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1 Workshop Schedule ..............................................................................................................4
2 Writing a thesis and how to survive it! ................................................................................4
3 Getting started: thinking about the thesis...........................................................................6
4 Preparing the expos ............................................................................................................7
5 Structure of the Expos ........................................................................................................8
6 How to organize a thesis.....................................................................................................10
6.1 Introduction....................................................................................................................10
6.2 Background Information (optional) ................................................................................11
6.3 Methods.........................................................................................................................12
6.4 Review of the state of the art .........................................................................................12
6.5 Research problem and research question....................................................................13
6.6 Analysis of your findings................................................................................................13
6.7 Conclusions ...................................................................................................................13
6.8 References ....................................................................................................................13
6.9 Appendices....................................................................................................................14
7 Getting Started.....................................................................................................................14
8 Which order of writing?.......................................................................................................14
9 Editing your thesis...............................................................................................................16
10 Writing the thesis.................................................................................................................17
11 Tips for successful thesis writing......................................................................................19
12 Formalia for the EMGS thesis.............................................................................................20
12.1 General ..........................................................................................................................20
12.2 Translations ...................................................................................................................20
12.3 References / Bibliography .............................................................................................21
12.4 Footnotes.......................................................................................................................21
12.5 Graphics and tables.......................................................................................................23
13 Some suggestions for further readings on thesis writing...............................................23







>
1 Workshop Schedule


2 Writing a thesis and how to survive it!

The thesis is the single most significant achievement of your graduate degree.
1
It is a
formalized expression of the fact that you have required theoretical and methodological
academic knowledge. A successful thesis has two main qualities: first, it identifies a good
question; and second, it provides a satisfactory answer to that question.
For most writers, the thesis is the longest manuscript they've written, so its very length is
often the most overwhelming aspect of the task. Yet the task won't overwhelm you if you
adhere to the following advice.
1. Think of the thesis as a series of small related tasks. Do not think of the whole task.
You don't have to "write the thesis"; instead, you have a series of tasks to perform,
many of which you have probably performed in the past. Do some research of the
literature similar in scope -- if not in exact procedure or techniques -- to research
you have performed for various classes.
2. Summarize and perhaps comment upon the literature that you have examined. You
have probably done literature searches for classes before.

1
You can also find parts of this reader on http://thesis-guidance.blogspot.com [accessed October 22
nd
, 2008].
?
3. Perform some experiments or do some fieldwork. Again, these are tasks you are
probably already familiar with from classes.
4. Write up the results of those experiments or fieldwork.
5. Draw conclusions from what you have done.
6. See how your results and conclusions fit in with the literature and work in your field.
7. Put all these pieces together into a coherent whole, following a format that your
department will give you or one that you will find in a journal in your field.
8. Edit your document carefully for format, spelling, grammar, and mechanics.
Seen from this perspective, writing a thesis is merely performing a series of tasks with which
you are already familiar. A typical and costly mistake that thesis writers often make is trying
to do all the other (more familiar) tasks first (e.g., performing experiments, conducting the
literature search) before they write a word. This is not a productive approach. Start writing
now, even if it is only your random thoughts about what you'd like the thesis to prove. As you
search through the literature, for example, keep comprehensive notes. On a day when you
can't get to the library or lab or when you've looked at all possible sources, start writing your
summaries of the literature. Also write long notes to yourself about how you think your
research will connect to the literature you've read. These notes will do two things: first, they
may be a valuable source of information later on in the process; second, they get you writing.
In short, any task that you are performing can be written about.
Like the title one of the most famous books on thesis writing says, try to write 15 minutes
every day. This writing may be the extensive notes mentioned above, a description to
yourself of the experiment you performed today, or perhaps thoughts about the project as a
whole. By writing every day you accomplish at least two things: first, you reduce anxiety
about writing by proving to yourself that you can do it every day; second, much of what you
write will probably be, either directly or indirectly, the source of material for your thesis.
Do not forget that you have written several successful documents before (or you wouldn't be
at the stage of writing a thesis). Regardless of what doubts you might have about your
particular writing abilities, obviously the faculty have felt that your writing is satisfactory. Look
again at earlier documents you've written to remind yourself of your successes.
Even more important, you are not alone. Almost every thesis writer, including many of the
professors whose work you admire and whose guidance you seek, has felt overwhelmed by
the task. So Do not isolate yourself during the thesis process. Although it may feel difficult at
first to discuss your fears or doubts, talk to other thesis writers, other students, your
supervisor or faculty members. You will discover that they too have fears and brief bouts with
writer's block. Sharing your feelings will get rid of much of the anxiety by showing that you
are just like everyone else. Also, share suggestions about how to overcome obstacles.
One final note: In deciding what goes where and what to include, you will have to make many
judgment calls. There are no cut-and-dried formulas for making these decisions. You have to
think carefully about the purpose of your thesis and who will be reading it. Ask your thesis
director and/or department for advice on any such issues.




