The document provides guidance for new postgraduate students on expectations from supervisors, requirements for research proposals and thesis writing. It notes that supervisors expect students to be independent, seek advice, and meet regularly. Research proposals should include background, purpose, questions, and methodology. Requirements for a PhD thesis are an original contribution, evidence of independent work, and understanding of techniques. Thesis writing involves planning reading, research and writing, with chapters on introduction, literature review and findings. It also provides a checklist for students to plan their work and understand references.

1. GUIDES
FOR NEW
POSTGRADUATE
STUDENTS

2. By: Prof. RB Ahmad @unimapBy: Prof. RB Ahmad @unimap
2/14

3. By: Prof. RB Ahmad @unimapBy: Prof. RB Ahmad @unimap
3/14
SUPERVISOR EXPECTATIONS
● students to be independent
● students to produce legible
written work.
● students to seek advice and
comments on their work from
others
● to have regular meetings with
their postgraduate students
● research students to honest when
reporting on their progress
● students to follow the advice that
they give, when the supervisors
has given that advice at the
request of the postgraduate
students
● students to be excited about their
work
● their students to be able to
surprise them
● students to be fun to be with

4. By: Prof. RB Ahmad @unimapBy: Prof. RB Ahmad @unimap
4/14
RESEARCH PROPOSAL
CONSISTS OF:
● BACKGROUND TO THE
PROBLEM
● GROUND FOR CONCERN
● IMPORTANCE OF THE PROBLEM
● IMPLICATIONS OF THE STUDY
● PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
● MAJOR QUESTIONS TO BE
ADDRESSED BY THE STUDY
● HYPOTHESES
● ASSUMPTIONS
● LIMITATIONS
● DELIMITATIONS
● OVERVIEW OF METHODOLOGY
● DEFINITION OF TERMS
(OPTIONAL)

5. By: Prof. RB Ahmad @unimapBy: Prof. RB Ahmad @unimap
5/14
REQUIREMENTS OF A Ph.D
THESIS
The important requirements examiners
look for in your thesis are:
● A distinct contribution to knowledge
● Evidence of the discovery of new
facts or new facts or the exercise of
independent judgment
● Literary presentation
● Original work of merit worthy of
publication
● Competence in independent work
experimentation
● Understanding of the appropriate
techniques
● Critical use of published work and
source materials

6. By: Prof. RB Ahmad @unimapBy: Prof. RB Ahmad @unimap
6/14
GUIDE TO THESIS WRITING
● LEARN TO USE WORD PROCESSING
● PRESENTATION, STYLE, PAGE NUMBERING
AND ORGANIZATION
● EVERY WORD, EVERY PARAGRAPH MUST
BE CAREFULLY THOUGHT OUT AND
CONTINUNITY MUST BE CONSISTENT AND
MAINTAINED THROUGH OUT YOUR
WRITING
● BEFORE SUBMISSION EVEN DRAFTS
MAKE SURE THE TEXT/CHAPTERS HAVE
BEEN ENGLISH EDITED
● REFER TO PROPER CITATION
● ALL DIAGRAMS MUST BE
LABELED WITH PROPER TITLING
AND SUBTITLING
● USE OTHER THESIS AT YOUR
UNIVERSITY AS EXAMPLES
● IF YOU ARE USING SHORT FORM
WORDS MAKE SURE TO
INTRODUCE AT THE LONG
VERSION OF WORDS.
● USE DIFFERENT PARAGRAPHS TO
EXPRESS YOUR IDEAS.

7. By: Prof. RB Ahmad @unimapBy: Prof. RB Ahmad @unimap
7/14
CHAPTERS OF YOUR THESIS
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER II: BACKGROUND
CHAPTER III: LITERATURE REVIEW
CHAPTER IV: METHODOLOGY
CHAPTER V: ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS
CHAPTER VI: SUMMARY

8. By: Prof. RB Ahmad @unimapBy: Prof. RB Ahmad @unimap
8/14
THESIS WRITING
For a thesis to be completed within a reasonable
time, one has to plan the programme of:
● Reading
● Research
● Writing

9. By: Prof. RB Ahmad @unimapBy: Prof. RB Ahmad @unimap
9/14
THESIS WRITING
Reading:
● to acquire a through knowledge of what work has been done in a field
before a new contribution can be adequately planned
● involves the construction of an adequate bibliography
● carefully combing registers of abstracts and other guides to research in
progress
● a systematic review of the professional journals
● careful reading of the relevant books and monographs

10. By: Prof. RB Ahmad @unimapBy: Prof. RB Ahmad @unimap
10/14
THESIS WRITING
Research:
● generating hypotheses
● data collection
● data analysis
● Findings

11. By: Prof. RB Ahmad @unimapBy: Prof. RB Ahmad @unimap
11/14
Writing:
● The transition from research to writing
is never an abrupt one
● A good supervisor will insist upon a
formal start, marked by the approval of
a final detailed thesis plan
● The preparation of a complete draft has
to be given priority over other task
● Each draft chapter (complete with
footnotes) should be given to the
supervisor as soon as it is ready
THESIS WRITING
● Once the entire first draft has been finished, the
student can deal with minor research tasks needed
to fill gaps of information
● The second draft should be a complete
reconsideration of the first draft, and not a
‘scissors-and-paste’ job. (Should normally take no
more than 6-8 weeks to complete)
● Check for facts, references, typing errors, clarity of
writing
● Temptation to use obscure words and complicated
forms of expressions, so as to demonstrate a
knowledge and command of abstruse jargon and
complex literary structures, should be resisted

12. By: Prof. RB Ahmad @unimapBy: Prof. RB Ahmad @unimap
12/14
A CHECK-LIST FOR
STUDENTS
● Have you tried to plan your work satisfactorily?
● Have you identified the major difficulties?
● Do you understand to relevant references?
● Are your records in good order and could you answer a
question on something you did six months ago?
● Have you drafted the first version of any portion of the
work that has been completed?
● Do other people find your written English difficult to
understand?
● Are there any tables, figures or other matters which could
usefully be prepared at an early stage?

13. By: Prof. RB Ahmad @unimapBy: Prof. RB Ahmad @unimap
13/14

14. By: Prof. RB Ahmad @unimapBy: Prof. RB Ahmad @unimap
14/14