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My Background
• 1st degree in Management
Information System - IIUM
• Master in Software
Engineering – UTM (by coursework)
• PhD in Computational
Engineering,
Cardiff School of Engineering,
Cardiff University, Wales, UK.
– Main SV: Prof Rossi Setchi
(Bulgarian)
– Co-SV: Dr Yulia A Hicks (Russian)
– Apr 2008 – Apr 2012
– Married, started with 1 kid,
graduated with 2 kids.
PhD Research
• Image Annotation
• Text Based Information Retrieval
• Semantic & Ontology

Current Research
• Embedded Systems
• Robotic Manipulation
• Internet of Things (IoT)
• Wireless Sensor Network
• Intelligent System
• Software Engineering
• Information Retrieval.
Me & Rossi

August 2011
Outline

• Introduction
• Thesis Writing
– What?
– Why?
– When?
– Who?
– How?
– Good News vs. Bad News
• General Advice
 Introduction

What is a Postgraduate
Research?
What is a PG Research?

• Master or PhD is not a destination, it is a

JOURNEY.
• Ability to research anything, and the expectation
that you will understand it.
• You should be more likely to ask why things are
done a certain way, and how it could be made
better – analytical thinking.
• You can jump into a new area, pick it up quickly,
and have something interesting to say about it.
• And the most important part in all these, is the
ability to write them clearly, so that other
people can know what you know.
Doing a PG Research

• How?
i. Find a problem
ii. Understand the background
iii. Knows what already being done
iv. Find the gaps
v. Design solution
vi. Evaluate & Validate
vii. Get agreement **
• Plan your work > Get milestones > Execute
• Break big task into micro tasks - focus on small pieces,
one at a time.
 Thesis Writing:
When?

When to start writing?

When to start writing?

• When?
i. Find a problem - write
ii. Understand the background - write
iii. Knows what already being done - write
iv. Find the gaps - write
v. Design solution - write
vi. Evaluate & Validate - write
vii. Get agreement ** - write

• Start writing from the beginning!

When to start writing?

I was given a blue

notebook on my 1st day.

“I want you to start

writing today”.
(Rossi, April 2008)
When to start writing?
 Thesis Writing:
What?

What is a thesis?
What a thesis is not?
What is a thesis?

• Demonstration of an understanding of the

state of the art
– Critical appreciation of existing work
• A novel contribution
– Evaluated systematically
• Opens a new area
• Provides unifying framework
• Resolves long-standing question
• Thoroughly explores area
• Contradicts existing knowledge
• Experimentally validates theory
What is a thesis?

• Produces ambitious system

• Provides empirical data
• Derives superior algorithms
• Develops new methodology
• Develops new tool
What a thesis IS NOT?

• It is not a historical narrative,

– What I did in the lab over the past 3 years
• I first read the background material
• I then implemented an algorithm
• I ran some experiments
• …
• A thesis is a logical reconstruction
What a thesis IS NOT?

• A brain dump of everything

you’ve done
– You get to leave out the dead-ends
– But you have to fill in any obvious
gaps!

• Something you can buy in the

shop
– Unless you’ve been into the
underworld
 Thesis Writing:
Why?

Why do we need to write?

- Informal writing
- Formal writing
Why do we need to write?

Informal Writing:
• Because you wont remember everything,
forever
– Sometimes writing will help you remember
• Training – getting yourself familiar with
writing
• Developing a good habit
• Motivate yourself to keep going
Why do we need to write?

Formal Writing:
• Data without notes are unusable
– Because you won’t remember everything,
forever
• For others who may need to understand
your research - Science includes the
dissemination of knowledge
– to communicate to the community
– to contribute to the advancement of
knowledge
Why do we need to write?

• To make progress
– Progress is measured by OUTPUT, not time
(results, publications).
– Do not spend long hours in office/lab just for
the sake of it
– If you don’t know what to do, WRITE
something. Anything.
• But there is a RISK in writing early and
often!
Why do we need to write?

ALERT: Most of your

writings will never be
used!
So be it.
Remember, it’s a journey,
not a destination.
Why do we need to write?

Adam Savage,
Myth Buster
 Thesis Writing:
How long?

How long will it take to write a

thesis?
How long will it take?

Procrastination is your worst enemy.

