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format of thesis writing

Tips and Examples for Writing Thesis Statements

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This resource provides tips for creating a thesis statement and examples of different types of thesis statements.

Tips for Writing Your Thesis Statement

1. Determine what kind of paper you are writing:

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:

Example of an expository (explanatory) thesis statement:

Example of an argumentative thesis statement:

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Think of yourself as a member of a jury, listening to a lawyer who is presenting an opening argument. You'll want to know very soon whether the lawyer believes the accused to be guilty or not guilty, and how the lawyer plans to convince you. Readers of academic essays are like jury members: before they have read too far, they want to know what the essay argues as well as how the writer plans to make the argument. After reading your thesis statement, the reader should think, "This essay is going to try to convince me of something. I'm not convinced yet, but I'm interested to see how I might be."

An effective thesis cannot be answered with a simple "yes" or "no." A thesis is not a topic; nor is it a fact; nor is it an opinion. "Reasons for the fall of communism" is a topic. "Communism collapsed in Eastern Europe" is a fact known by educated people. "The fall of communism is the best thing that ever happened in Europe" is an opinion. (Superlatives like "the best" almost always lead to trouble. It's impossible to weigh every "thing" that ever happened in Europe. And what about the fall of Hitler? Couldn't that be "the best thing"?)

A good thesis has two parts. It should tell what you plan to argue, and it should "telegraph" how you plan to argue—that is, what particular support for your claim is going where in your essay.

Steps in Constructing a Thesis

First, analyze your primary sources.  Look for tension, interest, ambiguity, controversy, and/or complication. Does the author contradict himself or herself? Is a point made and later reversed? What are the deeper implications of the author's argument? Figuring out the why to one or more of these questions, or to related questions, will put you on the path to developing a working thesis. (Without the why, you probably have only come up with an observation—that there are, for instance, many different metaphors in such-and-such a poem—which is not a thesis.)

Once you have a working thesis, write it down.  There is nothing as frustrating as hitting on a great idea for a thesis, then forgetting it when you lose concentration. And by writing down your thesis you will be forced to think of it clearly, logically, and concisely. You probably will not be able to write out a final-draft version of your thesis the first time you try, but you'll get yourself on the right track by writing down what you have.

Keep your thesis prominent in your introduction.  A good, standard place for your thesis statement is at the end of an introductory paragraph, especially in shorter (5-15 page) essays. Readers are used to finding theses there, so they automatically pay more attention when they read the last sentence of your introduction. Although this is not required in all academic essays, it is a good rule of thumb.

Anticipate the counterarguments.  Once you have a working thesis, you should think about what might be said against it. This will help you to refine your thesis, and it will also make you think of the arguments that you'll need to refute later on in your essay. (Every argument has a counterargument. If yours doesn't, then it's not an argument—it may be a fact, or an opinion, but it is not an argument.)

This statement is on its way to being a thesis. However, it is too easy to imagine possible counterarguments. For example, a political observer might believe that Dukakis lost because he suffered from a "soft-on-crime" image. If you complicate your thesis by anticipating the counterargument, you'll strengthen your argument, as shown in the sentence below.

Some Caveats and Some Examples

A thesis is never a question.  Readers of academic essays expect to have questions discussed, explored, or even answered. A question ("Why did communism collapse in Eastern Europe?") is not an argument, and without an argument, a thesis is dead in the water.

A thesis is never a list.  "For political, economic, social and cultural reasons, communism collapsed in Eastern Europe" does a good job of "telegraphing" the reader what to expect in the essay—a section about political reasons, a section about economic reasons, a section about social reasons, and a section about cultural reasons. However, political, economic, social and cultural reasons are pretty much the only possible reasons why communism could collapse. This sentence lacks tension and doesn't advance an argument. Everyone knows that politics, economics, and culture are important.

A thesis should never be vague, combative or confrontational.  An ineffective thesis would be, "Communism collapsed in Eastern Europe because communism is evil." This is hard to argue (evil from whose perspective? what does evil mean?) and it is likely to mark you as moralistic and judgmental rather than rational and thorough. It also may spark a defensive reaction from readers sympathetic to communism. If readers strongly disagree with you right off the bat, they may stop reading.

An effective thesis has a definable, arguable claim.  "While cultural forces contributed to the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe, the disintegration of economies played the key role in driving its decline" is an effective thesis sentence that "telegraphs," so that the reader expects the essay to have a section about cultural forces and another about the disintegration of economies. This thesis makes a definite, arguable claim: that the disintegration of economies played a more important role than cultural forces in defeating communism in Eastern Europe. The reader would react to this statement by thinking, "Perhaps what the author says is true, but I am not convinced. I want to read further to see how the author argues this claim."

A thesis should be as clear and specific as possible.  Avoid overused, general terms and abstractions. For example, "Communism collapsed in Eastern Europe because of the ruling elite's inability to address the economic concerns of the people" is more powerful than "Communism collapsed due to societal discontent."

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MLA Format | Complete Guidelines & Free Template

Published on December 11, 2019 by Raimo Streefkerk . Revised on June 16, 2022 by Jack Caulfield.

The MLA Handbook provides guidelines for creating MLA citations and formatting academic papers. This quick guide will help you set up your MLA format paper in no time.

Start by applying these MLA format guidelines to your document:

Download Word template Open Google Docs template

(To use the Google Docs template, copy the file to your Drive by clicking on ‘file’ > ‘Make a copy’)

Table of contents

How to set up mla format in google docs, header and title, running head, works cited page, creating mla style citations, headings and subheadings, tables and figures, frequently asked questions about mla format.

The header in MLA format is left-aligned on the first page of your paper. It includes

After the MLA header, press ENTER once and type your paper title. Center the title and don’t forget to apply title-case capitalization. Read our article on writing strong titles that are informative, striking and appropriate.

MLA header

For a paper with multiple authors, it’s better to use a separate title page instead.

At the top of every page, including the first page, you need to include your last name and the page number. This is called the “running head.” Follow these steps to set up the MLA running head in your Word or Google Docs document:

The running head should look like this:

MLA running head

The Works Cited list is included on a separate page at the end of your paper. You list all the sources you referenced in your paper in alphabetical order. Don’t include sources that weren’t cited in the paper, except potentially in an MLA annotated bibliography assignment.

Place the title “Works Cited” in the center at the top of the page. After the title, press ENTER once and insert your MLA references.

If a reference entry is longer than one line, each line after the first should be indented ½ inch (called a hanging indent ). All entries are double spaced, just like the rest of the text.

Format of an MLA Works Cited page

Generate accurate MLA citations with Scribbr

Prefer to cite your sources manually? Use the interactive example below to see what the Works Cited entry and MLA in-text citation look like for different source types.

Headings and subheadings are not mandatory, but they can help you organize and structure your paper, especially in longer assignments.

MLA has only a few formatting requirements for headings. They should

We recommend keeping the font and size the same as the body text and applying title case capitalization. In general, boldface indicates greater prominence, while italics are appropriate for subordinate headings.

Chapter Title

Section Heading

Tip: Both Google Docs and Microsoft Word allow you to create heading levels that help you to keep your headings consistent.

Tables and other illustrations (referred to as “figures”) should be placed as close to the relevant part of text as possible. MLA also provides guidelines for presenting them.

MLA format for tables

Tables are labeled and numbered, along with a descriptive title. The label and title are placed above the table on separate lines; the label and number appear in bold.

