HOW TO WRITE A THESIS

Prof. Dr. Shuokr Qarani Aziz

B.Sc., Civil Engineering, College of Engineering, SU-E, Iraq, 1993

M.Sc., Sanitary Engineering, Civil Engineering, College of Engineering, SU-E, Iraq, 2000
PhD, Environmental Engineering, School of Civil Engineering, USM, Malaysia, 2011

2023-2024

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What is a Thesis:
➢ A written work resulting from original research, especially

one submitted for higher degree in a university.

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What’s in the Thesis?

➢ Addresses a problem or series of problems

➢ Describes what was known about the problem(s)
➢ What you do to solve the problems
➢ What you think the results means
➢ How further progress can be made

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Components of a Thesis:

Three major sections:

A) Preliminary pages

B) Main body of the thesis

C) Appendices

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A) Preliminary pages:
The Preliminary pages consists of:
➢ Cover page
➢ Declaration
➢ Supervisor Certification
➢ Examination Committee Certification
➢ Dedication
➢ Acknowledgement
➢ Abstract
➢ Table of Content
➢ List of Figures
➢ List of Tables
➢ List of Plates/Photos
➢ List of Abbreviations

➢ All these pages are numbered in Roman numerals (i, ii, iii, iv, v, vi…).
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Cover page
ELIMINATING REBAR SPLICING IN TRANSVERSE JOINTS OF
PRECAST FULL DEPTH BRIDGE DECK PANELS
by
David M. Gee

A THESIS

Presented to the Faculty of

The Graduate College at the University of Nebraska
In Partial Fulfillment of Requirements
For the Degree of Master of Science

Major: Civil Engineering

Under the Supervision of Professor Chungwook Sim

Lincoln, Nebraska
April, 2020
Title

Title is prepared by the student and the supervisor(s), and it is approved by

the Department, College, and the University.

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 SUPERVISOR CERTIFICATE

This thesis has been written under my supervision and has been submitted for
the award of the degree of Master of Science in Water and Environmental
Engineering with my approval as a supervisor.

Signature: Name: Prof. Dr. Shuokr Qarani Aziz

Date: / / 2020
 EXAMINING COMMITTEE CERTIFICATION

We certify that we have read this thesis: Performance Evaluation and

Improvement of Ifraz-2 and Qandil Water Treatment Plant Units in
Erbil Governorate and as an examining committee examined the student
(Imad Ali Omar) in its content and what related to it. We approve that it
meets the standards of a thesis for the degree of M. Sc. in Water and
Environmental Engineering.

Signature: Signature:

Name: Name:

Member Member

Date: / / 2020 Date: / / 2020

Signature: Signature:

Name: Name:

Supervisor (Member) Chairman

Date: / / 2020 Date: / / 2020

Signature:

Name:

Dean of the College of Engineering

Date: / / 2020
Dedication

To …

To …
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Abstract
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF FIGURES
LIST OF TABLES
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

ACH Aluminum Chlorohydrate

ANOVA Analysis of Variances

KRSO Kurdistan Regional Statistics Office

DEM Digital elevation model

DOI Directorate of Irrigation

EC Electrical Conductivity (μs/cm)

ES Effective Size

EWD Erbil Water Directorate

NOM Natural Organic matter

NTU Nephelometric turbidity unit

PAC Powdered activated carbon

PACl Poly-aluminum chloride

rpm Revolution per minutes

SCADA Supervisory control and data acquisition

SCD streaming current detector

TDS Total dissolved solids (mg/L)

UC Uniformity Coefficient

WHO World Health Organization

WQI Water Quality Index

WTP Water Treatment Plant

B) Main Body of the Thesis:

➢ Chapter One: Introduction

➢ Chapter Two: Literature Review or

Literature Review and Theoretical Background

➢ Chapter Three: Materials and Methods

➢ Chapter Four: Results and Discussions

➢ Chapter Five: Conclusions and Recommendations

➢ References

➢ List of Publications

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 CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
➢ 1.1 General or Introduction
➢ 1.2 Indicate what is known about the problem and show the gap of knowledge in this field.

➢ 1.3 Statement of the problem – indicates the variables examined in the study

➢ 1.4 Statement of the hypotheses

➢ Quantitative - states the relationships between variables in operational terms

➢ Qualitative – sense of what the study might show

➢ 1.5 Significance of the study – explains why the study is important and explain the novelty
(originality) of the work

➢ 1.6 Scope of the Work

➢ 1.7 Objectives

➢ Note the sections are numbered as 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, … 19

 CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW or
LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
➢ 2.1 Introduction

➢ 2.2, 2.3 … Write the reported works those related to your topic.

