Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Theses
A thesis (or dissertation) is how research students present their work for examination.
A thesis may have longer-term importance as a description of significant research
results, but your primary goal should be to produce a piece of work that the examiners
will pass.
The questions that examiners respond to are much the same as those a referee
would ask of a paper. That is, the examiners seek evidence of an original, valid
contribution developed to an appropriate standard. However, it is a mistake to view
a thesis as no more than an extended paper. A paper stands (or does not stand) on the
strength of the results. A thesis passes (or fails) on the strength of your demonstration
of competence; even if good results are not achieved, the thesis should pass if you
have shown the ability to undertake high-quality research. Questions that examiners
might be asked to address include whether you have demonstrated command of the
fundamentals of the discipline, whether you have the ability to correctly interpret
results, and whether you have sufficiently strong communication skills.
That is, fundamentally it is the student that is being examined, rather than the
research. In a paper, the primary element is the contribution: whether the research is
novel, interesting, and correct. In a thesis, the primary element is the competence:
whether the student has demonstrated that they are capable of undertaking indepen-
dent research.
Aparticular element of theses that is oftenweak is the analysis of the outcomes. All
too often the discussion can be summarized as “the code ran”, “it seems plausible”,
or “look at the pretty feature”. To a greater degree than in a paper, it is necessary
to probe why the outcomes occurred or what factors or variables were significant in
the experiments. The guidelines to examiners issued by many universities state that
the candidate must demonstrate critical thinking. Application of critical thinking and
skeptical questioning to the work is an excellent way of persuading an examiner that
the candidate understands their own methods and results.
Examiners are unlikely to be impressed by students who make grandiose claims
about their work. Many researchers—and not just students—are reluctant to admit
that their discoveries have any limitations; yet one of the clearest demonstrations
of research ability is to ask incisive questions. Was the algorithm an improvement
because of better cache use or fewer CPU cycles? What else would explain these
results? In what circumstances is the theorem not applicable?
A thesis with negative results can, if appropriately written, demonstrate the ability
of the candidate just as well as a thesis with positive results. The outcomes may be less
interesting, but the capability to undertake research has still been shown. Examiners
focus on, for example, whether there is a clear, consistent presentation and a thorough
critical analysis: What do the results imply? Where did the research succeed? Where
did it fail? What problems were
not
solved? What questions are suggested?
Examiners are also unlikely to be impressed by a student who accepts the word of
established authority without question, or rejects other ideas without giving them due
consideration, or appears reluctant to suggest any change or to make unfavourable
comment. If you have a relevant point to make, and can defend it by reasonable
