Dissertation and Thesis Guide

Department of Computer Science

Dissertation and Thesis Guide College of Arts and Sciences Bowie State University January 27, 2009 Dissertation and Thesis Guide

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION...... 1 The Dissertation...... 1 The Thesis...... 2 Other Final Projects...... 2 ISSUES OF SCHOLARSHIP...... 3 Responsibility...... 3 Copyright...... 3 Acknowledgement of Sources...... 4 Scholarly Conduct...... 5 Intellectual Property, Inventions, and Patents...... 6 Federal Regulations...... 7 Joint Projects...... 8 Paid and Unpaid Assistance...... 8 University Microforms International...... 9 PROCEDURES...... 10 Selecting a Topic, Advisor, and Committee...... 10 Writing the Dissertation or Thesis...... 11 Working With Your Committee...... 12 Library Use...... 12 Tracking Citations...... 13 The Abstract...... 13 The Defense...... 13 Submission of the Dissertation, Thesis, or Written Project...... 14 THESIS AND DISSERTATION PROCEDURES CHECKLIST...... 16 THESIS AND DISSERTATION COMPLETE COMPONENTS LIST...... 17 MANDATORY FORMAT REQUIREMENTS...... 18 Language...... 18 Mandatory Elements...... 18 Margins...... 18 Line Spacing...... 18 Paper...... 19 Ink Color...... 19 Printing...... 19 Binding...... 19 Dissertation and Thesis Guide

COMPONENTS...... 20 Title Page...... 20 Copyright Page...... 20 Signature Page...... 21 Fair Use and Duplication Release Form...... 21 Abstract...... 21 Table of Contents...... 22 List of Figures or Illustrations...... 22 List of Tables...... 22 Preface, Introduction and Foreword...... 22 Acknowledgments...... 23 Dedication...... 23 Body of Text and Divisions...... 23 Footnotes, Endnotes, and In-Text References...... 23 Nontext Elements...... 23 Bibliography...... 24 Appendices...... 24 Autobiographical Statement...... 24 STYLE...... 25 Page and Text Format...... 26 Typefaces...... 27 Line Spacing and Extracts...... 28 Illustrations, Tables, and Photographs...... 28 Oversize Elements...... 29 Page Numbering...... 29 Other Issues of Style...... 29 AVOIDING SOME COMMON PROBLEMS...... 30 SOURCE CONSULTED...... 31 APPENDIX A: PLAGIARISM...... 32 Definition...... 32 Examples of Correct and Incorrect Uses of Sources...... 34 Flagrant Plagiarism...... 34 Plagiarism through Paraphrasing...... 35 Plagiarism of an Idea...... 35 Correct Use of Paraphrasing and Direct Quotations...... 36 The Problem of Common Knowledge...... 37 APPENDIX B: EXAMPLES OF REQUIRED FORMS...... 39 INDEX...... 42 Dissertation and Thesis Guide

INTRODUCTION

The final project is an important milestone in your academic career. It is the point at which you enter the working community of your chosen profession. As a graduate student at BSU you have an opportunity to use your highest creative and intellectual powers to produce an original project that communicates your own ideas, work, experience, research, and/or experimentation. You will have the help and supervision of a group of outstanding faculty in your field, and the product you create will be preserved for posterity. It should be a credit to you, your program, and to BSU.

Final projects at BSU will take the established format. The first step to successfully completing your final project for the graduate degree is to contact your program director/coordinator. The program coordinator, your advisor, and you will create the final specifications for your work.

The full requirements and specifications in this Guide apply primarily to dissertations and theses. Nevertheless, because many of the principles, standards, and guidelines for dissertations and theses apply equally to all final projects, this document contains information and suggestions that will be essential to all graduate students in the process of completing final projects. The vast majority of the elements of the dissertation or thesis such as style are a part of this document or some other departmental publication. Very few of the elements are discretionary. You are expected to use this document and any other approved references for guides. (See the “Style” section for the set of firm rules that are stated in the “Mandatory Format Requirements,” section given below. These, along with any additional requirements specific to your program, take precedence over guidelines in any other manual of style you may use. Technical requirements and specifications, such as paper quality, margins, and use of fonts should be followed, whenever possible, when preparing all final projects.

The following sections of this Introduction will briefly describe the three most common types of exit projects at BSU.

The Dissertation In general usage, and at BSU, the dissertation is a document that a student writes in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a doctoral degree. The following is a description of the role of the doctoral dissertation published by the Council of graduate Schools (http://www.cgsnet.org/ ):

1 Dissertation and Thesis Guide

The doctoral dissertation should (1) reveal the student’s ability to analyze, interpret, and synthesize information; (2) demonstrate the student’s knowledge of the literature relating to the project or at least acknowledge of the prior scholarship on which the dissertation is built; (3) describe the methods and procedures used; (4) present results in a sequential and logical manner; and (5) display the student’s ability to discuss fully and coherently the meaning of the results. In the sciences, the work must be described in sufficient detail to permit an independent investigator to replicate the results. 1

In addition, the BSU Graduate School is in agreement with the Council of Graduate Schools that the research related to the dissertation should be “intensive, substantial, significant, original, and independent. 2

The Thesis The thesis is a document that a student writes in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a master’s degree. It is a written work that follows a particular line of research in an academic mode. In shape, direction, and intent, the thesis is much like the dissertation. It differs in that the thesis is not expected to be as complex, as extensively researched, or as stringently original as the dissertation. That is, the thesis differs from the dissertation in that it is a final project appropriate to the completion of a master’s degree, not a doctorate.

Other Final Projects At BSU, not all graduate programs with final project requirements or options require a thesis. Other possible final projects range from applied writing projects to collections of important work and publishable articles to portfolios of original creative works submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a graduate degree. Such projects take many forms and represent a highly diversified understanding of appropriate ways in which students may become practicing members of their professional communities.

______1. Council of Graduate Schools, The Role and Nature of the Doctoral Dissertation (Washington DC: Council of Graduate Schools, 1991), p.3. 2. Ibid., p.37

As a graduate student and a scholar, you have certain rights and responsibilities. The following section reviews the rights you have over your own work and methods you must follow to observe the rights of others.

ISSUES OF SCHOLARSHIP

Responsibility You are ultimately responsible for the content and quality of your dissertation or thesis. BSU offers many support services, including access to computers and printers, a library, laboratory equipment, and assistance from the project advisor and committee. You stand to benefit by taking advantage of these services, but the final responsibility rests with you. This includes financial responsibility for the various costs of producing a high-quality document. You are expected to maintain a high standard of scholarship and writing, and you must engage the help you need in terms of typing and copy production in order to produce a document which fulfills the requirements outlined in the Guide.

Copyright As the author of a written work, you are entitled to certain rights under the law of copyright. This law prevents others from taking credit for or profiting from your work without your permission. Copyright applies only to your expression of your ideas, not the ideas themselves. For a discussion of ideas, inventions, intellectual property, and patents, see the section “Intellectual Property,” below. Also note in that section the special case of written computer software, which may in some cases be copyrighted by the University.

