Preparing your Thesis Document

The Writing Process and Thesis Structure

The production of a thesis is the culmination of any graduate program. The research embodied in the thesis and the actual writing of the document are essential elements of graduate training. Long after course work and term papers are forgotten, the thesis endures as a lasting record of a graduate student's accomplishment. With that in mind, we offer some suggestions on how to approach this challenging task.

The proper presentation of thesis work is very important. The key to good presentation is organization and clarity. Just as a properly organized computer program is the result of applying a methodology during program development, a properly organized thesis is the result of applying a methodology when developing the thesis. A top-down approach using iterative refinement is as applicable to the writing of a thesis (or a paper) as it is to the design of computer systems. A preliminary outline is expanded to a detailed outline, and then to initial drafts of each of the subsections.

Each chapter, section, and subsection should have an introduction (stating the content and purpose), a body, and a conclusion (summarizing the important points presented and possibly establishing a lead-in to the next unit). It is wise to review each thesis chapter, possibly with your thesis supervisor, at each level of refinement. The end product of such a process is almost always more understandable than starting at page one and writing until a final page becomes necessary.

Writing Style

Clarity is very important in scientific writing. Although clarity cannot be equated to simplicity, there is certainly a high degree of correlation. Since the material you are presenting is of a highly technical nature and is difficult enough to understand, the use of highly complex sentence structures will add little to the comprehensibility of a paper or a thesis. Unless you are particularly adept with prose, simple straightforward sentence structures are recommended. A number of commonly accepted rules for good writing style should be followed (for example, always write in the present tense and avoid writing in the first or second person). Most students would benefit from reading some books on the subject of writing style available in the library or bookstore (for example, A Manual for Writers by Kate L. Turabian or The Elements of Style by W. Strunk and E. B. White). A Handbook for Scholars by Mary-Claire van Leunen is recommended as an excellent guide to the technical issues of form. Another useful publication is the Chicago Manual of Style from the University of Chicago.

Formatting

The format of a thesis is also important, and it is the student's responsibility to ensure that the correct format is followed. In particular, attention should be given to matters such as title page, table of contents, abstract, list of figures, list of tables, footnotes, quotations, figure captions, table captions, references and citations, and appendices. Each department maintains certain conventions within the guidelines set out by the College of Graduate Studies and Research (see the guidelines for thesis preparation, available on-line at the College of Graduate Studies web site). It is suggested that previous theses from the Department be examined for guidance. While the use of the computer-based text-processing facilities is encouraged for thesis preparation, the use of such facilities do not provide license for you to depart from acceptable standards--especially with respect to the production and placement of figures and tables, headings, margin size, or the size of print.

Templates

These document templates will assist in the production of a thesis document that corresponds to CGSR rules for thesis formatting.