thesis chapter 2 parts

• Privacy Policy

Home » Thesis – Structure, Example and Writing Guide

Thesis – Structure, Example and Writing Guide

Table of contents.

Definition:

Thesis is a scholarly document that presents a student’s original research and findings on a particular topic or question. It is usually written as a requirement for a graduate degree program and is intended to demonstrate the student’s mastery of the subject matter and their ability to conduct independent research.

History of Thesis

The concept of a thesis can be traced back to ancient Greece, where it was used as a way for students to demonstrate their knowledge of a particular subject. However, the modern form of the thesis as a scholarly document used to earn a degree is a relatively recent development.

The origin of the modern thesis can be traced back to medieval universities in Europe. During this time, students were required to present a “disputation” in which they would defend a particular thesis in front of their peers and faculty members. These disputations served as a way to demonstrate the student’s mastery of the subject matter and were often the final requirement for earning a degree.

In the 17th century, the concept of the thesis was formalized further with the creation of the modern research university. Students were now required to complete a research project and present their findings in a written document, which would serve as the basis for their degree.

The modern thesis as we know it today has evolved over time, with different disciplines and institutions adopting their own standards and formats. However, the basic elements of a thesis – original research, a clear research question, a thorough review of the literature, and a well-argued conclusion – remain the same.

Structure of Thesis

The structure of a thesis may vary slightly depending on the specific requirements of the institution, department, or field of study, but generally, it follows a specific format.

Here’s a breakdown of the structure of a thesis:

This is the first page of the thesis that includes the title of the thesis, the name of the author, the name of the institution, the department, the date, and any other relevant information required by the institution.

This is a brief summary of the thesis that provides an overview of the research question, methodology, findings, and conclusions.

This page provides a list of all the chapters and sections in the thesis and their page numbers.

Introduction

This chapter provides an overview of the research question, the context of the research, and the purpose of the study. The introduction should also outline the methodology and the scope of the research.

Literature Review

This chapter provides a critical analysis of the relevant literature on the research topic. It should demonstrate the gap in the existing knowledge and justify the need for the research.

Methodology

This chapter provides a detailed description of the research methods used to gather and analyze data. It should explain the research design, the sampling method, data collection techniques, and data analysis procedures.

This chapter presents the findings of the research. It should include tables, graphs, and charts to illustrate the results.

This chapter interprets the results and relates them to the research question. It should explain the significance of the findings and their implications for the research topic.

This chapter summarizes the key findings and the main conclusions of the research. It should also provide recommendations for future research.

This section provides a list of all the sources cited in the thesis. The citation style may vary depending on the requirements of the institution or the field of study.

This section includes any additional material that supports the research, such as raw data, survey questionnaires, or other relevant documents.

How to write Thesis

Here are some steps to help you write a thesis:

• Choose a Topic: The first step in writing a thesis is to choose a topic that interests you and is relevant to your field of study. You should also consider the scope of the topic and the availability of resources for research.
• Develop a Research Question: Once you have chosen a topic, you need to develop a research question that you will answer in your thesis. The research question should be specific, clear, and feasible.
• Conduct a Literature Review: Before you start your research, you need to conduct a literature review to identify the existing knowledge and gaps in the field. This will help you refine your research question and develop a research methodology.
• Develop a Research Methodology: Once you have refined your research question, you need to develop a research methodology that includes the research design, data collection methods, and data analysis procedures.
• Collect and Analyze Data: After developing your research methodology, you need to collect and analyze data. This may involve conducting surveys, interviews, experiments, or analyzing existing data.
• Write the Thesis: Once you have analyzed the data, you need to write the thesis. The thesis should follow a specific structure that includes an introduction, literature review, methodology, results, discussion, conclusion, and references.
• Edit and Proofread: After completing the thesis, you need to edit and proofread it carefully. You should also have someone else review it to ensure that it is clear, concise, and free of errors.
• Submit the Thesis: Finally, you need to submit the thesis to your academic advisor or committee for review and evaluation.

