TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of contents .................................................................................................. 1
Introduction .......................................................................................................... 1 Tips to kick start your thesis ................................................................................. 2 Rules and regulations ........................................................................................... 3
Reviews ................................................................................................................. 5 Resources .............................................................................................................. 6 The thesis committee ........................................................................................... 6
Thesis formatting guidelines ................................................................................. 7 Before you submit ................................................................................................ 8 Thesis submission procedure ............................................................................... 8 What does the internal examiner examine? ........................................................ 9
HANDBOOK FOR THESIS STUDENTS
The viva voce ...................................................................................................... 10
Undergraduate programme in architecture, Faculty of Architecture, CEPT University, Kasturbhai Lalbhai Campus, University, Ahmedabad‐ 380009 2012
Frequently faced problems ................................................................................. 10 References .......................................................................................................... 11
INTRODUCTION Welcome Welcome to ‘The Thesis’. This handbook will assist you in navigating through various procedures required to complete your research and lay your hands on the B. Arch degree! However, you still have to do the leg work yourself.
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Rules and regulations are updated and modified from time to time by the University due to various reasons. Please check with the thesis co‐ordinator for the latest set of rules. Visit us here and here for further details
What is this ‘thesis’? ‘A thesis is a treatise reporting findings based on scientific investigation. The writing should be systematic, clear and concise. The value of a thesis does not depend on its length or number of sketches, but on its clarity, economy of expression and direction. A thesis is not a text‐book, and superfluous and extraneous matter should be excluded. A thesis should make a clear and continuous reading. Any derivations or detailed explanations should be removed from the body of the text, and compiled in appendices at the end of the main body of the thesis. There should be no vagueness of thoughts nor be any ambiguous expressions. The value of a thesis is its depth. It should be precise and penetrating.’ (School of Architecture) An undergraduate thesis should demonstrate an in‐depth understanding of the chosen subject through methodical study.
The guide The guide chooses you and not the other way round! It helps to find out the research interests of your potential guide. You can do so by referring to their resume, finding out the theses that they have recently guided or by simply asking them. Do remember that a potential guide will always prefer to take on students in his/her area of interest. If I were to just write one sentence about you and the guide it would be‐ you will always feel that you need to do more work before meeting the guide, irrespective of how much work you have done. So, whatever you do, don’t postpone this meeting. A weekly meeting with the guide is strongly encouraged. The sooner you have a guide, the better your research will be.
The thesis coordinator For all other matters, meet the thesis co‐ordinator. Meet the co‐ordinator once a week till you finalise a guide for your thesis. After that, a once a month meeting to appraise the co‐ordinator of work progress should suffice. Give the first review at the first available date
Why do a thesis? ‘The objective of the school in requiring a thesis is to enable a student to get an experience which he cannot get in design work namely to develop a scientific attitude..., thus the result for the student could be a training that would be useful in design and developing awareness, understanding and respect for research” (School of Architecture)
TIPS TO KICK START YOUR THESIS Selecting a topic The thesis does not begin with the first registration! Please start identifying areas of interest as early as possible‐ during final year or the architectural research methods course. The topic, needless to say, should deal with architecture. If in doubt, do not hesitate to consult the thesis committee.
RULES AND REGULATIONS Eligibility and registration 1. A student is eligible to register for thesis after successful completion of studio IX. 2. It is strongly recommended that the student clears all other backlogs including subjects, interactive studio and electives before registering for thesis. Backlogs, if any, should be mentioned and updated during each registration. 3. A copy of the fees receipt is mandatory for registration. 4. A maximum of four registrations are permitted for thesis. Relaxation of exchange semester will be given to students who go on official exchange programmes after studio IX. 5. A letter of authority will be required in case the student is unable to remain present in person during the registration. 6. Late registration penalties will apply for late registrations.
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Eligibility of guide It is strongly recommended that a member of the core faculty of CEPT University be chosen as a guide. In case of a guide from outside, consult the thesis co‐ordinator for approval. As a guideline, the guide should have an academic background and 5 years of experience.
Review Review proposals will have to be submitted at least 1 week in advance on the sa‐nity website. Students who haven’t submitted their proposal on sa‐nity will not be eligible to give the review A student is expected to appear for 3 reviews. The 3 reviews can be given during any of the 6 review dates during the first two semesters of thesis. A student cannot appear for the reviews after having completed two semesters in thesis.
