Thesis Guidelines
Thesis Guidelines
Thesis Guidelines
OBJECTIVES,
AND CRITERIA FOR ACCEPTABILITY
The thesis process takes the student through the following steps:
1. Selection of topic ideas
2. Selection and Assignment of Thesis Adviser
3. Design of the Thesis Proposal
4. Approval of Thesis Proposal by the Thesis Proposal Evaluation Panel
5. Implementation of Thesis Proposal and Writing of the Thesis
6. Thesis Adviser's Approval of Thesis and Written Recommendation for its Oral Defense.
7. Submission of-Thesis for Oral Defense (3 copies)
8. Completion of Pre-Oral Defense Clearance
9. Composition of Thesis Defense Panel and Schedule of Oral Defense
10. Thesis Oral Defense (and Re-orals, if required)
11. Submission of Final Draft of Thesis
1. Students are required to submit a preliminary draft of a thesis proposal to the Information
Computer Studies Dept. Preliminary discussions of the thesis proposal with the thesis
adviser are necessary to clarify specific details in the thesis proposal and get further
comments and suggestions which will improve the writing of the revised thesis proposal.
2. The Computer Division screens the thesis proposal according to the format given in the
following pages. Upon recommendation of the Computer Division, the student submits
one copy of the revised thesis proposal. It should be in 8-1/2" x 11" thesis paper
(available at the Computer Division), typewritten and double-spaced to-allow for insertion,
comments and notations.
3. In consultation with the student, the Computer Division will designate the three members
of the proposal evaluation panel. The thesis adviser is usually included as an additional
member of this panel.
4. The thesis proposal evaluation panel evaluates the thesis proposal for acceptability or
non-acceptability. It may make modifications in the scope, depth, direction and
methodology of the proposal; and determines the manageability of the thesis work within
the given time frame. (Note: To prove continuity, the members of the thesis proposal
evaluation panel will also constitute the membership of the thesis oral defense panel.)
The student is responsible for distributing the thesis proposal evaluation forms to the
three panel members. Likewise, he must get back all the completed forms and submit
these to the Computer Science Division.
5. If the thesis proposal is acceptable, the student can accelerate his thesis work. If it is not
acceptable, the students undertake the appropriate revisions to the thesis proposal.
1. Submit a substantially detailed outline, a time-table for each activity in the process, and a
schedule of consultations between student and adviser.
2. Submit the thesis drafts piecemeal, chapter by chapter.
The thesis is a student's creation; an evidence of his capacity for independent study.
Therefore, he should not expect his thesis adviser to co-write or collaborate on his study. The
thesis adviser will act as a guide but not his crutch. Creativity, motivation, and initiative must
come from the student.
A thesis is both content and style. Every thesis (or any report for that matter) has three
basic elements, namely:
1. The concept of the thesis- this is broken down further into the concepts embodied in
the report: as well as the breadth and depth of information and the analysis that ties
in this information into a coherent whole.
2. The clarity of the thesis which allows the reader to understand what is being said
easily and correctly.
3. The format and style of presentation. The student is expected to be guided by this
manual even during the writing of the draft. This simple precaution will avoid undue
delay in the approval of his thesis. In the matter of format, the student is required to
follow the “Format of the ICS Dept. Thesis” given in the following pages.
After completing this, the chairman calls the student back to the room and announces the
results of the Oral examination and other details required of him. The student is given a copy of
the final grade sheet and the specific comments after the defense.
Project Documentation
For thesis work that makes use of a tool, project, or implementation of a information
system, a separate project documentation will be submitted. Instead of placing the investigation,
design and implementation documentation in the Appendix of the Thesis, the group will submit a
separate document conforming to SAD documentation standards. (Final form will still be decided
upon by the ICS Dept)
A standard form letter has been prepared to assist students in securing information or
seeking interviews from sources external to the UST College of Science.
