these oder thesis

These vs Thesis: Which One Is The Correct One?

Considering discussing the usage of “these” versus “thesis,” it is important to understand the distinctions between these two words. “These” is a pronoun that refers to a specific group of people or things that are nearby or have just been mentioned. On the other hand, “thesis” is a noun that refers to a statement or theory that is put forward and supported by arguments in a written work. Both words have their own unique meanings and functions in the English language.

These: This pronoun is used to refer to a specific group of people or things that are either physically close or have been previously mentioned. It is often used to indicate proximity or to introduce a set of items. For example, “These are the books I borrowed from the library” or “These are the facts that support my argument.” In essence, “these” helps to identify and specify a particular set of objects or individuals.

Thesis: In contrast, “thesis” is a noun that has a more specific meaning. It refers to a statement or theory that is put forward and supported by arguments in a written work, such as an essay or a research paper. A thesis is typically the central idea or main argument of a piece of writing. It serves as a guiding principle and provides a clear focus for the content that follows. A well-constructed thesis statement helps to establish the purpose and direction of an academic or scholarly work.

Understanding the proper usage of “these” and “thesis” is crucial for effective communication and writing. While “these” is a pronoun that points to a specific group or objects, “thesis” is a noun that represents a central argument in a written work. In the following sections, we will explore the usage, examples, and common mistakes associated with these two words.

The Definitions

In order to fully understand the distinction between “these” and “thesis,” it is essential to establish clear definitions for both terms. Let us delve into each of these terms individually:

Define These

When we refer to “these,” we are referring to a demonstrative pronoun that is used to indicate or point out specific people, things, or ideas. It serves as a way to highlight or draw attention to a particular set of objects or concepts. By using “these,” we are emphasizing the proximity or closeness of the subject matter being discussed. It is worth noting that “these” is the plural form of “this,” which is used to refer to a singular object or idea.

To illustrate this further, let us consider an example:

Imagine you are holding a group of books in your hand. By saying, “These books are fascinating,” you are explicitly referring to the books that are within your immediate reach or visible to you. The word “these” helps to distinguish the books you are pointing at from other books that may be present but not within your immediate vicinity.

In summary, “these” is a demonstrative pronoun that directs attention to a specific group of objects, ideas, or individuals that are within close proximity to the speaker or writer.

Define Thesis

On the other hand, a thesis is a fundamental component of academic writing, particularly in research-based disciplines. It is a concise statement or proposition that serves as the main argument or central idea of a scholarly work. A thesis provides a clear direction and focus for the entire piece of writing, guiding the reader through the author’s thought process and supporting evidence.

A well-crafted thesis should be specific, debatable, and supported by logical reasoning and evidence. It serves as the backbone of an academic paper, presenting the author’s position on a topic and providing a framework for the subsequent analysis and discussion.

Let us consider an example to better grasp the concept of a thesis:

Suppose you are writing an essay on climate change. Your thesis statement could be: “The increasing emission of greenhouse gases is the primary cause of global warming, and urgent measures must be taken to mitigate its detrimental effects.” This thesis statement clearly presents your stance on the issue and sets the tone for the rest of your essay, guiding your research and analysis.

A thesis is a concise statement that encapsulates the main argument or central idea of an academic work, providing direction and focus for the entire piece of writing.

How To Properly Use The Words In A Sentence

In order to effectively communicate ideas, it is crucial to understand how to properly use the words “these” and “thesis” in a sentence. While they may sound similar, their meanings and usage differ significantly. Let’s explore the correct usage of each word in detail.

How To Use “These” In A Sentence

The word “these” is a demonstrative pronoun that is used to indicate or point to specific people, things, or ideas that are nearby or have been previously mentioned. It is the plural form of “this.”

When using “these” in a sentence, it is important to remember that it should be followed by a noun or a noun phrase. This helps to clarify the specific objects or concepts being referred to. Here are a few examples:

These flowers are beautiful.
I bought these books yesterday.
Can you pass me these pencils?

As seen in the examples, “these” is used to specify and identify particular items that are within reach or have been mentioned in the context. It adds precision and clarity to the sentence, allowing the reader or listener to understand exactly what is being referred to.

How To Use “Thesis” In A Sentence

The word “thesis” is a noun that refers to a statement or a theory that is put forward as a premise to be proved or maintained. It is commonly used in academic and research contexts.

When using “thesis” in a sentence, it is typically introduced with a verb such as “present,” “support,” or “develop.” This helps to convey the action of proposing or discussing a specific idea or argument. Here are a few examples:

The author’s thesis explores the impact of climate change on biodiversity.
She presented her thesis on the effects of social media on mental health.
The professor is currently working on his doctoral thesis.

As demonstrated in these examples, “thesis” is used to refer to a formal statement or proposition that is being researched, analyzed, or argued. It represents a central idea or concept that serves as the foundation for further discussion or investigation.

More Examples Of These & Thesis Used In Sentences

In this section, we will explore various examples of how the words “these” and “thesis” can be used in sentences. By examining these examples, we can gain a better understanding of their proper usage and context.

Examples Of Using “These” In A Sentence:

These books on the shelf belong to my personal collection.
I can’t believe these cookies are homemade; they taste absolutely delicious!
These shoes are the latest fashion trend, everyone wants to get their hands on a pair.
These flowers in the garden bloom beautifully during springtime.
These students have shown exceptional dedication to their studies.

Examples Of Using “Thesis” In A Sentence:

The professor praised the student’s thesis for its originality and well-supported arguments.
Her thesis explores the relationship between art and identity in modern society.
The author’s thesis challenges conventional wisdom and offers a fresh perspective on the topic.
His thesis on climate change received widespread recognition and sparked important discussions.
The committee members were impressed by the depth and coherence of her thesis presentation.

These examples demonstrate the diverse ways in which “these” and “thesis” can be effectively used in sentences. Whether referring to objects or ideas, it is crucial to use these words accurately to convey our intended meaning.

Common Mistakes To Avoid

When it comes to writing, it is crucial to understand the subtle differences between similar words and phrases. One such pair that often confuses writers is “these” and “thesis.” While they may sound alike, they have distinct meanings and should not be used interchangeably. Unfortunately, many people make this mistake, leading to confusion and undermining the clarity of their writing. In this section, we will highlight the common mistakes people make when using “these” and “thesis” interchangeably, along with explanations of why such usage is incorrect.

Mistake 1: Using “These” Instead Of “Thesis”

One common mistake is using “these” when referring to a thesis statement or a central argument in an academic or research paper. The word “these” is a demonstrative pronoun used to indicate specific items or ideas in proximity to the speaker or writer. On the other hand, a thesis refers to a statement or theory put forward to be discussed or proved. Confusing the two can result in a lack of clarity and weaken the overall argument of a piece of writing.

For example, consider the following sentence:

“These are the main points I will discuss in my research paper.”

In this sentence, using “these” instead of “thesis” creates ambiguity and fails to convey the writer’s intended meaning. To correct this mistake, one should replace “these” with “thesis,” as follows:

“This is the main thesis I will discuss in my research paper.”

By using the correct term, the writer ensures that their readers understand the central argument they will be exploring in their paper.

Mistake 2: Using “Thesis” Instead Of “These”

Conversely, another mistake commonly made is using “thesis” when referring to a set of specific items or ideas. As mentioned earlier, a thesis is a specific statement or theory, whereas “these” is a pronoun used to indicate multiple items or ideas. Incorrectly substituting “thesis” for “these” can result in confusion and miscommunication.

Here’s an example to illustrate this mistake:

“The thesis are the key findings of my study.”

In this sentence, using “thesis” instead of “these” creates confusion as the word “thesis” refers to a singular concept, not multiple findings. To rectify this error, one should replace “thesis” with “these,” as shown below:

“These are the key findings of my study.”

By using the appropriate term, the writer clarifies that they are referring to multiple findings rather than a single statement.

By avoiding these common mistakes and using “these” and “thesis” correctly, writers can enhance the clarity and effectiveness of their communication. Understanding the distinctions between these words is essential for producing well-crafted and coherent writing.

Context Matters

When it comes to the choice between “these” and “thesis,” context plays a crucial role in determining which term is more appropriate to use. Both words have distinct meanings and usage, and understanding their nuances in various contexts is essential to effective communication. Let’s explore how the choice between “these” and “thesis” can vary based on different situations.

Academic Writing

In the realm of academic writing, the term “thesis” holds significant importance. A thesis refers to a statement or proposition that is put forward and supported by arguments in an essay or research paper. It serves as the central claim or main idea that the author aims to prove or discuss throughout their work. In this context, “thesis” is a formal and specific term used primarily in scholarly discourse.

On the other hand, the word “these” is more commonly used as a demonstrative pronoun or adjective in academic writing. It is employed to refer to specific things or ideas that have already been mentioned or are about to be introduced. For instance, a sentence like, “These findings support the hypothesis proposed in the previous section” uses “these” to refer back to previously mentioned findings.

Everyday Language

Outside the realm of academia, the choice between “these” and “thesis” shifts to a more general usage. In everyday language, “these” is commonly used as a demonstrative pronoun or adjective to point out or refer to multiple objects or ideas that are nearby or have been previously mentioned. For example, “I love these flowers” or “These are my favorite books.”

On the other hand, the term “thesis” is not commonly used in everyday conversation unless specifically discussing academic topics or engaging in formal discussions. It is more likely to be encountered in contexts such as debates, presentations, or when referring to a specific academic work.

Business And Professional Settings

In business and professional settings, the choice between “these” and “thesis” depends on the specific context and the nature of the communication. “These” is often used to refer to multiple items, concepts, or ideas that are being discussed or presented. For instance, in a business presentation, one might say, “These strategies have proven successful in the past.”

On the other hand, “thesis” is rarely used in a business or professional context unless specifically referring to a formal research document or an academic discussion within the field. It is more commonly associated with the academic realm and may not be widely understood or relevant in most business settings.

The choice between “these” and “thesis” is heavily influenced by the context in which they are used. While “thesis” is primarily associated with academic writing and formal discussions, “these” is a more versatile term used in everyday language and various professional settings. Understanding the appropriate usage of each term ensures effective communication and avoids confusion.

Exceptions To The Rules

While the usage of “these” and “thesis” generally follows certain rules, there are a few exceptions where these rules might not apply. It is important to be aware of these exceptions to ensure clear and effective communication. Let’s explore some key exceptions along with brief explanations and examples for each case:

1. Contextual Ambiguity

In certain contexts, the use of “these” and “thesis” can be ambiguous, leading to potential confusion. In such cases, it is crucial to consider the specific meaning and intent of the sentence to determine the appropriate usage.

Incorrect: These ideas are central to the thesis.
Correct: These ideas are central to this thesis.

In the incorrect example, the use of “these” without clarifying the specific thesis creates ambiguity. By adding the article “this,” the sentence becomes clearer and more precise.

2. Technical Terminology

In technical or specialized fields, certain terms and phrases may require specific usage of “these” or “thesis” that deviates from the general rules. It is essential to consult field-specific guidelines or style manuals to ensure accurate usage.

Incorrect: The theses of these scholars provide valuable insights.
Correct: The theses of these scholars provide valuable insights.

In this example, the usage of “theses” instead of “thesis” might seem incorrect based on the general rules. However, in academic or research contexts, it is common to refer to multiple research papers or studies as “theses,” even though the singular form is “thesis.”

3. Idiomatic Expressions

Idiomatic expressions, which are phrases that have a figurative meaning different from their literal interpretation, may involve the use of “these” or “thesis” in unconventional ways. Familiarity with these expressions is key to understanding and using them correctly.

Incorrect: The thesis of the matter is quite complex.
Correct: The crux of the matter is quite complex.

In this instance, the idiom “the crux of the matter” is used instead of the literal interpretation of “the thesis of the matter.” Understanding idiomatic expressions helps avoid confusion and ensures accurate usage in such cases.

By being aware of these exceptions and understanding their proper usage, you can effectively navigate the intricacies of using “these” and “thesis” in various contexts. Remember to always consider the specific meaning and intent of your sentence, consult field-specific guidelines when necessary, and be familiar with idiomatic expressions to communicate with clarity and precision.

Understanding the distinction between “these” and “thesis” is crucial for effective communication and clear writing. While “these” refers to a plural form of the demonstrative pronoun, used to indicate specific objects or ideas in proximity, “thesis” pertains to a central argument or proposition in an academic or scholarly work.

Throughout this article, we have explored the nuances and applications of both terms, highlighting their unique roles in different contexts. By correctly utilizing “these,” writers can accurately refer to multiple objects or concepts, avoiding ambiguity and enhancing clarity in their writing.

On the other hand, a “thesis” forms the foundation of an academic paper, serving as a guiding principle and a focal point for the entire work. It encapsulates the main argument or hypothesis that the author aims to prove or explore in a systematic manner.

By recognizing the differences between “these” and “thesis,” writers can ensure precision in their language and effectively convey their intended meaning. Whether it is distinguishing between multiple objects or constructing a well-defined argument, mastering the usage of these terms will undoubtedly elevate the quality of one’s writing.

R.J. is the new owner of GrammarBeast.com. Having worked in bookstores, libraries, and more, his passion for grammar and writing are pivotal. As a ghostwriter for books that have sold tens of thousands of copies, he wants to help others find the right words and understand the differences.

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Thesis vs. These — What's the Difference?

Difference Between Thesis and These

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What Is a Thesis? | Ultimate Guide & Examples

What Is a Thesis? | Ultimate Guide & Examples

Published on September 14, 2022 by Tegan George . Revised on April 16, 2024.

A thesis is a type of research paper based on your original research. It is usually submitted as the final step of a master’s program or a capstone to a bachelor’s degree.

Writing a thesis can be a daunting experience. Other than a dissertation , it is one of the longest pieces of writing students typically complete. It relies on your ability to conduct research from start to finish: choosing a relevant topic , crafting a proposal , designing your research , collecting data , developing a robust analysis, drawing strong conclusions , and writing concisely .

Thesis template

You can also download our full thesis template in the format of your choice below. Our template includes a ready-made table of contents , as well as guidance for what each chapter should include. It’s easy to make it your own, and can help you get started.

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Thesis vs. thesis statement, how to structure a thesis, acknowledgements or preface, list of figures and tables, list of abbreviations, introduction, literature review, methodology, reference list, proofreading and editing, defending your thesis, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about theses.

You may have heard the word thesis as a standalone term or as a component of academic writing called a thesis statement . Keep in mind that these are two very different things.

A thesis statement is a very common component of an essay, particularly in the humanities. It usually comprises 1 or 2 sentences in the introduction of your essay , and should clearly and concisely summarize the central points of your academic essay .
A thesis is a long-form piece of academic writing, often taking more than a full semester to complete. It is generally a degree requirement for Master’s programs, and is also sometimes required to complete a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts colleges.
In the US, a dissertation is generally written as a final step toward obtaining a PhD.
In other countries (particularly the UK), a dissertation is generally written at the bachelor’s or master’s level.

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The final structure of your thesis depends on a variety of components, such as:

Your discipline
Your theoretical approach

Humanities theses are often structured more like a longer-form essay . Just like in an essay, you build an argument to support a central thesis.

In both hard and social sciences, theses typically include an introduction , literature review , methodology section , results section , discussion section , and conclusion section . These are each presented in their own dedicated section or chapter. In some cases, you might want to add an appendix .

Thesis examples

We’ve compiled a short list of thesis examples to help you get started.

Example thesis #1: “Abolition, Africans, and Abstraction: the Influence of the ‘Noble Savage’ on British and French Antislavery Thought, 1787-1807” by Suchait Kahlon.
Example thesis #2: “’A Starving Man Helping Another Starving Man’: UNRRA, India, and the Genesis of Global Relief, 1943-1947″ by Julian Saint Reiman.

The very first page of your thesis contains all necessary identifying information, including:

Your full title
Your full name
Your department
Your institution and degree program
Your submission date.

