instructions-for-writing-master’s-thesis

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Instructions for writing of Master’s Thesis

Jerker Björkqvist



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Index

1 General instructions .................................................................................................................3

1.1 The importance of the Master’s Thesis ..........................................................................3 1.2 Master's Thesis Topic .......................................................................................................3 1.3 Commissioner of Master's Thesis work.........................................................................3 1.4 Supervision and reviewing of Master's Thesis work ...................................................3 1.5 Maturity test ......................................................................................................................4 1.6 Language check-up ..........................................................................................................4 1.7 Grading of the Master's Thesis .......................................................................................4 1.8 Master’s degree .................................................................................................................4 1.9 Confidential information.................................................................................................4 1.10 Master's Thesis awards ....................................................................................................5

2 Instructions for writing the Master’s Thesis........................................................................5

2.1 The language .....................................................................................................................5 2.2 Typographic instructions.................................................................................................5 2.3 Figures................................................................................................................................7 2.4 Word processors / Text editors ......................................................................................7 2.5 Practical advice .................................................................................................................7

2.5.1 Do not leave the writing to the last minute..............................................................7 2.5.2 Draw the figures first ..................................................................................................8 2.5.3 Compile a list of concepts that need to be dealt with .............................................8 2.5.4 Discuss before starting ................................................................................................8 2.5.5 Acquaint yourself with the grading criteria.............................................................8 2.5.6 First, write about subjects you know well ................................................................8 2.5.7 Write clearly and easily understand .........................................................................8 2.5.8 Spread out your work .................................................................................................9 2.5.9 Ask your supervisor to read your text ......................................................................9 2.5.10 Don’t get stuck!........................................................................................................9

3 Structure of the written work .................................................................................................9

3.1 Cover ..................................................................................................................................9 3.2 Title page ...........................................................................................................................9 3.3 Abstract..............................................................................................................................9 3.4 Sammanfattning..............................................................................................................10 3.5 Table of contents .............................................................................................................10 3.6 Foreword..........................................................................................................................10 3.7 List of abbreviations and terms ....................................................................................10 3.8 Introduction.....................................................................................................................10 3.9 Main text ..........................................................................................................................10 3.10 Discussion........................................................................................................................11 3.11 Summary of results ........................................................................................................12 3.12 Sources and references...................................................................................................12

4 Summary...................................................................................................................................13

5 References.................................................................................................................................13



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1 General instructions

1.1 The importance of the Master’s Thesis

The Master’s Thesis is an important part of the Master’s degree because it initiatesthe student into independent engineering work. Supervision during this part of studies is less than during earlier studies. A typical Master's Thesis investigates andhopefully, if possible, solves a greater technical problem. Even though the Master's Thesis work often involves deeper studies of a new presentation of a problem, thegoal is that the student uses the knowledge gained during earlier studies.

The Master's Thesis can be undertaken when the student has enough knowledge inthe field. It is preferable however, that the student has first passed all of the courses.

1.2 Master's Thesis Topic

The topic is chosen based on the major subject of the student, but if justified, can bedone in a closely related field.

Master's Theses can differ a lot from each other. They can involve research in thelaboratory, process- and product development in industry, simulations, measurementsand analysis, literature research, material research or analyses of environmentalaspects. The Master's Thesis corresponds to the tasks of an engineer, or“diplomingenjör” in Finland, in industry. The student’s own interest in specialtechnical problems can also be the topic for Master's Thesis.

1.3 Commissioner of Master's Thesis work

Master's Theses within KTF (the Faculty of Chemical Engineering) are often done as

a commissioned work. The commissioner can be a company, an organisation or alaboratory at KTF. It is worth keeping an eye open for possible topics being offered,but the student can also independently contact companies and ask for opportunitiesfor a Master's Thesis topic.

1.4 Supervision and reviewing of Master's Thesis work

The Master's Thesis needs a supervisor and an instructor. The supervisor is aprofessor or a docent in the chosen field. The student, together with the supervisor,decides upon the topic and how the work is to be carried out. They draw up atimetable for the work and for follow-up reviews. It is wise to contact the supervisor

in good time in order to check the suitability of the topic as Master's Thesis work.Generally, the supervisor also functions as a reviewer.

The supervisor and/or a person with wide knowledge in the field chosen functions asthe instructor. Alternatively, someone from the commissioner’s industry can alsofunction as the instructor.

