2012 Commissioner Doctoral Thesis Guide - The...

COLLEGE OF COMMISSIONER SCIENCEDOCTORAL GUIDE

DOCTORAL GUIDE

Established September 1980Heart of Virginia Council

Boy Scouts of America

Mike MenefeeDean of the Doctoral Program

Bill ChaffinAssistant Dean of the Doctoral Program

Revised Nov 2011


PAST DEANS FOR THE DOCTORAL PROGRAM

Thomas Johnson

Sam Berry

David Talley

Tom Ryan


TABLE OF CONTENTSPage #

Purpose........................................................................................................5

Goals and Degree Requirements..................................................................5

Thesis Requirements....................................................................................5

Candidate Thesis Advisor.............................................................................6

Planning Ahead for Your Thesis ...................................................................7

Who is your Audience?.................................................................................7

Order of Writing............................................................................................7

Thesis Development................................................................................8 - 9

Thesis Structure..................................................................................10 – 15

1. General.............................................................................................10

2. Title Page..........................................................................................10

3. Text Formatting................................................................................10

4. Margins.............................................................................................10

5. First Page..........................................................................................10

6. Footnotes and Endnotes...................................................................10

7. Page Numbering...............................................................................11

8. Acronym Usage................................................................................11

9. Table of Contents.............................................................................11

10. List of Figures/Tables.......................................................................11

11. Introduction......................................................................................12

12. Discussion........................................................................................13


13. Conclusions......................................................................................13

14. Appendices.......................................................................................14

15. Recommendations............................................................................14

16. Acknowledgements..........................................................................14

17. References.......................................................................................15

Thesis Examples.........................................................................................16

Example 1 – Cover Page...................................................................17

Example 2 – Thesis Approval Form...................................................18

Example 3 – Explicit and Implied BSA Use of Material......................19

Example 4 – Table of Contents.........................................................20

Example 5 – Body of Thesis..............................................................21

Example 6 – Appendices...................................................................22

Example 7 – Bibliography.................................................................23

Developing your Presentation....................................................................24

Presenting with PowerPoint: 10 DOs and DON’Ts..............................25 – 28


PURPOSE:

To provide a learning opportunity for Commissioners leading toward practical solutions for the concerns of the Scouting units of the Heart of Virginia Council.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES:

The Doctoral Program strives to:

Produce a cadre of highly trained Commissioners.

Strengthen the commitment of the Council Commissioner Staff to service units.

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS: Doctorate in Commissioner Science

Awarded to all attendees at the College of Commissioner Science who:

Complete the Masters in Commissioner Science and attend a minimum of four college sessions.

Earn the Commissioner Arrowhead Honor Award.

Earn the Commissioner's Key or Scouter’s Training Award specified for Roundtable Staff members.

Complete PhD seminars outlined in the college catalog and participate in MCS-402 and DCS-610.

THESIS REQUIREMENTS:

Select and execute a thesis approved by the Dean of the Doctoral Program or the Council Commissioner and the Commissioner Staff Advisor. The thesis must have an acceptable council-level Scouting application.

The thesis must be completed within three years of approval. Any exceptions must be approved by the Dean of the Doctoral Program.

Minimum Required Length : 20 pages.

Paper Format:


White paper, 8 ½ inch by 11 inch (standard letter size)

Typed, double spaced, and in a 12 point font (Times New Roman).

Thesis Submission:

Final thesis should be bound. Only the presentation copy should be in a presentation binder (your choice of style). This is the only copy that must be in color if you use colors in your thesis for charts, etc.

The other copies can be in Black & White / Greyscale (no color), stapled and put in a folder.

Four printed copies to be reviewed by the Doctoral Thesis Committee.

An electronic copy in .doc or .rtf format.

Submit the thesis (electronically) to the Dean of the Doctoral Program by December 1 for the next session the degree is conferred.

Appear before the Doctoral Review Board for an oral presentation of your thesis.

