Thesis Guide

Preface

Doing the final thesis is a difficult process that has different states. But it has important role in the transition of the student. In fact, transition from the state of being, to the state of becoming is the main result of this process.

There are a lot of documents, such as research method books, that are helpful for students in this way. Maybe the distinguishing feature of the Thesis Guide besides its simplicity and brevity is focusing on some experiences and short cuts or heuristics awareness. There is no guarantee that it always works but works most of the time. The experiences that I am sure like a road map provides good readiness for students and makes doing the final thesis more effective and quicker.

The main audiences of this book are MS and PHD students but most of it can be useful for all students that want to do research and take a project course.

Mohsen Sadighi Moshkenani

Kish Island, summer 2011

* * * * *

Table of contents

Chapter 1: Before Starting

Before you start

Do you know the rules of the game?

From the end to the beginning of your work

Main and common stages

From the first semester

Systematic and engineering work

Administrative affairs

Chapter 2: Supervisor and Subject Selection

Supervisor selection

Several supervisors

Advisor

Subject selection

Interests and needs (Subject selection criteria)

Experiment (Subject selection criteria)

Novelty (Subject selection criteria)

Surf the web (Subject selection methods)

Search in related journals (Subject selection methods)

Surf in the conferences (Subject selection methods)

Innovation (Subject selection methods)

Chapter 3: Start Management

Project Management

Confusion at the beginning

Consultation (How to decrease confusion?)

Getting information (How to decrease confusion?)

Organized work (How to decrease confusion?)

Visualization (How to decrease confusion?)

The project puzzle

Chapter 4: The Research Background

What others say

Studying, studying

To locate the article

To get the article

Reading the article

Besides the scientific content of the article

The alert service

To final format

Annotate

Recording the ideas

Your wealth

Chapter 5: Something to Say

New words

Problem statement 1

Problem statement 2

The importance of the problem statement

Hypothesis

Good hypothesis

For making hypothesis

Be careful

Innovative ways

Chapter 6: Proof of the New Idea

Proof of the new idea

Research method

Common methods

Research and development

The method selection

The effect of method selection

Common activities in the thesis of science majors

Common activities in the thesis of engineering majors

Data gathering tools

Survey/ questionnaire

Interview

Prototyping

Simulation

The test plan

Benchmarking

Statistical works

Visualization

Chapter 7: The Research Management

Engineering work

Examples of weak management

No postponing

Be stingy about the time

Contact with the supervisor

Research tools 1

The research tools 2

Knowledge management

Chapter 8: Self Management

Some words from technology of thought

Annoyance

Both life and studying

If you are employed

If you are married

No blaming

Don't tell no to yourself

If you are confused

If you are anxious

If you are tired

Don’t compare yourself

Chapter 9: Publishing

Publishing the articles

Selection of the conference/journal

Conference information

A usual process

Acceptance of the paper

Presentations

Chapter 10: The Final Thesis

The thesis

General structure of the thesis

The importance of the structure

In the thesis writing

About figures and tables

About references

The format of references

Chapter 11: The Defense Session

Before the session

Slide preparation

Attendance in the defense session

The presentation

In answering the questions

After the defense session

* * * * *

Chapter 1: Before Starting

* * * * *

Before you start

+ Think about what you are looking for and what your goal is;

+ Consider that obtaining the degree with thesis is usually more difficult and time consuming than getting it by the course work.

Back to top

* * * * *

Do you know the rules of the game?

+ It is necessary for you to know the regulations about doing the thesis in your university;

+ Many universities have related documents and you can provide them through university website of the Graduate Studies;

+ Be careful about the procedures, prerequisites and especially the time restrictions;

+ It is possible that there