Evaluation The percentage weightage for the evaluation of the thesis is as follows‐ Guide‐ 30% Internal examiner‐ 10% External examiner‐ 20% Reviews (3) ‐ 30% Viva voce‐ 10% The viva voce grading will be done by a core faculty member who is neither the guide nor the internal examiner for the concerned thesis. There are no penalties if the thesis is successfully submitted within 1 year (two semesters). A thesis successfully submitted in the third semester will attract a penalty of 25% marks that is the marks obtained out of 100 will be multiplied by a factor of 0.75 subject to a minimum of 50. A thesis successfully submitted in the fourth semester will get a flat 50% pass grade. For the purpose of thesis, the semester begins on the day of registration and ends at 5pm on the last working day prior to the next registration.
Duration
certificate of attendance till that stage. Their grade report will mention their not having fulfilled the requirements for the B Arch degree in stipulated time.
Submission For the purposes of evaluation, a thesis is considered successfully submitted on the date it is handed over to the administration with the signature of the guide on the requisite form provided that it is approved by the internal examiner without major changes. In case the internal examiner returns the thesis as ineligible due to major flaws, the subsequent date on which the thesis is handed over to the administration and provided that it is approved by the internal examiner will be considered as the date of submission of thesis.
Plagiarism Borrowing ideas, words, images or any other content from other sources without correct citation is considered plagiarism. Please refer to the MLA style of referencing for appropriate citation style. Other sources include but are not limited to books, the internet, conversations with friends, lectures and unpublished works. Plagiarism is an offence and is taken seriously by the thesis committee. Ensure that all citations and credits are in order before you submit the thesis.
REVIEWS The review dates for each semester will be announced during the registration. The review requirements are as follows‐
First review Research proposal in the following format‐ Proposed topic, the need for the study, aim and objectives and/or hypothesis and/or research questions, research method, scope and limitation and bibliography and probable guides
Students, who fail to submit the thesis within 4 semesters, will stand disqualified from completing the rest of the course and will be issued a 5
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Any other work done like pilot studies, motivation, background research etc. should be included in the proposal
Members of the thesis reviews and the internal examiner are usually one of the members of the thesis committee.
Second review
The thesis committee currently comprises of‐
Research proposal in the following format‐ • • • • • •
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Finalised proposal in the format followed in the first review Literature review in detail Proposed structure or chapterization of study Proposal signed by guide Thesis schedule Preliminary findings from case studies
Third review • •
Vishwanath Kashikar (faculty in‐charge) Neelkanth Chhaya Pratyush Shankar Meghal Arya Gauri Bharat Sankalpa
THESIS FORMATTING GUIDELINES
Finalised proposal in the format followed in the second review Analysis chapter with analysis and findings
RESOURCES The library is a valuable primary resource for the thesis. Please do use the interlibrary loan facilities as well as the inflibnet facilities available in the library. Contact the librarian for further details. A continually uploaded list of resources can also be found at https://www.facebook.com/groups/273248069402706/ and http://www.sa‐ nity.net. Students are advised to join both these groups.
THE THESIS COMMITTEE The thesis committee consists of the thesis co‐ordinator and usually 5‐6 other members who are all part of the core faculty at the undergraduate programme in architecture.
1. Word Limit‐ There is no minimum or maximum word limit to the thesis. The number of words in your thesis will depend on the topic of the thesis and method of research. 2. Page size and orientation‐ A4 portrait format. Fold outs are not permitted. In case you require larger page size, use a sleeve to obtain a contiguous A3 size page. 3. Margins‐ A minimum of 25mm on the inside. The margin should be increased in case of increase in the number of pages. 4. Font‐ Use of standard fonts is strongly recommended. Use one font for the entire thesis. The font size should be around 11 to 12 points. 5. Page numbering‐ All pages including plates should be numbered 6. Citations and bibliography‐ Use MLA style for all citations and bibliography. Please note that footnotes are discouraged in the MLA style of citation. Refer to web sources for further details. 7. Use of native capability of word processing software to generate table of contents, citations, bibliography, list of illustrations/tables/figures and its numbering is strongly recommended
The thesis committee meets from time to time to discuss and suggest new guidelines and directions for the thesis. 6
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BEFORE YOU SUBMIT Prerequisites
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Your thesis will be processed only if you have completed all other courses. Ensure that you have completed all core subjects, RSPs, interactive studio and electives before you submit your thesis. The thesis will not be accepted if you have any backlog credits.
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The thesis document Proof read, proof read, and proof read before you submit. Remember that neither the guide nor the internal examiner is supposed to proof read your thesis. In case substantial errors are found in the first few pages of the thesis, the internal examiner usually returns the thesis before proceeding further. For your own good, it is suggested that you do not proof read your thesis. Get it proof read from someone who has a good command over the language. Remember, that proof reading cannot be done in a hurry on the last night.
