Study Administration Sonneggstrasse 5 / NO D 51.3 CH-8092 Zurich, Switzerland studies@erdw.ethz.ch Phone: + 41 44 632 86 44 Guidelines to Master’s Project Proposal Learning Goals The main purpose of the Master’s Project Proposal is to help students organize ideas, material and objectives for their Master’s Thesis, and to begin development of communication skills. The main objectives of the Master’s Project Proposal are to demonstrate the following abilities: − − − − to formulate a scientific question to present scientific approach to solve the problem to interpret, discuss and communicate scientific results in written form to gain experience in writing a scientific proposal Stages of Development of Master’s Project Proposal − Chose the topic for your Master’s Project in collaboration with your prospective main supervisor. − Discuss the research questions, goals, approach you intend to take, methodology, data needed and time plan with your supervisors. Define and read key literature. − Construct a logical outline for the project. Include analysis steps and expected outcomes. − Fill in details of the project proposal. Write complete proposal in scientific proposal format. − Hand in the final version to your main supervisor, your co-referee and additional supervisor for approval and grading. Format of the Master’s Project Proposal The Master’s Project Proposal includes the following documents: − Abstract/Summary of less than one page The abstract summarizes the main issues and conclusions of the report (it is a mini version of your proposal). − Proposal of 10-20 pages (maximum) The proposal is a scientific description of your Master’s Project and has a clear structure. It is suggested to follow the outline listed below. − Time plan Detailed time plan for your MSc Thesis incl. deadline. Administrative steps to follow 1) The Master’s Project Proposal has to be completed during the third semester of your Master’s Studies. − − − − Register for course 651-4060-00 Master’s Project Proposal in myStudies Fill out all details of your Master’s Project Proposal in the LA-Tool of D-ERDW Request approval for your Master’s Project Proposal through the LA-Tool of D-ERDW By January 31 hand in the final version of your Master’s Project Proposal to your supervisors and send a PDF of your Master’s Project Proposal to your subject advisor and to the study administration − Supervisor sends in grades for your Master’s Project Proposal by February 15 − After successful completion of your MSc Project Proposal, you may officially start work on your Master’s Thesis 1) If you plan your MSc Project Proposal in spring semester please contact the study administration (deadline June 30) Version January 2015 | 1 Study Administration Sonneggstrasse 5 / NO D 51.3 CH-8092 Zurich, Switzerland studies@erdw.ethz.ch Phone: + 41 44 632 86 44 Outline of the Master’s Project Proposal 1 The list below is a recommended guideline (except for time plan ) for your Master’s Project Proposal. Title Define a short, significant title which reflects clearly the contents of your report. The title page follows the guidelines of scientific proposals at Department of Earth Sciences (see http://www.erdw.ethz.ch/documents/index). Abstract Succint abstract of less than one page. Table of content The table of content lists all chapters (headings/subheadings) including page number. Introduction Explain why this work is important giving a general introduction to the subject, list the basic knowledge needed and outline the purpose of the report. Background and results to date List relevant work by others, or preliminary results you have achieved with a detailed and accurate explanation and interpretation. Include relevant photographs, figures or tables to illustrate the text. This section should frame the research questions that your subsequent research will address. Goal List the main research question(s) you want to answer. Explain whether your research will provide a definitive answer or simply contribute towards an answer. Methodology Explain the methods and techniques which will be used for your project depending on the subject: field work, laboratory work, modeling technique, interdisciplinary collaboration, data type, data acquisition, infrastructure, software, etc. 1 Time Plan for Master’s Project Proposal and Master’s Thesis Give a detailed time plan. Show what work needs to be done and when it will be completed. Include other responsibilities or obligations. Discussion / Conclusion Explain what is striking/noteworthy about the results. Summarize the state of knowledge and understanding after the completion of your work. Discuss the results and interpretation in light of the validity and accuracy of the data, methods and theories as well as any connections to other people’s work. Explain where your research methodology could fail and what a negative result implies for your research question. Acknowledgements Thank the people who have helped to successfully complete your project, like project partners, tutors, etc. Reference & Literature (Bibliography) List papers and publication you have already cited in your proposal or which you have collected for further reading. The style of each reference follows that of international scientific journals. Appendix Add pictures, tables or other elements which are relevant, but that might distract from the main flow of the proposal. 