WHAT IS A

THESIS?
 A thesis is a research paper that
represents original research, often
marking the culmination of a master's
THESIS or bachelor's degree. It's a lengthy
process involving selecting a topic,
proposing, researching, analyzing data,
and drawing conclusions.
HOW TO STRUCTURE A
THESIS
The final structure of your thesis depends on a variety of components, such as:

• Your discipline
• Your topic
• Your theoretical approach

Humanities theses are often structured more like a longer-form essay. Just like in an essay,
you build an argument to support a central thesis.

In both hard and social sciences, theses typically include an introduction, literature review,
methodology section, results section, discussion section, and conclusion section. These are
each presented in their own dedicated section or chapter. In some cases, you might want to
add an appendix.
 THESIS EXAMPLE
Example thesis #1:
“Abolition, Africans, and Abstraction: the Influence of the ‘Noble Savage’ on
British and French Antislavery Thought, 1787-1807” by Suchait Kahlon.

Example thesis #2:

“’A Starving Man Helping Another Starving Man’: UNRRA, India, and the
Genesis of Global Relief, 1943-1947″ by Julian Saint Reiman.
TITLE PAGE The very first page of your thesis contains all necessary
identifying information, including:
• Your full title
PREFACE
• Your full name
• Your department
ABSTRACT • Your institution and degree program
• Your submission date.
TABLE OF Sometimes the title page also includes your student ID, the
CONTENTS
name of your supervisor, or the university’s logo. Check out
your university’s guidelines if you’re not sure.
LIST OF TABLES
TITLE PAGE

PREFACE The acknowledgements section is usually optional. Its main

point is to allow you to thank everyone who helped you in
your thesis journey, such as supervisors, friends, or family.
ABSTRACT
You can also choose to write a preface, but it’s typically one
or the other, not both.
TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF TABLES
TITLE PAGE

An abstract is a short summary of your thesis. Usually a

PREFACE
maximum of 300 words long, it’s should include brief
descriptions of your research objectives, methods, results,
ABSTRACT and conclusions. Though it may seem short, it introduces
your work to your audience, serving as a first impression
of your thesis.
TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF TABLES
TITLE PAGE
A table of contents lists all of your sections, plus their
PREFACE
corresponding page numbers and subheadings if you have
them. This helps your reader seamlessly navigate your
document.
ABSTRACT

Your table of contents should include all the major parts of

TABLE OF your thesis. In particular, don’t forget the the appendices. If
CONTENTS
you used heading styles, it’s easy to generate an automatic
table Microsoft Word.
LIST OF TABLES
TITLE PAGE

PREFACE

While not mandatory, if you used a lot of tables and/or

ABSTRACT figures, it’s nice to include a list of them to help guide
your reader. It’s also easy to generate one of these in
TABLE OF
Word: just use the “Insert Caption” feature.
CONTENTS

LIST OF TABLES
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

GLOSARRY If you have used a lot of industry- or field-specific

abbreviations in your thesis, you should include them in an
alphabetized list of abbreviations. This way, your readers
INTRODUCTION
can easily look up any meanings they aren’t familiar with.

LITERATURE
REVIEW

THEREOTICAL
FRAMEWORK
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

GLOSARRY Relatedly, if you find yourself using a lot of very

specialized or field-specific terms that may not be familiar
INTRODUCTION
to your reader, consider including a glossary. Alphabetize
the terms you want to include with a brief definition.
LITERATURE REVIEW

THEREOTICAL
FRAMEWOrK
 An introduction sets up the topic, purpose, and relevance of your thesis,
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
as well as expectations for your reader. This should:

GLOSARRY • Ground your research topic, sharing any background information

your reader may need
• Define the scope of your work
INTRODUCTION • Introduce any existing research on your topic, situating your work
within a broader problem or debate
LITERATURE REVIEW • State your research question(s)
• Outline (briefly) how the remainder of your work will proceed

THEREOTICAL In other words, your introduction should clearly and concisely show
FRAMEWOrK
your reader the “what, why, and how” of your research.
 A literature review helps you gain a robust understanding of any extant academic work on your
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
topic, encompassing:

• Selecting relevant sources

GLOSARRY • Determining the credibility of your sources
• Critically evaluating each of your sources
• Drawing connections between sources, including any themes, patterns, conflicts, or gaps

INTRODUCTION
A literature review is not merely a summary of existing work. Rather, your literature review should
ultimately lead to a clear justification for your own research, perhaps via:

LITERATURE • Addressing a gap in the literature

REVIEW • Building on existing knowledge to draw new conclusions
• Exploring a new theoretical or methodological approach
THEREOTICAL • Introducing a new solution to an unresolved problem
FRAMEWOrK • Definitively advocating for one side of a theoretical debate
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

A theoretical framework is a review of established

GLOSARRY theories that guides the development of arguments in your
work. It demonstrates the relevance of your topic by
aligning it with existing theories and lays the foundation
INTRODUCTION
for your research. This step is essential for any research
paper, thesis, or dissertation, providing a strong basis for
LITERATURE
REVIEW
further investigation and writing.

THEREOTICAL
FRAMEWOrK
 Your methodology chapter shows your reader how you conducted your research.
METHODOLOGY
It should be written clearly and methodically, easily allowing your reader to
critically assess the credibility of your argument. Furthermore, your methods
section should convince your reader that your method was the best way to
RESULTS
answer your research question.

