TESOL Thesis Guidelines

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HO CHI MINH CITY OPEN UNIVERSITY
GRADUATE SCHOOL
97 Voõ Vaên Taàn, Ward 6, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City, Tel: 84-8-39300947 Fax: 84-8-39300085, Email: [email protected], Website: www.ou.edu.vn

THESIS GUIDELINES
Required length The university requires the writing and acceptance of a master‟s thesis of approximately 20,000 words (but not more than 45,000 words) Typing specifications Most important in typing a thesis is consistency of format and adherence to the specific instructions given in this guide. 1. Text should be printed on one side of A4 (297 mm x 210 mm) sheets. 2. Size point 13 (Times New Roman or Arial) and one-and–a-half spacing of typescript should be used in the main body of the thesis. 3. Every single page in the thesis must be numbered at the bottom center, except the title page (The title page counts as a page but does not include a page number). The lead (prefatory) pages, up to the beginning of the text, are to be numbered with lower case Roman numerals (e.g., i, ii, iii, iv, etc.). Beginning with the first page of the text, all page numbers must be in Arabic numerals, beginning with the number “1”, and continuing consecutively. The bibliography and appendices must also be numbered following the rest of the thesis. 4. The margins on each sheet must be 3.5 cm at the top, 3 cm at the bottom, 3.5 cm on the left hand side, and 2 cm on the right hand side. 5. Chapters should be written using at least major and minor headings, with the levels of headings numerically distinguished, e.g. 1 1.1 1.1.1 Each level of heading should be typed consistently throughout. 6. Begin each chapter on a new page. Do the same with each element of the front matter (list of tables, acknowledgements, etc.), the reference section, and each appendix. Try to avoid typing a heading near the bottom of a page unless there is room for two lines of text following the heading. Instead you should simply leave a little extra space on that page and begin the heading on the next page. The major features of a thesis Cover page Title page Statement of authority/ Certificate of originality (a declaration that the thesis has not previously been submitted for a degree or similar award at another institution) Retention and use of the thesis (optional) Acknowledgements Abstract Table of contents List of figures List of tables List of abbreviations and symbols Introduction

Chapters in sequence Conclusion Bibliography Appendices Abstract An abstract is a concise summary of the thesis, intended to inform prospective readers about its contents. The abstract indicate the problem investigated, the procedures followed, the general result obtained and the major conclusions reached. It should not contain any illustrative material or tables. The main chapters Chapter 1: Introduction The introduction may include an explanation of author‟s own background and motivation to undertake this particular piece of research. The introduction should end with the general question which the thesis sets out to answer. The introduction can include the following: Background to the study Statement of purpose/ Rationale of the study Research questions Significance of the study Overview of thesis chapters Chapter 2: Literature Review The role of the literature review in thesis is to provide a critical review and analysis of the literature relevant to your particular topic. The purpose of a literature review can be to: Summarize and evaluate past research Show similarities and differences in previous research Give an overview of controversies in past research Place your own research into context Show a gap in research Generate new research hypotheses The literature review should meet certain requirements: Most of the citations should be recent (preferable in the last five to seven years). Earlier studies should only be cited if they appear to be classic, landmark studies. Literature reviews should cite works from journals, books or government document. Chapter 3: Methodology The Methodology Chapter tells your reader „how‟ you carried out the research that was needed to answer your research questions. It may have sections that explain: WHEN the study was carried out WHERE the study was carried out WHAT materials, techniques, samples, data, approaches, theoretical frameworks were used in the study, and HOW the study was carried out/ WHAT procedures were used. Chapter 4: Results and Discussion The results, discussion and conclusion sections of a thesis may appear as separate chapters or may be combined in different ways. There models below show the possible combinations. Model 1 Model 2 Model 3 Results Results Results & Discussion Discussion Discussion & Conclusion Conclusion Conclusion

