RECENT ASSIGNMENT

PRT820 THESIS
GUIDELINES
Contacts
Unit Coordinator: Ms Mirjam Jonkman
Room Purple 12.2.2
Tel: (08) 8946 6671
Email: mirjam.jonkman@cdu.edu.au
Table of Contents
1 INTRODUCTION 1
1.1 Project Topics 1
1.2 Supervision 1
1.3 Time Commitment 1
1.4 Ethics Clearance 1
1.5 Research Skills Workshops 2
1.6 Progress Forms 2
1.7 Project Journal 2
1.8 Project Cost 3
1.9 Laboratory Work and Equipment 2
1.10 Technical Support 3
1.11 Computing Facilities 4
1.12 Other Support 4
2 PROJECT PLAN 4
3 PRESENTATIONS 5
4 INTERIM REPORT 5
5 THESIS 5
5.1 Formatting Guidelines 6
5.2 Content 6
5.3 Completion and Assessment 8
6 SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS 8
7 PLAGIARISM 8
8 DEADLINES 9
APPENDIX A, Thesis Progress Form 10
APPENDIX B, Specimen Cover Page 11
APPENDIX C, Presentation Assessment Criteria 12
APPENDIX D, Interim Report Assessment Criteria 13
APPENDIX E, Thesis Assessment Criteria 18
APPENDIX F, Supervisor Guidelines 23
2
1 Introduction
As part of the Master degree, students are required to complete a thesis project. The thesis is an independent individual research project.
This document formalises the requirements for completing the project including the associated presentations, reports and thesis. It is intended to help students produce a final thesis meeting all requirements and attracting the highest possible mark. If there are any questions not answered here, please contact your supervisors or the unit coordinator.
1.1 Project Topics
All students are required to have a project topic before the start of the first semester of their thesis. A list of project topics can be obtained from the unit coordinator. This list will also be posted on Learnline. Topics not included in the list may be allowed if they meet the requirements and are approved by the supervisors and the thesis coordinator several weeks before the semester.
Students are required to submit their preferences to the unit coordinator for approval. Topics may not be approved for a variety of reasons so it is important to submit topics for approval at the earliest possible stage so that there is still time to resubmit if necessary. When two or more students have chosen the same topic, preference will usually be given to students who have selected the topic earlier and have already started working on the topic. Students who do not have an approved topic by week 1 probably have to defer their thesis until the next semester.
1.2 Supervision
All students need to have two supervisors. The first supervisor must be staff member in the School of Engineering and Logistics. In some cases the second supervisor may be outside the School of Engineering and Logistics. It is recommended that students meet with their first supervisor at least once a week and with their second supervisor at least once a fortnight. A supervision agreement, signed by the student and both supervisors needs to be submitted at the start of the semester. Students with supervision external to the University must arrange a formal agreement between all three parties addressing issues such as resource provision and Intellectual Property ownership.
1.3 Time commitment
The recommended study commitment for a 20 credit point unit is 24 hours per week, which includes the semester weeks, mid semester study period, revision week and examination period. Since this unit does not have a final exam, this would correspond to 30 hours per week for 12 weeks.
1.4 Ethics clearance
All projects involving human subjects require ethics clearance. Student research projects which are done as part of a coursework degree and which can be considered low risk are considered by the Faculty Ethics Committee. All other research projects involving human subjects need to go to the Human Research Ethics Committee of the university. Guidelines for ethics applications, submission deadlines and application forms for the Faculty Ethics Committee can be found at:
http://www.cdu.edu.au/ehse/ethics-committee#p7AP3c1_2
Supervisors are expected to read and approve the application before it is submitted to the committee, so students will need to provide a draft application to their supervisors in advance. Incomplete applications will usually not be considered so students need to submit all the required documents, including a plain language statement and a consent form. Poorly written or unclear applications may also be rejected even if the projects are very low risk so grammar and spelling should be checked before submission.
.
1.5 Research skills workshops
The thesis is supported by a number of research skills workshops and online submissions. The purpose of these workshops is to provide students with the necessary research skills, required to do independent research. The workshops are a hurdle assessment, which means that a student who does not attend or does not complete the on-line submissions will automatically fail the unit. For a schedule of the workshops, see the unit outline.
1.6 Progress forms
The purpose of the weekly progress forms (see appendix A) is to improve the efficiency of the meetings between students and supervisors. The progress forms may help the supervisors to get a quick overview of the recent progress, plans and discussion points and may help the student in ensuring that all relevant questions are discussed during the meeting. The progress forms should therefore be completed before the weekly meeting with the supervisors and a hard copy should be given to the supervisors at the start of the meetings. A template of this form can be found on Learnline. External students may email the form to their supervisors. The completed forms should also be submitted on Learnline.
1.7 Project Journal
Students need to keep a journal of their project in order to ensure that relevant information and ideas are recorded. A project journal should typically include:
• Minutes of meetings with supervisors and staff in relation to the project.
• Records of project ideas, specifications, theories and references to relevant material.
• Records of all experiments
• Records of phone conversations, email contacts and any other enquiries.
• Records of equipment purchased and project progress.
The contents of this journal should be reviewed at regular intervals, including at the scheduled meetings with your supervisor. The journal is not formally assessed, but will form the basis for the interim report and the thesis.
