2. Writing the thesis Paper, a fully-illustrated, scholarly paper, typically between 30 and 40 pages long. Please refer to Library Guide / Guidelines for Graduate Theses for document standards. Look at theses from previous graduates for examples of what is expected: for example, the works of Jacquelyn Martino, Soo-Hee Baek, Mary Phillipuk, Nicole Haniph, Ellen Scott.
• Exercise the highest standards in their chosen medium, both technical and artistic.
• As defined in their research proposal: Tell an entertaining story, express a compelling concept, and/or conduct thorough and innovative artistic explorations
• Describe and illustrate their research, motivation, and process in a scholarly paper
• Display and visually document their work, with clarity and high quality
• Conduct themselves professionally, with respect for the thesis process
Completed project due for this-semester graduates.
First draft of thesis paper due for first-semester students.
"First final" draft of paper due for this-semester graduates.
Pre-register for next semester's Thesis course if not graduating.
Last day for submitting paper & project to instructor for signature if graduating this semester.
The instructor will individually establish what milestones each student needs to meet, and what materials or media are required for review at each step. Typically the student will be presenting/demonstrating these to the instructor and/or the class for discussion.
The Documentation
Still images and video recordings of the project are also required in the final thesis package. See below, and the official guidelines, for specifications.
The Paper
A first draft of the paper must be submitted during the first semester of Thesis. The research paper is typically used as the beginning of the thesis paper. Note three things:
a. The format must be changed to conform with the Library’s requirements.
b. The tense of the wording must change to past or present tense, rather than the future tense used when writing the research proposal.
c. The final form of your project may vary slightly from the original proposal. If that is the case, keep the original description of the project in the final paper, and add some paragraphs explaining what was changed in the completed project, and especially why.
The Paper’s Contents
There is a lot of flexibility in what may be said and how the paper is organized, but these elements are required:
- Introduction
- Influences
- General Description
- Aesthetic and/or Design Issues
- List of illustrations with captions and source references
- Technical Issues
- Process, including your research and/or production process
- Conclusion, analyzing/critiquing the finished project and directions for future work
- Footnotes and Bibliography (I expect your content to be fully annotated with source references.)
http://lib.pratt.edu/public/theses.html is the Library’s site for formatting and deadlines.
The final grade will be based on the extent to which all the "Learning Objectives" specified above have been successfully met.
Individual Meeting Time Slots
(It is OK to trade time with classmates if the instructor is informed in advance. Otherwise each student must appear at the designated time. With work to show, the student should arrive early so that the software is ready at the beginning of the appointment.)
Individual Meetings A Individual Meetings B
5:00-5:35 Person #1 5:00-5:35 Person #6
5:35-6:10 Person #2 5:35-6:10 Person #7
6:10-6:45 Person #3 6:10-6:45 Person #8
6:45-7:20 Person #4 6:45-7:20 Person #9
7:20-7:55 Person #5 7:20-8:00 Person #10
MISSED MEETINGS: If the student is more than 10 minutes late, the instructor will assume he or she has missed the meeting and is not coming, and the student forfeits the opportunity to reschedule that appointment. Each meeting missed while in 660 will move back the instructor's required deadlines for pre-graduation final versions by two weeks.
a. Drafts must be typed or printed (hi-resolution, laser preferable), double-spaced, and bound. (Use the Library format, but use inexpensive paper until the final.)
b. The instructor will only receive drafts on the day of class; and you should not expect a reply until at least the next class.
c. When re-submitting a draft after the instructor has commented, the student must also submit the prior draft containing my comments. (In other words, after the first draft, the student will always be submitting an old and a revised version.)
d. If the instructor encounters poor spelling, typographical errors, or erroneous grammar, he return the paper with no comments on its content. See the Writing Center on campus for help with such things.
e. Do not submit drafts which are incomplete. See the “Contents” items above.
f. The instructor will allow up to 3 rounds of submission/rewrites. (Case “d” above counts as a Round. Be careful.) The student must discuss plans for the paper, and receive approval from the instructor, before proceeding with writing.
The Future: Thesis in Progress CG700
After completing 2 semesters of 660, if not yet graduated, the student is required to register for Thesis-In-Progress (700) for every Fall and Spring semester until the Thesis is signed. [TIP students are not required to register for summers or winters.] This may go on for an absolute maximum of 4 TIP semesters.