Candidate Thesis Advisor:Assigned by the Dean of the Doctoral Program to assist the candidate in the development and presentation of their thesis.Provides real-time feedback to the thesis development and gives you someone to talk with and get background material from. If you're unsure about the selection of a project, let us know and we'll try to connect you with someone.Serves in an advisory capacity only. The development and presentation of the thesis is the responsibility of the candidate.Must be requested by the candidate. NOTE: Once a group of doctoral graduates desire to serve in this capacity on a regular basis, the Thesis Advisor may be assigned upon approval of the Thesis application.


Planning Ahead for Your Thesis:If at all possible, start your thesis thought process early.Decide on a Topic.The best strategy is to pick a project that you are interested in.What is the concern/problem? What benefits can result from implementing your solution?Draft a general outline to organize your thoughts and develop your thesis concept.Submit your thesis concept for approval before you spent too much time developing a concept that does not get approved. The thesis concept must be approved by the College and your Council Commissioner Staff Advisor.

Who is your Audience?Scout Leaders working in your field area, but with different

techniques.All other Commissioners using the same technique you have used.Reviewers of your thesis (Doctoral Review Board).

Order of Writing:First organize your paper as a logical argument before you begin

writing. Capture all your thoughts. You can evaluate their worth and organize them into an outline later.

Make your figures to illustrate your argument (think skimming).The main sections are: introduction (background to the argument);

research (describing the information to be used in the argument), observations (making points about what is actually happening now), analysis (connecting the points regarding the information and observations), and conclusions/recommendations (summing up the results).

Outline the main elements, sections, and sub-sections.


Thesis Development:

General: Decide on a thesis topic . Consider "Commissioner" (but not limited

to) type topics of known areas within your council that may need some closer look or improvement, research for a possible solution to known problem areas, or topics that needs more clarification or information to provide to Scouting Leaders.

Submit your thesis for approval to the Dean of the Doctoral Program and your registered council. Do not start on your thesis until approval has been received.The final submission should be “ready for publication.” This means that the final thesis should be in a format that the college or council could immediately implement or distribute without having to re-format the thesis. All spell-checking and format standards have been applied and no additional effort needs to be made.

Topic: Draft an outline to develop your approach to solving the problem.

Use your thesis advisor and other Scouters to add items for consideration. When developing an outline, do not consider formatting at this point. Brain storm ideas and write them all down on paper. Do not evaluate the ideas, you will do this later.

Once completed, start organizing the ideas/suggestions into groups. Take one group at a time and evaluate each idea for acceptance. Reject any idea that does not have any bearing on the thesis.

Start/complete review of literature ; i.e., your source material and bibliography. Give credit to sources not your own.

Research: Organize your outline and begin to fill it out with additional details

(i.e. sections/subsections to the main points), review with Thesis Advisor.

Lay out your thesis format , based on the outline and using the required format/standard. Develop a plan to begin drafting the document(s); review with Thesis Advisor.If you quote or reference a source of information, indicate the footnote and give credit to the source.


Proposed Solution: Begin the Draft , just write, do not edit; either go by chapter/section

or do the whole thing all the way through, whatever works for you. Review the Draft , begin the editing process, start out chapter by

chapter, and then line by line (this will be the blurry eyed stage, very tedious work for most). (Have your Thesis Advisor review the draft after completing this step). Get other Commissioners/Scouters to review your draft.

Perform Final Editing process , based on inputs from others, you may find that you will have to add or subtract areas or content that is different than what you had anticipated in the outline - this is OK. (Have Thesis Advisor review draft after completing this step).

Submit Final Draft of the thesis for review and acceptance, gaining all the signatures on letters, etc.Perform any required edits and review with your Thesis Advisor.

Upon Completion: Read and re-read your thesis . Have someone else read your thesis

for clarity. Check for spelling, punctuation, and format .

Have your Thesis Advisor review it in person with you to help form your arguments and defense thoughts for the presentation phase; take notes. NOTE: Consider this phase as a “Murder Board”. Look for “what ifs” and “whys” to your proposal. This will help prepare you for your presentation to the Doctoral Review Board.


THESIS STRUCTURE:

1. General:

Final thesis should be bound. Only the presentation copy should be in a presentation binder (your choice of style). This is the only copy that must be in color if you use colors in your thesis for charts, etc.The other copies can be in Black & White / Grayscale (no color), stapled and put in a folder.The thesis should be cleanly printed on white paper.