You do not have to make any notification of copyright to be protected under the law. However, if you do so, you will be afforded additional protections. Four aspects of a copyright will be covered here: basic copyright protection, deposit, notice of the copyright, and registration of the copyright.

A. Basic Copyright Protection Under the Copyright Act of 1976 (Public Law 94553), you automatically hold copyright privileges for your work without making notice or registration. For works created on or after January 1, 1978, this copyright extends from the moment of the work’s creation, through the life of the author, plus an additional 50 years after the author’s death. (So-called

works for hire have a different duration; this would not apply to a dissertation or thesis.)

B. Deposit The Copyright Act requires the owner of the copyright for a work published in the United States to submit two copies for deposit with the Library of Congress within three months of publication. Theses and dissertations are generally considered published works if copies are placed in a library, accessible to the public, as is the case at BSU. Hence, the Graduate School recommends that students fulfill the deposit requirement unless publication is delayed due to patent concerns. This requirement may be satisfied through the copyright registration process described below.

C. Notice and Registration of Copyright The placement of a notice of copyright is strongly encouraged. See “Components” below for BSU’s requirements regarding placement of the copyright page, and what should appear on said page.

To register your copyright, you must submit two copies to the Library of Congress, along with the form TX: Application for Copyright Registration for a Non-dramatic Literary Work. There is a small fee.

Notice and registration of a copyright at the time of publication will simplify the process of litigation and afford you additional rights, should your copyright ever be infringed. For example, if you have registered your copyright, you do not have to prove damages if your work is plagiarized; instead, you can sue for statutory damages and attorney’s fees.

Acknowledgement of Sources You must carefully observe the copyright of others, crediting all sources quoted and consulted. In addition, you must take care not to use too much of another person’s material without permission, even if you acknowledge it.

The Copyright Act of 1976 allows for what it calls fair use of material belonging to others. Under fair use, it is usually considered permissible for a scholar to include a brief quotation from another scholar’s work for the purpose of argument, agreement, or review, if this quotation is proportionally a very small

4 Dissertation and Thesis Guide part of the original work, and if the purposes are educational. Fair use would probably not cover a use in which the quoting party stood to profit by the inclusion of the quoted material, or the quoted party stood to lose money through diminished sales of the original work due to the use of the material. Nor would it allow, for example, the quotation of six lines from an eight line poem, as that is a large proportion of the total work. Particularly, fair use does not apply to written tests, workbooks, and other “consumable” material. These should never be quoted without permission.

To request permission to use a portion of a work, send a letter, in duplicate, to the copyright holder of the work. (Letters to individuals may be sent in care of their publishers. Be sure to allow plenty of time.) Include the bibliographic information for the exact edition you would like to quote, and refer to the quoted material with a first and last line, and a page number reference. You must also state the nature of the rights you are seeking. For most cases, in a dissertation or thesis, this would be “nonexclusive world rights in the English language, for one edition.” The publisher or copyright holder may charge a fee or make stipulations on the presentation of the material.

Scholarly Conduct BSU demands high standards of scholarly conduct and etiquette, and treats misconduct as a serious offense. Academic offenses such as plagiarism, falsification or fabrication of data, and academic sabotage of the work of another are specifically prohibited. A student accused of committing such acts will be subject to the process outlined for graduate students in the BSU Student and Faculty Handbooks and the catalog. A student who has been found to have committed such acts at BSU can receive penalties from the University including probation, dismissal, or revocation of degrees. Plagiarism, academic sabotage, and other offenses against another individual can result in civil penalties as well.

Plagiarism Webster’s New World Dictionary defines plagiarize as follows: to take ideas, writings, etc. from another and pass them off as one’s own. The word stems from the Latin plagiarius: kidnapper.

Plagiarism covers a wide range of un-credited use of the material of another. It includes not only flagrant copying, but paraphrasing and borrowing of ideas without giving credit. Examples of the types of plagiarism, and an example of

5 Dissertation and Thesis Guide the use of another’s idea with appropriate credit given, are in the Appendix. Study these examples and be certain you understand what constitutes plagiarism. Then take steps to avoid it.

Falsification/Fabrication of Data Falsification of data consists of the deliberate misrepresentation of the outcome of experimentation or another method of data gathering. Fabrication is the creation of data when no bona fide experimentation or data gathering was done.

Academic Sabotage This refers to deliberate damage done to the academic work of another. Academic sabotage can range from actual theft or destruction of written or electronic materials or equipment to deliberate contamination of experiments and data.

Intellectual Property, Inventions, and Patents If your project involves an invention or idea that could be patented, your project advisor must submit a Bowie State University Invention Disclosure Form to the University Patent and Copyright Committee as soon after conception of the invention as possible. The Patent and Copyright Policy of Bowie State University reads, in part:

Invention...includes any discovery, invention, process, know-how, designs, model, work of authorship (including computer software), strain, variety, or culture of an organism, or portion, modification, translation, or extension of these items…It shall be the policy of the University to acquire and retain legal title to all inventions created by any person or persons… using facilities owned, operated, or controlled by the University.3

Inventors are required under this policy to inform the University promptly after an invention is created, conceived, or first reduced to practice. The policy also addresses the distribution of income if the invention is patented and put to commercial use.

______3. Office of the General Counsel, Inventor’s Handbook: A Guide to Patent and Copyright Law, Policy and Procedure, (In progress), p.?.

The ramifications of the policy are great. As a scientist or scholar at BSU, you are expected to develop excellent habits of documentation and record keeping. This becomes crucial if patentable ideas or materials are involved. Good documentation of the chronology of your work, including signed lab books and documentation of the presence of knowledgeable, objective witnesses to important experiments can be critical to obtaining ownership of the invention.

Privacy is also crucial. The entire body of information you create in reference to your project, including lab notes and working papers, must be kept private pending the outcome of an examination by the Committee. Your dissertation or thesis will not be circulated in the library, nor should you register it with UMI (see University Microforms International, below), which constitutes microform publication. Even the project defense can be affected; portions of it may have to be held without the presence of the public.

It is important to understand the differences between patent and copyright. Patent involves ownership of the ideas, to which BSU is entitled under its policies. Copyright covers the method of expression of the ideas, not the ideas themselves. You automatically hold copyright in your own name, and are permitted and encouraged to register it. (There are two exceptions to this rule. One is the case of computer software, to which BSU may claim the copyright. The other relates to copyrightable materials created from projects funded by BSU or one of its sponsors. If you plan to include written software in your dissertation or thesis, or if your project is funded, speak to your advisor about it.)

If you believe your ideas may be patentable, speak to your project advisor immediately. The Inventor’s Handbook contains complete information on the policies and procedures involved, and can be obtained from the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs.

Federal Regulations There are strict federal regulations which govern the use of human and animal subjects, radioactive and other hazardous materials, legend drugs, and recombinant DNA in research, study, and experimentation. A number of committees at BSU deal with different aspects of these regulations and their enforcement. The committees include the Institutional Review Board and a Committee of the University Council.

