Thesis Quickstart
Glen Koué
Research Librarian
Dudley Knox Library
(831) 656-7736
[email protected]
Thesis Process
•A thesis is a process as well as a product
•There are steps to the process
•Know your required steps
•Create a plan with a schedule for those steps
•Do not underestimate the time each step will take
•Time management is key
•Take charge of the process
Thesis Steps
•Literature review (ongoing)
•Select a topic
•Select an advisor
•Develop a research methodology
•Write the thesis proposal
•Conduct the research
•Analyze the data
•Draft the thesis
•Submit for advisor review
•Submit thesis for Dept Chair review
•Submit thesis for Thesis Processor review
Literature Review
•Ongoing throughout thesis process
•Synthesize and evaluate existing research
•Identify what is and is not known in literature
•Develop and refine your topic
•Develop and refine your research methodology
Topic
•The topic should be
•of interest to you
•Researchable
•Achievable in the time frame
•Ways to select a topic
•Your Classes
•Literature review
•Your advisor
•Department’s and Professors’ lists of thesis topics
•Departmental thesis opportunity presentations
•NPS Theses “Topics for Further Research” sections
Advisor
•Start considering potential advisors early
•Choose an advisor who is supportive of you
•An ally may be more important than a subject
matter expert
•Communicate and meet regularly
•Be clear on expectations:
•What does your advisor expect of you
•What you can expect from your advisor
Proposal
•Overview
•Background information, scope, significance
•What is known about the issue?
•Literature review
•What is your research question(s)?
•Be clear and explicit
•How are you going to answer it?
•Research methodology
•What are the milestones?
•Research with human subjects
Research
•Research Assistance
•Journal articles & books
•Not just those at NPS
•NPS Theses
•Bibliographies as starting points
•Need to be comprehensive
•Keep thorough notes on:
•Research strategies
•Citation information
•Aim your class work towards your thesis
Writing
•Write as you research
•Don’t need to write chapters in order
•Use a specific citation style consistently
•Must use NPS Thesis format
•Use the NPS Thesis Template
•Expect to go through revisions
•Research and writing guides
•Editors
Review Process
•Take turn-around time into consideration
•Advisor’s review is an iterative process
•Institutional Review Board review
•Limited Distribution review
•Department Chair review
•Thesis Processor review
Theses Processor
•Thesis Processor’s Website
•Thesis Brief
•Required in last quarter (Go earlier)
•Thesis Templates, Forms, Instructions
•SharePoint Submission
•Help
Theses Quickstart
A web page of resources is linked from the Library’s
Help page. The direct url is:
http://www.nps.edu/Library/Help/Research%20Tools
/Guides/ThesisResources.html