CENTRAL COLLEGES OF THE PHILIPPINES

GRADUATE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

BA 231 THESIS WRITING I LECTURE

GUIDELINES FOR WRITING A THESIS

FOR THE MBA-MPA DEGREE

Compiled by Prof. Mariano L. Ching

AY 2021-2022 Sem 1
INTRODUCTION

Since this class is enrolled in the CCP-MBA/MPA thesis program, Your Professorial Lecturer assumed that
students know what a thesis is and that they are required to write one, as discussed during the students’
orientation.

But to review…

The thesis is the sum of all learned knowledge from the master’s program and gives students a chance to
prove their capabilities in their chosen field.

The thesis is one of the most important concepts in graduate studies expository writing
Thesis writing involves a significant amount of research, and depending on the subject, may require students
to conduct interviews, surveys and gather primary and secondary resources. Our CCP-MBA/MPA graduate
programs expect students to dedicate enough time to developing and writing their thesis.

Writing the thesis paper will be a long process.

Finding a thesis topic may be the simplest or hardest part of this exercise, so it is advisable that students
choose one that interests and gives them room to explore. It may also be work or position related topics.
For instance, an Accounting or Finance staff may investigate on the methods and results of sustainability in
business or an analysis of budget, budgetary controls and its effect on the operations of an organization.

A Marketing staff may conduct a study on the effects of business advertisement on the consumers
preferences.

Or a Human Resource Management staff may study on the effects of an employee’s productivity to an
organization's output or a critical study on the effect of staff training on the performance of the employee.
 “A thesis gives you the valuable opportunity
to delve into interesting research
for greater depth of learning in your career area”.

- Prof. John Stackhouse

How do you write a title for a master’s thesis?

The thesis title should be definite and unambiguous. It should be informative that student captures reader’s
attention. Think of the title as a mini-abstract.
A good title should provide a clear and quick picture of the key idea/s of the study. The words used in the
title should reflect the focus of the proposal.
Acronym, abbreviations and initials are not allowed in thesis title. Thesis title should be precise and concise
that will clearly explain the nature of the student’s work.
A thesis title focuses the student’s ideas for the paper; it is his argument or insight or viewpoint crystallized
into a single sentence that gives the reader his main idea. It is not only useful for the reading audience to
understand the purpose of the exercise; this purpose is also useful for the student as a writer, as it indicates
the type of support that will follow in the paper and may indicate a logical structure or order for that support.
Thus, he needs to have a good grasp of the concept of thesis in order to proceed.
Normally, your Lecturer will be requiring the students to submit at least three (3) thesis titles and the
rationale of working on those topics from which the most relevant to the degree as agreed by both lecturer
and student will be approved for writing.
Please follow this format:
______________________________________________________________________________
CENTRAL COLLEGES OF THE PHILIPPINES
GRADUATE SCHOOL
BA 231 THESIS WRITING I
TITLE PROPOSAL
NAME: _____________________________ CLASS NO*: _________
PROGRAM: Master in Business Administration_
EMAIL: _____________________________
Thesis Title #1: ________________________________________________________________
The purpose of the research proposal is:
_____________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Thesis Title #2: ________________________________________________________________
The purpose of the research proposal is:
_____________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Thesis Title #3: ________________________________________________________________
The purpose of the research proposal is:
_____________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Student signature
Date: ______________

Title # ______ is APPROVED for thesis writing.

Prof. Mariano L. Ching

Course Lecturer
Date: ______________

* To be provided by P-MLC
_____________________________________________________________________________
When the title proposal is approved, the process of operationalizing the method/s to find answers to the
questions begins. When it is finished, the process of rewriting the proposal can also start.

When student has chosen his approved topic, he will conduct some preliminary research so that he will be
able to start building his study. Before starting, he may consult with other scholarly texts and references
available to get ideas on how a master’s thesis main components should be structured.

If a student is planning to conduct interviews, surveys or do other research works, he is advised to obtain
prior approval from his course professor or adviser.
Drafting a working detailed outline will assist student for an easier and organized flow of ideas for a
well-written thesis.

