................................................ 13

A. Conducting the Study/Data Collection ................................................................................... 13
B. Analyzing Data ....................................................................................................................... 14
C. Discussing the Results ............................................................................................................ 14
D. Summary (Thesis) .................................................................................................................. 14
E. Basic Elements and Format of Thesis Defense Manuscript ................................................... 14
F. The Thesis Defense Meeting .................................................................................................. 18
G. Binding ................................................................................................................................... 20
H. Thesis Grade ........................................................................................................................... 20

IV. Appendices

A. Summary Thesis Process with Estimated Timeline ......................................................... 21
B. Sample Cover Sheet .............................................................................................................. 22
C. Sample Title Page ................................................................................................................. 23
D. Sample Thesis Committee Page ............................................................................................ 24
E. Sample Table of Contents ..................................................................................................... 25
F. Sample List of Tables ............................................................................................................ 26
G. Sample List of Figures ........................................................................................................... 27
H. Sample List of Appendices .................................................................................................... 28
I. Sample Landscaped Table ...................................................................................................... 29
J. Sample Figure ........................................................................................................................ 30
K. Sample Appendix for Copyright Measure .............................................................................. 32
L. Departmental Procedures on Recruitment from the Psychology Participant Pool ................. 33
M. Library Binding Guidelines .................................................................................................... 35

January 2010

I. From Idea to Data Collection

The thesis project required of candidates for Xavier University's Master of Arts (MA) degree in

Psychology serves as one of the culminating or “capstone” educational experiences toward the Master’s

degree. The thesis provides Master’s candidates with an opportunity to integrate information and

procedures acquired through course work, independent study, and practical experiences. In addition, the

thesis process allows the student to function as a “project manager” in that the student is responsible for

arranging meetings, collecting data, and making progress towards the completion of the thesis project.

The thesis is a research project that generally involves an empirical investigation of a specific

question within the field of psychology. The common theme to all theses is to expand the student’s

understanding of the knowledge base of psychology, as well as his or her scholarly competence and

knowledge of research design and analysis. The project results from one-on-one collaboration with a

Xavier University Department of Psychology faculty member, the Thesis Chair.

In general, the thesis process involves seven steps (see Appendix A for an Estimated Timeline of

the Thesis):

(1) the prospectus, a short document (2-3 pages) used as an organizing tool that represents the

initial ideas about the study;

(2) the thesis proposal, a written document that contains an extensive literature review and a

research plan;

(3) the proposal meeting with the Thesis Committee, during which the Thesis Committee

evaluates the quality of the thesis proposal (including the written document and the study

features);

(4) the accepted proposal, which is the written document that incorporates all changes required

by the Thesis Committee based upon the proposal meeting. The Thesis Chair generally

oversees all required changes and signs the cover sheet of the proposal after all changes have

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been satisfactorily made. The signed proposal is to be submitted to the Department Chair

within two weeks after the thesis proposal meeting;

(5) the final thesis manuscript, written in APA manuscript style

(6) the thesis defense meeting with the Thesis Committee, during which the results of the

research project are presented and evaluated by the Thesis Committee;

(7) the bound thesis, which contains the final thesis manuscript (appropriately revised), and all

relevant materials (e.g., appendices). Bound copies are maintained in both the University

library and the Department library.

Thesis projects vary substantially, so it is difficult to describe procedures that apply to all

students. This handbook is designed to give pertinent information regarding the thesis process and should

be considered only as a guide.

A. Where to Begin

Upon entering the master’s program, every student is assigned a faculty advisor. The faculty

advisor can be a resource for research ideas and students are encouraged to discuss research ideas or areas

of interest with him or her. The advisor may help the student continue to develop the thesis project, at

which point the advisor becomes the Thesis Chair, or the faculty advisor may direct the student to a

faculty member who has interest or experience in the student's area of interest. Students typically find the

thesis project more rewarding if they choose an advisor whose interests are within the area of the thesis

topic (e.g., an area in which the advisor has published or an area in which the advisor practices). The

Thesis Chair must be a full-time faculty member in the Department of Psychology at Xavier University.

B. Prospectus/Deadline to Select Thesis Chair

A prospectus is a short document (2-3 pages) which is used as an initial organizing tool that

represents the ideas about the study. It should include (but not necessarily be limited to) the following:

(1) an explanation of the student’s interest in the area;

(2) the key constructs in the study;

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(3) the broad relevant domains in the literature;

(4) a statement of research expectations (similar to hypotheses, but not as formal)

The particular information requested for the prospectus may vary by faculty member. By

October 15th of the second year, students must have a prospectus for their thesis accepted by a full-time

psychology faculty member who is willing to chair the thesis. The Department Chair will officially

appoint the Thesis Chair after receiving from the student a copy of the prospectus signed by the faculty

member. Such appointment needs to occur by the October date in order for the student to register for

classes in the Spring semester. A student who does not have a Thesis Chair by this October date must

remain active in the program by registering for Continuous Major Research PSY 790 (3 credit hours) in

the Spring semester, but cannot register for any other courses or further advance toward the final degree

(e.g., cannot take the Oral Comprehensive Examination) until the program requirement is met.

C. Role of the Thesis Chair

The Thesis Chair's task is to provide direction for the thesis project. This typically involves

meeting with the student to develop the idea for the project and reading drafts of the written proposal.

The Chair can be expected to provide feedback on all aspects of the written documents including:

grammar and clarity of writing; organization of the literature review; thoroughness of studies presented;

quality of the methodology proposed; appropriateness of proposed statistics, and APA formatting.

