Congratulations, you are about to get your doctorate! Although nowadays more and more people have access to postgraduate degrees, this is still quite an event. Of course, there is only one thing missing: the thesis. Are you wondering how to do it (maybe even what a thesis is)? Find out in this post!
What is the thesis?
Let’s establish what is meant by “thesis” (an imposing term, if there is one). A thesis (students’ nightmare) is a research work that deepens the subject studied throughout a doctorate. Thus, a thesis is a way in which students prove the knowledge they have acquired during those years of specialization.
Consequently, theses are usually carried out progressively. As we said, they are something like the “conclusion” of the academic study of a subject. It is common for the subject matter of a doctoral thesis to have already been worked on, for example, in a master’s degree, a paper, or a dissertation. Moreover, you can get any academic help in the https://us.essayassistant.net/ for cheap prices.
It could be said that a doctoral thesis is a goal to which a student’s interest in a certain topic leads him or her. However, it implies much more: from a better salary and a higher job offer to a legitimate place in the academic field. However, for you to understand what it is as an academic work, let’s go, now, to its characteristics.
Characteristics of the Thesis
A doctoral thesis (as we anticipated) is a work of academic research. Therefore, it has a certain structure (we will review it later) and must respect certain issues. In principle, the rules of citation and style (which each university specifies), as well as academic writing.
The thesis must be an original project. No pressure, but with the thesis, you must make a contribution to your area of study. What do we mean by this? You must research an unknown topic, or approach known topics from approaches that allow you to make innovative discoveries.
In any case, it is essential to understand what a thesis is, to know that this type of work usually takes months of elaboration. Why? Because the depth of the required analysis requires not only deep bibliographic work but also good processing of the collected data.
The elaboration of the thesis may require a reorganization of the knowledge that one has, to produce a novel work. In this way, even if you have already studied the topic to be treated, the work still takes time.
A Multifaceted Thesis
Every thesis has four intertwined “faces” (so to speak): the project, the research, the written paper, and its defense.
At the outset, you should know that the thesis project refers to the design of the thesis. That is the planning stage of what will be investigated (and how). Secondly, every thesis is a research project in itself. That is a process of data collection and analysis, with the objective of testing (or not) a hypothesis.
Also, every thesis will be a written work, which establishes how the research was thought out and how it was carried out. Finally, it is (also) its defense: an oral instance in which every decision taken is justified before a court.
What is the structure of a Thesis?
Best essay writing services say that the contents that have been collected, analyzed, and developed in the thesis must be included (in the written work) within a precise structure. Although this structure may vary depending on the type of degree for which the doctoral program is being carried out, it generally contains the following sections:
- The “preliminaries” are those elements that introduce the work to the readers. These include the trio of title page-acknowledgments-summary and the introduction to the thesis. Within the latter, the topic to be investigated (justified) and the objectives of the research are usually established.
- The “background” (or “state of the art”) of the work provides a (critical) review of what has been researched so far on the topic to be studied. In this way, it is postulated which aspects constitute a novelty.
- The “research methodology” establishes the theoretical-methodological framework of the project. That is to say, how the data will be collected and from what theoretical lines they will be analyzed.
- Next, how the research has been developed must be explained, including the results achieved after the data analysis.
- In the “conclusions” of the thesis a reflection on the project can be made (highlighting its limitations and what else can be studied). Another option is to recover the key points of the work, presenting them in such a way that their relationship becomes evident.
- Finally, a list of bibliographical references closes the work, followed by appendices or annexes, if any.
Steps to do the Thesis
Writing a thesis is, as we have written, an extensive and multifaceted process. Although everyone has his or her own time and chooses his or her own path, the thesis is usually carried out in the following steps:
- First, the thesis must be planned. Every thesis project begins with the choice of a general topic. Once you have it, it is advisable to select a tutor who is an expert in it and can provide the necessary input. After the background research, the topic will be specified in a research question or hypothesis.
- Next, it will be necessary to establish a general objective for the thesis, and a series of specific objectives that will serve to achieve it. This will be followed (in relation to the above) by the design of the theoretical-methodological framework of the project, after which the research can be carried out.
- This stage presents three instances: data collection, data analysis, and the drawing of conclusions. Once these are completed, you can begin (if you have not already started) to write the paper, respecting its structure.
- When the writing has been completed and the result is submitted for review, it is time to prepare the defense. This involves studying the paper, memorizing a booklet, and making visual support. Then, when the time comes, the thesis can be defended in front of an examining board.
Final words
As we’ve written before, a dissertation is a voluminous work. It takes a professional to finish it in less time than, say, six months. Not only because of its peculiarities, but also because the demands of everyday life often force the average person to put off work.
Also, if you don’t have the time or do not have enough knowledge, you can always ask for help from paper services which will write you a successful thesis paper.
Good luck!