In addition, projects funded with federal grants have specific regulations attached.

If your project will involve any of the above issues or materials, contact the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs. The staff will put you in contact with the appropriate committees to aid you in following the federal regulations.

Joint Projects Projects involving two or more students are permitted in some programs under strict guidelines. When joint projects are permitted, there must be a clear division of the project between the individuals involved, and separate documents submitted. The division of the project should be clearly and completely disclosed in the documents. A student involved in a joint project should expect detailed questions in the defense about his or her individual part and how it related to the whole.

Paid and Unpaid Assistance In a sense, all dissertations and theses are collaborative projects between the student and the committee. You will receive much assistance with the direction of your research from your advisor and committee. Additionally, all programs permit you to engage help with the physical formatting of your document. This can include typing, word processing, printing, binding, and photograph development. A colleague’s critical review of your document is generally acceptable. The acceptability of further assistance varies.

Some programs may allow or even require you to engage lab or technical assistance. If a method of data acquisition is beyond the limits of your discipline, you will probably be permitted to engage help in gathering that data. For instance, a gerontology student who needed blood work done for a nutritional study would probably be permitted to engage a lab technician to do the blood work. But a statistician would be expected to do all his or her own statistical work, and a student in a writing program would be allowed minimal writing assistance.

Remember: assistance is assistance. Anything that diminishes intellectual ownership of your work is much more than assistance, and not permissible.

Check with your advisor if you have any questions about the nature of what is acceptable in your program.

All assistance you receive, paid and unpaid, must be disclosed and briefly described, in writing, in the acknowledgement section of your document.

University Microforms International University Microforms International (UMI) is a service which will copy your dissertation or thesis onto microform, include a citation in the paper, online, and CD-ROM indexes it publishes, and acts as a distributor of the work. Other media forms may also be available. Dissertations are listed in UMI’s serial publication, Dissertation Abstracts International, and master’s theses are listed in the publication, Master’s Abstracts. Both types of documents are included in UMI’s on-line indexes and CD-ROM products. For an additional fee, UMI will register your copyright.

UMI will also provide microform and print copies to parties who wish to have a copy of your work. UMI’s agreement with you will be for exclusive rights for microform distribution, and nonexclusive rights for distribution in other media. This means you may not engage another party to make microform copies, but you are not prevented from publishing your document in print at a later time, or providing print copies yourself. You may also order discounted copies of your own publication in various media.

You are strongly encouraged to submit your document to UMI. The Graduate School will aid you in obtaining and filling out the appropriate forms.

Note: do not register your document with UMI if it contains material which is being considered for patent. See the section “Intellectual Property, Inventions, and Patents” above.

PROCEDURES

The following section outlines the specific procedure for producing a dissertation or thesis at BSU. While not complex, this procedure can be very time-consuming. It is of utmost importance that you allow enough time for the logistics of producing your document, as well as writing it.

Selecting a Topic, Advisor, and Committee After you commence your program of study you should begin the following process:

 Select a general area of study for your project.  Consult with the graduate program director/coordinator when required by your program.  Choose a project advisor (also called the thesis director, dissertation director, or major professor) and supervisory committee with the help of the coordinator.  Select a topic and write a prospectus.  Obtain program approval for the prospectus.  Submit an Appointment of Supervisor or Examining Committee form to the graduate School dean for purposes of notification.  Determine the credit hours for which to register, in consultation with your advisor.  Make plans, in consultation with your advisor, to submit your dissertation or thesis in two ways – electronically and in hard copy.

After selection of a general topic or area of study, you will choose a project advisor and be assigned a supervisory committee. Protocol for engaging the advisor varies from program to program in the Graduate School. You may have already established a working relationship with a graduate faculty member and it will come naturally for you to approach this person about advising your project. Or you may need help from your program coordinator in choosing both an area of study and an advisor. The coordinator may approach the potential advisor on your behalf if you desire.

The graduate coordinator or project advisor will then assist you with forming your committee. A thesis committee must comprise a minimum of three members including the advisor; a dissertation committee must comprise a

10 Dissertation and Thesis Guide minimum of five including the advisor. All committee members must be teaching or have taught graduate courses. Including a committee member from another college is encouraged. Under some circumstances, a BSU faculty member who has never taught a graduate course or a person from the general community may serve on a committee if that person has appropriate and needed expertise. He or she must be approved to serve on the Committee.

You will need to work very closely with your advisor when selecting a topic. Topic selection can be a much more difficult undertaking than you may imagine. You will need the expertise of an experienced faculty member to help you avoid projects that are too global, too narrow, or involve likely dead ends. Do not assume that you can choose a topic without assistance.

After you have narrowed your topic, you must write a project prospectus for the committee’s approval. The prospectus is a written description outlining the main features of the proposed research topic. The length requirements for the prospectus vary from program to program; check with your program coordinator or advisor. After the prospectus has been approved, your advisor will submit an Appointment of Supervisory or Examining Committee form to the graduate dean. The form will list the thesis committee members and the preliminary thesis title.

You will then register for the dissertation or thesis hours as agreed upon with your advisor, and determine a method and schedule for submission of your written work. The schedule must be submitted to the director/coordinator.

Writing the Dissertation or Thesis Now you will begin your concentrated research and writing. At all times during the writing of your dissertation or thesis you must be in close contact with your advisor and supervising committee. The committee members will establish a procedure for overseeing your work as you progress. For example, they may wish to read a draft of each chapter as you write it. The committee and your advisor may (will) suggest changes in content, presentation, and the direction of your research as you continue with your work. Be certain that your copy is neat and readable and your writing is grammatically correct and clear before you present it to your committee. Your committee’s primary function is to guide your intellectual process and research on your topic, not to edit or proofread your writing.

Working With Your Committee When establishing a timeline for the work of your project, allow ample time for the committee to review your writing. This phase can be very frustrating. Keep in mind that you will be waiting for three, four, or more busy people to read and review your work. You will need to develop a method of time use which you can adapt to these possibly protracted waits. Try to schedule your time so that you always have plenty of things to work on while the committee has a given chapter. This might include the polishing of previous chapters, the writing of new material, or general work on the bibliography and citations. Resist the temptation to second-guess the committee; do not rework the chapter currently in its possession.

Occasionally you will get seriously conflicting suggestions from committee members. If this happens, consult with your advisor and follow his or her advice. Your advisor is your advocate and will serve as a mediator on your committee.

Library Use Libraries are no longer merely repositories of documents and other concrete forms of information held on-site. As a graduate student, you are expected to become well acquainted with current library and information technology.

BSU’s Library is an open-stack library, with browsing privileges for the general public and check-out privileges for the circulating collection for members of the BSU community and all students in the University System of Maryland. Onsite offerings include thousands of book volumes and hundreds of current periodical subscriptions. Periodical articles are indexed in both print and CD-ROM databases, the CD-ROMs offering a variety of electronic search methods. Fee- based online databases may also be accessed. Archives and Special Collections highlight materials specific to BSU, the State of Maryland, the region, and beyond. The Library subscribes to the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC).

