Reflect on your thesis process

Why is a reflection such an important part of your thesis?

In a reflection, the intention is to consciously think about your actions with regard to yourself and your graduation research. It is a critical note from yourself on your intended and realized research (the before and after situation). The purpose of this is to determine what your learning points are so that you can act better in a future, similar situation. Reflecting on your thesis process is very valuable and often gives you the following benefits:

It allows you to consciously think about your own learning process and personal development while writing your thesis. It also helps you understand how you have grown as a researcher, writer, and thinker throughout this process.

You learn from both mistakes and successes. Through reflection, you can identify both the mistakes and successes made during your research and writing of your thesis. By understanding what worked and what didn’t, you can improve your approach and become more effective.

• Reflection helps you to consciously think about the decisions you have made during your research and writing. This includes choices regarding your methodology, literature selection, and structure.
• By reflecting on your thesis process, you can improve your academic skills such as critical thinking, analytical skills, research skills, and writing skills.
• Reflection helps you to better understand and integrate the literature you have studied into your thesis. It allows you to make connections between different sources and theoretical frameworks, thus distinguishing between main and secondary issues.
• Reflection also allows you to evaluate your planning skills and the effectiveness of your work. This insight can lead to better planning and organization of future projects.
• The process of reflection can boost your self-confidence as you become aware of your achievements and growth.

In short, reflection is a powerful tool that helps you get more out of your thesis process. It not only helps you write a better thesis, but also develops your skills as a researcher, enables you to distinguish between primary and secondary issues, and increases your effectiveness in future projects.

Tip: In all cases, always ensure that you review the requirements of your course and consider what they expect to be included in your reflection. Some programs may require the reflection to be a separate section within the thesis, which can be placed at the end. Additionally, your course might necessitate a separate reflection report, which should be submitted as a standalone document along with your thesis.

Which parts do you reflect on in your reflection?

A reflection typically entails critically examining your own experiences, achievements, decisions, and learning process. You can reflect on the following aspects:

Reflection on the literature review

To do this, you can ask the following questions:

• To what extent has the literature and theory used been useful for your research? Which insights were the most valuable?
• Did the theoretical framework or literature review provide you with adequate tools to conduct your research?
• Were you able to utilize the theory and sources to define and investigate the core concepts from the problem analysis, problem definition, research question, and underlying sub-questions?
• Did you gather enough literature and sources, or should you have conducted more extensive literature research?

Reflection on the research methodology

To do this, you can ask the following questions:

• Have you used the correct research methods and data collection methods to find an answer to your problem statement and the underlying sub-questions? Could an alternative method have been better, and if so, why?
• How did you approach the target group, were you able to reach them, and did it yield the intended response? Did the target group cooperate?
• What challenges did you encounter in conducting your research? Have you considered any alternative scenarios?
• What additional measures could you have taken to enhance the reliability of your research?

Reflection on the research results

To do this, you can ask the following questions:

• Do your results provide enough insight to generate relevant recommendations?
• To what extent do the results align with your expectations? Do you find the results surprising or were they expected?
• Have you consistently applied the chosen theory and research methods throughout your study?

Reflection on the process

To do this, you can ask the following questions:

• Goals and expectations: What were your intended achievements?
• The decisions made throughout the thesis process: Consider your methodology, choice of literature, structure of the thesis, etc. Explain the reasons behind these choices.
• Reflect on your learning process and what you have gained during the thesis process: What new insights have you acquired? What skills have you developed? What aspects went well and what went less well?
• Identify your successes and highlights, as well as the challenges faced. Discuss how you dealt with these challenges.
• Lastly, indicate what you have learned and what you will carry forward into future projects, work, or research. What would you do differently if faced with the same choices again? What obstacles remain?

Tip: Be critical and honest in your reflection. Discuss both the positive aspects and the challenges, as well as areas where you can improve. A common mistake is to only scratch the surface during reflection. This is often because the reflective process lacks personal engagement. Reflection should also serve as a way to self-examine. Ask yourself what you truly learned, what you struggled with, and what you genuinely want to work on. That is the heart of reflection. Avoid dwelling too much on personal emotions and refrain from blaming others for any shortcomings.