1.8 Project Cost
Students may need to buy equipment, materials or software for their project. The budget for thesis projects is normally limited to A$ 200 per student. This may be exceeded in some cases if the equipment can also be used for teaching or it can be used for multiple thesis projects. In this case the supervisor must ask for approval by the Head of School first. For ordering procedures see section 1.10 Technical Support. Students should not buy equipment, materials or software themselves unless the Senior Technical Officer asks them to. Students should always keep a record of all expenses.
1.9 Laboratory Work and Equipment
Laboratory work may be required for your thesis. Work on projects in laboratories is permitted subject to the following:
• Approval has been obtained from your supervisor and the Senior Technical Officer
• Before approaching senior technical officer all thesis students MUST complete Use of Medium and High Risk Laboratories during office hours (0800-1630 hrs).
• There are at least two students present in the laboratory.
• Students MUST fill EHSE Laboratory Health and Safety Induction Checklist after being inducted about use of the respective SEIT laboratories by technical officer.
• Students MUST provide Risk Assessment Form for each activities they are planning to perform.
• Work of normal laboratory classes is not affected.
Note: all the above mentioned forms are available on Learnline
Students must build all equipment required for their project themselves. Technicians or others may assist with advice and appropriate techniques, but the actual work must be done by the student.
1.10 Technical Support
The School of Engineering and Logistics has four technical officers. However, their time is extremely limited. If a student needs technical support a support form, signed by the supervisor, must be submitted to the Senior Technical Officer. Support forms can be downloaded from Learnline. Please note that technical staff can only be of assistance to students from 9:00 to 10:00 in the morning.
If it is necessary to purchase equipment or materials for the project, an order form must be completed and approved by the supervisor. The School of Engineering and Logistics has a list of preferred suppliers and where possible materials should be ordered from them. Both the order form and the list of preferred suppliers are available on Learnline. Once the order form is completed and approved by the supervisor an electronic copy can be submitted to the Senior Technical Officer. Please take into account it may take considerable time for materials to be delivered. It is recommended that a list of required materials is made as soon as possible and that ordering is done in an early stage of the project.
Students should not buy equipment, materials or software themselves unless the Senior Technical Officer asks them to. Students who need to buy material themselves need to provide the tax invoice and their bank details to the senior technical officer if they want to be reimbursed. Please be aware that this may take considerable time.
If it is necessary to borrow equipment, manuals or other data, please contact the Senior Technical Officer. Students can only borrow equipment etc. with permission of the technical staff and must sign for it. Equipment must be returned to the laboratory of origin as soon as it is no longer required for the project. Reference books and manuals must be returned to the source of origin immediately after any photocopying.
1.11 Computing Facilities
Engineering computing facilities are available Room Purple 12.3.18 for postgraduate students to work on their thesis. Purple 12.1.17 may also be used during working hours if activities don’t interfere with classes. Alternatively, access can be granted to Purple 12.1.29 with 24 hr access possible using your student card. To enable your student card, see the Senior Technical Officer. General computing facilities are available in the Library Learning Precinct.
1.12 Other support
Liaison librarian. The liaison librarian can help students with detailed information needs like the use of the library catalogue, databases, the internet and various other resources. The liaison librarian also conducts training sessions and can provide specialised individual research assistance for postgraduate students. The liaison librarian is available to solve problems and to respond to suggestions about developing the collection and improving library services. Contact details for the liaison librarian for the School of Engineering and Logistics can be found at http://www.cdu.edu.au/library/LILL/index.html.
Academic Language Support. Professional engineers are required to have a very high level of oral and written communication skills. Even if you are confident of your English language skills in daily life your academic writing may not be up to the level that is required of a postgraduate engineer in Australia. In order to obtain this level, the university provides free support. The Academic Language and Learning Success Program (ALLSP), see http://www.cdu.edu.au/lba/all/allsp/index.html can help you to improve your academic writing.
Counselling. A thesis project can be stressful. Professional, confidential and free counselling services are offered to students through Support and Equity Services. Counselling is available for all students wanting to discuss any issues causing them concern in their academic and/or personal life You can make an appointment by contacting Support and Equity Services, ph 08 8946 6288.
Student Facilitator (International Support)
The student facilitator provides a range of advice and support to international students, such as student visa extensions, overseas student health cover, academic support, accommodation option, and on/off campus referral.
An appointment can be made by contacting Support and Equity Services, by calling 08 8946 6288.
2 Project Plan
Once the topic of the project has been decided, a Project Plan shall be devised to define the aims and expected progress of the project. The Plan should be submitted according to the time schedule outlined in the Unit Outline. It is suggested that the project plan includes:
a) Title of the project, name of the student and names of the supervisors
b) Introduction or background
c) Aim of the project
d) Project scope including clearly identified objectives.
e) Approach
f) Specification of the deliverables of the project.
g) Gantt chart of the project noting all milestones and critical paths.
h) Resources required for the project, including materials, equipment, software and staff time and a budget for these resources.
The plan should be approved by your supervisor before proceeding with the project. It is recommended that this plan is completed as soon as possible, leaving more time for actual project work. Refer to the Unit Outline for submission details.
3 Presentations
Two ten minutes oral presentations, the first one after the first semester and the last one after the second semester form part of the assessment. The presentation will be followed by five minutes of questions from the audience (students, university staff and external professionals). The Unit Coordinator will allocate you a timeslot for your presentation. The schedule for the presentations will be posted on Learnline (ensure that you regularly check the Learnline website). Please note that you have to be present at all presentations of the presentation day.