1. The name and title of person addressed, and the company address
2. The title of the thesis
3. The specific information required and/or the name/s of the persons/s to be interviewed
and
4. the signatory of the letter(Normally, the thesis adviser and the ICS Dept head)
Please note that the letter leaves the decision of permitting access entirely up to the
person addressed.
The following rather categorical statements are based on ICS Dept experience with the
thesis. The words of warning given below have made each year, and heeded in varying
degrees. The advice is free and seems obvious but failure to heed it has been detrimental
to the student.
3. Allow for delays. These delays may waste some valuable time but you are not in
complete control of the situation. Interviews will be cancelled, field trips will
have negative results, data will not arrive on time, off-campus panel member will
be out of the country, etc.
5. Keep the panel in mind when writing. The panel members will have a different
viewpoint and they cannot read your mind. What may be obvious and clear to you
may have to be explained to them. Do not assume you will pass without revision
on the first oral.
6. Keep your perspective. The thesis is part of a whole curriculum. You must
maintain equilibrium between the thesis and your other courses.
7. Do not depend on others. The thesis is exclusively your work. Even your adviser
can help only when you have provided firm data' and completed a thorough
analysis. His real help comes after the submission of the first draft.
8. Have your oral examination as soon as possible. Get the entire thesis over with as
quickly as possible.
9. Assume that your work will be far better than anyone else's thesis this year and
assume that the faculty and the panel will assume this. Do not judge your thesis in
relation to other theses, particularly tho6e of the preceding years
10. Make as much use of your adviser as he will allow you to. That way, you will
greatly increase your chances of sailing smoothly through your orals. Most of
those who failed in their thesis never consulted their advisers.
Areas of Considerations
The student may be allowed the first 20 to 30 minutes for a brief and succinct presentation of his
thesis covering the main points and highlights of the following:
It should be emphasized that the presentation should be brief and concise and should not exceed
30 minutes. However, since it is assumed that the panel has read the whole texts, the panel may
choose to forego the presentation and immediately proceed with the interrogation. This also
implies that a defense can only take place if the panel has received the documents at least 14
days before the scheduled defense.
Observers
Unless specifically prohibited (e-g., the thesis subject matter is classified or highly confidential)
students and other interested parties are allowed to observe the oral defense. Observers should
maintain proper decorum and may be allowed to ask questions at the discretion of the Chairman
Deliberation
The deliberation should cover two main areas:
These two areas should be evaluated based on the Criteria for Evaluation, of Thesis Proposals
and of Submitted Theses and on the parameters given below:
The adviser acts as the advocate of the thesis defendant. He should carefully take note of the
recommendations, revisions, changes, and comments of the thesis panel and have them signed
at the end of the defense. In many instances, the review of thesis revisions and changes are
charged by the panel to the sole responsibility of the thesis adviser.
The student’s submission of the revised thesis should be attached with the Thesis Adviser's
Certification of Student's Completion of Thesis Revisions/Changes Required by Thesis Oral
Defense Panel
In comparing the formats of the thesis proposal and the thesis, the student will note that the
introductory chapter of the thesis contains the essential parts that make up the thesis proposal. In
the thesis proposal, however, the student will have to add a detailed outline of his study and a
timetable from the time of his-fieldwork to the completion of the final draft.
The Title
The title should express very concisely and clearly the topic or subject for investigation, that is,
the what, where, who, why, and how of the proposed area of research. The maximum length may
be from 5 to 20 words and the title can also be formulated as a question-
The research design should be identified in terms of the research method used, the-respondents,
the sources of data, and the instruments used in gathering the data. In other words, the design
should be explained in such a specific way that anyone wishing to replicate, the study can be
guided by the methodology used in the study.
The methodology should show the relationship of each sub-problem to the hypothesis, the kind of
data and their sources (including the criteria for the selection of secondary sources if they are to
be used), and the conceptual analytical framework or methods of organizing, evaluating and
interpreting the data.
The student should adopt a presentation suited to the purpose of the study i.e., if the study is a
sample survey, elaborate on the sampling section.
