dissertation definition computer science

This page is about how to turn your research (once it's done) into a readable multi-chapter document. You need to figure out what to include, how to organize it, and how to present it.

Following this advice will make me happier about reading your submitted or draft dissertation. You may find it useful even if I'm not going to read your dissertation.

Many others have written usefully on this subject , including someone in the Annals of Improbable Research . There's also advice on writing a thesis proposal . However, this page focuses on what a finished dissertation should look like. You could also skim good dissertations on the web.

What Goes Into a Dissertation?

A typical thesis will motivate why a new idea is needed, present the cool new idea, convince the reader that it's cool and new and might apply to the reader's own problems, and evaluate how well it worked. Just like a paper!

The result must be a substantial, original contribution to scientific knowledge. It signals your official entrance into the community of scholars. Treat it as an chance to make a mark, not as a 900-page-tall memorial to your graduate student life.

Beyond stapling

The cynical view is that if you've written several related papers, you staple them together to get a dissertation. That's a good first-order approximation -- you should incorporate ideas and text from your papers. But what is it missing?

First, a thesis should cohere -- ideally, it should feel like one long paper. Second, it should provide added value: there should be people who would prefer reading it to simply reading your papers. Otherwise writing it would be a meaningless exercise.

Here's what to do after stapling:

Taking Responsibility

Don't expect your advisor to be your co-author. It's your Ph.D.: you are sole author this time and the responsibility is on your shoulders. If your prose is turgid or thoughtless, misspelled or ungrammatical, oblivious or rude to related research, you're the one who looks bad.

You can do it! Your advisor and committee are basically on your side -- they're probably willing to make suggestions about content and style -- but they are not obligated to fix problems for you. They may send your dissertation back and tell you to fix it.

In the following sections, I'll start with advice about the thesis as a whole, and work downward, eventually reaching small details such as typography and citations.

Know Your Audience

First, choose your target audience. That crucial early decision will tell you what to explain, what to emphasize, and how to phrase and organize it. Checking it with your advisor might be wise.

Pretty much everything in your thesis should be relevant to your chosen audience. Think about them as you write. Ask yourself:

What does your audience already know?

You can also safely assume that your readers have some prior familiarity with your research area. Just how much familiarity, and with which topics, is a judgment call -- again, you have to decide who your intended audience is.

In practice, your audience will be somewhat mixed. Up to a point, it is possible to please both beginners and experts -- by covering background material crisply and in the service of your own story . How does that work? As you lay out the motivation for your own work, and provide notation, you'll naturally have to discuss background concepts and related work. But don't give a generic review that someone else could have written! Discuss the background in a way that motivates and clarifies your ideas. Present your detailed perspective on the intellectual landscape and where your own work sits in it -- a fresh (even opinionated) take that keeps tying back to your main themes and will be useful for both experts and beginners.

In short, be as considerate as you can to beginners without interrupting the flow of your main argument to your established colleagues. A good rule of thumb is to write at the level of the most accessible papers in the journals or conference proceedings that you read.

What do you want your audience to learn from the thesis?

You should set clear goals here. Just like a paper or a talk, your dissertation needs a point: it should tell a story. Writing the abstract and chapter 1 at the start will help you work out what that story is.

You may find that you have to do further work to really support your chosen story: more experiments, more theorems, reading more literature, etc.

What does your audience hope to get out of the thesis?

Why does anyone crack open a dissertation, anyway? I sometimes do. Especially for areas that I know less well, a dissertation is often more accessible than shorter, denser papers. It takes a more leisurely pace, provides more explicit motivation and background, and answers more of the questions that I might have.

There are other reasons I might look at your dissertation:

For students, reading high-quality dissertations is a good way to learn an area and to see what a comprehensive treatment of a problem looks like. Noah A. Smith once ran a graduate CS seminar in which the students read 8 dissertations together. Each student was also required to select and summarize yet another dissertation and write a novel research proposal based on it.

Readers with different motivations may read your thesis in different ways. The strong convention is that it's a single document that must read well from start to finish -- your committee will read it that way. But it's worth keeping other readers in mind, too. Some will skim from start to finish. Some will read only the introductory and concluding chapters (so make sure those give a strong impression of what you've done and why it's important). Some will read a single chapter in the middle, going back for definitions as needed. Some will scan or search for what they need: a definition, example, table of results, or literature review. Some will flip through to get a general sense of your work or of how you think, reading whatever catches their eye.

High-Level Organization

Once you've chosen your target audience, you should outline the structure of the thesis. Again, the convention is that the document must read well from start to finish.

The "canonical organization" is sketched by Douglas Comer near the end of his advice . Read that: you'll probably want something like it. A few further tips:

Keep your focus

Keep your focus. Length is not a virtue unless the content is actually interesting. You do have as much space as you need, but the reader doesn't have unlimited time and neither do you.

Get to the good stuff

A newspaper, like a dissertation, is a hefty chunk of reading. So it puts the most important news on page one, and leads each article with the most important part. You should try to do the same when reasonable.

Get to the interesting ideas as soon as possible. A good strategy is to make Chapter 1 an overview of your main arguments and findings. Tell your story there in a compelling way, including a taste of your results. Refer the reader to specific sections in later chapters for the pesky details. Chapter 1 should be especially accessible (use examples): make it the one chapter that everyone should read.

Include a road map

Chapter 1 traditionally ends with a "road map" to the rest of the thesis, which rapidly summarizes what the remaining chapters or sections will contain. That's useful guidance for readers who are looking for something specific and also for those who will read the whole thesis. It also exhibits in one place what an awful lot of work you've done. Here's a detailed example .

Where to put the literature review

I recommend against writing "Chapter 2: Literature Review." Such chapters are usually boring: they're plonked down like the author's obligatory list of what he or she was "supposed" to cite. They block the reader from getting to the new ideas, and can't even be contrasted with the new ideas because those haven't been presented yet.

A better plan is to discuss related literature in conjunction with your own ideas. As you motivate and present your ideas, you'll want to refer to some related work anyway.

