Colorado College Asian Studies
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Considerations in grading
No two instructors grade in exactly the same way. The following considerations are some of the more important questions which an instructor will probably ask when considering what grade to give your thesis.
Has the student presented the thesis effectively and defended it persuasively? Has the student squarely faced the hard problems the position being analyzed presents?
Has the literature in the field been reviewed thoroughly and coherently?
If there is a strong theoretical basis employed, is the theory clearly explained and has the student researched all applicable theory?
Has the research been properly done? How thorough has the writer been in examining the authorities and other related materials?
If there is a questionnaire or interview component to the research, has the student gone through the CC Institutional Review Board for instruction on how to conduct this kind of research?
If there is a statistical analysis component to the research, has the student consulted the appropriate faculty for construct validity?
Has the writer been accurate in making statements and citing authority?
Has the writer said something new? Is the writer original in thought
and are the ideas valid or at least worthy of consideration? Has the writer
used the accumulated date to support a conclusion of some substance?
Has the paper been written in a literate manner? Does it read well? Does it conform rigorously to the prescribed form?
Is the paper one the instructor could recommend to an interested layman seeking material bearing on the subject of the thesis?
Was the paper completed in a timely manner?
RULES TO PASS OR FAIL BY
1. CITATIONS must conform to one of the following styles: a) Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, 6th ed.; b) APA; c) Modern Languages Association.
2. STYLE:
Several respected guides to style are Fowler, Modern English Usage (in paperback form edited by Margaret Nicolson); Sir Ernest Gower, The Complete Plain Words; Strunk and White, The Elements of Style; and Ross-Larson, Edit Yourself.
3. FORM:
In the final typing:
a) The thesis must be double spaced.
b) Footnotes, endnotes, or notes within the text may be used. Talk to
your thesis advisor about which form to use.
c) A Sources Consulted (Bibliography) is absolutely necessary and must
be alphabetized. The Sources Consulted listing includes not only those
sources cited in the thesis, but also any other sources the thesis writer
has consulted in more than a superficial way. This broad listing enables
both the reader and the thesis advisor to determine the depth and breadth
of the research conducted by the thesis student.
d) A title page is required.
e) The signed honor pledge must appear on a separate page immediately
following the title page.
f) Margins: The left margin must be 1-1/2 inches (to allow for binding);
the right, top, and bottom margins must be one inch each. The first page
of each chapter should have a two inch upper margin rather than the automatic
one inch.
g) Pages must be numbered. Number the first page of each chapter, appendix, glossary, and sources consulted at the bottom of the respective pages; all other pages should be numbered in the upper right corner.
h) Sections and Subsections follow Turabian, 1:36-1:37, pp. 10-11, or another standard style.
4. ASSEMBLE the thesis in the following order:
a. title page
b. signed honor code page
c. page signed by the two readers
d. dedication (if considered appropriate and of great importance)
e. blank page
f. table of contents
g. list of tables
h. list of figures
i. preface (usually not included in a senior thesis)
j. acknowledgments (if desired)
k. text
l. appendix
m. sources consulted (bibliography)
5. PRINTING:
The thesis must be typed or printed on acid-free paper (available through the department secretary at cost or at a local stationary or printing shop such as Kinko's).
6. SUBMISSION:
The thesis is due on the last day of Block 7 to both your First Reader and Second Reader. Contact them to make arrangements for delivery. You should not simply leave a copy by an office door. The final version printed on acid-free paper is due on the last day of Block 8, after the defense has been completed. The student may make small changes in correcting spelling or grammar for this final version of the thesis.
7. BINDING:
Two final copies of your thesis (and all other copies you wish to have bound) should be placed in individual manila envelopes (available from the program secretary at no charge). One of these copies will be housed in Tutt Library and one will be mailed to your home. You may have other personal copies bound and mailed to you for an extra charge. Two copies must be printed on acid-free paper. Other personal copies may be on regular paper. You must clearly identify on the manila envelope, which copies are on acid-free paper and which are not.
8. The Asian Studies Program is concerned about sexism and ethnocentrism in writing material. Copies of "Sexism in Writing" from Harper, Dictionary of Contemporary Usage, second ed., by William and Mary Morris are available from the department secretary.