Deadline for doctoral and masters proposals for work to begin Summer 2008 and Fall 2008: 5 p.m. March 24, 2008.

Guidelines for Master's Thesis and Doctoral Dissertation Proposals Effective starting spring 2008. Approved by the Division of Music History, Theory, and Ethnomusicology on Nov. 28, 2007.

The proposal must:

• 1. present a clear thesis statement that (a) formulates a main idea; (b) specifies the subordinate elements of this idea; (c) indicates how these subordinate elements relate to one another and to your main idea; (d) indicates the methodologies that you plan to use.
• 2. present a review of the literature that identifies all significant publications relevant to the topic and explains how the argument of the thesis or dissertation relates to the arguments of the publications. Students should consult with the faculty advisor for the meaning of "all" and "significant" as appropriate to the proposal.
• 3. describe the research tasks to be accomplished, demonstrate their feasibility (including access to sources, which may include documents, archives, field research sites, interview subjects, or copyright clearances), and present a timeline for their completion.
• 4. present a provisional outline of the complete thesis or dissertation as an appendix. The outline should show the estimated length of each chapter.
• 5. show competent use of a citation format in current use in musical scholarship. Suggested formats are the humanities style (footnotes and bibliography) for proposals in musicology and theory, and the author-date system for proposals in ethnomusicology. Consult The Chicago Manual of Style (15th ed.) and its online guide Chicago Manual of Style for models.
• 6. include a list of references and sources with full citations. The list of references should distinguish between types of sources (primary, second, etc.) as appropriate to the topic.
• 7. conform to a maximum length: The main body of text, not counting references, appendices, or musical examples, must be no more than 10 double-spaced pages (master's theses) or 20 double-spaced pages (for doctoral dissertations).
• 8. be approved by the Graduate Academic Degrees Committee (GADCom) during the fall or spring semester that precedes the first semester in which the student registers for thesis hours. The proposal must be submitted to the chair of the GADCom no later than the end of week 10 of the long semester (fall or spring) that precedes the first semester in which the student intends to register for thesis hours. The student is responsible for consulting on the proposal with a faculty member who will serve as the principal advisor for the thesis or dissertation before the proposal is submitted to the GADCom.

Suggested resources

The research process

• Booth, Wayne C., Gregory G. Colomb, and Joseph M. Williams. 2003. The Craft of Research. 2nd ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
• Turabian, Kate L. 2007. A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations. 7th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Includes material from The Craft of Research.

Writing about music

• Wingell, Richard J. 2002. Writing about Music: an Introductory Guide. 3rd ed. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall.
• Wingell, Richard J., and Silvia Herzog. 2000. Introduction to Research in Music. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall.

Clear writing

• Williams, Joseph M. 1990. Style: Toward Clarity and Grace. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Second language issues.
• Bailey, Stephen. 2006. Academic Writing: a Handbook for International Students. New York: Routledge. Paltridge, Brian, and Sue Starfield. 2007. Thesis and dissertation writing in a second language: a handbook for supervisors. New York: Routledge.

Style

• The Chicago Manual of Style. 2003. 15th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.