Example of Thesis

Example of Thesis template for Students:

Title of Thesis

Table of Contents:

Chapter 1: Introduction

Chapter 2: Literature Review

Chapter 3: Research Methodology

Chapter 4: Results

Chapter 5: Discussion

Chapter 6: Conclusion

References:

Appendices:

Note: That’s just a basic template, but it should give you an idea of the structure and content that a typical thesis might include. Be sure to consult with your department or supervisor for any specific formatting requirements they may have. Good luck with your thesis!

Application of Thesis

Thesis is an important academic document that serves several purposes. Here are some of the applications of thesis:

• Academic Requirement: A thesis is a requirement for many academic programs, especially at the graduate level. It is an essential component of the evaluation process and demonstrates the student’s ability to conduct original research and contribute to the knowledge in their field.
• Career Advancement: A thesis can also help in career advancement. Employers often value candidates who have completed a thesis as it demonstrates their research skills, critical thinking abilities, and their dedication to their field of study.
• Publication : A thesis can serve as a basis for future publications in academic journals, books, or conference proceedings. It provides the researcher with an opportunity to present their research to a wider audience and contribute to the body of knowledge in their field.
• Personal Development: Writing a thesis is a challenging task that requires time, dedication, and perseverance. It provides the student with an opportunity to develop critical thinking, research, and writing skills that are essential for their personal and professional development.
• Impact on Society: The findings of a thesis can have an impact on society by addressing important issues, providing insights into complex problems, and contributing to the development of policies and practices.

Purpose of Thesis

The purpose of a thesis is to present original research findings in a clear and organized manner. It is a formal document that demonstrates a student’s ability to conduct independent research and contribute to the knowledge in their field of study. The primary purposes of a thesis are:

• To Contribute to Knowledge: The main purpose of a thesis is to contribute to the knowledge in a particular field of study. By conducting original research and presenting their findings, the student adds new insights and perspectives to the existing body of knowledge.
• To Demonstrate Research Skills: A thesis is an opportunity for the student to demonstrate their research skills. This includes the ability to formulate a research question, design a research methodology, collect and analyze data, and draw conclusions based on their findings.
• To Develop Critical Thinking: Writing a thesis requires critical thinking and analysis. The student must evaluate existing literature and identify gaps in the field, as well as develop and defend their own ideas.
• To Provide Evidence of Competence : A thesis provides evidence of the student’s competence in their field of study. It demonstrates their ability to apply theoretical concepts to real-world problems, and their ability to communicate their ideas effectively.
• To Facilitate Career Advancement : Completing a thesis can help the student advance their career by demonstrating their research skills and dedication to their field of study. It can also provide a basis for future publications, presentations, or research projects.

When to Write Thesis

The timing for writing a thesis depends on the specific requirements of the academic program or institution. In most cases, the opportunity to write a thesis is typically offered at the graduate level, but there may be exceptions.

Generally, students should plan to write their thesis during the final year of their graduate program. This allows sufficient time for conducting research, analyzing data, and writing the thesis. It is important to start planning the thesis early and to identify a research topic and research advisor as soon as possible.

In some cases, students may be able to write a thesis as part of an undergraduate program or as an independent research project outside of an academic program. In such cases, it is important to consult with faculty advisors or mentors to ensure that the research is appropriately designed and executed.

It is important to note that the process of writing a thesis can be time-consuming and requires a significant amount of effort and dedication. It is important to plan accordingly and to allocate sufficient time for conducting research, analyzing data, and writing the thesis.

Characteristics of Thesis

The characteristics of a thesis vary depending on the specific academic program or institution. However, some general characteristics of a thesis include:

• Originality : A thesis should present original research findings or insights. It should demonstrate the student’s ability to conduct independent research and contribute to the knowledge in their field of study.
• Clarity : A thesis should be clear and concise. It should present the research question, methodology, findings, and conclusions in a logical and organized manner. It should also be well-written, with proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
• Research-Based: A thesis should be based on rigorous research, which involves collecting and analyzing data from various sources. The research should be well-designed, with appropriate research methods and techniques.
• Evidence-Based : A thesis should be based on evidence, which means that all claims made in the thesis should be supported by data or literature. The evidence should be properly cited using appropriate citation styles.
• Critical Thinking: A thesis should demonstrate the student’s ability to critically analyze and evaluate information. It should present the student’s own ideas and arguments, and engage with existing literature in the field.
• Academic Style : A thesis should adhere to the conventions of academic writing. It should be well-structured, with clear headings and subheadings, and should use appropriate academic language.

