Thesis

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A final thesis is a research paper that is written by a student at the end of his studies. It is usually a prerequisite for successfully completing a degree .

One differentiates:

With the expiry of the diploma courses within the framework of the Bologna process , the bachelor or master thesis will take the place of the diploma thesis.

Many universities have so-called writing centers, writing workshops or similar facilities, where students can learn techniques of scientific work or writing and can also get help with the preparation of their final thesis.

At many universities, you can finish your studies without taking an exam with a doctorate (see dissertation ); However, since this is unusual and the possibility is hardly known, the term “final thesis” is not used for a dissertation.

conditions

Formalities, period

The requirements for a final thesis at a university (period, duration, scope and much more) are usually set out in the examination regulations for the course.

A final thesis should show that the candidate understands how to apply what has been learned during the course (e.g. has mastered scientific work or writing) and can work on a task independently on a scientific basis in a reasonable time.

A dissertation serves as proof of the ability to carry out in-depth scientific work.

The examination regulations for a degree program usually limit the maximum period of time for processing a thesis in Germany to six (less often three or two) months. In some departments, limits of up to one year are common. A justified extension is possible. There is usually no fixed time limit for the actual duration until the completion of the thesis, so that the time of completion only depends on the supervisor and the student.

The beginning and the task are reported to the examination office. The completed thesis must be submitted within the specified period. The author (often also called "diploma candidate" or "exam candidate") is usually supervised by the university professor who is responsible for the task . The completed written final thesis is usually assessed and graded in terms of content by two reviewers , whereby one of the reviewers is usually the supervisor. It is not uncommon for final theses to be prepared in collaboration with non-university institutions (e.g. authorities, companies). Everyone involved can have advantages: The company or the authority has questions processed or problems solved at low cost, the author gets an insight into or even an introduction to the practice at the end of his studies; the chair receives current insights into practice. The subject of the degree is named by the author or the institution. The potentially different requirements of the supervisor and practice partner can result in a higher coordination effort.

There are usually guidelines for the number of pages (sometimes called the " number of pages ") of a thesis. Depending on the requirements and peculiarities of the course, it is between around 30 and 150 pages. Formal requirements of the examination regulations for the structure, structure or the integration of third-party results (quotations) must be observed and are taken into account in the assessment. A certain number of bound completed theses (approx. 2–5) must be submitted. Usually, a copy goes into the loan portfolio of the respective university library , provided that the final thesis has not been blocked for a certain period of time (maximum 5 years) (this is possible in Austria in accordance with Section 86 (2) of the 2002 University Act ).

Topic selection

As a rule, the examination regulations of the degree program formally define requirements for the final thesis.

The subject of the thesis is chosen by the examinee himself, or a chair or topic provider offers a list of topics to choose from. If the examiner leaves the choice of topic to the exam candidate, this can lead to particular involvement or high motivation of the candidate.

If the final thesis is prepared at a vocational academy , the subject usually specified by the training company in which the practical semester was completed.

It is not uncommon for the author of a thesis to "expand" this or the topic and also to do a doctorate on this topic . Many examination regulations do not or only vaguely regulate what is permitted in this context.

rating

A final thesis is an examination achievement; Your grade is included in the overall grade of the degree - weighted 1.5 or 2 times in some university departments.

The grade is the result of a subjective assessment by the subject matter; it cannot be determined or measured objectively. This harbors opportunities and risks for the exam candidates. As a - meanwhile widespread - protection against overly personal assessment is the two-examiner system. In practice, however, the second examiner often follows the grade of the first examiner without an intensive re-examination of his own.

There is consensus on some minimum requirements for final theses; They include objectivity , clarity , verifiability , completeness of the topic treatment, clarity of presentation.

However, a fair evaluation is not always guaranteed. Also, an appeal procedure by an exam candidate before the examination board has little chance of success.

Because there is no generally binding assessment scheme for all examination papers in sight and there is a risk of arbitrariness with every individual, non-standardized assessment , Schenk has developed and practically tested an analytical assessment scheme for assessing examination papers. This evaluation scheme contains 24 objective individual criteria, grouped into four weighted sets of criteria (or five for empirical work). The final grade results from the four or five partial grades, possibly after correction due to a singular strength or weakness of the work. This standardized, multi-level assessment procedure enables a high degree of objectivity when used carefully.

printing and binding

A final thesis must be submitted to the examination office as a printed and bound copy. Many universities prescribe certain formalities. Adhesive bindings are often stipulated and so-called spiral bindings or wire-o bindings are not allowed, as pages could be replaced later.

publication

Germany

In Germany, theses do not have to be published (unlike dissertations ). Nonetheless, the author of a thesis is free to publish it or to exploit it commercially (e.g. via "thesis agencies" or by means of books on demand ). According to the Copyright Act ( UrhG ), the author of a final thesis has sole copyright and, in principle, the resulting rights of use such as B. First publication ( § 12 UrhG), distribution ( § 17 UrhG), reproduction ( § 16 UrhG), online use, etc., i.e. all non-commercial or commercial exploitation rights . "If the university [...] wants to acquire rights to property rights from students or graduate students, it is, like every third party, dependent on contractual agreements with the students or graduate students".

