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Shehxad
MScprojectreporttutorial2018.pptxWriting your thesis
Dr Jamie Beddow
Department of Biomolecular and Sport Sciences
Small groups
What do you want to know? Questions
What do you know already? Tips
Style and content modelled on research papers
Lab Report - Sections
Guidelines only – different projects will vary. ALL APPROXIMATE.
Abstract 300 - 500
Contents page with Word Count*
Introduction ~3000
Methods ~3000
Results ~4000
Discussion ~5000
References
Acknowledgements
*15000 words, maximum of 16500
Exact lengths will vary, as diversity of projects require different ‘weighting’ of sections.
Not included in word count:
Titles
Contents page
References at end
References in text DO count.
Words in Tables and Graphs
Figure legends DO count
Appendices
Appendices must be limited.
MUST PUT WORD COUNT INTO THESIS.
If you are not sure just tell us what you have excluded
Assessors will be checking length of thesis (but it is not that easy)
Total word count
Too many – have you said too much?
Too few – have you missed something?
Intro – do’s and don’ts
Ask yourself
What is the problem? Why explore this?
What do we know about the problem? science
What has been recently published about
the question? literature
What do we still not understand? questions
What needs to be investigated to
address this? experiments
What could this project address? hypothesis
Therefore, the aim of my project is............
Are these questions addressed in your introduction?
Remember – your introduction needs to tell the reader WHY you did the work
Aims, Objectives (Hypothesis)
What did you hope to achieve or show?
This is your aim
Aims are quite vague statements
eg “The aim of this work was to determine whether the moon is made of blue cheese”.
Objectives are specific goals
eg “to establish a CaCo2 cell line” or “to determine whether 1g/l glucose supports greater bacterial growth than 0.5 g/l glucose”.
Your aims and objectives need to be designed around testing your hypothesis.
Your hypothesis needs to be clearly stated.
Improving your writing
Read lots
Write often
Ask for feedback
CAW appointments
Be critical
Read it aloud
https://cawbookings.coventry.ac.uk/
Methods – do’s and don’ts
Materials and Methods
About 2000 to 3000 words
Clear detailed description of methods used.
i.e. what did you do?
Remember – another worker should be able to repeat your work from your description.
Past tense (WAS done not do this)
Impersonal (IT was done not I did this)
Detailed but concise
Can use pictures, diagrams, flowcharts
Aiming for a similar style to research papers
Not a protocol – avoid too many bullet points
Materials and Methods
Use a logical structure.
Where did you start? Where did you finish?
Can use sub-headings (and cross refer between sections).
If you used subjects/samples start with a description of these.
Sample collection and processing.
Sample analysis
Controls
Data analysis
how was your data processed?
Explain your calculations
State any statistical analysis
What should you use your lab book for?
Lab book/diary
Note it down – you will not remember
Samples and materials – e.g. chemicals
Protocols – e.g. operation of equipment
Planning and summaries
Observations – notes and pictures
Thoughts and reflection
Results – raw and processed
OneNote
Online lab file
Have a play – part of Office365
Add in text, pictures, photos, PDFs/papers, Excel files, URLs – almost anything
Laptops actually make the data collection easier
Do need to consider submission of the lab file.
A note about group work
You MUST be generating your OWN data in the project
If unsure clarify with supervisor
Some of you may share some data, for example when used to increase sample sizes.
ALL RAW DATA MUST BE PROCESSED AND ANALYSED INDIVIDUALLY. THIS WILL BE CHECKED.
You MUST acknowledge where appropriate if you are using data NOT collected by yourself.
Any presentation of data by yourself as if your own will be considered as collusion.
Results – do’s and don’ts
Subject confidentiality and data protection.
Never use names or initials. Participants in studies are numbered.
NEVER put names onto a computer.
Based around text and approx. same order as methods.
Text guides the reader through a description and key points of your findings.
Clearly indicate where these findings can be seen in Figures and Tables.
Results
Statistics
When writing statistical results indicate direction of change and how big this was. Include summary values in brackets (e.g. means, P value, sample size, n = ?).
There was a significant difference between Fred, who ate more dinosaurs than Barney (x=4.3 vs 2.8, p=0.023).
Fred (x=4.3) ate significantly more dinosaurs than Barney (x=2.8, p=0.023)
Discussion – do’s and don’ts
Discussion
Has majority of marks (35%)
This section REALLY demonstrates YOUR ability to interpret, understand and relate your results and your study to the literature, i.e. what is known in the scientific community.
Need to tell the reader what you think your results mean, and how they relate to what other workers have found
Scientific basis - evidence
Critical evaluation (of your work and others)
Be honest – acknowledge limitations and errors – we all maks mistakes
May get some hints from supervisor – discuss your findings with them
What if experiments have not worked?
Limitations and suggestions for further work. BRIEF.
Highlight limitations of the study you conducted – critical evaluation
Not just about what went as hoped
How could these be overcome -improvements
How could the work be continued
Relate to the work done by others
You do not have to solve all the problems
You will ALWAYS want more time – not a limitation, its a reality.
Abstract
Always last section to be written
1 page 300 - 500 words
Divided about equally between
Background (to include aim)
Methods
Results
Conclusions
Look at examples in research papers
Referencing
MUST be in CU Harvard style. Properly listed at the end, and in the text.
Check carefully against examples
Do not use inappropriate web sites.
If you’re not sure ask supervisor.
Take care with referencing electronic information.
Use Refworks to help with the referencing process.
Or find referencing software that you can work with
Acknowledgements
Short thank you to those people who helped you with your project.
Particularly the technicians.
Other people you have worked with - companies
Feedback
Supervisors will ONLY look at ONE draft of your whole thesis.
You may give your supervisor an example of each section for initial feedback (little and often – build it up)
Discuss your results and their meaning with your supervisor before you write the results and discussions sections.
DON’T give the whole thesis to your supervisor at once – break it down into sections.
DON’T leave it too late.
DO take every opportunity to meet with your supervisor
Record the meetings using the forms on Moodle
Give your supervisor plenty of time to read and comment on your thesis.
check when they will be away on holiday – summertime!
Submission
Before you submit, re-read your thesis critically.
Does it say what you want it to say?
Is it as good as it can be? Don’t lose marks for poor presentation, spelling mistakes or incorrect referencing
Look back at these slides and the other guidance on Moodle
Consider submitting it as a PDF. Formatting sometimes goes wrong during submission.
IGNORE THIS AT YOUR PERIL
If you attempt to submit your report after the deadline, Moodle will probably be busy and your work will not get through.
Late mark = zero
Submit early!
Back up your work regularly. Email a copy to your supervisor if you are struggling with submission to Moodle
Lab file
Pass or fail
Include a copy of COSHH and ethics approval
Lab book- evidence of results and good research practice
Supervisor meeting forms
Copies of papers used (electronic)
Data files
Submitted to the AHO (4pm deadline) – fail project if late or no submission
Other Reminders
Should know if have failed any work (<40%) as marks on SOLAR – any queries, ask in the course support office (RGC16) or the module leaders.
Need to keep in touch with supervisor on a weekly basis, even after you’ve submitted your thesis.
Need to make sure a Tier 4 monitoring form is submitted at least every 2 weeks.
Need to speak to International Office BEFORE going on holiday, if plan to do so after submission.
