Dayang NurFatimah Awang Iskandar (PhD)

Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology

 Who am I?
- Since 1802

Dr Dayang NurFatimah Awang Iskandar

FCSIT Graduate
1999 is currently a senior
lecturer at the Faculty of
Computer Science & IT,
UNIMAS, Sarawak.
She has a bachelor degree in
information technology, a
master degree in multimedia
computing, and a PhD in
computer science.
Her research is currently
focused on minimising the
gap between image features
and high-level semantics in
medical and agricultural
content-based image retrieval
systems.
She has worked on
techniques for querying an
image collection including:
fusing text accompanying the
images with visual features,
automatic region tagging, and
using ontology to enrich the
semantic meaning of tagged
image regions leading to the
bridging of semantic gap in
content-based image
retrieval.
Outline

• Why write a thesis?

• What is thesis?
• Writing each chapters
• Summary
Why write a thesis?

• It’s the union card for

academia
– You all have to suffer
like we did!

• In the process, you will

learn
– How to research
– How to write
Why write a thesis?

• It will make you famous

– Unlikely

• It will radically change science

– Unlikely
Why write a thesis?

• You get to add “Dr” to your name

– Great aunts, etc. are most impressed

• It will introduce you/your research to a wider

audience

• It will advance our knowledge

– Just a little
– Main benefit is in teaching you to research
Ok, when do I start?

• So I’m motivated
• When do I actually
start writing?
– 6 months before the
end of my grant?
– No, the day you start
your PhD
– Write it all down!
Ok, when do I start?

• So I’m motivated
• When do I actually
start writing?
– 6 months before the
end of my grant?
– No, the day you start
your PhD
– Write it all down!
• Don’t worry, it’s
never too late to start
What a thesis isn’t?

• What I did in the lab over the last 3 years

– I first read the background material
– I then implemented an algorithm
– I ran some experiments
–…

• A thesis is a logical reconstruction

– Not a historical narrative
What a thesis isn’t?

• A brain dump of everything you’ve done

– You get to leave out the dead-ends
– But you have to fill in any obvious gaps!

• A thesis is a logical reconstruction

– With a single coherent message
What a thesis isn’t?

• Available to buy
– Even if www.thesis-
master.com offer
you one at $15/page
– I wish I got those
rates!
What is a thesis?
• Demonstration of an understanding of the state
of the art
– Critical appreciation of existing work

• A novel contribution
– Evaluated systematically
Read some theses?

• Good way to get a feel for thesis

–ECCAI best thesis
–UK BCS best thesis
–UNIMAS best thesis?
Writing a Thesis

• What's the big deal?

• Its long: Psychological factors
• Its long: Document management issues
• Its long: Project management issues
• Its unstructured: Decisions must be made
Master & PhD thesis
• Opens a new area • Produces ambitious
• Provides unifying system
framework • Provides empirical data
• Resolves long-standing • Derives superior
question
algorithms
• Thoroughly explores area
• Develops new
• Contradicts existing
knowledge methodology
• Experimentally validates • Develops new tool
theory • Produces negative
result
So, how do I start?

Thesis message

Table of Content

Timetable

Format and tools

Write to the end

So, how do I start?

• Write a thesis message

–1 sentence
–1 paragraph
–1 page
So, how do I start?

• Write a thesis message

– 1 sentence
– 1 paragraph
– 1 page
• Everything you write should be directed at this
– Thesis (noun).
1. A proposition maintained by argument
2. A dissertation advancing original research
Thesis message

• You’re tackling an important research

problem
–E.g. Sematic gaps

• You’ve made an original contribution to its

resolution
–E.g. automatic semantic representation
of images
What next?

• So, I’ve got a good thesis

message
• What do I do next?
What next?

