How Long Is a Thesis Paper
A thesis or thesis is a long empirical, theoretical report, with a problem, methodology, results, and discussion framework. According to the Oxford Dictionary, a thesis is a long essay written on a specific topic or especially for a university degree. The scope, length, and nature of thesis writing may vary, but the basic aim and purpose of writing a thesis remain the same.
It is a long academic piece of writing that involves personal research. It is a kind of intimidation that works among young researchers about the thesis. Especially university students where research is compulsory for all from the undergraduate level, they have to go through various ironies from selecting the subject to getting the results.
So, if you want to get the answer to the question “how long is a thesis paper”, then you have to understand the whole process and everything about the thesis first. So, let’s know what is the thesis.
What is the thesis?
A thesis paper is a comprehensive research paper that is usually written in consultation with a thesis supervisor. A thesis is an academic concept that expresses the author’s position on a topic.
In other words, if you are writing about the death penalty, you will state your point of view and present the arguments you will make in defense of your position. A clear, uncluttered thesis demonstrates strength and confidence in your beliefs. A thesis is not a collection of short stories, but rather a novel, so it is essential to connect one paragraph to another, the previous chapter to the next.
Once the thesis is completed, it is presented in the form of a presentation in front of the committee, supervisor, and other professors. Finally, the outcome of the thesis is given by taking viva. This thesis is almost useless after graduation. It remains on university records.
Why the selection of a research topic is important?
Before starting the thesis paper you need to know what area you will be researching. In this case, you can take the help of the supervisor or choose your field of interest for the thesis.
The next step after deciding on the subject or area is to decide on the topic. Finding a thesis topic is quite a difficult task. It takes quite some time to decide the topic.
The first step in determining the topic is to get a good idea of the thesis area. In this case, the internet will help you so. Go through the internet, books, and research papers, and then decide on the topic.
One of the mistakes students make when researching at the graduate level is that many students start writing before narrowing down their topic, at which point they realize that researching such a large topic is not possible for them to do in just six months or a year. It is very difficult to do a thesis on a big topic without experience. The qualities of a good thesis are that it should be clear and precise.
What are the Thesis writing rules?
A thesis consists of the following elements. For example,
- Title page
- Abstract.
- Table of Contents.
- Introduction
- Problem Search.
- Literature Review.
- Methodology.
- Results.
- Discussion.
- Conclusions.
- Recommendations.
- Acknowledgments.
- Appendices.
- Bibliography.
To better understand, we have divided these topics into three parts which are-
- a. Starting part of Thesis (Included points are 1, 2, 3)
- b. The main body of the thesis (Included points are 4, 5, 6, 7,8, 9, 10, 11, 12).
- c. End of theses (Included points are 12,13, 14)
Let’s know some details about these all topics.
a. Starting part of the Thesis.
1. Title Page.
At the very beginning is the title page or title page where the relevant content of the thesis is written. It includes the following:
- Title of Thesis.
- Name of the author.
- Thesis Supervisor Name.
- Place or institution.
- Name of Degree.
- The date.
The title page should contain a signed declaration, that the work presented in the thesis is solely the candidate’s own. For example,
I, [your full name] certify that the work presented in this thesis. To do this information has been taken from other sources, and I ensure that this is indicated in the thesis.”
2. Abstract.
Summarize the thesis as briefly as possible. An abstract should include the following topics such as problem, methodology, results, and conclusion. Generally, a summary is between 100 and 150 words.
3. Table of Contents.
List the main topics of your thesis with headings and subheadings along with page numbers. List Acknowledgments, Appendices, Bibliography, etc. in The Table of Contents. Also, list the statistics of the thesis. Also include figure numbers, figure titles, and page numbers.
b. The Main Body of The Thesis.
The main body of the thesis includes an introduction, problem statement, thesis statement, literature review, methodology, results, discussion, conclusion, and recommendation.
4. Introduction.
In the thesis introduction, describe-
- The purpose of the investigation,
- The problem being investigated,
- The background of the problem (context and importance),
- The thesis methodology, and
- The success criteria of your study, etc.
5. Problem Search.
Problems can be found in many ways. Read a lot of articles (conferences/journals) on the topic you want to work on. This is the traditional rule of thumb to find the problem easily. Start your work with the narrowest part from where many big problems may come first. First, read the current papers for the topic of your choice and do a short review of them. This is the easiest way to find a good problem in the shortest time.