The outline will also allow him to work out a solid thesis statement to prove and guide his paper in the right
direction.

In gathering information, work to prove the thesis and keep all of the insignificant information out of the
outline even if it is interesting.
Regardless of the topic or field of study, the problem statement should allow the student to:
Help prove his idea or statement on paper
Organize and develop his argument
Provide a guide for the reader to follow

For our purpose, student shall maintain a Student Course Portfolio, a file of the drafts and final submissions
and all exercises and documentary requirements for the course as part of his portfolio and must be made
available for inspection by the professor before or by the end of the semester.

Once the thesis is completed, students usually must defend their work for a panel of two or more program or
department faculty.
Although this course will only require the students to draft the first three chapters of the study, students need
to provide a Statement of Independent Work that reads as follows (sample):

“I hereby confirm that this thesis was written independently by myself without the use of any sources
beyond those cited, and all passages and ideas taken from other sources are cited accordingly”.

Reference: https://www.bgu.tum.de/msm/lehre/theses/structure/

Submitted drafts may be subjected to a plagiarism checker for originality, citation mistakes or inappropriate
copying. For our purpose, the acceptable percentage for similarity score is anything below 25% in the
similarity report. This score shows that the student’s paper is original.
BENEFITS OF WRITING A THESIS

Overall, a master’s thesis is designed to support a graduate student’s academic and professional qualifications
for a degree by presenting research findings.

With due respect to the students in the non-thesis program, there are several advantages that student can reap
from choosing a master’s program that requires the completion of a thesis project.

Employers often prefer students with a thesis paper in their portfolio, because it showcases their gained
writing skills, authoritative awareness of the field, and ambition to learn.

Defending the thesis will also fine-tune critical communication and public speaking skills, which can be
applied in any career. In fact, many graduates eventually publish their thesis work in company or academic
journals to gain a higher level of credibility for leadership positions.
Just to present some additional information…

What is the difference between a thesis and a non-thesis master’s program?

A thesis is a common requirement in many research-focused fields, but not every master’s program will
require the student to complete one. The CCP-GS MBA program allow students to choose between a thesis
and a non-thesis track.

In the case of a non-thesis program, student will not need to write a lengthy paper, but will have to take more
classes to meet his graduation requirement.
Whether student choose a thesis or non-thesis program, he is required to complete a final project to prove his
critical thinking skills. If he favors a non-thesis program, his project may be a capstone project or field
experience.

In my case, for my non-thesis program students, I incorporate this activity to Business Policy and Decision
Making (Strategic Management) course as my final requirement, also with oral defense.
WHAT IS A MASTER’S THESIS?

A master’s thesis is an extensive scholarly paper that allows students to dig into a topic, expand on it and
demonstrate how he has grown as a graduate student throughout the program.

A master’s thesis is a piece of original scholarship written under the direction of a faculty advisor.

As a rule of thumb, a master’s thesis should be publishable as a single article, though it might be longer than
a typical article.

Like a good journal article, a master’s thesis will respond to a debate related to their study and will bring new
evidence or arguments to bear upon the topic.
How long should it be? How long does it take to develop one?

A master’s thesis is generally 40-80 pages, not including the bibliography. However, the length will vary
according to the topic and the method of analysis, so the appropriate length will be determined by the student
and his committee.

As stated earlier, writing the thesis paper will be a long process. Students who write a master’s thesis
generally do so over two semesters, but can go as long as two years, normally the maximum time allowed by
most graduate schools, CCP included.
The Student’s Advisor and Committee

We will refer this issue to the existing and/or amended policies and procedures being implemented by
CCP-GS. We are currently rewriting and formatting requirements for thesis writing. But for purposes of
initial discussions, the Professorial Lecturer states as follows.