Advantages of Thesis

There are several advantages to writing a thesis, including:

• Development of Research Skills: Writing a thesis requires extensive research and analytical skills. It helps to develop the student’s research skills, including the ability to formulate research questions, design and execute research methodologies, collect and analyze data, and draw conclusions based on their findings.
• Contribution to Knowledge: Writing a thesis provides an opportunity for the student to contribute to the knowledge in their field of study. By conducting original research, they can add new insights and perspectives to the existing body of knowledge.
• Preparation for Future Research: Completing a thesis prepares the student for future research projects. It provides them with the necessary skills to design and execute research methodologies, analyze data, and draw conclusions based on their findings.
• Career Advancement: Writing a thesis can help to advance the student’s career. It demonstrates their research skills and dedication to their field of study, and provides a basis for future publications, presentations, or research projects.
• Personal Growth: Completing a thesis can be a challenging and rewarding experience. It requires dedication, hard work, and perseverance. It can help the student to develop self-confidence, independence, and a sense of accomplishment.

Limitations of Thesis

There are also some limitations to writing a thesis, including:

• Time and Resources: Writing a thesis requires a significant amount of time and resources. It can be a time-consuming and expensive process, as it may involve conducting original research, analyzing data, and producing a lengthy document.
• Narrow Focus: A thesis is typically focused on a specific research question or topic, which may limit the student’s exposure to other areas within their field of study.
• Limited Audience: A thesis is usually only read by a small number of people, such as the student’s thesis advisor and committee members. This limits the potential impact of the research findings.
• Lack of Real-World Application : Some thesis topics may be highly theoretical or academic in nature, which may limit their practical application in the real world.
• Pressure and Stress : Writing a thesis can be a stressful and pressure-filled experience, as it may involve meeting strict deadlines, conducting original research, and producing a high-quality document.
• Potential for Isolation: Writing a thesis can be a solitary experience, as the student may spend a significant amount of time working independently on their research and writing.

About the author

Muhammad Hassan

Researcher, Academic Writer, Web developer

You may also like

Data Collection – Methods Types and Examples

Delimitations in Research – Types, Examples and...

Research Process – Steps, Examples and Tips

Research Design – Types, Methods and Examples

Institutional Review Board – Application Sample...

Evaluating Research – Process, Examples and...

Dissertation Structure & Layout 101: How to structure your dissertation, thesis or research project.

By: Derek Jansen (MBA) Reviewed By: David Phair (PhD) | July 2019

So, you’ve got a decent understanding of what a dissertation is , you’ve chosen your topic and hopefully you’ve received approval for your research proposal . Awesome! Now its time to start the actual dissertation or thesis writing journey.

To craft a high-quality document, the very first thing you need to understand is dissertation structure . In this post, we’ll walk you through the generic dissertation structure and layout, step by step. We’ll start with the big picture, and then zoom into each chapter to briefly discuss the core contents. If you’re just starting out on your research journey, you should start with this post, which covers the big-picture process of how to write a dissertation or thesis .

*The Caveat *

In this post, we’ll be discussing a traditional dissertation/thesis structure and layout, which is generally used for social science research across universities, whether in the US, UK, Europe or Australia. However, some universities may have small variations on this structure (extra chapters, merged chapters, slightly different ordering, etc).

So, always check with your university if they have a prescribed structure or layout that they expect you to work with. If not, it’s safe to assume the structure we’ll discuss here is suitable. And even if they do have a prescribed structure, you’ll still get value from this post as we’ll explain the core contents of each section.  

