Format of the Thesis

In form, the thesis is a lengthy experimental, design, or theoretical report, with a problem-method-results-discussion structure. This recurrent hypothetico-deductive pattern of developing a thesis to solve a problem and then constructing a methodology and testing for results is common in research writing. A thesis can be divided into:

Front Matter/ Preliminaries

The front matter frames the thesis work. It includes these elements:

Title page. Each institution has a standard title page form you are required to follow. The title should be informative, contain keywords, and reveal the topic of the thesis. Include the title, author, thesis supervisor, place, and date.
Abstract. Briefly state the (1) research problem, (2) methodology, (3) key results, and (4) conclusion. Generally, abstracts are between 100 and 150 words.
Table of contents. List the key subject headings and subheadings of your thesis with their page numbers. Number the front-matter section in lowercase roman numerals. Be sure to list acknowledgments, appendices, and bibliography.
List of figures. Include the figure numbers, figure titles, and page numbers.
List of tables. Include the table numbers, table titles, and page numbers.
Nomenclature (optional). List unfamiliar terms, symbols, acronyms and their meanings.

Body

In the thesis body, you provide the introduction, narrative, and analysis of your work. The body includes these elements:

Introduction

Introduction presents the problem being investigated and provides background information and rationale for the research. It gives the context and importance) of the problem. It usually also serves as a frame within which the reader reads the rest of the thesis. Introduction provides background information related to the need for the research and builds an argument for the research. The introduction of the thesis may present a theoretical starting point and may also present personal motivations behind undertaking the particular research. It also presents research question(s) and aims & objectives detailing the criteria for your research.

Introduction gives an outline of subsequent chapters. Thus the Introduction establishes the purpose of the investigation, develops the theoretical basis for your design or experimental work, including any governing equations. Detailed calculations go to an appendix.

Review of literature (citing previous work by others)

A literature review is a comprehensive summary of previous research on a topic. The literature review surveys scholarly articles, books, and other sources relevant to that particular area of research which is related to problem under consideration. The review should enumerate, describe, summarize, objectively evaluate and clarify the previous research. Review of literature shows the reader/examiner that you are familiar with issues and debates in the field (you need to explain these and discuss the main ideas). The main function of the Review of literature is to show the reader that there is an area in this field to which the present study can contribute. Thus, the review must be critically analytical.

A literature review discusses published information in a particular subject area, and sometimes information in a particular subject area within a certain time period. A literature review can be just a simple summary of the sources, but it usually has an organizational pattern and combines both summary and synthesis and consequently analysis of the research done in the field. Review of Literature traces the intellectual progression of the field, including major debates. And depending on the situation, the literature review may evaluate the sources and advise the reader on the most pertinent or relevant. The focus of a literature review, however, is to summarize and synthesize the arguments and ideas of others without adding new contributions.

Literature reviews provide you with a handy guide to a particular topic. If you have limited time to conduct research, literature reviews can give you an overview or act as a stepping stone. For professionals, they are useful reports that keep them up to date with what is current in the field. For scholars, the depth and breadth of the literature review emphasizes the credibility of the writer in his or her field. Literature reviews also provide a solid background for a research paper’s investigation. Comprehensive knowledge of the literature of the field is essential to most research papers. You must remember to discuss theory which is directly relevant to your research.

This is the section where you cite the most, where your use of verb tense becomes most important in conveying subtle meanings, where you must beware of unwarranted repetition. Generally avoid the Future tense. Only use either present or past tense. Present tense is used to describe the writer's point of view regarding the previous research. Past Tense is used to describe/present the previous research.

Materials and Methods.

The materials and methods section gives readers and fellow researchers information on where they can access the materials that you used in your research. It also includes information on how you approached your research – and why. Generally, this section should include a concise description of the materials, procedures, and equipment used, including how the study was conducted, how data were collected, and what statistical and/or graphical analyses were undertaken. The materials and methods outline WHAT WAS DONE and HOW IT WAS DONE. The materials and methods section describe in detail all the materials that have been used to conduct a study as well as the procedures that are undertaken. As research writing should be orderly and organized therefore the materials in each of its sub-section should be presented in a logical manner.