In order to write a master’s thesis, students are advised to find a faculty who is willing to be their thesis
advisor. Faculty are not obliged to advise you but they are generally willing to do so for students who have
clear ideas and who seem to have the necessary follow- through to successfully complete a thesis.
LOOKING FORWARD TO THESIS WRITING II

A master’s committee normally consists of three (3) faculty. One member may be an expert in the fields
which is from outside the CCP-GS. The faculty advisor can help assemble this committee. The advisor will
be the student’s chief contact writing the master’s thesis, but student should stay in touch with the other
members of the committee so that they are informed of the progress of the thesis.
THE COURSE

In general, this course will be discussing all main components of the master’s thesis but will draft the first
three chapters of the proposal which are the Introduction, Literature Review and Methodology.

Take note of the following verb tenses when writing these chapters:
Chapter I: Introduction - use simple present and future tense
Chapter II: Review of Related Literature - use present but mostly past tense
Chapter III: Methodology – use present but mostly future tense
WRITING THE THESIS

The thesis proposal is the student’s plan for the thesis. It consists of Chapters I, II and III of the thesis.

Course professor will assist student in the format, style and technical aspects of writing the proposal.

The more complete and carefully planned the proposal, the more likelihood of a successful thesis.
MAIN BODY OF A MASTER’S THESIS

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
Introduction (Background of the study)
Statement of the problem
Significance and purpose of the study
Research questions
Hypothesis/es of the study
Objectives
Scope and limitations of the study
Assumptions
Conceptual framework
Operational definition of terms
Implications
Subheadings: what they mean and questions to be addressed:
Introduction (Background of the study)
What is the context of this thesis problem? In what situation or environment can it be observed? Provide
sufficient information for the readers to understand the topic student is researching about.
Describe the current state of the problem or issue or topic

Statement of the problem

Identify the general "problem" that the research addresses
What is it that we do not know? What is the gap in our knowledge will this research fill?
What needs to be improved?
A problem statement should be clear and specific, discusses potential problems for the writer/researcher and not
offer a solution.
Significance and purpose of the study
Why is this research important? Who will benefit? Why do we need to know this?

This section should transition from the problem statement to the research questions

Research question/s
What is it that the student wants to find out? (a question that’s broad enough to stimulate his interest and
narrow enough that he can provide a convincing answer)

A research question should be clear and specific, state the focus of investigation in the research and not
be answerable with a yes/no response

Explain what the student intends to accomplish with his study.

Hypotheses (Some proposals do not need hypotheses).

What ideas are suggested as possible explanation for the problem, situation or condition and
will be proved to be correct or incorrect by the research?

Objectives

What steps will the researcher take to try and fill this gap or improve the situation? (Relate
these to the research problem.)

Break down a general objective into minor, connected parts (specific objectives). Specific
objectives should systematically address the different research questions, and specify what the
student will do in his study, where and for what purpose.
Scope and limitation of the study

Is the study limited to a specific geographical area or people, or to only certain aspects of the situation?

Is there any aspect of the problem the researcher will not discuss?

Is there any factor, condition or circumstances that will prevent the researcher from achieving all his
objectives?

Describe those things over which you have no control that may bias or twist the results

NOTE: When writing the remaining chapters of the thesis, the limitation of the study should be included
in Chapter 3 as part of the Methodology.
Assumptions

In considering the methods, model, formulation or approach, are there important conditions or states that
the researcher takes to be true?

State beliefs/underpinnings for his work that are not tested in the study

Conceptual Framework (sometimes referred to as Theoretical Framework)

This resents the student’s idea/s in a model or illustration of what he intends to investigate and some
theories related to it. The research problem is a part of the conceptual framework that he will build based
on the existing theories and research.
Operational definition of terms
An operational definition is a demonstration of a process, such as a variable, term or object, in terms of the
specific process or set of validation tests used to determine its presence and quantity.
This section provides operational definition of terms that are unusual or unfamiliar. It identifies precisely the
names of concepts, tests or participants introduced in the statement of the problem and employed in the
hypothesis/es.
Properties described in this manner must be sufficiently accessible, so that the persons other than the researcher
may independently measure or test for them at will.
List working definitions/quotes/paraphrases from an expert for important technical terms. Include a citation for
every definition.
Implications
Describe the possible significance of the outcome(s) of the study (on the immediate setting and more broadly).
Graduate students, below are some suggested steps for writing the first chapter or Introduction.

