Graduation work - a student's study in writing in the specialty that he studied throughout the entire period of study. The work demonstrates the compliance of theoretical and practical skills obtained during the educational process with the standards adopted in educational institutions of the country.
University students will learn more about what a thesis is and how to write it closer to the graduation year. Although it is worth considering earlier.
The final work of a specialist
Depending on the specialization of the student, a specialist diploma can take two forms:
- thesis;
- graduation project.
The first, as a rule, is carried out by students with specialties of a humanitarian, social or natural orientation. This type of work is also done by graduates of creative professions in order to take stock of the skills acquired in the learning process that are necessary for subsequent work.
The second, in turn, is performed by future specialists of technical and applied universities. He, unlike the thesis, involves a large number of calculations confirming the theoretical part, or the provision of a finished project with available models, plans and drawings.
However, there may be exceptions to this rule. If a graduate of a technical university takes a bias towards academic study of the subject in the form of theories and formulas, then his research can be performed in the form of a thesis. Conversely, a student in the humanities specialty can provide a graduation project, equipped with social surveys, experiments and other practical types of study of the issue.
Who needs to write a diploma
University students of technical, humanitarian, natural and creative specialties upon graduation must provide a thesis or project. Otherwise, for them there is no way to successfully graduate from the university and get the desired bachelor or master degree.
In turn, medical students do not have to worry about what a thesis is. To obtain a final certificate, it is important for them to satisfactorily pass exams and pass qualification accreditation. Only students whose plans include the study of fundamental medicine at major universities in the country can think about preparing a specialist diploma.
Work objectives
The essence of the thesis is to achieve the following goals:
- streamline the theoretical and practical skills of the graduate in accordance with the chosen specialty, consolidate them by the example of developing a scientific project, expand and bring into the system the available information on the chosen topic, and also get an idea of new effective research methods;
- acquire the skill to perform a large amount of work yourself;
- to study the technique of conducting research while deciding on the issue in the field of specialization;
- gain knowledge about the available modern methods of experimentation and design;
- to form the ability to make independent decisions, to defend your point of view and bear responsibility for it.
Working methods
To achieve your goals, you need to act in special ways. They are indicated before starting work. This action is necessary for successful research. The means of the thesis include the methods of scientific study of the question posed as the main topic. For example, in physics, the method of scientific modeling is often used. It consists in transferring a really existing object to an artificially created model. Biology is characterized by a method of biological indication, the essence of which is the constant observation of living organisms and the study of their properties and lifestyle.
Together with special means of thesis, general scientific methods are used, which are common in the research activities of most existing disciplines. Such methods are empirical and theoretical.
Empirical methods are based on interaction with the subject, focused on the study of the properties and laws of various phenomena, as well as the relationship between some of them. The theoretical method, in turn, consists in analyzing the data obtained, revealing new patterns, developing hypotheses and models, and confirming one's point of view with scientific facts.
Theoretical work methods
Theoretical methods summarize the available information. As a result of work with their help, a systematization of the subject of the thesis takes place. The main theoretical methods include the method of axioms, hypotheses, the formalization method, abstraction, and general logic methods. The latter, in turn, include methods of analysis, synthesis, deduction, induction and analogy.
Using the analysis, you can decompose the available information into components for a detailed study of each of them. Synthesis, on the contrary, combines the constituent elements to obtain one whole picture. Deduction produces a movement from general to particular features, induction organizes the inverse process - from particular to general. The analogy finds similarities between similar objects, allowing you to expand existing knowledge about one of them on the basis of existing identities. The classification method distributes the patterns obtained as a result of comparison among systems.
Empirical working methods
The empirical methods used in writing a student’s thesis are necessary for the study of practical experiences and their results. On this basis, data collection is carried out, phenomena occurring as a result of experience are described. These methods include observation, measurement, experiment, and qualitative comparison.
Observation - a study using the senses and human activities aimed at the subject. It is considered the basic and easiest method. Observation leads to independent information that is not based on the mind and desire of the person conducting the research. As a result, information is obtained about the properties and laws of real phenomena and objects.
Using the comparison method, identities are established between observed objects and phenomena, and also identifies differences and common properties between them.
The measurement made using special instruments and tools determines the numerical value of the quantity in the required units of measurement. Using this method you can get the most accurate information about objects and phenomena.
As a result of the experiment, they intervene in the natural process of phenomena. With its help, you can create the necessary conditions for the study and collect information for further work.
supervisor
Before starting the research, you need to decide on the supervisor who can advise on how to write a thesis. As a curator, one of the teachers of the graduating department corresponding to the specialty of the graduate can be assigned. It can be selected independently or from the list provided by the university employees.
Undergraduate practice
The next step will be the selection of the topic of the thesis and its approval with the supervisor. This process must be completed before undergraduate practice, where the student is sent with documents signed by the university administration. The scientific curator must also provide a list of literature necessary for study, as well as a practice plan according to which the student will perform the work.
In the period of undergraduate practice, the student has the opportunity to collect material for the study, as well as to acquire new skills based on modern methods of work of various organizations. After that, you can proceed to the formation of the thesis.
Information sources
The first step in the work is to determine the structure, goals and plan of scientific research. The plan is an initial outline of the content of the future thesis, reflecting the main issues and sections.
After the student has become familiar with what a thesis is and what it consists of, it is necessary to select and systematize specialized literature. It should correspond to the problem in question, and also be relevant at the time of writing.
According to the order of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation of 2001, the following terms of obsolescence of scientific literature are set: for humanitarian, social and economic specialization - up to five years, for the sciences of natural, mathematical and technical areas - up to ten years.
The structure of the thesis
According to the standards for writing theses, its content should consist of three parts.
The first chapter (at least two paragraphs) is written on the basis of theoretical information using methods of analysis of available data and compilation of classification. Definitions are given to commonly used concepts, describes the subject of research, as well as possible solutions to the problem. This part is written indicating the sources of information used.
The second chapter (at least three paragraphs) is the material accumulated during the period of training and practice, as well as an analysis of the question posed. It contains statistical information on the subject of the thesis, an account of the identified problems and deficiencies in the development in the existing direction.
The third chapter (at least four paragraphs) pays attention to the development of methods and means of solving a given problem. This takes into account information from the second part of the thesis, and also suggests possible ways to improve the situation with scientific justification. In this case, theoretical data from the first chapter can be used.
In conclusion, the results of the work done are summarized, a list of used literature is attached, and a block of applications to the main work is compiled.
Work standards
For the correct design, universities usually develop methodological recommendations that describe in detail what a thesis is and how to structure it. They indicate the following requirements:
- volume of thesis
- structure and number of chapters;
- page and app numbering rules;
- technical regulation of registration;
- passing percentage of uniqueness of anti-plagiarism.
Also, the guidelines may contain an example of a title page, review forms, design, bibliography, etc.
Norm control
In addition to the correct content, the student must comply with the rules of the technical regulation of registration and compliance with the GOST thesis. Verification will be carried out in accordance with the standards adopted by the educational institution, and according to the information provided in the methodological recommendations.
The requirements for the design of the thesis, adopted at most universities, are as follows:
- The volume is from 60 pages or more, while title pages, applications, and a list of references are not taken into account.
- The number of sources used must be at least 30, while all of them must comply with the requirements of relevance. References should also be made in accordance with the rules of GOST.
- Font according to generally accepted standards Times New Roman size 14, black.
- Margins - 3 cm to the left, 2 cm above and below, at least 1 cm to the right.
- One-sided printing.
Thus, the development of the thesis can take a lot of time and effort. But with a serious approach to its high quality, as a result, you can get the necessary knowledge and skills in further professional activities.