Overview: S tructuring a dissertation or thesis

• Acknowledgements page
• Abstract (or executive summary)
• Table of contents , list of figures and tables
• Chapter 1: Introduction
• Chapter 2: Literature review
• Chapter 3: Methodology
• Chapter 4: Results
• Chapter 5: Discussion
• Chapter 6: Conclusion
• Reference list

As I mentioned, some universities will have slight variations on this structure. For example, they want an additional “personal reflection chapter”, or they might prefer the results and discussion chapter to be merged into one. Regardless, the overarching flow will always be the same, as this flow reflects the research process , which we discussed here – i.e.:

• The introduction chapter presents the core research question and aims .
• The literature review chapter assesses what the current research says about this question.
• The methodology, results and discussion chapters go about undertaking new research about this question.
• The conclusion chapter (attempts to) answer the core research question .

In other words, the dissertation structure and layout reflect the research process of asking a well-defined question(s), investigating, and then answering the question – see below.

To restate that – the structure and layout of a dissertation reflect the flow of the overall research process . This is essential to understand, as each chapter will make a lot more sense if you “get” this concept. If you’re not familiar with the research process, read this post before going further.

Right. Now that we’ve covered the big picture, let’s dive a little deeper into the details of each section and chapter. Oh and by the way, you can also grab our free dissertation/thesis template here to help speed things up.

The title page of your dissertation is the very first impression the marker will get of your work, so it pays to invest some time thinking about your title. But what makes for a good title? A strong title needs to be 3 things:

• Succinct (not overly lengthy or verbose)
• Specific (not vague or ambiguous)
• Representative of the research you’re undertaking (clearly linked to your research questions)

Typically, a good title includes mention of the following:

• The broader area of the research (i.e. the overarching topic)
• The specific focus of your research (i.e. your specific context)
• Indication of research design (e.g. quantitative , qualitative , or  mixed methods ).

For example:

A quantitative investigation [research design] into the antecedents of organisational trust [broader area] in the UK retail forex trading market [specific context/area of focus].

Again, some universities may have specific requirements regarding the format and structure of the title, so it’s worth double-checking expectations with your institution (if there’s no mention in the brief or study material).

Acknowledgements

This page provides you with an opportunity to say thank you to those who helped you along your research journey. Generally, it’s optional (and won’t count towards your marks), but it is academic best practice to include this.

So, who do you say thanks to? Well, there’s no prescribed requirements, but it’s common to mention the following people:

• Your dissertation supervisor or committee.
• Any professors, lecturers or academics that helped you understand the topic or methodologies.
• Any tutors, mentors or advisors.
• Your family and friends, especially spouse (for adult learners studying part-time).

There’s no need for lengthy rambling. Just state who you’re thankful to and for what (e.g. thank you to my supervisor, John Doe, for his endless patience and attentiveness) – be sincere. In terms of length, you should keep this to a page or less.

Abstract or executive summary

The dissertation abstract (or executive summary for some degrees) serves to provide the first-time reader (and marker or moderator) with a big-picture view of your research project. It should give them an understanding of the key insights and findings from the research, without them needing to read the rest of the report – in other words, it should be able to stand alone .

For it to stand alone, your abstract should cover the following key points (at a minimum):

• Your research questions and aims – what key question(s) did your research aim to answer?
• Your methodology – how did you go about investigating the topic and finding answers to your research question(s)?
• Your findings – following your own research, what did do you discover?
• Your conclusions – based on your findings, what conclusions did you draw? What answers did you find to your research question(s)?

So, in much the same way the dissertation structure mimics the research process, your abstract or executive summary should reflect the research process, from the initial stage of asking the original question to the final stage of answering that question.

In practical terms, it’s a good idea to write this section up last , once all your core chapters are complete. Otherwise, you’ll end up writing and rewriting this section multiple times (just wasting time). For a step by step guide on how to write a strong executive summary, check out this post .

Need a helping hand?

Table of contents

This section is straightforward. You’ll typically present your table of contents (TOC) first, followed by the two lists – figures and tables. I recommend that you use Microsoft Word’s automatic table of contents generator to generate your TOC. If you’re not familiar with this functionality, the video below explains it simply:

If you find that your table of contents is overly lengthy, consider removing one level of depth. Oftentimes, this can be done without detracting from the usefulness of the TOC.

