General and Practical Thesis Writing Tips

Below are tips relevant to those who are busy preparing their postgraduate project.

1. A thesis is a formal academic work; it should not contain informal languages or colloquial terms.

2. Sentences, paragraphs and chapters should support each other, meaning the thesis should have a flow. A reader must always know what he or she is reading.

3. Since a thesis is about expressing one’s opinion, using quotes should be minimal or, better yet, avoided completely.

4. The introduction must quickly capture the interest of readers. It should provide a clear idea what the thesis is trying to discuss or prove. The introduction serves as an outline of what the writer was able to contribute to the study.

5. The conclusion should be as gripping as the introduction. It is in this section of the thesis where the writer re-states his objectives and shows his findings.

6. Each chapter should start with a paragraph that will link it with the previous chapter, and tell the purpose of the new chapter. This will allow a smooth and clear transition.

7. Each chapter should have a conclusion section, where the writer summarizes the objectives of the chapter and shows his findings.

8. Everything is in the present tense, except the conclusion.

9. Make sure the references are up-to-date. A thesis that uses outdated resources will most likely fail to convince readers.

10. A writer should refrain from using long, convoluted sentences.

11. Do not fail to use a spell checker.

12. A Masters thesis is approximately 130-200 pages, and a PhD thesis is 200-300 pages. A student, however, can use more or less pages; what is important is that he was able to write everything he needed to say.

13. All tables, graphs and figures need to be discussed.

The Committee is There to Help

The idea of a thesis committee may seem intimidating, but the truth is having a committee will increase a student’s chance of acing his thesis. A committee is a resource, a guide to help a student produce a properly researched, planned and written thesis. Furthermore, a committee is the thesis advisor’s indispensable partner. A thesis advisor may be knowledgeable in one area of the thesis, but can be completely oblivious in one. By having a thesis committee, both the thesis advisor and student can have access to a bigger pool of intellectual expertise.

The student usually sets the meeting with the committee that happens every six to twelve months. Meetings, however, can be more frequent when concerns about the project begin to mount. Committee members should always make themselves available in case the student need to discuss serious matters related to the thesis.

A committee is usually composed of at least two other professors whose field of expertise is appropriate for the thesis’ topic. The thesis advisor plays the key role in forming the committee; thus, usually, making him the head. He talks to colleagues who have the required knowledge and invites them to join the committee.

Write a Better Thesis

The though of writing a thesis is terrifying for many students. Not only is it a long and grueling process, it is also the most important assignment a student has to accomplish in his college life. A thesis will evaluate the skills and knowledge of a student and will determines if he is ready to enter his chosen field. With the following tips, you can face the overwhelming task and produce a thesis that is worthy of a high mark.

Start Early
Don’t wait for months before starting your thesis. Once you receive the assignment, hit the library immediately. Normally, professors give students eight months to a year to finish their project; that’s enough time for you to find a good topic and to dig deep with your research. An early start will also give you sufficient time to revise your work if necessary.

Don’t Follow the Norm
Usually a thesis follows a pre-determined order, but this doesn’t mean you have to follow the same order. Just write, arrange the paragraphs later. Be sure though that what you are writing about is focused on one topic.

Know Your Audience
One reason why theses put too much pressure on students is that its readers are far superior than what other written assignments have. Your thesis will be scrutinized by a panel of at least three professors and will be read by people who are involved in your field.

Edit
Editing a thesis often takes as much time as writing the thesis itself, so be prepared. Check if your argument is impressive enough, if the body is coherent and if the conclusion will leave your readers thinking. Check also for misspellings and incorrect punctuations and grammars. There are students who failed to get the grade they deserve because of a few flaw in the spelling.