Methodology tutorial - structure of a master thesis: Difference between revisions

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[[Image:icon-hand-right.png|left]] A description of  your ''research subject'' (including the big question).
[[Image:icon-hand-right.png|left]] A description of  your ''research subject'' (including the big question).
 
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[[Image:icon-hand-right.png|left]] A ''short discussion'' of the ''interest'' of your work and its ''scope'' (including what you will not do).
[[Image:icon-hand-right.png|left]] A ''short discussion'' of the ''interest'' of your work and its ''scope'' (including what you will not do).
 
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[[Image:icon-hand-right.png|left]] A synthetic list of research questions and/or working hypothesis (if your research is rather theory-finding). Alternatively, they may appear after the literature review part.
[[Image:icon-hand-right.png|left]] A synthetic list of research questions and/or working hypothesis (if your research is rather theory-finding). Alternatively, they may appear after the literature review part.
 
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Notice: A working hypothesis is not a scientific hypothesis that can be tested. It's just a more aggressively formulated general research question. "Real" hypothesis exist in theory-testing approaches. They are grounded in theory and can be properly tested with data.
Notice: A working hypothesis is not a scientific hypothesis that can be tested. It's just a more aggressively formulated general research question. "Real" hypothesis exist in theory-testing approaches. They are grounded in theory and can be properly tested with data.
 
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[[Image:icon-hand-right.png|left]] A list of some important definitions, e.g. an explanation of the words you use in the title of thesis or the big question. You also can do this in the literature review.
[[Image:icon-hand-right.png|left]] A list of some important definitions, e.g. an explanation of the words you use in the title of thesis or the big question. You also can do this in the literature review.
 
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[[Image:icon-hand-right.png|left]] A presentation/discussion of the global approach, unless you dedicate a special section to this. In this case you should just brievely describe it in a single short paragraph.
[[Image:icon-hand-right.png|left]] A presentation/discussion of the global approach, unless you dedicate a special section to this. In this case you should just brievely describe it in a single short paragraph.
 
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[[Image:icon-hand-right.png|left]] A short guide for the reader. It will help the reader finding things and also show that you can provide a rationale for the adopted structure.
[[Image:icon-hand-right.png|left]] A short guide for the reader. It will help the reader finding things and also show that you can provide a rationale for the adopted structure.
 
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[[Image:icon-hand-right.png|left]] An introduction of the object(s) you study. E.g. if you do some policy implementation research, you may present the context and legal basis.
[[Image:icon-hand-right.png|left]] An introduction of the object(s) you study. E.g. if you do some policy implementation research, you may present the context and legal basis.
 
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=== Principal chapters ===
=== Principal chapters ===



Revision as of 13:10, 10 October 2008

This article or section is currently under construction

In principle, someone is working on it and there should be a better version in a not so distant future.
If you want to modify this page, please discuss it with the person working on it (see the "history")

(translation under way ....)

This is part of the methodology tutorial

Introduction

Learning goals
  • Understand that a master thesis is an argument
  • Learn how to sequence a thesis
  • Understand that you may have to respect certain standards
Prerequisites
  • Methodology tutorial - the research plan
  • Most other tutorials
Moving on
  • Do other research :)
Level and target population
  • Beginners
Quality
  • low, needs translation

Icon-hand-right.png A thesis is an “argument”

In other words: The organization of the written theses has nothing to do with the organization of the research plan or its little section on planning. In particular: Icon-hand-right.png A research design (i.e. the core of a research plan) is not a list of research phases nor a summary of the written thesis.

  • A research plan (i.e. the research design) defines and organizes your work according to research logical critiera.
  • The research planning (i.e. the little section at the end of your research plan) organizes your time according to workpackages and deliverables.
  • Research is done and usually you don’t tell people your personal experience with this, i.e. the thesis is not story. It presents the results of your research (including a literature review and and methodolical explanation on how you did it)

The structure of your thesis if defined by two main elements

  1. The research type/approach and related methodological criteria
  2. Some idea of rhetorics

Icon-hand-right.png A reader must understand your objectives, the questions and your anwsers (results) and finally how you did it.

Presentation and typographic structure

Let's first a look at some superficial presentation issues.

The word processor

Start by admitting that you don't know how to use a word processor. Don't feel ashamed. Most people don't. E.g. I had to write a wiki entry about Microsoft Word before writing a larger text. I usually use FrameMaker which is very different because it was designed for people that write real text and I had to make a real effort to adapt to MS Word. - Daniel K. Schneider

Here is a list of "must know" things:

  • Define styles (and make sure word doesn't modify them or adds new ones)
  • Automatically create tables of contents and figures
  • Create indexes
  • Automaticall number titles
  • Create stable numbered lists

Icon-warning.png Don't loose days with repetitive re-fomatting.