When the Thesis Chair is satisfied with the quality of the proposal, the student schedules a

meeting of the Thesis Committee at which the proposed study is discussed. The proposal is given to

committee members at least two weeks before the date of the proposal meeting. Unless otherwise

directed by the Thesis Chair, committee members do not review drafts of the proposal.

D. The Thesis Committee

The Thesis Committee is composed of the Thesis Chair and at least two additional members. The

Thesis Chair must be a full-time faculty member in the Department of Psychology, but Committee

members may be other full-time Psychology faculty, adjunct faculty, other psychologists, faculty from

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other Xavier University departments, or community professionals with expertise in the thesis domain.

When a student would like to invite an individual who is not full-time or adjunct Psychology faculty to

serve on the Committee, he or she should provide a rationale for that person’s involvement in writing to

the Department Chair and should alert the professional to submit his/her vitae for the Department Chair’s

review. The student is responsible to submit the names of the proposed Thesis Committee members in

writing to the Department secretary. All appointments to Thesis Committees are made by the Department

Chair, taking the student’s requests and preferences into account (along with other considerations). The

Department Chair is an ad hoc member of all Thesis Committees and must be informed of proposal and

defense dates (this can be done through the Department secretary). The Department Chair is also

provided with a copy of the proposal at the same time as Thesis Committee members. The Department

Chair attends proposal and defense meetings at his or her discretion.

The Thesis Committee judges the proposal largely in terms of the adequacy of the research plan.

However, they will also consider the student's knowledge of the literature and will determine at the

proposal meeting whether the student is ready to undertake the proposed study. The Thesis Committee

also reviews how the proposed project provides protection of human participants, in preparation for its

review by Xavier’s Institutional Review Board (IRB).

E. Scheduling Proposal & Defenses Meeting/Distribution of Copies

The student is responsible for scheduling the proposal and defense meetings and room locations.

This information should be submitted to the Department Secretary in writing, who will post the date,

time, and location of the meeting on the Elet first floor department bulletin board. These meetings are

public and other students and faculty may attend. At least two weeks before the proposal meeting date,

the student is to distribute copies of the proposal document to the Committee members and the

Department Chair. For the thesis defense, copies are also distributed to the Committee members at least

two weeks before the defense meeting. There is no need to give a copy of the thesis document to the

Department Chair at that time. After a thesis defense meeting, changes are made under the direction of the

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Thesis Chair. Once changes are completed, a copy of the complete document is reviewed and signed by

the Thesis Chair and submitted to the Department Chair for review. After the Department Chair has

approved (and signed) the thesis, copies are made and submitted to the library for binding. The thesis

grade is not released until approved copies have been received by the library.

F. The Thesis Proposal

The thesis proposal describes the study the student plans to conduct and forms the basis of the

student's thesis "contract" with the Thesis Committee (and, by extension, the Department and the

University). The proposal must include clearly stated hypotheses or research objectives (in the case of

qualitative studies), built upon a careful and thorough review of the existing literature. The thesis

proposal also should clearly and explicitly describe procedures and planned analyses. The specific

elements of the proposal and the order in which they appear are listed in Section II of this Guide (pgs.8-

10).

The proposal document should convince the Committee that the student clearly understands the

issues underlying the proposed study, and that the research plan is sufficient for the research area.

G. The Thesis Proposal Meeting

With the approval of the Thesis Chair, the student contacts the Committee members to find an

agreed-upon time for the proposal meeting. The student must also notify the Department Chair of the

time and place of the proposal meeting. The student schedules the room by using the sign out book

located outside the rooms in Elet with the exception of Elet 12, which is scheduled through the

Department secretary. Copies of the thesis proposal must be submitted to all Committee members and to

the Department Chair at least two weeks prior to the scheduled meeting. Committee members are to be

provided with paper copies of the document; they are not to be faxed or sent via email.

The format of the thesis proposal meeting will vary somewhat based upon the direction of the

Thesis Chair. Prior to the scheduled meeting, the student should discuss the expectations and format for

the meeting with the Thesis Chair. In general, the student should expect to be able to provide a brief

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overview of the previous research related to the proposed study (5-10 minute), describe the rationale for

the project, the study’s methodology, the statistical procedures planned to analyze the data, and potential

study limitations.

There are three possible outcomes of a thesis proposal meeting: (1) acceptance with revisions;

(2) major revisions/remediation required; or (3) not accepted. The outcome is determined by majority

vote of the Committee.

Acceptance with revisions. The study is accepted, but changes to the study and proposal

document are needed. The Thesis Chair oversees these changes. The changes required by the Committee

are recorded on the Department form; a copy of this form is given to the student. A revised copy of the

thesis proposal (signed by the Thesis Chair) and the Department form (filled out by the Thesis Chair) are

to be submitted to the Department Chair within two weeks of the meeting. These are placed in the

student's file and serve as a record of the meeting. The accepted proposal serves as a contract between the

student and Department for successful completion of the thesis. This is the most common outcome of

Proposal meetings.

Major revisions/remediation required. In this outcome, substantial revisions or additions to the

written document are required. A sufficient reason for this outcome would be that the student is not

prepared at the time of the proposal presentation or has not considered thoroughly the issues in the

literature. The deficiencies of the proposal or presentation are documented on the Thesis Proposal form

and placed in the student’s file. The student will be told of the deficiencies and what is needed to remedy

them by the Thesis Chair. The student can make the required changes, or he/she can decide to pursue a

different thesis topic. If the student opts to revise the initial proposal, a subsequent proposal meeting is

required but it cannot occur sooner than one month after the initial meeting. At that meeting, the Thesis

Committee will evaluate the quality of the new proposal and the student’s presentation and decide on an

outcome. This outcome could prevent a student from meeting Departmental deadlines.

