Getting+Started

=Welcome to the Math Ed MA Thesis and Project Wiki!= Now that you are part of the MA program, you may be feeling overwhelmed by program requirements, especially the expectation that you complete a thesis or project to graduate. Be assured that this is a very common feeling for graduate students. The purpose of this wiki is to provide you with as much information as possible about theses and projects so that you can successfully complete one. Don't be intimidated by the many different tasks and activities that you must complete to finish your thesis or project; by working regularly on your thesis or project, you will be able to make the progress necessary to graduate in a timely manner. Remember, many graduate students before you have successfully completed a thesis or project, and you can, too!

Important Disclaimer! The information on this site represents only one way to approach a thesis or project. If at any time what you find here contradicts what your advisor has told you, you should immediately conclude that your advisor is right. It's a safe rule of thumb for all graduate students to follow.

The information on this wiki is separated into three parts: 
 * 1) The typical contents of a thesis. A project may have many of these elements.
 * 2) Abstract
 * 3) Chapter 1: Introduction
 * 4) Chapter 2: Background
 * 5) Chapter 3: Methods
 * 6) Chapter 4: Results
 * 7) Chapter 5: Conclusion
 * 8) The research process of completing a thesis or project.
 * 9) Choosing between a thesis and project.
 * 10) Choosing a research topic, advisor, and committee.
 * 11) Identifying the research problem.
 * 12) Completing a literature search.
 * 13) Constructing a rationale for the study (see the definition and description of writing a rationale in Chapter 1: Introduction).
 * 14) Identifying research questions.
 * 15) Constructing a theoretical framework and literature review (see the discussion of these in Chapter 2: Background).
 * 16) Making decisions about how the study is to be conducted.
 * 17) Making a data management plan.
 * 18) Conducting the study and analyzing data.
 * 19) Reporting the research.
 * 20) The political process of completing a thesis or project.
 * 21) Working with your advisor.
 * 22) Utilizing your committee members and keeping them happy.
 * 23) The contents of a proposal and how to defend it.
 * 24) Staying in touch with your committee during data collection and analysis.
 * 25) Defending your thesis.
 * 26) Formatting your thesis for submission.
 * 27) Navigating university requirements.

Have questions, concerns, or suggestions not addressed in the topics above? Contact Dan at dsiebert@mathed.byu.edu.