mini thesis

How to Master the “Mini-Thesis”

• Krystal Felton
• March 25, 2022

Why You Need to Master the “Mini-Thesis”

By now, you probably know that a thesis statement tells the reader the main idea or argument of your paper. Mastering the thesis statement is an important part of writing well because if you can’t tell the reader your main idea, you will lose them in your paper. After you’ve mastered writing a thesis statement, it’s time to master what I like to call a “mini-thesis.”

What is a mini-thesis?

Each heading or subheading of your paper needs a mini-thesis statement. This mini-thesis, or MT, as we will affectionately call it, tells the reader the main idea or argument of that section. Let’s say you are using a traditional IMRaD organizational structure, with headings for the Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion sections. The MT of the introduction section will probably be your main thesis statement, the one that states the main idea/argument of the overall project or paper. But the rest of the sections are where it gets fun!

How do I write a mini-thesis?

Writing a mini-thesis statement does not need to be the first thing you write. In fact, it can be the last sentence you write! Though your MT should appear early in the section, sometimes, you won’t know what the key argument is until you’ve written the rest of the content. Let’s say you need an MT for the Methods section. After you’ve written the entire section, think for a minute about what the most important thing is for your reader to know. Ask yourself: if my reader remembers nothing else, what do I need them to know about my method in order for them to understand the rest of my paper? For a methods section, the MT will probably clearly state what method you used.

The Results section will generally list your findings. Again, you will want to ask yourself: what is the most important thing for my reader to know about the results of my study? This will probably be a statement that supports your overall thesis statement or that answers your primary research question. State your MT in one sentence.

Finally, in the Discussion section, the MT will again concisely sum up the most important elements of the information you are presenting. What is the most important thing for your reader to know in order for them to be persuaded by your arguments? In other words, what do you absolutely need the reader to understand from your discussion section? That’s your MT.

Including MTs throughout your paper helps the reader follow along with your most important points and makes your writing clearer. This is especially helpful in the case of academic writing. For example, if you need to defend your dissertation to a committee who are keen on picking apart your arguments, MTs make it clear to your reader 1) that you have clearly stated your main ideas, 2) how all of your ideas work together, and 3) why each section of your writing is vital to your project.

If you would like to work on MTs in your writing, send us an email! We can’t wait to help you develop MTs for your next project.

An Introduction to Introductions

We recently covered the major parts of a dissertation and discovered that every dissertation will include an introduction chapter. This is the first chapter your audience will encounter, so you

The Foolproof Way to Structure Your Dissertation

Parts of a Dissertation: Part 1 If you find yourself wondering, “how do I structure my dissertation?” not to worry!—most dissertations use the same format. I’m going to break down

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Thesis/Dissertation/Mini-Dissertation Structure

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There is no standard format for the submission of a dissertation or thesis: formatting is at the candidate’s discretion, but using A4 paper is the expected norm. Reasonable width margins (2 – 2.5 cm) are desirable to ensure that binding does not impede reading of the text. However, candidates should consult their supervisor early on in the process. The contents must be printed in either double or one and a half spacing using a common font throughout. Printing on both sides of the page is allowed, but a reasonable weight paper must then be used. Although it is expected that the dissertation/thesis be written in English, it is possible with prior support of the supervisor and prior permission from the Doctoral Degrees Board, to submit a PhD in another language.

It is acceptable for a Masters dissertation or PhD thesis to include published papers , provided that:

• where published papers are included as separate chapters, the dissertation/thesis must nonetheless show acceptable academic style, constant formatting, scholarly content and coherence as a connected account with a satisfactory general introduction, statement of thesis and a final discussion chapter. The latter should not duplicate material that is already contained in the discussion sections of the various chapters/papers, but integrate the results from the various chapters and place them in a broader context;
• where multi-authored papers are included, the contribution of the candidate can be distinguished and is clearly stated

For Masters degrees a candidate must submit either three hard copies (degree by dissertation only) or TWO hard copies (degree by coursework plus dissertation) of the dissertation in temporary binding to the Postgraduate Officer in the Science Faculty Office . Once the dissertation has been finally accepted, one unbound hard copy and one electronic copy (in pdf format on a labelled, read-only CD packed in a hard "jewel" case) of the final, corrected dissertation must be lodged with the Faculty Office.

In the case of a PhD , the thesis may not exceed 80,000 words . If it is felt that it is essential to exceed this length, special permission must be obtained from the Dean. It is the expectation that Masters degrees should be substantially shorter than this with a maximum of 50,000 words allowed; on the order of 35,000 words (~100 pages) would be the expected norm.

There must be a title page on which should appear the thesis title, name of candidate (plus qualifications if you wish), name of Department, University and the month and year of submission. The following is the recommended wording used after the thesis title and name of the candidate: Dissertation (or Thesis) presented for the degree of Master of Science (or Doctor of Philosophy) in the Department of … University of Cape Town Month and Year

For a coursework Masters minor dissertation the wording should read "Dissertation presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of…".

Plagiarism Declaration

Following the title page there should be a page containing the following signed statement by the candidate: "I know the meaning of plagiarism and declare that all of the work in the dissertation (or thesis), save for that which is properly acknowledged, is my own‟.

Publication

When a candidate submits a thesis he/she shall be deemed to have granted the University free license to publish it in whole or part in any format the University deems fit.

Referencing

Forms of referencing must be standard for the discipline and must adhere to a recognised international convention, agreed to with the supervisor.

Due Dates and Process of Submission

At the conclusion of research, the candidate must submit a dissertation or thesis for examination. This normally occurs after receiving an indication from the supervisor that the product is in a form which is acceptable for submission. However, a candidate is not prevented from submitting without the supervisor’s approval.

If a candidate intends submitting a Masters dissertation for examination he/she must inform the Head of Department in writing, with a copy to the Dean, of such an intention two weeks in advance of planned submission date. The Head of Department, with input from the supervisor, will then nominate suitable examiners for approval by the Dean. If submitting a PhD thesis, the candidate must inform the Doctoral Degrees Board Officer (New Student Administration Building) in writing of such intention one month prior to planned submission.

The dates for submission of dissertations and theses are: First or Second week in February for persons hoping to graduate in September; First or Second week in August for persons hoping to graduate in March of the following year.

Please refer to the University Fees Booklet for submission dates with respect to fee rebates. Candidates who submit their thesis/dissertation before the beginning of the start of the first term are not required to register. If submitted after the start of the first term a candidate must register for that year, and a pro-rata fee will be charged, depending on the date of submission. Where a student who submitted prior to the start of term is required to revise and resubmit a dissertation/thesis, they must register and pay the academic fee for that year. Further information can be found at the UCT Student Handbook site .

What’s Included: The Dissertation Template

If you’re preparing to write your dissertation, thesis or research project, our free dissertation template is the perfect starting point. In the template, we cover every section step by step, with clear, straightforward explanations and examples .

The template’s structure is based on the tried and trusted best-practice format for formal academic research projects such as dissertations and theses. The template structure reflects the overall research process, ensuring your dissertation or thesis will have a smooth, logical flow from chapter to chapter.

The dissertation template covers the following core sections:

• The title page/cover page
• Abstract (sometimes also called the executive summary)
• Table of contents
• List of figures /list of tables
• Chapter 1: Introduction  (also available: in-depth introduction template )
• Chapter 2: Literature review  (also available: in-depth LR template )
• Chapter 3: Methodology (also available: in-depth methodology template )
• Chapter 4: Research findings /results (also available: results template )
• Chapter 5: Discussion /analysis of findings (also available: discussion template )
• Chapter 6: Conclusion (also available: in-depth conclusion template )
• Reference list

Each section is explained in plain, straightforward language , followed by an overview of the key elements that you need to cover within each section. We’ve also included practical examples to help you understand exactly what’s required in each section.

The cleanly-formatted Google Doc can be downloaded as a fully editable MS Word Document (DOCX format), so you can use it as-is or convert it to LaTeX.

FAQs: Dissertation Template

What format is the template (doc, pdf, ppt, etc.).

The dissertation template is provided as a Google Doc. You can download it in MS Word format or make a copy to your Google Drive. You’re also welcome to convert it to whatever format works best for you, such as LaTeX or PDF.

What types of dissertations/theses can this template be used for?

The template follows the standard best-practice structure for formal academic research projects such as dissertations or theses, so it is suitable for the vast majority of degrees, particularly those within the sciences.

Some universities may have some additional requirements, but these are typically minor, with the core structure remaining the same. Therefore, it’s always a good idea to double-check your university’s requirements before you finalise your structure.

Will this work for a research paper?

A research paper follows a similar format, but there are a few differences. You can find our research paper template here .

Is this template for an undergrad, Masters or PhD-level thesis?

This template can be used for a dissertation, thesis or research project at any level of study. It may be slight overkill for an undergraduate-level study, but it certainly won’t be missing anything.

How long should my dissertation/thesis be?

This depends entirely on your university’s specific requirements, so it’s best to check with them. As a general ballpark, Masters-level projects are usually 15,000 – 20,000 words in length, while Doctoral-level projects are often in excess of 60,000 words.

What about the research proposal?

If you’re still working on your research proposal, we’ve got a template for that here .

We’ve also got loads of proposal-related guides and videos over on the Grad Coach blog .

How do I write a literature review?

We have a wealth of free resources on the Grad Coach Blog that unpack how to write a literature review from scratch. You can check out the literature review section of the blog here.

How do I create a research methodology?

We have a wealth of free resources on the Grad Coach Blog that unpack research methodology, both qualitative and quantitative. You can check out the methodology section of the blog here.

Can I share this dissertation template with my friends/colleagues?

Yes, you’re welcome to share this template. If you want to post about it on your blog or social media, all we ask is that you reference this page as your source.

Can Grad Coach help me with my dissertation/thesis?

Within the template, you’ll find plain-language explanations of each section, which should give you a fair amount of guidance. However, you’re also welcome to consider our dissertation and thesis coaching services .

HOW TO WRITE A THESIS: Steps by step guide

Introduction

In the academic world, one of the hallmark rites signifying mastery of a course or academic area is the writing of a thesis . Essentially a thesis is a typewritten work, usually 50 to 350 pages in length depending on institutions, discipline, and educational level which is often aimed at addressing a particular problem in a given field.

While a thesis is inadequate to address all the problems in a given field, it is succinct enough to address a specialized aspect of the problem by taking a stance or making a claim on what the resolution of the problem should be. Writing a thesis can be a very daunting task because most times it is the first complex research undertaking for the student. The lack of research and writing skills to write a thesis coupled with fear and a limited time frame are factors that makes the writing of a thesis daunting. However, commitment to excellence on the part of the student combined with some of the techniques and methods that will be discussed below gives a fair chance that the student will be able to deliver an excellent thesis regardless of the subject area, the depth of the research specialization and the daunting amount of materials that must be comprehended(RE: write a thesis or writing a thesis).

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What is a thesis?

A thesis is a statement, theory, argument, proposal or proposition, which is put forward as a premise to be maintained or proved. It explains the stand someone takes on an issue and how the person intends to justify the stand. It is always better to pick a topic that will be able to render professional help, a topic that you will be happy to talk about with anybody, a topic you have personal interest and passion for, because when writing a thesis gets frustrating personal interest, happiness and passion coupled with the professional help it will be easier to write a great thesis (see you through the thesis). One has to source for a lot of information concerning the topic one is writing a thesis on in order to know the important question, because for you to take a good stand on an issue you have to study the evidence first.

Qualities of a good thesis

A good thesis has the following qualities

• A good thesis must solve an existing problem in the society, organisation, government among others.
• A good thesis should be contestable, it should propose a point that is arguable which people can agree with or disagree.
• It is specific, clear and focused.
•   A good thesis does not use general terms and abstractions.  
• The claims of a good thesis should be definable and arguable.
• It anticipates the counter-argument s
• It does not use unclear language
• It avoids the first person. (“In my opinion”)
• A strong thesis should be able to take a stand and not just taking a stand but should be able to justify the stand that is taken, so that the reader will be tempted to ask questions like how or why.
• The thesis should be arguable, contestable, focused, specific, and clear. Make your thesis clear, strong and easy to find.
• The conclusion of a thesis should be based on evidence.

Steps in writing a Thesis

• First, think about good topics and theories that you can write before writing the thesis, then pick a topic. The topic or thesis statement is derived from a review of existing literature in the area of study that the researcher wants to explore. This route is taken when the unknowns in an area of study are not yet defined. Some areas of study have existing problems yearning to be solved and the drafting of the thesis topic or statement revolves around a selection of one of these problems.
• Once you have a good thesis, put it down and draw an outline . The outline is like a map of the whole thesis and it covers more commonly the introduction, literature review, discussion of methodology, discussion of results and the thesis’ conclusions and recommendations. The outline might differ from one institution to another but the one described in the preceding sentence is what is more commonly obtainable. It is imperative at this point to note that the outline drew still requires other mini- outlines for each of the sections mentioned. The outlines and mini- outlines provide a graphical over- view of the whole project and can also be used in allocating the word- count for each section and sub- section based on the overall word- count requirement of the thesis(RE: write a thesis or writing a thesis).
• Literature search. Remember to draw a good outline you need to do literature search to familiarize yourself with the concepts and the works of others. Similarly, to achieve this, you need to read as much material that contains necessary information as you can. There will always be a counter argument for everything so anticipate it because it will help shape your thesis. Read everything you can–academic research, trade literature, and information in the popular press and on the Internet(RE: write a thesis or writing a thesis).
• After getting all the information you need, the knowledge you gathered should help in suggesting the aim of your thesis.

Remember; a thesis is not supposed to be a question or a list, thesis should specific and as clear as possible. The claims of a thesis should be definable and also arguable.

• Then collecting and analyzing data, after data analysis, the result of the analysis should be written and discussed, followed by summary, conclusion, recommendations, list of references and the appendices
• The last step is editing of the thesis and proper spell checking.

Structure of a Thesis

A conventional thesis has five chapters – chapter 1-5 which will be discussed in detail below. However, it is important to state that a thesis is not limited to any chapter or section as the case may be. In fact, a thesis can be five, six, seven or even eight chapters.  What determines the number of chapters in a thesis includes institution rules/ guideline, researcher choice, supervisor choice, programme or educational level. In fact, most PhD thesis are usually more than 5 chapters(RE: write a thesis or writing a thesis).

Preliminaries Pages: The preliminaries are the cover page, the title page, the table of contents page, and the abstract.

The introduction: The introduction is the first section and it provides as the name implies an introduction to the thesis. The introduction contains such aspects as the background to the study which provides information on the topic in the context of what is happening in the world as related to the topic. It also discusses the relevance of the topic to society, policies formulated success and failure. The introduction also contains the statement of the problem which is essentially a succinct description of the problem that the thesis want to solve and what the trend will be if the problem is not solved. The concluding part of the statement of problem ends with an outline of the research questions. These are the questions which when answered helps in achieving the aim of the thesis. The third section is the outline of research objectives. Conventionally research objectives re a conversion the research questions into an active statement form. Other parts of the introduction are a discussion of hypotheses (if any), the significance of the study, delimitations, proposed methodology and a discussion of the structure of the study(RE: write a thesis or writing a thesis).

The main body includes the following; the literature review, methodology, research results and discussion of the result, the summary, conclusion and recommendations, the list of references and the appendices.

The literature review : The literature review is often the most voluminous aspects of a thesis because it reviews past empirical and theoretical literature about the problem being studied. This section starts by discussing the concepts relevant to the problem as indicated in the topic, the relationship between the concepts and what discoveries have being made on topic based on the choice of methodologies. The validity of the studies reviewed are questioned and findings are compared in order to get a comprehensive picture of the problem. The literature review also discusses the theories and theoretical frameworks that are relevant to the problem, the gaps that are evident in literature and how the thesis being written helps in resolving some of the gaps.

The major importance of Literature review is that it specifies the gap in the existing knowledge (gap in literature). The source of the literature that is being reviewed should be specified. For instance; ‘It has been argued that if the rural youth are to be aware of their community development role they need to be educated’ Effiong, (1992). The author’s name can be at the beginning, end or in between the literature. The literature should be discussed and not just stated (RE: write a thesis or writing a thesis).

The methodology: The third section is a discussion of the research methodology adopted in the thesis and touches on aspects such as the research design, the area, population and sample that will be considered for the study as well as the sampling procedure. These aspects are discussed in terms of choice, method and rationale. This section also covers the sub- section of data collection, data analysis and measures of ensuring validity of study. It is the chapter 3. This chapter explains the method used in data collection and data analysis. It explains the methodology adopted and why it is the best method to be used, it also explains every step of data collection and analysis. The data used could be primary data or secondary data. While analysing the data, proper statistical tool should be used in order to fit the stated objectives of the thesis. The statistical tool could be; the spearman rank order correlation, chi square, analysis of variance (ANOVA) etc (RE: write a thesis or writing a thesis).

The findings and discussion of result : The next section is a discussion of findings based on the data collection instrumentation used and the objectives or hypotheses of study if any. It is the chapter 4. It is research results. This is the part that describes the research. It shows the result gotten from data that is collected and analysed. It discusses the result and how it relates to your profession.

Summary, Conclusion and Recommendation: This is normally the chapter 5. The last section discusses the summary of the study and the conclusions arrived at based on the findings discussed in the previous section. This section also presents any policy recommendations that the researcher wants to propose (RE: write a thesis or writing a thesis).

References: It cite all ideas, concepts, text, data that are not your own. It is acceptable to put the initials of the individual authors behind their last names. The way single author is referenced is different from the way more than one author is referenced (RE: write a thesis or writing a thesis).

The appendices; it includes all data in the appendix. Reference data or materials that is not easily available. It includes tables and calculations, List of equipment used for an experiment or details of complicated procedures. If a large number of references are consulted but all are not cited, it may also be included in the appendix. The appendices also contain supportive or complementary information like the questionnaire, the interview schedule, tables and charts while the references section contain an ordered list of all literature, academic and contemporary cited in the thesis. Different schools have their own preferred referencing styles(RE: write a thesis or writing a thesis).   

Follow the following steps to achieve successful thesis writing

Start writing early. Do not delay writing until you have finished your project or research. Write complete and concise “Technical Reports” as and when you finish each nugget of work. This way, you will remember everything you did and document it accurately, when the work is still fresh in your mind. This is especially so if your work involves programming.

Spot errors early. A well-written “Technical Report” will force you to think about what you have done, before you move on to something else. If anything is amiss, you will detect it at once and can easily correct it, rather than have to re-visit the work later, when you may be pressured for time and have lost touch with it.

Write your thesis from the inside out. Begin with the chapters on your own experimental work. You will develop confidence in writing them because you know your own work better than anyone else. Once you have overcome the initial inertia, move on to the other chapters.

End with a bang, not a whimper. First things first, and save the best for last. First and last impressions persist. Arrange your chapters so that your first and last experimental chapters are sound and solid.

Write the Introduction after writing the Conclusions. The examiner will read the Introduction first, and then the Conclusions, to see if the promises made in the former are indeed fulfilled in the latter. Ensure that your introduction and Conclusions match.

“No man is an Island”. The critical review of the literature places your work in context. Usually, one third of the PhD thesis is about others’ work; two thirds, what you have done yourself. After a thorough and critical literature review, the PhD candidate must be able to identify the major researchers in the field and make a sound proposal for doctoral research. Estimate the time to write your thesis and then multiply it by three to get the correct estimate. Writing at one stretch is very demanding and it is all too easy to underestimate the time required for it; inflating your first estimate by a factor of three is more realistic.

Punctuating your thesis

Punctuation Good punctuation makes reading easy. The simplest way to find out where to punctuate is to read aloud what you have written. Each time you pause, you should add a punctuation symbol. There are four major pause symbols, arranged below in ascending order of “degree of pause”:

• Comma. Use the comma to indicate a short pause or to separate items in a list. A pair of commas may delimit the beginning and end of a subordinate clause or phrase. Sometimes, this is also done with a pair of “em dashes” which are printed like this:
• Semi-colon. The semi-colon signifies a longer pause than the comma. It separates segments of a sentence that are “further apart” in position, or meaning, but which are nevertheless related. If the ideas were “closer together”, a comma would have been used. It is also used to separate two clauses that may stand on their own but which are too closely related for a colon or full stop to intervene between them.
• Colon. The colon is used before one or more examples of a concept, and whenever items are to be listed in a visually separate fashion. The sentence that introduced the itemized list you are now reading ended in a colon. It may also be used to separate two fairly—but not totally—independent clauses in a sentence.
• Full stop or period. The full stop ends a sentence. If the sentence embodies a question or an exclamation, then, of course, it is ended with a question mark or exclamation mark, respectively. The full stop is also used to terminate abbreviations like etc., (for et cetera), e.g., (for exempli gratia), et al., (for et alia) etc., but not with abbreviations for SI units. The readability of your writing will improve greatly if you take the trouble to learn the basic rules of punctuation given above.

Don't forget to contact us for your thesis and other academic assistance

30 thoughts on “how to write a thesis: steps by step guide”.

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Mini Manuscript

The Mini Manuscript is a document formatting using University Guidelines rules. You can go through page-by-page to see examples of formatting for all the pages you will need in your manuscript. Look in the appendices for examples of formatting for pages that would not logically fit in one document, like the title page for a project report or a dissertation

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MINI THESIS FINAL.pdf

The study is aimed at assessing the sustainability of donor aided agricultural projects. This is a case study conducted in Mafeteng district, which is one of the most vulnerable districts in Lesotho. It has experienced and is susceptible to drought, late rainfalls, degraded environmental conditions and high poverty rate. However the district had received a lot of interventions by different donor support than any other districts hence their conditions are not improving and the state of life, environmentally, socially and economically is not sustainable but depressing. The research seeks to answer this question; what factors affect the sustainability of SANReMP projects in Mafeteng district? To answer this question, the perquisite steps would be to investigate the reasons why SANReMP funded agricultural projects collapsed after phase out, the perception of the beneficiaries after phase out, as well as examining the organizational structure of the project and farmer’s involvement, and to determine the problems and successes associated with the projects. To find the answer, quantitative method guided by sustainability approach was used through administration of questionnaires and use of secondary data such as quarterly reports. The target population was beneficiaries and non- beneficiaries from where SANReMP projects were implemented. The research findings were that major objectives of the donors were met but their impact did not last longer after donors withdrawal support hence the projects cannot be said to be sustainable, alternatively they collapsed. Among the recommendations made, the donors must work on exit strategy that will ensure successfully sustainability. Ownership, participation and community empowerment must be emphasized to promote sustainable agricultural projects.

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Abstract The study is aimed at assessing the sustainability of donor aided agricultural projects. This is a case study conducted in Mafeteng district, which is one of the most vulnerable districts in Lesotho. It has experienced and is susceptible to drought, late rainfalls, degraded environmental conditions and high poverty rate. However the district had received a lot of interventions by different donor support than any other districts hence their conditions are not improving and the state of life, environmentally, socially and economically is not sustainable but depressing. The research seeks to answer this question; what factors affect the sustainability of SANReMP projects in Mafeteng district? To answer this question, the perquisite steps would be to investigate the reasons why SANReMP funded agricultural projects collapsed after phase out, the perception of the beneficiaries after phase out, as well as examining the organizational structure of the project and farmer’s involvement, and to determine the problems and successes associated with the projects. To find the answer, quantitative method guided by sustainability approach was used through administration of questionnaires and use of secondary data such as quarterly reports. The target population was beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries from where SANReMP projects were implemented. The research findings were that major objectives of the donors were met but their impact did not last longer after donors withdrawal support hence the projects cannot be said to be sustainable, alternatively they collapsed. Among the recommendations made, the donors must work on exit strategy that will ensure successfully sustainability. Ownership, participation and community empowerment must be emphasized to promote sustainable agricultural projects.

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John Karamunya

Dr.Oliver K A N D E L A Bulaya (PhD)

The aim of the study was based on, Factors and Solutions to Agricultural Project Sustainability in Zambia. The study was premised on three specific objectives namely: Challenges affecting project sustainability, establishing strategies contributing to overall project performance and to examine the role of strategic management in employee retention in view of Projects lack of capacity for sustainability beyond funding. However, this article is premised on one objective entitled challenges affecting project sustainability. The study was mixed research methodology and used survey design by way of collecting, analysing, and integrating data. Structured questionnaires with 20 questions were administered to respondents and a semi structured schedule was administered to participants in the Focus Group Discussion (FGDs). The analysis of the research findings showed that skill, qualification, and experience of managers are essential in project sustainability. Qualified managers should lead projects to inspire confidence and effectiveness of projects. Project sustainable goals must be established and communicated effectively to all employees to be part and parcel of the success. The findings established that sole dependence on project cooperating partners funding has long term challenges. Therefore, this study concluded that having multiple sources of funding to support various programs was pertinent to the security and organizational sustainability. This study recommended that Agricultural projects should collaborate with Profit Organizations such as the seed, fertilizer, and chemical and equipment companies to seek support financially or materially and ride on these NGOs to market themselves. Based on these results the researcher formulated a specialized Agricultural Project Income Generation and Diversification model that could help the sustainability of Agricultural funded projects. Besides, the Researcher recommended a replication of this study in other settings to give a wider perspective of the findings.

International Journal of Academics & Research, IJARKE Journals

Sustainability of Donor funded projects has become critical in the management of projects by the community due to institutional factors characteristics. The purpose of this study was to determine how community participation influences sustainability on donor funded Dairy project in Siyoi ward, West Pokot County, Kenya. The study was anchored on outcomes and systems theory. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design with a target population of 330 and sample size of 180 was determined by applying the Yamane formula. The stratified sampling method was used to select the respondents. Questionnaires and interviews guides were used as tools of data collection. A pilot study was conducted to pretest the instruments for validity and reliability. The SPSS version 22 software was used to analyze the data from questionnaires while thematic analysis was used to analyze the qualitative data. In the findings, 83.9% of the respondents stated that managerial capacity largely influenced sustainability of DFDP. Further, community participation were statistically significant as the p-value, 0.000 was less than the 0.05 level of significant. There was an association of 0.977 of community participation on sustainability of DFDP. Following the above findings, the study recommends that community participation in project management be enhanced through training by the County Government Agricultural Extension Officers.

Agriculture & Food Security

DINAH WAHKUG NU 0 7 0 7 1 4 6 8 6 8 NALAAKA

Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences

Costa Hofisi

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MEMP PhD Thesis Defense (1:30pm): Jennifer Dawkins

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MIT E25-119/121 45 Carleton Street, Cambridge, MA 02142 and Zoom (See below for full information)

Computational prediction of health status from the human gut microbiome and metabolome

A healthy gut microbiome is crucial to overall human well-being. Gut microbiome dysfunction, or dysbiosis, has been implicated in a broad range of diseases, including inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), cardiovascular diseases, kidney diseases, metabolic diseases, and gastrointestinal infections like  Clostridioides difficile  infection (CDI). Often, microbiome-linked illnesses arise after the microbiome is disrupted, such as by antibiotic treatment. However, because the microbiome is so diverse and individual-specific, very little is known about the specific microbial changes that may lead to it human disease. Thus, it is extremely difficult to predict whether a given disruption to the microbiome will result in disease. 

Of the diseases linked to gut microbial disfunction, dysbiosis is perhaps most prominently linked to CDI. As the most common health-care associate infection, CDI is thought to occur when an individual has had both exposure to the  C. difficile  pathogen and gut dysbiosis caused by a past perturbation, such as antibiotic treatment. Infection recurrence, with an estimated rate of 15.5%, is a particularly insidious problem, and there is currently no reliable method to predict which individuals will recur. There is a need for early prediction of CDI after a perturbation, as this can allow physicians to start or restart more effective treatments immediately and prevent further sickness and risk of death.

Current research into the microbiome and microbiome dysbiosis, including CDI, focuses heavily on identifying the microbial taxonomic composition using next generation sequencing. However, there is growing evidence that the gut metabolome may provide crucial information that cannot be gained from microbial composition alone, as metabolites provide the means by which host cells and microbe cells communicate with each-other. Predictive analysis is especially useful for uncovering links between metabolic or microbial composition features and host disease state as it models all input covariates simultaneously. However, current predictive methods often fall short when applied to the microbiome, as simpler methods lack the capabilities to model this complex system, whereas highly non-linear “black box” methods lack interpretability. When predicting from biological or medical data with the goals of clinical utility and advancement of scientific knowledge, a model that can explain its decisions is crucial for increasing physician trust and uncovering avenues for future investigation. There is a need for interpretable computational models that can learn non-linear relationships between host outcome and paired microbial composition and metabolomic profiles.

This thesis addresses these two challenges. First, we present the analysis of a novel longitudinal study of CDI recurrence in patients, including predictive analyses, which demonstrate that a small set of metabolites can accurately predict future recurrence. Our findings have clinical utility in the development of diagnostic tests and treatments that could ultimately short-circuit the cycle of CDI recurrence. Secondly, we present a novel predictive model developed specifically for making interpretable predictions on paired microbial composition and untargeted metabolic profiles. We demonstrate our model’s ability to predict a variety of host disease states accurately while providing clear and biologically compelling explanations of its decisions, thereby demonstrating high clinical and scientific utility.

Thesis Supervisor: Georg K. Gerber, MD, PhD Associate Professor of Pathology, HMS; Member of the Faculty, Harvard-MIT Program in Health Sciences and Technology

Thesis Committee Chair: Emery Brown, MD, PhD Warren M. Zapol Professor of Anesthesia, HMS, MGH; Edward Hood Taplin Professor of Medical Engineering and of Computational Neuroscience, MIT 

Thesis Readers: Eric Alm, PhD Professor of Biological Engineering, MIT

Emily Balskus, PhD Thomas Dudley Cabot Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, HU; Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Zoom invitation –  Jennifer Dawkins is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Jennifer Dawkins MEMP PhD Thesis Defense Time: Tuesday, April 30, 2024, 1:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

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London foreign study program mini conference, posted on april 24, 2024 by the history department.

In March 2024, the Fall 2023 History London FSP students presented their term-long archival research projects at the inaugural History FSP Mini Conference. 

Students presenting at the FSP Mini-Conference March 30, 2024

History Fall 2023 London Foreign Study Program: Mini-Conference

On Saturday, March 30, 2024, History students presented their thesis topics derived from archival research conducted while on History's London Foreign Study Program (FSP) in Fall 2023. Directed by Prof. Cecilia Gaposchkin, the inaugural mini-conference panel was created to share the valuable research produced by History students within the cohort. 

With the guidance of Prof. Gaposchkin, students presented their studies and recapped their experiences writing history while abroad, in four panels:

"19th Century Social Progress (or not)" with Prof. Gaposchkin, "Case Studies: History and the Individual" with Prof. Butler, "War and Society" with Prof. Bonner and "Sports and Society, Society and Outing" with Prof. Lu.

All topics and panels:

Panel 1.  19TH CENTURY SOCIAL PROGRESS (OR NOT) Chair: Professor Cecilia Gaposchkin

Jadyn Malone: Birthing Narratives: Unveiling the Realities and Resilience of Lower-Class Women in Nineteenth-Century London.

Evelyn Piech: The Personal Versus the Public: Mourning Culture and Writing in the Nineteenth Century.

Kayla Entwistle: The 'Model Prison' Madhouse:  An Exploration of What Maniacal Symptoms Warranted Convict Removal from Pentonville Prison to Bethlem Royal Hospital in the 1840s.

Olivia Becker: Quandaries of Coordinated Abolition: The Relationship Between the Anti-Corn Law League and the British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society, 1838-1850.

Panel 2 CASE STUDIES: HISTORY AND THE INDIVIDUAL Chair: Professor Leslie Butler

Alexandra (Nohi) Perry: Ka Makana: The Diplomacy of Gift Giving Between the Hawaiian and British Monarchy.

Spencer Mancuso: Lord Manan's Path to Public Discussion of War-Time Trauma. 

Samuel Beutner: Sir Joseph Banks: "Great Panjandrum of British Science," and Overlooked Contributor to Modern Scientific Practice.  

Panel 3 WAR AND SOCIETY Chair: Professor Robert Bonner

Michelle Mule: Anglo-Saxon Villains and Danish Heroes: John Lydgate's The Lives of Saints Edmund and Fremund and the Late Medieval Conception of Viking Age Invasion.

Thomas Corrado: Earl and Espionage: Exploring Robert Harley's Relationship with Espionage and Propaganda vis-à-vis Daniel Defoe Before, During, and After the 1707 Acts of Union. 

Rachel Kahng: The Reoccupation of Hong Kong: An examination of the approaches and attitudes of the British military administration.

Samuel Orientale: The Falklands War: Post-Traumatic Effects of British Imperial Memory.

Panel 4 SPORT AND SOCIETY; SOCIETY AND OUTING Chair: Professor Louis Lu

Carter Ley: Victorian Social Climbers: How the Enlightenment and Romanticism Motivated London's Highest Society at the Dawn of Alpinism.

Luis Lutfi: Championing Victorian Sports: The Educational Influence of Public School Student Participation.

Matt Koff: '"Tell the Truth": The Ethics, Aftermath, and Efficacy of OutRage!'s 1994 'Outing' of the Anglican Church"

Abubakar Aliyu - Thesis Defense

Recording Tectonostratigraphic Complexity and Fault Damage Zones in the Cañon City Embayment, Colorado.

Abubakar Aliyu, candidate for the master degree in Geology will defend on Tuesday, April 30 th at 9 am. The defense will be held in room 142. The title is " Recording Tectonostratigraphic Complexity and Fault Damage Zones in the Cañon City Embayment, Colorado." The thesis can be reviewed in the conference room.

Committee Members :

Dr. Christian Klimczak (major advisor)

Dr. Douglas Crowe

Dr. Kelsey Crane

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