These models are taken from Murrison, E & Webb, C. (1991). Writing a research paper. From the series: Writing Practice for University Students You may also have mini results, discussion and conclusion sections occurring within chapters if there is no separate results section or chapter. However, it is more usual for results and discussion to be combined showing you have interpreted your findings. The results are normally written up using complete paragraphs but are often supported by tables and/or graphs. The function of a discussion section is to: interpret the results presented in the results section; and discuss them in relation to your research question and to the results of previous research in the field. Of course, to present any discussion about results from previous research, you must already have introduced this research in your literature review. Chapter 5: Conclusion and Implications It is here where you wrap up the thesis by providing: A summary of the main findings of the thesis A list of the contributions of the work The implications of the research Recommendations for further research Bibliography / References A thesis must include a bibliography or reference section in the APA format listing all works which are referred to in the text. All studies cited in the text should be included in the bibliography, and everything in the bibliography should be cited in the text.  It is important to BE CONSISTENT when you are referencing. The entries in the bibliography/ reference section should be arranged in the alphabetical authors‟ surnames. Each entry should give the following basis information: Author‟s surname, Initial(s) , publication, Title of Publication ( in italics), Source (Name of journal, Volume, Publisher, publication) For more information on APA Reference Style, please visit the http://juno.concordia.ca/help/howto/apa.pdf

order of Year of Place of website:

In-text Referencing When you use other writers‟ words ideas, the source of that material needs to be clearly identified using the APA in text referencing format. Plagiarism is a very serious offence and will not be tolerated. The author‟s surname, the year of publication (and the number(s) of the papers(s)) should be placed in brackets in the text. The full reference must be given in the references/ bibliography section. Appendices Material related to the text but not suitable to be included in it (raw data, tables, copies of documents, etc.) may be placed in an appendix. When there is more than one appendix, each should be given a letter, e.g. Appendix A, Appendix B. You need to refer to appendices in the body of your thesis. Proofreading Before submitting the thesis, make sure it is read by your supervisor, preferably more than once. Ask friends or colleagues to check it over for intelligibility, balance, grammar and spelling.

APA CITATION STYLE
This guide provides a basic introduction to the APA citation style. It is based on the 5th edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association published in 2001. Copies are available at the Vanier Library Reference Desk, in the Webster Library Reference Collection and on 3-hour Reserve (at both libraries). The call number for the handbook is BF 76.7 A46 2001. The Publication Manual is generally used for academic writing in the social sciences. The manual itself covers many aspects of research writing including selecting a topic, evaluating sources, taking notes, plagiarism, the mechanics of writing, the format of the research paper as well as the way to cite sources. This guide provides basic explanations and examples for the most common types of citations used by students. For additional information and examples, refer to the Publication Manual. D I R E C T Q U O T A T IO N S O F SO U R C E S Direct quotations allow you to acknowledge a source within your text by providing a reference to exactly where in that source you found the information. The reader can then follow up on the complete reference in the Reference List page at the end of your paper. Quotations of less than 40 words should be incorporated in the text and enclosed with double quotation marks. Provide the author, publication year and a page number. She stated, "The 'placebo effect,' ...disappeared when behaviors were studied in this manner" (Miele, 1993, p. 276), but he did not clarify which behaviors were studied. Miele (1993) found that "the 'placebo effect,' which had been verified in previous studies, disappeared when [only the first group's] behaviors were studied in this manner" (p. 276). When making a quotation of more than 40 words, use a free-standing "block quotation" on a new line, indented five spaces and omit quotation marks. Miele (1993) found the following: The "placebo effect," which had been verified in previous studies, disappeared when behaviors were studied in this manner. Furthermore, the behaviors were never exhibited, even when reel [sic] drugs were administered. Earlier studies were clearly premature in attributing the results to a placebo effect. (p. 276) For electronic sources such as Web pages, provide a reference to the author, the year and the page number (if it is a PDF document), the paragraph number if visible or a heading followed by the paragraph number. "The current system of managed care and the current approach to defining empirically supported treatments are shortsighted" (Beutler, 2000, Conclusion section, ¶ 1) Further examples and explanations are available in Section 3.34 of the Publication Manual. R E F E R E N C E C I T A T I O N S I N TH E T E X T When using your own words to refer indirectly to another author's work, you must identify the original source. A complete reference must appear in the Reference List at the end of your paper. In most cases, providing the author's last name and the publication year are sufficient: Smith (1997) compared reaction times... Within a paragraph, you need not include the year in subsequent references.