There exist two "formatting" strategies
  • Either learn how to create a good list of styles (you may need between 15 and 30 for a master thesis depending on your research type
  • Ignore my advice, but then only spend your last day with manual formatting.
Professionals do it this way
  • Each type of paragraph has its own style
  • Never use TABS or empty lines (e.g. paragraphs are separated by space, not an empty line, so add horizonal space to the paragraph style element definition).
Your list of styles

You need at least the following elements:

  • Numbered Chapter, numbered section, numbered sub-section and unnumberd sub-section. If you use MS Word, just define styles for heading 1 to heading 4.
  • List elements (bullet list items and enumerated items). You may, but usually don't have to define these at two levels
  • Normal paragraphs
  • Citation paragraphs (indented)
  • A style for fixed formats if you plan to present code
  • One ore more good table styles
  • Figure captions

Titles et sections

Here is some advice about titles and sections

  • The table of contents not only is a navigation tool but it indirectly defines your argumentation flow. This is why wording of titles and structure is important.

Do not use too many section levels (like 12.3.4.1.a). Your thesis is not a military or administrative operations manual, but a flow of connected ideas.

  • Too many levels will make orientation difficult for the reader. He won't understand where he is.
  • You may add unnumbered titles at the section or sub-section level or maybe use something like (a) .... (1) ....
  • Each numbered sub-section represents an important topic
  • Titles should summarize a topic (without being too long)

You have to find a compromise between:

  • flow of argumentation (avoid sub-titles because the "cut" intro a text)
  • structure (use sub-titles to separate topics)
  • readability (use un-numbered sub-titles to structure contents that stretch over several pages)

Layout

There exist several schools of thought. Make sure to consult official guidelines too !

Page numbering

Either just number from 0 to n or the more sophisticate following scheme:

  • Roman numbers for preface, table of contents etc.
  • Normal (arabic) numbers for the main part
  • Something like A-1, etc. for annexes.
Headers
  • On top of left pages you should put the current chapter title
  • On top of right pages you should put the current section title

Notice: In MS Word 2003 this is painstaking labour, so you may skip this. But any real word processor can do this really easily.

Line length
  • Don't write long lines ! Readers will get lost
  • Simply use decent margins and don't use small fonts (10pt is too small)
  • You may indent titles to the left (certainly not to the right as some Word default styles will do)
Some "modern additions"
  • Use boxes to present "special information" like case summaries or important conclusions.
  • Use side headers (also very difficult to do in Word 2003).
Figures an tables
  • Label and number each of these. If you work with a real word processor, let them float to the top or the bottom of the page. If you use Word, you can do this manually (but only the day before you turn it in).

The organization of a thesis

Here are the most important parts of an academic piece:

Elements Importance Main functions
Foreword * Personnal Context
Table of contents ** Navigation
Abstract * Main objective, result and scope
Introduction *** Objectives, global approach
Principal part ** (depends on your research type)
Conclusion *** Summary of results, further work and scope
List of sources * Data anchoring
Indexes * Navigation
Bibliography ** Theorectical anchoring
Annexes * Presentation of detailed data, materials, etc.

Foreword

Icon-hand-right.png The foreword is not part of your thesis.

You may use it to:

  • thank people
  • explain why you have chosen this subject
  • (maybe) excuse yourself for things to didn't do
  • annonce some followup

Icon-hand-right.png Things that relate to your work belong to the introduction

Table of contents of tables and figures

Icon-hand-right.png Mandatory

  • Position: At start and after the foreword
  • Must match titles in the text (this should be obvious). Even Word can generate this easily.
  • You also should add table for the figures and the tables. This will allow people finding synthetic information.

Abstract

  • This is often mandatory
  • If it is not, you also may summarize your thesis as a paragraph in the introduction

Introduction

Icon-hand-right.png The introduction (as well as the conclusion) is the most important chapter of your thesis

  • People will read this first and they should clearly understant what do did. Make sure that they

find your subject interesting...

Icon-hand-right.png A reader must understand:

Elements Details
The big question .... summarizes your subject, i.e. what you wanted to find out.
.... implicitely or explicity defines a scope
The "language" .... which major concepts you use, "important definitions
The general approach .... research type, global approach, principal methods used
.... the structure of your thesis

In general, the introduction includes:

Icon-hand-right.png

A description of your research subject (including the big question).


Icon-hand-right.png

A short discussion of the interest of your work and its scope (including what you will not do).


Icon-hand-right.png

A synthetic list of research questions and/or working hypothesis (if your research is rather theory-finding). Alternatively, they may appear after the literature review part.


Notice: A working hypothesis is not a scientific hypothesis that can be tested. It's just a more aggressively formulated general research question. "Real" hypothesis exist in theory-testing approaches. They are grounded in theory and can be properly tested with data.

Icon-hand-right.png

A list of some important definitions, e.g. an explanation of the words you use in the title of thesis or the big question. You also can do this in the literature review.


Icon-hand-right.png

A presentation/discussion of the global approach, unless you dedicate a special section to this. In this case you should just brievely describe it in a single short paragraph.


Icon-hand-right.png

A short guide for the reader. It will help the reader finding things and also show that you can provide a rationale for the adopted structure.


