The Master's thesis or project is a serious demonstration of a graduate student's ability to explore, develop, and organize materials relating to a certain topic or problem in a field of study. The goal of the master's thesis or project is not only to pursue research and investigation, but also to write an extended scholarly statement clearly, effectively and directly. The thesis or project becomes a visible and permanent record of the quality of the work that a graduate student has accomplished at Sonoma State University. Library records show heavy borrowing of theses, both on campus and through inter-library loan. It is very important to insure that every manuscript represents the highest professional standards. Before a thesis is officially approved by the Associate Vice President for Academic Programs, it must meet the requirements specified below:

• Critical, independent thinking. Mere description, cataloguing, compilations and other superficial procedures are not adequate.

• A clear statement of the details of the study or task, the methods or criteria used, and the supporting data. An effort should be made to make the work accessible to as broad an audience of educated people as possible.

In conducting research and in writing, students should observe the practices and standards of their particular discipline. Students' work should be their own and, if not, there should be careful and accurate acknowledgement of the work of others. All quoted or paraphrased material should be referenced according to the footnote, note, or parenthetical referencing practice of a student's department and/or discipline. Extracts and quotations may be used to a limited extent for purposes of illustration and criticism. The language of the copyright law is vague as to what constitutes fair use, so if students are concerned about exceeding the "fair use" doctrine, they should seek permission or consult with the Thesis Review Office.

Plagiarism is the use of another's ideas without giving proper credit, or the use of another phraseology without: (1) enclosing it in quotation marks, or (2) blocking it by indenting and single spacing. Plagiarism also includes simple mechanical modification of another's writing; for example, replacing a word or dropping or interpolating words here and there, but retaining the essence of the other person's work without acknowledgment.

Because the manuscript will be the student's own scholarly study, it is best not to rely too heavily upon quotations from others. Students should consult a style manual regarding justification for quoting. The penalty for plagiarism could be dismissal from the University.