2. Title Page: (Example 1)

Include a separate title page with authors' name, commissioner position and council.

3. Text Formatting:

Be consistent in the document formatting.All text within the document should be double spaced using a 12 point Times New Roman font (including footnotes).Use font size 14 for Titles/Headings.Include page numbers.

4. Margins:

Margins should be at least 1.25 inches on the binding side and 1 inch for the non-binding sides.

5. First Page:

The first page of the text should start with the title and be on a new page of text (after the title page).

6. Footnotes and Endnotes:

Use footnotes to cite materials of limited availability, expand upon the text, or to add information presented in a table. Endnotes are used more frequently than footnotes, but both should be used sparingly.


In the text, footnotes should be numbered consecutively throughout the thesis with superscript Arabic numerals. At the end of the paper in a separate section following the references, type the footnotes in numerical order, double-spaced, as a separate section.

7. Page Numbering:

Pages should be numbered consecutively (1, 2, 3...) starting with the title page and including the references page(s). Any appendix should start with the appendix letter and numbered consecutively (A-1, A-2, B-1…).

8. Acronym Usage:

The first time you use an acronym, give the full name with the acronym in parenthesis.Afterwards, you can use only the acronym. Example:

According to the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) manual . . . .Later in the text:

The BSA suggests that . . . .

9. Table of Contents: (Example 4)List all headings and subheadings with page numbersIndent subheadings

10. List of Figures/Tables:The actual figures and tables should be embedded in the text, generally on the page following the page where the figure/table is first cited in the text.All figures and tables should be numbered and cited consecutively in the text as figure 1, figure 2, table 1, table 2, etc.Include a caption for each figure and table, citing how it was constructed (reference citations, data sources, etc.) and highlighting the key findings. You are encouraged to make your own figures, including cartoons, schematics or sketches that illustrate the processes that you discuss. Examine your figures with these questions in mind:

Is the figure/table self-explanatory?Are your axes labeled and are the units indicated on tables?


If the data are fit by a curve, indicate the goodness of fit.Could chart junk be eliminated?Does the figure distort the data in any way?Are the data presented in context?Does the figure caption guide the reader's eye to the "take-home lesson" of the figure?

Figures should be oriented vertically, in portrait mode, wherever possible. If you must orient them horizontally, in landscape mode, orient them so that you can read them from the right, not from the left, where the binding will be.

11. Introduction:You can't write a good introduction until you know what the body of the paper says. Consider writing the introductory section(s) after you have completed the rest of the paper, rather than before.

Be sure to include a hook at the beginning of the introduction. This is a statement of something sufficiently interesting to motivate your reader to read the rest of the paper, it is an important/interesting Scouting problem that your paper either solves or addresses. You should draw the reader in and make them want to read the rest of the thesis.

The next paragraphs in the introduction should cite previous research in this area. It should cite those who had the idea or ideas first, and should also cite those who have done the most recent and relevant work. You should then go on to explain why more work was necessary (your work, of course.)

What else belongs in the introductory section(s) of your thesis?A statement of the goal of the thesis: Why the thesis study was

written?Sufficient background information to allow the reader to understand

the context and significance of the question you are trying to address.

Proper acknowledgement of any previous work on which you are building. Sufficient references such that a reader could, by going to the library, achieve a sophisticated understanding of the context and significance of the question.

The introduction should be focused on the thesis hypothesis. All cited work should be directly relevant to the goals of the thesis.


This is not a place to summarize everything you have ever read on a subject.

Explain the Scope of your work, what will and will not be included.A verbal "road map" or "table of contents" guiding the reader to

what lies ahead.Is it obvious where introductory material ("old stuff") ends and your

contribution ("new stuff") begins?Remember that this is not a review paper. We are looking for original work and interpretation/analysis by you. Break up the introduction section into logical segments by using sub-sections.

12. Discussion:Start with a few sentences that summarize the most important results. The discussion section should be a brief essay in itself, answering the following questions and caveats:

What are the relationships, trends and generalizations among bearing on this topic?

What is the value and benefit for Commissioners and Scout Leaders to implement this project?

Is there agreement or disagreement with previous methods?Interpret results in terms of background laid out in the introduction -

what is the relationship of the present methods to the original question?

