1 Parts of the master's thesis
Seelatextemplateonhttp://www.s.joensuu.fi/pa ges /wha mala i/s iwr i/
thesis.htm
1.1 Abstrat
Tells ompatlythe researh problem, methodsand results.
At most 1page, no literature referenes.
In the end ACM lasses +possibly key words.
! See http://www.am.org/lass/1 998 /ove rvie w.ht ml
1.2 Introdution
Typially 4-7pages.
The introdutionshoulddenethe problemlearly andgivesuÆeientbak-
ground informationfor the followinghapters. However, no details,yet!
What is the purpose of the researh? Mainresearh questions?
What is the sope? Indiate expliitely all limitations and restriting
assumptions!
Why the topi isimportantor interesting?
What methodsare used?
Briey referenes to relatedresearh (just the main referenes { more
referenes inhapter"Related researh"or throughoutthe thesis)
Emphasize your own ontribution: what isoriginal ornew?
Introdutionanbedividedintosetions, if itiseasier towrite,but itisnot
neessary.
E.g. threesetions:
1. Problem desription, motivation and bakground (the heading ould
be "Overview", "Problem", "Motivation and bakground" et.)
2. Results and ontributions (what was done,what was new)
3. Organization (the hapters)
1.3 Main hapters
Usually 4-5hapters (inadditionto Introdution and Conlusions). A good
idea is to begin frombakground theory orrelated researh.
1.4 Conlusions
Just 1-3pages!
Summarize the main results ina generallevel.
Tell what was your own ontribution and what was based on other
soures.
Possiblyalsoritis(e.g.limitations),alternativeapproahes,topisfor
future researh.
No morenew results and seldomlyany referenes (atmost for alteran-
tive,unmentioned approahes)
1.5 Referenes
A rule of thumb: atleast 20referenes, but nomore than 50. 30-35 is
often the ideal.
The number of referenes depends on the topi. More referenes are
required ina literature review than inempirialresearh oran \appli-
approahes orshools amongresearhers.
Important: allsoures (listed in Referenes) must be referred in the
textandthetextshouldnotontainanyrefereneswhiharenotlisted!
!Bibtextakesareofthisautomatially. Ifyoutypereferenes manu-
ally,latexomplainsonlyaboutmissingreferenes,butnotaboutextra
referenes.
1.6 Appendixes
Additionalmaterialwhihis relevant tothe researh andis referred in
the text. E.g. if youhave made aquestionnaire, you an put the form
into appendix.
Nohapternumbers, butenumerate theappendixes(Appendix A,Ap-
pendix B,...). If you have onlyone appendix, then just \Appendix".
1.7 Examples of master's theses
1.7.1 A new appliation or method
Thesis is written arounda new appliation(a program). However, it has to
berelated tothe existingresearh and evaluated.
Introdution: the problem
Bakground theory and main onepts
Related researh (otherexisting solutions tothe same or similarprob-
lems)
Your own appliation
Evaluation: omparisontoother methods, empirialtests, ortheoreti-
al analysis
Conlusions
A theory ora model isanalyzed based on literature. Often a omparison of
dierent approahes.
Your own ontribution: how the results are desribed in a uniform manner,
analyzed and ompared.
Nowthe existing literature is referredin allhapters, no need fora separate
hapter \Related researh".
Introdution
Main onepts
Approahes +their analysis (2-3 hapters)
Or ahapter for omparison and analysis of allapproahes
Conlusions
Variation: analysisofthesuitablityofexistingapproahes toanewproblem.
Introdution
The new problem +riteria for anideal solutionmethod
Potentialsolutionmethods+analysisoftheirsuitability(2-3hapters)
Possibly disussion (omparison, new solutionideas)
Conlusions
1.7.3 Empirial researh
E.g. anew methodortoolistested withreal users orstudents'produts are
analyzed.
Introdution: Begin by introduing the researh problem: what was
the goal ofthe empirialstudy.
Main onepts and bakground theories(one hapter) and
Related researh (one hapter) (orboth in one hapter)
\The purpose of a thesis is to train the mind of the writer and to show how
far it has been trained." [?, 141℄
2.1 Reading literature
Problem: youshould get a wide viewof the existing researh onthe topi,
but your time tosearh and read literature is limited!
Try to nd the most relevant artiles.
