Internship report on -- in holland university city events

Currently I’m completing a Bachelor’s degree in Communication at the INHolland School of Communications in the Netherlands. I’m in my 3rd year and therefore I have to conduct a 5 month internship. The reason I choose to do my internship abroad is because I wanted to benefit from the experience. After following 3 internships in the Netherlands during my previous education, I wanted a new challenge. I wanted to do my internship abroad to experience the international business world and to learning, improve and develop new sets of skills. One of my main goals is to improve my English. Another goal is that I’m planning to study abroad and follow a Masters program. This is why I choose to follow my internship abroad; to learn and develop new sets of skills and to experience working abroad.
The reason I choose Canada for my internship is because my uncle is living in Toronto well over 20 years. It seemed convenient for me knowing that one of my relatives is nearby, someone who can help me and show me the way in Canada while doing my internship abroad.
In this internship report I will describe my experiences during my internship period. The internship report contains an overview of the internship company and the activities, tasks and projects that I have worked on during my internship. Writing this report, I also will describe and reflect my learning objects and personal goals that I have set during my internship period.

For this opportunity, I thank: Deborah Lewis, who is the CEO of CityEvents and my job coach. I want to thank her for giving me the opportunity to follow my internship at her company. She had the kindness to accept me in her company and guide me through my internship with advice, feedback and tips despite her busy schedule.
Melissa Duchak, who is my schools internship coach. She helped and coached me during my internship by giving me feedback and tips on how to handle and approach situations. She had always time to answer all my questions concerning my internship.
Michelle Le, who is working for Wish Canada, a company that arranges internships in Canada. I want to thank her for helping me with the process of finding me a suitable internship in Canada. Abdi Mohamed, who is my uncle and who has provided me with an accommodation for my internship. I wanted to thank him for letting me live with him and helping me during my stay in Toronto.
Also I appreciated all the interns I worked with and spent good moments with during my internship. I want to thank Lisa Perruzza, Gladis Trejo, Davy Duong, Jessica Kim, Kristen Lomax, Jessica Loach, Alexandra Peterseren and Lisa Le.
Besides my internship, I really enjoyed my stay in Toronto, Canada. It is a great experience and I want to thank everybody for it.

Download full and complete paper

The Internship Report

The Internship Report
Rationale
Because the student who does an internship receives credit from the university, graded credit determined by the technical writing faculty, there needs to be documentation in addition to the site supervisor's evaluation as a basis for that graded credit. Submitting an internship report not only provides the faculty with a document which qualifies the student for graded credit, it also provides the faculty with in-depth information about the profession they are responsible for preparing students to participate in. Furthermore, and of considerable importance, the internship report increases the student's responsibility by requiring the student intern to gather information and plan the report throughout the work experience. The student then has an opportunity to demonstrate maturity as a technical writer by presenting, analyzing, and evaluating his or her own work on the job.

Report Content and Format 
The internship report comprises four parts, each involving a different kind of information and a different mode of written discourse: (1) introduction, (2) narrative, (3) analysis and evaluation, and (4) appendix.

Introduction
The introduction explains the setting where the work was accomplished and gives a sense of how the intern's job related to the entire work of the hiring organization. This section lends itself to the inverted pyramid organization, moving from general information about the entire organization to a specific description of the intern's day-to-day environment. The student can obtain general information about the organization from public relations brochures, interviews, and company documents such as annual reports. In addition to including information about the company's name, location, products or services, size, financial worth, and so forth, this section of the report should also describe the intern's individual role as well as specific schedule within the organization. What type of work was done, when, and how did the intern fit into the overall organizational structure; a flow chart or hierarchy diagram would be appropriate here.
This section should conclude with attention to exactly what the intern did, for whom, and what types as well as levels of skill were required.

Narrative
The narrative section gives a detailed account of the day-to-day activities of the workplace. This section is descriptive and factual, saving evaluation and analysis for the subsequent section. The plan of organization will vary, depending on the situation. It may be chronological, describing what the student did in the order it was done. Or it could be organized by skill group, describing, for example, the editing jobs, then the writing jobs, and finally the production jobs. Or it could be by order of importance, beginning with the lower level tasks and working toward the more challenging and larger projects.
∗ These guidelines for the internship report are adapted from an article by J. Corey and M. Killingsworth, "The Internship Report," in The Technical Writing Teacher, Spring

The Internship Report


One thing that is required to complete this section is a log or journal to be kept by the intern from the very beginning of the internship This log will provide an invaluable record for the student when it comes time to summarize the whole experience.
Analysis and Evaluation
The analysis and evaluation section enables the student to discuss and criticize the actual writing produced on the job. The previous sections are valuable as a source of information for the readers of the internship report. But this section is probably the most valuable for the intern him or herself because it calls on the student to think about and articulate what has been learned during the internship.
Here the student gets a chance to criticize the organization as a whole and to evaluate its treatment of him or her, as well as other employees. The student also has the opportunity to evaluate his or her own overall performance as well as the quality of particular technical writing documents produced.
This section offers a unique chance to reflect on professional identity, management, and practice in the workplace, as well as the nature and quality of technical documents.

Appendix
The appendix allows the student to include samples of written work as well as letters of evaluation, pertinent correspondence, and other documents of interest. The problem with completing this section usually turns out to be that students have either too much or not enough to include. Only material directly referred to in other sections of the report should be included; all writing samples and other documents included must be identified as well as have their significance explained.
The student should be selective, including the most pertinent and best samples of his or her work.

Additional Sections
In a lengthy report, one which includes all of these sections, each developed at some length, additional elements such as a cover page, title page, table of contents, and abstract would be appropriate. Indexes, summaries, and resumes might also be included. The internship report content and format should be adjusted to the internship itself. Some internships might not have been extensive or varied enough to provide material for all of the sections described above.

Conclusion
The internship is a key element in the technical writing student's professional preparation. And the internship report is a key element in the internship experience. It is through writing the report that the maturity and professional experience the student gained as an intern becomes fully realized. It is through the report that the student exercises his or her critical and analytical faculties and demonstrates newly found skill and identity as a professional communicator.
(Internship report.doc)
Revised 21 May 2002

Guidelines for Writing an Internship Report Master of Electronic Commerce (MEC) Program Dalhousie University This

This document is partly based on the Co-op work term report guideline of the Faculty of Computer Science at  Dalhousie University.

