Degree Application Guide for the LIS EnglishProgram(Master’s Program)for AY 2023

Graduate School of Library, Information and Media Studies

University of Tsukuba
April 2023

Completion Schedule of Master's Program
Schedule(Completion in September2022)

Schedule(Completion in March 2023)

Subject

2022/12/7(Wed)2023/7/20(Thu)2023/4/24(Mon) 9:002023/4/26(Wed) 12:00

2023/11/20(Mon) 9:00- Submission of the PDF file2023/11/22(Wed) 12:00 of Thesis Title Registration
on manaba

Deliberation
Review
committee committee

Interim presentation

Submissions, etc.
The program will be published by a week before thepresentation.
[Submit the PDF on manaba.]
Thesis Title Registration
・Sign on it, scan, and sibmit the PDF file on manaba.
・The title should be the same language as the thesis.
[Register the thesis title on manaba]* The title must be identical with the one on the form ofThesis Title Registration (PDF).

2023/6/1(Thu) 9:002023/6/5(Mon) 12:00

2023/12/18(Mon) 9:00- Submission of the PDF files
2023/12/22(Fri) 12:00
and registration of thethesis title on the manaba[Submit the PDF on manaba.]①Application for Master's thesis review②Thesis③Abstract④Non-plagiarized dissertation report⑤Ethical Reviw Report⑥Registration of Degree Thesis to the Digital Library
System (Tsukuba Repository)
Sign on ①④⑤⑥, scan, and sibmit the PDF file onmanaba.
[Register the thesis title on manaba]* The thesis title you registered before can be updated.
* The thesis title must be registered again even if noupdate.
* The registered thesis title must be identical with theone on the thesis PDF.
* Register English or Japanese translatated thesis title
on manaba separatedly.

2023/6/22(Thu)2024/1/18(Thu)

Final presentation for
Master's degree2023/7/3(Mon) 9:0017:00

2024/1/29(Mon) 9:0017:00(Only when the committee
pointed out)
Submission of "Modified
Thesis Title Registration"and registration of themodified thesis title on
manaba2023/6/23(Fri) 9:002023/7/5(Wed) 17:00

2024/1/19(Fri) 9:002024/1/31(Thu) 17:00

Master'sThe program will be published by a week before theThesispresentation.
ReviewCommittee Only when the committee pointed out, "Modified Thesis

Title Registration" must be submitted and the modified
thesis title must be registered on manaba. Besides,resubmit "Resistration of Degree Thesis to the Digital
Library Systrm".
*Changes in the title will be reflected in the Tsukuba
Repository, but not as the title of the official master'sthesis.

Modification of the thesis
and abstract

Modfy the thesis and Abstract based on the suggestions
from the thesis review committee, receive confirmationfrom the supervisor, and submit the PDF to manaba. In
conjunction with the revision of the thesis, the following
documents must be resubmitted if deemed necessary by
the chef examiner of thesis review committee. (Fordetails, please refer to the following guide.)
・Non-plagiarized dissertation report
・Ethical Reviw Report

2023/7/12(Wed)2024/2/7(Wed)Judgement of Master's
thesis review anddeliberation of degree
conferment

2023/9/25(Mon)2024/3/25(Mon)Commencement ceremony

2024/92025/3Publish Master's theses
openly on Tsukuba
Repository

SteeringCommittee

Degree Application Guide(Master’s Program)
For the application of a master’s thesis review (including the final examination; hereinafterreferred to as the “thesis review”), follow the instructions below. This guide is primarily
intended for the students enrolled in the English Program of the Master of Science in Libraryand Information Science (EP).
1.

Master’s degree(1) Diploma policy
The degree is given to an individual who completes the purpose of the course which isdefined in the Regulations of the Graduate School of the University of Tsukuba, and iscertificated as possessing ability in the field of Library and Information Studies or Informatics.
The master’s degree given on EP is the Master of Science in Library and Information Studies.

(2) Prerequisites for applying for the thesis review
Students at the Master’s Program of the Graduate School of Library, Information andMedia Studies (hereinafter referred to as the “Master’s Program”) need to fulfill all therequirements below to undergo the thesis review.
1) Students who have enrolled or are expected to enroll in the Master’s Program for two years
or longer up to the degree conferment
2) Students who have acquired or are expected to acquire 30 credits or more in the prescribed
subjects of the Master’s Program3) Students who have carried out research under the supervision of the academic advisor,
made interim presentations of their master’s thesis, and been approved by the academic
advisor to apply to the thesis review.
4) Students who have submitted the Master’s Thesis Title Registration (form code: 別記様式－前１).

(3) Applying for the thesis review
Students who wish to undergo the thesis review need to formally apply by submitting thedocuments below to the Dean of the Graduate School of Library, Information and Media
Studies on the designated dates.
＊Follow the “Thesis preparation rules” after page 4 when writing the thesis.
① Application for master's thesis review (form code: 別記様式－前２)② Master’s thesis and thesis abstract(Follow the “Thesis preparation rules” after page 4 when writing the thesis.)③ Non-plagiarized dissertation report (form code: 別記様式－前４)④ Ethics review report (form code: 別記様式－前５)⑤ Registration of Degree Thesis to the Digital Library System(Tsukuba Repository; form code: 別記様式第５号(第９項関係))(4) Master’s thesis
The master’s thesis must be written by a sole degree applicant in English.