The Unit Coordinator will arrange computer projection facilities. It is your responsibility to familiarise yourself with the equipment and software. Presentation slides need to be submitted in advance (see unit outline). You should also ensure that your presentation and software is uploaded correctly on the computer before commencement of the presentations.
The presentation will be marked by your supervisor, other staff members of the university and representatives from local industry. This will be done in accordance with the criteria detailed in Appendix C.
4 Interim Report
At the end of the first semester, an interim report will have to be submitted, refer to the Unit Outline for the submission date and submission requirements. The Interim Report is essentially the first draft of the thesis. It should follow the structure intended for the thesis report and should include an abstract, table of contents, introduction, project objectives, literature survey and progress so far. Word limits are in the unit outline. The marking scheme used for the Interim Report can be found in Appendix D.
5 Thesis
At the end of the second semester, students are required to submit two spiral bound copies of a written report of their work, refer to the Unit Outline for the submission date. The report should describe the work carried out and the findings. The report should be formatted as per the thesis formatting guidelines. Word limits are in the unit outline. Students should submit a draft of the thesis to their supervisors, well in advance of the submission deadline. The draft thesis also needs to be submitted via Learnline, see unit outline. Marking guidelines can be found in Appendix E.
5.1 Formatting Guidelines
The final thesis must follow these general formatting guidelines:
• The thesis must be typewritten in third person singular, using 1.5 line spacing on single-sided A4 size paper, with a left margin of 3 cm to allow for binding. All other margins shall be 2 cm. The required font for the main text is Times New Roman, size 12 pt.
• All diagrams, tables, figures and graphs must be captioned and numbered using the decimal number system. Figure captions should appear below the figures and table captions should appear immediately above the tables.
• If diagrams, graphs etc., are wider than A4, they must be folded into A4 size. It is however recommended that larger than A4 size documents be used only in exceptional circumstances.
• Colour graphics should be avoided as far a possible as ordinary photocopies do not retain the colours.
• Students are responsible for the typing of their own thesis and for the preparation of all diagrams, photographs etc.
Students are strongly encouraged to discuss the materials they want to include in the final version of the theses with their supervisors.
5.2 Content
The thesis must include the following items in the sequence shown:
(a) Title Page (or Cover Page), as per the example given in Appendix A.
(b) Abstract Page: This page should include your name, the title of the project, keywords relevant to the subject and a concise outline of the objectives, the work done and conclusions reached. The abstract is a summary of the report, which may include the context of the research, the purpose of the research, the main findings, the most important conclusions and the main recommendations. Be as precise as circumstances allow. The abstract should not exceed one page.
(c) Acknowledgments Page (if appropriate): This is a short paragraph thanking any person or organisation who gave you help in collecting data or preparing the report.
(d) Table of contents (with page numbers)
(e) List of symbols (where applicable)
(f) List of tables (where applicable)
(g) List of figures (where applicable)
(h) Main body: This will consist of a number of sections arranged and numbered to suit the individual needs of each project, but including the following:
1. A brief literature survey and/or the present state of knowledge of the subject.
2. A description of the aim of the project.
3. A description of the methods used, including justification of the choices made where appropriate.
4. A statement and discussion of the result(s) obtained. Extract the more important matter from the information you have accumulated and choose suitable curves, graphs etc, to aid the comprehension of the text. Explain the significance of the obtained results in relation to other relevant published work and discuss the limitations of the research.
(j) Conclusions: A critical statement of what has been achieved or demonstrated with this project, based on the analysis and discussion of the results. The conclusion should sum up the main points of the report and should clearly relate to the objectives of your report. Don’t include any new information in the conclusions.
(k) Recommendations (where applicable): A statement of further work or action you consider to be necessary, eg. in the course of the investigation it may have become apparent that it would be desirable to carry the study beyond the planned objective or that some problems encountered should be explored in greater depth than was possible, or, necessary, in the current project.
(l) References: All references must be cited in the main body of the thesis. The source may be referenced in the text by name and year (Smith,1998) or by enclosing the reference number in square brackets at appropriate places in the text [23]. If the first style is used, references are normally listed in alphabetic order. When the numeric style is used, the references are listed in numeric order, usually in the order in which they appear in the body of the report. Each reference should contain the following:
1. Reference Number
2. Author(s)
3. Title of article or book
4. Journal title, volume, date, page reference (for journal articles)
5. Publisher
6. Date of publication
Please note that incorrect referencing may constitute plagiarism. See learnline for more information.
(m) Appendices: appendices should contain material, which is too detailed, technical, or complex to include in the body of the report. This may include:
1. Detailed theoretical analysis
2. Tabulated records of results, with reference to instruments or sources as appropriate.
3. Graphs, drawings, diagrams etc, not included in the main sections.
4. Software details and program listings.
All appendices must be referenced in the main text.
5.3 Completion and Assessment
Two spiral bound copies of the thesis must be submitted for assessment to the Unit Coordinator, refer to the Unit Outline for submission deadlines.
The draft thesis should be regularly discussed with the supervisors before submission. Aim to have the thesis finished well in advance of the submission dates in order to allow both your supervisor and yourself sufficient time for corrections.
