The SFU Library thesis template is a Microsoft Word file designed to assist students in preparing theses, projects, and extended essay(s) in accordance with formatting standards and requirements for submission to the Library.

There are 3 parts to this workshop:

1. SFU Library's research data specialists will give instruction on how to store, preserve (archive) and, if appropriate, share research data for future uses. (15 to 20 minutes)

2. SFU Copyright Office will briefly explain copyright law as it relates to reproducing copyright protected material in your thesis and other published works, and explain how to request permission from copyright holders when required. (20 to 30 minutes)

3. For the remainder of the time, the Theses Office will walk through the overall structure of your thesis and demonstrate the functionality of the thesis template. You will learn how to:

• download the thesis template (a Microsoft Word file) and set up some defaults
• format your text using styles (ie. block quotes, lists, references, etc.)
• insert figures/images and tables and generate auto-numbered captions
• update the Table of Contents, List of Tables and List of Figures
• bring in text from other documents

Description: Join the Thesis Writing Group to make some serious progress on your thesis! The Thesis Writing Group is modeled after other successful online writing groups that use scheduled time to work on their writing with the (quiet) presence and support of other writers. The Research Commons remains devoted to supporting SFU graduate student researchers, even though we are now working from a distance!

What you can expect

The Thesis Writing Group will be held via Zoom. It will be hosted and moderated by members of the Graduate Writing Facilitator team, who will be available for writing support, along with a Librarian for research support. An Assistant for Theses will also be available for some of the sessions for any questions about using the thesis template, formatting, or the thesis submission process. The sessions will be held on Fridays, 9:00 am – 12 noon for 8 weeks, starting February 5th, 2021 and concluding March 26th, 2021.

The online writing group format

Some of you may already be familiar with or have participated in online writing groups. For both those with and without experience, we encourage you to join us for this unique experience! Like Thesis Boot Camp that some of you may be familiar with, the group will begin each session by briefly checking in and setting goals in small groups before turning to dedicated writing time. Participants can request support from our team through the chat feature, and consultations/discussions will take place in a breakout room. The 3-hour sessions will conclude with the group coming together and discussing any reflections or areas of interest/concern.

Writers will be asked to keep their microphones muted while writing, and the use of webcams is welcome but entirely optional for each participant. 

Registration

Registration is available for all 8-weeks of sessions combined. We ask that registered participants commit to attending each session to the extent that their schedules allow, and that those who would like to join but know in advance that they will not be available to attend one or several sessions to please let us know in advance. Similar to Thesis Boot Camp registration, this is to ensure that we offer ample resources to best support students dedicated to making serious progress on their theses during this time period.

Please register by Tuesday, February 2nd at 4:00pm, after which registrants will be contacted with a confirmation and further instructions.

If you have any questions about the Thesis Writing Group, please contact Robyn Long, Writing Services Coordinator for graduate students, at robyn_long@sfu.ca.

After you have defended, the final step for graduation eligibility is submitting your thesis, project, or extended essay(s) to the Library. This workshop will walk you through the thesis submission process.

Note: A good time to take this workshop is sometime during the semester that you’ll be defending or sometime after you know when your defence date is.

You will learn:

1. How to log into the Thesis Registration System (TRS)

2. What required documents you need to upload to the TRS

3. What “if applicable” documents you need to upload to the TRS

4. What happens after you have submitted