Thesis proposal guide

The student prepares a research proposal of twenty (20) pages maximum (tables and references not included), spaced at 1.5, paginated, in Times New Roman 12-point font, margins at 2.5. It is not unusual for a student, through feedback from their supervisor and committee, to prepare multiple drafts of the thesis proposal prior to it being accepted.

This document generally contains: a theoretical framework and/or a conceptual framework, a review of literature, a description of the problem, research questions, a methodological framework (e.g., design, participants, instruments, procedure, and analyses), the contribution of the research to the field of education, and an appropriate and exhaustive reference section. The order of these components may vary.

The student must attend a meeting of the committee to receive and discuss feedback from the committee members.

There is no evaluation grid for the thesis proposal. The committee members give their written comments to the thesis supervisor before the seminar.

The student must give an oral presentation of his or her proposal, which is called the thesis seminar.

The thesis seminar is an opportunity for the student to present the thesis project to his/her committee and to receive advice that will contribute to the quality of the thesis. The thesis seminar is open to the public. They are publicized on the faculty website.

Preparing for the Thesis Seminar

It is the responsibility of the student to submit all the documents related to the thesis seminar at least two (2) weeks before the proposed date of the seminar. Failure to meet the two-week deadline may result in a postponement of the thesis seminar.

To submit a request, attach the documents listed below to a Service Request, which you create by selecting Service Requests from the Applications menu in uoZone. For detailed instructions, review the Service Requests application.

You must attach the following documents with your request:

• An electronic copy of the thesis proposal
• A one-page abstract
• Approval of the Ph.D. Thesis Proposal, Written Component which has been completed by the committee members

Members of the committee must attend. If a member is not able to be present and cannot participate, approval must be sought from the program director. If the program director approves the absence of one of the members, questions must be submitted by e-mail to the academic secretariat.

The academic secretariat selects the date of the seminar in consultation with the members of the jury and the student and communicates the date and time to all of the members.

Seminar Procedures

The purpose of a seminar is to present the student’s research to the community. The seminar follows these steps.

1. A professor chairs the thesis seminar.
2. The student makes an oral presentation of the research proposal. This presentation should be between 15 and 20 minutes.
3. Committee members are then invited to ask the student questions and offer comments and recommendations that are deemed helpful to the research for a maximum of 20 minutes.
4. The professors (i.e., faculty members, excluding committee members) may then ask questions.
5. Afterwards, other members of the assembly (who are not professors or members of the committee) may then ask their questions.
6. After the question period, the Chair asks the student and the members of the audience to step outside the room while the committee members discuss the students verdicts and make further recommendations. The committee makes one of the following decisions:

Option 1: Satisfactory: The student is allowed to proceed with the research as proposed;

Option 2: Non-Satisfactory: A failing grade is added to the student’s file and they must re-enrol to EDU 9997. Following the evaluation committee’s recommendation, the student must submit a revised version and make a new oral presentation.

The Chair asks the student and the audience to return to the room.

The Chair is responsible for

• communicating the decision to the student and the assembly,
• completing and signing the form, “Evaluation of the PhD Thesis Seminar; and
• if required, indicating the modifications required in the appropriate section of the form.

The Approval of the Thesis Proposal form must be signed by all members of the committee including the thesis supervisor(s).

The Chair submits the form immediately to the academic secretariat. The final grade will be entered in the students file

Once the research proposal is accepted at the seminar, the student applies for ethics approval for the research project from the University of Ottawa’s Research Ethics Board. This approval is necessary for any research project involving human subjects. Failure to comply with this requirement will result in academic sanctions. For information on how to apply for ethics approval consult their website. The student must also submit a copy of the form “Evaluation of the PhD Thesis Seminar” as proof of successful completion of the thesis proposal.