Thesis Writing

Shahril Nizam Mohamed Soid Lecturer

Mechanical Section Universiti Kuala Lumpur Malaysian Spanish Institute

1. Introduction

A Thesis

“is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or

professional qualification presenting the author’s research and findings”

-Wikipedia.org

• A thesis is an original contribution to knowledge.

• An advisor/reader will expect that: – You have identified a worthwhile problem or

question which has not been previously answered. – You have solved the problem or answered the

question.

• A thesis is an attempt to persuade the reader. • A reader/reviewer will ask;

– What is the research question? – Is it a good question? – Did the author convince me that the question was

adequately answered? – Has the author made an adequate contribution to

knowledge?

• Thesis writing process – People will understand their research when they start

to write thesis. – Writing means of communicating the ‘results’ of

research – Writing a thesis is describing your journey – Know the purpose of your writing will shape how to

write – “This thesis is submitted as part of the course

requirement for the degree of Doctor/Master/Degree/Diploma…”

• What makes a good writer? Is it.. – Inborn talent? – Years of English and humanities classes? – An artistic nature? – The influenced of alcohol and drugs? – Devine (Supernatural) inspiration?

• The facts of what makes a good writer.. – Having something to say – Logical and clear thinking – A few simple, learnable rules of style

• Things you can do to become a good writer: – Read, pay attention and imitate. – Let go of “academic” writing habits. – Talk about your research before trying to write about it. – Develop a thesaurus habit. Search for the right word rather than

settling for any old word. – Respect your reader-try not to bore them. – Stop waiting for inspiration. – Accept that writing is hard for everyone. – Revise. Nobody gets it perfect on the first try. – Learn how to cut ruthlessly. Never become too attached to your

words. – Find a good editor

• Clear writing starts with clear thinking. • Before you start writing, ask:

– What am I trying to say?

• When you finish writing, ask: – Have I said it?

• Once you know what you’re trying to say, then pay attention to your words!

• Know your readers – Explain abbreviations – CLEAR writing – Explain assumptions, limitations – Know the scope of your thesis

• Keep to the point – A concise thesis requires keeping the main point

in mind—ONLY include background information, data, discussion that is relavent to these points.

• Use the proper tools for your research & writing – Spreadsheets, analysis tools – Plotting programs (excel, Sigmaplot) – Graphics programs – ENDNOTE – Writing resources

• Start learning these before you collect the data

• Focus on one important thing in each paragraph – Each paragraph needs a topic sentence – Contents of paragraph should only relate to that

topic

2. Thesis Organization

• Abstract • Introduction

– Problem statement/objective/scope • Background/Literature review • Research methodology • Results & Discussion • Conclusions • References

2.1 Abstract

– Write this LAST! – Abstract should be 1-2 pages and should be self-

contained – Write to attract readers to your thesis and give good

initial impression – Summary of the contents of the thesis – Brief but contains sufficient detail

• Problem statement of the research • Project objectives • Techniques employed • Main results and conclusions

2.2 Introduction

1. What’s known 2. What’s unknown 3. Your burning question 4. Your experimental approach 5. Why your experimental approach is new,

different and important

Tips!

• Try to tell the story; – Write in plain English, not tech-speak. – Take the reader step by step from what is known

to what is unknown. End with your specific question.

– Emphasis what is new and important about your work.

– Do not state the answer to the research question. – Do not include results or implications.

• An introduction also should; – Give a brief section giving background

introduction about the work. – Your readers may not have any experience with

some of the material needed to follow your thesis, so you need to give it to them

RESEARCH QUESTION OR PROBLEM STATEMENT 1. Concise statement of the question that your

thesis tackles & the readers are definitely looking for.

2. Justification by direct reference to previous work, that your question is previously unanswered.

3. Discussion of why it is worthwhile to answer this question.

4. Highlight the section with a heading using words such as “problem” or “question”.

2.3 Literature Review

• The idea is to present (not analyze) the major ideas, but not including your own brilliant ideas.

• You may organize this section by idea and not by author or by publication.

• Some supervisors think this section should come after the problem statement.

Tips!

• The literature review should provides context for and details about the motivation for the project.

• States why the problem is important. • Sets the scene for the described in this thesis. • Describes what others have done and hence

sets a benchmark for the current project • Justifies the use of specific techniques or

problem solving procedures.

• You may have read dozens upon dozens of papers, but there will be some that do not contribute to the points that you are trying to make, or there will be papers that give identical information.

• Because of the time you spent trying to understand them, you may tempted incorporate all that you have read.

• You should weave the information into focused views, incorporating where possible, your own opinions and comments.

2.4 Research Methodology

Materials and Methods overview • Give a clear overview of what was done • Give enough information to replicate the study

(like a recipe) • Be complete, but minimized complexity.

1. Break into smaller sections with subheads 2. Cite a reference for commonly used methods 3. Display in a flow diagram where possible

Remember: Your methods should be reproducible

2.5 Results and Discussion

• Results are different from data! Results = the meaning of the data Most data belong in Figures and Tables

• No standard form, but should be really organized • One or several sections or subsections • Only one purpose: to convince the

reader/reviewer that you have answered/ solved the problem stated on the problem statement.

Tips!

• Draft your figures first (A picture is worth a thousand words.

• Make captions stand alone. • Use enough figures to present the data that

justifies your interpretations and conclusions. • Write your text around your figures – to

facilitate the readers to understand your figures.

RESULTS • Report results pertinent to the main question

asked • Summarize the data (big picture); report

trends • Cite figures or tables that present supporting

data

Tricks to explain the results! (and discussions) • Give a clear idea of the magnitude of a

response. • Explain the trends. • Report the percent change or percentage of

difference rather than by quoting exact data. • Support your results with other researchers

findings (DO NOT FORGET TO CITE!).

• Look at discussion sections in journal papers in your field. See what they cover.

• The discussion also should be broader scale interpretation than just your data.

• Addresses the bigger problems of your research topic and how your study fits into solving those problems

• Always give the discussions near the related figures or tables.

• It is not a conclusion section

The purpose of the discussion: • Answer the question posed in the

introduction. • Support your conclusion with details. • Defend your conclusion. • Highlight the broader implications of the work

TABLES AND FIGURES • Examiners (and readers) look first (and maybe

only) at titles, abstracts, and Tables and Figures.

• Like the abstract, figures and tables and tell a complete story.

• The Table captions: on the top of table • The Figure captions: below of the figure

In the end • The Introduction moved from general to

specific. • The discussion moves from specific to general.

2.6 Conclusions

1. Conclusions from your findings 2. Summary of contributions 3. Future Research

– Conclusions are not a rambling summary of the thesis: They are short, concise statements of the inferences that you have made because of your work.

– All conclusions should be directly related to the research question stated.