Toget awiderperspetive,searhpapers bydierentauthors/researh
groups. Ifthere are several approahes to solve or study the problem,
trytostudysomethingfromallofthem(orallofthemainapproahes).
Useseveraldigitallibrariesorbibliographiesforsearhing {oneolle-
tion may bebiassed.
Plan how muh time you an spend for studying literature! In some
point youhave tostop olletingnew material and begin to write.
! Suggestion: In the end of Aug, your it-projet is nished and you
have olleted and seleted relevant material foryour thesis.
2.2 Planning
Wellplanned ishaly done!
Beginbybrainstorming. Drawoneptmaps. Disusswithyourfriends
or supervisors. Write down allideas whihome into your mind.
Collet literature and san through it. Selet the most important
soures.
Try to write the disposition as early as possible. Proess it with your
supervisor until itlooksgood(logial struture and order).
List the main researh problems (in the form of questions) and write
the introdutoryparagraphs for the hapters.
Hints:
Arrange a omfortable working plae. Reserve time for writing every
day. Try tomakewriting aroutine for you!
Set deadlines. Preferrably x them with your supervisor { itis always
more eetive.
Worktogetherwithyourfriend. Youansetthedeadlines,disussyour
topis, and read eah other's texts. After good work you an reward
yourself by doingsomething fun.
Imagine that you are writingto your friend about your researh topi!
Summarize artiles you have read. It is never waste of time { at least
youlearn!
Begin towrite immediately,when your disposition isnished.
Write down ideas when they ome {even in the middle of night.
Invent goodexamples and write them down.
If some part is diÆult towrite, beging froman easier one. Write the
diÆult parts,when you are ina good working mood.
Draw a gure whih desribes some method ormodel and write a de-
sription forit.
Try to divide the problem or phenomenon into subproblems or parts
and desribethem separately.
Colletmainoneptsandwritedenitionsforthem. Fixthenotations.
How to write the beginning of hapters?
Lookat the openingsentenes of similarompositionsby other people
Begin, for example, with a summary, a statement of the problem, a
hypothesis, neessary and interesting bakground information, a new
an always modify itafterwards.
Gostraighttothepointand,ifpossible,refertothingsthatyouexpet
your readers toknow (vs. ontrutivism).
2.4 Revising
\The time taken in planning, writing and revising is time for thought. It is
well spent, for when the work is omplete your understanding of the subjet
will have been improved." [?, 44℄
Firstof all,admitthat therst draft(s)isnotperfet! Ask rititsand
respet it. Good rititsis reallyvaluable.
If possible, ask at least two people to read your thesis. Preferrably
one who is an expert on the subjet, and one who is not. E.g. your
supervisor and one of your student olleagues.
You an write and revise your work for ever, but in some point you
have to stop! One trik is that you don't allow yourself to gather any
more new literature.
Have a break when your work is nished. At least, sleep one night
before revising the text yourself.
Tehnial hints:
Read text aloud and hek if it sounds well.
Chek allreferenes. Espeially,are namesorretly spelled?
Save oldversions,you may need themafterwards.
2.5 Tehnial notes
2.5.1 Tehnial terms
If there isno widely aepted denition for a term,then
1. tellwhosedenitionyoufollowandgivethisdenitionwithareferene,
or
2. dene the term yourself and tellthat in this work the term is dened
as given.
more than an impression of knowledge. ... Unless a tehnial term an be
dened learlyand thenusedwith aurayandpreision, it mayonealour
ignorane and obsure the need for further researh, and it should have no
plae in sienti writing." [?, 62℄
2.5.2 Symbols
Don't use the same symbolfor dierent things!
Try touse also indexes in a uniform manner. E.g. if i =1;:::;n is the
numberof rows and j =1;:::;k the number of attributes in one plae,
don't hange them in anotherplae.
If some speial notationis widely used in literature,followit.
If dierent soures use dierent notations, harmonize them. (Fix one
notationand translateallnotations to your own "language".)
Do not use Greek (or Hebrew) letters if there is noreason. If there is
a danger of onfusion e.g. with values of variables, then Greek letters
are justied.
2.5.3 Equations
Avoid listing mathematial equations! Try to integrate equations into sen-
tenes so that the result isreadable.
Do not replaewords by mathematialsymbols(e.g. 8) inthe text.
Referenes
[1℄ R.Barras: Sientists must write.A guideto better writingforsientists,
engineers and students. Chapman and Hall,London, New York, year?
