Practice of Thesis Projects

Goal of a thesis
Ba thesis: a report written individually in which:
A clear research question is formulated based on a problem definition and a given objective; The student reports the results of a literature search to meet the research objective; Conclusions are drawn based on a verification of the results from the literature study (the 'hypotheses') with findings from practical ('measurements').

Ma thesis:
Original contribution to knowledge Thesis describes your original contribution to knowledge
a worthwhile question which has not been previously answered is identified the question is answered

General contents of a thesis

Introduction Background information Literature overview Problem description Proposed solution, including
Description of experiments Data collection Methods of analysis Results

Conclusions References Appendices

Common reading sequence

Title Abstract Conclusions Introduction Other chapters
Usually read sequentially Only the results Only the methodology

Title page
Example:

Do not forget the department or faculty name

Chapter outline (example)

Introduction
Scope Objective Methodology (motivation of the approach) Thesis outline

Theoretical background (based on literature) Analysis + Hypothesis formation Experimental setup

Experimental design / simulation (hypothesis testing, validation) Data collection, data pre-processing

Experimental results Discussion Conclusions (+ future research) References (all!)

What is missing here?

Methodology
Application with motivation of existing paradigms Hypothesis formation, based on
Literature search, plus (inductive or deductive) analysis of data or theories suspicions (!!) (hypotheses are also human constructs/artefacts)

Hypothesis testing
Based on collected (expert) data Following a motivated methodology: e.g. train model, test model, falsify

logical reasoning
In order to arrive at adequate conclusions that are as general as possible

What are the supervisors looking for?

Is the research question formulated clearly? Is the research question relevant? Is there agreement between the methodology followed and the research question? Is the research question answered? Are the conclusions substantiated? Is there a clear contribution to the existing knowledge base? Is there sufficient content compared to the length of the thesis?

Be consistent!
Formulate the problem description and the research questions in the introduction

Then make sure that the questions are answered (i.e. come back to them in the conclusions!)

Evaluation criteria (1)

Thesis Structure
The thesis has a clear introduction and formulated problem; each chapter is a recognizable part of the thesis and links up with the formulated problem; the argument results in (partial) conclusions with respect to the questions derived from the formulated problem.

Substantiation
The thesis has a clear theoretical substantiation and recognizable and verifiable use has been made of (literature and empirical) sources. The writer has clearly motivated the method of research, the method fits in with the problem formulation and the method has been applied well.

Detailing
The thesis actually answers the questions posed within the problem formulation. The subject is sufficiently set out. The argument is coherent and logical.

Evaluation criteria (2)

Added Value
The thesis contributes to the knowledge in the field of study. For instance a new method is developed or an existing method is applied to a new field.

Relevance
The thesis is a relevant contribution to the knowledge in the field of study. This contribution can be both practical and scientific.

Design and Presentation

There is a consistent and conveniently arranged division into chapters. The chapters and sections have appropriate titles. Each chapter is provided with an introduction and summary, describing the place of the chapter in the thesis. Linguistic usage is correct and clear. The layout is conveniently arranged and supports the contents. The thesis has a title page, table of contents and reading list. The reading list and references comply with current scientific standards.

Students commitment
Independence, own contribution, motivation.

Choice of the research topic

In principle, it can be any unanswered question that is interesting scientifically
Recent news Earlier knowledge Areas of interest

E.g. look at the future research section of recent papers Discuss with (intended) supervisor Formulate a clear research question and sub-questions

Use of (English) language

formal, (usually) passive, (avoid first person singular, first person plural is accepted in English) avoid subjective characterisations like
a very interesting paper written by " an important result, in my opinion, was achieved by ..

introduce abbreviations the first time they are used and remain consistent with their use Prevent spelling and language errors by using spelling checkers and grammatical controllers

Reproducibility
It is important to be able to find all relevant information upon request Make a note of all decisions, choices and the motivations for the choices (use a lab book) Save the results of all experiments Save all results Write batch-files (scripts) to be able to repeat the experiments easily Avoid the point & click approach

Quality control
For language mistakes:
Spelling checkers en grammatical controllers

Thesis structure, methodology:

Consult the supervisor

Software:
Formal analysis, design methods Develop test cases

Writing style:
Have your thesis read by friends, parents, etc.

A few guidelines
Describe all important steps of the methodology
How are the data and information obtained? How is the information analysed? Which observations were made?

Every sentence must contribute towards the central message (easier said than done!) Prepare a detailed thesis outline (chapters and paragraphs) in an early stage and follow the outline Finalise the introduction last

More guidelines
Think about the background of your intended audience Do not assume that the reader knows a lot or that the reader can easily follow the text: your text must be clear Thesis is not a chronological report: mistakes in thinking, wrong research paths, etc. need not be explained Avoid assumptions about the capacity of the reader: e.g. do not use it should be clear to the reader that Avoid the use of subjective judgements: e.g. do not use management is the most important part of an organisation.

Q&A
Questions?

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