Looking for Ideas / Topics for Bachelor Thesis

  • Hello everyone,

    This is probably an unusual topic, but someone's gotta do it 🙂

    So here I go...

    I want my bachelor thesis (3 months period) to be about databases, Microsoft SQL Server to be more specific.

    Now my problem is, that my professor didn't set a lot of boundaries for topics to choose from.

    Two examples:

    1. Microsoft SQL Server 2008 - Presentation of fundamental information.

    2. XML-Technologies in Microsoft SQL Server 2008.

    So with this wide area I'm hoping to get some ideas here so that I can get closer to a specific topic and tell my professor about it.

    I don't have the experience to predict what kind of topic would get me "exactly" 3 months of work so hopefully you can suggest some topics you find interesting.

    Personally, I'd like to work with XML and SQL Server but I've never worked with XML combined with SQL Server.

    Thanks for reading and your suggestions.

    Sven

    P.S.: If I posted this in the wrong category then please move and forgive me 🙂

  • It's tough to figure out what might be 3 months worth of work. What about something more specific in the XML area, like an examination of the efficiency of getting XML out of SQL Server directly as opposed to parsing a result set and generating XML in .NET?

  • What level of work is this for?

    Do you just have to produce a summary of a particular area? Say, how a particular feature works, how it's used, etc?

    Is this a research paper, requiring a hypothesis or research question, background material, proof of hypothesis, summary and conclusions?

    Are you required to do original research? Adding to the body of scientific knowledge? (I doubt this, as this is PhD level work)

    Gail Shaw
    Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
    SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability

    We walk in the dark places no others will enter
    We stand on the bridge and no one may pass
  • GilaMonster (5/11/2010)


    What level of work is this for?

    Do you just have to produce a summary of a particular area? Say, how a particular feature works, how it's used, etc?

    Is this a research paper, requiring a hypothesis or research question, background material, proof of hypothesis, summary and conclusions?

    Are you required to do original research? Adding to the body of scientific knowledge? (I doubt this, as this is PhD level work)

    Let me try to be more specific:

    The amount of working hours is set to 360. The final document should have 60-70 pages.

    First (in the document) there's some theory that explains some fundamental things and then comes the practical part that shows how the solution works, is used, is implemented and so on.

    So, I think that comes quite close to your first question.

    Since there is not much room with those 70 pages, it would be good to have a specific topic that focuses on a certain solution or way of dealing with data.

    I hope I could explain it a bit better now.

  • 70 pages is a fair bit. My entire Master's dissertation will probably only be around 70-80 pages.

    What interests you in databases, within the areas that the lecturer set? I ask, because working on something that doesn't interest you is no fun at all, especially when it's an independent project.

    Gail Shaw
    Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
    SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability

    We walk in the dark places no others will enter
    We stand on the bridge and no one may pass
  • How about using Business Intelligence in SQL Server. It is a pretty interesting topic (at least it is to me, but then again, I am a nerd) and I know you could easily write 60-80 pages on it. Just my 2 cents, hope it helps.

  • Hello again,

    I'm still trying to narrow down on a topic, thanks for you suggestions so far.

    Like I mentioned, I like working with XML but unfortunately I don't really have much of a clue where I could use it in SQL Server. XML with SQL Server alone seems to be such a broad area that I can't really get a grip on something particular.

    Business Logic seems interesting as well, but I've never done anything with it, so it might take to long to get my head around it.

    Maybe you can help me get closer to a topic.

    Thanks in advance.

  • May I suggest some time with your favourite search engine. See what people have written about, see what people are asking about. If nothing else, it should spark some ideas.

    As a starting point...

    http://www.google.com/search?q=Using+XML+within+SQL+Server

    Gail Shaw
    Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
    SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability

    We walk in the dark places no others will enter
    We stand on the bridge and no one may pass
  • Explain the difference between set based code and RBAR in terms of internals, execution plans, philosophy, and implimentation.

    --Jeff Moden


    RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
    First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
    ________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.
    "Change is inevitable... change for the better is not".

    Helpful Links:
    How to post code problems
    How to Post Performance Problems
    Create a Tally Function (fnTally)
    Intro to Tally Tables and Functions

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