¶ Literature Review and Master’s Thesis
If you are doing your thesis as a TU Delft student, you must do a literature review during the first three months of your master’s project. This includes:
- You have to do a literature review on your topic.
- You have to come up with a research question.
- You have to write a report.
- You have to do a colloquium at some point during your project.
If possible, try to do a systematic review, since it makes writing easier and your methods more complete and repeatable.
Todo.
Here you can find some more tips and tricks on finding literature.
Writing a good research question is essential for your Literature Review and Master’s Thesis. Here are some guidelines on how to write a good research question and some examples:
- Start with a broad topic of interest, and then narrow it down.
- Ensure the question is specific, measurable, and testable.
- Consider the available resources and feasibility of conducting the research.
- Align the question with current knowledge and existing theories in the field.
- Consider the ethical and practical implications of the research.
- Ensure the question is original and adds value to the field.
- Avoid questions that can be answered with a simple yes or no.
- Consider the potential impact and implications of the research.
- Formulate the question in a clear and concise manner.
- Review the question with colleagues and experts in the field for feedback and refinement.
Good example: “What is the effect of mindfulness-based stress reduction interventions on stress levels in individuals with depression?”
This question is specific, testable, and addresses a gap in the existing literature. It also takes into consideration the feasibility of conducting the research and the potential impact it may have.
Bad example: “Is mindfulness good for depression?”
This question is too broad and lacks specificity. It can be answered with a simple yes or no, and does not align with current knowledge and theories in the field. Additionally, it does not take into consideration the feasibility of conducting the research and the potential impact it may have.
¶ Writing the Review and Thesis
You have worked on the project, collected some data, done the statistical analysis, and now you need to write? But how do you write a paper? First of all, you can take some inspiration on the structure by looking at some of your most relevant references or looking at your supervisor’s publications. Additionally, here are some guidelines for the chapters that your thesis should include:
- Keep it concise: Abstracts should be brief and to the point, usually no more than 250 words.
- State the purpose: Clearly state the purpose and objectives of the research in the first sentence.
- Provide an overview: Summarize the main findings and key results of the research.
- Use precise language: Use precise and concise language, avoiding jargon and complex terminology.
- Highlight significance: Emphasize the significance and contribution of the research to the field.
- Avoid overgeneralizing: Avoid overgeneralizing or making unsupported claims.
- Use active voice: Write the abstract in the active voice to make it more engaging.
- Provide context: Provide enough context to enable readers to understand the study without having to read the entire paper.
- Follow the structure: Follow the structure of the paper and include information from each section (introduction, methods, results, and conclusion).
- Background: Provide background information and context to help readers understand the significance of the research. Put your work into perspective.
- Literature review: Conduct a critical review of the existing literature, highlighting the gap in knowledge that the study aims to address. There can also be a succession of introduced literature and gaps.
- Research question: Clearly state the research question and research hypotheses, if applicable.
- Research design: Briefly describe the research design and methodology of the study.
- Preview of the paper: Preview the structure of the paper and its main components, including methods, results, and conclusion.
- Study significance: Explain the significance of the research and why it is important.
- Study contribution: Describe how the study contributes to the field, including any new insights or knowledge that it provides. Relate back to the first sentence of the introduction.
- Provide a detailed description of the research design, including any relevant limitations or assumptions.
- Provide some theoretical background information on important concepts or mechanisms in the field you are investigating.
- Describe the search strategy used to identify relevant studies, including the databases and keywords used.
- Explain the selection criteria used to determine which studies to include in the review.
- Describe the participants or population, including sample size and selection criteria.
- Discuss the ethical considerations of the study, including informed consent and confidentiality.
- Explain the data collection procedures, including the instruments or tools used. Here you can describe whatever device or software you developed.
- Here is a checklist to help you structure your methods.
- Describe the data analysis methods, including any statistical tests performed.
- Present the findings in a clear and concise manner.
- Use appropriate visual aids, such as tables and figures, to clarify and simplify information.
- Avoid interpretation of the results in this chapter. The results are strictly observational and descriptive, so no interpretation or discussion.
- Interpret the results, placing them in the context of the literature and research objectives.
- Evaluate the implications of the results for the field.
- Discuss the limitations of the study and areas for future research.
- Draw conclusions based on the results and implications.
- Summarize the main findings and their significance.
- Discuss the contribution of the study to the field.
- Use a consistent citation style, such as APA, IEEE, or MLA.
- Include all sources cited in the text, as well as any additional sources used in the preparation of the thesis.
- Ensure that all references are accurate and up-to-date.
These are all the chapters your thesis should contain. Here are some more do’s and don’ts to help you avoid depressing feedback.
- Follow a clear structure and organization, using headings and subheadings to guide the reader.
- Use clear, concise language and avoid jargon.
- Carefully cite all sources to avoid plagiarism.
- Use appropriate visual aids (e.g. tables and figures) to clarify information.
- Have someone review and provide feedback on your work.
- Use hyphens, en-dashes, and em-dashes properly.
- Plagiarize any part of your work.
- Neglect to thoroughly review and cite sources.
- Include irrelevant or insignificant information.
- Neglect to proofread and edit your work.
- Delay starting the writing process until the last minute.
- Do not address references in the text (“as seen in [1], we can …”).
- https://tulib.tudelft.nl/
On this website, you will find tools and materials to help your research journey. The website provides helpful guides, search strategies, databases, and other resources. Additionally, if you need help, you can contact them directly and ask your questions.