Bachelor Thesis UC3M: Writing your TFG

The abstract must be a short and precise representation of the TFG content . Except otherwise stated in specific rules for your titulation, the abstract text must not exceed one page, and must include mention of the main object of the project, main methods of analysis used, main results found, and conclusions.

The abstract must NOT include information not developed in the TFG main body of the text, or mention list of consulted sources, of formulas, tables and figures yet included in the project. Please note that  specific TFG rules may state a word limit, and also may precise abstract in spanish and english.

The abstract will be on page III of the document, followed by a blank page.

Aftter the abstract, in the same page III, write down some keywords in order to represent the TFG content, and to be found in searches: about 5 keywords, significant, avoiding empty words, avoiding the use of just the same words used in the project title, and choosing words that represent the subject of the project.

Where to find keywords?

• For Engineering use IEEE Taxonomy (in english)
• For Social Sciences and Humanities use CINDOC Thesaurus (in spanish, multilingual) or the European Language Social Sciences Theasaurus (multilingual).

The dedication and the acknowledgements are optional elements. If they are included in the TFG, the dedication will be in page V of preliminars, between summary and indexes, after a blak page numbered IV. This is an example:

​The table of contents is an obligatory element in an academic work.

Get automatic tables of contents in Microsoft Word via the following options: table of contents (for the contents index) and table of illustrations (for the list of tables and illustrations)

1. Table of contents

The table of contents is a list of all the chapters, sections, sub-sections, bibliography and annexes produced in the work and includes the name of each section and the page number it starts on.

2. Table of illustrations

We must include a table of illustrations when we use tables, figures or other illustrations in our work.  You should obtain your indices of tables, figures and other kinds of illustrations separately. These lists should be placed after the table of contents and on separate pages.

Table and index examples taken from UC3M Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10016/28161

​The list of abbreviations is an optional element. It contains the account of abbreviations, acronyms and initials used throughout the TFG and indicates how they are used.

There are generally accepted abbreviations, but abbreviations can also be created according to necessity when writing the thesis. Find here some help about abbreviations use in academic writing.

Abbreviations must be listed in alphabetical order. The list should be presented in the format of a table without edges. The abbreviation should appear in the first column and the full phrase it stands for should appear in the second.

There are some lists of abbreviations that can be used as a reference:

• Common abreviations in Oxford English Dictionary
• ​European Union main acronyms and initialisms

This is an example of abbreviations list:

The body of the project is the main part of the TFG, and the longest part. It must be divided into chapters or sections, which should preferably be numbered. We use an Arabic numeral for the first page of the Introduction, which indicates that we are in the main part of the work. We recommend following the IMRAD format (Introduction, Materials/Methods, Results and Discussion/Conclusions), the de facto standard for scientific publications adopted, among others, by the APA and the Vancouver Style, and adopted as the standard by the American National Standards Institute as ANSI Z39.16-1979. According to the IMRAD format, the main body of the project will consist of:

1. INTRODUCTION. To answer the question “What is being studied, and why?” the introduction must briefly mention the following aspects of the work:

• Motivation or justification (why we chose this subject for the work; why this research is important)
• Specific goal of the study (precedents, current status, premise or hypothesis of the work)

2. MATERIALS/METHODS. To answer the question “How is this studied?” in this section, you must present the essential aspects to understand the results of the research. Also, you must explain the methodological framework and systems of analysis used to obtain data. Some possible models can be as:

• theoretical approach and bibliographic review on a subject, explaining the main theories on the subject and its relation with the TFG object
• applied research, some technical document explaining a professional project related to the Degree, developing an idea, prototype, model, system, app or software
• business plan, including feasibility study, time schedule and budget
• case study, including quantitative and qualitative methods of data analysis
• population analysis, where sample, variables, techniques followed and procedure for validation will be described

3. RESULTS. To answer the question “What are your findings?” in this section, you must describe (not interpret or discuss) the results obtained from the research carried out, as outlined in the previous section. This is done with text and, where appropriate, tables and figures. Scientific integrity includes applying standards in the publication of results and considers unacceptable the practices of duplicate publication, the elimination of pertinent data and the inclusion of false data.

4. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSIONS. To answer the question “What does this mean?” the final section of the main body of an academic work must contain the conclusions that respond to the questions posed in the introduction of the work--in particular, the objective, which with the conclusions must be consistent--on the basis of the analysis and interpretation of the data presented in the previous section. This last section must include a section for discussion, which will be a final observation based on the arguments set forth in the work. It will have a personal contribution from the author which will be free of subjectivity--ideological or moral, for example--and will evaluate the results obtained, recognize the limitations and difficulties encountered, and outline a proposal for hypothetical future research.