Smith (1997) compared reaction times. Smith also found that... If there are two authors, include the last name of each and the publication year: ...as James and Ryerson (1999) demonstrated... ...as has been shown (James and Ryerson, 1999)... If there are three to five authors, cite all authors the first time; in subsequent citations, include only the last name of the first author followed by "et al." and the year: Williams, Jones, Smith, Bradner, and Torrington (1983) found... Williams et al. (1983) also noticed that... The names of groups that serve as authors (e.g. corporations, associations, government agencies, and study groups) are usually spelled out each time they appear in a text citation. If it will not cause confusion for the reader, names may be abbreviated thereafter: First citation: (National Institute of Mental Health [NIMH], 1999) Subsequent citations: (NIMH, 1999) To cite a specific part of a source, indicate the page, chapter, figure, table or equation at the appropriate point in the text: (Czapiewski & Ruby, 1995, p. 10) (Wilmarth, 1980, chap. 3) For electronic sources that do not provide page numbers, use the paragraph number, if available, preceded by the ¶ symbol or abbreviation para. If neither is visible, cite the heading and the number of the paragraph following it to direct the reader to the quoted material. (Myers, 2000, ¶ 5) (Beutler, 2000, Conclusion section, para. 1) Further examples and explanations are available in Sections 3.94-3.103 of the Publication Manual. REFERENCE LIST The alphabetical list of references that appears at the end of your paper contains more information about all of the sources you have used allowing readers to refer to them, as needed. The main characteristics are: The list of references must be on a new page at the end of your text The word References should be centered at the top of the page Entries are arranged alphabetically by the author's last name or by the title if there is no author Titles are italicized Entries are double-spaced (for the purposes of this handout, single-spacing is used) Below are some examples of the most common types of sources including online sources (Web and databases). Book with one author Bernstein, T.M. (1965). The careful writer: A modern guide to English usage (2nd ed.). New York: Atheneum. Book with two to five authors Beck, C. A. J., & Sales, B. D. (2001). Family mediation: Facts, myths, and future prospects. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. Two or more books by the same author Arrange alphabetically by the book's title

Postman, N. (1985). Amusing ourselves to death: Public discourse in the age of show business. New York: Viking. Postman, N. (1979). Teaching as a conserving activity. New York: Delacorte Press. If works by the same author are published in the same year, arrange alphabetically by title and add a letter after the year as indicated below McLuhan, M. (1970a). Culture is our business. New York: McGraw-Hill. McLuhan, M. (1970b). From cliche to archetype. New York: Viking Press. Anthology or compilation Gibbs, J. T., & Huang, L. N. (Eds.). (1991). Children of color: Psychological interventions with minority youth. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Work in an anthology or an essay in a book Bjork, R. A. (1989). Retrieval inhibition as an adaptive mechanism in human memory. In H. L. Roediger III, & F. I. M. Craik (Eds.), Varieties of memory & consciousness (pp. 309-330). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum. Book by a corporate author Associations, corporations, agencies, government departments and organizations are considered authors when there is no single author American Psychological Association. (1972). Ethical standards of psychologists. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. Article in a reference book or an entry in an encyclopedia If the article/entry is signed, include the author's name; if unsigned, begin with the title of the entry Guignon, C. B. (1998). Existentialism. In E. Craig (Ed.), Routledge encyclopedia of philosophy (Vol. 3, pp. 493-502). London: Routledge. Article in a journal - for articles retrieved online, see below Mellers, B. A. (2000). Choice and the relative pleasure of consequences. Psychological Bulletin, 126, 910-924. Note: List only the volume number if the periodical uses continuous pagination throughout a particular volume. If each issue begins with page 1, then list the issue number as well. Klimoski, R., & Palmer, S. (1993). The ADA and the hiring process in organizations. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, 45(2), 10-36. Article in a newspaper or magazine Semenak, S. (1995, December 28). Feeling right at home: Government residence eschews traditional rules. Montreal Gazette, p. A4. Driedger, S. D. (1998, April 20). After divorce. Maclean's, 111(16), 38-43.