A methodology section should generally include:

DISCUSSION
• Your overall approach (quantitative vs. qualitative)
• Your research methods (e.g., a longitudinal study)
• Your data collection methods (e.g., interviews or a controlled experiment
CONCLUSION
• Any tools or materials you used (e.g., computer software)
• The data analysis methods you chose (e.g., statistical analysis, discourse
analysis)
REFERENCE LIST
• A strong, but not defensive justification of your methods
 Your results section should highlight what your methodology discovered. These two
METHODOLOGY
sections work in tandem, but shouldn’t repeat each other. While your results section
can include hypotheses or themes, don’t include any speculation or new arguments
RESULTS here.

Your results section should:

• State each (relevant) result with any (relevant) descriptive statistics (e.g., mean,
DISCUSSION
standard deviation) and inferential statistics (e.g., test statistics, p values)
• Explain how each result relates to the research question
• Determine whether the hypothesis was supported
CONCLUSION

Additional data (like raw numbers or interview transcripts) can be included as an

appendix. You can include tables and figures, but only if they help the reader better
REFERENCE LIST understand your results.
METHODOLOGY The discussion section delves into the
significance of your findings, explaining their
RESULTS relevance to your topic and supporting your
overall conclusion. It summarizes key results,
interprets their meaning, discusses
DISCUSSION
implications, acknowledges limitations, and
suggests avenues for future research. This
CONCLUSION
section should not merely repeat results but
rather provide analysis and argumentation.
REFERENCE LIST
 The conclusion is the very last part of your thesis or dissertation. It
METHODOLOGY
should be concise and engaging, leaving your reader with a clear
understanding of your main findings, as well as the answer to your
RESULTS research question.

In it, you should:

DISCUSSION • Clearly state the answer to your main research question
• Summarize and reflect on your research process
CONCLUSION • Make recommendations for future work on your thesis or
dissertation topic
• Show what new knowledge you have contributed to your field
REFERENCE LIST • Wrap up your thesis or dissertation
METHODOLOGY

In order to avoid plagiarism, don’t forget to include a full

RESULTS
reference list at the end of your thesis, citing the sources
that you used. Choose one citation style and follow it
DISCUSSION consistently throughout your thesis, taking note of the
formatting requirements of each style. Which style you
CONCLUSION choose is often set by your department or your field, but
common styles include MLA, Chicago, and APA.

REFERENCE LIST
APPENDICES

PROOFREADING
AND EDITING
An appendix is an extra document supporting your research
but not crucial to your main argument. It offers
DEFENDING YOUR supplementary information or clarification without cluttering
THESIS the main text with tables, figures, or other distractions, aiding
reader comprehension.
APPENDICES
Once you’re done writing, the next part of your editing
PROOFREADING process begins. Leave plenty of time for proofreading and
AND EDITING
editing prior to submission. Nothing looks worse than
grammar mistakes or sloppy spelling errors!
DEFENDING YOUR
THESIS
Consider using a professional thesis editing service or
grammar checker to make sure your final project is perfect.
 Once you’ve submitted your final product, it’s common
APPENDICES
practice to have a thesis defense, an oral component of your
finished work. This is scheduled by your advisor or
PROOFREADING
AND EDITING committee, and usually entails a presentation and Q&A
session.
DEFENDING YOUR
THESIS
After your defense, your committee will meet to determine if
you deserve any departmental honors or accolades. However,
keep in mind that defenses are usually just a formality. If there
are any serious issues with your work, these should be
resolved with your advisor way before a defense.
It is a brief descriptions of your research
objectives, methods, results, and conclusions,
serving as a first impression of your thesis.
It is a brief descriptions of your research
objectives, methods, results, and conclusions,
serving as a first impression of your thesis.

ABSTRACT
It should be clear and concise to show your
reader the “what, why, and how” of your
research.
It should be clear and concise to show your
reader the “what, why, and how” of your
research.

INTRODUCTION
It is an extra document supporting your research
but not crucial to your main argument. It offers
supplementary information or clarification
without cluttering the main text with tables,
figures, or other distractions, aiding reader
comprehension.
It is an extra document supporting your research
but not crucial to your main argument. It offers
supplementary information or clarification
without cluttering the main text with tables,
figures, or other distractions, aiding reader
comprehension.

APPENDICES
It demonstrates the relevance of your topic by
aligning it with existing theories and lays the
foundation for your research. .
It demonstrates the relevance of your topic by
aligning it with existing theories and lays the
foundation for your research. .

THEREOTICAL FRAMEWORK
It shows your reader how you conducted your
research and it should convince your reader that it
was the best way to answer your research
question.
It shows your reader how you conducted your
research and it should convince your reader that it
was the best way to answer your research
question.

METHODOLOGY
 Answer the following questions.
1. Why is writing a thesis important for students completing their master's or
bachelor's degree?
2. What's the difference between a thesis and a thesis statement?
3. How is a thesis structured, and why might it vary depending on the subject?
4. What are the main steps involved in writing a thesis?
5. What's the purpose of the introduction section in a thesis?
6. Why do we need a literature review in a thesis?
7. What does the methodology chapter of a thesis explain?
8. How do the results and discussion sections work together in a thesis?
9. Why is the conclusion section important in a thesis?
10. What should students do to make sure their thesis is good before submitting it?