Formal Aspects

Formal Aspects for Writing Theses at PTO/ENP #

1. Objectives & Scope #

These guidelines apply for the Bachelor’s Thesis 2 in PTO, (to a somewhat lesser extent, see Bachelor’s Thesis 1 Guidelines and below) Bachelor’s Thesis 1 and the Master’s Thesis in ENP.

2. Structure of the Thesis #

Important:

The structure laid out below applies to the Bachelor’s Thesis 2 in PTO and the Master’s Thesis in ENP. The Bachelor’s Thesis 1 in PTO is somewhat different kind; find a description of its structure in the respective guidelines

The thesis should be structured as follows:

2.1. Title Page #

The title page contains the following elements (see template provided):

  • Title of the thesis
  • Author
  • Company name
  • “Submitted to the [fill in degree program]”
  • [study program]
  • “FH JOANNEUM Gesellschaft mbH Graz”
  • “University of Applied Sciences”
  • Head of degree program:
  • Academic advisor:
  • Company supervisor:
  • Date

Hint:

Using the template provided by PTO/ENP saves you precious time and helps you to avoid struggles with the thesis’ structure.

2.2. Acknowledgements #

This is the place to thank all those who have helped with the thesis. Careful thought needs to be given concerning those whose help should be acknowledged and in what order. The general advice is to express your appreciation in a concise manner and to avoid strong emotive language.

Personal pronouns (e.g. I, my, me) are used to express the acknowledgements. In the rest of the work, personal pronouns are to be avoided.

2.3. Abstract/Kurzfassung #

Caution:

The following information applies to the section “Abstract” in a thesis written in English. In case the works is written in German the respective section would be “Kurzfassung”. See also 2.4. Kurzfassung/Abstract

An abstract allows readers to gain insight about the most essential parts of a thesis or paper without having to read the full-length text. Abstracts are different than summaries in that they are used for scientific or academic papers in order to highlight certain parts of the given work. They focus on the work itself and not, for instance, how a thesis is divided (e.g. into a theoretical and practical part). Because the abstract provides the highlights of the paper, it should be written after the first draft of the paper is complete.

The length of the abstract should range between two-thirds to three-fourth of a page. It is to be written as one continuous paragraph. If the abstract exceeds one page this suggested length, be sure that not too much space was devoted to background information on the topic.

The legal name of the company should be included in the abstract, ideally towards the beginning. If the name of the company is long, a shortened version of the name should be used and placed in brackets upon subsequent mentioning. Alternatively, the word “company” can also be used instead of the name.

The sciences typically use informative abstracts covering the following areas:

2.3.1. Background #

It is common to begin the abstract by establishing why work was needed at the company on the thesis topic. This is also where background information can be given if more information is required to understand the topic.

2.3.2. Aims #

The aims should be clearly stated in terms of the research questions the thesis sought to answer.

2.3.3. Methods #

This part of the abstract deals with the approaches used to answer the research questions.

2.3.4. Results #

Here the key results stemming from the research questions are summarized. Be sure to provide concrete details so these results can be understood rather than broad statements that give little insight.

2.3.5. Conclusion #

The conclusion elaborates on implications or the significance of the results or research.

Note:

The past simple tense is normally used for much of an abstract, e.g. “The methods used include…”. However, when writing about facts or general statements, the present tense can be used, e.g. “To ensure that the legal limits of emissions are met, it is necessary to select the right process to clean exhaust gases emitted by industry.”

Important:

References to sources, figures, tables, or equations are not included in an abstract. Abbreviated forms of phrases should only be provided in this section if the acronyms are used more than once within the abstract. If not, write out all phrases in full.

2.3.6. Keywords #

Underneath the abstract, at least three keywords are to be given that those looking to find the thesis would use. These keywords should be related to elements that are specific to the thesis, so avoid using general terms such as common nouns and verbs. These keywords should also be found in the abstract, as an abstract, by its very nature, focuses on key elements of the work.

Important:

On the line with the keywords, the company’s legal name is to be given. This, too, allows others to more easily find theses done on behalf of a company.

2.4. Kurzfassung/Abstract #

Within a thesis written in English, a German translation of the section “Abstract” , under the heading “Kurzfassung”, has to be provided. This, too, should be written as one continuous paragraph and provide the company’s legal name plus the keywords in German. The order of the keywords should be the same order as in the English version. In the case of a thesis written in German, this section is to be called “Abstract” and has to contain the English translation of section “Kurzfassung” respectively (again, including keywords, etc.).

