A final thesis – Bachelor Thesis (BT) or Master Thesis (MT) – is the climax of the given form of study at university. It is a synthesis of preceding studies and it should prove the knowledge within the field of study.
Bachelor Thesis
Students should prove that they are able to study through competent literature and assess it critically, implement a project of the final thesis on an appropriate methodological level and compose a report about it. It can be based on orientation research, various kinds of research examinations or, it can only treat, order and review an overview of knowledge on a significant professional topic in a comprehensive way. Its form, however, does not differ from Master Thesis in any way.
Master Thesis
For a Master Thesis, the requirements are much harsher and aims much higher – solving independent scientific task and other attributes such as working with literature, computer data assessment, composing a professional text, more difficult defense etc. MT must show that its author is able to use appropriate research procedures, organize information into purposeful units and present the results in an acceptable style.
One of the most important tools for creating a final thesis is sufficient knowledge of the history of the known facts about the selected topic.
Conclusion
The following three criteria must be stuck to and fulfilled in order to successfully reach the aims of the final thesis project:
specifying the problem (why?)
solving the problem (how?)
what is the benefit of the results for theory and practice (for whom?)
Selecting the topic
The Faculty of Sports Studies offers two ways to select the topic. A student can select the topic out of 5 topics offered by the faculty departments (website or IS) and apply for the topic. Name of the supervisor is stated with each topic. The other way that a student may choose is to find an area of interest in IS, applies for approval at the respective department (approval of the topic, selecting the supervisor in accordance with the topic of the proposed project).
The author of the final thesis should self-critically consider his/her possibilities and abilities. Supervisors who suggest final thesis topics should make the suggested problem or issue specific in the topic. A good overview of literature is the starting point of further research possibilities for both the student and the supervisor. Without setting the project into the context of the present state of the issue, there is a danger of discovering something which has already been discovered (very often it happens that people proceed the other way round – first they do research measuring and only then, at the end, do they review literature). However, analyzing existing literature makes it possible to acquire the background for new ideas and the way which the research should be directed in.
From time to time, a question arises whether it is possible to have new topics all the time. If the student has been interested in the issue on a long-term basis, it is the best possible situation. What remains is just to find the supervisor who will guide the student. The topic of a final thesis should nearly always bring some new aspect of the given issue. Compilation may be beneficial, too, however, only if such compilation has not been elaborated before. If a compilation has already been elaborated, there is a danger of plagiarism.
According to Umberto Eco (1977), it is not considered inferior if we draw from the research by another author in our own research. For instance, medieval scholars thought too highly of ancient authors. They claimed that compared with them, they themselves are only dwarfs; however, at the same time they stressed that if a dwarf is supported by an ancient giant, he becomes “a dwarf who climbs the back of the giant” and therefore has a better view than the giant (note: a skillful dwarf can even climb the back of another dwarf). Further, this scholar offers four rules to select the thesis topic:
The topic should reflect the interests of the student and follow on his/her studies so far.
The sources necessary to elaborate the topic must be physically accessible for the student.
It should be possible for the candidate to elaborate all materials in accordance with his/her cultural standard.
Methodological presuppositions for the given research must be on such a level to correspond to the experience and present state of study of the candidate.
Adopted from the Czech Society of Young Ophthalmologists. How to (Not) Write a Diploma or Doctoral Thesis. [online] Available at: http://www.csmo.cz/other/dizert.php
At the end, the student elaborates the project in the scope of 3-5 pages of a text which must include:
The description of the problem
The aim of the work
References
Methods used to solve and elaborate the topic
Time schedule
See the Instructions to Write a Final Thesis at the website of the faculty: www.fsps.muni.cz.