The topic of the dissertation research and its content has been formed over the years, but they are formulated in frequent conversations with the supervisor, probable opponents, work colleagues, at meetings of the department, they can change after the academic council, participation in a scientific conference, or just because of an unexpected natural event . What to do, such is the logic of creativity, or its “complete” absence against established scientific knowledge.
Topic wording
Any dissertation is novelty and relevance. The performance of the work is secondary, but its content is essential for the conclusion, drafting of the introduction, preparation of the abstract and report for the defense.
It is impossible to complete a dissertation without knowledge, experience and the results of preliminary studies. But the expediency of spending several years of life will have to be defended in heated debates with colleagues. The scientific world is distinguished by special priorities, authoritarianism and the dynamics of the spectrum of values. The semantics and syntax of words, phrases and sentences are essential and carry a different understanding of each scientist or specialist.
In order to avoid disagreements, as a basis for fixing novelty and relevance, the correct wording of the topic is of the utmost importance. The ratio of the ages of the applicant and the supervisor, and their general opinion with the experience of opponents, reviewers, colleagues and members of scientific councils, as a new opinion against established fundamental principles.
Wording - a form of understanding
Essentially: the wording of the topic for almost any applicant in any specialty is as indifferent as it is important for the applicant to understand his leader, opponents, reviewers, colleagues and members of scientific councils.
The wording of the topic is the beginning of a mutual understanding between the applicant and the surrounding scientific consciousness. The first understands how the theme of his work is formulated, and the second begin to imagine what to expect from a dissertation.
The master's thesis plan is a good reason to establish mutual understanding. The more often it is refined and changed, the better, but you should not turn work on a dissertation into work on its plan.
Defining a work plan
The requirement of greater novelty and relevance arises automatically, as soon as the diploma was successfully defended. Even if the master's thesis lies in a completely different direction - the work plan, research structure, logic of working with sources will remain:
- literature (books, Internet, articles) - these are quotes that can be referenced to substantiate their own ideas or deny their predecessors;
- the results of the reaction of the scientific community to the participation of the applicant in conferences with reports;
- reports on the research of colleagues for comparison with their own research;
- axioms or objective laws that have become known;
- and other data.
The only thing that has not been given to change a person is knowledge and experience. You can develop your intelligence, strengthen the accumulated potential, but nothing can be changed. Consciousness will “remember” how it appeared, what followed, who said something, because of which something changed.
Associations determine the automatic definition of a work plan, but this is not a master's thesis plan, but the usual logic:
- seek and read predecessors;
- to conduct experiments;
- to speak at conferences;
- write articles;
- discuss current results and formulate new research plans.
In each case, the usual logic is unique, it depends on the person, the educational institution, the characteristics of the scientific environment and the chosen specialty. But the initial backlog is understood by the applicant and his supervisor.
Standard sample master plan
According to the specialty and the specifics of the higher educational institution, the applicant may be offered several standard samples of the plan. As a rule, they are formed in the style of teaching a major subject, but can be the originals of the best master's theses.
This is just an image of the main part. The number of sections may be more or less. It is considered a reasonable number of 3-4 sections: introductory, experimental and analytical. The economy usually stands out separately. It also separately describes the introduction, conclusion, recommendations for the preparation of a table of contents, list of references and applications.
Presentation of tasks revealing the topic
An introduction that smoothly turns into an abstract and a defense report is the only thing that is written continuously and changes systematically. The introduction history is the actual plan of the work performed and the results obtained.
The applicant correctly understands the situation when he is ready to immediately write a general plan of a master's thesis without specifics. This can be done, but difficult enough. Sometimes the plan is imposed by the methodological instructions of the department or the supervisor who wants to use the work of the dissertation in his doctorate, but most often you have to become attached to the specifics.
The topic determines the range of tasks to be solved. In part, these tasks will constitute the main content of the dissertation and will turn into provisions to be defended. This is objective, and it can be used for a master's thesis plan as an example of a plan of tasks to be solved.
In the course of research, the results of solving problems will necessarily lead to a revision of the initial goal settings, the parameters used or the methods for evaluating the results. The logic of scientific knowledge will lead to an understanding of the essential and a refinement of the spectrum of truly necessary tasks.
Defense of the dissertation and the path to defense
The fewer tasks you need to solve to expand on the topic, the better. The less used third-party methods for obtaining results and their analysis - the more honorable, and the development of their own options for solving problems and analyzing results is extremely important.