Sometimes the title page also includes your student ID, the name of your supervisor, or the university’s logo. Check out your university’s guidelines if you’re not sure.

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An abstract is a short summary of your thesis. Usually a maximum of 300 words long, it’s should include brief descriptions of your research objectives , methods, results, and conclusions. Though it may seem short, it introduces your work to your audience, serving as a first impression of your thesis.

Theoretical framework

Your literature review can often form the basis for your theoretical framework, but these are not the same thing. A theoretical framework defines and analyzes the concepts and theories that your research hinges on.

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25 Thesis Statement Examples

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thesis statement examples and definition, explained below

A thesis statement is needed in an essay or dissertation . There are multiple types of thesis statements – but generally we can divide them into expository and argumentative. An expository statement is a statement of fact (common in expository essays and process essays) while an argumentative statement is a statement of opinion (common in argumentative essays and dissertations). Below are examples of each.

Strong Thesis Statement Examples

school uniforms and dress codes, explained below

1. School Uniforms

“Mandatory school uniforms should be implemented in educational institutions as they promote a sense of equality, reduce distractions, and foster a focused and professional learning environment.”

Best For: Argumentative Essay or Debate

Read More: School Uniforms Pros and Cons

nature vs nurture examples and definition

2. Nature vs Nurture

“This essay will explore how both genetic inheritance and environmental factors equally contribute to shaping human behavior and personality.”

Best For: Compare and Contrast Essay

3. American Dream

“The American Dream, a symbol of opportunity and success, is increasingly elusive in today’s socio-economic landscape, revealing deeper inequalities in society.”

Best For: Persuasive Essay

4. Social Media

“Social media has revolutionized communication and societal interactions, but it also presents significant challenges related to privacy, mental health, and misinformation.”

Best For: Expository Essay

Read More: The Pros and Cons of Social Media

5. Globalization

“Globalization has created a world more interconnected than ever before, yet it also amplifies economic disparities and cultural homogenization.”

6. Urbanization

“Urbanization drives economic growth and social development, but it also poses unique challenges in sustainability and quality of life.”

7. Immigration

“Immigration enriches receiving countries culturally and economically, outweighing any perceived social or economic burdens.”

8. Cultural Identity

“In a globalized world, maintaining distinct cultural identities is crucial for preserving cultural diversity and fostering global understanding, despite the challenges of assimilation and homogenization.”

Best For: Argumentative Essay

Read More: Learn about Cultural Identity

technology examples and definition explained below

9. Technology

“Medical technologies in care institutions in Toronto has increased subjcetive outcomes for patients with chronic pain.”

Best For: Research Paper

10. Capitalism vs Socialism

“The debate between capitalism and socialism centers on balancing economic freedom and inequality, each presenting distinct approaches to resource distribution and social welfare.”

cultural heritage examples and definition

11. Cultural Heritage

“The preservation of cultural heritage is essential, not only for cultural identity but also for educating future generations, outweighing the arguments for modernization and commercialization.”

pseudoscience examples and definition, explained below

12. Pseudoscience

“Pseudoscience, characterized by a lack of empirical support, continues to influence public perception and decision-making, often at the expense of scientific credibility.”

13. Free Will

“The concept of free will is largely an illusion, with human behavior and decisions predominantly determined by biological and environmental factors.”

14. Gender Roles

“Traditional gender roles are outdated and harmful, restricting individual freedoms and perpetuating gender inequalities in modern society.”

Read More: What are Traditional Gender Roles?

work-life balance examples and definition, explained below

15. Work-Life Ballance

“The trend to online and distance work in the 2020s led to improved subjective feelings of work-life balance but simultaneously increased self-reported loneliness.”

16. Universal Healthcare

“Universal healthcare is a fundamental human right and the most effective system for ensuring health equity and societal well-being, outweighing concerns about government involvement and costs.”

Read More: The Pros and Cons of Universal Healthcare

17. Minimum Wage

“The implementation of a fair minimum wage is vital for reducing economic inequality, yet it is often contentious due to its potential impact on businesses and employment rates.”

Read More: The Pros and Cons of Raising the Minimum Wage

18. Homework

“The homework provided throughout this semester has enabled me to achieve greater self-reflection, identify gaps in my knowledge, and reinforce those gaps through spaced repetition.”

Best For: Reflective Essay

Read More: Reasons Homework Should be Banned

charter schools vs public schools, explained below

19. Charter Schools

“Charter schools offer alternatives to traditional public education, promising innovation and choice but also raising questions about accountability and educational equity.”

Read More: The Pros and Cons of Charter Schools

20. Effects of the Internet

“The Internet has drastically reshaped human communication, access to information, and societal dynamics, generally with a net positive effect on society.”

Read More: The Pros and Cons of the Internet

affirmative action example and definition, explained below

21. Affirmative Action

“Affirmative action is essential for rectifying historical injustices and achieving true meritocracy in education and employment, contrary to claims of reverse discrimination.”

Best For: Essay

Read More: Affirmative Action Pros and Cons

soft skills examples and definition, explained below

22. Soft Skills

“Soft skills, such as communication and empathy, are increasingly recognized as essential for success in the modern workforce, and therefore should be a strong focus at school and university level.”

23. Moral Panic

“Moral panic, often fueled by media and cultural anxieties, can lead to exaggerated societal responses that sometimes overlook rational analysis and evidence.”

24. Freedom of the Press

“Freedom of the press is critical for democracy and informed citizenship, yet it faces challenges from censorship, media bias, and the proliferation of misinformation.”

Read More: Freedom of the Press Examples

25. Mass Media

“Mass media shapes public opinion and cultural norms, but its concentration of ownership and commercial interests raise concerns about bias and the quality of information.”

Best For: Critical Analysis

Checklist: How to use your Thesis Statement

✅ Position: If your statement is for an argumentative or persuasive essay, or a dissertation, ensure it takes a clear stance on the topic. ✅ Specificity: It addresses a specific aspect of the topic, providing focus for the essay. ✅ Conciseness: Typically, a thesis statement is one to two sentences long. It should be concise, clear, and easily identifiable. ✅ Direction: The thesis statement guides the direction of the essay, providing a roadmap for the argument, narrative, or explanation. ✅ Evidence-based: While the thesis statement itself doesn’t include evidence, it sets up an argument that can be supported with evidence in the body of the essay. ✅ Placement: Generally, the thesis statement is placed at the end of the introduction of an essay.

Try These AI Prompts – Thesis Statement Generator!

One way to brainstorm thesis statements is to get AI to brainstorm some for you! Try this AI prompt:

💡 AI PROMPT FOR EXPOSITORY THESIS STATEMENT I am writing an essay on [TOPIC] and these are the instructions my teacher gave me: [INSTUCTIONS]. I want you to create an expository thesis statement that doesn’t argue a position, but demonstrates depth of knowledge about the topic.

💡 AI PROMPT FOR ARGUMENTATIVE THESIS STATEMENT I am writing an essay on [TOPIC] and these are the instructions my teacher gave me: [INSTRUCTIONS]. I want you to create an argumentative thesis statement that clearly takes a position on this issue.

💡 AI PROMPT FOR COMPARE AND CONTRAST THESIS STATEMENT I am writing a compare and contrast essay that compares [Concept 1] and [Concept2]. Give me 5 potential single-sentence thesis statements that remain objective.

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How to write a thesis statement + examples

What is a thesis statement?

Is a thesis statement a question, how do you write a good thesis statement, how do i know if my thesis statement is good, examples of thesis statements, helpful resources on how to write a thesis statement, frequently asked questions about writing a thesis statement, related articles.

A thesis statement is the main argument of your paper or thesis.

The thesis statement is one of the most important elements of any piece of academic writing . It is a brief statement of your paper’s main argument. Essentially, you are stating what you will be writing about.

You can see your thesis statement as an answer to a question. While it also contains the question, it should really give an answer to the question with new information and not just restate or reiterate it.

Your thesis statement is part of your introduction. Learn more about how to write a good thesis introduction in our introduction guide .

A thesis statement is not a question. A statement must be arguable and provable through evidence and analysis. While your thesis might stem from a research question, it should be in the form of a statement.

Tip: A thesis statement is typically 1-2 sentences. For a longer project like a thesis, the statement may be several sentences or a paragraph.

A good thesis statement needs to do the following:

Condense the main idea of your thesis into one or two sentences.
Answer your project’s main research question.
Clearly state your position in relation to the topic .
Make an argument that requires support or evidence.

Once you have written down a thesis statement, check if it fulfills the following criteria:

Your statement needs to be provable by evidence. As an argument, a thesis statement needs to be debatable.
Your statement needs to be precise. Do not give away too much information in the thesis statement and do not load it with unnecessary information.
Your statement cannot say that one solution is simply right or simply wrong as a matter of fact. You should draw upon verified facts to persuade the reader of your solution, but you cannot just declare something as right or wrong.

As previously mentioned, your thesis statement should answer a question.

If the question is:

What do you think the City of New York should do to reduce traffic congestion?

A good thesis statement restates the question and answers it:

In this paper, I will argue that the City of New York should focus on providing exclusive lanes for public transport and adaptive traffic signals to reduce traffic congestion by the year 2035.

Here is another example. If the question is:

How can we end poverty?

A good thesis statement should give more than one solution to the problem in question:

In this paper, I will argue that introducing universal basic income can help reduce poverty and positively impact the way we work.

The Writing Center of the University of North Carolina has a list of questions to ask to see if your thesis is strong .

A thesis statement is part of the introduction of your paper. It is usually found in the first or second paragraph to let the reader know your research purpose from the beginning.

In general, a thesis statement should have one or two sentences. But the length really depends on the overall length of your project. Take a look at our guide about the length of thesis statements for more insight on this topic.

Here is a list of Thesis Statement Examples that will help you understand better how to write them.

Every good essay should include a thesis statement as part of its introduction, no matter the academic level. Of course, if you are a high school student you are not expected to have the same type of thesis as a PhD student.

Here is a great YouTube tutorial showing How To Write An Essay: Thesis Statements .

How To Write A Dissertation Or Thesis

8 straightforward steps to craft an a-grade dissertation.

By: Derek Jansen (MBA) Expert Reviewed By: Dr Eunice Rautenbach | June 2020

Writing a dissertation or thesis is not a simple task. It takes time, energy and a lot of will power to get you across the finish line. It’s not easy – but it doesn’t necessarily need to be a painful process. If you understand the big-picture process of how to write a dissertation or thesis, your research journey will be a lot smoother.

In this post, I’m going to outline the big-picture process of how to write a high-quality dissertation or thesis, without losing your mind along the way. If you’re just starting your research, this post is perfect for you. Alternatively, if you’ve already submitted your proposal, this article which covers how to structure a dissertation might be more helpful.

How To Write A Dissertation: 8 Steps

Clearly understand what a dissertation (or thesis) is
Find a unique and valuable research topic
Craft a convincing research proposal
Write up a strong introduction chapter
Review the existing literature and compile a literature review
Design a rigorous research strategy and undertake your own research
Present the findings of your research
Draw a conclusion and discuss the implications

Step 1: Understand exactly what a dissertation is

This probably sounds like a no-brainer, but all too often, students come to us for help with their research and the underlying issue is that they don’t fully understand what a dissertation (or thesis) actually is.

So, what is a dissertation?

At its simplest, a dissertation or thesis is a formal piece of research , reflecting the standard research process . But what is the standard research process, you ask? The research process involves 4 key steps:

Ask a very specific, well-articulated question (s) (your research topic)
See what other researchers have said about it (if they’ve already answered it)
If they haven’t answered it adequately, undertake your own data collection and analysis in a scientifically rigorous fashion
Answer your original question(s), based on your analysis findings

A dissertation or thesis is a formal piece of research, reflecting the standard four step academic research process.

In short, the research process is simply about asking and answering questions in a systematic fashion . This probably sounds pretty obvious, but people often think they’ve done “research”, when in fact what they have done is:

Started with a vague, poorly articulated question
Not taken the time to see what research has already been done regarding the question
Collected data and opinions that support their gut and undertaken a flimsy analysis
Drawn a shaky conclusion, based on that analysis

If you want to see the perfect example of this in action, look out for the next Facebook post where someone claims they’ve done “research”… All too often, people consider reading a few blog posts to constitute research. Its no surprise then that what they end up with is an opinion piece, not research. Okay, okay – I’ll climb off my soapbox now.

The key takeaway here is that a dissertation (or thesis) is a formal piece of research, reflecting the research process. It’s not an opinion piece , nor a place to push your agenda or try to convince someone of your position. Writing a good dissertation involves asking a question and taking a systematic, rigorous approach to answering it.

If you understand this and are comfortable leaving your opinions or preconceived ideas at the door, you’re already off to a good start!

Step 2: Find a unique, valuable research topic

As we saw, the first step of the research process is to ask a specific, well-articulated question. In other words, you need to find a research topic that asks a specific question or set of questions (these are called research questions ). Sounds easy enough, right? All you’ve got to do is identify a question or two and you’ve got a winning research topic. Well, not quite…

A good dissertation or thesis topic has a few important attributes. Specifically, a solid research topic should be:

Let’s take a closer look at these:

Attribute #1: Clear

Your research topic needs to be crystal clear about what you’re planning to research, what you want to know, and within what context. There shouldn’t be any ambiguity or vagueness about what you’ll research.

Here’s an example of a clearly articulated research topic:

An analysis of consumer-based factors influencing organisational trust in British low-cost online equity brokerage firms.

As you can see in the example, its crystal clear what will be analysed (factors impacting organisational trust), amongst who (consumers) and in what context (British low-cost equity brokerage firms, based online).

Need a helping hand?

Attribute #2: Unique

Your research should be asking a question(s) that hasn’t been asked before, or that hasn’t been asked in a specific context (for example, in a specific country or industry).

For example, sticking organisational trust topic above, it’s quite likely that organisational trust factors in the UK have been investigated before, but the context (online low-cost equity brokerages) could make this research unique. Therefore, the context makes this research original.

One caveat when using context as the basis for originality – you need to have a good reason to suspect that your findings in this context might be different from the existing research – otherwise, there’s no reason to warrant researching it.

Attribute #3: Important

Simply asking a unique or original question is not enough – the question needs to create value. In other words, successfully answering your research questions should provide some value to the field of research or the industry. You can’t research something just to satisfy your curiosity. It needs to make some form of contribution either to research or industry.

For example, researching the factors influencing consumer trust would create value by enabling businesses to tailor their operations and marketing to leverage factors that promote trust. In other words, it would have a clear benefit to industry.

So, how do you go about finding a unique and valuable research topic? We explain that in detail in this video post – How To Find A Research Topic . Yeah, we’ve got you covered 😊

Step 3: Write a convincing research proposal

Once you’ve pinned down a high-quality research topic, the next step is to convince your university to let you research it. No matter how awesome you think your topic is, it still needs to get the rubber stamp before you can move forward with your research. The research proposal is the tool you’ll use for this job.

So, what’s in a research proposal?

The main “job” of a research proposal is to convince your university, advisor or committee that your research topic is worthy of approval. But convince them of what? Well, this varies from university to university, but generally, they want to see that:

You have a clearly articulated, unique and important topic (this might sound familiar…)
You’ve done some initial reading of the existing literature relevant to your topic (i.e. a literature review)
You have a provisional plan in terms of how you will collect data and analyse it (i.e. a methodology)

At the proposal stage, it’s (generally) not expected that you’ve extensively reviewed the existing literature , but you will need to show that you’ve done enough reading to identify a clear gap for original (unique) research. Similarly, they generally don’t expect that you have a rock-solid research methodology mapped out, but you should have an idea of whether you’ll be undertaking qualitative or quantitative analysis , and how you’ll collect your data (we’ll discuss this in more detail later).

Long story short – don’t stress about having every detail of your research meticulously thought out at the proposal stage – this will develop as you progress through your research. However, you do need to show that you’ve “done your homework” and that your research is worthy of approval .