2

Table of Contents

Table of Contents............................................................................................................................... 2

1. Introduction................................................................................................................................ 3

2. The Required Components and Purpose of an Internship Report............................................... 3

3. Developing your Report.............................................................................................................. 4

3.1 Research and Planning Phase.............................................................................................. 4

3.2 Subject Choice .................................................................................................................... 5

3.3 Writing Phase...................................................................................................................... 5

4. Report Format ............................................................................................................................. 6

4.1 Preliminaries ....................................................................................................................... 6

4.2 Main Text........................................................................................................................... 7

4.3 Reference Material.............................................................................................................. 8

5. Evaluation .................................................................................................................................. 8

6. Suggestions for Writing Effectively ........................................................................................... 9

7. APPENDIX A........................................................................................................................... 11

8. APPENDIX B........................................................................................................................... 12

3

1. Introduction

The internship is an integral part of the Master in Electronic Commerce program. This work term

should provide you with valuable insights into the professional and industry-oriented side of

electronic commerce in practice. To fulfill the academic requirements of the internship you are

required to submit an internship report following the specifications outlined in this guide. Please

consult the program web pages for the latest version of this guideline.

Success at the workplace demands effective communication skills. Your unique proposal for a new

software package or marketing scheme will die on the drawing board if you cannot convince others

of its potential. Most work place communication is written. To grab attention it must concisely

articulate a clear, interesting message. An involving topic, an organized text, and a readable style

increase the likelihood of your work being noticed and taken seriously. Often, written work such as

reports, assessments and memos are the first and only impression upper management receives of

you. Your writing becomes your sole representative and reflects the quality, accuracy and

professionalism of your daily work activities.

An Internship Report for the electronic commerce program must include an outline of the business

of the company for which you worked, summarize the work you did, and discuss the specific

electronic commerce relevant aspects of your work term. The report must demonstrate your ability

to communicate what you have done in your internship, it must demonstrate your ability to relate

your work to the bigger picture, and it must demonstrate your ability for critical thinking. You have

to demonstrate that your internship had a major electronic commerce component, or that you are

able to relate your work term to electronic commerce issues.

The goal of this document is to help you write an appropriate internship report. This guide attempts

to explain the purpose of the internship report, it includes recommendations on the focus your

report should take in order to fulfill the academic requirements associated with the internship, and it

offers some suggestions on improving your writing style. It is recommended that you study this

guideline before you commence your internship.

2. The Required Components and Purpose of an Internship

Report

Your internship report has to contain three subject areas:

1. Outline of the background and specific business of the company and/or department in which

you performed your internship;

2. Outline of the work that you have performed in the company;

3. A discussion of a specific electronic commerce issue related to your internship.

4

The first two components can be brief, and they can be included in the introduction of the report.

The major focus of the report should be on the third component, the critical discussion and analysis

of a specific internship-related topic. We refer to this component as analytical component. The

analytical component should relate academic knowledge to practical experience. Its purpose is to

help you develop written and analytical skills; you will not only gather information but interpret,

organize and present it clearly and understandably.

It is common that the analytic component and the demonstration of the electronic commerce focus

of the internship is perceived as a major challenge of the internship. However, note that it is well

acknowledged that many aspects of your daily work can be praxis oriented rather than academically

oriented. It is thus clear that your work might include administrative duties as well as mundane

tasks required by your employer. It is, of course, important that you follow the direction of your

employer. However, to pass the academic requirements of the internship you must go, if necessary,

beyond the following of instructions and demonstrate your ability in critical thinking and the

electronic commerce field. Thus, the internship report allows you to examine aspects of a project or

the organization beyond the work performed by the company. Ideally, the report will be of practical

benefit to your employer and demonstrates initiatives beyond your instructed work.

3. Developing your Report

3.1 Research and Planning Phase

Starting early is the key to producing a top-notch, professional report. Last-minute efforts are

reflected in a lack of research and poor quality of writing and usually result in an ``unsatisfactory''

grade. While you cannot write your report the first month on the job, you can begin gathering

information and outlining your ideas. Once you have chosen a topic, keep a notebook to record

your activities related to the report's research -- methods, observations, meetings attended.

Preparation is an on-going process.

Planning is essential -- a well-laid out, logical report reflects similar thinking. Decide what you

want to say and to whom and keep that in mind as you organize your thoughts. Gather together all

the information you have collected and divide it into categories. You may want to put each section

heading on separate pieces of paper and rearrange them until you have found a satisfactory order.

Some of what you have gathered will be useful as background information in the introduction,

some as support material in the appendices and some will be discarded. The information you

finally decide to use becomes the basis of your outline -- an essential organizing tool in report

writing. Remember that the outline can be modified in the planning stages but, once you start

writing, stick closely to it so you do not stray off the topic. By the time you complete your report,

the outline will have naturally evolved into your Table of Contents.

5

3.2 Subject Choice

Choosing a subject is a crucial aspect of your success of your internship report. It is sufficient to

concentrate on one specific aspect or problem related to your internship, and it is not required that

you report in depth on all the projects that you might have encountered during your internship.

However, the chosen subject has to be discussed with enough depth, if necessary with efforts

beyond your daily work, so that your treatment of the subject demonstrates a specialist-level ability

in electronic commerce. Managers may help in the selection of a topic. This is to their advantage

since their early contribution can lead to a report that will be of direct use to them. Your `fresh’

objective view of a problem or situation can benefit the organization.

Your internship report must have an analytical component. Because of this, user guides,

descriptions of processes, systems or existing mathematical models, summaries of technical papers

or literature are all unacceptable on their own as internship reports. If, for example, you have been

developing computer programs that your employer has required you to document, this

documentation is not acceptable as a suitable internship report unless it also contains objectives,

constraints, feasibility analyses of alternatives and criticism of the outcome. Even if your employer

does not require this information, it must be included in the report submitted to the electronic

commerce executive committee in order to be evaluated by a faculty member as an internship

report.

Even if you have not been assigned a specific project during your internship, your report must still

contain an analytical component. You could, for example, present an evaluation of the way your

employer's organization functions in such areas as electronic commerce strategies, technology

related law or management issues, or technical realizations of specific company related objectives.

The topic does not have to be original, but the report must be your own work and it must be related

to your internship. Just stating that your employer is interested in, for example, cryptography, and

then writing a standard review of cryptographic techniques is not enough. You have to state clearly

the objectives of your employer and then relate the cryptographic techniques to these objectives.

If you doubt your judgment on a topic, speak with your supervisor or contact your faculty advisor.

Above all, choose a topic which interests you; even good writing cannot mask boredom.

3.3 Writing Phase

Once you have gathered your information and planned an outline you can begin writing. Do not

worry about fancy beginnings or profound ideas – just write! As you work, keep your audience in

mind. Are they familiar with the technical terms and acronyms of your work place? Your language

must be their language.

Once you have completed your first draft, put it away and give your mind a rest. When you take it

out again, begin revising. Substitute accurate words for ambiguous ones; clear sentences for

complicated phrasing. You may want to rewrite paragraphs or entire sections. The bottom line is to

produce a smoothly written, logical report. Having someone else read your revised draft is a sure

test of effective communication. A friend or colleague will tell you if what you have written is

6

understandable. Revise a second time on the basis of this criticism. Your final version should be

flawless. Your report's credibility is based as much on perfect grammar and spelling as on content.