Each chapter might have its own related work section or sections, covering work that connects to yours in different ways.

Where to define terminology and notation

Basic terminology, concepts, and notation have to be defined somewhere. But where? You can mix the following strategies:

Retail. You can define some terms or notation individually, when the reader first needs them. Then they will be well-motivated and fresh in the reader's mind. If you use them again later, you can refer back to the section where you first defined them.

Wholesale. On the other hand, there are advantages to aggregating some of your fundamental definitions into a "Definitions" section near the start of the chapter, or a chapter near the start of the dissertation:

The downside is that such sections or chapters can seem boring and full of not-yet-motivated concepts. Unless your definitions are novel and interesting in themselves, they block the reader from getting to the new and interesting ideas. So if you write something like "Chapter 2: Preliminaries," keep it relatively concise -- the point is to get the reader oriented.

Thrift shop. Use well-known notation and terminology whenever you can, either with or without a formal definition in your thesis. The point of your thesis is not to re-invent notation or to re-present well-known material, although sometimes you may find it helpful to do so.

Make Things Easy on Your Poor Readers

Now we get down to the actual writing. A dissertation is a lot to write. But it's also an awful lot to read and digest at once! You can keep us readers turning pages and following your argument. But it's a bigger and more complicated argument than usual, so you have to be more disciplined than usual.

Break it down

Long swaths of text are like quicksand for readers (and writers!). To keep us moving without sinking, use all the devices at your disposal to break the text down into short chunks. Ironically, short chunks are more helpful in a longer document. They keep your argument tightly organized and keep the reader focused and oriented.

If a section or subsection is longer than 1 double-spaced page , consider whether you could break it down further. I'm not joking! This 1-page threshold may seem surprisingly short, but it really makes writing and reading easier. Some devices you can use:

subsectioning Split your section into subsections (or subsubsections) with meaningful titles that keep the reader oriented.

lists If you're writing a paragraph and feel like you're listing anything (e.g., advantages or disadvantages of some approach), then use an explicit bulleted list. Sometimes this might yield a list with only 2 or 3 rather long bullet points, but that's fine -- it breaks things down. ( Note: To replace the bullets with short labels, roughly as in the list you're now reading, LaTeX's itemize environment lets you write \item[my label] .)

labeled paragraphs Label a series of paragraphs within the section, as a kind of lightweight subsectioning. Your experimental design section might look like this (using the LaTeX \paragraph command):

Participants. The participants were 32 undergraduates enrolled in ... Apparatus. Each participant wore a Star Trek suit equipped with a Hasbro-brand Galactic Translator, belt model 3A ... Procedure. The subjects were seated in pairs throughout the laboratory and subjected to Vogon poetry broadcast at 3-minute intervals ... Dataset. The Vogon poetry corpus (available on request) was obtained by passing the later works of T. S. Eliot through the Systran translation system ...

footnotes Move inessential points to footnotes. If they're too long for that, you could move them into appendices or chapters near the end of the thesis. (Here's my take on footnotes .)

captions Move some discussion of figures and tables into their captions. Figures and tables should be clearly structured in the first place: e.g., graphs should have labeled axes with units. But a helpful caption provides guidance on how to interpret the figure or table and what interesting conclusions to draw from it. The figure or table should itself include helpful labels (axis

(In LaTeX, you can write \caption[short version]{long version} . The optional short version argument will be used for the "List of Tables" or "List of Figures" at the start of the thesis.)

theorems Even simple formal results can be stated as a theorem or lemma. The theorem (and proof, if included) form a nice little chunk, using the LaTeX theorem enviroment.

Breaking down equations

Long blocks of equations are even more intimidating than long swaths of text. You can break those apart, too:

Intersperse short bits of text for guidance (perhaps using LaTeX \intertext ). You might introduce line 3 of your formula with

A change of variable from x to log x now allows us to integrate by parts:

Distinguish conceptually important steps from finicky steps that just push symbols around. You can even move finicky steps to a footnote, like this:

Some algebraic manipulation 5 allows us to simplify to the following:

Use visual devices like color, boldface, underlining, boxes, or \underbrace to call attention to significant parts of a formula:

Simplify the formulas in the first place by defining intermediate quantities or adopting notational conventions (e.g., "the t subscript will be dropped when it is clear from context").

Now tie it back together

Now that you've chopped your prose into bite-sized chunks, what binds it together?

Coherent and explicit structure

Your paragraphs and chunks have to tie together into a coherent argument. Do everything you can to highlight the structure of this argument. The structure should jump out at the reader, making it possible to read straight through your text, or skim it. Else the reader will get stuck puzzling out what you meant and lose momentum.

Make sure your readers are never perplexed about the point of the paragraph they're reading. Make them want to keep turning the page because you've set up questions to which they want to know the answers. Don't make them rub their eyes in frustration or boredom and wander off to the fridge or the web browser.

So how exactly do you "highlight the structure" and "set up questions"?

Ask questions explicitly and then answer them, as I just did. This is a great device for breaking up boring prose, communicating your rhetorical goals, and making the reader think.

Explicitly refer back to previous text, as when I wrote, "So how exactly do you 'highlight the structure' and 'set up questions'?"

Use lots of transitional phrases (discourse connectives). Note that it's fine to use these across chunk boundaries; that is, feel free to start a new subsection with "For this reason, ...", picking up where the previous subsection left off.

As you come to the end of a section, remind the reader what the point was. If possible, this should lead naturally into the next section.

If a section is skippable, or chapters can be read out of order, do say so. (But don't use this as an excuse for poor organization or long distractions. Some readers tend to read straight through, and in particular, your advisor or committee may feel that they must do this.)

Lots of internal cross-references

A thesis deals with a lot of ideas at once. Readers can easily lose track. Help them out:

Each figure or table should be mentioned in the main text, so that the reader knows to go look at it. Conversely, the figure's caption may point the reader back to details in the main text (stating the section number). A caption may also refer to other figures or tables that the reader should be sure to compare.

