Thesis Guidelines 28-02-08

Hanoi University Department of Postgraduate Studies

THESIS GUIDELINES

Hanoi, May 2006

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WRITING UP YOUR THESIS A • • • • • • • • • • •

minor thesis /study report should comprise the following, in order: cover page title page contents page acknowledgement abstract statement of authorship list of figures and tables (if there is one) list of abbreviations (if there is one) main body of thesis/report references appendix(es) (if there is one)

The cover page The cover page should contain the following elements: • Ministry of Education and Training (font: VnTimeH; font size: 12) Hanoi University of Foreign Studies (font: VnTimeH; bold-typed; font size: 12) • student’s name (font: VnTimeH; font size: 12) • title of the thesis/report (font: VnTimeH; bold-typed; font size: 16) • submitted in partial fulfilment of requirements of the degree of Master in TESOL (font: VnTimeH; font size: 10) • Hanoi (font: VnTime; font size: 12) month/year The usual layout of these elements is shown in Figure 1 The title page The title page should contain the following elements: • Ministry of Education and Training (font: VnTimeH; font size: 12) Hanoi University of Foreign Studies (font: VnTimeH; bold-typed; font size: 12) • student’s name (font: VnTimeH; font size: 12) • title of the thesis/report (font: VnTimeH; bold-typed; font size: 16) • submitted in partial fulfilment of requirements of the degree of Master in TESOL (font: VnTimeH; font size: 10) • supervisor’s name (font: VnTimeH; font size: 12) • Hanoi (font: VnTime; font size: 12) month/year

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The usual layout of these elements is shown in Figure 2

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ministry of education and training Hanoi University of Foreign Studies

NGUYEN THI THANH HA

ENGLISH LANGUAGE TESTING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS: A CRITICAL LOOK AT CURRENT PRACTICES AND SUGGESTIONS FOR STANDARDISATION

submitted in partial fulfilment of requirements of the degree of Master in TESOL

Hanoi January 1999 Figure 1: The lay-out of the Cover Page

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ministry of education and training Hanoi University of Foreign Studies

NGUYEN THI THANH HA

ENGLISH LANGUAGE TESTING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS: A CRITICAL LOOK AT CURRENT PRACTICES AND SUGGESTIONS FOR STANDARDISATION

submitted in partial fulfilment of requirements of the degree of Master in TESOL

supervisor: Dr Vu thi phuong anh

Hanoi January 1999 Figure 2: The lay-out of the Title Page

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Contents page The table of contents is the guide to your thesis/report, so it must be accurate and logical. Your are expected to follow the format outlined in Figure 3. TABLE OF CONTENTS

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Acknowledgement i Abstract List of abbreviations iii List of figures and tables iv

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CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1. Background to the study 1 1.2. Aims of the study and overview of the thesis 3 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1.Usage and use 5 2.2. Communicative language ability 7 2.3. Test quality 2.3.1. Validity 9 2.3.2 Reliability 2.4. Summary 15 CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY 3.1. Research methods used 17 3.2. Procedures 3.3. Sample size CHAPTER FOUR: ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION 4.1. Major ideas from data 21 4.2. Relationship 4.3. Recommendations or major findings

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19 20

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26 CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS REFERENCES

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APPENDIXES Appendix 1: Research questionnaire 31 Appendix 2: Interview schedule 32 Figure 3: The lay-out of the Contents Page

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Acknowledgements The acknowledgement is used to thank any organisations, groups, or individuals who have been involved with your study/research. Abstract The abstract, which should not exceed 300 words, is to give a brief overview of the thesis/research report. The abstract should • give a brief background to the study/research including its objectives • outline the research method used • discuss the main findings • list recommendations (if there are any) Statement of Authorship List of abbreviations and/or List of figures and tables Each table, chart, figure, map, illustration or paper clipping used in your report/thesis should be numbered and labeled in the text. These should be listed and numbered following the abstract. Main body of thesis/report based on an empirical study The thesis length should be in the range of 16,000-20,000 words (50-70 pages), not including the References and Appendixes. The main body of the report should follow the following overall thesis structure, subject to any variation which should be approved by the Supervisor in consultation with the Department. • • • • • •

introduction literature review methodology results analysis and discussion summary and conclusion