The holdings of the library are automated, and you can search for a book by title, author, subject, a combination of those, or by additional methods. The automated system will show whether the library holds a book, and whether it is currently available in the stacks. It can be accessed via the World Wide Web from any location. The system also offers a gateway to other libraries and databases around the world. If the book or periodical issue you need is not available in the library, you can usually obtain it through Interlibrary Loan (ILL) which offers various book and document delivery services.

General information is available by calling (301)860-XXXX, or by visiting the Thurgood Marshall Library Web Site at www.xxxxxxxxxxxxx.

Tracking Citations It is legally and ethically imperative that you accurately cite all sources used in your project. For a document the size of a dissertation or thesis, this is an extensive and time-consuming project. Be mindful of this from the beginning, and choose a method that will allow you to track all materials you use efficiently.

Possible tracking methods include:  Using the bibliographic tools available in most good word processing programs.  Purchasing a standalone software program designed for tracking citations.  Creating sets of index cards. On one you could simply list bibliographic information for individual books and other resources; on another you could include quotes, page numbers of relevant sections, or topic lists.  Creating a computerized database organized similarly to the above.  Writing complete citation information into the copy as you write your document and dividing and formatting it into footnotes or bibliographic citations at a later time.

The Abstract As you come to the conclusion of your work you must write a one-page abstract: a short description of the topic or stated problem, a review of the methods used in investigating the topic, and a statement of the conclusions reached. The abstract will be distributed at the defense of the dissertation or thesis and will be bound with the document. Format and style of the abstract is covered below in “Components”.

The Defense When your project advisor in consultation with the committee is satisfied that your work is complete or nearing completion, you will be invited to schedule your defense. The defense usually consists of two parts, an oral presentation open to the public and an oral examination administered by the project committee administered to the candidate in private. Formats for the defense vary

13 Dissertation and Thesis Guide from program to program; your advisor can provide specific information about what you can expect.

As previously mentioned, a part of the defense is open to the public. Members of our program and other faculty members are most likely to attend. The role of the public is as observer; questions or other participation may be elicited at the discretion of the committee. The deliberations of the committee will be in private and take place after the private examination. The public and the candidate will be excluded from their deliberations. Possible results of the deliberations include unqualified approval, approval pending some specified changes in your document, or a more substantial requirement specified by the committee.

The Graduate School will be notified two weeks in advance of the defense by the Department. You must complete the notification form and include the following information: your name, your program, the title of your project, and a short description, as well as the time and location of the defense. The Graduate School will publicize the defense on campus. Publication will usually consist of notification via e-mail.

Submission of the Dissertation, Thesis, or Written Project All of the following must be completed at least two weeks before your planned graduation date. You must:

 Make any changes suggested by the committee during the project defense.  Submit a final draft copy to the Graduate School for review.  Make any final changes suggested by the committee.  Obtain all necessary signatures on all copies to be bound.  Submit bound copies to the Graduate School. Master’s students must supply two bound copies. Doctoral students must supply three.

One bound copy will be kept in the graduate program department, and the other will be kept in the Thurgood Marshall Library Archives. After any possible issues relating to a patent are settled, both will be available for public viewing. The third copy required of doctoral students will be sent to the student’s undergraduate institution after patent issues are settled.

You are encouraged to prepare bound courtesy copies for the members of your committee and other individuals who gave you extensive assistance. When

14 Dissertation and Thesis Guide deciding how many copies to make, remember that UMI requires one unbound copy.

You will not graduate until you have met the requirements for submission of the dissertation or thesis.

THESIS AND DISSERTATION PROCEDURES CHECKLIST

Select general topic or project focus ……………………………………………..

Consult with graduate program coordinator …………………………………..

Choose advisor and supervisory committee …….……………………………..

Select topic, write prospectus ………..…………………………………………..

Obtain program approval for prospectus ….…………………………………...

Submit to Institutional Review Board (if studying human subjects) ……......

Submit Appointment of Supervisor or Examining Committee Form ………..

Determine the method and schedule of document submission ……...……….

Confirm the number of thesis or dissertation credit hours ……………………

Register for hours ………...………………………………………………………..

Commence research and writing ….……………………………………………..

Submit material to committee according to schedule …….…………..………..

Make changes suggested by committee …..……………………………………..

Lay out final version ………………………………...……………………………..

Proofread (more than once!) …………………………………..…………………..

Print final version ………………….……………………………...………………..

Write abstract ………………………...……………………………………………..

Schedule project defense ……………………………………..……...……………..

Perform defense ……………………………………...……………………………..

Make changes based on the defense ...……………………………………..……..

Obtain all signatures ………………………………………….……...……………..

Prepare and submit bound copies ….……………………………………………..

THESIS AND DISSERTATION COMPLETE COMPONENTS LIST

Title page ……………………..…………………………………………………….

*Copyright page ………………...... …………………………………………....

Signature page ……………………..……………………………………..………..

Fair Use and Duplication Release Form…………..……………………………...

Abstract ……………………………………………………………………………..

Table of contents …………………..………………………………………...……..

*List of figures or illustrations …….………………………………….…………..

*List of tables ……………………...………………………………………………..

*Preface ……………………………………………………………………………..

*Acknowledgements ………………………………………..……………………..

*Dedication ………………………..………………………………………………..

Body of Text and Non-text Elements ………………..…………………………..

Endnotes/Footnotes/Text references ……………………………………………..

Bibliography ……………………….……………………...………………………..

*Copy of Institutional Review Board approval (when necessary) ……...……..

*Appendix/Appendices ……………………………..……………………………..

*Autobiographical Statement ……...…………………………….………………..

Suggested placement for all elements of a thesis or dissertation. Items with asterisks (*) are optional. Required placement of the minimum required components is listed on the facing page.

MANDATORY FORMAT REQUIREMENTS

The following are mandatory requirements for the print copies of your dissertation or thesis. The purpose of these requirements is to ensure that your document can be successfully bound, that it will remain well preserved, and that it will have a professional and attractive appearance.

Language The dissertation or thesis must be written in English.

Mandatory Elements The following elements must be present in the dissertation or thesis, in this order:  Title page  Signature page  Fair Use and Duplication Release Form  Abstract  Table of contents  Body of text  Endnotes/Footnotes/Text References  Bibliography  Institutional Review Board approval (when necessary)

See the facing page for placement of additional elements

Margins The inside margin of all pages must be 1½ inches wide for purposes of binding. The other margins should conform to the recommendations of your style book.

Line Spacing The body of the text must be double spaced. (Single spacing may be permissible for long quotations, footnotes, and other such elements. Follow the guidelines in your style manual.)

Paper The copies to be bound must be printed or photocopied onto archival quality white paper: 100 percent cotton, at least 20 pound weight, 8½ by 11 inches. Acid- free paper, which deteriorates less with the passage of time, is mandatory. A paper that fits the above criteria is Old Council Tree Bond, which is acid-free.