Boldface terms that you are defining, as a textbook would. This makes the definitions easy to spot when needed. You may also want to generate an index of boldfaced terms.

Be very consistent in your terminology. Never use two terms for the same idea; never reuse one term or variable for two ideas.

Be cautious about using pronouns like "it," or other anaphors such as "this" or "this technique." With all the ideas flying around, it won't always be obvious to everyone what you're referring to. Use longer, unambiguous phrases instead, when appropriate.

Try saying "the time t " instead of just " t " or just "the time." Similarly, "the image transformation T ," "the training example x i ," etc. This style reminds the reader of which variables are connected to which concepts. You can further do this for expressions: "the total probability Σ i p i " instead of just "the total probability" or "the sum."

Feel free to lavish space where it confers extra understanding. Don't hesitate to give an example or a caveat, or repeat an earlier equation, or crisply summarize earlier work that the reader needs to understand.

Be concrete

As I read a thesis, or a long argument or construction within a thesis, I often start worrying whether I am keeping the pieces together correctly in my head. Something that has become deeply familiar and natural to you (the world expert) may be rougher going for me. If I can see some concrete demonstration of how your idea works, it helps me check and deepen my understanding.

Examples keep the reader, and you, from getting lost in a morass of abstractions. Example cases figured in your thinking; they can help the reader, too. Invented examples are okay, but using "real" examples will also show off what your methods should or can do.

Running examples greet the reader like old friends. The reader will grasp a point more quickly and completely, and remember it better, when it is applied to a familiar example rather than a new one. So if possible, devise one or two especially nice examples that you can keep revisiting to make a series of points.

Pictures serve much the same role as examples: they're concrete and they share how the ideas really look inside your head. A picture is worth at least a thousand words (= 2.5 double-spaced thesis pages).

Pseudocode is a concrete way to convey an algorithm. It is often more concise, precise, and direct than a prose description, and may be closer to your own thinking. It will also make other people much more likely to understand and adopt your methods.

Theorems , too, are concise and precise. They are also self-contained chunks, because they formally state all their assumptions. A reader sloshing through a long, complicated, contextual argument can always grab onto a theorem as an island of certainty.

Experimental results are also concrete. You don't have to wait for the experimental section: it is okay to foreshadow your experiments before you present them in full. When you are developing the theory, you can say "Indeed, we will find experimentally in section 5.6 that ..." You can even showcase an example from your experiments or give some summary statistics; these might not even show up later in the experimental section.

Commitments keep the reader anchored. As noted earlier, your dissertation should discuss alternative solutions that you rejected or are leaving to future work. That's scholarship. But make it clear from the start what you actually did and didn't do. Don't have section 2.3 chatter on about everything one could do -- that reads like a proposal, not a thesis! -- while waiting till section 4.5 or even 2.5 to reveal what you actually did.

Placing these concrete elements early is best, other things equal. Either embed them early in the section or just tell the reader early on to go look at Figure X. (If you continue the section by discussing Figure X, the reader is more likely to actually go look. Figure X or its caption can refer back to the text in turn.)

For example, consider pseudocode. Some readers prefer code to prose, and it's concise. So you may want to give pseudocode early in the section, before you ramble on about why it works. An alternative is to intersperse fragments of pseudocode with your prose explanation, as in literate programming . Of course, the pseudocode itself should also include some brief comments; where necessary these can just point to the text, as in "implements equation (5)" or "see section 3.2."

Sentences. The previous section dealt with sections and paragraphs, but how about sentences? Yours should read well. The best advice in The Elements of Style : "Omit needless words. Vigorous writing is concise." To learn how to improve your sentences, read Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace , by Joseph M. Williams, and do the exercises. Another classic is On Writing Well , by William Zinsser.

Computers are getting exponentially faster (Moore, 1965). However, Biddle (1971) showed ...

Bandura's (1977) theory ... ... (e.g., Butcher, 1954; Baker, 1955; Candlestick-Maker, 1957, and others). The work of Minor (2001, pp. 50-75; but see also Adams, 1999; Storandt, 1997) ... According to Manning and Schütze, 1999 (henceforth M&S), ...

(Another option is the apacite package, which precisely follows the style manual of the American Psychological Association. It is nearly as flexible in its citation format, but APA style has some oddities, including lowercasing the titles of proceedings volumes. One nice thing about APA style is that if you have multiple Smiths in your bibliography, it will distinguish them where necessary, using first and middle initials. Another nice thing is the use of "&" rather than "and" in author lists; however, you can easily hack plainnat.bst to mimic this behavior.)

\usepackage[colorlinks]{ hyperref } \usepackage{ url }

\usepackage[usenames,dvipsnames,svgnames,table]{xcolor} \usepackage{soul} \newcommand{\todo}[1]{\hl{[TODO: #1]}} \todo{Either prove this or back away from the claim. I think Fermat's Last Theorem might be the key ...}

\newcommand{\todo}[1]{}

... only 58 words in the dictionary have this property. % to get that count: % perl -ne 'print if blah blah' /usr/share/dict/words | wc -l

Version control. It's probably wise to use git (or CVS or RCS or Subversion or mercurial or darcs) to keep the revision history of your dissertation files. This lets you roll back to an earlier version in case of disaster. Furthermore, if you host the repository on your cs.jhu.edu account, it will be backed up by the department.

Sharing your thesis. When you're willing to open up for comments from fellow students, your advisor, or your committee, give them a secret URL from which they can always download the latest, up-to-date release of your thesis, as well as earlier versions. (This is probably friendlier than just pointing them to your git repository.)

Keep this URL up to date with your changes. Each distinct version should bear a visible date or version number, to avoid confusion. For each new version (or on request), you should probably also supply a PDF that marks up the differences from an appropriate earlier version, using the wonderful latexdiff program (available here or as an Linux package; plays nicely with git via latexdiff-git or other scripts ) or a similar technique . (Note: If you use a makefile to build your document by running latex, gnuplot, etc., then you can also make it run latexdiff and update the URL for you.)

