Tips for Successful Thesis

7/26/2019 Tips for Successful Thesis

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Tips for a SuccessfulThesis

Amar Khoukhi

Systems Engineering Department,KFUPM

[email protected]


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Outline

Selecting a Research TopicSelecting a Research Topic Research proposal preparationResearch proposal preparation

Research topic and titleResearch topic and title

Literature reviewLiterature review

Research questionsResearch questions

Research proposal writingResearch proposal writing


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Some definitions

Research: The process ofsearching, carefully, to answer aquestion using a method,

Many types of researchTheoreticalTheorems and proofs

Experimental

Design reated e!perimenta resu

ts,engineering ne" produ#ts,

System developmentAgorithm de$eopment, %oding, testing, &

'asi# resear#h skis don(t di)er mu#h


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Most of the skis #an *e earnt or impro$ed o$er time, if one"ants

Some taent is needed, *ut aone it is not enoughPeope "ith great taent and no skis o*tain mu#h ess than

"hat they #oud do

+ot ony te#hni#a skis

Skill The learned capacity or talentto #arry out pre-determined resuts

often "ith the minimum outay of time,energy, or *oth. Wikipedia.com

Some definitions

Research Skills


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A thesis for the PHD must form a distinctivecontribution to the knowledge of the subject andaord evidence of originality shown by the

discovery of new facts and/or by the exercise ofindependent critical power((, niversity !f"ondon #egulation$

An argument

An exposition of an original piece of research The product of an apprenticeship Something that could be published:

e.g. at least one paper in a scholarly journal

But you will probably never publish the whole thesis

Starting a thesis?


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The rocess of Research

Identify theResearch Problem

Review the

iterature

Report

and!isseminate Research

Specify a

ResearchPurpose

"ollect !ata

Interpret

the Research

Analy#e !ata


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Selecting a ResearchTopic

What are some considerations whenselecting a research topic?

Personal interest / Passion, Curiosity

Importance / Contriution to the !ield "ewness / Relevance

#easiilit$

Time constraints %thical constraints &rgani'ational support (vailailit$ o! equipments

(!ter graduation emplo$ment possiilities

!nswer

:


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Sources of Research Topics

)iscussion with !acult$

#acult$ ongoing pro*ects +(CST, )SR, RI, -.

Previous student pro*ects +0 Sc0 10 Sc to Ph).

Peer2reviewed *ournals in $our !ield

Personal e3periences %3isting literature Recommendations for

future research


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Refining Your Topic

Refinement needed for effective and efficient research "arrow $our topic

Identi!$ a theoretical !ramewor4

Speci!icall$ and unamiguousl$ de!ine terms

State research questions and h$potheses

A literature review will help you

See i! $our idea has een tried Include all relevant constructs

Select instruments

(nticipate common prolems


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Research proposalResearch proposal

preparationpreparation

! good proposal is a good idea, wellexpressed, with a clear indication of

methods for pursuing the idea, evaluatingthe "ndings, making them known to all who

need to know, and indicating the #roaderimpacts of the activity$

Source: http:%%www$nsf$gov%
http://www.nsf.gov/http://www.nsf.gov/


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urpose of the research

proposal/. To informthe reader of nature of your proposedresearch$What is the prolem?What is its e3tent?

&$ To convince the reader, especially supervisors andreviewers, of the value of your proposed research$Is this pro*ect worth the time and mone$?Will it ma4e a di!!erence to the world?

'$ To demonstrate your expertise andcompetency in a particular area of study$ )o $ou have the quali!ications to conduct this research?

5ave $ou in!ormed $oursel! o! the e3isting theor$ and data

relevant to $our topic?

The Proposal: Part 1,


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urpose of the researchproposal

($ Toplanthe research pro)ect and provide a

step*#y*step guide to the tasks necessaryfor its completion$What are the 4e$ stages o! the wor4?5ow do the various components !it together?

0. To requestsupport from individuals andagencies who provide supervision, oversightor funding$What 4inds o! support does the pro*ect need?(re all participants properl$ protected?

1$ To contract with the agencies andindividuals involved, +e$g$ supervisors,foundations and participants$ 5ow will tas4s e assigned and resources e3pended?

What does each contriute to the collective endeavor?


