Upon finishing research and statistics as basic subjects, successfully passing the core and specialization subjects in the course curriculum and passing the comprehensive examination for those taking advanced graduate courses, students face the challenging task of thesis writing. Ideally, before reaching their last year in college or the graduate school, students should already have identified their research topics and browsed the literature to focus on specific problems or issues that have not yet been resolved by their predecessors in their respective fields of specialization. They have to go through the different stages of the research process in order to earn their degrees.
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Thesis Writing as Academic Requirement
Thesis writing as one of the academic requirements before a degree is granted has become the norm in colleges and universities in many parts of the world. There are schools, however, that offer master's degree courses that do not require thesis writing.
However, those seeking a doctorate degree as the ultimate goal of their educational career should finish a master's degree to properly equip them for the much more rigorous treatise of their chosen topic. Among those items that are critical in preparing a thesis is writing the results and discussion sections. It is in this part of the research process where the expertise of the student in his chosen field of specialization is demonstrated.
Dealing with the Results and Discussion Section
It takes constant practice and deep, insightful thinking to come up with a good results and discussion write-up, but there are basic elements that should be borne in mind in writing this essential portion of the thesis. These sections, especially the discussion section, are oftentimes superficially presented by beginning researchers; thus, the purpose of the research paper is sometimes not adequately met.
Some schools prefer that both results and Viết Thuế Luận Văn Uy tín discussion be written altogether as one section while some prefer that the results section be written separately from the discussion section. Whichever of this two is appropriate for a certain institution and to distinguish one from the other, the contents of the results section and the discussion section are discussed separately below.
Contents of the Results Section
The results section is that part of the research paper where the student presents the outcome of his research after applying the detailed procedures outlined in the methods section. It is in the results section where the researcher presents a summary of his findings based on the objectives set beforehand, the relevant observations in the course of experimentation or survey, and analyzed data that can be presented in the form of tables, graphs, or illustrations.
In writing the results of the study, the researcher should organize the findings in such a way that the reader will be able to follow the findings in their logical order. It is not just a random presentation of the outcome of the study but one that corresponds with the research objectives set forth in the introduction. There should be a one-to-one correspondence between the objectives and the results of the study.
Contents of the Discussion Section
Many students inadvertently omit this part of research writing thinking that presenting the results will be sufficient enough to meet the objectives of the study. This is not so, as the discussion section is entirely different from the results section although one can creatively enmesh the discussion with the results.
What then are the contents of the discussion section?
It is in this part of the research paper where the researcher explains the results of the research investigation. This is the section where the researcher relates his findings with previous findings and where he draws conclusions; whether to affirm, confirm, or refute the arguments presented in studies that were reviewed before conducting the study. Thus, it is here where the hypothesis of the study is either accepted or rejected. Also, the importance or significance of these results in the specific field he is working on is pointed out.
Finally, to be adept in writing the results and discussion, students need to devote time in reading published scientific articles as these articles have already withstood meticulous screening by journal editors. This will give them useful insights such that they will be able to write their research paper in a scholarly manner.
© 2013 Patrick A. Regoniel
Writing a thesis statement can be one of the most important, yet most difficult parts of your entire paper. There seem to be varying rules and standards that need to be applied in order to determine whether or not your thesis is of high quality or not. However, there are some universal rules that, if followed, will always create an excellent thesis.
Universal Rules of Thesis Statement Writing
1. Your Thesis Should Reflect the Type of Paper You Are Writing
There are three basic types of papers that require a thesis statement: argumentative, analytical, and explanatory. Each of these three unique purposes creates a specific purpose for your thesis.
An argumentative statement should define the subject, what the subject should do or change, and the reasons that this is the case. For example, "College graduates [Subject] should be required to participate in an internship [what the subject should do], relating to their field of study, in order to gain real world experience [reason to change 1] and a working knowledge of their industry [reason to change 2]."
An analytical thesis should provide a clear message what action or conflict needs analyzed. For example, "An analysis of the NCAA basketball tournament selection committee reveals the challenge of accepting teams with a solid season-long performance or a team with an average season-long performance capped by an outstanding final eight games." From this statement, the reader knows that you will be sharing with them 1. an analysis of the NCAA basketball tournament selection committee and 2. the challenge of choosing between the two types of teams.
Finally, an explanatory thesis statement needs to identify the subject and what you will be explaining about them. For example, "The average plan to lose weight consists of eating right, daily exercise, and sleeping well." Your paper would then explain how or why a diet plan revolves around these three characteristics.
2. Always Ask Yourself...
There are a series of questions that you need ask yourself about every thesis statement that you write. The answer to these questions will help you decide of you have formulated a successful thesis statement.
Where is your thesis statement?
Ideally, your statement will be as early in your essay as possible, preferably in your first paragraph. For longer essays, it may be necessary for your thesis statement to be several sentences or be in the second paragraph. Try not to bury your statement in the middle of a paragraph. It should either at the beginning or end because it allows that thesis statement to guide the readers more effectively.
Is the statement specific or general?
A specific statement essentially summarizes the purpose of your paper in one sentence. If it is too general or broad, there is a good chance that you paper will not be able to cover every aspect or caveat of the statement.
While writing your thesis statement can seem like a daunting task. Following these two simple rules will help you to create an effective thesis every time.