If you use Overleaf , just give your committee a view URL for your project. They will be able to see the PDF, visit different versions, and leave comments in the source file.

Planning Your Dissertation

Every dissertation is a little different. Talk to your advisor to draft a specific, written plan for what the thesis will contain, how it will be organized, and whom it will address. Discuss the plan with each of your committee members, who may suggest changes. They might disagree with advice on this page; find out.

As the dissertation takes shape, your plan may need some revision. Your advisor and committee may be willing to provide early feedback. But no one will want to slog through more than a version or two in detail. So ask them each how many drafts of each chapter they're willing to read, and in what state and on what schedule. Some of them nmay prefer to influence your writeup while it's still in an early, outline form. Others may prefer to wait until your prose is fairly polished and easy to read.

In addition to your advisor's goals and your committee's goals, you may have some goals of your own, e.g.,

GOOD LUCK!!! Now, download that LaTeX template , and take the first step toward filling it in today ...

Time Management

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The Dissertation

• Continuing to Part III

The dissertation should be written for a technically competent reader who is not necessarily familiar with the particular aspects of Computer Science involved. Better grades will arise from clarity and ease of reading, good pictures, clear explanation, minimal jargon and appropriate use of equations. Writing a dissertation requires planning and time. You should allow at least four weeks for the task.

Dissertation PDF files must be

• formatted for A4 paper;
• Typeset in 12-point font with a minimum of 2 cm margins;
• less than 15 megabytes in size;
• (ideally) use embedded fonts.

The main body of the dissertation, running from the first page of the introduction until the last page of the conclusions, shall not exceed 40 pages nor exceed 12,000 words in length (including tables and footnotes). Students should ensure the main body of their dissertation (page 3 onwards) as well as any appendices do not contain direct personal identifiers (i.e. their name or their CRSID).

Examiners and Assessors are permitted to judge your work only through study of your dissertation, although they will require your original source code to be available for them to refer to in cases where clarification is needed.

To facilitate the assessment process, the Examiners require the top-level structure of the dissertation to be strictly as follows:

Declaration of originality

Table of contents.

• Chapter 1: Introduction
• Chapter 2: Preparation
• Chapter 3: Implementation
• Chapter 4: Evaluation
• Chapter 5: Conclusions

Bibliography

Project proposal.

It is not the intention of the Examiners to constrain writers too greatly. Although the layout of the Cover Sheet and the arrangement of the Proforma are tightly specified, the organisation and length of each of the five chapters are allowed to vary considerably from one dissertation to another. Further details are given below.

The cover page

The single cover page contains

• Your Name, in the extreme top right-hand corner . 
• The Title of your Dissertation.
• The Examination for which you are a candidate.
• Your College and the Year in which you are submitting the Dissertation.

Your project title must be the same as the title approved by your Project Checkers on your project proposal.  If you want to change the title you should first discuss this with your supervisor.  If your supervisor is in agreement you will need to request a change by contacting the Teaching Administration Manager with a brief explanation for the reasons behind the change ([email protected]).  This will be approved by the Teaching Administration Manager and Chair of Examiners.

All reports must include an anti-plagiarism declaration as a separate document. The declaration must have exactly the following syntax:  

I, [Name] of [College], being a candidate for Part II of the Computer Science Tripos, hereby declare that this report and the work described in it are my own work, unaided except as may be specified below, and that the report does not contain material that has already been used to any substantial extent for a comparable purpose. In preparation of this report, I adhered to the Department of Computer Science and Technology AI Policy. [The project required the approved use of [insert name of technology] and such use is acknowledged in the text at the relevant sections.] [I am content for my report to be made available to the students and staff of the University.] 

Signed [signature] 

Date [date]   

Further guidance relating to the use of AI-assisted tools can be found on the exams guidance web page .

You may either include a scanned copy of your signature or type your full name in place of a handwritten signature.

The University drafted the wording, which is similar to that relating to dissertations in a wide range of subjects; thus the "unaided except as may be specified below" clause merits some explanation:

• The clause does not require acknowledgement of the project supervision or informal conversations with peers.
• The clause is also intended to cover collaborative projects which are not now permitted in Computer Science. As such this aspect is irrelevant to Computer Science dissertations.
• This clause aside, and notwithstanding 1 and 2, candidates are required to draw attention, in the Implementation chapter, to the parts of the work which are not their own, in accordance with the Implementation section below. Other acknowledgements should be given wherever appropriate.

The Department would like past dissertations to be made available for teaching purposes and for your references. These will be accessed on the Computer Science departmental website under Raven password protection. You should include the last sentence of the declaration if you are willing for your dissertation to be accessed for these purposes; otherwise you may remove it.  Note: If in the future you would like your dissertation removed from the departmental website, you can request this by contacting the Student Admin office at [email protected].

The proforma page

The single proforma page is a preface that immediately follows the declaration of originality. The proforma page, as well as all subsequent pages of the dissertation should not include direct personal identifiers such as your name or CRSID. The Proforma must be arranged thus:

• Your candidate number.
• The Title of your Project.
• The Examination and Year.
• Word-count for the dissertation.
• Code line count: Number of lines of code written by the student in the final version of their software.
• Project Originator (if this is the student please state 'The candidate').
• Project Supervisor.
• At most 100 words describing the original aims of the project.
• At most 100 words summarising the work completed.
• At most 100 words describing any special difficulties that you faced. (In most cases the special difficulties entry will say "None".)

It is quite in order for the Proforma to point out how ambitious the original aims were and how the work completed represents the triumphant consequence of considerable effort against a background of unpredictable disasters. The substantiation of these claims will follow in the rest of the dissertation.

Student Administration will ask students to resubmit any dissertation which does not include the relevant cover page, declaration and proforma. If such a resubmission occurs after the deadline this will result in a late submission penalty.

This should list the contents in some sensible way.

Introduction

The introduction should explain the principal motivation for the project and show how the work fits into the broad area of surrounding computer science and give a brief survey of previous related work. It should generally be unnecessary to quote at length from technical papers or textbooks. If a simple bibliographic reference is insufficient, consign any lengthy quotation to an appendix.