1 Time plan is a mandatory element of the Master’s Project Proposal Version January 2015 | 2 Study Administration Sonneggstrasse 5 / NO D 51.3 CH-8092 Zurich, Switzerland studies@erdw.ethz.ch Phone: + 41 44 632 86 44 Tips and Tricks to successful scientific writing This brief guide is intended to help you improve the quality of your written reports or prepare scientific manuscripts. The ABC of report writing is: Accuracy Brevity Clarity Note that a comprehensive result does not have to be associated with an extensive manuscript and that a concise manuscript with the same informative value is better than a long detailed report. The easier your report is to read, the more effective it is! It is important to: 1) Define the purpose, title and readership of the report 2) Plan carefully and generously the timing and the writing of your project 3) Think carefully about the length. Is there a defined word limit? 4) Put the focus on scientifically correct and adequate presentation 5) Efficiently communicate the results, research findings and conclusions to the readership 6) Design a suitable structure (including chapters and paragraphing) 7) Gather all the relevant material (e.g. books, articles, information from web-sites, your own field notes) and note down the main points under the appropriate paragraph 8) Avoid information overload, the less the better, only “need to know”, no “nice to know” 9) Chose appropriate figures or tables to illustrate the text, prepare draft versions before starting to write – it is much easier to write figure-supported text 10) Write a rough first draft as quickly as possible 11) Write the final version, carefully checking all facts: − read it through carefully and make sure that the text flows smoothly − ensure that everything you have written is correct and coherent − check that you have used paragraphs appropriately and make sure that they agree with the Table of Content − check for spelling mistakes using the spell-check function, check grammar and punctuation − ensure that all citations of other author’s work are correct (see information on plagiarism) − check all references, figures, tables etc. 12) Get a colleague to read your report to see whether it is clear and comprehensible Version January 2015 | 3 Study Administration Sonneggstrasse 5 / NO D 51.3 CH-8092 Zurich, Switzerland studies@erdw.ethz.ch Phone: + 41 44 632 86 44 Information on Plagiarism Plagiarism is the use or close imitation of the work of another author without citing that author. It is a copyright infringement. Short passages of another author’s work can be cited, but must be identified as quotations and correctly cited. Good scientific conduct demands an appropriate citation when using other persons’ ideas and theories, even if they are paraphrased in the paper concerned. Certain subjects have particular citation principles that must be followed when writing up a scientific paper. This requirement is usually not imposed in the case of basic knowledge (e.g., taken from reference books) that pre-supposes a general knowledge of the subject in question. If, however, structural elements from a reference book are used, this must be cited. For further information see: http://www.ethz.ch/students/semester/plagiarism_s_en.pdf How important are Figures Figures are extremely important in any scientific report. They may take the form of graphs, field sketches, field photographs, stratigraphic logs, sketch maps etc. Develop your skills in using graphics software (e.g. Corel Draw, Adobe Illustrator) as soon as possible so that you can produce professional-looking reports. Each figure should have its own detailed caption and should be referred to as Fig. 1 or Figure 1 (Fig. 2 and so on) in sequence in the text. You should not refer to Fig. 3 before Fig. 2 etc. All abbreviations that occur in a figure must be explained in the caption. Note that figures are an excellent possibility to advertise your paper to a potential reader. Correct use of Figures and Photographs Figures and Photographs are very useful in illustrating field relationships in geological reports. They should be carefully selected to illustrate a particular point and should always have a scale (e.g. hammer, coin, or ruler) and, if necessary, orientation. Avoid too many figures or photographs – this can make the report look like a photo album. Once you have got the hang of using graphics software it is very easy to annotate figures or digital photographs and label key features, highlight stratigraphic contacts etc. Version January 2015 | 4