General Document Guidelines • Margins: One inch (or 2.5 cm) on three sides (top, bottom, & right) and 1.50 inch (or 3.5 cm) on the left side • Font Size and Type: 12-pt font; Times New Roman, VnTime or Courier are acceptable typefaces • Spacing: 1.5 lines throughout the paper, including the abstract, body of the document, and references. • Alignment: Justify (creating even left and right margins) • Paragraph Indentation: 5-7 spaces (one tab) or 12-18pt line-spacing INTRODUCTION /opt/pdfcoke/conversion/tmp/scratch2158/26014453.doc12/04/09

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The purpose of the introduction is to frame the thesis/report for its readers. The introduction should provide: • a brief description of the topic including any background that might be necessary for the general reader to understand the research area • a statement as to why the topic is worth researching or why you found it interesting • a statement of your research objectives or hypothesis • an overview of the rest of the thesis/report. LITERATURE REVIEW The purpose of reviewing existing information is to find what is already known about the topic. Castetter and Heisler (1984) recommend four questions which students should answer in a literature review: • What is the present state of knowledge regarding the topic under consideration? • How are the studies related to the one being proposed? • What is the quality of the studies reviewed? • How will the proposed study contribute to the existing literature? To this must be added the need to maintain a strict control over the material which is covered in the literature review. Such a review is not a comprehensive evaluation of all literature related to a topic. While you will need to read widely to clarify many issues for yourself, only a careful selection of narrowly relevant materials which pertain immediately to the research question will be covered in the literature review itself. For an empirical study report, the size of the literature review should not be more than one third of the total length of the report. METHODOLOGY The purpose of this section is to outline the research methods used and demonstrate that you have followed recognised procedures in your study. You should explain why you chose particular methods and provide a detailed explanation of how the research was conducted. For example, if you used a questionnaire survey, you would need to say how many questionnaires were handed out, how respondents were selected, and perhaps what type of information you expected to get from the questionnaire. RESULTS1 The purpose of this section is to state what was found, not to analyse or explain why the results came out as they did. Tables, charts and other suitable graphic material should be mixed with the text. Do not repeat in the text information that is included in tables or graphs. Note only the 1

The RESULTS may be part of the methodology chapter or a chapter on its own.

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most relevant and important features2. If you have used a variety of methods it is sometimes worth reporting the results from each method separately. ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION In this section you are required to analyse the results of your research. Why did the results come out as they did? What do they mean in terms of the research objectives or hypothesis?3 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS Before you write this section, read through the report and make notes on any key points. These key points should then be put in a logical order and summarized. When noting key points pay particular attention to the ‘Results’ and ‘Analysis and discussion’ sections as they should be the focus of your report. This section should also include any recommendations you wish to make. References (the details will be presented below) Appendix(es) Documenting sources 1. Text Citation: Source material must be documented in the paper by citing the author(s) and the year of publication of the sources (either integrated into the text or placed at the end of the sentence). + When the names of the authors of a source are part of the formal structure of the sentence, the year of publication appears in parentheses following the identification of the authors. Eg.: Wirth and Mitchell (1994) found that although there was a reduction in insulin dosage over a period of two weeks in the treatment condition compared to the control condition, the difference was not statically significant.

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For more detailed information as to how to describe the results, refer to Swales, J.M. & Feak, C.B. (1995). Academic writing for graduate students. USA: The University of Michigan Press (Unit 4) 3 Refer to chapter 8 of Hayllar, B. & Veal, T. (1995). Pathways to Research. Melbourne: Heinemann for interpretation of questionnaire results.

