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How To Write a Thesis (Research Documentation)
1.
2. My Background
• 1st degree in Management
Information System - IIUM
• Master in Software
Engineering – UTM (by coursework)
• PhD in Computational
Engineering,
Cardiff School of Engineering,
Cardiff University, Wales, UK.
– Main SV: Prof Rossi Setchi
(Bulgarian)
– Co-SV: Dr Yulia A Hicks (Russian)
– Apr 2008 – Apr 2012
– Married, started with 1 kid,
graduated with 2 kids.
3. PhD Research
• Image Annotation
• Text Based Information Retrieval
• Semantic & Ontology
Current Research
• Embedded Systems
• Robotic Manipulation
• Internet of Things (IoT)
• Wireless Sensor Network
• Intelligent System
• Software Engineering
• Information Retrieval.
7. What is a PG Research?
• Master or PhD is not a destination, it is a
JOURNEY.
• Ability to research anything, and the expectation
that you will understand it.
• You should be more likely to ask why things are
done a certain way, and how it could be made
better – analytical thinking.
• You can jump into a new area, pick it up quickly,
and have something interesting to say about it.
• And the most important part in all these, is the
ability to write them clearly, so that other
people can know what you know.
8. Doing a PG Research
• How?
i. Find a problem
ii. Understand the background
iii. Knows what already being done
iv. Find the gaps
v. Design solution
vi. Evaluate & Validate
vii. Get agreement **
• Plan your work > Get milestones > Execute
• Break big task into micro tasks - focus on small pieces,
one at a time.
10. When to start writing?
• When?
i. Find a problem - write
ii. Understand the background - write
iii. Knows what already being done - write
iv. Find the gaps - write
v. Design solution - write
vi. Evaluate & Validate - write
vii. Get agreement ** - write
• Start writing from the beginning!
11. When to start writing?
I was given a blue
notebook on my 1st day.
“I want you to start
writing today”.
(Rossi, April 2008)
14. What is a thesis?
• Demonstration of an understanding of the
state of the art
– Critical appreciation of existing work
• A novel contribution
– Evaluated systematically
• Opens a new area
• Provides unifying framework
• Resolves long-standing question
• Thoroughly explores area
• Contradicts existing knowledge
• Experimentally validates theory
15. What is a thesis?
• Produces ambitious system
• Provides empirical data
• Derives superior algorithms
• Develops new methodology
• Develops new tool
16. What a thesis IS NOT?
• It is not a historical narrative,
– What I did in the lab over the past 3 years
• I first read the background material
• I then implemented an algorithm
• I ran some experiments
• …
• A thesis is a logical reconstruction
17. What a thesis IS NOT?
• 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!
• Something you can buy in the
shop
– Unless you’ve been into the
underworld
19. Why do we need to write?
Informal Writing:
• Because you wont remember everything,
forever
– Sometimes writing will help you remember
• Training – getting yourself familiar with
writing
• Developing a good habit
• Motivate yourself to keep going
20. Why do we need to write?
Formal Writing:
• Data without notes are unusable
– Because you won’t remember everything,
forever
• For others who may need to understand
your research - Science includes the
dissemination of knowledge
– to communicate to the community
– to contribute to the advancement of
knowledge
21. Why do we need to write?
• To make progress
– Progress is measured by OUTPUT, not time
(results, publications).
– Do not spend long hours in office/lab just for
the sake of it
– If you don’t know what to do, WRITE
something. Anything.
• But there is a RISK in writing early and
often!
22. Why do we need to write?
ALERT: Most of your
writings will never be
used!
So be it.
Remember, it’s a journey,
not a destination.
23. Why do we need to write?
Adam Savage,
Myth Buster
28. How long will it take?
How long will it take to write a thesis?
• Depends on many factors
– How much you’ve written as papers
– Many other things
• Wild estimation?
– Min = 2 months (very very very rare)
– Max = infinity
– Mean = infinity
– Median = 6-9 months
29. Your thesis is like your baby.
• Give it 9 months at least, to deliver.
– It was 12 months for me
• You have to know when to let it go
– Finished is better than perfect.
How long will it take?
