Surviving the Thesis

PS4019/4507: “You’ve read the book, you’ve seen the movie, now…

experience the real thing”

• How is it assessed?• How and when do I start the process?• Searching for Literature• How should I begin writing-up?• When should I finish? • The Finished Product • What is APA format ?• The Poster Session• I sleep, drink, eat my thesis

How is it assessed?

Poster Presentation = 5%(Date in Elphinstone Hall usually mid-February)Thesis = 95%Double-marked by two people (your supervisor and

one other—not nominated by him or her!)Submission Date: Friday April 30th 2009 for Single

Honours Students and Friday 7th of May 2009 for Joint Honours Students

No extensionsPenalty of 3 CAS marks for late submission and 1

CAS for each additional day.

Assessment

When assigning a mark, supervisors will

mark the written thesis on its merit however they

will reflect upon the following:

The Idea

Theoretical Content

Experimental Design

Data Analysis and Interpretation - Discussion

Assessment

Supervisors will also reflect upon:

Recruitment

Testing materials

Length of testing

Ability to manage workload

Ability to plan work

Assessment

Criteria (Thesis Handbook):

Literature Review

1 = very low/poor; 5 = very high/very good

How relevant?

Critically appraised?

Effectively linked to project?

Hypotheses Stated

Assessment

Methodology

1 = very low/poor; 5 = very high/very good

Appropriate?

Justified?

How well reported?

Allow for replication?

Assessment

Results

1 = very low/poor; 5 = very high/very good

How clearly presented?

Appropriate Statistical Analysis?

Analyses conducted properly?

Analyses reported properly?

Assessment

Discussion

1 = very low/poor; 5 = very high/very good

Adequate summary of findings?

Results interpreted properly?

Proper discussion of implications?

Aware of limitations of the study?

Assessment

References

1 = very low/poor; 5 = very high/very good

All references cited?

Citations presented properly?

Assessment

Overall

1 = very low/poor; 5 = very high/very good

Clearly written?

Presentation?

Coherence?

Adds to existing findings?

Comments

Assessment

University Common Assessment Scale

20, 19, 18 = 1st Class

17, 16, 15 = Upper Second Class

12, 13, 14 = Lower Second Class

9, 10, 11 = Third Class

8 or Below = Fail

Thesis = 2 Units of Assessment

How & When do I start the process?

Yesterday Meet your supervisor ASAP Negotiate How much direction do you want? How much direction does he or she want to

give you? Read specific research studies

Starting the process

Open a file (and keep a backup). Keep brief notes on the studies you read. What did the authors do, find, and conclude? Is this study relevant to your project – in what way? Keep and update notes on the thesis, record points that you want to make, literature that you wish to include, etc.

Building Blocks for the literature review and Introduction

Searching for Literature Electronic databases (e.g. PubMed, MetaLib,

Google Scholar) Each “record” has journal, authors, author

addresses, abstracts, abbrev. ref lists Interlibrary loan – ask supervisor Contact the authors and ask for a reprint? Find an author’s homepage and download Where possible, avoid secondary sources,

use books carefully, include primary sources.

How should I begin writing-up?

Variation amongst supervisors - some will request a literature review before testing

Method section first? Good for morale. Results Section Return to literature Review or Notes collected

during the early stages of the process Discussion Abstract References

When should I finish?

Data collection: Every project is different – Poster Session – February

Supervisor should comment on only one draft--section by section or the complete work – but not on the discussion.

You can discuss your discussion with your supervisor!

When should I finish?

Not against the rules to ask friends for comments on clarity etc. (but do NOT plagiarise)

Do not underestimate the time needed for Tables of Contents, Checking References, Formatting, Acknowledgements, Appendices, ‘Packaging’

The Finished Product

See Marking Criteria Look at Thesis Guidelines Handbook Losing and Gaining Altitude Guiding the reader – subheadings and linking

sentences

The Finished Product

Maximum length=9000 words (Joint Research Project: 5000)

Other student theses on a similar topic?

Don’t be too ambitious!

The Finished Product

What about the different sections of the thesis – how long?

Look at your Method and Results Sections – are these written as clearly and as succinctly as possible?

Introduction and Discussion References do not count in the word count As your supervisor

What is APA format?

A very specific set of rules regarding headings, section names, style and references

Any APA journal in our library The publication manual (a copy to look at in

the office and copies in heavy demand) Look at the sample paper! Copy the style

The Poster Session

Middle of February Follow Guidelines in Thesis Handbook. Six sheets of A4. Big Font. Simple and easy

for colleagues to read and understand the gist of your thesis

Use Figures--learn how to import them into word from Excel or SPSS.

Concise and precise – difficult. Essential details only.

“I sleep, drink, eat my thesis”

It is a big piece of work=2 units Generally speaking, prepared work grades

are better than examinations… It doesn’t have to cure any major diseases It doesn’t have to break new ground in

contemporary psychology Aim for adequacy! Then exceed your aim