Exercise Biology

Thesis Preparation And Defense

All graduate students are required to complete successfully an original research thesis. The performance of research will be under the guidance of the thesis advisor and a thesis committee.

Choose an Advisor and Thesis Committee
Students will enroll in BIO 702 as one of the first courses. This class will help the student select an advisor to help you with a program of study and research. In addition to the advisor, a Thesis Committee must be chosen. These members can be selected from Graduate Faculty at WSU, Kettering Medical Center, Children¹s Medical Center, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, or other universities in the Miami Valley consortium. Members of the thesis committee, who are external to WSU, require approval from the Department. Two additional committee members are recommended. It is also recommended that one committee member be from outside the Biology Department. Thesis Committee members must be selected before the proposal defense.

The program/thesis advisor can also help the student with course selection and any problems that may arise. The advisor must approve registration for each quarter. The student-advisor relationship is established by mutual agreement between student and faculty member. Because it is voluntary, either party may terminate this relationship at any time.

Thesis Proposal
Candidates must submit an approved thesis proposal by the end of the third quarter. This proposal should be prepared in consultation with the student¹s advisor. Students who have not done so will not be permitted to continue enrollment in BIO 899 (Graduate Research). The candidate must provide each thesis committee member a copy of the thesis two weeks before the proposal defense. Upon acceptance of the thesis proposal by the thesis committee, a signed form will be placed in the graduate student's file. Research may deviate from the original proposal; however, suitable supplementary information must be submitted to the advisor.

Human Subjects Internal Review Board Form (IRB)
Upon successful completion of the candidate¹s Thesis Proposal, a Petition of Approval of Research Involving Human Subjects must be completed and approved through the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs. The research committee meets one time each month. The student should be aware that approval by this committee may take more than one meeting. The petition form can be found at http://www.wright.edu/rsp/subjects.html Data collection may not begin until full approval has been given by IRB.

Final Thesis Defense
Candidates must submit and orally defend a thesis based on original research performed while enrolled as a graduate student at the university. The candidate must provide each Thesis Committee member a copy of the thesis two weeks before the defense. For the final Thesis Defense, the Biology Department needs to be notified and the defense date posted one week prior to the defense. The first part of the defense is open to the public where an oral presentation with slides (PowerPoint) is given. The second part of the defense is private and with the candidate¹s Thesis Committee members.

Number of Thesis Copies

School of Graduate Studies one copy on acid-free thesis paper. Committee Members signature sheet must have original signatures and be on good paper. SOGS pays to bind this copy.
Biological Sciences Department one copy on regular paper. Committee signature sheet must have original signatures and be of high quality. Biological Sciences pays to bind this copy.
Thesis Advisor one copy on regular paper. Committee sheet can be a copy.
Student your decision.
Committee Members decision is up to your thesis advisor and/or the committee members.

Costs of thesis binding and printing:

Binding per copy - $12.00
Thesis paper - $9.20 for a ream
Copying - $0.06 per page

Thesis Sections and Order of Document

Preliminary Pages
Blank page
Title page
Approval sheet
Abstract
Table of contents
List of figures and illustrations
List of tables
Preface (optional)
Acknowledgment (optional)
Dedication (optional)
Body of the Thesis
INTRODUCTION
REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
METHODS
RESULTS
DISCUSSION
APPENDICES
REFERENCES
Reference Pages
Appendices
References - APA style
Vita (optional)
Blank page

Please refer to School of Graduate Studies website for samples of the different sections of the thesis.

Sample Title Page (Master's)
Sample Approval Sheet (Master's)
Sample Abstract
Sample Table of Contents
Sample List of Figures
Sample List of Tables
Sample Format for Text
Sample Appendix
Sample Reference (Literature Cited) List
Sample Copyright Page (Doctoral and Master¹s)

BODY OF THE THESIS

INTRODUCTION

Statement of Problem
Significance and Justification
Statement of Purpose
Hypotheses / Research Questions
Operational Definitions
Assumptions
Delimitations
Summary

REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

Sections
Summary

METHODS

Subjects
Setting
Recruitment
Ethical Considerations
Instruments
Procedures
Design and Analysis
Summary

RESULTS Address each hypothesis / research question
Summary DISCUSSION

Summary of the Results
Discussion of the hypotheses / research questions
Future research and recommendations
Conclusions

APPENDICES

A-?

REFERENCES

Useful References

Author	Cone, John D., 1942-
Title	Dissertations and theses from start to finish : psychology and related fields / John D. Cone and Sharon L. Foster
Publish info	Washington, DC : American Psychological Association, c1993
ISBN	1557981949
LOCATION	Dunbar 3rd Floor
CALL NO.	BF76.5 .C645 1993

Author	Gillis, Angela, 1953-
Title	Research for nurses : methods and interpretation / Angela Gillis, Winston Jackson
Publish info	Philadelphia, PA : F.A. Davis Co., c2002
LOCATION	FordhamHSL Stacks
CALL NO.	WY 20.5 G481r 2002

Author	Burns, Nancy, Ph. D
Title	The practice of nursing research : conduct, critique & utilization / Nancy Burns, Susan K. Grove
Publish info	Philadelphia : Saunders, c2001
ISBN	0721630545
LOCATION	FordhamHSL NursRsv, Kettering Coll. BK, Kettering Coll. BK
CALL NO.	WY 20.5 B967p 2001, WY 20.5 B967p 2001, WY 20.5 B967p 2001

APA Style Manual help online: http://www.apastyle.org/

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association
by American Psychological Association
Publisher: American Psychological Association (APA); 5th edition (July 2001)
ISBN: 1557987912

Other Details

Graduate Degree Requirements

Course Work

Required & Elective Courses

Exercise Biology Laboratory
261 Biological Sciences
Roberta L. Pohlman, Ph.D.
(937) 775-2858