Terms and Definitions

Includes any faculty, department, school, institute, centre, etc. on campus;

A significant number of theses, especially in the sciences, consist of a series of articles or, very rarely, a single article. An individual academic unit decides which format is suitable for its discipline, so before you embark on your thesis, check with your academic unit to find out the acceptable format.

The same quality and ethical standards apply to both thesis formats.

The minimum requirements for a thesis that consists of a series of articles or one article are as follows:

• a general introduction, which outlines the thesis topic, and how the articles that comprise the main body of the text will address the topic;
• a general discussion and conclusion, which integrates the material addressed in the various articles and provides a global summary and analysis, and
• a statement of Contributions of Collaborators and/or Co-Authors, which clearly distinguishes the contributions of the student from those of all other collaborators or co-authors, and identifies in detail all other contributions. To misrepresent the contributions of collaborators to joint work would constitute academic fraud, and it would be subject to the sanctions prescribed by the University.

Your academic unit may have additional requirements, so be sure to find out what is accepted in your particular academic unit before preparing your thesis.

A student who did not yet receive a graduate diploma

The Comprehensive Examination allows students to demonstrate their ability to:

• demonstrate broad knowledge in the field of educational research and a global view on the subject;
• integrate the concepts, principles and theories they have studied during their course work;
• display the required knowledge to undertake and complete their research project; and
• orally introduce and support their work.

A doctoral thesis must make a significant contribution to knowledge in a field of study, embody the results of original investigation and analysis, and be of such quality as to merit publication.

The doctoral thesis is usually about 250–300 pages. In the sciences, the document is often shorter. Like the Master’s, the duration can vary significantly, but, students are usually expected to complete their programs within four years.

The writing of the thesis must conform to the rules of methodology established by the academic unit. If the thesis consists of a series of published articles, it must conform to university and academic unit guidelines for such theses. It is important that the manuscript be of good quality in order to permit its reproduction.

Participant of a thesis defense that is not a member of the FGPS and comes from a north American institution. This participant must be approved by the dean of the FGPS.

Includes all disciplines of the faculties of Arts, Law, Education, Management and Social Sciences.

Refers to graduate programs (Master’s or PhD) involving more than one discipline. These programs often include disciplines both in the sciences and in the humanities.

Upon admission to a graduate degree program, every student whose program includes a research project will be assigned an interim advisor by the academic unit. The responsibilities of the advisor, who must be a member of the FGPS, include assisting students in selecting a suitable area of research within the fields of competence of the academic unit, helping them choose suitable courses (if required) for their initial session of registration, acquainting students with the research interests of other professors in the academic unit, and helping them identify the professor most suited to direct their research.

Participant of a thesis defense that is a member of the FGPS.

The Master's thesis should reveal that the candidate is able to work in a scholarly manner and is acquainted with the principal works published on the subject of the thesis. Insofar as it is possible, the thesis should be an original contribution.

The Master’s thesis is usually about 100 pages long. In the sciences, the document is often shorter. Depending on the discipline, the duration can vary significantly; however, students are usually expected to complete their programs within two years.

The writing of the thesis must conform to the rules of methodology established by the academic unit. If the thesis consists of a series of published articles, it must conform to university and academic unit guidelines for such theses. It is important that the manuscript be of good quality in order to permit its reproduction.

The monograph thesis is the most popular thesis form. It resembles a non-fiction book in that it deals in depth with a specific topic.

In a monograph thesis, a student presents a proposition, or “thesis”, and the research findings to support it.

The student draws on existing research, which he or she may accept or reject. The thesis usually follows a simple overall format – it begins with an introduction, which is followed by a main body or several sections, and ends with a conclusion.

Some standard components of a monograph thesis are listed below. Keep these in mind as you plan and work on your thesis, but remember that not all of these components will be required or even recommended for your particular field of study, so it is always best to check with your own academic unit and supervisor.

Title Page

Every thesis must have a title page.

Table of Contents

The Table of Contents should be detailed and include everything that is included in the thesis, including the Abstract and Acknowledgements, and not just chapter titles but various levels of headings within chapters and sections. Take a look at various Tables of Contents to become familiar with what is expected in your program.

List of Tables

Provide a separate page with a list of tables used in the text. Include the table number, the full title of the table, and the page number where the table appears in the text.

List of figures

Provide a separate list of figures. The same conventions that apply to the list of tables apply to the list of figures.

Legend

List and explain all acronyms or symbols used frequently in your text.

Abstract

A thesis is preceded by an abstract or summary which may include the following: a statement of the problem or a thesis statement, a summary of the methodology: a description of the approach taken in the thesis, the research, and/or the methods of investigation, the main points made in the thesis or a summary of the main findings, and general conclusions. Abstracts should be no longer than 150 words for a Master’s thesis, or 300 words for a doctorate thesis.

Acknowledgements

In the Acknowledgements section (or incorporated into a preface or foreword), mention those who helped you intellectually. Who funded your research? Who directly helped you along the way? You might have had assistance with your research, experiments, data analysis, or word processing.