2.5. Introduction #

The introduction briefly describes the content of the work on a high level and presents the most important aspects of the thesis. It is advisable to use the same terminology from the introduction throughout the whole document.

The Introduction presents the research questions following by a short description on the methods used to solve the problem.

There should be one paragraph for every chapter that describes the content of each of the chapters very briefly. Cross-references to each chapter should be included to guide the reader through the work.

A brief description of the company is also necessary to define the industry for which the thesis is written.

2.6. State of the art review #

This very important part of the document defines the theoretical baseline from where the thesis work proceeds. It reflects the systematic research on the existing theories in the field of the thesis. There should be a clear focus only on relevant theories used in the later empirical part of the work to answer the research questions.

The state of the art ensures that the student is capable of abstracting a problem and subdividing into relevant theoretical core elements that describe the problem. This chapter further builds up the specific knowledge that helps the reader to understand the theoretical basics of the empirical work.

2.7. Methods #

Here, the methods used to answer the research questions are described briefly. While the state of the art places its focus on theoretical aspects, the research methods define how the theories are applied to solve the problem presented by the thesis. In principle there are three methods to solve a theoretical problem:

  • analytical methods (e.g. mathematical equations)
  • empirical methods (e.g. tests, surveys)
  • numerical methods (e.g. simulations, optimizations)

2.8. Experimental Part #

The previously described theories are applied to the specific problem of the thesis and solved by the research methods. This chapter reflects the actual work of the students at the partner company and will be of utmost importance for the company. All the specific data, information and processes that feed the used methods are documented according to Standards of Good Scientific Practice such as reproducibility, transparency, honesty and responsibility. The results are captured and validated but not evaluated and reflected. This is done in the chapter “Results”.

2.9. Results #

This chapter presents the valid results, such as images, graphs and data in a consistent, complete and high-quality manner. Here the results are evaluated and reflected upon. The research questions must also be answered in this chapter.

2.10. Summary and Outlook #

This chapter starts with a brief summary of the main outcomes, followed by a description of possible further work

  • to enhance the quality of the results,
  • to use the results as a baseline for further research and/or
  • to use the results and methods for the solution of similar problems.

2.11. Appendix #

All information, data and descriptions that are important for the problem but do not fit into the body of the thesis are presented here. Examples are:

  • List of references
  • Index of tables
  • Table of figures
  • List of abbreviations/acronyms
  • List of symbols
  • Full program listings
  • etc.

If in doubt, please contact your supervisor.

2.12. Statutory Declaration #

It is necessary to include a statutory declaration regarding academic integrity and adherence to the standards of good scientific practice and research integrity at FH JOANNEUM:

I hereby confirm and declare that the present Bachelor’s thesis/Master’s thesis was composed by myself without any help from others and that the work contained herein is my own and that I have only used the specified sources and aids. The uploaded version is identical to any printed version submitted.

I also confirm that I have prepared this thesis in compliance with the principles of the FH JOANNEUM Guideline for Good Scientific Practice and Prevention of Research Misconduct.

I declare in particular that I have marked all content taken verbatim or in substance from third party works or my own works according to the rules of good scientific practice and that I have included clear references to all sources.

The present original thesis has not been submitted to another university in Austria or abroad for the award of an academic degree in this form.

I understand that the provision of incorrect information in this signed declaration may have legal consequences.

Important

The Statutory Declaration as defined above and included in the thesis must NOT be signed by the student, otherwise the thesis cannot be published in FH JOANNEUM’s library, due to data protection concerns. This basically means the student is not eligible for his/her final exams.

3. Formatting Guide #

3.1. General Advice #

To write the a thesis at PTO/ENP, students can use the provided template for the respective purposes. Many formatting aspects have been pre-set in this document, so be sure to adhere to these when going forward. Students, however, are free to choose alternative software as long as the required formatting standards are met.

Important:

An essential facet of professionalism in writing is consistency throughout a text.

3.2. Body of Text #

The formatting settings used in the template for the body of the text can be seen in Fig. 3.1.

Fig. 3.1 General style of the body of the text.

3.3. Preliminary Pages #

All preliminary pages, which include the acknowledgements, the English and German abstracts, and the table of contents, use the same header as the body of the text. The pagination of the footer, however, differs, as seen in Fig. 3.2

Fig. 3.2 General style of preliminary footers.