1. Think of topics that interest you. Discuss your topics with your adviser before choosing the most
interesting and practical one.

The advantage of a clear problem statement is that it will also help you to stay on track. At any time during
your writing process, you should be able to make a direct connection between what you are writing and your
problem statement. If that connection is not clear, you may need to either adjust your writing, or revisit your
problem statement.

Problem statements can change during the evolution of a paper; however, make sure you re-examine your
outline before you divert too far from your original plan.

A problem sentence should not be too broad nor too narrow. When reading your problem sentence, your
reader should not respond by saying, "So what?"
2. You have to search for more information first in order to understand what has been studied about the
subject or your topic of interest.

3. Define a research problem.

4. Before you can formulate or define the appropriate research questions, you need to be familiar with your
topic and current trends/research advances on the topic. A pilot study can be done before the actual research
process.

5. Research questions should be developed keeping in mind time constraints—can these be answered by only
one study or several studies?
Qualitative vs. quantitative research

Usually in qualitative approaches, research questions are formulated, instead of a hypothesis/es. Qualitative
research starts an investigation with a concept.

Quantitative research approaches use the hypothesis as the frame for the methodology. Here, you will have an
appropriate framework and variables considered.

In both approaches, the main research question is the basis for the hypotheses and objectives of the research.
When collecting and analyzing data, quantitative research deals with numbers and statistics, while qualitative
research deals with words and meanings. Both are important for gaining different kinds of knowledge.

Quantitative research is expressed in numbers and graphs. It is used to test or confirm theories and
assumptions. This type of research can be used to establish generalizable facts about a topic.

Common quantitative methods include experiments, observations recorded as numbers, and surveys with
closed-ended questions.
Qualitative research is expressed in words. It is used to understand concepts, thoughts or experiences. This
type of research enables you to gather in-depth insights on topics that are not well understood.

Common qualitative methods include interviews with open-ended questions, observations described in
words, and literature reviews that explore concepts and theories.

You may refer to this link for additional information:

https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/qualitative-quantitative-research/
6. Hypotheses can be developed from the research questions. Designing a hypothesis is supported by a good
research question and will influence the type of research design for the study.

7. The development of the research objective can be done after the development of the research questions or
hypothesis

8. Do not forget to cite current or relevant work of other authors and try to use the different techniques in
incorporating other authors’ ideas in your writing; summarizing, paraphrasing and directly quoting the
source. This should be applied all throughout your paper.

You may refer to Citations and References – The APA Style Guide for a guide to acknowledging the works
of other authors when incorporating their ideas into your writing.
link: http://languages.ait.th/citations-and-references/
MAIN BODY OF A MASTER’S THESIS

CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW

Introduction (no heading)
Overview of Literature Review
Theoretical Rationale
Review of Related Research
Conclusions

In this chapter student need to write an introductory paragraph/s that show the following: what the
topic is about; the research conceptual or theoretical framework; reasons for reviewing the literature
(show the gap and how this research would fill that gap);what is discussed in the chapter, the order or
sequence of the review; and what is included and not included in the chapter
The second part is the Body, which includes the following subheadings:

Overview of Literature Review

This is the general view of the literature being reviewed to the specific focus of the research.

It is the relationship between the chosen topic and the wider subject area.

For instance, relationship between accounting practices of a company and accounting practices in
general; between perspectives of financial risks in companies and risks flexibility.
Theoretical Rationale organization of the literature according to sub-topics or common themes:
historical background
methodologies/ hypotheses/ models
popular views vs. other views (similar and contrasting views)
major questions presented
general conclusions made by the authors

The theoretical rationale is the study's blueprint.

It provides a detailed plan concerning the variables including: how they are conceptually defined, how they
are related, and how these relations will be tested.
Review of Related Research is an in-depth examination of the literature in each sub-topic or theme
presented.

