At the last Graduate Council meeting on March 9 2017 the Council approved a new requirement for theses and dissertations: a lay abstract, maximum 150 words. It will follow the scholarly abstract in the preliminary pages of the thesis and will explain the key goals and contributions of the scholarly work in terms that can be readily understood by the general public. The thesis requirements on the G+PS website will be updated shortly.
I have attached the proposal that was approved which includes a rationale for the proposed change.
The lay abstract will remain optional until the end of April 2017. After May 1, it will be mandatory.
Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.
Kind regards,
Max
Max Read
Associate Director, Student Academic Services
Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies | Office of the Dean and Vice-Provost
The University of British Columbia | Vancouver Campus
170-6371 Crescent Road | Vancouver BC | V6T 1Z2 Canada
Phone 604 822 0283
max.read@ubc.ca | http://www.grad.ubc.ca
Rationale for Proposed Change: It is important that students be able to communicate effectively their research/scholarly contributions to a general audience. It is common for research ethics boards to require abstracts or research summaries that are accessible for the lay public. Funding agencies, as well, typically require grant and fellowship proposals and project reports to include a lay abstract; some academic journals require it as well. University scholars must be able to communicate effectively with the communities they serve and to demonstrate the relevance of their scholarship to the public good. This is an important component of knowledge transmission and community engagement. And, finally, crafting a lay abstract provides an educational and professional development opportunity for students by ensuring they can see their work not only through the refined lens of their particular field, but also as a part of the greater knowledge of the broader community.
Follow