thesis title for science major

The Savvy Scientist

Experiences of a London PhD student and beyond

Thesis Title: Examples and Suggestions from a PhD Grad

When you’re faced with writing up a thesis, choosing a title can often fall to the bottom of the priority list. After all, it’s only a few words. How hard can it be?!

In the grand scheme of things I agree that picking your thesis title shouldn’t warrant that much thought, however my own choice is one of the few regrets I have from my PhD . I therefore think there is value in spending some time considering the options available.

In this post I’ll guide you through how to write your own thesis title and share real-world examples. Although my focus is on the PhD thesis, I’ve also included plenty of thesis title examples for bachelor’s and master’s research projects too.

Hopefully by the end of the post you’ll feel ready to start crafting your own!

Why your thesis title is at least somewhat important

It sounds obvious but your thesis title is the first, and often only, interaction people will have with your thesis. For instance, hiring managers for jobs that you may wish to apply for in the future. Therefore you want to give a good sense of what your research involved from the title.

Many people will list the title of their thesis on their CV, at least for a while after graduating. All of the example titles I’ve shared below came from my repository of academic CVs . I’d say roughly 30% of all the academics on that page list their thesis title, which includes academics all the way up to full professor.

Your thesis title could therefore feature on your CV for your whole career, so it is probably worth a bit of thought!

My suggestions for choosing a good thesis title

• Make it descriptive of the research so it’s immediately obvious what it is about! Most universities will publish student theses online ( here’s mine! ) and they’re indexed so can be found via Google Scholar etc. Therefore give your thesis a descriptive title so that interested researchers can find it in the future.
• Don’t get lost in the detail . You want a descriptive title but avoid overly lengthy descriptions of experiments. Unless a certain analytical technique etc was central to your research, I’d suggest by default* to avoid having it in your title. Including certain techniques will make your title, and therefore research, look overly dated, which isn’t ideal for potential job applications after you graduate.
• The title should tie together the chapters of your thesis. A well-phrased title can do a good job of summarising the overall story of your thesis. Think about each of your research chapters and ensure that the title makes sense for each of them.
• Be strategic . Certain parts of your work you want to emphasise? Consider making them more prominent in your title. For instance, if you know you want to pivot to a slightly different research area or career path after your PhD, there may be alternative phrasings which describe your work just as well but could be better understood by those in the field you’re moving into. I utilised this a bit in my own title which we’ll come onto shortly.
• Do your own thing. Having just laid out some suggestions, do make sure you’re personally happy with the title. You get a lot of freedom to choose your title, so use it however you fancy. For example, I’ve known people to use puns in their title, so if that’s what you’re into don’t feel overly constrained.

*This doesn’t always hold true and certainly don’t take my advice if 1) listing something in your title could be a strategic move 2) you love the technique so much that you’re desperate to include it!

Thesis title examples

To help give you some ideas, here are some example thesis titles from Bachelors, Masters and PhD graduates. These all came from the academic CVs listed in my repository here .

Bachelor’s thesis title examples

Hysteresis and Avalanches Paul Jager , 2014 – Medical Imaging – DKFZ Head of ML Research Group –  direct link to Paul’s machine learning academic CV

The bioenergetics of a marine ciliate, Mesodinium rubrum Holly Moeller , 2008 – Ecology & Marine Biology – UC Santa Barbara Assistant Professor –  direct link to Holly’s marine biology academic CV

Functional syntactic analysis of prepositional and causal constructions for a grammatical parser of Russian Ekaterina Kochmar , 2008 – Computer Science – University of Bath Lecturer Assistant Prof –  direct link to Ekaterina’s computer science academic CV

Master’s thesis title examples

Creation of an autonomous impulse response measurement system for rooms and transducers with different methods Guy-Bart Stan , 2000 – Bioengineering – Imperial Professor –  direct link to Guy-Bart’s bioengineering academic CV

Segmentation of Nerve Bundles and Ganglia in Spine MRI using Particle Filters Adrian Vasile Dalca , 2012 – Machine Learning for healthcare – Harvard Assistant Professor & MIT Research Scientist –  direct link to Adrian’s machine learning academic CV

The detection of oil under ice by remote mode conversion of ultrasound Eric Yeatman , 1986 – Electronics – Imperial Professor and Head of Department –  direct link to Eric’s electronics academic CV

Ensemble-Based Learning for Morphological Analysis of German Ekaterina Kochmar , 2010 – Computer Science – University of Bath Lecturer Assistant Prof –  direct link to Ekaterina’s computer science academic CV

VARiD: A Variation Detection Framework for Color-Space and Letter-Space Platforms Adrian Vasile Dalca , 2010 – Machine Learning for healthcare – Harvard Assistant Professor & MIT Research Scientist –  direct link to Adrian’s machine learning academic CV

Identification of a Writer’s Native Language by Error Analysis Ekaterina Kochmar , 2011 – Computer Science – University of Bath Lecturer Assistant Prof –  direct link to Ekaterina’s computer science academic CV

On the economic optimality of marine reserves when fishing damages habitat Holly Moeller , 2010 – Ecology & Marine Biology – UC Santa Barbara Assistant Professor –  direct link to Holly’s marine biology academic CV

Sensitivity Studies for the Time-Dependent CP Violation Measurement in B 0 → K S K S K S at the Belle II-Experiment Paul Jager , 2016 – Medical Imaging – DKFZ Head of ML Research Group –  direct link to Paul’s machine learning academic CV

PhD thesis title examples

Spatio-temporal analysis of three-dimensional real-time ultrasound for quantification of ventricular function Esla Angelini  – Medicine – Imperial Senior Data Scientist –  direct link to Elsa’s medicine academic CV

The role and maintenance of diversity in a multi-partner mutualism: Trees and Ectomycorrhizal Fungi Holly Moeller , 2015 – Ecology & Marine Biology – UC Santa Barbara Assistant Professor –  direct link to Holly’s marine biology academic CV

Bayesian Gaussian processes for sequential prediction, optimisation and quadrature Michael Osborne , 2010 – Machine Learning – Oxford Full Professor –  direct link to Michael’s machine learning academic CV

Global analysis and synthesis of oscillations: a dissipativity approach Guy-Bart Stan , 2005 – Bioengineering – Imperial Professor –  direct link to Guy-Bart’s bioengineering academic CV

Coarse-grained modelling of DNA and DNA self-assembly Thomas Ouldridge , 2011– Bioengineering – Imperial College London Senior Lecturer / Associate Prof –  direct link to Thomas’ bioengineering academic CV

4D tomographic image reconstruction and parametric maps estimation: a model-based strategy for algorithm design using Bayesian inference in Probabilistic Graphical Models (PGM) Michele Scipioni , 2018– Biomedical Engineer – Harvard Postdoctoral Research Fellow –  direct link to Michele’s biomedical engineer academic CV

Error Detection in Content Word Combinations Ekaterina Kochmar , 2016 – Computer Science – University of Bath Lecturer Assistant Prof –  direct link to Ekaterina’s computer science academic CV

Genetic, Clinical and Population Priors for Brain Images Adrian Vasile Dalca , 2016 – Machine Learning for healthcare – Harvard Assistant Professor & MIT Research Scientist –  direct link to Adrian’s machine learning academic CV

Challenges and Opportunities of End-to-End Learning in Medical Image Classification Paul Jager , 2020 – Medical Imaging – DKFZ Head of ML Research Group –  direct link to Paul’s machine learning academic CV

K 2 NiF 4  materials as cathodes for intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells Ainara Aguadero , 2006 – Materials Science – Imperial Reader –  direct link to Ainara’s materials science academic CV

Applications of surface plasmons – microscopy and spatial light modulation Eric Yeatman , 1989 – Electronics – Imperial Professor and Head of Department –  direct link to Eric’s electronics academic CV

Geometric Algorithms for Objects in Motion Sorelle Friedler , 2010 – Computer science – Haverford College Associate Professor –  direct link to Sorelle’s computer science academic CV .

Geometrical models, constraints design, information extraction for pathological and healthy medical image Esla Angelini  – Medicine – Imperial Senior Data Scientist –  direct link to Elsa’s medicine academic CV

Why I regret my own choice of PhD thesis title

I should say from the outset that I assembled my thesis in quite a short space of time compared to most people. So I didn’t really spend particularly long on any one section, including the title.

However, my main supervisor even spelled out for me that once the title was submitted to the university it would be permanent. In other words: think wisely about your title.

What I started with

Initially I drafted the title as something like: Three dimensional correlative imaging for cartilage regeneration . Which I thought was nice, catchy and descriptive.

I decided to go for “correlative imaging” because, not only did it describe the experiments well, but it also sounded kind of technical and fitting of a potential pivot into AI. I’m pleased with that bit of the title.

What I ended up with

Before submitting the title to the university (required ahead of the viva), I asked my supervisors for their thoughts.

One of my well intentioned supervisors suggested that, given that my project didn’t involve verifying regenerative quality, I probably shouldn’t state cartilage regeneration . Instead, they suggested, I should state what I was experimenting on (the materials) rather than the overall goal of the research (aid cartilage regeneration efforts).

With this advice I dialled back my choice of wording and the thesis title I went with was:

Three dimensional correlative imaging for measurement of strain in cartilage and cartilage replacement materials

Reading it back now I’m reminder about how less I like it than my initial idea!

I put up basically no resistance to the supervisor’s choice, even though the title sounds so much more boring in my opinion. I just didn’t think much of it at the time. Furthermore, most of my PhD was actually in a technique which is four dimensional (looking at a series of 3D scans over time, hence 4D) which would have sounded way more sciency and fitting of a PhD.

What I wish I’d gone with

If I had the choice again, I’d have gone with:

Four-dimensional correlative imaging for cartilage regeneration

Which, would you believe it, is exactly what it states on my CV…

Does the thesis title really matter?

In all honesty, your choice of thesis title isn’t that important. If you come to regret it, as I do, it’s not the end of the world. There are much more important things in life to worry about.

If you decide at a later stage that you don’t like it you can always describe it in a way that you prefer. For instance, in my CV I describe my PhD as I’d have liked the title to be. I make no claim that it’s actually the title so consider it a bit of creative license.

Given that as your career progresses you may not even refer back to your thesis much, it’s really not worth stressing over. However, if you’re yet to finalise your thesis title I do still think it is worth a bit of thought and hopefully this article has provided some insights into how to choose a good thesis title.

My advice for developing a thesis title

• Draft the title early. Drafting it early can help give clarity for the overall message of your research. For instance, while you’re assembling the rest of your thesis you can check that the title encompasses the research chapters you’re included, and likewise that the research experiments you’re including fall within what the title describes. Drafting it early also gives more time you to think it over. As with everything: having a first draft is really important to iterate on.
• Look at some example titles . Such as those featured above!
• If you’re not sure about your title, ask a few other people what they think . But remember that you have the final say!

I hope this post has been useful for those of you are finalising your thesis and need to decide on a thesis title. If you’ve enjoyed this article and would like to hear about future content (and gain access to my free resource library!) you can subscribe for free here:

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80+ Science Research Paper Topics Ideas For Students

Essay writing or writing dissertation is an integral part of education at any level, middle school, high school, or college. Some of the most common essays are on science research topics, and they are also quite interesting. However, choosing research paper topics isn’t as straightforward as you’d like. You’ll need to carry out a survey on and draw inspiration from several scientific research topics before finally choosing one. Choosing science topics, especially if they are argumentative essay topics , to write about can be a frustrating task, especially when science is a pretty wide subject. If you need inspiration on interesting science topics, we’ll give you some science research paper ideas. But, first, let’s talk about how to choose the best science research paper topics – it makes things easier.

What Are Some Science Topics You Can Write About?

Interesting science research topics, ideas of science research topics for high school students, science research topics for college students, science research topics for middle school, scientific research question examples, science presentation ideas, cool science topics to research, ideas of scientific topics for research on nanotechnology, fascinating ideas for science research projects, interesting science topics for high school research papers, tips for choosing science research topics.

Being a very broad subject, students often find choosing a science topic for a research paper difficult. However, the secret is knowing what scientific research questions will make for a good paper, and what people will want to read. So, when choosing science topics for papers, here are tips you can follow to make the task easier.

• Choose cool science topics you’re interested in and that’ll interest your readers.
• Search online for research question examples science for ideas on what your paper should be about.
• Avoid choosing too-broad research topics for high school, to ensure your work is well detailed.
• Consider contemporary scientific research questions concerning recent happenings; they can be fun to write
• Read your notes and online academic papers for inspiration on good science research paper topics.
• Choose simple but highly informative research topics for high school students.
• Choose good science topics you have some knowledge of and can confidently talk about.
• Learn how to choose science topics for high school to make things easier.
• Be familiar with the dos and don’ts of choosing scientific research paper topics.
• Choose a scientific topic for research papers that has enough accessible information.

The Dos and Don’ts of Choosing Science Topics

Knowing the dos and don’ts of choosing a science title helps you select a good topic and ultimately write an outstanding paper. So, when searching for science topics for presentations,

• Do understand that there are different topics in science you can research on;
• Do read extensively for science research paper ideas; it helps you know what to write about;
• Don’t include words like “Research of” or “Study of” in your chosen science topics to research;
• Don’t choose high school science research paper topics with scanty or inaccessible information available;
• Do check online for interesting science research ideas on how to write your paper;
• Feel free to ask your instructor, colleagues, or seniors for scientific research ideas.

When searching for interesting science topics or social media research topics related to science to writing on, you will find different ones on different subjects, which can be confusing. You can follow the tips we listed for choosing science-related topics for a research paper. Meanwhile, here are some science paper topics you can use if none is forthcoming.

• Is there a move for the Covid-19 vaccine?
• What “flattening the curve” means
• Molecular evidence of humans interbreeding with Neanderthals
• Impact of cardio exercise on heart health
• The importance of exploring the solar system
• Can a comet strike the earth?
• The Hubble Space Telescope
• Top ten chemistry careers
• Acid rain effect aquatic plants’ growth
• Room color and human behavior
• How can plants grow in pots?
• Water’s surface tension weight capacity
• What does the paleo diet mean?
• Is Pluto still a planet?
• The future of commercial space flight
• Do you inherit fingerprint patterns?
• Ways in which handwashing prevents the spread of the Covid-19 virus
• Molecular biological research on rare genetic disorders impact on understanding cancer
• Do men pass on genetic abnormalities to their posterity as they age?
• How can men’s exercise affect the traits they pass on to their children?
• Is there really life on Mars; has there ever been?
• Ways of solving the problem of junk space
• The importance of Dark Matter
• Black holes
• Different ways to keep ice from defrosting
• Are pet hairs harmful to the human body?
• Some of the germs you’ve seen in your school
• The effect of music on your assimilation ability
• The types of food dogs prefer the best
• Good hygienic practices for keeping clean
• Foods that develop molds the fastest
• How different body parts aid the effective functioning of the system
• Do worms in the soil really affect plant growth and how?
• Can light brightness make plants grow well?
• What kinds of fertilizers work best, chemical or natural?
• Can mice (or any animal of your choice) learn?
• How can age affect the human reaction?
• Why does water boil faster when put in salt?
• Can food affect the heart, how?
• Can background noise interfere with learning and assimilation?
• Can Higgs Boson destroy the universe?
• Effects of sunspots on man
• Should humans live in space?
• The most important technological innovations in medicinal chemistry in recent years
• The danger of chemicals emitted from pharmaceutical companies
• The importance of big data and bioinformatics to chemical research
• The sugar chemistry behind making candy
• Biomacromolecules
• Trends in India’s medicinal chemistry research
• Nuclear fusion
• Reproduction in mammals
• How do fish mate?
• How useful are science museums in teaching science?
• Why do birds have beautiful feathers?
• The safety of offshore drilling
• The importance of climate change legislation
• Hydraulic fracking’s negative effects
• Uses of microelectronics
• Nanotechnology in medicine
• Nanotechnology for cancer treatment
• Can nanofibers repair brain injuries?
• Effect of nanomedicine on human lifespan
• Nanomaterial
• How nanotechnology helps in patient diagnosis
• How to reduce antibiotic use in agriculture
• The ethics of stem cell research
• The best leukemia treatment
• Gene therapy
• Causes of skin cancer
• Colonoscopy testing on colon cancer
• Why eliminating malaria is difficult
• The possibility of predicting the next pandemic
• Do childhood vaccines prevent diseases?
• How cells shield the body against diseases
• Should wild animals interact with humans?
• Are self-driving cars good?
• Regulating sugar use
• Different types of headaches
• Can migraine cause death?
• The ideal weight for living long

Feel free to choose from this scientific research topics list for your science research paper. There are many things to research where science is concerned, including stem research topics , among others. There is no shortage of scientific topics to research and choosing the best one gets easy when you know how to. If you’ve chosen a topic and you need help writing on them, you can contact our professional writing service. We have a team of experts who can write on any science topic and ensure you meet your deadline.

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Science Education Master's Theses

Theses/dissertations from 2023 2023.

Assessment of students' mathematical ideas in decoding-representing-processing-implementing problem-solving process , John Lemer G. Bravo

The effects of strategic intervention material with Edpuzzle-hosted Video Lesson (EdSIM) as a remediation tool for Grade 9 students in solving problems involving triangle similarity and right triangles , Kim Gabrielle Marin Del Puerto

Analyzing the cognitive academic mathematical communication in an online distance learning for grade 11 , Mary Joyce N. Italia

Ethnomathematical practices in tahiti farming: Integration for a localized and authentic mathematics curriculum , Wrendell Coralde Juntilla

Promoting classroom dialogue through the use of teacher scheme for educational dialogue analysis (T-SEDA) , Aubrey D. Macaspac

Characterizing stem students’ engagement in model-making through the lens of Epistemologies in Practice (EIP) , Shermaine Baylon Pingol

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

Problem-posing as an instructional strategy to improve engagement in a flexible learning environment , Randy Apolinario

Virtual simulation and home-based manipulatives: Improving the practice of physics teaching , Anna Carmela B. Bonifacio

The effects of bar model in the students' performance in solving word problems involving fractions , Jireh Anne G. Cancio

Design and implementation of performance-based assessment with metacognitive prompts in mathematics , Pamela Mae Y. Cerrado

Using metacognitive e-modules on cell cycle: Exploring students' conception and self-efficacy , Joyce Ann R. Dacumos

Historical vignettes: An approach to bring back students interest in science , Kristine Joyce G. dela Cruz

The use of model method in the improvement of students' performance in solving problems involving linear equations , Carlos R. Doria

Enhancing student learning in cell cycle using interactive and reflexive E-modules , Ana Marie A. Dungca

Students’ practical flexibility and potential flexibility in performing operations involving fractions , Joy Camille M. Faustino

Supplementing printed modular distance learning with teacher-made video-based learning materials in algebra , Richelle Ann C. Mangulabnan

Implementation of collaborative learning in an online mathematics class , Romyna Fortuna G. Mapile

Investigating students' proving process in geometry through the commognitive theory , Shawn Dale C. Mendoza

Efficacy of differentiated instruction on photosynthesis and cellular respiration using google classroom , Monique Soriano Molina

Enhancing the teaching of astronomy by integrating online interactive historical video vignettes , Sherwin D. Movilla

Enhancing students' conceptual understanding and engagement in learning genetics through mobile-friendly interactive multimedia learning module , Areeya Amor Dequillo Ongoco

Empowering feedback through communication channels to strengthen conceptual learning during modular distance learning , Nathalie Gaile R. Pantoja

Students' conceptual and procedural understanding of conic sections through online guided discovery learning , Rejean Mosuela Papa

A proposed environmental management model of Chemistry laboratory: From procedure awareness and laboratory practices to extent of conformance to environmental management system , Joysol B. Tamio

Discovering Grade 9 students' metacognition in mathematical problem solving: A case study , Jingye Zhan

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

Development and validation of a nature of science-based online course in evolution by natural selection , Kenneth Ian Talosig Batac

Photovoice and photo-elicitation: Engaging participatory assessment on chemical reactions and equations towards multifaceted conception , Rick Jasper A. Carvajal

Enhancing conceptual understanding and environmental literacy using online learning modules on ecological systems , Geminna Wel C. del Rosario

Validation and reliability of Filipino Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey (CLASS) , Mikka Angela A. Elviña

Improving students' concepts and confidence level in learning photosynthesis through 3-minute micro-lectures , Leonardo M. Francisco Jr.

