ELABORATION AND PRESENTATION GUIDELINES

Modified Study Plan 2016

Master Thesis MET

GUIDELINES ON THE PREPARATION AND PRESENTATION OF THE MASTER'S THESIS (TFM)

 

1. What is it?

The Master’s Thesis (TFM) is a project, study, or original report on a specific topic in translation studies, in which the student, under supervision from faculty in the field, integrates, applies, and develops the competencies acquired within the master's program. The TFM is worth 10 obligatory credits.

For students who have only enrolled in the 10 ECTS TFM (and not the Research Work course), the work must be a systematic, reasoned, and critical presentation of a topic within the chosen specialty by the student, which demonstrates their ability for academic activity and knowledge of the basic bibliography on the topic. In this sense, a work with clear, viable goals and approach will be valued, leading to a bibliographic analysis and reflection on a very specific topic related to translation practice or theory. It may be a study of a translation, a comparison of translations, or their own translation that must also be commented on and justified; likewise, it may be a study of some theory or discipline related to translation, for example, the study of a translation theorist or the applicability of theoretical models from other related disciplines (such as linguistic, literary, cultural, or social theories applied to the field of translation).

The topic must be related to translation in some practical or theoretical aspect, and include aspects from one or more courses taken during the program. At this point, it is advisable for the student to indicate in their TFM proposal which course(s) are most strongly related to the proposed work.

To pass the TFM, it must be defended successfully in a public act before a panel of three PhD professors.

The written part of the Master's Thesis will be worth 50% of the grade, and the oral defense will also be worth 50%. To pass the Master's Thesis, a score of 5 (pass) is required in both the written part and the oral defense.

The Research Project course, worth 5 ECTS, can be integrated into a single research project by the student, combining the 10 ECTS of the Master's Thesis and the 5 credits of the Research Project to be jointly evaluated as a single integrated work. Research-oriented students must demonstrate their ability and potential to conduct research on a topic related to the field of translation studies. They must show knowledge of the basic bibliography on the subject and demonstrate that they know how to formulate a research question, which may involve the presence of hypotheses to be validated, and combine this with a methodology that allows them to address and resolve the issues raised in a manner compatible with the scientific method, adding final conclusions that can answer the questions posed as a starting point, or satisfactorily explain why they could not be answered. The Master's Thesis must represent an original contribution by the student in the research field in which the work is situated.


2. Who supervises the preparation of the Master's Thesis?

The Master's Thesis is carried out under the supervision of a Master's Thesis supervisor, whose role is to guide and advise the student in the development and achievement of their objective and to approve the project once it is completed.

The thesis supervisor(s) are assigned with the approval of the Master's Coordinator, with the help of the academic tutors, based on the student's interests, who will have previously filled out a form specifying the three areas of greatest interest as well as any ideas they have about the project. The student must submit the Academic Agreement with the supervisor to the Secretariat via the Global Classroom before the last day of February.

The student and the thesis supervisor must finalize the topic of the Master's Thesis and the methodological approach, and must agree on a work plan and its monitoring as soon as possible. If there are significant deviations from the work plan, or any other element is detected that suggests the Master's Thesis may not be completed properly and within the expected timeframe, or if, for justified reasons, changes in supervision are deemed necessary, the supervisor or the student must inform the master's coordinator and the academic tutor as soon as possible.

 

3. What is the student's commitment to the Master's Thesis (TFM)?

The TFM requires a commitment of about 250 hours. These hours include bibliographic research, discussions with the supervisor, data collection, hypothesis testing, and other tasks, including the writing of the final product.

The student can start working on the TFM as soon as the supervisor has been assigned. Except for occasional exceptions, in-person teaching for the other subjects in the program is concentrated in the first and second trimesters, so that the third trimester can be mainly devoted to completing the TFM.

Most of the hours the student devotes to the TFM are for independent work. It is the student's responsibility to inform the TFM supervisor and, if applicable, the academic tutor of any academic or personal difficulties that may interfere with fulfilling the work plan and the agreed monitoring method. No TFM will be allowed for defense if it has not been supervised by the supervisor and for which the corresponding approval has not been obtained.

 

4. What should the TFM be like?

The specific characteristics of the TFM may vary depending on the topic, but as a general rule, the final product should be about 25 printed pages with 1.5 line spacing (not counting appendices).

