Instructions for thesis writers

Forename Surname

Tampere University Faculty of Information Technology and CommunicationsMaster’s Degree Programme in Human-Technology InteractionM. Sc. thesisSupervisor: Supervisor’s nameJan 2019

Tampere University Faculty of Information Technology and CommunicationsMaster’s Degree Programme in Human-Technology InteractionForename Surname: Instructions for thesis writersM.Sc. thesis, 11pages, 3 index and appendix pagesJan 2019

These instructions are intended for students of Computer Sciences at the Tampere University. They cover questions of writing a thesis, such as use of the literature, structure of the thesis and style, the external appearance of the thesis and the use of tools. These instructions do not cover the scientific content of the thesis.

Key words and terms: M.Sc. thesis, layout, writing style.

Contents1. Introduction................................................................................................................12. Instructions for working.............................................................................................13. Nature of the thesis and evaluation............................................................................24. Structure of the thesis.................................................................................................35. Mode of presentation and written style......................................................................56. Using the literature and technique for noting references...........................................7

6.1. Evaluating and selecting sources......................................................................76.2. Technique for references..................................................................................86.3. Compiling the list of references.......................................................................8

7. Instructions for the layout and appearance of the thesis............................................98. Summary..................................................................................................................11

References ......................................................................................................................11

Appendices

1. IntroductionThese instructions concern the writing of the Master’s thesis (in Finnish pro gradu -tutkielma) to be referred to hereafter as ‘thesis’. They can also be applied to the writing of other types of academic texts. The general instructions regarding theses appear in the Opinto-opas (study guide). The purpose of the present text is to provide some practical advice and describe practices adhered to in the Degree Program of Computer Sciences. The instructions are in no way absolutely binding, but departing from them should be done with consideration. Practices may differ between supervisors, thus it is always advisable to consult the supervisor on these issues.

These instructions do not cover research methods or matters pertaining to the content of the thesis.

2. Instructions for workingThe active planning of the thesis can begin at the point when the student has decided what courses in Advanced Studies (syventävät opinnot) s/he intends to take. The most important of these should have been completed before commencing work on the thesis.

The student should take the initiative in fixing the subject of the thesis. Before selecting the subject s/he should consider the following:

1. On what subject or field do I want to write my thesis?

2. Am I interested primarily in theory or in practical applications?

3. Do I want to do concrete programming work?

4. Which of the teachers is concerned with this particular field?

Of course these questions are not only for private deliberation but also for discussing with the teachers in Computer Sciences. The result will be an agreement on the supervisor and the topic of the thesis.

As the work progresses regular contact should be maintained with the supervisor according to the agreement signed. A thesis requires independent work in every respect, and the supervisor does not generally actively push supervision. However, this is not a sign of lack of interest: the more discussion there is about how the work is progressing the better. Generally not sufficient use is made of the supervisor. It is understandable that work on the thesis may be interrupted due to pressure of other work, illness or similar reasons, but it is advisable to keep the supervisor informed of this, too.

The actual writing of the thesis should begin only when the subject has been thoroughly investigated via the literature and possible practical or experimental work has advanced far enough. On the other hand, care should be taken not to drag out the investigative stage too long. Frequently it is only during the writing process that the

writer realises what information must be sought in the source literature. It may be necessary to return repeatedly to the literature.

After sufficient examination of the research material a decision can be made as to how extensively to pursue the various parts of the thesis. This is the time to present the supervisor with a plan for the content of the thesis, and some draft texts of the main sections. It is in the nature of things that all plans undergo numerous modifications as the content of the work becomes clearer. There is no need to avoid presenting tentative plans.

Officially, the completed thesis is read by the supervisor and by another person separately appointed. However, it is very common for the supervisor to read several preliminary versions. This makes it possible for feedback at an early stage thereby making most difference to the final version. Even if the content of a version read by the supervisor is incomplete, care should be taken to present the material included in the best possible way. This allows the reader to focus on the essential elements, ensuring better feedback. If the reader sees that the writer has taken great trouble, s/he is more likely to take equal trouble with the feedback.

Since the beginning of 2016, all M. Sc. theses must be checked by the Turnitin program before they can be accepted. The supervisor will advise his/her student in the details of using Turnitin both during the thesis project and also for checking the final version of the thesis.