Investigating mathematics teachers' perceived design thinking mindset and related factors , Melinda A. Gagaza

Math teachers' implementation of 5E instructional design in online distance learning: A case study , Abigail H. Gaon

Second generation of didactical Engineering: Development of an ethnogeometric teaching resource based on the Kalinga tribe's material culture , Julius Ceasar Hortelano

Students’ mathematics motivation and learning strategies towards academic performance , Angelyn Taberna Natividad

Assessing students' learning competencies and socio-emotional learning skills during online distance learning , Alicia Jane F.. Peras

Implementation and evaluation of home-based virtual learning program (HVLP) in teaching ecosystems , Jojo L. Potenciano

Design, implementation, and evaluation of an asynchronous learning module on symbolic logic for college deaf students , John Joseph E. Rivera

Using expressive writing tasks in reducing students' learning anxieties in an online chemistry class , Angelo Saja

The use of gamified differentiated homework in teaching General Chemistry 1 , Edelito G. Villamor

Basic arithmetic skills intervention for classes (B.A.S.I.C.): Towards improved arithmetic skills for junior high school mathematics , Kenneth Alex R. Villanueva

An investigation of students' van Hiele levels of geometric thinking based on Chinese Mathematics curriculum , Yu Zhang

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

Fast feedback methods in G7 physics: Effects on conceptual mastery and intrinsic motivation , Karen R. Alcantara

Representational consistency, normalized gain and scientific reasoning among grade-11 students in physics , John Ray Stephen P. Arcillas

Interactive strategic intervention material (iSIM) in teaching chemistry for senior high school students-at-risk (STAR) , Enrique V. Austria

Grade 8 students’ level of conceptual change through the use of virtual and physical manipulation , Jesserene Prodigalidad Bantolo

Instilling citizenship science skills using project-based learning+1 pedagogy module among grade 9 learners , Stephen C. Capilitan

Technology-enhanced explicit vocabulary instruction in teaching biology: Improving scientific discourse and performance , Abigail A. Eval

Effects of block scheduling on grade 12 STEM students’ academic performance in general physics 1 , Marjorie A. Nariz

Effects of multiple representation in student’s metacognitive awareness and conceptual understanding in physical science: Mechanics , Mark Joseph F. Orillo

Teaching bioenergetics through guided experience approach and mobile devices: Towards meaningful learning , Rodel S. Pendergat

Physics Olympics: An innovative platform of performance tasks to enhance students’ motivation and learning , Fredyrose Ivan L. Pinar

Interactive engagement in rotational motion via flipped classroom and 5E instructional model , Jhoanne E. Rafon

Technology-integrated and brain-friendly teaching of biology: Effects on students' motivation, engagement, retention and understanding , Lourence E. Retone

Addressing learner errors through the S.E.R.O. model wrong answer note system , Ronald Christopher S. Reyes

Addressing the alternative conception of senior high school students in chemical kinetics , Marc Lancer J. Santos

The effectiveness of wait-time and inquiry-based learning in teaching evolution in grade 10 science , Allyza Mae R. Seraspi

Theses/Dissertations from 2018 2018

The effectiveness of using the 7E learning cycle model in grade 10 students' mathematics performance and motivation , Joan Marie T. Alegario

Integration of gamification in teaching grade 10 physics: Its effect on students motivation and performance , Hazel H. Arabeta

The effect of comic-based learning module in mechanics on students' understanding, motivation and attitude towards learning physics , Jeah May O. Badeo

Effects of historical physics vignettes on student's understanding on the nature of science and epistemological beliefs toward learning physics , Marc Vener C. Del Carmen

Improving students' performance, motivation, and learning attitude through influence-embedded physics instruction , Domarth Ace G. Duque

The effects of instructional scaffolding in students conceptual understanding, proving skills, attitudes and perceptions towards direct proofs of integers , Audric Curtis Pe Dy

The efficacy of creative play approach in teaching modern physics , Martin Antonio V. Frias

Using deep learning approach (DLA) in teaching gas laws , May Anne T. Lacse

Exploring senior high school STEM students' critical thinking skills and metacognitive functions in solving non-routine mathematical problems , Meriam J. Lepasana

Use of socio-scientific issues-based module in teaching biodiversity , Camille S. Mandapat

Development and validation of pre-assessment tools in grade 7 physics , Edwin A. Rieza Jr.

Learning molecular genetics in a metacognitive-oriented environment , Richard Deanne C. Sagun

Integration of historical chemistry vignettes on students' understanding of the nature of science , Jan B. Sarmiento

Theses/Dissertations from 2017 2017

Investigating the effect of gamifying a physics course to student motivation, engagement and performance , Coleen M. Amado

Scientific reasoning across grades 7-11 in the K-12 curriculum , Isalyn F. Camungol

Describing students' problem-solving in differential calculus through metacognition and attitude in mathematics , Joanne R. Casanova

Teachers implementation of the new grade 7 mathematics curriculum in selected schools: Opportunities for improvement , Anthony C. Castro

Comparative study of students performance in Newtonian physics , Jhoanne Catindig

The impact of the station rotation model in grade 11 STEM students' learning: A blended learning approach to teaching trigonometric functions , Carlo R. Dela Cruz

Use of guided inquiry with interactive simulations to enhance students conceptual understanding and attitude towards learning forces, motion and mechanical energy , Ma. Kristine L. Estipular

Metacognitive awareness and conceptual understanding in flipped physics classroom , Jaypee M. Limueco

The ultimate chemistry experience: A gamified learning system to improve student motivation and learning , Ronadane Narido Liwanag

The impact of a metacognitive intervention using I.M.P.R.O.V.E. model on grade 7 students' metacognitive awareness and mathematics achievement , Napoleon A. Montero III

Use of statistical investigation in assessing student's understanding and performance statistics , Jessica T. Obrial

Assessing the electric circuits conceptions of technical vocational education students , Jasmin Elena Boñon Orolfo

Gamified physics instruction in a reformatory classroom context , Analyn N. Tolentino

The implementation of the mother tongue-based multilingual education policy in mathematics education , Katherine Therese S. Tungul

Effect of vocabulary learning strategies on word and concept retention among different learning styles , Roxanne Diane R. Uy

Theses/Dissertations from 2016 2016

Gamification: Enhancing students' motivation and performance in grade 10 physics , Ma. Krisitina B. Dela Cruz

The effectiveness of using the 7E learning cycle model in the learning achievement of the grade 8 learners with different science views , Theresann T. Hernandez

The development and validation of Grade Eight physics test in the K-12 science curriculum , Arnel A. Lorenzana

The laboratory performance, anxiety level, and perceptions of Grade-8 students at Tanza National Trade School toward a guided inquiry physics experiment , Luzette Divina Oraa

Development and implementation of RME-based lessons on sinusoidal functions using geogebra , Maria Celeste R. Rellosa

Theses/Dissertations from 2015 2015

Assessing the mathematics performance of grade 8 students as basis for enhancing instruction and aligning with K to 12 competencies , Romee Nicker A. Capate

Mathematics teachers' perceived preparedness in the senior high school modelling program , Von Christopher G. Chua

An assessment of number sense among Grade 7 students of De La Salle University Integrated School , Perlita Torrente Padua

An investigation of the problem posing skills of selected college students in business mathematics , Geoffrey Reuel J. Pasague

Students' conceptions of forces: Similarities and differences among grade six and grade ten students , May R. Ronda

Effects of Geogebra on students' attitudes and achievement in learning quadratic functions, equations and inequalities , John Nico A. Urgena

Theses/Dissertations from 2014 2014

Behavior of gases: Describing students understanding pattern and experience variation through phenomenographic approach , Ranie G. Abia

Developing scientific reasoning skills using interactive applications , Genevieve Arizala Pillar

Students' understanding of stoichiometry using BPR holistic approach , Relen-Job M. Tolosa

Theses/Dissertations from 2013 2013

The Development of a Mechanics Science KIT and POGIL-Based laboratory manual for High School Physics , Michael A. Chiao

Students conceptual understanding, metacognitive awareness, and perceived academic self-efficacy in a POGIL-based lesson on organic reactions , Gabriel M. Mozo

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BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES MAJOR

Senior thesis examples.

Graduating seniors in Biological Sciences have the option of submitting a senior thesis for consideration for Honors and Research Prizes .  Below are some examples of particularly outstanding theses from recent years (pdf):

Sledd Thesis

Home > Centers > Center for Science Education > Dissertations and Theses

Center for Science Education Dissertations and Theses

Theses/dissertations from 2019 2019.

The Impact of Integrating Traditional Ecological Knowledge in Summer Camps on Middle School Students' Understanding of the Nature of Science , Sapoóq'is Wiíit'es Ciarra Solina Greene

Theses/Dissertations from 2018 2018

Computer-Based Instruction as a Form of Differentiated Instruction in a Traditional, Teacher-led, Low-Income, High School Biology Classroom , Cheryl Casey

Theses/Dissertations from 2017 2017

Analyzing the Online Environment: How are More Effective Teachers Spending Their Time? , Scott Davis Barrentine

Can a Three-Day Training Focusing on the Nature of Science and Science Practices as They Relate to Mind in the Making Make a Difference in Preschool Teachers' Self-Efficacy Engaging in Science Education? , Colleen Meacham

A Pilot Study on Methods to Introduce Teachers to New Science Standards , Noelle Frances Garcia Niedo

Using the Task Analysis Process with Teachers to Uncover Language Demands within an Eight-Week NGSS Summer Course , Leah Plack

How Does a Next Generation Science Standard Aligned, Inquiry Based, Science Unit Impact Student Achievement of Science Practices and Student Science Efficacy in an Elementary Classroom? , Kayla Lee Whittington

Theses/Dissertations from 2016 2016

Tryon Trekkers: An Evaluation of a STEM Based Afterschool Program for At-Risk Youth , Chessa Eckels Anderson

Learning Through Nature: A Study of a Next Generation Science Standards Based Teacher Workshop that Blends Outdoor Learning Experiences with Formal Science , Ashley Fanning

Connecting to Nature, Community, and Self: A Conservation Corps Approach to Re-engaging At-Risk Youth in Science Education , Sara Jo Linden

Growing STEM Education on the Playground: A Case Study of the Factors That Influence Teachers’ Use of School Gardens , Megan Poole

Creating a Learning Continuum: A Critical Look at the Intersection of Prior Knowledge, Outdoor Education, and Next Generation Science Standards Disciplinary Core Ideas and Practices , Trisha Leigh Schlobohm

Keeley Probes as a Tool for Uncovering Student Ideas: How Do Teachers Use Formative Assessment Probes to Plan and Adapt Instruction? , Kalin Tobler

The Effectiveness of Participation in a Project-based Learning Project on At-risk Student Self-Efficacy , Benjamin Aaron Weber

Origin and Use of Pedagogical Content Knowledge: A Case Study of Three Math Teachers and Their Students , Christopher Neal Wood

Theses/Dissertations from 2015 2015

Engineering a Healthier Watershed: Middle School Students Use Engineering Design to Lessen the Impact of Their Campus' Impervious Surfaces on Their Local Watershed , Elizabeth Claire Gardner

Isn’t Citizen Science a Hoot? A Case-study Exploring the Effectiveness of Citizen Science as an Instrument to Teach the Nature of Science through a Local Nocturnal Owl-Monitoring Project , Tess Marie Kreofsky

Focus on a STEM, Based in Place, Watershed Curriculum: A confluence of stormwater, humans, knowledge, attitudes, and skills , Lecia Molineux Schall

Theses/Dissertations from 2014 2014

Evaluation of a High School Science Fair Program for promoting Successful Inquiry-based Learning , Julia Nykeah Betts

The Power of Reflective Professional Development in Changing Elementary School Teachers' Instructional Practices , Carolina Christmann Cavedon

Using Art to Teach Students Science Outdoors: How Creative Science Instruction Influences Observation, Question Formation, and Involvement , Christina Schull Cone

"What Does This Graph Mean?" Formative Assessment With Science Inquiry to Improve Data Analysis , Andrea Dawn Leech

Associations between Input and Outcome Variables in an Online High School Bioinformatics Instructional Program , Douglas S. Lownsbery

Using Music-Related Concepts to Teach High School Math , Vytas Nagisetty

Project NANO: Will Allowing High School Students To Use Research Grade Scanning Electron Microscopes Increase Their Interest in Science? , Leslie TenEyck Smith

Effects of Ethnicity and Gender on Sixth-Grade Students' Environmental Knowledge and Attitudes After Participation in a Year-Long Environmental Education Program , Rachel Stagner

Integrating K-W-L Prompts into Science Journal Writing: Can Simple Question Scaffolding Increase Student Content Knowledge? , Brandon Joel Wagner

Theses/Dissertations from 2013 2013

An Investigation into Instructional Support for Data Analysis in High School Science Inquiry , Anika Rae Baker-Lawrence

Deoxyribonucleic Acid and Other Words Students Avoid Speaking Aloud: Evaluating the Role of Pronunciation on Participation in Secondary School Science Classroom Conversations , Stacie Elizabeth Beck

Increasing Evidence Based Reasoning in an 8th Grade Classroom Through Explicit Instruction , Erol Chandler

Lighting the Fire: How Peer-Mentoring Helps Adult Learners Increase Their Interest in STEM Careers: A Case Study at the Community College Level , Patricia Marie DeTurk

How Does Student Understanding of a Concept Change Throughout a Unit of Instruction? Support Toward the Theory of Learning Progressions , Brian Jay Dyer

Impact of Teacher Feedback on the Development of State Issued Scoring Guides for Science Inquiry and Engineering Design Performance Assessments , Timothy Paul Fiser

An Investigation into Teacher Support of Science Explanation in High School Science Inquiry Units , Rebecca Sue Hoffenberg

Science Journals in the Garden: Developing the Skill of Observation in Elementary Age Students , Karinsa Michelle Kelly

Thinking Aloud in the Science Classroom: Can a literacy strategy increase student learning in science? , Lindsey Joan Mockel

Patterns in Nature Forming Patterns in Minds : An Evaluation of an Introductory Physics Unit , Christopher Ryan Sheaffer

Grouped to Achieve: Are There Benefits to Assigning Students to Heterogeneous Cooperative Learning Groups Based on Pre-Test Scores? , Arman Karl Werth

Theses/Dissertations from 2012 2012

Sustainability Education as a Framework for Enhancing Environmental Stewardship in Young Leaders: An Intervention at Tryon Creek Nature Day Camp , Andrea Nicole Lawrence

Theses/Dissertations from 2011 2011

Do "Clickers" Improve Student Engagement and Learning in Secondary Schools? , Andrew James Mankowski

An Action Research Study to Determine the Feasibility of Using Concept Maps as Alternative Assessments by a Novice Teacher , Nancy Smith Mitchell

Using Brownfields to Think Green: Investigating Factors that Influence Community Decision-Making and Participation , Charissa Ruth Stair

Investigating Student Understanding of the Law of Conservation of Matter , Shirley Lynn Tremel

The Effect of Role Models on the Attitudes and Career Choices of Female Students Enrolled in High School Science , Stephanie Justine Van Raden

Improving Hypothesis Testing Skills: Evaluating a General Purpose Classroom Exercise with Biology Students in Grade 9. , Michael Gregg Wilder

Theses/Dissertations from 2010 2010

An Environment-based Education Approach to Professional Development: A Mixed Methods Analysis of the Creeks and Kids Watershed Workshop and Its Impact on K-12 Teachers , Tiffany Bridgette Austin

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Digital Commons @ USF > College of Arts and Sciences > Chemistry > Theses and Dissertations

Chemistry Theses and Dissertations

Theses/dissertations from 2023 2023.

aPKCs role in Neuroblastoma cell signaling cascades and Implications of aPKCs inhibitors as potential therapeutics , Sloan Breedy

Protein Folding Kinetics Analysis Using Fluorescence Spectroscopy , Dhanya Dhananjayan

Affordances and Limitations of Molecular Representations in General and Organic Chemistry , Ayesha Farheen

Institutional and Individual Approaches to Change in Undergraduate STEM Education: Two Framework Analyses , Stephanie B. Feola

Applications in Opioid Analysis with FAIMS Through Control of Vapor Phase Solvent Modifiers , Nathan Grimes

Synthesis, Characterization, and Separation of Loaded Liposomes for Drug Delivery , Sandra Khalife

Supramolecular Architectures Generated by Self-assembly of Guanosine and Isoguanosine Derivatives , Mengjia Liu

Syntheses, Photophysics, & Application of Porphyrinic Metal-Organic Frameworks , Zachary L. Magnuson

Integration of Algae and Biomass Processes to Synthesize Renewable Bioproducts for the Circular Economy , Jessica Martin

Chemical Analysis of Metabolites from Mangrove Endophytic Fungus , Sefat E Munjerin

Synthesis of Small Molecule Modulators of Non-Traditional Drug Targets , Jamie Nunziata

Conformational Dynamics and Free Energy Studies of DNA and Other Biomolecules , Paul B. Orndorff

Synthetic Studies of Potential New Ketogenic Molecules , Mohammad Nazmus Sakib

Coupling Chemical and Genomic Data of Marine Sediment-Associated Bacteria for Metabolite Profiling , Stephanie P. Suarez

Enhanced Methods in Forensic Mass Spectrometry for Targeted and Untargeted Drug Analysis , Dina M. Swanson

Investigation of Challenging Transformations in Gold Catalysis , Qi Tang

Diazirines and Oxaziridines as Nitrogen Transfer Reagents in Drug Discovery , Khalilia C. Tillett

Developing New Strategy toward Ruthenium and Gold Redox Catalysis , Chenhuan Wang

Gold-Catalyzed Diyne-ene Cyclization: Synthesis of Hetero Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons and 1,2-Dihydropyridines , Jingwen Wei