So, how do you go about crafting a high-quality, convincing proposal? We cover that in detail in this video post – How To Write A Top-Class Research Proposal . We’ve also got a video walkthrough of two proposal examples here .

Step 4: Craft a strong introduction chapter

Once your proposal’s been approved, its time to get writing your actual dissertation or thesis! The good news is that if you put the time into crafting a high-quality proposal, you’ve already got a head start on your first three chapters – introduction, literature review and methodology – as you can use your proposal as the basis for these.

Handy sidenote – our free dissertation & thesis template is a great way to speed up your dissertation writing journey.

What’s the introduction chapter all about?

The purpose of the introduction chapter is to set the scene for your research (dare I say, to introduce it…) so that the reader understands what you’ll be researching and why it’s important. In other words, it covers the same ground as the research proposal in that it justifies your research topic.

What goes into the introduction chapter?

This can vary slightly between universities and degrees, but generally, the introduction chapter will include the following:

A brief background to the study, explaining the overall area of research
A problem statement , explaining what the problem is with the current state of research (in other words, where the knowledge gap exists)
Your research questions – in other words, the specific questions your study will seek to answer (based on the knowledge gap)
The significance of your study – in other words, why it’s important and how its findings will be useful in the world

As you can see, this all about explaining the “what” and the “why” of your research (as opposed to the “how”). So, your introduction chapter is basically the salesman of your study, “selling” your research to the first-time reader and (hopefully) getting them interested to read more.

How do I write the introduction chapter, you ask? We cover that in detail in this post .

The introduction chapter is where you set the scene for your research, detailing exactly what you’ll be researching and why it’s important.

Step 5: Undertake an in-depth literature review

As I mentioned earlier, you’ll need to do some initial review of the literature in Steps 2 and 3 to find your research gap and craft a convincing research proposal – but that’s just scratching the surface. Once you reach the literature review stage of your dissertation or thesis, you need to dig a lot deeper into the existing research and write up a comprehensive literature review chapter.

What’s the literature review all about?

There are two main stages in the literature review process:

Literature Review Step 1: Reading up

The first stage is for you to deep dive into the existing literature (journal articles, textbook chapters, industry reports, etc) to gain an in-depth understanding of the current state of research regarding your topic. While you don’t need to read every single article, you do need to ensure that you cover all literature that is related to your core research questions, and create a comprehensive catalogue of that literature , which you’ll use in the next step.

Reading and digesting all the relevant literature is a time consuming and intellectually demanding process. Many students underestimate just how much work goes into this step, so make sure that you allocate a good amount of time for this when planning out your research. Thankfully, there are ways to fast track the process – be sure to check out this article covering how to read journal articles quickly .

Literature Review Step 2: Writing up

Once you’ve worked through the literature and digested it all, you’ll need to write up your literature review chapter. Many students make the mistake of thinking that the literature review chapter is simply a summary of what other researchers have said. While this is partly true, a literature review is much more than just a summary. To pull off a good literature review chapter, you’ll need to achieve at least 3 things:

You need to synthesise the existing research , not just summarise it. In other words, you need to show how different pieces of theory fit together, what’s agreed on by researchers, what’s not.
You need to highlight a research gap that your research is going to fill. In other words, you’ve got to outline the problem so that your research topic can provide a solution.
You need to use the existing research to inform your methodology and approach to your own research design. For example, you might use questions or Likert scales from previous studies in your your own survey design .

As you can see, a good literature review is more than just a summary of the published research. It’s the foundation on which your own research is built, so it deserves a lot of love and attention. Take the time to craft a comprehensive literature review with a suitable structure .

But, how do I actually write the literature review chapter, you ask? We cover that in detail in this video post .

Step 6: Carry out your own research

Once you’ve completed your literature review and have a sound understanding of the existing research, its time to develop your own research (finally!). You’ll design this research specifically so that you can find the answers to your unique research question.

There are two steps here – designing your research strategy and executing on it:

1 – Design your research strategy

The first step is to design your research strategy and craft a methodology chapter . I won’t get into the technicalities of the methodology chapter here, but in simple terms, this chapter is about explaining the “how” of your research. If you recall, the introduction and literature review chapters discussed the “what” and the “why”, so it makes sense that the next point to cover is the “how” –that’s what the methodology chapter is all about.

In this section, you’ll need to make firm decisions about your research design. This includes things like:

Your research philosophy (e.g. positivism or interpretivism )
Your overall methodology (e.g. qualitative , quantitative or mixed methods)
Your data collection strategy (e.g. interviews , focus groups, surveys)
Your data analysis strategy (e.g. content analysis , correlation analysis, regression)

If these words have got your head spinning, don’t worry! We’ll explain these in plain language in other posts. It’s not essential that you understand the intricacies of research design (yet!). The key takeaway here is that you’ll need to make decisions about how you’ll design your own research, and you’ll need to describe (and justify) your decisions in your methodology chapter.

2 – Execute: Collect and analyse your data

Once you’ve worked out your research design, you’ll put it into action and start collecting your data. This might mean undertaking interviews, hosting an online survey or any other data collection method. Data collection can take quite a bit of time (especially if you host in-person interviews), so be sure to factor sufficient time into your project plan for this. Oftentimes, things don’t go 100% to plan (for example, you don’t get as many survey responses as you hoped for), so bake a little extra time into your budget here.

Once you’ve collected your data, you’ll need to do some data preparation before you can sink your teeth into the analysis. For example:

If you carry out interviews or focus groups, you’ll need to transcribe your audio data to text (i.e. a Word document).
If you collect quantitative survey data, you’ll need to clean up your data and get it into the right format for whichever analysis software you use (for example, SPSS, R or STATA).

Once you’ve completed your data prep, you’ll undertake your analysis, using the techniques that you described in your methodology. Depending on what you find in your analysis, you might also do some additional forms of analysis that you hadn’t planned for. For example, you might see something in the data that raises new questions or that requires clarification with further analysis.

The type(s) of analysis that you’ll use depend entirely on the nature of your research and your research questions. For example:

If your research if exploratory in nature, you’ll often use qualitative analysis techniques .
If your research is confirmatory in nature, you’ll often use quantitative analysis techniques
If your research involves a mix of both, you might use a mixed methods approach

Again, if these words have got your head spinning, don’t worry! We’ll explain these concepts and techniques in other posts. The key takeaway is simply that there’s no “one size fits all” for research design and methodology – it all depends on your topic, your research questions and your data. So, don’t be surprised if your study colleagues take a completely different approach to yours.

The research philosophy is at the core of the methodology chapter

Step 7: Present your findings

Once you’ve completed your analysis, it’s time to present your findings (finally!). In a dissertation or thesis, you’ll typically present your findings in two chapters – the results chapter and the discussion chapter .

What’s the difference between the results chapter and the discussion chapter?

While these two chapters are similar, the results chapter generally just presents the processed data neatly and clearly without interpretation, while the discussion chapter explains the story the data are telling – in other words, it provides your interpretation of the results.

For example, if you were researching the factors that influence consumer trust, you might have used a quantitative approach to identify the relationship between potential factors (e.g. perceived integrity and competence of the organisation) and consumer trust. In this case:

Your results chapter would just present the results of the statistical tests. For example, correlation results or differences between groups. In other words, the processed numbers.
Your discussion chapter would explain what the numbers mean in relation to your research question(s). For example, Factor 1 has a weak relationship with consumer trust, while Factor 2 has a strong relationship.

Depending on the university and degree, these two chapters (results and discussion) are sometimes merged into one , so be sure to check with your institution what their preference is. Regardless of the chapter structure, this section is about presenting the findings of your research in a clear, easy to understand fashion.

Importantly, your discussion here needs to link back to your research questions (which you outlined in the introduction or literature review chapter). In other words, it needs to answer the key questions you asked (or at least attempt to answer them).

For example, if we look at the sample research topic:

In this case, the discussion section would clearly outline which factors seem to have a noteworthy influence on organisational trust. By doing so, they are answering the overarching question and fulfilling the purpose of the research .

Your discussion here needs to link back to your research questions. It needs to answer the key questions you asked in your introduction.

For more information about the results chapter , check out this post for qualitative studies and this post for quantitative studies .

Step 8: The Final Step Draw a conclusion and discuss the implications

Last but not least, you’ll need to wrap up your research with the conclusion chapter . In this chapter, you’ll bring your research full circle by highlighting the key findings of your study and explaining what the implications of these findings are.

What exactly are key findings? The key findings are those findings which directly relate to your original research questions and overall research objectives (which you discussed in your introduction chapter). The implications, on the other hand, explain what your findings mean for industry, or for research in your area.

Sticking with the consumer trust topic example, the conclusion might look something like this:

Key findings

This study set out to identify which factors influence consumer-based trust in British low-cost online equity brokerage firms. The results suggest that the following factors have a large impact on consumer trust:

While the following factors have a very limited impact on consumer trust:

Notably, within the 25-30 age groups, Factors E had a noticeably larger impact, which may be explained by…

Implications

The findings having noteworthy implications for British low-cost online equity brokers. Specifically:

The large impact of Factors X and Y implies that brokers need to consider….

The limited impact of Factor E implies that brokers need to…

As you can see, the conclusion chapter is basically explaining the “what” (what your study found) and the “so what?” (what the findings mean for the industry or research). This brings the study full circle and closes off the document.

In the final chapter, you’ll bring your research full circle by highlighting the key findings of your study and the implications thereof.

Let’s recap – how to write a dissertation or thesis

You’re still with me? Impressive! I know that this post was a long one, but hopefully you’ve learnt a thing or two about how to write a dissertation or thesis, and are now better equipped to start your own research.

To recap, the 8 steps to writing a quality dissertation (or thesis) are as follows:

Understand what a dissertation (or thesis) is – a research project that follows the research process.
Find a unique (original) and important research topic
Craft a convincing dissertation or thesis research proposal
Write a clear, compelling introduction chapter
Undertake a thorough review of the existing research and write up a literature review
Undertake your own research
Present and interpret your findings

Once you’ve wrapped up the core chapters, all that’s typically left is the abstract , reference list and appendices. As always, be sure to check with your university if they have any additional requirements in terms of structure or content.

Psst... there’s more!

This post was based on one of our popular Research Bootcamps . If you're working on a research project, you'll definitely want to check this out ...

20 Comments

thankfull >>>this is very useful

Thank you, it was really helpful

unquestionably, this amazing simplified way of teaching. Really , I couldn’t find in the literature words that fully explicit my great thanks to you. However, I could only say thanks a-lot.

Great to hear that – thanks for the feedback. Good luck writing your dissertation/thesis.

This is the most comprehensive explanation of how to write a dissertation. Many thanks for sharing it free of charge.

Very rich presentation. Thank you

Thanks Derek Jansen|GRADCOACH, I find it very useful guide to arrange my activities and proceed to research!

Thank you so much for such a marvelous teaching .I am so convinced that am going to write a comprehensive and a distinct masters dissertation

It is an amazing comprehensive explanation

This was straightforward. Thank you!

I can say that your explanations are simple and enlightening – understanding what you have done here is easy for me. Could you write more about the different types of research methods specific to the three methodologies: quan, qual and MM. I look forward to interacting with this website more in the future.

Thanks for the feedback and suggestions 🙂

Hello, your write ups is quite educative. However, l have challenges in going about my research questions which is below; *Building the enablers of organisational growth through effective governance and purposeful leadership.*

Very educating.

Just listening to the name of the dissertation makes the student nervous. As writing a top-quality dissertation is a difficult task as it is a lengthy topic, requires a lot of research and understanding and is usually around 10,000 to 15000 words. Sometimes due to studies, unbalanced workload or lack of research and writing skill students look for dissertation submission from professional writers.

Thank you 💕😊 very much. I was confused but your comprehensive explanation has cleared my doubts of ever presenting a good thesis. Thank you.

thank you so much, that was so useful

Hi. Where is the excel spread sheet ark?

could you please help me look at your thesis paper to enable me to do the portion that has to do with the specification

my topic is “the impact of domestic revenue mobilization.

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Harvard University Graduate School of Design

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Write and Cite

Theses and Dissertations
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Reading, Notetaking, and Time Management

What is a thesis?

What is a dissertation, getting started, staying on track.

A thesis is a long-term project that you work on over the course of a semester or a year. Theses have a very wide variety of styles and content, so we encourage you to look at prior examples and work closely with faculty to develop yours.

Before you begin, make sure that you are familiar with the dissertation genre—what it is for and what it looks like.

Generally speaking, a dissertation’s purpose is to prove that you have the expertise necessary to fulfill your doctoral-degree requirements by showing depth of knowledge and independent thinking.

The form of a dissertation may vary by discipline. Be sure to follow the specific guidelines of your department.

PhD This site directs candidates to the GSAS website about dissertations , with links to checklists, planning, formatting, acknowledgments, submission, and publishing options. There is also a link to guidelines for the prospectus . Consult with your committee chair about specific requirements and standards for your dissertation.
DDES This document covers planning, patent filing, submission guidelines, publishing options, formatting guidelines, sample pages, citation guidelines, and a list of common errors to avoid. There is also a link to guidelines for the prospectus .
Scholarly Pursuits (GSAS) This searchable booklet from Harvard GSAS is a comprehensive guide to writing dissertations, dissertation-fellowship applications, academic journal articles, and academic job documents.

Finding an original topic can be a daunting and overwhelming task. These key concepts can help you focus and save time.

Finding a topic for your thesis or dissertation should start with a research question that excites or at least interests you. A rigorous, engaging, and original project will require continuous curiosity about your topic, about your own thoughts on the topic, and about what other scholars have said on your topic. Avoid getting boxed in by thinking you know what you want to say from the beginning; let your research and your writing evolve as you explore and fine-tune your focus through constant questioning and exploration.

Get a sense of the broader picture before you narrow your focus and attempt to frame an argument. Read, skim, and otherwise familiarize yourself with what other scholars have done in areas related to your proposed topic. Briefly explore topics tangentially related to yours to broaden your perspective and increase your chance of finding a unique angle to pursue.

Critical Reading

Critical reading is the opposite of passive reading. Instead of merely reading for information to absorb, critical reading also involves careful, sustained thinking about what you are reading. This process may include analyzing the author’s motives and assumptions, asking what might be left out of the discussion, considering what you agree with or disagree with in the author’s statements and why you agree or disagree, and exploring connections or contradictions between scholarly arguments. Here is a resource to help hone your critical-reading skills:

http://writing.umn.edu/sws/assets/pdf/quicktips/criticalread.pdf

Conversation

Your thesis or dissertation will incorporate some ideas from other scholars whose work you researched. By reading critically and following your curiosity, you will develop your own ideas and claims, and these contributions are the core of your project. You will also acknowledge the work of scholars who came before you, and you must accurately and fairly attribute this work and define your place within the larger discussion. Make sure that you know how to quote, summarize, paraphrase , integrate , and cite secondary sources to avoid plagiarism and to show the depth and breadth of your knowledge.

A thesis is a long-term, large project that involves both research and writing; it is easy to lose focus, motivation, and momentum. Here are suggestions for achieving the result you want in the time you have.

The dissertation is probably the largest project you have undertaken, and a lot of the work is self-directed. The project can feel daunting or even overwhelming unless you break it down into manageable pieces and create a timeline for completing each smaller task. Be realistic but also challenge yourself, and be forgiving of yourself if you miss a self-imposed deadline here and there.

Your program will also have specific deadlines for different requirements, including establishing a committee, submitting a prospectus, completing the dissertation, defending the dissertation, and submitting your work. Consult your department’s website for these dates and incorporate them into the timeline for your work.

Accountability

Sometimes self-imposed deadlines do not feel urgent unless there is accountability to someone beyond yourself. To increase your motivation to complete tasks on schedule, set dates with your committee chair to submit pre-determined pieces of a chapter. You can also arrange with a fellow doctoral student to check on each other’s progress. Research and writing can be lonely, so it is also nice to share that journey with someone and support each other through the process.