A caption providing information about the source appears below the table; you don’t need one if the table is your own work.

Below this, any explanatory notes appear, marked on the relevant part of the table with a superscript letter. The first line of each note is indented; your word processor should apply this formatting automatically.

Just like in the rest of the paper, the text is double spaced and you should use title case capitalization for the title (but not for the caption or notes).

MLA table

MLA format for figures

Figures (any image included in your paper that isn’t a table) are also labeled and numbered, but here, this is integrated into the caption below the image. The caption in this case is also centered.

The label “Figure” is abbreviated to “Fig.” and followed by the figure number and a period. The rest of the caption gives either full source information, or (as in the example here) just basic descriptive information about the image (author, title, publication year).

MLA figure

Source information in table and figure captions

If the caption of your table or figure includes full source information and that source is not otherwise cited in the text, you don’t need to include it in your Works Cited list.

Give full source information in a caption in the same format as you would in the Works Cited list, but without inverting the author name (i.e. John Smith, not Smith, John).

MLA recommends using 12-point Times New Roman , since it’s easy to read and installed on every computer. Other standard fonts such as Arial or Georgia are also acceptable. If in doubt, check with your supervisor which font you should be using.

The main guidelines for formatting a paper in MLA style are as follows:

The fastest and most accurate way to create MLA citations is by using Scribbr’s MLA Citation Generator .

Search by book title, page URL, or journal DOI to automatically generate flawless citations, or cite manually using the simple citation forms.

The MLA Handbook is currently in its 9th edition , published in 2021.

This quick guide to MLA style  explains the latest guidelines for citing sources and formatting papers according to MLA.

Usually, no title page is needed in an MLA paper . A header is generally included at the top of the first page instead. The exceptions are when:

In those cases, you should use a title page instead of a header, listing the same information but on a separate page.

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Streefkerk, R. (2022, June 16). MLA Format | Complete Guidelines & Free Template. Scribbr. Retrieved March 2, 2023, from https://www.scribbr.com/mla/formatting/

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Writing Center

Writing Thesis Statements

Home › Writing Center › Services for Students › Writing Thesis Statements

Thesis statements are central arguments in essays, and are usually written as one or two sentences (but can be longer depending on the context and discipline). A thesis focuses on the interpretation of facts to create an argument. A thesis is not a statement of fact, but a clear and convincing argument that takes a stand in a range of possible positions.  

Successful thesis statements usually:

State an opinion/position, which will be proved by evidence in the body of the essay, usually through the use of sources.

Are specific about the writer’s position, using details and specific terms.

Produce several responses, for example, agreement, neutrality, and disagreement. 

The WHAT/HOW/SO WHAT Strategy 

This strategy can help develop stronger thesis statements:

The WHAT: the topic you’re writing about . Can also reference larger academic conversations/make connections to the larger context you’re writing in.

The HOW: The methods and means by which you will be analyzing and discussing your topic. Or a general overview of how you will be guiding the reader through your text. 

The SO WHAT: Your analysis or interpretation of the topic. Why is this topic significant? What does your thesis statement mean in the surrounding academic conversation/the larger context you’re writing in? 

Sample thesis: 

In his 2018 poetry collection Elegía/Elegy, [What] Raquel Salas Rivera uses self translation and literary devices to create and break dichotomies within language and freedom  [how] . Breaking these dichotomies causes the reader to question how they have internalized colonial understandings of language purism [so what] .  

This content was adapted by Marissa Burke from the Queen’s University online guide and tutorial for thesis statements, as well as the Carroll College Writing Center online resources for Writing a Good Thesis Statement

Thesis Writing

Caleb S.

Thesis Writing - An Ultimate Format Guide & Examples

Published on: Apr 7, 2019

Last updated on: Dec 18, 2022

thesis writing

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Thesis writing becomes easier and less stressful when you plan everything beforehand. This is how you will get an idea of the information that needs to be added to the thesis. Moreover, it is also considered a great way to stay focused.

Many people go astray during the writing process. They often get confused and worried about writing a thesis that would impress the instructor. Therefore, having a well-developed outline is important to organize the ideas in one place.

Refer to this blog to get an idea of all the sections and parts included in a thesis paper.

What is Thesis Writing?

Thesis writing is a high-level paper based on original ideas, detailed research, and credible sources. It requires students to use multiple methods for collecting relevant data to conduct research.

It is a common assignment in several graduate and postgraduate studies. Moreover, it is also a degree requirement for many Masters and PhD level degrees. Teachers usually use them to assess and grade students. Similarly, such papers also prove their eligibility to earn the degree.

A thesis paper can be of any type. However, students mostly get an argumentative thesis that stresses a stance.

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How Long Should a Thesis be?

The length of a thesis typically varies from project to project. It largely depends on the department, faculties, and fields of study.

The bachelor’s thesis is often 40-60 pages long. However, a master's thesis includes 60–100 pages. On the other hand, a PhD thesis writing must not exceed 80,000 words that make up almost 100-250 pages.

Remember, these pages contain all the text and referencing list except appendices.

Nevertheless, in thesis writing, students should go for brevity rather than length. The main goal is to come up with the shortest possible paper that contains all the required data. Also, avoid including unnecessary and repetitive information.

Thesis Writing Format

Below given are the four major sections of a  thesis format .

Section 1 - Preliminary Pages

Section 2 - Text

Section 3 - References/ Bibliography (required)

Section 4 - Appendices (optional)

Remember, the format of a thesis is the same as that of the other research and term papers. Have a look at the following document to get a clear idea of the thesis writing format.

Thesis Proposal

Before starting to write a final thesis, the supervisors require the students to submit a well-planned proposal. It provides a detailed summary, outline, and layout of your research work. Moreover, it identifies the problem statement, questions, and methods used to carry out the study.

Follow the given pattern for writing a  thesis proposal .

How to Start a Thesis?

Below-given are the prewriting steps to start a thesis successfully.

How to Write a Thesis Paper?

After planning on how to start your thesis, the actual writing process begins. Generally, a thesis consists of the following sections.

Thesis Title Page

A thesis title page is the first page that includes the following elements.

elements of a thesis title page

Acknowledgments

It is an optional page in a thesis paper. Here, the writer appreciates the people who supported the research technically, financially, or intellectually.

An abstract states a summary of the major findings and explains why the paper is important. It should be 250 words long and does not include citations.

Similarly, a good abstract must answers the following questions:

Table of Contents

This section includes a list of headings and subheadings with page numbers. Moreover, it is followed by a list of figures and tables. However, the titles should be mentioned with each figure and table.

Thesis Introduction

The introduction of your thesis paper provides a brief overview of your research work. It must include a strong thesis statement to present the answers to the research questions. Furthermore, divide the introduction into logical segments by using subheads.

An impressive  thesis introduction  must consist of the given aspects.

Research Significance

In this section, mention the reasons for choosing a particular topic. Also, think about why the research is important and how it will contribute to the field.

Literature Review

Conduct thorough research to review the relevant literature on the topic. Identify the literature gaps and structure your arguments according to it. Also, analyze the methods used by other scholars to acquire the results.

Research Methodology

State the type of research methods that you have employed in the research. It can either be qualitative or quantitative, depending on the field of your study.

Scientific fields mostly use practical methods, i.e., quantitative research. In contrast, humanities work with theoretical approaches, i.e., qualitative research.

