Writing Thesis and Assignment

This book is designed to provide practical help and guidance to students at the tertiary level in their writing of essays, assignments, tutorial paper, reports, theses and dissertations. It should prove useful to both undergraduate and post graduate students.

Chapter 1 stresses the growing importance of written work in tertiary education. It differentiates between the requirements of assignments and theses and outlines the conventions of scholarly style.

Thorough planning is essential in assignment and theses writing. Chapter 2 is concerned with planning the assignment and chapter 3 with planning thesis. Important elements in the planning process are illustrated by a case study in scholarly writing by Professor W. Pauk, Director of the Reading Study Center at Cornell University. These four chapters together constitute Part I of this book.

Part II deals with details of format and presentation: the mechanics of scholarly writing. The student should read through chapter 5 to 11 to familiarize himself with these mechanics before he begins to write the first draft of his assignment or thesis. He will need to refer to these chapters constantly during the writing and revision stages.

Revision and editing of the final product is crucial importance. Part III places emphasis in the evaluation process and presents a series of checklists which should prove invaluable to student in his endeavor to produce a scholarly piece of writing.

PART ONE – Assignments and Theses at the Tertiary level

Chapter I

Writing at the Tertiary Level

There is an increasing tendency in formal education to place more emphasis in the submission of written work as part of normal course requirements and for purposes of students’ assessment. Many students are confronted with this task with insufficient preparation.

Assignment and Term Papers

Typically, written assignments and term papers are geared to course-work covered by a series of lectures or tutorials. The student is assigned a particular topic to write about or he is given a list of topics from which to choose.

Essay writing is means of gaining valuable experience in examination technique. It does not normally require original research and a relatively personal document which is used primarily for teaching.

Theses and Dissertation

Students enrolled for an honors degree, a post graduate diploma or a higher degree, are almost invariability required to submit a thesis or dissertation which in this book are taken to be synonymous.

A thesis is much more than a large term paper. Ot normally represents the culmination of a substantial piece of original work over a period of at least one year. Thesis abstracts are published and scholars throughout the world may borrow the thesis on library loan.

Conventions of Writing – the Question Style

An assignment is more limited in scope and shorter than a thesis and it is less likely to involve original research. Both assignments and theses require the use of scholarly style, and the recommendations in this section apply equally to assignment and thesis writing. Some teaching departments require theses to follow special forms quite different from those required elsewhere.

Chapter 2

Planning the Assignment

Whatever the case may be, your first task is to define and limit the problem.

Defining the Problem

Defining the problem involves determining what the question, assignment or essay requires you to do. Some commonly encountered words and their different shades of meaning are listed below:

1.      analyze

2.      compare

3.      contrast

4.      define

5.      describe

6.      discuss

7.      enumerate

8.      evaluate

9.      examine critically

10.  illustrate

11.  prove

12.  summarize

Limiting the Problem

A common mistake with undergraduate assignment is to be too ambitious and to attempt topics that are far too abroad. A problem is not limited by omitting important information, leaving out essential details or representing only part of the evidence. A problem is limited by reducing the scope of the investigation. A clear statement of the limits of the study or investigation is another mark of scholarly writing.

A Time Schedule

A suggested allocation of time that you may find useful is the following:

1)      defining and limiting problem, consulting source material and collecting information                      60%

2)      first draft                     20%

3)      revising, footnoting, referencing, writing the final draft, proofreading         20%.

Consulting Source Material

It is necessary to begin your reading early and to take notes. Very soon you learn who the accepted authorities in the filed are and this helps you to evaluate what you read. Then, check the library shelves or card catalogue for the books having the same classification number as the other books to which reference has been made. Other sources that you can use: encyclopedias, handbooks, yearbooks, indexes, abstracts, atlases, newspaper and journal.