Development of Antiviral Peptidomimetics , Songyi Xue

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

Investigating a Potential STING Modulator , Jaret J. Crews

Exploring the Structure and Activity of Metallo-Tetracyclines , Shahedul Islam

Metabolomic Analysis, Identification and Antimicrobial Assay of Two Mangrove Endophytes , Stephen Thompson

Bioactivity of Suberitenones A and B , Jared G. Waters

Developing Efficient Transition Metal Catalyzed C-C & C-X Bond Construction , Chiyu Wei

Measurement in Chemistry, Mathematics, and Physics Education: Student Explanations of Organic Chemistry Reaction Mechanisms and Instructional Practices in Introductory Courses , Brandon J. Yik

Study on New Reactivity of Vinyl Gold and Its Sequential Transformations , Teng Yuan

Study on New Strategy toward Gold(I/III) Redox Catalysis , Shuyao Zhang

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

Design, Synthesis and Testing of Bioactive Peptidomimetics , Sami Abdulkadir

Synthesis of Small Molecules for the Treatment of Infectious Diseases , Elena Bray

Social Constructivism in Chemistry Peer Leaders and Organic Chemistry Students , Aaron M. Clark

Synthesizing Laccol Based Polymers/Copolymers and Polyurethanes; Characterization and Their Applications , Imalka Marasinghe Arachchilage

The Photophysical Studies of Transition Metal Polyimines Encapsulated in Metal Organic Frameworks (MOF’s) , Jacob M. Mayers

Light Harvesting in Photoactive Guest-Based Metal-Organic Frameworks , Christopher R. McKeithan

Using Quantitative Methods to Investigate Student Attitudes Toward Chemistry: Women of Color Deserve the Spotlight , Guizella A. Rocabado Delgadillo

Simulations of H2 Sorption in Metal-Organic Frameworks , Shanelle Suepaul

Parallel Computation of Feynman Path Integrals and Many-Body Polarization with Application to Metal-Organic Materials , Brant H. Tudor

The Development of Bioactive Peptidomimetics Based on γ-AApeptides , Minghui Wang

Investigation of Immobilized Enzymes in Confined Environment of Mesoporous Host Matrices , Xiaoliang Wang

Novel Synthetic Ketogenic Compounds , Michael Scott Williams

Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020

Biosynthetic Gene Clusters, Microbiomes, and Secondary Metabolites in Cold Water Marine Organisms , Nicole Elizabeth Avalon

Differential Mobility Spectrometry-Mass spectrometry (DMS-MS) for Forensic and Nuclear-Forensic applications , Ifeoluwa Ayodeji

Conversion from Metal Oxide to MOF Thin Films as a Platform of Chemical Sensing , Meng Chen

Asking Why : Analyzing Students' Explanations of Organic Chemistry Reaction Mechanisms using Lexical Analysis and Predictive Logistic Regression Models , Amber J. Dood

Development of Next-Generation, Fast, Accurate, Transferable, and Polarizable Force-fields for Heterogenous Material Simulations , Adam E. Hogan

Breakthroughs in Obtaining QM/MM Free Energies , Phillip S. Hudson

New Synthetic Methodology Using Base-Assisted Diazonium Salts Activation and Gold Redox Catalysis , Abiola Azeez Jimoh

Development and Application of Computational Models for Biochemical Systems , Fiona L. Kearns

Analyzing the Retention of Knowledge Among General Chemistry Students , James T. Kingsepp

A Chemical Investigation of Three Antarctic Tunicates of the Genus Synoicum , Sofia Kokkaliari

Construction of Giant 2D and 3D Metallo-Supramolecules Based on Pyrylium Salts Chemistry , Yiming Li

Assessing Many-Body van der Waals Contributions in Model Sorption Environments , Matthew K. Mostrom

Advancing Equity Amongst General Chemistry Students with Variable Preparations in Mathematics , Vanessa R. Ralph

Sustainable Non-Noble Metal based Catalysts for High Performance Oxygen Electrocatalysis , Swetha Ramani

The Role of aPKCs and aPKC Inhibitors in Cell Proliferation and Invasion in Breast and Ovarian Cancer , Tracess B. Smalley

Development of Ultrasonic-based Ambient Desorption Ionization Mass Spectrometry , Linxia Song

Covalent Organic Frameworks as an Organic Scaffold for Heterogeneous Catalysis including C-H Activation , Harsh Vardhan

Optimization of a Digital Ion Trap to Perform Isotope Ratio Analysis of Xenon for Planetary Studies , Timothy Vazquez

Multifunctional Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) For Applications in Sustainability , Gaurav Verma

Design, Synthesis of Axial Chiral Triazole , Jing Wang

The Development of AApeptides , Lulu Wei

Chemical Investigation of Floridian Mangrove Endophytes and Antarctic Marine Organisms , Bingjie Yang

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

An Insight into the Biological Functions, the Molecular Mechanism and the Nature of Interactions of a Set of Biologically Important Proteins. , Adam A. Aboalroub

Functional Porous Materials: Applications for Environmental Sustainability , Briana Amaris Aguila

Biomimetic Light Harvesting in Metalloporphyrins Encapsulated/Incorporated within Metal Organic Frameworks (MOFs). , Abdulaziz A. Alanazi

Design and Synthesis of Novel Agents for the Treatment of Tropical Diseases , Linda Corrinne Barbeto

Effect of Atypical protein kinase C inhibitor (DNDA) on Cell Proliferation and Migration of Lung Cancer Cells , Raja Reddy Bommareddy

The Activity and Structure of Cu2+ -Biomolecules in Disease and Disease Treatment , Darrell Cole Cerrato

Simulation and Software Development to Understand Interactions of Guest Molecules inPorous Materials , Douglas M. Franz

Construction of G-quadruplexes via Self-assembly: Enhanced Stability and Unique Properties , Ying He

The Role of Atypical Protein Kinase C in Colorectal Cancer Cells Carcinogenesis , S M Anisul Islam

Chemical Tools and Treatments for Neurological Disorders and Infectious Diseases , Andrea Lemus

Antarctic Deep Sea Coral and Tropical Fungal Endophyte: Novel Chemistry for Drug Discovery , Anne-Claire D. Limon

Constituent Partitioning Consensus Docking Models and Application in Drug Discovery , Rainer Metcalf

An Investigation into the Heterogeneity of Insect Arylalkylamine N -Acyltransferases , Brian G. O'Flynn

Evaluating the Evidence Base for Evidence-Based Instructional Practices in Chemistry through Meta-Analysis , Md Tawabur Rahman

Role of Oncogenic Protein Kinase C-iota in Melanoma Progression; A Study Based on Atypical Protein Kinase-C Inhibitors , Wishrawana Sarathi Bandara Ratnayake

Formulation to Application: Thermomechanical Characterization of Flexible Polyimides and The Improvement of Their Properties Via Chain Interaction , Alejandro Rivera Nicholls

The Chemical Ecology and Drug Discovery Potential of the Antarctic Red Alga Plocamium cartilagineum and the Antarctic Sponge Dendrilla membranosa , Andrew Jason Shilling

Synthesis, Discovery and Delivery of Therapeutic Natural Products and Analogs , Zachary P. Shultz

Development of α-AA peptides as Peptidomimetics for Antimicrobial Therapeutics and The Discovery of Nanostructures , Sylvia E. Singh

Self-Assembly of 2D and 3D Metallo-Supramolecules with Increasing Complexity , Bo Song

The Potential of Marine Microbes, Flora and Fauna in Drug Discovery , Santana Alexa Lavonia Thomas

Design, Synthesis, and Self-Assembly of Supramolecular Fractals Based on Terpyridine with Different Transition Metal Ions , Lei Wang

Theses/Dissertations from 2018 2018

Fatty Acid Amides and Their Biosynthetic Enzymes Found in Insect Model Systems , Ryan L. Anderson

Interrogation of Protein Function with Peptidomimetics , Olapeju Bolarinwa

Characterization of Nylon-12 in a Novel Additive Manufacturing Technology, and the Rheological and Spectroscopic Analysis of PEG-Starch Matrix Interactions , Garrett Michael Craft

Synthesis of Novel Agents for the treatment of Infectious and Neurodegenerative diseases , Benjamin Joe Eduful

Survey research in postsecondary chemistry education: Measurements of faculty members’ instructional practice and students’ affect , Rebecca E. Gibbons

Design, Synthesis, Application of Biodegradable Polymers , Mussie Gide

Conformational Fluctuations of Biomolecules Studied Using Molecular Dynamics and Enhanced Sampling , Geoffrey M. Gray

Analysis and New Applications of Metal Organic Frameworks (MOF): Thermal Conductivity of a Perovskite-type MOF and Incorporation of a Lewis Pair into a MOF. , Wilarachchige D C B Gunatilleke

Chemical Investigation of Bioactive Marine Extracts , Selam Hagos

Optimizing Peptide Fractionation to Maximize Content in Cancer Proteomics , Victoria Izumi

Germania-based Sol-gel Coatings and Core-shell Particles in Chromatographic Separations , Chengliang Jiang

Synthesis, Modification, Characterization and Processing of Molded and Electrospun Thermoplastic Polymer Composites and Nanocomposites , Tamalia Julien

Studies Aimed at the Synthesis of Anti-Infective Agents , Ankush Kanwar

From Florida to Antarctica: Dereplication Strategies and Chemical Investigations of Marine Organisms , Matthew A. Knestrick

Sorbent Enrichment Performance of Aromatic Compounds from Diluted Liquid Solution , Le Meng

Development of Bioactive Peptidomimetics , Fengyu She

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How to write a good research paper title

“Unread science is lost science .”

Credit: Mykyta Dolmatov/Getty

“Unread science is lost science.”

28 July 2020

Mykyta Dolmatov/Getty

With the influx of publications brought on by the pandemic, it’s become more challenging than ever for researchers to attract attention to their work.

Understanding which elements of a title will attract readers – or turn them away – has been proven to increase a paper’s citations and Altmetric score .

“In the era of information overload, most students and researchers do not have time to browse the entire text of a paper,” says Patrick Pu , a librarian at the National University of Singapore.

“The title of a paper, together with its abstract, become very important to capture and sustain the attention of readers.”

1. A good title avoids technical language

Since the primary audience of a paper is likely to be researchers working in the same field, using technical language in the title seems to make sense.

But this alienates the wider lay audience, which can bring valuable attention to your work . It can also alienate inexperienced researchers, or those who have recently entered the field.

“A good title does not use unnecessary jargon,” says Elisa De Ranieri , editor-in-chief at the Nature Communications journal (published by Springer Nature, which also publishes Nature Index.) “It communicates the main results in the study in a way that is clear and accessible, ideally to non-specialists or researchers new to the field.”

How-to: When crafting a title, says De Ranieri, write down the main result of the manuscript in a short paragraph. Shorten the text to make it more concise, while still remaining descriptive. Repeat this process until you have a title of fewer than 15 words.

2. A good title is easily searchable

Most readers today are accessing e-journals, which are indexed in scholarly databases such as Scopus and Google Scholar.

“Although these databases usually index the full text of papers, retrieval weightage for ‘Title’ is usually higher than other fields, such as ‘Results’,” Pu explains.

At the National University of Singapore, Pu and his colleagues run information literacy programmes for editors and authors. They give advice for publishing best practice, such as how to identify the most commonly used keywords in literature searches in a given field.

“A professor once told us how he discovered that industry experts were using a different term or keyword to describe his research area,” says Pu.

“He had written a seminal paper that did not include this ‘industry keyword’. He believes his paper, which was highly cited by academics, would have a higher citation count if he had included this keyword in the title. As librarians, we try to highlight this example to our students so that they will consider all possible keywords to use in their searches and paper titles.”

How-to: Authors should speak to an academic librarian at their institution to gain an understanding of keyword and search trends in their field of research. This should inform how the paper title is written.

3. A good title is substantiated by data

Authors should be cautious to not make any claims in the title that can’t be backed up by evidence.

“For instance, if you make a discovery with potential therapeutic relevance, the title should specify whether it was tested or studied in animals or humans/human samples,” says Irene Jarchum , senior editor at the journal Nature Biotechnology (also published by Springer Nature, which publishes the Nature Index.)

Jarchum adds that titles can be contentious because different authors have different views on the use of specific words, such as acronyms, or more fundamentally, what the main message of the title should be.

Some authors may over-interpret the significance of their preliminary findings, and want to reflect this in the title.

How-to: If you know your paper will be contentious within the scientific community, have the data ready to defend your decisions .

4. A good title sparks curiosity

A one-liner that sparks a reader’s interest can be very effective.

“A title has to pique the interest of the person searching for literature in a split-second – enough that they click on the title to read the abstract. Unread science is lost science,” says Christine Mayer , editor-in-chief of the journal Advanced Therapeutics .

Paper titles such as, "White and wonderful? Microplastics prevail in snow from the Alps to the Arctic" ( 2019 Science ), and “Kids these days: Why the youth of today seem lacking” ( 2019 Science Advances ) are good examples of this principle. Both papers have high Altmetric Attention scores, indicating that they have been widely read and discussed online.

How-to: Take note of the characteristics of paper titles that spark your own interest. Keep a record of these and apply the same principles to your own paper titles.

/images/cornell/logo35pt_cornell_white.svg" alt="thesis title for science major"> Cornell University --> Graduate School

Guide to writing your thesis/dissertation, definition of dissertation and thesis.

The dissertation or thesis is a scholarly treatise that substantiates a specific point of view as a result of original research that is conducted by students during their graduate study. At Cornell, the thesis is a requirement for the receipt of the M.A. and M.S. degrees and some professional master’s degrees. The dissertation is a requirement of the Ph.D. degree.

Formatting Requirement and Standards

The Graduate School sets the minimum format for your thesis or dissertation, while you, your special committee, and your advisor/chair decide upon the content and length. Grammar, punctuation, spelling, and other mechanical issues are your sole responsibility. Generally, the thesis and dissertation should conform to the standards of leading academic journals in your field. The Graduate School does not monitor the thesis or dissertation for mechanics, content, or style.

“Papers Option” Dissertation or Thesis

A “papers option” is available only to students in certain fields, which are listed on the Fields Permitting the Use of Papers Option page , or by approved petition. If you choose the papers option, your dissertation or thesis is organized as a series of relatively independent chapters or papers that you have submitted or will be submitting to journals in the field. You must be the only author or the first author of the papers to be used in the dissertation. The papers-option dissertation or thesis must meet all format and submission requirements, and a singular referencing convention must be used throughout.

ProQuest Electronic Submissions

The dissertation and thesis become permanent records of your original research, and in the case of doctoral research, the Graduate School requires publication of the dissertation and abstract in its original form. All Cornell master’s theses and doctoral dissertations require an electronic submission through ProQuest, which fills orders for paper or digital copies of the thesis and dissertation and makes a digital version available online via their subscription database, ProQuest Dissertations & Theses . For master’s theses, only the abstract is available. ProQuest provides worldwide distribution of your work from the master copy. You retain control over your dissertation and are free to grant publishing rights as you see fit. The formatting requirements contained in this guide meet all ProQuest specifications.

Copies of Dissertation and Thesis

Copies of Ph.D. dissertations and master’s theses are also uploaded in PDF format to the Cornell Library Repository, eCommons . A print copy of each master’s thesis and doctoral dissertation is submitted to Cornell University Library by ProQuest.

Home > Arts & Sciences > Mallinson Science Education > Dissertations

Science Education Dissertations

Dissertations from 2023 2023.

The Impact of Historical Narratives on Students' NOS Understanding and Science Motivation , Peng Dai

Investigation of Public Trust in Science in Connection with Views about Tentative Nature of Science and Epistemological Beliefs , Asghar Pervaiz Gill

A Critical Comparison of Answering Behavior Threshold Determination Methods as an Indicator of Engagement on the 2015 PISA Science Items , Lauri Elizabeth Mackelburg-Davis

Student Experience and Learning in a Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience , Allison Witucki

Implementation of Team-Based Learning in the Pre-Clerkship Medical Curriculum: Investigating Essential Elements , Jade Woodcock

Dissertations from 2022 2022

The Experiences of Undergraduate Saudi Students in the STEM Trajectory: A Closer Look at Major Choice and Persistence Intentions , Manal Almalki

Understanding Creative Pedagogy of Saudi High School STEM Teachers: Three Case Studies of Mawhiba and Public Science Classes , Maryam Salman Bojulaia

What We Say Matters: Exploring the Importance of Microaggression Language for Lgbtq+ Science Major Undergraduate Students , Madison L. Fitzgerald-Russell

Examining Indonesian Preservice Science Teachers’ Teaching Orientations And Pedagogical Reasoning , Listiani

Dissertations from 2021 2021

The Impact of the Advisor-Advisee Relationship among Black and Latino/A/X Stem Graduate Students at Predominantly White Institutions , Tasia C. Bryson

Institutional Changes in Western Michigan University for Incorporation of Education for Sustainability , Saman Khan

In an Era of Soft Skills: Investigating Teamwork Skills in the Geosciences , Samuel Cornelius Nyarko

Investigating the Relationship Between Departmental Support Structures, Self-Efficacy and Intention to Persist: An Examination of Students' Experience in 19 Physics Graduate Programs Across the United States , Diana Sachmpazidi

Dissertations from 2020 2020

Are They Ready? Implementing 21st-Century Learning Skills Integration into Indonesia Science Instruction , Esty Haryani

Saudi Arabian Science Teachers and Formative Assessment in the Gender Segregated Male School System , Khalid Abdullah Kariri

Student Perceptions of their Undergraduate Science Laboratories , Eva N. Nyutu

Female Graduate Students’ Experiences and Career Orientations in Stem: A Comparative Case Study , Jasvir K. Pannu

Dissertations from 2019 2019

Teacher and Parent Perspectives on Alignment to the Next Generation Science Standards Following Teacher Professional Development , Adam C. Channell

Dissertations from 2018 2018

High School Science Teachers’ Professional Development and Self-Efficacy in using Technology Tools in the Classroom , Zahrah Hussain Aljuzayri

Impacts of Cohort Membership on Teacher Candidates in an Alternative Certification Program , Katherine Eaton

A Model for Propagating Educational Innovations in Higher STEM Education: A Grounded Theory Study of Successfully Propagated Innovations , Raina Khatri

Dissertations from 2017 2017

Metaphysics in Science Education: Balancing Between Religious and Physicalist Extremism , Betty Ann J Adams

Employing Multivariate Logistic Regression Analysis to Better Understand the Relationship between Individuals’ Anthropogenic Climate Change Acceptance and Belief in Anti-Climate Change Dissenter Messages , Andrew Phillip Keller Bentley

Using Concept Maps to Monitor Knowledge Structure Changes in a Science Classroom , Leah J. Cook

ldentifying and Characterizing Cognitive Factors Significant to Practicing and Learning Meteorology , Peggy M. McNeal

An Investigation of Turkish Middle School Science Teachers’ Pedagogical Orientations towards Direct and Inquiry Instructional Approaches , Selcuk Sahingoz

Effects of Historical Story Telling on Student Understanding of NOS and Mendelian Genetics , Cody Tyler Williams

Dissertations from 2016 2016

Assessing the Impact of Historical Story Telling on Student Learning of Natural Selection , Janice Marie Fulford

Guided Educational Tourism as Informal Science Education: An Empirical Study , Joseph Martin Lane

Preservice Science Teachers’ Pedagogical Content Knowledge for Nature of Science and Nature of Scientific Inquiry: A Successful Case Study , Gunkut Mesci

Dissertations from 2015 2015

Uganda Science Teacher Educator: A Concurrent Mixed Methods Investigation of Nature of Science, Pedagogy and Classroom Learning Environment Perspectives , Robert Elisha Musookho Kagumba

Integrating Formative Assessment into Physics Instruction: The Effect of Formative vs. Summative Assessment on Student Physics Learning and Attitudes , Chaiphat Plybour

A Study of Conceptual and Language Issues Surrounding Weight, Weightlessness, and Free Fall: Textbook Analysis, Instructional Design, and Assessment , Rex Taibu

Dissertations from 2014 2014

The Experiences of Women in Post Graduate Physics and Astronomy Programs: the Roles of Support, Career Goals, and Gendered Experiences , Ramón S. Barthelemy

Conceptual Framework Alignment between Primary Literature and Education in Animal Behaviour , Andrea Marie-Kryger Bierema

Place-Based Education: An Impetus for Teacher Efficacy , Tamara Chase Coleman

Problem-Based Learning (PBL) in the College Chemistry Laboratory: Students’ Perceptions of PBI and Its Relationship with Attitude and Self-Efficacy Beliefs , Lloyd Madalitso P. Mataka

Integrating Nanotechnology into the Undergraduate Chemistry Curriculum: The Impact on Students’ Affective Domain , Jacinta M. Mutambuki

Instructional Change in Academic Departments: An Analysis from the Perspective of Two Environment-Focused Change Strategies , Kathleen M. Quardokus

Dissertations from 2013 2013

An Embodied Perspective of Expertise in Solving the Problem of Making a Geologic Map , Caitlin Norah Callahan

Student Conceptions of Learning and the Approaches to Learning Adopted in an Introductory Science Course: A Q Methodology Study , Kelly Marie Sparks

Dissertations from 2012 2012

Describing the Apprenticeship of Chemists through the Language of Faculty Scientists , Brandy Ann Skjold

Dissertations from 2011 2011

Using Formative Assessment Despite the Constraints of High Stakes Testing and Limited Resources: A Case Study of Chemistry Teachers in Anglophone Cameroon , George Viche Akom

Experiences That Influence a Student's Choice on Majoring in Physics , Donya Rae Dobbin

An Exploration of Worldview and Conceptions of Nature of Science among Science Teachers at a Private Christian High School , Kara M. Kits

Dissertations from 2010 2010

The Effects of an Inquiry-Based Earth Science Course on the Spatial Thinking of Pre-Service Elementary Teacher Education Students , Kevin Douglas Weakley

Dissertations from 2009 2009

African-American Girls and Scientific Argumentation: Lived Experiences, Intersecting Identities and Their Roles in Constructing and Evaluating Claims , Phyllis Haugabook Pennock

Science Education Policy for Emergency, Conflict, and Post-Conflict: An Analysis of Trends and Implications for the Science Education Program in Uganda , Betty Pacutho Udongo

Dissertations from 2007 2007

An Investigation of Successful and Unsuccessful Students’ Problem Solving in Stoichiometry , Ozcan Gulacar

Conceptual Change Resulting from Experiential Learning with Business Enterprise Software , Thomas F. Rienzo

Dissertations from 2006 2006

Analyzing the Effects of Inquiry-Based Instruction on the Learning of Atmospheric Science among Pre-Service Teacher Education Students , Robert James Ruhf

Dissertations from 2005 2005

Understanding Photosynthesis and Plant Cellular Respiration as “Nested Systems”: The Characterization of Pre-Service Teachers’ Conceptions , Mary H. Brown

A Study of How Precursor Key Concepts for Organic Chemistry Success Are Understood by General Chemistry Students , Patrick Gerard Meyer

Dissertations from 2004 2004

Using the History of Research on Sickle-Cell Anemia to Affect Preservice Teachers’ Conceptions of the Nature of Science , Eric M. Howe

The Interactions Between an Orthodox Christian Worldview and Environmental Attitudes and Beliefs; for the Purpose of Developing Better Instructional Practice in Support of Environmental/Ecological Attitudes and Knowledge , Robert S. Keys

Dissertations from 2003 2003

Student Ecosystems Problem Solving with Computer Simulation , Melissa A. Howse

Understanding on Concepts of Force of Thai Freshmen , Chokchai Usawinchai

Dissertations from 2002 2002

Classroom Questioning Strategies as Indicators of Inquiry Based Science Instruction , Linda Hale Goossen

A Study of Expert Problem-Solving in Qualitative Organic Analysis Using a Computer Simulation , Keith A. Schramm

Dissertations from 2000 2000

An Account of Novice Phylogenetic Tree Construction from the Problem-Solving Research Tradition , Terrance E. Brisbin

Dissertations from 1999 1999

Students' Mental Models of Electricity in Simple DC Circuits , Andrew C. Isola III

Dissertations from 1998 1998

A Study of the Knowledge Structure of Expert, Intermediate, and Novice Subjects in the Domain of Physics , Jennifer L. Discenna

An Analysis of Fecal Coliform Bacteria as a Water Quality Indicator , Janet Heyl Vail

Dissertations from 1997 1997

The Clastogenic Effects of Cyclophosphamide and a Sixty Hertz Electronagnetic Field on Bone Marrow Cells of CD-I Mice , Kevin K. Block

Dissertations from 1996 1996

An Account of Expert Phylogenetic Tree Construction from the Problem-Solving Research Tradition in Science Education , Steven D. Brewer

Dissertations from 1995 1995

The Use of Analogies in an Industrial Environment to Facilitate Status Changes for Radiation Science Concepts , Charles Thomas Lohrke

The Separation of Aqueous Iron Species Found in Stepwise Complexation by Capillary Electrophoresis with Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy Detection , Robert E. Sutton

College Physics Students' Conceptual Understanding of Area and Volume, and Relationships Between these Concepts and Students' Understanding of Physics Concepts , Jiang Yu

Dissertations from 1994 1994

Hydrogeology and Hydrogeochemistry of Government Marsh, North St. Joseph County, Michigan , Michael C. Kasenow

Dissertations from 1991 1991

A Comparison of Science and Mathematics Achievement, Attitudes, Curricular Experiences, and Career Interest Resulting from Magnet and Traditional High School Programs , Rozana Abdul Razak

Dissertations from 1990 1990

Highway Deicing Salts and the Mobilization of Selected Heavy Metals from Stream Sediments , Harlie David Cole

Dissertations from 1989 1989

Comparisons of Learnings from Structured and Nonstructured Visits to a Science Exhibit , Rosario Canizales de Andrade

Dissertations from 1988 1988

Parental Perceptions of Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Discharge Teaching , Virginia A. Passero

Dissertations from 1986 1986

The Effects of Acid Precipitation on Two Lakes in Southwestern Michigan , Fardin Olyaei

Comparison of Electron and Light Microscopy of Chromosome Aberration Induced in Human Lymphocytes by Adriamycin and Mitomycin C , Abbas Parsian

Dissertations from 1983 1983

A Study of the Environmental Aspects of Schistosomiasis in Libya , Abubaker I. Swehli

Dissertations from 1982 1982

A Petrographic Analysis of Ceramics from Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests, Arizona: Onsite or Specialized Manufacture , Elizabeth M. Garrett

Ground-Water Flow Along the Total Shoreline of Austin Lake and Its Environmental Contribution to Pollution of the Lake , William Thomas Williams

Dissertations from 1981 1981

Storm-Sewer Input of Heavy Metals into an Urban Lake Environment , George A. Duba

The Relationship between Adjacent Residential Development and Breeding Bird Populations , Steven L. Harbron

Standardization of the Sister Chromatid Exchange Technique in Human Lumphocytes for Mutagen and Carcinogen Testing , Kamlesh Sharma

Goals and Objectives for Teaching Science in the Junior High Schools of Kalamazoo, Michigan , Gary W. Wester

Dissertations from 1980 1980

A Limnological Investigation of a Tropical Fresh-Water Ecosystem: The Belize River, Belize, Central America , Victor J. Gonzalez

An Analysis of Cadmium and Lead Uptake in Hydroponically Grown Corn Seedlings , Julie Jones Medlin

Dissertations from 1979 1979

Spermatogenesis in Limnodrilus Hoffmeisteri (Clap); A Morphological and Environmental Study of the Development of Two Sperm Types , Edward Michael Block

Dissertations from 1976 1976

Biota and Environment of the Muskegon, Michigan, Combined Industrial and Municipal Wastewater Storage Lagoons , W. Randolph Frykberg

A Study of Student Evaluations of Science Instructors in Small Liberal-Arts Colleges , J. Philip McLaren

A Study of the Use of the Computer as a Problem-Solving Tool in an Introductory Course in College Physics , Roland L. Meade

Dissertations from 1975 1975

Computer-Assisted Instruction in Teaching College Physics , Hsi-chiu Liu

A Study of Selected Variables for Prediction of Success and Placement in General Chemistry at Western Michigan University , Stephen M. Yekeson

Dissertations from 1974 1974

The Learn System for Computer-Assisted Instruction , Garret Alan Vander Lugt

Dissertations from 1973 1973

The Integrated Basic Science Course at Kalamazoo Valley Community College , Dorothy Nichols Hackett

The Effects of a Student Determined Curriculum Versus a Traditionally Determined Curriculum on the Health Interests and Cognitive Development in Health of College Students , James H. Price Jr.

An Evaluation of Achievement by the Use of Behavioral Objectives in an Audio -Tutorial Biological Science Class , Theodore R. Shields

Dissertations from 1972 1972

The Effect of Annotating Articles from Scientific American on Student Understanding , John A. Knapp II

Modern Elementary Science Curricula and Student Achievement , Ben A. Smith

Student Ratings of Secondary-School Science Teachers , Charles E. Townsend

The Relationships between Two Methods of Teaching College Biology in Achievement and Attitude , Judson M. Vander Wal

Dissertations from 1970 1970

Critical Thinking as Related to PSSC and Non-PSSC Physics Programs , Robert H. Poel

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How to Write a Science Thesis/Dissertation

A thesis/dissertation is a long, high-level research paper written as the culmination of your academic course. Most university programs require that graduate and postgraduate students demonstrate their ability to perform original research at the thesis/dissertation level as a graduation requirement.

Not all theses/dissertations are structured the same way. In this article, we’ll specifically look at how to structure a thesis/dissertation in the sciences and examine what belongs in each section. Before you begin writing, it is essential to have a good understanding of how to structure your science thesis/dissertation and what elements you must include in it.

How are science theses/dissertations structured?

There isn’t a universal format for a science thesis/dissertation. Each university/institution has its own rules, and these rules can vary further by department and advisor. For this reason, you must start writing/drafting your thesis/dissertation by checking the rules and requirements of your university/institution.

Some universities mandate a minimum word count for a thesis/dissertation, while others provide a maximum. The number of words you are expected to write will also vary depending on the program/course you are a part of. A Master’s level thesis/dissertation can range, for example, from 15,000 to 45,000 words, while a PhD thesis/dissertation can be around 80,000 words.

While your university/institution may have its own specific requirements or guidelines, this article provides a general overview of how a typical thesis/dissertation in the sciences should be structured. For easier understanding, let’s break it up into two parts:

• Thesis body
• Supplemental information

The thesis body of your thesis/dissertation includes:

• Acknowledgements

Table of contents

Introduction/literature review, materials/methodology, discussion/conclusion, figure and tables, list of abbreviations.

Your thesis will conclude with the supplemental information section, which comprises:

Reference list

Your thesis may or may not include each and every one of these sections. Now, let’s examine the parts of a thesis/dissertation in greater detail.

The parts of a science thesis/dissertation: Getting started

Let’s begin by reviewing the sections of the thesis body, from the title page to the glossary. This part of your thesis/dissertation should ideally be written last, even though it comes at the beginning. That is because it is the easiest to put it togethe r once you have written the rest of your thesis/dissertation.

Your thesis/dissertation should have a clear title that sums up the content. In addition, the title page should include your name, the degree of your thesis/dissertation, your department, your advisor, and the month/year of submission. Your university/institution likely has its own format for what should be included in the title page, so make sure to check the relevant guidelines.

Acknowledgments

This section gives you the opportunity to say thanks to anyone who gave you support while you worked on your thesis/dissertation. Many people use this section to give credit to their advisor, editor, or even their parents. If you received any funding for your research or technical assistance, make sure to mention it here.

Your abstract should be a brief summary (generally around 300 words) of your thesis/dissertation. You can think of your abstract as a distillation of your thesis/dissertation as a whole. You need to summarize the scope and objectives, methods, and findings in this section.

 The table of contents is a directory of the various parts of your thesis/dissertation. It should include the headings and subheadings of each section along with the page numbers where those sections can be found.

 Think of this section as the table of contents for figures and tables in your thesis/dissertation. The titles of each figure/table and the page number where it can be found should be in this list.

This list is intended to identify specialized abbreviations used throughout your thesis/dissertation. This can include the names of organizations (WHO, CDC), acronyms (PFC), and so on. For a science thesis/dissertation, it is preferable also to include a note regarding any abbreviations for units of measurement and standard notations for chemical elements, formulae, and chemical abbreviations used.

In this section, you would define any terminology that your target audience may be unfamiliar with.

The parts of a science thesis/dissertation: Presenting your data

Following the glossary, the thesis body of a science thesis/dissertation begins with the introduction. The introduction section of a science thesis/dissertation often also includes the literature review. This is unlike most social science or humanities theses/dissertations, where the literature review commonly forms a separate chapter. The introduction section should begin by clearly stating the background and context for your research study, followed by your thesis question, objectives, hypothesis , and thesis statement . An example might be: 

“The connection between nicotine consumption and insulin resistance has long been established. However, there is no substantial body of research on how long insulin resistance is maintained after people quit smoking. In this study, we aim to measure levels of insulin resistance in otherwise healthy subjects following a total cessation of nicotine consumption. We hypothesize that insulin resistance will begin to decline rapidly within six months.”

 The introduction should be immediately followed by a review of earlier literature written on the thesis topic. In this section, you should also clearly identify where the literature connects to your study and how your research study fills a gap or bolsters previous studies. Fit your study within the puzzle of previous work and demonstrate the importance of your research.

In the methodology section of your thesis/dissertation, you must explain what you did and how you did it. If you used materials (for example, bacteria), make sure you clearly list each one. Live materials should be listed, including the specific strain and genus. You must explain your techniques, materials, and methods such that another researcher can replicate exactly what you have done.

In the results section, you will explain what happened. What were your findings? This section should be heavy on data and light on analysis. Usually, in-depth analysis and interpretation of your results will be covered in the discussion section of your thesis/dissertation. While you should present your results in full, any supplementary data that you don’t have room for can be included in an appendix. As a note, this section is often written in the past tense. While other portions of your thesis/dissertation may use past and present interchangeably depending on the topic at hand, the results section of a scientific paper focuses on what has already happened (in an experiment), which is why it is written this way.

In this part of your thesis/dissertation, you will discuss what your findings mean. Did they align with your hypothesis? If so, how? If not, what was different? If there were any exceptions, errors, or total lack of correlation found, do not try to hide it. Clearly discuss what it might mean, or if you aren’t sure, don’t be afraid to say so. In this section, you can also highlight potential practical applications for your research study, limitations of your study, directions for future studies, and once again highlight the importance of your study in the field. This section usually concludes with an overall summarization of whether your results support your hypothesis or not. For example:

“Our study found that 500 of our 600 subjects continued to exhibit high levels of insulin resistance three years or more after stopping nicotine use. This does not support our hypothesis that insulin resistance would begin to drop around six months after subjects stopped nicotine use. Further research is warranted into the mechanisms by which past nicotine use alters insulin resistance levels in former smokers.”

The reference list is an alphabetical or numerical list of sources you’ve used while researching and writing your thesis. The formatting of your reference list will be dependent on your university guidelines. Useful tools like citation generators can help you correctly format your references. Reference managers like EndNote or Mendeley are also helpful for compiling this list. Furthermore, a professional editor or proofreading service can ensure that each reference is correctly formatted.

This section can be very useful if you want to include materials that are relevant to the topic of your thesis/dissertation but that you were unable to include in the main text. Tables, large bodies of text, illustrations, forms used to collect data or perform studies, and other such materials can all be included in an appendix.

Critical steps for planning, drafting, and structuring a science thesis/dissertation

Writing your thesis/dissertation is a daunting and lengthy task. Here are some helpful tips to keep in mind when drafting your science thesis/dissertation:

• Choose a thesis topic that is of professional interest to you. You are going to spend a lot of time thinking, reading, and writing about your thesis topic. Many aspiring young researchers end up working in a field related to their thesis/dissertation . If you start researching or writing a proposal and then decide you aren’t into the topic, don’t be afraid to change directions!
• Plan your thesis timelines carefully. Is your topic realistic given the time and material constraints you have? Do you need to apply for external funding for your research study? Will that take additional time? Write a schedule and revisit/revise it often throughout your thesis/dissertation process.
• Don’t wait until the last minute to start writing! A thesis/dissertation isn’t like an undergraduate paper where you spend some time researching and then some time writing it. You will need to write your thesis/dissertation as you continue your research study. Write as you work in the lab. Write as you learn things and then revise. Ideally, by the time you have finished your actual research study, you will already have a substantive draft.
• Start writing the methodology section first. This is often the easiest because it is straightforward and you have already done quite a lot of the work while preparing your research study. The order in which you write your thesis/dissertation doesn’t matter too much—if you find yourself jumping between sections, that is perfectly normal.
• Keep a detailed list of your references using a reference manager or similar system, with tags so that you can easily identify the source of your information.

Final tips for writing and structuring a science thesis/dissertation

Writing a thesis/dissertation is a rewarding process. As a final tip for getting through this process successfully, don’t forget to leave sufficient time for editing and proofreading. Your thesis/dissertation will go through many drafts and revisions before it reaches its final form.

Engaging the services of a professional can go a long way in helping you produce a professional and high-quality document worthy of your research. In addition, there are many helpful tools like AI grammar checker tools available online for students and young researchers.

Check out our site for more tips on how to write a good thesis/dissertation , where to find the best thesis editing services , and more about thesis editing and proofreading services .

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Review Checklist

Use this checklist to ensure that your science thesis/dissertation isn’t missing any important structural components.

Title page: Does your thesis/dissertation have a title page with your title, name, department, advisor’s name, and other important information?

Acknowledgements: Did you give credit to your funders, research colleagues, and anyone else who helped you?

Abstract: Does your thesis/dissertation include a brief summary?

Table of contents: Does your table of contents include headings, subheadings, and page numbers?

Figure and tables: Is there a complete list of figures and tables that are in your thesis/dissertation?

List of abbreviations: Are all of the abbreviations used in your thesis/dissertation listed here?

Glossary: Did you clearly define any specialized terminology used in your thesis/dissertation?

Introduction/Literature review: Did you justify your research study, state your objectives, and your hypothesis? Did you review the previous relevant literature in your field and explain how your thesis/dissertation fits in?

Materials/Methodology: Could another scientist replicate what you did by reading this section?

Results: Did you include all of the data from your experiments/research study?

Discussion/Conclusion: Did you clearly explain what your results mean and whether your hypothesis was correct or not?

Reference list: Are your references properly formatted and listed alphabetically or numerically?

Bibliography and Appendices: Did you include any additional relevant data, figures, or text that didn’t fit into the main section of your thesis/dissertation?

How long is a typical science thesis/dissertation? +

A typical Master’s thesis/dissertation ranges from 15,000-45,000 words, while a Ph.D. thesis/dissertation can be as much as 80,000 words.

How do I start my thesis/dissertation? +

You don’t have to start with the introduction when you begin writing. You can start with the methodology section or any other section you prefer and revise it later.

How do I structure a science thesis/dissertation? +

The main section of a science thesis/dissertation includes an introduction/literature review, materials/methodology section, results, discussion/conclusion section, and a references list.

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Science Dissertation Topics

Published by Carmen Troy at January 9th, 2023 , Revised On October 5, 2023

Introduction

The exact pinnacle point of the academic life of a science student is to test their understanding of the science by identifying a real-life science problem and then figuring out the solution through res

Science is extraordinarily vast and comprises various branches of science, from biomedical sciences to modern sciences and organic sciences. Are you struggling to find intriguing and manageable topic ideas for your science dissertation? Don’t worry; we are here to assist you in your endeavour. 

To help you get started with brainstorming for science topic ideas, we have developed a list of the latest topics that can be used for writing your science dissertation.

PhD qualified writers of our team have developed these topics, so you can trust to use these topics for drafting your dissertation.

You may also want to start your dissertation by requesting  a brief research proposal  from our writers on any of these topics, which includes an  introduction  to the problem,  research question , aim and objectives,  literature review  along with the proposed  methodology  of research to be conducted.  Let us know  if you need any help in getting started.

Check our  dissertation example  to get an idea of  how to structure your dissertation .

You can review step by step guide on how to write your dissertation  here.

2022 Science Research Topics

Topic 1: how do our genes influence our lifestyle and behavior.

Research Aim: Inherited genetic predispositions largely determine individual differences in intellectual ability, personality, and mental health. Behavior also displays indicators of genetic influence; for example, how somebody reacts to stressful circumstances reflects some genetic influence. This research aims to find the impact of genes on a person’s lifestyle and behavior. The study will also examine the ratio of people likely to be affected by genetics.

Topic 2: What effect do schools have on childhood obesity? The case in the UK schools.

Research Aim: Over the last few years, the world has seen a dramatic rise in the frequency of childhood obesity. When the children finish elementary school, one-third of youngsters in the UK are overweight or obese. The research will aim to identify the problems that cause obesity in children in UK schools. It will also explain how obesity causes other health issues in children. The research will also give strategies and frameworks to reduce the obesity rate in children in schools.

Topic 3: The role of biotechnology in developing more effective vaccines.

Research Aim: The research will aim to identify the role of biotechnology in developing more effective vaccines. Vaccination is amongst the most effective methods of combating infectious diseases. It was solely accountable for eradicating chickenpox and controlling yellow fever, polio, and Rubella in humans and exotic Newcastle disease, FMD, and fowl paralysis in poultry. The research will also explain how biotechnology has helped scientists eradicate diseases worldwide.

Topic 4: How is public transportation better for the atmosphere than private transport?

Research Aim: The research will aim to find the benefits of public transportation and why it is better than private transportation for the environment. The current amount of automobile transport globally is becoming a social, environmental, and economic issue. The research will also examine the influence of private transportation on the environment and health of the public. It will also explain the strategies to reduce the use of personal vehicles and how public transport can be improved.

Topic 5: Will nanotechnology in genome research contribute to the development of health standards?

Research Aim: The research will aim to investigate the use of nanotechnology in genome research and how it will help develop health standards. Curiosity, amazement, and creativity are human attributes that have existed since the dawn of time. People worldwide have turned their intellectual curiosity into scientific investigation and technique. In recent years, there has been an incredible increase in research in the field of nanoscience. There is growing hope that nanotechnology applied to medicine and dentistry may lead to substantial disease detection, treatment, and prevention advancements.

Covid-19 Pharmacology Research Topics

Topic 1: pharmacologic treatments of covid-19.

Research Aim: This study will focus on investigating the Pharmacologic treatments of COVID-19

Topic 2: The role of science and scientists during Coronavirus pandemic

Research Aim: This study will address the contributions of science and scientists during the COVID-19

Topic 3: The biology of the Coronavirus pandemic

Research Aim: This study will analyse the biology of the Coronavirus pandemic; its symptoms, risks, and preventive measures will be discussed.

Topic 4: The long-term effects of the Coronavirus pandemic on the field of science

Research Aim: This study will focus on predicting the long-term effects of Coronavirus pandemic on the field of science

Science Dissertation Topics 2021

Topic 1: epidemiology and coronavirus.

Research Aim: This research aims to focus on COVID-19 Epidemiology to get in-depth information about the disease.

Topic 2: Impacts of climate changes on agriculture

Research Aim:  This research aims to study the impacts of climate changes on agriculture, address the issues of the farmers, especially in Asian countries and suggest possible solutions solve them

Topic 3: A study on endangered species

Research Aim: This research aims to identify and gather information about endangered species, study their anatomy, and determine the reasons for their extinction.

Topic 4: Types of diets- a comparative study

Research Aim: This research aims to identify and compare the types of diets- a comparative study. Measure their effectiveness and provide an evidence-based conclusion to achieve a healthy lifestyle.

Topic 5: Hormonal imbalance - a comparative study

Research Aim: This research aims to address hormonal imbalance issues among teenage girls and women and conduct a comparative study to cover all important aspects of this topic.

Pharmacology Dissertation Topics

Topic 1: harnessing ion-binding sites for g-protein coupled receptors pharmacology (gpcr)..

Research Aim: In this research, the vital role of endogenous ions in the function and pharmacology of G-Protein Coupled Receptors (GPCR) will be observed. The theoretical synthesis and highlight or recent advancements in the functional, biophysical, and structural characterization of GPCR bounded ions will also be discussed.

Topic 2: Bisphosphonate Pharmacology

Research Aim: In this research, the biological effects of bisphosphonates as inhibitors for the processes of calcification and bone resorption as well as their later use for the treatment of skeletal disorders is discussed. Other potential purposes of bisphosphonate, such as its applications to treat cardiovascular diseases and radiation protection, are also considered.

Topic 3: Neurobiology and Molecular Pharmacology of Rapid-Acting Antidepressants.

Research Aim: This research will explain why the reconceptualisation of depression treatment soon. The clinical data of each rapid-action antidepressant will be compared as well as their mechanism of action. Additionally, the drug’s neurobiological circuits can be applied to the formation of later on medication.

Topic 4: System Pharmacology and Pharmacometrics in regards to metabolic bone disease.

Research Aim: This research will focus on the mathematical modelling and various simulations of drug concentrations, effects, and the physiological system in which they interact. This is useful for the preclinical, translational, and clinical development of the drug in question. This research will focus on medications for various metabolic bone diseases.

Topic 5: The Pharmacology of inhaled anaesthetics.

Research Aim: In this research, the effects of inhaled anesthesia will be discussed compared to general anesthesia. Its impact with low, average, and high doses in humans and animals will also be explained.

Topic 6: Pharmacology of cancer.

Research Aim: In this research, the molecular structure of various tumors is discussed along with the therapeutic issues faced for these ailments and their treatments. Target spots for treatment and different chemical mixes for its treatments are also explained in this research.

Public Health Dissertation Topics

Topic 1: to protect health through the important role of climate action..

Research Aim: In this research, the effects of climate change are explained as well as its adverse impacts on human health. Ways to control climate change and reverse its harmful effects are also discussed in this paper.

Topic 2: The effect of electronic health records on health care quality and utilisation.

Research Aim: In this research, the universal electronic health recording system is discussed. This research will examine the various factors that influence electronic health recordings, such as clinical care benefits, financial implications, and cost and time efficiency.

Topic 3: The assessment of health impacts in low and middle-income countries.

Research Aim: This research will focus on studying the shortcomings of health care and its impact on societies and individuals living in low and middle-income countries. The effort to overcome these shortcomings and long-term solutions for these countries is also discussed here.

Topic 4: Dementia care through community-based activity: Museum object handling.

Research Aim: This research will highlight the importance of health-promoting by studying the effect of handling museum objects by people with dementia at stages. The study will consider the stage of dementia faced along with gender, time, domain, and age.

Topic 5: Health and green space.

Research Aim: This research will observe the effects of green space or natural environment on humans’ mental and physical health. The impact of living in a natural setting and living in an urban area will also be compared in this paper. The effect of living in a green space on essential biological processes such as pregnancy will be discussed in detail.

Topic 12: Public health in association with the quality of drinking water.

Research Aim: This research will study the effect of the world’s varying water qualities and their impact on human health. This research will also include studying different water-borne diseases and how to restrict and prevent them.

How Can ResearchProspect Help?

ResearchProspect writers can send several custom topic ideas to your email address. Once you have chosen a topic that suits your needs and interests, you can order for our dissertation outline service which will include a brief introduction to the topic, research questions , literature review , methodology , expected results , and conclusion . The dissertation outline will enable you to review the quality of our work before placing the order for our full dissertation writing service!

Veterinary Medicine Dissertation Topics

Topic 1: the use of cannabis in veterinary medicines..

Research Aim: This research will study the effects of cannabis treatment on animals. The impact of cannabis on animals will be compared to the effects felt on the human body. The way an animal’s body reacts to cannabis and its effect on various body systems will also be observed.

Topic 2: Cardiomyopathies inheritance in veterinary medicines.

Research Aim: This research will aim to identify the effects of cardiomyopathy in animals in an attempt to seek a solution to this problem in humans. Veterinary medication is a mode in which it is easier to study this disease’s effects in animals of a single species. Using this method makes it easier to identify the areas of translational research and observe the future direction of this cardiovascular disease.

Topic 3: The potential use of amniotic stem cells in veterinary medications.

Research Aim: This research will observe the effect of using amniotic stem cells in veterinary medicines to curb some animal illnesses. The collection of these amniotic stem cells is done by collecting the discarded fetal membrane. The collection and separation of the stem cells from the fetal membrane are also explained.

Topic 4: The harm caused in veterinary hospitals due to medical errors.

Research Aim: This research will highlight the overall mortality rate of animals in three veterinary hospitals within a time span of three years. This figure is compared to the mortality rate of humans in the same time period. The reasons for the mortality of animals due to medical errors are also discussed, along with solutions.

Topic 5: Bulldog disorders in the UK in 2019 which are under primary veterinary care.

Research Aim: This research will take an in-depth study of the increased disorders observed in bulldogs in the UK in 2019 only. This research will cover all aspects of bulldog disorders, including age, weight, height and length, cause of mortality, diet, and veterinary plans. This research aims to highlight these factors to improve the health and wellbeing of this breed.

Topic 6: Controlling platyhelminth parasites in fish by using praziquantel.

Research Aim: This research will review the effect of praziquantel treatment on fish found to be infected with the platyhelminth parasite. The study will use captive fish since they are more susceptible to showing the parasite results than wild fish. This paper will also discuss the effect of this parasite if a human ingests an infected fish. The efficiency of the praziquantel and its toxicity information, assessments of administration routes, and pharmacokinetics are also reviewed.

Diseases and Pathogens Dissertation Topics

Topic 1: control of infectious diseases through precision epidemiology..

Research Aim: This research will explain the transmission mode of infectious diseases and how they spread. The process of precision epidemiology will also be explained. The use of precision epidemiology to treat infectious diseases by methods such as genome-based and individual level treatments is also discussed.

Topic 2: Reconstruction and prediction of viral epidemic diseases.

Research Aim: This research will provide a detailed study of the increase in viral epidemics globally. The re-occurrence of diseases once thought to be under control is also provided in this research. Methods to develop models for the prediction and the reconstruction of future epidemics are also discussed to help prevent such outbreaks.

Topic 3: Emerging pathogens and viral febrile illness.

Research Aim: This research will explain the exponential rise of newly emerging pathogens that the world is or will later face in a future epidemic. The study of new pathogens is carried out by the study of patients who contract a febrile illness. The complete research of the febrile virus from incubation to the human body is explored in this paper.

Topic 4: The Study of pathology and pathogenesis of Chagas heart disease.

Research Aim: This research will focus on the aspect of Chagas’s heart disease. The study will explain the mechanism — mode of transfer and the incubation period of the virus. The carrier of the virus in which it remains dormant is also studied along with its habitat and precautionary methods to avoid it.

IT in Biomedical Science Dissertation Topics

Topic 1: health care and medicine in the future..

Research Aim: This research will look at the development and effects of integrating information technology and biomedicine. All the advantages and disadvantages of introducing information technology into the biomedical sciences will be weighed together.

Topic 2: An introduction to Biomedical Informatics.

Research Aim: This research will focus on biomedical informatics’s complete detail. Since it does not have an adequately well-explained definition, the student will attempt to effectively explain the convergence of information technology and biomedicine.

Topic 3: Educating physicians through the use of Biomedical Informatics.

Research Aim: This research will look into the use of biomedical informatics for the education of young doctors and physicians. The study will examine the advantages of using biomedical informatics in physicians’ training and education compared to conventional methods.

Topic 4: The integration of Biomedical Informatics in clinical trials by new methods.

Research Aim: This research will discuss the advantages of implementing biomedical informatics in clinical trials. This includes the ease of data collection, interpretation, and analysis.

Topic 5: A review of the application of Biomedical Informatics in asthma care.

Research Aim: This research will highlight the unnecessary variation of patient care for asthma patients. A complete systematic view of the application of biomedical informatics in asthma patients’ care will also be discussed, along with its advantages and disadvantages in applying this system to asthma care.

Topic 6: The need for Biomedical Informatics for military research.

Research Aim: This research will explain the need for integrating biomedical informatics into military research. Biomedical informatics integration in military research will affect four focus areas: Health and Clinic Informatics, E-Health, Combat Health Informatics, and Bioinformatics and Biomedical Computation.

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Immunology and Biochemistry Dissertation Topics

Topic 1: the use of terrestrial habitat to heighten the immune system function of polar bears..

Research Aim: This research addresses climate change because a large number of polar bears are forced to spend the summertime on the shores. The immunity of bears on ice and those onshore will be compared to observe any changes in both bears’ immunity.

Topic 2: Inflammation and immune system regulation by Vitamin E.

Research Aim: This research aims to explain the role of vitamin E in regulating inflammation and the management of the immune system. Excess, moderate, and deficient amounts of vitamin E on the immune system and the region of inflammation are also described.

Topic 3: To Determine the responsiveness of antibodies towards vaccines by immune mechanisms.

Research Aim: This research will highlight the dangers of the lack of vaccine effectiveness and characterize the vaccines into groups of late and early response times. The antibodies’ response rates to their respective vaccines will be noted and compared to others’ response rates in the groups.

Topic 4: A relational study between immunology and food components.

Research Aim: This research will analyse the impact that different food components have on adults’ immune systems. The research looks to examine the characteristics of allergic reactions caused by food groups. The study will use patient data from emergency rooms in the UK.

Topic 5: The evolution to autoimmunity with reference to the Biochemistry of humans and viruses.

Research Aim: This research will compare and contrast the peptide binding of five disease-causing viruses in humans. The origin of the virulent materials and their individual effect on an adult body is discussed. The characteristic of autoimmunity is also explained by observing the immunity of humans over time.

Epidemiology Dissertation Topics

Topic 1: epidemiology of kidney diseases in the united states for the year 2018..

Research Aim: This research will analyze the data collected in the United States for 2018 in adults. The analysis will cover all the factors that cause renal diseases in adults of the US and categorize illnesses into different groups such as age, diet, obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and other conditions.

Topic 2: Epidemiology of Alzheimer’s disease in the UK.

Research Aim: This research will analyse the increasing and widespread age-associated dementia in the world’s elderly population. The analysis will cover the elderly populace of the UK over the past 3 years. The factors in the increase in the number of Alzheimer’s patients will also be discussed.

Topic 3: Epidemiology of invasive B Streptococcal infections among nonpregnant women in the UK.

Research Aim: This research will analyze the data collected from 2010 to 2018 concerning the incidents of B Streptococcus infections found in nonpregnant women of the United Kingdom. Factors that cause the rise in this infection are also discussed, and preventive measures for B Streptococcus infections.

Topic 4: Epidemiology of obesity and pathogenesis in the US.

Research Aim: This research will analyze the data collected via a survey of adults’ obesity rate in the United States from the past 5 years. The issue of obesity will be discussed along with the factors causing a rise in the obesity rate in the US. Prevention and cautionary measures to reduce the rate of obesity in adults are also discussed.

Important Notes:

As a science looking to get good grades, it is essential to develop new ideas and experiment on existing scientific theories – i.e., to add value and interest in the topic of your research.

The field of science is vast and interrelated to many other academic disciplines like  civil engineering ,  construction ,  law , and even  healthcare . That is why it is imperative to create a scientific dissertation topic that is articular, sound, and actually solves a practical problem that may be rampant in the field.

We can’t stress how important it is to develop a logical research topic; it is based on your entire research. There are several significant downfalls to getting your topic wrong; your supervisor may not be interested in working on it, the topic has no academic credit-ability, the research may not make logical sense, there is a possibility that the study is not viable.

This impacts your time and efforts in  writing your dissertation  as you may end up in the cycle of rejection at the initial stage of the dissertation. That is why we recommend reviewing existing research to develop a topic, taking advice from your supervisor, and even asking for help in this particular stage of your dissertation.

Keeping our advice in mind while developing a research topic will allow you to pick one of the best science dissertation topics that fulfill your requirement of writing a research paper and adds to the body of knowledge.

Therefore, it is recommended that when finalizing your dissertation topic, you read recently published literature to identify gaps in the research that you may help fill.

Remember- dissertation topics need to be unique, solve an identified problem, be logical, and be practically implemented. Please look at some of our sample scientific dissertation topics to get an idea for your dissertation.

How to Structure your Science Dissertation

A well-structured   dissertation can help students   to achieve a high overall academic grade.