When choosing a topic, you should not immediately write a plan for a master's thesis. As a sample, you can take what the supervisor, the department or guidelines for applicants offer. From a practical point of view, the fact that someone has received a specific plan and its cardinal transformation by the applicant is an extra point in favor of the future scientist.
The main thing is protection, but the path to protection is no less important.
General and specific
By the logic of the development of scientific knowledge in the description of any topic, any range of tasks and a work plan for a master's thesis, you can apply the style of general phrases or specific terminology in the specialty.
In the first case, there is a risk of obtaining the status of a philosopher and returning to the origins for working on a specific work plan. In the second case, multiple rewriting of the plan for the master's thesis is guaranteed, loss of time for bureaucratic delays, gaining social experience in upholding one’s point of view at the academic council, meetings of the department, in disputes with the supervisor.
The best way out is not to make any decisions of your own, but to focus on the chosen topic and present the work on the plan as part of the work on the master's thesis.
In any scientific study, sequence with internal cycles is important (especially often it is necessary to revise the introduction and abstract):
- topic;
- introduction;
- content;
- conclusion;
- abstract;
- final introduction;
- final abstract;
- defense report;
- willingness to verbally defend your point of view.
How to write the content and how to draw up a master's thesis plan is one common process. Introduction and abstract - this is something that is corresponded and clarified many times and is an occasion to discuss something new with the leader, colleagues, opponents, speak at a conference or academic council.
The main content of the dissertation is research and the solution of problems arising from the topic. This content as a foundation is cemented and solidifies in the process of movement according to the work plan (this is not a plan for a master's thesis).
The dynamic component of research
The content of the work of the applicant is rarely claimed by those to whom it is addressed. Typically, the following applicants become grateful readers, but not members of the academic council, supervisor, or reviewers.
All participants in the process are interested in obtaining a minimum amount of information for making an informed and informed decision.
The dissertation is the work of the applicant and his scientific achievement. The recognition of his merits and the final decision of the council for the defense of the dissertation will be decided on the oral report and abstract. A significant role will be played by visual materials, posters, presentations. This is an objective reality.
The approval process and the plan for writing a master's thesis is a good reason to prepare the defense in high quality, a wonderful opportunity to present your knowledge and skills beforehand without transferring all the hardships to a meeting of the defense council. Scientists are inertial, and you should not expect from them an instant reaction to novelty and relevance.
It is better to form an opinion about the applicant and the work performed by him in advance. The plan for writing a master's thesis is a good reason for preparatory work. It is important to carry out the dissertation work in a quality manner, but preparing the ground for a correct understanding of its novelty and relevance will not be superfluous.
Sample of a “perspective” dissertation
The theme of electronic workflow as a perpetual motion machine. How many words are said, how many deeds are redone, but the topic is still fresh and relevant. Ideal would be the choice of the topic: “Intelligent Document Management System”, but the supervisor will require clarification:
- which one;
- for what type of enterprises;
- for what scope of application;
- in what programming language, in what format;
- with what tools ...
Problems with understanding will instantly arise in relations with colleagues, opponents, and for reviewers such an applicant will become a gold mine for the development of eloquence, and failure to protect will become an inevitable, but beautiful result of many years of work.
The plan is in the subject of the dissertation. In essence, there is nothing special, except that it creates a lot of questions and requires clarification. This is normal even for a job seeker who takes this kind of topic and refines it in the process.
It is not necessary to reach the heights and create something unusual. In the field of electronic document management there are enough white spots, and there is something to work on.
Until a really normal programming language is created, and not another batch of “syntax” of the good old:
- assignment operators ;
- cycles of three varieties;
- conditions in two ways;
- selection operators
and another version of understanding what object-oriented programming is, is still quite far away. You can manage to defend hundreds of two master's, fifty candidate and one doctoral dissertations.
Question and defense
A dissertation that has gone through all the stages of the process, duly executed, ends with an oral report. It is not worth looking at the defense in a written version: an authoritative scientific council looks at the applicant and should reciprocate.
If during the research it was not possible to revise the topic several times, change the plan of the master's thesis, it is advisable to think over several points before the presentation that will inevitably provoke the reaction of the members of the defense council.
The logic of scientific knowledge is to create difficulties for the applicant and to make sure that he completed the work, that he is competent in the field of research and is able to defend their novelty and relevance.
Surprises can be on any defense. Everything can affect the members of the academic council, but a brilliantly made report, an understandable abstract, and a properly executed dissertation are only half the success. Correct and quick answers to all questions are a guarantee of successful protection.