The instructor gives advice, very detailed if necessary, even if the Master's Thesiswork is a form of maturity test in which independent work is stressed. It is importantto often discuss the ongoing work with the instructor in order for the Master's Thesisto be as good as possible. It is wise to agree on regular meetings with the instructor.



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1.5 Maturity test

The maturity test is an important part of the Master's degree. The maturity test is awritten work (an essay on a given topic) which shows the student’s knowledge inEnglish and his/her intimate knowledge of the subject field of the Master's Thesis. The test is arranged by the instructor or the supervisor in the final stage of theMaster's Thesis. The length of the essay is about four A4 pages.

1.6 Language check-up

Språktjänst, or the Language Centre at Åbo Akademi, will check the language of theMaster's Thesis work together with the maturity test before it is presented at theFaculty Council meeting. Please note the deadline for every Faculty Counsil meeting. You will find more information on Språktjänst home pages or by contacting theSpråktjänst secretary. Normally the student needs to allow three weeks for thelanguage check and Språktjänst has to inform the Faculty Office one week before themeeting as to whether the Master's Thesis work is approved or not.

1.7 Grading of the Master's Thesis

The Master's Thesis work is graded and approved by the Faculty council based onthe proposal from the reviewer or reviewer/instructor. The Master's Thesis work israted in a range from 1 to 5, with 5 being the best.

1.8 Master’s degree

The Master’s degree is approved at faculty council meetings. In order to obtain thedegree, the student has to:

- successfully pass the Master's Thesis language check,

- check that all required courses have been completed and registered and alsothat the marks in both major and minor subjects are registered,

- inform the officer of academic affairs of their intention to take the degree atleast one week before the Faculty Council’s meeting,

- be a registered student and “present” at Åbo Akademi University.

1.9 Confidential information

The Master's Thesis is an official document. This means that the commissioner’strade secrets are not to be exposed by the Master's Thesis work. If there is any doubt,

please discuss the matter with your supervisor. Give a copy of the work to thecommissioner to review before the final version is completed.

Sometimes the commissioner asks the student to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement. This agreement can be signed by the student only on behalf of the student not onbehalf of the entire Åbo Akademi University. In such situations, it could bebeneficial to split the work into two parts; the official part (presenting methods andresults in general terms) and an appendix (presenting more specific information)



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1.10 Master's Thesis awards

Every year, TEK and TFiF awards a prize for the best Master's Thesis. The award isgiven based on the nominations from the polytechnics and technical faculties inFinland.

2 Instructions for writing the Master’s Thesis The Master's Thesis work consists of a practical part (literature study, apparatusdesign, research, measurements, programming, etc.) and a written part. The practicalpart is largely dependent upon the problem to be solved and it is therefore difficult togive any general instructions.

Every publication, however, has its own form in which the work is to be presented.While writing the Master's Thesis at KTF you will get used to one format. Later on,in other workplaces, you might use other formats when presenting your work.

Before starting the main writing process, it is advisable to spend time structuring the

manuscript, drawing up the Table of contents, and deciding upon headings andsubheadings. Then you should discuss it with the instructor/supervisor; decide onhow much time/effort should be spent on each part. This lays the foundation for yourMaster's Thesis. Take time in order to properly prepare so that the Master's Thesiswill be of high quality both in content and outlook. The written part is often the onlyway to evaluate the Master's Thesis work later on.

2.1 The language

Master's Theses at Åbo Akademi University are, as a rule, written in Swedish orEnglish. If a student wishes permission to write it in an other language then he/shehas to apply for it from the Faculty Council. The Master's Thesis, however, may notbe written in Finnish. If the Master's Thesis is written in a language other thanSwedish, there has to be a longer, about five pages, summary in Swedish. TheMaster's Thesis within the Master’s Program in Chemical Engineering is to bewritten in English.

The Master's Thesis is written for a public with a basic technical knowledge.Explanation of elementary concepts known to the readers is to be avoided. Writingabout matters that are unknown to the author is also to be avoided. Use acceptedterminology within the field when such exists, even for pictures and drawings.

When writing, the goal is to achieve a clearly worded and carefully ordered thesis,and slang should be avoided. A fluent and easy-to-follow language should be usedand established rules and recommendations should be followed.

