Björn Olsson’s research while affiliated with University of Skövde and other places

As you follow the objectives you will start to gather data (e.g. data from simulations, data from interviews, or data from literature analyses). The collected data needs to be properly presented to the reader. In Sects. 10.1 and 10.2 we briefly describe techniques and guidelines for how to present both non-numerical and numerical data.

This second edition guides the reader through successful planning and implementation of a thesis project and provides students in computer science and information systems with all the advice they need. The reader-friendly text offers a simple step-by-step guide to the key processes involved using an approach that has been tried and tested by the authors over a number of years. A new chapter on Information-seeking and use and a subsection entitled Improve your learning (and grade) have been added to strengthen the material on how to search for relevant literature and also how to validate it. In addition, this comprehensive and easy-to-follow text has been fine tuned and updated wherever appropriate. Features and topics: Developing your project proposal Developing the problem description Following objectives Presenting and analysing your data Drawing conclusions Presenting and defending your work Preparing the final version of your report As well as being an essential purchase for students in computer science and information systems, this clear and concise aid also contains lots of useful information for supervisors and examiners, including guidelines on how to review a thesis project. "...mandatory reading for all students embarking on their final year project. Easy to read, loaded with good advice and filled with to-the-point examples, it covers in a step-by-step fashion each and every aspect that readers might be looking for. Whether you have a bachelor, master or Ph.D thesis ahead of you, I strongly recommend you first study this excellent text." Prof. Dr. Klaus Dittrich, Department of Information Technology, University of Zurich, Switzerland " This book... presents a very clear exposition of basic research concepts that are often taken for granted and assumed to be part of common knowledge. It will be very useful reading for anyone undertaking research." Prof. Brian Fitzgerald, University of Limerick, Ireland.

One of the strongest instincts we have is the desire to learn new things about the world we live in. In fact, through our entire life we never stop learning new things. This has been crucial for our survival, but it also stimulates our curiosity. Very young children learn by copying the behaviour of others. Learning is later extended to acquiring knowledge through other modes of communication, e.g. through books, lectures and labs. One of the primary goals of academic training is to learn how to learn, i.e. to learn how to continuously absorb new knowledge. This is increasingly important in rapidly changing areas such as computer science and information systems. The process of exploring the unknown, studying and learning new things, building new knowledge about things that no one has understood before – that is what we think of as performing research. Undertaking a thesis project is one step towards an increased understanding of how to study, how to learn about complex phenomena, and towards learning how to build new knowledge about the world around us.

A project proposal is a brief description of what you intend to do. Typically, a project proposal is only a few pages long.

This chapter helps you in preparing for presenting and defending your work orally, as well as acting as an opponent.

The purpose of this chapter is to discuss the roles of the people involved in your project, emphasise their responsibilities and elaborate on their inter-relationships.

When developing the project proposal, you should refresh your knowledge of how to identify appropriate literature and how to use citations.

Once you have developed your project aim, you can start to develop objectives, and later also choose a method for each objective. This means that you will shift your focus from what you intend to do (i.e. your aim) to how you intend to structure your work (i.e. your objectives and chosen methods) in order to achieve the aim. For this you can use a four-step process: (1) develop objectives, (2) find potential methods, (3) choose methods, and iv) present details of the chosen set of methods. This chapter will elaborate both on important concepts and on how you can develop your objectives and choose appropriate methods.

Once your problem description has passed the quality control (see Fig. 4.1), you can embark on actually doing the project. All you have to do now, unless something unforeseen happens, is to follow your objectives. They will guide you towards achieving the aim.

Although this chapter is placed at the end of the book, it does not mean that you should consider the writing of your report as the last step in your project. Rather, writing should be considered a continuous process, carried out throughout the duration of the project. One reason for this is that the report fulfils several purposes. Most importantly, the report represents the means for disseminating results and experiences to other people (it is also a proof of project existence). Writing is also an excellent way of structuring your thoughts. Therefore, writing during the different stages of your project helps you to keep the focus in the project. It also helps you to communicate with your supervisor, and it provides another means for you to get his/her feedback on drafts of different parts of the report while you are working on the project.