30. • Make a full list of tasks to be done
– So you always aware where you are, how far more
you need to go
• Prioritize your work and tasks and set milestones
– Create deadlines for paper submission
– Get agreements
– Track your time on subtasks
• Update your SV/team on progress regularly
• Reward yourself when achieving milestones
– ALERT: Rewards kill creativity
– Pick your reward CAREFULLY. Don’t pick a reward
that negates what you’ve just achieved.
How to kill procrastination?
31. How to kill procrastination?
A quick 3-4 days holiday getaway won’t hurt.
33. Writing a thesis: Myths
• Being able to write well is a gift
• Writing is just a question of getting down
what you know, it will all come together
when the time comes.
– Everything is already in your head, you just
have to write it down.
35. How to start?
• Get a good template. Solve all the technical
in the beginning
– Formats, styles, annotation, reference,
bibliography, etc.
– Strictly follow guidelines from Graduate School
from the beginning
– Use software/tools that you are comfortable
with.
– Use automated backups (external drive, clouds)
• If you have problem with the technical, get
help!
36. How to start?
• Start with the Table of Contents
– Get a logical structure of your
thesis
– Look at other thesis in your field,
see how they structured it, get
idea.
– Get agreement
– Your TOC is very important – its
the blueprint of your thesis
37. How to start?
• A typical TOC structure
– Abstract
– Introduction
– Background/Literature
– Experiments and Results
– Analysis/discussion
– Conclusions
• Identical structure with research paper
– The only differences is the length, context and
scope.
38. How to start?
• Writing is hard for everyone. Don’t try to be
Shakespeare
• You don’t have to start with introduction
– Stop waiting for mood or inspiration
– Start where you feel happiest. It is your thesis,
you can do it however you want it.
• Typically people start in the middle and
outwards
– .. then conclusion and end with introduction
39. How to write?
• My writing order
– Abstract - 6
– Introduction - 4/5
– Background/Literature - 3
– Experiments and Results - 1
– Analysis/discussion - 2
– Conclusions - 4/5
• Get your own formula that can make you
happy
40. How to write?
• Write everything in ONE (1) document
• Use versions to help you track your files
41. How to write?
• As you are writing up, you’ll discover holes
in your research
– Theorems you haven’t proved
– Experiments you didn’t run (different
environment or parameters)
• Writing will lead to more research. That’s
totally OK!.
42. How to write?
The Rules of Three
• Within thesis, repeat your contributions 3 times
– Intro chapter
– Main chapters
– Conclusion chapter
• Within each chapter, repeat yourself 3 times
– Introduction - We will show ..
– Body - Show them ..
– Conclusion - We have shown ..
43. Common problems in writing
• Complex sentences full of long words
– A thesis should be a simple, convincing
argument!
• Impossible to cover all issues
– So you will never finish?
– It’s sometimes enough to identify the issues
– Examiners greatly appreciate you identifying
limitations
– Examiners greatly happy finding a few
mistakes
44. Common problems in writing
• At some point, your brain will
surely become toast
– Take a break
– Eat properly, exercise, get a
good sleep
– Get a life
• Toasted brain is only
temporary, calm down
– I am still alive
47. What you can expect from SV?
• Intellectual support
– You are not ALL ALONE actually. Your SV is on
your side. Your success is their success
– Quality assurance
– What standard a thesis should reach
– Indication of when to stop
• Emotional support
– Encouragement
– Constructive atmosphere
48. What you can expect from SV?
• Regular, constructive criticism on your
written work
• Guidance, suggestions and ideas for
research direction/opportunities
• Advice at each stage of the project
• Some direction (though probably not too
much!)
49. What NOT to expect from SV?
• Smiles
– If draft chapters contain simple spelling mistakes
and typos
– Remember, it isn’t your supervisor’s job to proof
read what you write.
– Get advice about your PhD, not your English.
– If you are not good in English, get help!
• Mind-reading skills
– Motivation dipping
– Absence = illness
50. • Show initiatives, be proactive, etc.
– basically be independent
• Be honest about how things are going
• Produce quality written work that is
not a first draft
• Meet deadlines (or explain why not)
• Meet regularly to discuss your
progress
• Tell them what you are learning
• Teach them something new
What SV expect from you?
51. The Examiners
• Viva voce (Latin phrase)
– oral examination (a thesis
defence).
• To enable examiners to assure
themselves that the thesis is
the candidate’s own work.
