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Nutrition Epidemiology and Data Science Master’s Thesis Guidelines 1 1. Introduction This guide is designed to assist a student who chooses a thesis option as part of his/her curriculum plan and help the student prepare a thesis that conforms to the Friedman School’s requirement. Successful completion of a Master’s Thesis is a written thesis in the format of a traditional thesis or a publishable manuscript. In keeping with the high academic and educational objectives of the Friedman School, the thesis should constitute a cohesive scholarly work that reflects a student’s original writing and independent research with a thorough understanding of the field of the study. The thesis should include a critical review of the relevant scientific literature that establishes the context in which the students’ research work may be assessed. It should demonstrate a solid understanding on study design, statistical analysis, and causal inference as applied in nutritional epidemiologic research and nutrition data science. It should be clearly written and follow standards of superior scientific scholarship. 2. General formatting 2.1. Line Spacing: The text of the thesis is double-spaced except for the table of contents, tables, figure legends, long quotations, footnotes, and bibliographical citations, which are to be singled-spaced. 2.2. Font: A standard font used should be selected for use throughout the entire thesis. Standard fonts include 1) Arial 11 point or 2) Times New Roman 12 point. Eccentric type styles, such as cursive, are not permitted. 2.3. Page Numbering: Every paper in a thesis is assigned a number except the Title page. These are two series of page numbers. 2.3.1. Roman numerals (ii, iii, etc.) are to be used on all of the preliminary pages and should be numbered with lower-case at the bottom, center of each page, ½” from the bottom edge. The title page should be counted when numbering successive pages, but the number should not appear on that page. The first page on which a number should appear is the Abstract page (numbered ii). 2.3.2. Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, etc.) begin with the first page of the Introduction and continue throughout the thesis, including tables, figures, appendices and the bibliography. Arabic numerals should appear ½” from the bottom center of the page. 2.4. Margins: The margins at the top, bottom, and right are to be 1.0 inch; the left-hand marge is to be 1.5 inches. All tables, charts, and illustrations are to have left-hand margin of no less than 1.5 inches. 2.5. Tables and Figures: Tables and figures should be numbered consecutively using two numbers, the first indicating the chapter in which the table or figure is located and the second specifying the number within the chapter. The titles of tables and figures as well as the page numbers on which they appear should also be listed. For example: Table 2.1: Enter the Title of the Table Here……………………………………………..20 Table 2.2: Enter the Title of the Table Here……………………………………………..25 Table 3.1: Enter the Title of the Table Here……………………………………………..30 2 3. Document Organization 3.1. Title Page: A sample title page is shown in section 7. Students must follow it exactly, using only the font sizes and wording prescribed on the sample page. No bolding, capitalization, or changes to this formatting may be made. 3.2. Abstract: The abstract should be about 350 words. The abstract should state the main argument of the thesis so that the reader can quickly review the essential contents and results. A typical abstract includes a statement of the problem, a description of procedures or methods followed, the primary results, and conclusions. 3.3. Dedication (optional): Students may include a page with a brief dedication. 3.4. Acknowledgment (optional): The feature is not required but offers a convenient opportunity to express the writer’s appreciation to persons who have been especially helpful during the research process. 3.5. Table of Contents: The Table of Contents should list the chapters or the division heading of the thesis, using the same words that appear in the body of the report. The numbers of the pages on which these items appear should also be given. The Table of Contents is to be followed by a separate page listing for tables and for figures. See section 7 for a sample Table of Contents. 3.6. List of Table: Include all tables contained in the thesis as indicated by table number and the title of each table. See formatting instructions in section 2. 3.7. List of Figures: Include all figures contained in the thesis as indicated by figure number and the title of each figure. See formatting instructions in section 2. 3.8. List of Copyrighted Materials: If any part of the thesis has been published, the student must list the source document here with its full citation. The includes other people’s graphs or images and reusing the student’s own work that has been published. The student is responsible for securing permission to use this material from the copyright holder. The permission letters should be uploaded in the Supplementary Files section on the ProQuest/UMI website. 3.9. List of Abbreviations: A complete list of abbreviations used in the text must be included. 3.10. Body of the Thesis: Students present detailed information about their research activities. See section 4 for formatting. 3.11. Appendix (optional): The Appendix may include but is not limited to a more extensive presentation of materials and methods to assist other investigators who wish to utilize methods developed by the candidate. The candidate may also wish to include as appendix material more detailed presentations of data than appropriate for a scholarly journal or thesis. 3.12. Bibliography: At a minimum, each reference must include the name of all authors, the title of the article, the name of the journal, the volume number and the pages of the article. Titles of articles must be included. The bibliography of the thesis must be compiled at the end of the thesis. 3 4. Body of the Thesis: Two Format Options 4.1 Choosing a Thesis Format: The format of the thesis will be, in part, dictated by the scope and complexity of the research project. A student must choose between these two formats. No combination of the two formats is acceptable. 4.2. Traditional Format 4.2.1. Introduction. This chapter serves two major purposes: a review of the literature, and a statement of the research question under investigation. This section allows the student to provide a comprehensive background to the research project. The student should then present the working hypotheses and introduce the thesis research. 4.2.2. Methods. This chapter should provide a full description of the subjects studied as well as their numbers and sources. Research methodologies should be referenced as appropriate, including sample selection, inclusion and exclusion criteria, methods of assess the exposure and outcome, and statistical approaches for analyzing the data. Figures and tables must be inserted into the text where they are discussed. 4.2.3. Results: The Results chapter should contain only the original contributions of the study that represents a documentation of the research experience that is clearly written without interpretation. Tables and figures are to be numbered in order and placed within the text where referenced. 4.2.4. Discussion: A thesis should end with a general discussion of the studies that have been conducted and how they have answered the research question/hypothesis posed in the Introduction. It should include an overall assessment of the significant of the research, arguments for interpretations presented, and suggestions for future exceptional work to address unanswered questions. 4.3. Manuscript Format: The thesis requirement is one manuscript that has been or is formatted to be submitted for publication in a scholarly journal. At least one manuscript should be written to meet the thesis requirements. Additional manuscripts consistent with the thesis research objectives can be included as part of the body of the thesis or as an appendix, depending on whether they directly or indirectly address the overall objectives of the thesis research. Each manuscript constitutes a chapter and will include a brief Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion. The candidate must meet the Authorship criteria and provide bibliographic information for the manuscript. 4.3.1. Introduction: This chapter serves two major purposes: a review of the literature focusing on the project’s objectives and highlighting the gaps in our current knowledge, and a statement of the research question under investigation. The student should then present the working hypotheses and introduce the thesis research. 4.3.2. Methods: This chapter should provide a full description of research methods. Research methods should be referenced as appropriate, including study population, measurement of the exposure, measurement of the outcome, and statistical analysis. 4.3.3. Results: The Results chapter should contain only the original contributions of the student that represents a documentation of the research experience that is clearly written, and end with a brief discussion of the significance of the findings. 4
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