Postgraduate Academic Support Services

Institute of Postgraduate Studies

Universiti Sains Malaysia
Presents

Thesis Writing for Beginners:

Common Weaknesses in Writing Styles
(Part I)
by
Sibly Maros
Training Room
Institute of Postgraduate Studies
22nd February 2010

Introduction
Postgraduate Academic Support Services
Organizational Chart
Deputy Dean
(Academic Affairs)

Professional
Development
Unit

PASS
Statistical
Consulting
Services

Editorial
Consulting
Services

Introduction
Postgraduate Academic Support Services
Personnel
Dr. Khatijah Syed Ahmad

Statistician

Mr . Safian Uda

Statistician

Dr. Michael Liau Tet Loke

Editing Advisor

Sibly Maros

Editing Advisor

Mdm. Maziah Abdullah

Secretary

Writing Styles: Aspects to Consider

Aspects of Writing Styles
Writing Format
Referencing Styles
Language Usage
Paragraphing
Tables & Figures
Reference List (Bibliography)
Punctuations

Accepted Writing Styles

APA Style
American Psychological Association. (2010). Publication Manual of
The American Psychological Association (6th ed.). Washington, DC:
Author.

Chicago Style
University of Chicago. (2003). Chicago Manual of Style
(15th ed.). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Harvard Style
Holland, M. (2003). Harvard System. Online, Bournmouth University.
http://www.bournmouth.ac.uk/library/using/harvard_system.html

IPS Style & Requirements

A thesis is composed of 4 parts:
Preliminaries
The Text
Reference Materials
Appendices

http://www.ips.usm.my/modules.php?mod=download_list&catid=10

IPS Style & Requirements

The Preliminaries
Title Page
Acknowledgements
Table of Contents
List of Tables,
List of Figures & Plates
List of Symbols and Abbreviations
Abstract

IPS Style & Requirements

The Title Page
Title of thesis
Full name of candidate
Thesis submitted in fulfillment of the
degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
Master of Science
Master of Social Science
Master of Arts
Month and year submitted
No number on this page
View Sample

IPS Style & Requirements

Acknowledgements
Statement of appreciation to
Supervisors
Source of scholarship
Assistance obtained during research
Others directly/indirectly related
Number this page ii

IPS Style & Requirements

Table of Contents
Titles of
Parts
Sections/Chapters
Subdivisions
Worded exactly as in text
Headings (1.1, 1.2, 1.3)
Sub subheadings (1.2.1, 1.2.2, etc.)
Further subdivisions indicated by
Small letters in parenthesis [1.2.1 (a), 1.2.1 (b)]
Number this page iii
View Sample

Text: Chapters, Sections & Subsections

List of Tables, Figures and Plates
Must be worded exactly as in the text
Page number follows after table of contents
iv, v, etc.

View Sample

IPS Style & Requirements

Abstract
Summary of thesis; containing brief write-up of
Problem statement
Objectives
Methodology
Summary of findings
Must be in Bahasa Malaysia & English
Bahasa Malaysia abstract appears first
Both versions must have their respective titles
Not more than 400 words; double spacing
Placed immediately before Chapter 1
Number this page in Roman numerals
View Sample

Text: Chapters, Sections & Subsections

Contents of Thesis: Chapters
Introduction
Literature Review
Methods/Methodology
Results & Discussions
Recommendations for Future Research
Summary & Conclusion

View Sample

Text: Chapters, Sections & Subsections

Introduction
Background & highlights
problems under investigation
conceptually & theoretically
Sets the scope & objectives of study
Outlines plan of action
research protocol
fully-referenced literature review, or
Literature review may be a separate chapter

Text: Chapters, Sections & Subsections

Introduce the problem
Why is the problem important?
How is it related to previous works?
What are the primary & secondary hypotheses,
objectives of study; links to theory?
How do hypotheses & research design relate to
each other?
What are the theoretical & practical
implications of the study?

Text: Chapters, Sections & Subsections

Explore importance of the problem
Why the problem deserves new research
Statements of importance could be
to resolve any inconsistency
to extend theoretical formulation
If to resolve controversial issues
present all sides of the debate
avoid animosity & ad hominem arguments
Conclude with
purpose of the research
summarize the materials discussed

Text: Chapters, Sections & Subsections

Literature review

Discuss relevant related literature

Scholarly description of earlier work
Summary of recent directly related works
Recognize priority work of others
Other aspects of study
Only significant works; no nonessential details
Emphasize pertinent findings
Relevant methodological issues
Major conclusions
Logical continuity

Text: Chapters, Sections & Subsections

Method/Methodology
Details of how study was conducted
Conceptual & operational definitions of variables
Complete description of methods used to
enable reader to evaluate
Appropriateness of your methods
Reliability & validity of your results
Permits researchers to replicate your study
May be divided into subsections:

