2024-05-03
Last time: thesis format and global + local clarity
Today: thesis sections + how to get started writing
Hands-on session
Rearrange in groups of 2 students
Search bit.ly/uci-honors-worksheet
Make your own copy
Pick a paper in your area from bit.ly/uci-honors-examples
Different strategies:
After the project is concluded: Project –> Writing
During project development: Project –> Writing -> Project -> …
Can even think of thesis before starting on the project: Writing -> Project -> … More about this today!
Good to ask your advisor if they have a specific deadline in mind?
Abstract - overview of the project
Introduction - what is your project about?
Background - what has been done before/what is known?
Methods - what did you do and how?
Results - what did you find out?
Discussion - what do your findings mean?
Why do we write it?
How can we achieve that? A simple way:
XXX is important because of YYY. Previous studies demonstrated / have neglected ZZZ. In this work we do QQQ. We find that BBB. Our study suggests that KKK.
One sentence per section is a good rule of thumb, but other ways can work too:
[Abstract from honors thesis submitted in a past year. Only shared within UCI honors class. Hidden in public version of workshop for protection of students’ data.]
You: How do you think this abstract could be enhanced?
My opinion: Shrink a bit the background information while add something specific about results and takeaways!
Workout (8 min)
Complete section Abstract in your copy of the worksheet.
Raise your hand for questions/feedback.
[Quotes from survey responses about challenges of writing an abstract. Actual response hidden in public version of workshop for protection of students’ data.]
Tip
Try to be as done as possible with all sections before writing the abstract.
Then, re-read your whole paper (or thesis), think what the one or two main points of each section were, and write one sentence for each point/couple points.
Refine from there.
Questions/comments about the abstract? :)
What’s it for?
Your introduction should give answers to these questions:
What topic has your work been about?
What are some of the most important aspects of this topic?
Why is this topic relevant to society and/or to your scientific community?
What is known about this topic and what is still unclear?
How does your thesis connect to what is known and unknown of this topic?
Challenges
My advice
Stretch your mind further into the paper: what does the reader need to know in order to understand and appreciate your methods and results?
My advice
What is something you think is particularly exciting of this topic - make sure you communicate that excitement!
More challenges
My advice
As you write, think that every undergraduate student should be able to follow your introduction.
You can be specific, but be gentle, e.g. remind the reader of definitions.
You can write obvious things to establish the grounds, e.g. Developing new cyber-security tools is ever more important. Pro-move is back it up with figures/statements from a reputable source, e.g. as demonstrated by a 30 percent increase in the number of cyber incidents recorded in 2023 by Orange Cyberdefense, one of the leading security providers [citation].
Workout (8 min)
Complete section Introduction in your copy of the worksheet.
Raise your hand for questions/feedback.
Two types of information:
Summary of the things you have learned that enabled you to carry out this project
Summary of what the reader needs to know in order to understand your methods and results
Can start writing the first as soon as possible. Need to go back to the second point after you are done with Results.
What did you do and how?
Important to give enough details so your project is reproducible! (can use an appendix if needed)
Great if you make a visualization to summarize your methods
Workout (8 min)
Complete section methods in your copy of the worksheet.
Raise your hand for questions/feedback.
Focus on a few, well explained points (e.g. 1 or 2 main results)
Think how you would visualize these results best
Make these visualizations and write “around” the visualizations
Tip
How to write a paper
Start from thinking how you would visualize the results: what will your main figures be?
Then, in reverse, plan introduction, background and methods that lead the reader to understand and appreciate these results.
This process can be done at the beginning of the project, to help you visualize where you want to get!
Workout (8 min)
Complete section Results in your copy of the worksheet.
Raise your hand for questions/feedback.
Some groups come discuss their ideas for results, if time allows
Some strategies for starting writing a thesis (or one of its section) from scratch that lend itself into a good overall thesis (e.g. start from results, from an image or a table)
Writing the thesis can be helpful for us to understand/develop our project