Writing a Thesis

1. Writing a Thesis Zosia Chrzanowska-Lightowlers Postgraduate Tutor - IAH MRes – Curriculum Chair, Director for Admissions and Recruitment Faculty of Medical Sciences Newcastle University 6th February, 2015

2. Where to start ? Find the relevant guidelines for your thesis

3. Examination procedures and forms

4. Types of thesis • Standard • Divided into chapters with results and interpretations • By publication • Only for staff candidates • Need to make a prima facie case for the submission • A series of ≥4 related papers in period of registration • All authors must agree you were the major contributor • ≥10,000 word introduction • Potentially publishable as a review • Can be difficult to examine as papers have already satisfied external referees! • Please see: http://www.ncl.ac.uk/regulations/docs/2003/rscdoctor.html

5. How to start ? • Read the information

6. Read the information

7. 1 page

8. READ these documents do not ask your supervisor

9. How do I write a book ? One journey of a thousand miles ?

10. How to start ? • Read the information • Talk to your supervisor – make a plan, • - structure your thesis • - plot completion dates

11. Preparation is key • Read the information • Talk to your supervisor – make a plan, • - structure your thesis • - plot completion dates • Daunting prospect • Divide your thesis into many smaller sections • Many short journeys with each taking less time seems more achievable ! • This requires good planning or you will produce lots of small pieces of text that do not link together

12. Preparation is key • Read the information • Talk to your supervisor • Graduate School – long documents course

13. Formatting a huge document…

14. Attend the courses these can be done on-line (ask Richy H)

15. Help is at hand • Read the information • Talk to your supervisor • Graduate School – long documents course • Writing development centre • http://www.ncl.ac.uk/combined/current/help/writingdev.htm • one to one sessions • lectures and workshops throughout the academic year

16. Help is at hand • Writing development centre • http://www.ncl.ac.uk/combined/current/help/writingdev.htm • lectures and workshops throughout the academic year • understanding assignment and examination questions • planning, structuring and revising assignments • using reading sources without plagiarism • developing an argument • writing critically • using an appropriate authorial voice • writing different types of assignment (e.g. essays, reports, reviews, reflective pieces) • writing theses and dissertations • answering examination questions • using grammar and punctuation accurately and effectively • using appropriate vocabulary and style • learning from feedback on previous assignments

17. A word of caution • Read the information • Talk to your supervisor • Graduate School – long documents course Be careful who you ask for advise • Former students / postdocs • Friends • Parents

18. Plagiarism A word of caution You will submit an electronic form of your thesis in parallel with the 2 paper copies http://www.ncl.ac.uk/right-cite/ http://mbbs-tutorials.ncl.ac.uk/plag/

19. Looking at other theses Another word of caution • Your supervisor’s shelf • Often groups evolve a “house style” that may not suit you • The library • Will have a wide range of theses similar to your field • BE CAUTIOUS ! - it is your thesis • No one else has your project, your intro and discussions must be tailored to your research • If you feel strongly about a particular format, discuss it with your supervisor first and agree on the strategy before starting work

20. A example of a typical thesis layout plans can vary by subject area • Title page (what is your title!) • Abstract (one page; 300 words) • Table of contents • List of Figures and Tables • Abbreviations • Acknowledgements

21. A example of a typical thesis layout • Introduction • Materials + Methods • Results chapter(s) • Typically have one per aim • Often have separate mini introductions and specific discussions • Concluding discussion chapter • Context with literature • Strengths, weaknesses, • How far through your original aims did you get ? • future work • Bibliography

22. What is the point of a thesis ? • Prove you have developed the skills to be an independent, competent scientist

23. What is the point of a thesis ? • Prove you have developed the skills of an independent, competent scientist • Criteria – all theses • Authentic • Scholarly • Professional • Well-structured, written and presented

24. MPhil candidates • Should • Demonstrate advanced knowledge • Have good knowledge of literature • Theses need not, but often do • Contain material worthy of publication

25. PhD/MD candidates • Should • Provide evidence of adequate industry • Demonstrate training in the scientific process • Demonstrate ability for originality • Understand relationship with wider field • Thesis should contain material worthy of publication

26. Getting down to business Most importantly BEFRIEND YOUR READER

27. Getting down to business First impressions are important BEFRIEND YOUR READER

28. How to BEFRIEND your reader Plan, plan, plan • What are your chapters? • What is the story ? • Do you have the data ? • Get the flow right

29. Plan, plan, plan • Get your chapters in order – • 3rd year report – but be flexible • Follow the story NOT the calendar • Make a time plan, what written by when

30. Table of contents 1 Introduction Page 1.1 History of problem 1 1.2 First issue 1 1.2.1 sub issue 1 2 1.2.2 sub issue 2 4 1.3 Second issue 1.3.1 sub issue 1 5 1.3.2 sub issue 2 7 1.3.3 sub issue 3 8 1.3.4 sub issue 4 12 1.4 Third issue 1.4.1 sub issue 1 14 1.4.1.a sub sub issue 1 15 1.4.1.b sub sub issue 2 16 1.4.2 sub issue 2 18 1.5 Fourth issue 20 1.6 Fifth issue 1.6.1 25 etc, etc…

31. Plan, plan, plan • Get your chapters in order • What are the easy bits ? • Abbreviations • Materials and methods • product code, source, concentration • manufacturer’s protocol ? or modified ?

32. Plan, plan, plan • Get the easier sections • Abbreviations • Materials and methods • can you reference, did you modify ?

33. Plan, plan, plan • Get the easier sections • Abbreviations • Materials and methods • are they accurate ? Volumes are NOT useful without Stock concentrations !

34. Abstract • Concise • Comprehensive • Clear • Context

35. Plan, plan, plan • Introduction - What are you trying to do with this ? General area Questions remaining AIMS

36. Language • Accurate • Scientifically stringent • Grammatically correct • Avoid colloquial phrasing

37. Language • Accurate • Scientifically stringent • Grammatically correct • Avoid colloquial phrasing • “In the technical sense, it was much easier to use cell extracts or isolated enzymes alone with RNA templates.” • “We chose to use…….” • “It was significantly different……” • “Each and every primer…..” • “About 3ug RNA…”

38. Results chapters • Introduction – more defined • Methods – does it need a section ? • Results – are the data good enough ? • Discussion – conclude points from this section of work

39. Results chapters • Results – are the data good enough ?

40. Results chapters • Results – are the data good enough ? • What form to present it ?

41. Results chapters • Results – are the data good enough ? • What size to present it ?

42. Results chapters • Results – are the data good enough ? • What form/size to present it ? • Keep it near the relevant text !!!!!!!!

43. Results chapters • Results – are the data good enough ? • What form to present it ? • Keep it near the relevant text !!!!!!!!

44. Results chapters • Results – are the data good enough ? • What form to present it ? • Keep it near the relevant text !!!!!!! • Make figures clear

45. How easy is this to understand ?

46. 0.5 what ?

47. 0.5 what ? And where ? ng template

48. What are we to learn from this ? ng template

49. What did we expect to see ? ng template

50. Good figures should be a freestanding story ng template