4. Report Format

The following format guideline outlines the specific requirements of the internship report in terms

of the overall structure and necessary sections which are appropriate in most circumstances. There

is no strict rule on the length and specific formatting of text. You should be able to format your

report in the style most appropriate for your studies. However, a typical internship reports consist

of three main sections: the preliminaries, the main text and the reference material, all of which are

outlined on the following pages.

4.1 Preliminaries

The preliminaries have to include

1. Title Page

2. Acknowledgement and Endorsement

3. Executive Summary

4. Table of Contents

The Title Page introduces your reader to your report by listing the following information: report

title; employer's name and location; date of report; your name, student number, email address, and

internship course number and year; the university name; and the ``partial fulfillment'' phrase. (See

the sample title page, Appendix A.)

The Acknowledgement and Endorsement on the second page should contain any

acknowledgement of assistance and a statement of endorsement, which states that you wrote the

report yourself and that it has not already received academic credit from another institution. (See

the example page, Appendix B.)

The Executive Summary is the most important part of your report. It summarizes the body of the

report, outlining its scope, purpose and major findings, highlighting the key conclusions and

recommendations. The Executive Summary allows a busy manager to understand the report's

significant information without reading the whole text.

Write your Executive Summary after you have written the report. It is not enough to state what you

are `going to discuss’ in the report. The executive summary has to be self-contained and must state

all the major points of the study. You are not required to discuss in detail how you derived the

conclusions or argue about it; this is part of the main body of the text. However, you have to

indicate enough details about your study so that a specialist reader has a good understanding of

your contributions detailed in the report.

7

The Table of Contents lists all sections and sub-sections and uses the same numbering system as

the main body of the report. The preliminaries are not listed. Remember -- ease of use is

paramount.

4.2 Main Text

The main text has to include

1. Introduction

2. Body

3. Discussion, Conclusions and Recommendations

The Introduction defines the subject of the report so that the reader is prepared for the text that

follows. Here you can outline the company and/or department for which you worked, and you can

summarize the work you performed at the company. Setting the background is important because

the faculty member evaluating the report may not be familiar with the detailed operations of your

employer. Of course, there is no need to give a highly detailed account. The information on the site

layout and number of employees would only be given if it relates to later parts of the report.

The second part of the background should outline the history or objectives leading up to the project

or study detailed in the report. The purpose of this part is to argue why the specific project or the

study outlined in the report is of interest. From this second part of the background, the reader can

now anticipate the objectives of the study. The objective or goal of the study outlined in the report

should be crisply stated and conceptually separated from the background and the method used.

An introduction answers the question, ``Why was the specific work or study done?''. Keep your

introduction brief, but remember to outline the background and scope of the report and give a clear

statement of objectives of the study. Ask a question that you will try to answer in this study. After

reading the introduction, your reader should be prepared for the report that follows, and remember

that a reader will be looking for sections dealing with the issues addressed in the introduction.

The Body is the longest part of your report. It is here that you develop your theme by examining

the problem, your findings and their meaning. This body of the report should be formatted

appropriately with sections and headings to guide the reader through the report.

Although every report will have different section headings, there are certain themes which run

through all reports - a description of the methods used to acquire data, a summary of the data

obtained and finally a discussion of the interpretation of the data. In this context the word ``data"

can have such different meanings as actual scientific measurements, textbook information,

manufacturer's literature, plant logbooks, financial statements, opinions of experts or employees

and so on.

Conclusions and recommendations are often confused but they are not the same thing.

Conclusions are derived from research outlined in the main body and do not introduce new

material. They may be presented in a sequence of two or three sentence paragraphs. The

8

conclusions should specifically answer the questions raised in the introduction or conclude how the

goals or objectives stated in the introduction have been met.

Recommendations are proposed plans of action for the future. They are suggestions following

logically from the conclusions. Remember that conclusions deal with the present, recommendations

with the future. Each should be presented on a separate page.

4.3 Reference Material

The reference material can include

1. References

2. Glossary

3. Nomenclature

4. Appendices

References lists all those books and journals, and if necessary web pages, to which you specifically

refer in your report. Materials from other authors and diagrams that you have not drawn should be

acknowledged explicitly when they are first used in your report. The references should follow a

well-established and consistent style.

It is very unlikely that no references are needed in your report. References have to include links to

any information that is coming form external sources. This includes data or any other material on

which your analysis is based. Any statement has to be justified. For example, a statement like “The

internet is expanding exponentially” need to be justified. How do you know that? You have to refer

to the source of this information or back-up your statement on your own account if this is a novel

observation. In the former case you have to make sure that you agree with the statement, or state

otherwise (in which case you would have to justify your opinion.) If asked about any detail of the

report you must be able to answer all the questions or be able to point to the right references.

The Glossary is only needed when you have used specialized terms, mathematical symbols or

professional jargon in an extensive way. If you have used specialized terms only occasionally, it is

acceptable to define it within your text. This same rule applies for the Nomenclature. It is only

required if a large number of symbols are used throughout the report.

The Appendix (or appendices) provides your reader with supporting information that elaborates

on, but is not essential to, the development of your theme, or any information that is necessary to

justify your statements and which are too lengthy to include in the main text without interrupting

the line of thought developed there. The appendices are identified by numbers or letters. Do not

include appendices that have not been cited in the text.

5. Evaluation

9

A faculty member, and possibly your manager, evaluates your internship report placing equal

emphasis on content and literary quality. Reports receive grades of either `pass’ or `unsatisfactory’.

Unsatisfactory reports will be returned for revision; a second such grade on the same report means

a failure of the internship. Grammar and spelling errors result in an automatic ``unsatisfactory''.

Confidential reports are usually not accepted. It is recommended (and usually possible) to chose a

topic for your report that does not conflict with confidentiality requirements. If your report contains

confidential information you must contact the program director to discuss if such material is

acceptable in your internship report and how it will be evaluated.

The internship report has to be submitted to the MEC executive committee allowing at least four

weeks for the evaluation.

6. Suggestions for Writing Effectively

``When your thinking is in order, your imagination perking, your knowledge of the reader sure and

your own purposes firm, the words will come, the sentences will build. `Take care of the sense and

the words will take care of themselves'.'' (Handout, Writing and Reporting Class; Brodinsky, Ben.)

You took care of the ``sense'' in your planning and outlining stages. The suggestions offered here

will help you revise. Use them as you rip apart your first draft.

Use image-bearing nouns and active verbs to avoid generalizations and ambiguity. Use verbs that

push, beat, throb, guide and thrust your ideas forward. Replace variations of ``to be'', such as ``is''

and ``are'', with more active verbs. Rather than: ``This chapter is a presentation of my findings.'',

write: ``This chapter presents my findings.'' Replace the passive (``The value of this procedure is

being considered by the president of the company.'') with the active (``The company president is

considering this procedure's value.'') Avoid future tense when referring to your report; the work

should be done when you start writing. For example, do not write `In this chapter we will analyze

...’; rather, write `In this chapter we analyze …’. Avoid beginning your sentences with `there' and

`it'. Rather than ``There are eight major components to this turbine.'', write ``The turbine has eight

major components.''

