Maeda's SIMPLICITY

Simple Thesis Tips

I've finished my tenth year of thesis supervising. There are a certain set of things I wish I knew ten years ago. But I'll probably say the same thing in ten years from now. Getting older has its benefits.

An MIT thesis generally has five components:

1. intro
2. background to the experiments
3. experimental setup
4. analysis and discussion
5. conclusion

What changes every year is the nature of the student that attacks this pentathlon with different strengths and weaknesses. Their success is usually determined by their ability to handle the three compulsory exercises:

1. making an outline
2. selecting a title
3. writing an abstract

Three other ongoing aspects (which are akin to breathing and eating) of the thesis game are:

1. acquiring figures
2. registering bibliography entries
3. the goal of making a beautifully designed thesis

Allow me to provide some tips on thesis writing for the academic athlete out there that plans to compete in the Thesis Olympics of 2007.

First, about the ongoing aspects of the thesis game:

1. acquiring figures / Do not worry about getting the highest-resolution image, or making the vector illustration that will get you into the MoMA collection. As long as the visual communicates well, low-rez or low-frills is fine. Move on. You are unlikely to use these images again in your life so don't waste too much time here.
   
2. registering bibliography entries / Do this as you go. The effort you put into it while you are in the process of doing background research is well spent. Think of it like tying your shoes regularly -- you will stumble later if you aren't careful.
3. the goal of making a beautifully designed thesis / If you are the elite of most elite, make it beautiful. If you're not, then settle with a thesis that communicates. I always recommend that students use LaTeX because you don't have to think about layout. It's basically "good enough" outsourcing of the task of designing your thesis.

With regards to the compulsory exercises:

1. making an outline / You are unlikely to do this right in the first pass. Put the wheels down on the ground, build the car, and start moving forward. Momentum is more important than building an intellectual automobile that looks and sounds like a Ferrari. Transportation is transportation.
2. selecting a title / This can easily lead to the vain ritual of combing your hair in the mirror and fussing to find the right style. Select something clear, and good enough.
3. writing an abstract / Take everything you have outlined, and write it in plain English or whatever language your thesis needs to be written in. Again, don't worry if it's perfect. You have time to completely fix it in the last hours before you turn in your thesis.

My caddy skills aren't perfect, but let me show you the way through the course:

1. intro / Save this for the end. Don't do it from the start -- even though it's how the whole thesis starts. When you come back to work on this section, be sure to make your contributions clear so that the person reading your thesis knows that it's worth spending time to read or skim.
2. background to the experiments / I tell my students that this is the biggest and baddest sand trap of the course. It's the easiest to do because it's primarily mechanical, yet at the same time the hardest because lots of legwork is required. Cap the time (I recommend maximum one month) you will spend on this section as it can take up all your game time and simply depress you. Everyone's done stuff before you. Yes you are wrong. Get over it and keep on going. Formulate some basic terminology or axes of reasoning in this section. Highlight this vocabulary you develop in boldface or italics. Think of it as defining the ingredients to the meal to be used in later sections.
3. experimental setup / Define your experiment within the framework of terminology and axes as you've defined and developed in your background section. Reiterate this terminology with annoying boldface or italics. Basically you are taking the ingredients and cooking the meal here. Feel free to dip your finger into the cooking to see how it tastes. But don't eat the meal yet! Remind the audience of the ingredients. But keep your focus on the meal whenever possible.
4. analysis and discussion / Okay, now sit down at the table. Get a glass of wine and eat the meal. How does it taste? How do others think it tastes? How does it stand up to the original ingredient list, and also all the other cooks that came in the past? Support all claims with data whenever possible.
5. conclusion / Go and write the intro section now. You finally know what you're introducing in the clearest terms. Come back here when you're finished with the intro and wonder what you would have done differently. Or what you're glad you didn't do differently. Reward yourself for sticking to your guns. Or shoot yourself in the foot for the ridiculous mistakes you made. Take us back through the key ingredients, the development of the meal, and the lovely tastes. Talk about the meals that you are likely to cook in the future. Be positive. Be optimistic. Everyone loves to look forward to the future.

And when this is all over and you have graduated, consider getting yet another degree when you are ready!

Posted by maeda at May 30, 2006 09:25 AM