MScSED THESIS WORKSHOP: 1 ST STEPS NUI Galway May 16 th, 2014

What do I need to focus on first?

Idea paper Thesis statement Secondary research Research methodology Thesis proposal

Idea paper Thesis statement Secondary research Research methodology Thesis proposal

Idea paper Your idea paper is a short (1 page max.) description of:  Your thesis idea  Name of your thesis advisor

Getting started As you think about getting started, consider...  your general areas of interest  your job  a community or non-profit organisation When considering an area: can you gather information / conduct research in this area?

Good advice: Don’t wait! If you have no idea...  university websites, conference proceedings (e.g. IEEE, ACM)  read papers – use search facilities in online Library databases  wide diversity of research in IT You will find an area that interests you.

Finding a Thesis Advisor  Critical 1 st step  IT faculty members (NUIG & Regis)  Contact potential advisor(s)  Regis University Thesis Advisors can be found under the Thesis tab on the MScSED Student LaunchpadMScSED Student Launchpad  Record your advisor’s name in your idea paper  Consult with your Thesis Advisor at every stage

Idea paper Your idea paper is a short (1 page or less) description of:  Your thesis idea  Name of your thesis advisor  IRB approval, if needed This must be submitted by Sept. 19 th, 2014.

Idea paper Thesis statement Secondary research Research methodology Thesis proposal

What is a thesis? The word “thesis” is used in a variety of ways. Most simply, a thesis is an investigation supported by a research effort. “The thesis is the culminating academic experience where the graduate student has the opportunity to investigate and report a formal study relative to their discipline, with appropriate research design and written to a publishable quality standard.”

Writing an MSc thesis  Your thesis should demonstrate that you:  can select a manageable problem  can give a concise description of the problem tackled, and why it is relevant and worth doing  have read & understood the required literature  have made a thorough & systematic investigation into ways of solving the problem  can draw positive and negative lessons from this investigation  You need to show clarity of purpose  Your thesis should be useful to others

What is a thesis statement? Every thesis begins with a THESIS STATEMENT, sometimes in the form of a research question. A thesis statement is a succinct statement describing the area of investigation of your thesis. A thesis statement makes an assertion about an IT topic. In your thesis, you will prove/disprove your thesis statement. You will draft and refine your thesis statement as the initial activity in the Thesis Fundamentals (MCT 624) module.

A good thesis statement...  Makes an argumentative assertion about a topic  For our purposes, must be an IT topic  Identifies the purpose and scope of your thesis  Is clear, succinct and unambiguous  Is focused and specific enough to be “proven”  Is defensible

Idea paper Thesis statement Secondary research Research methodology Thesis proposal

What is secondary research? Secondary research involves the summary, collation and/or synthesis of existing research, for example from academic and professional journals, books, and relevant, reliable web sources Secondary research can be contrasted with primary research, which involves gathering and analysing unique data

Role of secondary research All MScSED theses require secondary research.  Read in the general area of your thesis... focus your ideas  Read widely to establish the current state of the art in your thesis area:  What information already exists in the area?  What research has already been done?  What types of questions are being asked/answered about the topic?

Role of secondary research (cont.)  Secondary research sources are the body of literature you will use to support, reinforce and defend your thesis  You must analyse your own work in this context  Your structured, written summary of your secondary research will become part of your written thesis, as a literature review or annotated bibliography

Active reading  Develop an active & critical learning style while researching  When reading technical literature, evaluating a piece of software, or listening to a research talk, ask yourself these questions:  From where did the author seem to draw ideas?  What exactly was accomplished by this work?  How does it relate to other work in the field?  What would be a reasonable next step to build upon this work?  Can ideas from related fields be drawn upon?

How much secondary research is enough?  Look at the references.  Read those references, again looking at the references.  You have completed your secondary research when you come full circle and are seeing the same or previously read documents referenced again.

Research stages: Hourglass analogy From General (secondary research)  Review and critique the broad area of interest  Propose solution(s) to identified problem(s)...t o Specific (primary research)  Test out (prove) your proposed solutions using specific case studies/surveys/ experiments  Define the nature of your tests: are they applied to a typical example of the broader area? In what ways are they atypical?... to General (put your work in context)  Extrapolate your findings back out to the general case – this is essential!

Idea paper Thesis statement Secondary research Research methodology Thesis proposal

1.Read the title 2.Read the abstract 3.Read the introduction & the headings 4.Read the first & last sentence of every paragraph and the conclusion 5.Tell someone about the article Scanning the Literature

What is research methodology?  Research methodologies are the various methods, approaches and data collection techniques used to prove/disprove your thesis statement.  Various research methods:  Quantitative: collect facts & study relationships  Qualitative: seek insight rather than statistics  Design Science or Constructive: build something and test it

Research methodology Approaches:  Case study: study a problem over a limited time- scale or limited scope  Survey: study of patterns and comparisons in collected data  Experiment: study of measurable phenomena Data collection techniques:  Participant observation (e.g. Interviews)  Documentary evidence (e.g. system logging)  Surveys

Your research methodology Your research method(s) must be relevant to your thesis statement:  analyse your thesis statement and research in this area  what form will your investigation take?  what form will the proof take?

Idea paper Thesis statement Secondary research Research methodology Thesis proposal

Towards the end of the Thesis Fundamentals module, you will be asked to write a thesis proposal containing the following: i. Thesis statement ii. Scope of the thesis iii. Significance of (or need for) the study iv. Research methodologies v. Completion or success criteria vi. Project plan

Summary

Key thesis criteria You must demonstrate:  Topical knowledge  Critical thinking  Communication skills Qualities of an good thesis:  Relevant and focused  Thorough & critical use of sources  Appreciation of range of literature  Structured argument  Clear presentation

Excellent thesis What distinguishes an EXCELLENT thesis from a GOOD thesis?  Relevant and focused  Thorough & critical use of sources  Appreciation of range of literature  Structured argument  Clear presentation  Bring your own work into context with relevant, current developments in IT

Key thesis dates Sept. 19, 2014 F8W2, 2014 Sp8W2, 2015 Su8W2, 2015 August 21, 2015  Thesis idea paper (thesis idea & thesis advisor)  Thesis Fundamentals module (MCT 624)  Thesis module (MCT 626)  Final thesis write-up  Submit thesis!