Common Pitfalls

The most common challenges for students writing a dissertation are writer’s block, information-overload, and the compulsion to keep researching forever.

There are many strategies for avoiding writer’s block, such as freewriting, outlining, taking a walk, starting in the middle, and creating an ideal work environment for your particular learning style. Pay attention to what helps you and try different things until you find what works.

Efficient researching techniques are essential to avoiding information-overload. Here are a couple of resources about strategies for finding sources and quickly obtaining essential information from them.

https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/subject_specific_writing/writing_in_literature/writing_in_literature_detailed_discussion/reading_criticism.html

https://students.dartmouth.edu/academic-skills/learning-resources/learning-strategies/reading-techniques

Finally, remember that there is always more to learn and your dissertation cannot incorporate everything. Follow your curiosity but also set limits on the scope of your work. It helps to create a folder entitled “future projects” for topics and sources that interest you but that do not fit neatly into the dissertation. Also remember that future scholars will build off of your work, so leave something for them to do.

Browsing through theses and dissertations of the past can help to get a sense of your options and gain inspiration but be careful to use current guidelines and refer to your committee instead of relying on these examples for form or formatting.

DASH Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard.

HOLLIS Harvard Library’s catalog provides access to ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global .

MIT Architecture has a list of their graduates’ dissertations and theses.

Rhode Island School of Design has a list of their graduates’ dissertations and theses.

University of South Florida has a list of their graduates’ dissertations and theses.

Harvard GSD has a list of projects, including theses and professors’ research.

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The Writing Center • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Thesis Statements

What this handout is about.

This handout describes what a thesis statement is, how thesis statements work in your writing, and how you can craft or refine one for your draft.

Introduction

Writing in college often takes the form of persuasion—convincing others that you have an interesting, logical point of view on the subject you are studying. Persuasion is a skill you practice regularly in your daily life. You persuade your roommate to clean up, your parents to let you borrow the car, your friend to vote for your favorite candidate or policy. In college, course assignments often ask you to make a persuasive case in writing. You are asked to convince your reader of your point of view. This form of persuasion, often called academic argument, follows a predictable pattern in writing. After a brief introduction of your topic, you state your point of view on the topic directly and often in one sentence. This sentence is the thesis statement, and it serves as a summary of the argument you’ll make in the rest of your paper.

What is a thesis statement?

A thesis statement:

tells the reader how you will interpret the significance of the subject matter under discussion.
is a road map for the paper; in other words, it tells the reader what to expect from the rest of the paper.
directly answers the question asked of you. A thesis is an interpretation of a question or subject, not the subject itself. The subject, or topic, of an essay might be World War II or Moby Dick; a thesis must then offer a way to understand the war or the novel.
makes a claim that others might dispute.
is usually a single sentence near the beginning of your paper (most often, at the end of the first paragraph) that presents your argument to the reader. The rest of the paper, the body of the essay, gathers and organizes evidence that will persuade the reader of the logic of your interpretation.

If your assignment asks you to take a position or develop a claim about a subject, you may need to convey that position or claim in a thesis statement near the beginning of your draft. The assignment may not explicitly state that you need a thesis statement because your instructor may assume you will include one. When in doubt, ask your instructor if the assignment requires a thesis statement. When an assignment asks you to analyze, to interpret, to compare and contrast, to demonstrate cause and effect, or to take a stand on an issue, it is likely that you are being asked to develop a thesis and to support it persuasively. (Check out our handout on understanding assignments for more information.)

How do I create a thesis?

A thesis is the result of a lengthy thinking process. Formulating a thesis is not the first thing you do after reading an essay assignment. Before you develop an argument on any topic, you have to collect and organize evidence, look for possible relationships between known facts (such as surprising contrasts or similarities), and think about the significance of these relationships. Once you do this thinking, you will probably have a “working thesis” that presents a basic or main idea and an argument that you think you can support with evidence. Both the argument and your thesis are likely to need adjustment along the way.

Writers use all kinds of techniques to stimulate their thinking and to help them clarify relationships or comprehend the broader significance of a topic and arrive at a thesis statement. For more ideas on how to get started, see our handout on brainstorming .

How do I know if my thesis is strong?

If there’s time, run it by your instructor or make an appointment at the Writing Center to get some feedback. Even if you do not have time to get advice elsewhere, you can do some thesis evaluation of your own. When reviewing your first draft and its working thesis, ask yourself the following :

Do I answer the question? Re-reading the question prompt after constructing a working thesis can help you fix an argument that misses the focus of the question. If the prompt isn’t phrased as a question, try to rephrase it. For example, “Discuss the effect of X on Y” can be rephrased as “What is the effect of X on Y?”
Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? If your thesis simply states facts that no one would, or even could, disagree with, it’s possible that you are simply providing a summary, rather than making an argument.
Is my thesis statement specific enough? Thesis statements that are too vague often do not have a strong argument. If your thesis contains words like “good” or “successful,” see if you could be more specific: why is something “good”; what specifically makes something “successful”?
Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? If a reader’s first response is likely to be “So what?” then you need to clarify, to forge a relationship, or to connect to a larger issue.
Does my essay support my thesis specifically and without wandering? If your thesis and the body of your essay do not seem to go together, one of them has to change. It’s okay to change your working thesis to reflect things you have figured out in the course of writing your paper. Remember, always reassess and revise your writing as necessary.
Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test? If a reader’s first response is “how?” or “why?” your thesis may be too open-ended and lack guidance for the reader. See what you can add to give the reader a better take on your position right from the beginning.

Suppose you are taking a course on contemporary communication, and the instructor hands out the following essay assignment: “Discuss the impact of social media on public awareness.” Looking back at your notes, you might start with this working thesis:

Social media impacts public awareness in both positive and negative ways.

You can use the questions above to help you revise this general statement into a stronger thesis.

Do I answer the question? You can analyze this if you rephrase “discuss the impact” as “what is the impact?” This way, you can see that you’ve answered the question only very generally with the vague “positive and negative ways.”
Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? Not likely. Only people who maintain that social media has a solely positive or solely negative impact could disagree.
Is my thesis statement specific enough? No. What are the positive effects? What are the negative effects?
Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test? No. Why are they positive? How are they positive? What are their causes? Why are they negative? How are they negative? What are their causes?
Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? No. Why should anyone care about the positive and/or negative impact of social media?

After thinking about your answers to these questions, you decide to focus on the one impact you feel strongly about and have strong evidence for:

Because not every voice on social media is reliable, people have become much more critical consumers of information, and thus, more informed voters.

This version is a much stronger thesis! It answers the question, takes a specific position that others can challenge, and it gives a sense of why it matters.

Let’s try another. Suppose your literature professor hands out the following assignment in a class on the American novel: Write an analysis of some aspect of Mark Twain’s novel Huckleberry Finn. “This will be easy,” you think. “I loved Huckleberry Finn!” You grab a pad of paper and write:

Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn is a great American novel.

You begin to analyze your thesis:

Do I answer the question? No. The prompt asks you to analyze some aspect of the novel. Your working thesis is a statement of general appreciation for the entire novel.

Think about aspects of the novel that are important to its structure or meaning—for example, the role of storytelling, the contrasting scenes between the shore and the river, or the relationships between adults and children. Now you write:

In Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain develops a contrast between life on the river and life on the shore.

Do I answer the question? Yes!
Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? Not really. This contrast is well-known and accepted.
Is my thesis statement specific enough? It’s getting there–you have highlighted an important aspect of the novel for investigation. However, it’s still not clear what your analysis will reveal.
Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test? Not yet. Compare scenes from the book and see what you discover. Free write, make lists, jot down Huck’s actions and reactions and anything else that seems interesting.
Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? What’s the point of this contrast? What does it signify?”

After examining the evidence and considering your own insights, you write:

Through its contrasting river and shore scenes, Twain’s Huckleberry Finn suggests that to find the true expression of American democratic ideals, one must leave “civilized” society and go back to nature.

This final thesis statement presents an interpretation of a literary work based on an analysis of its content. Of course, for the essay itself to be successful, you must now present evidence from the novel that will convince the reader of your interpretation.

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Anson, Chris M., and Robert A. Schwegler. 2010. The Longman Handbook for Writers and Readers , 6th ed. New York: Longman.

Lunsford, Andrea A. 2015. The St. Martin’s Handbook , 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/St Martin’s.

Ramage, John D., John C. Bean, and June Johnson. 2018. The Allyn & Bacon Guide to Writing , 8th ed. New York: Pearson.

Ruszkiewicz, John J., Christy Friend, Daniel Seward, and Maxine Hairston. 2010. The Scott, Foresman Handbook for Writers , 9th ed. Boston: Pearson Education.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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Bachelor thesis or Bachelor's thesis

During my final year at university, I wrote what I thought was a "bachelor thesis". Right before printing it I stumbled upon several documents stating the name "bachelor's thesis". (Here we do not call it a dissertation just yet, so this question is only about the possessive bachelor's vs. bachelor .) A couple of Google search queries later, I had not found out which of these terms is correct. Which should I use?

word-choice
differences

2 It's a master's thesis and a doctoral thesis. Going by these, it should be a bachelor's thesis or a bacheloral thesis . Except bacheloral isn't a word. What is the adjective form for bachelor? Oh, it's bachelor. So by analogy, it's either a bachelor's thesis or a bachelor thesis . I think both should be fine. – Peter Shor Commented Jul 19, 2012 at 16:06

4 Answers 4

First off, I would mimic the term that your university uses. Does that give you a satisfactory resolution? (Or are they inconsistent in their use?)

If not, do you use the full term "Bachelor of Arts" or "Bachelor of Science" in your thesis title? If so, you don't need the apostrophe s (and you should capitalize the words as indicated). However, if you are referring to the degree program more informally, then I think you should use "bachelor's thesis." ( See this Wikipedia entry in which bachelor's is used throughout.)

Also, the Associated Press Styleguide has these guidelines for Academic Degrees:

Use an apostrophe in bachelor’s degree, a master’s, etc.
There is no apostrophe in Bachelor of Arts or Master of Science.

I think that would apply to bachelor's thesis as well.

Inconsistency is the problem. I have seen both versions come up, so it's not about being correct with respect to the university, it's more a question of my curiosity. As BA/BSc is concerned, we do not distinguish between them, we're simply bachelors. I read through some style guides, but none of them address theses specifically, so I was not sure about its application based on "bachelor's degree" and other uses. So your implication may or may not be correct. Still it's the closest I got to a backed answer. – Ondrej Commented May 10, 2012 at 10:25

In some countries/universities, the word "thesis" or a cognate is used as part of a bachelor's or master's course, while "dissertation" is normally applied to a doctorate, while in others, the reverse is true.

In USA and Canada,

Research-based papers presented as the final empirical study of a bachelor with honours (honors) degree are normally called bachelor thesis or honours thesis (in USA, "thesis" is in more commonly use).
Major papers presented as the final project for a master's degree are normally called thesis .
Major papers presenting the student's research towards a doctoral degree are called theses or dissertations .

In Germany,

A bachelor's thesis is often 40–60 pages long, other theses are usually even longer.
The required submission for the doctorate is called a Dissertation or Doktorarbeit.

4 1) This does not address my issue at all. As I said, it's not about thesis/dissertation, regional specifics, ..., it's only about the first word of the term. 2) The whole answer is only a compilation of excerpts from the "Thesis" Wikipedia entry. Don't worry, read that already. – Ondrej Commented May 10, 2012 at 10:19
Ahem... I double-checked Mac's Oxford dictionaries and they confirm that "thesis" is singular and "theses" is plural; your answer suggests a semantic difference. I've suggested a minimal edit to make the answer consistent with this. – Blaisorblade Commented Jun 26, 2016 at 15:07

As I understand it, you are the bachelor (or at least the bachelor candidate) by virtue of being on the course, and the thesis is yours, so bachelor's thesis is the correct way to go.

On the thesis/dissertation thing, a thesis is your argument or proposition, and a dissertation is the discourse you defend it with.

At the college I attended, we used the terms Senior Paper or Senior Thesis to describe that it occurs in the final year of schooling. There are no post-graduate programs at the college in question, which avoided confusion with doctoral or master's level work.

Nomenclature of this final year thesis will vary depending on the institution.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged word-choice differences or ask your own question .

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Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Tips and Examples for Writing Thesis Statements

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

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Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

Tips for Writing Your Thesis Statement

1. Determine what kind of paper you are writing:

An analytical paper breaks down an issue or an idea into its component parts, evaluates the issue or idea, and presents this breakdown and evaluation to the audience.
An expository (explanatory) paper explains something to the audience.
An argumentative paper makes a claim about a topic and justifies this claim with specific evidence. The claim could be an opinion, a policy proposal, an evaluation, a cause-and-effect statement, or an interpretation. The goal of the argumentative paper is to convince the audience that the claim is true based on the evidence provided.

If you are writing a text that does not fall under these three categories (e.g., a narrative), a thesis statement somewhere in the first paragraph could still be helpful to your reader.

2. Your thesis statement should be specific—it should cover only what you will discuss in your paper and should be supported with specific evidence.

3. The thesis statement usually appears at the end of the first paragraph of a paper.

4. Your topic may change as you write, so you may need to revise your thesis statement to reflect exactly what you have discussed in the paper.

Thesis Statement Examples

Example of an analytical thesis statement:

The paper that follows should:

Explain the analysis of the college admission process
Explain the challenge facing admissions counselors

Example of an expository (explanatory) thesis statement:

Explain how students spend their time studying, attending class, and socializing with peers

Example of an argumentative thesis statement:

Present an argument and give evidence to support the claim that students should pursue community projects before entering college

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Thesis Statement

Thesis Statements: How to Identify and Write Them

Students read about and watch videos about how to identify and write thesis statements.

Then, students complete two exercises where they identify and write thesis statements.

*Conditions of Use: While the content on each page is licensed under an Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike license, some pages contain content and/or references with other types of licenses or copyrights. Please look at the bottom of each page to view this information.

Learning Objectives

By the end of these readings and exercises, students will be able to:

define the term thesis statement
read about two recommended thesis statement models
practice identifying thesis statements in other texts
write your own effective thesis statements

Attributions:

The banner image is licensed under Adobe Stock .
The untitled image of a detective by Peggy_Marco is licensed under Pixabay .

What is a thesis statement?

The thesis statement is the key to most academic writing. The purpose of academic writing is to offer your own insights, analyses, and ideas—to show not only that you understand the concepts you’re studying, but also that you have thought about those concepts in your own way and agreed or disagreed, or developed your own unique ideas as a result of your analysis. The thesis statement is the one sentence that encapsulates the result of your thinking, as it offers your main insight or argument in condensed form.

We often use the word “argument” in English courses, but we do not mean it in the traditional sense of a verbal fight with someone else. Instead, you “argue” by taking a position on an issue and supporting it with evidence. Because you’ve taken a position about your topic, someone else may be in a position to disagree (or argue) with the stance you have taken. Think about how a lawyer presents an argument or states their case in a courtroom—similarly, you want to build a case around the main idea of your essay. For example, in 1848, when Elizabeth Cady Stanton drafted “The Declaration of Sentiments,” she was thinking about how to convince New York State policymakers to change the laws to allow women to vote. Stanton was making an argument.

Some consider all writing a form of argument—or at least of persuasion. After all, even if you’re writing a letter or an informative essay, you’re implicitly trying to persuade your audience to care about what you’re saying. Your thesis statement represents the main idea—or point—about a topic or issue that you make in an argument. For example, let’s say that your topic is social media. A thesis statement about social media could look like one of the following sentences:

Social media harms the self-esteem of American pre-teen girls.
Social media can help connect researchers when they use hashtags to curate their work.
Social media tools are not tools for social movements, they are marketing tools.