• A Title Page
• Acknowledgments
• Declaration
• Abstract: A summary of the research completed
• Table of Contents
• Introduction : This chapter includes the project rationale, research background, key research aims and objectives, and the research problems. An outline of the structure of a dissertation can  also be added to this chapter.
• Literature Review :  This chapter presents relevant theories and frameworks by analyzing published and unpublished literature available on the chosen research topic to address  research questions . The purpose is to highlight and discuss the selected research area’s relative weaknesses and strengths while identifying any research gaps. Break down the topic and key terms that can positively impact your dissertation and your tutor.
• Methodology: The  data collection  and  analysis  methods and techniques employed by the researcher are presented in the Methodology chapter, which usually includes  research design, research philosophy, research limitations, code of conduct, ethical consideration, data collection methods, and  data analysis strategy .
• Findings and Analysis: Findings of the research are analyzed in detail under the Findings and Analysis chapter. All key findings/results are outlined in this chapter without interpreting the data or drawing any conclusions. It can be useful to include  graphs ,  charts, and  tables  in this chapter to identify meaningful trends and relationships.
• Discussion and  Conclusion:  The researcher presents his interpretation of the results in this chapter and states whether the research hypothesis has been verified or not. An essential aspect of this section is establishing the link between the results and evidence from the literature. Recommendations with regards to the implications of the findings and directions for the future may also be provided. Finally, a summary of the overall research, along with final judgments, opinions, and comments, must be included in the form of suggestions for improvement.
• References:  Make sure to complete this following your University’s requirements
• Bibliography
• Appendices: Any additional information, diagrams, and graphs used to  complete the dissertation  but not part of the dissertation should be included in the Appendices chapter. Essentially, the purpose is to expand the information/data.

About ResearchProspect Ltd

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Our team of writers is highly qualified. They are experts in their respective fields. They have been working for us for a long time. Thus, they are well aware of the issues and the trends of the subject they specialize in. 

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Frequently Asked Questions

How to find dissertation topics about science.

For science dissertation topics:

• Follow latest scientific advancements.
• Investigate unresolved questions.
• Browse reputable journals.
• Explore interdisciplinary areas.
• Consult professors for guidance.
• Opt for topics aligning with your passion and career aspirations.

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• Thesis Guidelines

A thesis for Distinction in Biology is a wonderful way for you to close the loop on your undergraduate research experience and showcase your scientific scholarship. Your thesis will be evaluated by the Faculty in Biology and answers the following questions: What did you do? Why did you do it? What is the significance of your results? What else would you do, were you to continue the project?

In answering the above questions, you have an opportunity to demonstrate your understanding and intellectual ownership of a project; not simply your productivity in the lab. The volume of results or completeness of the study is not critical for a successful thesis. Instead, we will be looking for the following:

• An argument for the significance of your research, contextualized within the scientific literature;
• A review of appropriate literature as evidence in support of claims you make in your argument;
• A statement of your research goals, i.e., a meaningful question of biological importance;
• A description of experimental approaches and methods ;
• Appropriate presentation of results through tables, figures, and images;
• A discussion of the meaning and significance of your results;
• A description of limitations and future directions for the project.

Expanded guidelines can be found in the Biology Thesis Assessment Protocol (BioTAP):

Format of the Thesis

The basic format of the thesis should resemble that of any scientific journal article that is common in your subdiscipline. It generally includes the following sections: Introduction & Background; Methods; Results; Discussion; Acknowledgements; and References. In some instances, it may be useful to sub-divide the Methods & Results section to correspond to multiple aims. However, if you chose to take this route, remember that there should still be a general Introduction and Discussion sections that address the project as a whole. The thesis should not consist of several "mini-papers" that are unconnected.  

Submission Guidelines

The format of the final copy should follow these guidelines:

• Cover Page ( sample ): Title; student's name; supervisor's name; date of submission; 3 signature lines at bottom right (Research Supervisor, DUS, Reader). Please follow the format and language of the sample.
• Abstract Page: single-spaced, roughly 250 words.
• Thesis should be double-spaced
• Pages should be numbered at the top right corner of the page
• It is preferred that figures are embedded within the document instead of all at the end
• There is no minimum page requirement or limit, although most are approximately 25 pages. 

Sample Theses

Examples of Distinction papers from previous years are available for examination in the Undergraduate Studies Office (Rm 135 BioSci).  Several samples are also available below as PDF files.

• Tracing the origins of antimalarial resistance in Plasmodium vivax
• Interaction network optimization improves the antimicrobial efficacy of phage cocktails
• Identifying how ufmylation of RAB1B regulates IFN-β signaling

Additional Resources

• Library Resources for Students Writing Theses
• How to write and publish a scientific paper by Barbara Gastel and Robert A. Day
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A list of in-progress and recently completed dissertation titles demonstrates the breadth of the research conducted by doctoral candidates at YSE.

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Biology topics, chemistry and biochemistry topics, computer science and information technology & informatics topics, engineering topics, geography, planning, & environment, mathematics topics, physics topics, related guides.

• Research Process by Liz Svoboda Last Updated May 29, 2024 9344 views this year
• Big Bang theory
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• Kepler telescope
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• Remote sensing
• Sagan effect
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• Physics and Astronomy: A Guide to Library Research by Reference Librarians Last Updated Nov 3, 2023 90 views this year

Online books and journals, primarily in the life and physical sciences, technology, and medicine, as well as business and the social sciences

Includes over 2,000 journals and 35,000 books published by Elsevier Science and its subsidiary publishers, including Academic Press, Cell Press, Pergamon, Mosby, and Saunders journals. Coverage is particularly strong for the life and physical sciences, medicine, and technical fields, but also includes some social sciences and humanities. Includes chemistry, chemical engineering, clinical medicine, computer science, earth & planetary sciences, economics, engineering, energy & technology, environmental science & technology, life sciences, materials science, mathematics, physics, astronomy.  

• Algae blooms
• Biological warfare
• Bioluminescence
• Butterfly migration
• Circadian rhythm
• Coral reefs
• De-extinction
• Dismal Swamp
• Endangered species
• Fertilizers
• Genetically modified organisms (GMOs)
• Human genome map
• Invasive species
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• Biology: A Guide to Library Research by Reference Librarians Last Updated May 28, 2024 119 views this year

Collection of five major collections in biology, environmental sciences, ecology, and agriculture.

Includes these collections:

• Agricola: Millions of records from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Library dating back to 1970. The citations include journal articles, monographs, theses, patents, software, audiovisual materials, and technical reports related to agriculture.  
• Biological & Agricultural Index Plus: 1983-present. Agriculture, animal husbandry, botany, cytology, ecology, entomology, environmental science, fishery sciences, food science, forestry, genetics, horticulture, microbiology, plant pathology, soil science, veterinary medicine, zoology.  
• Environment Complete: Coverage in applicable areas of agriculture, ecosystem ecology, energy, renewable energy sources, natural resources, marine & freshwater science, geography, pollution & waste management, environmental technology, environmental law, public policy, social impacts, urban planning, and more.  
• GreenFILE: Articles, books and government documents on global warming, environmental protection and renewable energy.  
• Wildlife & Ecology Studies Worldwide: Covers 1935 & earlier to the present, and is the world's largest index to literature on wild mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians. Most of the records in this database are from Wildlife Review Abstracts, which offers a global perspective and is the most comprehensive resource on wildlife information. Major topic areas include studies of individual species, habitat types, hunting, economics, wildlife behavior, management techniques, diseases, ecotourism, zoology, taxonomy and much more.  
• Alkali metals
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Full-text access to IEEE transactions, journals, magazines, conference proceedings, standards, and online courses, plus related e-books. Covers engineering, computer science, technology, and physics.

IEEE Courses uses the best educational courses from IEEE conferences and workshops around the world and delivers them in interactive video format. You can earn Continuing Education Unit (CEU) credits and Professional Development Hours (PDH). To set up remote access to IEEE Xplore on a mobile device, please follow these steps:

• On the mobile device, use a browser to visit the IEEE Xplore website through the U-M Library's access.  
• Click on the blue tab "My Settings" in the middle of the screen, then choose "Remote Access."  
• Follow the instructions to pair your device. Users will be asked to sign in with an IEEE personal account before pairing.  
• This device can now be used off-site for 90 days to access IEEE Xplore. Users must go to IEEE Xplore on the paired device and log in with their IEEE personal account to access the roaming subscription.

Please note that after 90 days, users will be prompted to again pair their device and can follow the same steps as the initial pairing.

• 3D printing
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• Analytical mechanics
• Boundary layer
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• Computer-aided manufacturing (CAM)
• Design optimization
• Electric cars
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• Finite element analysis (FEA)
• Fluid dynamics
• Flutter phenomena
• Information theory
• Geoengineering
• High horsepower in cars
• Hybrid vehicles
• Hydroforming
• Laser applications
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• Naturalistic decision making
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• Stereo imaging
• Engineering: A Guide to Library Research by Reference Librarians Last Updated May 28, 2024 95 views this year
• Air pollution
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• Alternative fuels
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• Carbon footprint
• Climate forcing
• Compostable plastic
• Dymaxion House
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• Nitrogen farming
• Ozone depletion
• Pollution reduction
• Rip currents
• Soil contamination
• Sustainable design
• Three Gorges Dam
• Tiny houses
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• Water conservation
• Water pollution
• Geography, Planning, and Environment: A Guide to Library Research by Reference Librarians Last Updated May 28, 2024 91 views this year
• Applied statistics
• Bioinformatics
• Convex geometry
• Game theory
• Millennium Prize problems
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• Representation theory
• Riemannian geometry
• Theory of chaos
• Turing, Alan
• Turing patterns
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Online access to Mathematical Reviews , the journal of record which indexes, reviews, and abstracts the published mathematical research literature. 1940-present, with some earlier content.

• Antiparticles
• Bohr's radius
• Bose–Einstein condensate
• Dark matter
• Gravitational waves
• Heat death of the universe
• Higgs boson
• Manhattan Project
• Nanofabrication
• Quantum entanglement
• Space elevator
• Superstring theory
• Thermodynamics 
• Wave-particle duality

World-wide literature (mainly journal articles and conference proceedings papers) in astronomy, physics, electronics and electrical engineering, computers and control, and information technology.

Hosted on Engineering Village platform. Covers physics, electrical & electronic engineering, communications, computer science, control engineering, information technology, manufacturing & mechanical engineering, operations research, material science, oceanography, engineering mathematics, nuclear engineering, environmental science, geophysics, nanotechnology, biomedical technology, and biophysics.

• << Previous: Humanities
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• URL: https://libguides.umflint.edu/topics

Harvard University Theses, Dissertations, and Prize Papers

The Harvard University Archives ’ collection of theses, dissertations, and prize papers document the wide range of academic research undertaken by Harvard students over the course of the University’s history.

Beyond their value as pieces of original research, these collections document the history of American higher education, chronicling both the growth of Harvard as a major research institution as well as the development of numerous academic fields. They are also an important source of biographical information, offering insight into the academic careers of the authors.

Spanning from the ‘theses and quaestiones’ of the 17th and 18th centuries to the current yearly output of student research, they include both the first Harvard Ph.D. dissertation (by William Byerly, Ph.D . 1873) and the dissertation of the first woman to earn a doctorate from Harvard ( Lorna Myrtle Hodgkinson , Ed.D. 1922).

Other highlights include:

• The collection of Mathematical theses, 1782-1839
• The 1895 Ph.D. dissertation of W.E.B. Du Bois, The suppression of the African slave trade in the United States, 1638-1871
• Ph.D. dissertations of astronomer Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin (Ph.D. 1925) and physicist John Hasbrouck Van Vleck (Ph.D. 1922)
• Undergraduate honors theses of novelist John Updike (A.B. 1954), filmmaker Terrence Malick (A.B. 1966),  and U.S. poet laureate Tracy Smith (A.B. 1994)
• Undergraduate prize papers and dissertations of philosophers Ralph Waldo Emerson (A.B. 1821), George Santayana (Ph.D. 1889), and W.V. Quine (Ph.D. 1932)
• Undergraduate honors theses of U.S. President John F. Kennedy (A.B. 1940) and Chief Justice John Roberts (A.B. 1976)

What does a prize-winning thesis look like?

If you're a Harvard undergraduate writing your own thesis, it can be helpful to review recent prize-winning theses. The Harvard University Archives has made available for digital lending all of the Thomas Hoopes Prize winners from the 2019-2021 academic years.

Accessing These Materials

How to access materials at the Harvard University Archives

How to find and request dissertations, in person or virtually

How to find and request undergraduate honors theses

How to find and request Thomas Temple Hoopes Prize papers

How to find and request Bowdoin Prize papers

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Related Collections

Harvard faculty personal and professional archives, harvard student life collections: arts, sports, politics and social life, access materials at the harvard university archives.

Megamenu Global

Megamenu featured, megamenu social, math/stats thesis and colloquium topics.

Updated: April 2024

Math/Stats Thesis and Colloquium Topics 2024- 2025

The degree with honors in Mathematics or Statistics is awarded to the student who has demonstrated outstanding intellectual achievement in a program of study which extends beyond the requirements of the major. The principal considerations for recommending a student for the degree with honors will be: Mastery of core material and skills, breadth and, particularly, depth of knowledge beyond the core material, ability to pursue independent study of mathematics or statistics, originality in methods of investigation, and, where appropriate, creativity in research.

An honors program normally consists of two semesters (MATH/STAT 493 and 494) and a winter study (WSP 031) of independent research, culminating in a thesis and a presentation. Under certain circumstances, the honors work can consist of coordinated study involving a one semester (MATH/STAT 493 or 494) and a winter study (WSP 030) of independent research, culminating in a “minithesis” and a presentation. At least one semester should be in addition to the major requirements, and thesis courses do not count as 400-level senior seminars.

An honors program in actuarial studies requires significant achievement on four appropriate examinations of the Society of Actuaries.

Highest honors will be reserved for the rare student who has displayed exceptional ability, achievement or originality. Such a student usually will have written a thesis, or pursued actuarial honors and written a mini-thesis. An outstanding student who writes a mini-thesis, or pursues actuarial honors and writes a paper, might also be considered. In all cases, the award of honors and highest honors is the decision of the Department.

Here is a list of possible colloquium topics that different faculty are willing and eager to advise. You can talk to several faculty about any colloquium topic, the sooner the better, at least a month or two before your talk. For various reasons faculty may or may not be willing or able to advise your colloquium, which is another reason to start early.

RESEARCH INTERESTS OF MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS FACULTY

Here is a list of faculty interests and possible thesis topics.  You may use this list to select a thesis topic or you can use the list below to get a general idea of the mathematical interests of our faculty.

Colin Adams (On Leave 2024 – 2025)

Research interests:   Topology and tiling theory.  I work in low-dimensional topology.  Specifically, I work in the two fields of knot theory and hyperbolic 3-manifold theory and develop the connections between the two. Knot theory is the study of knotted circles in 3-space, and it has applications to chemistry, biology and physics.  I am also interested in tiling theory and have been working with students in this area as well.

Hyperbolic 3-manifold theory utilizes hyperbolic geometry to understand 3-manifolds, which can be thought of as possible models of the spatial universe.

Possible thesis topics:

• Investigate various aspects of virtual knots, a generalization of knots.
• Consider hyperbolicity of virtual knots, building on previous SMALL work. For which virtual knots can you prove hyperbolicity?
• Investigate why certain virtual knots have the same hyperbolic volume.
• Consider the minimal Turaev volume of virtual knots, building on previous SMALL work.
• Investigate which knots have totally geodesic Seifert surfaces. In particular, figure out how to interpret this question for virtual knots.
• Investigate n-crossing number of knots. An n-crossing is a crossing with n strands of the knot passing through it. Every knot can be drawn in a picture with only n-crossings in it. The least number of n-crossings is called the n-crossing number. Determine the n-crossing number for various n and various families of knots.
• An übercrossing projection of a knot is a projection with just one n-crossing. The übercrossing number of a knot is the least n for which there is such an übercrossing projection. Determine the übercrossing number for various knots, and see how it relates to other traditional knot invariants.
• A petal projection of a knot is a projection with just one n-crossing such that none of the loops coming out of the crossing are nested. In other words, the projection looks like a daisy. The petal number of a knot is the least n for such a projection. Determine petal number for various knots, and see how it relates to other traditional knot invariants.
• In a recent paper, we extended petal number to virtual knots. Show that the virtual petal number of a classical knot is equal to the classical petal number of the knot (This is a GOOD question!)
• Similarly, show that the virtual n-crossing number of a classical knot is equal to the classical n-crossing number. (This is known for n = 2.)
• Find tilings of the branched sphere by regular polygons. This would extend work of previous research students. There are lots of interesting open problems about something as simple as tilings of the sphere.
• Other related topics.

Possible colloquium topics : Particularly interested in topology, knot theory, graph theory, tiling theory and geometry but will consider other topics.

Christina Athanasouli

Research Interests:   Differential equations, dynamical systems (both smooth and non-smooth), mathematical modeling with applications in biological and mechanical systems

My research focuses on analyzing mathematical models that describe various phenomena in Mathematical Neuroscience and Engineering. In particular, I work on understanding 1) the underlying mechanisms of human sleep (e.g. how sleep patterns change with development or due to perturbations), and 2) potential design or physical factors that may influence the dynamics in vibro-impact mechanical systems for the purpose of harvesting energy. Mathematically, I use various techniques from dynamical systems and incorporate both numerical and analytical tools in my work. 

Possible colloquium topics:   Topics in applied mathematics, such as:

• Mathematical modeling of sleep-wake regulation
• Mathematical modeling vibro-impact systems
• Bifurcations/dynamics of mathematical models in Mathematical Neuroscience and Engineering
• Bifurcations in piecewise-smooth dynamical systems

Julie Blackwood

Research Interests:   Mathematical modeling, theoretical ecology, population biology, differential equations, dynamical systems.

My research uses mathematical models to uncover the complex mechanisms generating ecological dynamics, and when applicable emphasis is placed on evaluating intervention programs. My research is in various ecological areas including ( I ) invasive species management by using mathematical and economic models to evaluate the costs and benefits of control strategies, and ( II ) disease ecology by evaluating competing mathematical models of the transmission dynamics for both human and wildlife diseases.

• Mathematical modeling of invasive species
• Mathematical modeling of vector-borne or directly transmitted diseases
• Developing mathematical models to manage vector-borne diseases through vector control
• Other relevant topics of interest in mathematical biology

Each topic (1-3) can focus on a case study of a particular invasive species or disease, and/or can investigate the effects of ecological properties (spatial structure, resource availability, contact structure, etc.) of the system.

Possible colloquium topics:   Any topics in applied mathematics, such as:

Research Interest :  Statistical methodology and applications.  One of my research topics is variable selection for high-dimensional data.  I am interested in traditional and modern approaches for selecting variables from a large candidate set in different settings and studying the corresponding theoretical properties. The settings include linear model, partial linear model, survival analysis, dynamic networks, etc.  Another part of my research studies the mediation model, which examines the underlying mechanism of how variables relate to each other.  My research also involves applying existing methods and developing new procedures to model the correlated observations and capture the time-varying effect.  I am also interested in applications of data mining and statistical learning methods, e.g., their applications in analyzing the rhetorical styles in English text data.