@
3 Getting started: thinking about the thesis

The "thinking about it stage" is when you are finally faced with the reality of completing your
degree. Usually the early phases of a graduate program proceed in clear and structured
ways. The beginning phases of a graduate program proceed in much the same manner as
an undergraduate degree program. There are clear requirements and expectations, and the
graduate student moves along, step by step, getting ever closer to the completion of the
program. One day, however, the clear structure begins to diminish and now you're
approaching the thesis/dissertation stage. This is a new and different time. These next steps
are more and more defined by you and not your adviser, the program, or the department.
Be inclusive with your thinking. Do not try to eliminate ideas too quickly. Build on your ideas
and see how many different research projects you can identify. Give yourself the luxury of
being expansive in your thinking at this stage -- you won't be able to do this later on. Try and
be creative. Even if it might seem like a lot of work: Write down your ideas! This will allow you
to revisit an idea later on. Or, you can modify and change an idea. If you don't write your
ideas they tend to be in a continual state of change and you will probably have the feeling
that you're not going anywhere. What a great feeling it is to be able to sit down and scan the
many ideas you have been thinking about, if they're written down.
Try not to be overly influenced at this time by what you feel others expect from you. You
have a much better chance of selecting a topic that will be really of interest to you if it is your
topic. This will be one of the few opportunities you may have in your professional life to focus
in on a research topic that is really of your own choosing.
Don't begin your thinking by assuming that your research will draw international attention to
you!! Instead, be realistic in setting your goal. Make sure your expectations are tempered by:
1. The realization that you are fulfilling an academic requirement,
2. The fact that the process of conducting the research may be just as important (or
more important) than the outcomes of the research, and
3. The idea that first and foremost the whole research project should be a learning
experience for you.
If you can keep these ideas in mind while you're thinking through your research you stand an
excellent chance of having your research project turn out well.
At the same time, be realistic about the time that you have to commit to your research
project. If the project you would like to do is going to demand more time than your deadlines
will allow then you have a problem.
Even if it is still early in your thinking it is never too early to create a draft of a timeline. Try
using the 6 Stages (see the next item) and put a start and a finish time for each. Post your
timeline in a conspicuous place (above your computer monitor?) so that it continually
reminds you how you're doing. Periodically update your timeline with new dates as needed.
It can be most helpful at this early stage to try a very small preliminary research study to test
out some of your ideas to help you gain further confidence in what you would like to do. The
key is that it will give you a chance to get closer to your research and to test out whether or
not you really are interested in the topic.

A
4 Preparing the expos

The expos for a thesis or dissertation is essentially an outline of the research - kind of like
an architectural blueprint for building a house. The clearer the plan, the more timely and
successful the completion of the house. And the clearer the plan, the more likely it is that it
will be approved by your advisor or dissertation committee, with a high probability that the
final paper will also be accepted. A well-done, acceptable proposal, therefore, is a kind of
personal contract between you the candidate, and your supervisor.
Assuming you have done a good job of "thinking about" your research project, you are ready
to actually prepare the proposal. A word of caution - those students who tend to have a
problem in coming up with a viable proposal often are the ones that have tried to rush
through the "thinking about it" part and move too quickly to trying to write the proposal.
Here's a final check. Do each of these statements describe you? If they do you are ready to
prepare your research proposal.
I am familiar with other research that has been conducted in areas related to my research
project.
(___Yes, it's me)
( ___No, not me)

I have a clear understanding of the steps that I will use in conducting my research.
(___Yes, it's me)
( ___No, not me)

I feel that I have the ability to get through each of the steps necessary to complete my
research project.
(___Yes, it's me)
( ___No, not me)

I know that I am motivated and have the drive to get through all of the steps in the research
project.
(___Yes, it's me)
( ___No, not me)





B
5 Structure of the Expos
2


Now, you're ready to write your research expos. The expos for Global Studies has a
default expos structure as follows:
1. Structure
Research problem (elaborate, with arguments)
Which (theoretical, practical, social) series of questions is the starting point of your work?
What is the concrete research question to which your work should provide a scientific
answer?
Why did you choose this topic, what motivates you for this research work?

(b) State of the Art (drafted)
Which research into your topic has already been done and how will your own contribution
relate to it?

(c) Methodology (elaborate)
Which working steps and which approaches should lead to the desired results?
Which methods are available within the discipline or inter-disciplinary?

(d) Sources (in detail)
Which sources are available and which do you want to work with?
How are you going to evaluate the sources?
In which form are they available to you?
Which limits do you want to set for your research of literature and sources?

Comment: Only few topics in Global Studies can be treated under the assumption that one
could gain an overview over the whole worldwide available literature. Therefore a reflected
delimitation is necessary.

(e) Timetable
Until when should the most important steps of your research work be completed?
Which external factors could cause a delay?