Television or radio program MacIntyre, L. (Reporter). (2002, January 23). Scandal of the Century [Television series episode]. In H. Cashore (Producer), The fifth estate. Toronto: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Film, videorecording or DVD Kubrick, S. (Director). (1980). The Shining [Motion picture]. United States: Warner Brothers. Article from a database Provide the same information as you would for a printed journal article and add a retrieval statement that gives the date of retrieval and the proper name of the database. Schredl, M., Brenner, C., & Faul, C. (2002). Positive attitude toward dreams: Reliability and stability of ten-item scale. North American Journal of Psychology, 4, 343-346. Retrieved December 16, 2004, from Academic Search Premier database. Dussault, M., & Barnett, B. G. (1996). Peer-assisted leadership: Reducing educational managers' professional isolation. Journal of Educational Administration, 34(3), 5-14. Retrieved December 16, 2004, from ABI/INFORM Global database. Non-periodical documents on the Internet Library and Archives Canada. (2002). Celebrating Women's Achievements: Women Artists in Canada. Retrieved December 16, 2004, from http://www.collectionscanada.ca/women/h12-500-e.html Article in an Internet-only journal Pelling, N. (2002, May). The use of technology in career counseling. Journal of Technology in Counseling, 2(2). Retrieved December 16, 2004, from http://jtc.colstate.edu/vol2_2/pelling.htm

SAMPLE of TITLE PAGE

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING HO CHI MINH CITY OPEN UNIVERSITY ----------------------------

TITLE OF THE THESIS

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (TESOL)
Name of candidate and previous degrees held

Name of supervisor and his/her title

Submitted by ……………………………………

Supervisor …………………………………, ……
City, month and year

………………………………….. SAMPLE TITLE PAGE

SAMPLE of STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP

Title of the thesis

STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP I certify that this thesis entitled “…………………………………..…” is my own work. Except where reference is made in the text of the thesis, this thesis contain material published elsewhere or extracted in whole or in part from a thesis by which I have qualified for or been awarded another degree or diploma. No other person‟s work has been used without due acknowledgement in the main text of the thesis.

City, year

This thesis has not been submitted for the award of any degree or diploma in any other tertiary institution. ………………….., 20….

Signature of candidate

Full name of candidate

…………………………...

i

SAMPLE of ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS …………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………. In this page, you…………………………………………………………………………………. express your gratefulness …………………………………………………………………………………. to your supervisor and people who …………………………………………………………………………………. encourage, support and help you during …………………………………………………………………………………. the time you do your thesis …………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………. ii

SAMPLE of ABSTRACT

ABSTRACT …………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………. An abstract is a concise summary of the …………………………………………………………………………………. thesis, intended to inform prospective …………………………………………………………………………………. readers about its…………………………………………………………………………………. contents. The abstract indicate the problem investigated, the …………………………………………………………………………………. procedures followed, the general result …………………………………………………………………………………. obtained and the major conclusions …………………………………………………………………………………. reached. It should not contain any …………………………………………………………………………………. illustrative material or tables. …………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………. iii

SAMPLE of TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Certificate of originality ........................................................................ i Acknowledgments .................................................................................. ii Abstract .................................................................................................. iii Table of contents .................................................................................... iv List of figures ......................................................................................... v List of tables ........................................................................................... vi Abbreviations ......................................................................................... vii Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION .............................................................. 1.1. Background ........................................................................... 1.2. Statement of purpose ............................................................ 1.3. Research questions ............................................................... 1.4. Significance of the study ...................................................... 1.5. Overview of thesis chapters .................................................. 1 1 2 2 3 4

