MASTER'S THESIS HANDBOOK University of Helsinki, Dept of Forest Ecology, Dept of Forest Economics, Dept of Forest Resource Management Compiled and translated from "Ohjeita pro gradu -tutkielman kirjoittajille (Metäsekologian laitos)" and "Tieteellisten kirjoitelmien kirjoitusohjeet (Metsäekonomian laitos)" by Meeri Pearson, 1.12.06, updated April 2014 by Outi Orenius Table of Contents 1.1 1.2 Master's Thesis In General Types of Theses 3 2.1 2.2 2.3 Structure of the Master's Thesis Title Abstract Introduction 2.3.1 Background 2.3.2 Summary of Previous Research 2.3.3 Defining the Research Topic 2.3.4 Research Objectives Material and Methods Results Discussion Conclusions 4 5 5 6 7 3.8 Format General Guidelines Cover and Title Page Acknowledgements Chapter Titles and Table of Contents Decimal Marks Equations Tables and Figures 3.7.1 Tables 3.7.2 Figures Scientific Names 7 8 9 9 11 12 4.1 4.2 4.3 Citations and References Citing References in the Text Citing Tables and Figures in the Text Listing References 12 12 13 13 Master's Thesis Process 16 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 Appendices Task Plan Abstract Form Example of Abstract Example of Table of Contents in Forest Ecology, Tropical Silviculture Thesis Example of List of Symbols, Acronyms, and Abbreviations Example of Table of Contents in Forest Ecology, Tropical Silviculture Thesis Example of Table of Contents in Forest Ecology, Tropical Silviculture Thesis Example of Table of Contents in Forest Resource Mgmt., Forest Mensuration Thesis Example of Table of Contents in Forest Economics Thesis 10 Example of Table of Contents in Forest Economics Thesis Master's Thesis 1.1 In General The purpose of the Master's thesis is to train the student in the following areas: 1) independent and systematic research work 2) research methods used in the concerned discipline 3) use of references 4) scientific presentation 5) written expression The thesis is made in one's major subject The chosen topic should deal with a scientifically relevant problem in the concerned discipline The goal is for the student to learn skills, which he/she may utilize after graduation in practical professional duties or as a researcher The thesis consists of the following parts: · Title · Abstract · Introduction o Background information o Summary of previous research on the topic (theoretical framework) o Defining the research topic o Research objectives, research questions, hypotheses · Material and Methods · Results · Discussion · Conclusions · References The thesis should be written in English and of good linguistic form Good written expression is precise, proceeds logically, and terms and concepts are used as they are commonly known Grammar and spelling should comply with the rules of the English language in the context of scientific writing Differences in terminology and concepts should be explained and justified; uncommon and new concepts should be defined The written and printed appearance of the thesis is a reflection of the student's professional proficiency: to make a good impression, it should be done well Good scientific text is characterized by the student's own creative contribution Thus, the text should not only consist of a collection of thoughts presented earlier by others The student should take a critical stance towards his/her references He/she should assess the credibility of different sources and data, as well as determine just how similar previous research findings have been 1.2 Types of Theses Many Master's theses are comprehensive research reports, which include research results They typically follow the structure Introduction - Material & Methods - Results Discussion - Conclusions - References Master's theses may also be literature-based research reports, which both analyze and synthesize existing literature on a particular forest sciences related problem The structure of such a literature review is generally more flexible than that of a traditional research report Thus, the above-mentioned structure is often adapted for the purposes of a literature review type of thesis The Master's thesis is a printed and bounded monograph, which in addition to the primary text includes a title page, abstract, table of contents and appendices It may also contain acknowledgements, lists of symbols, notations, abbreviations, acronyms, figures, tables, and terminology For an example, see Appendix Structure of the Master's Thesis 2.1 Title The title should describe the thesis topic, preferably concisely, but should be at the same time both informative and attractive 2.2 Abstract The abstract is a miniature thesis, revealing the essential contents of the actual thesis On the basis of the abstract, the reader generally decides whether or not to read the entire thesis It is a description of the following items: · · · · · Research objectives (what was studied and why) Research approach (was it experimental work, field inventory, methodology research, literature review) Methods used Main research results Main conclusions The abstract does not contain citations, tables, or figures Results which are not presented in the actual thesis should not be included in the abstract The length of the abstract should not exceed one page and should be typed on a readymade form available at forms on the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry website The abstract should be attached at the beginning of the thesis (after the title page but before the table of contents) See the examples in Appendices and 2.3 Introduction The purpose of the introduction is to arouse and maintain the interest of the reader (bait, hook and reel in, so to speak) In it one should explicitly and logically introduce the research problem and phrase the research question(s) For clarity's sake, the structure of the introduction is generally