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(NB: “and” is used when multiple authors are identified as part of the formal structure of the sentence. Compare this to the example in the following section.) + When the authors of a source are NOT part of a formal structure of the sentence, both the authors and years of publication appear in parentheses, separately by semicolons. Eg.: Reviews of research on religion and health have concluded that at least some types of religious behaviors are related to higher levels of physical and mental health (Gartner, Larson, & Allen, 1991; Koenig, 1990; Levin & Vanderpool, 1991; Maton & Pargament, 1987; Paloma & Pendleton, 1991; Payne, Bergin, Bielema, & Jerkins, 1991) (NB: ‘&” is used when multiple authors are identified in parenthetical material. Note also that when several sources are cited parenthetically, they are ordered alphabetically by the first authors’ surnames.) + When a source that has two authors is cited, both authors are included every time the source is cited. + When a source that has three, four, or five authors is cited, all authors are included the first time the source is cited. When that source is cited again, the first author's surname and "et al." are used. Consider the following example: Reviews of research on religion and health have concluded that at least some types of religious behaviors are related to higher levels of physical and mental health (Payne, Bergin, Bielema, & Jenkins, 1991). Payne et al. (1991) showed that … + When a source that has six or more authors is cited, the first author's surname and "et al." are used every time the source is cited (including the first time). + Within a given paragraph, do not include the date after the initial citation unless you are citing other publications else in your paper by the same author(s). + If a source has no author, use the first two or three words of the title (omitting a beginning article), and capitalise each word of your shortened version. Place the short title in quotation marks if it is an article or chapter, or underline it if it is a book or periodical. Substitute the short title for the name of the author. Eg.: (an article) (“Learned Helplessness,” 1985). The

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full title appears alphabetically in the reference list (without quotation marks) in the author position. + Where reference is made to ideas, opinions or evidence which are traceable to a specific page, this should be indicated. For example: Adams (1990, p.37) claims …or … Adams (1990, p. 37) + Initials should be included only when a distinction is drawn between authors with the same surname. Where the author’s name appears within parentheses, the initials follow the surname (Thomas, N.E. 1992). If the author’s name and initials are incorporated into the text, the initials should precede the surname, eg. N.E. Thomas (1992) .... 2. Quotations: When a direct quotation is used, always include the author, year, and page number as part of the citation. + A quotation of fewer than 40 words should be enclosed in double quotation marks and should be incorporated into the formal structure of the sentence. Consider the following example: Patients receiving prayer had "less congestive heart failure, required less diuretic and antibiotic therapy, had fewer episodes of pneumonia, had fewer cardiac arrests, and were less frequently incubated and ventilated" (Byrd, 1988, p. 829). + A lengthier quotation of 40 or more words should appear (without quotation marks) apart from the surrounding text, in "block" format, with each line indented five spaces from the left margin. Also change Spacing from ‘1.5 lines’ to ‘Single-space’. Consider the following example: The aims of this program were for pupils to be competent to speak and write in French at no cost to their English language (Lambert & Tucker, 1972). The results of the evaluation study of the program suggested that the aims were achieved. Tucker and d’Anglejan (1972) summarised the results as follows the experiment pupils appear to be able to read, write, speak, understand, and use English as well as youngsters instructed in English in conventional manner. In addition and at no cost they can also read, write, speak, and understand French in a way that English pupils who follow a traditional program of French as a second language never do. (p. 19) /opt/pdfcoke/conversion/tmp/scratch2158/26014453.doc12/04/09

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NB: - you may wish to omit some of the author’s words which are not relevant to your writing. In this case, use three dots (...) to indicate where you have omitted words. - the material quoted may already contain a quotation. Here it is necessary to change the single quotation marks (‘...’) in the original to double quotation marks (“...”) to indicate that these were the author’s quotation marks, not yours. References You must include a list of references at the end of your research report. Remember to list only works that you have referred to in your report. The References section begins on a new page. Reference entries are organized alphabetically by surnames of first authors. Most reference entries have three components: • • •

Authors: Authors are listed in the same order as specified in the source, using surnames and initials. Commas separate all authors. Year of Publication: In parentheses following authors, with a period following the closing parenthesis. Source Reference: Includes title, journal, volume, pages (for journal article) or title, city of publication, publisher (for book).