Please take a look at this video which explains the basic definition of a thesis statement further (we will be building upon these ideas through the rest of the readings and exercises):

Attributions:

The content about thesis statements has been modified from English Composition 1 by Lumen Learning and Audrey Fisch et al. and appears under an Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license.
The video "Purdue OWL: Thesis Statements" by the Purdue University Online Writing Lab appears under a YouTube license .

The Two-Story Model (basic)

First, we will cover the two-story thesis statement model. This is the most basic model, but that doesn't mean it's bad or that you shouldn't use it. If you have a hard time with thesis statements or if you just want to keep things simple, this model is perfect for you. Think of it like a two-story building with two layers.

A basic thesis sentence has two main parts:

Topic: What you’re writing about
Angle: What your main idea is about that topic, or your claim

Examples:

When you read all of the thesis statement examples, can you see areas where the writer could be more specific with their angle? The more specific you are with your topic and your claims, the more focused your essay will be for your reader.

Thesis: A regular exercise regime leads to multiple benefits, both physical and emotional.

Topic: Regular exercise regime
Angle: Leads to multiple benefits

Thesis: Adult college students have different experiences than typical, younger college students.

Topic: Adult college students
Angle: Have different experiences

Thesis: The economics of television have made the viewing experience challenging for many viewers because shows are not offered regularly, similar programming occurs at the same time, and commercials are rampant.

Topic: Television viewing
Angle: Challenging because shows shifted, similar programming, and commercials

Please watch how Dr. Cielle Amundson demonstrates the two-story thesis statement model in this video:

The video "Thesis Statement Definition" by Dr. Cielle Amundson appears under a YouTube license .

The Three-Story Model (advanced)

Now, it's time to challenge yourself. The three-story model is like a building with three stories. Adding multiple levels to your thesis statement makes it more specific and sophisticated. Though you'll be trying your hand with this model in the activity later on, throughout our course, you are free to choose either the two-story or three-story thesis statement model. Still, it's good to know what the three-story model entails.

A thesis statement can have three parts:

Relevance : Why your argument is meaningful

Conceptualizing the Three-Story Model:

A helpful metaphor based on this passage by Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.:

There are one-story intellects, two-story intellects, and three-story intellects with skylights. All fact collectors who have no aim beyond their facts are one-story men. Two-story men compare, reason, generalize using the labor of fact collectors as their own. Three-story men idealize, imagine, predict—their best illumination comes from above the skylight.

One-story theses state inarguable facts. Two-story theses bring in an arguable (interpretive or analytical) point. Three-story theses nest that point within its larger, compelling implications.

The biggest benefit of the three-story metaphor is that it describes a process for building a thesis. To build the first story, you first have to get familiar with the complex, relevant facts surrounding the problem or question. You have to be able to describe the situation thoroughly and accurately. Then, with that first story built, you can layer on the second story by formulating the insightful, arguable point that animates the analysis. That’s often the most effortful part: brainstorming, elaborating and comparing alternative ideas, finalizing your point. With that specified, you can frame up the third story by articulating why the point you make matters beyond its particular topic or case.

Though the three-story thesis statement model appears a little bit differently in this video, you can still see how it follows the patterns mentioned within this section:

The content about thesis statements has been modified from Writing in College by Amy Guptill from Milne Publishing and appears under an Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) license.
The video "How to Write a STRONG Thesis Statement" by Scribbr appears under a YouTube license .

Identifying Thesis Statements

You’ll remember that the first step of the reading process, previewing , allows you to get a big-picture view of the document you’re reading. This way, you can begin to understand the structure of the overall text. The most important step of understanding an essay or a book is to find the thesis statement.

Pinpointing a Thesis Statement

A thesis consists of a specific topic and an angle on the topic. All of the other ideas in the text support and develop the thesis. The thesis statement is often found in the introduction, sometimes after an initial “hook” or interesting story; sometimes, however, the thesis is not explicitly stated until the end of an essay. Sometimes it is not stated at all. In those instances, there is an implied thesis statement. You can generally extract the thesis statement by looking for a few key sentences and ideas.

Most readers expect to see the point of your argument (the thesis statement) within the first few paragraphs. This does not mean that it has to be placed there every time. Some writers place it at the very end, slowly building up to it throughout their work, to explain a point after the fact. Others don’t bother with one at all but feel that their thesis is “implied” anyway. Beginning writers, however, should avoid the implied thesis unless certain of the audience. Almost every professor will expect to see a clearly discernible thesis sentence in the introduction.

Shared Characteristics of Thesis Statements:

present the main idea
are one sentence
tell the reader what to expect
summarize the essay topic
present an argument
are written in the third person (does not include the “I” pronoun)

The following “How to Identify a Thesis Statement” video offers advice for locating a text’s thesis statement. It asks you to write one or two sentences that summarize the text. When you write that summary, without looking at the text itself, you’ve most likely paraphrased the thesis statement.

You can view the transcript for “How to Identify the Thesis Statement” here (download).

Try it!

Try to check your thesis statement identification skills with this interactive exercise from the Excelsior University Online Writing Lab.

The video "How to Identidy the Thesis Statement" by Martha Ann Kennedy appears under a YouTube license .
The "Judging Thesis Statements" exercise from the Purdue University Online Writing Lab appears under an Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license.

Writing Your Own Thesis Statements

A thesis statement is a single sentence (or sometimes two) that provides the answers to these questions clearly and concisely. Ask yourself, “What is my paper about, exactly?” Answering this question will help you develop a precise and directed thesis, not only for your reader, but for you as well.

Key Elements of an Effective Thesis Statement:

A good thesis is non-obvious. High school teachers needed to make sure that you and all your classmates mastered the basic form of the academic essay. Thus, they were mostly concerned that you had a clear and consistent thesis, even if it was something obvious like “sustainability is important.” A thesis statement like that has a wide-enough scope to incorporate several supporting points and concurring evidence, enabling the writer to demonstrate his or her mastery of the five-paragraph form. Good enough! When they can, high school teachers nudge students to develop arguments that are less obvious and more engaging. College instructors, though, fully expect you to produce something more developed.
A good thesis is arguable . In everyday life, “arguable” is often used as a synonym for “doubtful.” For a thesis, though, “arguable” means that it’s worth arguing: it’s something with which a reasonable person might disagree. This arguability criterion dovetails with the non-obvious one: it shows that the author has deeply explored a problem and arrived at an argument that legitimately needs 3, 5, 10, or 20 pages to explain and justify. In that way, a good thesis sets an ambitious agenda for a paper. A thesis like “sustainability is important” isn’t at all difficult to argue for, and the reader would have little intrinsic motivation to read the rest of the paper. However, an arguable thesis like “sustainability policies will inevitably fail if they do not incorporate social justice,” brings up some healthy skepticism. Thus, the arguable thesis makes the reader want to keep reading.
A good thesis is well specified. Some student writers fear that they’re giving away the game if they specify their thesis up front; they think that a purposefully vague thesis might be more intriguing to the reader. However, consider movie trailers: they always include the most exciting and poignant moments from the film to attract an audience. In academic papers, too, a well specified thesis indicates that the author has thought rigorously about an issue and done thorough research, which makes the reader want to keep reading. Don’t just say that a particular policy is effective or fair; say what makes it is so. If you want to argue that a particular claim is dubious or incomplete, say why in your thesis.
A good thesis includes implications. Suppose your assignment is to write a paper about some aspect of the history of linen production and trade, a topic that may seem exceedingly arcane. And suppose you have constructed a well supported and creative argument that linen was so widely traded in the ancient Mediterranean that it actually served as a kind of currency. 2 That’s a strong, insightful, arguable, well specified thesis. But which of these thesis statements do you find more engaging?

How Can You Write Your Thesis Statements?

A good basic structure for a thesis statement is “they say, I say.” What is the prevailing view, and how does your position differ from it? However, avoid limiting the scope of your writing with an either/or thesis under the assumption that your view must be strictly contrary to their view.

focus on one, interesting idea
choose the two-story or three-story model
be as specific as possible
write clearly
have evidence to support it (for later on)

Thesis Statement Examples:

Although many readers believe Romeo and Juliet to be a tale about the ill fate of two star-crossed lovers, it can also be read as an allegory concerning a playwright and his audience.
The “War on Drugs” has not only failed to reduce the frequency of drug-related crimes in America but actually enhanced the popular image of dope peddlers by romanticizing them as desperate rebels fighting for a cause.
The bulk of modern copyright law was conceived in the age of commercial printing, long before the Internet made it so easy for the public to compose and distribute its own texts. Therefore, these laws should be reviewed and revised to better accommodate modern readers and writers.
The usual moral justification for capital punishment is that it deters crime by frightening would-be criminals. However, the statistics tell a different story.
If students really want to improve their writing, they must read often, practice writing, and receive quality feedback from their peers.
Plato’s dialectical method has much to offer those engaged in online writing, which is far more conversational in nature than print.

You can gather more thesis statement tips and tricks from this video titled "How to Create a Thesis Statement" from the Florida SouthWestern State College Academic Support Centers:

The video "How to Create a Thesis Statement" by the Florida SouthWestern State College Academic Support Centers appears under a YouTube license .

Additional, Optional Resources

If you feel like you might need more support with thesis statements, please check out these helpful resources for some extra, optional instruction:

"Checklist for a Thesis Statement" from the Excelsior University Online Writing Lab which appears under an Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license.
"Developing Your Thesis" from Hamiliton College which appears under a copyright.
"Parts of a Thesis Sentence and Common Problems" from the Excelsior University Online Writing Lab which appears under an Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license.
"Tips and Examples for Writing Thesis Statements" from the Purdue University Writing Lab which appears under a copyright.
"Writing Thesis Statements & Hypotheses" by Hope Matis from Clarkson University which appears under a copyright.
The content about these resources has been modified from English Composition 1 by Lumen Learning and Audrey Fisch et al. and appears under an Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license.
The content about these resources has been modified from Writing in College by Amy Guptill from Milne Publishing and appears under an Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) license.
The untitled image of the books by OpenClipart-Vectors is licensed under Pixabay .

Exercise #1: Identify Thesis Statements

Throughout the readings, we have been learning what an effective thesis statement is and what it is not. Before we even get to writing our own thesis statements, let's look for real-world examples. It's your turn to locate and identify thesis statements!

Objectives/Goals

By completeting this exercise students will be able to:

identify the main ideas within a text
summarize the main ideas within a text
choose one sentence from the text which you believe is the thesis statement
argue why you believe that's the true thesis statement of the text

Instructions

Any print or online text (probably something around a page in length) will be fine for this exercise.
If you have trouble finding a text, I recommend looking at this collection from 88 Open Essays – A Reader for Students of Composition & Rhetoric by Sarah Wangler and Tina Ulrich.
Write the title of the text that you selected and the full name(s) of the author (this is called the full citation).
Provide a hyperlink for that text.
Write one paragraph (5+ sentences) summarizing the main points of the text.
Write one more argumentative paragraph (5+ sentences) where you discuss which sentence (make sure it appears within quotation marks, but don't worry about in-text citations for now) you think is the author's thesis statement and why.

Submitting the Assignment

You will be submitting Exercise #1: Identify Thesis Statements within Canvas in our weekly module.

Please check the assignment page for deadlines and Canvas Guides to help you in case you have trouble submitting your document.

"88 Open Essays - A Reader for Students of Composition & Rhetoric" by Sarah Wangler and Tina Ulrich from LibreTexts appears under an Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0) license.

Exercise #2: Write Your Own Thesis Statements

Now that you've had some practice with locating and identifying thesis statements, you are ready to write some practice thesis statements yourself.

write a two-story thesis statement
write a three-story thesis statement
reflect on your thesis statement skills
Using the same text from Exercise #1, write a two-story thesis statement in response to that text.
Using the same text from Exercise #1, write a three-story thesis statement in response to that text.
Is it easy for you to identify thesis statements in other texts? Why or why not?
What methods do you use to identify/locate thesis statements?
In the past, how have you felt when you needed to write a thesis statement?
How did you feel about writing your own thesis statements in Exercise #2?
Which thesis statement writing strategies were the most beneficial to you? Why?
What challenges did you face when you were writing you thesis statement for Exercise #2?

You will be submitting Exercise #2: Write Your Own Thesis Statements within Canvas in our weekly module.

The untitled image of the writing supplies by ptra is licensed under Pixabay .

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What is a thesis | A Complete Guide with Examples

A thesis is a comprehensive academic paper based on your original research that presents new findings, arguments, and ideas of your study. It’s typically submitted at the end of your master’s degree or as a capstone of your bachelor’s degree.

However, writing a thesis can be laborious, especially for beginners. From the initial challenge of pinpointing a compelling research topic to organizing and presenting findings, the process is filled with potential pitfalls.

Therefore, to help you, this guide talks about what is a thesis. Additionally, it offers revelations and methodologies to transform it from an overwhelming task to a manageable and rewarding academic milestone.

What is a thesis?

A thesis is an in-depth research study that identifies a particular topic of inquiry and presents a clear argument or perspective about that topic using evidence and logic.

Writing a thesis showcases your ability of critical thinking, gathering evidence, and making a compelling argument. Integral to these competencies is thorough research, which not only fortifies your propositions but also confers credibility to your entire study.

Furthermore, there's another phenomenon you might often confuse with the thesis: the ' working thesis .' However, they aren't similar and shouldn't be used interchangeably.

A working thesis, often referred to as a preliminary or tentative thesis, is an initial version of your thesis statement. It serves as a draft or a starting point that guides your research in its early stages.

As you research more and gather more evidence, your initial thesis (aka working thesis) might change. It's like a starting point that can be adjusted as you learn more. It's normal for your main topic to change a few times before you finalize it.

While a thesis identifies and provides an overarching argument, the key to clearly communicating the central point of that argument lies in writing a strong thesis statement.

What is a thesis statement?

A strong thesis statement (aka thesis sentence) is a concise summary of the main argument or claim of the paper. It serves as a critical anchor in any academic work, succinctly encapsulating the primary argument or main idea of the entire paper.

Typically found within the introductory section, a strong thesis statement acts as a roadmap of your thesis, directing readers through your arguments and findings. By delineating the core focus of your investigation, it offers readers an immediate understanding of the context and the gravity of your study.

Furthermore, an effectively crafted thesis statement can set forth the boundaries of your research, helping readers anticipate the specific areas of inquiry you are addressing.

Different types of thesis statements

A good thesis statement is clear, specific, and arguable. Therefore, it is necessary for you to choose the right type of thesis statement for your academic papers.

Thesis statements can be classified based on their purpose and structure. Here are the primary types of thesis statements:

Argumentative (or Persuasive) thesis statement

Purpose : To convince the reader of a particular stance or point of view by presenting evidence and formulating a compelling argument.

Example : Reducing plastic use in daily life is essential for environmental health.

Analytical thesis statement

Purpose : To break down an idea or issue into its components and evaluate it.

Example : By examining the long-term effects, social implications, and economic impact of climate change, it becomes evident that immediate global action is necessary.

Expository (or Descriptive) thesis statement

Purpose : To explain a topic or subject to the reader.

Example : The Great Depression, spanning the 1930s, was a severe worldwide economic downturn triggered by a stock market crash, bank failures, and reduced consumer spending.

Cause and effect thesis statement

Purpose : To demonstrate a cause and its resulting effect.

Example : Overuse of smartphones can lead to impaired sleep patterns, reduced face-to-face social interactions, and increased levels of anxiety.

Compare and contrast thesis statement

Purpose : To highlight similarities and differences between two subjects.

Example : "While both novels '1984' and 'Brave New World' delve into dystopian futures, they differ in their portrayal of individual freedom, societal control, and the role of technology."

When you write a thesis statement , it's important to ensure clarity and precision, so the reader immediately understands the central focus of your work.

What is the difference between a thesis and a thesis statement?

While both terms are frequently used interchangeably, they have distinct meanings.

A thesis refers to the entire research document, encompassing all its chapters and sections. In contrast, a thesis statement is a brief assertion that encapsulates the central argument of the research.

Here’s an in-depth differentiation table of a thesis and a thesis statement.

