Writing Dissertations/thesis for Biological Sciences

 

Title: The title summarizes the whole work; it should be brief and clear. The title page also has the name of the candidate, registration number

 

Abstract: This is a summary of the different aspects of the proposal. A good abstract should have the statement of the problem, main objective, justification, methodology, results/ data (which should constitute at least two-thirds of the abstract), conclusions, and recommendations. 

 

Declaration: This is a statement clarifying that the work was done by the researcher, and has not been presented before in any other institution. It should safeguard against plagiarism.

 

 Table of contents: There may also be lists of figures, tables, acronyms, symbols, etc.; must show page numbers.

  CHAPTER 1

  The introduction

      i.         The introduction should describe the background sufficiently and usually consists of a statement of the problem, objectives, research question and/or hypothesis, justification/importance of the research.

    ii.         Intro - The statement of the problem should be stated briefly but clearly.

  iii.         The objectives state the purpose of the research. Normally, the research has one or two main objectives related to the title, and normally addressed through a number of doable specific objectives.

  iv.         Every specific objective is addressed through one or more analysis techniques (methods).

 

b) Statement of the problem:  is a brief description outlining the problem addressed by a study. It addresses the question, “what is the problem that the research seeks to address”?

The nature   and magnitude of the problem, can be stated quantitatively or qualitatively.

c) Justification and Significance

      i.         This is largely an intellectual exercise, where the researcher tries to demonstrate, among other things:

    ii.         The relationship between the problem and the solution, theories and concepts in the field of study;

  iii.         The importance of the study, such as in adding to the existing knowledge and insights in the relevant discipline;

  iv.         The scientific and social benefits of the study;

    v.         The justification or importance of the research explains how the problem should be solved, and is based on flaws or gaps in previous research as supported by the literature review.

 

d) Objective

´ Objective: states what the investigation seeks to achieve, The general objective should be relevant to the topic at hand, Objectives should be specific, clear, and manageable.

´ Should be SMART ;

´ Specific — What do I want to accomplish? The research should be explicit about what should be done.

Measurable- How –by what measure– how shall I know if there is progress? Is there a quantitative or qualitative attribute that may create a metric?

Achievable/Actionable — What can be achieved, realistically, given the present constraints? Can the objective bring about change? Is the information deduced capable of creating action?

Relevant/Realistic—Is the work worthwhile? Can the work be applied to a specific problem?

Timed/Time bound : Can the objective be achieved within the time available?

e) Research question

The research question we sought to answer or hypothesis we sought to investigate should be stated clearly.

f) Hypothesis

Hypothesis: A testable question that one can test empirically to get an answer through empirical evidence;

          A tentative answer to a research question;

A local, tentative statement of fact, pending proof or confirmation;

Using the example given before, we may formulate the following hypotheses:

g) Null Hypothesis: There are no heavy metals in  river Athi

Alternative hypothesis: There are heavy metals in river Athi

After data are collected and analysed, the researcher assesses the validity of the hypotheses.

One accepts or rejects null hypothesis