Preparing a working Bibliography

The essential information required for all references is:

1.      author’s surname and initials

2.      the name of the article and/or journal of books

3.      the imprint (place of publication, publisher, and the date of publication)

4.      the call number the book or journal

5.      the library where the book ou journal may be located

6.      a phrase or sentence indicating the content

Taking notes

Here are some suggestions for taking notes:

1. use a separate card for each idea, fact or concept


2. put a heading at the top of each card


3. record sufficient information to identity each note


4. indicate whether you are paraphrasing or quoting verbatim

The Outline

The following is a suggested outline which you might find useful.

1.      Introduction                2.body                         3. conclusion

The First Draft

Armed with the assignment outline and reading notes you are ready to proceed top the writing of the first or rough draft. You will need to commence your first draft well before due date for submitting the assignment.

Chapter 3

Planning the Thesis

Selecting a Topic

The selection of a suitable topic for a thesis or dissertation is in many ways the most difficult task. The more one knows about a particular field, the more able one is to detect gaps in it and to recognize problem areas that require investigation.

A Source of Problems for Investigation

One of the best sources of problems for investigation is at the cutting edge where research is being carried out. The closest one can get to this edge is through direct contact with the personnel at a research institution.

Criteria for Selecting Topic

A list of question you should ask bout the topic:

1. Is there adequate supervision?


2. Does the topic really interest you?


3. Can the topic be completed in the required ti,e?


4. Is the necessary equipment available?


5. Are subjects available?


6. Are library facilities sufficient?


7. Is the study feasible?


8.  Is the problem a significant one?

Reviewing the Literature

The review of literature is a task that continues throughout the duration of the thesis. It begins with a search fro a suitable topic. This review of the literature is included in the final written thesis as a key section or chapter.

It is useful in initially surveying a filed to work from the general to the specific or to work from tertiary and secondary sources of information to primary sources.

Designing the Study

There are certain elements of research design common to the empirical and analytical study:

1. statement of hypotheses


2. statement of assumptions


3. statement of the limitations of the study


4. definition of terms


5. appropriateness of research design


6. description of population and sample


7. the control of error


8. reliability and validity

The Chapter Outline

The chapter in most theses and dissertations follow a fairly standard format. There is an introductory chapter and usually there is a chapter reviewing previous research. The next few chapters, the body of the thesis, vary according to the study. The empirical research study frequently has one or more chapter on procedures and techniques (hypotheses, sample, tests, and research design) and one or more chapter on result of the study. The final chapter is for conclusions.

                                                                                                                                   

Chapter 4

Scholarly Writing: A case Study

This chapter deals with a real case in scholarly writing of students whom taught by Professor Horst von Schlierman.

PART TWO - Writing the Thesis or Assignment

Chapter 5

The General Format

1. the Preliminaries


1. Title page


2. Preface, including acknowledgments (if desired or necessary)


3. Table of contents


4. List of tables


5. List of figure or illustrations

2. The Text


1. Introduction (introductory chapter


2. Main body of the report (usually divided in chapters and sections)


3. Conclusion (summary chapter)

3. the Reference Material


1. Bibliography


2. Appendix / appendixes


3. Index (if any)

Chapter 6

Page and Chapter Format

The method of indicating chapter divisions and subdivisions depends on the number of such divisions to be made. Each chapter has a chapter number and chapter heading. Conventionally, centered headings are used for major division and side and paragraph headings for subdivisions. The use of underlining and upper and lower case lettering indicates the hierarchy of heading.

Chapter heading

Every chapter begins a new page. This applies even if the last page of the preceding chapter has only two or three lines. Chapters are identified by a number and title.

Centered heading

Centered heading are used for major chapter divisions.

Side heading

Side headings, if used with centered heading, indicate chapter subdivisions; if used without centered heading, side headings indicate major chapter divisions.

Paragraph heading

Paragraph headings are normally used to indicate divisions within subdivisions.

Spacing

The body text is normally double spaced, though longer theses sometimes use 1 ½ spacing.

Pagination

Every page in an assignment or thesis is given a number, although not every page has its page number typed on it.

Margin

Left                 : 1 ½ inches

Right               : ~ 1 inch

Top                  : 1 ¼ inches

Bottom            : 1 ¼ inches

Paragraph Indentation

It is recommended that each paragraph be indented five spaces.