Research Limitations

State your research limitations in this section. Some common limitations are as follows:

Here, mention the research findings in reference to the  thesis statement  and the hypothesis. Inform the readers if the hypothesis was true and if you could generate the expected results or not.

Discuss the research outcomes and explain how you get them. If the results are different than the expected ones, elaborate on the reasons behind it. Also, describe the relationship between the results.

Thesis Conclusion

Conclude your paper by writing the thesis statement and research findings. Keep it brief and discuss the important points only. Similarly, do not open new ideas in this section as it will leave a wrong impression on the teacher.

You can also recommend directions for future research to solve the problem.

In this section, add all the sources that you have used in your thesis. It will add credibility to your work by avoiding plagiarism. Also, arrange the list alphabetically and according to the given format.

Include your data, procedures, references, and calculations in the appendices. Moreover, give each appendix a title, such as a letter (A, B, C). However, it should not be more than 1-2 pages.

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Thesis Writing Examples

Here are some good thesis examples and samples for you to understand better.

Thesis Writing Example

Thesis Sample

APA Format for Thesis Writing

Thesis Topics

Below-given are some interesting topic ideas for writing a thesis paper.

Refer to our list of  thesis topics  if you need more unique ideas for your research.

Thesis Writing Tips

Follow the tips given below to write a well-researched thesis.

Hire a Professional for Thesis Writing

The thesis is the most critical work of your academic life. Thus, if you are not sure about doing it successfully, do not take the risk.

There are many companies available online that offer Masters and PhD thesis writing services. However, not all of them provide original and authentic papers.

MyPerfectWords.com  is a professional  essay writer service  in the USA. We guarantee high quality and well-researched thesis for multiple academic levels and subjects.

You can buy a thesis from us at affordable rates. Simply contact our 24/7 customer support and specify your requirements. And we will assign a writer to work on your thesis. 

So hire our  essay writing help  today!

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Caleb S. has been providing writing services for over five years and has a Masters degree from Oxford University. He is an expert in his craft and takes great pride in helping students achieve their academic goals. Caleb is a dedicated professional who always puts his clients first.

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Thesis Introduction: A Step by Step Guide With Examples

How to Write a Thesis Proposal - Template & Examples

Interesting Thesis Topics & Ideas To Get Started

Thesis Format - Detailed Guideline and Template

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Thesis Format

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Thesis Format

Drafting a thesis or dissertation can be difficult at times. It is just too much work and takes a lot of time to complete but your thesis work can become a lot easier if you know how to structure it. However, thesis structure may slightly vary for different courses but a thesis format is generally the same for most of the courses. This blog includes everything you need to know about a Thesis Format.

This Blog Includes:

What is a thesis and a dissertation, front matter, dissertation format: how to write a dissertation, how to choose topics and titles for thesis or dissertation, tips to write a thesis or dissertation, thesis sample format, dissertation sample, numbering pages, thesis format templates, faqs about thesis format.

A thesis is an academic piece that is meant to include a viewpoint of your findings on the topic you’ve chosen. It is about 100-150 pages and is supposed to be submitted during the completion of your graduate program to mark an end to your study. While a dissertation is an independent work of research that requires you to demonstrate your research and come to a conclusion. It has no specific length but depending on the course you may be required to not exceed the 60,000 – 80,000 world limit. A dissertation is supposed to be written during your doctoral program. Your dissertation is a contribution to the respective field of your study.

Thesis Writing Format: How to Structure a Thesis?

The format of a Thesis is one of the key similarities that a thesis and a dissertation have. Mentioned below are the structures:

The format of a Dissertation is quite similar to a Thesis format. A dissertation must include the following sections:

Also Read: How to write a Dissertation?

Also Read: MBA Dissertation Topics to Consider

Apart from using the correct format for your Thesis or Dissertation, there a couple of other tips you can use to make it better.

Also Read: Dissertation Topics for Marketing

To make it easier for you to understand the format of a thesis, we’ve mentioned a thesis sample outline for your reference below:

Mentioned below is a Dissertation Outline sample for your reference:

The Impacts of a Potential Free Trade Agreement Between Mercosur and the European Union – A Structural Gravity Model General Equilibrium Analysis

Thesis Format Guidelines

For writing a thesis, use 1.5 or double-spaced text. When it comes to footnotes, long quotations, bibliography entries (double space between entries), table captions, students must use single spacing.

The thesis should be formatted to be printed on 8.5 x 11-inch paper within your PDF.

A left margin of 1.5 and a top, bottom, and right margin of 1 for thesis format is the ideal sizing.

The title page contains degrees and other titles of committee members. Make sure to use the correct titles, upper case settings, and spacing when writing this page. Get all the relevant signatures and references for this page.

The abstract should be 350 words for a doctorate or 150 words for a master’s. It should contain a summary of the results, conclusions or main arguments presented in the thesis beneath a heading called the Abstract, title of the thesis, and name of the writer.

Numbering pages should be on the upper right corner of the page.

Hyperlinks are not the same as complete bibliographic citations.

thesis format table contents

A Master’s thesis is around 80-100 pages excluding the bibliography.

A thesis should have the main 5 chapters that are an introduction, review of literature, methodology, findings, and conclusion.

A dissertation must include at least 8-12 references for every 1,000 words as per the general rule for writing a dissertation.

This was all that you needed to know about how to format your Thesis. Are you interested in pursuing a PhD or Masters for your further studies? Our Leverage Edu experts will provide you with end-to-end assistance starting from your university application to the time you reach your university and commence your studies. Call us at 1800 57 2000 to book a FREE 30-minutes counseling session today.

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Daman is a creative and enthusiastic writer who loves to create well researched and impactful content for students willing to pursue higher studies abroad, from universities, courses and exams to writing fun blogs for students abroad. When she is not working, you can find her discussing why Lana Del Rey is the iconic popstar of her generation.

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Thesis and Dissertation Guide

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Non-Traditional Formats

Font type and size, spacing and indentation, tables, figures, and illustrations, formatting previously published work.

Thesis and Dissertation Guide

II. Formatting Guidelines

All copies of a thesis or dissertation must have the following uniform margins throughout the entire document:

Exceptions : The first page of each chapter (including the introduction, if any) begins 2″ from the top of the page. Also, the headings on the title page, abstract, first page of the dedication/ acknowledgements/preface (if any), and first page of the table of contents begin 2″ from the top of the page.

Non-traditional theses or dissertations such as whole works comprised of digital, artistic, video, or performance materials (i.e., no written text, chapters, or articles) are acceptable if approved by your committee and graduate program. A PDF document with a title page, copyright page, and abstract at minimum are required to be submitted along with any relevant supplemental files.

Fonts must be 10, 11, or 12 points in size. Superscripts and subscripts (e.g., formulas, or footnote or endnote numbers) should be no more than 2 points smaller than the font size used for the body of the text.

Space and indent your thesis or dissertation following these guidelines:

Spacing and Indentation with mesaurements described in surrounding text

Exceptions : Blocked quotations, notes, captions, legends, and long headings must be single-spaced throughout the document and double-spaced between items.

Paginate your thesis or dissertation following these guidelines:

Pagination example with mesaurements described in surrounding text

Format footnotes for your thesis or dissertation following these guidelines:

Footnote spacing  with mesaurements described in surrounding text

Endnotes are an acceptable alternative to footnotes. Format endnotes for your thesis or dissertation following these guidelines:

Endnotes with mesaurements described in surrounding text

Tables, figures, and illustrations vary widely by discipline. Therefore, formatting of these components is largely at the discretion of the author.

