What is a Thesis? How to Write a Thesis in 15 Steps?

 An important part of the college experience includes learning how to write a thesis. Writing a thesis allows you to present substantial research on a particular topic and demonstrate your ability to create original work using critical thinking and analytical skills to present your argument. In this article, we will explain what the thesis is, its types and styles, as well as the steps and examples of how to write a thesis.

 

What is Thesis?

A thesis is a long paper developed through research that presents a question and answers it convincingly. It is usually written under the supervision of a faculty advisor. A good thesis should:

 

Tell readers what you plan to discuss

Explain how you plan to present your argument and how you will support your arguments.

Be provocative when defending and justifying your claim

Be arguable when people disagree with your claim

Include highly focused research

come to a conclusion with evidence found through research

Give the reader clear guidance for your argument

Anticipate counter-arguments and refute them

Avoid using vague language like "it seems" or "maybe"

Avoid using first person like “I think”

Have readers ask “why” and “how”

Types of thesis statement

The thesis statement is a sentence presented at the beginning of the thesis article that clearly explains the argument of your research. Usually the thesis statement is found in the last sentence of the introductory paragraph. When writing a thesis statement, there are three main types to choose from:

 

Explanatory thesis statement

With this type of statement, you will declare the topic of your thesis without declaring your position on the argument.

 

Example: “Foreign workforce played a crucial role in eastern rail expansion.”

 

Argumentative thesis statement

With this type of statement, you'll write a provocative argument that will make readers oppose your argument.

 

Example: “It should be illegal for children under 13 to have cell phones.”

 

analytical thesis statement

With this type of statement, you will present your opinion and the factors you will analyze, as well as the way you present your argument.

 

Example: "Analysis of the bald eagle reveals two types of flight patterns - those related to courtship and those related to hunting."

 

Thesis statement styles

The type of thesis statement style you choose depends on your position and understanding of the subject. The style will also depend on your target readership and the content of your research. In general, there are four types of thesis statement styles:

 

Definition or claims of fact: This type of wording will suggest what the definition of something should be or whether something is an established fact. For example: "While some experts determine that three years of college education is essential for a person to be successful, this idea should not be interpreted as a fixed fact."

Cause and effect assertions: This type of statement style is used when you want to present the argument that a person, an entity, or an event caused something else to happen. For example: “International scholarship programs have allowed more foreigners to attend US colleges.”

Claims about value: This type of statement style is used when you want to argue about what something is worth or whether it is valuable or rated. For example: "Students in debt are one of the biggest problems facing Turkey today."

Claims about solutions or policies: This type of wording is used to argue for or against a policy or a solution to solving a problem. For example: "Instead of forcing high school students to attend expensive universities, we should emphasize the value of technical and trade schools."

How to write a thesis

All thesis papers follow a certain structure to ensure that the research is clear and easily accessible to the reader. Here are the steps on how to write a thesis:

 

1. Start with the title page

This page is where the reader will find your title and name. You should also indicate the name of the institution you are going to, the department and the delivery date. Your advisor's name should also be included here.

 

2. Write your summary

A summary should be approximately 400 words long, consisting of one to two paragraphs. The summary should be clear, concise and quantitative. It should tell the reader what the thesis is about and give a summary of the most important conclusions. When available, it should also provide specific numbers and data. The summary should address the following:

 

What did you research and why?

The question you are trying to answer

How did you come to the conclusion?

What did you learn?

Why is this research important?

3. Create a table of contents

The table of contents should include a list of everything included in your thesis paper, including all headings and subheadings, with page numbers.

 

4. Add a list of numbers

If you plan to include figures in your thesis, you should list them with their corresponding page numbers. You may also want to add a short title for each shape.

 

5. Add table list

Your thesis may also have a number of tables. They should also be listed with their respective page numbers and a short title for each.

 

6. Write an entry

It may be easier for you to write the introduction after you've written the rest of the thesis so you can know where your thesis is heading. A powerful introduction includes:

 

The first sentence that attracts the reader like a provocative or interesting statement

Description of past research

An explanation of why this research is necessary

An explanation of what to include and not include in your thesis

A statement explaining the argument of your thesis

7. List your research methods

Your thesis should provide the reader with information about the results you have gathered to support your argument. Information about your research methods may also be important as another researcher may need to use your methods to further their own research on the topic.

 

In this section you should describe the research methods, theories and materials you use. You should also indicate the calculations you made, the equipment you used, and the techniques you adopted. As you write this section, you should be answering the following questions:

 

Can another researcher easily repeat my work?

Is it possible for another researcher to accurately locate tracking lines or sampling stations?

Have I included enough information about the tools used so that another researcher can repeat the experiment?

If my results are public, can another researcher find another identical dataset?

Can another researcher repeat the statistical analysis, laboratory analysis, or key algorithms used in this research?

8. Present your results

The Results section should provide the reader with statistics, tables and graphs for actual observation statements.

 

9. Start a discussion

Then, summarize your most important results and answer the following questions:

 

What are the relationships between the results?

Are there trends?

What are the main patterns and where are they?

Are there any exceptions to these patterns?

What are the possible causes of these patterns?

Are these results consistent with previous research?

How do these results relate to your thesis statement?

Are there multiple hypotheses and explanations for these results?

Did these results bring new information to this topic?

What do these results mean for this research?

10. Write your result

Begin your results by writing the strongest statement about your results. Remind the reader of your thesis statement, any new insights you've gathered, and a note on the broader implications of your results.

 

11. Add suggestions

In this section you should write plausible actions to solve the problem of your thesis statement. On top of that, you should include other research that can help fill in the blanks for the reader. You may also want to write a set of instructions for future researchers as they do further research on this topic.

 

12. Write your thanks

Write a thank you note to the people who helped you write your thesis. You can include your advisor and people who can assist you on a financial, intellectual, or even technical level.

 

13. List your references

Make a reference list for each material you cited in your thesis. List the references according to the format style guide you want you to follow, such as AP style or Chicago style.

 

14. Add your attachments

This section should contain all your data, including tables and calculations. You may also need to include an important article, a list of equipment used, or details of complex procedures.

 

15. Fix

When you have finished your thesis, correct it to make sure there are no grammatical or formatting errors.

 

What makes a good thesis statement?

A good thesis statement should be:

 

Concise. Your thesis statement should combine your ideas in one or two sentences.

Debater. A strong thesis statement introduces the topic, asks a question, and presents a persuasive argument that answers that question.

Open. Your thesis statement should be clear and specific. Avoid writing too broad a thesis.

Good and bad examples of thesis statements

Here are some examples of good and bad thesis you can refer to when creating your own thesis statements:

Example-1

Bad: "Drugs are bad for society"

Good: Illegal drug use is harmful because it paves the way for gang violence, theft, and premature death."

 

Example-2

Bad: "Excessive alcohol consumption is bad for you"

Good: "Excessive alcohol consumption can have harmful psychological effects on undergraduates"