The draft thesis is then marked by two examiners using the marking guidelines set out in Appendix E. The examiner will indicate in the draft thesis and on the marking sheet the necessary changes for submission of the final thesis. The spiral bound thesis and the comments of the marking sheet are then returned to the student for correction. The student has to correct the thesis as per instructions and resubmit three bound copies. The bound thesis is to be dark blue in colour with gold lettering (CDU standard). The thesis can be bound by CDUniprint. At least one of the three copies should be printed on acid free paper. Please note that CDUniprint requires about two weeks for binding. In addition, the student has to submit a pdf file of the thesis and a separate softcopy of the abstract. The grade will be released when all requirements have been met. Grades may be released once the students has provided the Unit Coordinator with a pdf file of the thesis and a separate softcopy of the abstract and a receipt from CDUniprint for three bound theses.
6 Submission requirements
For submission requirements, see the unit outline. Internal students must submit hard copies of the interim report and the thesis to the Unit Coordinator and submit a soft copy on Learnline. They also need to provide the unit coordinator with a pdf version of the corrected thesis. External students may submit the progress report and the thesis through Learnline but will also have to provide three hard bound copies and a pdf version of the corrected thesis to the Unit Coordinator.
7 Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the unacknowledged use of material written or produced by others or a rework of your own material. Plagiarism is not acceptable and can lead to expulsion from the University. All sources of information and ideas used in you thesis and reports must be referenced. This applies whether the information is from a book, journal article, the internet, a previous essay you wrote or the assignment of a friend. When in doubt, ask your supervisor.
The University Plagiarism policy is available at:
http://www.cdu.edu.au/governance/policies/academicandscientificmisconductpolicy.pdf

8 Deadlines
The deadlines for all submissions required as part of the thesis are in the Unit Outline. Extensions to deadlines will NOT be given. Students are expected to take appropriate action to ensure all deadlines are met.
Appendix A – Thesis progress form
Thesis Progress Form
CHARLES DARWIN UNIVERSITY
School of Engineering and IT
Name:
Unit: PRT550
Project Title:
Supervisors:
Time:
Progress Report No and Date
Progress since the last meeting (date of last meeting – date of this meeting):
•
Discussion points:
•
Plan until the next meeting (this meeting – next meeting):
•
Long term goals:
•
Appendix B - Specimen cover page
ROBUST CONTROL OF AN AXIAL FLUX ELECTRIC MOTOR
Name of Student
A Thesis submitted in part fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of
Master of Engineering
School of Engineering and IT
Faculty of EHSE
Charles Darwin University
Darwin
Month year
Appendix C – Presentation Assessment Criteria
Project presentations will be marked by School staff according to the following criteria:
Presentations skills 15%
• Diction and language
• Presentation aids
• Professional dress and manner
• Time management
Content 65%
• Structure of the presentation 25%
Problem definition
Problem solving approach, student contribution Results, data analysis and conclusions.
• Technical depth 30%
This indicates whether the work done by the student is at the level that can be expected of a fourth year undergraduate or Master student.
• Appropriate level for the audience (10%)
Response to questions 20%

Appendix D – Interim Report Assessment Criteria
Assessment item Max Score Score
Presentation of Report 15
Literature Review 15
Scope of Thesis 15
Approach 20
Execution 25
Data analysis and Conclusions 10
Total 100
COMMENTS:

Presentation of Report (15% of total) Literature Review (15% of total)
• Excellent physical layout and logical structure.
• The work is presented accurately, concisely and coherently, with no errors and thorough attention to detail.
• Excellent technical style, avoiding excessive jargon.
• No spelling mistakes or grammatical errors.
• Full acknowledgement of the work of others and correctly formatted reference section.
• Correct use of equations, footers and headers
• The abstract accurately and concisely captures the thesis topic, methods and outcomes.
15
14
• Extensive, relevant and logically organised review.
• Extensive critical analysis and discussion of background material.
• Review covers both specific research and general theory in detail and ensures the reader clearly understands the context of the research.
• Review demonstrates clear mastery of the material in the topic area, and shows excellent ability to synthesize and abstract knowledge.
15
14
• Very good physical layout and logical structure.
• Very good attention to detail.
• The work is presented in an accurate, concise and coherent fashion, with very few errors.
• Very good technical style, avoiding excessive jargon. • Very few spelling mistakes or grammatical errors.
• Few errors in the acknowledgement of the work of others and a correctly formatted reference section.
• Correct use of equations, footers and headers
• The abstract accurately captures the thesis topic, methods and outcomes.
13
12 • Relevant and logically organised review.
• Very good critical analysis and discussion of background material.
• Review covers both specific research and general theory which places the research in context.
• Review demonstrates very good mastery of the material in the topic area, and shows very good ability to synthesize and abstract knowledge.
13
12
• Good logical structure and physical layout.
• The work is presented in an accurate, concise and coherent fashion with good attention to detail in most areas and few errors.
• Good technical style.
• Few spelling mistakes or grammatical errors.
• Few errors in the acknowledgement of the work of others or the reference section.
• Few errors in equations, footers and headers.
• The abstract captures the thesis topic and outcomes
11
10
• Good and well organised review.
• Good analysis and discussion of background material.
• Review covers both specific research and general theory, which places the research in context.
• Review demonstrates good mastery of the material in the topic area, and shows good ability to synthesize and abstract knowledge.
11
10
• Satisfactory logical structure and physical layout.
• Satisfactory attention to detail.
