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Writing a Thesis:or how I learned to Iove cleaning the house, going shopping, doing yard
work, walking the dog, and finding other ways to procrastinate
Kelley M. StewartBased on presentation developed by Paul Verburg, UNR, andToby Walsh, University College Cork & Uppsala University
The Good News
• You only have to write ONE thesis– Except if you are a glutton for
punishment and do a MS and a PhD
• At the end, you can add “MS” or “PhD” behind your name– Good for upgrades on planes (not
really)?
The Bad News• Writing a thesis is hard, painful work
– You’ve already done the fun part (the research)
• Some people never manage to write one– 99% perspiration– 1% inspiration?
• It’s unlike any other document– Thesis writing is not a marketable skill
Why write a thesis?
• You all have to suffer like we did!
• In the process, you will learn– How to research– How to write
• You get to add “MS” or “PhD” to your name– Your family will be most impressed
Why write a thesis?
• It will make you famous– Unlikely
• It will advance our knowledge– Just a little
• It will be read by others– Your advisor– Your thesis committee (or not)
What a thesis isn’t?
• What I did in the lab over the last years– I first read the background
material– I then implemented an
algorithm– I ran some experiments – …
• A thesis is a logical reconstruction of your research– Not a historical narrative
What a thesis isn’t?
• A brain dump of everything you’ve done– You get to leave out the
dead‐ends– But you have to fill in any
obvious gaps!
• A thesis is a logicalreconstruction– With a single coherent
message
What is a thesis?• Demonstration of an understanding of the state of the art– Critical appreciation of existing work
• A novel contribution– Evaluated systematically
Early Chemists describe the first DIRT MOLECULE
(The Far Side by Gary Larson)
What is a thesis?
• Opens a new area of research• Provides unifying framework• Resolves long‐standing
question• Thoroughly explores area• Contradicts existing
knowledge
• Experimentally validates theory
• Provides empirical data• Derives superior algorithms• Develops new methodology
Read some theses
• Good way to get a feel for the beast
Ok, when do I start?
• When do I actually start writing my thesis?– After you are done with all your experiments?
Ok, when do I start?
• When do I actually start writing my thesis?– After you are done with all your experiments?
– No, the day you start your degree
– Write it all down!
So, how do I start?
So, how do I start?
• Write a thesis message– 1 sentence
So, how do I start?
• Write a thesis message– 1 sentence– 1 paragraph
So, how do I start?
• Write a thesis message– 1 sentence– 1 paragraph– 1 page
• Everything you write should be directed at this– Thesis (noun).
1. A proposition maintained by argument
2. A dissertation advancing original research
Thesis message
• You’re tackling an important research problem
• You’ve made an original contribution to its resolution
What next?
• So, I’ve got a good thesis message• What do I do next?
What next?
• So, I’ve got a good thesis message• What do I do next?
– Write the table of contents– Logical structure of your thesis
Table of Contents
1. Abstract2. General Introduction
Thesis message3. Background
Context, definitions, notation4. Problem statement/hypothesis5. Chapter 16. Chapter 27. Chapter 38. General Conclusions/Recommendations
Nested hourglass model
• The whole thesis• Each section, subsection• Most paragraphs
• Broad focus at beginning, end; specifics/narrow focus in middle
Organization of the thesis
• Abstract• Introduction• Background/Lit. review• Problem statement/research
question• Methods• Data presentation• Interpretation• Discussion• Conclusions• References
What next?
• So, I’ve got a good thesis message• And a table of contents• What do I do next?
What next?
• So, I’ve got a good thesis message• And a table of contents• What do I do next?
– Make a timetable• Targets to meet• Light at the end of the tunnel
Timetable
• How long will it take?• Depends on many factors
– How much you’ve written as papers– …
• Heavy‐tailed distribution– Min = 2 months (very rare)– Max = infinity– Mean = infinity– Median = 6‐9 months
Timetable
• “Your thesis is your baby” P. Prosser– Give it 9 months
• Write it up• Fill in gaps, expts …
• “You have to know when to let it go”– Put a fence around what you’ve done
What next?
• So, I’ve got a good thesis message• And a table of contents and timetable• What do I do next?
What next?
• So, I’ve got a good thesis message• And a table of contents and timetable• What do I do next?
– Prepare your committee
Thesis committee• Who should be on your
committee?– Ideally you and your
supervisor will come to a mutual decision
• Important, well‐known researchers– People notice if your
committee was “tough”– You’ll get good feedback– They may employ you– They may recommend you to
others
Thesis committee
• Why decide your committee before you start writing?– They can help you (what a concept!)– They’re busy people
• Even busy people have open dates in their diaries a year ahead• They’ll still manage to schedule other events on the day of your defense
What next?