Principally, this chapter should describe the work which was undertaken before code was written, hardware built or theories worked on. It should show how the project proposal was further refined and clarified, so that the implementation stage could go smoothly rather than by trial and error.

Throughout this chapter and indeed the whole dissertation, it is essential to demonstrate that a proper professional approach was employed.

The nature of this chapter will vary greatly from one dissertation to another but, underlining the professional approach, this chapter will very likely include a section headed "Requirements Analysis" and refer to appropriate software engineering techniques used in the dissertation. The chapter will also cite any new programming languages and systems which had to be learnt and will mention complicated theories or algorithms which required understanding.

It is essential to declare the starting point. This states any existing codebase or materials that your project builds on. The text here can commonly be identical to the text in your proposal, but it may enlarge on it or report variations. For instance, the true starting point may have turned out to be different from that declared in the proposal and such discrepancies must be explained.

Implementation

This chapter should describe what was actually produced: the programs which were written, the hardware which was built or the theory which was developed. Any design strategies that looked ahead to the testing stage should be described in order to demonstrate a professional approach was taken.

Descriptions of programs may include fragments of high-level code but large chunks of code are usually best left to appendices or omitted altogether. Analogous advice applies to circuit diagrams or detailed steps in a machine-checked proof.

The implementation chapter should include a section labelled "Repository Overview". The repository overview should be around one page in length and should describe the high-level structure of the source code found in your source code repository. It should describe whether the code was written from scratch or if it built on an existing project or tutorial. Making effective use of powerful tools and pre-existing code is often laudable, and will count to your credit if properly reported. Nevertheless, as in the rest of the dissertation, it is essential to draw attention to the parts of the work which are not your own. 

It should not be necessary to give a day-by-day account of the progress of the work but major milestones may sometimes be highlighted with advantage.

This is where Assessors will be looking for signs of success and for evidence of thorough and systematic evaluation. Sample output, tables of timings and photographs of workstation screens, oscilloscope traces or circuit boards may be included. Care should be employed to take a professional approach throughout. For example, a graph that does not indicate confidence intervals will generally leave a professional scientist with a negative impression. As with code, voluminous examples of sample output are usually best left to appendices or omitted altogether.

There are some obvious questions which this chapter will address. How many of the original goals were achieved? Were they proved to have been achieved? Did the program, hardware, or theory really work?

Assessors are well aware that large programs will very likely include some residual bugs. It should always be possible to demonstrate that a program works in simple cases and it is instructive to demonstrate how close it is to working in a really ambitious case.

Conclusions

This chapter is likely to be very short and it may well refer back to the Introduction. It might offer a reflection on the lessons learned and explain how you would have planned the project if starting again with the benefit of hindsight.

It is common, but not mandatory, to have a bibliography. Attention should be given to correct and consistent formatting.

It is common, but not mandatory, to have one or more appendices. Assessors like to see some sample code or example circuit diagrams, and appendices are the sensible places to include such items. Accordingly, software and hardware projects should incorporate appropriate appendices. Note that the 12,000 word limit does not include material in the appendices, but only in extremely unusual circumstances may appendices exceed 10-15 pages. If you feel that such unusual circumstances might apply to you you should ask your Director of Studies and Supervisor to discuss this with the Chairman of Examiners. Appendices should appear between the bibliography and the project proposal.

An index is optional.

A copy of the original project proposal must be included at the very end of the dissertation.

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What Is a Dissertation? How Doctoral Students Navigate the Process?

So, when does a person start getting interested in writing a dissertation? You can still be a university student, thinking about starting the doctorate program, or maybe you are already done with the comprehensive exams, and the dissertation process is about to start.

Surely, all doctoral candidates must write a dissertation to get the degree they have been working on for years, yet what else? In this article, you will learn about what a dissertation is, as well as dive into the step-by-step process to successfully complete one.

What Is a Dissertation?

Let's start by answering the most important question: what is a dissertation? A dissertation is an extended written scholarship project prepared at the end of an academic program that is founded on the original research. This will be the last submitter work before completing the PhD program.

Chances are, this work will become the longest you have ever created. To present your ideas and theories, you will have to do a thorough analysis and extended research. Such massive hard work might seem impossible to write, and with the focus all over the place, the starting point is very hard to find.

The dissertation varies according to your field of study. The university department will usually guide students and provide dissertation examples and general outlines. At the same time, you can always have a discussion with your supervisor and ask him to overview your ideas and research process.

Are Thesis and Dissertation the Same Thing?

A lot of times, the terms 'Thesis' and "Dissertation" are used to describe the same type of work. Both are an essential part of many disciplines and entire educational courses. However, there are many differences between the two:

• Who has to complete the writing?

The dissertations are created by the doctoral candidates who are preparing to receive their PhD. In contrast, the thesis is a research paper for students who are learning to receive a master's or bachelor's degree.

• The required research level.

The dissertations always require doctoral candidates to conduct their own research. To complete a thesis, the student has to base their review on the existing research.

The amount of chapters, pages, and words differ significantly. An undergraduate thesis will take 60 pages or more. However, a master's thesis can be as long as 100 pages. The dissertation takes from 150 to 300 pages. That's why many doctoral students begin the writing process as soon as the doctorate program starts.

Dissertation Committee Stage

After you pass all the comprehensive exams, you become one of the doctoral candidates. The only thing standing between you and your PhD is a completed dissertation. However, before you start writing one, you have to create a proposal as well as form a committee.

The committee will include the chosen advisor and other faculty members. These can be from your university department, or you can choose members from another relevant department. These are going to be the people who will be providing aid throughout the dissertation process.

The proposal is a document you have to analyze that outlines goals and research aims and provides evidence of why the dissertation topic is relevant. After you pass this step, you can start working on the research.

Successful Dissertation Structure

The final structure of your dissertation depends on the number of variables, including your specialty, subject, and general rules of the university. When it comes to humanitarian students, their dissertations resemble prologue essays with argumentative research in every chapter that defends the chosen thesis.