Take control of your material -- do not let it control you. Each sentence should contain one thought

and each paragraph a series of connected thoughts. Having a host of information does not mean

using it all; do not ramble. Say what you are going to do. Do it. Support it. Conclude.

Write to inform, not to impress. Jargon and colloquialisms confuse rather than clarify. Don't write:

``Repairing the equipment was tough-going and the extra work cost the company a bundle.'', when

what you really want to say is: ``Repairing the equipment was complicated, time-consuming and

expensive.'' All of us have read sentences like this: ``The lexical ambiguity and syntactic

arrangement inherent in this prose communication tend to predict a degree of confusion in the

desired recipient.'', which should have read like this: ``The meaning and order of the words in this

10

manual tend to confuse the reader.'' And constantly, as you write, ask yourself, ``Who is my

audience and what do they already know about this subject''?

Avoid using personal pronouns. Do not write ``I worked with assembly line employees to become

familiar with their work site concerns.'' but rather, ``The author worked with assembly line

workers...'' Neither write “As you can see in the figure …”; instead, write “As can be seen from the

figure …”.

Avoid contractions. ``The company can't proceed on the project until the work order's been

approved.'' should be replaced by ``The company cannot proceed on the project until the work

order has been approved.''

Avoid vague comparisons and references to quantity. Rather than writing: ``A large amount of

money was spent on maintenance,'' write: ``The maintenance costs were $50,000.'' Do not use:

``The conveyor system operated much faster with the new belt.'', but rather: ``With the new belt,

the conveyor system operated at 50 ft/min, twice the original speed.''

As a master student you are expected to be concise and accurate in your statements but not to an

unwarranted degree. Poor: ``The temperature was kept constant at 93.476 degrees Celsius.''

Good: ``The temperature was kept constant at 93.5 degrees Celsius."

Being accurate is part of being professional. Verify your figures, information and facts. Check

spelling and definitions in a dictionary. Search for more accurate words in a thesaurus. Be

consistent in tense, person and presentation. If you quote, provide a reference; plagiarism is

unacceptable.

Above all, do not panic. If you are having problems with the report talk to your manager or contact

your faculty adviser.

11

7. APPENDIX A

Dalhousie University, Master of Electronic Commerce Program

The Faculties of Computer Science, Management, and Law

Evaluation of electronic payment systems for m-commerce services

offered by ABC Inc.

by

Able Smith

B00911119

asmith@cs.dal.ca

Performed at

ABC Inc., Sales division

123 Dollar Lane

Byteville, N.S.

in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the Master of Electronic Commerce Program

Report of Internship ECMM 7005, September 2 – December 12, 2003

Date Submitted: January 15, 2004

12

8. APPENDIX B

This report has been written by me and has not received any previous academic credit at this or any

other institution.

I would like to thank Ms. R. Jackson for providing the performance data used in this study, and Mr.

M. Thompson for his useful suggestions on the manuscript.

(signature)

Able Smith

UNICEF Internship report

Organisation/Department: UNICEF/Education
Location City/Town: George Street, Kampala Uganda
Type of Job: Internship/Volunteer
Duration/Hours: 3 Months /Full time
Salary: N/A
Intern's Name: Sylvia Atuhaire
Name of Supervisor: Dr. Margo O’Sullivan
Title: Chief of Party, Basic Education
Introduction
The purpose of this report is to explain what I did and learned during my 3 months internship period with the United Nations Children’s Fund(UNICEF)) in the section of Basic Education (BE). The report is also a requirement for the partial fulfillment of Kobe University Internship Program (KUIP). It focuses primarily on the assignments handled, outcomes, future career plans, and comments on working environment and internship grant, and conclusions
What is UNICEF?
UNICEF is the United Nations Children’s Fund, the world’s leading Child Rights Organisation works in Uganda to help the government meet its obligation under the UN convention on the rights of the child and to meet the millennium development goals. UNICEF supports government ministries in policy and planning through evidence-based advocacy and technical assistance.
UNICEF’s Uganda country programme 2010-14 helps to ensure all children access relevant, high-quality primary education in their home communities, at the appropriate age, thus improving their chances for completion with full proficiency of basic competencies. UNICEF believes that every child has a right to education, proper health care and protection and equal treatment. UNICEF gives children the best start in life, helps children survive and thrive, get kids into schools and creates a protective environment especially in emergencies.
UNICEF works closely with other agencies, Government institutions, development partners, NGOS, young people and civil society.
Basic Education Section
UNICEF Basic Education section mission is to keep children learning, support girls’ education movement (GEM), promote Early Childhood Development (ECD) and Basic Requirements Minimum Standards (BRMS) for education institutions in Ugan
The overall goal is quality education that enables all children to learn successfully. Create an enabling knowledge, policy, legislative and budgetary environment; create an enabling learning environment for children in all learning spaces, increased demand for services and strengthened practices for the fulfilment of children’s rights. Core Commitments for Children (CCCs) are ensured through integrated Disaster Risk reduction and response.
Basic Education Team
                                                                          UNICEF Internship Report
2
Duties and Responsibilities under the Supervision of the Chief, Basic Education (UNCEF):
1.
Supported the implementation of the BRMS (Basic Requirements Minimum
Standards) project national survey of 12% of all primary schools in Uganda on the status of BRMS.
2.
Represented the Chief of Basic Education (Dr Mago O’Sullivan) in several partnership meetings and workshops that included the following:
-
Unity/USAID Quality Enhancement Initiative (QEI) workshop
The main objective of the workshop was to review the progress made in the implementation of interventions under QEI focusing on 4 pillars of management, pupil, teacher and community.
-
Multi-lingual Education Network (M-LEN) meeting
The objective of the meeting was to review and comment on the M-LEN decision making process document (phase1) adopted by Mango tree, discuss about the participants in the Tone workshop in Nairobi, organizational status of MLEN network forum and decide on the way forward.
-
UWEZO Uganda (Annual Learning Assessment Report) Launch/meeting
I represented Basic Education Team on the Launch of UWEZO Annual Learning Assessment Report. Most education partners including Uwezo coordinators from Kenya and Tanzania, FENU, NPA, NCDC, Unity/USAID, Mango tree and MoES, parents, Uwezo volunteers were present.
- MOSIQUE workshop
This was hosted by Royal Embassy of Netherlands. MOSIQUE is Monitoring Sharing Improved Quality of Education. It’s an Initiative to strengthen teacher quality to ultimately improve learning outcomes. Their main Goal is "Improved learning outcomes at learner level" through improved teaching practices.
-
UNATU Partners Conference
The conference objective was to present to the partners UNATU’s contribution to education reforms, progress report, Budgetary plans, an initiative of teacher’s financial institution scheme, and the way forward in terms of support and mode of cooperation. Well attended by Education international, Unity/USAID, Royal Netherlands Embassy, UNICEF, among others.
3.
Participated in the Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) Training and obtained a certificate in EPR in areas of Core Commitments for Children (CCCs) specifically education, health, child protection, and water and sanitation (WASH).
4.
Updated TRACE Resource Centre/ Basic Education library by documenting and cross checking all existing books.

