Thesis Seminar Recap Week 15

Executive Summary:

This document summarizes key instructions and guidelines provided for the completion of the first draft of the thesis paper and preparation for the mock presentations. The sources emphasize adherence to formatting requirements (APA 7th edition), content guidelines for specific sections (Abstract, Introduction, Literature Review, Method, Results/Discussion, Conclusion, Appendices, References), and preparation strategies for the mock presentations, including content, delivery, and technical aspects. Key themes include attention to detail in formatting, summarizing the paper effectively, and practicing delivery and anticipating questions for the presentation.

Key Themes and Ideas:

* Hard Copy Draft Review: Students are required to submit a hard copy of their first completed draft. A quick self-review in groups is encouraged, focusing on specific formatting elements.

* Headings: Check that all headings (except in the method section) have 6 to 12 words. Main words should be capitalized. No punctuation should be at the end of any heading. Method section headings (Participants, Instruments, Procedure, Data Analysis) can be shorter.

* Page Breaks: Specific pages should be on their own page: Title page, Authorization page, Abstract, Table of Contents, Figures/Tables (if applicable), and each Appendix. The body of the paper (Literature Review through the Conclusion paragraph) should have no page breaks.

* Spacing: The entire paper should be double-spaced, with no extra space between paragraphs, headings, and text. References are an exception, with single spacing within the reference and double spacing between references.

* Indentation: Each paragraph, except for the Abstract, should have a half-inch indentation.

* Paragraph Count: The Abstract, Participants, Instruments, Procedure, and Data Analysis sections should each consist of only one paragraph. The final paragraph of the paper is considered the Conclusion paragraph and does not require a separate "Conclusion" heading.

* Appendix Formatting: Each appendix should start on a new page with a Level 1 heading (e.g., "Appendix A") at the very top line, followed by a Level 2 heading for the appendix title.

* Title Recommendations: The instructor suggests using ChatGPT to generate title ideas now that the paper is mostly complete.

* If the title is longer than one line, force a return to distribute words more or less equally across two lines.

* Single-space the title.

* Improving Writing (Verb Usage): Students are encouraged to review their paper for overuse of the verbs "to have," "to be," and "to make" (as lexical verbs). While not forbidden, excessive use may indicate areas for improvement by substituting more dynamic verbs, often converting nouns into verbs. The instructor provides an example of how to rewrite sentences to be more concise and dynamic.

* Mock Presentation Structure and Timing: The mock presentation is 20 minutes long with a 10-minute Q&A. The entire class scheduled for a specific day is expected to observe all presentations on that day.

* Suggested Slide Order: Title slide, Problem and Purpose, Literature Review (multiple slides), Method, Results and Discussion (multiple slides), Conclusions, Thank You.

* Approximate Timing: Problem and Purpose (30 seconds to 1 minute), Literature Review (approximately 8 minutes), Method (approximately 2 minutes), Results and Discussion (approximately 9-10 minutes).

* Presentation Content: Present only the essential information that directly relates to the research questions and analyzed data. Do not attempt to present everything from the written paper due to time constraints.

* Mock Presentation Delivery and Technical Aspects:

* Preparation: Practice the presentation, ideally recording oneself and timing each section. Consider practicing in front of someone.

* Slides: Slides are meant to support