(f) Bibliography

2
Please note that for European Studies, the conditions of writing of an expos need to be communicated with the
coordinator and/ or the supervisor.
C
2. Length: 10 12 pages (Times New Roman, type size 12, 1,5 line space)

3. Submission: to be communicated with Coordinator

Do not forget to include a title on your expos. It is amazing how often the title is left for the
end of the student's writing and then somehow forgotten when the proposal is prepared. A
good expos has a good title and it is the first thing to help the reader begin to understand
the nature of your work. Use it wisely! Work on your title early in the process and revisit it
often. It's easy for a reader to identify those proposals where the title has been focused upon
by the student.
It's important that your research proposal be organized around a set of questions that will
guide your research. When selecting these guiding questions try to write them so that they
frame your research and put it into perspective with other research. These questions must
serve to establish the link between your research and other research that has preceded you.
Your research questions should clearly show the relationship of your research to your field of
study. Do not be carried away at this point and make your questions too narrow. You must
start with broad relational questions.
Now here are a few more ideas regarding the defining of your research project through your
proposal:
Choose your methodology wisely. Don't be too quick in running away from using a
quantitative methodology because you fear the use of statistics. A qualitative approach to
research can yield new and exciting understandings, but it should not be undertaken
because of a fear of quantitative research. A well designed quantitative research study can
often be accomplished in very clear and direct ways. A similar study of a qualitative nature
usually requires considerably more time and a tremendous burden to create new paths for
analysis where previously no path had existed. Sometimes a combined methodology makes
the most sense. You can combine a qualitative preliminary study (to define your population
more clearly, to develop your instrumentation more specifically or to establish hypotheses for
investigation) with a quantitative main study to yield a research project that works well.

This small checklist might support self-appraisal:
1. Does the proposal have imagination?

2. Is the problem stated clearly?

(a) hypothesis clear? testable?

(b) if no hypothesis, are objectives clearly stated? Can they be accomplished?

(c) problem perhaps too large?

3. Is the methodology feasible?

(a) can data be collected?

(b) how will data be analyzed?

(c) will the analysis allow the acceptance or rejection of the hypothesis?
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4. What might the results of the analysis look like? (tables, graphs, etc.)

5. What are the consequences if

(a) the experiment fails;

(b) data cannot be obtained;

(c) analysis is inconclusive;

(d) hypothesis is rejected or accepted?

6. Can major research activities be listed?

7. Can a time estimate be made for each activity?

8. Again, are the dimensions of the project manageable?


6 How to organize a thesis

In the following, the organization of the written thesis will be outlined. In general, keep in
mind that the supervisors read your thesis to find the answers to the following questions:
1. What is this student's research question?
2. Is it a good question? (has it been answered before? is it a useful question to work
on?)
3. Did the student convince me that the question was adequately answered?
4. Has the student shown that s/he is well grounded in the respective academic
requirements?

NOTE: The following subsections do not determine the order in which they will appear in
your thesis. Different topics require different thesis structures and should be discussed with
your supervisor.

6.1 Introduction

This is a general introduction to what the thesis is all about -- it is not just a description of the
contents of each section. Your goal is to introduce the reader to the particular question your
thesis is seeking to answer. Unlike in the traditional five-paragraph essay, in thesis writing
the introduction is not merely a summary of points to be elaborated on in later sections.
Rather, your objective here is to inform the reader of what the question is, why it is important,
and how your thesis will provide an answer. So briefly summarize the question (you will be
stating the question in detail later), some of the reasons why it is a worthwhile question, and
DD
perhaps give an overview of your main results. This is a birds-eye view of the answers to the
main questions answered in the thesis (see above).
Also, you can not write a good introduction until you know what the body of the paper says.
Consider writing the introductory section(s) after you have completed the rest of the paper,
rather than before.
Be sure to include a hook at the beginning of the introduction. This is a statement of
something sufficiently interesting to motivate your reader to read the rest of the paper, it is an
important/interesting scientific problem that your paper either solves or addresses. You
should draw the reader in and make them want to read the rest of the paper.
The next paragraphs in the introduction should cite previous research in this area. It should
cite those who had the idea or ideas first, and should also cite those who have done the most
recent and relevant work. You should then go on to explain why more work was necessary
(your work, of course.)
What else belongs in the introductory section(s) of your paper?
1. A statement of the goal of the paper: why the study was undertaken, or why the paper
was written. Do not repeat the abstract.
2. Sufficient background information to allow the reader to understand the context and
significance of the question you are trying to address.
3. Proper acknowledgement of the previous work on which you are building. Sufficient
references such that a reader could, by going to the library, achieve a sophisticated
understanding of the context and significance of the question.
4. Explain the scope of your work, what will and will not be included.
5. A verbal "road map" or verbal "table of contents" guiding the reader to what lies
ahead.
6. Is it obvious where introductory material ("old stuff") ends and your contribution ("new
stuff") begins?

Remember that this is not a review paper. We are looking for original work and
interpretation/analysis by you. Break up the introduction section into logical segments by
using subheads.

6.2 Background Information (optional)

Thesis writing often produces works of very specialised content. Depending on the nature of
your work, it may be necessary to provide the reader with some measure of background
information relevant to the topic. This is particularly useful when your work is interdisciplinary,
in which case it is even more likely that the reader will benefit from a section that
contextualizes the question and supplies the history and terminology so that the reader will
be better able to follow the pages the come. It is often more engaging to use a topic-specific
title for a section on background information, e.g. A General Overview of the Proto-
Germanic Vowel System.