The last part is the Chapter Summary.

Summarize the important aspects of the existing body of literature.
Assess the current state of the literature reviewed.
Highlight the most important ideas/research presented in the chapter and relate to your study
Explain how the various concepts of each resource link with each other.
MAIN BODY OF A MASTER’S THESIS
CHAPTER III: METHOD
Introduction
Setting
Participants
Design
Measurements/Instruments (if applicable)
Procedure
Data Collection
Data Analysis
Timeline
Research budget
This chapter presents the student’s research design which describes and justifies the methods that will be used to
collect the data. It should be well-developed in order to obtain all the information required to answer the research
questions, test a theory or explain a situation relevant to the main aim of the research.
Start this chapter with a short introduction to the research design.
The purpose of a research design is to provide a plan of study that permits accurate assessment of cause and
effect relationships between independent and dependent variables.
A good research design should always fulfill the following four conditions; objectivity, reliability, validity
and generalizability of the findings.
In this section, the research questions, hypotheses and objectives must be presented.
An overview of the research approach, and the techniques and measurements that will be used to analyze data
are also included in the introduction
The next part of this chapter, or the Body, consists of some or all sections shown below. Each section should
be described and explained in detail. Discuss with your adviser for additional sections and sub-headings for
each section or a more appropriate structure.

Setting
Describe where the study took place, actual locale of the study (but do not use actual names of
establishments or companies)

Participants (sampling population)

Describe the population from which the sample is gathered
State how participants/sample were selected
Describe the participants, give demographic and other important information (e.g., gender, age range and
median, ethnicity, race, SES, etc.)
Design
State type of study: qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods
State specific research design (case study, quasi-experimental, etc.)
If appropriate, describe variables

Measurements/Instruments (if applicable)

Describe tests, measurements or instruments used to gather data
Give sample items either in this chapter (if brief) or an Appendix
If using an existing test, include in-text citation (and reference) and include information on validity and
reliability
If using a researcher-created instrument, describe how it was created, piloted and tested for validity and
reliability
Procedure
Describe steps taken to carry out the research project as a whole
Include any intervention steps or curriculum you implemented if relevant

Data Collection
Describe specifically how data were collected (how was questionnaire distributed, test administered,
interviews carried out, etc.)

Data Analysis
For quantitative study, state the statistical analysis carried out (include name of test, p-level, etc.)

For qualitative study, specifically describe how data were analyzed (constant comparison, data
reduction, coding, etc.)
Timeline (in some references, timeline is optional but this Lecturer recommends that thesis student include
and develop a timeline for completing his thesis before beginning the process).

A timeline is a very important part of a thesis proposal. This is a list of important events arranged in the order
in which they will happen. It basically shows the chronological order of events that student plan to do in his
project and is supposed to give the reader a broad overview of the project at a glance.

Most common activity timeline matrix used is the Gantt chart will help the student to stay on track with these
activities, which can actually affect the execution and completion of the thesis.
Research budget (optional)

Thesis writing is “an expensive graduate school activity” and would require a budget. Student should develop
a budget showing know he plans to raise funding for this activity and to keep tract where to spend that
funding on.

A good budget shows the reader that he has thought about the thesis in detail. he needs to show how spending
that money will help him answer his research question. And, if it is done well, it can serve as a great,
convincing overview of the project.
The last section is the Chapter Summary

At this stage, student have already collected as much data as he can and is ready to process and analyze such
a huge amount of information. However, expect a lot of changes in the process, methods and chapters. Some
changes can also come from the research adviser.

The first step the student needs to do is to revisit the first three chapters of his thesis. Here, he would need to
make the necessary corrections to some of the sections presented during the proposal stage.

Student might have to fine-tune the research questions and objectives based on the data gathered or found
during the research process.

Based on experiences for example: The Scope and Limitations of the Study section in Chapter 1 would now
have to be included in Chapter 3. Or an additional section, Organization of the Study, must be included in
Chapter 1.
CHAPTER IV: RESULTS

This chapter answers to the research questions which are generated from the collected data. In this section,
evidence is presented through graphical and/or textual form organized in sub-sections.

