has anyone written a thesis?

[notanidea]

I have to write 30,000 words thesis towards my masters degree.

I have 3 weeks annual holiday whichI am going to use.I am going to write the results sections first as it is the hardest.I would like any tips /adv from others who have done it.How did you index the references? Did u buy reference manager -someone suggested this to me.I need all the support and adv please.Thanks in advance.

msrisotto - you need to install the Word (or OpenOffice) plugin from the Zotero website. I've spent the last few days merrily entering my entire library. Fantastic bit of kit!

I have tried installing the word from zotero website and it is the c drive but when I open the word 2007 the format is unchanged.what do I do next

Not sure why yours isn't doing what it should I'm afraid: I just installed the Word plugin (www.zotero.org/support/word_processor_plugin_installation), then open Word and you'll see a new "Add-Ins" item on the Toolbar. Click on that and you'll see the Zotero toolbar which allows you to enter/edit citations and generate your bibliography, etc.

thanks molesworth it is working now,thanks.

Hi everyone.Have actually started writing the results after analysis the results over the last week.One more question how do you actually write the author name in bracketeg.,(amhhh) and link it to zotero.Zotero seems to be giving numbers and not authors name.

you are going to write it in 3 weeks ? really ? do you have lots of notes, and know exactly what you are goijg to write. becasue that sounds very short time.
I wrote my BA and MA one over quite a long time.
Referencing can be very time consuming. Do it. And do it exacly, as you write. not just a rough note, take the time to write every detail down, title, author, page no etc etc, as you do it.
Initially why not have a page of references for every chapter ?

no i am writing up only results over the next few weeks

anyone there?? I have restarted writing again.Anyone for peer supportBTW I havce namechanged to zeus123

Do you have a tutor or that you can show it to, to ensure that you are on the right lines? Do this early on.

It would be terrible to get it wrong after all that work.

Hows it going? I wrote my thesis in 1985/6 before the days of wordprocessors and referencing software - back then one wrote it longhand and paid a typist!.

Do get someone to proofread it, and check technical terms, don't just rely on spellchecker - I had a friend who mis-spelled a term when he added to the dictionary so that 'myoglobin' was consistently misspelled as (IIRC) myogoblin throughout.

And another who rather sweetly had 'cosiness' instead of 'cosines'.

My supervisor has read few chapters three times. I have M and M to rewrite and elaborate and currently doing references by zotero as recommended earlier on in this thread( as the children are watching the incredibles )

wilf if that works I officially love you!!!!

peppa - I have been using it it is def brilliant.

Mine was done in the days of the dinosaurs pre-wordprocessor days and not in a scientific area, but materials came first and went into a preface, then review of previous published material on the subject also in the preface, then body of thesis, with conclusion, then introduction last.

Important to be aware of correct form your department requires, and the guidelines for notation must be followed so find this out first so you won't have to redo anything. I second the proofreading advice.

It is wrong that this is potentially the most exciting thing I have heard in a long time