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Proposal is not accepted. The grounds for this decision include, among others, unsuitability of

the problem, a poorly prepared proposal document, a poor research plan and procedure, and/or a poor

understanding of the area. A Thesis Proposal form is completed by the Thesis Chair, filed with the

Department Chair and placed in the student's file to document this action. The student can improve the

proposal or begin a new project. This could be done with the same Thesis Chair and Committee, or a

different Chair and Committee. However, the student must wait a minimum of three months after the

initial proposal meeting before convening another proposal meeting. This outcome could prevent a

student from meeting Departmental deadlines.

H. The "Completed" Proposal

The proposal meeting inevitably produces changes to the written document and/or research plan.

Because the proposal constitutes the first three chapters of the final (bound) thesis, all revisions that are

agreed upon at the proposal meeting must be made to the document and submitted to the Thesis Chair

within two weeks of the proposal meeting. When the revised proposal has been approved and signed by

the Thesis Chair, it is submitted to the Department Chair and placed in the student’s file.

The revised proposal constitutes a contract between the student and the University, with the

Thesis Committee serving as the official representative. The student cannot alter the design or plan of

research after the revised proposal has been submitted to the Department. If the student does not follow

the approved plan, the Committee is at liberty to fail the thesis at the defense.

I. Managing Changes to the Research Plan after the Proposal has been Accepted

If circumstances arise that require changes to the research plan, the Thesis Chair and the

Committee must be advised of the situation and approve those changes before the student moves forward

with the study. Any request for changes to the thesis could require another meeting of the Committee.

The changes will generally be made to the (previously accepted) proposal; however, it is possible that a

new proposal may need to be written. Accepted changes to the research plan are to be documented on the

Thesis Proposal Change Form and signed by all members of the Committee. The new (or altered)

proposal and Thesis Proposal Change Form will be placed in the student’s Department file. Changes to

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the study plan might also require that the study be reviewed y the IRB, typically through a Modification

form filed with the IRB. It is the student’s responsibility to communicate with the IRB to determine if

additional review is necessary.

J. Submitting the Project to the Xavier University IRB

In keeping with University policy, all research projects involving human subjects must be

submitted to the University Institutional Review Board (IRB). If data are to be collected at sites other than

Xavier University, approval by other IRBs may also be necessary. Information about submitting

proposals can be found in The Institutional Review Board for the Protection of Subjects in Research:

Policies and Procedures (at XU website www.xu.edu/irb/index). Samples of consent forms are provided

at this website. Proposals to the IRB are to be submitted within two weeks of the thesis proposal meeting.

No data are to be collected until all relevant IRBs approve the project. Students should be aware that the

process of the IRB approval can take several weeks, especially if the study involves special populations or

involves review by other instructors.

Before it can be approved by the Department Chair, all final theses require documentation of IRB

approval (or exemption from that requirement) by including a letter from Xavier University’s IRB among

the appendices.

II. Outline of the Thesis Proposal

A. Basic Elements and Format of the Thesis Proposal Manuscript

Below is a list, in order, of the pages and sections of the proposal:

1. A University approved first page indicating that this is a thesis proposal presented to

the faculty of Xavier University with space for approval signatures by the Department

Chair and the Thesis Chair. (See Appendix B).

2. Title page - - the title of the thesis is presented in full. (See Appendix C).

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3. Listing of members of Thesis committee, with appropriate academic rank or credentials

indicated. The Thesis Chair is listed first, with the Committee members following in

alphabetical order. (See Appendix D)

4. Table of Contents--(See Appendix E).

5. List of Tables, if any (indicate page number[s] for each). (See Appendix F). For both

the thesis proposal and defense, tables should be presented within the document and not

at the end of the document.

6. List of Figures, if any (indicate page number[s] for each) (See Appendix G). For both

the thesis proposal and defense, figures should be presented within the document and

not at the end of the document.

7. List of Appendices (includes measures, questionnaires, tests, etc. referenced in proposal

with page number[s] for each) (See Appendix H).

Note: Sections 4 - 7 (Table of Contents- List of Appendices) above are paginated

with small roman numerals that are centered at the bottom of the page. (See

Appendix E).

8.* Review of the Literature (Chapter I). The relevant literature is reviewed and discussed

in order to provide a detailed background for the proposed study. The length of this

section varies depending on the amount of relevant literature. Thesis Chairs can help

provide guidance regarding length and areas to be covered. This section is written in

the past tense.

9.* Rationale and Hypotheses (Chapter II). This section begins with a brief

(usually12 -2 pg) summary statement of the relevant literature, followed by a formal

statement of the hypotheses. Hypotheses are stated in the present or future tense, and

can be presented either in the null or alternate form; the tenses and forms chosen are

January 2010 9

left to the discretion of the student in consultation with the Thesis Chair. Whatever the

form of the stated hypothesis, it is always the null hypothesis that is tested statistically.

10.* Method (Chapter III). This section describes Participants, Design of the investigation,

Measures or Instruments, and Procedure. Effect size estimates and the number of

participants necessary to insure adequate power should be stated in the proposal.

Descriptions of the measures should include psychometric information, including

validity and reliability. The Procedure is a narrative account of exactly how each

element of the research will be investigated. Except for the report of previous validity

and reliability findings, this section of the proposal is usually written in the future

tense.

