The written thesis is something that all graduate students must complete, and is one of the ways in which students demonstrate to their advisor and committee that they have done the necessary background literary research and thought extensively about what project they may propose to answer their proposed question. The proposed thesis is written similarly to a grant proposal, with the components written as if the research has not yet been done and discussion of expected results. As such, use the components listed below as suggestion of important aspects of a proposal, but also be sure to discuss the expectations of your advisor and committee.

For more information on writing your thesis and requirements for the program, check the M.S. Thesis Requirements site.

Background/Introduction

  • Introducing topic and any connected topics that may be a part of your question
  • Other research on the topic, as well as gaps in literature (especially if you intend to fill them)
  • A useful bit of advice from an advisor: start with the broad question you’d like to answer, rather than the system in which you propose to answer it. Starting with the species of study may come across as having less knowledge of the concepts and principles that you intend to study. This may differ for those whose study does indeed focus on a species rather than a concept.
  • If you are to introduce a study species or system, provide information that will supplement what you have already laid out in your intro. For example, if you are studying an invasive species which you believe adapts to its new environment, you might talk about its native origin, and the temperature/environmental ranges within which it is commonly found. This way, you are backing your hypothetical claims with actual biological evidence.
  • Of course this is not always the easiest part, but if you plan to study a broader topic such as climate change, ocean acidification, or biodiversity loss, try to present it from a different angle. This shows that you understand the issue well enough to go beyond it and see an alternative perspective.

Objectives/Hypotheses

  • Clearly state exactly what you propose to study and how you intend to do so
  • Break down your objectives in the following paragraphs, giving each paragraph extensive thought and reasoning for the hypotheses you wish to test
  • For each objective, state briefly what experiment you will use and the relevant measurements you will take
  • Per measurement, give specific reasoning (literature citing helps here) for using that measure so that it is understood how directly it relates to your question
  • As always, provide literature references where necessary, especially when talking about hypotheses and expected results

Methods & Experimental Design

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  • Because this section can get very complicated very fast, it is helpful to break it into subsections, especially if you will discuss more than one experiment or an experiment with multiple parts.
  • The order of this section is up to you, but do describe the location(s) of the experiment, and why they were chosen
  • If using multiple locations, it may be helpful to include a map with locations indicated (with in-text reference), or GPS coordinates of your proposed sites
  • For any experiment/observational project, include proposed sample sizes (n=”#”) within text to show that you’ve thought about what kind of statistical power you want
    • For a great resource on power analyses for RStudio, check out this website
  • While explaining methods, explicitly refer to the question being answered to remind readers how your experiment ties to the question

Statistical Analyses

  • Can be a subsection of methods or standalone
  • Follow the order of what is laid out in methods, explaining how you intend to use the data you’ll collect from the research
  • Explain statistical tests in enough detail that the reader understands how the test will allow you to answer your question
  • Introduce the intent of all variables (independent or dependent), and what each outcome (i.e., interaction, significance, non-significance) would mean for your question
  • You want to show that you’ve thought of all outcomes and what they might mean for your research ​

Significance

  • As with your introduction, you want to show how your research will fit in with the bigger picture or fill a gap in current literature
  • This is the other end of the well known “hourglass”, where you’re expanding out from your experiment, study site, or species and thinking about it in broader context
  • Reiterate your hypotheses and overarching objectives with brief reminders of your proposed methods for testing them

Timeline

  • This can either be written in paragraph format or in bulleted list
  • One benefit of paragraph form is that it allows for more explanation of each part, if you feel you need it
  • Typically, your timeline includes dates for the following: (though this will vary by subsection of the department)
    • Field seasons
    • Experiments
    • Backup time for redoing experiments or procedures
    • Data compilation and analysis
    • Writing of thesis
    • Oral thesis defense

Figures

  • Any figures included in your proposal, while referenced in the text, can go on a separate page after your timeline
  • Figures may include: site maps, theoretical results, experimental design, conceptual diagrams

Budget

  • This is useful for helping your committee understand that you’ve put some thought into how much your project will cost
  • Often, this part (in addition to the timeline) helps you determine whether your project is feasible or attainable
  • Also, this will be immensely helpful to have for when you apply to grants later
  • Be as detailed as possible (even including suppliers if necessary) and round up (maybe by 20%) for materials to allow for some wiggle room

Literature Cited

  • Simple note: just make sure all citations are formatted in the same way
  • There is no requirement here, just as many as it takes to provide the necessary support for your ideas