2.2 Typographic instructions

Font: Times or other common font

Print-out: Single sided printing

Page size: A4

Margins

left: 4,5 cm



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right: 2,0 cm

top: 2,5 cm

bottom: 3,0 cm

Spacing

before header: two lines

after header: one line

between header and subheader: one line

line spacing: single

between paragraphs: normal line spacing

between table/figure text and body text: one line

Indentation: none after header, other passages: first line indentation 0.4 cm

The caption of a table is placed before the table and without a full stop at the end of the sentence

The caption of a figure is placed after the figure and ends with a full stop

Table structure and font to be used in the Master's Thesis are described in Table 1below

Table 1. Fonts used in a Master's Thesis

LayoutFontsize(p)

Normal font Bold face italic font Italic and

bold face 10

header and footer

12 body textequationsreferencestablesfigure textnames of tables

first subheader third sub-header

second sub-

header

14 NAME OFAUTHORHEADER

18 NAME OF MASTER’S THESIS

Figures, tables and appendices are all part of the written part of the Master's Thesisand are to be referred to in order of appearance.



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2.3 Figures

All illustrations – working drawings, figures, diagrams – should describe what thestudent wants to present in the easiest and clearest way possible. Avoid allunnecessary details and ensure the illustration shows the information clearly. A goodfigure is known by its simplicity and if the reader easily gets a quick generaloverview. The title for the Y-axis can be written horizontally above the axis as inFigure 1.

value of object function

Processing time (s)

Figure 1. The values of an object function as a function of processing time using

method B. 2.4 Word processors / Text editors

Students at KTF usually choose between two word processors: LaTeX and MSWord. MS Word is the logical one to choose when you work on a computer runningMicrosoft’s operating system. LaTeX is often used on computers running the UNIXoperating system, even if there is a LaTeX version for Microsoft Windows. MSWords’s advantage is that it is very easy to start writing. LaTeX is moreadvantageous to use if you have to write much more systematically. Furthermore,LaTeX is good at handling mathematical expressions. LaTeX is often used as writingtool within technical research.

There is no basic rule concerning which to use. Please ask for advice on how to getstarted with the written part.

2.5 Practical advice

The writing takes approximately two months to complete. You can shorten the timespent on writing by following the guidelines below.

2.5.1 Do not leave the writing to the last minute

By doing research and writing side-by-side, you are forced to structure the workwhich often leads to new insights. This way, you can avoid corrections at a later date.



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2.5.2 Draw the figures first

When you try to explain things to someone else, you often draw pictures and graphsto help understanding. Likewise, it is easy to write your Master’s Thesis by firstdrawing 30-35 figures and explaining them, how things are related to each other,problems, solutions, etc. Draw the pictures as completely as possible. After this it is

easy to add the main text since the text usually explains the pictures. In this way it iseasier to get the text cohesive.

2.5.3 Compile a list of concepts that need to be dealt with

There should be about 100-150 concepts on this list, each explained with 1-5 words.Each concept gives you about one new paragraph of text. After this it is easy to drawup an index.

2.5.4 Discuss before starting

It is also favourable for the supervisor if the student receives the degree without

major problems. This motivates the supervisor to deal with any problem that mayarise in time.

2.5.5 Acquaint yourself with the grading criteria

When grading the Master’s Thesis, the following criteria are taken intoconsideration:

- organization and effectiveness

- independence

- creativity

- ability to acquire technical literature- a systematic approach and reporting

- processing of results

Also details such as the length of the thesis, the degree of difficulty and theimportance of the results are taken into consideration.

It is appropriate to check the criteria above and ponder upon how well the thesiswork fulfils them. It is then easier to identify which written text needs moreattention.

2.5.6 First, write about subjects you know wellIt is easy to write about subjects already structured, such as matters alreadyacquainted with during the practical part. After developing writing routines, it iseasier to discuss more complex and difficult ideas or concepts. Write the introductionand summary last, because these require a greater comprehension of the wholesubject.

2.5.7 Write clearly and easily understand

The first sentence in a paragraph defines the content. The following sentences moreclosely define the content. This structure gives a clear and easy to understanddescription as each paragraph contains only one or two concepts belonging to thesubject matter. This type of paragraph is also easy to move around if needed. It is



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also best not to discuss the same subject matter in a different context. It is easy tofollow the text if it is consistent throughout the whole thesis.

2.5.8 Spread out your work

If you are not happy with the outline of your written work, spread it out paper-by-

paper on a table or on the floor to get a better overview. In this way you can moreeasily get a general idea of the contents of your work and it is easier to find the rightplace for each part.

2.5.9 Ask your supervisor to read your text

It is wise to ask your supervisor to go through your text once in a while. He can havevaluable opinions on both the outline and the content which might be overlooked byoneself in the heat of writing. It is worth taking advantage of the supervisor’s expertknowledge in all phases of the Master’s Thesis.