For example, suppose you decide to do a study on education problems in South Asia. Then think about what level of education problem to do the thesis. In this case, it is better to work with only one type. For example, you can do a thesis on any part of the problem of primary education, secondary education, higher education, or technical education.
6. Literature Review.
Research is mainly of three types, such as-
- Basic Research,
- Review and
- Survey Research.
Basic research is written based on original research. And after the main research, laboratory-based research, and research using computers, the most known field among these is data science field and simulation research. The bottom line is the work that will get me any data is the original research. For this reason, all these data are called primary data. But when these data are published in a journal or book form. Then if someone else works with his data with this same data, it becomes secondary data.
The work of the review paper is mainly done with this secondary data. When you can figure out the problem, you need to show why your research is needed. That is, you have to understand the motivation of your research. Therefore, you should review what work has been done on this problem before and what works. A literature review should be timed and the quality of the reference paper’s journal, and how reliable they are, should be taken into account.
Survey research is a systematic investigation conducted through surveys or surveys. It is a type of research that seeks information by conducting surveys from respondents. Survey research is the process of collecting data by asking people questions in interviews, on paper, over the phone, and online. Survey research is mostly used in the social sciences. Especially gathering information about human behavior in different social contexts. Like other research methods, survey research is a systematic inquiry process. This means that it generally conforms to experimental procedures and follows specific procedures.
7. Methodology.
This section mainly deals with statistical analysis. A researcher can conduct his research in various ways. There are many types of tested techniques for any research. While writing the strategies, for example, with an example of your research, you have to make a connection by mentioning where it is detailed in which section, or in which chapter.
8. Results.
Present the results in tables and graphs. Identify patterns and quality of results and estimate accuracy.
9. Discussion.
State clearly what the result means and what it means. Compare the results with theoretical expectations and account for the unexpected.
10. Conclusions.
In the conclusion, review the results related to the main problem statement. Evaluate the success of the study in light of the success criteria you gave in the introduction.
11. Recommendations.
Suggest directions for future work.
c. End of thesis
12. Acknowledgments.
Acknowledge the support of your advisors, sponsors, funding agencies, colleagues, technicians, and more here.
13. Appendices.
Appendices contain detailed calculations, methods, tables, tables, lists, etc. The reader will be able to go deeper into the main topic using it.
14. Bibliography.
Alphabetically list any collected data or work referred to in your study. To do this follow the formats of the bibliography and footnotes.
Thesis Editing Method.
1. Font.
After the thesis is written in draft form, it has to be typed again through Microsoft Word. Since all of your research will be presented in English, you can use Times New Roman or Arial as its English font while typing, and the Font size is 12 as standard.
2. Paper.
The thesis paper must be of A4 (210 x 297 mm) size. Plain white paper of good quality and adequate opacity should be used and the same can be used on both sides of the paper.
3. Margin.
Margins should not be less than 40 mm (1.5 inches) on the binding edges of the thesis and 20 mm (.75 inches) on the other three parts.
4. Page No.
All pages must be numbered in a continuous sequence ie from the title page of the first volume to the last page of the thesis. This order should include everything enclosed in the volume, including maps, diagrams, blank pages, etc.
5. Thesis Binding.
After printing out the thesis, use a nice medium blue cloth as a cover. The fabric should have water-resistant material and the cover should be strong enough. The name of the degree and year should be written in gold letters in 16 or 18-point font on the left side of the spine of the thesis, not on the top of the cover page.
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Bottom Line:
To complete a higher degree from the USA, Canada, or the UK well-ranked universities, a thesis plays an important role. Even there have some universities, that don’t allow you to admission requests if you haven’t more than 10 published thesis papers.
If you are dreaming of a bright future, then a thesis will help you to gain it. The most important condition to write a good thesis paper is to read a lot of articles, reports, journals, etc that are related to your selected topic.
To write a standard quality thesis paper you should study the topic for at least three months. Because it helps you to understand and learn a lot about the topic. It also helps to determine what points should be added to the paper. According to the rules of preparation and producing a quality thesis paper, 2-3 months is good time duration.
If you are not agreed with us, then tell us in the comment, cause it will help us with future updates.
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