Chapter 2: LITERATURE REVIEW.................................................. 5 ..................................................................................................... 6 Chapter 3: METHODOLOGY............................................................. 3.1. .............................................................................................. 3.1.1 .................................................................................... 3.1.2. ................................................................................... 3.2. .............................................................................................. 3.2.1 .................................................................................... 3.2.2. ................................................................................... ………………………………………. 10 10 10 11 15 15 16

Chapter…:CONCLUSION................................................................... 80 BIBLIOGRAPHY .................................................................................. 82 APPENDICES ........................................................................................ APPENDIX 1 .......................................................................................... APPENDIX 2 .......................................................................................... APPENDIX 3 .......................................................................................... ………………………………………. iv 87 87 89 90

SAMPLE of LIST OF FIGURES
Number of the chapter

LIST OF FIGURES
Number of figure

Page Figure 4.1 ................................................................................................ 60 Figure 4.2 ................................................................................................ 65 Figure 5.1 ................................................................................................. 70 Figure 5.2 ................................................................................................. 72 Figure 5.3 ................................................................................................. 73 Figure … ................................................................................................. …. Figure … .................................................................................................. ….

v

SAMPLE of LIST OF TABLES
Number of the chapter

LIST OF TABLES
Number of table

Page Table 4.1 ................................................................................................. 60 Table 4.2 ................................................................................................. 65 Table 5.1 .................................................................................................. 70 Table 5.2 .................................................................................................. 72 Table 5.3 .................................................................................................. 73 Table … .................................................................................................. …. Table … ................................................................................................... ….

vi

SAMPLE of ABBREVIATIONS
Abbreviations

ABBREVIATIONS
in full

CUP HCMC HCMCOU HE MOET OUP UP

: Cambridge University Press : Ho Chi Minh City : Ho Chi Minh City Open University : Higher Education : The Ministry of Education and Training : Oxford University Express : University of Pedagogy ……………………….

Abbreviations must be arranged alphabetically.

viii

SAMPLE of BIBLIOGRAPHY

BIBLIOGRAPHY American Psychological Association. (1972). Ethical standards of psychologists. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. Driedger, S. D. (1998, April 20). After divorce. Maclean's, 111(16), 38-43. Dussault, M., & Barnett, B. G. (1996). Peer-assisted leadership: Reducing educational managers' professional isolation. Journal of Educational Administration, 34(3), 5-14. Retrieved December 16, 2004, from ABI/INFORM Global database. Guignon, C. B. (1998). Existentialism. In E. Craig (Ed.), Routledge encyclopedia of philosophy (Vol. 3, pp. 493-502). London: Routledge. Klimoski, R., & Palmer, S. (1993). The ADA and the hiring process in organizations. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, 45(2), 10-36. Kubrick, S. (Director). (1980). The Shining [Motion picture]. United States: Warner Brothers. Library and Archives Canada. (2002). Celebrating Women's Achievements: Women Artists in Canada. Retrieved December 16, 2004, from http://www.collectionscanada.ca/women/h12-500-e.html
 Entries must[Television series episode]. In H. Cashore (Producer), The fifth estate. be arranged alphabetically TITLE PAGE SAMPLE by the author’s last name or by the title if Toronto: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. there is no author.  Titles are italicized B. A. (2000). Choice and the relative pleasure of consequences. Mellers,  Entries are double-spaced Bulletin, 126, 910-924. Psychological  See APA Citation Style

MacIntyre, L. (Reporter). (2002, January 23). Scandal of the Century

Pelling, N. (2002, May). The use of technology in career counseling. Journal of Technology in Counseling, 2(2). Retrieved December 16, 2004, from http://jtc.colstate.edu/vol2_2/pelling.htm Schredl, M., Brenner, C., & Faul, C. (2002). Positive attitude toward dreams: Reliability and stability of ten-item scale. North American Journal of Psychology, 4, 343-346. Retrieved December 16, 2004, from Academic Search Premier
database.

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