divided into four parts: Background of Research Summary of Previous Research Defining the Research Topic Research Objectives 2.3.1 Background In the beginning of the introduction, the research topic is presented and the background of the research described It is essential to tell what particular forest science or forestry problem area the research is concerned with, as well as explain why the chosen topic is important, significant, and timely 2.3.2 Summary of Previous Research The objective is to pull together previous research findings presented in scientific literature on the chosen topic Such a literature review forms the theoretical basis (= theoretical framework) of the intended research A clear and concise summary of previously published domestic and international literature demonstrates that the student has adequately read up on the research topic 2.3.3 Defining the Research Topic By reviewing previous research findings, it is then possible to reveal the gaps in present knowledge, which one's own research intends to fill At this stage, one can disclose the questions which were raised by the literature review The research is then defined to focus on the desired problem area One should not tell about all prior topic-related research findings, rather one should concentrate on those which are most relevant to one's research objectives It is worth "saving" a portion of previous research findings for the Discussion 2.3.4 Research Objectives At the end of the introduction, the research problem and objectives are clearly defined Such objectives should be both ambitious but nonetheless achievable Special attention should be paid to formulation of research objectives, for it is one of the most vital parts of the thesis In forest economics theses, the theoretical framework and research objectives are often presented as separate chapters See the examples in Appendices and 10 2.4 Material and Methods The purpose of this chapter is to describe the methods used for collecting the necessary data to solve the research problem Additionally, the means (models) for sorting, processing, and managing collected data should be described The description of data collection should be comprehensive enough to ensure repeatability based on the given information Models should be described accurately to allow their suitability to be assessed The chapter should answer the following questions: · · · · · · What does the data consist of? How was sampling carried out? What was measured? How were measurements made (and with what kind of accuracy)? What methods and tools for data analysis were used? How representative is the collected data? In experimental work, research material, experimental design, and data analysis methods (i.e statistical models) should be described in detail The description of the experimental design should include answers to the following questions: What is being explained and by which variables/factors? Which variables are constant? How have rogue variables been measured? How has randomization been done? As far as models are concerned, one must explain how measured and/or otherwise controlled variables have been incorporated into the model In inventory-type research, the sampling population is reported, the sampling design explained in detail and the quality and scope of the data described It is also necessary to determine how the sampling design has been taken into consideration when analyzing results In forest economics research, data is often based on existing statistics Thus, in this chapter the empirical equivalents of used variables are presented, as well as potential modifications of the original data and the study period (i.e quarterly data 1982/11995/4) Also, the empirical analysis method used is described (time-series econometrics, panel data econometrics, input-output models, factor analysis) 2.5 Results In this chapter, the essential research results are presented in a logical manner The collected data should be condensed, presented clearly and elucidated using tables, figures, etc Present silvicultural, ecological, biological, econometrical etc results rather than test results or your statistical know-how Analysis results and statistical parameters should, however, be presented in great enough detail to permit the assessment of the validity and reliability of the analyses The research results should be based on the analyses and measurements made in the study in question, and answer the questions posed in the section Research Objectives It is also wise to report negative results should such arise In this chapter, the student refrains from comparing his/her own results with previous research findings It is beneficial if answers to the research questions posed can be easily found in the results 2.6 Discussion Here, the theoretical discussion presented in the Introduction is utilized and elaborated on further The student compares his/her own study results with previous research findings presented in literature It is absolutely essential to tell of new findings and to what extent the results are consistent or conflicting with earlier findings The goal is to create a synthesis of one's own findings and previous ones Furthermore, the research objectives, chosen approach, and methods are critically evaluated (the plusses and minuses!) The aim is to show which aspects of the study succeeded well or sufficiently enough, and where there is still room for improvement The representativeness of data and the possibility for generalizing results should also be examined: how well does the data represent the studied population and the phenomena to be explained Reservations regarding the interpretation of results are also brought forward Thus, the Discussion is a link to both the Research Objectives paragraph and Material and Methods chapter 2.7 Conclusions