For example, headings and captions may appear above or below each of these components.

These components may each be placed within the main text of the document or grouped together in a separate section.

Space permitting, headings and captions for the associated table, figure, or illustration must be on the same page.

The use of color is permitted as long as it is consistently applied as part of the finished component (e.g., a color-coded pie chart) and not extraneous or unprofessional (e.g., highlighting intended solely to draw a reader's attention to a key phrase). The use of color should be reserved primarily for tables, figures, illustrations, and active website or document links throughout your thesis or dissertation.

The format you choose for these components must be consistent throughout the thesis or dissertation.

Ensure each component complies with margin and pagination requirements.

Refer to the List of Tables, Figures, and Illustrations section for additional information.

If your thesis or dissertation has appendices, they must be prepared following these guidelines:

Appendices with mesaurements described in surrounding text

You are required to list all the references you consulted. For specific details on formatting your references, consult and follow a style manual or professional journal that is used for formatting publications and citations in your discipline.

References with mesaurements described in surrounding text

Your reference pages must be prepared following these guidelines:

In some cases, students gain approval from their academic program to include in their thesis or dissertation previously published (or submitted, in press, or under review) journal articles or similar materials that they have authored. For more information about including previously published works in your thesis or dissertation, see the section on Use of Your Own Previously Published Materials and the section on Copyrighting.

If your academic program has approved inclusion of such materials, please note that these materials must match the formatting guidelines set forth in this Guide regardless of how the material was formatted for publication.

Some specific formatting guidelines to consider include:

Formatting previously published work with mesaurements described in surrounding text

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format of thesis writing

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Thesis Format – A Guide For A Good Thesis Format

How do you like this article, thesis format | a guide for a good thesis format.

Thesis Format

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Definition: Thesis Format

Half of the task lies in understanding what a thesis format is. Once you do, the rest will be more straightforward. An argument can be termed as an essay that puts together personal research. A thesis format holds a statement that awaits being maintained or proven.

College and university level, however, is different from other levels. You write papers more. The papers are a chance to impress your teacher and convince them that indeed, you qualify for the next level. Each article requires you to come up with a thesis format upon which you base the rest of your writing. It summarizes the contents of the paper, making it easier for both you and the teacher.

How do you structure a thesis?

The term thesis format might be ambiguous to many college and university students, especially first-year students. To start your academic writing journey, it is essential to understand what a thesis format entails in depth.

Generally, a thesis format comprises of three parts. The first part has the title page , description page and the table of contents etc. The body begins with the introduction and then delves deeper into the research topic. The last part contains sections like references and appendices.

How long is a thesis?

The length of your thesis depends on the field of study or your study department. Your bibliography and references are not included in the page count. A bachelor´s thesis is 40-60 pages, whereas a master´s thesis or a diploma thesis is usually 60-100 pages.

What do I need to do before I start writing a thesis?

Before you begin writing your thesis, you need to have already completed the research phase. This means that you’ve already decided on a thesis topic and you’ve developed and refined your research questions and thesis statement. If you’ve done all of this, then you can create a thesis outline and finally begin writing.

How do I start writing a thesis?

You can start with reviewing other theses by previous researchers in your institution´s library. By doing this it might help you to get an overview of the style, format and structure used in your field of study. The next step is to develop an outline of your thesis. You will need to have already refined your research question and thesis statement. Only after that you should start writing your thesis. It is recommended to write down everything that has been published without worrying too much about the detail.

Tip: If you’re struggling with formulating your thesis statement, check out some thesis statement examples for a dose of inspiration.

Where does the thesis statement go?

The thesis statement should appear in the beginning of your paper. It’s normally towards the end of the introduction. The beginning of the introduction gives the reader any background information they’ll need to understand your thesis and the sentences following the thesis statement will explain and support it.

Parts Of A Thesis

The first part of a thesis format aims at creating a mental image in the reader’s head. It acts as a trailer to your work. In the first part, you compile the cover page, description page, table of contents , a list of figures as well as a list of tables. Sometimes, you might be required to provide a description page in a foreign language. In that case, the description page in the given foreign language should come immediately after the other description page. At the end of the fore part, the reader should have an idea of what to expect ahead.

The body, on the other hand, delves deeper. However, the contents of the body depend on the purpose of the paper. The contents of a research thesis format vary from those of a development project report. The body of a research report introduces the thesis format to the reader comprehensively. A theoretical basis of the thesis format then follows the introduction . It then explains in details how the thesis format can be implemented. The writer then goes ahead to record results and documents a discussion. On the other hand, the body of a development project has details about the background of the thesis format. The background comes immediately after the introduction of objectives.

The last part of thesis format is usually brief. It only contains references and appendices.

Thesis Format: Tips

Every student’s ultimate goal is to graduate and graduate in good time. Working on your thesis format early enough gives you ample time to rectify any possible mistake; hence nil chances to miss on the graduation list. Although it might sound simple, you must put effort to prepare an elaborate thesis format. Below are some tips.

Thesis Format: Guidelines

A thesis format will be your mantle in your entire writing process. Deliberation is, therefore required. Before coming up with the actual procedure, set clear objectives of your thesis format project. With the goals at the center of the thesis, you can come up with a thesis format that works. The thesis format is supposed to guide you through to meet the said objectives.

Everything has measurable standards. The same case applies to your thesis format. It has its do’s and don’ts. When it comes to a thesis format, rules are rules, and they can’t be broken. The most basic rule is language. Unless the Dean has made apparent approval of using another language, it should be written in English. However, short quotations are an exception. If any other language is used, a translation has to be provided.

A thesis format must be printed on a single side of an A4 sized paper . The standard line spacing is 1.5 and font size of 12 . A margin of 3.5cm to the left is required. The margin comes in handy when it comes to binding.

Usually, there is a set word limit that your thesis should not exceed. The word limit depends on the course you are pursuing. For instance, the word limit for the College of Social Sciences, Arts, and Humanities are higher compared to the word limit for the College of Medicine, Biological Sciences, and Psychology. The word limit is inclusive of footnotes as well as appendices (mandatory appendices are an exception).

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Thesis printing & binding

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In a Nutshell

We can summarize a thesis format in a few crucial points.

Discover more useful articles:

thesis format cover page

This article includes information about the cover page and its kinds:

thesis format table of contents

What is important for your table of contents? We will tell you:

thesis format how to write a conclusion

We tell you whats important while writing you conclusion:

thesis format acknowledgement for thesis

Information about an acknowledgement for thesis:

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Thesis and Purpose Statements

Use the guidelines below to learn the differences between thesis and purpose statements

In the first stages of writing, thesis or purpose statements are usually rough or ill-formed and are useful primarily as planning tools.

A thesis statement or purpose statement will emerge as you think and write about a topic. The statement can be restricted or clarified and eventually worked into an introduction.

As you revise your paper, try to phrase your thesis or purpose statement in a precise way so that it matches the content and organization of your paper.

Thesis statements

A thesis statement is a sentence that makes an assertion about a topic and predicts how the topic will be developed. It does not simply announce a topic: it says something about the topic.

Good: X has made a significant impact on the teenage population due to its . . . Bad: In this paper, I will discuss X.

A thesis statement makes a promise to the reader about the scope, purpose, and direction of the paper. It summarizes the conclusions that the writer has reached about the topic.

