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Your Thesis is Software
Simon Goring
23/10/2020
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notes

What is a Thesis?

A Thesis is

ideas + data + text + formatting

A Thesis is Ideas

IDEAS + data + text + formatting

  • We have expectations and hypotheses that we aim to test
  • Our project design is based on assumptions

People talking about ideas

A Thesis is Data

ideas + DATA + text + formatting

  • Data is the product of experimental design and has constraints
  • Data collection and processing is part of a workflow

Zeros and ones.

A Thesis is Text

ideas + data + TEXT + formatting

  • Text depends on results from analysis
  • Text is structured, ordered and order has meaning

Zeros and ones.

A Thesis is Formatting

ideas + data + text + FORMATTING

  • Formatting transforms text and gives meaning
  • Formatting makes it all look pretty
  • Your thesis office will not accept a thesis with the wrong formatting

A ridiculously thick book

Is A Thesis Like Software?

Software Is

  • ideas (usually sus)
  • data (data)
  • text (code)
  • formatting (styling)

Very old floppy disks for computers

What can we learn from Software Development

What can we learn from Software Development

  • Working on Features
  • Testing Assumptions
  • Building Workflows

Software Development: FEATURES

  • Working on Features

    • Thesis elements are "units" (a chapter, a statistical test, a graph, a table)
    • A unit can be its own file
    • A unit has expected inputs & outputs
    • A unit can have versions

Software Development: ASSUMPTIONS

  • Testing Assumptions

    • We know things about our data (n = ??, all values are positive)
    • We write things about our results (p < 0.5)
    • Results and data might change as features change

Software Development: WORKFLOWS

  • Building Workflows

    • The final thesis is the sum of units
    • Writing units that "just work" takes planning
    • Writing units that "just work" makes changing them easier
    • Writing units that "just work" makes fixing them easier

Your Thesis is Software

This Workshop

  • An introduction to software tools & concepts
  • A resource & community for your ongoing work
  • A tool to help you re-think your work going forward

Key Learning Points

  • An introduction to git as a tool for version control
  • An introduction to markdown (and RMarkdown)
  • Data access and processing tricks in documents
  • A collection of tips & tricks