• So, I’ve got a good thesis

message
• What do I do next?
– Write the table of
contents
– Logical structure of your
thesis
Table of Contents: Organization of the thesis
• Abstract
• Introduction
• Background and Literature review
• Methodology
• Experiment
• Result Analysis and Evaluation
• Discussion
• Conclusions
• References
**Different types of writing might have more/less emphasis
on each of these elements
What next?
• So, I’ve got a good thesis
message
• And a table of contents
• What do I do next?
– Make a timetable
• Targets to meet
• Light at the end of the
tunnel
Timetable
• How long will it take?
• Depends on many factors
– How much you’ve written as papers
–…

• Heavy-tailed distribution
– Min = 2 months (v. rare)
– Max = infinity
– Mean = infinity
– Median = 6-9 months
Timetable
• “Your thesis is your
baby”
– Give it 9 months
• Write it up
• Fill in gaps,
experiments …

• “You have to know

when to let it go”
– Put a fence around
what you’ve done
Timetable

• Make a timetable for each chapter drafts,

reading and correction
Chapter Main Supervisor Co-supervisor You

1 1st 2nd
2 1st
3 2nd 1st
FORMAT? UNIMAS THESIS

• A guideline in “Graduate Studies

Regulation” Research Programmes
• Clause 26 page 18.

• Refer Faculty past thesis

TOOL

• MS Word with referencing support software

– Endnote
– Mandalay

• LaTeX – professional editing tools

– LaTeX macros
– Bib file
– Indexing
– Sty file
Writing a Thesis

• Begin earlier rather than later

• Might do initial literature review while gearing up
for doing work
• If the work naturally falls into project parts, can
write parts as they are completed
• Ideally, you will already have submitted papers
for publication well before completing the thesis.
Depends on the scope of the work.
• Key to success: Make it look like it was done
right!
Writing each Chapter

• Don’t start with the Introduction or

Conclusion
• Start where you feel happiest
–Typically a middle chapter
–Write outwards
–Finally Conclusions
and end with the Introduction
• Write everything with your thesis
message in mind
Nested hourglass model

• The whole thesis

• Each section,
subsection
• Most paragraphs

• Broad focus at
beginning, end;
specifics/narrow focus
in middle
Organization of the thesis

• Abstract
• Introduction
• Background/Lit. review
• Problem statement/research
question
• Methods
• Data presentation
• Experiment
• Result Analysis and Evaluation
• Discussion
• Conclusions
• References
Writing each Chapter - Suggested Sequence
Data/
Methodology

Abstract Experiment

Result Analysis &

Conclusion Evaluation/
Discussion

Introduction
Abstract
• Write this LAST!
• Abstracts should be 1-2 pages and should be self-
contained
• Model after a paper in your field
• Written to attract readers to your article or thesis,
gives a good initial impression
• Summary of the contents of the thesis
• Brief but contains sufficient detail
• motivation for the work (problem statement)
• project objectives
• techniques employed
• main results and conclusions
Introduction
• Write this second to last!

• This is a general introduction to what the thesis is

all about -- it is not just a description of the
contents of each section. Briefly summarize the
question (you will be stating the question in detail
later), some of the reasons why it is a worthwhile
question, and perhaps* give a brief overview of
your main results.

* often done in journal articles, but not usually in

theses
Introduction
• Topic?
– Defines scope and limitations of study
• Importance?
• Background?
• Arrangement of thesis?
• You probably wrote this for your thesis proposal;
REWRITE IT AFTER body of thesis is written
• Look at examples in published literature in your
field
• This section is likely to contain a lot of reference
citations--put your thesis in context of existing
work
Research Question or Problem Statement
• A concise statement of the question that your thesis
or paper tackles
• Justification, by direct reference to previous work,
that your question is previously unanswered. This is
where you analyze the information which you
presented in the “state of the art” section
• Discussion of why it is worthwhile to answer this
question.
• Highlight the section with a heading using words
such as “problem” or “question”
Review of the State of the Art
(Literature review)
• Limited to the state of the art relevant to your
thesis. Again, a specific heading is appropriate;
e.g., “Previous work on Semantic Gaps."
• The idea is to present (not analyze) the major
ideas in the state of the art right up to, but not
including, your own personal brilliant ideas. You
organize this section by idea, and not by author
or by publication.
• Some advisors do not expect a long lit. review for
the thesis proposal or the thesis.
Literature review