• The work is presented in a satisfactory fashion.
• Satisfactory technical style.
• Generally spelling and grammar are correct.
• Occasional errors in the acknowledgement of the work of others, satisfactorily formatted reference section.
• Occasional errors in equations, footers and headers.
• The abstract satisfactorily captures the thesis topic and outcomes.
9
8
• Satisfactory review.
• Satisfactory analysis and discussion of background material.
• Review adequately covers relevant specific research and general theory.
• Review demonstrates satisfactory mastery of the material in the topic area, and shows acceptable ability to synthesize and abstract knowledge.
9
8
• Unsatisfactory structure and physical layout.
• The work is presented in an unsatisfactory fashion.
• Unsatisfactory technical style.
• Frequent spelling mistakes and/or grammatical errors.
• Errors in the acknowledgement of the work of others and an unsatisfactorily formatted reference section.
• Many errors in the equations, footers or headers.
• The abstract does not satisfactorily capture the thesis topic and outcomes
7
6
5 • Unsatisfactory review.
• Unsatisfactory analysis and discussion of background material. Seldom moves beyond description and explanation. Lacks synthesis.
• Review covers both specific research and general theory, but does not help the reader understand the rest of the document.
• Review demonstrates limited grasp of the material in the topic area, and shows lack of synthesis and
poor engagement with abstract concepts
7
6
5
• Poor structure and inconsistent physical layout.
• The work is presented poorly with little attention to detail.
• Poor technical style.
• Very many spelling mistakes or grammatical errors.
• Very many errors in the acknowledgement of the work of others and a poorly formatted reference section.
• Poor (or no) footers or headers.
• The abstract does not capture the thesis topic 4
3
• Limited review.
• Little analysis and discussion of background material. Seldom moves beyond description.
• Review does not cover both specific research and general theory.
• Review demonstrates little mastery of the material in the topic area.
4
3
• Little or no apparent structure and physical layout.
• Poor presentation, no attention to detail.
• Very poor style, spelling mistakes and grammatical errors interfere with comprehension of the work.
• No acknowledgement of the work of others.
• No footers or headers; poor or no abstract.
2
1
0
• Very limited review.
• Little or no analysis and discussion of background material.
• Review does not cover both specific research and general theory.
• Review demonstrates very limited mastery of the material in the topic area.
2
1
0
Scope of Thesis (15% of total) Approach (20% of total)
• Excellent, clear definition of a substantial and significant thesis topic, problem and/or hypothesis (including statement of purpose and relevance).
• Scope includes context, boundaries and assumptions.
15
14
• A clearly set out plan with goals and methods which systematically and logically follow from the background research.
• The approach is creative and innovative, and includes an
evaluation of alternative approaches
20
19
18
• Very good definition of substantial thesis topic, problem and/or hypothesis (including statement of purpose and relevance).
• Scope includes context, boundaries and assumptions.
13
12 • A clearly set out plan with goals and methods which systematically follow from the background research.
• The approach shows innovation and includes an evaluation of alternative approaches.
17
16
• Good definition of an adequate thesis topic, problem and/or hypothesis (including statement of purpose).
• Scope includes assumptions.
.
11
10
• A plan of work which follows from the background research.
• The approach is systematic and includes some consideration of alternative approaches.
15
14
13
• Satisfactory definition of basic thesis topic problem and/or hypothesis
• Scope is included.
9
8 • A satisfactory plan of work is offered.
• The approach is reasonably systematic.
12
11
10
• Unsatisfactory definition of thesis topic, problem and/or hypothesis.
• Scope is unsatisfactory for a thesis at Master level.
.
7
6
5 • The plan of work offered is incomplete or unclear, or does not completely relate to the background research.
• The approach is not well considered, and does not logically flow from the background research presented.
9
8
7
• Poor definition of thesis topic, problem and/or hypothesis.
• Scope is insufficient for a thesis at Master level.
4
3 • The plan of work offered is poor, or only partly relates to the background research.
• The approach is poorly considered, and shows little relationship to the background research presented.
6
5
4
• Poor or no definition of thesis topic, problem and/or hypothesis.
• Limited scope, insufficient for a thesis at Master level.
2
1
0 • The plan of work offered is incomplete and poor, and does not relate to the background research.
• There is no logical approach.
3
2
1
0
Execution (25% of total)
• Excellent system and logic.
• The execution of work demonstrates excellent technical skills and understanding.
• Observations and measurements are made with a very high level of accuracy.
• Recording of observations is complete and presented in an easily understandable and excellent format.
• Knowledge gained from background research is applied extensively.
• The execution indicates a substantial work effort.
25
24
23
• Very good system and logic.
• The execution of work demonstrates very good technical skills and understanding.
• Observations and measurements are made to a high level of accuracy.
• Recording of observations is complete and presented in an understandable and very good format.
• Knowledge gained from background research is applied to a large extent.
• The execution indicates a very good work effort.
22
21
20
19
• Good system and logic.
• The execution of work demonstrates good technical skills and understanding.
• Observations and measurements are sufficiently accurate.
• Recording of observations is appropriate and presented in a good format.
• Knowledge gained from background research is applied appropriately
18
17
16
• Satisfactory system and logic.
• The execution of work demonstrates satisfactory technical skills and understanding.
• Observations and measurements are reasonably accurate.
• Recording of observations is satisfactory and presented in a satisfactory format.
