Wednesday’s agenda: September 6

Discuss your summary/critique of the Michaelson chapter on the Incremental Method.

Discuss structure of theses and dissertations Look at Graduate School templates. Discuss organizing for the reader. If you haven’t already, hand in your project

outline and descriptive paragraph.

Theses and Dissertations

Structure : How to jam in all that information

Organization of Theses

Standard Structure Abstract Introduction Literature Review

– sometimes, part of Introduction

Methods Results and Discussion Conclusions

Organization of Theses

Standard Structure Abstract Introduction Literature Review Methods Results and Discussion Conclusions

Variations Literature Review is

part of Introduction Two Methodology

chapters Two Results chapters

Introduction

Be brief – 3 pages for thesis Construct a funnel of information, from

overview of problem in the larger world to specific aspect of problem your work addresses.

Introduction Define specific problem or phenomenon Present motivation for work Give precise statement of objectives Provide background of previous work

– Chief contributions of others Outline scope and limitations of work

– Parameters, assumptions, and methodology Preview content (and structure) of paper

– Principal results and conclusions – check with advisor

Literature Review

Three purposes

1. Justifies research project as worthwhile because filling a gap in knowledge.

2. Proves you understand context of your work.

3. Introducers newcomers to the field and the problem.

Literature Review

Include all work truly relevant to yours. Demonstrate continuity.

– Show gaps. Sometimes called Project Background In a thesis, sometimes included as

subsection of Introduction.  

The literature review is the conceptual justification for your work.

Methods

Give full details of experimental work or model development.– Reader must be able to reproduce results based

on description of experimental design or model.– You may reference standard procedures if they

exist already in published form.

Describe materials, if applicable Give exact technical specs and quantities.

Methods (Con.)

Assume audience knows about as much as you do.– Not for industry reports

Tell what you did, how and why, but not necessarily in chronological order.

Write mostly in past tense.

Experimental Methods/ Model Development (may be 2 sections) Define and label subsections clearly important to set up introduction for each

chapter – give overview of approach, don’t just launch into details.

Don’t explain techniques you later found to be flawed.

Only describe an apparatus if it is not standard or commercially available.

Results and Discussion

Prepare figures first. Present principles, generalizations and

relationships shown by results. Point out any exceptions or any lack of

correlation.– If results have more than one possible

interpretation, state them all and give judgment about which is right.

Results and Discussion

Present results in past tense. Write to connect figures and tables. Present representative data (not necessarily

everything).– Don’t reproduce in the text all data from the

graphics – select out main points.

Discussion (con.)

Compare your interpretations and data with previous work.– Justify your interpretations.

Discuss practical applications as well as theory.

Conclusions

Begin with brief synopsis of objectives and research design.

Skim off the “cream” of your findings – state relevance for engineering work.– Add no new information

Present conclusions in present tense. Point out directions for future work.

Appendices

Include raw data, calculations, etc. that are not critical for understanding and would interrupt flow.

Give every appendix a letter and title – list that way in Table of Contents.

Refer to every appendix in the text.

Departmental Reports

Format and length vary according to specific program/dept.

Generally, are supposed to be equivalent in work to one demanding 3-hour class.

Usually do not include original research. TOC often looks like a MS thesis, but

Results are results of a “study” or “investigation” or “analysis.”

For Wednesday, September 6

Summarize Herbert Michaelson’s short chapter (5) on the Incremental Method. – Summarize contents

– Critique the method – add your own judgment

Find and look over the templates and guidelines for theses and dissertations available on the Office of Graduate Studies web site.

• http://www.utexas.edu/ogs/pdn/index.html