The amount of work required for a thesis may be estimated at four months. As great concentration is required, it is advisable to be free from other studies or salaried work for this purpose.

3. Nature of the thesis and evaluationThe following aspects will be taken into account in the evaluation of the thesis:

1. Use of source material. Does it show that the writer is familiar with the relevant literature, especially the most recent? Does the text include the appropriate references?

2. Command of the subject of the presentation. Do the mode of presentation and the findings selected for the treatment of the subject show that the writer has been thorough in his/her investigation of the subject and has achieved a grasp of the field of the research and the methods used?

3. Mode of presentation and language. Are the language of the thesis, the visual presentation and the organisation in accordance with a considered and polished result? Has the subject itself been approached carefully and meticulously? Does the thesis constitute an entity which is consistent and agreeable to read?

4. Originality. Is the mode of presentation original and possibly clearer than in the source literature? Does the thesis contain apt critical assessment of the source material? Is the presentation elucidated by examples formulated by the writer? Does the thesis contain original observations and possibly even scientific findings?

Theses may differ greatly in nature. One thesis may be a carefully compiled overview based on the source material on a subject defined in the title. Another thesis at the other extreme might be a description of original research or software development work. When the subject is refined with the supervisor the objectives must be clearly identified. If the work appears to be a desperate quest for independent results there is undoubtedly a misconception regarding the purpose of the thesis.

Regardless of the nature of the thesis an overview of the background to the question in focus is essential, likewise the treatment of this in the literature of the field. This is an important part of the thesis even when the major part of it is the results of work accomplished by the writer. On the other hand the degree of original and independent work which has gone into the thesis always counts in the evaluation. An independent approach may be evidenced by some of the following objectives:

• Command of the subject area is shown by making original connections within the relevant literature or by approaching the issue from a new angle.

• The writer succeeds in presenting the findings of the source literature or algorithms in a clearer form, in generalising, in combining or in applying these to new situations. The minimum requirement is that the various notations used in various sources have been modified throughout into a consistent system.

• Command of the methods and techniques evinced is demonstrated constructively, for example as a realisation of a computer program.

• Some concrete design or research problem has been solved in practice.

Thus it is not generally enough for a thesis to accomplish some design or implementation task and present a readymade solution unless a good command of the subject area and the appropriate literature is apparent from the thesis. It is necessary to perceive one’s own work in the appropriate context, and to exercise self-criticism.

4. Structure of the thesisWriting a thesis is creative work in which the structure and matters of style are as important as in artistic literature. Those engaging in scientific writing should also pay attention to such features when reading publications.

The thesis includes a front cover, an abstract, a table of contents, the actual body of the text, a list of references and possible appendices (in that order). A list of keywords may also be added after the abstract.

The title of the thesis, the abstract and the introduction are three expanding descriptions of the research problem and the research findings. From these it should be possible to gain an overall impression of the contents without reading the work in its entirety.

The title should be formulated with care, ensuring that it matches the content but is not excessively wordy or explanatory. The title should arouse a reader’s interest.

The abstract describes the subject area, the research problem, the methods and findings briefly and succinctly. It should constitute a discrete entity. It should be written having in mind a reader with some knowledge of the subject. An abstract which fills a whole page may be on the lengthy side (see Appendix 1).

The body of the text generally begins with an Introduction providing a brief background to the research, its relation to the literature of the field, the problem-setting arrived at, the methods applied and the results obtained. The attention of the reader should be drawn specifically to what the writer deems to be of primary importance, original or novel in his/her work. The Introduction may further serve to orient the reader to the content of subsequent chapters by providing a reasoned breakdown of what they contain.

The demands of the Introduction regarding the reader’s expertise are more modest than those of the Abstract. In some cases a definition of key concepts may be included in the introduction, but this is generally best left until later. The Introduction should not be too long, which can easily happen if many definitions are included in it. However, care should be taken in the style of presentation to ensure that it is not merely an explanatory list of contents.

