Agriculture university should realise to improve the format and way of Thesis writing

 In technical studies academic writing has an important value and place. Around the globe, technical writing have included in syllabus for most of the technical subjects at University degrees. Nepal also has academic writing in some of the undergraduate and postgraduate studies in the form of major thesis, mini thesis, report writing and proposal writing. These forms of writing are highly valued and most necessary for publications and to compete for grant as well. However, I have found many issues with the trend and in format we following for academic writing in agriculture studies in Nepal. Therefore, universities should immediately act to improve the way they doing for following areas

The world in 21st century, everything is changing including academic model and teaching styles. We are now in paperless thesis world, referencing by tool world, intensive industry level research and international publication. However, in the other side of the world, Nepal where same tradition is passing over the decades and decades without any improvement such as vague research topics, too much unnecessary writing, no scientific and technical format, manual referencing and importantly falsifying data and no priority for research 😒😔

Topic selection 

Through the detail study of some thesis topics which have been already accepted for masters program by Agriculture and Forestry University (AFU) Rampur, I have identified students putting a very vague and very complex topic in their thesis. I personally believe that undergraduate study for agriculture should prepare students for masters program by teaching them 'what is research' in undergraduate to 'Real industry level research' in masters program. However, our masters program is just letting students know what could be a research. 

I have found that most of the thesis topics chosen as very vague, complex and unrealistic topics. I do not know why students are putting such a huge topic, but I can reflect that university is not teaching enough to prepare students for research year.  Even from my undergraduate experience, neither I had asked teacher to get feedback on my research topic nor my teacher had suggested improvement in my topic. It mean, thesis topic is taking as 'nothing' and/or 'not a big issue' in our masters research as well, however, topic selection is a very crucial and important task. I have found few research topics from students where they are studying such as 'value chain analysis of agriculture in Nepal', 'value chain analysis of cardamom production in eastern hills' and 'Impact of COVID-19 in Nepalese agriculture' kind of topics. How these topics are being accepted from university? Because, these topics are really so complex and vague, non achievable and unclear. For both of the topics, it does not explain, to which extent they are defining Nepalese agriculture. Value chain analysis, impact of covid 19 itself is very vague area, plus agriculture is extremely vague because there are many components in agriculture such as cereals, animals, poultry, vegetables, flowers, fruits and integration of everything. Furthermore, agriculture is a system from farm to table mean from land preparation to harvest, post harvest and processing. If student is analysing COVID-19 impact or value chain analysis in Nepalese agriculture then can he/she can study everything in one year? Obviously no, it is too complex and non achievable, but students are doing research and Universities are accepting these type of thesis, which is irony. 

Research topics should be

• Very specific
• Self explanatory
•  Plausible, realistic and achievable

 In one year of research how a student can assess just a small component, because in one year they have to finish research plus have to analyse data and write thesis as well. Therefore, the thesis topics should be highly specific, realistic, achievable and plausible. 

Hello universities, do you think you should be responsible to teach student to make specific and realistic research topics?

Writing

We have practice of writing too much as thinking writing too much worth better marks. Teachers also give better marks for too much and unnecessary writing, is it fair? I found from my own personal study of few research thesis from AFU and IAAS that we have one area of study and we start to write from very beginning introducing what is the crop, animal and so on....which is not necessary. We can find unnecessary information in most of the thesis which is burden to students plus it is not professional and technical way of writing. We should have very specific and just enough information. Writing too much is not a professional way of writing. It would not be accepted in rest of other world and why we doing it? Just to increase thickness of the thesis and to get good marks? 

We should develop our writing from broad information to specific and should provide just needed information. Giving too much information confuse readers and do not effectively deliver the message. Our writing should be just enough to deliver message, should not include unnecessary information. 

Please follow the following instructions while writing thesis

-Give information from broad to specific 

-Linked first paragraph to second paragraph with specific information

-In introduction paragraph, do not give many reference 

-Do not give unnecessary information

👉Another problem in our writing is we repeat information in many ways. From introduction to conclusion, we repeat same information for many times. We have tradition to write Abstract, conclusion and summary in thesis, however, we repeat the information in these areas. We already include summary in abstract and also include in summary as well, do we need summary section in thesis?  

👉 In conclusion section we always tried to say that research has worked and identified all results. In one year research for tat vague research, we always may not always reach to conclusion, therefore, why not to include 'Conclusion and future direction' section? Our certain finding may lead to further research in future, so I think Universities have to think about it.

Sharing my experience from Australia, in one year research program, I have been trained to avoid writing conclusion because one year research can lead to solid conclusion. Therefore, we have been trained to include 'future direction' section instead conclusion and our marking scheme had given priority for future direction. 

Reference

The world has already jumped many steps in technical writing and everything is facilitating by softwares and programs.  These days noone is doing manual referencing, however, we do not have any access to any referencing tools and softwares. Why students have given more burden and pressure to do such a meticulous work i.e. manual referencing? There are and may be many more online and software program to do in-text citation and referencing, why university is not thinking?

In other hand, when we write introduction paragraph, we have to reflect our own version of idea, therefore it is not recommended to put many reference. However, we have exactly opposite tradition. Putting so many reference in introduction reflects, you writing from other's version. 

Other issues with research program

-less priority for research year

Students and teacher both think research year is a year of freedom. Student, first do not prioritise research year, second falsify data and write just to meet academic requirement of university. Because of this issue, abroad universities do not trust our degree, work and we do not have recognition in international journals. 

-No proper method follows

Universities have to now improve the way they doing and teaching for technical writing. It would be helpful for students. It will help students to align with global trend plus help university to recognize globally. 

 Let's do it!