• Provides context for and details about the

motivation for the project
• States why the problem is important
• Sets the scene for the work described in
the thesis
• Describes what others have done and
hence sets a benchmark for the current
project
• Justifies the use of specific techniques or
problem solving procedures
Tips for literature review
• Make it a point to keep on top of your field of study by making
regular visits to the library and to the electronic journals
websites.
• When reading a technical paper, jot down the key points and
make a note of the journal or technical publication where the
paper was published.
• Devise a cataloguing system that will allow you to retrieve the
paper quickly. (e.g. use ENDNOTE)
• Make sure that you have read and understood cited work
• Organize your content according to ideas instead of individual
publications.
• Do not simply quote or paraphrase the contents of published
articles. Weave the information into focused views.
Demonstrate your deeper understanding of the topic.
• Do not be tempted to summarize everything you have read;
only include those relevant to your main points.
Data Collection/ Interpretation
• No standard form. But still organized!
• One or several sections and subsections.
• Methods, Data, Interpretation sections are separate
• Only one purpose: to convince the advisor
(reader/reviewer) that you answered the question or
solved the problem stated in the previous section.
• For a proposal: describe methods, preliminary data,
types of data to be collected
Data Collection/ Interpretation
• Present data that is relevant to answering the
question or solving the problem:
– if there were blind alleys and dead ends, do not include
these, unless specifically relevant to the demonstration
that you answered the thesis question.
– Note for some theses it may be important to include these
in an appendix
Methodology

• Setting out an argument based on evidence.

• This evidence may have many different forms and be
gathered by many different methods according to
the discipline and field of inquiry
• Every thesis needs to answer these questions:
1. How did you do your research?
2. How did you do it that way?
• This covers not only the methods used to collect
data and analyse data but also the theoretical
framework that informs
Methodology
• The method should be clear and direct, concise and
straight to the point.
• The methodology should be written chronological
order, always using the past tense.
• In the classic ‘Introduction, Methods, Results,
Discussion’ thesis structure common in experimental,
the discussion of research methods occupies a separate
chapter.
• However, where the research consists of series of
experiments or studies, that are reported separately, it
is more appropriate to devote a chapter with its own
methods section to each study
Method v methodology
don’t use the words interchangeably

Method Methodology
• What you do • The method and its application
• Description of a given procedure • The philosophical underpinnings
• Tools of scientific investigation of a particular method of
• Processes used investigation e.g. scientific
method
• Principles determining how tools
used

Do you need to discuss your methodology?

Writing about methods

Methodology

Choice of method

Explain how your methodology informs your data

collection methods/instruments (more usual in the
social sciences and humanities)

Why would you need to refer back to your

methodology in your analysis and discussion
sections?
Experiment

• Explain step by step on who you’ve conducted the

experiment using the described methodology

• Includes the parameters and setting

RESULT Analysis & Evaluation
• The purpose is to report the findings of your research
• The data is presented in appropriate figures (diagrams,
graphs, tables & photographs)
• Data commentary usually has the following elements:
• Location element
• A summary of the information presented in the
figure
• A highlighting statement to point out what is
significant in all the data presented (eg. trends,
patterns, results that more important than the
others)
RESULT Analysis & Evaluation
• Eg. Table 6.1: ….(you have to prepare the Table in your thesis
by yourself)
• Example of data commentary.
The influents to filter A and B were analysed fully on a number of
occasions, and the averaged results are presented in Table 6.1.
It can be seen from the table that the wastewaters from plants
A and B are of similar composition.

• Location element? (…in Table 6.1)

• Summary (the wastewaters from plants A and B are of similar
composition)
• Highlighting statement (.. the averaged results)
RESULT Analysis & Evaluation

• Commentary on results may include:

1. Explanations
2. Comparisons between results
3. comments on whether the results are expected or
unexpected
4. comments about unsatisfactory data.
RESULT Analysis & Evaluation
The difference between
the incorrect calibration of
expected and obtained may be due to
the instruments.
results

This discrepancy can be attributed to the small sample size.

The anomaly in the can probably be accounted

a defect in the camera.
observations for by

The lack of statistical is probably a consequence weaknesses in the

significance of experimental design.