The main body of the text should be divided into chapters with subheadings and sub-subheadings. These components should be numbered. If necessary these components can be further subdivided, although it should be noted that an excessive number of hierarchical levels makes an overall conception of the thesis more difficult. Generally the introduction is not so divided at all. The reader can be orientated at the beginning of each chapter by means of a reasoned description of the divisions made.

When planning the structure, the writer should bear in mind that the work will generally be read from beginning to end. Fluency and consistency in the text are essential: a reader does not generally gain an overall conception of the work by considering it components on the basis of the table of contents. The text itself must show how the various parts relate to one another. One of the most common shortcomings in theses is that the reader cannot see where the train of thought in the text is going. Of course, not absolutely everything need be minutely spelled out. It is only good if the text brings questions to the reader’s mind and s/he wonders if s/he agrees with the writer. However, the writer must ensure that the reader is not left to wonder why certain matters appear at all in the text and how they relate to one another. The

reader must be aware of the drift of the thesis and ensure that this is incorporated into the text.

The reader also wants to progress in the reading of the text. If some chapter swells to a great number of pages, the others remaining very short, the structure is not a success. This does not generally necessitate major changes; if the sections of the most important chapter are promoted into chapters in their own right on a higher level as shown in Figure 1 the text as a whole becomes more balanced.

(a) (b) (c)

Figure 1. Structure too deep (a) and preferable structures (b,c).

The final chapter of the text is generally Summary or Conclusions. A summary may not be merely a repetition of the Introduction. In contrast to the Introduction, it must be assumed in the Summary that the reader has examined the work. Here an attempt is made to ensure that the reader has indeed grasped the principle contents. Conclusions may present some criticism of the work, raise the possibilities of other means of approach and matters which have not been addressed and are left for further research.

No more specific instructions than those above regarding the structure of the thesis can be provided: the structure depends greatly on the nature of the thesis. For example in the case of a thesis describing programming or design work the core of the thesis is at least a review of the relevant literature, possibly a project preview setting the work in its wider context and a description of the extent of the present contribution. In theses based on controlled tests there should always be a description of the problem object and the test arrangements and a meticulous statistical analysis of the results, thus the structure is very different form than in research describing programming and design work. In the case theses concerned purely with reviewing the literature no general instructions can be given: in such cases the way in which the thesis is divided up is among the main research findings.

5. Mode of presentation and written styleWhen writing the text, readability must constantly be born in mind. At no point may the reader be assumed to be aware of something which only appears later in the thesis. Care must also be taken with the rhythm of the text and with striking a balance between simplicity and monotony in the sentence structure. The style of writing should be precise and to the point. Nevertheless the use of humour in keeping with the style is permissible.

Before new matters are introduced, the reader must be prepared in order to understand them correctly. After important definitions and results the reader must be allowed breathing space and to be sure that the matter has been comprehended aright. This can be achieved, for example, by reviewing some special situations, logical consequences or simple examples. The reader can further be assisted by the inclusion of sufficient redundancy in the text: the same matter can be paraphrased, for example by using both everyday language and the language of mathematical formalism. Care should be taken to avoid ending up with a series of mathematical formulae. Sentences must be interpolated to ensure that the message proceeds smoothly here, too.

In the thesis as in any other written text, the basic unit is the paragraph. One paragraph should contain one item. Excessively long paragraphs should be avoided. If there are only one or two paragraphs on a page, the items presented are so large that their comprehension demands great concentration on the part of the reader. In a thesis a paragraph cannot be too short, thus the writer should have no misgivings about dividing paragraphs up.

The professional terminology used should, if possible, be generally accepted terms. No attempts should be made to invent synonyms merely for the sake of variation.

The choice of symbols should be consistent. The same symbol may not be used to refer to two different matters, nor should the same matter be noted in different ways in different places unless there is a particular reason for doing so.

If there is a certain established practice in the literature, it should be adhered to. When planning notation care should be taken to avoid the use of needless subindices. Multiple indexing (subindex with subindex) is typographically problematic and may be symptomatic of poor selection of indices.

A sentence should never begin with a symbol or number that is not written as a word. Symbols and formulae should also be understood as parts of sentences. This should be noted both in sentence structure and in punctuation. If a sentence ends with a formula there should be a full stop, even when the formula appears on a separate line. Thus for example

3.14159… . (5.1)

In theses in this particular field direct quotations and translations from the source literature are very uncommon. When quoting something verbatim the text and possible

notations should be modified to match the thesis. Naturally there should be a clear indication of where the treatment of the matter originates.