Download Full 

Guidelines for Preparing the Internship Report and Presentation

Note: The Internship Report must be typed (double-spaced) and a copy filed following the
completion of your internship experience. Please use 12 point font and use 1.5 inch
margins. The Final Report will be filed (i.e., PDF and spiral bound copy) in the Human
Kinetic’s Front Office.
A. Reflection (maximum 20 pages):
1. Agency, Name of Agency Supervisor, And Date
2. Summary:
• A brief description of your internship experience.
3. Impact:
• What did you learn about yourself?
• In what areas did you experience the most professional growth?
• What insights have you gained into the field of Kinesiology?
• What insights have you gained relative to the need for research in the area of
Kinesiology?
• Based on your internship experience, what skills would you like to develop in preparation
for your career?
• How has the internship influenced your career goals? Please explain.
4. Evaluation:
• Did the internship experience meet your personal expectations?
• How would you assess your performance at the agency?
• Would you recommend this site to future graduate interns?
B. Research Article (maximum 30 pages):
Students are required to submit their 30 page, (inclusive of Tables, Appendices, and Reference List)
research article (i.e., as part of the Internship Report) by the close of the term immediately following
the internship experience. The research article must conform with the "Instructions for Authors" as
noted in an academic journal (graduate advisor to provide. Sections of the article may include:
Background to the Study
• brief overview of the research problem
• need/justification for the study
• definition of related terms
Review of Related Literature
• synthesis of the literature related to the research topic and the population under
investigation
Methodology
• research design
• study population
• instrumentation
• data collection procedures
• data analysis procedures
Results and Discussion
• presentation of the results of the study
• discussion of the results including
Summary and Conclusions
• summary of the research findings
• the implications of the findings
• conclusions drawn from the results of the study
References
Appendices
Note: 1. Prior approval from the University is required for human subjects research projects.
C. Presentation (one hour)
Students are required to present the Internship Report (inclusive of their research article) following
the internship experience. The presentation will take approximately one hour (inclusive of a
question/answer section). Students must file their Report with their advisor ten days prior to the
proposed presentation date. Notice of presentation must be circulated seven days in advance of the
session. Students are encouraged to use audiovisual aid/handouts to facilitate their presentations.
1. Internship Report (20 minutes):
Brief overview of the Internship experience
• learning objectives
• assigned responsibilities
• learning outcomes
• evaluation of the experience.
2. Research Article (20 minutes)
• Overview of the topic, brief justification of the need for the study, brief synthesis of the
related literature.
• Methodology including brief review of study population, instrumentation, data collection
and analysis procedures
• Presentation and discussion of the study results
• Summary, conclusions and implications drawn from the study, recommendations for
future research
3. Question Period (20 Minutes)            

Download Full 

How to write Standard Business Plan Outline

1. Background to the business

This is a real business: it’s a wine/oenological laboratory. The company was founded in May 2006 but the 2 owners actually started it in 2004 as self-employed. Its main activity (87%) is to analyse local grapes used in the production of local (in the Biscay area) wines called txakolis and cider. They also provide consultancy on food safety and quality and training courses on food safety and quality systems (ISO 9001/2000). Now they’re considering expanding their business and investing in R+D projects and want to work on the strategic plan for the following three years (2012-2015)

2. Analysis of market, trends and opportunities

 trends relating to your business in your country/area
There’s a general feeling of the need for constant improvement in the processes and the quality of the final product in both the wine laboratories and the producers of txakoli. That’s the reason why they want to expand their business and invest in R+D
 your unique selling point/ nature of your product
Very local, so far mainly focused on oenological analysis of local wines (txakolis) and ciders in the region of Biscay in the Basque Country.
 PESTLE analysis
POLITICAL: there may be new legislation regarding the need for traceability in the field of food production and distribution. It would open a new business area for A-----N.
ECONOMIC: foreseen considerable growth in the production of txakoli due to the access to new soils through the conversion of land used for agriculture, livestock and forestry to land for wine uses; concentration of bodegas/wine cellars in order to be able to increase their investments on technology and marketing.
SOCIOLOGICAL: constant improvement in quality, taste, ...: new needs
TECHNOLOGICAL: technological improvement of the equipment in the wine laboratories
LEGAL: there’s an increased requirement for laboratories to be accredited according to the quality system ISO 17025 and for the whole production process to get a quality award.
ENVIRONMENTAL: greater importance of the Social (environmental) Responsibility of the companies.
 SWOT analysis

STRENGTHS: experience (6 years in the market); good reputation in the sector for quickness (24 hour deadline) and precision in the results; commercial network; research network; economic agreement with the governing body of Biscay; entrepreneurial spirit
WEAKNESSES: very scarce economic profit so far; need for investment in the mechanization of the procedures; most of the work concentrated during the wine season (very high peak-difficult to meet the demands); too strong dependence on the governing body of Biscay as their main client (60%); sales are very seasonal.
OPORTUNITIES: institutional support to the expansion of A-----N; market in need of constant improvement: new needs; foreseen considerable growth in the production of txakoli; txakoli producers are compromised to improve the quality of their product; technological improvement of the equipment in the wine laboratories.
THREATS: market in need of constant improvement: new needs; foreseen considerable growth in the production of txakoli; txakoli producers are compromised to improve the quality of their product; risk not to be able to keep the 24 hour delivery deadline; some public competitors offer cheaper prices.
 Innovative and sustainable opportunities
There’s a general feeling of the need for constant improvement in the processes and the quality of the final product in both the laboratories and the producers of txakoli. They have the institutional support of Biscay regional government.
3. Vision, aims and objectives
Mission: To become the referent oenological (study of wine) laboratory in the Basque country by providing a quality, customer-oriented and environmental conscious service and at the same time being able to generate market profitability.
Objectives:
 To increase the profitability of A-----N with the same quality in the service.
 Increase their market share, so that they become less dependent on the regional government of Bizkay and the seasonal incomes.
 Invest on Innovation in all the fields:
a. Technological equipment
b. Development of services and methodologies
4. Needs
1. For investment in technological equipment to be able to improve the quality of the service, increase the offer and develop research lines in order to improve the oenological analysis.

Download full

How to write a Standard thesis paper

I. Thesis structure

Title Page

Title (including subtitle), author, institution, department, date of delivery, research mentor(s) and advisor, their instututions and email adresses 

Abstract A good abstract explains in one line why the paper is important. It then goes on to give a summary of your major results, preferably couched in numbers with error limits. The final sentences explain the major implications of your work. A good abstract is concise, readable, and quantitative.  Length should be ~ 1-2 paragraphs, approx. 400 words.  Absrtracts generally do not have citations. Information in title should not be repeated.  Be explicit.  Use numbers where appropriate. Answers to these questions should be found in the abstract:  What did you do?  Why did you do it? What question were you trying to answer?  How did you do it? State methods. What did you learn? State major results.  Why does it matter? Point out at least one significant implication.