The student’s opinion should not be included when presenting the results.
Start with a brief introduction of this chapter.
Briefly re-state the problem, purpose of study and research question/s Briefly restate research design and
how the results were analyzed

Results (use as many headings/subheadings as needed)

For qualitative study:
Qualitative results are usually presented as themes or patterns, supported with verbatim segments of raw
data (interviews, video transcripts, etc.)

Each qualitative method has its own way of presenting results; consult with the chair and look at similar
research studies for guidance

A certain amount of interpretation of qualitative results is acceptable, but should only apply to the actual
data (no implications, generalizations, etc)
For quantitative study:
Present descriptive statistics and/or raw data first (put extensive raw data in an Appendix, or omit)
Present inferential statistics, if applicable

Include the “n” (number of participants), degrees of freedom, and p-value for any statistic that is
calculated (t-value, chi-square, r, etc).

Use tables and graphs; any information presented in a table, figure or graph should also be described in
the text as well

After giving each quantitative/statistical result, re-state result in terms of how it answers your research
question.

NOTE: Do not interpret or discuss the results in this chapter; simply state them clearly.
Descriptive or frequency statistical results of all variables must be reported first before specific statistical
tests (e.g., regression analysis).

For instance, the profile of participants or respondents, or characteristics of the sample is presented first if
available. Results from a regression and/or correlation analysis are presented after all the descriptive and
frequencies for all variables, or summaries of the data set have been presented.

Specific quotes from interviews must be presented under a specific theme or sub-theme in the same way
results from focus group discussions are reported.

When reporting results from observations, present the conversation, behavior or condition student have
noticed first. Then, write the comments.

End the chapter with a summary.

CHAPTER V: DISCUSSIONS
Introduction (no heading)
Major Findings
Implications and Recommendations
Future Research
Conclusions

This chapter explains the meaning of the results presented in specific sections and links them to previous
research studies. It explains why the findings are weak, strong or significant, and their limitations. A
further review of the literature might be required to enhance the discussion of results.
Subheadings: what they mean and questions to be addressed:

Introduction
Summarize the purpose of the study and restate the research questions
Summarize your research methods
Major Findings (use as many headings/subheadings as necessary)
Describe, interpret and evaluate major findings of the research
For any surprising findings, indicate possible reasons for the result
Reasons may have to do with all aspects of the student’s design, procedure, nature of participants/respondents,
and the nature of the selected measurements.
Student should organize the discussion using a logical outline that fits the way he organized his introduction,
specifically in relation to each hypothesis. For each main finding, the students should indicate the possible
reasons why he did or did not find the pattern in his research questions that he had hypothesized or expected.
Assess the meaning of the results through evaluation and interpretation.
Compare each main finding with the trends found in the literature. If the finding is different, explain what may
account for that difference (e.g., between the method and results of the study and those of another).
Explain the limitations of the study (e.g., factors affecting internal validity and external validity). Limitations
may include factors related to student’s method and sample, such as cultural/ethnicity, gender, class, sexual
orientation, applicability, and length of time.
Implications and Recommendations
Include the implications, recommendations and applications of the student’s findings for his company, schools
and/or the field of education in general.
Future Research
Suggest future research to extend, improve upon, or replicate the student’s findings.
Conclusions
Draw conclusions from the results that relate directly to the student’s hypotheses. Determine the significance of
the study and how the student addressed the problem raised in the introduction.
Support the conclusions by making connections with studies in the review of the literature.
Address what knowledge the study contributes to the field. Be sure that any generalizations are sound and
justified
End this chapter with some reflections and final words.
UPDATES:
As discussed during our first session, it is highly recommended that Chapters IV: Results and V: Discussions
be presented as one chapter then add Chapter V as Conclusions and Recommendations separately presented.
This is however, just a matter of reformatting since the information required are already in the “original”
Chapter V of this lecture.
OTHER INFORMATION AND RREQUIREMENTS

References
List only references cited in the document, and be sure that every source cited in the document has an
entry in References.

