Methodology for the preparation of thesis at the National University of La Plata (UNLP)

The National University of La Plata was founded in the middle of 1905. It is also known by its acronym UNLP. They are more than 100 years dedicated to training professionals in the Argentine territory. The main headquarters is located in Buenos Aires and ranks number two in the most important institutions in the entire country.

Careers

UNLP has more than 10 faculties and about 130 undergraduate and more than 160 graduate degrees. It also has 13,000 teachers and more than 100,000 students. Among the faculties are Architecture and Urbanism, Natural Sciences, Medical Sciences, Economic Sciences, School of Languages and the Faculty of Engineering.

The list also includes around 450 postgraduate courses. The UNLP university campus is divided into 5 groups. Also, the faculties are thus distributed among them. For example, in the West Forest Group; there is the Faculty of Engineering and the Faculty of Exact Sciences. In the Bosque Norte Group, there is the faculty of Psychology and the faculty of Computer Science. For its part, the Bosque Centro Group, has the new Planetarium and the Observatory. In the Bosque Este Group, the faculty of Journalism and the faculty of Veterinary Medicine and in the Grupo Urbano Centro, as well as the administrative buildings and the dining hall.

UNLP Methodology

The methodology used to carry out the thesis at the Universidad Nacional La Plata or UNLP is presented in 4 phases:

• Phase 1 (Title and subtitle, Introduction, Status)

The title should be detailed and show concise information that allows the direct objective of the degree thesis to be known. The subtitle in the UNLP should explain the scope of the thesis. On the other hand, the introduction, as its name indicates, allows for a little knowledge of the subject matter and what you want to do with it. Similarly, it raises questions such as: Why is it important to complete the degree thesis? This question will be answered throughout the work, ending with the schedule of activities.

• Phase 2 (Research problem, General objectives and particular objectives, Research questions)

The problem becomes the key point of all degree work at the UNLP. It details the present drawbacks and possible solutions, including what benefits the thesis provides not only for the university but also for society in general. The objectives of the thesis are divided into general and specific objectives. Also, the general objective should be derived from the degree, while the specific or particular objectives are the activities that are carried out throughout the degree work to help solve the existing problems. The research questions, on the other hand, are a section where questions concerning the work are placed. These are a little more detailed than those in the previous chapters.

• Phase 3 (Central hypotheses or arguments, Frameworks or theoretical references, Methodology)

The hypothesis is the possible solutions that will be used to solve the existing problem. These will be subjected to a process of analysis until the one that gives the best results is found. The reference frame(s) comprises the body of the research. Everything exposed in the graduate work at the UNLP will be based on this section, relying on work that has already been done. These should be similar to the thesis in general, since they will serve as a basis for consolidating its quality as a final work. For its part, the methodology includes all the tools used to perform the work of the degree. This section also covers the type of research used, whether field, descriptive documentary or mixed, the population that was subjected to the study and the sample from which the results were obtained.

• Phase 4 (Feasibility, Timeline, Bibliography)

The feasibility leaves evidence of the basic principles that encompass the project to allow its implementation. It shows the financial resources and access to sources to obtain the necessary information. The schedule at the UNLP is designed following the guidelines of a Gantt chart. It shows the activities to be carried out during the execution of the degree work, which should be exposed in it, including the start and end time. Finally, the bibliography or bibliographic sources are all the sources used to extract information. These must be separated by location, that is, whether extracted from a book, a journal or a web portal.

Writing Format at UNLP

The style of writing a thesis at the Universidad Nacional de la Plata or UNLP must be governed by a large number of rules, among which are:

The entire degree work must have a clear writing according to the student’s professional level. Also, the use of words that may hinder the reading of the thesis should be avoided.

It will be necessary to request the writing manual from the corresponding department to avoid inconveniences when presenting the final work.

It is relevant to mention that the rules include points such as:

• Avoid the use of long paragraphs, these should not exceed 12 lines
• Use single line spacing
• All text in general must be justified
• Each new section or chapter will start on the next page.
• The title and subtitle should be clear, the student should avoid the use of very long titles as this can hinder their reading (the same applies to the subtitle)
• Research questions should be written on a single page and grouped, if necessary, by level of analysis.
• The schedule must have the student’s name and signature at the bottom of the page.
• Bibliographic sources should contact the author and the date of publication

Once the work has been approved at the UNLP, a final print is made, which must be on a letter-type sheet, and these must be in perfect condition, without scratches or stains.

The use of wrong or false information should be avoided, as this could result in the student’s suspension and the cancellation of the grade work.