The difficulty in dating this the limited amount of

would seem to stem from
archeological site organic material available.
RESULT Analysis & Evaluation
Location element: present tense

…the averaged results are presented in Table 6.1.

Table 5 shows…

Summary of procedure:
past tense
Presentation of findings:

The influents to filter A and B were analysed fully on a number of occasions,…

The ranges of metal atom concentrations … were found to overlap.

Comments: present tense

This discrepancy can be attributed to the small sample size.

Discussion

• In the discussion of your findings you have an opportunity to

develop the story you found in the data,
• making connections between the results of your analysis
and existing theory and research.
• While the amount of discussion required in a thesis may
vary according to discipline,
• all disciplines expect some interpretation of the findings
that makes these connections.
Discussion

• The purpose of the Discussion is to state your

interpretations and opinions,
• explain the implications of your findings, and make
suggestions for future research.
• Its main function is to answer the questions posed in the
Introduction,
• explain how the results support the answers and,
• how the answers fit in with existing knowledge on the topic.
Discussion
Research question
• In your discussion you must draw together your research question and your
own research results.
• If the discussion is in a self-contained chapter or section you will need to
briefly summarise the major findings that come from the research and relate
them to what you originally proposed to find out.
• If your research is testing a hypothesis, you need to answer these questions:
1. Do your research findings support your initial hypothesis? Why and how?
2. Do your findings only support the hypothesis in part? Why and how?
3. Do your findings disprove your hypothesis? Why and how?
4. What else do your findings tell you, over and above what you initially set
out to investigate?
Discussion

Relation to other research

• Since one of the requirements of a doctorate is to make a

contribution to knowledge, it is essential to show how your
results fit in with other work that has been done in your field.
• Point out the agreements and disagreements between your
data and that of others.
• In presenting your own interpretation of the results, consider
the strengths and weaknesses of alternative interpretations
from the literature.
Discussion
Implications

• Another aspect of making clear the contribution of your

research is to draw out the implications of your findings.
• Depending on the nature or your research, these will probably
be related:

1. to current theory
2. technical applications
3. professional practice
Discussion

Writing your discussion

• The skill in writing a successful discussion is in moving

backwards and forwards between others' research and your
own research, making it clear:

1. which has been done by other people

2. which has been done by you
3. and how they complement each other.
Discussion
How do you differentiate your own research from previous research?
•You might use the first person to describe your findings, e.g. ‘Our data shows...';
•You might need to consistently refer to your own research as 'This study..' 'The
findings of this research...‘
• and referring to previous research as by name, place or time: 'Smith and Geva
found that...'; A previous study in Belgrade...'; or by reference to similarities or
differences in approach or findings 'Similar research carried out in the 1980s
showed that...'.
•You might need to consistently refer to your own research in the present tense
and other research in the past, e.g. 'This study shows a prevalence rate of 2.5
which is greater than that found by Smith and Geva in their Belgrade study...'
Discussion

How do you differentiate your own research from previous research?

• (Alternatively you might use the present perfect to highlight the recent
relevance of your research in comparison with earlier research which would
then be placed in the simple past, eg: 'This study has shown to be more
efficient than that found by Smith and Geva (2014) in their study...' )

Remember that you are dealing with three different issues and the
three must be clearly differentiated for the reader.
Conclusion
Be meticulous about the final chapter

• By now you have completed your research, identified results, drawn

conclusions and written most of the work. You are ready to construct the final
and concluding chapter of your thesis.

• This is your last opportunity to show the examiner/s the strength of the
research and of your expertise as a researcher.

• This chapter has to bring together all the scholarly elements that you have
already developed in your work, the reading, the established literature in the
area, a summary of your research findings, and in particular their importance
and implications for the discipline.
Conclusion

• Demonstrate finally how your current findings connect with earlier work, with
practice, with existing theory, with opportunities for future research and if
relevant, how theory has been developed by virtue of the work.

• Go back and read your introductory chapter and have a look at the stated
aims of the research. Now, in the concluding chapter, you will show how you
have fulfilled the aims.

