Jumpstarting Your Honors Thesis Scott Coffel Hanson CTC Director, College of Engineering

The X Factor: Confidence “If you think you can’t, or you think you can, you’re probably right.” —Mark Twain “Leap into writing your Honors Thesis, and the net will appear.” —SC “The force is strong with this engineer.” —D. Vader Leap, And the net…(This May Be Too Broad a Statement) Without commitment, there is only delay, indecision, and ineffectiveness

Writing Makes Thinking Happen “How can I know what I mean until I see what I say?” —E.M. Forster Writers achieve coherence and organization through a process of drafts, feedback, and revision. There are no shortcuts to a completed thesis.

Build a Nest Egg of Ideas Writing is an incremental process; starting an informal journal is a low-risk, high-return intellectual investment. Daily entries about your project add up to a tangible collection of starting points and crucial insights. Leap, And the net…(This May Be Too Broad a Statement) Without commitment, there is only delay, indecision, and ineffectiveness

Brainstorming: Taking Ownership of Your Thesis Write down at least three to five aspects of your research that your readers need to know. Can they all be connected? If not, can you minimize or exclude the least important? Is the story of your research experiences greater than the sum of its parts? A daily journal about your project adds up to a tangible collection of starting points and crucial insights

The Basics Introduction ― provide background and context for research and/or experiments. Literature Review ― describe gap in current knowledge and state the aim of your thesis: how your work fits in. Methods ― detail step-by-step record of how you achieved your results. Results and Discussion ― assert and discuss the significance of your data. Conclusion ― The meaning of it all: did you achieve your objectives? If not, why? Where do we go from here? Condense your thesis into an Abstract (it appears first but is written last).

Three Signs of Excellence Your thesis— Demonstrates control of your materials (precise descriptions and insightful analysis). Is specific but selective (sticks to the major themes of your research). Conveys a sense of the future (establishes your research as a starting point from which you or others will continue).

Synchronize Your Story Make sure that your thesis does not contradict your advisor’s view of reality. Avoid misrepresenting (over-hyping) your achievements: no brag, just facts.

Clarity is All Precise writing establishes your credibility as an engineer. Therefore… Scientific writing is a no-ambiguity zone: Ambiguity (defined as “doubtfulness or uncertainty as regards interpretation”) can often lead to serious misinterpretations. Be vigilant in the battle against vagueness (for example, the words some, about, approximately, almost).

Summary Writing a successful thesis is a process that through incubation (the day-to-day growth of your insights), drafts, feedback, and revision— Eliminates extraneous details. Demonstrates your powers of organization and analysis. Fosters self-confidence. Prepares you for the challenges of advanced study.

Thank You “What is written without effort is read without pleasure.” Samuel Johnson