Copyright

If published material from other authors has been used, a copy of written permission to use these materials must be included with the thesis. This written permission usually comes from the publisher.

Introduction

Introductions can take many forms, but in general, the introduction presents the hypothesis or thesis statement and a brief overview of the thesis.

Body of the Thesis

The main part of the thesis usually consists of chapters and sections within these chapters.

Conclusion

The conclusion sums up the content and findings of the thesis and often goes a step further, suggesting areas that require further research and investigation.

Appendices

As well as materials suitable for inclusion in an appendix, any ethics and copyright permissions would be included here.

Footnotes/Endnotes

These must be prepared using the appropriate scholarly conventions of your academic unit and your discipline. Find out what the proper conventions are for your discipline, and follow them from the first draft. Ask your supervisor to recommend a style guide, and refer to it often.

Bibliography

Bibliographic entries must also be prepared using the appropriate scholarly conventions of your academic unit and discipline. Refer to your style guide.

The aim of the oral defence is to:

• Clarify issues
• Explore personal stance
• Participate in discussion
• Verify authorship

The research paper (or report) is shorter than a thesis and consists of extensive research and a strict methodology. The student must show the ability to work independently in a scholarly manner, just as with a thesis. In some disciplines (e.g., Criminology, Social Work), the research paper may be a case study, or may take the form of a more theoretical paper.

The Master’s research paper is usually about 50 pages long. Most programs require a student to do two more courses with a research paper than if they had chosen the thesis option. The paper can be completed in one session (four months) of full-time study.

Refers to all disciplines for the faculties of Engineering, Medicine, Science and Health Sciences.

Means anyone doing research toward a thesis, research paper or report at the University of Ottawa as part of the requirements of a graduate degree; a student may also be referred to as a “candidate” as graduation approaches;

Means, unless otherwise stated, a report (for instance, in engineering), a Master’s research paper, a Master’s thesis or a doctoral thesis; in this guide, “thesis” often refers to the entire process of thesis preparation, including the research, not just the writing phase, which can vary significantly according to the discipline

The criteria for the examination of the thesis as established by the FGPS are:

• understanding of the topic and its contribution to knowledge;
• research methodology;
• evaluation of results and validity of conclusions;
• general organization, literary form, and material presentation of the thesis;
• revisions deemed necessary to make the thesis acceptable; and
• general comments.

This person has the same rights and responsibilities as the thesis supervisor. The nomination of a co-supervisor is not mandatory.

In several academic units, a thesis committee is assembled as soon as a student finds a thesis supervisor. (Not all academic units have thesis committees, so please check on the protocol in your own academic unit.)

The committee is there to help

The idea of a thesis committee may sound intimidating to a student, but keep in mind that the committee is there as a resource. In general, the purpose of the committee is to provide back-up to the thesis supervisor in his or her role, and to provide additional support to both the student and supervisor. Committee members frequently serve as examiners for the completed thesis. To do so, they must be members of the FGPS. The thesis committee gives a student access to a bigger pool of intellectual expertise. Perhaps your thesis supervisor has superior knowledge in one area related to your thesis but is not quite as knowledgeable in another. Chances are another member of the thesis committee can help.

Thesis committees meet according to the schedule set by the academic unit. Meetings usually take place every 6 or 12 months, and the student is usually responsible for initiating them. When concerns about the progress of the research arise, the academic unit may require meetings at more frequent intervals.

The roles and responsibilities of thesis committees may vary from academic unit to academic unit, but members of a thesis committee should:

• provide guidance to the student on thesis planning, research and writing,
• be available to discuss ideas or for consultation on any other matter related to the thesis, and
• examine the submitted thesis, if that is the practice within the discipline.

Who is on the committee? A thesis committee is made up of:

• the student
• the thesis supervisor, and
• usually at least two other professors who are FGPS members.

The thesis supervisor is usually the chair of the thesis committee.

How is the committee formed?

This too varies from academic unit to academic unit, but is usually done informally. The thesis supervisor plays the biggest role by chatting with colleagues who have the required expertise and inviting them to join the committee.

Deposit of the thesis for its evaluation by internal and external examinors. The deposit takes place before the defence.

Refers to the professors appointed to evaluate the thesis and examine the student during the oral defence; sometimes referred to as the “jury” or the “thesis examiners”.

The thesis proposal outlines a theoretical (where applicable) and conceptual framework, the central research questions of the project, a review of literature, a description of the problem, a methodological framework, and a relevant and exhaustive bibliography. Where applicable, it should also outline the strategies and instruments that will be used for data collection and analysis. At this stage, students often begin with a general idea, but will define the topic as they discuss it with their thesis supervisor.

In some academic units, students present their research within a course, usually referred to as a research seminar.

This seminar provides an ideal forum for a student to discuss the thesis and practice for the upcoming defence.

Includes someone whom in some academic units may be called a thesis director or thesis advisor.