Right, now that the “admin” sections are out of the way, its time to move on to your core chapters. These chapters are the heart of your dissertation and are where you’ll earn the marks. The first chapter is the introduction chapter – as you would expect, this is the time to introduce your research…

It’s important to understand that even though you’ve provided an overview of your research in your abstract, your introduction needs to be written as if the reader has not read that (remember, the abstract is essentially a standalone document). So, your introduction chapter needs to start from the very beginning, and should address the following questions:

• What will you be investigating (in plain-language, big picture-level)?
• Why is that worth investigating? How is it important to academia or business? How is it sufficiently original?
• What are your research aims and research question(s)? Note that the research questions can sometimes be presented at the end of the literature review (next chapter).
• What is the scope of your study? In other words, what will and won’t you cover ?
• How will you approach your research? In other words, what methodology will you adopt?
• How will you structure your dissertation? What are the core chapters and what will you do in each of them?

These are just the bare basic requirements for your intro chapter. Some universities will want additional bells and whistles in the intro chapter, so be sure to carefully read your brief or consult your research supervisor.

If done right, your introduction chapter will set a clear direction for the rest of your dissertation. Specifically, it will make it clear to the reader (and marker) exactly what you’ll be investigating, why that’s important, and how you’ll be going about the investigation. Conversely, if your introduction chapter leaves a first-time reader wondering what exactly you’ll be researching, you’ve still got some work to do.

Now that you’ve set a clear direction with your introduction chapter, the next step is the literature review . In this section, you will analyse the existing research (typically academic journal articles and high-quality industry publications), with a view to understanding the following questions:

• What does the literature currently say about the topic you’re investigating?
• Is the literature lacking or well established? Is it divided or in disagreement?
• How does your research fit into the bigger picture?
• How does your research contribute something original?
• How does the methodology of previous studies help you develop your own?

Depending on the nature of your study, you may also present a conceptual framework towards the end of your literature review, which you will then test in your actual research.

Again, some universities will want you to focus on some of these areas more than others, some will have additional or fewer requirements, and so on. Therefore, as always, its important to review your brief and/or discuss with your supervisor, so that you know exactly what’s expected of your literature review chapter.

Now that you’ve investigated the current state of knowledge in your literature review chapter and are familiar with the existing key theories, models and frameworks, its time to design your own research. Enter the methodology chapter – the most “science-ey” of the chapters…

In this chapter, you need to address two critical questions:

• Exactly HOW will you carry out your research (i.e. what is your intended research design)?
• Exactly WHY have you chosen to do things this way (i.e. how do you justify your design)?

Remember, the dissertation part of your degree is first and foremost about developing and demonstrating research skills . Therefore, the markers want to see that you know which methods to use, can clearly articulate why you’ve chosen then, and know how to deploy them effectively.

Importantly, this chapter requires detail – don’t hold back on the specifics. State exactly what you’ll be doing, with who, when, for how long, etc. Moreover, for every design choice you make, make sure you justify it.

In practice, you will likely end up coming back to this chapter once you’ve undertaken all your data collection and analysis, and revise it based on changes you made during the analysis phase. This is perfectly fine. Its natural for you to add an additional analysis technique, scrap an old one, etc based on where your data lead you. Of course, I’m talking about small changes here – not a fundamental switch from qualitative to quantitative, which will likely send your supervisor in a spin!

You’ve now collected your data and undertaken your analysis, whether qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods. In this chapter, you’ll present the raw results of your analysis . For example, in the case of a quant study, you’ll present the demographic data, descriptive statistics, inferential statistics , etc.

Typically, Chapter 4 is simply a presentation and description of the data, not a discussion of the meaning of the data. In other words, it’s descriptive, rather than analytical – the meaning is discussed in Chapter 5. However, some universities will want you to combine chapters 4 and 5, so that you both present and interpret the meaning of the data at the same time. Check with your institution what their preference is.

Now that you’ve presented the data analysis results, its time to interpret and analyse them. In other words, its time to discuss what they mean, especially in relation to your research question(s).

What you discuss here will depend largely on your chosen methodology. For example, if you’ve gone the quantitative route, you might discuss the relationships between variables . If you’ve gone the qualitative route, you might discuss key themes and the meanings thereof. It all depends on what your research design choices were.

