Guidelines for an Acceptable Prospectus
The prospectus may be viewed as a process and as a product. That is, it involves the acquisition of knowledge and skills as well as the reporting of them. Acceptability, therefore, is a matter of whether the student has gained a sufficient degree of mastery of the subject and whether the reporting of the results of these intellectual activities is adequately done. Along with a copy of the prospectus, each member of the prospectus evaluation committee receives an evaluation data sheet upon which he/she will independently rate the acceptability of the document.
Criteria that reflect desirable characteristics or qualities of the prospectus include:
Integrative Analysis and Interpretation
- Identifies the issues that have been investigated
- Attempts to clarify
- Illuminates new problems
- Speaks to the central problems concerning the subject
- Deals with conceptual clarification
- Outlines implications for future work
Proposed Research Study
- Is competently planned, well related to other relevant work, and addresses the stated question well
- Uses appropriate analytical procedures, presents antici-pated results and their implications clearly
- Is easily understood and well-written
Although these are ends toward which the student’s effort should be directed, and the achievement of many of these goals would be welcome and pleasing to the prospectus adviser, the prospectus is the student’s product and responsibility. If the prospectus is not deemed to be acceptable as the basis for the preparation of the prospectus examination, the prospectus evaluation committee has the option, by majority vote, of not preparing a written or oral examination, and making a recommendation to the GSC based on the incomplete prospectus. Prospectus advisers conduct a final meeting with the student, before (or soon after) the prospectus is turned in, to discuss the logistics and procedures of the two exams.