A thesis statement is generally located near the end of the introduction. Sometimes in a long paper, the thesis will be expressed in several sentences or an entire paragraph.

A thesis statement is focused and specific enough to be proven within the boundaries of the paper. Key words (nouns and verbs) should be specific, accurate, and indicative of the range of research, thrust of the argument or analysis, and the organization of supporting information.

Purpose statements

A purpose statement announces the purpose, scope, and direction of the paper. It tells the reader what to expect in a paper and what the specific focus will be.

Common beginnings include:

“This paper examines . . .,” “The aim of this paper is to . . .,” and “The purpose of this essay is to . . .”

A purpose statement makes a promise to the reader about the development of the argument but does not preview the particular conclusions that the writer has drawn.

A purpose statement usually appears toward the end of the introduction. The purpose statement may be expressed in several sentences or even an entire paragraph.

A purpose statement is specific enough to satisfy the requirements of the assignment. Purpose statements are common in research papers in some academic disciplines, while in other disciplines they are considered too blunt or direct. If you are unsure about using a purpose statement, ask your instructor.

This paper will examine the ecological destruction of the Sahel preceding the drought and the causes of this disintegration of the land. The focus will be on the economic, political, and social relationships which brought about the environmental problems in the Sahel.

Sample purpose and thesis statements

The following example combines a purpose statement and a thesis statement (bold).

The goal of this paper is to examine the effects of Chile’s agrarian reform on the lives of rural peasants. The nature of the topic dictates the use of both a chronological and a comparative analysis of peasant lives at various points during the reform period. . . The Chilean reform example provides evidence that land distribution is an essential component of both the improvement of peasant conditions and the development of a democratic society. More extensive and enduring reforms would likely have allowed Chile the opportunity to further expand these horizons.

For more tips about writing thesis statements, take a look at our new handout on Developing a Thesis Statement.

format of thesis writing

Writing Process and Structure

This is an accordion element with a series of buttons that open and close related content panels.

Getting Started with Your Paper

Interpreting Writing Assignments from Your Courses

Generating Ideas for Your Paper

Creating an Argument

Thesis vs. Purpose Statements

Developing a Thesis Statement

Architecture of Arguments

Working with Sources

Quoting and Paraphrasing Sources

Using Literary Quotations

Citing Sources in Your Paper

Drafting Your Paper

Introductions

Paragraphing

Developing Strategic Transitions

Conclusions

Revising Your Paper

Peer Reviews

Reverse Outlines

Revising an Argumentative Paper

Revision Strategies for Longer Projects

Finishing Your Paper

Twelve Common Errors: An Editing Checklist

How to Proofread your Paper

Writing Collaboratively

Collaborative and Group Writing

Vappingo

70 Examples of Excellent Thesis Statements for Essays in All Subjects

Looking at examples of thesis statements can be helpful when you’re crafting a thesis statement to guide your essay.

Text reads: 70 examples of strong thesis statements for all subjects

We’ve already looked at how to write a thesis statement and the thesis statement formula . In this article, we’ll present a ton of examples of thesis statements for a range of different subjects.

When you read through them, you should start to see a pattern emerge in terms of how they typically adhere to the following set of rules:

A good dissertation editor will be able to help you ensure your thesis statement is strong and is structured properly.

Can a Thesis Statement Include More Than One Question?

A thesis statement does not need to be a single sentence. The length of your thesis statement will vary according to the complexity of the subject you are exploring.

In some cases, a single sentence may suffice. However, in other cases, you may use two, or even three, sentences

Your overall aim should be to ensure the statement is as short and direct as possible, as this will help you to appear confident. This is particularly important in argumentative essays .

Let’s remind ourselves of the basics of a good thesis statement.

70 Strong Thesis Statement Examples for Research Papers and Dissertations

Now we’ve covered the basis, let’s take a look at some really great examples of thesis statements.

15 Example Thesis Statements on the Social Sciences

Essay editing services link

15 Sample Thesis Statements for Literary Analysis Essays

10 Sample Thesis Statements on History

10 Example Thesis Statements on Art

15 Examples of English Language Thesis Statements

As you will see from all the example thesis statements shared above, a good thesis statement follows a general formula.

Library Subject Guides

4. writing up your research: thesis formatting (ms word).

Haere mai, tauti mai—welcome! These instructions are designed to be used with recent versions of MS Word. Please note there is no template or specific formatting guidelines for a thesis at UC. Please talk to your supervisor and take a look at theses in the UC Research Repository to see how they are usually formatted.

Some Useful Documents

For more APA formatting advice see the APA Style Blog's excellent Style and Grammar Guidelines .

Finding Examples

Look at examples and ask your supervisor.

The best guide on how to format your thesis is a combination of:

General Recommendations

The following is an example only of preliminaries to the thesis that could be included.

format of thesis writing

Using styles for headings allows you to create an automatic table of contents.

format of thesis writing

format of thesis writing

The Navigation Pain is useful for seeing the outline of your document as well as providing links to quickly go to any section of the document.

format of thesis writing

In order to create an automatic table of contents heading styles must be used.

format of thesis writing

format of thesis writing

format of thesis writing

format of thesis writing

format of thesis writing

format of thesis writing

format of thesis writing

To create automatic lists of figures or tables you first have to give a caption to all your figures and tables.

format of thesis writing

format of thesis writing

format of thesis writing

This can be used to have different page numbering styles of different sections of your document or to have certain pages landscape to display a large table or graph.

format of thesis writing

Adding Page Numbers

format of thesis writing

format of thesis writing

format of thesis writing

format of thesis writing

Change Page Orientation

NOTE:  A section break is usually only needed if page orientation or separate page numbers are required.

format of thesis writing

How to perfect your prompt writing for ChatGPT, Midjourney and other AI generators

format of thesis writing

Lecturer in Business Analytics, University of Sydney

Disclosure statement

Marcel Scharth does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

University of Sydney provides funding as a member of The Conversation AU.

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Generative AI is having a moment. ChatGPT and art generators such as DALL-E 2, Stable Diffusion and Midjourney have proven their potential, and now millions are wracking their brains over how to get their outputs to look something like the vision in their head.

This is the goal of prompt engineering: the skill of crafting an input to deliver a desired result from generative AI.

format of thesis writing

Despite being trained on more data and computational resources than ever before, generative AI models have limitations . For instance, they’re not trained to produce content aligned with goals such as truth, insight, reliability and originality.

They also lack common sense and a fundamental understanding of the world, which means they can generate flawed (and even nonsensical) content.

As such, prompt engineering is essential for unlocking generative AI’s capabilities. And luckily it isn’t a technical skill. It’s mostly about trial and error, and keeping a few things in mind.

Read more: AI art is everywhere right now. Even experts don't know what it will mean

First, let’s use ChatGPT to illustrate how prompt engineering can be used for text outputs. If it’s used effectively, ChatGPT can generate essays , computer code , business plans , cover letters , poetry , jokes , and more.

Since it’s a chatbot, you may be inclined to engage with it conversationally. But this isn’t the best approach if you want tailored results. Instead, adopt the mindset that you’re programming the machine to perform a writing task for you.

Create a content brief similar to what you might give a hired professional writer. The key is to provide as much context as possible and use specific and detailed language. You can include information about:

If you want a longer piece, you can generate it in steps. Start with the first few paragraphs and ask ChatGPT to continue in the next prompt. If you’re unsatisfied with a specific portion, you can ask for it to be rewritten according to new instructions.