• Knowledge gained from prior research is applied.
15
14
13
• Some system and logic.
• The execution of work demonstrates some technical skills and understanding.
• Observations and measurements show incomplete accuracy.
• Recording of observations is not satisfactory and is not satisfactorily presented.
• Some knowledge gained from prior research is applied.
12
11
10
9
8
• Little system and logic.
• The execution of work demonstrates few technical skills and little understanding.
• Recording of observations is not satisfactory.
• Little knowledge gained from prior research is applied.
7
6
5
4
• No system and logic.
• The execution of work demonstrates no technical skill and understanding.
• No recording of observations.
• No knowledge gained from prior research is applied.
3
2
1
0
Data analysis and Conclusions (10% of total)
• Analysis demonstrates excellent understanding of all elements of the research and a high level of independent thought.
• Information obtained from experimental activities is interpreted fully and correctly, patterns and trends are recognised where appropriate.
• All sources of error and limitations of experimental measurements are identified correctly.
• Critical analysis of results showing deep insight knowledge of the topic.
• Conclusions are supported by the data.
• Clear description of the relationship between current findings and the reviewed literature.
• Excellent discussion of possible applications or implications of the findings.
• Specific suggestions for future research.
10
• Analysis demonstrates very good understanding of most elements of the research and independent thought.
• Information obtained from experimental activities is interpreted correctly, patterns and trends are recognised.
• The majority of sources of error or limitations of experimental measurements are identified.
• Very good analysis of results showing very good knowledge of the topic.
• Conclusions supported by the data.
• Very good discussion of the relationship between current findings and the reviewed literature.
• Very good discussion of possible applications or implications of the findings.
• Very good suggestions for future research.
9
8
• Analysis demonstrates good understanding of most elements of the research.
• Information obtained from experimental activities is well interpreted, patterns and trends are recognised.
• Most sources of error are identified.
• Good analysis of results showing good knowledge of the topic.
• Conclusions supported by the data.
• Good discussion of possible applications or implications of the findings.
• Good suggestions for future research.
7
6
• Analysis demonstrates satisfactory understanding of most elements of the research.
• Information obtained from experimental activities is satisfactorily interpreted, patterns and trends are recognised.
• Most sources of error are identified.
• Satisfactory analysis of results showing appropriate knowledge of the topic.
• Conclusions supported by the data.
• Satisfactory discussion of possible applications or implications of the findings. • Satisfactory suggestions for future research.
5
• Analysis demonstrates some understanding of elements of the research.
• Information obtained from experimental activities is not satisfactorily interpreted, only some patterns and trends are recognised.
• Some sources of error are identified.
• Unsatisfactory or little analysis of results showing little knowledge of the topic • Conclusions unsupported by the data.
• Unsatisfactory or little discussion of possible applications or implications of the findings.
• Unsatisfactory or few suggestions for future research.
4
• Analysis demonstrates little understanding of the research.
• Information obtained from experimental activities is poorly interpreted, with few patterns and trends recognised.
• Few sources of error are identified.
• Little analysis of results showing little knowledge of the topic • No conclusions, or conclusions unsupported by the data.
• Little or no discussion of possible applications or implications of the findings.
• Few suggestions for future research.
3
2
• Analysis demonstrates no understanding of the research.
• Information obtained from experimental activities is not interpreted, and few patterns and trends are recognised.
• No sources of error are identified.
• No analysis of results.
• No conclusions, or conclusions unsupported by the data.
• No discussion of possible applications or implications of the findings. • No suggestions for future research.
1
0
Appendix E – Thesis Report Assessment Criteria
PRT550 Thesis
Assessment Form
.
Thesis Topic:
Student:
Examiner:
Assessment item Max Score Score
Presentation of Thesis 15
Literature Review 15
Scope of Thesis 15
Approach 15
Execution 20
Data analysis and Conclusions 20
Total 100
COMMENTS:
Presentation of Thesis (15% of total) Literature Review (15% of total)
• Excellent physical layout and logical structure.
• The work is presented accurately, concisely and coherently, with no errors and thorough attention to detail.
• Excellent technical style, avoiding excessive jargon.
• No spelling mistakes or grammatical errors.
• Full acknowledgement of the work of others and correctly formatted reference section.
• Correct use of equations, footers and headers
• The abstract accurately and concisely captures the thesis topic, methods and outcomes.
15
14
• Extensive, relevant and logically organised review.
• Extensive critical analysis and discussion of background material.
• Review covers both specific research and general theory in detail and ensures the reader clearly understands the context of the research.
• Review demonstrates clear mastery of the material in the topic area, and shows excellent ability to synthesize and abstract knowledge.
15
14
• Very good physical layout and logical structure.
• Very good attention to detail.
• The work is presented in an accurate, concise and coherent fashion, with very few errors.
• Very good technical style, avoiding excessive jargon. • Very few spelling mistakes or grammatical errors.
• Few errors in the acknowledgement of the work of others and a correctly formatted reference section.
• Correct use of equations, footers and headers
• The abstract accurately captures the thesis topic, methods and outcomes.
13
12 • Relevant and logically organised review.
• Very good critical analysis and discussion of background material.
• Review covers both specific research and general theory which places the research in context.
• Review demonstrates very good mastery of the material in the topic area, and shows very good ability to synthesize and abstract knowledge.
13
12
• Good logical structure and physical layout.
