After all your hard working on thinking up a strong thesis statement and gathering great evidence, you will want to make sure that your thesis structure is organized properly and follows the rules. This is often the boring bit, but it is highly important to get it right!
While different disciplines may vary in what they must contain, there are general requirements how to structure a thesis.
1. Title Page
This is an important and required part of a thesis. It has to be laconic and well organized to make a good first impression.
2. Abstract
An abstract is a summary of the work that should be a stand-alone paragraph. In other words, this section should state the issue to be discussed, the methodology and general conclusions so that if someone picks up the paper, he/she will have a clear image of what he/she is going to read about. It is a concise section of the text (usually under 350 words).
3. Preface
This section, usually a required element, includes a statement that explains the students’ contribution to the research data. It is usually needed in science-based disciplines.
4. Information
Depending on the subject, some papers need tables of contents, lists of symbols or illustrations, glossaries and, sometimes, acknowledgements.
The body of the work itself needs to follow a strong thesis structure. Each section needs to help the paper flow and be really clear.
5. Introduction
Introduction is the section for you to explain what your paper is about and to add any background context. In most papers, this is the place where a thesis statement is placed. This is also the part of the work where you have to attract the readers’ attention and interest.
6. Research Review
Depending on the subject, here is the part in which you analyze other researches on the topic or look at the studies on the same subject and compare them.
7. Approach
In some research pieces, it is necessary to outline the methodology you have used and link back to how your approach is important in finding something out about your thesis statement.
8. Results
In the researches on subjects such as Science and Psychology, this is the section where you look at the data and information gathered in quite a matter-of-fact way.
9. Discussion
This looks at what degree your aims have been achieved as well as interprets the results more broadly. This is probably the biggest and the most important part of the paper and you should dedicate a lot of time to it. In a Literature paper, you have to omit quite a few of the previous sections and most of your paper will be the Discussion section.
10. Conclusion
Linking back to the introduction, a good conclusion explains what you have found and how this contributes to the wider context, as well as what you would do differently next time.
Provide time to get your thesis structure perfect and your overall paper will be a good academic piece.