Table of Contents list all headings and subheadings with page numbers indent subheadings it will look something like this:

	Page #
List of Figures	xxx
List of Tables
Introduction       subheads ...?
Methods       subheads ...?
Results       subheads ...?
Discussion       subheads ...?
Conclusion
Recommendations
Acknowledgments
References
Appendices

List of Figures

List page numbers of all figures.
The list should include a short title for each figure but not the whole caption.  

List of Tables

List page numbers of all tables.
The list should include a short title for each table but not the whole caption.  

Introduction

You can't write a good introduction until you know what the body of the paper says. Consider writing the introductory section(s) after you have completed the rest of the paper, rather than before.
Be sure to include a hook at the beginning of the introduction. This is a statement of something sufficiently interesting to motivate your reader to read the rest of the paper, it is an important/interesting scientific problem that your paper either solves or addresses. You should draw the reader in and make them want to read the rest of the paper.
The next paragraphs in the introduction should cite previous research in this area. It should cite those who had the idea or ideas first, and should also cite those who have done the most recent and relevant work. You should then go on to explain why more work was necessary (your work, of course.)

What else belongs in the introductory section(s) of your paper? A statement of the goal of the paper: why the study was undertaken, or why the paper was written. Do not repeat the abstract.  Sufficient background information to allow the reader to understand the context and significance of the question you are trying to address.  Proper acknowledgement of the previous work on which you are building. Sufficient references such that a reader could, by going to the library, achieve a sophisticated understanding of the context and significance of the question.  The introduction should be focused on the thesis question(s).  All cited work should be directly relevent to the goals of the thesis.  This is not a place to summarize everything you have ever read on a subject. Explain the scope of your work, what will and will not be included.  A verbal "road map" or verbal "table of contents" guiding the reader to what lies ahead.  Is it obvious where introductory material ("old stuff") ends and your contribution ("new stuff") begins?  Remember that this is not a review paper. We are looking for original work and interpretation/analysis by you. Break up the introduction section into logical segments by using subheads.

Methods What belongs in the "methods" section of a scientific paper? Information to allow the reader to assess the believability of your results. Information needed by another researcher to replicate your experiment. Description of your materials, procedure, theory. Calculations, technique, procedure, equipment, and calibration plots.  Limitations, assumptions, and range of validity.  Desciption of your analystical methods, including reference to any specialized statistical software.   The methods section should answering the following questions and caveats: Could one accurately replicate the study (for example, all of the optional and adjustable parameters on any sensors or instruments that were used to acquire the data)? Could another researcher accurately find and reoccupy the sampling stations or track lines? Is there enough information provided about any instruments used so that a functionally equivalent instrument could be used to repeat the experiment? If the data are in the public domain, could another researcher lay his or her hands on the identical data set? Could one replicate any laboratory analyses that were used?  Could one replicate any statistical analyses? Could another researcher approximately replicate the key algorithms of any computer software? Citations in this section should be limited to data sources and references of where to find more complete descriptions of procedures. Do not include descriptions of results.

Results The results are actual statements of observations, including statistics, tables and graphs. Indicate information on range of variation. Mention negative results as well as positive. Do not interpret results - save that for the discussion.  Lay out the case as for a jury. Present sufficient details so that others can draw their own inferences and construct their own explanations.  Use S.I. units (m, s, kg, W, etc.) throughout the thesis.  Break up your results into logical segments by using subheadings Key results should be stated in clear sentences at the beginning of paragraphs.  It is far better to say "X had significant positive relationship with Y (linear regression p<0.01, r^2=0.79)" then to start with a less informative like "There is a significant relationship between X and Y".  Describe the nature of the findings; do not just tell the reader whether or not they are significant.

Note: Results vs. Discussion Sections

Quarantine your observations from your interpretations. The writer must make it crystal clear to the reader which statements are observation and which are interpretation. In most circumstances, this is best accomplished by physically separating statements about new observations from statements about the meaning or significance of those observations. Alternatively, this goal can be accomplished by careful use of phrases such as "I infer ..." vast bodies of geological literature became obsolete with the advent of plate tectonics; the papers that survived are those in which observations were presented in stand-alone fashion, unmuddied by whatever ideas the author might have had about the processes that caused the observed phenomena.
 

How do you do this? Physical separation into different sections or paragraphs. Don't overlay interpretation on top of data in figures.  Careful use of phrases such as "We infer that ". Don't worry if "results" seem short. Why? Easier for your reader to absorb, frequent shifts of mental mode not required.  Ensures that your work will endure in spite of shifting paradigms.

Discussion Start with a few sentences that summarize the most important results. The discussion section should be a brief essay in itself, answering the following questions and caveats: What are the major patterns in the observations? (Refer to spatial and temporal variations.) What are the relationships, trends and generalizations among the results? What are the exceptions to these patterns or generalizations? What are the likely causes (mechanisms) underlying these patterns resulting predictions? Is there agreement or disagreement with previous work? Interpret results in terms of background laid out in the introduction - what is the relationship of the present results to the original question? What is the implication of the present results for other unanswered questions in earth sciences, ecology, environmental policy, etc....? Multiple hypotheses: There are usually several possible explanations for results. Be careful to consider all of these rather than simply pushing your favorite one. If you can eliminate all but one, that is great, but often that is not possible with the data in hand. In that case you should give even treatment to the remaining possibilities, and try to indicate ways in which future work may lead to their discrimination. Avoid bandwagons: A special case of the above. Avoid jumping a currently fashionable point of view unless your results really do strongly support them.  What are the things we now know or understand that we didn't know or understand before the present work? Include the evidence or line of reasoning supporting each interpretation. What is the significance of the present results: why should we care?  This section should be rich in references to similar work and background needed to interpret results. However, interpretation/discussion section(s) are often too long and verbose. Is there material that does not contribute to one of the elements listed above? If so, this may be material that you will want to consider deleting or moving. Break up the section into logical segments by using subheads.

Conclusions What is the strongest and most important statement that you can make from your observations?  If you met the reader at a meeting six months from now, what do you want them to remember about your paper?  Refer back to problem posed, and describe the conclusions that you reached from carrying out this investigation, summarize new observations, new interpretations, and new insights that have resulted from the present work. Include the broader implications of your results.  Do not repeat word for word the abstract, introduction or discussion.

Recommendations Include when appropriate (most of the time) Remedial action to solve the problem. Further research to fill in gaps in our understanding.  Directions for future investigations on this or related topics.

