Notes on written work

Recommendations for the preparation of academic theses (student research projects, diploma and master's theses)
[Edition March 2013]

General information

Submission of 2 copies (1 copy for student research projects) and PDF file
Font: e.g. Times New Roman 11 or 12 pt (corresponds to approx. 70 characters per line and approx. 35 lines per page) or serif font comparable in terms of legibility and size
Line spacing: 1.5 lines
Margins: all margins at least 3 cm
Single-sided printout
Approx. 50 - 70 DIN A4 pages (20 - 50 for student research projects) + appendices
Have it bound
Hand in on time in any case!

What should be included in the paper?

Cover sheet
Original assignment in the 1st copy, a copy in the 2nd copy.
Table of contents
List of references and sources
List of abbreviations, (list of figures, list of tables)
Theses
Declaration of independence
Appendix
and of course the content

The cover sheet contains the following information:
University; degree program; type of achievement (thesis or dissertation); topic; 1st and 2nd examiner; author; matriculation number; address; submission date.

The table of contents contains the outline with page numbers.

1 Main heading
1.1 Sub-chapter
1.1.1 Sub-sub-chapter

The introduction should introduce the topic and content of the thesis and give an idea of the further course of the thesis. It should also be easy to understand for the non-specialized reader. The following points, for example, are suitable for this purpose:

Aim of the work or study
History and status of research or the subject matter
Overview of the structure

The summary should contain a repetition of the most important results as well as a kind of outlook on useful or necessary further developments or a concluding statement.

The bibliography contains the literature used in the preparation of the thesis. (The list should be in alphabetical order by author).

The list of abbreviations contains all formula symbols and abbreviations used in the text, including their dimensions and meanings, listed alphabetically.

Thelist of figures and tables contains the figure or table numbering, figure or table caption and the respective page number.

The declaration of independence can read as follows:
"I hereby declare that I have prepared this thesis without the unauthorized assistance of third parties and without the use of aids other than those specified; ideas taken directly or indirectly from external sources are identified as such. I have received assistance in the selection and evaluation of the material and in the production of the manuscript from the following persons: ........................................................................................, ........................................................................................
No other persons were involved in the intellectual production of this thesis. I am aware that failure to comply with this declaration may lead to the subsequent withdrawal of the diploma degree (Master's degree).
Dresden, den ...................... Signature"

The appendix contains all the information needed to understand the information summarized in the text. Extensive examples, complete derivations and operating instructions may be included. Appendices are to be linked by references in the text.

Notes on content

A common thread should always be present
structure well, no overlong and deeply nested sentences
No more than 4 levels of structure
Identify sources and quotations

Software

Programs, data, source code etc. on CD/DVD (no floppy disks or USB sticks!)
No extensive source code listing in paper form

Defense

Presentation approx. 20 minutes (presentation templates for PowerPoint and OpenDocument)
Slides and illustrations with legible font
for diploma thesis:
- Distribute a sufficient number of copies of the theses
- Bring a poster (poster templates for PowerPoint, OpenDocument and LaTeX)