For the hard science-focused faculties, the dissertations include a methodology analysis of the existing research as well as your presentation of the results. Though the definition of a successful dissertation for specialties is very different, the general structure remains the same. So, let's dive into it.

Every dissertation starts with the title page. Here, you present all the essential information, including your full name, specialty, and degree details, as well as a submission date. You must design this page according to the rules of your department, which might require displaying supplemental information like your supervisor's name, identification numbers, etc.

In this part, you are providing reasoning for choosing the topic as well as personal reflection, which might not be closely related to the dissertation research. You can also add the 'acknowledgments' to thank specific people, like friends or family, as well as your supervisor.

The abstract presents a short overview of your entire dissertation. It includes 150 to 300 words, yet it remains one of the most valuable parts of the work since it acts as an introduction to the readers.

It includes the dissertation topic and goals; research methods received data results, and your personal conclusions.

Table of Contents

The table of contents lists every chapter of your research with the page number it starts on, usually with hyperlinks when accessed digitally. New technologies and document editors make it easy to create o in a couple of seconds. Make sure that the received results comply with the dissertation rules of law faculty and include all the necessary chapters.

Additional Lists

Such include lists of tables, figures, and abbreviations. Based on the amount of these in your dissertation, you might want to add a chapter that provides a quick summary of the additional background information. You can even create a glossary to share the definitions of the specialized terms.

Introduction

The introduction is necessary to outline the topic, goal, and general relevance of your dissertation. It also helps to set expectations for the readers by including:

• Research topic as well as additional information to set the context;
• Define the focus of your original research as well as existing work in the matter;
• List the objectives of your dissertation and outline the flow of the work.

Literature Review

A literature review is a chapter where you review all the existing research related to your topic to learn what work has already been written. You have to look into credible resources and literature as well as establish various connections to support your point of view.

The created structure will help you find gaps that require additional research. This way, you are explaining the need for your research and creating a solution to the four issues.

Methodology

In mythology, you have to describe all the details of how exactly you have conducted the research, allowing all the data to act as evidence in proving your theories. The report should describe the approach and methods used to collect and analyze the data.

Data Results

This chapter is an outcome of research done with the chosen methodology. It should revolve around the data results and avoid any subjectivity. Present all the statistics, question results, or transcripts and how they are related to the research question.

In those sections, you are explaining the received results, whether they met your expectations, and how they are relevant to the existing research and your previous assumptions. Look into limitations as well as significant discrepancies and write about more interpretations and the meaning of the outcome.

The conclusion is the final wrap of the completed research stage, where you have a discussion about the outcomes of the dissertation research.

Here, you write about what you have received and how it moves them in the thesis subject and leave possible recommendations. The person who reads your dissertation should have a clear understanding of your accomplishments and their potential influence.

Reference list

You have to always provide the list of works cited for your dissertation. You will not only clarify the sources but also avoid accusations of plagiarism. Students must always follow the citation rules throughout the text stated by the institution.

Dissertations should include only the crucial part. However, there can be parts of the research, like questions, which can be added to the Appendices.

Dissertation Writing Process Step By Step

Since you already know what part your dissertation consists of, you are probably wondering where to start. Here's a step-by-step guide to help students write their dissertations.

Choosing the Topic and Conducting the Initial Research

It might seem like an easy thing to do, yet choosing the topic will navigate the entire dissertation. For some specialties, a supervisor will provide you with an example; in others, you'll have to develop one yourself.

The topic you choose must align with what research you can do based on the existing resources and literature. So, you have to look into what can be provided by your university, like laboratories or software, as well as a library with books and articles on the related subject.

Create a Research Proposal

We have already mentioned a proposal that you presented to your committee. Your second step is creating one. You will write 10 to 20 pages with the definition of your tips and theories.

Conduct Further Research

Original research is the base of any dissertation. However, to know how you can contribute to the subject and write a good piece, you must conduct a deep analysis.

Based on your area, you can collect data in different ways, including creating a study or conducting an interview. Ask your supervisor for guidance to avoid common mistakes.

Look into the List of Dissertations to Use as an Example

Chances are, other students have already explored your subject. Many universities store lists of dissertations inside their systems. A supervisor can help you locate such examples, which will help you choose methodologies and arguments as well as collect additional evidence.

Write Chapters of the Main Body

After the initial work is done, it is finally time to create the final piece. The format, the way you should introduce your evidence, and the method of presenting the results will differ based on your faculty.

Write the chapter you are mostly sure of first. Show how the analysis is related to the literature review, and outline the process as well as results and your conclusions and how they support your overall argument.

Schedule Checkups with the Advisor

There are many reasons why you should be in contact with your supervisor. He can advise you on the methodologies, spot the potential errors, and provide a general form of your dissertation. He can also add some positive vibes with reassuring feedback.

Writing the Introduction and Conclusion

These chapters include the general summary of the dissertation. There might be significant changes to your initial vision. So, you must write your introduction and conclusion last, to sum up the dissertation rightfully.

Edit the Draft

This can be either the easiest or the most complicated part of the writing. On the one hand, you do not have to write any additional text. On the other, looking through over 200 pages of text can be challenging. Divide the piece into reasonable parts that you can consume, and do not overload yourself with too much in one go.

Dissertation Defense

We are finally here - the last step is defending your dissertation. The definition of this process is very different from faculty to faculty.

You can have an open discussion regarding the subject and speak about only the analytic part or just the results. It does not matter how the process will do; your main weapon is confidence.

You have been working on our dissertation for long enough to become an expert and will be able to answer the questions regarding the subject. Many departments even allow close friends and family to attend so they can become your additional support.

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CS5099: Dissertation in Computer Science

Learning outcomes, compulsory elements, module delivery, module coordinator.

This module is offered in 2024-25.

• To allow students to undertake a substantial in-depth study of a specific topic in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Artificial Intelligence or Networks and Distributed Systems.