Ink Color The text must be printed in black ink. Colored ink may be used for graphs, digital images, and other illustrations. Keep in mind that colored inks and photographs do not copy well and tend to fade; supplemental black and white copies (on disk) will ensure that your work is reproducible in microform or print and better preserved over time. Please consult your style guide for more detailed information and follow the specifications listed therein.

Printing The final copies must be printed, one-sided, directly onto the appropriate paper by a laser printer, letter quality printer, or be professionally photocopied onto the appropriate paper from a draft produced by a laser printer or letter quality printer. The final copy should be crisp, clean and free of smudges, erasures, or corrections. Care must be exercised to select technology that will produce images that will be preserved over time and can be reproduced.

Binding The final copies must be book-bound with a maroon or black cover with gold lettering on the front cover and along the spine. Lettering should be with initial capital letters only, not all capital. Documents longer than 500 pages, or more than three inches in thickness without the binding, should be bound in two volumes. All Graduate School binding requirements take precedence over the state requirements in this document.

Bound dissertations and theses are shelved by subject in the Thurgood Marshall Library Archives, should you wish to see examples.

Dissertations or theses failing to conform to the above requirements will not be accepted by the Graduate School.

COMPONENTS

Structural Determination of Various Halogenated Polysaccharides Title Page in the Solid State by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and X-Ray Methods The title should accurately reflect the content of your document. Avoid A Thesis submitted to the Graduate School symbols, formulae, and numerals in Bowie State University the title. Words must be used whenever possible. in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree of

MASTER OF SCIENCE

in Computer Science

in the Department of Computer Science of the College of Arts and Science

May 1994

Jane Agnes Doe

BS, Howard University, Washington DC, 1991 Sample Title Page

Copyright Page On the copyright page you must have the copyright symbol: © ; the words “Copyright 20__” (the current year), your full name as it appears on the title page, and the text, “All rights reserved.” The placement of the copyright page immediately following © Copyright 1994 Jane Agnes Doe the title page is traditional and All Rights Reserved recommended.

Sample Copyright Page

Signature Page This thesis, “Structural Determination of Various Halogenated Polysaccharides in the Solid State by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and Your name should appear in X-Ray Methods,” by Jane Agnes Doe, is approved by: exactly the same form in which it Thesis Advisor ______appears on the title page. All Galdalf Greyson signatures must be original on Professor of Computer Science each bound copy of the Thesis Committee ______dissertation or thesis. A full-size Samwise Gamji form is in the appendix; the Professor of Computer Science version that you create must ______Bilbo Baggins follow that format. Professor of Computer Science

______Smeagol Mad-Hobson Associate Professor of Computer Science

Program Coordinator ______Legolas Elvinwood Professor of Computer Science

Graduate Dean ______Frodo Bagginson Professor of Computer Science

Sample Signature Page

Fair Use and Duplication Release Form This form states whether you will allow the Thurgood Marshall Library to act as your agent to release copies of your document if they are requested. It also informs readers that your document is protected under the laws of copyright.

This is a mandatory element and must be bound with the submitted copies of the document. A full size form is in the appendix; the version that you create and format must have exactly the same wording.

Abstract The abstract is a short description of the topic or stated problem, a review of the methods used in investigating the topic, and a statement of the conclusions reached. In the bound copy, it serves the purpose of a summary, to give potential

21 Dissertation and Thesis Guide readers an overview of the contents. The abstract may be no longer than one page, double-spaced. Please note that this should normally fill the requirements for abstracts submitted to UMI, which are edited if they exceed 350 words.

Table of Contents The Table of Contents may list all sections or only those that follow it in the sequence of the document. The format of your document will determine how much detail is appropriate. Only titles of major sections may be listed, such as chapters and back sections; or primary and secondary subdivisions of these sections may also be listed if they are clearly marked in the text. All section and subsection titles in the Table of Contents should be listed exactly as they occur in the body of the work. Do not forget to update the Table of Contents when you make changes in the manuscript.

List of Figures or Illustrations All figures or illustrations should be numbered and titled, and a list should be presented if there are more than two.

List of Tables All tables should be numbered and titled, and a list should be presented, if there are more than two. The figures (or illustrations) and tables should have separate numbering systems and separate lists.

Preface, Introduction and Foreword The term “preface,” “introduction,” and “foreword” all refer to an introductory section before the main body of text, but the various nuances in meaning are not consistently agreed upon. Your dissertation must have an introduction. For the purposes of this Guide:  a preface is considered to be a section preliminary to, and distinct from the main text, explaining the purpose, plan, or preparation of the work. A preface is not necessary for most dissertations or theses, but is permissible. Acknowledgments may be included as part of a preface.  an introduction is defined as a preliminary section of a book that gives an overview of the subject. It can precede the first chapter or may be the first chapter. Most dissertations or theses should have an introduction.

 a foreword is a short preface written by a third party. Thus the element is not appropriate in a dissertation or thesis.

Acknowledgments An acknowledgment section consists of statements of gratitude by the author for the help and support of all parties who offered assistance in the production of the project. This will certainly include the project advisor and committee, institutions which offered financial support, technicians and lab assistants, and parties such as librarians or curators who made inaccessible information available. Permissions to quote copyrighted material should be listed here also. You should read several examples of acknowledgments in scholarly works. The examples will help you become familiar with the breadth of inclusion in an acknowledgment section.

Dedication A short statement of dedication is permissible, but not mandatory.

Body of Text and Divisions The required form for a dissertation or thesis is that of a single scholarly work, with several chapters highlighting different aspects of a main theme or problem. A connected series of articles, published or not, are not acceptable as a dissertation or thesis at BSU at this time.

Footnotes, Endnotes, and In-Text References Either footnotes – notes at the bottom of the same page as the referent, endnotes – notes compiled at the end of the document or the end of each major section, or in-text references – short references in parentheses in the text which refer to entries in a reference list, are permissible. Consult your style manual and use one method consistently.

Nontext Elements Your document may include tables, charts, illustrations, photographs, or other graphical aids. See “Style,” below.

Bibliography Consult your style manual for the proper format for the bibliography.

Appendices Tables of raw data and other supplementary materials may be placed in appendices. There should be a separate appendix for each type of material presented. Tables, illustrations, and other graphical elements may also be placed in appendices rather than interspersing them in the text.

Autobiographical Statement This optional element should appear at the very end of the document, if it is provided. It should include basic vita information: schools attended, degrees received, positions held, titles of publications, and honors received. Do not include personal information such as an address or phone number, since the document will be open to the public for viewing.

The word style is used in two ways in reference to writing. One has to do with the actual use of language, and the other refers to more technical concerns, including punctuation, page layout, and format. As a graduate student, you are expected to be able to produce a document using excellent style in both senses.

In terms of technical style and presentation, the importance of consistency cannot be overemphasized. It is integral to a professional quality document. Not merely cosmetic, style in both senses is highly functional, in that it serves to remove potential distractions from the attention of the reader. The originality of your ideas and research deserve the finest presentation.