Chapter 7

The Use of Quotations

During the research process, particularly during niter-taking, the research student may copy extracts from sources verbatim, with the intention that these extracts may be incorporated into his written research report; it is called “quotation”.

When to quote

1. Direct quotation would be used only when the original words of the author are expressed so concisely and convincingly that the student cannot improve on these words.


2. Direct quotation used for documentation of major argument where a footnote would not suffice.


3. direct quotation may be used when student want to comment upon, refute or analyze idea

What to Quote

1. the exact words from the sauces


2. if the tense of the quotation does not fit the introduction

 How to quote

General procedures to follow in quotation:

1. Short and Long quotation


2. ellipses


3. interpolations


1. sic


2. comment


3. supplying an antecedent


4. special quotations


1. quote within quotes


2. quoting poetry


3. quoting speech


4. quotations in footnotes

Chapter 8

Footnotes

Footnote are conventional validatory and explanatory procedures which should be used sparingly and only when the material being presented clearly need amplification or acknowledgment.

Use of footnotes

Footnotes are commonly used to:

1. Validate a point, statement or argument.


2. Explain, supplement, or amplify material that is included in the main body of a paper.


3. provide cross-references


4. provide sufficient information


5. acknowledge a direct/indeirect quotation

Place of footnotes

1. at the foot of a page


2. at the end of a chapter


3. at the end of a paper

Chapter 9

Tables and Figures

Tables and figures are used to convey information, but table or figure should not merely repeat information covered in the text.

Placement of tables and figures

A good general rule to follow about the placement of tables and figures is that if they occupy more than half a page, they should be presented on a new page without accompanying text, if they occupy less than half a page, they may be surrounded vy text or may have a complete page.

Numbering of Tables

The usual practice is to use Arabic numeral (1, 2, 3,…) and to number tables consecutively through the thesis. The word TABLE in capitals and its appropriate number is centered on the page. It is placed above the table.

Numbering of Figures

The same rules for numbering of tables except the word FIGURE is placed one double space below the Figure.

                                                                                                                                   

Chapter 10

Referencing

A bibliography is a list of published works, although by common usage both published and unpublished materials are listed in bibliography.  There are several different kinds of bibliography:

1. Works cited


2. Sources consulted


3. a selected bibliography


4. a brief annotated bibliography

Essential information

1. the author


2. the title and details concerning imprint

Chapter 11

Appendixes

By relegating supporting evidence to an appendix, the text of the thesis remains uncluttered yet the argument is not weakened because the interested reader can be directed to consult to particular pages of an appendix for further details.

                                                                                                         

PART THREE - Revising the Assignment or Thesis

Chapter 12

Editing and evaluating the final product

It is writer’s responsibility to ensure that the text is free from spelling and grammatical errors. It is useful in revising and editing the final draft to carry out a number of systematic checks on such points as the use of headings and subheading, quotations, footnotes, tables and figures, references, and appendixes. This book gives some example of points that we can check.

Throughout the revising and rewriting it is necessary to examine one’s work critically, to be detached and to see it as others might see it.

Purpose and Reason

I read this book based on my interest and need. I am writing a thesis right now and I find it so difficult without any guidance. So, hopefully, after reading this book I can write my thesis well organized. I think the purpose in selecting this book is my reason why I choose this book. Because in my opinion, the purpose of our choice is also our reason for choose.

What are you going to do after reading the book?

There is a list of things that I want to do after reading this book as the following:

1. Give back the book to the library because it is almost the due date, I have the copy already.


2. Read my copy again to get full understanding on it because I am going to applying the new knowledge I just get from the book.


3. Make a PowerPoint for myself to read when I am writing the thesis in case if there is something that I need to reread.


4. Make an outline for my thesis according to the guidance in the book


5. Hopefully, I can apply all of the step or guide I found in this in finishing my thesis


6. Then, I will share this new knowledge (because I just got it) to my friends especially to my close friends.