One of the most daunting assignments students receive is writing a thesis paper. This assignment typically accounts for a significant portion of the course grade and call for the student to adhere to a fairly strict style.
Actually, an assignment to write a thesis paper should not be intimidating. The fact that thesis papers have a formal structure, and one of the key components to writing the paper is understanding the parts of a thesis paper. The flow of a thesis paper goes from general to very specific and then back to general. Each part of the thesis paper plays a crucial element in the flow and provides the writer with a roadmap.
Here are the common components of the thesis paper and their role:
1. Title
This needs to be very specific and give a clear indication of the topic to be discussed. The title should also contain keywords that can be used in future reviews.
2. Abstract
An abstract is a short review of the overall content of the paper. In a very few words, the abstract must provide four elements:
- a synopsis of the paper;
- an introduction to the topic and the specifics being addressed;
- a statement on any research methodology;
- a general statement on the results and findings.
Abstracts are typically written last.
3. Introduction
The first part of the introduction introduces the broad topic along with some basic background information. It narrows the topic to the specific aspect which will be presented in the paper. The introduction states the purpose of the paper. It also focuses on the writer’s preparation of the subsequent material while justifying the need for the research.
4. Literature Review
The literature review describes previously published research and is a brief description of how it specifically relates to the current research problem. The prevailing theories related to the current topic are examined. The literature review should only include current and credible sources, such as peer-reviewed journals and academic books, should be included in the review.
5. Methods
This section shows how the research project was designed and how the study research was conducted. Ideally, the reader should be able to easily replicate the study.
6. Results
The results section is the main area of the thesis paper. The presentation of the results will vary depending on whether the study was qualitative or quantitative. Make sure the results section is focused only on the results of the research and does not include charts or tables.
It is important to keep the results section factual and avoid discussions of the significance or meaning of the findings.
7. Discussion/Conclusion
In this section, the original hypothesis presented in the thesis sentence is validated. The discussion should also show how the conclusion conforms to or differs from previously noted studies and research along with a discussion of how the results differ or conform to the research noted along with any caveats.
8. References/Bibliography
The list of academic sources is listed in the alphabetical order. The style used for the bibliography (APA, MLA, etc.) will depend on the institution the paper has to be submitted to.
Mind these parts, and you will be 100% sure that your piece of writing meets all the essential demands and will bring you the highest possible results.