D<
6.3 Methods

What belongs in the "methods" section of a scientific paper?
1. Information to allow the reader to assess the believability of your results.
2. Information needed by another researcher to replicate your experiment.
3. Description of your materials, procedure, theory.
4. Calculations, technique, procedure, equipment, and calibration plots.
5. Limitations, assumptions, and range of validity.
The methods section should answering the following questions and caveats:
1. Could one accurately replicate the study (for example, all of the optional and
adjustable parameters on any sensors or instruments that were used to acquire the
data)?
2. Could another researcher accurately find and reoccupy the sampling stations or track
lines?
3. Is there enough information provided about any instruments used so that a
functionally equivalent instrument could be used to repeat the experiment?
4. If the data is in the public domain, could another researcher lay his or her hands on
the identical data set?
5. Could one replicate any laboratory analyses that were used?
6. Could one replicate any statistical analyses?
7. Could another researcher approximately replicate the key algorithms of any computer
software?

Citations in this section should be limited to data sources and references of where to find
more complete descriptions of procedures.

6.4 Review of the state of the art

Here you review the state of the art relevant to your thesis. The idea is to present (critical
analysis comes a little bit later) the major ideas in the state of the art right up to, but not
including, your own personal brilliant ideas. You organize this section by idea, and not by
author or by publication.



D=
6.5 Research problem and research question

Formulating a research problem and finding a research question proves to be one of the
most difficult tasks for research beginners. As it is the first and most important step of the
research process, the workshop will devote a significant part to this task.
You will also find very valuable information on it in Kumars Research Methodology (2003),
especially in chapter 2 and three which you can also find as a pdf file on moodle and as hard
copy in the Albertina (Section Sociology, MR 2000 K96).

6.6 Analysis of your findings

If a thesis had a climax, this would be it. What did you do to answer the question, and what
results were obtained? The structure of this section is highly flexible, and will depend much
on the nature of your work. Whatever the format, the goal is the one and the same: convince
your reader that you have done what you set out to do in writing the thesis. Show all relevant
evidence to support your position, and avoid weakening it with the mention of dead ends or
blind alleys, unless they too are relevant to demonstrating that you answered the question.

6.7 Conclusions

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. It helps to organize these as short
numbered paragraphs, ordered from most to least important. All conclusions should be
directly related to the research question.
The Summary of Contributions will be much sought and carefully read by the examiners.
Here you list the contributions of new knowledge that your thesis makes. Of course, the
thesis itself must substantiate any claims made here. There is often some overlap with the
Conclusions, but that's okay. Concise numbered paragraphs are again best. Organize from
most to least important.

6.8 References

The list of references is closely tied to the review of the state of the art given in section 3.
Most examiners scan your list of references looking for the important works in the field, so
make sure they are listed and referred to in section 3. Truth be known, most examiners also
look for their own publications if they are in the topic area of the thesis, so list these too.
Besides, reading your examiner's papers usually gives you a clue as to the type of questions
they are likely to ask.
All references given must be referred to in the main body of the thesis. Note the difference
from a Bibliography, which may include works that are not directly referenced in the thesis.
Organize the list of references either alphabetically by author surname (preferred), or by
order of citation in the thesis.
D>
6.9 Appendices

What goes in the appendices? Any material which impedes the smooth development of your
presentation, but which is important to justify the results of a thesis. Generally it is material
that is of too nitty-gritty a level of detail for inclusion in the main body of the thesis, but which
should be available for perusal by the examiners to convince them sufficiently. Examples
include program listings, immense tables of data, lengthy mathematical proofs or derivations,
etc.

7 Getting Started

One way to get started on your thesis is to prepare an extended outline. You begin by
making up the Table of Contents, listing each section and subsection that you propose to
include. For each section and subsection, write a brief point-form description of the contents
of that section. The entire outline might be one to two pages long. Now you and your
supervisor should carefully review this outline: is there unnecessary material (i.e. not directly
related to the problem statement)? Then remove. Is there missing material? Then add. It is
much less painful and more time-efficient to make such decisions early, during the outline
phase, rather than after you've already done a lot of writing which has to be thrown away.
It is advisable to have a thorough estimation of how long it will take you to write the thesis
but keep in mind: Longer than you think! Even after the research itself is all done -- models
built, calculations complete -- it is wise to allow at least one complete term for writing the
thesis. It's not the physical act of typing that takes so long, it's the fact that writing the thesis
requires the complete organization of your arguments and results. It's during this
formalization of your results into a well-organized thesis document capable of withstanding
the scrutiny of expert examiners that you discover weaknesses. It's fixing those weaknesses
that takes time.
This is also probably the first time that your supervisor has seen the formal expression of
concepts that may have been approved previously in an informal manner. Now is when you
discover any misunderstandings or shortcomings in the informal agreements. It takes time to
fix these. Students for whom English is not the mother tongue may have difficulty in getting
ideas across, so that numerous revisions are required. And, truth be known, supervisors are
sometimes not quick at reviewing and returning drafts.
Bottom line: leave yourself enough time. A rush job has painful consequences at the end.