2.5.10 Don’t get stuck!

It is easy to get stuck while writing and not proceeding forward, especially when thedeadline is nearing. If you do not get anything written, even though you know yourfield well, something is wrong with the work process. Do not just sit there, use themethods mentioned above to continue. If that does not help, your supervisor might beof help. Writing the Master’s Thesis is not impossible, many before you have doneit!

3 Structure of the written work

3.1 Cover

The written part of the Masters Thesis is bound in hard cover (the colour accordingto the established practice at the laboratory for which you write the thesis). Printedon the spine of the cover is the name of the writer (given name, family name) and theyear written. Nothing else is printed on the cover. There are some companies in Turku that bind the Master’s Thesis, e.g. Kluuti, Turun Pahvivalmiste, and TurunKirjamo. Some of them also take care of the copying. Normally you need at leastthree (3) copies (supervisor, laboratory and faculty office) but the commissioner maywant a copy and family and friends often enjoy getting a copy of their own too.

3.2 Title page

The title page identifies the Master’s Thesis. Written on the title page are the title andthe writer’s name, centred on the upper half of the page. Written to the lower left isthe type of work (Master’s Thesis), area of specialisation, supervisor, laboratory,faculty, university and date. Appendix 1 gives an example of a title page.

3.3 Abstract

The abstract, or summary, is the basis of the information that is transferred tobibliographical databases. The summary explains, in short, the content of theMaster’s Thesis. The summary is independent and is to be understood on its ownwithout further explanation. The summary may not include references to other textsnor knowledge not dealt with in the main text. The summary, approximately 200words long, gives an idea of the purpose of the Master's Thesis, methods used,



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results gained and conclusions. Try to avoid rare terms and abbreviations. Some keywords follow the summary, preferably 2-6 in number. Give key words that are not inthe title. The title and key words are used for searches.

3.4 Sammanfattning

According to the language instructions of Åbo Akademi University § 5, internationalstudents that write a Master’s Thesis in a language other than Swedish do not have towrite an abstract in Swedish.

3.5 Table of contents

The Table of contents lists the sections and subsections with page numbers. Theprefatory pages (such as Summary, Foreword, List of abbreviations and terms, Tableof contents) are not numbered. The first page begins with the title, Introduction. Thepages are numbered starting from the page following the Introduction. The pagenumbers are written using Arabic numbers in the upper left-hand corner.

3.6 Foreword

In the foreword of the Master's Thesis, the purpose of the work with respect to itsdifferent phases is explained. The organisations and any others that have given theirsupport are introduced in the foreword. Also given in the foreword is thanks to allthat have been involved.

3.7 List of abbreviations and terms

A listing and explanation of all abbreviations, terms, units, and other designations isincluded in the Master’s Thesis. Their correctness is checked with standards andother sources. SI-units (Suureet ja yksiköt 2001) should be used.

3.8 Introduction

In the introduction, the work is explained concisely, including the background, theproblem, the justification, the goal and the extent of the work. Furthermore, a moreaccurate definition of the work, the limits used and the reasons for these limits arepresented in the Introduction. It is good to refer to earlier and current research in thefield.

Nowadays, the Master’s Thesis often consists of research work or productdevelopment work that is carried out as a part of larger project or together with otherpeople. This is why the Introduction should clarify which parts belong to the author.

3.9 Main text

How the content is laid out is dependent upon the type of work, and can usually bedivided into two parts.

The Theory, which explains the basis of the thesis with the help of literature or theauthor's own knowledge. Unnecessary information is to be avoided, as the Theoryshould only contain information related to the work completed.

Presentation of material, observations and solutions. In order for others to benefitfrom the observations and solutions found, the content should be explained as

thoroughly as possible. Results, if possible, should be shown in the original form



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(such as tables, etc.). Actual results should not be mixed together with the author'sown reasoning or conclusions. Equations and mathematical relationships play animportant part in the Theory, but it should be remembered that mathematics is only ahelpful tool and not the goal. It is not necessary to show the entire proof: basicequations, necessary quantities and the final result will usually suffice. If necessary,

the derivation of the equations can be shown in an appendix.In science and engineering there are two types of equations:

- dimensionless equations, or the relationship between physical dimensions orquantities, where letters represent the dimensions, and

- quantity equations, where letters represent a measurement of quantities.