But remember: no matter how much you tinker with your prompts, ChatGPT is subject to inaccuracies and making things up . So don’t take anything at face value. In the example below, the output mentions a “report” that doesn’t exist. It probably included this because my prompt asked it to use only reliable sources .

format of thesis writing

Art generators

Midjourney is one of the most popular tools for art generation, and one of the easiest for beginners . So let’s use it for our next example.

Unlike for text generation, elaborate prompts aren’t necessarily better for image generation. The following example shows how a basic prompt combined with a style keyword is enough to create a variety of interesting images. Your style keyword may refer to a genre, art movement, technique, artist or specific work.

The following images were based on the prompt leopard on tree followed by different style keywords. These were (from the top left clockwise) synthwave , hyperrealist , expressionist and in the style of Zena Holloway . Holloway is a British photographer known for capturing her subjects in ethereal and somewhat surreal scenes, most often underwater.

Midjourney generations for _leopard on tree_.

You can also add keywords relating to:

With Midjourney, you can even use certain specific commands for different features, including ––ar or ––aspect to set the aspect ratio , ––no to omit certain objects, and ––c to produce more “unusual” results. This command accepts values between 0-100 after it, where the default is 0 and 100 leads to the most unusual result.

You can also use ––s or ––stylize to generate more artistic images (at the expense of following the prompt less closely).

The following example applies some of these ideas to create a fantasy image with a dreamlike and futuristic look. The prompt used here was dreamy futuristic cityscape, beautiful, clouds, interesting colors, cinematic lighting, 8k, 4k ––ar 7:4 ––c 25 ––no windows.

format of thesis writing

Midjourney accepts multiple prompts for one image if you use a double colon. This can lead to results such as the image below, where I provided separate prompts for the owl and plants. The full prompt was oil painting of an ethereal owl :: flowers, colors :: abstract :: wisdom ––ar 7:4 .

format of thesis writing

A more advanced type of prompting is to include an image as part of the prompt. Midjourney will then take the style of that image into account when generating a new one.

A good way to find inspiration and ideas is to explore the Midjourney gallery and style libraries .

format of thesis writing

A career of the future?

As generative AI models enter everyday life, prompting skills are likely to become more in-demand , especially from employers looking to get results using AI generators.

Some commentators are asking if becoming a “prompt engineer” may be a way for professionals such as designers, software engineers and content writers to save their jobs from automation, by integrating generative AI into their work. Others have suggested prompt engineering will itself be a career.

It’s hard to predict what role prompt engineering will play as AI models advance.

But it’s almost a given that more sophisticated generators will be able to handle more complex requests, inviting users to stretch their creativity. They will likely also have a better grasp of our preferences, reducing the need for tinkering.

Read more: No, the Lensa AI app technically isn’t stealing artists' work – but it will majorly shake up the art world

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How To Write A Thesis

Last updated on: Jan 2, 2023

How to Write a Thesis - Beginner’s Guide & Format

By: Cathy A.

Reviewed By: Melisa C.

Published on: Jan 3, 2023

How to Write a Thesis

Writing a thesis is an important part of completing your degree. It is the culmination of many years of study within a specific field of study.However, some high school and college students get confused and take it as a strenuous task. Therefore, you don’t need to worry about your thesis submission. Continue reading this blog and get to know how to write a thesis like professional writers.

How to Write a Thesis

On this Page

What is a Thesis?

The thesis is an essential document that every student needs to be submitted at the end of their degree. It is the piece of writing that presents the original research work and findings on a specific topic.

The main purpose of the thesis is to:

Normally, a thesis is a long academic paper that often requires months or even years of research, and it is defended in front of the university committee.

Also, a thesis is sometimes known as a dissertation. However, these terms are interchangeable and may vary between universities and countries.

A good thesis should be:

However, you should know your professor’s needs for a thesis because every university or teacher has different requirements.

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A thesis is different from a dissertation and details about  dissertation vs thesis  will help you notice these differences.

Thesis Format

Here is a thesis format for your ease.

Preliminary Pages

Ending Section

Follow this format for writing your thesis. Keep in mind, all types of thesis formats remain the same, but consult your professor and ask them.

Related:   A Comprehensive Thesis Format Guide for Beginners

How to Write a Good Thesis?

Writing a thesis is probably a daunting task, especially if you don’t know how to write it. Therefore, for your help, we compiled some steps that will guide you in drafting a well-written thesis.

1. Choosing a Topic

The thesis is the research work or academic assignment that you will spend a lot of time on. Therefore, carefully choose the topic for your thesis.

When you choose the topic, you have to keep in mind some points. These are:

Also, consult your professor and get help from them in the topic selection phase. However, never start writing the thesis on your chosen topic before getting approval from your professor. Good  thesis topics  are good enough to guide you regarding your research and help you write a strong thesis easily.

2. Choose Thesis Question

In this step, you will carefully consider questions for your thesis that you will answer in your research work. However, make sure that your questions and answers that you write will provide the original content of your research. Also, a logical question will keep your thesis focused, organized, and interesting.

Therefore, when you formulate your thesis topic and direction of the research question. Try developing the 5-10 different questions about your research.

Through this way, you have to flexibly think about your topic and conceptualize how small changes in the wording can change the direction of your research.

3. Conduct Research

After selecting the research question, you will need to research to answer the question. Therefore, try to conduct experiments, read books, articles, and do what you have to do to answer the thesis question.

In this way, you will see if your research project is worth moving forward with or some issues you need to work out. It also guides you in collecting information that you need to move forward to the next steps.

4. Complete the Literature Review

Now, you have to review the literature for your thesis. However, a review of the literature must be in-depth and comprehensive to ensure that your thesis will be important and not redundant.

Therefore, when you review the literature, you should keep in mind some questions.

It is important to create the original and relevant thesis. Also, take notes on the background information about your topic.

5. Choose Primary and Secondary Sources

Selecting the primary and secondary sources is necessary for the thesis. However, before choosing the sources, you should know the difference between them.

6. Manage your Citation

The selection of the citation style depends on your field and the professor’s requirements. You must pick the right citation format and use them from the start, rather than add them after you finish your writing.

Therefore, before picking the citation format, you should know the most common formats:

Despite these, there are other citation formats that you will also use for your thesis. Also, keep track of each source that you cited in your thesis.

7. Create an Outline

Creating an outline is essential for you, and it guides you throughout your research work. It works as a plan that you need to accomplish.

In the thesis outline, you should include:

With the help of a thesis outline, you will organize your ideas. Therefore, create it first and then start your writing phase.

8. Write the Thesis Introduction

An introduction is the first part of the thesis, in which you can introduce the topic and grab the reader’s attention. It is the section in which you define your research scope and state the main research objective.

Some writers write the introduction at last rather than revisit and revise the introduction at several points throughout the writing process.

Also, a good  thesis introduction  is vital because it decides whether the reader read the entire paper or not.

9. Write the Literature Review

The literature review is the summary of all the existing sources that have already written about your topic. It is a combination of primary and secondary sources that you used for your thesis. You should also explain how your work contributes to the existing research.

Therefore, if you write it in the working thesis, it’s good for you. However, if you don’t, start writing and do proper research.

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10. Describe the Methodology

The methodology section explains which research methods you use for conducting the research. In this section, you should include:

11. Results

In this part, you will mention the result findings in reference to the good thesis statement and the hypothesis. Demonstrate that you achieve the expected result or not.

12. Discussion

In the discussion section, you will explain the research outcomes. Also, explain if the results are different than the expected ones, discuss the reasons behind it and the relationship between the results.

13. Write a Strong Thesis Conclusion

The conclusion of the thesis should be strong and powerful. It helps and encourages the readers to do further research on the topic.

However, avoid writing the same information again and not introduce new ideas. The good rule is to try to keep it short and clearly summarize the whole paper.

14. References

In the references section, add the sources that you used in your thesis. It is a mandatory page that allows you to add credibility to your work by avoiding plagiarism. For the references, use the proper citation format.

15. Appendices

In the appendices, you include the information that doesn’t mention in the main body of the thesis. Appendices are the section in which you add the following information:

16. Proofreading and Editing

Once you finish writing your final draft, take some time and then start the proofreading step. In this step, check your thesis with your professor’s guidelines. Make sure that your thesis is free from all grammatical, vocabulary, and punctuation mistakes.

Thesis Example

Take a look at this sample and get an idea from them of a well-written thesis.

Thesis Sample (PDF)

Now, you get to know how to write a thesis paper but don’t have time to write it or have weak thesis writing skills. Simply consult  GradSchoolGenius.com .

Our professional writers offer the best  thesis writing service  of all types of academic levels. They also guide you in how to write an essay, term papers, research proposals, argumentative thesis statement, and other academic assignments.

So, what are you waiting for? Contact us now and get a well-written dissertation at affordable rates.

Cathy A.

Natural Sciences, Life Sciences

Cathy has been been working as an author on our platform for over five years now. She has a Masters degree in mass communication and is well-versed in the art of writing. Cathy is a professional who takes her work seriously and is widely appreciated by clients for her excellent writing skills.

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How to write a fantastic thesis introduction (+15 examples)

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Elements of a fantastic thesis introduction

Ways to capture the reader’s attention, open with a (personal) story.

An established way to capture the reader’s attention in a thesis introduction is by starting with a story. Regardless of how abstract and ‘scientific’ the actual thesis content is, it can be useful to ease the reader into the topic with a short story.

Start by providing data or statistics

Data and statistics are another established way to immediately draw in your reader. Especially surprising or shocking numbers can highlight the importance of a thesis topic in the first few sentences!

Begin with a problem

Emphasising the thesis’ relevance.

A good thesis is a relevant thesis. No one wants to read about a concept that has already been explored hundreds of times, or that no one cares about.

Define a clear research gap

Describe the scientific relevance of the thesis, describe the societal relevance of the thesis, formulating a compelling argument.

Arguments are sets of reasons supporting an idea, which – in academia – often integrate theoretical and empirical insights. Think of an argument as an umbrella statement, or core claim. It should be no longer than one or two sentences.

Write down the thesis’ core claim in 1-2 sentences

Support your argument with sufficient evidence.

The core claim of your thesis should be accompanied by sufficient evidence. This does not mean that you have to write 10 pages about your results at this point.

Consider possible objections

Think about reasons or opposing positions that people can come up with to disagree with your claim. Then, try to address them head-on.

Providing a captivating preview of findings

Similar to presenting a compelling argument, a fantastic thesis introduction also previews some of the findings. When reading an introduction, the reader wants to learn a bit more about the research context. Furthermore, a reader should get a taste of the type of analysis that will be conducted. And lastly, a hint at the practical implications of the findings encourages the reader to read until the end.

Address the empirical research context

Give a taste of the thesis’ empirical analysis, hint at the practical implications of the research, presenting a crystal clear thesis structure, provide a reading guide, briefly summarise all chapters to come, design a figure illustrating the thesis structure.

Especially for longer theses, it tends to be a good idea to design a simple figure that illustrates the structure of your thesis. It helps the reader to better grasp the logic of your thesis.

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The most useful academic social networking sites for phd students, 10 reasons not to do a master's degree, related articles, phd thesis types: monograph and collection of articles, better thesis writing with the pomodoro® technique, how to prepare your viva opening speech, first meeting with your dissertation supervisor: what to expect.

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:

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 :

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.

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:

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.

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.

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10+ Best Thesis Examples as a Sample for Writing your Thesis

In this blog post, I will share with you some of the best thesis examples written by students in different fields and written on different topics. You can take these as a sample while writing your own thesis and take inspiration from the format of the thesis and their writing styles.

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If you are not sure how to start writing your thesis , you can read this complete guide on how to write a thesis proposal .

Sample Thesis Format 1 – University of Illinois

This thesis format is presented by the University of Illinois Graduate College. You can check the full pdf of this thesis format here.

University: University of Illinois Graduate College Author: Sample Full Thesis Sample: https://grad.illinois.edu/sites/default/files/pdfs/samplethesispages.pdf

Thesis Format 2 – Southern Illinois University

University: Sample Thesis Author: James Smith Full Thesis Sample: https://www.cs.siu.edu/files/thesis.pd f

Masters Thesis Format 3- Kathmandu University

This thesis format is the sample of thesis by the Kathmanud University . The details of the Thesis written is given below and you can check the full pdf of this thesis below.

Masters Thesis Example 1

University: The University of Toledo Thesis Title: The Impact of Laptop Computers on Student Learning Behaviors as Perceived by Classroom Teachers Author: Rebecca Righi For: Master of Education Degree in Educational Administration and Supervision Year: 2012 Full Thesis Sample: https://etd.ohiolink.edu/apexprod/rws_etd/send_file/send?accession=toledo1333741245&disposition=attachment

Masters Thesis Example 2 – Artificial Intelligence

University: University of Edinburgh Thesis Topic: Summarizing electricity usage with a Neural Network Author: Christopher Sipola For: Master of Science Subject: Artificial Intelligence Year: 2017 Full Thesis Sample: https://project-archive.inf.ed.ac.uk/msc/20172438/msc_proj.pdf

Masters Thesis Example 3 – Master of Arts degree in Education

Undergraduate thesis example 4 – undergraduate senior thesis in history.

University:   Columbia University Thesis Topic: A Starving Man Helping Another Starving Man Author: Julien Saint Reiman For: Undergraduate Senior Thesis in History Year: 2018 Full Thesis Sample: https://history.columbia.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2016/06/Reiman-Julien-Thesis.pdf

Masters Thesis – Sample 5 – Degree in Women’s Studies

Thesis example 6- masters of science in physics, doctorate thesis example 7 – doctor of philosophy.

University: Leopold-Franzens University Thesis Topic: An algorithm for finding the basis elements of the residue class ring of a zero dimensional polynomial ideal Author: Bruno Buchberger For: Doctor of Philosophy Year: 2005 Full Thesis Sample: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747717105001483

Masters Thesis Example 8 – Computer Science

Masters thesis example 9 – fine arts, 1 thought on “10+ best thesis examples as a sample for writing your thesis”, leave a comment cancel reply.

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Format a Thesis or Dissertation in Microsoft Word

Our thesis formatting tutorial takes you step-by-step through the process of formatting your thesis from our template file. For more information on how to format and edit your manuscript, see our Thesis & Dissertation Formatting General Advice page. Note: The   rules and guidelines for thesis and dissertation formatting are developed by the Graduate School. Questions about the guidelines, or interpretation of them, should be directed to the Office of Degree Requirements .

