E-Book Overview
Many courses and degrees require that students write a short thesis. This book guides students through their first experience of producing a thesis and undertaking original research. Written by experienced researchers and advisors, the book sets out signposts and tasks to help students to understand what is needed to succeed, including scoping a topic, managing references, interpreting data, and successful completion. For students, the task of writing a thesis is a transition from structured coursework to becoming a researcher. The book provides advice on: • What to expect from research and how to work with a supervisor • Getting organized and approaching the work in a productive way • Developing an overall thesis structure and avoidance of mistakes such as inadvertent plagiarism • Producing each major component: a strong introduction, background chapters that are situated in the discipline, and an explanation of methods and results that are crucial to successful original research • How to wrap up a complex project with an extended checklist of the many details needed to be checked before a final submission Producing and managing a thesis for the first time can be a daunting task, and this reader-friendly guidebook provides a framework for students to do their best.
E-Book Content
How To Write Your First Thesis Paul Gruba · Justin Zobel How To Write Your First Thesis Paul Gruba School of Languages & Linguistics University of Melbourne Parkville, Victoria Australia ISBN 978-3-319-61853-1 DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-61854-8 Justin Zobel School of Computing & Information Systems University of Melbourne Parkville, Victoria Australia ISBN 978-3-319-61854-8 (eBook) Library of Congress Control Number: 2017952060 © Springer International Publishing AG 2017 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Printed on acid-free paper This Springer imprint is published by Springer Nature The registered company is Springer International Publishing AG The registered company address is: Gewerbestrasse 11, 6330 Cham, Switzerland This book is dedicated to our children, Tobias Gruba and Anna, Alex, and Sonia Zobel, who sometimes have to tell their fathers to get away from the keyboard. Preface Completion of a minor thesis involves mastery of a range of accomplishments. It requires that you read other theses, undertake an investigation, manage a large number of references, assess the work of others, objectively interpret data, critically reflect on your own work, and master basics such as writing a long document efficiently on a computer. Throughout this book we discuss the compone