University of Toronto Faculty of Information INF 3006: Thesis Proposal Preparation June 2010 Rev November 2012 Approved by Doctoral Program Sub-Committee 23 November, 2012; revised 20 June, 2014 GOAL To guide the student’s progress in acquiring the subject knowledge needed to achieve candidacy and to conduct successful thesis research.

OBJECTIVES 1. to assist the student in identifying, reviewing, and evaluating the relevant literature in his or her chosen research area; 2. to guide the student in developing a viable thesis proposal within his or her chosen research area.

PLACEMENT OF COURSE IN DOCTORAL PROGRAM INF 3006 is a three term course to be taken by students in the second year of the doctoral studies program. In addition to fulfilling assignments described under “Evaluation”, below, students will successfully complete requirements for the PhD Qualifying Examination (see document, PhD Qualifying Examination Procedure), normally during the second term of INF3006Y. Likewise, and normally in the term immediately following successful completion of INF3006Y, students will defend the thesis proposal which derives from work in INF3006 (see document, procedure for Oral Defense of Doctoral Thesis Proposals).

METHOD Independent reading by student supplemented by regularly scheduled one on one meetings with advisor, the details of which will be spelled out in a contract jointly prepared by the student and advisor. The contract should be completed and signed by the student and advisor by the end of the third week of term 1 of the course (see Appendix A). The advisor will then submit the contract to the Director of Doctoral Studies for approval. A copy of the contract will be placed in the student’s file.

EVALUATION Each term will have at least one major assignment due at the end of that term. Additional interim assignments may be required. By the end of term 1, the student is expected to submit to the advisor an assignment that summarizes the work completed to date and prepares the student to progress toward a defensible thesis proposal. The specific format of the assignment will be determined by the advisor in consultation with the student; however, it should consist of a substantive examination of the relevant literature, functionally analogous to a draft literature review chapter of a thesis that identifies key questions and topics in the student’s chosen research area.

By the end of term 2, the student is expected to submit to the advisor an assignment that summarizes the work completed over the course of term 2 (for example, a revised literature review plus research design paper). The specific format of the assignment will be determined by the advisor in consultation with the student; examples might include: a conference paper, a publishable article, a poster presentation, or a colloquium presentation.

By the end of term 3, the student is expected to submit to the advisor a draft thesis proposal. Exact requirements for the proposal are to be discussed with the advisor. Appendix A University of Toronto Faculty of Information INF 3006Y: Thesis Proposal Preparation Course Contract between Research Advisor and Doctoral Candidate June 2010 Rev. November 2012; June 2014 Approved by Doctoral Program Sub-Committee 23 November, 2012; 20 June 2014

The research advisor and student will review the contract together, and select the options that are best-suited to the aim of advancing the student’s progress toward the preparation of a defensible dissertation proposal. Each term will have at least one major assignment due at the end of that term. Additional interim assignments may be required by the advisor. The relative weights of each assignment will be specified in the contract. 1) Format of major assignments • The major assignment in term one will consist of a substantive examination of the relevant literature, functionally analogous to the draft literature review chapter of a thesis, that identifies key questions and topics in the student’s chosen research area. . • The major assignment in term two will summarize the work completed over the course of term 2 and may take the form of a conference paper, a published article, a poster presentation, or a colloquium presentation.  The major assignment in term three is a draft thesis proposal. 2) Additional interim assignments may be required. The contract should note the format and due dates of those assignments. It should also specify the format of interim assignments if required by the advisor 3) Deadlines for major and interim assignments in terms one and two 4) Frequency and timing of regular meetings between the student and advisor. (specify weekly, bi-monthly, monthly, etc. and preferred time and day of week)

Term one Term two Term three

Format of major assignments Draft thesis proposal

Deadlines Format and due dates of interim assignments

Deadlines

Meetings

This contract must be completed and signed by both the research advisor and student by the end of WEEK THREE of the student’s enrolment in 3006Y. A completed and signed copy of this contract will be submitted to the Director of Doctoral Studies for approval. Once the Director of Doctoral Studies has approved the contract, a copy will be placed in the student’s file.

This contract may be revised or replaced at any time by mutual consent of advisor and student and resubmitted to the Director of Doctoral Studies for approval.

Name of Student (please print):

Signature of Student: Date:

Name of Research Advisor (please print):

Signature of Research Advisor: Date:

Date submitted to Director of Doctoral Studies:

Date contract approved:

Signature of Director of Doctoral Studies: