Getting started on your Master’s thesis

Please note: This post is intended to provide advice to all students undertaking a thesis in engineering or applied sciences. There is separate advice for business and management students.

Choosing your thesis topic

Your course leader may provide you with ideas for topics or give you a specific project or research question to answer. If you are already in work, your employer might have specified a topic for you to examine.

In some cases, however, you may need to think of and refine the topic yourself.

Consider the following points to help you focus:

• Look back at what you have been taught during your Cranfield course and consider whether there is a particular topic or assignment that you have found interesting or had questions about. It really helps to pick a topic that is of genuine interest to you.
• Are there any topics that might benefit your future employment plans? Will it add anything to your CV? Will you be able to talk about it in job applications?
• Examine the research interests of academics in your School. Is there something here that you could build on?
• Is there a hot topic in the news that relates to your subject area?
• Is there anything you have experienced on a work placement, or study abroad, that would make an interesting research subject?
• Are there any potential topic areas which fit with your wider interests or future study plans?

Want further ideas on how to refine your topic? Have a look at our web pages on Writing your thesis and conducting your literature review.

Look at what others have done

It’s a good idea to have a look at what has already been done, especially by previous students on your course. Use them not just as a source of subject information, or an inspiration for a research topic, but also as a guide to the layout and the approach to understand what is expected of you. Visit our Theses page on our library website to search for Cranfield theses and for theses published nationally and internationally.

If you cannot find a specific thesis, it may be subject to an embargo or security restriction. Please contact us for more advice.

Think about what you are looking for and where to find it

Try out some basic searches on our databases and then get more specific once you have identified the area you want to concentrate on. If you need help with formulating search terms and search strings (especially important if your thesis requires a structured literature review) or where to search, check out our search tips or contact us if you need more guidance.

Brush up on essential skills

Learn more about academic writing skills, referencing, reference management software and database search skills at one of our events or webinars. If you sign up for a session but then find you can’t attend, we will still send you the recording afterwards so you can watch it in your own time. You can also refresh your knowledge by looking at the Study Skills Hub.

Our tip: Investigate the various software applications our IT department supports, including survey software and data analysis tools such as NVivo and SPSS.

To see a full list, go to the IT self-service portal and look for >Academic Software >Software A-Z.

Keeping up with new research in your area

In order to keep up to date with what is happening in your subject area, consider setting up RSS feeds or email alerts based on your searches in our databases. They will keep you informed of any new research in your area. We have advice on Keeping up to date on our website.

Our tips:

• “The app that I use on my phone for RSS feeds is called Feedly – I find it very helpful!”

Your literature review

We are aware that many of you have been asked to do a structured literature review in place of laboratory work. Don’t panic, we can help!

• Take a look at our pages on writing your thesis and conducting your literature review 
• We have set up a reading list of online books on conducting a literature review and study skills.
• There are also useful titles in Sage Research Methods (accessible from our databases list).
• Take a look at the Study Skills Hub for advice and help with literature reviews and academic writing essentials
• Need help preparing for your structured literature review? Check out our interactive guide to Structured Literature Reviews to get you started or read through the guidance in our  blog posts.

Get organised

Reference management software can be your friend. We’re keen on using Mendeley and Zotero – this allows you to store, group and annotate articles. It can also be used to help format your references and reference list in a specific format.

Our tips:

• “I use it most to write messages to my future self by using the notes function so I can remember why I read an article in the first place.”
• “When reading the literature, I have by my side a list of the review questions I have identified that need to be answered in order to achieve my overarching research aim. I number the questions so that when an article I am reading proves relevant, I tag it in Mendeley with the number of the relevant review question e.g. one. Then, when I am writing up the chapter/section that covers question one, I sort my articles by tag ‘one’ to return the relevant annotated papers”. 

Read our advice on referencing and referencing management software.

Formatting and submitting

You can find guidance on formatting and submitting your thesis in these locations:

• Thesis guidance on MyCranfield
• Thesis and work-based project (EPA) templates on the Digital Skills Hub 

Do you need to produce and present a poster?

Students on some courses may need to do this. Please check with your supervisor if you are unsure. We recommend the following:

• Use headings to break down sections of your poster.
• Your poster will usually be printed at A1 size so bear this in mind. Choose your font size carefully and if you use graphics or images ensure they are at sufficient quality to be reproduced at scale.
• Convert your file to PDF and double check it looks okay by enlarging the file size to 400%. You can also print on A3 and join the pages together to proof your finished file before you send it off.
• Check Canvas for guidance on poster design, as this often varies by course, and contact your supervisor if you have any questions.

There are resources on MyCranfield to help you use University-approved poster templates and get them printed.

Stay connected

Always check with your thesis supervisor if you need specific advice and to check you are meeting School requirements.

Please remember we are always here to help you as much as we can. Do not hesitate to get in touch with us if you have any questions, or if you just need to see a friendly face.

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