3.4. Figures #

Any graphic that is not a table is referred to as a figure and formatted as such. A figure must be mentioned and referenced in the text. As shown in Fig. 3.3, captions need to explain exactly what can be seen on the figure. It explains the content of a figure in a way the reader can understand without having read the text. Every caption of a figure ends with a “.”, no matter if the caption is a full sentence or a shortened phrase. Figures must be listed in the “List of figures” at the end of the document.

Fig. 3.3 General style of a figure. (source: W. Weiß)

If you use self-made figures, indicate this after the figure’s caption by writing (source: own image). If you use a figure from your company’s webpage or similar, ask your company for permission to use the figure and indicate this as (source: <company’s name>)

3.5. Tables #

Tables should follow a consistent formatting style oriented towards the style of the body of the text. Depending on the type and complexity of a table, its style might vary. A scientific style of a table with horizontal lines is shown in Fig. 3.4. All tables should be created by using appropriate table-functions of the text processing software and must not be inserted as images. Tables must be listed in the “List of tables” at the end of the document.

Fig. 3.4 General style of a table.

3.6. Equations #

Equations are formatted according to Fig. 3.5. It is also necessary to explain the meaning of the equations in the text using the name and symbol of its variables. For very long or complex equations, it might be a better choice to explain the meaning of the equations in a more general context without explaining all variables within the text. In all cases, the symbols must be listed in the “List of symbols” at the end of the document.

With Microsoft Word it is advisable to place the equation together with its reference-number using a table structure. The references need to be set manually using text-references since there is no specific function for referencing equations available. In the template, example equations have been included and formatted properly.

Fig. 3.5 General style of equations using references in the text.

With equations it is also possible to place them in line with the text, as presented in Fig. 3.6.

Fig. 3.6 In-line style of equations.

3.7. Acronyms #

Acronyms are a type of abbreviation typically made from the first letters of the individual words in a phrase. A piece of writing is more concise and easier to read when acronyms are used appropriately.

For any phrases that are commonly known by their shortened form using letters: write the phrase out the first time it is used, followed by the acronym in brackets, e.g. FH JOANNEUM (FHJ). Once an acronym is introduced, only this abbreviated form is used going forward. As in the abstract, only use an acronym if it is used more than once within the body of the thesis. Further advice on how to use acronyms is presented in this document.

Hint:

To make an acronym plural, add a lowercase “s” to the end, e.g. CEOs.

A list of acronyms in alphabetical order and their full names is to be provided for readers in order to give easy access to the acronyms used. Microsoft Word can assist in the creation of a “List of acronyms” based on the functionalities implemented to create glossaries. This is done by marking acronyms using [Alt]+[Shift]+[x] or “Referenzen”, then “Eintrag markieren”. Use “Referenzen”, then “Index einfügen” to place the list of acronyms at the end of the thesis.

3.8. Trademarks #

A trademark refers to a word, phrase, or symbol used to represent a company or product. In general, trademarks are indicated by a symbol like (R) or (TM). In academic writing, however, it is common practice not to include trademark symbols.

Hint:

If mentioning a trademark is not essential, replace it with the equivalent generic term if there is one, e.g. instead of Post-it, write sticky note.

3.9. Company Names #

The name of a company should be spelled and written as stated in official company material as found on the company’s legal disclosure (Impressum). At first mention of a company’s name, write the name in full. If the name is long, a shortened version of the name or an acronym should be used and provided in round brackets, e.g. MAGNA STEYR Fahrzeugtechnik AG & Co KG (MSF).

3.10. Number Formatting #

In most European countries a comma is used as a decimal marker, and a dot or a thin space is used to separate groups of three digits in large numbers. For instance:

  • 300.000 or 300 000 means three hundred thousand
  • €120.000,99 or €120 000,99 means one hundred twenty thousand euros and ninety-nine cents

In American and British English, however, a decimal point is used as the decimal marker, and a comma marks off groups of three digits in large numbers:

  • 300,000 means three hundred thousand
  • €120,000.99 means one hundred twenty thousand euros and ninety-nine cents

Since the thesis follows the standards set by American and British English, numbers are to be formatted according to these rules, as seen in the examples given directly above (i.e. 300,000 and 120,000.99).

4. Style guide #

4.1. General aspects #

The written thesis (as well as the thesis presentation at the university) is, in the case of a Master’s thesis, to be in English. In case of Bachelor Thesis 2 the language might be German or English. As one of the objectives of such works is to contribute to the scientific community at large, these contributions have the capacity to reach a larger audience when written in English. Using English in this way also demonstrates a student’s ability to engage with their subject matter in depth in a language that is increasingly vital to professional endeavors.