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Ensure that all citations, illustration credits, illustration numbers and titles etc. are in place. In case of drawings make sure to mark the orientation, scale, and drawing titles without fail.
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please ensure that the administration has your updated contact details. In case of changes, return to step 3. In case of approval from internal examiner, submit one spiral bound copy and one unbound copy for the external examiner and library respectively. You will also have to submit a soft copy of your thesis in pdf format on a CD/DVD at this point in time. A soft copy of the abstract of your thesis in no more than 300 words comprising of motivation/larger goal, problem statement, research method, findings and implications along with 5 key words should be submitted in the CD/DVD. Pay your viva fees. Wait for a call from the administration informing you of the dates of the viva voce. Submit a synopsis of your thesis to the administration on the day of the viva. In case minor errors are pointed out in the viva voce, you might be asked to replace the relevant corrected pages in the library copy of your thesis. After the viva voce, collect the no dues form from the administration and returned a signed version of it to complete the thesis procedure. Finally, you are ready to graduate!
THESIS SUBMISSION PROCEDURE Once your thesis is ready for submission‐ 1. 2. 3.
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Get a copy of thesis approval and thesis declaration forms from the administration. Get the signature of your guide in the thesis approval form. Submit one spiral bound copy of your thesis to the administration for internal examination. Please note that you need to have cleared all other subjects, electives, RSPs, interactive workshops and any other prerequisites for graduation before you submit your thesis. In case of any backlogs whatsoever, the thesis will be considered submitted on the day you clear all previous backlogs. Please account for this in your future plans. In about 3‐4 weeks time you will get a call from the administration informing you of the internal examiners decision. Needless to say, 8
WHAT DOES THE INTERNAL EXAMINER EXAMINE? The internal examiner looks for inconsistencies in your thesis argument and for deficiencies in the quality of research. Spelling and grammar errors, incorrect or missing citations, bibliography, titles and incomplete drawings are some of the most common reasons for the internal examiner to return your thesis without assessing it for inconsistencies and deficiencies. The internal examiner will approve of the thesis even if s/he does not agree with the content of the thesis as long as the argument is consistent and of a minimum quality. The examiner usually refers to your bibliography to gauge the extent and quality of your research. The quality of your thesis and therefore the grades depend on your main analysis chapter. Try not to overdo the 9
introduction/background chapter. An extensive introduction/background doesn’t ensure a good thesis. In many cases an extensive introduction takes away from the importance/emphasis of your analysis. Numbers of pages do not matter as long as the research is complete in itself. Do not attempt to beef up the number of pages by including unnecessary background work.
THE VIVA VOCE The viva voce is an examination of your skill in presenting and defending your research independent of the quality of the written document. It is also a platform to discuss issues of architecture arising from your study. The viva voce usually lasts 1 to 1.5 hours. The examiners meet prior to the viva voce to discuss and grade the written document. This is followed by a 20 minute presentation by the student. Please remember that the examiners and the guide have already read your thesis. It is therefore suggested that rather than present the entire thesis, the viva voce is used as a platform to discuss and defend key findings and the validity of the research method employed. A synopsis of 2 pages comprising of text and graphics is a prerequisite for the viva voce. Copies of this synopsis should be circulated amongst the audience. It is strongly recommended that you rehearse your presentation before the actual day. Do remember that your document has already been graded prior to the viva voce. It is a good practice to attend presentation by your thesis colleagues prior to your own viva voce!
Q. I haven’t met my guide for quite some time, so I will work a bit more before meeting him/her. A. You will never feel prepared enough to meet your guide. So just go ahead; at the most you might face the music for a few minutes. Q. I just can’t get myself to read or write. Most of my time is spent at the canteen. A. Get out of campus for a change. Work from home, hostel, office. Q. I have put everything that I have read and done during research in my thesis. A. Doing research and writing the document are two separate things. There is absolutely no need to give a summary of history of mankind in the introduction of the thesis. Assume that your thesis will be read by senior architecture students or architects. Do not underestimate their knowledge. Q. I can’t seem to find any books, research papers related to my topic. A. If you find a book or paper which exactly matches your topic, then there is no point your doing the thesis. For all other cases, attend the architectural research methods course.
REFERENCES School of Architecture, 1983. Thesis at School, School of Architecture: Ahmedabad.
FREQUENTLY FACED PROBLEMS Q. I have an area of research in mind but I don’t know what to do next. A. Attend the architectural research methods course Q. I don’t know whom to approach to guide my thesis. A. Talk to your seniors or any of the core faculty members and they will suggest an appropriate person.
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