Appendices
Include important material used in the study such as data collection tools or intervention materials (if
relevant).

Curriculum vitae of student

WRITING THE ABSTRACT
When all the chapters have been finalized, student is now ready to prepare the abstract. It is written in the
form of a summary, describing briefly, initially for our purpose, the research problem, the aims of the
research, the methods used to achieve them, and eventually, in Thesis Writing II, the main findings and
conclusions.

Although the abstract is very short (approximately 1-2 paragraphs, at most 5), it can be considered as the
most significant part of the thesis. The abstract provides a general impression of what the research is about,
and allows other researchers to have a broad understanding of the student’s work.

NOTE 1: While this is normally done at the end of the thesis writing, the Lecturer will be requiring the
students to submit an abstract of the first three chapters.

NOTE 2: Make sure to write an impressive abstract to create an impact. In the future, student may be able to
present his study. When applying for conferences, the abstract is normally required for assessment of the
organizing committee for relevance and quality.
 ___________________________________________________________________________________________________
MLC FINAL SAMPLE FORMAT FOR ABSTRACT
Abstract
Complete Title of Thesis
By
Students Name
Master in Business Administration / Master in Public Administration
Central Colleges of the Philippines, 2021
NAME, Chairperson (pending)

The student writes his abstract here. It should be typed as a left-justified double-spaced block paragraph with no indentation.
Preferably it should not be more than 100 words, in 1-2, at most 5 paragraphs
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
LOOKING FORWARD TO THESIS WRITING II

When the student has a polished draft that is approved by his faculty advisor, he will arrange to have an oral
defense of the thesis.
CRITERIA FOR EVALUATING A RESEARCH STUDY

Questions to ask yourself about the research studies you will be reading in preparation for your thesis:

NOTE: Graduate students, the Lecturer will be using criteria enumerated in Chapters I, II and III presented in
the next slides, in the computation of your course grade.
Chapter I: Introduction
1. Is the statement of the problem clear?
2. Is the purpose of the study stated clearly?
3. Is there a theoretical rationale in which the hypotheses/research questions are grounded?
4. Is there a rationale for why the study was an important one to do?

Hypothesis/research question:
1. Are the hypotheses/research questions clearly stated?
2. Are the hypotheses testable?
3. Is the predicted relationship among the variables clear?
Chapter II: Literature Review
1. Is the review recent?
2. Is the literature reviewed relevant?
3. Are there outstanding references you know of that were left out?
Chapter III: Method:
1. Are both the independent and dependent variables clearly defined?
2. Is the methodology (how the study was conducted) clear?

Sample:
1. Was the sample selected in such a way as to be representative of the population?
2. How was the sample selected?
For next semester:

Chapters IV and V: Results and Discussions:

1. Are the findings related back to studies discussed in the review of the literature?
2. Are the results related to hypothesis/research question?
3. Is the discussion of the results consistent with the results?
General features of the report:
1. Is it clearly written and understandable?
2. Is the language biased?
3. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the report?

The usual result of a defense is that the thesis is approved pending some more or less minor changes.
 END OF LECTURE.

START OF THE WRITING PROCESS

GOOD LUCK, GUYS!!

REFERENCES:

Guidelines for Writing a Master’s Thesis for the Master in Arts Degree
Jeremy Bailey Susan Scarrow August 2010
https://www.wdassociation.org/a-list-of-brilliant-business-management-masters-thesis-topics.aspx
https://languages.ait.ac.th/main-components-of-a-masters-thesis-or-dissertation/
https://ihelptostudy.com/operational-definition-of-terms-in-thesis-proposal.html
https://www.esc.edu/online-writing-center/resources/academic-writing/process/shaping-information/thesis-de
finition/
https://mba-tutorials.com/research-proposal-sample/
https://www.editage.com/insights/samples-of-rrl
https://researchwhisperer.org/2014/10/07/simple-research-budget/
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