On successful completion of this module, the student should:

• Have produced an MSc dissertation of not more than 15,000 words.
• Have carried out a sustained programme of in-depth study on a specific topic.
• Have addressed the challenges arising from an MSc project specification.
• Be able to critically reflect on the execution of a major project from requirements to results.
• Have created a significant artefact such as a software system, a measurement framework, a testbed or similar.

This module has no compulsory elements beyond those common to all modules (mark of 4 in each assessment component).

• Course catalogue entry
• Reading list
• Graham Kirby
• Project Coordinator (CS)

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Last Published: 03 Oct 2024.

Writing a Computer Science Dissertation – Tips and Tricks

Written by Shahid Lakha, Spires Co-Founder

Embarking on a computer science dissertation journey begins with one critical step: selecting a topic. This decision lays the foundation for your entire project and can significantly influence your academic journey. It’s not just about choosing a subject that interests you; it’s about finding a niche that contributes meaningfully to the field of computer science.

When considering dissertation ideas, think about current trends in technology and emerging areas of research. Topics like machine learning, data security, and artificial intelligence are not only relevant but also ripe for exploration. A good dissertation topic should challenge your skills and knowledge while being feasible to research within the constraints of time and resources.

Consulting with your dissertation supervisor can provide valuable insights and help refine your ideas. They can guide you towards a topic that aligns with your interests and the department’s expertise, ensuring that your dissertation is both original and manageable. Remember, a well-chosen topic is the first step towards writing a successful computer science dissertation.

Writing a dissertation in the computer science department involves a blend of technical expertise and academic writing skills. This means not only demonstrating your technical understanding but also conveying your thoughts clearly and following academic standards and departmental guidelines.

Crafting an Effective Dissertation Outline

Developing a structured outline is a pivotal step in writing a computer science dissertation. An effective outline serves as a road map, guiding you through the writing process and ensuring that your dissertation is logical and coherent. It’s essential to break down the dissertation into key sections, each serving a specific purpose.Start with the introduction, where you set the stage for your research. This is followed by a literature review, where you discuss existing work in the field and its relevance to your topic. The methodology section should detail your research approach and techniques used. After this, the results section presents your findings, leading to the discussion where you interpret these findings in the context of your research questions.

Finally, conclude your dissertation by summarising the research and suggesting potential areas for future study. Remember, a well-planned outline not only helps in organising your thoughts but also ensures that each part of your dissertation flows smoothly into the next, creating a cohesive and compelling narrative.

A computer science dissertation is more than just a paper; it’s a comprehensive display of your understanding and application of complex concepts. Key features include a well-defined abstract, logically structured chapters, and a clear demonstration of your knowledge in the field. Each feature plays a critical role in conveying the depth of your research and analytical skills.

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How to Structure Your Computer Science Dissertation Effectively?

A well-structured dissertation in computer science is key to presenting complex research in an accessible and compelling way.

Crafting a Clear Introduction

Your introduction should not only introduce the topic but also establish its relevance and significance in the field. Provide background information, state your research question, and outline the objectives of your study. This section should set the tone for your dissertation, engage the reader and laying the groundwork for your research.

Detailed Methodology and Analysis

Your methodology section should meticulously detail the methods used in your research, including data collection, analysis techniques, and tools or software employed. This transparency allows for the reproducibility of your research. In the results section, present your findings clearly and objectively. Use visual aids like graphs and tables where appropriate. The analysis should interpret these findings, discussing their implications, limitations, and contributions to the field.

Selecting Academic Research Methods for Your Ph.D.

Choosing the right research methods is crucial for the success of your computer science dissertation. This decision significantly influences how you collect, analyse, and interpret data. It’s essential to align your methodology with your dissertation objectives and the nature of your research question.For empirical research, you might consider conducting experiments or building prototypes to test hypotheses. This approach is particularly relevant in areas like software development or algorithm efficiency. Alternatively, if your focus is on theoretical computer science, your methods may involve mathematical modelling or computational simulations.

Qualitative methods, like case studies or interviews, can be valuable when exploring human-computer interactions or user experience aspects. Meanwhile, quantitative methods, involving statistical analysis, are suitable for projects that require measurable data, such as performance evaluation of a new technology.

Grasping the core concept of your course is vital. It guides the direction of your dissertation, ensuring that every element from the research question to the methodology aligns with the overarching principles of your field of study.

Tailoring Your Methodology to Your Dissertation Goals

Your choice of methodology should be informed by the scope of your topic and the type of data you need to answer your research question. Collaborating with your dissertation supervisor can help ensure that your chosen methods are appropriate and robust enough to support your research objectives. Remember, a well-chosen methodology not only strengthens your dissertation but also adds credibility to your findings.

Essential Tips for Computer Science Thesis Ideas

Writing a compelling and academically rigorous thesis in computer science requires specific strategies and techniques.

Clarity and Technical Precision

In computer science, the clarity of your writing is just as important as the technical content. Complex ideas must be broken down and explained with precision. Avoid overusing technical jargon and acronyms that might be unfamiliar to your readers. Instead, focus on clear, concise explanations and logical argumentation. This makes your dissertation accessible to a broader academic audience, not just specialists in your field.

Regular Supervisor Consultations

Your supervisor is a critical resource in guiding the direction and quality of your research. Regular consultations help in refining your ideas, addressing any challenges, and ensuring that your dissertation meets academic standards. They can provide feedback on your writing style, argument structure, and technical content. Their insights can also help you identify areas that require more depth or clarification.

How Can Abstract and Chapters Form the Backbone of Your Dissertation?

The abstract provides a snapshot of your entire dissertation, setting the stage for what’s to come. The chapters, on the other hand, are the detailed journey through your research, each one building upon the last to form a cohesive and comprehensive argument or study.

Overcoming Common Challenges in Dissertation Writing

Dissertation writing, especially in a field as complex as computer science, comes with its unique set of challenges.

Effective Planning and Time Management

Develop a detailed work plan, breaking down your dissertation into manageable sections with individual deadlines. This approach helps in tracking your progress and identifying any areas where you’re falling behind. Allocate sufficient time for each stage of your research, from literature review to data analysis to writing and revision. Remember to factor in extra time for unexpected challenges or delays.