11.* Proposed Analyses (Chapter IV). The plan of analysis for each hypothesis is to be

clearly indicated. A clear statement should be included indicating the level(s) of

significance to be used. Some Thesis Chairs may also want students to discuss study

limitations in this section.

12. References. This list is to include all literature cited in the proposal and should be

presented strictly following APA style (consult the most recent Publication Manual of

the American Psychological Association.

13. Appendices. This section presents information about measures, supplementary data,

description of participants where relevant, and/or the IRB approval letter and other IRB

materials (the latter three may only apply to the final thesis manuscript). In addition to

the typical tables and figures included in a manuscript, raw data may be included in the

appendices.

* The starred items are to be listed as Chapters I through IV in the Table of Contents and on the top of the
first page of the respective Chapters. Pages on which these sections begin are to be indicated in the Table
of Contents. The References and Appendices sections, including pages on which they begin, are also
listed in the Table of Contents.

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B. Page Layout

The page design for the proposal is as follows:

Margins: Left - - 1.5 inches; Right - - no less than 1/2 inch (no right margin justification);

Bottom - - 1 inch; Top - - 1 inch, with the exception of chapter heading pages which should have

a 2 inch margin. All pages (beginning with Chapter I, and including Chapter heading pages and

appendices) have a running head (using the format of the current APA Publication Manual) and

are numbered consecutively with the page number at the top extreme right. The document should

be printed from a laser or high quality inkjet printer using a standard font of 12 point size. All text

is double spaced, and tables and figures should conform to APA guidelines.

C. Formatting Figures and Landscaped Tables

Some tables and figures may need to be landscaped to most clearly present their information (see

Appendices I and J). Many students have struggled to find a means to landscape tables and figures and

place the running head and page number in the correct portion of the page, especially when using

Microsoft Word. Although there does not seem to be an easy way to accomplish this in Word, we offer

the following strategy that has worked for most students:

1. Create the landscape table/figure in Word, but not in the thesis document.

2. Copy and paste it into another program, either PowerPoint (not all versions of PowerPoint will

work for this) or MS Paint.

3. Save it as a .jpg file.

4. In an image viewing program (e.g., Photoshop), rotate the image 90 degrees counter clockwise so

the top margin is on the left side of the page. Save again.

5. Insert the picture of the table into the thesis on the appropriate page, using Insert-Picture from

Word's menus.

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D. Copyright Issues

In order to avoid copyright violations, only measures written by the student and/or the Thesis

Chair that have not been published elsewhere are to be included in the final (bound) document. All

measures are to be included in documents given to the Committee for review at the Proposal and Defense

meetings as Appendices. Copies of the measures are removed before the document is submitted for

binding. In the Appendices of the bound document, in lieu of the measure itself, specific information that

would allow the reader to access or review the measure is listed. This might involve a citation to a journal

article in which the measure is reproduced; the author’s website address or email contact, and/or the

publisher’s website. See Appendix K for an example.

According to the American Psychological Association, copyright permission is required for the
following:

• A measure, scale, or instrument

• A video

• Full articles or book chapters

• Single text extracts of more than 400 words

• Series of text extracts that total more than 800 words

• More than three figures or tables from any one journal article

• More than three figures or tables from any one book chapter

• Placement of an abstract of a journal article in a database for subsequent redistribution

• Reuse of content from the public APA web site unless there is a copyright notice on that material
stating otherwise

• Content essential to the character of the previously published book or article, when reuse could
compromise the sale of the APA publication. Examples include complex illustrations, cartoons,
maps, works of art, creative photographs.
The list is illustrative rather than exhaustive. In addition, APA will not grant permission for use of the

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association or any portion of the Manual with the

exception of the 'Guidelines to Reduce Bias in Language,' which appears on pages 61–76 in the fifth

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edition and on pages 71-77 in the sixth edition. Nor will APA grant permission for use of any products

derived from the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, the APA Dictionary of

Psychology and derivative products, or publications from Magination Press.

Finally, according to APA, permission is not required for the following:

• a maximum of three figures or tables from a journal article or book chapter, except as noted in 2

above

• single text extracts of less than 400 words, except as noted in 2 above

• series of text extracts that total less than 800 words, except as noted in 2 above

No formal requests to APA or the author are required for the items in this clause.

In order to seek permission, APA has partnered with the Copyright Clearance Center to provide a

web-based permission service using Rightslink®. This service offers users the opportunity to obtain

permission to reuse APA book and journal copyrighted materials quickly, easily, and legally. To use

Rightslink® locate the journal article or book title you want to use on the APA web site Then click the

Permissions link associated with that item. The majority of requests to use APA copyrighted content will

be processed through Rightslink®. (Information reprinted with copyright permission from APA).

III. Finishing the Thesis

A. Conducting the Study/Data Collection

If the study involves human participants, no data are collected until the study has been approved

by the Xavier University IRB. Unless otherwise stipulated by the Thesis Chair, the student is solely

responsible for the execution of the study, including recruitment of participants and data collection (see

Appendix L for Departmental Procedures on Recruitment from the Psychology Participant Pool).

Likewise, the student is responsible for all costs incurred in carrying out the thesis study, such as copying

January 2010 13

materials or purchasing copyrighted questionnaires and measures. The Thesis Chair can provide

assistance in solving any problems that might arise as the project proceeds.

