Science Theses. An insider's guide to writing a successful thesis or dissertation

Approached by many students with trepidation, the writing of a thesis or dissertation is a core aspect of many educational systems. Often poorly prepared for the task ahead, students are required to produce possibly the largest and most important document that will ever be requested of them and subject to seemingly obscure rules, regulations and conventions. This book sets out to provide core information on how theses are structured in many scientific disciplines, explaining the reasons that a conventional form has developed and assisting those who wish to write their own thesis based on their project research. The book is principally structured around the writing, structure and proofreading of a thesis based on the experimental sciences. Conventional thesis structures are described and the roles of specific sections such as the introduction, experimental, results, discussion and conclusion are identified. Skills such as the more advanced features of word processing, graph drawing, errors, referencing etc. are discussed. The book attempts to explain why the choice of one thesis structure or element may be effective, whilst others are unsuccessful. Culminating from many years examining and proofreading both undergraduate and postgraduate level theses, an insight is given into how and why examiners develop their opinions on the quality of a thesis, based on the strengths and weaknesses they identify. Whilst primarily directed at the Masters or doctoral postgraduate degree level, the principles involved will be equally applicable to undergraduate students writing longer project reports based on the experimental sciences and engineering.