Tag: thesis

Writing a thesis plan usually requires a bit of pre-planning and a lot of research beforehand, but is usually not very difficult on its own. Different schools have different requirements, and there are also differences between disciplines; a chemistry thesis plan will likely take a slightly different shape and approach than those rooted in history or the social sciences, for example. Reading the specific instructions for your school or program is usually the best place to start. From there, most plans include an executive summary and introduction, a literature review, a place for research methodology, and any preliminary findings you might have or expect. Describe the basics The main idea of any thesis plan is to create a roadmap or guide for the project you are about to start, namely writing a thesis – which, depending on your topic and program, can be a business of several hundred pages. An outline, on the other hand, is usually much shorter. It should ideally serve two purposes. First, it should force you to present your ideas coherently and logically, which can both help you identify what you have and spot where you need improvements or more information. Second, it will help your advisors get an idea of where you are headed. This will help them give you more nuanced and helpful advice along the way. Know your requirements Before you begin your plan, it may be best to consult a thesis textbook from your school. Some schools are very particular about the order of sections for thesis plans and will require you to follow a specific format. You should be able to get this kind of guide from your counselors or any research library on campus. If you need something special or if you need to follow particular formatting guides, the manual will usually say so. Importance of a summary and introduction In most cases, you'll start by presenting your abstract, which is sort of a summary of your overall research plan. The purpose of the summary is usually to define your goals, how you will get there, and what you will conclude. This may change as your research develops, but at the sketch stage, it's important as a placeholder. In some cases, this may look a lot like the initial research proposal you submitted at the very beginning of the thesis process if that's something you've done. A brief introduction usually comes next. This too is likely to change a bit as you flesh out your project, but at the sketch stage, it's usually a place for a basic summary of the topic you're looking for. This section usually includes historical references to help the reader understand the background of your project. Literature paper The literature review is probably going to take up most of your space. This section is where you will provide a comprehensive list of all the research you have done so far on your topic. This section normally includes secondary sources of information, such as books and articles, as well as primary sources that you have used such as interviews and media transcripts. The purpose of the literature review is generally to show the reader what has already been done in the area of study. More importantly, in this section, you show which areas lack research and therefore need to be investigated. This element is often very useful when considering how much work you still need to do to turn your outline into a complete memoir. Define your research methodology In most cases, the literature review goes hand in hand with a section known as the research methodology, where you will identify not only where you get your information, but also how you synthesize the data you come across or ideas you come across. you meet. Most authors begin by identifying a few central research questions and then develop a plan to answer them. Your research questions will be used to guide your overall research, so they should be focused and very specific. Questions should be clear and not too broad. Research questions should also allude to the type of information needed for the study, such as raw data versus anecdotal data. The purpose of the research methodology is to give the overall plan for your research study. Research methodologies can be qualitative, quantitative, or both. A qualitative methodology generally involves the use of surveys and interviews to study people and their attitudes, behaviors, and experiences. A quantitative methodology, on the other hand, usually involves the use of statistical techniques to analyze data collected from surveys or previously collected sets of information. You can also use this section to justify your choice of methodology. Reserve space for conclusions Many thesis writers do not yet have any conclusions although they are only at the sketch stage. Still, it's generally a good idea to set a place for the results and conclusions you expect, even if all you write is speculation. You can also start by considering the wider implications of the study you are considering. You can demonstrate how your research contributes to the field, how it could expand current research threads, and how it explores a related new thread or introduces new directions in the field of study. The last section of a thesis is usually reserved for future work, which is often closely related to your conclusion. In this section, you will normally discuss the limitations of your own research study and issues that have arisen during your research that has not been addressed in your thesis. You might also point out any new areas of interest that have arisen during the process of conducting your study. Of course, this section is next to impossible to write until you've finished your project, but at least identifying it in your outline can be a good way to remind yourself of it and keep it in mind as you begin.