It is not possible here to provide detailed instructions on written style and language.

6. Using the literature and technique for noting referencesThis chapter is concerned with locating source literature and referring to it. Obviously, locating the right source literature and scrutinising the source material is of paramount importance for a successful thesis. Fluent use of references and a carefully compiled list of references are a part of a well presented thesis.

In most cases the best source of scientific literature is Google Scholar (https://scholar.google.fi/). Other services for a specific thesis is best sought from the supervisor.

6.1. Evaluating and selecting sources

It can generally be seen fairly soon from the abstract whether a source is not appropriate for the subject, subject area or the thesis. For research which creates new models or methods, however, the usefulness of analogies should be kept in mind.

Checking through the references in the articles found will lead the writer to the ‘fountain head’ of the subject, i.e., the canonic works and articles. Tracing the references backwards can be absolutely fascinating. It has even been called scientific detective work, and can take the researcher far back to the first person to evince an idea or to conduct empirical research from which the theory, model, fact or conclusion originated. The rules of the game in science require that credit be given to the originator even though the findings may have been reported in a more readable form by others. It is indeed possible to name some source in which matters are very well presented even if there are no new findings, always provided that the originator is duly credited.

Nowadays it is common to publish new findings at conferences, from which they quickly reach the research community. In such cases the writer may ‘register’ the finding in his/her name and thereby receive feedback on the work. Years may elapse before a journal article provides these findings in a polished form. It is common practice to refer to such journal articles. In addition to (but never instead of) a journal article, reference may be made to the original conference presentation if special attention is to be drawn to the time of its appearance. Good practice requires that the journal article itself should include in a footnote mention of the conference at which the findings were first made public.

Although an article published at a conference or in a journal is available in its entirety on the Internet, reference should be made to its appearance in print. The net address may be appended as additional information in the references.

When selecting sources the writer should ascertain whether the research is a continuation of some earlier project or an individual piece of research. In the case of a research series the main publications should be included.

A critical attitude should always be taken towards sources. It is easier for the reader if the publication forum is among the prestigious journals of the field. In such cases one may be sure that the article in question has been refereed by experts in the field. Nevertheless, the ultimate responsibility for the results rests solely with the author of the article.

6.2. Technique for references

The method recommended is to refer to the source using square brackets with the name of the author and the year of publication, e.g. [Järvinen and Järvinen 2003]. If there are two authors both should be noted with the word ‘and’ between them in the language of the source in question. If the publication has more than two authors only the surname of the first should be noted and thereafter ”et al.”. Nevertheless the list of references should include the names of all the authors unless there are exceptionally many (e.g. over ten).

An example of a correct reference is ”… investigated a collection of research methods [Järvinen and Järvinen 1996]”. Several references in the same place are separated with a semicolon. If publications by the same author(s) in the same year are included, these should be distinguished from one another by a lower case letter after the year, e.g. [Smith and Jones 1998a; 1998b]. If the name of the author of the publication appears otherwise in the sentence, the reference may be shortened by omitting the name from the square brackets, for example ”as noted by Järvinen and Järvinen [2003].”

At times it may be difficult to decide at what point in the text to insert the reference. There is a simple rule of thumb which ensures a good result: The sentence should stand even if the reference were removed. So you should not write ”reference [Muggs et al., 1996] states that…” but ”Muggs et al. [1996] state that…”– This rule of thumb easily gains strength if the reference is placed after the last full stop of the paragraph. This, however, should be used with caution; references should be more specific. In proper research it is not possible to justify copying a whole paragraph from a reference.

6.3. Compiling the list of references

The list of references should begin on a new page (except in small texts involving very few sources). All sources referred to in the work should be included. Viljanen [1988, pp. 59-60] states as follows:

“ The list of references should contain only those publications which have been referred to in the study. The essential difference between a

bibliography and a list of references is that the former may include recommended reading to which there is no direct reference in the publication, while the latter may not include such works. A textbook may include a bibliography, a research text has a list of references.”