• Variable selection uses modern techniques such as penalization and screening methods for several different parametric and semi-parametric models.
• Extension of the classic mediation models to settings with correlated, longitudinal, or high-dimensional mediators. We could also explore ways to reduce the dimensionality and simplify the structure of mediators to have a stable model that is also easier to interpret.
• We shall analyze the English text dataset processed by the Docuscope environment with tools for corpus-based rhetorical analysis. The data have a hierarchical structure and contain rich information about the rhetorical styles used. We could apply statistical models and statistical learning algorithms to reduce dimensions and gain a more insightful understanding of the text.

Possible colloquium topics:  I am open to any problems in statistical methodology and applications, not limited to my research interests and the possible thesis topics above.

Richard De Veaux 

Research interests: Statistics.

My research interests are in both statistical methodology and in statistical applications.  For the first, I look at different methods and try to understand why some methods work well in particular settings, or more creatively, to try to come up with new methods.  For the second, I work in collaboration with an investigator (e.g. scientist, doctor, marketing analyst) on a particular statistical application.  I have been especially interested in problems dealing with large data sets and the associated modeling tools that work for these problems.

• Human Performance and Aging.I have been working on models for assessing the effect of age on performance in running and swimming events. There is still much work to do. So far I’ve looked at masters’ freestyle swimming and running data and a handicapped race in California, but there are world records for each age group and other events in running and swimming that I’ve not incorporated. There are also many other types of events.
• Variable Selection.  How do we choose variables when we have dozens, hundreds or even thousands of potential predictors? Various model selection strategies exist, but there is still a lot of work to be done to find out which ones work under what assumptions and conditions.
• Problems at the interface.In this era of Big Data, not all methods of classical statistics can be applied in practice. What methods scale up well, and what advances in computer science give insights into the statistical methods that are best suited to large data sets?
• Applying statistical methods to problems in science or social science.In collaboration with a scientist or social scientist, find a problem for which statistical analysis plays a key role.

Possible colloquium topics:

• Almost any topic in statistics that extends things you’ve learned in courses —  specifically topics in Experimental design, regression techniques or machine learning
• Model selection problems

Thomas Garrity (On Leave 2024 – 2025)

Research interest:   Number Theory and Dynamics.

My area of research is officially called “multi-dimensional continued fraction algorithms,” an area that touches many different branches of mathematics (which is one reason it is both interesting and rich).  In recent years, students writing theses with me have used serious tools from geometry, dynamics, ergodic theory, functional analysis, linear algebra, differentiability conditions, and combinatorics.  (No single person has used all of these tools.)  It is an area to see how mathematics is truly interrelated, forming one coherent whole.

While my original interest in this area stemmed from trying to find interesting methods for expressing real numbers as sequences of integers (the Hermite problem), over the years this has led to me interacting with many different mathematicians, and to me learning a whole lot of math.  My theses students have had much the same experiences, including the emotional rush of discovery and the occasional despair of frustration.  The whole experience of writing a thesis should be intense, and ultimately rewarding.   Also, since this area of math has so many facets and has so many entrance points, I have had thesis students from wildly different mathematical backgrounds do wonderful work; hence all welcome.

• Generalizations of continued fractions.
• Using algebraic geometry to study real submanifolds of complex spaces.

Possible colloquium topics:   Any interesting topic in mathematics.

Leo Goldmakher

Research interests:   Number theory and arithmetic combinatorics.

I’m interested in quantifying structure and randomness within naturally occurring sets or sequences, such as the prime numbers, or the sequence of coefficients of a continued fraction, or a subset of a vector space. Doing so typically involves using ideas from analysis, probability, algebra, and combinatorics.

Possible thesis topics:  

Anything in number theory or arithmetic combinatorics.

Possible colloquium topics:   I’m happy to advise a colloquium in any area of math.

Susan Loepp

Research interests: Commutative Algebra.  I study algebraic structures called commutative rings.  Specifically, I have been investigating the relationship between local rings and their completion.  One defines the completion of a ring by first defining a metric on the ring and then completing the ring with respect to that metric.  I am interested in what kinds of algebraic properties a ring and its completion share.  This relationship has proven to be intricate and quite surprising.  I am also interested in the theory of tight closure, and Homological Algebra.

Topics in Commutative Algebra including:

• Using completions to construct Noetherian rings with unusual prime ideal structures.
• What prime ideals of C[[ x 1 ,…, x n ]] can be maximal in the generic formal fiber of a ring? More generally, characterize what sets of prime ideals of a complete local ring can occur in the generic formal fiber.
• Characterize what sets of prime ideals of a complete local ring can occur in formal fibers of ideals with height n where n ≥1.
• Characterize which complete local rings are the completion of an excellent unique factorization domain.
• Explore the relationship between the formal fibers of R and S where S is a flat extension of R .
• Determine which complete local rings are the completion of a catenary integral domain.
• Determine which complete local rings are the completion of a catenary unique factorization domain.

Possible colloquium topics:   Any topics in mathematics and especially commutative algebra/ring theory.

Steven Miller

For more information and references, see http://www.williams.edu/Mathematics/sjmiller/public_html/index.htm

Research interests :  Analytic number theory, random matrix theory, probability and statistics, graph theory.

My main research interest is in the distribution of zeros of L-functions.  The most studied of these is the Riemann zeta function, Sum_{n=1 to oo} 1/n^s.  The importance of this function becomes apparent when we notice that it can also be written as Prod_{p prime} 1 / (1 – 1/p^s); this function relates properties of the primes to those of the integers (and we know where the integers are!).  It turns out that the properties of zeros of L-functions are extremely useful in attacking questions in number theory.  Interestingly, a terrific model for these zeros is given by random matrix theory: choose a large matrix at random and study its eigenvalues.  This model also does a terrific job describing behavior ranging from heavy nuclei like Uranium to bus routes in Mexico!  I’m studying several problems in random matrix theory, which also have applications to graph theory (building efficient networks).  I am also working on several problems in probability and statistics, especially (but not limited to) sabermetrics (applying mathematical statistics to baseball) and Benford’s law of digit bias (which is often connected to fascinating questions about equidistribution).  Many data sets have a preponderance of first digits equal to 1 (look at the first million Fibonacci numbers, and you’ll see a leading digit of 1 about 30% of the time).  In addition to being of theoretical interest, applications range from the IRS (which uses it to detect tax fraud) to computer science (building more efficient computers).  I’m exploring the subject with several colleagues in fields ranging from accounting to engineering to the social sciences.

Possible thesis topics: 

• Theoretical models for zeros of elliptic curve L-functions (in the number field and function field cases).
• Studying lower order term behavior in zeros of L-functions.
• Studying the distribution of eigenvalues of sets of random matrices.
• Exploring Benford’s law of digit bias (both its theory and applications, such as image, voter and tax fraud).
• Propagation of viruses in networks (a graph theory / dynamical systems problem). Sabermetrics.
• Additive number theory (questions on sum and difference sets).

Possible colloquium topics: 

Plus anything you find interesting.  I’m also interested in applications, and have worked on subjects ranging from accounting to computer science to geology to marketing….

Ralph Morrison

Research interests:   I work in algebraic geometry, tropical geometry, graph theory (especially chip-firing games on graphs), and discrete geometry, as well as computer implementations that study these topics. Algebraic geometry is the study of solution sets to polynomial equations.  Such a solution set is called a variety.  Tropical geometry is a “skeletonized” version of algebraic geometry. We can take a classical variety and “tropicalize” it, giving us a tropical variety, which is a piecewise-linear subset of Euclidean space.  Tropical geometry combines combinatorics, discrete geometry, and graph theory with classical algebraic geometry, and allows for developing theory and computations that tell us about the classical varieties.  One flavor of this area of math is to study chip-firing games on graphs, which are motivated by (and applied to) questions about algebraic curves.

Possible thesis topics : Anything related to tropical geometry, algebraic geometry, chip-firing games (or other graph theory topics), and discrete geometry.  Here are a few specific topics/questions:

• Study the geometry of tropical plane curves, perhaps motivated by results from algebraic geometry.  For instance:  given 5 (algebraic) conics, there are 3264 conics that are tangent to all 5 of them.  What if we look at tropical conics–is there still a fixed number of tropical conics tangent to all of them?  If so, what is that number?  How does this tropical count relate to the algebraic count?
• What can tropical plane curves “look like”?  There are a few ways to make this question precise.  One common way is to look at the “skeleton” of a tropical curve, a graph that lives inside of the curve and contains most of the interesting data.  Which graphs can appear, and what can the lengths of its edges be?  I’ve done lots of work with students on these sorts of questions, but there are many open questions!
• What can tropical surfaces in three-dimensional space look like?  What is the version of a skeleton here?  (For instance, a tropical surface of degree 4 contains a distinguished polyhedron with at most 63 facets. Which polyhedra are possible?)
• Study the geometry of tropical curves obtained by intersecting two tropical surfaces.  For instance, if we intersect a tropical plane with a tropical surface of degree 4, we obtain a tropical curve whose skeleton has three loops.  How can those loops be arranged?  Or we could intersect degree 2 and degree 3 tropical surfaces, to get a tropical curve with 4 loops; which skeletons are possible there?
• One way to study tropical geometry is to replace the usual rules of arithmetic (plus and times) with new rules (min and plus).  How do topics like linear algebra work in these fields?  (It turns out they’re related to optimization, scheduling, and job assignment problems.)
• Chip-firing games on graphs model questions from algebraic geometry.  One of the most important comes in the “gonality” of a graph, which is the smallest number of chips on a graph that could eliminate (via a series of “chip-firing moves”) an added debt of -1 anywhere on the graph.  There are lots of open questions for studying the gonality of graphs; this include general questions, like “What are good lower bounds on gonality?” and specific ones, like “What’s the gonality of the n-dimensional hypercube graph?”
• We can also study versions of gonality where we place -r chips instead of just -1; this gives us the r^th gonality of a graph.  Together, the first, second, third, etc. gonalities form the “gonality sequence” of a graph.  What sequences of integers can be the gonality sequence of some graph?  Is there a graph whose gonality sequence starts 3, 5, 8?
• There are many computational and algorithmic questions to ask about chip-firing games.  It’s known that computing the gonality of a general graph is NP-hard; what if we restrict to planar graphs?  Or graphs that are 3-regular? And can we implement relatively efficient ways of computing these numbers, at least for small graphs?
• What if we changed our rules for chip-firing games, for instance by working with chips modulo N?  How can we “win” a chip-firing game in that context, since there’s no more notion of debt?
• Study a “graph throttling” version of gonality.  For instance, instead of minimizing the number of chips we place on the graph, maybe we can also try to decrease the number of chip-firing moves we need to eliminate debt.
• Chip-firing games lead to interesting questions on other topics in graph theory.  For instance, there’s a conjectured upper bound of (|E|-|V|+4)/2 on the gonality of a graph; and any graph is known to have gonality at least its tree-width.  Can we prove the (weaker) result that (|E|-|V|+4)/2 is an upper bound on tree-width?  (Such a result would be of interest to graph theorists, even the idea behind it comes from algebraic geometry!)
• Topics coming from discrete geometry.  For example:  suppose you want to make “string art”, where you have one shape inside of another with string weaving between the inside and the outside shapes.  For which pairs of shapes is this possible?

Possible Colloquium topics:   I’m happy to advise a talk in any area of math, but would be especially excited about talks related to algebra, geometry, graph theory, or discrete mathematics.

Shaoyang Ning (On Leave 2024 – 2025)

Research Interest :  Statistical methodologies and applications. My research focuses on the study and design of statistical methods for integrative data analysis, in particular, to address the challenges of increasing complexity and connectivity arising from “Big Data”. I’m interested in innovating statistical methods that efficiently integrate multi-source, multi-resolution information to solve real-life problems. Instances include tracking localized influenza with Google search data and predicting cancer-targeting drugs with high-throughput genetic profiling data. Other interests include Bayesian methods, copula modeling, and nonparametric methods.

• Digital (disease) tracking: Using Internet search data to track and predict influenza activities at different resolutions (nation, region, state, city); Integrating other sources of digital data (e.g. Twitter, Facebook) and/or extending to track other epidemics and social/economic events, such as dengue, presidential approval rates, employment rates, and etc.
• Predicting cancer drugs with multi-source profiling data: Developing new methods to aggregate genetic profiling data of different sources (e.g., mutations, expression levels, CRISPR knockouts, drug experiments) in cancer cell lines to identify potential cancer-targeting drugs, their modes of actions and genetic targets.
• Social media text mining: Developing new methods to analyze and extract information from social media data (e.g. Reddit, Twitter). What are the challenges in analyzing the large-volume but short-length social media data? Can classic methods still apply? How should we innovate to address these difficulties?
• Copula modeling: How do we model and estimate associations between different variables when they are beyond multivariate Normal? What if the data are heavily dependent in the tails of their distributions (commonly observed in stock prices)? What if dependence between data are non-symmetric and complex? When the size of data is limited but the dimension is large, can we still recover their correlation structures? Copula model enables to “link” the marginals of a multivariate random variable to its joint distribution with great flexibility and can just be the key to the questions above.
• Other cross-disciplinary, data-driven projects: Applying/developing statistical methodology to answer an interesting scientific question in collaboration with a scientist or social scientist.

Possible colloquium topics:   Any topics in statistical methodology and application, including but not limited to: topics in applied statistics, Bayesian methods, computational biology, statistical learning, “Big Data” mining, and other cross-disciplinary projects.

Anna Neufeld

Research interests:  My research is motivated by the gap between classical statistical tools and practical data analysis. Classic statistical tools are designed for testing a single hypothesis about a single, pre-specified model. However, modern data analysis is an adaptive process that involves exploring the data, fitting several models, evaluating these models, and then testing a potentially large number of hypotheses about one or more selected models. With this in mind, I am interested in topics such as (1) methods for model validation and selection, (2) methods for testing data-driven hypotheses (post-selection inference), and (3) methods for testing a large number of hypotheses. I am also interested in any applied project where I can help a scientist rigorously answer an important question using data. 

• Cross-validation for unsupervised learning. Cross-validation is one of the most widely-used tools for model validation, but, in its typical form, it cannot be used for unsupervised learning problems. Numerous ad-hoc proposals exist for validating unsupervised learning models, but there is a need to compare and contrast these proposals and work towards a unified approach.
• Identifying the number of cell types in single-cell genomics datasets. This is an application of the topic above, since the cell types are typically estimated via unsupervised learning.
• There is growing interest in “post-prediction inference”, which is the task of doing valid statistical inference when some inputs to your statistical model are the outputs of other statistical models (i.e. predictions). Frameworks have recently been proposed for post-prediction inference in the setting where you have access to a gold-standard dataset where the true inputs, rather than the predicted inputs, have been observed. A thesis could explore the possibility of post-prediction inference in the absence of this gold-standard dataset.
• Any other topic of student interest related to selective inference, multiple testing, or post-prediction inference.
• Any collaborative project in which we work with a scientist to identify an interesting question in need of non-standard statistics.
• I am open to advising colloquia in almost any area of statistical methodology or applications, including but not limited to: multiple testing, post-selection inference, post-prediction inference, model selection, model validation, statistical machine learning, unsupervised learning, or genomics.

Allison Pacelli

Research interests:   Math Education, Math & Politics, and Algebraic Number Theory.

Math Education.  Math education is the study of the practice of teaching and learning mathematics, at all levels. For example, do high school calculus students learn best from lecture or inquiry-based learning? What mathematical content knowledge is critical for elementary school math teachers? Is a flipped classroom more effective than a traditional learning format? Many fascinating questions remain, at all levels of education. We can talk further to narrow down project ideas.

Math & Politics.  The mathematics of voting and the mathematics of fair division are two fascinating topics in the field of mathematics and politics. Research questions look at types of voting systems, and the properties that we would want a voting system to satisfy, as well as the idea of fairness when splitting up a single object, like cake, or a collection of objects, such as after a divorce or a death.

Algebraic Number Theory.  The Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic states that the ring of integers is a unique factorization domain, that is, every integer can be uniquely factored into a product of primes. In other rings, there are analogues of prime numbers, but factorization into primes is not necessarily unique!

In order to determine whether factorization into primes is unique in the ring of integers of a number field or function field, it is useful to study the associated class group – the group of equivalence classes of ideals. The class group is trivial if and only if the ring is a unique factorization domain. Although the study of class groups dates back to Gauss and played a key role in the history of Fermat’s Last Theorem, many basic questions remain open.

  Possible thesis topics:

• Topics in math education, including projects at the elementary school level all the way through college level.
• Topics in voting and fair division.
• Investigating the divisibility of class numbers or the structure of the class group of quadratic fields and higher degree extensions.
• Exploring polynomial analogues of theorems from number theory concerning sums of powers, primes, divisibility, and arithmetic functions.

Possible colloquium topics:   Anything in number theory, algebra, or math & politics.

Anna Plantinga

Research interests:   I am interested in both applied and methodological statistics. My research primarily involves problems related to statistical analysis within genetics, genomics, and in particular the human microbiome (the set of bacteria that live in and on a person).  Current areas of interest include longitudinal data, distance-based analysis methods such as kernel machine regression, high-dimensional data, and structured data.

• Impacts of microbiome volatility. Sometimes the variability of a microbial community is more indicative of an unhealthy community than the actual bacteria present. We have developed an approach to quantifying microbiome variability (“volatility”). This project will use extensive simulations to explore the impact of between-group differences in volatility on a variety of standard tests for association between the microbiome and a health outcome.
• Accounting for excess zeros (sparse feature matrices). Often in a data matrix with many zeros, some of the zeros are “true” or “structural” zeros, whereas others are simply there because we have fewer observations for some subjects. How we account for these zeros affects analysis results. Which methods to account for excess zeros perform best for different analyses?
• Longitudinal methods for compositional data. When we have longitudinal data, we assume the same variables are measured at every time point. For high-dimensional compositions, this may not be the case. We would generally assume that the missing component was absent at any time points for which it was not measured. This project will explore alternatives to making that assumption.
• Applied statistics research. In collaboration with a scientist or social scientist, use appropriate statistical methodology (or variations on existing methods) to answer an interesting scientific question.

Any topics in statistical application, education, or methodology, including but not restricted to:

• Topics in applied statistics.
• Methods for microbiome data analysis.
• Statistical genetics.
• Electronic health records.
• Variable selection and statistical learning.
• Longitudinal methods.

Cesar Silva

Research interests :  Ergodic theory and measurable dynamics; in particular mixing properties and rank one examples, and infinite measure-preserving and nonsingular transformations and group actions.  Measurable dynamics of transformations defined on the p-adic field.  Measurable sensitivity.  Fractals.  Fractal Geometry.

Possible thesis topics:    Ergodic Theory.   Ergodic theory studies the probabilistic behavior of abstract dynamical systems.  Dynamical systems are systems that change with time, such as the motion of the planets or of a pendulum.  Abstract dynamical systems represent the state of a dynamical system by a point in a mathematical space (phase space).  In many cases this space is assumed to be the unit interval [0,1) with Lebesgue measure.  One usually assumes that time is measured at discrete intervals and so the law of motion of the system is represented by a single map (or transformation) of the phase space [0,1).  In this case one studies various dynamical behaviors of these maps, such as ergodicity, weak mixing, and mixing.  I am also interested in studying the measurable dynamics of systems defined on the p-adics numbers.  The prerequisite is a first course in real analysis.  Topological Dynamics.  Dynamics on compact or locally compact spaces.