B. Analyzing the Data

The student is responsible for all data analyses, unless specifically described in the thesis

proposal. Consultation with knowledgeable faculty members or statistical consultants is allowed, but

analyses should be completed by the student. The Thesis Chair can be used as a resource in managing

difficulties that might arise. It is not uncommon for faculty members to request that the student provide

him or her with a copy of the electronic database to verify the accuracy of the data and/or its organization

in the date file. Ideally, faculty will discuss this with the student early in the thesis process.

C. Discussing the Results

This section describes interpretation of the results, including results different from those

expected. Moreover, this section should also address future research directions based on the results, as

well as limitations within the current study.

D. Summary (Thesis)

The Summary is to serve as a draft of the thesis that might be suitable for submission to a

professional conference (such as the annual meeting of the Society for Industrial and Organizational

Psychologists) or to a professional journal for publication. As such, this section shall follow the APA

format for manuscripts described in the most current Publication Manual of the American Psychological

Association. The exception to this format is that Tables, Figures, Appendices, and References do not need

to be reproduced in this section. The specific sections include Introduction, Method, Results, and

Discussion. This section should not exceed 3500 words (about 12 pages of text). Consistent with the

start of previous chapters, the Summary should be listed in the Table of Contents as Chapter VI.

“Summary” is centered and placed at the top of the page. Consistent with the current edition of the

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Manual, the title of the thesis should be centered and placed under “Summary” at the top of the page,

followed by the introduction section.

E. Basic Elements and Format of Thesis Defense Manuscript

Below is a list, in order, of the pages and sections of the thesis defense document:

1. A University approved first page indicating that this is a thesis defense presented to the

faculty of Xavier University with space for approval signatures by the Department

Chair and Thesis Chair (See Appendix B).

2. Title page: The title of the thesis is presented in full (See Appendix C).

3. Listing of members of Thesis committee, with appropriate academic rank or credentials

indicated. The Thesis Chair is listed first, with the Committee members following, in

alphabetical order (See Appendix D.)

4. Acknowledgments (if desired).

5. Table of Contents--(See Appendix E).

6. List of Tables, if any (indicate page number[s] for each) (See Appendix F). For both

the thesis proposal and defense, tables should be presented within the document and not

at the end of the document.

7. List of Figures, if any (indicate page number[s] for each) (See Appendix G). For both

the thesis proposal and defense, figures should be presented within the document and

not at the end of the document.

8. List of Appendices (includes measures, questionnaires, tests, etc. referenced in proposal

with page number[s] for each). The List of Appendices should be presented after the

References section. (See Appendix H).

9. Abstract. The abstract should be 150 to 250 words in length, and should be numbered

with the Roman numeral system used in the preceding sections 4 through 8.

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Note: Sections 4 - 9 (Acknowledgments- Abstract) above are paginated with small

roman numerals that are centered at the bottom of each page. (See Appendix E).

10.* Review of the Literature (Chapter I). The relevant literature is reviewed and discussed

in order to provide a detailed background for the proposed study. The length of this

section varies depending on the amount of relevant literature. Thesis Chairs can help

provide guidance regarding length and areas to be covered. This section is written in

the past tense.

11.* Rationale and Hypotheses (Chapter II). This section begins with a brief

(usually 1 ½ -2 pg) summary statement of the relevant literature, followed by a formal

statement of the hypotheses. Hypotheses are stated in the present or future tense, and

can be presented either in the null or alternate form; the tenses and forms chosen are

left to the discretion of the student in consultation with the Thesis Chair. Whatever the

form of the stated hypothesis, it is always the null hypothesis that is tested statistically.

12.* Method (Chapter III). This section describes Participants, Design of the investigation,

Measures or Instruments, and Procedure. Descriptions of the measures should include

psychometric information, including validity and reliability, obtained in the current

study. The Procedure is a narrative account of exactly how each element of the

research was investigated. This section of the thesis defense manuscript is written in

the past tense.

13.* Results (Chapter IV). A detailed description of the findings is presented. (Note that the

Proposed Analyses section is omitted in the defense document.) This section includes

findings that are consistent as well as inconsistent with the hypotheses. Analysis of the

results is to be consistent with the currently best available statistical methods and in

accord with the proposed analyses previously agreed upon in the thesis proposal.

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Ordinarily, descriptive statistics are presented early in the Result section. Figures and

tables, while optional, are strongly recommended to facilitate communication. Figures

and tables must be labeled completely that they can be interpreted without reference to

the text of the thesis. Observed effect size information should be provided to

supplement hypothesis tests. In addition, confidence intervals should be included when

appropriate. This section is written in the past tense.

14.* Discussion (Chapter V). The Discussion describes the state of knowledge contingent

upon the findings of the thesis. Thus, this section relates review of the literature,

rationale and hypotheses, method, and results into a unified whole. A definite

statement is to be made about the acceptance or rejection of the hypotheses given the

results. Moreover, a statement of what problems or issues arise as a result of those

findings should be undertaken. Finally, future directions for research, a discussion of

the study’s limitations, and overall conclusions should be addressed in this section.

15.* Summary (Chapter VI). This is to serve as a draft of the thesis which might be suitable

for submission to a professional conference. As such, this section shall follow the APA

format for manuscripts as described in the most recent Publication Manual of the

American Psychological Association. The exception to this format is that tables,

figures, appendices, and the reference list do not need to be reproduced in this section.

The specific sections include: Introduction, Method, Results, and Discussion. This

section is no more than 12 pages (or 3500 words) in length.

14. References. This list is to include all literature cited in the proposal and should be

presented strictly following APA style (consult most recent Publication Manual of the

American Psychological Association).

