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Writing a Thesis

Writing a Thesis. Zosia Chrzanowska-Lightowlers >20 PhD students MRes – Curriculum Chair, Director for Admissions and Recruitment Faculty of Medical Sciences Newcastle University. 8 th February 2019. Where to start ?. Find the relevant guidelines for your thesis.

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Writing a Thesis

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  1. Writing a Thesis Zosia Chrzanowska-Lightowlers >20 PhD students MRes – Curriculum Chair, Director for Admissions and Recruitment Faculty of Medical Sciences Newcastle University 8thFebruary 2019

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

  3. Examination procedures and forms http://www.ncl.ac.uk/students/progress/student-resources/PGR/keyactivities/ThesisSubmission.htm

  4. Examination procedures and forms http://www.ncl.ac.uk/students/progress/student-resources/PGR/keyactivities/Examination.htm

  5. Examination procedures and forms http://www.ncl.ac.uk/students/progress/student-resources/PGR/handbook.htm Examiner handbook pdf

  6. 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 provide written confirmation 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!

  7. How to start ? • Read the information

  8. Read the information 1 page

  9. Read the information

  10. READ these documents do not ask your supervisor http://www.ncl.ac.uk/students/progress/assets/documents/GuidelinesfortheSubmissionandFormatofThesis-January2018.pdf http://www.ncl.ac.uk/students/progress/student-resources/PGR/keyactivities/Examination.htm http://www.ncl.ac.uk/students/progress/student-resources/PGR/keyactivities/ThesisSubmission.htm

  11. How do I write a book ? • Read the information • Talk to your supervisor – make a plan, • - structure your thesis • - plot completion dates

  12. 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 • short sections seems more achievable ! • This requires good planning or you will produce lots of small pieces of text that do not link together

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

  14. Formatting a huge document…

  15. Attend the courses https://workshops.ncl.ac.uk/public/fms/ Book on-line Thursday 14thMarch

  16. Attend the courses https://workshops.ncl.ac.uk/public/fms/ Book on-line Thursday 29th March

  17. Attend the courses https://workshops.ncl.ac.uk/public/fms/

  18. Help is at hand • Read the information • Talk to your supervisor • Graduate School – long documents course • Writing development centre • http://www.ncl.ac.uk/library/subject-support/wdc/ • one to one sessions • online resources • distance tutorials

  19. 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

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

  21. 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

  22. 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 • Statement of originality

  23. A example of a typical thesis layout • Introduction • Materials + Methods • Results chapter(s) • Typically have one aim per chapter • 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

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

  25. 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

  26. 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 Knowing what the examiners are looking for helps !

  27. MPhil candidates • Should • Demonstrate advanced level of knowledge • Show broad reading of relevant literature • Theses need not, but often do contain material worthy of publication

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

  29. Getting down to business Most importantly BEFRIEND YOUR READER

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

  31. 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

  32. 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

  33. 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…

  34. 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 ?

  35. Plan, plan, plan • Get the easier sections done early • Abbreviations • Materials and methods • can you reference, did you modify ? • Does a diagram explain it more simply ?

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

  37. Abstract • Concise • Comprehensive • Clear • Context

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

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

  40. 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…”

  41. 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

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

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

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

  45. Results chapters • Results – are the data good enough ? • What size to present it ? Avoid this !

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

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

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

  49. How easy is this to understand ?

  50. 0.5 what ?

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