• To give candidate the
opportunity to defend the
thesis & clarify any obscurities
in it.
• To assess whether the thesis is
of high standard to merit the
award.
52. What Are They Looking For?
• Did you do the work yourself?
• Have you done the reading?
• Do you have a good knowledge of the field?
• Did you write the thesis yourself?
• Can you do research independently?
• Can you teach the subject?
• Can you talk about it professionally?
• Have you contributed to knowledge?
• Did you learn anything?
53. Defending Your Thesis
• Enjoy it
– You’ve the world’s experts in the room
– They want to talk about your work
– How often will that happen in the future?
• If you want, have a practice
– Get your supervisor to set up a “dummy” jury
– Prepare your opening statement
54. Your thesis is your best friend
• Know your thesis very well
• Re-read your thesis carefully
• If you find any mistakes, don’t panic, but
make a note of it
• Identify the originality of your work
• Identify the contribution to knowledge in
your field study
• Identify the strengths & weaknesses and
make a note of them
56. Good News vs. Bad News
• You only have to write ONE
thesis
– And couple of journal articles
• It will make you famous
– Just kidding
• It will change the world
– Based on statistics, it is very
unlikely
57. Good News vs. Bad News
• At the end, you will be invited to a
convocation ceremony
– You are likely to be in the 1st session!
– Can post a lot of photos in your soc
med!
• For PhD candidate, you get to add “Dr” to
your name
– Grandpa, Grandma, Aunties, Uncles,
Neighbours, Village people.. They are
all going to be very impressed
58. Good News vs. Bad News
• Writing a thesis is hard and
painful work
– You’ve already done the fun part
(the research)
– Most students are not trained to
write properly
• It’s a lonely process
– Nobody will write it for you.
59. Good News vs. Bad News
• Some people never
manage to write one
– 99% perspiration
– 1% inspiration
• No pain, no gain!
– Writing thesis is the
requirement to join the
academia world.
– You all have to suffer like
we did!
60. Good News vs. Bad News
• If you’re lucky, your full
thesis will be read by
– Your supervisor (maybe)
– Your examiners (get paid)
– And nobody else in this
planet (most likely)
61. Good News vs. Bad News
Remember!
NEVER UNDERESTIMATE how
hard/long it will take to write up.
63. The DOs and DON’Ts:
• DON’T leave the responsibility for your project to others.
• DON’T spend long hours in office/lab for the sake of it.
• DON’T be alone. Talk to others about your problems.
• DON’T wait, write now. One day or day one, you decide.
• DO get support from other PG students.
• DO give support to other PG students.
• DO take every opportunity to practice and learn.
• DO get a life. Enjoy your ‘play time’.
General Advice
64. “The only way to find out how to
do a Postgraduate Research is to
do one. Therefore all advice is
useless.”
(Richard Butterworth, 1998)
-The End-
General Advice
65. References
• Mihir Bellare http://cseweb.ucsd.edu/~mihir/phd.html
• Richard Butterworth
http://public.randomnotes.org/richard/PhDtalk.html
• Alex Hope
http://drsustainable.wordpress.com/2012/05/25/experiences-as-a-
phd-student/
• Matt Schonlau, How to finish a Ph.D.
http://www.schonlau.net/finishphd.html
• PhD Comics http://www.phdcomics.com
• Toby Walsh, How to Write a Thesis, University College Cork
Editor's Notes
Some people work on an inspiration or deadline-driven basis, sometimes putting in long hours, then doing nothing for a few days. Others maintain a steady schedule, coming to the lab at a certain time in the morning and leaving a certain time in the evening. Neither is right or wrong or better or worse; it is a question of finding what works best for you.
Some people work on an inspiration or deadline-driven basis, sometimes putting in long hours, then doing nothing for a few days. Others maintain a steady schedule, coming to the lab at a certain time in the morning and leaving a certain time in the evening. Neither is right or wrong or better or worse; it is a question of finding what works best for you.
Some people work on an inspiration or deadline-driven basis, sometimes putting in long hours, then doing nothing for a few days. Others maintain a steady schedule, coming to the lab at a certain time in the morning and leaving a certain time in the evening. Neither is right or wrong or better or worse; it is a question of finding what works best for you.