8 Which order of writing?

Remember that your thesis is not written in the same order as it is presented in. The easiest
way to build a thesis is inside-out. Begin by writing the chapters that describe your research
(3, 4, and 5 in the above outline). Collect terms as they arise and keep a definition for each.
Organize the definitions into a separate chapter. Make the definitions precise and formal.
Review later chapters to verify that each use of a technical term adheres to its definition.
After reading the middle chapters to verify terminology, write the conclusions. Write the
introduction next. Finally, complete an abstract.
The following gives you one idea how to proceed.
D?
1. first organize your paper as a logical argument before you begin writing
2. make your figures to illustrate your argument (think skimming)
3. the main sections are: background to the argument (intro); describing the information
to be used in the argument, and making points about them (observations), connecting
the points regarding the info (analysis), summing up (conclusions).
4. outline the main elements: sections, and subsections
5. begin writing, choosing options in the following hierarchy - paragraphs, sentences,
and words.

Here is an alternative approach when working with data material:
1. Write up a preliminary version of the background section first. This will serve as the
basis for the introduction in your final paper.
2. If you collect data, write up the methods section. It is much easier to do this right after
you have collected the data. Be sure to include a description of the research
equipment and relevant calibration plots.
3. When you have some data, start making plots and tables of the data. These will help
you to visualize the data and to see gaps in your data collection. If time permits, you
should go back and fill in the gaps. You are finished when you have a set of plots that
show a definite trend (or lack of a trend). Be sure to make adequate statistical tests of
your results.
4. Once you have a complete set of plots and statistical tests, arrange the plots and
tables in a logical order. Write figure captions for the plots and tables. As much as
possible, the captions should stand alone in explaining the plots and tables. Many
scientists read only the abstract, figures, figure captions, tables, table captions, and
conclusions of a paper. Be sure that your figures, tables and captions are well
labelled and well documented.
5. Once your plots and tables are complete, write the results section. Writing this section
requires extreme discipline. You must describe your results, but you must NOT
interpret them. (If good ideas occur to you at this time, save them at the bottom of the
page for the discussion section.) Be factual and orderly in this section, but try not to
be too dry.
6. Once you have written the results section, you can move on to the discussion section.
This is usually fun to write, because now you can talk about your ideas about the
data. If you can come up with a good cartoon/schematic showing your ideas, do so.
Many papers are cited in the literature because they have a good cartoon that
subsequent authors would like to use or modify.
7. In writing the discussion session, be sure to adequately discuss the work of other
authors who collected data on the same or related scientific questions. Be sure to
discuss how their work is relevant to your work. If there were flaws in their
methodology, this is the place to discuss it.
8. After you have discussed the data, you can write the conclusions section. In this
section, you take the ideas that were mentioned in the discussion section and try to
come to some closure. If some hypothesis can be ruled out as a result of your work,
say so. If more work is needed for a definitive answer, say that.
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9. The final section in the paper is a recommendation section. This is really the end of
the conclusion section in a scientific paper. Make recommendations for further
research or policy actions in this section. If you can make predictions about what will
be found if X is true, then do so. You will get credit from later researchers for this.
10. After you have finished the recommendation section, look back at your original
introduction. Your introduction should set the stage for the conclusions of the paper
by laying out the ideas that you will test in the paper. Now that you know where the
paper is leading, you will probably need to rewrite the introduction.
11. You must write your abstract last.

9 Editing your thesis

Keep in mind that even a rough draft should be edited. And once your thesis is completed,
1. Proof read your thesis a few times.
2. Check your spelling. spellcheckers are useful for initial checking, but don't catch
homonyms (e.g. hear, here), so you need to do the final check by eye.
3. Make sure that you use complete sentences
4. Check your grammar: punctuation, sentence structure, subject-verb agreement (plural
or singular), tense consistency, etc.
5. Give it to others to read and comment.

Try to avoiding ambiguity

1. Do not allow run-on sentences to sneak into your writing; try semicolons.
2. Avoid nested clauses/phrases.
3. Avoid clauses or phrases with more than two ideas in them.
4. Do not use double negatives.
5. Do not use dangling participles (i.e. phrases with an "-ing" verb, in sentences where
the agent performing the action of the "-ing" verb is not specified: " After standing in
boiling water for two hours, examine the flask.").
6. Make sure that the antecedent for every pronoun (it, these, those, that, this, one) is
crystal clear. If in doubt, use the noun rather than the pronoun, even if the resulting
sentence seems a little bit redundant.
7. Ensure that subject and verb agree in number (singular versus plural).
8. Be especially careful with compound subjects. Be especially careful with subject/verb
agreement within clauses.
DA
9. Avoid qualitative adjectives when describing concepts that are quantifiable ("The
water is deep." "Plate convergence is fast." "Our algorithm is better.") Instead,
quantify. ("Water depths exceed 5km.")
10. Avoid noun strings ("acoustic noise source location technique").
11. Do not use unexplained acronyms. Spell out all acronyms the first time that you use
them.

Remember: Every citation made in the body of your thesis must appear in the list of
references. The list of references can be used as a measuring stick to evaluate the breadth
of your research. A good review of the literature, after all, is essential to good thesis writing.

The reader will typically review the list of references to determine whether you have
consulted the more prominent works in the field. The reader may also search for his or her
own publications if they are relevant to the thesis topic, so be sure to work those in as well.