January 2010 17

15. Appendices. This section presents copies of measures, supplementary data or

information, statements of consent, special questionnaires, data outside the purview of

the main hypotheses, description of participants where relevant, and/or the IRB

approval letter from Xavier University with any additional IRB materials. In addition

to the typical tables and figures included in a manuscript, raw data may be included in

the appendices.

* The starred items are to be listed as Chapters I through VI in the Table of Contents and on the top of the
first page of the respective Chapters. Pages on which these sections begin are to be indicated in the Table
of Contents. The References and Appendices sections, including pages on which they begin, are also
listed in the Table of Contents.

F. The Thesis Defense Meeting

The student is responsible for scheduling the time and location of the thesis defense and

informing the Department secretary of such information. As is the case with the thesis proposal, these

arrangements are not made until the Thesis Chair feels that the thesis is in proper shape for the defense.

However, the thesis defense must be successfully completed with all necessary revisions made by Friday

of the first full week of April in order for a student to participate in the subsequent May Commencement

ceremony. Each member of the Thesis Committee is to be given a copy of the entire thesis document

(including all six chapters), at least two weeks prior to the arranged date. Committee members are to be

provided with “hard” copies of the document; the document is not to be sent via email or fax unless

explicitly requested by a Committee member.

The defense meeting is open to other faculty members and graduate students. If the student

wishes to invite anyone outside the academic community, the Thesis Chair must grant permission. During

the defense meeting, the student typically presents the study and its results. Committee members are free

to ask questions about the purpose, methods, and results presented in the document, along with questions

on related areas consistent with the context of the thesis.

January 2010 18

The Thesis Committee will come to a judgment about acceptance of the thesis based upon the

written document and the oral defense. Three possible judgments can be made:

1) Pass with Revisions: The candidate has passed the defense, subject to revisions to be

overseen by the Thesis Chair or by a designated Committee member.

2) Major Revisions/Remediation Required: This could arise because of deficiencies in the

document or inadequate presentation at the defense meeting that require remediation. The

problems with the document or defense are so significant that all committee members

will participate in the revisions of the document and/or a subsequent defense meeting. At

the conclusion of the defense meeting, the Committee will determine if the student must

make significant modifications to the thesis document and/or to defend the thesis at

another defense meeting. If a subsequent defense is required, it can occur no sooner than

one month after the initial meeting. The student may also be required to register for

Continuous Major Research PSYC 790 (3 credit hours) if the completion of revisions

extends beyond a second defense meeting and if such revisions extend into a new

academic year. The student should also be aware that this outcome may jeopardize his or

her meeting departmental deadlines, such as the April deadline to participate in the May

Commencement ceremony.

3) Fail: The candidate has failed the defense. This outcome would occur, for example, if

the study departs markedly from the study plan described in the proposal, or if there are

ethical violations such as plagiarism or fraudulent data collection. Under these

circumstances, the student may also face disciplinary measures at the University and/or

be recommended for expulsion from the program.

The decision concerning the outcome of the thesis meeting is by majority vote of the Committee.

The thesis and its defense are assigned a Pass/Fail grade.

January 2010 19

G. Binding

The document bound as the complete thesis includes the signed cover sheet and the thesis defense

document (including the Summary). When the Thesis Chair determines that all required revisions have

been satisfactorily made, the student will present at least three cover sheets and one copy of the complete

thesis to the Thesis Chair. After the Thesis Chair reviews, approves, and signs the cover pages, it is

submitted to the Department Chair for review, approval, and signature. Once signed by the Department

Chair, the student makes the additional copies to take to the library for binding (see Library Binding

Guidelines in Appendix M). If a student wishes to have any additional copies bound, he or she should

also supply the necessary number of cover sheets for signatures.

The completed copies and cover sheets are taken to the Periodicals Office at McDonald Library to

be bound by the University. One copy will remain in the McDonald Library; the cost of binding this copy

is covered by the student's graduation fee. The student is responsible for furnishing his or her Thesis Chair

and the Department with bound copies; the student pays for the cost of binding these copies. The student

may have additional copies of the thesis bound; these are done at the student’s expense. The Department

will not provide a thesis grade until the bound copy of the thesis is delivered to the library.

H. Thesis Grade

The thesis is graded Pass/Fail. The thesis grade will only appear on a student's transcript when

the thesis has been received by the McDonald Library for binding. Until the thesis grade is listed on the

transcript, along with grades for all other academic/internship requirements, a student has not earned and

cannot represent himself or herself as having earned a MA degree in Psychology from Xavier University.

January 2010 20

Appendix A

SUMMARY THESIS PROCESS WITH ESTIMATED TIMELINE*

Phase I (Prospectus/idea development)
• Develop idea, read literature, polish idea, develop research expectations and broad ideas about
method and materials
• Present prospectus to potential Chair of project
• Prospectus accepted and Thesis Chair appointed by October 15th of student’s second year

Phase 2 (proposal writing; approx. 3-8 months)
• Write proposal
• Allow at least two weeks for receiving comments from Thesis Chair for each draft
• Keep in mind that it typically takes a minimum of 4-5 drafts
• Rough estimate for Phase 2: 5 drafts x 2 weeks for feedback x your writing/revision time; very likely
5-8 months (but can be longer)

Phase 3 (proposal meeting; approx. 2 months)
• Schedule proposal meeting (must coordinate with schedule of three faculty Committee members)
• Committee members and Department Chair need document at least two weeks prior to proposal
meeting
• Upon passing proposal, submit IRB application within 2 weeks. Allow one month for IRB approval
• Two weeks after proposal meeting, all changes need to be made and revised copy approved and signed
by Thesis Chair; revised proposal placed in student’s file