Considering new technologies and the diversity of possible topics, there will be no maximum number of pages, but rather a maximum number of words. In this sense, the TFM will have a maximum of 10.000 words, not including appendices.

The Research TFM will be approximately 35-40 pages and a maximum of 15.000 words, not including appendices.

In addition to the minimum and maximum length requirements, the TFM can be presented in the format that best suits a clear and understandable presentation. In this regard, there is no maximum space allowed for graphics or illustrations, such as screenshots or frames, which will not count towards the length requirement. The length of the TFM may be evaluated negatively if the committee considers it insufficient or excessive for the proposed objectives and/or according to the regulations governing TFMs.

In the case of TFM based on the student’s own translation, the translation and the original text must be presented in a separate document, different from the main work.

The written TFM document must comply with sections specific to a master-level work, which may vary slightly depending on the orientation and specifics of the work. It is recommended that the TFM include the following sections (mandatory in the case of the 15 ECTS TFM):
 

  1. Cover page (model provided by the Master) with the title and personal and identifying details of the department and its master's program, and the name of the supervisor of the work. The submission date.
  2. Abstract (maximum 150 words) + Keywords (maximum 10 keywords). Both sections in Catalan/Spanish + English.
  3. Introduction to the (document of the) master final project (here related subjects can be specified)
  4. Objective(s) of the project. Hypotheses and/or research question.
  5. Theoretical framework (authors and reference models, and brief motivation for the choice) and methodology (types of analysis or data processing; here specify, if; applicable, what use of AI has been made).
  6. Presentation of data and its analysis. Presentation of examples and commentary or analysis. Discussion and reflection on the analyses performed.
  7. General conclusions (mandatory) and partial conclusions (according to the work). The conclusions must not include new data or examples. The conclusions must be deducible from the previous sections.
  8. Bibliography and information sources.
  9. Annexes (according to the work)

      Separate document with the translation (in the case of TFMs based on their own translation).

In the case of 10 ECTS TFMs it is recommended to follow all these points with an adjusted interpretation of points 4 (perhaps hypotheses do not always have to be formulated), and 5 (which could include only the methodology).


Ethical questions

The student must be the sole author of their TFM. Therefore, cases of plagiarism, copying, or fraudulent use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) tools will not be tolerated. The sanction for unethical practices will consist of a course suspension and the opening of a file that could result in not obtaining the master's degree.

It will be considered plagiarism to reproduce sentences or paragraphs from texts by other authors without citing the original source, whether it is a web page, a book, a magazine, or works by other classmates. Regarding the use of AI, it will be considered fraudulent to present a text generated by AI as if it were your own text in any section of the Master's Thesis. This type of practice violates the principle of authorship mentioned above and may also involve the inclusion of plagiarized content or incorrect attributions of the ideas presented. AI may have legitimate uses in the preparation of a Master's Thesis. Some examples could be reviewing your own text to improve its quality or support in the preparation of experimental materials. In any case, the student is always ultimately responsible for the content of the Master's Thesis and must be able to demonstrate during the defense that they are the author of everything included. The student must speak with their supervisor to agree on what uses AI may have in the Master's Thesis (if any at all).


Declaration of AI Use

It is mandatory to declare if AI tools have been used in the preparation of the Master's Thesis and, if so, to clearly and transparently explain how they have been used. This information must be included in the methodology section of the thesis or in a specific section. It is recommended to use the Artificial Intelligence Disclosure Framework model, which is illustrated below:

Methodology: I used the XXX tool to generate the images that served as stimuli in experiment 1.

Writing: I used the XXX tool to correct spelling errors and improve the coherence and flow of the text.

You can consult the general UPF regulations regarding AI at this link.

 

5. What is the procedure for submitting the Master's Thesis and preparing for its defense?

The Master's Thesis must be submitted towards the end of the academic year in which the student completes the master's studies (that is, the first year for full-time students and the second year for part-time students). It is up to the supervisor(s) to determine whether the Master's Thesis meets all the requirements to be submitted and evaluated.

Submission can be made at any time from the fourth teaching week of the third trimester and at least 8 working days (Mon-Tue-Wed-Thu-Fri) before the date of the defense, so that the members of the committee have time to read and properly evaluate it. If the defense takes place in September, the Master's Thesis must be submitted before the August vacation period (August is considered non-working for TFM purposes).