A quantity is the product of a measurement and a unit of measurement. The units arealways separated with a space (i.e., 5 kg, but 5% and 5oC). It is recommended thatdimensionless equations be used since these are independent of units.

Quantities are treated according to algebraic rules and are usually represented with aletter. Mathematical variables and quantities are italicized. Vectors are italicized andalso written in boldface. Numerals, units, and lower indices are not italicized (butlower indices of quantities are). Greek letters are not italicized. Every equationshould be part of a complete sentence. An empty line is left above and below anequation, and equations are numbered through the whole text. Equation numbers areplaced to the right and in parenthesis. The equations are referenced in the text by thenumbers, for example, "From equation (1) it is seen...".

At uniform motion, the velocity is defined as

t

sv= (1)

where

t is the time of the movements is the distance moved

In designing and programming theses, methods which are normally used for systemplanning should be used (often a top-down approach). Only the essential parts of thetheory and design are presented. The apparatus or programs detailed structure, if necessary, can be presented as an appendix to the thesis. The system is presentedblock wise, from larger generalities to smaller details. Unessential details should beavoided. Measurements are relevant in design theses and should be plannedcarefully. The same concerns testing of software.

3.10 Discussion

In this section the author conveys how well the goals of the thesis were fulfilled withexplanations. Opinions about the general applicability and significance can also beadded, but unnecessary speculations should be avoided.



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3.11 Summary of results

In this section, the author presents a short but concise summary of the main points of the investigation, the final results, and their meaning. Extra emphasis should beplaced on results the author has himself found. References to other parts of the textshould be avoided, as well as presentation of results not presented elsewhere in thetext.

3.12 Sources and references

Referencing other literature puts the thesis within the existing literature. Referencesshould clearly indicate which parts originate from a source and what is the author'sown writing. The author should also refer to unpublished results, quotations, figures,and equations used in the text, although only to sources with which the author isfamiliar. When publications on the net are being referenced, the publication shouldeither be printed out and placed in the appendices, or alternatively savedelectronically in the author's computer account.

In the References section, only sources actually referenced should be listed. Thereare (unfortunately) many recommendations for the format of the references. Theeasiest format is the "Harvard Style". In the text, the author and year are referenced,for example, According to Reinkainen (1980) is ..." or "Ziegler and Holmes (1996))shows that...". In the References section, all references are placed in alphabeticalorder.

Book chapters:

Lenstra, A. K. and Lenstra H. W. (1990) Algorithms in number theory, in: Leeuwen J, ed., Handbook of Computer Science, A, Elsevier, Amsterdam, 673-715.

Articles in journals:

Ziegler, E. N. and Holmes J. T. (1996) Mass transfer from fixed surfaces to gasfluidized beds, Chem. Eng. Sci. 21, 117-118.

Conference publications

Chen, P., and Kuh, E. (2000) Floorplan sizing by linear programming approximation.In: Proceeding of 37th Design Automation Conference, LA, CA, June 5-9 2000.

Reports, thesesReinkainen, M. (1980) Hiekan vaikutus tiilien ominaisuuksiin. Master Thesis, Technical University, Department of Chemistry, 30 s.

Patents

Ingram, H. (1941) Improvements in Cr relating to electrical condensers. Brit. Pat.552, 707. App. 18 July 1941. Acc. 18 November 1943.

Net publications



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Krishnan V. and Torrealis J ., A, (1999) A Chip-Multiprocessor Architecture withSpeculative Multithreading. 23.3.1999, http://computer.org/tc/tc1999/t0866abc.htm.Obtained 20.5.2000.

Interviews:

Andersson, P. (1998) Production manager, Ericsson Radio Systems, interviewed22.5.1998.

4 Summary This guide explains the different stages which are included in a Master Thesis. Thethesis' role as part of the Master Program is clarified. The guide also presentspractical advice which eases the difficulties experienced in the writing process andgives a model for a typical layout of a thesis at the Faculty of Chemical Engineering.

5 References Holmbom, B. (1984) Om skriftlig teknisk rapportering samt muntlig presentation,Kompendium, KTF.

Lappalainen, P. (1994) Diplomityön teko-ohjeet, Oulun Yliopisto, Sähkötekniikanosasto, Oulu, 31 s.

Raam-Inghult, E. (2000) Svenska skrivregler, Liber AB, Stockholm.

Suureet ja yksiköt: SI-mittausjärjestelmä: the international system of units (SI)(2001) SFS, Helsingfors.

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