Good News vs. Bad News

Write early. Write often.

How long will it take?
How long will it take?

How long will it take to write a thesis?

• Depends on many factors

– How much you’ve written as papers
– Many other things

• Wild estimation?
– Min = 2 months (very very very rare)
– Max = infinity
– Mean = infinity
– Median = 6-9 months
How long will it take?

Your thesis is like your baby.

• Give it 9 months at least, to deliver.
– It was 12 months for me
• You have to know when to let it go
– Finished is better than perfect.
How to kill procrastination?

• Make a full list of tasks to be done

– So you always aware where you are, how far more
you need to go
• Prioritize your work and tasks and set milestones
– Create deadlines for paper submission
– Get agreements
– Track your time on subtasks
• Update your SV/team on progress regularly
• Reward yourself when achieving milestones
– ALERT: Rewards kill creativity
– Pick your reward CAREFULLY. Don’t pick a reward
that negates what you’ve just achieved.
How to kill procrastination?

A quick 3-4 days holiday getaway won’t hurt.

 Thesis Writing:
How to?

How to write a thesis

Writing a thesis: Myths

• Being able to write well is a gift

• Writing is just a question of getting down

what you know, it will all come together
when the time comes.
– Everything is already in your head, you just
have to write it down.
Writing a thesis: Myths
How to start?

• Get a good template. Solve all the technical

in the beginning
– Formats, styles, annotation, reference,
bibliography, etc.
– Strictly follow guidelines from Graduate School
from the beginning
– Use software/tools that you are comfortable
with.
– Use automated backups (external drive, clouds)
• If you have problem with the technical, get
help!
How to start?

• Start with the Table of Contents

– Get a logical structure of your
thesis
– Look at other thesis in your field,
see how they structured it, get
idea.
– Get agreement
– Your TOC is very important – its
the blueprint of your thesis
How to start?

• A typical TOC structure

– Abstract
– Introduction
– Background/Literature
– Experiments and Results
– Analysis/discussion
– Conclusions
• Identical structure with research paper
– The only differences is the length, context and
scope.
How to start?

• Writing is hard for everyone. Don’t try to be

Shakespeare
• You don’t have to start with introduction
– Stop waiting for mood or inspiration
– Start where you feel happiest. It is your thesis,
you can do it however you want it.
• Typically people start in the middle and
outwards
– .. then conclusion and end with introduction
How to write?

• My writing order
– Abstract - 6
– Introduction - 4/5
– Background/Literature - 3
– Experiments and Results - 1
– Analysis/discussion - 2
– Conclusions - 4/5
• Get your own formula that can make you
happy
How to write?

• Write everything in ONE (1) document

• Use versions to help you track your files
How to write?

• As you are writing up, you’ll discover holes

in your research
– Theorems you haven’t proved
– Experiments you didn’t run (different
environment or parameters)

• Writing will lead to more research. That’s

totally OK!.
How to write?

The Rules of Three

• Within thesis, repeat your contributions 3 times
– Intro chapter
– Main chapters
– Conclusion chapter

• Within each chapter, repeat yourself 3 times

– Introduction - We will show ..
– Body - Show them ..
– Conclusion - We have shown ..
Common problems in writing

• Complex sentences full of long words

– A thesis should be a simple, convincing
argument!
• Impossible to cover all issues
– So you will never finish?
– It’s sometimes enough to identify the issues
– Examiners greatly appreciate you identifying
limitations
– Examiners greatly happy finding a few
mistakes
Common problems in writing

• At some point, your brain will

surely become toast
– Take a break
– Eat properly, exercise, get a
good sleep
– Get a life

• Toasted brain is only

temporary, calm down
– I am still alive
 Thesis Writing:

Who?
Who will read your thesis?
- Supervisors
- Examiners
What you can expect from SV?

Thesis
correction
could be an
endless cycle
if you don’t
manage them
properly.
 What you can expect from SV?

• Intellectual support
– You are not ALL ALONE actually. Your SV is on
your side. Your success is their success
– Quality assurance
– What standard a thesis should reach
– Indication of when to stop
• Emotional support
– Encouragement
– Constructive atmosphere
What you can expect from SV?