The author does not lose the rights to which he is entitled under the law by submitting his examination copy. The state college or university operates as a scientific training facility and as an "examination authority".

There is also no copyright obligation to name the supervisor as an author or co-author, as a copyright-relevant collaboration of the supervisor would always be in contradiction to the legal requirement that the author must do the work independently. The granting of usage rights must not be made a prerequisite for the test or influence it. According to the prevailing opinion , many clauses restricting the author's copyright in examination regulations are void.

Degree theses that have been prepared in a company are often subject to confidentiality at the company's request . Such work may only be published with the approval of the company.

Austria

In Austria, diploma theses are generally to be published by handing over a copy to the responsible university library and to the Austrian National Library. The relevant provision of the University Act is:

"The graduate has to publish the positively assessed diploma or master's thesis, dissertation or artistic diploma or master's thesis or the documentation of the artistic diploma or master's thesis by handing it over to the library of the university at which the academic degree is awarded. [...] "

- Section 86 (1) UG 2002

Justified exceptions for legal or economic reasons are possible, but only for a period of a maximum of five years ("blocking period"):

“On the occasion of the submission of a scientific or artistic work, the author is entitled to request the exclusion of the use of the submitted copies for a maximum of five years after submission. The application is to be granted by the body responsible for study law matters if the student can credibly demonstrate that important legal or economic interests of the student are at risk. "

- Section 86 (2) UG 2002

Advisory literature

For a long time there was hardly any advice literature specifically for theses. The few works generally explained principles of scientific work; they did not explain to the writer or only rudimentarily

  • how to think and formulate precisely and which techniques help in formulating
  • how to divide and structure a text appropriately.

In the late 1970s, a book by the writer Umberto Eco helped to make this gap more aware. There are now works that help you think and formulate, and those that are specifically dedicated to writing theses. Karmasin and Ribing e.g. B. not only offer step-by-step instructions, but also information on specific problems such as B. Arguing, researching and designing the layout. Frank and her co-authors give u. a. Notes on the individual phases in the writing process when writing such a thesis, starting with finding a topic through to final editing and the reader-related design of the text. The internal dialogue with potential readers also plays a central role at Huber by preparing and accompanying the letter. Dealing with the inner critic is also discussed there. In addition to the discussions with the supervisor, a guide in book form can provide valuable services. If you look around, you will find the right work for you in the library or specialist bookstore.

See also

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Hans-Otto Schenk: The thesis. A guide for economists and social scientists. Göttingen 2005, p. 46.
  2. ^ Hermann Horstkotte: The doctoral thesis as secondary use. - Anyone who wants to take on parts of their own thesis in a dissertation should be well informed: What is allowed is often unclear in the examination regulations . Zeit.de, April 11, 2011
  3. ^ Hans-Otto Schenk: The thesis. A guide for economists and social scientists. Göttingen 2005, pp. 187-190.
  4. ↑ Winfried Veelken: Property rights issues in the university sector . Study and final theses. In: Science Law. 26, 1993, pp. 93-135, here p. 120.
  5. ↑ See for example the sample contract of the TU Ilmenau: PDF ( Memento of March 9, 2013 in the Internet Archive )
  6. ↑ How to write a thesis. 10th edition, UTB Verlag, Heidelberg, ISBN 3-8252-1512-1 (Italian original: Come si fa una tesi di laurea , Milan 1977). The book refers to many Italian peculiarities and therefore does not seem suitable for students from other countries.
  7. ↑ see e.g. B. Helga Esselborn-Krumbiegel: Correctly scientific writing. 5th, updated Edition. UTB, Schöningh, Paderborn 2017, ISBN 978-3-8252-4732-4 and Otto Kruse: Reading and Writing. Correct handling of texts during studies. 2., revised. Edition, UTB, UVK Verlagsgesellschaft, Konstanz 2014, ISBN 978-3-8252-4303-6 .
  8. ↑ see Mathias Karmasin, Rainer Ribing: The design of scientific work. A guideline for seminar papers, bachelor, master, master and diploma theses as well as dissertations. 9., arr. and actual Edition. UTB, Facultas.wuv, Vienna 2017, ISBN 978-3-8252-4822-2 .
  9. ↑ Andrea Franck, Stefanie Haacke, Swantje Lahm: Key Competencies: Writing in Studies and at Work. Verlag JB Metzler, Stuttgart / Weimar 2007, ISBN 978-3-476-02166-3
  10. ↑ Andrea Franck, Stefanie Haacke, Swantje Lahm: Key Competencies: Writing in Studies and at Work. Verlag JB Metzler, Stuttgart / Weimar 2007, ISBN 978-3-476-02166-3 , p. 52 u. P. 124 f.
  11. ↑ Emma Huber: From speaking to writing. This is how your thesis succeeds. UTB, Schöningh, Paderborn 2017, ISBN 978-3-8252-4743-0 .
  12. ↑ Emma Huber: From speaking to writing. This is how your thesis works. UTB, Schöningh, Paderborn 2017, ISBN 978-3-8252-4743-0 , p. 141.