Know that unlike a bibliography, which may include titles that are not directly referred to in
the text, every item in your list of references must be referred to in the body of the thesis. The
preferred way of organizing your references is alphabetically by author surname, although
you may also organize the list by order of citation in the thesis.

10 Writing the thesis

Now this is the part everyone has been waiting for. Assume that you have come up with a
good idea for research, had your expos approved, collected the data, conducted your
analyses and now you're about to start writing the thesis. If you've done the first steps well
this part shouldn't be too bad. In fact it might even be enjoyable!
As already mentioned, the major myth in writing a dissertation is that you start writing at
Chapter One and then finish your writing at Chapter Five. This is seldom the case. The most
productive approach in writing the dissertation is to begin writing those parts of the
dissertation that you are most comfortable with. Then move about in your writing by
completing various sections as you think of them. At some point you will be able to spread
out in front of you all of the sections that you have written. You will be able to sequence them
in the best order and then see what is missing and should be added to the dissertation. This
way seems to make sense and builds on those aspects of your study that are of most
interest to you at any particular time. Go with what interests you, start your writing there, and
then keep building!
If you prepared a comprehensive expos you will now be rewarded! Pull out the proposal
and begin by checking your proposed research methodology. Change the tense from future
tense to past tense and then make any additions or changes so that the methodology section
truly reflects what you did. You have now been able to change sections from the proposal to
sections for the dissertation. Move on to the Statement of the Problem and the Literature
Review in the same manner.
A brief note filing your work-in-progress: As you get involved in the actual writing of your
dissertation you will find that conservation of paper will begin to fade away as a concern. Just
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as soon as you print a draft of a chapter there will appear a variety of needed changes and
before you know it another draft will be printed. And, it seems almost impossible to throw
away any of the drafts! After awhile it will become extremely difficult to remember which draft
of your chapter you may be looking at. Print each draft of your dissertation on a different
colour paper. With the different colours of paper it will be easy to see which is the latest draft
and you can quickly see which draft a committee member might be reading.
One area where one should be cautious is using a word processor is in the initial creation of
elaborate graphs or tables. Too many students spend too many hours in trying to use their
word processor to create an elaborate graph that could have been done by hand in 15
minutes. So, the simple rule is to use hand drawing for elaborate tables and graphs for the
early draft of your dissertation. Make sure your data are presented accurately so your advisor
can clearly understand your graph/table, but don't waste the time trying to make it look word
processor perfect at this time. Once you and your advisor agree upon how the data should
be graphically represented it is time to prepare "perfect" looking graphs and tables.
As cruel as it might sound, thesis-style writing is not designed to be entertaining. Thesis
writing should be clear and unambiguous. To do this well you should prepare a list of key
words that are important to your research and then your writing should use this set of key
words throughout. There is nothing so frustrating to a reader as a manuscript that keeps
using alternate words to mean the same thing. If you've decided that a key phrase for your
research is "educational workshop", then do not try substituting other phrases like "in-service
program", "learning workshop", "educational institute", or "educational program." Always stay
with the same phrase - "educational workshop." It will be very clear to the reader exactly
what you are referring to.
Review two or three well organized and presented master theses. Examine their use of
headings, overall style, typeface and organization. Use them as a model for the preparation
of your own dissertation. In this way you will have an idea at the beginning of your writing
what your finished dissertation will look like. A most helpful perspective!
A simple rule - if you are presenting information in the form of a table or graph make sure you
introduce the table or graph in your text. And then, following the insertion of the table/graph,
make sure you discuss it. If there is nothing to discuss then you may want to question even
inserting it.
Another simple rule - if you have a whole series of very similar tables try to use similar words
in describing each. Don't try and be creative and entertaining with your writing. If each
introduction and discussion of the similar tables uses very similar wording then the reader
can easily spot the differences in each table.
Your are all familiar with how helpful the Table of Contents is to the reader. What is often not
realized is that it is also invaluable you as writer. Use the Table of Contents to help you
improve your manuscript. Use it to see if you have left something out, if you are presenting
your sections in the most logical order, or if you need to make your wording a bit more clear.
Thanks to the miracle of computer technology, you can easily copy/paste each of your
headings from throughout your writing into the Table of Contents. Then sit back and see if
the Table of Contents is clear and will make good sense to the reader. You will be amazed at
how easy it will be to see areas that may need some more attention. Don't wait until the end
to do your Table of Contents. Do it early enough so you can benefit from the information it
will provide to you.
If you are including a Conclusions/Implications section in your thesis make sure you really
present conclusions and implications. Often the writer uses the conclusions/implications
section to merely restate the research findings. Don't waste my time. I've already read the
findings and now, at the Conclusion/Implication section, I want you to help me understand
what it all means. This is a key section of the dissertation and is sometimes best done after
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you've had a few days to step away from your research and allow yourself to put your
research into perspective. If you do this you will no doubt be able to draw a variety of insights
that help link your research to other areas. I usually think of conclusions/implications as the
"So what" statements. In other words, what are the key ideas that we can draw from your
study to apply to my areas of concern.