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* If the content of a co-authored paper is to be included in the master’s thesis, permission
should be obtained from the co-researcher.

(5) Thesis review process
A Master’s Thesis Review Committee, assembled for each thesis, examines the contents of themaster’s thesis, open thesis presentation and final examination.
1) The Master’s Thesis Review Committee is formed by three faculty members of the applicant's
main and secondary academic advisors, and one designated by the Steering Committee ofthe Master’s and Doctoral Programs of the Graduate School of Library, Information andMedia Studies.
2) The final presentation must be made open to the public. The duration is about 30 minutes,including Q&A.
3) The final examination takes place orally or in writing about the thesis and related subjects.
The open thesis presentation can serve as an oral examination. If considered necessary, aseparate oral examination or written examination can be conducted.

(6) Conferment of the degree
The master's degree is conferred on those who have been enrolled in the Master’s Program for
two years or longer, have acquired 30 or more credits from the prescribed subjects and areconsidered eligible by the thesis review.

(7) Publication of the master’s thesis and its abstract
The master’s thesis of those who are conferred the degree will be published openly in theTsukuba Repository one year after the day of conferment. The master’s thesis abstract will be
published promptly on the Program Web page.

2.

Precautions(1) On the Non-plagiarized dissertation report
The applicant has to check no plagiarism is included in the thesis. In addition, theapplicant has to use the plagiarism checking tool “iThenticate” in collaboration with theacademic advisor and submit the Non-plagiarized dissertation report with the signature ofapplicant. Tools other than iThenticate is not accepted. iThenticate cannot be used by theapplicant alone.
If any wrongdoing is uncovered, such as incorrect information having been submitted in
the application, or the use of plagiarized data in a thesis, the process of review will be
immediately halted. If wrongdoing is discovered after conferment of the degree, any degree
obtained in such manner will be annulled. Any type of misconduct is subject to severe
disciplinary action.

(2) On the modification of the thesis
If needed, modify the thesis based on the indication of Thesis Review Committee andconfirmed by the Academic advisor, and resubmit it on the designated dates. Use iThenticate
again and also resubmit the Non-plagiarized dissertation report. (The resubmission isunnecessary if the modification is minor. The judgement of resubmission is made by the chief2examiner of Master’s Thesis Review Committee.)resubmit the Ethics review report, too. (The resubmission is unnecessary if modification isminor. The judgement of resubmission is made by the Master’s Thesis Review Committee.)3

Thesis preparation rules
Those who wish to apply for the thesis review must prepare the necessary documents,
following the rules below.
1. Master’s thesis1) The master's thesis must be on A4 portrait format, written in English.
2) Front cover and title page: prepare following the instructions. The names on the front
cover and the title page should be as registered in TWINS.
3) Structure of the thesis
The master’s thesis should be comprised of the following (items with an asterisk are notmandatory):① Front cover② Abstract③ Title page
④ Table of contents⑤ List of figures*⑥ Body of thesis (including conclusion)⑦ Acknowledgement*⑧ Bibliography⑨ Appendices*4)If the dissertation is to include content approved for ethical review, clearly state in afootnote to the body of thesis or elsewhere that the approval has been obtained.
(Example)
・In the case of Word
User experiments on ~.
Footnote {University of Tsukuba Library, Information and Media Sciences Ethics Review
Notice (Approval) No. xx-xx} was made.
・In the case of Tex
User experiments on ~.
¥footnote {University of Tsukuba Library, Information and Media Sciences Ethics Review
Notice (Approval) No. xx-xx} was made.
2. Abstract
The abstract of the master’s thesis must be prepared following the instruction for theabstract. The abstract should be bound preceding the title page of the master’s thesis. Theabstract should not include any reference. The name should be as registered in TWINS.

43. PDF file specifications
For preparing PDF by Adobe Acrobat, follow the settings below. If using other software, try touse similar corresponding settings. Open the Adobe PDF setting window from the “Print”
menu (Figure 1).
・Default Settings: High Quality Print
・Adobe PDF Security: None
・Adobe PDF Page Size: A4・Add document information: Off・Rely on system fonts only, do not use documents fonts: OffFigure 1. Property setting5Instruction for the front cover

Master's Thesis for the Graduate School of Library,
Information and Media Studies(20 points, underlined, centered)

Title(20 points, centered)Month Year
20XX21XXX
Name(20 points, underlined, centered; Name should be as registered in TWINS)

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Instruction for the title page

Title
(20 points, centered)Name(20 points, centered; Name should be as registered in TWINS)

Graduate School of Library,
Information and Media Studies
University of TsukubaMonth Year
(20 points, centered)7Instruction for the abstract

Head margin: 35 mmTitle( Title, 14 points, centered)(Hereafter 10.5 points)(Name should be as registered in TWINS)Tsukuba TaroLeft margin：
30 mm

This is an example of an abstract of a master’s thesis of the Graduate
School of Library, Information and Media Studies, University ofTsukuba.＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊(The abstract should not include any reference.)
This example is to show how a thesis abstract should appear.
Main Academic Advisor: Ichiro Daigaku
Secondary Academic Advisor: Hanako Shiho

Bottom margin: 35 mm

8Right margin：
30 mm