Aspect	Thesis	Thesis Statement
Definition	An extensive document presenting the author's research and findings, typically for a degree or professional qualification.	A concise sentence or two in an essay or research paper that outlines the main idea or argument.
Position	It’s the entire document on its own.	Typically found at the end of the introduction of an essay, research paper, or thesis.
Components	Introduction, methodology, results, conclusions, and bibliography or references.	Doesn't include any specific components
Purpose	Provides detailed research, presents findings, and contributes to a field of study.	To guide the reader about the main point or argument of the paper or essay.

Now, to craft a compelling thesis, it's crucial to adhere to a specific structure. Let’s break down these essential components that make up a thesis structure

15 components of a thesis structure

Navigating a thesis can be daunting. However, understanding its structure can make the process more manageable.

Here are the key components or different sections of a thesis structure:

Your thesis begins with the title page. It's not just a formality but the gateway to your research.

Here, you'll prominently display the necessary information about you (the author) and your institutional details.

Title of your thesis
Your full name
Your department
Your institution and degree program
Your submission date
Your Supervisor's name (in some cases)
Your Department or faculty (in some cases)
Your University's logo (in some cases)
Your Student ID (in some cases)

In a concise manner, you'll have to summarize the critical aspects of your research in typically no more than 200-300 words.

This includes the problem statement, methodology, key findings, and conclusions. For many, the abstract will determine if they delve deeper into your work, so ensure it's clear and compelling.

Acknowledgments

Research is rarely a solitary endeavor. In the acknowledgments section, you have the chance to express gratitude to those who've supported your journey.

This might include advisors, peers, institutions, or even personal sources of inspiration and support. It's a personal touch, reflecting the humanity behind the academic rigor.

A roadmap for your readers, the table of contents lists the chapters, sections, and subsections of your thesis.

By providing page numbers, you allow readers to navigate your work easily, jumping to sections that pique their interest.

List of figures and tables

Research often involves data, and presenting this data visually can enhance understanding. This section provides an organized listing of all figures and tables in your thesis.

It's a visual index, ensuring that readers can quickly locate and reference your graphical data.

Introduction

Here's where you introduce your research topic, articulate the research question or objective, and outline the significance of your study.

Present the research topic : Clearly articulate the central theme or subject of your research.
Background information : Ground your research topic, providing any necessary context or background information your readers might need to understand the significance of your study.
Define the scope : Clearly delineate the boundaries of your research, indicating what will and won't be covered.
Literature review : Introduce any relevant existing research on your topic, situating your work within the broader academic conversation and highlighting where your research fits in.
State the research Question(s) or objective(s) : Clearly articulate the primary questions or objectives your research aims to address.
Outline the study's structure : Give a brief overview of how the subsequent sections of your work will unfold, guiding your readers through the journey ahead.

The introduction should captivate your readers, making them eager to delve deeper into your research journey.

Literature review section

Your study correlates with existing research. Therefore, in the literature review section, you'll engage in a dialogue with existing knowledge, highlighting relevant studies, theories, and findings.

It's here that you identify gaps in the current knowledge, positioning your research as a bridge to new insights.

To streamline this process, consider leveraging AI tools. For example, the SciSpace literature review tool enables you to efficiently explore and delve into research papers, simplifying your literature review journey.

Methodology

In the research methodology section, you’ll detail the tools, techniques, and processes you employed to gather and analyze data. This section will inform the readers about how you approached your research questions and ensures the reproducibility of your study.

Here's a breakdown of what it should encompass:

Research Design : Describe the overall structure and approach of your research. Are you conducting a qualitative study with in-depth interviews? Or is it a quantitative study using statistical analysis? Perhaps it's a mixed-methods approach?
Data Collection : Detail the methods you used to gather data. This could include surveys, experiments, observations, interviews, archival research, etc. Mention where you sourced your data, the duration of data collection, and any tools or instruments used.
Sampling : If applicable, explain how you selected participants or data sources for your study. Discuss the size of your sample and the rationale behind choosing it.
Data Analysis : Describe the techniques and tools you used to process and analyze the data. This could range from statistical tests in quantitative research to thematic analysis in qualitative research.
Validity and Reliability : Address the steps you took to ensure the validity and reliability of your findings to ensure that your results are both accurate and consistent.
Ethical Considerations : Highlight any ethical issues related to your research and the measures you took to address them, including — informed consent, confidentiality, and data storage and protection measures.

Moreover, different research questions necessitate different types of methodologies. For instance:

Experimental methodology : Often used in sciences, this involves a controlled experiment to discern causality.
Qualitative methodology : Employed when exploring patterns or phenomena without numerical data. Methods can include interviews, focus groups, or content analysis.
Quantitative methodology : Concerned with measurable data and often involves statistical analysis. Surveys and structured observations are common tools here.
Mixed methods : As the name implies, this combines both qualitative and quantitative methodologies.

The Methodology section isn’t just about detailing the methods but also justifying why they were chosen. The appropriateness of the methods in addressing your research question can significantly impact the credibility of your findings.

Results (or Findings)

This section presents the outcomes of your research. It's crucial to note that the nature of your results may vary; they could be quantitative, qualitative, or a mix of both.

Quantitative results often present statistical data, showcasing measurable outcomes, and they benefit from tables, graphs, and figures to depict these data points.

Qualitative results , on the other hand, might delve into patterns, themes, or narratives derived from non-numerical data, such as interviews or observations.

Regardless of the nature of your results, clarity is essential. This section is purely about presenting the data without offering interpretations — that comes later in the discussion.

In the discussion section, the raw data transforms into valuable insights.

Start by revisiting your research question and contrast it with the findings. How do your results expand, constrict, or challenge current academic conversations?

Dive into the intricacies of the data, guiding the reader through its implications. Detail potential limitations transparently, signaling your awareness of the research's boundaries. This is where your academic voice should be resonant and confident.

Practical implications (Recommendation) section

Based on the insights derived from your research, this section provides actionable suggestions or proposed solutions.

Whether aimed at industry professionals or the general public, recommendations translate your academic findings into potential real-world actions. They help readers understand the practical implications of your work and how it can be applied to effect change or improvement in a given field.

When crafting recommendations, it's essential to ensure they're feasible and rooted in the evidence provided by your research. They shouldn't merely be aspirational but should offer a clear path forward, grounded in your findings.

The conclusion provides closure to your research narrative.

It's not merely a recap but a synthesis of your main findings and their broader implications. Reconnect with the research questions or hypotheses posited at the beginning, offering clear answers based on your findings.

Reflect on the broader contributions of your study, considering its impact on the academic community and potential real-world applications.

Lastly, the conclusion should leave your readers with a clear understanding of the value and impact of your study.

References (or Bibliography)

Every theory you've expounded upon, every data point you've cited, and every methodological precedent you've followed finds its acknowledgment here.

In references, it's crucial to ensure meticulous consistency in formatting, mirroring the specific guidelines of the chosen citation style .

Proper referencing helps to avoid plagiarism , gives credit to original ideas, and allows readers to explore topics of interest. Moreover, it situates your work within the continuum of academic knowledge.

To properly cite the sources used in the study, you can rely on online citation generator tools to generate accurate citations!

Here’s more on how you can cite your sources.

Often, the depth of research produces a wealth of material that, while crucial, can make the core content of the thesis cumbersome. The appendix is where you mention extra information that supports your research but isn't central to the main text.

Whether it's raw datasets, detailed procedural methodologies, extended case studies, or any other ancillary material, the appendices ensure that these elements are archived for reference without breaking the main narrative's flow.

For thorough researchers and readers keen on meticulous details, the appendices provide a treasure trove of insights.

Glossary (optional)

In academics, specialized terminologies, and jargon are inevitable. However, not every reader is versed in every term.

The glossary, while optional, is a critical tool for accessibility. It's a bridge ensuring that even readers from outside the discipline can access, understand, and appreciate your work.

By defining complex terms and providing context, you're inviting a wider audience to engage with your research, enhancing its reach and impact.

Remember, while these components provide a structured framework, the essence of your thesis lies in the originality of your ideas, the rigor of your research, and the clarity of your presentation.

As you craft each section, keep your readers in mind, ensuring that your passion and dedication shine through every page.

Thesis examples

To further elucidate the concept of a thesis, here are illustrative examples from various fields:

Example 1 (History): Abolition, Africans, and Abstraction: the Influence of the ‘Noble Savage’ on British and French Antislavery Thought, 1787-1807 by Suchait Kahlon.

Example 2 (Climate Dynamics): Influence of external forcings on abrupt millennial-scale climate changes: a statistical modelling study by Takahito Mitsui · Michel Crucifix

Checklist for your thesis evaluation

Evaluating your thesis ensures that your research meets the standards of academia. Here's an elaborate checklist to guide you through this critical process.

Content and structure

Is the thesis statement clear, concise, and debatable?
Does the introduction provide sufficient background and context?
Is the literature review comprehensive, relevant, and well-organized?
Does the methodology section clearly describe and justify the research methods?
Are the results/findings presented clearly and logically?
Does the discussion interpret the results in light of the research question and existing literature?
Is the conclusion summarizing the research and suggesting future directions or implications?

Clarity and coherence

Is the writing clear and free of jargon?
Are ideas and sections logically connected and flowing?
Is there a clear narrative or argument throughout the thesis?

Research quality

Is the research question significant and relevant?
Are the research methods appropriate for the question?
Is the sample size (if applicable) adequate?
Are the data analysis techniques appropriate and correctly applied?
Are potential biases or limitations addressed?

Originality and significance

Does the thesis contribute new knowledge or insights to the field?
Is the research grounded in existing literature while offering fresh perspectives?

Formatting and presentation

Is the thesis formatted according to institutional guidelines?
Are figures, tables, and charts clear, labeled, and referenced in the text?
Is the bibliography or reference list complete and consistently formatted?
Are appendices relevant and appropriately referenced in the main text?

Grammar and language

Is the thesis free of grammatical and spelling errors?
Is the language professional, consistent, and appropriate for an academic audience?
Are quotations and paraphrased material correctly cited?

Feedback and revision

Have you sought feedback from peers, advisors, or experts in the field?
Have you addressed the feedback and made the necessary revisions?

Overall assessment

Does the thesis as a whole feel cohesive and comprehensive?
Would the thesis be understandable and valuable to someone in your field?

Ensure to use this checklist to leave no ground for doubt or missed information in your thesis.

After writing your thesis, the next step is to discuss and defend your findings verbally in front of a knowledgeable panel. You’ve to be well prepared as your professors may grade your presentation abilities.

Preparing your thesis defense

A thesis defense, also known as "defending the thesis," is the culmination of a scholar's research journey. It's the final frontier, where you’ll present their findings and face scrutiny from a panel of experts.

Typically, the defense involves a public presentation where you’ll have to outline your study, followed by a question-and-answer session with a committee of experts. This committee assesses the validity, originality, and significance of the research.

The defense serves as a rite of passage for scholars. It's an opportunity to showcase expertise, address criticisms, and refine arguments. A successful defense not only validates the research but also establishes your authority as a researcher in your field.

Here’s how you can effectively prepare for your thesis defense .

Now, having touched upon the process of defending a thesis, it's worth noting that scholarly work can take various forms, depending on academic and regional practices.

One such form, often paralleled with the thesis, is the 'dissertation.' But what differentiates the two?

Dissertation vs. Thesis

Often used interchangeably in casual discourse, they refer to distinct research projects undertaken at different levels of higher education.

To the uninitiated, understanding their meaning might be elusive. So, let's demystify these terms and delve into their core differences.

Here's a table differentiating between the two.

Aspect	Thesis	Dissertation
Purpose	Often for a master's degree, showcasing a grasp of existing research	Primarily for a doctoral degree, contributing new knowledge to the field
Length	100 pages, focusing on a specific topic or question.	400-500 pages, involving deep research and comprehensive findings
Research Depth	Builds upon existing research	Involves original and groundbreaking research
Advisor's Role	Guides the research process	Acts more as a consultant, allowing the student to take the lead
Outcome	Demonstrates understanding of the subject	Proves capability to conduct independent and original research

Wrapping up

From understanding the foundational concept of a thesis to navigating its various components, differentiating it from a dissertation, and recognizing the importance of proper citation — this guide covers it all.

As scholars and readers, understanding these nuances not only aids in academic pursuits but also fosters a deeper appreciation for the relentless quest for knowledge that drives academia.

It’s important to remember that every thesis is a testament to curiosity, dedication, and the indomitable spirit of discovery.

Good luck with your thesis writing!

Frequently Asked Questions

A thesis typically ranges between 40-80 pages, but its length can vary based on the research topic, institution guidelines, and level of study.

A PhD thesis usually spans 200-300 pages, though this can vary based on the discipline, complexity of the research, and institutional requirements.

To identify a thesis topic, consider current trends in your field, gaps in existing literature, personal interests, and discussions with advisors or mentors. Additionally, reviewing related journals and conference proceedings can provide insights into potential areas of exploration.

The conceptual framework is often situated in the literature review or theoretical framework section of a thesis. It helps set the stage by providing the context, defining key concepts, and explaining the relationships between variables.

A thesis statement should be concise, clear, and specific. It should state the main argument or point of your research. Start by pinpointing the central question or issue your research addresses, then condense that into a single statement, ensuring it reflects the essence of your paper.

标题：人工智能在系统文献综述中的作用

Papel de la IA en la revisión sistemática de la literatura

Rôle de l'IA dans l'analyse systématique de la littérature

Guidelines for Master’s Theses

There are very few formal requirements when writing your master’s thesis. We have put together the most important of these as well as additional helpful information in our guidelines for master’s theses .

You can also download a style sheet . This is a pre-formatted Word document you can directly use to write your thesis.

Information about academic writing and how to avoid plagiarizing can be found here .

We have also provided a list of past master’s theses to help you brainstorm ideas for your own thesis.

Was ist eine These?

Was ist eine These? Das beantworten wir dir hier im Beitrag und im Video .

These — einfach erklärt

Wie formuliere ich eine these — schritt für schritt, thesen — beispiele und arten, was ist eine these — häufigste fragen, forschungsfrage formulieren.

Eine These ist eine Behauptung . Sie repräsentiert deine zentrale Idee oder Position in Essays, Diskussionen oder wissenschaftlichen Arbeiten. Im Verlauf des Textes verteidigst du sie dann mit Argumenten , Beweisen und Beispielen .

Grundlage für deine Argumentation sollten nachprüfbare Fakten sein. Nachprüfbar bedeutet, dass sie grundsätzlich auch widerlegbar sein müssen. Deshalb muss eine These so formuliert sein, dass sie entweder wahr oder falsch sein kann.

Eine These zu formulieren ist das Fundament des wissenschaftlichen Arbeitens . Sie bildet nämlich den roten Faden deiner Argumentation und weckt beim Leser Interesse. Folge bei der Formulierung deiner These am besten dieser Schritt-für-Schritt-Anleitung :

Themenauswahl: Zunächst wählst du ein spezielles Thema oder eine Fragestellung aus, die du gerne näher beleuchten möchtest. Nehmen wir als Thesen Beispiel das Thema „Klimawandel“.
Recherche: Nun folgt eine gründliche Recherche . Sammle umfangreiche Fakten über dein Thema. In unserem Beispiel könnten das Daten über CO2-Werte sein oder Informationen über steigende Temperaturen und Klimakatastrophen.
Eingrenzung: Du hast dir ein allgemeines Bild über dein Thema gemacht? Sehr gut! Grenze jetzt dein Thema auf einen bestimmten Aspekt ein. Zum Beispiel: „Die Auswirkungen des Klimawandels auf die Artenvielfalt“.
Position beziehen: Denke als nächstes darüber nach, welche Position du zu dem Aspekt einnehmen möchtest. Als Entscheidungshilfe nimmst du die Ergebnisse aus deiner Recherche. Bei uns könnte das die Aussage: „Der Klimawandel hat ernste Auswirkungen auf die Artenvielfalt“ sein.
Klare Formulierung: Formuliere deine These in einem klaren und präzisen Satz. Deine endgültige These könnte also lauten: „Der Klimawandel führt aufgrund von Temperaturanstiegen und Lebensraumverlusten zu einem dramatischen Rückgang der Artenvielfalt.“

Übrigens: Zu jeder These gibt es eine Antithese , die die Gegenaussage zu deiner Behauptung trifft. Sie stellt also eine entgegengesetzte Position dar, weshalb du sie in einer Diskussion widerlegen solltest. Hier könnte die Antithese sein: „Der Klimawandel führt nicht zu einem Rückgang der Artenvielfalt.“

Thesen formulieren — Kriterien

Willst du eine erfolgreiche These formulieren , so solltest du auf folgende Kriterien achten:

✓ Aussage : Formuliere deine These als Aussage , nicht als Frage.