• It is important to connect this chapter with your introductory chapter,

showing how you achieved what you set out to do.
Conclusion
Present and discuss the main findings of your research
•You will have already presented specific conclusions drawn from
the results of each stage of your investigation in earlier chapters of
your thesis.

•In the discussion section of the thesis, you will have drawn some
conclusions. These can now be created into a series of well
organised conclusions of the work as a whole and should connect
with the original project aims, its importance and the ways in which
it contributes to the knowledge of the discipline.

•In the Conclusions chapter, you present the broad general

conclusions of the entire investigation.
Conclusion
• Remember: conclusions are not summaries. They are not just
short descriptions or a short account of your findings.

• Conclusions show the significance of the research for

knowledge in the discipline - what is new and important about
your work.

• Because you are conveying your findings as current reality they

are written basically in the present tense.
Conclusion

Implications of findings

• You will need to identify and demonstrate the

implications of your findings, what your research
means in terms of practice or understanding, ideas or
theory.
Conclusion
Limitations of the research

• Within the concluding chapter, you will discuss limitations of the

research.
• While you will present confidence regarding the scholarly aspect
of your research, your findings and the significance of the work,
you will simultaneously show humility in recognising that it is still
only an in depth study into a very tiny aspect of the field.
• That is all it can purport to be. While you may succeed in doing
that exceptionally well, you will also need to demonstrate that
you appreciate that it is limited.
Conclusion

• Additionally, even within the most comprehensive and large

scale study, there are limitations by virtue of the possible scope,
methodological restrictions, and practical realities.

• All claims and generalisations therefore, have to be tempered

by this knowledge, and should be made using cautious
language.
Conclusion

Recommendations for future work

• It is generally accepted as good practice to recommend areas

and possibilities for further research and future work that is
indicated by the present project.

• The study should open up new questions that can be addressed

in the future. In this section you will suggest various useful ways
of extending the scope of the research presented in the thesis.
References

Refer Graduate Studies Regulation – Research Programme

(Clause 26.6 (x): Literature citation and Referencing; page 21-22
and clause 26.6 (xi): Bibliographic examples (Harvard style);
page 22
Appendices

Refer Graduate Studies Regulation – Research

Programme (Clause 26.6 (xii): Appendices (Optional);
page 22
Data presentation
• Draft your figures first: (A picture is worth a
thousand words)
• Make captions stand alone
• Use enough figures to present the data that justifies
your interpretations and conclusions. No more, no
less. (Don’t use 1000 words when 500 will do)
• Write your text around your figures
Use the proper tools (for your research AND
your writing)
• Spreadsheets, analysis
tools
• Plotting programs
• Graphics programs
• ENDNOTE
• Writing resources
• Start learning these
before you collect the
data (e.g., during the
thesis proposal process)
Focus on one important thing in each
paragraph

Each paragraph needs a topic

sentence
Contents of paragraph should only
relate to that topic
Use Outline view to see and revise
this
A few words on form

• Format: Typography, layout

– Follow the CGS guidelines for a thesis, journal
guidelines for a paper
– Plan ahead! (e.g. do you really need 50 color figures?)
• Mechanics:
– Grammar
– Usage
– Punctuation
– spelling
Shed light on your subject:
clarity is everything
Avoid convoluted writing
Avoid ornate language, words you don’t really
understand (look it up!)
Resources for style, word use, etc.
• How To Write A Dissertation or Bedtime Reading
For People Who Do Not Have Time To Sleep
– http://www.cs.purdue.edu/homes/dec/essay.dissertation.html
Example of a term to avoid:
– ``this'', ``that'' As in ``This causes concern.'' Reason:
``this'' can refer to the subject of the previous
sentence, the entire previous sentence, the entire
previous paragraph, the entire previous section, etc.
For example, in: ``X does Y. This means ...'' the reader
can assume ``this'' refers to Y or to the fact that X does
it. Even when restricted (e.g., ``this computation...''),
the phrase is weak and often ambiguous.
Common mistakes

• Informal text
– Examiners will jump on
imprecision
• Opinions
“.. The main problem in CP is
modelling ..”
– A thesis is an argument!
“.. A major bottleneck
preventing the uptake of CP
is modelling [Freuder, AAAI-
98]
Common mistakes

• Complex sentences
full of long words
– A thesis should be a
simple, convincing
argument!

