The setting up of a degree thesis depends on the research field and the requirements imposed by the individual faculties, but the general architecture is fairly standard. Specifically, the introduction and conclusion follow the same guidelines in all academic fields, while the development presents variations depending on the case. Analyze the basic structure of a thesis and start with the writing.
Steps
Method 1 of 5: Presenting a Narrative Summary (Review of Literature on the Subject)
Step 1. Begin the thesis with a short introduction
It involves presenting the field of action of the research and indicating the necessary requirements to conduct it, deepening the topics mentioned in the abstract. The introduction must provide all the contextual and general information necessary for the reader to get an overview.
To ensure that the introduction is exhaustive, it is advisable to write it after having finished writing the thesis
Step 2. Write the narrative summary
An overview of the existing literature on the subject is useful to experts and laymen. It must cover specific literature, point out publications similar to yours and set out the issues raised on the subject.
- If your research is aimed at filling or clarifying a specific gap in previous studies, try to sufficiently emphasize the relevance and originality of the content.
- The purpose of the narrative synthesis is also to identify any contradictions present in the research already carried out.
Step 3. Outline the merits of your thesis
The purpose of a thesis should be to fill a gap of some kind in the industry. Explain how your thesis fulfills this task and the reasons for an academic debate on it. A thesis must also demonstrate the originality of the content. Thanks to the experience gained in the field, your supervisor should be able to offer you support in choosing the topic to be discussed and advice on how to avoid a certain degree of redundancy.
Ask yourself if the topic of your thesis really interests you. Since the drafting will take a considerable amount of time, any loss of interest could be risky
Method 2 of 5: Outline the Methodology Used
Step 1. State the objective of your investigation
The purpose of the methodology section is to explain how the data is collected. It is therefore a question of going into detail. The explanation does not need to be particularly elaborate, but you must prepare the reader for the complexity of the methodological explanation that follows.
Step 2. Describe any parties involved
The description of the subjects possibly involved in the research must be complete and scrupulous and must provide for the precise identification of each subject. It is also important to specify any accessions or defections in the course of work and clarify whether the participants are family members if or have been selected randomly.
Do not forget to respect the privacy regulations (sensitive data of participants and consent to data processing)
Step 3. Describe the detection tools adopted
If you have devised a new survey method, such as a new type of survey or questionnaire, please describe the entire procedure in detail. If you used a standard methodology instead, don't forget to mention the reference. After listing the methodological tools, specify all relevant information, for example:
- Describe the format of the collected data;
- Illustrate the results obtained;
- Identify the detection techniques adopted.
Step 4. Describe the survey system
Explain the procedural details from start to finish. Define all the variables and scenarios involved, so that anyone wishing to reproduce the research independently can have a detailed description of the procedures to follow.
- Include a list of circumstances that, in theory, could compromise its validity. For example, a study on happiness could be invalidated by a family problem of the interviewee or by particularly adverse weather conditions.
- It explains the entire procedure in detail, so that it is fully reproducible and does not present any gaps.
Method 3 of 5: Articulate the Process and Present the Results
Step 1. Display the search results
It is not necessary to list them all, but only those that you consider most relevant to the scope of application, without interpreting them. If any particularly significant data or results emerge, they will be explained in a later section.
You can intersperse the text with relevant visual aids, such as figures, graphs and tables
Step 2. Divide the results into specific chapters
The thesis must be organized in such a way that each chapter deals with a specific issue. The question posed can be wide-ranging and concern a mental process, a methodological aspect or another research problem. Don't just ask the questions, but also the answers.
Step 3. Present your arguments
At the end of the research, the chapters into which the work is divided must corroborate the thesis you propose, supporting it with the data that emerged from the survey and with the methodological details. Help strengthen the elements in support of your thesis by avoiding making incontrovertible statements. Here are some examples:
- Controversial argument: "About 60% of the voters expressed themselves in favor of the referendum".