11 Tips for successful thesis writing

1. Be sensitive to your audience. Theses often treat subjects of obscure nature or in
intense detail, and while your readers may have a background in the field, they may
not be as intimately associated as you are with the particular question your thesis
addresses. Be sure to explain difficult concepts clearly and thoroughly, and to provide
sufficient background information so that the reader will be able to follow your ideas.

2. Always strive for clarity. If your readers have to work too hard to understand your
point, they may grow frustrated and unreceptive. Use precise language and clear
constructions to effectively communicate your ideas. Also be sure to make the
important parts stand out for the reader. A thesis is long and complex and contains an
enormous amount of information. Direct the reader to focus on those aspects of the
thesis that are most relevant to supporting your position.

3. Avoid unnecessary editorializing. Personal opinions such as education is the most
important part of society are subjective and unsubstantiated, and open the way for a
picky reader to stump you with a question like Can you prove to us that education is
the most important part of society? Other things to avoid in thesis writing include
phrases such as It is clearly obvious that... or It goes without saying... These
statements have the potential to antagonize readers by implying that if they do not
follow, then they must be stupid.

4. Perhaps most importantly of all, give yourself the time you need to produce a
successful thesis. Thesis writing takes time a long, long time and the amount of
time you put into it will show in the final product. Start early. Be sure to devote enough
time to researching and developing your ideas before you actually sit down and start
writing. Once you do start writing, take the time to formulate those ideas clearly and to
present them in a convincing way. Also be sure to leave yourself enough time in the
end to review your work and flesh out any weaknesses, and do what you can to fix
them.

5. Finally, a few words on Masters thesis vs. Doctoral thesis writing. Thesis writing for
Masters theses differs from thesis writing for Doctoral theses not in format but in the
expectations of the reader, with a Doctoral thesis necessarily responding to a
question or a problem of a higher level, be it in complexity or in scope. While a
Masters thesis can seek to expand on knowledge by advancing a known position in a
new direction or applying a known technique to a new matter of inquiry, a Doctoral
thesis must convey an original and significant contribution to knowledge. Always aim
to meet and surpass the expectations of your readers.


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12 Formalia for the EMGS thesis
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12.1 General

! The masters thesis has to be submitted in 3 bounded hard copies (colour of the binding
doesn't matter and you can take the least expensive one) and 1 electronical version on
CD-Rom
! Microsoft Word is the preferable electronic file format; WordPerfect, RTF, PDF and Mac
files are acceptable (Mac users please make sure to include a file extension (.doc) in the
file name in order to assist conversion). The hard copy should be A4 (210x297 mm).
! The masters thesis should be written in the language agreed upon by the supervisor.
! The entire masters thesis should comprise between 60 and 80 pages, typed in Times
New Roman.
! The body text should be typed in Arial (font size 11) or Times New Roman (font size 12),
with a line spacing 1,5.
! The masters thesis must include a table of contents indicating chapters and
subchapters (if available), the bibliography and annexes (if available) with page numbers
where they begin (positioned at the beginning of the thesis). The table of contents
should be typed in Arial (font size 11) or Times New Roman (font size 12), single
spaced.
! The masters thesis must include an alphabetically ordered bibliography of all the
literature and primary sources that were used in writing the text (positioned after the
body text). Within the bibliography different species of literature (f. e. monographs,
collections, articles) and sources may be put into different chapters. The bibliography
should be typed in Arial (font size 11) or Times New Roman (font size 12) with the titles
separated by an empty line.
! If many abbreviations are used the masters thesis must include an alphabetical list of
abbreviations. In the text abbreviations must be explained when they are used for the
first time. F. e. UNO (United Nations Organization). The list of abbreviations should be
typed in Arial (font size 11) or Times New Roman (font size 12) single spaced.
! The masters thesis may include annexes (positioned at the end of the thesis), f. e. to
present more extended source material, statistics, pictures etc. If the material in the
annexes is typed this should be done in Arial (font size 11 or 9) or Times New Roman
(font size 12 or 10), single or double spaced according to the contents.
! Be very careful if the text contains diacritical marks or non-Latin letters, as these are
often lost in electronic copies.
! Do not use more than two styles (f. e. bold, italics, underlining etc. to highlight etc.) in
addition to the normal style, and be careful to employ these styles (this style) in a
consequent way.
! Style for years: f. e. 1492-1501 (except in titles, follow your source).
! Style for dates: according to the language of the masters thesis, f. e. (English)
December 7, 1942; (German, Deutsch) 7. Dezember 1942; etc.

12.2 Translations
Translate all quotations in the text into the language of the masters thesis.
Translate all titles (of books, articles etc.) in the notes and in the bibliography into the
language of the masters thesis, with the exception of those in English, German or French.

3
Please note that for European Studies, the formalia need to be communicated with the Coordinator and the
Supervisor.
<D
Provide the title in the original language in brackets [ ], if there is no translation into the
languages mentioned above (available).