Acknowledgments  Advisor(s) and anyone who helped you: technically (including materials, supplies) intellectually (assistance, advice) financially (for example, departmental support, travel grants)

References  cite all ideas, concepts, text, data that are not your own if you make a statement, back it up with your own data or a reference all references cited in the text must be listed cite single-author references by the surname of the author (followed by date of the publication in parenthesis) ... according to Hays (1994) ... population growth is one of the greatest environmental concerns facing future generations (Hays, 1994). cite double-author references by the surnames of both authors (followed by date of the publication in parenthesis) e.g. Simpson and Hays (1994) cite more than double-author references by the surname of the first author followed by et al. and then the date of the publication e.g. Pfirman, Simpson and Hays would be: Pfirman et al. (1994) do not use footnotes list all references cited in the text in alphabetical order using the following format for different types of material: Hunt, S. (1966) Carbohydrate and amino acid composition of the egg capsules of the whelk. Nature, 210, 436-437. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (1997) Commonly asked questions about ozone. http://www.noaa.gov/public-affairs/grounders/ozo1.html, 9/27/97. Pfirman, S.L., M. Stute, H.J. Simpson, and J. Hays (1996) Undergraduate research at Barnard and Columbia, Journal of Research, 11, 213-214. Pechenik, J.A. (1987) A short guide to writing about biology. Harper Collins Publishers, New York, 194pp. Pitelka, D.R., and F.M. Child (1964) Review of ciliary structure and function. In: Biochemistry and Physiology of Protozoa, Vol. 3 (S.H. Hutner, editor), Academic Press, New York, 131-198. Sambrotto, R. (1997) lecture notes, Environmental Data Analysis, Barnard College, Oct 2, 1997. Stute, M., J.F. Clark, P. Schlosser, W.S. Broecker, and G. Bonani (1995) A high altitude continental paleotemperature record derived from noble gases dissolved in groundwater from the San Juan Basin, New Mexico. Quat. Res., 43, 209-220. New York Times (1/15/00) PCBs in the Hudson still an issue, A2. it is acceptable to put the initials of the individual authors behind their last names, e.g. Pfirman, S.L., Stute, M., Simpson, H.J., and Hays, J (1996) Undergraduate research at ......

Appendices  Include all your data in the appendix.  Reference data/materials not easily available (theses are used as a resource by the department and other students).  Tables (where more than 1-2 pages). Calculations (where more than 1-2 pages). You may include a key article as appendix.  If you consulted a large number of references but did not cite all of them, you might want to include a list of additional resource material, etc. List of equipment used for an experiment or details of complicated procedures. Note: Figures and tables, including captions, should be embedded in the text and not in an appendix, unless they are more than 1-2 pages and are not critical to your argument.

II. Crosscutting Issues

What Are We Looking For?

We are looking for a critical analysis. We want you to answer a scientific question or hypothesis. We would like you to gather evidence -- from various sources -- to allow you to make interpretations and judgments. Your approach/methods should be carefully designed to come to closure. Your results should be clearly defined and discussed in the context of your topic. Relevant literature should be cited. You should place your analysis in a broader context, and highlight the implications (regional, global, etc.) of your work. We are looking for a well-reasoned line of argument, from your initial question, compilation of relevant evidence, setting data in a general/universal context, and finally making a judgment based on your analysis. Your thesis should be clearly written and in the format described below.

Planning Ahead for Your Thesis

If at all possible, start your thesis research during the summer between your junior and senior year - or even earlier - with an internship, etc. ... then work on filling in background material and lab work during the fall  so that you're prepared to write and present your research during the spring . The best strategy is to pick a project that you are interested in, but also that a faculty member or other professional is working on. This person will become your research mentor and this gives you someone to talk with and get background material from. If you're unsure about the selection of a project, let us know and we'll try to connect you with someone.  

Writing for an Audience Who is your audience? Researchers working in analogous field areas elsewhere in the world (i.e. other strike-slip faults, other deep sea fans).  Researchers working in your field area, but with different techniques. Researchers working on the same interval of geologic time elsewhere in the world.  All other researchers using the same technique you have used .  If your study encompasses an active process, researchers working on the same process in the ancient record. Conversely, if your study is based on the rock record, people studying modem analogs.  People writing a synthesis paper on important new developments in your field. People applying earth science to societal problems (i.e. earthquake hazard reduction, climate warming) who will try to understand your paper.  Potential reviewers of your manuscript or your thesis committee.

Skimming vs. Reading

Because of the literature explosion, papers more skimmed than read. Skimming involves reading the abstract, and looking at the figures and figure captions. Therefore, you should construct your paper so that it can be understood by skimming, i.e., the conclusions, as written in your abstract, can be understood by study of the figures and captions. The text fills out the details for the more interested reader.
 

Order of Writing Your thesis is not written in the same order as it is presented in. The following gives you one idea how to proceed. first organize your paper as a logical argument before you begin writing make your figures to illustrate your argument (think skimming) the main sections are: background to the argument (intro); describing the information to be used in the argument, and making points about them (observations), connecting the points regarding the info (analysis), summing up (conclusions).  outline the main elements: sections, and subsections begin writing, choosing options in the following hierarchy - paragraphs, sentences, and words.  Here is another approach. Write up a preliminary version of the background section first. This will serve as the basis for the introduction in your final paper.  As you collect data, write up the methods section. It is much easier to do this right after you have collected the data. Be sure to include a description of the research equipment and relevant calibration plots.  When you have some data, start making plots and tables of the data. These will help you to visualize the data and to see gaps in your data collection. If time permits, you should go back and fill in the gaps. You are finished when you have a set of plots that show a definite trend (or lack of a trend). Be sure to make adequate statistical tests of your results.  Once you have a complete set of plots and statistical tests, arrange the plots and tables in a logical order. Write figure captions for the plots and tables. As much as possible, the captions should stand alone in explaining the plots and tables. Many scientists read only the abstract, figures, figure captions, tables, table captions, and conclusions of a paper. Be sure that your figures, tables and captions are well labeled and well documented.  Once your plots and tables are complete, write the results section. Writing this section requires extreme discipline. You must describe your results, but you must NOT interpret them. (If good ideas occur to you at this time, save them at the bottom of the page for the discussion section.) Be factual and orderly in this section, but try not to be too dry.  Once you have written the results section, you can move on to the discussion section. This is usually fun to write, because now you can talk about your ideas about the data. If you can come up with a good cartoon/schematic showing your ideas, do so. Many papers are cited in the literature because they have a good cartoon that subsequent authors would like to use or modify.  In writing the discussion session, be sure to adequately discuss the work of other authors who collected data on the same or related scientific questions. Be sure to discuss how their work is relevant to your work. If there were flaws in their methodology, this is the place to discuss it. After you have discussed the data, you can write the conclusions section. In this section, you take the ideas that were mentioned in the discussion section and try to come to some closure. If some hypothesis can be ruled out as a result of your work, say so. If more work is needed for a definitive answer, say that. The final section in the paper is a recommendation section. This is really the end of the conclusion section in a scientific paper. Make recommendations for further research or policy actions in this section. If you can make predictions about what will be found if X is true, then do so. You will get credit from later researchers for this.  After you have finished the recommendation section, look back at your original introduction. Your introduction should set the stage for the conclusions of the paper by laying out the ideas that you will test in the paper. Now that you know where the paper is leading, you will probably need to rewrite the introduction.  You must write your abstract last.