What are the things we now know or understand that we didn't know or understand before the present work?

Explain how this topic should be applied throughout the council.This section should be rich in references to similar work and background needed to interpret results. However, interpretation/discussion section(s) are often too long and verbose. Is there material that does not contribute to one of the elements listed above? If so, this may be material that you will want to consider deleting or moving. Break up the section into logical segments by using sub-sections.

13. Conclusions:What is the strongest and most important statement that you can

make from your research?If you met the reader at a meeting six months from now, what do

you want them to remember about your paper?


Refer back to problem posed, and describe the conclusions that you reached from carrying out this investigation, summarize new observations, new interpretations, and new insights that have resulted from the present work.

Include the broader implications of your results.Do not repeat word for word the introduction or discussion.

14. Appendices:Include all your data in the appendix.Reference data/materials not easily available (theses are used as a

resource by the department and other students).Tables (where more than 1-2 pages).Calculations (where more than 1-2 pages).You may include a key article as appendix.If you consulted a large number of references but did not cite all of

them, you might want to include a list of additional resource material, etc.

Note: Figures and tables, including captions should be embedded in the text and not in an appendix unless they are more than 1-2 pages and are not critical to your research.

15. Recommendations:Include when appropriate (most of the time)Remedial action(s) to solve the problem.Further research to fill in gaps in our understanding.Directions for future investigations on this or related topics.

16. Acknowledgments:Advisor(s) and anyone who helpedRemember this is your work and not a group action.Give credit to others that made contributions towards the results and interpretations presented in your paper by referencing, authorship, and acknowledgements. Different types of errors: Direct quotes or illustrations without quotation marks, with or

without attribution


Concepts/ideas with sloppy attributions or without attribution Omitting or fabricating data or resultsCheck references carefully and re-read reference works prior to submission. The first time you read something, you will consciously remember some things, but may subconsciously take in other aspects. It is important to cross check your conscious memory against your citations.

17. References:Cite all ideas, concepts, text, and data that are not your own.If you make a statement, back it up with your own data or a

reference.All references cited in the text must be listed.


THESIS EXAMPLESExample

1 Title Page2 Thesis Approval Form3 Explicit and Implied BSA Use of Material4 Table of Contents5 Body of Thesis6 Appendices7 Bibliography


EXAMPLE 1

COVER PAGE

Doctorial ThesisCollege of Commissioner Science

Heart of Virginia CouncilBoy Scouts of America

THESIS TITLE

Date

By

YOUR NAME

YOUR COMMISSIONER POSITION

YOUR COUNCIL


EXAMPLE 2

DOCTORATE OF COMMISSIONER SCIENCE

THESIS APPROVAL FORM

HEART of VIRGINIA COUNCIL, BSA

Thesis:1. Completion of a Thesis on any Topic of Value to Scouting in the local council.

2. The Topic and Final Paper must be approved by the Council Commissioner, or Assigned Assistant Council Commissioner, or the Dean of the Doctorate Program and the Staff Advisor for Commissioner Service.

Title of the Thesis:

Hypothesis of the Need/Problem:

Short Description of the Thesis Goals:

State the Expected Benefits to the Council:

Candidate Name:

District: Position:

Approvals:

Approval of Dean of the Doctorate Program or Council Commissioner: APPROVED DISAPPROVED

Signature: ________________________________________________ Date: ________________________

Approval of Council Staff Advisor: APPROVED DISAPPROVED

Signature: ________________________________________________ Date: ________________________

If Disapproved, state reasons for disapproval and suggestions for improvement:

Use additional pages if needed. Use CONTINUED FROM and the field name (Example: CONTINUED FROM HYPOTHESIS OF THE NEED/PROBLEM:) then add the additional information.


