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An abstract is a brief summary of the thesis you plan to write. When you submit an abstract, you are asking permission to complete a project that will be officially recognized by and housed at WCU.
Your abstract should consist of:
1. A tentative title
2. Committee names and signatures
3. Student signature
4. Abstract (500 words or less)
a. An explanation of the current state of scholarship on your topic
b. An explanation of the methodology and/or unique approach you will use
c. A tentative summary or outline of the proposed body text
Books on Thesis Writing:
Joan Bolker, Writing Your Dissertation in Fifteen Minutes a Day
Yvonne Bui, How to Write a Master’s Thesis
Irene Clark, Writing the Successful Thesis or Dissertation
Joyner, Rouse, and Glatthorn, Writing the Winning Thesis or Dissertation
Lunenburg and Irby, Writing a Successful Thesis or Dissertation
David Madsen, Successful Dissertations and Theses
Evelyn Ogden, Completing Your Dissertation in Two Semesters or Less
Waring and Kearins, Thesis Survivor Stories
Before you decide on a topic or advisor, determine what a thesis in your discipline looks like. Ask for examples from faculty members, and search online for theses in your discipline. Get an idea of what different parts go into a thesis for your area.
What excites you the most about writing your thesis?
What scares you the most about writing your thesis?
Be sure to go to the Graduate School website for the 8th edition of the Thesis and Dissertation Guide.
http://www.wcu.edu/WebFiles/PDFs/gs_thesis_guide.pdf
For everything you read, keep a record of this information:
Irene Clark, Writing the Successful Thesis and Dissertation
The WaLC is not designed to edit your thesis or proofread your entire draft. WaLC tutors are trained to work with you to make your writing better. If you would like thesis help from WaLC tutors, contact the WaLC at the beginning of your process and decide on a schedule to work with a tutor for an hour at a time throughout your process.
What is the best way for you to stay organized?
What materials or resources can you use to keep track of your sources and your work?
Useful sites:
http://www.scrible.com/ Highlight and bookmark text on webpages.
http://www.citelighter.com/ Cite and share relevant source material.
https://www.zotero.org/ Helps you store and organize sources.
Additional resources available in Belk 207.
Graduate School located in Cordelia Camp 110.
Technology Commons located on the ground floor of the library.
Choosing a topic isn’t easy, and you can’t choose a topic without being very familiar with the existing research in a field. Read what others have written, then decide where there is more work to be done.
When choosing an advisor, consider these questions from Irene Clark:
“Is it most important for you to work with someone who has a reputation in his or her field and political influence in your department? Do you need access to particular data? Encouragement and support? Assistance in writing? Of course, ideally you would want someone who can provide everything you might need. But if you have to choose, which qualities in an advisor do you value the most?”
Work with your advisor to set reasonable deadlines to keep you on track. Here are some common checkpoints for writers and advisors to meet and discuss progress: