Good Project Structuring and

Defense PreparationKwaku Amaning Adjei (PhD)

Senior Lecturer

Department of Civil Engineering

KNUST

1

In this talk…

Goal: give you tips on coming up with a good thesis and defending it

• How CWA is calculated

• Tips on writing your thesis

• Tools for your thesis write up

• Tips on thesis defense

2

Calculation of Cumulative Weighted Average 3

Source: KNUST Students Guide

Source: KNUST Students Guide

4

Tips before you start 5

1 •Prepare yourself!

2 •Choose your supervisor carefully

3• Choose your topic carefully

4• Choose your writing environment

5• Cloud Storage

What is a Dissertation?

• It is a compulsory part of your degree.

• Should reflect independent, self-motivated research.

• Must demonstrate an understanding of theoretical foundations and research methodology.

• It must be supervised by a member of academic staff.

What are the components of a thesis?

1. Title page

2. Declaration

3. Abstract

4. Acknowledgements

5. Table of Contents (List of Figures & Tables)

6. Chapter 1 –Introduction (Background, Problem, Objectives, Scope, Implications of study

7. Chapter 2 -Literature Review

8. Chapter 4 – Study Area and Methodology

9. Chapter 5 – Results and Discussions

10. Chapter 6 – Conclusions & Recommendation

11. References

12. Appendices

Table of Contents / Abstracts

Include a list ofeverything thatfollows, withappropriate pagenumbers.

If the studentswish to, theycould includelists of figuresand table inorder of theirappearance withappropriate pagenumbers.

8

This is a short summary of the

study.

Limit it to 150-300 words.

Include:

• Introduction

• Objectives

• Methods

• Results

• Conclusion.

References & Appendices: 9

References:

Every reference you note in

the text must be included in

the reference list.

Should be in alphabetical

order and

Follow the standard format

prescribed by the American

Psychological Association

(APA).

Appendices:

Attach copies of any

questionnaires, scales ,

instruction sheets, list of

stimulus materials you, time

frame etc.

You must include the

attendance form recording

meetings with your

supervisor.

Standard Format for Writing References

• Journal article

• Murzynski, J., & Degelman, D. (1996). Body language of women and judgments of vulnerability to sexual assault. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 26, 1617-1626.

• Book

• Paloutzian, R. F. (1996). Invitation to the psychology of religion (2nd ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

• Web document

• Degelman, D., & Harris, M. L. (2000). APA style essentials. Retrieved May 18, 2000, from Vanguard University, Department of Psychology Web site: http://www.vanguard.edu/faculty/ddegelman/index.cfm?doc_id=79

• Stand-alone Web document (no date)

• Nielsen, M. E. (n.d.). Notable people in psychology of religion. Retrieved August 3, 2001, from http://www.psywww.com/psyrelig/psyrelpr.htm

• Stand-alone Web document (no author, no date)

• Gender and society. (n.d.). Retrieved December 3, 2001, from http://www.trinity.edu/~mkearl/gender.html

Tools?

Important Points to Keep in Mind

• Efficient time management is essential • Avoid plagiarism • Maintain a research diary/journal • Obtain permission from relevant authorities

well in advance • Keep in mind the ethical principles for

conducting research• Plan ahead and always have a

contingency/back up plan• Always proofread the final draft of the

dissertation.

Writing Tips

• Use complete sentences and use correct grammar and spellings.

• Try not to use slang

• Do not use contractions (eg: use it is instead of it’s)

• Generally, use past tense in the abstract, introduction, and method. Results and discussion sections can be in the present tense.

• Avoid excessive use of personal pronouns such as I, me, according to my viewpoint etc.

• Margins: One inch on all sides except left (top, bottom & right). Leave 1 ½ on the left side for binding.

• Font size & Type: 12-pt font (Times Roman or Courier)

• Spacing: 1 ½ lines

Formatting Your Thesis 14

Tips for your thesis Defense 15

Before the Defense

• Give a copy of your thesis to your supervisor

• Prepare your presentation

• Practice! Practice! Practice!

• Ensure there are no glaring errors

• Use appropriate illustrations

• Master the part your will be presenting

• Think of some expected questions and prepare answers

• Plan out your presentation

Tips for your thesis Defense 16

On the day of the Defense• Make sure you take everything you need with you

• Have a hard copy of your slides and thesis with you

• Remember to pray

• Dress well

• Be confident but not arrogant

• Speak clearly and loudly

• Avoid verbal tics (Ah, umm, basically, actually, so..)

• Be mindful of your time

• Take note of the comments

• Don’t be too defensive

17

18

19