• The work is presented in an accurate, concise and coherent fashion with good attention to detail in most areas and few errors.
• Good technical style.
• Few spelling mistakes or grammatical errors.
• Few errors in the acknowledgement of the work of others or the reference section.
• Few errors in equations, footers and headers.
• The abstract captures the thesis topic and outcomes
11
10
• Good and well organised review.
• Good analysis and discussion of background material.
• Review covers both specific research and general theory, which places the research in context.
• Review demonstrates good mastery of the material in the topic area, and shows good ability to synthesize and abstract knowledge.
11
10
• Satisfactory logical structure and physical layout.
• Satisfactory attention to detail.
• The work is presented in a satisfactory fashion.
• Satisfactory technical style.
• Generally spelling and grammar are correct.
• Occasional errors in the acknowledgement of the work of others, satisfactorily formatted reference section.
• Occasional errors in equations, footers and headers.
• The abstract satisfactorily captures the thesis topic and outcomes.
9
8
• Satisfactory review.
• Satisfactory analysis and discussion of background material.
• Review adequately covers relevant specific research and general theory.
• Review demonstrates satisfactory mastery of the material in the topic area, and shows acceptable ability to synthesize and abstract knowledge.
9
8
• Unsatisfactory structure and physical layout.
• The work is presented in an unsatisfactory fashion.
• Unsatisfactory technical style.
• Frequent spelling mistakes and/or grammatical errors.
• Errors in the acknowledgement of the work of others and an unsatisfactorily formatted reference section.
• Many errors in the equations, footers or headers.
• The abstract does not satisfactorily capture the thesis topic and outcomes
7
6
5 • Unsatisfactory review.
• Unsatisfactory analysis and discussion of background material. Seldom moves beyond description and explanation. Lacks synthesis.
• Review covers both specific research and general theory, but does not help the reader understand the rest of the document.
• Review demonstrates limited grasp of the material in the topic area, and shows lack of synthesis and
poor engagement with abstract concepts
7
6
5
• Poor structure and inconsistent physical layout.
• The work is presented poorly with little attention to detail.
• Poor technical style.
• Very many spelling mistakes or grammatical errors.
• Very many errors in the acknowledgement of the work of others and a poorly formatted reference section.
• Poor (or no) footers or headers.
• The abstract does not capture the thesis topic
4
3
• Limited review.
• Little analysis and discussion of background material. Seldom moves beyond description.
• Review does not cover both specific research and general theory.
• Review demonstrates little mastery of the material in the topic area.
4
3
• Little or no apparent structure and physical layout.
• Poor presentation, no attention to detail.
• Very poor style, spelling mistakes and grammatical errors interfere with comprehension of the work.
• No acknowledgement of the work of others.
• No footers or headers; poor or no abstract. 2
1
0
• Very limited review.
• Little or no analysis and discussion of background material.
• Review does not cover both specific research and general theory.
• Review demonstrates very limited mastery of the material in the topic area.
2
1
0
Scope of Thesis (15% of total) Approach (15% of total)
• Excellent, clear definition of a substantial and significant thesis topic, problem and/or hypothesis (including statement of purpose and relevance).
• Scope includes context, boundaries and assumptions.
15
14
• A clearly set out plan with goals and methods which systematically follow from the background research.
• The approach shows innovation and includes an evaluation of alternative approaches
15
14
• Very good definition of substantial thesis topic, problem and/or hypothesis (including statement of purpose and relevance).
• Scope includes context, boundaries and assumptions.
13
12 • A clearly set out plan with goals and methods which systematically follow from the background research.
• The approach shows innovation and includes an evaluation of alternative approaches.
13
12
• Good definition of an adequate thesis topic, problem and/or hypothesis (including statement of purpose).
• Scope includes assumptions.
.
11
10
• A plan of work which follows from the background research.
• The approach is systematic and includes some consideration of alternative approaches.
11
10
• Satisfactory definition of basic thesis topic problem and/or hypothesis • Scope is included.
9
8
• A satisfactory plan of work is offered.
• The approach is reasonably systematic.
9
8
• Unsatisfactory definition of thesis topic, problem and/or hypothesis.
• Scope is unsatisfactory for a thesis at Master level.
.
7
6
5 • The plan of work offered is incomplete or unclear, or does not completely relate to the background research.
• The approach is not well considered, and does not logically flow from the background research presented.
7
6
5
• Poor definition of thesis topic, problem and/or hypothesis.
• Scope is insufficient for a thesis at Master level.
4
3 • The plan of work offered is poor, or only partly relates to the background research.
• The approach is poorly considered, and shows little relationship to the background research presented.
4
3
• Poor or no definition of thesis topic, problem and/or hypothesis.
• Limited scope, insufficient for a thesis at Master level.
2
1
0 • The plan of work offered is incomplete and poor, and does not relate to the background research.
• There is no logical approach.
2
1
0
Execution (20% of total)
• Excellent system and logic.
• The execution of work demonstrates excellent technical skills and understanding.
• Observations and measurements are made with a very high level of accuracy.
• Recording of observations is complete and presented in an easily understandable and excellent format.
• Knowledge gained from background research is applied extensively.
• The execution indicates a substantial work effort.
20
19
18
• Very good system and logic.
• The execution of work demonstrates very good technical skills and understanding.
• Observations and measurements are made to a high level of accuracy.
• Recording of observations is complete and presented in an understandable and very good format.