➢ Using Tables and Figures for the reported data are better than

writing texts.

➢ Last section: 2.X Summary; Show that so far there is reported documents in this area.

Note: The sections are numbered as 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, …

and the sub-sections are numbered as 2.2.1, 2.2.2, 2.2.3 etc.

Figures are numbers as Figure 2.1, 2.2, 2.3 etc.

Tables are numbered as Table 2.1, 2.2, 2.3 etc.

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 CHAPTER THREE
MATERIALS AND METHODS or METHODOLOGY
➢ 3.1 Introduction
➢ 3.2 Illustrate a flow chart for the work
o Quantitative - describes how the subjects were selected, the population they
represent, the sample size, and major characteristics of the subjects
o Qualitative – includes information about the parts of questionnaire, tests, the
participants… etc.
➢ 3.3 Instruments and methods- describes all data collection, procedures, analysis … etc.
➢ Write the references and standards for the conducted works.
For example: Data collection and experiments in the lab were carried out according to …
Mention the name of Lab, institute, college… etc. that the study were conducted there.

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➢ MATERIALS AND METHODS (CONT.)
o Design – describes the basis for the selection of a specific design, a description
of the threats to validity, and steps taken to minimize these threats
o Procedures – describes in sequence the steps followed in conducting the study
in sufficient detail to allow for repetition.
o Show the detailed procedure and calculation sample ( if exist).

Note: The sections are numbered as 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, …

and the sub-sections are numbered as 3.2.1, 3.2.2, 3.2.3 etc.
Figures are numbers as Figure 3.1, 3.2, 3.3 etc.
Tables are numbered as Table 3.1, 3.2, 3.3 etc.

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 CHAPTER FOUR

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

➢ 4.1 Introduction

➢ 4.2 Effect of Variable X on Y

Present Your results using either text, or figures, or tables; do not use
text/figures/tables at the same time for the same results.

➢ Explain your results, min., max., avg., increasing, decreasing, fluctuations

… for the presented data.

➢ Confirm your results by comparing the obtained results with the standards
and published works in literature.

➢ 4.3 Effect of Variable Z and Y 23

 CHAPTER FOUR

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS (Cont.)

Note: The sections are numbered as 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, …

and the sub-sections are numbered as 4.2.1, 4.2.2, 4.2.3 etc.

Figures are numbers as Figure 4.1, 4.2, 4.3 etc.

Tables are numbered as Table 4.1, 4.2, 4.3 etc.

➢ I prefer to put the RESULTS and DISCUSSIONS in one Chapter (i.e. do not put
the RESULTS in a separate chapter and the DISCUSSIONS in a another chapter,
because it is tedious

for the PG student and for

the readers)
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 CHAPTER FIVE

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

➢ Write main achieved results in the Conclusions

➢ Out line the conclusions and should matching and reflecting the Objectives.

➢ Do not use references, and do not discuss the results here.

Recommendations for future studies:

List some recommendations for the future studies.

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References
➢ Use Journals, Books, Conferences… etc.
➢ Write the references according to the guidelines.
➢ Do not mix between (author, year) and [number] systems, use one of them
according to the guidelines.
➢ All references available in the list of references should be cited in the thesis.
➢ Use updated references.

List of Publications
Write the published papers (during your study) in the Journals and Conferences

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C) Appendices

➢ Includes information and data related to the study but not sufficiently
important or too large to include in the main body of the thesis.

➢ Raw data

➢ Tests and instruments

➢ Questionnaires

➢ Standards

➢ Letters

➢ etc.

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Difference between Paper/Article and Thesis:

➢ General structure (Chapters and Sections)

➢ Time and Procedure
➢ Requirement (Thesis is compulsory for the M.Sc./PhD degree, while paper …)
➢ No. of Researchers
➢ Supervisor(s)
➢ Reviewing process and Examination
➢ Length/ No. of pages
➢ Aims in the thesis
➢ Cover page, dedication, list of contents ….
➢ Recommendations
➢ Appendices
➢ Others 28
 Thank you
shuokr.aziz@su.edu.krd, shoker71@yahoo.com

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