1. Writing the thesis Different emphasis than in articles –Detailed introduction/background –Detailed methodology –Speculations in discussion Read the instructions –http://www.hi.is/is/heilbrigdisvisindasvid_deild ir/laeknadeild/nam/reglur_og_leidbeiningarhttp://www.hi.is/is/heilbrigdisvisindasvid_deild ir/laeknadeild/nam/reglur_og_leidbeiningar Follow the instructions

2. Writing the thesis Writing a good thesis takes time, long time –Start thesis when at least 25% of research project is left MSc thesis (6-9 months) PhD thesis (1-2 years) Where to start???? –Different for each individual –Materials and methods? –Contents?

3. MS tests and doctoral defense Only 2-3 persons (outside your MSc/PhD committee) will read your thesis properly! –It takes time to read a thesis properly MS tests (6-8 weeks) –Test 3 weeks prior to graduation Doctoral defense (3-4 months) http://www.hi.is/is/heilbrigdisvisindasvid_deildir/lae knadeild/nam/meistaraprof_og_doktorsvarnir hi.is>HVS>Læknad>Nám>Framhaldsnám>

4. Copyright © Thesis author is the copyright owner of his own work All journals (publishers) demand copyright transfer agreement (you must renounce the copyright to the publisher) –Differently extensive renounce (check the rules at the journal website) Complete copyright transfer Limited copyright transfer (author can distribute the article) –PDF on your / institution website http://www.springer.com/?SGWID=4-102-45-69724-0

5. Copyright When a post-graduate student plans to write a thesis based on published articles (doctoral dissertation): –He/she needs publishers permission for printing the articles in the thesis All/most publishers have a Copyrights department When applying - state the purpose (non-commercial and strictly academic) –He/she can not copy text directly from the articles => plagiarism

6. The tiny little details Very tiny, very boring, very important Make a difference in final layout of thesis/article –punctuation marks, commas, layout, units, decimal places, numbers, et ctr. Be consistent –Inconsistence can irritate opponents/reviewers –Inconsistence represents carelessness If you are careless regarding the tiny little details, you are most probably also inconsistent regarding other bigger aspects such as results

7. Numbers In group 1 the distribution ranged from 1.38 to 3.5 g/ml and in group 2 it was 1.8 – 3,94 g/ml. In group four the increase was significantly more than in group 3 (mean 4.4g/ml +/- 0.246, against 1.22 g/ml +/- 0.11).

8. More about numbers Check for rules on numbers in journals –look at published articles –some journals want one, two, three... ten, 11, 12 is becoming less and less common –nowadays most journals want one, 2, 3 What ever you do, always do the same, be consistent –rather always wrong than this way and that way

9. Units In group 1 the distribution was 1.4 – 3.5g/ml and in group 2 it was 1,8 – 3.9 g/mL. The increase was three times more in group 3, and in group 4 it was 4x more than in the control group.

10. Units...was incubated for 4 h at 50°C and then kept frozen at -80 °C until further processed. The site was then resampled after six days, and the sample treated as previously.

11. Language All words in the text should be carefully chosen and bring new information Introduction: Previous studies have shown that enzyme X is activated by compound Y. Heading: Research on breast cancer in Iceland.

12. Language This was a single-center, placebo-controlled study to determine the effects of the LH-RH analogue on estrogen levels in a female paediatric population with central precocious puberty.

13. Use the technology Spelling and grammar –Set language UK/US English, Icelandic –“If it’s got a red line under it; recheck the spelling” Find / Replace (Ctrl F / Ctrl H) –to find repeated errors Autocorrect –when to use, and when not to use

14. Use the technology Thesaurus –when to use, and when not to use “They are humid prepossessing homo sapiens with full sized aortic pumps”