A list of technical style manuals appears below. The APA manual is required by the Department of Computer Science. Should your dissertation or thesis require a different style, discuss your needs with your graduate program coordinator.

Technical Style Manuals (use current editions)

Turabian, Kate L., A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Campbell, William Giles, Form and Style: Research Papers, Reports, Theses. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Gibaldi, Joseph, and Walter S. Achtert, The MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. New York: Modern Language Associations of America.

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

American Chemical Society, Handbook for Authors of Papers in American Chemical Society Publications. Washington: American Chemical Society.

American Physical Society, AIP Style Manual. 4th edition. New York: American Institute of Physics.

Council of Biology Editors, Council of Biology Editors Style Manual: A Guide for Authors, Editors, and Publishers in the Biological Sciences. 5th edition. Arlington, VA: Council of Biology Editors.

Additional Resources (use current editions)

Strunk, William Jr., and E.B. White, The Elements of Style. New York: Macmillan. (writing style)

The Chicago Manual of Style. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. (general reference)

Current editions of all style manuals may be available in the Thurgood Marshall Library, most in the reference section. Examine them carefully and choose the one most appropriate for your project if the APA style is not the best for your document. Discuss the new style manual with the coordinator to get approval. When a final decision has been made, purchase a copy. You will need it frequently.

Several of the following paragraphs list some of the issues you must address in deciding how best to present the material in your document. Your style manual will cover these and many others in more detail. This section is a guide to the issues, and some suggestions thereon, not a statement of rules or policy.

Again, the rules stated in “Mandatory Format Requirements” in this Guide, along with any additional requirements specific to your program, take precedence over guidelines in any other manual of style you may use.

Page and Text Format The body of text may be presented justified, with even margins on both the left and right sides, or ragged right, with an even margin on the left side only. Be consistent with the method you choose.

Do not place a heading or subheading at the bottom of the page. If fewer than two lines of body text can follow the heading, cut the page short, and put the heading at the top of the next page.

Avoid a hyphen on the last word of the last line of a page. Cut the line short, and shift the word to the top of the next page.

Typefaces Choose a typeface for the body of text which is clear and non-distracting. Script and Old English typefaces are not acceptable. Generally, a typeface with serifs, the small lines projecting from the main strokes of the type, is desirable. Sans serif (literally, “without serifs”) typefaces are sometimes used for special purposes. Consult your style manual for more information.

Type is measured using two different systems: pitch and points. Pitch refers to the number of characters per horizontal inch; 10 or 12 pitch is a good type size for a dissertation or thesis. Points are a unit of measure, in this case used vertically; one point is approximately 1/72 of an inch. The appropriate point size for type in a dissertation or thesis is also 10-12. This similarity is coincidental; be aware that 10 pitch is a larger type than 12 pitch, while 10 points is smaller than 12 points.

Following are some examples of serif typefaces, all of which are appropriate for use in a dissertation or thesis. All are presented at 12 points.

This is an example of Palatino (which is used in this document). This is Palatino italic.

This is an example of Times. This is Times italic.

For comparison, following are examples of sans serif typefaces.

This is an example of the sans serif typeface Microsoft. This is Microsoft italic.

Notice that there is great variety in the shapes of the letters and the horizontal spacing, even though all are the same vertical size.

Chapter titles and headings are normally set in the same typeface in a larger size, and bold. Resist the temptation to use more than one typeface; it results in a cluttered and busy appearance. For the same reason, use italics and boldface only where technically appropriate. For example, italics are properly used for words in a foreign language, and for the titles of certain kinds of published works, among other uses. (Underlining is considered the equivalent of italics; you may underline if your printing setup does not have the capability of italics.) Boldface

27 Dissertation and Thesis Guide is often used for headings in text and illustrations, and in certain mathematical and engineering applications. Consult your style manual for these cases. Do not sprinkle in boldface and italics for emphasis. As you can see, this usage is not appropriate in a scholarly work.

Most word processing programs today have excellent capabilities for handling equations and formulae, and include special typefaces for symbols and Greek letters. Use these capabilities if they are available to you. If not, symbols, equations, formulae, and other non-text presentations should be neatly hand lettered in black India ink.

Line Spacing and Extracts The main body of text must be double-spaced. It is permissible to single-space long quotations or extracts which are set off from the body of the text, if your style manual so directs. Such extracts are usually indented. Your manual will provide guidelines regarding when quotations should be included in the main body of text and when they need to be set off.

Single spacing may also be permissible for footnotes, endnotes, and the bibliography. Consult your style manual.

Illustrations, Tables, and Photographs Illustrations, tables, and photographs should be numbered under separate numbering systems, and a list should be provided if there are more than two in a single category. Such graphic elements should be referred to by number in the text. Do not make references such as “Seen in the following illustrations.” The correct method is “Seen in Illustration 2-1.” Very small diagrams and short lists need not be numbered and listed.

Illustrations, tables, and photographs should be placed as closely following the first reference to them in the text as possible and the text should wrap the graphic element when your chosen style guide permits. As a general rule, body text and a graphic element may share a page if the graphic takes up less than half a page. If the graphic element is larger than half a page, it should be alone on a page, with the caption or title being the only text present.

Graphic elements may be placed sequentially in appendices as an alternative to interspersing them with the text.

Consult your style manual for more information on inserting graphic elements into your dissertation or thesis.

Oversize Elements Reduce oversize elements so that they may fit on a normal page. If this is not possible, oversize pages may still be bound, providing that the vertical page size is 11 inches, the page is folded in accordance with the directions in your style manual, and the paper used is of the same quality and type as that of the rest of the document. If the page is too large to be bound in any way, it may be folded and placed in a pocket supplement.

Page Numbering Consult your style manual for the conventions of page numbering. Be aware that in addition to following guidelines regarding use of Arabic and Roman numerals, you will need to know where to suppress page numbers. For example, although the title page counts in the sequence of numbers in the front of the document, it does not usually carry a printed number.

Other Issues of Style Following is a list of other topics you will need to consult in your style manual.

Acronyms and initialisms: whether to include periods (e.g. BSU vs. B.S.U.) Bibliographical references, footnotes, and endnotes: what style to use Commas: whether or not to include before the last element of a series Compound words: which to hyphenate, which to write as one word, and which to write as two words Heading and subheadings: how to differentiate between different parts of the text Numbers in text: when to spell out in words, when to use numerals Spacing: being consistent about space between sections Spelling: American vs. British

AVOIDING SOME COMMON PROBLEMS

Writing and Document Organization

 follow one and only one style manual  follow the margin requirements  proofread sufficiently  write clearly and concisely: avoid obscure, inflated, or pretentious language  treat the abstract as an independent entity  be consistent in bibliography and references  avoid waste words such as “studies on,” or “investigations of,” in the title  do not present the same material in graphic elements and text  do not mix statements of results into the section describing methods and materials or vice versa  do not present an extensive recapitulation of results in the discussion section

Procedures and Methods

 keep in touch with the committee  keep backup copies of materials  track citations religiously  obtain original signatures on all required copies

SOURCE

Graduate School Dissertation and Thesis Guide. Little Rock, Arkansas: The University of Arkansas in Little Rock, 2002.

