Indeed It is obvious to improve the way of 'Thesis' writing in AFU and IAAS

 In technical studies, academic writing has an important value and place. Around the globe, technical writing has included in the syllabus for most of the technical subjects at University degrees. Nepal also has academic writing in some of the undergraduate and postgraduate studies in a 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 a grant. However, I have found many issues with the trend and the format we follow for academic writing in agriculture studies in Nepal. Therefore, universities should immediately improve the way they do for the 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 detailed study of some thesis topics already accepted for the master's 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 a masters program by teaching them 'what is research' in undergraduate to 'Real industry-level research in the master's program. However, our master's program lets students know what could be researched. 

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 the teacher to get feedback on my research topic, nor my teacher had suggested improvement in my topic. It means a thesis topic is taking as 'nothing' and/or 'not a big issue' in our master's research as well; however, topic selection is a very crucial and important task. I have found few research topics from students 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. It does not explain how they define Nepalese agriculture for both of the topics. Value chain analysis, the impact of covid 19 itself is a very vague area. Agricultural 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 the table means land preparation to harvest, post-harvest and processing. If the student is analysing COVID-19 impact or value chain analysis in Nepalese agriculture, then can he/she can study everything in one year? Obviously, it is too complex and non-achievable, but students are doing research, and universities accept this type of thesis, which is ironic. 

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 a thesis as well. Therefore, the thesis topics should be particular, 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 a 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 thesis from AFU and IAAS that we have one area of study. We start to write from the very beginning introducing what the crop, animal and so on....which is unnecessary is. We can find unnecessary information in most of the thesis, which is a burden to students, plus it is not the 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 the rest of the world, and why we do it? Just to increase the thickness of the thesis and to get good marks? 

We should develop our writing from broad information to specific and 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 a message, should not include unnecessary information. 

Please follow the following instructions while writing the thesis

-Give information from broad to specific 

-Linked first paragraph to the second paragraph with specific information

-An the introduction paragraph, do not give many references 

-Do not give unnecessary information

👉Another problem in our writing is we repeat information in many ways. From the introduction to the conclusion, we repeat the same information many times. We have a tradition to write an Abstract, conclusion and summary in the thesis. However, we repeat the information in these areas. We already include a summary in the abstract and include it in summary. Do we need a summary section in the thesis?  

👉 In the conclusion section, we always tried to say that research has worked and identified all results. In one year of research for that vague research, we always may not always reach a conclusion. Therefore, why not include the '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 software and programs.  These days no one is doing manual referencing. However, we do not have any referencing tools and software access. Why students have given more burden and pressure to do such meticulous work, i.e. manual referencing? There are many more online and software programs to do in-text citation and referencing; why the university is not thinking?

On the other hand, when we write an introduction paragraph, we have to reflect on our own version of the idea. Therefore it is not recommended to put many references. However, we have exactly the opposite tradition. Putting so many references in the introduction reflects your writing from other's version. 

Other issues with the research program

-less priority for research year

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

-No proper method follows

Universities have to improve the way they do and teach technical writing. It would be helpful for students. It will help students align with global trends and help universities recognize them globally. 

 Let's do it!