How to Write a Thesis?

The purpose of this is to present the results of the analysis of the data. The presentation should be in sufficient detail to enable the reader to judge the adequacy of the analysis.  If you examine the data analysis section of the project, you will find that two characteristic styles are used in the presentation. The first style, which I will refer to as the “hypothesis analysis” style, typically divides the chapter into sections which correspond to the hypotheses. In this manner of presentation, the hypothesis is presented, followed by the summary of the statistics relative to the hypothesis, and concluded with a statement which summarizes whether or not the hypothesis was rejected. In the second style of presentation, which I will refer to as the “analysis by instruments” style, the data are presented in various sections which correspond to the dependent variables (research instruments) used in the design.  With this style of presentation, the data are summ...

Select a topic The student typically begins with an idea related to something he or she has noticed in the real world; then the student goes to the research literature to learn what other research has been done on this topic. Through this review of the literature, the student discovers controversies related to the topic, difficulties previous researchers have faced dealing with the topic, various methodologies used in exploring the subject, and related areas that must be incorporated. It is a process that alternates between what the student knows about the topic based on real-world experience with the phenomenon and what the student learns from the research literature. Questions to ask one’s self while selecting a topic are: What do I really want to know?  What do I see in my daily life that really puzzles me?  What am I curious about?  What do I think about a lot of the time?  Is there some phenomenon that theory doesn’t adequately...

Evaluating the Project  The project should be evaluated at two levels. The first of these levels is the text and the logic of the presentation. The second level of evaluation should focus on the student’s mastery of the material. There are certain minimum requirements that the project or thesis must meet before it should be considered for acceptance. These minimal requirements deal with the manner of presentation of the project problem, its parameters, and analysis. To facilitate the examination of a project, I’ve provided a comprehensive checklist and inventory of the minimal requirements. For example: Is the topic area of the study clearly specified early in the text (within the first two pages)?  Is the topic area of the project derived from or cast into its historical perspective?  Are the major independent and dependent variables logically derived and their importance clearly evident?  Is the specific problem that the...

Abstract  The purpose of the abstract is to provide a clear and concise summary of the work. It should include the problem (as identified in the statement of the problem), the method, and the findings. As researchers conduct electronic searches using keywords, it is important to work the relevant keywords for your study into the abstract. Abstracts are limited to 350 words. If yours has 351, it will be rejected, so it is important to choose and count your words carefully. You may not be able to report every finding in the abstract and may have to select what is truly important for inclusion. 

References References must follow the APA Publication Manual exactly (APA, 1994). Students are encouraged to add citations to the reference list at the time they are written into the text of any chapter. If the task of compiling the reference list is put off until last, the student may face the unhappy dilemma of being unable to locate a source that has been cited. Index cards help beautifully here.  There must be a one to one correspondence between the references cited in the text and those cited in the reference list. References not cited are typically not included in the list. 

Methodology  The research Methodology section, while not the easiest to formulate, is probably the easiest to write. The methodology must be described in total, complete, absolute detail so that another researcher could replicate the study exactly based on the information contained in this chapter.  This chapter should begin with a description of the General Nature and Design of the Study. The type of research should be identified, e.g., experimental, quasi-experimental, exploratory, qualitative, developmental, survey, etc. If the type of research calls for the use of independent and dependent variables, they should be identified The Selection of Participants should describe exactly how subjects were obtained and assigned to groups (if the design calls for groups). The Procedures are reported. Copies of any written materials or any verbal instructions gave the subjects should be included in the Appendixes. If the Research Setting is significant, it is also repor...