Most importantly, you need to discuss your results in relation to your research questions and aims, as well as the existing literature. What do the results tell you about your research questions? Are they aligned with the existing research or at odds? If so, why might this be? Dig deep into your findings and explain what the findings suggest, in plain English.

The final chapter – you’ve made it! Now that you’ve discussed your interpretation of the results, its time to bring it back to the beginning with the conclusion chapter . In other words, its time to (attempt to) answer your original research question s (from way back in chapter 1). Clearly state what your conclusions are in terms of your research questions. This might feel a bit repetitive, as you would have touched on this in the previous chapter, but its important to bring the discussion full circle and explicitly state your answer(s) to the research question(s).

Next, you’ll typically discuss the implications of your findings . In other words, you’ve answered your research questions – but what does this mean for the real world (or even for academia)? What should now be done differently, given the new insight you’ve generated?

Lastly, you should discuss the limitations of your research, as well as what this means for future research in the area. No study is perfect, especially not a Masters-level. Discuss the shortcomings of your research. Perhaps your methodology was limited, perhaps your sample size was small or not representative, etc, etc. Don’t be afraid to critique your work – the markers want to see that you can identify the limitations of your work. This is a strength, not a weakness. Be brutal!

This marks the end of your core chapters – woohoo! From here on out, it’s pretty smooth sailing.

The reference list is straightforward. It should contain a list of all resources cited in your dissertation, in the required format, e.g. APA , Harvard, etc.

It’s essential that you use reference management software for your dissertation. Do NOT try handle your referencing manually – its far too error prone. On a reference list of multiple pages, you’re going to make mistake. To this end, I suggest considering either Mendeley or Zotero. Both are free and provide a very straightforward interface to ensure that your referencing is 100% on point. I’ve included a simple how-to video for the Mendeley software (my personal favourite) below:

Some universities may ask you to include a bibliography, as opposed to a reference list. These two things are not the same . A bibliography is similar to a reference list, except that it also includes resources which informed your thinking but were not directly cited in your dissertation. So, double-check your brief and make sure you use the right one.

The very last piece of the puzzle is the appendix or set of appendices. This is where you’ll include any supporting data and evidence. Importantly, supporting is the keyword here.

Your appendices should provide additional “nice to know”, depth-adding information, which is not critical to the core analysis. Appendices should not be used as a way to cut down word count (see this post which covers how to reduce word count ). In other words, don’t place content that is critical to the core analysis here, just to save word count. You will not earn marks on any content in the appendices, so don’t try to play the system!

Time to recap…

And there you have it – the traditional dissertation structure and layout, from A-Z. To recap, the core structure for a dissertation or thesis is (typically) as follows:

• Acknowledgments page

Most importantly, the core chapters should reflect the research process (asking, investigating and answering your research question). Moreover, the research question(s) should form the golden thread throughout your dissertation structure. Everything should revolve around the research questions, and as you’ve seen, they should form both the start point (i.e. introduction chapter) and the endpoint (i.e. conclusion chapter).

I hope this post has provided you with clarity about the traditional dissertation/thesis structure and layout. If you have any questions or comments, please leave a comment below, or feel free to get in touch with us. Also, be sure to check out the rest of the  Grad Coach Blog .

Psst... there’s more!

This post was based on one of our popular Research Bootcamps . If you're working on a research project, you'll definitely want to check this out ...

You Might Also Like:

36 Comments

many thanks i found it very useful

Glad to hear that, Arun. Good luck writing your dissertation.

Such clear practical logical advice. I very much needed to read this to keep me focused in stead of fretting.. Perfect now ready to start my research!

what about scientific fields like computer or engineering thesis what is the difference in the structure? thank you very much

Thanks so much this helped me a lot!

Very helpful and accessible. What I like most is how practical the advice is along with helpful tools/ links.

Thanks Ade!

Thank you so much sir.. It was really helpful..

You’re welcome!

Hi! How many words maximum should contain the abstract?