This document is an adaptation of the document named above. It was edited and adapted for Bowie State University by the Department of Computer Science. This document is strictly for educational purposes and will not be sold by the Department (January 27, 2009).

APPENDIX A: PLAGIARISM

Plagiarism, cheating, and duplicity are considered academic integrity standards violations at BSU and are punishable as such. The following material is offered in the interest of demonstrating the variety and range of forms that these activities can take, and also to provide an example of a correct citation of another’s ideas.

The following text was adapted, with permission, from Appendix IIIA of the 1993-1995 Graduate Policies and Procedures and Course Catalog of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Appendix IIIA, in turn, was reproduced, with permission, from Appendix II of the Constitution of the Virginia Tech [Undergraduate] Honor System. Any notes appearing in brackets, [], have been added by the Virginia Tech Graduate Honor System.

Definition The Virginia Tech honor system constitution states that “Plagiarism includes the copying of the language, structure, ideas, and/or thoughts of another and passing off same as one’s own, original work.” The violation, then, consists of both copying and misrepresenting the material in question.

Since the matter of misrepresentation is easier to define and understand, let us consider it first. Generally, when a student places his or her name on any kind of work, he or she claims responsibility for the originality of the contents except for those parts that are specifically attributed to another or that are considered common knowledge. (The concept of common knowledge poses a problem of definition, and the student should consult the section of this document that addresses that area.) Thus, if a student has consulted any outside source, whether published or not, and has incorporated any of its “language, structure, ideas, and/or thoughts” into his or her work without acknowledging that source, he or she may be guilty of misrepresenting the work’s originality. [Furthermore, in citing a reference, the student must change both the sentence structure and the vocabulary (where possible) in expressing the original material in his or her own words.]

On the other hand, copying includes a whole range of offenses. Everyone is undoubtedly familiar with stories involving a student who has “borrowed” or bought a term paper or laboratory report from a so-called research service, fraternity or sorority file, a fellow student, or another similar source. Such

32 Dissertation and Thesis Guide wholesale copying is akin to the lifting of an assignment in its entirety from a book or journal article. In either case, the student in question submits work that is literally copied and transferred from one piece of paper to another. By claiming this work as his or her own, the student is clearly guilty of the most flagrant kind of plagiarism.

Another type of copying that is not as obvious, though equally serious, involves the translation of a part of a book, article, or other source into different words: paraphrasing. Although the language is not the same because the exact words of the source have been changed, the structure, ideas, and thoughts of the original author have been copied. Thus, the student who submits an assignment that simply paraphrases a source without identifying it may also be guilty of plagiarism.

Similarly, any combination of simple copying and paraphrasing, whether from one source or from many, is also a type of plagiarism, and the offender may be equally guilty as those students described above.

Because a person’s ideas can be conveyed in many ways besides the written word, students should be aware that the copying of drawings, designs, photographs, maps, graphs, illustrations, tables, primary data, derived equations, computer programs, verbal communications of information and ideas, and other sources may also constitute plagiarism, unless the source is acknowledged and properly documented.

Plagiarism can be broadly defined as the act of appropriating the literacy composition, language, structure, ideas, and/or thoughts, drawings, laboratory reports, or computer programs of another or parts or passages thereof, and of passing them off as the original product of one’s own mind. To be liable for plagiarism, it is not necessary to duplicate another’s literary work exactly; it being sufficient if unfair use of such work is made by lifting of substantial portions of it. Plagiarism is not confined to literal copying, but also includes any of the evasive variations and colorable alterations by which the plagiarist may disguise the source from which the material was copied. On the other hand, even an exact counterpart of another’s work does not constitute plagiarism if such counterpart was arrived at independently.

The following material will illustrate the major types of plagiarism and will also indicate how these offenses can be avoided through proper documentation of sources.

Examples of Correct and Incorrect Uses of Sources

The following four examples provide illustrations of three kinds of plagiarism, as well as the proper use and acknowledgement of sources. The excerpt from Niccolo Machiavelli’s The Prince is quoted from W. K. Marriott’s translation (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1908), p. 37. The excerpts from student papers have been written by a committee at Virginia Tech as examples.

Flagrant Plagiarism Excerpt from The Prince Whenever those states which have been acquired as stated have been accustomed to live under their own laws and in freedom, there are three courses for those who wish to hold them: the first is to ruin them, the next is to reside there in person, the third is to permit them to live under their own laws, drawing a tribute, and establishing within it an oligarchy which will keep it friendly to you. Because such a government, being created by the prince, knows that it cannot stand without his friendship and interest, and does its utmost to support him; and therefore he who would keep a city accustomed to freedom will hold it more easily by the means of its own citizens than in any other way.

Excerpt from a student paper Whenever those nations which have been acquired have been accustomed to living under their own laws in freedom, then there are three options for those who wish to keep them; the first is to ruin them, second is to reside there in person, and the last is to permit them to live under their own government, drawing a tribute, and establishing within it an oligarchy which will keep it friendly to you. Because such a government, being created by the ruler, knows that it cannot stand without his friendship and interest, and does its utmost to gain his support, and therefore, he would keep a city accustomed to freedom will hold it more easily by the means of its own citizens than in any other way.

Comments This student paper is an example of the most obvious form of plagiarism. The writer has copied Machiavelli almost verbatim without an acknowledgment. There have been some minor changes. For example, the italicized words have been changed. “States” becomes “nations,” “courses” becomes “options,” etc.

Plagiarism through Paraphrasing Excerpt from The Prince Whenever those states which have been acquired as stated have been accustomed to live under their own laws and in freedom, there are three courses for those who wish to hold them: the first is to ruin them, the next is to reside there in person, the third is to permit them to live under their own laws, drawing a tribute, and establishing within it an oligarchy which will keep it friendly to you. Because such a government, being created by the prince, knows that it cannot stand without his friendship and interest, and does its utmost to support him; and therefore he who would keep a city accustomed to freedom will hold it more easily by the means of its own citizens than in any other way.

Excerpt from a student paper There are basically three methods to maintain control over nations which formerly enjoyed their independence. First the nation can be completely destroyed. Second, the king can personally reside in the conquered territory. Finally, the king can permit them to live under their own rules; he would then levy a tax and establish a ruling clique which would be loyal to him. Since this government is created and maintained by the conquering power, the puppet government will do its utmost to support him in order to keep his friendship. In addition, by establishing a puppet government in such a manner, he will gain the allegiance of its citizens.

Comments By paraphrasing the paragraph taken from Machiavelli, the student attempted to disguise the source of the material. Nevertheless, it is quite obvious that the sentences of this writer parallel those of the Machiavelli text and are identical in meaning.