The thesis is also a student’s chance to demonstrate their command of English as well as the ability to use the formal style of writing required by such works. For this reason, special attention should be paid to the following points dealing with these aspects.

4.2. Spelling #

FYI:

The following paragraph only applies to theses written in english. Generally use automatic spell-checking whenever possible.

Many variations of English exist within the English-speaking world; among these variations are, among other aspects, differences in spelling. Since American English and British English constitute the largest of these variations, students should choose to follow either the American English or British English spelling of a word and use this throughout the thesis.

Important:

The spelling of a particular word must be consistent throughout the thesis, either American English or British English.

4.3. Capitalization #

FYI:

The following paragraphs only apply to theses written in english. For German works refer to “Österreichisches Wörterbuch”.

Students should follow the rules for “sentence case” rather than “title case”, throughout the thesis. This means that for parts such as the title of the thesis and headings, words are capitalized or in lowercase following the same rules as in a sentence.

These means that most words are written lowercase, except for the following, which are capitalized:

  • first word of the title, heading, or sub-headings
  • first word of captions of figures and tables
  • proper nouns (such as brand names, company names)
  • labels such as “Figure” and “Table” within the body of the text as well as at the figure and table itself

4.4. Formal wording #

To achieve the formal and objective tone expected of a thesis:

  • avoid first-person and second-person pronouns (e.g. I, we, you)
  • avoid contractions (e.g. don’t, isn’t, won’t) and write such words out in full
  • avoid informal words (e.g. big, kind of, stuff) and use more formal and precise words

Use this list of informal words and their replacement by formal counterparts.

4.5. Inclusive language #

In order to avoid discrimination and create a balanced representation of both genders when writing and speaking in English, there are a number of techniques that can be employed.

Use gender-neutral nouns:

  • Instead of mankind use humankind
  • Instead of chairman use chair, chairperson
  • Instead of manpower use staff, labor force, employees, workers, human resources
  • Instead of businessman use business manager, executive, head of firm, representative

Use the plural they, their, them rather than he or his

  • Workers should know their rights. (Not: A worker should know his rights.)
  • Has each student chosen their thesis advisor? (Not: Has each student chosen his/her thesis advisor?)

Use he/she or his/her:

  • Each student needs to collect his/her I.D. before entering the building.
  • If a student studies hard, she/he will succeed.

Further reading on inclusive language can be found here.

4.6. Cautious language #

a piece of writing such as a thesis, there are statements, or claims, that cannot be made with absolute certainty. In order to be accurate when writing a work such as a thesis, it is essential to use language that expresses the degree of certainty based on the evidence on hand, and when possible, provide a context or source of authority to understand the claim.

Compare these statements:

1. The number of electric vehicles will surpass the number of gas-powered cars.

2. According to a recent ÖAMTC report [1], electric vehicles are predicted to replace gas-powered cars within the next thirty years.

The first statement is problematic because it claims absolute certainty and is missing a context for the claim being made. The second statement not only makes the degree of certainty clearer (predicted), but also provides the context within the next thirty years and source (ÖAMTC report) of the claim. In this way, the language used is cautious.

Using this type of language prevents writers from making over-generalizations and allows them to make room for exceptions as well. A variety of phrases using cautious language can be found here.

4.7. Concision #

When writing is concise, the ideas are communicated in as few words as possible. Another way of thinking about this comes from the American writer William Zinsser who said, “The secret of good writing is to strip every sentence to its cleanest components.”

To make a piece of writing more concise:

  • Re-read your work and consider: which words could be taken away without meaning getting lost? Which sentences could be combined or re-written to eliminate redundancies?
  • Read your writing out loud. Do all the supporting sentences in a paragraph work hand in hand to support the main idea, or are some off topic and better elsewhere, or removed all together?

For example, notice that no meaning was lost when making this wordy sentence…

The reason why many people want to go abroad is because of the fact that they want to experience other cultures.

… into a concise one:

Many people go abroad to experience other cultures.

4.8. Sentence length #

Sentences in English are generally shorter than those in German. However, rather than aiming for a fixed number of words per sentence, focus instead on the amount of information contained in each sentence. If it is difficult to remember how a sentence began, it likely contains too much information, and needs to be broken up. At the same time, too many short sentences in a row can also be a challenge to read. Thus, aim for a mix of long and short sentences to increase the readability of the text and keep the reader engaged.