Text: Chapters, Sections & Subsections

Method (continued)
Subsections of Chapter:
Participant (subject) characteristics
Sampling procedures
Sample size, power, and precision
Measures & covariates
Research design
Experimental manipulations or interventions

Text: Chapters, Sections & Subsections

Results
Summarize data & analysis performed
Report to justify conclusions
Mention all relevant results
Do not hide & omit uncomfortable results
Statistics & data analysis
hypotheses testing
inferential statistical tests
confidence intervals
interpretation of results

Text: Chapters, Sections & Subsections

Discussions
Summarize data & analysis performed
Report to justify conclusion
Mention all relevant results
Do not hide & omit uncomfortable results
Statistics & data analysis
hypotheses testing
inferential statistical tests
confidence intervals
interpretation of results

Editorial Consulting Services

References

New Page,
Title REFERENCE, centered & upper case,
5 cm from top margin
List begins 4 spaces from heading
Single spacing within entry
Double spacing between entries
3 space indentation for entry longer than
single line
(Use of EndNote recommended)

APA Citation Abbreviations

APACitationAbbreviations
BookPart
Abbreviation
edition
ed.
revised edition
Rev.ed.
SecondEdition
2nd ed.
Editor(s)
Ed.orEds.
Translator(s)
Trans.
Nodate
n.d.
Page(s)
p.orpp.
Volume(s)
Vol.orVols.
Number
No.
Part
Pt.
TechnicalReport
Tech.Rep.
Supplement
Suppl.
Source:AmericanPsychologicalAssociation.(2010).PublicationManualof
AmericanPsychologicalAssociation.(6th ed.,p.180).Washington,DC:Author.

Layout of Contents: Appendices

Materials relatively brief,
easily presented in print format:
Materials referred to in the text
Illustrative materials, original data & quotations
Too long for inclusion in text
Type APPENDICES, centered in capital letters
Do not number this page
Must be listed in Table of Contents

Layout of Contents: Appendices

Continued...

Label Appendix A, Appendix B, etc.

Order as mentioned in text
Each must have a title
Begin each appendix on separate page
Treat multiple tables as separate appendices
In the text, refer ...(see Appendices A and B
for complete proofs).

Layout of Contents: Thesis Format

Observe the following aspects:
Typing format
Spacing
Margins
Pagination
Subdivision
Notes & footnotes

Layout of Contents: Thesis Format

Observe the following aspects:
Length of Thesis
PhD 80,000 words
Masters 50,000 words
Paper & Printing
80 gm, A4
Print on one side only
No computer paper
No carbon copy

Details

Layout of Contents: Thesis Format

(continued)...

Detail

Typing format
type on one side
Times New Roman
font size 12 & 11
Spacing
double spacing for text
single spacing for
long tables & table titles
quotations
footnotes
multiline captions
bibliographic entries

Layout of Contents: Thesis Format

(continued)...
Symbols & equations
for symbols
use appropriate software
for equation
use equation editor
including subscripts & superscripts
for scientific names
observe proper convention

Detail

Layout of Contents: Thesis Format

(continued)...
Margins
top edge: 2.5 cm
bottom edge: 2.5 cm
right edge: 2.5 cm
left edge: 4.0 cm
Below margin
do not type anything, except
to complete footnote
New paragraph
must have at least two lines

Layout of Contents: Thesis Format

(continued)...
Paragraphs & indentation
indent first line of every paragraph
indent 5-7 spaces or inch
remaining lines follow left margin
exceptions:
the abstract
block quotations
table title & notes
figure captions

Layout of Contents: Thesis Format

(continued)...
Pagination
page number without punctuation
1 cm from bottom center
preliminaries lower case roman numerals
all text & reference in Arabic numerals
All pages must have number
Appendix label: Appendix A, B, etc.
Subdivision
1.1, 1.2; 1.1.1, 1.1.2, etc.
all subdivisions begin from left margin
Details

Layout of Contents: Thesis Format

(continued)...
Tables
Centered within margin
numbered in relation to chapter
Arabic numerals: Table 1.1, Table 1.2, etc.
Number corresponds with text
placed near related discussion in text
heading above table
single space all tables
align decimals in all columns
long tables: heading Table 1.2 continued
repeat column & row headings
Details

Layout of Contents: Thesis Format

(continued)...
Figures
Illustrations, photos, graphs
drawings with aid of computer
use of colour in graph discouraged
heading below the figure.
one blank line between figure & heading
placed near related discussion in text
minimize clutter: label subparts as A, B, etc.

Details

Common Weaknesses in Writing Styles

Weaknesses identified
General English grammar
Referencing style
Spelling inconsistency
Punctuations
Typing Format
Tables & figures
Consistency

To be continued in a moment...