Thank you so much 😊 Find this at the right moment

You’re most welcome. Good luck with your dissertation.

best ever benefit i got on right time thank you

Many times Clarity and vision of destination of dissertation is what makes the difference between good ,average and great researchers the same way a great automobile driver is fast with clarity of address and Clear weather conditions .

I guess Great researcher = great ideas + knowledge + great and fast data collection and modeling + great writing + high clarity on all these

You have given immense clarity from start to end.

Morning. Where will I write the definitions of what I’m referring to in my report?

Thank you so much Derek, I was almost lost! Thanks a tonnnn! Have a great day!

Thanks ! so concise and valuable

This was very helpful. Clear and concise. I know exactly what to do now.

Thank you for allowing me to go through briefly. I hope to find time to continue.

Really useful to me. Thanks a thousand times

Very interesting! It will definitely set me and many more for success. highly recommended.

Thank you soo much sir, for the opportunity to express my skills

Usefull, thanks a lot. Really clear

Very nice and easy to understand. Thank you .

That was incredibly useful. Thanks Grad Coach Crew!

My stress level just dropped at least 15 points after watching this. Just starting my thesis for my grad program and I feel a lot more capable now! Thanks for such a clear and helpful video, Emma and the GradCoach team!

Do we need to mention the number of words the dissertation contains in the main document?

It depends on your university’s requirements, so it would be best to check with them 🙂

Such a helpful post to help me get started with structuring my masters dissertation, thank you!

Great video; I appreciate that helpful information

It is so necessary or avital course

This blog is very informative for my research. Thank you

Doctoral students are required to fill out the National Research Council’s Survey of Earned Doctorates

wow this is an amazing gain in my life

This is so good

How can i arrange my specific objectives in my dissertation?

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

• What Is A Literature Review (In A Dissertation Or Thesis) - Grad Coach - […] is to write the actual literature review chapter (this is usually the second chapter in a typical dissertation or…

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

• Print Friendly

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."

Copyright 1999, Maxine Rodburg and The Tutors of the Writing Center at Harvard University

Reference management. Clean and simple.

How to structure a thesis

A typical thesis structure

1. abstract, 2. introduction, 3. literature review, 6. discussion, 7. conclusion, 8. reference list, frequently asked questions about structuring a thesis, related articles.

Starting a thesis can be daunting. There are so many questions in the beginning:

• How do you actually start your thesis?
• How do you structure it?
• What information should the individual chapters contain?

Each educational program has different demands on your thesis structure, which is why asking directly for the requirements of your program should be a first step. However, there is not much flexibility when it comes to structuring your thesis.

Abstract : a brief overview of your entire thesis.

Literature review : an evaluation of previous research on your topic that includes a discussion of gaps in the research and how your work may fill them.

Methods : outlines the methodology that you are using in your research.

Thesis : a large paper, or multi-chapter work, based on a topic relating to your field of study.

The abstract is the overview of your thesis and generally very short. This section should highlight the main contents of your thesis “at a glance” so that someone who is curious about your work can get the gist quickly. Take a look at our guide on how to write an abstract for more info.

Tip: Consider writing your abstract last, after you’ve written everything else.

The introduction to your thesis gives an overview of its basics or main points. It should answer the following questions:

• Why is the topic being studied?
• How is the topic being studied?
• What is being studied?

In answering the first question, you should know what your personal interest in this topic is and why it is relevant. Why does it matter?

To answer the "how", you should briefly explain how you are going to reach your research goal. Some prefer to answer that question in the methods chapter, but you can give a quick overview here.

And finally, you should explain "what" you are studying. You can also give background information here.

You should rewrite the introduction one last time when the writing is done to make sure it connects with your conclusion. Learn more about how to write a good thesis introduction in our thesis introduction guide .

A literature review is often part of the introduction, but it can be a separate section. It is an evaluation of previous research on the topic showing that there are gaps that your research will attempt to fill. A few tips for your literature review:

• Use a wide array of sources
• Show both sides of the coin
• Make sure to cover the classics in your field
• Present everything in a clear and structured manner

For more insights on lit reviews, take a look at our guide on how to write a literature review .

The methodology chapter outlines which methods you choose to gather data, how the data is analyzed and justifies why you chose that methodology . It shows how your choice of design and research methods is suited to answering your research question.