The conclusions must be drawn directly from the findings and should recapitulate the answers to
the questions of the* investigation. Conclusions, must be objective, logical, valid and precise. The
recommendations should, if- possible, be based also on the findings and conclusions.
It is often desirable as part of this chapter to add a paragraph or section on implications, so, that
the investigator can present interpretations, speculations, and ideas that would not be out of
place in the conclusions. The student may also discuss possible applications of the findings to
pertinent systems or situations and recommend for further study other side problems uncovered
during the course of the thesis research.
Date Submitted :
Proponents :
1. Name1
2. Name2
3. Name3
5. _______________________________________________
____________
6. _______________________________________________
____________
7. _______________________________________________
____________
Thesis Title :
Proponents :
1. Name1
2. Name2
3. Name3
_________________________________________________________________
the thesis mentioned above, has been adequately prepared and submitted by the
proponents and is hereby endorsed by the undersigned for oral examinations.
Signature : ______________________
Thesis Adviser
Date: ______________________
Thesis Title :
Proponents :
1. Name1
2. Name2
3. Name3
_________________________________________________________________
the thesis mentioned above, has been adequately prepared and submitted by the
proponents and is hereby endorsed by the undersigned for oral examinations.
______________________
Thesis Adviser
__________________________________________
Panel Chairman
___________________________________ __________________________________
Member Member
Accepted in Partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degreee of Bachelor of Science
in ________________________________________________
_____________________________
_
Date:
TO: __________________
__________________
__________________
Thesis Title :
by the Proponents :
1. Name1
2. Name2
3. Name3
Attached is a copy of :
[ ] The thesis (Please bring this with you during the oral defense)
[ ] Criteria for Evaluation of Submitted Thesis
[ ] Excerpts for Thesis Oral Defense Panel Members
[ ] Excerpts for Thesis Adviser
Should there be other information you may need, please do not hesitate to get in touch
with us.
Sincerely yours,
Thesis Coordinator
__________________
__________________
__________________
Dear ___________,
This letter will introduce (students’ name), senior students of the College
of Science, UST. They are at present completing a research report entitled
____________________________________________________________ for
their Bachelor’s thesis as part of the requirements of their BS Degree.
Adviser’s Signature
Thesis Title :
Thesis Adviser : Signature:
Oral Defense Date: Time:
Thesis Oral Defense Panel:
Chairman Signature:
Panel 1. Signature:
Panel 2. Signature:
A. GRADE
The Approach
1. The proposed tests, or methods, or scientific procedures are unsuited to the stated
objective.
2. The description of the approach is too nebulous, diffuse, and lacking in clarity to permit
adequate evaluation.
3. The over-all design of the study has not been carefully thought out.
4. The statistical aspects of the approach have not been given sufficient considerations.
5. The approach lacks scientific imagination.
6. Controls are either inadequately conceived or inadequately described.
The Data
1. The material the investigator proposes to use is not relevant to the objectives of the study
or is difficult to obtain.
2. The number of cases or observations is to few or unsuitable.
3. The data or documents are inadequate, invalid, unreliable, or inappropriate.
4. The data is not analyzed carefully nor presented clearly.
Findings
1. The findings and conclusions do not have sufficient base in the data.
2. The findings and conclusions are not justified by the analysis of the data.
The Recommendations
1. The recommendations do not -follow logically from the thesis writer's findings and
conclusions.
2. The thesis writers do not have adequate experience or training, or both, for this research.
3. The thesis writers appear to be unfamiliar with the recent pertinent literature or methods,
or both.
Title Date
Group Adviser
Reviewer
(signed)
Chap 1
Chap 2
Chap 3
Chap 4
Chap 5
Bibliography
Appendix
Tables
Figures
Recommended
Software &
Development
Platform
(justification)
System Design
(DFD, Module
and Database)
Screen & User
Interface
Designs
External
(non-human)
Interface
Designs
Testing
Methodologies
Test Sheets
Maintenance
Requirements
User Training
Requirements
References