Which models can you use when writing your reflection?

There are several models that you can use to guide your thesis process reflection. Why should you use a model? It provides a structure for organizing your thoughts and writing your reflection. It is recommended to follow all the steps of the chosen model in the correct order, without skipping any questions. Here are some commonly used reflection models:

• Kolb’s Reflection Cycle: This model consists of four steps - Experience, Reflection, Conceptualization, and Action. You begin by describing your experience, sharing your emotions and lessons learned, identifying relevant concepts and theories, and ultimately determining the actions you wish to take based on your reflection.
• Gibbs’ Reflection Cycle: This is a six-step model that starts with describing the experience, followed by identifying feelings and thoughts, evaluating the experience, analyzing what occurred, drawing conclusions, and finally identifying actions for the future.
• Borton’s Reflection Cycle: This model revolves around three simple questions: “What?”, “So What?”, and “Now What?”. You begin by describing the events, then you contemplate why they hold importance (their meaning), and finally, you think about the steps you want to take based on your reflection.
• GROW Model: Originally designed for coaching purposes, the GROW model can also be used for reflection. It stands for Goal, Reality, Options, and Will.
• Reflection diary: It is highly recommended to maintain a diary and regularly document your encounters during the process, as well as record your successes. Keeping a diary facilitates the process of reflection. By the end of your thesis process, you will have a rough idea of your emotions, actions, choices made, and their reasons.

Tip: If you make references to literature or sources in your reflection, you must use correct quotations and source references following the style guide specified by your course.

The choice of model depends on an individual’s personal preference and the purpose of their reflection. Additionally, it is possible to integrate components from various models to develop an approach that best suits one’s needs. Ultimately, reflection plays a crucial role in providing profound insights into one’s work and learning process.

Are there differences in the level of reflection in bachelor’s and master’s theses and what are these?

In both a bachelor’s and master’s thesis, you need to reflect on critical thinking, self-evaluation, and the ability to learn from experience. There are often minor differences:

Reflections often focus on personal growth and development. However, with a master’s thesis, the focus is often more on academic growth and acquiring expertise in a specific field. The emphasis is placed on critically evaluating research and writing skills and assessing the extent to which one has grown as a researcher.

You should reflect on existing knowledge and theories related to a specific subject. It is important to consider how the literature has influenced your thesis and the research process. In a master’s thesis, the focus should be on identifying gaps in the existing literature. What areas have not been thoroughly researched? Giving thought to the uniqueness of your study and the value it adds to the field is of greater significance.

Emphasis is on understanding methods and results. Reflection on the methodologies you used and the complexity of your research.

What do you reflect on when you conduct design-oriented research?

Reflection on design-oriented research often places more emphasis on the creative and practical aspects of the design process, as well as the ultimate application of the design. It focuses on understanding how design decisions were made and how they contributed to the final product. Some questions you can ask yourself include:

• What design choices did you make and why, and how did they contribute to the final design?
• Design-oriented research typically follows an iterative process. Reflection pertains to the various iterations of the design and what you have learned in each phase.
• In design-oriented research, the ultimate application of the design is of great significance as it must be practical and address the client’s problem. The design solution should also bring value to the users, and this aspect can be reflected upon effectively.
• Design-oriented research often involves the creation of prototypes or mock-ups. Reflection can focus on how these prototypes were utilized to test and enhance the design.
• It is common to test the prototypes or mock-ups and gather feedback. Reflection can also be made on this stage, considering how users have responded to the design and what adjustments were made based on their feedback, and why.
• In design-oriented research, collaboration with diverse disciplines is often necessary. Reflection can concentrate on how the teamwork was conducted and whether the process was efficient.
• In some design projects, ethical and social considerations hold significant importance. Reflection can then delve into how ethical issues were addressed in the design and how the design takes social impact into account.

What if you find it difficult to get your reflection properly on paper?

Especially if you have received a lot of feedback during the writing of your thesis, you may find it difficult to objectively reflect on the entire thesis process. Our thesis coaches can help you with this reflection by asking critical questions and discussing what you wanted to learn, what you have learned, and more. This support can be offered online or in person.