Thesis Structure

"I Keep Six Honest Serving Men ..." I keep six honest serving-men

(They taught me all I knew);Their names are What and Why and When And How and Where and Who.I send them over land and sea,I send them east and west;But after they have worked for me,I give them all a rest.

I let them rest from nine till five,For I am busy then,As well as breakfast, lunch, and tea,For they are hungry men.But different folk have different views; I know a person small-She keeps ten million serving-men,Who get no rest at all!

She sends'em abroad on her own affairs,From the second she opens her eyes-One million Hows, two million Wheres,And seven million Whys!

Structure

Title Page Table of Contents List of Tables List of Figures Abstract Declaration Acknowledgments

Introduction Literature Review Methodology Results Discussion Conclusions Future Work Appendices

Beginnings prepare readers for understanding the work

Summary tells readers whathappens in document

Introduction prepares readersfor the middle

Title orients readers todocument

A strong title orients readers toyour area of work

Effects of Humidityon the Growth of Avalanches

Effects of Humidityon the Growth

of Electron Avalanchesin Electrical Gas Discharges

A strong title also separates yourwork from everyone else's work

Studies on the Electrodeposition of Lead on Copper

Effects of Rhodamine-Bon the Electrodeposition

of Lead on Copper

ABSTRACT

COVEREDPREVIOUSLY

INTRODUCTION

Introductory Chapter

Possible sections in this chapter :

1. Background

2. Research Problem

3. Methodology (or method to be used)

4. Thesis roadmap/Overview/Outline

5. Definitions

6. Orthogonal Issues

7. Conclusions

A document's introduction prepares

readers for the discussion

Topic?

Importance?

Introduction

Arrangement?

Background?

The introduction defines the scopeand limitations of the work

Proposed Study on Effects of Alcohol

on Life Expectancy

Three classes of drinkers:non-drinkers moderate drinkersheavy drinkers

Ten-year study

Other effects,such as exercise,not considered

Medical historiesnot considered

Women may notexperience thesame effects

Men surveyed

scope

limitations

A strong introduction tells readerswhy the research is important

This paper presents a design for a platinum catalytic igniter in hydrogen-air mixtures. This igniter has application in nuclear reactors. One danger at a nuclear reactor is a loss-of-coolant accident. Such an accident can produce large quantities of hydrogen gas when hot water and steam react with zirconium fuel rods. In a serious accident, the evolution of hydrogen may be so rapid that it produces an explosive hydrogen-air mixture in the reactor containment building. This mixture could breach the containment walls and allow radiation to escape.

Our method to eliminate this danger is to intentionally ignite the hydrogen-air mixture at concentrations below those for which any serious damage might result.

importance

MIDDLECHAPTERS

Literature Review (aka State of the Art)

This chapter outlines the state of the art in your field, organised by ideas, research trends NOT chronologically or by author

The objective of this chapter is to tell the reader that this is an important and interesting problem

Literature Survey vs. Literature Review Bibliography vs. Literature Review

Research Question (aka Problem Statement)

The title of this slide is an example of the arts/science divide, in arts subjects this is generally called “research question to be answered/addressesed" in science subjects (especially engineering) this is generally referred to as “problem to be solved".

Research Question (aka Problem Statement)

In this chapter you need to state the research question, clearly and concisely demonstrate that this particular research has not been

answered (why current approaches fail) Discuss why this is a worthwhile question (including

applications where it may be used)  try to include enough information so that a future

researcher could continue your research once you are done. You have to demonstrate your familiarity with the

important researchers in your field here.

Methodology

Research Methods

Software Development

Organizational Methods

Solving the Research Question

You need to convince the reader that the research question has been resolved, only discuss your research that pertains to the resolution of the problem, if you worked on techniques that were dead-ends, don't bother including these in the discussion (unless it is somehow relevant to the resolution).