List and describe key materials and apparatus. Then describe the procedure in enough detail that others can duplicate it. For design studies, this section includes component design, fabrication, assembly, and testing procedures. Use illustrations.

The Materials and Methods Section thus presents an understanding of the philosophical framework within which you see your inquiry (i.e., discusses epistemology of the research) and presents a rationale for the methodological approach. It describes and justifies the methods of research and analysis, describes what you did (past tense) for selection of site, participants, data gathering and analysis. It may include illustrations (e.g., a timeline depicting stages/steps in the research) and describes steps taken to ensure ethical research practices.

It is generally recommended that the materials and methods should be written in the past tense, either in active or passive voice. In this section, ethical approval, study dates, number of subjects, groups, evaluation criteria, exclusion criteria and statistical methods should be described sequentially.

Some Tips for Writing an Effective Materials and Methods Section :

1. Begin writing the Materials and Methods while you are performing your experiments.

Writing during the research process will prevent you from forgetting important details and save you time when you begin writing the full manuscript. You can also ask co-authors who performed specific experiments to write the corresponding parts of the Methods section.

2. Start with general information that applies to the entire manuscript and then move on to specific experimental details.

Examples of general information that you could begin with are characteristics of the study population, sources and genotypes of bacterial strains, or descriptions of samples or sample sites. Then, you could share more details about your experiment.

3. Match the order in which methods are described to the order of the results that were generated using those methods.

Also, be sure that each method you used is described, even if it is just a quick sentence (e.g., “Toxin assays were performed as described [reference]”). This practice is helpful for transparency, as well as reproducibility.

4. Always include citations for procedures that have been described previously.

If you made any modifications, be sure to list them.

5. Describe statistical tests as fully as possible.

Give as much information about the tests as possible; just mentioning a t-test is not sufficient for the reader to determine if the correct statistical analysis was performed.

6. Avoid discussing the pros and cons of certain methods or results of any kind.

Save evaluations for different methods for the Discussion section of your paper.

7. To save space, be concise, yet thorough, when listing the equipment you used.

Results. (presentation of data)

presents the data and findings, ordered/analysed in ways justified earlier (methodology)
past tense is a feature here (usually)
data in tables should be carefully set out, checked and discussed

Once you’ve finished collecting and analyzing your data, you can begin writing up the results section of your dissertation. This is where you report the main findings of your research and briefly observe how they relate to your research questions or hypotheses. The purpose of the results section of the thesis is to report the findings of your research. You usually present the data you obtained in appropriate figures (diagrams, graphs, tables and photographs) and you then comment on this data.

Present the results, usually with accompanying tables and graphs. Characterize the patterns and quality of the results and estimate their accuracy and precision. Detailed data go to an appendix. Use analytical graphics.

This section reports the results of your study i.e., experimental research or collection of primary data, before you move onto the discussion. This gives the reader a clear idea of exactly what you found.

The results section should be written in the past tense. Its length will depend on the amount of data you collected and analyzed, but make sure you only include information that is relevant to your research problem and questions.

Discussion (analysis of data)

discusses findings, drawing out main achievements and explaining results
makes links between aims and findings (and the literature)
may make recommendations – these could appear in the Conclusion chapter

The discussion chapter is where you delve into the meaning, importance and relevance of your results. It should focus on explaining and evaluating what you found, showing how it relates to your literature review and research questions, and making an argument in support of your overall conclusion. Discussion section often begins with statement as to whether findings in results section support expected findings stated in hypothesis. Support or non-support statement then leads to the next logical issue, an explanation of why hypothesis was or wasn't supported by received data.

