Terminology on Thesis Journal website is inconsistent / convoluted

[nopivnick]

the terminology below is used inconsistently and somewhat interchangeably:

• Thesis Statement
• Thesis Proposal
• Weekly Update (when topic is specified) vs Journal Entry (when topic is specified)
• Thesis Archive Statement
• Thesis Summary
• Thesis Materials
• Context/Research Summary
• Thesis Progress Summaries

it would be helpful if duplicative concepts were collapsed and a simple, concise, lexicon could be found somewhere.

[nopivnick]

@StefaniRenee @hx2A

anyone know how to clarify and/or simplify any of this?

[hx2A]

Here are my thoughts that are hopefully correct. @StefaniRenee , correct me where I am wrong.

• Thesis Proposal

This is what you submitted for the thumbs up thumbs down thing, letting the faculty know what you intend to do for the semester. The Thesis Proposal has several parts, including a Thesis Statement.

• Thesis Statement
• Thesis Archive Statement

The Thesis Statement is part of your Thesis Proposal. The Thesis Archive Statement will be a refinement of the Thesis Statement that will go in the Thesis Archive. That isn't due until later in the semester, when you need to submit your stuff for the Archive. Some people's thesis projects will change direction between now and then.

• Context/Research Summary

I think this was the Research section of your Thesis Proposal. You can and should keep updating this on your own as your project evolves. You'll want to provide a more refined version of this later in the semester before the thesis presentations. The reviewers will read it before you present. You'll also add that to the Thesis Archive.

• Weekly Update (when topic is specified) vs Journal Entry (when topic is specified)
• Thesis Progress Summaries

Weekly Updates are done in the Thesis Journal, providing a Summary of your Progress. I agree that we should use a consistent term for this.

• Thesis Summary
• Thesis Materials

The Thesis Summary will be the written content that goes into the Thesis Archive. The Thesis Materials will be the non-written stuff such as photographs and videos documenting your project.

[nopivnick]

@hx2A

thanks for this.

if the two buckets are Proposal and Archive, then the language should be consistent:

• Thesis Proposal

  • Proposal Statement
  • Proposal Context & Research

• Thesis Archive

  • Archive Statement
  • Archive Context & Research
  • Archive Materials

the syllabus says the Archive is due on April 16th but Weeks 10 - 11 (Testing and Iteration) are not finished until April 21st, is that correct?

[hx2A]

I like your terminology better, it is easier to understand what is due when.

Yes, the content for the Archive is due before you will be finished with your project. I hated that and you'll hate that also.