Create a thought-provoking thesis statement. The thesis statement is a one-sentence title that summarizes what your thesis or dissertation will cover. Choose a topic you are passionate about, whether it is a personal or social issue. Understand the goal of your research and how the thesis will demonstrate a solution. Some students prefer conducting research on a topic in their field of study. The thesis statement is important, because it gives readers a glimpse of the main idea. If you are having trouble deciding on an idea, view recently published journals in your field.
Review other thesis papers and dissertations. Pay close attention to the format and style of other papers. Your thesis or dissertation committee members are another suitable source, as they have already published both along with other articles.
Outline the paper. The outline is the road map to composing a solid paper. Always have it close by to avoid veering off task. Include extra notes, goals and an estimated timeline charting when you would like to finish the paper.
Use citations and references. To support your research, literary sources will need to be included. Plagiarism is prohibited, so list every reference and quote within the appropriate format. Viewing other papers will give you ideas on how to successfully compose your own study. Ask your thesis chair and committee if they have a preference. This saves lots of time and reduces the errors.
Review the literature. Find out what has already been covered on your chosen topic. There may be gaps in existing literature that your own research can fill. The library has an array of sources, not just books and journals.
Use methods and analysis in your paper. Methodology is a big staple of thesis and dissertation research. Depending upon your topic, qualitative or quantitative research will be used. Qualitative research can involve conducting interviews and other personal forms of observation. Quantitative research consists of using statistical methods and data to find results. Both are important to your paper and is reported just before the conclusion.
Write well. Thesis papers are structured. The paper typically includes an introduction, objective, hypothesis, review of the literature, methods, results and a conclusion. Special attention should be given to the organization, grammar, logic and clarity of the content. Submit drafts to your committee on a regular basis to keep them updated. Editing will occur from the first draft to publication.