EXAMPLE 3

EXPLICIT and IMPLIED BSA USE of MATERIAL

Explicit and Implied BSA Use of this MaterialPer the requirements for submission of a doctorial thesis or project within the College of Commissioner Science process, the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) receives both implied and explicit rights for the use of the material found within this document. This intellectual property is proprietary; it is for the use of the Boy Scouts of America and the author, exclusively. Boy Scouts of America is defined as the national council, headquarters in Irving Texas, and any and all of its subordinate organizations, subsidiaries, and personnel to include any duly registered members who are in good standing that are acting on behalf of the Boy Scouts of America. The author retains original proprietary and all other rights and privileges of this work. Authorization to copy or use this information in any manner or for any purpose otherwise stated must do so with the sole and expressed permission of the author by any individuals, corporations, organizations, or any other entity, other than the Boy Scouts of America.


EXAMPLE 4

TABLE OF CONTENTS

It will look something like this:Page

Title Page.......................................................................................1

List of Figures.................................................................................2

List of Tables..................................................................................3

Introduction....................................................................................4

Results...........................................................................................5

Discussion.................................................................................5-15

Conclusion....................................................................................16

Recommendations.......................................................................17

Acknowledgments........................................................................17

References...................................................................................18

Appendices.............................................................................19-20


EXAMPLE 5

BODY OF THESIS

Paragraph Topic1. First Main1.1.1.1.1.2. Second Main2.12.22.2.12.2.1.1

NOTE: The numbering of paragraphs is not a requirement but may be used if desired.


EXAMPLE 6

APPENDICES

Appendix A, Title A-1

Appendix B, Title B-1 – B-4

Appendix C, Title C-1 – C-9


EXAMPLE 7

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Boy Scouts of America (1998). Boy Scout Handbook, (11th Ed) Irving, TX

2. Boy Scouts of America (2003). Climb on Safely, 20-099B Irving, TX

3. Boy Scouts of America (2004). Fieldbook (4th Ed.) Irving, TX

4. Boy Scouts of America (2008). Guide to Safe Scouting, 34416A, (1998) Irving, TX

5. Boy Scouts of America (2008). Guide to Safe Scouting: Reporting Death or Serious Injury, 34416A, (1998) Irving, TX

6. Boy Scouts of America (2007). Guide to Safe Scouting: Sweet 16 of BSA Safety, 34416A, (1998) Irving TX

7. Boy Scouts of America (2005). Health & Safety Guide, 34415D (1983) Irving, TX

8. Boy Scouts of America (2008). Local Tour Permit (Rev 12/07) August 12, 2009, http://www.cvcboyscouts.org/forms/GENERAL/34426_Tour Permit App_08 Printing.pdf


Developing your Presentation

General:

Thesis Presentation:

Develop your presentation solely based on your thesis, do not invent new material or add any additional information, use notes from your review.

Presenter’s Oral presentation. May use Charts, Powerpoint, Hand-outs, etc. to support the presentation.

Plan on approximately 15 minutes to discuss the topic, major points, and value to the Council and Scouting.

Be in Proper Uniform. Check all patches for placement and are current for the council the candidate is registered in. (i.e. do not wear a Robert E. Lee Council Strip on your presentation uniform if registered in the HOV Council.)

Have at least four (4) copies of the thesis and presentation slides for the Doctoral Review Board submitted during registration. These will be turned-in to the Dean for issue to the Review Board prior to the presentation.

Practice your presentation. Use your Thesis Advisor and other Commissioners/Scouters as an audience.

Present the Material – DO NOT read the slides/charts.

Expect 10 to 15 minutes for questions from the Doctoral Review Board.

Using your thesis, what are the key points? Write these key points and arrange them from most important to lesser points.

In a few bullet points, describe the purpose of the thesis.

What is the problem you are solving? What are the factors bearing on the problem?

What is the Scope of the thesis, what will and will not be included?

What is the proposed solution to the problem?


What benefits can be expected from implementing this solution?

How can your solution be applied throughout the council? What resources are needed? Who has responsibility/authority to implement the proposed solution?

Presenting with PowerPoint: 10 DOs and DON’TsMicrosoft Small Business CenterBy Jeff Wuorio

1. Hold up your end with compelling material.

In a way, PowerPoint's ease of use may be its own worst enemy. However simple and engaging it can be to build eye catching slides and graphics, bear in mind that PowerPoint isn't autonomous. The audience has come to hear you, not merely to stare at images tossed onto a screen. Build a strong PowerPoint program, but make sure that your spoken remarks are no less compelling. "PowerPoint doesn't give presentations — PowerPoint makes slides," says Matt Thornhill, president of Audience First, a Midlothian, Va., business that offers presentation training. "Remember that you are creating slides to support a spoken presentation."