Figures and Tables The actual figures and tables should be embedded/inserted in the text, generally on the page following the page where the figure/table is first cited in the text.  All figures and tables should be numbered and cited consecutively in the text as figure 1, figure 2, table 1, table 2, etc.  Include a caption for each figure and table, citing how it was constructed (reference citations, data sources, etc.) and highlighting the key findings (think skimming). Include an index figure (map) showing and naming all locations discussed in paper.  You are encouraged to make your own figures, including cartoons, schematics or sketches that illustrate the processes that you discuss. Examine your figures with these questions in mind:  Is the figure self-explanatory?  Are your axes labeled and are the units indicated?  Show the uncertainty in your data with error bars.  If the data are fit by a curve, indicate the goodness of fit. Could chart junk be eliminated?  Could non-data ink be eliminated? Could redundant data ink be eliminated? Could data density be increased by eliminating non-data bearing space? Is this a sparse data set that could better be expressed as a table? Does the figure distort the data in any way? Are the data presented in context? Does the figure caption guide the reader's eye to the "take-home lesson" of the figure? Figures should be oriented vertically, in portrait mode, wherever possible. If you must orient them horizontally, in landscape mode, orient them so that you can read them from the right, not from the left, where the binding will be.

Tying the Text to the Data  "Show them, don't just tell them…" Ideally, every result claimed in the text should be documented with data, usually data presented in tables or figures. If there are no data provided to support a given statement of result or observation, consider adding more data, or deleting the unsupported "observation." Examine figure(s) or table(s) pertaining to the result(s). Assess whether: the data support the textual statement the data contradict the textual statement the data are insufficient to prove or refute the textual statement the data may support the textual statement, but are not presented in such a way that you can be sure you are seeing the same phenomenon in the data that the author claims to have seen.

Giving Credit

How does one fairly and accurately indicate who has made what contributions towards the results and interpretations presented in your paper?: by referencing, authorship, and acknowledgements. 
Different types of errors:

1. direct quotes or illustrations without quotation marks, without attribution
2. direct quotes without quotation marks, with attribution
3. concepts/ideas without attribution
4. concepts/ideas with sloppy attribution
5. omitting or fabricating data or results

Check references carefully and reread reference works prior to publication. The first time you read something, you will consciously remember some things, but may subconsciously take in other aspects. It is important to cross check your conscious memory against your citations.
See also:
D. Kennedy, 1985, On Academic Authorship
Sigma Xi, 1984, Honor in Science
Yale University pamphlet on plagiarism
 

Final Thesis Make 3 final copies: 1 to mentor and 2 to department, so that we can have 2 readers.  Final thesis should be bound. Printed cleanly on white paper.  Double-spaced using 12-point font.  1-inch margins.  Double-sided saves paper.  Include page numbers.

Resources The Barnard Writing Room provides assistance on writing senior theses. Look at other theses on file in the Environmental Science department, they will give you an idea of what we are looking for.  Of course do not hesitate to ask us, or your research advisor for help.  The Barnard Environmental Science Department has many books on scientific writing, ask the departmental administrator for assistance in locating them.  Also see additional books listed as Resources.

III. Editing Your Thesis

Even a rough draft should be edited.
 

Copy Editing Proof read your thesis a few times. Check your spelling. spellcheckers are useful for initial checking, but don't catch homonyms (e.g. hear, here), so you need to do the final check by eye. Make sure that you use complete sentences Check your grammar: punctuation, sentence structure, subject-verb agreement (plural or singular), tense consistency, etc. Give it to others to read and comment.

Content Editing logic repetition, relevance style

Avoiding ambiguity Do not allow run-on sentences to sneak into your writing; try semicolons. Avoid nested clauses/phrases. Avoid clauses or phrases with more than two ideas in them. Do not use double negatives. Do not use dangling participles (i.e. phrases with an "-ing" verb, in sentences where the agent performing the action of the "-ing" verb is not specified: " After standing in boiling water for two hours, examine the flask.").  Make sure that the antecedent for every pronoun (it, these, those, that, this, one) is crystal clear. If in doubt, use the noun rather than the pronoun, even if the resulting sentence seems a little bit redundant.  Ensure that subject and verb agree in number (singular versus plural).  Be especially careful with compound subjects. Be especially careful with subject/verb agreement within clauses. Avoid qualitative adjectives when describing concepts that are quantifiable ("The water is deep." "Plate convergence is fast." "Our algorithm is better.") Instead, quantify. ("Water depths exceed 5km.")  Avoid noun strings ("acoustic noise source location technique"). Do not use unexplained acronyms. Spell out all acronyms the first time that you use them.

Thesis length Write for brevity rather than length. The goal is the shortest possible paper that contains all information necessary to describe the work and support the interpretation. Avoid unnecessary repetition and irrelevant tangents. Necessary repetition: the main theme should be developed in the introduction as a motivation or working hypothesis. It is then developed in the main body of the paper, and mentioned again in the discussion section (and, of course, in the abstract and conclusions). Some suggestions on how to shorten your paper: Use tables for repetitive information.  Include only sufficient background material to permit the reader to understand your story, not every paper ever written on the subject. Use figure captions effectively. Don't describe the contents of the figures and/or tables in the text item-by-item. Instead, use the text to point out the most significant patterns, items or trends in the figures and tables.  Delete "observations" or "results" that are mentioned in the text for which you have not shown data. Delete "conclusions" that are not directly supported by your observations or results. Delete "interpretation" or "discussion" sections that are inconclusive.  Delete "interpretation" or "discussion" sections that are only peripherally related to your new results or observations. Scrutinize adjectives! adverbs and prepositional phrases.  Although it varies considerably from project to project, average thesis length is about 40 pages of text plus figures. This total page count includes all your text as well as the list of references, but it does not include any appendices. These generalizations should not be taken too seriously, especially if you are working on a labor-intensive lab project. If you have any questions about whether your project is of sufficient scope, consult one of us early on.

Writing for an International Audience Put as much information as possible into figures and tables. In particular, try to find a way to put your conclusions into a figure, perhaps a flowchart or a cartoon.  Don't assume that readers are familiar with the geography or the stratigraphy of your field area.  Every single place-name mentioned in the text should be shown on a map.  Consider including a location map, either as a separate figure or as an inset to another figure. If your paper involves stratigraphy, consider including a summary stratigraphic column--in effect, a location map in time.  Use shorter sentences. Avoid nested clauses or phrases.   Avoid idioms. Favor usages that can be looked up in an ordinary dictionary. "Take the beaker out of the oven immediately..." rather than "Take the beaker out of the oven right away..."