EXSC 689 Thesis Proposal and Design

This course is designed as a secondary step towards a graduate level thesis; following EXSC 525: Research Methods in Exercise Science.  The student continues with their selected topic of interest and solidifies a research proposal.  The process is designed to deepen the comprehension of research methods, expand the knowledge of current evidence based understanding and enhance skills necessary for scholarly writing.

The purpose of this course is to allow the student to perfect their research proposal begun in EXSC 525. A more advanced level of knowledge will allow the student to critique their former work and strengthen their thesis. Students will be adequately prepared to successfully complete EXSC 690: Thesis Defense, in the following semester.

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

IRB Application and Informed Consent Form Development Assignment

After conferring with their Thesis Chair and/or committee and having their research topic approved, students must complete an IRB application and Informed Consent Form.  This must be reviewed by the Thesis Chair prior to submitting to the IRB for review.  All other requested documents (ie. recruitment script, data sheets, PAR-Q, etc.) must also be submitted and the IRB application and Informed Consent Form must be approved before the end of the semester unless unforeseen circumstances (ie. application is potentially held up in the IRB during review process, etc.) occur.  Ideally, the IRB application and Informed consent should be submitted by week 9 of the semester to the IRB for review.    

Appendix Assignment

Documents, such as data sheets, extended literature review and key terms (if required by your thesis chair), health questionnaires (if applicable), recruitment scripts, and emails or letters of support must be submitted between the 10th and 13th week of the semester unless your thesis chair has allowed you to submit the appendix forms a little later in the course, but before the end of the semester.  The updated approved IRB application and informed consent form must be given to your thesis chair by the end of the semester. 

Manuscript Assignment

Students will complete the introduction, methods, and references sections of a journal manuscript, which follows the journals submission guidelines for authors, that represents a streamlined version of their thesis proposal. The first part of the manuscript must be submitted to your thesis chair by the end of Module 9.

Quiz: Manuscript Development Progress (6)

The candidate will self-report acknowledgment of progress on this quiz. Also, this quiz serves to show course activity and attendance; therefore, each quiz must be completed within the assigned module and should not be taken early.