The purpose of this chapter is to formulate the most important research results into clear, concise conclusions Furthermore, the student considers how the obtained research results can be utilized in forest sciences and forestry, and makes recommendations concerning how the employed research methods may be applied or developed for further studies Additionally, one can offer insight on what related questions were left outside the framework of the study This chapter is evidently linked to the beginning of the thesis, in which the research topic and problem were described Format 3.1 General Guidelines The pages should be numbered consecutively starting with the number one (on the first page of the Introduction) Appendices should not be numbered in the same way, rather the number of each appendix is placed on the top right corner of the page and they are numbered consecutively (i.e if there are three appendices: Appendix 1, Appendix 2, Appendix 3) In case you wish to print your thesis, you should it on A-4 Left margins are 25 mm for soft covers and 40 mm for hard covers, right, top, and bottom margins 2.5 cm The font should be Times New Roman, size 12 Text should be one and a halfspaced (1.5) Paragraphs should be separated by a blank line The first sentence of a paragraph should not be indented Enough space should be left before and after titles, tables, figures etc so that they can be discerned from the text Thesis have traditionally been printed one-sided If you wish to act otherwise, take this into consideration with the margins 3.2 Cover and Title Page The title page includes the title of the work (situated in the middle of the page) The student's major subject/specialization line, followed by the name of the University, department, month and year, and name of the student should be found on the lower margin of the page Please note, that the text on the title page and the cover of the thesis are generally identical copies of each other See the example below Performance of Pinus sylvestris after forest fires in Southern Sweden Thesis submitted for a M.Sc degree in Forest Ecology and Management University of Helsinki Dept of Forest Sciences May 2014 Johnny Johnson 3.3 Acknowledgements If you wish, you may include an acknowledgements page (a.k.a foreword, preface) in your thesis It is typically placed after the title page and abstract before the table of contents 3.4 Chapter Titles and Table of Contents Chapters and subchapters are numbered consecutively (i.e 1, 1.1, 1.1.1, 2, 2.1, 2.2, ) Titles of chapters should be placed at the top of the page and boldfaced Subheadings can be italicized (and boldfaced) Avoid using more than three heading levels For examples of the Table of Contents -page in theses representing different major subjects, please see Appendices and 6-10 3.5 Decimal Marks A period is used in the English language to delineate a decimal number (not a comma), i.e 5.6668 cm 3.6 Equations Equations are numbered consecutively on the right side of the page in parentheses The symbols included in the equation are explained in the key to symbols, which is generally placed below the equation 3.7 Tables and Figures The purpose of these visual aids is to supplement and clarify the text, and not the other way around Tables and figures and their text should be made exhaustively, so that they can be easily interpreted (without relying on the body text) Table and figure text is written single-spaced 3.7.1 Tables Tables are numbered consecutively Table titles are situated at the top of the table If symbols or abbreviations are presented in the table, they should be explained below the table as footnotes Tables should be spacious and clearly titled Generally vertical lines (partitions) are not used in tables All tables should be uniform in style One may use a different font and font size in tables and table text than in the body text For example: Table Peatland location and general characteristics Peatlands (Country code) Aitoneva (FIN) Middlemuir Moss (UK) Baupte (FB) Le Russey (FR) La Chaux d’Abel (CH) Coordinates Altitude m 62°12N 156 -23°18E 57°36N 110 -2°9W 49°17N -1°21E 47°18N 867 -6°79E 47°10N 1040 -6°57E Mean annual T°C Precipitation Water table depth Bulk density pH (January, July) mm yr-1 (annual range) cm (g L-1) 3.8 (-3.3, 19.7) 694 9.4±14.5(-32/36) 141±30 4.1± Cellulose § C:N† N (%)† S (%)† (‰) 44.7±16.4 55±2 1.5±0.4 0.227±0.045 12.0 (1.4, 20.5) 1109* -14±14 (-51/-6) 147±87 4.3±1.1 65.8±35.2 54±5 1.5±0.2 0.395±0.037 10.3 (4.5, 16.0) 890 -58±7 (-95/-15) 121±32 5.5±0.4 14.8± 3.1 21±2 2.4±0.2 0.500±0.053 6.6 (-1.4, 15.2) 1417 -11±7 (-26/0) 119±40 ± 47.6±26.1 27±4 2.0±0.4 0.028±0.047 4.1 (-4.4, 13.5) 1463 -16±7 (-41/-4) 101±53 4.9±0.6 45.1±26.0 22±6 2.3±0.6 0.074±0.045 § Cellulose in peat was identified after H2SO4 pre-treatment, hydrolysis and quantification by gas chromatography (Comont et al 2006) † Total organic element in peat, performed by combustion at 1100°C with a CNS-2000 LECO apparatus, on dried and crushed samples (Comont et al 2006) 10 Appendix ( to be updated) 23 Appendix 24 Appendix 25 Appendix 26 Appendix 27 Appendix 28 Appendix 29 Appendix 30 Appendix 31 Appendix 32 Appendix 33 Appendix 34 Appendix 35 Appendix 10 36 Appendix 10 37 ... Economics Thesis 10 Example of Table of Contents in Forest Economics Thesis Master's Thesis 1.1 In General The purpose of the Master's thesis is to train the student in the following areas: 1) independent... Forestry, Researcher, Dept of Forest Ecology, Univ of Helsinki, Finland 15 Master's Thesis Process Making your Master's thesis is a challenging but fruitful process Here is the process in a nutshell... 1st 2014, the thesis are submitted electronically at E -thesis Students must use the service to submit the final version of their Master’s thesis for assessment Once submitted, the thesis cannot