Download the Tutorials & Template Files

Find your version of Word below to download the tutorial appropriate to your needs. We also provide a template for creating your thesis and an example of what a final thesis should look like. The Graduate School rules permit three different heading  and Table of Contents formats. To provide support for the greatest possible number of students, these files help you use the two most-frequently-used formats, numeric (Scientific) and simple (Traditional). See the Graduate School  Guidelines for Master’s Theses and Doctoral Dissertations for more information on the permitted formats. Please read the tutorial appropriate to your version of Microsoft Word before you decide which format to use.

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  1. How to Write a Thesis Statement

    Placement of the thesis statement Step 1: Start with a question Step 2: Write your initial answer Step 3: Develop your answer Step 4: Refine your thesis statement Types of thesis statements Frequently asked questions about thesis statements What is a thesis statement? A thesis statement summarizes the central points of your essay.

  2. Creating a Thesis Statement, Thesis Statement Tips

    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.

  3. Developing A Thesis

    Anticipate the counterarguments. Once you have a working thesis, you should think about what might be said against it. This will help you to refine your thesis, and it will also make you think of the arguments that you'll need to refute later on in your essay. (Every argument has a counterargument. If yours doesn't, then it's not an argument ...

  4. PDF FORMAT GUIDELINES for THESES AND DISSERTATIONS

    The topics range from writing style to the completion of required forms and the payment of fees. ... The title of the thesis or dissertation should be written in the foreign language on the title page and abstract. Multi-Part and Journal Article Format . A multi-part presentation format may be used for combining research that has been conducted ...

  5. A Complete Thesis Format Guide for Students

    A thesis format is a set of rules you should follow to plan, structure, and organize your main ideas. It is essential to give a logical direction to the thesis paper. Moreover, the structure is the first thing that the supervisors notice while going through your essays, papers, or thesis. Therefore, students must follow a proper format.

  6. MLA Format

    Start by applying these MLA format guidelines to your document: Times New Roman 12. 1″ page margins. Double line spacing. ½" indent for new paragraphs. Title case capitalization for headings. Download Word template Open Google Docs template. (To use the Google Docs template, copy the file to your Drive by clicking on 'file' > 'Make a ...

  7. Writing Thesis Statements

    Writing Thesis Statements. Thesis statements are central arguments in essays, and are usually written as one or two sentences (but can be longer depending on the context and discipline). A thesis focuses on the interpretation of facts to create an argument. A thesis is not a statement of fact, but a clear and convincing argument that takes a ...

  8. Thesis Writing

    Thesis Writing Format Below given are the four major sections of a thesis format. Section 1 - Preliminary Pages Title page (required) Dedication (optional) Acknowledgment (optional) Abstract (required) Table of contents (required) List of tables (required) List of figures (required) List of abbreviations (optional) Section 2 - Text

  9. Thesis Format

    The format of a Dissertation is quite similar to a Thesis format. A dissertation must include the following sections: Section I: Introduction Section II: Review of Literature Section III: Research Methodology Section IV: Result Presentation Section V: Summary, Implications and Conclusions Also Read: How to write a Dissertation?

  10. Format of the Thesis

    The title should be informative, contain keywords, and reveal the topic of the thesis. Include the title, author, thesis supervisor, place, and date. Abstract. Briefly state the (1) research problem, (2) methodology, (3) key results, and (4) conclusion. Generally, abstracts are between 100 and 150 words--roughly 5-10 sentences.

  11. Thesis Format

    For writing a thesis, you must follow the proper format. Without it, the thesis is a useless piece of paper. It helps the readers to navigate the ideas more easily. Sometimes the thesis format is provided by the professors, and the students should have to follow them.

  12. Formatting Guidelines

    Footnotes. Format footnotes for your thesis or dissertation following these guidelines: Footnotes must be placed at the bottom of the page separated from the text by a solid line one to two inches long. Begin at the left page margin, directly below the solid line. Single-space footnotes that are more than one line long.

  13. Thesis Format

    A thesis format must be printed on a single side of an A4 sized paper. The standard line spacing is 1.5 and font size of 12. A margin of 3.5cm to the left is required. The margin comes in handy when it comes to binding. Usually, there is a set word limit that your thesis should not exceed. The word limit depends on the course you are pursuing.

  14. PDF GUIDELINES FOR WRITING A THESIS OR DISSERTATION

    12. Leave time for the chair to read your completed thesis or dissertation . at least twice. before giving it to your committee members. Don't expect to submit the completed thesis or dissertation for the first time to the chair and defend in the same or following week. Also, it is customary to give the thesis or dissertation to committee members

  15. Thesis and Purpose Statements

    A thesis statement makes a promise to the reader about the scope, purpose, and direction of the paper. It summarizes the conclusions that the writer has reached about the topic. A thesis statement is generally located near the end of the introduction. Sometimes in a long paper, the thesis will be expressed in several sentences or an entire ...

  16. Format a Thesis or Dissertation in MS Word: General Advice

    Some rules of thumb for your thesis-writing process: Read the Graduate School's Guidelines for Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations (pdf, 536k) and follow their rules.; Choose some basic formats, then use them for everything: A common 10 or 12 point font (Times New Roman is good).

  17. 70 Examples of Excellent Thesis Statements for Essays in All Subjects

    70 Strong Thesis Statement Examples for Research Papers and Dissertations. 15 Example Thesis Statements on the Social Sciences. 15 Sample Thesis Statements for Literary Analysis Essays. 10 Sample Thesis Statements on History. 10 Example Thesis Statements on Art. 15 Examples of English Language Thesis Statements.

  18. 4. Writing up your Research: Thesis Formatting (MS Word)

    The best guide on how to format your thesis is a combination of: Looking at previous theses in your discipline. Search the UC Research Repository for your subject or department, and browse by issue date to get the most recent. Asking your supervisor for recommendations on specific formatting and details. General Recommendations

  19. How to perfect your prompt writing for ChatGPT, Midjourney and other AI

    your desired focus, format, style, intended audience and text length. a list of points you want addressed. what perspective you want the text written from, if applicable. and specific requirements ...

  20. How to Write a Thesis

    Thesis Format Here is a thesis format for your ease. Preliminary Pages Title Page Acknowledgment Abstract Table of contents List of tables and figures Main Body Introduction Literature review Methodology Results Discussion Conclusion Ending Section Reference List / Bibliography Appendices Follow this format for writing your thesis.

  21. How to write a fantastic thesis introduction (+15 examples)

    Write down the thesis' core claim in 1-2 sentences. Support your argument with sufficient evidence. Consider possible objections. Providing a captivating preview of findings. Address the empirical research context. Give a taste of the thesis' empirical analysis. Hint at the practical implications of the research.

  22. Thesis Statements

    The Writing Center Campus Box #5135 0127 SASB North 450 Ridge Road Chapel Hill, NC 27599 (919) 962-7710 [email protected]

  23. 10+ Best Thesis Examples as a Sample for Writing your Thesis

    Sample Thesis Format 1 - University of Illinois This thesis format is presented by the University of Illinois Graduate College. You can check the full pdf of this thesis format here. University: University of Illinois Graduate College Author: Sample Full Thesis Sample: https://grad.illinois.edu/sites/default/files/pdfs/samplethesispages.pdf

  24. Format a Thesis or Dissertation in Microsoft Word

    Our thesis formatting tutorial takes you step-by-step through the process of formatting your thesis from our template file. For more information on how to format and edit your manuscript, see our Thesis & Dissertation Formatting General Advice page. Note: The rules and guidelines for thesis and dissertation formatting are developed by the Graduate School.