Solving the Research Question

Record any limitations, assumptions, etc. in methods used

Report exactly under what conditions the results were obtained

If wrote computer programs to solve the problem => use my checksheet on software, comments, etc. => record hardware, software versions, language

versions, operation system versions, any relevant environmental configurations

In the middle of a report, you present your work

Choose a logicalstrategy

Make sectionsand subsections

HeadingSubheadingSubheading

HeadingSubheadingSubheadingSubheading

Heading

[Sandia, 1985]

Common strategies exist for the middles of scientific reports

Chronological

[Maizels, 2001]

Spatial

[Pratt & Whitney, 2000]

Common strategies exist for the middles of scientific reports

Parallel Parts

Corel Corporation

Flow

[Sandia, 1985]

Section headings should be descriptive and parallel

Non-ParallelNon-Descriptive

IntroductionBackgroundMarx GeneratorsLine PulseBeam GenerationTransporting BeamPelletsResultsConclusions

IntroductionBackgroundMarx GeneratorsLine PulseBeam GenerationTransporting BeamPelletsResultsConclusions

ParallelDescriptive

Introduction

Past Designs for Particle Beam Fusion

New Design for Particle Beam FusionCharging Marx GeneratorsForming Line PulseGenerating Particle BeamTransporting Particle BeamIrradiating Deuterium-Tritium Pellets

Results of New Design

Conclusions and Recommendations

Introduction

Past Designs for Particle Beam Fusion

New Design for Particle Beam FusionCharging Marx GeneratorsForming Line PulseGenerating Particle BeamTransporting Particle BeamIrradiating Deuterium-Tritium Pellets

Results of New Design

Conclusions and Recommendations

When you divide a section into subsections, all the pieces should be of the same pie

New Design for Particle Beam Fusion

Charging Marx Generators

Generating Particle Beam

Pellets

New Design for Particle Beam Fusion

Charging Marx Generators

Generating Particle Beam

Irradiating Deuterium-Tritium Pellets

Organization is hidden without Secondary headings

Performance ofthe Solar One Receiver

Introduction

Steady State Efficiency

Average Efficiency

Start-Up Time

Operation Time

Operation During Cloud Transients

Panel Mechanical Supports

Tube Leaks

Conclusion

Performance ofthe Solar One Receiver

Introduction

Receiver’s Efficiency

Steady State Efficiency

Average Efficiency

Receiver’s Operation Cycle

Start-Up Time

Operation Time

Operation During Cloud Transients

Receiver’s Mechanical Wear

Panel Mechanical Supports

Tube Leaks

Conclusion

CONCLUSIONS

In a strong ending, you analyze resultsand give a future perspective

Analyze results from overall perspective

Conclusions

Analysis of Results

Several options:Make recommendationsDiscuss future workRepeat limitations

Future Perspective

Use appendices to supply backgroundfor secondary audiences

Appendix AConcern About the Greenhouse Effect

For almost a hundred years, experts have been concerned with the increasing concentrations of gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrogen oxides in the earth's lower atmosphere. These gases are natural by-products of combustion. Figure A-1 illustrates the correlation between global temperature and carbon dioxide concentrations...

Use appendices to supply secondary or tangential information to primary readersAppendix B

Project Stormfury

In 1961, the United States Weather Bureau and the Department of Defense (Navy) began a project to reduce the strength of hurricanes. The project, called Project Stormfury, uses cloud seeding, a process used to produce rainfall and reduce hail in thunderstorms. In Project Stormfury, silver iodide crystals, similar in structure to ice, are dispersed by airplanes in the upper reaches of cloud formations just outside the hurricane's eye where the winds are highest. Initial results showed that wind speeds decreased between 15–30% after seedings...

Glossary

burst point: the exact point in space where an atomic bomb is detonated.

clear visibility: a viewing range of twenty miles.

fallout: the descent to the Earth's surface of radioactive particles from a cloud contaminated with the fission products of a nuclear explosion.

hypocenter: the point on the earth's surface directly below the burst point; also called ground zero.

For secondary readers, use a glossaryto define unfamiliar terms

Linking it all together

Link chapters together

Chapter NIntroduction N.1As has been discussed in the previous

chapter ... Conclusion N.XIn this chapter, the following topics were

discussed...equipped with this information, in the next chapter it will be investigated how to apply this in ...

Mirroring of chapters :

Chapter 1 = Chapter 6 Chapter 2 = Chapter 5 Chapter 3 = Chapter 4 Chap 1

Chap 2

Chap 3

Chap 6

Chap 5

Chap 4

Mirroring of chapters :

All points raised in the Introduction chapter should be addressed in the Conclusions.

All sections in the Research Method (or Design) chapter should appear in the Data Analysis (or Implementation) chapter.

All Literature Review section should be re-discussed in the Data Findings (or Testing and Evaluation) chapter