2. Keep it simple.

We've all likely seen PowerPoint and other presentations where the speaker seemed ready to propose to the program. After all, it was clear that he fell in love with every wrinkle, special effect and other bit of gadgetry available. But the most effective PowerPoint presentations are simple — charts that are easy to understand, and graphics that reflect what the speaker is saying. Some authorities suggest no more than five words per line and no more than five lines per individual slide. "Don't gum up the works with too many words and graphics," Kerr says. "Do you really need to have everything up on the screen?"

3. Minimize numbers in slides.

PowerPoint's lure is the capacity to convey ideas and support a speaker's remarks in a concise manner. That's hard to do through a haze of numbers and statistics. For the most part, most effective PowerPoint displays don't overwhelm viewers with too many figures and numbers. Instead, leave those for a later, more thorough digestion in handouts distributed at presentation's end. If you want to emphasize a statistic in PowerPoint, consider using a graphic or image to convey the point. "For instance, when I once was talking about the prevalence of Alzheimer's patients, I used a photograph of an old woman rather than just throwing up a number on the screen," Kerr says.

4. Don't Parrot PowerPoint.

One of the most prevalent and damaging habits of PowerPoint users is to simply read the visual presentation to the audience. Not only is that redundant — short of using the clicker, why are you even there? — but it makes even the most visually appealing presentation boring to the bone. PowerPoint works best with spoken remarks that augment and discuss, rather than mimic, what's on the screen. "Even with PowerPoint, you've got to make eye contact with your audience," says Roberta Prescott of The Prescott Group, a Connecticut-based communications consulting firm. "Those people didn't come to see the back of your head."

http://www.microsoft.com/smallbusiness/resources/technology/business-software/presenting-with-powerpoint-10-dos-and-donts.aspx


5. Time your Remarks.

Another potential land mine is a speaker's comments that coincide precisely with the appearance of a fresh PowerPoint slide. That merely splits your audience's attention. A well-orchestrated PowerPoint program brings up a new slide, gives the audience a chance to read and digest it, then follows up with remarks that broaden and amplify what's on the screen. "It's an issue of timing," Kerr says. "Never talk on top of your slides."

6. Give it a Rest.

Unique from other products in Microsoft Office Small Business 2007, PowerPoint is most effective as a visual accompaniment to the spoken word. Experienced PowerPoint users aren't bashful about letting the screen go blank on occasion. Not only can that give your audience a visual break, it's also effective to focus attention on more verbally-focused give and take, such as a group discussion or question and answer session.

7. Use Vibrant Colors.

A striking contrast between words, graphics and the background can be very effective in conveying both a message and emotion.

8. Import other Images and Graphics.

Don't limit your presentation to what PowerPoint offers. Use outside images and graphics for variety and visual appeal, including video. "I often have one or two very short video clips in my presentations," says New York technology consultant Ramon Ray. "It helps with humor, conveys a message and loosens up the crowd."

9. Distribute handouts at the end — not during the presentation.

Some people may disagree with me here. But no speaker wants to be chatting to a crowd that's busy reading a summation of her remarks. Unless it is imperative that people follow a handout while you're presenting, wait until you're done to distribute them.

10. Edit ruthlessly before presenting.

Never lose the perspective of the audience. Once you're finished drafting your PowerPoint slides, assume you're just one of the folks listening to your remarks as you review them. If something is unappealing, distracting or confusing, edit ruthlessly. Chances are good your overall presentation will be the better for it.


Other Points:

Use contrasting colors:

Examples:

Non-standard fonts may not be supported by the facility’s computer setup and their default font may change your layout with disastrous consequences!

Avoid flashy transitions, as too much movement will distract your audience. Don’t use too many animation effects.

Limit the use of RED. The color Red normally depicts negative or bad information.

Keep in mind that your audience might include people with partial sight or color deficiencies.

Use only appropriate graphs, charts and images that closely follow or complement the concept expressed in each slide.

These tips can be used for all types of presentation methods.

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