✓ Klarheit : Eine These sollte immer eindeutig und sachlich formuliert sein. Das hilft dem Leser beim Nachvollziehen deiner Argumentation.

✓ Falsifizierbarkeit : Eine These muss falsifizierbar sein. Das bedeutet, dass sie von anderen prinzipiell widerlegbar sein muss.

✓ Belege : Deine These soll auf empirischen Fakten beruhen. Diese präsentierst und erörterst du im Verlauf deiner Arbeit.

✓ Widerspruch : Wenn du mehrere Thesen aufstellst, dann dürfen sie sich nicht gegenseitig widersprechen .

✓ Konsistenz : Im Verlauf deines Textes solltest du deine anfangs geschriebene These nicht selbst widerlegen .

Du unterscheidest verschiedene Arten von Thesen. Sie kommen in unterschiedlichen Kontexten und Disziplinen vor.


– streng These – basiert auf nachprüfbaren Fakten oder empirischen Beobachtungen	– Einschätzung oder Bewertung – basiert überwiegend auf und Überzeugungen	– Handlungs-aufforderung – basiert auf nachprüfbaren Fakten oder empirischen Beobachtungen
„Wasser gefriert bei einer Temperatur von 0 Grad Celsius.“	„Es ist moralisch falsch, auf Flugreisen zu gehen.“	„Die Regierung soll die Umweltverschmutzung reduzieren, indem sie erneuerbare Energien fördert“
– Natur-wissenschaften (Chemie, Biologie, Physik, …) – Sozialwissenschaften (Psychologie, Soziologie, …)	– Geistes-wissenschaften (Philosophie, Ethik, …)	– Politikwissenschaften – Rechtswissenschaft

Je nach Fachrichtung solltest du also die Argumentation deiner These anpassen. Achte beim wissenschaftlichen Arbeiten deshalb auch unbedingt auf individuelle Vorgaben deines Faches.

These und Hypothese

Ein Sonderfall der These ist die Hypothese . Sie ist ein zentrales Grundelement des wissenschaftlichen Arbeitens. Anders als die These, ist eine Hypothese eine Vermutung , nicht eine Behauptung. Das bedeutet, dass du sie am Ende deines Textes auch widerlegen darfst. Die Hypothese ist also eine vorläufige Annahme , die du auf Basis deiner Recherche formulierst.

Beispiel: „Wenn die Konzentration von Treibhausgasen in der Atmosphäre ansteigt, dann wird die globale Durchschnittstemperatur steigen.“

Im Verlauf der Arbeit testest du sie dann, meist anhand einer eigenen empirischen Studie . Dazu sammelst du selbst empirische Daten und analysierst sie.

Das Ergebnis deiner Studie soll deine aufgestellte Hypothese entweder widerlegen oder belegen . Deshalb ist es wichtig, dass du hier ergebnisoffen arbeitest.

Merke: Die These ist eine feste Aussage oder Position, während die Hypothese eine vorübergehende Annahme ist.

Was ist eine These in Deutsch? Eine These ist eine präzise Behauptung. Du nutzt sie in wissenschaftlichen Arbeiten oder Diskussionen, um deine Position zu vertreten. Sie ist eine zentrale Aussage, die du durch Argumente und Beweise verteidigst. Die Gegenposition dazu ist die Antithese.
Ist eine These eine Frage? Nein, eine These ist keine Frage. Thesen sollten immer als Aussage bzw. Behauptung formuliert werden. Sie geben nämlich eine klare Richtung bzw. Position vor, die du im Verlauf deines Textes erläuterst.

Klasse! Du weißt jetzt, wie du eine These aufstellst. Bevor du Thesen in einer wissenschaftlichen Arbeit aufstellst, musst du meist erst eine Forschungsfrage aufstellen. Wie du eine perfekte Forschungsfrage formulierst , zeigen wir dir hier.

Beliebte Inhalte aus dem Bereich Wissenschaftliches Arbeiten

Bachelorarbeit Dauer: 05:26
Bachelorarbeit Thema finden Dauer: 03:59
Bachelorarbeit schreiben Dauer: 04:24

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Definition of thesis

Did you know.

In high school, college, or graduate school, students often have to write a thesis on a topic in their major field of study. In many fields, a final thesis is the biggest challenge involved in getting a master's degree, and the same is true for students studying for a Ph.D. (a Ph.D. thesis is often called a dissertation ). But a thesis may also be an idea; so in the course of the paper the student may put forth several theses (notice the plural form) and attempt to prove them.

Examples of thesis in a Sentence

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'thesis.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

in sense 3, Middle English, lowering of the voice, from Late Latin & Greek; Late Latin, from Greek, downbeat, more important part of a foot, literally, act of laying down; in other senses, Latin, from Greek, literally, act of laying down, from tithenai to put, lay down — more at do

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3a(1)

Dictionary Entries Near thesis

the sins of the fathers are visited upon the children

thesis novel

Cite this Entry

“Thesis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thesis. Accessed 18 Sep. 2024.

Kids Definition

Kids definition of thesis, more from merriam-webster on thesis.

Nglish: Translation of thesis for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of thesis for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about thesis

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Cambridge Dictionary +Plus

This , that , these , those

This, that, these and those are demonstratives . We use this, that, these and those to point to people and things. This and that are singular. These and those are plural. We use them as determiners and pronouns.

determiners	pronouns
box? water tastes strange. shoes.	. ’s a very good idea. ?

determiners

pronouns

box?

water tastes strange.

shoes.

’s a very good idea.

This , that , these , those as determiners

Pointing to things.

We use this and that with singular and uncountable nouns:

Try to repeat this exercise every morning and evening. ( this + singular countable noun)

What does this music make you think of? ( this + singular uncountable noun)

I’ve never been to that part of France. ( that + singular countable noun)

Can I have some of that juice, please? ( that + singular uncountable noun)

We use these and those with plural nouns:

You can use any one of these computers. ( these + plural noun)

I need to paint those windows. ( those + plural noun)

Time phrases

We often use this with words describing time and dates like morning, afternoon, evening, week, month, year to refer to ‘the one that’s coming’ or ‘the one we’re currently in’:

I’ll be with you some time this evening .

Johan seemed very happy this afternoon .

Ian is in Germany all this week .

This , that , these , those as pronouns

Referring to things or ideas.

We normally use this, that, these and those as pronouns to refer to things or ideas:

Put the butter, chocolate and sugar in a saucepan. Heat this over a low flame until it melts.

We’re going to eat first and then go to the film. Are you happy with that ? (Are you happy with the idea of eating first, then going to the film?)

[talking about the TV]

Can you turn that off if you’re not watching it?

[talking about shoes]

What colour are those ? Black or dark blue. I can’t see.

Referring to people

We can use this and that as pronouns to refer to people when we want to identify ourselves or others, or to ask the identity of other speakers:

Linda, this is my mother, Anne.

Is that your brother over there?

We often do this in telephone calls and in answer-phone messages:

Hello, is that Ken Orm? This is Jane Bromham here.

This and these , that and those : uses

Physical closeness and distance.

We use this and these most commonly to point to things and people that are close to the speaker or writer, or things that are happening now:

Shall I use this knife here?

[pointing to something]

Is this what you mean?

I’ll post these letters on my way home.

[pointing to a pile of books]

Do these belong to the Bradshaws?

We use that and those most commonly to point to things and people which are not easy to identify in a situation. They are often more distant from the speaker, and sometimes closer to the listener:

What’s in that bottle over there?

Could you blow out those candles near you?

Sometimes they are not visible to either the speaker or listener:

Budapest! That ’s my favourite place!

Emotional distance

We sometimes use this, these, that, those to identify emotional distance. We use this and these to refer to things that we feel positive about, that we are happy to be associated with, or we approve of:

I love these new woollen mobile phone covers that you can get.

We use that and those to create distance:

What are you going to say to that sister of yours?

[talking about a restaurant]

I didn’t like the decoration. It had those awful paintings.

Shared knowledge and new information

We sometimes use that instead of the to refer the listener to shared knowledge, often when we are telling a story or explaining something:

You know that old shop on the corner? Well, they’re going to turn it into a restaurant.

We sometimes use this instead of a/an to refer to something important or recent, or to introduce a new person or thing in a story:

This guy knocked on the door and asked if I wanted new windows.

Then suddenly she pulled out this big pile of papers from her briefcase and threw them on the table.

It , this and that in paragraphs

Determiners ( the, my , some , this )

Substitution with that, those

In formal contexts, we can use that and those as substitutes meaning ‘the one(s)’:

The most important information is that given at the beginning of the manual. ( that substitutes for the information )

The methods employed are those familiar to researchers. (more formal than The methods employed are the ones familiar to researchers .)

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Thesis Vs. Dissertation — Know the difference and similarities!

The academic world is filled with many different types of writing assignments, each with its own unique set of requirements and expectations. One common source of confusion for students is the distinction between a thesis and a dissertation. Both are long-form academic works, but there are several key differences between the two that are important to understand.

In Shakespeare’s day, a candidate for a master’s degree would write a thesis, an original paper in which he maintained a certain proposition. Whereas, completion of a doctoral program required submission and defense of a dissertation. He would read his thesis to his committee, after which he sat in silence while two faculty members gave point-by-point refutations of everything the candidate said.

The focus here was on the student’s ideas and his ability to arrange and express them clearly. If a student wished to advance further in academia he could pursue a dissertation. This was more of a literature review . He would read widely in a particular area and write up his findings, discussing the various authorities and their opinions. The point was to demonstrate that he was well-versed in the literature of the field. While the confusion between the two terms is understandable, we shall tackle the dissertation vs. thesis topic in this article and provide unambiguous insights on it.

Table of Contents

What Is a Thesis?

A thesis is a critically written scholarly piece of research work. Typically, it is submitted by students graduating from a master’s program. The purpose of a thesis is to allow students to showcase their knowledge and expertise within the subject matter they have been studying as part of the program.

What Is a Dissertation?

A dissertation is a comparatively lengthier piece of scholarly writing that accounts for your research work throughout the doctoral program. A researcher earns the Ph.D. after submitting and defending his/her dissertation. It includes all information about the original research or expanded research on a new or existing topic conducted by the Ph.D. candidate.

Dissertation vs. Thesis: Differences

The primary difference between a thesis and a dissertation is the time when they are completed. As mentioned earlier, a thesis is presented at the culmination of a master’s program, whereas, a dissertation is presented to earn a Ph.D.
A thesis is a compilation of research ensuring that the researcher is well-informed and has knowledge about the research topic learned in the study program. On the other hand, a dissertation provides an opportunity for the researcher to contribute new theories and information to the existing literature in the research field.
A thesis is a presentation of learned and existing information, while the purpose of a dissertation is to develop a unique concept and defend it based on theoretical and practical results.
A master’s thesis is approximately 100 pages in length. However, a Ph.D. dissertation should be much longer than a thesis and must include background and research information. A dissertation must include your research proposal, grant proposal, literature review , ideation of research topic, and every other minute detail about your research. Ideally, a dissertation inclusive of all details mentioned above should be three times the length of a master’s thesis.

Dissertation vs. Thesis: Similarities

Both a thesis and a dissertation are considered final projects and are required to graduate from respective programs.
The thesis and dissertation both require a deep and accurate understanding of the research problem.
Both forms of scholarly written pieces must address specific research questions.
Academic writing skills are imperative for a thesis as well as a dissertation.
Ethical practices must be followed while collating and documenting research data.
Plagiarism is not accepted in either.
Both require analytical skills to support the findings.
It is essential that both undergo intense dissertation/ thesis editing and critical proofreading before final submission.

Dissertation vs. Thesis: Europe

In Europe, the original distinction between a thesis and a dissertation has been largely retained. A doctoral thesis is a focused piece of original research that is performed to obtain a Ph.D. A dissertation is part of a broader post-graduate research project.

However, the thesis has evolved since original research nowadays requires plenty of background research . So, a thesis will contain extensive citations and references to earlier work, although the focus remains on the original work that comes out of it.

Dissertation vs. Thesis: USA

In the United States, the definition of a thesis is almost the opposite of that in Europe. Because a thesis is shorter than a dissertation it gradually came to mean a preliminary degree on the way to a doctorate. A thesis is now performed to earn a Master’s degree. In scientific fields, a master’s candidate takes advanced coursework and gains hands-on experience in a research project but does not direct the project to the same extent that he would in a doctoral program. In a master’s project, the student’s ideas are welcomed and expected but the focus is on obtaining technical expertise, not doing original research. Engineering students commonly obtain Master’s degrees and seldom go on to get PhDs. In other fields such as Chemistry, the opposite is true, with a Master’s degree no longer being required as the first step for a doctorate. Almost everyone I know who received a Master’s degree in Chemistry got one because they dropped out of graduate school and wrote their truncated research as a Master’s project.

In a Nutshell

Needless to say, the dissertation vs. thesis facts are real. Therefore, using one term instead of another is not acceptable as an academic. One must remember the purpose of each and use them accordingly. However, one is not undermined by the other. Whether you are writing a thesis or a dissertation, both must be done with the same seriousness. Both require critical technical and soft skills. Improving your time management and academic writing skills plays a major role in acing both forms of scholarly writing.

How do you decipher dissertation vs. thesis? Should the interchanged usage of these terms be acceptable? How is your approach to writing a thesis different from that of a dissertation? What are the other differences associated with the thesis and dissertation? Let us know in the comments section below!

Frequently Asked Questions

"Dissertation" and "thesis" are used interchangeably but differ in: Academic Level: Thesis for master's, dissertation for doctoral degrees (US). Scope and Depth: Thesis shorter, demonstrates mastery; dissertation extensive, original research. Originality: Thesis may involve original analysis; dissertation presents significant new insights. Time and Effort: Dissertations require more resources and time than theses.

The length of a dissertation varies depending on factors like academic discipline, research topic, institution, and country. Generally, dissertations are longer than theses, ranging from 10,000 to over 100,000 words. However, word count alone does not reflect the quality or depth of the research. Guidelines from the academic institution should be consulted for specific requirements.

The length of a thesis varies depending on factors like academic discipline, research topic, institution, and country. Generally, the word count ranges from around 10,000 to 50,000 words. Specific guidelines from the academic institution should be consulted for precise requirements.

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Wie heißt es richtig, Masterthesis oder Masterarbeit?

Ich schreibe gerade an meiner deutschsprachigen Abschlussarbeit und wurde darauf angesprochen, warum auf meinem Titelblatt "Masterthesis" steht.

Sollte es richtig "Masterthesis" oder "Masterarbeit" heißen?

word-choice

6 Schau in die Prüfungsordnung, oder guck was andere vor dir gemacht haben. – starblue Commented Feb 9, 2012 at 16:06
1 @starblue Das ist die einzig richtige Antwort. Die Bezeichnung für die Qualifikationsarbeit ist durch Universitätsgesetze und Studienordnungen vorgeschrieben. Wenn dort "Rübensalat" vorgeschrieben wird, muss auch "Rübensalat" auf dem Deckblatt stehen. Die Diskussion, ob die Bezeichnung sinnvoll ist, ist natürlich eine andere Sache. – Martin Schwehla Commented Feb 15, 2015 at 23:23

5 Answers 5

Zugegeben, Masterthesis hatte ich noch nie gehört. Die Menge an Suchergebnissen fand ich dafür erschreckend hoch. Der Begriff wird sehr oft verwendet, durchaus abwechselnd mit Masterarbeit, aber auch ohne.