Phase 4 (data collection; time-varies depending on project)
• Keep in mind “time consumers” such as getting into a system to collect data (e.g., schools, VA,
hospitals, etc.)
• Organize materials (photocopying, collating, obtaining informed consents, etc)
• Collect data
• Score data
• Complete data entry
• Complete data analyses

Phase 5 (finishing the thesis; 3-6 months)
• Interpret results of analyses
• Write Summary of the thesis, which is a conference- or publication-style paper
• Complete several drafts and revisions (keep in mind two-week turnaround from Chair for each draft)
• Schedule defense meeting (must coordinate with schedule of three faculty Committee members)
• Committee members need document at least two weeks prior to defense meeting
• Thesis defense must be successfully completed by Friday of the first full week in April in order to
participate in May Commencement ceremony.
• Make post-defense revisions within two weeks of defense meeting
• Obtain final approval from Thesis Chair and Department Chair (submit minimum of three copies of
cover sheet with one copy of complete thesis document to Thesis Chair for review and signature by
Thesis Chair and then by Department Chair)
• After cover sheets are signed, make additional copies of complete thesis document
• Deposit all copies at the library
• Receive final grade only when above is completed

* Please note that faculty are not always available—sabbaticals are scheduled, illnesses occur, or travel occurs.
Most faculty are on 9 month contracts and are not obligated to be available during summers and holidays.

January 2010 21

Appendix B

Sample Cover Sheet

A Thesis Proposal/Defense

Submitted to the Faculty

of

Xavier University

in Partial Fulfillment of the

Requirements for the Degree of

Master of Arts

by

(Name)

(Date- - Month, day, year of proposal/defense)

Approved:

_________________________________________________________________________
Christine M. Dacey, Ph.D., ABPP
Chair, Department of Psychology

_________________________________________________________________________
(Name of faculty member)
Thesis Chair

January 2010 22

Appendix C

Sample Title Page

The Interaction of Personality Traits and

Situational Judgment Tests

January 2010 23

Appendix D

Sample Thesis Committee Page

Thesis Committee

Chair Morell Mullins, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Psychology

Member Cynthia L. Dulaney, Ph.D.
Professor of Psychology

Member Kathleen J. Hart, Ph.D., ABPP
Professor of Psychology

January 2010 24

Appendix E

Sample of Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Page

Acknowledgments (included in the copies to be bound) ............................................................................... i

Table of Contents .......................................................................................................................................... ii

List of Tables ............................................................................................................................................... iii

List of Figures ……………………...…………………………………………………………………….. iv

List of Appendices ........................................................................................................................................ v

*Abstract ...................................................................................................................................................... vi

Chapter

I. Review of the Literature .................................................................................................................. 1

II. Rationale and Hypotheses .............................................................................................................. 20

III. Method............................................................................................................................................ 24

**IV. Proposed Analyses/Results ........................................................................................................... 31

*V. Discussion ...................................................................................................................................... 39

*VI. Summary ........................................................................................................................................ 48

References ............................................................................................................................................... 61

Appendices .............................................................................................................................................. 70

* Note: Abstract, Discussion and Summary do not appear in the Table of Contents in the proposal

but do appear in the final document.

** Note: Proposed Analyses appear in Table of Contents in the thesis proposal document; Results

appear in the Table of Contents in the thesis defense document.

ii

January 2010 25

Appendix F

Sample List of Tables

List of Tables

Table Page

1. Means and Standard Deviations of Demographic Variables............................................................... 6

2. Means and Standard Deviations of the Situational Judgment Test Score ......................................... 18

iii

January 2010 26

APPENDIX G

Sample List of Figures

List of Figures

Figure Page

1. Relationship Personality and Performance ......................................................................... …..……73

2. Interaction Between Personality and Situational Judgment Tests..................................................... 74

3. Regression Analyses Scatterplot ....................................................................................................... 75

iv

January 2010 27

Appendix H

Sample of List of Appendices

List of Appendices

Page

A. Demographic Questionnaire 33

B. Big Five Personality Trait Measure .................................................................................................. 34

C. Situational Judgment Test Inventory................................................................................................. 38

D. Approval Letter from Xavier University IRB ................................................................................... 93

E. Consent Form .................................................................................................................................... 94

v

January 2010 28

Appendix I

Sample Landscaped Table

January 2010 29

Appendix J

Sample Figure

Figure Caption

Figure 1. The effect of shiftwork on the job satisfaction of white-collar and blue-collar employees.

January 2010 30

Shiftwork

Job satisfaction

white-collar workers blue-collar workers
-.08 .67

January 2010 31

Appendix K

Sample Appendix for Copyrighted Measure

Instruments Used

The Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) is protected by copyright so it is not reproduced in this document.
This measure is available through Psychological Assessment Resources, Inc. at www.parinc.com.

January 2010 32

Appendix L

DEPARTMENTAL PROCEDURES ON RECRUITMENT

FROM THE PSYCHOLOGY PARTICIPANT POOL

Participant Pool

Rationale

A participant pool within the Department of Psychology is utilized by both faculty and students

for coursework and independent research. Also, for students and faculty working on research, including

theses, dissertations, certain course requirements, and independent projects, having an organized

participant pool for collecting data from a college population is desirable. It eliminates the difficulty of

recruiting participants from individual classes and creates an understanding among the undergraduates of

their responsibility to participate in research at Xavier.