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arts of a roposalarts of a roposal %o$er Page and Tite

Pro2e#t summary or E!tended A*stra#t

Ta*e of #ontents

Pro2e#t des#ription

Introduction Literature review Prolem statement Research o*ectives Research methodolog$ Pro*ect tas4s and milestones udget deliverales

3eferen#es #ited


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ro)ect Summaryro)ect Summary

4ntee#tua Merit

Des#ri*e thes#ienti5#6engineering6edu#ation pro*emand "hy it is important

State the o$era o*2e#ti$e of the pro2e#t State the spe#i5# aims Des#ri*e ho" the aims "i *e a#hie$ed

'roader 4mpa#ts

Edu#ationa 7 outrea#h a#ti$ities8infrastru#ture8 dissemination of resuts8underrepresented groups8 *ene5t to so#iety


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-hat is a .iterature

Review/

re$ie" of the iterature

9is a written summary of )ournal

articles, #ooks and other documentsthat descri#es the past and currentstate of information, organi0es theliterature into topics and documentsa need for a proposed study.: pp. ;


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rings a readerup-to-dateon whatis 4nown on a given topic

provide !resh insights that advance4nowledge

Resolve con!licts etween studiesIdenti!$ new wa$s to interpret

research resultsCreating a path !or !uture research

-hat is a .iteratureReview/

The >3is notis not a 6list7 o! !ound research ut a coherent andarticulate account o! past and current research !indings

Masters Is summative, Covers methodological issues, research techniques and results topics.

Doctorate analytical synthesis, Covers all known literature on the subect, !inks ideas

conceptually across and within theories,


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8 The LR should e e3haustive and as current as possile0

8 5ow man$ articles?

? There is no set num#er$ !s long as the search is

exhaustive and focused on the research topic, thereview will #e accepta#le$

o" far *a#k shoud one sear#h

widel$ accepted time!rame past 9: $ears,Pioneer and seminal wor4s even i! these go e$ond0

-hat is a .iteratureReview/


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reliminary .iteratureReview

1uidelines on Style, 2echanics,and .anguage 3sageDoes your draft foo" the ogi# or idea that is presented

in your intro and titeA$oid o$erusing dire#t Buotations, espe#iay ong ones%he#k stye manua for #orre#t use of #itationsA$oid using synonyms for re#urring "ordsThis is not #reati$e "riting and stay #onsistent "ith

terminoogyCroup 4, Phoeni! %ohort, E!perimenta Croup

Spe out a a#ronyms "hen 5rst using themTraditional 2 (merican Societ$ o! 1echanical %ngineering +(S1%."on2traditional 2 Collective %!!icac$ +C%.

+o Don(t use #ontra#tionsA$oid the foo"ing

Slang ; 6cool7Colloquialisms ; 6thing7


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2aintain 1ood Research racticesThroughout the Search

1. Maintain your search record.

2. Keep your research journal.

3. Make copies of all sources.

4. Be sure that the copy has full bibliographic inforation.

!. Check the reference list of e"ery source you ha"e located.

#. Back up all coputer files $%"ery t&o &eeks 'ie((()

*. +et e,pert help &hene"er you need it.

-. Keep your dissertation chair infored about progress andprobles.

./t is useful to set up and aintain a hoe page on the /nternet.


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-riting 4our Research5uestion+s

( good research topic as4s a clear, concise question0

The$, dictate what t$pe o! statistical anal$sis is needed, andwhat t$pe o! research design ma$ e emplo$ed

Can e !ormulated ased on theories, past research, previouse3perience, or the practical need to ma4e data2drivendecisions in a wor4 environment

( research question should address onl$ 9 concept

=uestion must e measurale +answerale.

$rom Topic %& Problem definition ' to Research (uestion


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Directed and Independent Research +et one or t&o 0uestions that &ill ser"e in your'heses as a chapter paper

!ro" #o$r co$rse ter" pro%ects2 esign projects that fit &ith your research topic2 uthorship "s. %thics

+i"e Credit &hen Credit is due(

Research Questions


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6ow do you read a statement of thepro#lem passage/

Topic Research

Pro&le"

'(idence )or the

I"portance o)

the Pro&le"

De)iciencies in*no+lede

a&o$t the

Pro&le"

-$diencesthat Ma#

.ene)it

Sub)ect

areaA concern

A problem

Something

that needs

a solution

*vidence from

the literature*vidence from

practical

experiences

In this body of

evidence+ whatis missing?

,hat do we

need to -now

more about?