NOTA BENE: Some TFG, following the TFG subject direction, can be different from this proposed model, like practical documents such as an arbitration award, a legal opinion, a lawsuit, the design of an investment portfolio, or the script of a short film, among others. Ask your TFG tutor for specifications.

The Engineering Bachelor thesis must include the development of one or more of the following sections:

• Analysis of the applicable legislation on the implementation described at work (risks, professional responsibilities, ethical responsibilities, occupational risks, privacy and security, etc.).
• Technical standards, if applicable (on technology developed, implemented, on programming languages or tools used, etc.).
• Study of the issues related to the intellectual property of the idea (patentability, protection ...), for example, if it is a theoretical work.

The ‘Introduction’ should clearly indicate the sections in which the contents of the ‘Regulatory framework’ are reflected, being highly recommended that there are in a specific section.

See Evaluation Matrix in English for more information.

The Engineering Bachelor thesis must include the development of the following sections:

• Budget for the preparation of the Bachelor thesis.
• Socio-economic impact (economic, social, environmental, ethical impact, etc.) expected from the application of the project result, its exploitation plan, or considerations on economic aspects of the work issue. For theoretical work, practical applications in which it could be used it should be detailed as well as and what socio-economic impact it could generate in the application sector. Note that in the Bachelor thesis rubric the ANALYSIS of the socio-economic impact is evaluated, not whether or not the impact itself is positive. In other words, the highest rating can be obtained for this section with an expected socio-economic impact of 0 - or negative - provided that the analysis is correct.  

In the ‘Introduction’ the sections in which the contents of the ‘Socio-economic environment’ are reflected must be clearly indicated, being highly recommended to include a specific section on the socio-economic environment

See Evaluation Matrix in English for more information.

The bibliography or reference list must follow the main body of the work. In this section, the details about your previously cited sources of information, in both printed and electronic format, are compiled. In research, it is absolutely necessary to acknowledge contributions with precise citations that clearly identify what is one’s own work and what is someone else’s so that there are no doubts about the contribution of the research.

The order of the references will depend on the citation system used in the work:

• In author-date citation system the references are listed in alphabetical order.
• In numeric citation system the references are listed by order of appearance in the text.

References to Spanish and European legal contents (judicial rulings, laws and other regulations) must appear in a section called Legislation and Jurisprudence, which will be included after the bibliography or reference list. In this case, the order of the references will be chronological, with the oldest regulations cited first.

To get detailed information about making a bibliography, consult our Referencing Guide.

• Annexes or appendices are optional elements of a TFG, and consist of additional or complementary materials related to the project, relevant but too long to be included in the main body of the document.
• They can be images, graphics, tables, questionnaires, forms, interviews, etc.
• They will be identified with capital letters (Annex A, Annex B, etc.). Each annex will appear on a page of its own.
• The pages on which the annexes appear do not count in the total number of pages of the MFP, unless your tutor indicates otherwise.

• Don’t include irrelevant information.
• Include only one idea per paragraph.
• The information contained in one section of the doctoral thesis must not be repeated in others, except in the summary.
• Don’t repeat data in a table or a graph if it is already contained in the text.
• Avoid stating the patently obvious:

  Forests are very important ecosystems.

• Distinguish your own data and ideas from the data and ideas of other authors.
• Differentiate demonstrated facts from hypotheses or speculations.
• Differentiate affirmations from points of view.
• Defend conclusions with data and arguments.

• Be sure to use appropriate terminology for the subject that you are writing about.
• Avoid the use of jargon or highly complex language.
• To avoid ambiguity, when you write scientific or technical terms, it is better to use the same word to denominate the same concept, even if it is repeated, than to use synonyms.
• Define ambiguous or uncommon terms when you use them for the first time in the text.
• If you use acronyms or abbreviations that are not commonly known by non-specialists, explain them the first time that they appear and include them in a list of abbreviations.
• Use standard symbols to represent units of international systems (kg, m, l), chemical elements (Au, Pb), mathematical concepts (+, %), monetary units ($, €) and cardinal points (N, S, E, W).

• Verbatim citations, or quotes, reproduced within the text should placed between quotation marks without changing the font relative to the rest of the text, except if they are longer than three lines, in which case the quote should occupy a paragraph of its own.
• Avoid plagiarizing: do not copy ideas of other authors into your TFG without acknowledging them by citing the author’s name and the source of origin. The words of other authors must always be written between quotation marks.
• Use double quotation marks (“”) for textual citations and single quotation marks ('') to quote within a quote.
• Paraphrases (reformulating text from another author in your own words) are not placed between quotation marks, but the idea needs to be acknowledged by citing the author’s name and the source of origin.
• The number of quotes used must be proportional to the text written: do not convert your project into a succession of quotes.