Icon-hand-right.png

An introduction of the object(s) you study. E.g. if you do some policy implementation research, you may present the context and legal basis.


Principal chapters

  • Curieusement c’est ici qu’il existe le plus de variété .
  • Elle dépend fortement de l’ approche méthodologique
  • Parfois il faut respecter un certain agencement des chapitres.

Icon-hand-right.png Dans toutes les études empiriques, il faut:

  • discuter et analyser vos données
  • se confronter au savoir qui existe dans le domaine
  • mettre en rapport résultats et questions/hypothèses formulées au début
  • éviter de longement réciter des indices statistiques
    • utilisez des tables et figures pour cela ! (votre texte doit être lisible !! )

Conseils pour la partie “théorique” d’un travail empirique:

  • Souvent on sépare la “discussion de littérature” de la présentation de la recherche

proprement dite: légitime pour des raisons de clarté.

Icon-hand-right.png Il faut revenir sur la discussion de la littérature dans les parties plus “pratiques” (ancrage de votre travail dans le savoir de la discipline)

  • L’omission est une erreur fréquemment observée. Si discuter une théorie ou d’autres

travaux empiriques ne sert à rien pour votre recherche, il ne faut pas en parler !!


Conclusion

Icon-hand-right.png Rappelez les résultats principaux de votre recherche.

    • on peut aussi être contre avec l’argument que cela entraîne un simplification qui peut

faire croire que êtes peu différencié.

Icon-hand-right.png Discutez la porté des résultats à plusieurs niveaux, on peut:

    • discuter la (les) validité (s) de vos résultats,
    • mettre en avant des questions auxquelles vous n’avez pas répondu (et pourquoi),
    • s’interroger sur la généralisation des résultats,
    • voire même formuler une théorie qui nécessiterait d’autres travaux empiriques pour

la tester et/ou développer.

Icon-hand-right.png Comparez vos résultats à ceux d’autres études empiriques

    • dans le domaine et/ou avec les connaissances théoriques du domaine
      (si cela

n’a pas été fait dans la partie principale)

Icon-hand-right.png Vous pouvez formuler de nouvelles questions .

    • Souvent vous serez cités parce que vous avez mis le doigt sur des choses

intéressantes qui n’ont pas encore été étudiées
(qui par example peuvent devenir
un sujet de thèse)

Icon-hand-right.png Vous pouvez discuter de l’ utilité pratique de votre travail.

    • (surtout si le travail n’a pas de vocation principalement pratique)
    • si votre travail était pratique, rappelez encore une fois vos suggestions

principales aux destinataires du travail.


Liste des sources

Icon-hand-right.png Indication de toutes les sources primaires

    • (textes de lois, règlements, etc.) que vous utilisez
    • peut faire partie de la bibliographie.


Indexes

Icon-hand-right.png Indexes d’auteurs et de concepts

    • surtout lorsqu’il s’agit d’un travail important sur le plan théorique.
    • permettent à un lecteur pressé de mieux “surfer” votre travail
    • (utile, mais pas obligatoire)


Annexes

Icon-hand-right.png Tout ce qui n’est pas nécessaire à la compréhension

    • mais qui permet au lecteur de mieux reproduire et comprendre vos analyses empiriques.
    • On peut pour des raisons de place pas y inclure tout le matériel d’analyse (données,

entretiens, textes primaires, etc.). Faites un choix ou éventuellement des résumés.


Bibliographie

Icon-hand-right.png doit contenir l’ensemble des textes scientifiques ou autres auxquels vous avez fait référence.

    • Il ne faut pas gonfler une bibliographie avec des ouvrages non cités. Cette pratique

est inutile et mal vue

Icon-hand-right.png Respectez une certaine norme (vous pouvez choisir) et restez cohérents !

Icon-hand-right.png Il faut commencer à faire une bibliographie dès le débu t.

    • A chaque fois que vous lisez un texte, insérez-le dans la bibliographie!
    • Il existe des logiciels comme EndNotes pour gérer la bibliographie

Citations

You will have to respect a given norm. In some institutions you can choose, in others you will have to comply. See the citation article for some links that might help you.

The presentation

Do not forget to prepare your presentation.

Time is usually very limited, so stick to the essential !

(1) Make sure to present the essential things only
  • Your introduction should be as short as possible (no mumbling about how you found your subject and how your thesis changed your life and the one of your dog or cat). Just state the objective (main goal and big question) of your thesis
  • Then present the research questions and the results. Make sure to arrange this part according to standards observed for your research type. E.g. in experimental psychology you'd present hypothesis, materials, results, discussion.
  • Discuss some outlook
  • End with a stunning conclusion, do not finish mumbling...
(2) Plan a test run with some friends

Ask them to tell you what wasn't clear

(3) Prepare the delivery

Once you feel that the contents are ok, you will have to deliver in time and with a minimum of style. The only way to get this right is to repeat the presentation using your voice at least 3 times (looking at the slides and mumbling will not do).

Here is a typical talk menu in french: Presentation-menu-fr.png