Seeking Feedback and Support

Do not underestimate the value of external feedback. Regularly share your work with peers, mentors, or a study group. They can offer fresh perspectives and catch errors or inconsistencies you might have missed. Additionally, if you encounter technical difficulties or conceptual challenges, don’t hesitate to seek help. Many universities provide resources like writing centres or research groups that can offer assistance and guidance.

Research Help in Computer Science Dissertations

Thorough and well-rounded research is a cornerstone of any successful dissertation in computer science.

Utilising a Range of Sources

Diversify your research sources to include not only academic journals and books but also conference proceedings, technical reports, and reputable online resources. This comprehensive approach ensures a thorough understanding of your topic from multiple perspectives. Stay up-to-date with the latest research in your field by following relevant journals and attending academic conferences. This not only enriches your dissertation but also keeps you informed about current trends and advancements in computer science.

Critical Analysis of Literature

Go beyond simply summarising existing research. Critically analyse and evaluate the literature, identifying strengths, weaknesses, and gaps. This critical lens allows you to position your research within the broader academic context, highlighting its originality and significance. Discuss how your work builds upon, challenges, or diverges from previous studies. This demonstrates your analytical skills and deep engagement with the subject matter.

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Time Management Strategies for Dissertation Writing

Effective time management is crucial for the successful completion of a dissertation in computer science.

Setting Realistic Deadlines

Establish a realistic timeline for your dissertation, breaking down the project into stages such as research, writing, revision, and final submission. Set specific goals for each stage and stick to these deadlines. This structured approach helps in managing the workload and reduces stress, allowing you to focus on producing high-quality work.

Regular Progress Reviews

Periodically review your progress against your planned timeline. Assess what you have accomplished and what remains to be done. If you find yourself falling behind schedule, reassess your plan and make necessary adjustments. This continuous evaluation helps in maintaining momentum and ensuring that you meet your ultimate deadline.

The Role of a Dissertation Supervisor in The Dissertation Process

The guidance and support of a dissertation supervisor are invaluable in navigating the complexities of computer science research.

 Leveraging Supervisor Expertise

Your supervisor’s expertise in your area of research can provide you with critical insights and direction. They can help you refine your research question, suggest relevant literature, and provide feedback on your methodology and findings. Their experience and knowledge can be instrumental in avoiding common pitfalls and enhancing the quality of your research.

Building a Productive Relationship

Fostering a productive and positive relationship with your supervisor is key. This involves regular communication, openness to feedback, and a willingness to take constructive criticism. Be proactive in seeking their advice and feedback. A good working relationship with your supervisor not only aids in your current research but can also open doors for future academic and professional opportunities.

Avoiding Plagiarism in Writing the Dissertation

Maintaining academic integrity and originality is crucial in writing your computer science dissertation.

Proper Citation Practices

Adhere to rigorous citation practices to give credit where it’s due. Familiarise yourself with the citation style preferred in your field, whether it’s APA, MLA, or another format. Accurate and consistent citation not only avoids plagiarism but also lends credibility to your dissertation.

Developing an Original Voice

Cultivate an original academic voice and perspective in your writing. This involves synthesising the research you’ve conducted, offering new interpretations, and possibly proposing novel solutions to existing problems. Your unique perspective demonstrates your deep engagement with the topic and contributes to the ongoing academic discourse in computer science.

Proofreading and Polishing Your Dissertation

The final steps in your dissertation journey involve thorough proofreading and refining your document. The effort required for a dissertation is substantial. From the initial proposal to the final submission, each phase demands attention to detail, rigorous research, and a commitment to refining and improving your work.

 Meticulous Editing and Proofreading

Carefully review your dissertation for any grammatical, syntactical, or formatting errors. Consider each sentence and paragraph critically – do they add value to your argument? Are they clear and concise? This meticulous attention to detail ensures that your dissertation is coherent, polished, and ready for submission.

Common grammar mistakes can undermine the professionalism of your dissertation. Paying attention to grammar is essential for clarity and precision in your writing, which is crucial for effectively communicating complex computer science theories and concepts.

Adhering to the provided guidelines ensures that your dissertation meets the required academic standards. Utilising internet resources, such as academic journals and online libraries, can enrich your research and provide a broader context for your study.

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Why Does Your Dissertation Need a Lot of Reading and References?

Extensive reading and a robust reference list demonstrate the breadth and depth of your research. They show your engagement with existing literature and your ability to contextualise your work within the broader academic conversation.

Seeking External Feedback

Before finalising your dissertation, get feedback from others. This could be peers, mentors, students or even professional editing services. Fresh eyes can catch errors you might have missed and provide valuable insights into how your research is perceived by others. This feedback can be instrumental in refining your arguments, improving clarity, and ensuring that your dissertation makes a significant contribution to the field of computer science.

Presenting complex theories in your dissertation requires a clear understanding and an ability to simplify these theories without losing their essence. This skill is crucial for making your research accessible and understandable to a wider audience, including those outside your specific field of study. To ensure your dissertation makes sense, focus on clarity, coherence, and logical structuring of arguments. Consider feedback from peers and advisers to refine your writing and ensure that your points are conveyed effectively.

Turning Points into a Powerful Presentation: Finalising Your Dissertation

Converting the key points and title of your dissertation into a compelling presentation involves distilling complex ideas into digestible, engaging content. This step is essential for effectively communicating your findings and contributions to a broader audience.

Author Bio:

Shahid Lakha is a distinguished Educational consultant with a robust background in Physics and a progressive career in both the independent education sector and EdTech. As a Co-Founder of Spires he has been enhancing online tutoring excellence since 2016. A dedicated private tutor since September 2011, Shahid educates students in Maths, Physics, and Engineering up to university level. He holds an MSc in Photon Science from the University of Manchester and a BSc in Physics from the University of Bath. This article was fact checked by Karol Pysniak, Spires Co-Founder

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