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how-to-write-a-masters-thesis [2021/12/13 12:59] strakova [The Content] article |
how-to-write-a-masters-thesis [2021/12/15 10:47] strakova [Me or We] |
That generates roughly the following course of action: | That generates roughly the following course of action: |
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* **Minus 4 semesters, aka 1st winter semester (1st year):** Starting your first semester as a master's student. Before the end of this semester, start looking around for a possible topic of your thesis. There are two ways to select your topic: | * **1st year winter semester:** Starting your first semester as a master's student. Before the end of this semester, start looking around for a possible topic of your thesis. There are two ways to select your topic: |
- The majority of people go to the module Thesis (Selection of subject) in the [[https://is.mff.cuni.cz/|Study Information System (SIS)]] which lists an offer of yet unsubscribed theses. If any of them catches your eye, contact the supervisor by e-mail. | - You can go to the module Thesis (Selection of subject) in the [[https://is.mff.cuni.cz/|Study Information System (SIS)]] which lists an offer of yet unsubscribed theses. If any of them catches your eye, contact the supervisor by e-mail. |
- If you have a cool topic in mind, you can also approach a prospective supervisor with your idea and ask if they would be willing to supervise you. | - If you have a cool topic in mind, you can also approach a prospective supervisor with your idea and ask if they would be willing to supervise you. |
Intriguingly, there is even an official deadline for ''Recommended period for deciding master's thesis topics'' in the oh-so-important [[https://www.mff.cuni.cz/en/students/academic-calendar/|Academic Calendar]]. As of 2022, it was Feb 11, just three days before the official start of the summer semester. It is only recommended, though, but gives the idea about the expected timing. | - You can also approach a prospective advisor if they would be willing to supervise you and then discuss a potential topic. |
* **Minus 3 semesters, aka 1st summer semester (1st year):** Having agreed with you supervisor, enrol to the first of the three master's thesis courses in the [[https://is.mff.cuni.cz/|Study Information System (SIS)]]. Most of the communication with your supervisor is conveyed via email, with preferably regular, but sometimes occassional meetings in person (replace person by zoom in covid times). In this semester, you will likely get acquainted with the topic: You will be assigned some scientific papers to read, probably learn new technologies, get access to computation grid, etc. At the end of this semester, your supervisor will grant you credit for the first master's thesis course. | * **1st year summer semester:** Having agreed with you supervisor, enrol to the first of the three master's thesis courses in the [[https://is.mff.cuni.cz/|Study Information System (SIS)]]. Most of the communication with your supervisor is conveyed via email, with preferably regular, but sometimes occassional meetings in person (replace person by zoom in covid times). In this semester, you will likely get acquainted with the topic: You will be assigned some scientific papers to read, probably learn new technologies, get access to computation grid, etc. At the end of this semester, your supervisor will grant you credit for the first master's thesis course. |
* **Minus 2 semesters, aka 2nd winter semester (2nd year)**: Again, don't forget to enrol for the second of the master's thesis courses. In this semester, some serious coding usually happens. If you haven't started in the previous semester, you will probably design experiments, guided by your supervisor. You will implement code for these experiments, run it on the computational grid. If your thesis is more practical one, you may implement an application. This semester is very busy and if your topic was chosen well, it is usually (at least mildly) fun :) At the end of semester, you will be granted credit for the course. | * **2nd year winter semester**: Again, don't forget to enrol for the second of the master's thesis courses. In this semester, some serious coding usually happens. If you haven't started in the previous semester, you will probably design experiments, guided by your supervisor. You will implement code for these experiments, run it on the computational grid. If your thesis is more practical one, you may implement an application. This semester is very busy and if your topic was chosen well, it is usually (at least mildly) fun :) At the end of semester, you will be granted credit for the course. |
* **Minus 1 semester, aka 2nd summer semester**: Finishing the experiments, polishing your application. But mostly, the writing. I will say more about the actual writing later in the following sections. Again, hopefully, you will be credited and will pass the third and last of the master's thesis courses at the end of this semester. | * **2nd year summer semester**: Finishing the experiments, polishing your application. But mostly, the writing. I will say more about the actual writing later in the following sections. Again, hopefully, you will be credited and will pass the third and last of the master's thesis courses at the end of this semester. |
* **End of study**: Prior to being admitted to final exams, one has to have successfully cleared any other pending duties of the master's study, such as passed the mandatory exams and collected credits in sufficient amount, according to the specifications of your study programme. The master's programme is finished by taking a final exam, which consists of two parts: | * **End of study**: Prior to being admitted to final exams, one has to have successfully cleared any other pending duties of the master's study, such as passed the mandatory exams and collected credits in sufficient amount, according to the specifications of your study programme. The master's programme is finished by taking a final exam, which consists of two parts: |