Im Rahmen der Master Thesis soll der Student unter Beweis stellen, dass er sein theoretisches Wissen und die im Studium angeeigneten Kenntnisse auf ein konkretes und in der Regel an der Praxis orientiertes Problem anwenden und Erkenntnisse daraus ziehen kann. bachelor-studium Die Abschlussarbeit (Thesis) soll einen Unfang [sic] von mindestens 60 Seiten, höchstens aber 80 Seiten haben. uni-giessen(PDF) Die Master Thesis ist die wissenschaftliche Arbeit, die Studierende verfassen müssen, um ihren zweiten Hochschulabschluss – den Master – zu erhalten. mba-studium

Auffällig ist, dass das Wort niemals Masterthesis und selten Master-Thesis geschrieben wird, sondern stets Master Thesis oder nur Thesis . Wobei in meinen Augen es nur eine richtige Schreibweise geben dürfte und das ist Masterthesis .

Fangen wir mal an mit Thesis , was ja anscheinend gängig ist. Thesis gibt es in der deutschen Sprache, hat aber – laut Duden – nicht viel mit Abschlussarbeit zu tun. Zumindest Wikipedia weiß da mehr , nennt so unter anderem Bachelor-Thesis und Master-Thesis . Wikipedia kennt wenigstens den Bindestrich und macht nicht so eine fiese Leerstelle (ist das eigentlich schon das Deppenleerzeichen?).

Wikipedia gibt aber auch indirekt die Antwort, woher dieses Wort kommt (zumindest ist so meine Schlussfolgerung) und man kann auch erahnen, warum es Master Thesis geschrieben wird. Es ist einfach die stupide Übersetzung aus dem Englischen. Bleibt die Frage, warum ist das so? Schlechte Übersetzer? Also, nicht dass ich das Wort Thesis als falsch ansehe, das Wort existiert ja tatsächlich. Aber Abschlussarbeit, sprich Masterarbeit oder Bachelorarbeit, sind mit Sicherheit die zu bevorzugenden Wörter.

2 Es war nach der alten Rechtschreibung nicht unüblich englische Begriffe mit Leerzeichen zu schreiben. Diese Schreibung ist auch nach der Reform noch eine Alternativschreibweise, siehe z.B.: duden.de/rechtschreibung/Hotdog (Wobei, wenn ich mich recht erinnere, war es früher: Hot dog) – John Smithers Commented Feb 9, 2012 at 18:13
Den Ansatz, zwei englische Wörter nach deutschem Wortbildungsschema zusammen zu kleben, halte ich für ziemlich fragwürdig - das soll die (gar noch einzige?) richtige Schreibweise sein? – guidot ♦ Commented Oct 28, 2014 at 11:22
2 @guidot Es ist doch unerheblich, dass es einst englische Begriffe sind. Möchtest du die Wörter als fremdsprachlich kennzeichnen und getrennt schreiben, dann bitte "Master Thesis" in Anführungszeichen. Verwendest du sie aber in einem Fließtext als 'eingedeutschte' Begriffe, dann auch deutsche Regeln anwenden. Also ja, Masterthesis sollte die richtige Schreibweise sein. – Em1 Commented Oct 28, 2014 at 13:04

I'm a professor, and I have to say that I have never heard Masterthesis being used among students or faculty, or in the official university regulations; I've only seen or heard it called as Masterarbeit . (And, moreover, many people informally still call it a Diplomarbeit !)

Zur Beantwortung der Frage ein Zitat aus dem Beschluss der Kultusministerkonferenz zu den "Ländergemeinsamen Strukturvorgaben gemäß § 9 Abs. 2 HRG für die Akkreditierung von Bachelor-und Masterstudiengängen" vom 10.10.2003:

"Zur Qualitätssicherung sehen Bachelor- ebenso wie Masterstudiengänge obligatorisch eine Abschlussarbeit (Bachelor-/ Masterarbeit ) vor, mit der die Fähigkeit nachgewiesen wird, innerhalb einer vorgegebenen Frist ein Problem aus dem jeweiligen Fach selbständig nach wissenschaftlichen Methoden zu bearbeiten."

Ich bin Professor und habe in Deutschland, UK und USA studiert und Abschlussarbeiten in Deutschland und UK geschrieben. Meine Meinung dazu: Abschlussarbeit (Diplomarbeit) ist Deutsch; Master Thesis ist Englisch; Master Arbeit ist Denglisch. Entweder sollte man im Deutschen bleiben, oder sollte in der gewünschten Landesprache. Zum Nachdenken: Wie übersetzt man eigentlich unseren Industrie- und Handwerksmeister ins Englische?

Allerdings heißt der Abschluss Master , so dass Abschlussarbeit ohne weitere Qualifikation ungenauer ist. – Carsten S Commented Jun 9, 2014 at 10:08
Ich möchte auch zu debenken geben, dass ich mehrer ehemalige Studenten kenne die nach ihrem Diplom noch den Master oben draufgesetzt haben und daher sich Dipl. Ing. Max Mustermann M.Sc. nennen dürfen. – rekire Commented Jun 9, 2014 at 13:46

Da es das Wort Masterarbeit im Duden gibt, Masterthesis aber nicht , ist dieser Punkt schon mal einigermaßen geklärt.

Unabhängig davon, wird aber der Begriff Thesis gerne verwendet - meiner persönlichen Meinung zufolge, aber nur, weil manche denken, es klingt nach etwas Höherem als schnöde Arbeit ...

1 Da muss ich dich korrigieren: duden.de/rechtschreibung/Masterthesis – j0chn Commented Jun 9, 2014 at 8:08
@j0chn ich muss dabei sagen das ich für diesen Eintrag in gewissermaßen verantwortlich bin. Ich habe schlicht damals beim Duden eine Anfrage gestellt wie die das sehen und aufgrund dessen wude das in den Online Duden übernommen. Es wäre eigentlich mal interessant ob es das Wort mittlerweile auch in der Papierausgabe geschafft hat. – rekire Commented Jun 9, 2014 at 13:40

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			die Thesen
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		] theses -	die Thesen
		]	Bankrott-weil-klein-
		]	Linder- die Linder-Thesen
		]	McKinnon-Shaw-
		]	Prebisch-Singer-
		]	Entkopplungs-
		]	Friedman- die Friedman-Thesen
		]	Wirkungslosigkeit Wirtschaftspolitik
		]
		]	II
		]	säkularen Verschlechterung Terms Trade



			Übereinstimmung diesen Regeln


		days
		parts	Lande
		( )
			diesen Gründen

			diesen Bedingungen
		days
			diesen Umständen
		purposes	diesem
			diesen Beschränkungen



		pills did .	.
		colors . These colours .	.
		colors . These colours .
		colors . These colours .
			Dokumente sind vorgeschrieben

			Transaktionen
		scheduling .	sind Tools Terminfindung.
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		men	sei kundgetan


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This (Singular) und these (Plural) deuten in der Regel auf etwas Näherliegendes oder unmittelbar Vorliegendes.
This / these bzw. that / those werden oft im selben Satz zur Unterscheidung zwischen zwei oder mehreren Gegenständen gebraucht.
Either bedeutet "entweder der/die/das eine oder der/die/das andere", neither "weder der/die/das eine noch der/die/das andere".
Manche englischen Wörter können sowohl als Konjunktion als auch als Präposition verwendet werden: Dabei bezieht sich die Konjunktion auf einen Nebensatz und die Präposition auf ein…

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COMMENTS

These vs Thesis: Which One Is The Correct One?
Mistake 1: Using "These" Instead Of "Thesis". One common mistake is using "these" when referring to a thesis statement or a central argument in an academic or research paper. The word "these" is a demonstrative pronoun used to indicate specific items or ideas in proximity to the speaker or writer.
Thesis vs. These
Key Differences. A thesis represents a central idea or argument that a writer proposes to support throughout a piece of academic writing, typically found in essays, dissertations, and research papers. It serves as the foundation for the work, guiding the direction and scope of the analysis or argumentation. Whereas "these" is used in language ...
How to Write a Thesis Statement
Step 2: Write your initial answer. After some initial research, you can formulate a tentative answer to this question. At this stage it can be simple, and it should guide the research process and writing process. The internet has had more of a positive than a negative effect on education.
What Is a Thesis?
Revised on April 16, 2024. A thesis is a type of research paper based on your original research. It is usually submitted as the final step of a master's program or a capstone to a bachelor's degree. Writing a thesis can be a daunting experience. Other than a dissertation, it is one of the longest pieces of writing students typically complete.
25 Thesis Statement Examples
Strong Thesis Statement Examples. 1. School Uniforms. "Mandatory school uniforms should be implemented in educational institutions as they promote a sense of equality, reduce distractions, and foster a focused and professional learning environment.". Best For: Argumentative Essay or Debate. Read More: School Uniforms Pros and Cons.
What is a Thesis Statement: Writing Guide with Examples
A thesis statement is a sentence in a paper or essay (in the opening paragraph) that introduces the main topic to the reader. As one of the first things your reader sees, your thesis statement is one of the most important sentences in your entire paper—but also one of the hardest to write! In this article, we explain how to write a thesis ...
How to write a thesis statement + Examples
It is a brief statement of your paper's main argument. Essentially, you are stating what you will be writing about. Organize your papers in one place. Try Paperpile. No credit card needed. Get 30 days free. You can see your thesis statement as an answer to a question. While it also contains the question, it should really give an answer to the ...
How To Write A Dissertation Or Thesis
Craft a convincing dissertation or thesis research proposal. Write a clear, compelling introduction chapter. Undertake a thorough review of the existing research and write up a literature review. Undertake your own research. Present and interpret your findings. Draw a conclusion and discuss the implications.
Research Guides: Write and Cite: Theses and Dissertations
A thesis is a long-term, large project that involves both research and writing; it is easy to lose focus, motivation, and momentum. Here are suggestions for achieving the result you want in the time you have. The dissertation is probably the largest project you have undertaken, and a lot of the work is self-directed.
Thesis Statements
A thesis statement: tells the reader how you will interpret the significance of the subject matter under discussion. is a road map for the paper; in other words, it tells the reader what to expect from the rest of the paper. directly answers the question asked of you. A thesis is an interpretation of a question or subject, not the subject itself.
word choice
3. As I understand it, you are the bachelor (or at least the bachelor candidate) by virtue of being on the course, and the thesis is yours, so bachelor's thesis is the correct way to go. On the thesis/dissertation thing, a thesis is your argument or proposition, and a dissertation is the discourse you defend it with. Share.
Creating a Thesis Statement, Thesis Statement Tips
If you are writing a text that does not fall under these three categories (e.g., a narrative), a thesis statement somewhere in the first paragraph could still be helpful to your reader. 2. Your thesis statement should be specific—it should cover only what you will discuss in your paper and should be supported with specific evidence. 3.
Thesis Statements: How to Identify and Write Them
Write one paragraph (5+ sentences) summarizing the main points of the text. Write one more argumentative paragraph (5+ sentences) where you discuss which sentence (make sure it appears within quotation marks, but don't worry about in-text citations for now) you think is the author's thesis statement and why.
What is a thesis
A thesis is an in-depth research study that identifies a particular topic of inquiry and presents a clear argument or perspective about that topic using evidence and logic. Writing a thesis showcases your ability of critical thinking, gathering evidence, and making a compelling argument. Integral to these competencies is thorough research ...
Guidelines for Master's Theses
This is a pre-formatted Word document you can directly use to write your thesis. Information about academic writing and how to avoid plagiarizing can be found here. We have also provided a list of past master's theses to help you brainstorm ideas for your own thesis.
Dissertation vs. Thesis—What's the Difference?
Dissertations and theses (the plural of thesis) are often confused because they're both lengthy research papers written for higher education. In American English, a dissertation is written to earn a doctorate whereas a thesis is written to earn a master's (or sometimes a bachelor's). In many informal situations, however, the terms ...
Was ist eine These? • Definition, Beispiele und Erklärung
These — einfach erklärt. Eine These ist eine Behauptung. Sie repräsentiert deine zentrale Idee oder Position in Essays, Diskussionen oder wissenschaftlichen Arbeiten. Im Verlauf des Textes verteidigst du sie dann mit Argumenten, Beweisen und Beispielen. Grundlage für deine Argumentation sollten nachprüfbare Fakten sein.
Theses Definition & Meaning
The meaning of THESIS is a dissertation embodying results of original research and especially substantiating a specific view; especially : one written by a candidate for an academic degree. ... These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'thesis.' Any opinions expressed in the ...
This, that, these, those
This, that, these, those - English Grammar Today - a reference to written and spoken English grammar and usage - Cambridge Dictionary
Dissertation vs. Thesis: A Comparison
Dissertation vs. Thesis: Differences. The primary difference between a thesis and a dissertation is the time when they are completed. As mentioned earlier, a thesis is presented at the culmination of a master's program, whereas, a dissertation is presented to earn a Ph.D. A thesis is a compilation of research ensuring that the researcher is ...
Wie heißt es richtig, Masterthesis oder Masterarbeit?
Ich bin Professor und habe in Deutschland, UK und USA studiert und Abschlussarbeiten in Deutschland und UK geschrieben. Meine Meinung dazu: Abschlussarbeit (Diplomarbeit) ist Deutsch; Master Thesis ist Englisch; Master Arbeit ist Denglisch. Entweder sollte man im Deutschen bleiben, oder sollte in der gewünschten Landesprache.
these
Grammar 'This' und 'these' - räumliche Nähe This (Singular) und these (Plural) deuten in der Regel auf etwas Näherliegendes oder unmittelbar Vorliegendes.: Gleichzeitige Verwendung von 'this / these' und 'that / those' This / these bzw. that / those werden oft im selben Satz zur Unterscheidung zwischen zwei oder mehreren Gegenständen gebraucht. ...
these
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These vs Thesis: Which One Is The Correct One?

The Definitions

Define These

Define Thesis

How To Properly Use The Words In A Sentence

How To Use “These” In A Sentence

How To Use “Thesis” In A Sentence

More Examples Of These & Thesis Used In Sentences

Examples Of Using “These” In A Sentence:

Examples Of Using “Thesis” In A Sentence:

Common Mistakes To Avoid

Mistake 1: Using “These” Instead Of “Thesis”

Mistake 2: Using “Thesis” Instead Of “These”

Context Matters

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Everyday Language

Business And Professional Settings

Exceptions To The Rules

1. Contextual Ambiguity

2. Technical Terminology

3. Idiomatic Expressions

Thesis vs. These — What's the Difference?

Difference Between Thesis and These

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Tegan George

25 Thesis Statement Examples

Strong Thesis Statement Examples

1. School Uniforms

2. Nature vs Nurture

3. American Dream

4. Social Media

5. Globalization

6. Urbanization

7. Immigration

8. Cultural Identity

9. Technology

10. Capitalism vs Socialism

11. Cultural Heritage

12. Pseudoscience

13. Free Will

14. Gender Roles

15. Work-Life Ballance

16. Universal Healthcare

17. Minimum Wage

18. Homework

19. Charter Schools

20. Effects of the Internet

21. Affirmative Action

22. Soft Skills

23. Moral Panic

24. Freedom of the Press

25. Mass Media

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How to write a thesis statement + examples

What is a thesis statement?

How To Write A Dissertation Or Thesis

How To Write A Dissertation: 8 Steps

Step 1: Understand exactly what a dissertation is

Step 2: Find a unique, valuable research topic

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Step 3: Write a convincing research proposal

Step 4: Craft a strong introduction chapter

Step 5: Undertake an in-depth literature review