tHESIS WRITING PROCESS

1. THESIS WRITING PROCESS

2. WHAT IS A THESIS??
Thesis is a research report. The report concerns a problem or series of problems in your
area of research and it should describe—
What was known about it previously?
What you did towards solving it?
What you think your results mean? and
Where or how further progress in the field can be made?
The readers of a thesis do not know what the "answer" is

3. The thesis or dissertation is an extended research report on a
theoretical, experimental, or design project.
The thesis seeks to make some original contribution to the
writer's field of specialization.
Written by master's and Ph.D. candidates, thesis are long,
from 30 to 250 pages and more--a once-in-a-career effort.
Thesis work is good evidence of how you work on
problems.
The quality of a thesis indicates the quality of an
individual's thinking, organization, and powers of
expression.

4. For whom is it written?
Obviously your examiners will read the thesis. They will be experts in the general field of
your thesis but, on the exact topic of your thesis, you are the world expert.
Your thesis will also be used as a scientific report and consulted by future workers in you
laboratory who will want to know, in detail, what you did.
Theses are occasionally consulted by people from other institutions as well.

5. Preparation for Writing
the Thesis
Visualize the thesis
◦ A content page written at the beginning of the research helps to visualize the thesis.
◦ Revise the content page as the research progresses.
◦ When you are able to visualize the whole thesis (although there may be some “gaps” to
close), then you are ready to write it.

6. Getting Started
*When you are about to begin, writing a
thesis seems a long, difficult task.
*Fortunately, it will seem less scaring once
you have a couple of chapters done.
*Towards the end, you will even find yourself
enjoying it; an enjoyment based on
satisfaction in the achievement; pleasure in
the improvement in your technical writing
and of course the approaching end.
*Like many tasks, thesis writing usually
seems worst before you begin, so let us look
at how you should make a start.

7. An outline
First make up a thesis outline: several pages containing
chapter headings, subheadings, some figure titles (to
indicate which results go where).
Once you have a list of chapters and, under each
chapter heading, a reasonably complete list of things
to be reported or explained, you have struck a great
blow against writer's block.
When you sit down to type, your aim is no longer a
thesis a scary goal but something simpler.

8. Finding a good advisor
Once you have an outline, discuss it with your adviser.
The situation is helped considerably if you establish a
connection with a potential advisor before you start on a
thesis.
Once you and your adviser have agreed on a logical structure,
she/he will need a copy of this outline for reference

9. A Timetable
Sitting down with the adviser and making up a timetable for writing it: a list of dates for
when you will give the first and second drafts of each chapter to your adviser(s).
This structures your time and provides intermediate targets.

10. Developing a plan
Planning can compensate for lack of research and writing experience.
By identifying the tasks and working out a realistic schedule--using suggestions from
your advisor--you can see how phases of the research process fit together and you can
anticipate problems before they get out of control.

11. Carrying out the research
Part of the time may be devoted to research as a way of
getting a good grasp of the problem and your methodology.
A big part of the research time, especially for less experienced
students, will often be given to project design and setup.
Learning how to manipulate new instruments and statistical
packages can take a great deal of time, so try to factor that
into your initial plans.

12. Writing
In the process of writing a thesis, the first draft of any paragraph is
essential to the development of the project and your thinking, but will
generally not be the final version.
Reaching its ultimate form will probably require many drafts. You will
develop writing skills and improve your writing ability by writing and
refining - and you will improve the clarity of your argument and your
thinking in so doing.
Gradually through this process of writing, reflecting, and rewriting, and
with good feedback from your supervisor, you will develop your writing
expertise and learn how to craft the work.

13. Packaging
Packaging the thesis takes time. Normally, a format printed by your department will
specify title page and other manuscript conventions.
In addition, you need to fill out the required forms for filing the manuscript, pay any
necessary fees, and submit the required number of copies.

14. Open Defense
The thesis defense for undergraduate work is often an informal ten-to-twenty minute or
presentation of your results, followed by questions and answers on the research write-u
For a master's or a Ph.D. thesis, a committee reads the final manuscript and then meets
with the candidate for a more extended oral presentation, followed by questions and
answers.

15. The Writing Process
1. Define a schedule with dates for writing every chapter of the thesis (This is
important since it will push you to work continuously. It will also allow you to check
whether more time is needed to complete the writing).
2. Create empty pages for every chapter, section and subsection of the thesis.
3. Insert the papers and slides that you wrote into the thesis.
4. Start by writing your most recent work.

16. The Writing Process
5. Every time that you have a good idea for a section of the
thesis that you are not working on at the moment, then
write something quick about it in the appropriate page.
6. If you are tired of writing a particular section, take a short
break by writing easier and funnier sections such as the
acknowledgement, the dedication page, etc. If you a really
tired, then have a rest! But be sure that you write a lot
every day!
7. Leave the conclusion, the abstract, and the appendices to
the end of the writing.
8. Leave time for revising the thesis. Ask at least 2 people to
revise it. Do your own review afterwards.