- Master's study defence (''obhajoba'' in Czech): requires submitting the electronic (PDF) and the paper (hardcover) version of the thesis in the appointed [[https://www.mff.cuni.cz/en/students/academic-calendar/|deadline]], enrolling for the exam in the [[https://is.mff.cuni.cz/|Study Information System (SIS)]] (again, the in the official [[https://www.mff.cuni.cz/en/students/academic-calendar/|deadline]]) and obviously, showing up for the defence. More about the actual thesis defence later. | - Master's study defence (''obhajoba'' in Czech): requires submitting the electronic (PDF) and the paper (hardcover) version of the thesis in the appointed [[https://www.mff.cuni.cz/en/students/academic-calendar/|deadline]], enrolling for the exam in the [[https://is.mff.cuni.cz/|Study Information System (SIS)]] (again, the in the official [[https://www.mff.cuni.cz/en/students/academic-calendar/|deadline]]) and obviously, showing up for the defence. More about the actual thesis defence later. |
The very fist question I usually get is ''"How much do I have to write?"''. As far as I know, there is no official number anywehere, so I'm just going to speak from experience: A master's thesis most probably non-rejectable on the basis of ''"too few text"'' if it consists of absolute minimum of 40-50 A4 pages of content, not including the front page, acknowledgements, table of contents, bibliography & appendices. That is, the Conclusion Section should appear on page 40-50. | The very fist question I usually get is ''"How much do I have to write?"''. As far as I know, there is no official number anywehere, so I'm just going to speak from experience: A master's thesis most probably non-rejectable on the basis of ''"too few text"'' if it consists of absolute minimum of 40-50 A4 pages of content, not including the front page, acknowledgements, table of contents, bibliography & appendices. That is, the Conclusion Section should appear on page 40-50. |
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==== Me or We==== | ==== Me or We ==== |
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Most scientific contributions were achieved in a team and it is therefore customary to write publications in plural, as in ''"We present"'', ''"We implemented"'' and ''"We conclude that..."''. If you are a single author of the work, though, opinions differ on the choice of singular (''"I"'') and plural (''"We"''). Some even say a third person should be used as in ''"The researcher found out that..."'' It is generally advisable to avoid the singular/plural choice wherever you can by using impersonal passive voice, such as ''"The research shows that..."'', ''"The findings suggest that..."''. The active voice singular (''"I"'') would then be kept for sentences in which you underscore your particular contribution: ''"I implemented"'', ''"I measured"''. Even the use of ''"We"'' throughout the thesis in all places where you are clearly referring to you as a single author, is acceptable. Using a plural ''"we"'' instead of singular ''"I"'' in scientific writings is supposedly called [[https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autorsk%C3%BD_plur%C3%A1l|''pluralis auctoris'']] and Wikipedia says it is more common towards the East (hence the Wiki page is only in a few languages, including Czech, but excluding English). That being said, the choice is really yours. | Most scientific contributions were achieved in a team and it is therefore customary to write publications in plural, as in ''"We present"'', ''"We implemented"'' and ''"We conclude that..."''. If you are a single author of the work, though, opinions differ on the choice of singular (''"I"'') and plural (''"We"''). Some even say a third person should be used as in ''"The researcher found out that..."'' It is generally advisable to avoid the singular/plural choice wherever you can by using impersonal passive voice, such as ''"The research shows that..."'', ''"The findings suggest that..."''. The active voice singular (''"I"'') would then be kept for sentences in which you underscore your particular contribution: ''"I implemented"'', ''"I measured"''. Even the use of ''"We"'' throughout the thesis in all places where you are clearly referring to you as a single author, is acceptable. Using a plural ''"we"'' instead of singular ''"I"'' in scientific writings is supposedly called [[https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autorsk%C3%BD_plur%C3%A1l|''pluralis auctoris'']] and Wikipedia says it is more common towards the East (hence the Wiki page is only in a few languages, including Czech, but excluding English). That being said, the choice is really yours. |
* Conclusions | * Conclusions |
* Bibliography | * Bibliography |
* Appendices | * Attachments |
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I describe [[how-to-write-a-masters-thesis-content|each section]] in detail on a separate page. | I describe [[how-to-write-a-masters-thesis-content|each section]] in detail on a separate page. |
===== Submitting the Thesis ==== | ===== Submitting the Thesis ==== |
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Don't fall in the ''PDF/A'' trap! The electronic system requires all submitted PDF in PDF/A format and there is an automatic check for PDF/A. Allow yourself enough time to find out how to convert your PDF into PDF/A (like, not in the last two hours before deadline midnight). | Don't fall in the ''PDF/A'' trap! The electronic system requires all submitted PDF in PDF/A format and there is an automatic check for PDF/A. Allow yourself enough time to find out how to convert your PDF into PDF/A (like, not in the last two hours before deadline midnight). Some good advice on PDF/A, unfortunately only in Czech, can be found [[https://mj.ucw.cz/vyuka/bc/pdfaq.html|here]]. |
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