introduction to mib & ib master’s thesis and the thesis seminar kristiina.makela@aalto.fi...

Introduction to MIB & IB Master’s Thesis and the Thesis Seminar

kristiina.makela@aalto.fi

25.4.2014

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Today’s agenda

• Introduction: Supervisors & students

• What is the Master’s Thesis work about?

– What does a good MSc Thesis look like?– What’s the process like?– What do I need to do next?

• Next steps

Introductions

•Who are you?

•What’s your (provisional) topic?

•Initial feelings about the thesis process?

Overview:Thesis seminars

Thesis seminar - 3 elements• Purpose: To support you in writing your thesis

• 2 joint seminars: 25.4. @ 9-12 in E-107 & 7.5. @ 14-17 in E-012– Understanding of the process– Guided first steps – assignments that will help you getting started (pass/re-do)

• One-on-one supervision – individual attention– 6 months of active support, what, where & how decided between supervisor & student– Good idea to always book next meeting!

• Progress seminars in August / September– Compulsory for everyone to present once– Opponent to give written feedback (1-2 pages)– More information at the 7.5. session

Joint seminars

25.4. Introduction to thesis process

7.5. Building a research plan & writing a literature review

Requirements for Master Thesis seminar

• Thesis seminar course will be accepted as completed if all compulsory meetings are attended or compensated for;

• Exceptionally, the absence of one compulsory meeting can be compensated- Talk to Kristiina if you need to be absent

Course website

• Agreement to sign with your supervisor (IB)

• Rubric

• Evaluation form

• Timetable of graduation process

https://noppa.aalto.fi/noppa/kurssi/26e99901/material

Master’s Thesis

Why Master’s Thesis?

• Perhaps the most important part of your studies– Very different from your studies thus far

• Internally driven creative work

• Working on a topic that interests / is valuable to you– An enjoyable, personal journey

• Learning analytical & methodological skills, and critical thinking & argumentation skills -> useful beyond the thesis

• Your “business card” to the world: Valuable contacts, CV, even future employment-> Make the thesis your top priority!

Topic?• Topic relevant for MIB/IB – many different topics apply

• Your own interest is key

• Topic/contribution does not have to be “entirely novel”– New context, new aspect/perspective, combination of different perspectives,

methodological contribution

• You can still change / modify the topic– Happens often

• Think about potential data collection & its feasibility right from the start (where, how, access)

Thesis: Assesment Methods and Criteria

• Grading 0-5

• Criteria:– Problem setting of the study: the topicality and interest to the

scientific and business community;– Contribution and the use of scientific methods;– Presentation and integration of the study;– Style and format of the study;– Research process (e.g. completed within time scheduled)

What does a good Thesis look like?

• Get into groups of 4 people

• Look at the rubric, evaluation criteria & sample theses

• Be prepared to share your observations with the group

What does a good Thesis look like?

• Presents a coherent argument

• Well structured, clearly & concisely written

• Well-informed (& well-referenced) AND shows own synthesis/thinking

• Rigorous methodology

• Provides a contribution– Descriptive -> Explanatory

Assignment 1Purpose: to get an idea of what a (good) thesis looks like

•Find a thesis (preferably an Aalto one) relevant to your topic/ methods/interests/level of ambition

•Analyze & evaluate the thesis – Using the evaluation grid: What was good? What could be improved?– What did you learn from reading this (and other) theses?

•2 pages, return in paper copy to next session 7.5.

•Library (ground floor) or http://epub.lib.aalto.fi/en/ethesis/

Thesis process

Thesis process in a nutshell

Choice of topic & research problem/question formulation

Critical literature review / Synthesis of the relevant literature

Development of YOUR theoretical/conceptual framework

Empirical work:-Research context & access-Data collection method(s)

Data analysis- Methods & presentation of findings

Writing of the final thesis

Reality

Choice of topic & research problem/question formulation

Critical literature review / Synthesis of the relevant literature

Development of YOUR theoretical/conceptual framework

Empirical work:-Research context & access-Data collection method(s)

Data analysis- Methods & presentation of findings

Writing of the final thesis

Not quite sure… NORMAL!

“Writing a novel (Thesis!) is like

driving a car at night.

You can see only as far as your headlights,

but you can make the whole trip that way”

E.L. Doctorow

You know what you are doing

You thinkyou know what you are doing

Yes

Yes

No

No

Zero

It’s both fun AND frustrating

Tips!

• IR kick-off session for Master’s Thesis students

– A 1-hour IR (information retrieval) session organized by the library

– Receives excellent feedback from students

– http://lib.aalto.fi/en/information_skills/toolo/kick-off_masters_thesis/

Tips!

• Keep a research journal!

– Develop a habit of reading “with” your journal• Not so much for traditional notes• But for ideas, insights, things to remember, thinking on paper,

drafting figures

Tips!

• Most typical pitfall No. 1:

Getting lost in the (literature) forest!

Remedy

• A helicopter view!

• Scan literature first – start broad -> narrow down• Get an overview of the field – e.g., mindmap• Then start reading in more depth

Tips!

• Most typical pitfall No. 2:

Trying to solve the

whole world at once

Tips!

• Most typical pitfall No. 3:

Including too much:

15 concepts, 5 theoretical perspectives, 4 frameworks…

Remedy

• Focus!

Use a funnel approach

And

Link everything together

into one storyline

And guide the reader

from start to finish

What next?

Next steps

• Scan different dissertations -> Assignment 1

• Book a meeting with your supervisor– First one-on-one supervisory meeting straight after the joint sessions– Come to the meeting with your completed assignments & pre-prepared

questions!

• Start scanning the literature -> Mindmap is a great tool to get the helicopter view– Do I need/want to revise/iterate the topic?

• Next joint session 7.5. -> Research plan, literature review

Thank you!