When you were writing term papers, all you had to deal with were Intro's, bodies and conclusions, with a dandy list of references thrown in at the end. A formal presentation might have required a title page, too, but this isn't always necessary.
Theses and dissertations have structures all their own, and your faculty or institution may have specific requirements as to what you have to include and in what order.
The following are the most commonly required sub-sections in a thesis or dissertation:
1. title page
2. approval page(s)
3. table of contents
4. list of tables, illustrations and/or figures; in some cases a glossary or list defining special terms or symbols is needed
5. abstract
6. chapters
7. appendices
8. references
Sometimes a dedication page ("I'd like to thank. . .") is included before the chapters begin.
Your committee will know the specifics of what is required for each part, and other students will be able to offer advice, too.
Read others' theses to see what seems to be most acceptable in terms of format and style.
The "chapters" heading is usually further broken down into specific types of chapters.
Try to present your research material as often as you can via coursework, informal "brown bag" research discussions within your department, and at scholarly conferences. The advice and criticism you receive will, in the end, produce a stronger and more easily defensible thesis.
Your department may also have picky rules about the format of your writing on the paper. Margin sizes, fonts, and quality of paper will affect the look of the final, bound version of your thesis, so check what is required before you waste money on printing costs.
Theses and dissertations have structures all their own, and your faculty or institution may have specific requirements as to what you have to include and in what order.
The following are the most commonly required sub-sections in a thesis or dissertation:
1. title page
2. approval page(s)
3. table of contents
4. list of tables, illustrations and/or figures; in some cases a glossary or list defining special terms or symbols is needed
5. abstract
6. chapters
7. appendices
8. references
Sometimes a dedication page ("I'd like to thank. . .") is included before the chapters begin.
Your committee will know the specifics of what is required for each part, and other students will be able to offer advice, too.
Read others' theses to see what seems to be most acceptable in terms of format and style.
The "chapters" heading is usually further broken down into specific types of chapters.
- A common one is the literature review, in which you discuss all other research related to your own study, and establish its need and credibility. This chapter alone can take months to create, and in some cases you may not be able to proceed with your research until this chapter is approved.
- Other "chapters" include methodology (how you conducted your research), results, and discussion.
Try to present your research material as often as you can via coursework, informal "brown bag" research discussions within your department, and at scholarly conferences. The advice and criticism you receive will, in the end, produce a stronger and more easily defensible thesis.
Your department may also have picky rules about the format of your writing on the paper. Margin sizes, fonts, and quality of paper will affect the look of the final, bound version of your thesis, so check what is required before you waste money on printing costs.
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