Page 89 - DISSERTATION AND THESIS HANDBOOK 2017 -2020

Review of Literature
This is a brief survey of the most relevant scholarly sources on your chosen topic
and demonstrates how your study draws upon but diverges from other inquiries.

Breakdown of Chapters
This section outlines what you plan to do in each of your body chapters. The
expectation is that each of the body chapters contributes to the depth of the argument
you are posing in your thesis. Think of writing your thesis as an architectural exercise.
The prospectus (later your Introduction) is the foundation. The first body chapter may
be straightforward, but your third body chapter may be more complex and nuanced. You
are not aiming for length in each chapter. You are aiming for insight, precision, and
excellence. You may achieve that in a chapter that is 15 pages long, or you may achieve it
in a chapter that is 30 pages long. Depending on the nature of your study, the concluding
chapter can be brief as you summarize your findings and recommend other applications
of your ideas.

A Working Bibliography
(Works Cited and Works
Consulted Pages)
This is a preliminary listing of all
the sources (monographs, journal
articles, and other media) that
you plan to draw upon in the
conduct of your study. The list
will change as your project takes
shape, but it is important that
you establish a body of research
from which to build your
prospectus. Works Cited pages list all the texts you cite in the text of your prospectus
or thesis. Works Consulted pages list all the texts you have read during the course of
your inquiry.

Proposal (Prospectus) Format
The proposal should follow the format for the thesis. It should have a margin of an inch
and a half (1.5”) on the left hand side (for binding), an inch elsewhere (top, bottom, and
right).

Although the proposal may seem burdensome, it prepares you well for the work ahead.
Like preparing for any project, understanding the direction of your work helps you move
forward more efficiently. Putting time into the proposal helps you when you dive into
the thesis itself. In all likelihood, the proposal will become the first chapter
(Introduction) to your thesis.

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