• Knowledge gained from background research is applied to a large extent.
• The execution indicates a very good work effort.
17
16
• Good system and logic.
• The execution of work demonstrates good technical skills and understanding.
• Observations and measurements are sufficiently accurate.
• Recording of observations is appropriate and presented in a good format.
• Knowledge gained from background research is applied appropriately
15
14
13
• Satisfactory system and logic.
• The execution of work demonstrates satisfactory technical skills and understanding.
• Observations and measurements are reasonably accurate.
• Recording of observations is satisfactory and presented in a satisfactory format.
• Knowledge gained from prior research is applied.
12
11
10
• Some system and logic.
• The execution of work demonstrates some technical skills and understanding.
• Observations and measurements show incomplete accuracy.
• Recording of observations is not satisfactory and is not satisfactorily presented.
• Some knowledge gained from prior research is applied.
9
8
7
• Little system and logic.
• The execution of work demonstrates few technical skills and little understanding.
• Recording of observations is not satisfactory.
• Little knowledge gained from prior research is applied.
6
5
4
• No system and logic.
• The execution of work demonstrates no technical skill and understanding.
• No recording of observations.
• No knowledge gained from prior research is applied.
3
2
1
0
Data analysis and Conclusions (20% of total)
• Analysis demonstrates excellent understanding of all elements of the research and a high level of independent thought.
• Information obtained from experimental activities is interpreted fully and correctly, patterns and trends are recognised where appropriate.
• All sources of error and limitations of experimental measurements are identified correctly.
• Critical analysis of results showing deep insight knowledge of the topic.
• Conclusions are supported by the data.
• Clear description of the relationship between current findings and the reviewed literature.
• Excellent discussion of possible applications or implications of the findings. • Specific suggestions for future research.
20
19
18
• Analysis demonstrates very good understanding of most elements of the research and independent thought.
• Information obtained from experimental activities is interpreted correctly, patterns and trends are recognised.
• The majority of sources of error or limitations of experimental measurements are identified.
• Very good analysis of results showing very good knowledge of the topic.
• Conclusions supported by the data.
• Very good discussion of the relationship between current findings and the reviewed literature.
• Very good discussion of possible applications or implications of the findings.
• Very good suggestions for future research.
17
16
• Analysis demonstrates good understanding of most elements of the research.
• Information obtained from experimental activities is well interpreted, patterns and trends are recognised.
• Most sources of error are identified.
• Good analysis of results showing good knowledge of the topic.
• Conclusions supported by the data.
• Good discussion of possible applications or implications of the findings.
• Good suggestions for future research.
15
14
13
• Analysis demonstrates satisfactory understanding of most elements of the research.
• Information obtained from experimental activities is satisfactorily interpreted, patterns and trends are recognised.
• Most sources of error are identified.
• Satisfactory analysis of results showing appropriate knowledge of the topic.
• Conclusions supported by the data.
• Satisfactory discussion of possible applications or implications of the findings.
• Satisfactory suggestions for future research.
12
11
10
• Analysis demonstrates some understanding of elements of the research.
• Information obtained from experimental activities is not satisfactorily interpreted, only some patterns and trends are recognised.
• Some sources of error are identified.
• Unsatisfactory or little analysis of results showing little knowledge of the topic • Conclusions unsupported by the data.
• Unsatisfactory or little discussion of possible applications or implications of the findings.
• Unsatisfactory or few suggestions for future research.
9
8
7
• Analysis demonstrates little understanding of the research.
• Information obtained from experimental activities is poorly interpreted, with few patterns and trends recognised.
• Few sources of error are identified.
• Little analysis of results showing little knowledge of the topic • No conclusions, or conclusions unsupported by the data.
• Little or no discussion of possible applications or implications of the findings. • Few suggestions for future research.
6
5
4
• Analysis demonstrates no understanding of the research.
• Information obtained from experimental activities is not interpreted, and few patterns and trends are recognised.
• No sources of error are identified.
• No analysis of results.
• No conclusions, or conclusions unsupported by the data.
• No discussion of possible applications or implications of the findings. • No suggestions for future research.
3
2
1
0
Appendix F – Supervisor Guidelines
Each student has an individual project supervisor. The role of the supervisor is to guide the student through the project, assisting with technical and administrative help as necessary. While the main project requirements are detailed in this document, these guidelines are intended to assist supervisors in their role.
The project is the work of the student. The student has many resources to assist in the completion of the project, including the supervisor.
The supervisor would normally:
• Mentor the student.
• Meet regularly with the student concerning project progress. Weekly meetings are recommended.
• Ensure the project objectives and deliverables as specified in the Project Plan are realistic, challenging and of a suitable standard.
• Help the student to keep the project on track in regards to both time and budget.
• Provide technical advice.
• Provide direction and suggestions for progress when the student’s progress appears to “bog down”. An example would be on the appropriate action to take if the delivery time on a critical piece of equipment is excessive.
• Provide advice and assistance with the presentations and demonstrations to ensure they are of a professional standard.
• Assist the student to meet the requirements of this document, where appropriate.
• Mark the assessment items, in conjunction with other School of Engineering and Logistics staff and external markers.
In summary, the supervisor would provide day to day assistance for the student, while overall administration of the project is the responsibility of the Unit Coordinator. If any further information is required, please contact the Unit Coordinator.
END OF DOCUMENT