“Nothing is original.” — Austin Kleon, Steal Like an Artist (Kleon, 2012)
These examples are here to help you learn moves and structure—not to copy content. The idea from Steal Like an Artist is simple: you learn faster by studying good work, then remixing it into something that fits your own problem and constraints.
All three theses below use my LaTeX thesis template.
I picked these examples because they are well structured, received high grades, and (importantly) delivered clear value for the company.
Three Examples Using My Modeling Backbone
Vendor-Managed Inventory (VMI): Lisa Nonhof
Read this one if your work involves an optimization model with a clear business context and a strong “baseline vs. proposed model” story. (Nonhof, 2023)
What to “steal” (structure-wise):
- How the introduction narrows from context → problem → gap → contribution.
- How the model is introduced with clean notation and assumptions.
- How experiments are framed as comparisons (not as a list of results).
Multi-Objective Network Design: Danielle Turkstra
Read this one if your project involves trade-offs (cost vs. service vs. sustainability) and you need to explain choices transparently. (Turkstra, 2025)
What to “steal” (structure-wise):
- How the thesis explains objectives and trade-offs in plain language first, then in math.
- How sensitivity analyses and scenario thinking support the conclusions.
- How the discussion stays honest about assumptions and limitations.
Decision-Support Tool + Model: I. J. Bakker
Read this one if you are building a tool around a model (not just solving an instance once), and you need to show robust evaluation across scenarios. (Bakker, 2025)
What to “steal” (structure-wise):
- How the thesis connects the tool to a concrete decision the company cares about.
- How the evaluation demonstrates robustness beyond a single case.
- How recommendations are grounded in the evidence from the experiments.
What to learn from these examples
- Formatting and readability: consistent headings, clean typography (often easier in LaTeX), and a readable table of contents.
- Content division: clear chapter purposes and smooth transitions.
- Research design clarity: the reader quickly understands the objective, research question, method, and evaluation.
- Figures and tables: high quality visuals with descriptive, self-contained captions.
A practical suggestion
Do not copy content. Instead, reuse structure: chapter outlines, section ordering, and “moves” like motivating sections and summarizing key takeaways.
Many readers are familiar with IMRaD-like structure (Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion). Even if your thesis uses a different chapter naming convention, aligning to that logic usually helps readability.
Another way to calibrate what “high quality” looks like is to look at best-thesis award winners (Bekader): https://www.bekader.nl/home