12.3 References / Bibliography
List all references cited in the text in alphabetic order using the following format. Refer to the
title page (not the cover) for publication details. Give the author and editors surname and
first name, but not the academic titles. Specify the edition from the second on (2nd rev.[ised]
or suppl.[emented] edition). If author, year or place of publication are not known: anonymous
[anon.], no date [n.d.], no place [n.p.]. For different publication by the same author from the
same year: Carothers 2006a, Carothers 2006b etc..

12.4 Footnotes
! Please use footnotes, not endnotes, and enter them into the computer as footnotes.
! Footnotes should be typed in Arial (font size 9) or Times New Roman (font size 9), single
spaced.
! Note markers in the body text must be upper case numbers. You may choose to start
counting a new in each major chapter.
! NOTE: Please also check which footnote format to use with your supervisor.
Different disciplines prefer different formats!

Books
General format:
Author #1 Last Name, First Name(s) and Author #2 First Name(s) Last Name. Year of
Publication. Title. Place of Publication: Publisher.
(a) Single author
Carothers, Thomas. 2006a. Confronting the Weakest Link: Aiding Political Parties in New
Democracies. Washington D.C.: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
(b) Multiple authors
Chabal, Patrick and Jean-Pascal Daloz. 1999. Africa Works: Disorder as Political Instrument.
Oxford: James Currey.
(c) Editor(s) as author(s)
Dowding, Keith; Hughes, James and Helene Margetts (eds.). 2001. Challenges to
Democracy: Ideas, Involvement and Institutions. The PSA Yearbook 2000. London:
Pelgrave.
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(d) Corporate author
Konrad Adenauer Foundation. 2007. Annual Report 2006. Sankt Augustin: Konrad-
Adenauer-Foundation.

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For works by more than three authors write the first author and the abbreviation et al..
<<

Chapters in a book or collection
General format:
Author Last Name, First Name(s). Year of Publication. Title, in: Editor(s) Last Name, First
Name(s) (Ed(s.). Title of Book. Title of Series. Place of Publication: Publisher, page numbers.
Carothers, Thomas. 2006b. Examining International Political Party Aid, in: Burnell, Peter
(ed.). Globalising Democracy: Party Politics in Emerging Democracies. Abingdon: Routledge,
69-87.

Journal Articles
General format:
Author Last Name, First Name(s). Year of Publication. Title, Title of Journal, Volume/Issue,
page numbers.
Carothers, Thomas. 2002. The End of the Transition Paradigm, Journal of Democracy,
13/1, 5-19.

Newspaper / Magazine Articles
General format:
Author Last Name, First Name(s). Year of Publication. Title, Title of Newspaper [City of
Publication if not in Title] / Magazine, Day Month Year, page numbers.
5


Dissertations and Theses (unpublished)
General format:
Author Last Name, First Name(s). Year of Publication. Title, Kind of Work, University, Place
of Publication.

Electronic publications
General format following applicable rules above:
Author Last Name, First Name(s) or Organization. Date of Publication or last update. Title.
<URL> (Day Month Year of access).
Carothers, Thomas. 2004. Political Party Aid, Paper prepared for the Swedish International
Development Agency. Washington DC: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
<http://www.idea.int/parties/upload/Political_Party_Aid_by_Carothers_Oct04.pdf>
(01.10.2006).

5
If you cover a longer period: Leipziger Volkszeitung, March 2000-November 2007.
<=
National Democratic Institute. 2007. Kenya.
<http://www.ndi.org/worldwide/safrica/kenya/kenya.asp (20.12.2007).
____________________________________________
For further information on citation styles see:
University of Berkeley Library. 2004. Citing your sources.
<http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/instruct/guides/citations>.

Bedfort College Publisher. 2003.
A Reference Guide to Using Internet Sources.
<http://www.bedfortstmartins.com/online/index.html>.
___________________________________________

12.5 Graphics and tables
Graphics can be included in the body text or be provided in an annex. They should be in an
appropriated quality (300 dpi) and accompanied by caption information.
Be aware of copyright questions.
Include placement directions in the body text, f.e. (see figure 1, p. 42 below) or (see table 3,
annex 2).

13 Some suggestions for further readings on thesis writing

Booth, Wayne C., Gregory G. Colomb and Joseph M. Williams, The Craft of Research.
Chicago & London, Chicago University Press, 1995.
Drew, Sue/ Rosie Bringham (Eds.), The Student Skills Guide, second edition, Cornwall 2001.
Eco, Umberto, Wie man eine wissenschaftliche Abschlussarbeit schreibt, 9. Auflage, Wien
2002.
Gash, Sarah, Effective Literature Searching for Research, second edition, Cambridge 2000.
Gibaldi, Joseph, MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, Modern Language
Association of America, 6th edition, New York 2003 (online available http://www.mla.org).
Keane, Rory/ Mark Downes (Eds.), Academic Writing, Belgrade 2003.
Kirszner, Laurie G., Stephen R. Maudell, The Holt Handbook. Fort Worth Philadelphia, San
Diego, New York, Harcourt Brace College Publishers, 2001.
Kruse, Otto, Keine Angst vor dem Leeren Blatt. Ohne Schreibblockaden durchs Studium,
Frankfurt/New York 2002.
Theisen, Manuel, Wissenschaftliches Arbeiten. Technik- Methodik- Form, Mnchen 1984.