Topics in mathematics and in particular:

• Any topic in measure theory.  See for example any of the first few chapters in “Measure and Category” by J. Oxtoby. Possible topics include the Banach-Tarski paradox, the Banach-Mazur game, Liouville numbers and s-Hausdorff measure zero.
• Topics in applied linear algebra and functional analysis.
• Fractal sets, fractal generation, image compression, and fractal dimension.
• Dynamics on the p-adic numbers.
• Banach-Tarski paradox, space filling curves.

Mihai Stoiciu

Research interests: Mathematical Physics and Functional Analysis. I am interested in the study of the spectral properties of various operators arising from mathematical physics – especially the Schrodinger operator. In particular, I am investigating the distribution of the eigenvalues for special classes of self-adjoint and unitary random matrices.

Topics in mathematical physics, functional analysis and probability including:

• Investigate the spectrum of the Schrodinger operator. Possible research topics: Find good estimates for the number of bound states; Analyze the asymptotic growth of the number of bound states of the discrete Schrodinger operator at large coupling constants.
• Study particular classes of orthogonal polynomials on the unit circle.
• Investigate numerically the statistical distribution of the eigenvalues for various classes of random CMV matrices.
• Study the general theory of point processes and its applications to problems in mathematical physics.

Possible colloquium topics:  

Any topics in mathematics, mathematical physics, functional analysis, or probability, such as:

• The Schrodinger operator.
• Orthogonal polynomials on the unit circle.
• Statistical distribution of the eigenvalues of random matrices.
• The general theory of point processes and its applications to problems in mathematical physics.

Elizabeth Upton

Research Interests: My research interests center around network science, with a focus on regression methods for network-indexed data. Networks are used to capture the relationships between elements within a system. Examples include social networks, transportation networks, and biological networks. I also enjoy tackling problems with pragmatic applications and am therefore interested in applied interdisciplinary research.

• Regression models for network data: how can we incorporate network structure (and dependence) in our regression framework when modeling a vertex-indexed response?
• Identify effects shaping network structure. For example, in social networks, the phrase “birds of a feather flock together” is often used to describe homophily. That is, those who have similar interests are more likely to become friends. How can we capture or test this effect, and others, in a regression framework when modeling edge-indexed responses?
• Extending models for multilayer networks. Current methodologies combine edges from multiple networks in some sort of weighted averaging scheme. Could a penalized multivariate approach yield a more informative model?
• Developing algorithms to make inference on large networks more efficient.
• Any topic in linear or generalized linear modeling (including mixed-effects regression models, zero-inflated regressions, etc.).
• Applied statistics research. In collaboration with a scientist or social scientist, use appropriate statistical methodology to answer an interesting scientific question.
• Any applied statistics research project/paper
• Topics in linear or generalized linear modeling
• Network visualizations and statistics

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• Dissertation & Thesis Outline | Example & Free Templates

Dissertation & Thesis Outline | Example & Free Templates

Published on June 7, 2022 by Tegan George . Revised on November 21, 2023.

A thesis or dissertation outline is one of the most critical early steps in your writing process . It helps you to lay out and organize your ideas and can provide you with a roadmap for deciding the specifics of your dissertation topic and showcasing its relevance to your field.

Generally, an outline contains information on the different sections included in your thesis or dissertation , such as:

• Your anticipated title
• Your abstract
• Your chapters (sometimes subdivided into further topics like literature review, research methods, avenues for future research, etc.)

In the final product, you can also provide a chapter outline for your readers. This is a short paragraph at the end of your introduction to inform readers about the organizational structure of your thesis or dissertation. This chapter outline is also known as a reading guide or summary outline.

Table of contents

How to outline your thesis or dissertation, dissertation and thesis outline templates, chapter outline example, sample sentences for your chapter outline, sample verbs for variation in your chapter outline, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about thesis and dissertation outlines.

While there are some inter-institutional differences, many outlines proceed in a fairly similar fashion.

• Working Title
• “Elevator pitch” of your work (often written last).
• Introduce your area of study, sharing details about your research question, problem statement , and hypotheses . Situate your research within an existing paradigm or conceptual or theoretical framework .
• Subdivide as you see fit into main topics and sub-topics.
• Describe your research methods (e.g., your scope , population , and data collection ).
• Present your research findings and share about your data analysis methods.
• Answer the research question in a concise way.
• Interpret your findings, discuss potential limitations of your own research and speculate about future implications or related opportunities.

For a more detailed overview of chapters and other elements, be sure to check out our article on the structure of a dissertation or download our template .

To help you get started, we’ve created a full thesis or dissertation template in Word or Google Docs format. It’s easy adapt it to your own requirements.

 Download Word template    Download Google Docs template

It can be easy to fall into a pattern of overusing the same words or sentence constructions, which can make your work monotonous and repetitive for your readers. Consider utilizing some of the alternative constructions presented below.

Example 1: Passive construction

The passive voice is a common choice for outlines and overviews because the context makes it clear who is carrying out the action (e.g., you are conducting the research ). However, overuse of the passive voice can make your text vague and imprecise.

Example 2: IS-AV construction

You can also present your information using the “IS-AV” (inanimate subject with an active verb ) construction.

A chapter is an inanimate object, so it is not capable of taking an action itself (e.g., presenting or discussing). However, the meaning of the sentence is still easily understandable, so the IS-AV construction can be a good way to add variety to your text.

Example 3: The “I” construction

Another option is to use the “I” construction, which is often recommended by style manuals (e.g., APA Style and Chicago style ). However, depending on your field of study, this construction is not always considered professional or academic. Ask your supervisor if you’re not sure.

Example 4: Mix-and-match

To truly make the most of these options, consider mixing and matching the passive voice , IS-AV construction , and “I” construction .This can help the flow of your argument and improve the readability of your text.

As you draft the chapter outline, you may also find yourself frequently repeating the same words, such as “discuss,” “present,” “prove,” or “show.” Consider branching out to add richness and nuance to your writing. Here are some examples of synonyms you can use.

If you want to know more about AI for academic writing, AI tools, or research bias, make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

Research bias

• Anchoring bias
• Halo effect
• The Baader–Meinhof phenomenon
• The placebo effect
• Nonresponse bias
• Deep learning
• Generative AI
• Machine learning
• Reinforcement learning
• Supervised vs. unsupervised learning

 (AI) Tools

• Grammar Checker
• Paraphrasing Tool
• Text Summarizer
• AI Detector
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• Citation Generator

When you mention different chapters within your text, it’s considered best to use Roman numerals for most citation styles. However, the most important thing here is to remain consistent whenever using numbers in your dissertation .

The title page of your thesis or dissertation goes first, before all other content or lists that you may choose to include.

A thesis or dissertation outline is one of the most critical first steps in your writing process. It helps you to lay out and organize your ideas and can provide you with a roadmap for deciding what kind of research you’d like to undertake.

• Your chapters (sometimes subdivided into further topics like literature review , research methods , avenues for future research, etc.)

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Home > Colleges, Schools, and Departments > College of Arts and Sciences > Science Teaching > Science Teaching Dissertations

Science Teaching - Dissertations

A Portrait of Postsecondary Stem Teaching: Examining the Roles of Organizational Climate and Professional Identity , Sule Aksoy

Comparing Effectiveness and Perceived Characteristics of Active Learning Methods in Undergraduate Biology Education , Linda R. Pesciotta

A Graduatte Level Immersive-Simulattion Program for Teaching and Assessing Fundamental Skills in Entry Level Clinical Perfusionists. , Bruce Searles

ENGINEERING IS ELEMENTARY: IDENTIFYING INSTANCES OF COLLABORATION DURING THE ENGINEERING DESIGN PROCESS , Lora Kulakowski Gruber-Hine

Consensus Messaging Using Scholarly Literature: Impacts on Students' Conceptions of Global Climate Change , Jeremy David Sloane

Peer-Led Team Learning: The Effect of Peer Leader and Student Interactions on Student Learning Gains and Course Achievement in Introductory Biology , Christina Winterton

HOW DO NOVICE AND EXPERT LEARNERS REPRESENT, UNDERSTAND, AND DISCUSS GEOLOGIC TIME? , Erica Amanda Layow

SCIENCE TEACHERS’ UNDERSTANDING AND PRACTICE OF INQUIRY-BASED INSTRUCTION IN UGANDA , Fredrick Ssempala

A Quantitative Assessment and Comparison of Conceptual Learning in Online and Classroom-Instructed Anatomy and Physiology , Joel Yager Humphrey

The Effect of Multimedia Cases on Science Teaching Self-Efficacy Beliefs of Prospective Teachers in Kenya , Peter Rugano Nthiga

Students' Attitudes towards Socially--but Not Scientifically--Controversial Subjects: Evaluating Ways in which These Attitudes May Be Shifted , Benjamin Elijah Carter

Assessing the Quantified Impact of a Hybrid POGIL Methodology on Student Averages in a Forensic Science Survey Course , Tyna Lynn Meeks

Reform-Based Science Teaching: A Mixed-Methods Approach to Explaining Variation in Secondary Science Teacher Practice , Lauren E. Jetty

Describing students' talk about physical science phenomena outside and inside the classroom: A case of secondary school students from Maragoli, Western region of Kenya , Grace Nyandiwa Orado

Influences to Post-graduation Career Aspirations and Attainment in STEM Doctoral Candidates and Recipients , Deborah Barry

Toward Understanding "Teaching in the Making:" Explaining Instructional Decision Making by Analyzing a Geology Instructor's Use of Metaphors , Glenn Robert Dolphin

The design, enactment, and impact of an inquiry-based undergraduate astronomy laboratory learning environment , Steven A. Stewart

"Evo in the News": A Pedagogical Tool to Enhance Students' Perceptions of the Relevance of Evolutionary Biology , Lynn M. Infanti

Peer Led Team Learning in Introductory Biology: Effects on Critical Thinking Skills , Julia J. Snyder

Teaching Science to English Language Learners: Instructional Approaches of High School Teachers , Betty-Vinca N. Frank

Comparison of gross anatomy test scores using traditional specimens vs. QuickTime Virtual Reality animated specimens , Paul Sadiri Maza

The Voyager Problem: The effect of a science laboratory course focused on clinical teaching experiences , John Reed Taylor

The relationship among elementary teachers' knowledge of nature of science, content background, and attitudes toward science , Dana Allard Corcoran

Preservice elementary teachers learning of astronomy , Chuck Gary Fidler

College science professors' understanding and use of nature of science , Mehmet Karakas

A study of the influence of a researched-based rationale on science teachers' beliefs and practices across key stages of teacher development , Thomas Joseph Diana Jr.

Identifying the zone performance phenomenon throughfMRI analysis and personal interview , Michael D. Ferrell

The effects of diet and/or exercise on the abdominal fat distribution, chronic low-grade inflammation, and metabolic status of postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes , Ifigenia Giannopoulou

Learning to teach the nature of science: A study of preservice teachers , Moses Keya Ochanji

Factors related to the retention of biology knowledge in non-science college students , William Thomas Carroll

Teacher pedagogical content knowledge as a predictor of student learning gains in direct current circuits , Michael Edward Jabot

Student and instructor perceptions of teaching and the impact of learning styles on these perceptions , George Walter Allen

College student perceptions of science teachers and the effect on science teaching as a career path , Michael George Cost

Lumbar musculature and exercise , John Michael Mayer

Back pain: The effect of physiological and educational treatment modalities on various outcome measures , Brian Earl Udermann

The academic and nonacademic characteristics of science and nonscience majors in Yemeni high schools , Mahyoub Ali Anaam

Insulin injection site selection and cognitive factors associated with diabetes mellitus in children , Timothy Elwood Rickabaugh

A Survey Of Attempted Solutions To Problems In College Geoscience Education , Edward Francis Carey

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• Master's Thesis

As an integral component of the Master of Science in Statistical Science program, you can submit and defend a Master's Thesis. Your Master's Committee administers this oral examination. If you choose to defend a thesis, it is advisable to commence your research early, ideally during your second semester or the summer following your first year in the program. It's essential to allocate sufficient time for the thesis writing process. Your thesis advisor, who also serves as the committee chair, must approve both your thesis title and proposal. The final thesis work necessitates approval from all committee members and must adhere to the  Master's thesis requirements  set forth by the Duke University Graduate School.

Master’s BEST Award 

Each second-year Duke Master’s of Statistical Science (MSS) student defending their MSS thesis may be eligible for the  Master’s BEST Award . The Statistical Science faculty BEST Award Committee selects the awardee based on the submitted thesis of MSS thesis students, and the award is presented at the departmental graduation ceremony. 

Thesis Proposal

All second-year students choosing to do a thesis must submit a proposal (not more than two pages) approved by their thesis advisor to the Master's Director via Qualtrics by November 10th.  The thesis proposal should include a title,  the thesis advisor, committee members, and a description of your work. The description must introduce the research topic, outline its main objectives, and emphasize the significance of the research and its implications while identifying gaps in existing statistical literature. In addition, it can include some of the preliminary results. 

Committee members

MSS Students will have a thesis committee, which includes three faculty members - two must be departmental primary faculty, and the third could be from an external department in an applied area of the student’s interest, which must be a  Term Graduate Faculty through the Graduate School or have a secondary appointment with the Department of Statistical Science. All Committee members must be familiar with the Student’s work.  The department coordinates Committee approval. The thesis defense committee must be approved at least 30 days before the defense date.

Thesis Timeline and  Departmental Process:

Before defense:.

Intent to Graduate: Students must file an Intent to Graduate in ACES, specifying "Thesis Defense" during the application. For graduation deadlines, please refer to https://gradschool.duke.edu/academics/preparing-graduate .

Scheduling Thesis Defense: The student collaborates with the committee to set the date and time for the defense and communicates this information to the department, along with the thesis title. The defense must be scheduled during regular class sessions. Be sure to review the thesis defense and submission deadlines at https://gradschool.duke.edu/academics/theses-and-dissertations/

Room Reservations: The department arranges room reservations and sends confirmation details to the student, who informs committee members of the location.

Defense Announcement: The department prepares a defense announcement, providing a copy to the student and chair. After approval, it is signed by the Master's Director and submitted to the Graduate School. Copies are also posted on department bulletin boards.

Initial Thesis Submission: Two weeks before the defense, the student submits the initial thesis to the committee and the Graduate School. Detailed thesis formatting guidelines can be found at https://gradschool.duke.edu/academics/theses-and-dissertations.

Advisor Notification: The student requests that the advisor email [email protected] , confirming the candidate's readiness for defense. This step should be completed before the exam card appointment.

Format Check Appointment: One week before the defense, the Graduate School contacts the student to schedule a format check appointment. Upon approval, the Graduate School provides the Student Master’s Exam Card, which enables the student to send a revised thesis copy to committee members.

MSS Annual Report Form: The department provides the student with the MSS Annual Report Form to be presented at the defense.

Post Defense:

Communication of Defense Outcome: The committee chair conveys the defense results to the student, including any necessary follow-up actions in case of an unsuccessful defense.

In Case of Failure: If a student does not pass the thesis defense, the committee's decision to fail the student must be accompanied by explicit and clear comments from the chair, specifying deficiencies and areas that require attention for improvement.

Documentation: The student should ensure that the committee signs the Title Page, Abstract Page, and Exam Card.

Annual Report Form: The committee chair completes the Annual Report Form.

Master's Director Approval: The Master's director must provide their approval by signing the Exam Card.

Form Submission: Lastly, the committee chair is responsible for returning all completed and signed forms to the Department.

Final Thesis Submission: The student must meet the Graduate School requirement by submitting the final version of their Thesis to the Graduate School via ProQuest before the specified deadline. For detailed information, visit https://gradschool.duke.edu/academics/preparinggraduate .

• The Stochastic Proximal Distance Algorithm
• Logistic-tree Normal Mixture for Clustering Microbiome Compositions
• Inference for Dynamic Treatment Regimes using Overlapping Sampling Splitting
• Bayesian Modeling for Identifying Selection in B Cell Maturation
• Differentially Private Verification with Survey Weights
• Stable Variable Selection for Sparse Linear Regression in a Non-uniqueness Regime  
• A Cost-Sensitive, Semi-Supervised, and Active Learning Approach for Priority Outlier Investigation
• Bayesian Decoupling: A Decision Theory-Based Approach to Bayesian Variable Selection
• A Differentially Private Bayesian Approach to Replication Analysis
• Numerical Approximation of Gaussian-Smoothed Optimal Transport
• Computational Challenges to Bayesian Density Discontinuity Regression
• Hierarchical Signal Propagation for Household Level Sales in Bayesian Dynamic Models
• Logistic Tree Gaussian Processes (LoTgGaP) for Microbiome Dynamics and Treatment Effects
• Bayesian Inference on Ratios Subject to Differentially Private Noise
• Multiple Imputation Inferences for Count Data
• An Euler Characteristic Curve Based Representation of 3D Shapes in Statistical Analysis
• An Investigation Into the Bias & Variance of Almost Matching Exactly Methods
• Comparison of Bayesian Inference Methods for Probit Network Models
• Differentially Private Counts with Additive Constraints
• Multi-Scale Graph Principal Component Analysis for Connectomics
• MCMC Sampling Geospatial Partitions for Linear Models
• Bayesian Dynamic Network Modeling with Censored Flow Data  
• An Application of Graph Diffusion for Gesture Classification
• Easy and Efficient Bayesian Infinite Factor Analysis
• Analyzing Amazon CD Reviews with Bayesian Monitoring and Machine Learning Methods
• Missing Data Imputation for Voter Turnout Using Auxiliary Margins
• Generalized and Scalable Optimal Sparse Decision Trees
• Construction of Objective Bayesian Prior from Bertrand’s Paradox and the Principle of Indifference
• Rethinking Non-Linear Instrumental Variables
• Clustering-Enhanced Stochastic Gradient MCMC for Hidden Markov Models
• Optimal Sparse Decision Trees
• Bayesian Density Regression with a Jump Discontinuity at a Given Threshold
• Forecasting the Term Structure of Interest Rates: A Bayesian Dynamic Graphical Modeling Approach
• Testing Between Different Types of Poisson Mixtures with Applications to Neuroscience
• Multiple Imputation of Missing Covariates in Randomized Controlled Trials
• A Bayesian Strategy to the 20 Question Game with Applications to Recommender Systems
• Applied Factor Dynamic Analysis for Macroeconomic Forecasting
• A Theory of Statistical Inference for Ensuring the Robustness of Scientific Results
• Bayesian Inference Via Partitioning Under Differential Privacy
• A Bayesian Forward Simulation Approach to Establishing a Realistic Prior Model for Complex Geometrical Objects
• Two Applications of Summary Statistics: Integrating Information Across Genes and Confidence Intervals with Missing Data
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