Responsibilities of the Researcher

Recruitment

At least two months prior to the start of a new semester, researchers should submit to the research

liaison (typically Dr. End’s GA) the approximate number of participants and hours expected to be utilized

for the upcoming semester. This does not apply to students enrolled in courses in which they will be

needing participants for various assignments (i.e. Research Methods and Design II and Assessment I:

Cognitive).

Sign-up Process

Researchers will create and post sign-up sheets on the bulletin board on the second floor of Elet

Hall (example forms will be emailed to the primary researcher after we receive notification of the

researcher’s intent to use the participant pool). The sign-up sheets will consist of the investigator’s name,

title or purpose of project, participant requirements (if any), date/time/location of the project, and

approximate length of time to complete. Also, confirmation receipts with contact information should be

attached to the sign-up sheets that the participants can take with them as a reminder.

January 2010 33

*If a project is not time consuming (e.g. five minutes), it would be a more efficient use of the participant

pool to have that project “piggyback” on another study.

Before Data Collection

Before collecting data, the researcher will remove the sign-up sheet from the bulletin board

(although the researcher should still provide information of where, when, etc., data are being collected).

Students should sign their name on the sign-up sheet in the margin next to the information provided to

sign up. Their professor’s name should be written clearly (If we cannot determine one’s instructor, one

will not receive credit). The researcher will CLEARLY mark on the sheet if the participant is present or

absent (this sheet will be turned into Dr. End’s GA’s mailbox).

After Data Collection

The researcher will distribute credit slips to the participants. The credit slip will consist of the

participant’s name, the professor’s name, course name, the researcher’s name (make sure you sign), title

or purpose of the project, and date and start/stop times. For students who signed up to participate, but

failed to show up or provide a 24 hour cancellation notice, the researcher will fill out a no-show slip for

that student. The no-show slip will consist of the student’s name, the professor’s name, course name,

researcher’s name, date and time, approximate number of hours lost, and title or purpose of the project.

Next, the researcher will be responsible for putting the no-show slips, as well as the sign-up sheet that

CLEARLY indicates who was absent/present, in Dr. End’s GA’s mailbox.

January 2010 34

Appendix M

LIBRARY BINDING GUIDELINES

$ Thesis/dissertation should be collected and initial paperwork should be done by individual
departments. This is a more streamlined approach since the students already have to deal with the
departments to get their thesis/dissertation approved and signed.

$ Thesis/dissertation can be dropped off in Library Director's office. Hours for accepting thesis are
Monday-Friday, 8:00am-3:00pm. (It is recommended that patrons call first (745-3884/3883) to make
sure someone is in the office to accept the thesis/dissertation.) A Thesis/Dissertation Binding form
should accompany each thesis/dissertation. If it is just NOT possible to drop off your thesis during
office hours special arrangements can be made by calling the office at 513-745-3884.

$ Library does not make photocopies of thesis/dissertation for patron.
(For example if a patron wants 5 copies bound they must submit 5 unbound copies to the library.)

$ Library ships thesis/dissertation as it is received. We do not check pagination or grammar.

$ Payment for all copies of thesis/dissertation to be bound must be prior to shipment and preferably at
the time thesis/dissertation is submitted for binding.

$ Payments may be made by cash or check payable to Xavier University Library. The library
DOES NOT bill bursar accounts.

$ The cost to bind a thesis/dissertation is as follows:
Library copy no charge
Each copy thereafter $16/each

$ Patrons do have the option to have their thesis/dissertation shipped to them upon return from the
bindery. They must first complete and submit a waiver (enclosed) to the library before
thesis/dissertation can be shipped.

$ The cost to have a thesis/dissertation shipped is as follows:
1st copy shipped $5.00
Each additional copy shipped $3.00

• A binding pickup-delivery schedule has been attached. Turnaround time for binding a
thesis/dissertation is 3-4 weeks. Each department will be notified by phone that their shipment has
returned from the bindery. Each department is to make arrangements for the retrieval of bound
theses/dissertations from the library.

January 2010 35

THESIS/DISSERTATION BINDING SUBMISSION FORM

Date submitted to library______________
Date leaving library__________________
Date returning to library ______________

PATRON INFORMATION

Name: ________________________________________________________________________

Address: ______________________________________________________________________

Work phone: _______________________________ Home phone: ______________________

THESIS/DISSERTATION INFORMATION

Title: _________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

How many copies should be bound? _____ Will a copy go to McDonald Library? _____

Check one: _____ Patron will pick up thesis/dissertation when ready.

_____ Library to distribute thesis/dissertation on campus as indicated below:

DEPT. AND/OR PERSON ADDRESS NO. COPIES COST $
* Library 1 N/C
* Psychology Department ML 6511 1 $16.00
_______________________ ___________________________ ___________ _____________
_______________________ ___________________________ ___________ _____________
_______________________ ___________________________ ___________ _____________
_______________________ ___________________________ ___________ _____________
_______________________ ___________________________ ___________ _____________
_______________________ ___________________________ ___________ _____________

* required copies Total number of copies being bound ______________

TOTAL COST: _____________

PAYMENT

1. _____ Cash 2. _____ Check/Institution__________________________ Check No.______

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

Library worker accepting thesis/dissertation: _____________________________________________

January 2010 36

THESIS/DISSERTATION SHIPMENT WAIVER

I, _________________________________________ will release Xavier University Library of

all responsibility concerning the shipment of my thesis/dissertation entitled: ________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________.

I also understand that I am responsible for all costs incurred for the shipment of my thesis/dissertation.

________________________________________
Signature

________________________________________
Date

January 2010 37

2010 thesis guide

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