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What is a Thesis?
Thesis Definition, Etymology and Origin
The word thesis is derived from two sources; Latin and ancient Greek. The Latin derivation stresses on the concept of “unaccented syllable in poetry” while the Greek meaning terms it as “a proposal” or “something that is laid down as a statement”.
A thesis can be defined as,
An independent academic research work undertaken to prove the viewpoint of the researcher.
A thesis is generally a requirement for higher-level degree programs and is a preliminary requirement for attaining a degree and graduate in honors. Internationally, a thesis is usually referred to a doctoral degree or Phd, also known as a dissertation.
The Process of Undertaking a Thesis Project
You are first required to hunt down and select a thesis supervisor or advisor who will be your mentor and guide you through put the thesis writing process. The thesis writing process normally starts from choosing an area and then a sub and sub-area in your subject.Next, you need to collect and assemble reference materials and relevant documents. After selecting a problem or point for further elaboration, you need to develop a proposal known as thesis proposal. The thesis proposal describes your idea, theme and and the method of research that you plan to take up.
Definition of Thesis Committee and Your Defense
A thesis committee is composed of professors and experts from the field of study in which a particular study is undertaken. Your thesis advisor along with 1 or 2 second professors will evaluate your research findings and then comment or criticize accordingly. In a thesis defense you are supposed to defend your research findings in front of the defense committee and answer their concerns, questions and queries.
Structure and Outline of a Thesis
A thesis typically consists of abstract, introduction, review of literature, methodology, conclusion and discussion. It consist of 100 to 500 pages depending on your degree-level. A typically essential thesis outline follows the following pattern:
- Title
- Title page
- Dedication / Preface / Acknowledgements
- Abstract
- Introduction
- Review of Literature
- Methodology
- Results
- Discussion
- Conclusion
- Bibliography/ Further Readings
However, there are some important elements that constitute the theme and basis of all types of thesis. Let us delve into the best practices for their constitution.
Thesis Statement
The thesis statement is a sentence that defines the main crux of your study. The tone and language used for a thesis statement will depend on the type of style that you have chosen for your discourse. You can check the following links to know more about the concept and meaning of a thesis statement and to develop a good thesis statement for you thesis:
