1. How to Write a Thesis - A Personal Experience
Hugo do Nascimento*
School of Information Technologies
The University of Sydney
*Supported by CAPES and UFG-Brazil

2. Summary The Thesis Doing Research Preparation for Writing the Thesis
The Writing Process
Tools and Useful Links

3. The Thesis User Hints for Optimization Processes
Combinatorial Optimization
Human-Computer Interaction
Information Visualization

4. User Hints for Optimization Processes
The Thesis
User Hints for Optimization Processes

5. Approximate number of words counted by WinEdt
The Thesis
Contents
Acknowledgement
Abstract
Introduction
Background
The User Hints Framework
User Hints for Graph Clustering
User Hints for Directed Graph Drawing
A Focus and Constraint-Based Genetic Algorithm
User Hints for Map Labeling
General Remarks
Conclusion
Appendix A: Optimization Table
Appendix B: Included CD-ROM
Approximate number of words counted by WinEdt
2 pages, 572 words
1, 292
9, 2806
34, 11481
10, 3147
16, 4699
29, 9095
55, 11214
36, 10909
20, 7307
4, 1179
9, 1483
17, 2356

6. The Thesis Statistics 9 chapters + 2 appendices + 1 ack + 1 abs
40 subsections
85 pictures
21 tables
205 references
words in the printed version (not including words in pictures and tables)
274 pages
Writing period: Feb-June

7. Doing Research (A Process)
Have a proposal no
yes
yes no
Study the bibliography
Revise the
proposal
Write a paper, Give a talk
Has it been done?
Do more
experiments
Are the results sufficient? Do
“experiments” no
Is it feasible?
end
yes

8. Preparation for Writing the Thesis
Organize your references
For the file name of every digital paper that you get use the title, authors’ surname, and the year of publication.
Also get the bibtex or normal reference of the paper and save it in a file.
Organize all printed papers in folders.
An Empirical Study of Constraint Usage in Graphical Applications_Zanden-Venckus_1996.pdf

9. Preparation for Writing the Thesis
Develop writing skills:
Read other thesis
Take courses on time management and on scientific writing (The University of Sydney runs classes on these subjects in the Education Building).

10. Preparation for Writing the Thesis
Visualize the thesis
A content page written at the beginning of the research helps to visualize the thesis. In general, the content page is based on the research methodology.
Revise the content page as the research progresses.
When you are able to visualize the whole thesis (although there may be some “gaps” to close), then you are ready to write it.

11. The Writing Process
Define a schedule with dates for writing every chapter of the thesis (This is important since it will push you to work continuously. It will also allow you to check whether more time is needed to complete the writing).
Create (empty) pages for every chapter, section and subsection of the thesis.
Insert the papers and slides that you wrote into the thesis.
Start by writing your most recent work.

12. The Writing Process
Every time that you have a good idea for a section of the thesis that you are not working on at the moment, then write something quick about it in the appropriate page.
If you are tired of writing a particular section, take a short break by writing easier and funnier sections such as the acknowledgement, the dedication page, etc. If you a really tired, then have a rest! But be sure that you write a lot every day!
Leave the conclusion, the abstract, and the appendices to the end of the writing (some people also suggest postponing the writing of the introduction; any way, you will have to revise the introduction later).

13. The Writing Process
Leave time for revising the thesis. Ask at least 2 people to revise it. Do your own review afterwards.
Print and bind the final version of thesis. This can take up to two days if a hardcover binding is demanded.
Take the thesis to the Faculty of Science, with a letter of your supervisor saying that you have completed everything and that the thesis is ready to be evaluated. You will have to sign some forms there.
Backup the thesis regularly!

14. Tools and Useful Links Software
MiKTEX ( - LaTeX for Windows/DOS.
Winedt ( - text editor that works with MiKTEX. It needs a license.
GIMP ( - Image manipulator software.
Microsoft Word – used for writing some papers and for creating diagrams.
Adobe Acrobat – used for converting diagrams in Word to PDF. Adobe Acrobat requires a license. There is a educational version for students that is cheaper.

15. Tools and Useful Links Documents Links
Oetiker, “The not so short introduction to LaTeX”, (
Technical writing and research ethics (
Advice on Research and Writing (
Writing Guidelines for Engineering and Science Students (
Links
TOPPS BibTeX Templates (
Accents in LaTeX (
A good page about Latex (

16. Books on How to Write a Thesis
Gordon B.Davis, Clyde A. Parker. "Writing the Doctoral Dissertation: A Systematic Approach", Barron's Educational Series, 1997.
Harry Teitelbaum. “How to Write a Thesis”, Prentice Hall & IBD, 1998.
Estelle M. Phillips, Derek S. Pugh. “How to Get a PhD: A Handbook for Students and Their Supervisors”, Open University Press, 2000.  
Joe Wolfe. “How to Write a PhD Thesis”, UNSW (