Student Thesis Advising

USEFUL LINKS

http://www.ecu.edu/cs-acad/gradschool/ETD.cfm. This outlines the submission process in full

http://www.ecu.edu/cs-acad/gradschool/upload/The-Electronic-Submission-Process-website.pdf This is the required non-exclusive distribution license form (i.e. copyrights) and also has the embargo form as page 2.

http://www.ecu.edu/cs-acad/gradschool/upload/Non-Exclusive-Distribution-License.pdf Academic fair use for students. The library has a website dedicated to explaining it here:

http://www.ecu.edu/cs-acad/gradschool/etd-access-and-copyright-information.cfm

Thesis Prospectus Outline For thesis research pursued under the direction of Dr. Lynn Harris

Program in Maritime Studies, East Carolina University

All theses must follow established ECU Graduate School requirements.  Copies of the most current Manual of Basic Requirements for Theses and Dissertations (online at http://www.ecu.edu/gradschool/thes_dis/manual.html) are available from the Graduate School.  IT IS THE STUDENT’S RESPONSIBILITY TO SEE THAT THEY ARE FOLLOWING THE MOST RECENT PROCEDURAL GUIDELINES.

In addition to the Graduate School Requirements your prospectus must include the following:

  1. Title Page: including name of director and all committee member for signatures. (no page number)
  2. Abstract: A very brief (less than 100 word) summation of the proposal (no page number)
  3. Introduction: Thesis research question/s or statement. Be sure to address what makes this question important and germane in a historical and archaeological context. Why should this thesis be pursued (page 1-2). Your thesis question should have some element of understanding “human behavior”.
  4. Previous Research: What other similar or pertinent work has been done in this area of history, archaeology or cultural resource management? It should identity major secondary works like books, chapters and journal articles. The idea is that you should be able to clearly articulate the main premise of these scholars research, their data set, arguments and conclusions. You are placing yourself and your contribution into a scholarly niche and academic area similar to these researchers. Keep it narrow and focused. This relates to the subject area, as well as the subject theme. For example pirate history, plantation history in NC, labor history in shipyards, small watercraft of the southeast, public outreach and trails,  challenges of in situ legislation etc. Note that if you choose a management topic, it should include historical research and not simply a recommendation report. It needs to demonstrate quantitative and qualitative data and conclusions. (p.3-4)
  5. Theoretical Framework: Discuss the approach (maritime landscapes, artifact biography, stakeholder theory,  etc). Define it. Discuss other published researchers who have applied it and how. Describe how you will apply it and why it is a good fit  for your research (p.5-7)
  6. Research Methodology: Historical, Archaeological, Ethnographic etc. , or a combination there of. :
    1. HISTORICAL: The name of any repositories and PRIMARY source collections that will be consulted, the major reference works (books and journals) pertinent to your subject.
    2.  ETHNOGRAPHIC: Who are you interviewing, what methods are you using (do you need IRB approvals or to take an ethnographic survey class). Include a proposed questionnaire in your appendices.
    3. ARCHAEOLOGICAL: What fieldwork and methods do you intend to conduct or utilize. Do you have the skills set from classes taken (GIS, Photogrammetry, ship construction, material culture, advance methods etc) (p.8-9).
  7.  Challenges or limitations: Identify issues. Why you are leaving out some issues or areas that you think might influence the output (p.10)
  8. Reference List: This is a list of all works cited in the proposal
  9. Tentative Bibliography: This is an expanded list of major primary and secondary sources to be consulted during research. Annotations within the bibliography are optional.
  10. Appendix with extra information like images, maps, tables (if you have these items). Another option is a one-page notation summary of each chapter and basic content.
  11. Budget: Costs of fieldwork, travel, or trips to archives.
  12. Timeline (goals) of when chapters will be submitted or anticipated to be submitted and graduation timeframe.

The prospectus is a suggestion or proposal for a project, and is designed to be a relatively concise statement of intended research that may be amended as the research continues. All thesis committee member need to be in agreement and sign off after the chair has approved. If possible I like to arrange a thesis proposal presentation to as many available committee members prior to obtaining signatures.  An e-mail will be distributed to each member asking for their acceptance of the prospectus and any edits or changes by the student with cc. to chair.

STATEMENT OF EXPECTATIONS

Prospectus/chapter/thesis reading

Please try to complete your prospectus by your second semester at ECU. Submit regular portions of your thesis according to a schedule we design together. Please feel free to ask for an extension (in advance). I expect a thesis to take two years from the time the research is initiated after the prospectus is approved. Any longer than that, runs into problems with my supervising the research of new students entering the program.

I will try my best to turnaround written drafts within  1-2-weeks. Likewise, I expect commitment to submitting work by deadlines, and thoughtful proof-reading with  attention to detail. Remember that faculty are your advisers, and not your copyeditors. If your writing does not improve between drafts, I will likely recommend you seek assistance from the university writing center, editing software, or other professional support such as an editor.