• Entertainment or
humour
– Joke footnote
Common problems

• It’s never possible to

cover all issues
– So you will never
finish?
– It’s sometimes enough
to identify the issues
– Examiners greatly
appreciate finding a
few mistakes
Common problems

• Much of your thesis is

joint work
– Identify some work that is
yours alone
– Include a statement at the
start of your contributions:

“Results from this thesis

appear in the following
publications. Whilst much of
this thesis is joint work with my
supervisor, I made significant
contributions to Chapters 3-6.
In particular, … . “
Common problems

• Ideas become obvious

to you
– You stop writing to a
sufficient level of detail
– Especially hurts the
opening chapters as
they are often written
last
Common problems

• Writing too much

– There are rules about
maximum length
– But rarely rules about the
minimum

• Nash’s PhD thesis

– 27 pages long
– Won him a Nobel prize

Je n'ai fait celle-ci plus longue que parce que je n'ai pas eu le
loisir de la faire plus courte. Blaise Pascal, 1657
Common problems

• At some point, your

brain will surely
become toast
– Take a break
– Eat properly, exercise,
sleep …

• Toasted brain is only

temporary
– Just look at me?
What to expect from your advisor?

• Your not in this on

your own

• Your supervisor is on
your side
– Your success is their
success
What to expect from your advisor?

• Intellectual support
– Quality assurance
– What standard a thesis
should reach
– Indication of when to stop

• Emotional support
– Encouragement
– Constructive atmosphere
What not to expect from your advisor?

• Smiles
– If draft chapters contain
simple spelling mistakes
and typos

• Mind-reading skills
– Motivation dipping
– Absence = illness
Defending your thesis

• Specific to the country

– Private or Public?
– 2 to 9 jury members?
– Talk or Questions?
– Corrections allowed or
expected?
Defending your thesis

• Don’t panic
– You’re probably the world’s
expert on this topic by now!

• Your examiners are

human
– They’ve sat in your seat
– They will help you find what
changes (if any) are needed
to make this the required
quality
Defending your thesis

• Enjoy it
– You’ve the world’s experts in
the room
– They want to talk about your
work
– How often will that happen in
the future?

• If you want, have a practice

– Get your supervisor to set up a
“dummy” jury
– Prepare your opening
statement
What are examiners looking for?
• Review of literature • Methodology
– Is the literature
relevant?
– Is the review critical or
just descriptive?
– Is it comprehensive?
– Does it link to the
methodology in the
thesis?
– Does it summarize the
essential aspects?
– Is there a clear
hypothesis?
– Are precautions taken
against bias?
– Are the limitations
identified?
– Is the data collected
appropriately?
– Is the methodology
justified?
What are examiners looking for?
• Presentation of results • Discussion and
– Have the hypotheses in
fact been tested?
– Are the results shown to
support the hypothesis?
– Is the data properly
analysed?
– Are the results
presented clearly?
– Are patterns identified
and summarized?
Conclusions
– Are the limits of the
research identified?
– Are the main points to
emerge identified?
– Are links made to the
literature?
– Is there theoretical
development?
– Are the speculations
well grounded?
It’s all over

• You’ve finished writing &

defending your thesis
• What do you do next?
It’s all over

• You’ve finished writing &

defending your thesis
• What do you do next?
– Turn it into a book
– Publish some journal
articles around it
– Make copies for your
parents, …
– Make a copy for yourself
• Or end up like me!
It’s all over

• You’ve finished writing

& defending your
thesis
• What do you do next?
– Just think, you’ll never
have to do it again!
Good Books
Rule of Three
• Within each chapter, repeat
yourself 3 times
– Intro. We will show ..
– Body. Show them ..
– Concl. We have shown ..

• Within thesis, repeat your

contributions 3 times
– Intro chapter
– Main chapters
– Conclusion chapter

• But don’t bore reader

– E.g. in introduction be brief, in
conclusions be broader
Think-Plan-Write-Revise