A good discussion section includes analysis of any unexpected findings. This paragraph should begin with a description of the unexpected finding, followed by a brief interpretation as to why you believe it appeared and, if necessary, its possible significance in relation to the overall study. Discuss the meaning of the results, stating clearly what their significance is. Compare the results with theoretical expectations and account for anything unexpected.

Summary & Conclusion

This chapter looks at the summary of findings, conclusions, recommendations and suggestions for further research. The summary recounts everything that was mentioned in the previous chapters but in brief while dwelling on the research and the key findings you have come up with. A couple of paragraphs is all it takes but it is a condensed version that includes an introduction, problem statements, methodology you used and the reason for its success followed by a couple of sentences on the data and findings.

· Clearly state the answer to the main research question.

· Summarize and reflect on the research.

· Make recommendations for future work on the topic.

· Show what new knowledge you have contributed.

A good conclusion will review the key points of the dissertation and explain to the reader why the information is relevant, applicable, or related to the world as a whole. Conclusion section draws all arguments and findings together, summarises major findings, presents limitations, presents implications and suggests directions for future research.

In this section present the results in relation to the original problem statement.

End Matter/ Concluding components

The end matter is mainly referential material too detailed to fit well in the main narrative of work done. It includes these elements:

Acknowledgments. Acknowledge assistance from advisors, sponsors, funding agencies, colleagues, technicians, and so on.
Appendices

In this section provide detailed calculations, procedures, data in separate appendixes. Give each appendix a title, a letter (Appendix A, B, C), and an introductory paragraph. Appendices provide a place for important information which, if placed in the main text, would distract the reader from the flow of the argument. This section also includes includes raw data examples and reorganised data (e.g., a table of interview quotes organised around themes)

Appendices may be named, lettered or numbered, depending upon the norms and guidelines of your institution.

Glossary/ Index

helps reader where the context or content of the research may be unfamiliar
a list of key terms/topics

Bibliography.

A bibliography is a list of the books and other sources that are referred to in a scholarly work-such as an essay, term paper, dissertation, or a book. The bibliography comes at the end of the work. List alphabetically any works referred to in your study. Follow the bibliographical and footnote formats recommended by the University.

The Format of P.G. thesis in respect of CCSHAU is as follows:

No. of copies to be prepared by a student

4 (four). One each for Nehru Library, Major Advisor, HOD and student One CD to Library

Spacing for text of thesis

1 ½ space

Font of thesis

Times New Roman

Printing of thesis

Both sides of the paper. As far as possible photographs, graphs and tables must be adjusted in between the running text

Font size for text & tables

11 points

References & appendices

10 points in single space (1½ space after each reference) following the style of Journal of Ecology

Chapter page before each chapter

Deleted

Font size for chapter headings

12 pt. Size

Margin for thesis

1 inch top & bottom, 1.25 inch left and right

10.

Introduction

(a) General background

(b) Most relevant review of literature

(d) Objectives

2 to 4 pages

11.

Review and Patent Search

Up to 10 pages

12.

Materials & Methods

Same in the text on font size as described earlier.

13.

Results

Result should be in a separate chapter and presented either with tables or graphs

14.

Discussion

Separate chapter

15.

Summary & Conclusion

Up to 4 pages

16.

Tables

Tables may be adjusted in the text as far as possible. Only bigger table may be kept on single page

17.

Acknowledgements

Maximum one page

18.

Dedication page

Deleted

19.

Abstract

Maximum one page (single space, 10 pt. size)

20.

CV ands list for publications along with colour photograph of the student

One page

(a) Name :

(b) Date of birth :

(d) Mother’s name :

(e) Father’s name :

(f) Permanent address (with pin code) :

(g) Telephone :

(h) Mobile :

(i) E-mail :

(j) Academic qualifications

Degree	University/Board	Year of passing	Percentage of marks	Subjects

(k) Co-curricular activities :

(l) Medals/Honours received :

(m) List of Publications : (related to thesis work only)

21.

Citation

Biological Abstracts

22.

Copy Right

CCS HAU, Hisar (through an undertaking to be furnished by the student with the thesis)

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