• Regular, constructive criticism on your

written work
• Guidance, suggestions and ideas for
research direction/opportunities
• Advice at each stage of the project
• Some direction (though probably not too
much!)
 What NOT to expect from SV?

• Smiles
– If draft chapters contain simple spelling mistakes
and typos
– Remember, it isn’t your supervisor’s job to proof
read what you write.
– Get advice about your PhD, not your English.
– If you are not good in English, get help!

• Mind-reading skills
– Motivation dipping
– Absence = illness
What SV expect from you?

• Show initiatives, be proactive, etc.

– basically be independent
• Be honest about how things are going
• Produce quality written work that is
not a first draft
• Meet deadlines (or explain why not)
• Meet regularly to discuss your
progress
• Tell them what you are learning
• Teach them something new
The Examiners

• Viva voce (Latin phrase)

– oral examination (a thesis
defence).
• To enable examiners to assure
themselves that the thesis is
the candidate’s own work.
• To give candidate the
opportunity to defend the
thesis & clarify any obscurities
in it.
• To assess whether the thesis is
of high standard to merit the
award.
What Are They Looking For?

• Did you do the work yourself?

• Have you done the reading?
• Do you have a good knowledge of the field?
• Did you write the thesis yourself?
• Can you do research independently?
• Can you teach the subject?
• Can you talk about it professionally?
• Have you contributed to knowledge?
• Did you learn anything?
Defending Your Thesis

• Enjoy it
– You’ve the world’s experts in the room
– They want to talk about your work
– How often will that happen in the future?

• If you want, have a practice

– Get your supervisor to set up a “dummy” jury
– Prepare your opening statement
Your thesis is your best friend

• Know your thesis very well

• Re-read your thesis carefully
• If you find any mistakes, don’t panic, but
make a note of it
• Identify the originality of your work
• Identify the contribution to knowledge in
your field study
• Identify the strengths & weaknesses and
make a note of them
 Thesis Writing:
Good News
vs.
Bad News
Let’s start with the good news
Good News vs. Bad News

• You only have to write ONE

thesis
– And couple of journal articles
• It will make you famous
– Just kidding
• It will change the world
– Based on statistics, it is very
unlikely
Good News vs. Bad News

• At the end, you will be invited to a

convocation ceremony
– You are likely to be in the 1st session!
– Can post a lot of photos in your soc
med!

• For PhD candidate, you get to add “Dr” to

your name
– Grandpa, Grandma, Aunties, Uncles,
Neighbours, Village people.. They are
all going to be very impressed
Good News vs. Bad News

• Writing a thesis is hard and

painful work
– You’ve already done the fun part
(the research)
– Most students are not trained to
write properly

• It’s a lonely process

– Nobody will write it for you.
Good News vs. Bad News

• Some people never

manage to write one
– 99% perspiration
– 1% inspiration

• No pain, no gain!
– Writing thesis is the
requirement to join the
academia world.
– You all have to suffer like
we did!
Good News vs. Bad News

• If you’re lucky, your full

thesis will be read by
– Your supervisor (maybe)
– Your examiners (get paid)
– And nobody else in this
planet (most likely)
Good News vs. Bad News

Remember!

NEVER UNDERESTIMATE how

hard/long it will take to write up.
 Conclusion

What really matters

General Advice

The DOs and DON’Ts:

• DON’T leave the responsibility for your project to others.
• DON’T spend long hours in office/lab for the sake of it.
• DON’T be alone. Talk to others about your problems.
• DON’T wait, write now. One day or day one, you decide.
• DO get support from other PG students.
• DO give support to other PG students.
• DO take every opportunity to practice and learn.
• DO get a life. Enjoy your ‘play time’.
General Advice

“The only way to find out how to

do a Postgraduate Research is to
do one. Therefore all advice is
useless.”

(Richard Butterworth, 1998)

-The End-
References
• Mihir Bellare http://cseweb.ucsd.edu/~mihir/phd.html
• Richard Butterworth
http://public.randomnotes.org/richard/PhDtalk.html
• Alex Hope
http://drsustainable.wordpress.com/2012/05/25/experiences-as-a-
phd-student/
• Matt Schonlau, How to finish a Ph.D.
http://www.schonlau.net/finishphd.html
• PhD Comics http://www.phdcomics.com
• Toby Walsh, How to Write a Thesis, University College Cork