.ow will addressing

what we need to

-now help:researchers

educators

policy ma-ersindividuals such as

those in the study

An "#ample

"thical

issues

in

colle$es

"thical

violations

amon$ football

recruiters

%&ap in the literature%Reports of violations

'escription

identifyin$ and

characteri(in$

violations

%Assessin$ violations%)elps recruiters develop

better ethical standards%)elps athletes

understand ethical issues

$/, /$ I!*AS


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7i8erences among the

Topic, ro#lem, urpose,and 5uestions0eneral

Specific

Topic

Research

Problem

Purpose

Statement

Research

(uestion

!istance learning

ac- of students in distance

learning classes

To study why students do not

attend distance education classes at

a community college

!oes the use of ,eb site technology

in the classroom deter students

from enrolling in a distance

education class?


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7i8erences among the

Topic, ro#lem, urpose,and 5uestions0eneral

Specific

Topic

Research

Problem

Purpose

Statement

Research

(uestion

1obile Robotics

1ulti2ob)ective motion

planning

Time and energy are conflictual

criteria 3 .owever both will

contribute to high efficiency of the

robot

.ow limitation on motor tor4ues can

be handled for such a minimum

time and energy planner?


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+o study is perfe#t

9A data is dirty in some "ay or another8resear#h is "hat you do "ith that dirty data:

Measurement in$o$es making #hoi#es

ou #an re5ne or #hange your pan

Read to learn9 $$read to analy0e9

read to write

A*out resear#h methodoogy Studies on simiar topi#s

User repair strategies

/ettin Started, *eep In Mind That


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The roposal: art ',2ethodology

A des#ription of the genera methodoogy andpro#edures

The resear#h #onte!t or site

The pant or the su*2e#ts

The instruments and materias used

E!pain 7 2ustify= adequate the pro#edures foo"ed

and toos for data #oe#tion and anaysis and

A methodology is not just alist of research tasks but anargument as to why thesetasks add up to the best attackon the problem (Przeworski

!alomon" #$$%" p& '

)he methodology section serves toconvince the e*aminer that you really knew

what you were doing and that you knewhow to do it properly (Parsons & Knight, 2005,p.128).


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hat Makes a Proposa %ompetiti$ehat Makes a Proposa %ompetiti$e

Grigina ideas that go *eyond the #ommonpa#e

Su##in#t, fo#used pro2e#t pan

3eaisti# amount of "ork SuH#ient detai pro$ided

3ationae and e$iden#e of potentia e)e#ti$eness

Potentia #ontri*ution to kno"edge

%apa#ity to disseminate 5ndings

Gn the startGn the start


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Tips for Su##essTips for Su##ess

Foo" page and font siIe imits and other guideines a$e a strong e$auation pan "ith timeines and

*en#hmarks

3e"rite and re"rite again Cet #ritiBues from Mentors and #oeagues Pre$ious mem*ers of re$ie" panes

;$


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Tips for Su##essTips for Su##ess

'e a"are of the s#ope 9too am*itious: $s. 9toonarro":

Anti#ipate pro*ems Address possi*e diH#uties

A#kno"edge possi*e e!perimenta pro*emsand ha$e aternati$es

'$ >e reasona#le

Simpify and streamine

Make sure you get your o$era idea a#rossJ Pay attention to detais 3un a spe #he#ker and proof-read a$e someone ese read the proposa

Spe #he#k8 grammar #he#k, #ear photos, graphs, et#.

($ 2ake it easy for thereviewers


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*cience and research writin$ is lar$ely made up of sentence structures +templates,

used to particular areas of science for many different areas. -nce you understand

this concept you will probably find it easier to read articles from areas of sciencewith which you are not completely familiar

-rite -ith an E?cientrocess

! good writing needs a lot of reading

Grigina senten#e Possi*e a**re$iation

The data "ere #oe#ted and they

"ere anaysed using&..The data "ere #oe#ted and#orreations "ere #a#uated...The data "hi#h "ere #oe#ted "ereanaysed using&..

The data "ere #oe#ted and

anaysed using&..

The data "ere #oe#ted and#orreations #a#uated&..The data "ere #oe#ted "ereanaysed using&..


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%on#usions

ou can learn/improve your research skills

ou can produce sustained $reat research

results if you are enthusiastic, honest, work

hard, open, and committed

Many research skills you will develop

And Have An Excellent Thesis !!


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Thank you for listening

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Tips for Successful Thesis