The writing of a list of references requires meticulous care. The most important thing is that there be consistency throughout. Generally the list is compiled with the authors’ names in alphabetical order. It is advisable to enter the way in which the source in question is referred to in the text. Thus it is easier for the reader to locate the point at which the reference is made, especially if the first lines are begun farther from the left than the following lines.

Information on the publications and various abbreviations (e.g. “ed.”, “in”) should always be written in the language of the source. There exist established abbreviations for many journals, and these may be used in place of the full title.

It is common practice to italicise the names of printed publications (journals and books). In the case of sources in English a consistent use of upper or lower case letters at the beginnings of words should be adhered to. In the titles of books all lexical words (i.e., not articles, conjunctions or prepositions) should begin with an upper case letter.

The list of references is a part of the research report, not an appendix. Its pages must be numbered like the rest of the text, and the typology must be consistent with that of the rest of the report – in this guide with a straight right edge. It is not advisable to give each element of the reference (author, title, place of publication etc.) a separate line.

When considering what information on the source should be included it should be born in mind that the reader should be able to locate the source on the basis of that information. However, it is not usual to include ISBN numbers in references. Appendix 2 provides some examples of information included in the list of references.

7. Instructions for the layout and appearance of the thesisThe spacing should be approximately the same as in this Guide. Each chapter of the thesis should begin on a new page.

Titles can be made to stand out from the body by using UPPER CASE LETTERS or bold face. It is advisable to use bold face for elements below the level of chapter. The titles of chapters may be emphasised by using a larger or different type of font. Underlining should be avoided: in laser printing the line generally comes too close to the text. Italicising or bold face are preferable means of indicating emphasis.

Excessive use of such means should be avoided, likewise the use of too many different fonts; generally one is sufficient (except for special symbols). The recommended font size is 12. Recommended types of lettering are Times New Roman or Palatino – i.e., fonts with serifs.

The best way to approach external design is to take a model from a piece of printed matter whose appearance is desirable. When printed out on a laser printer the text looks as if it were printed – thus the model should be printed matter, i.e., a book or printed article.

When a term is defined in the text and occurs for the first time it may be italicised. At this point it is advisable to include the original term in brackets, if it were in a different language.

All pages should have the same width of margin at both sides. Three centimetres is a suitable width. There should be a few free centimetres at the top and bottom of each page. When a new chapter is begun the space at the top of the new page should be larger. There are instructions for structured documents that are sometimes used in theses. However, a thesis is closer to creative writing than to a document, thus a reader will not feel at home when reading a thesis in which document layout has been used.

If new paragraphs are begun at the extreme left an extra space of one line should be allowed from the previous paragraph. The alternative to this is to indent, in which case no extra empty line need be left. The first paragraph of a numbered chapter or section should not be indented. Text following lists or mathematical formulae should be indented only if this is intended to be a division between paragraphs.

Some extra space should be left on either side of titles of formulae occupying a separate line. The same holds good for theorems and various definitions. A slightly wider space should be left between the text preceding a title than is left between the title and the text which follows it.

Writers are not recommended to make use of smaller or larger intervals between paragraphs for purposes of indicating closer or looser connections. Even if this is done entirely systematically a reader unused to this in other texts may not perceive the intended semantic relation. It is preferable to express structure and plot through the text.

Mathematical formulae are allocated a separate line if they are lengthy or high or if they are to be given a reference number. Reference numbers should be enclosed in round brackets and placed at the right hand side. Formulae should be placed tastefully, either symmetrically or all beginning from the same point.

Figures and tables should be numbered and captions added. The caption should be no longer than two lines and should not include definitions of terms or symbols. The figure should be inserted close to the point in the body to which is refers. Reference to the respective figures should always be made in the text.

Figures, tables, formulae and theorems should be numbered independent of each other. In small texts simple numbers are sufficient. For more extensive texts two-part numbering may be used, the first part being the number of the chapter. When reference

is made to the number in the text no full stop is necessary after the number of the reference.

The table of contents should be placed on a page of its own. If necessary the subsections may be emphasised by indentation, but these should not be too large; one centimetre is generally sufficient.