- Undeniable argument: “Microprocessors today are much smaller in size than 10 years ago”.
Method 4 of 5: Concluding the Thesis
Step 1. Conclude the thesis
It emphasizes the importance of the results in an overall context. Without concrete results, it may seem that the investigation was conducted poorly or that the author did not fully understand the outcome.
Clarify how the findings relate to the research questions and related findings
Step 2. Suggest a possible orientation for further study
Your research is inevitably perfectible and, as such, has gaps that you can invite to fill with subsequent insights. Unexpected results may emerge that you suggest investigating in the context of future research, as on the other hand there may be expected results that in the end do not materialize. You can suggest narrowing the search field to specific topics and invite readers to embark on a new path of research to find a solution to the unsolved problems.
Step 3. Evaluate the effectiveness of your thesis
In the conclusion it is also important to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the project, describing any intrinsic limitations and how they can compromise the results. Focusing on the limits allows you to demonstrate that you have perfect control of the instrument, to explain the reason for the onset of any problems and their effect on your arguments and to justify the choices made in the course of work.
Nobody knows the limits you have encountered better than you. Try to clearly propose corrections for the benefit of future research
Method 5 of 5: Formatting and Final Touches
Step 1. Analyze your thesis with the supervisor and possible co-supervisor
Eventually the structure will be the one officially approved by them. Make sure you fully understand the requirements of your field of study and the university department. It may also be useful to read the theses discussed by other students, to better understand how to structure yours.
- Find out about a possible limit in the number of words and which sections of the thesis (bibliography, tables, abstracts) are included in the count.
- Decide what information to include and which to exclude. It shouldn't be difficult to find guidance on this.
- Ask the rapporteur's opinion on which data are less important and which, therefore, can be safely included in the appendix.
Step 2. Create a cover page
It must contain information relating to the university, the degree course and the supervisor, generally in capital letters and centered on the page. The title page does not include the page number, but the following elements usually form part of it:
- The title of the thesis must be placed at the top of the page;
- This is followed by the topic of the thesis (research objective) and the degree course;
- Lastly, the name of the speaker and the discussion date appear.
Step 3. Write the abstract
This is a short document that summarizes the content of the thesis and explains its significance. First of all, describe your academic path. Then he goes on to expose the methodological framework and the results achieved. Finally, state the conclusions clearly. Each section must contain a sufficient number of words to provide the necessary information, but the overall length of the abstract must not exceed 350 words.
- Since this should be a high-level summary, avoid using quotes in quotes, with the only exception of a thesis based on a work of others: in this case, citing parts of the work in question is not only legitimate, but also desirable.
- You should include in the abstract one or two sentences dedicated to each part of the thesis (introduction, methodology, conclusion).
Step 4. Add thanks
Immediately after the abstract, go to the next page and thank those who contributed to the drafting of the thesis. Sometimes only a few people are mentioned, other times this part takes up a whole page or more. You can thank whoever you want and in any words you like, from the people who encouraged you to those who took care of proofreading.
The thanks section is not mandatory, but it is a unique opportunity to express your gratitude to those who have provided you with support and have been close to you in this difficult task
Step 5. Add a comprehensive summary
After the acknowledgments, move on to the next page and proceed with the summary. which must include both sections of the thesis, including the sub-chapters and the acknowledgment page.
- The word SUMMARY must be centered on the sheet and appear at the top of the page.
- Page numbers must be right aligned.
Step 6. Fill out the bibliography
It is a section often present, which includes the bibliographic references of the works cited and those only consulted. There are various methods of citing sources. Make it clear in advance which citation style you intend to adopt: APA, MLA, Harvard or Chicago.
Step 7. Conclude with a possible appendix (or more than one)
The aim is to include information cited in the results or that do not fall directly into the development of the thesis. It is an ancillary section, but it can have its usefulness. Particularly large documents, such as questionnaires or very complex tables, are the ideal elements to add to the appendix.