• So, I’ve got a good thesis message• And a table of contents, timetable and committee
• What do I do next?
What next?
• So, I’ve got a good thesis message• And a table of contents, timetable and committee
• What do I do next?– Work to your timetable!
Writing each chapter
• Some people say don’t start with the Introduction or Conclusion
• Starting with an Introduction can help you focus; should have been written as part of the proposal
• Start where you feel happiest– Typically a middle chapter– Write outwards– Finally Conclusions and revisit the Introduction– (and don’t forget the abstract)
• Write everything with your thesis message in mind• Something on paper is better than nothing
Writing each chapter
• Get feedback before you write too much– One person to read each chapter as it is written– Another person to read thesis in order
• Lay some good groundwork– LaTeX macros– Bib file– Indexing– …
Writing each chapter
• You’ll discover holes in your research– Parameters you didn’t measure– Experiments you didn’t run
• Mix writing with research
How long should thesis be?
• As long as necessary– Check on rules for min/max length– Don’t include unnecessary stuff to
lengthen it– Don’t omit critical information to
shorten it
• Nash’s PhD thesis– 27 pages long– Won him a Nobel prize
Common mistakes
• Informal text– Committee members will jump on imprecision
• Opinions“.. I don’t believe climate change is caused by humans ..”– A thesis is an argument!“.. Humans may not be the main cause of climate change
because……..”
Common problems
• It’s never possible to cover all issues– So you will ever finish?
Common problems
• It’s never possible to cover all issues– So you will ever finish?– It’s sometimes enough to identify the issues that were not covered
– Examiners greatly appreciate you identifying limitations (it is better to point out your own shortcomings rather than have somebody else point them out for you)
Common problems
• Ideas become obvious to you– You stop writing to a sufficient level of detail– Especially hurts the opening chapters as they are often written last
Common problems
• At some point, your brain will surely become toast– Take a break– Eat properly, exercise, sleep …
What to expect from your advisor?
• Your not in this on your own
• Your supervisor is on your side– Your success is their success
What to expect from your advisor?
• Intellectual support– Quality assurance– What standard a thesis
should reach– Indication of when to stop
• Emotional support– Encouragement– Constructive atmosphere
What not to expect from your advisor?
• Smiles– If draft chapters contain simple
spelling mistakes and typos– “Data is” remember data is plural
• Mind‐reading skills– Motivation dipping– Absence = illness
Defending your thesis
• Logistics– Public/Private?– How long should the talk be?
• UNR ~45 – 50 minutes, plus time for questions = ~1 hr.
– Give committee enough time to read before defense• ≥ 2 weeks
– Allow enough time to make corrections (needing to have the thesis in at a certain time is not a good reason to pass!)
Defending your thesis
• Don’t panic– You’re probably the world’s expert on this topic by now!– Don’t be overconfident either.
• Your examiners are human– They’ve sat in your seat– They will help you find what changes (if any) are needed to make this the required quality
Defending your thesis
• Practice, Practice, Practice– Give the talk to a friendly but critical audience– Prepare your opening statement (most nerve‐wracking moment)
• Enjoy it– You have the world’s experts in the room– They want to talk about your work– How often will that happen in the future?
What are examiners looking for?
• Review of literature– Is the literature relevant?– Is it comprehensive?– Does it summarize the essential aspects?
– Does it link to the methodology in the thesis?
– Does it lead to a clear hypothesis?
• Methodology– Is the methodology justified?
– Is the data collected appropriately?
– Are the limitations identified?
What are examiners looking for?
• Presentation of results– Are the results shown to support the hypothesis?
– Is the data properly analyzed?
– Are the results presented clearly?
– Are patterns identified and summarized?
• Discussion and Conclusions– Have the hypotheses in fact been tested?
– Are the main points to emerge identified?
– Are the limits of the research identified?
– Are links made to the literature?
– Are the speculations well grounded?
It’s all over
• You’ve finished writing & defending your thesis
• What do you do next?
It’s all over
• You’ve finished writing & defending your thesis
• What do you do next?– Turn it into a book– Publish some journal articles around it
– Make copies for your parents, …
– Make a copy for yourself My thesis
It’s all over
• You’ve finished writing & defending your thesis• What do you do next?
– Just think, you’ll never have to do it again!
It’s all over
• You’ve finished writing & defending your thesis• What do you do next?
– Just think, you’ll never have to do it again!• Unless you continue to a PhD
Good Luck!