8. SummaryThe most important thing about a thesis is content. To convey this content to the reader requires that the organisation, language and layout of the thesis be in order. By following these instructions it is hoped that the main problems will be avoided. These instructions are not binding, they are intended to save writers from dwelling on details of mode of presentation. The most important thing is that the thesis is logical and consistent.

Much of the advice given here may appear tedious and superfluous. It may be difficult for the novice writer to accept that style, presentation and external appearance are not ultimately matters of taste. You may differ in your opinion about the wisdom of these instructions, but not many of us were born readymade writers. What determined the right style is what the reader expects, and this is duly affected by the prevailing practice adopted in writing in the field. It is a sound investment to make one’s own investment to facilitate the work of the reader.

ReferencesPertti Järvinen and Annikki Järvinen. 2003. On Research Methods. Opinpaja, Tampere,

2003.Erkki Viljanen. 1985. Tutkielman tekeminen. Otava.

Appendix 1

Instructions for the abstract page

the bibliographic Tampere University information related to Faculty of Information Technology and Communicationsthe thesis is Master’s Degree Programme in Human-Technology Interactionlocated on the top of John Smith: On Turing Machinesthe page M.Sc. thesis, 55 pages, 2 appendix pages

Jan 2019

line __________________________________________

abstract

The abstract page is located after the title page. It should be only one page. The purpose of an abstract is to give a compact description of the content of the thesis.

When writing an abstract it can be assumed that the reader has only general knowledge on the topic of the thesis. The abstract should be understandable without need to read the complete thesis. The abstract is written as full sentences and not as a list of issues. There must not be any references or quotations in the abstract. All the data and claims presented in the abstract should also be found within the thesis.

The abstract should be as terse and informative as possible containing the following data: field of study, motivation for the research, previous results, your topic, the main results and the conclusions.

Appendix 2

Examples of references

Book- the name of the book is italicised.- all the other words than ”small words” (e.g., and, or, of, the) should be

started with a capital letter. Still, if the name begins with a ”small word” it is started with a capital letter.

Michael A. Harrison. 1987. Introduction to Formal Language Theory. Addison-Wesley, 1978.

Journal article- only the first word is written with a capital letter- the name of the journal is italicised.- the volume number may be followed with the issue number, e.g. 3 (2)- electronic journals do not always use page numbers, you should then give

the number of pages.

Satoshi Kobayashi and Takashi Yokomori. 1997. Learning approximately regular languages with reversible languages. Theoret. Comput. Sci. 174, 251-257.

David Eppstein, Zvi Galil, Giuseppe F. Italiano, and Amnon Nissenzweig. 1997. Sparsification – A technique for speeding up dynamic graph algorithms. J. ACM 44 (5), 669-696.

Sarah Cohen, Werner Nutt, and Yehoshua Sagiv. 2007. Deciding equivalences among conjunctive aggregate queries. J. ACM 54, 2, Article 5, 50 pages.

Conference article- the name of the article as in journal articles- the name of the conference (proceedings) is italicised

Alexander J. Hartemink and David K. Gifford. 1997. Thermodynamic simulation of deoxyoligonucleotide hybridization of DNA computation. In: Proc. of the 3rd DIMACS Workshop on DNA Based Computers, 15-25.

Satoshi Kobayashi and Takashi Yokomorii. 1998. On approximately identifying concept classes in the limit. In: Proc. of the 4th International Workshop on Algorithmic Learning Theory, Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence 997, Springer, 298-312.

Article in a book

Leonard M. Adleman. 1996. On constructing a molecular computer. In: Richard J. Lipton and Eric B. Baum (eds.), DNA Based Computers. American Mathematical Society, 1-21.

Report in departmental series

Marko Junkkari and Marko Niinimäki. 1998. A path-oriented approach to hierarchical concept structures. Report A-1998-4. University of Tampere, Dept. of Computer Science.

Unpublished manuscript

Richard Lipton. 1994. Speeding up computations via molecular biology. Unpublished manuscript, December 9, 1994. Available as http://www.csprinceton.edu/~rjl/bio.ps. Checked May 10, 2016.

Thesis

Joel Mtebe. 2014. Acceptance and Use of eLearning Technologies in Higher Education in East Africa. Ph. D. Dissertation, School of Information Sciences, University of Tampere.