In-Progress students must demonstrate satisfactory progress on their thesis each semester. A meeting each semester to determine this progress must be arranged by the student. The instructor will assign a grade of "IP" at the end of each semester only if satisfactory progress has been demonstrated.
Students who do not remain current will lose their IP status, requiring that they re-take Thesis from the beginning.
Reviews during Thesis-in-Progress
Preparing for the final submission:
The project: The student must meet in person with the instructor to review the project, every time. Submitting the project by mail is not acceptable.
For installations: A DV tape must document the installation experience, and the behind-the-scenes setup. A detailed storyboard and script for the DV tape must be approved by the instructor before shooting.
Nearing graduation: PLAN AHEAD. Schedule a meeting with the instructor during the school year to demonstrate the finished project, and submit a printed draft of the “first final” paper. Assume the instructor will require revisions for both the project and paper. The student must then schedule another meeting to demonstrate revisions, to the instructor's satisfaction. This process can take many weeks. See the note on page 1 about missed meetings, and how the instructor will require earlier deadlines for students who have not respected the meeting schedule.
Due to end-of-year schedule conflicts, the student should assume that the instructor will not be available for final thesis approval or signatures during finals week or afterwards, until the beginning of the next semester. This condition may be waived only for students who have been seeing me on a regular scheduled basis.
Final Submission Checklist
In addition to the material required by the Department and the Library, which includes 6 to 10 slides of your key frames, you must submit to the instructor:
a. All projects: A DV tape. Also for interactives: A hybrid (Mac+PC) CDROM. (The project must run on MacOSX and Windows.)
b. A bound copy of your paper
c. Four to six 8x10 high quality screen grab prints mounted individually or on one poster board, for the Pratt Show.
d. Digital files of those screen grabs.
WRAPPING IT UP: After your instructor has said that the final draft of the paper is OK, and that the project is OK, print the paper on archival quality stock using the Library format. Make 3 copies (one of them is for the student to keep). Do not bind the copies. Package them neatly in a box or heavy plastic envelopes. Make sure at least two copies contain the slides of your key frames, and the CD/ DVD / MiniDV of the work as required. The library still wants a VHS. All external media should be labeled professionally.
Bring that package, in a neat box, to your instructor, who will will sign the cover sheets.
Then...
. Simply drop off the package in the Department Chair’s office, and go away.
. The office will call/email when the chair has signed the papers.
. Do not otherwise bother the chairman or the office. Making a simple phone call 1 week after you drop off the paper is fine to inquire about the status.
. When it is ready, the student picks up the Library copy of the paper and takes it to the Library for binding, after paying a fee. They will give you a receipt which you take to the registrar. Read about the details on the Library web site, which also includes deadlines.
Timing: After the instructor signs the paper, assume one to two additional weeks for obtaining Department Chair signatures, and registry with the Library. Add those weeks to the registrar’s graduation deadline. The student must be present to arrange and perform all these steps yourself. See the current DDA Thesis Guidelines document for complete details.
Pratt Show
Graduating students are required to help with preparing, arranging, and running of the DDA booth at this annual event, which occurs in early May. All finished thesis projects are reviewed by a jury for acceptance into the show. Projects must have been signed before April 21 to be considered for the May show. Similar deadlines will exist for future shows.
INTERACTIVE PROJECTS If accepted for the show, interactive work will be running live on a computer in a public space, much like a kiosk. Give consideration in the interface design to allow for visitors to restart the project, and easily navigate through it. (Web projects should be prepared to run locally if at all possible.)
Plagiarism – the copying of other people’s work from any book, web site, computer file, anywhere – will not be tolerated. The student must give appropriate credit to the original source of any text, sound, music, image, or code used in the paper or project. Legal permission must be secured to use the works of others. For more information on copyright law and the Department and Institute policies on Academic Honesty, ask the instructor or the Department Chair.
The paper, project, and documentation must include credits listing sources of any visual, audio, text, or programming content not created by the student.
It is the policy of DDA and Pratt to emphasize respect for the creative works of others. Infringement takes place when -- without permission -- a substantial part of a work is copied, made available to others, or adapted into a new form. Images, text, logos, software, sounds, film/video clips, email, postings to newsgroups, and other works distributed electronically are protected by copyright, just as they are in traditional media. Appropriate use of the internet and digital storage media implies responsibilities and is encouraged. Protection technologies such as watermarking and encryption are supported and must be respected. DDA does not condone copyright infringement and disciplinary action will be taken if this policy is violated.