The student will provide the following information via Aula Global:

  1. Name of the student, final title.
  2. Summary of the TFM (maximum 150 words).
  3. Keywords (10 words, maximum).
  4. A PDF copy of the work, in accordance with the established formal requirements.
  5. Signed authorization (e-Repository).
     

6. What is and how is the defense act conducted?

The TFM is presented in a public defense before a panel (Committee) composed of three doctors. It is advisable that one of these professors be the supervisor of the work. In the Research TFM (15 ECTS) it is advisable that one of the professors be external to the Department of Translation and Language Sciences. The Master Coordinator appoints the three members of each committee, according to the proposal presented by the supervisor of the work.

The defense act should not last more than 50 minutes, of which one maximum of 15 minutes are for the oral presentation on the part of the student. Once the presentation ends, the committee can ask questions to the student and make observations about the TFM, which the student must respond to appropriately. At the end of the defense act, the committee deliberates and agrees on a grade, which is recorded in the corresponding act. The TFM grade, like that of any other subject, is determined by a numeric rating from 0 to 10 (with one decimal) and the corresponding verbal equivalent (fail, pass, notable, excellent).

The defenses will be held in the first fortnight of July and, exceptionally, the first days of September.

 

7. Is there external dissemination of some TFM?

Dissemination of one's own research is an essential ingredient in research activity. To introduce students to the habit of publication, the Department of Translation and Language Sciences recommends the inclusion of the TFM that receive an excellent grade in the e- Repository, the UPF Digital Repository, where intellectual production in digital format resulting from UPF's academic and research activity is collected, disseminated, and preserved, the scientific journals and institutional publications. Its purpose is to contribute to increasing the impact of research carried out at UPF.

After the defense, the Department Secretary will ask students who have obtained the Excellent or MH grade for authorization to publish the TFM in the Repository. In the case of TFMs based on a self-translation, the work may be published in the Repository, but not the translation or the original text (which will not be included in the work, but in a separate document) if the original text is protected by copyright.

 

8. Schedule: summary

8.1 Assignment of the supervisor and the proposed project

Form that students must fill out, indicating the preference areas and their ideas about the TFM, before the first week of January.

Assignment of the supervisor by the Master Coordinator, with the help of the academic tutors, the second week of January.

Academic agreement. Document that the student must send to Secretariat, via Aula Global, signed by the supervisor, before the end of February. Includes: the name of the project supervisor (and signature) and the topic (with a sufficiently descriptive provisional title that gives an idea of the topic).

8.2 Tutorials with the supervisor

The supervisor will propose to the student a schedule of submissions and tutorials to effectively monitor the progress of the work.

8.3 Submission of the work to the panel members

For all panel members who are not MET professors, it is the responsibility of the supervisor and the student to ensure the receipt of the TFM PDF file.

8.4 Oral defense

June 30 – July 15:  preferably, and as a general rule.

1 - 8 September: exceptionally, and with justification.

 

Procedure for submitting the Master's Thesis (TFM)

All information and academic and administrative management regulating and affecting the TFM will be handled through a specific TFM course located in the Aula Global. Any questions regarding the interpretation of the information presented here, or updates to information and instructions, will be addressed in the corresponding Aula Global course, accessible to enrolled students and to the faculty supervising the TFM.

1) The position of committee president is created, who will coordinate about 10-12 defenses. These defenses will be held in grouped time slots that will be announced on the Department's website.

2) The president's task will be to coordinate the assigned defenses, as well as coordination with the Secretariat and committee members. The president will collect from the Secretariat the evaluation sheets for each TFM, as well as the online publication acceptance form, which must already be signed by the student. Finally, the president will ensure uniformity in the evaluation process and will propose a candidate for Honors if they consider that among the TFMs evaluated there is any that deserves it.

3) In the committee for each TFM, besides the president, there will be the thesis supervisor along with another professor, either internal or external to the program (from the research line of each TFM -->) proposed by the supervisor of the TFM or, if not possible, by the president or the Master's coordinator.

4) All instructions regarding the calendar and the procedure for submitting the TFMs can be found in the Aula Global.

5) The total duration of each TFM defense will be a maximum of 50 minutes. The student's presentation of the work will be a maximum of 15 minutes, followed by questions and comments from the committee members.