N.B.: title of book (including edited books), title of a journal, and the World Wide Web should be italicised. Compiling a bibliography + Journal article Murzynski, J., & Degelman, D. (1996). Body language of women and judgments of vulnerability to sexual assault. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 26, 1617-1626. [Note: Italicise continuously from the beginning of the journal title through the comma following the volume number.] + Book Paloutzian, R. F. (1996). Invitation to the psychology of religion (2nd ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon. + Web document Degelman, D., & Harris, M. L. (2000). APA Style Essentials. Retrieved May 18, 2000 from the World Wide Web: http://www.vanguard.edu/psychology/apa.html

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+ Document from electronic database Hien, D., & Honeyman, T. (2000). A closer look at the drug abuse-maternal aggression link. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 15, 503-522. Retrieved May 20, 2000 from ProQuest on-line database on the World Wide Web: http://www.umi.com/pqdauto [Note: Italicise continuously from the beginning of the journal title through the comma following the volume number.] + Article or chapter in an edited book Shea, J. D. (1992). Religion and sexual adjustment. In J. F. Schumaker (Ed.), Religion and Mental Health (pp. 70-84). New York: Oxford University Press. + If the author is unknown ‘A note on the reorganisation of district administration’ (1885). Quarterly journal of political and social science, 7, 1-12. + Unpublished works Ong, M.H.C. (1969). The Democratic Action Party of Malaysia: the case for a Malaysia restated. Unpublished MA Thesis, La Trobe University. A Sample ‘References’ Section ‘A note on the reorganisation of district administration’ (1885). Quarterly journal of political and social science, 7, 1-12 Degelman, D., & Harris, M. L. (2000). APA Style Essentials. Retrieved May 18, 2000 from the World Wide Web: http://www.vanguard.edu/psychology/apa.html Hien, D., & Honeyman, T. (2000). A closer look at the drug abuse-maternal aggression link. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 15, 503-522. Retrieved May 20, 2000 from ProQuest on-line database on the World Wide Web: http://www.umi.com/pqdauto Murzynski, J., & Degelman, D. (1996). Body language of women and judgments of vulnerability to sexual assault. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 26, 1617-1626. Ong, M.H.C. (1969). The Democratic Action Party of Malaysia: the case for a Malaysia restated. Unpublished MA Thesis, La Trobe University

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Paloutzian, R. F. (1996). Invitation to the psychology of religion (2nd ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Shea, J. D. (1992). Religion and sexual adjustment. In J. F. Schumaker (Ed.), Religion and Mental Health (pp. 70-84). New York: Oxford University Press. Plagiarism This means using someone else's words, ideas or information without referencing them - in other words, presenting them as your own. Any work that is not referenced is assumed to be yours, so ensure that this is true. Plagiarism is a serious academic offence and can result in penalties. To avoid it, use quotations and paraphrases with proper referencing. When you are reading, keep careful notes of your sources, including all the bibliographic information that you need to write a full reference for the sources.

This Guidelines document is prepared by using materials from the following sources: 'Quy ChÕ §µo T¹o Sau §¹i Häc' (2000). Hµ Néi: Bé Gi¸o dôc vµ §µo t¹o Brooks, a. & Grunby, P. (1990). Writing for study purposes. CUP Clanchy, J. & Ballard, B. (1981). How to write essays. Longman Degelman, D. & Harris, M.L. (2000). APA Style Essentials. Retreives May 18, 2000 from the World Wide Web: htth://www.vanguard.edu/psychology/apa.html Hamp-Lyons, L. & Counter, K.B. (1984). Research matters. Newbury house publishers Hayllar,B & Veal, T. (1995). Pathways to Research. Melbourne: Heinemann Hennessy, B. (1994). How to write an essay. Plimbridge house Parson, C.J. (1973). Theses and project paper. George Allen & Unwin Ltd. Phillips, G.R.E. & Hunt, L.J. (1996). Writing essays and dissertations. Landfall Press Trzeciak, J. & Mackay, S.E. (1994). Study skills for academic writing. Prentice Hall

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Waters, M. & Waters, A. (1995). Study tasks in English. CUP

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