Plagiarism of an Idea Excerpts from The Prince Whenever those states which have been acquired as stated have been accustomed to live under their own laws and in freedom, there are three courses for those who wish to hold them: the first is to ruin them, the next is to reside there in person, the third is to permit them to live under their own laws, drawing a tribute, and establishing within it an oligarchy which will keep it friendly to you. Because such a government, being created by the prince, knows that it cannot stand without his friendship and interest, and does its utmost to support

35 Dissertation and Thesis Guide him; and therefore he who would keep a city accustomed to freedom will hold it more easily by the means of its own citizens than in any other way.

Excerpt from a student paper When the British established their empire in Asia and Africa during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, they were faced with the problem of how to govern and control effectively these areas which had formerly lived under their own government. There were essentially three methods of achieving this end: destroying the country; establishing direct rule through governors appointed by the king; and maintaining indirect control through the already established governing structure. The British chose indirect rule. Through indirect rule, the former officials realized that their position was now dependent upon the British. Consequently, their allegiance was assured, and through them the British obtained substantial economic benefits. In addition, the people, seeing their leaders still in power, obediently supported the indirect rule of the British.

Comments The student has used the ideas of Machiavelli in describing a historical event. Machiavelli lists three methods of governing and controlling a state that has formerly been independent, and then shows the relative advantage of pursuing the last method. The student does not acknowledge the use of the description of the three methods of control nor the advantages of the last method when applying Machiavelli’s idea to a specific example.

Correct Use of Paraphrasing and Direct Quotations Excerpts from The Prince Whenever those states which have been acquired as stated have been accustomed to live under their own laws and in freedom, there are three courses for those who wish to hold them: the first is to ruin them, the next is to reside there in person, the third is to permit them to live under their own laws, drawing a tribute, and establishing within it an oligarchy which will keep it friendly to you. Because such a government, being created by the prince, knows that it cannot stand without his friendship and interest, and does its utmost to support him; and therefore he who would keep a city accustomed to freedom will hold it more easily by the means of its own citizens than in any other way.

Excerpt from a student paper When the British established their empire in Asia and Africa during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, they were faced with the problem of how to govern these formerly independent areas effectively. According to Niccolo Machiavelli, in The Prince, a ruler had three options. He could destroy them, “reside there in person,” or “permit them to live under their own laws, drawing a tribute and establishing within it an oligarchy which will keep it friendly to you.”4 Machiavelli felt that through this third method the conqueror gained the support of the former leaders and their subjects.5

The British seemed to apply this third method through their indirect rule concept. In other words, the British maintained control using the former leaders as figureheads. The former leaders realized that their position was now dependent upon the British. Consequently, their allegiance was assured and through them substantial economic benefits were obtained. In addition, the people, seeing their leaders still in power, obediently supported the indirect rule of the British.

Comments In this instance, the student has correctly footnoted the ideas of Machiavelli, which he has paraphrased and quoted. The writer has then applied Machiavelli’s ideas to a more recent historical event.

The Problem of Common Knowledge The concept of common knowledge is one of the more difficult points to explain in any consideration of plagiarism. How can a student, often a novice in the subject, determine whether an idea or fact included in a paper is so widely known that it is considered common knowledge and requires no documentation? A few general guidelines for solving this dilemma can be suggested, but none is inviolate. Given the seriousness of plagiarism, the prudent writer cites a reference whenever he or she is uncertain.

______4. Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince, trans. and intro. W. K. Marriott (New York: E.P.Dutton, 1908), p.37. 5. Machiavelli, p.37

1. Concepts and facts widely known outside of the specific area of study are generally considered common knowledge. These include undisputed dates (e.g. the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776), scientific principles (e.g. Newton’s Laws of Motion), and commonly accepted ideas (e.g. Hamlet’s role as a tragic hero). Such data require no specific reference. Students should be aware, however, that the addition of minor informational embellishments might require documentation (e.g., that the Declaration of Independence was unanimously adopted by the American colonies on July 4, 1776, despite the abstention of New York).

2. The fact that material appears in a dictionary, encyclopedia, handbook, or other reference work or textbook does not guarantee that it is common knowledge. Such books are written by experts, and most of the information they contain is not widely known.

3. There is no simple test to determine whether information is common knowledge. In case of doubt, the student should consult his or her instructor.

APPENDIX B: EXAMPLES OF REQUIRED FORMS

(Sample Forms are on pages to follow)

This thesis, (full document name) by (full author name), is approved by:

Thesis Advisor ______Name / Academic Rank

Thesis Committee ______Name / Academic Rank

______Name / Academic Rank

Program Coordinator ______Name / Academic Rank

Graduate Dean ______Name / Academic Rank

Sample Signature Page The version you create must follow this format

Fair Use

This thesis is protected by the Copyright Laws of the United States (Public Law 94-553, revised in 1976). Consistent with fair use as defined in the Copyright Laws, brief quotations from this material are allowed with proper acknowledgment. Use of this material for financial gain without the author’s express written permission is not allowed.

Duplication

I authorize the Head of Interlibrary Loan or the Head of Archives at the Thurgood Marshall Library at Bowie State University to arrange for duplication of this thesis for educational or scholarly purposes when so requested by a library user. The duplication shall be at the user’s expense.

Signature ______

I refuse permission for this thesis to be duplicated in whole or in part.

Signature ______

Sample Fair Use and Duplication Release Form The version that you create and format must have exactly the same wording.

INDEX (Dissertation and Thesis Guide only)

Abstract Academic Integrity and Grievance Policy Academic Integrity Standards Academic Sabotage Acid-free Paper. See Paper Acknowledgments Acronyms Advisor, Role of Advisor, Selection of Animal Subjects. See Federal Regulations Appendix Appointment of Supervisor or Examining Committee Form Articles, as Components of Project Assistance, Paid and Unpaid Autobiographical Statement

Bibliography Binding Boldface Type Bound Copies Dissertation Thesis

Chapter titles Cheating Citations, Tracking Commas Committee Dissertation

Selection Thesis Working with Common Knowledge Compound Words Conduct Copyright Basic Protection Deposit Copies Fair Use Notice Permission to Use Registration Rights in Case of Infringement Works For Hire Copyright Page

Dedication Defense Notification Results of Deliberations Direct Quotations Dissertation Abstracts International Dissertation, Defined DNA, Recombinant. See Federal Regulations Double-Spacing. See Line Spacing Duplicity

Elements Endnotes Extracts

Fabrication of Data

Fair Use. See Copyright Fair Use Fair Use and Duplication Release Form Falsification of Data Federal Funding Federal Regulations Final Projects, Defined Footnotes Foreword, Defined Format Formulae

Graphic Elements

Hazardous Materials. See Federal Regulations Headings Headings, Placement of Human Subjects. See Federal Regulations Hyphenation

Illustrations In-text References Initialisms Ink Color Institutional Review Board Intellectual Property Interlibrary Loan Introduction, Defined Invention, Defined Invention Disclosure Form Italics

Fall 2009