College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences 2015-2016 Catalog

114 The thesis adviser meets regularly with the student to set goals, review drafts, and ensure progress. Committee members give feedback on the proposal and the final draft, as well as evaluate the Thesis Defense. Writing a Thesis Proposal and Submitting an Institutional Review Board (IRB) Application After selecting a committee, the student must write a short proposal describing the theoretical background, proposed methods and timeline for the thesis project and submit it to the committee for approval. Under consultation with the committee, the proposal is reviewed to ensure feasibility, clear focus, and potential for development. When the proposal has been approved by the committee members, the student and committee members sign the Thesis Proposal Approval Form (can be obtained from a faculty adviser), and the committee authorizes the student to complete the IRB application form (if applicable). Students should initiate the thesis IRB application process as early as possible, as the process can be time consuming. The necessary requirements and forms are available at www.nova.edu/irb/manual/forms.html . Once completed, the student submits the Thesis Proposal Approval Form and the IRB application (if applicable) to the director of the respective academic division within the college for review and approval. Phase Two: Research, Data Collection, and Writing the Thesis Thesis research and data collection should occur according to the approved timeline and IRB specifications (when applicable). The student should meet with his/her thesis adviser regularly during all phases of the project (especially during the writing phase) and demonstrate consistent progress in the development of the thesis. During the writing process, the student should seek feedback from the adviser and committee member(s). Careful revisions with input from thesis committee members contributes to the production of a publication-worthy document. Revision is considered complete when additional changes would result in minimal improvement of the document. In the latter stages of writing, line edits should be implemented to make the writing clear, cohesive, and grammatically correct. Documentation should be accurate and conform to the most recent updates of documentation style required of the student’s discipline. Prior to the defense, the student submits final copies of the project to each committee member. Phase Three: Thesis Defense After the student has submitted final copies of the thesis, he/she will schedule a Thesis Defense, with the thesis committee’s approval. The thesis defense must take place during the student’s final semester of the program. The student and the thesis adviser should discuss appropriate presentation of the project prior to the defense. The defense will be before the graduate faculty and an audience of other students and invited guests. During the event, the student summarizes the project, presents the major findings, and addresses questions from the thesis committee. If appropriate, the student may give a reading. The student’s presentation of the project and answers to these questions will be considered as part of the assessment of the thesis project. After the committee finishes asking questions, audience members will have the opportunity to ask questions of the student.