Make sure to also explain what the pitfalls of your approach are and how you have tried to mitigate them. Discussing where your study might come up short can give you more credibility, since it shows the reader that you are aware of its limitations.

Tip: Use graphs and tables, where appropriate, to visualize your results.

The results chapter outlines what you found out in relation to your research questions or hypotheses. It generally contains the facts of your research and does not include a lot of analysis, because that happens mostly in the discussion chapter.

Clearly visualize your results, using tables and graphs, especially when summarizing, and be consistent in your way of reporting. This means sticking to one format to help the reader evaluate and compare the data.

The discussion chapter includes your own analysis and interpretation of the data you gathered , comments on your results and explains what they mean. This is your opportunity to show that you have understood your findings and their significance.

Point out the limitations of your study, provide explanations for unexpected results, and note any questions that remain unanswered.

This is probably your most important chapter. This is where you highlight that your research objectives have been achieved. You can also reiterate any limitations to your study and make suggestions for future research.

Remember to check if you have really answered all your research questions and hypotheses in this chapter. Your thesis should be tied up nicely in the conclusion and show clearly what you did, what results you got, and what you learned. Discover how to write a good conclusion in our thesis conclusion guide .

At the end of your thesis, you’ll have to compile a list of references for everything you’ve cited above. Ideally, you should keep track of everything from the beginning. Otherwise, this could be a mammoth and pretty laborious task to do.

Consider using a reference manager like Paperpile to format and organize your citations. Paperpile allows you to organize and save your citations for later use and cite them in thousands of citation styles directly in Google Docs, Microsoft Word, or LaTeX:

🔲 Introduction

🔲 Literature review

🔲 Discussion

🔲 Conclusion

🔲 Reference list

The basic elements of a thesis are: Abstract, Introduction, Literature Review, Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusion, and Reference List.

It's recommended to start a thesis by writing the literature review first. This way you learn more about the sources, before jumping to the discussion or any other element.

It's recommended to write the abstract of a thesis last, once everything else is done. This way you will be able to provide a complete overview of your work.

Usually, the discussion is the longest part of a thesis. In this part you are supposed to point out the limitations of your study, provide explanations for unexpected results, and note any questions that remain unanswered.

The order of the basic elements of a thesis are: 1. Abstract, 2. Introduction, 3. Literature Review, 4. Methods, 5. Results, 6. Discussion, 7. Conclusion, and 8. Reference List.

• Welcome to Chapter 2

How to Critically Analyze Sources

Learning about synthesis analysis, chapter 2 webinars.

• Student Experience Feedback Buttons
• Library Guide: Research Process This link opens in a new window
• ASC Guide: Outlining and Annotating This link opens in a new window
• Library Guide: Organizing Research & Citations This link opens in a new window
• Library Guide: RefWorks This link opens in a new window
• Library Guide: Copyright Information This link opens in a new window
• Library Research Consultations This link opens in a new window

Jump to DSE Guide

Need help ask us.

• Research Process An introduction to the research process.
• Determining Information Needs A Review Scholarly Journals and Other Information Sources.
• Evaluating Information Sources This page explains how to evaluate the sources of information you locate in your searches.
• Video: Doctoral Level Critique in the Literature Review This video provides doctoral candidates an overview of the importance of doctoral-level critique in the Literature Review in Chapter 2 of their dissertation.

What D oes Synthesis and Analysis Mean?

Synthesis: the combination of ideas to

• show commonalities or patterns

Analysis: a detailed examination

• of elements, ideas, or the structure of something
• can be a basis for discussion or interpretation

Synthesis and Analysis: combine and examine ideas to

• show how commonalities, patterns, and elements fit together
• form a unified point for a theory, discussion, or interpretation
• develop an informed evaluation of the idea by presenting several different viewpoints and/or ideas
• Article Spreadsheet Example (Article Organization Matrix) Use this spreadsheet to help you organize your articles as you research your topic.

Was this resource helpful?

• Next: Library Guide: Research Process >>
• Last Updated: Apr 19, 2023 11:59 AM
• URL: https://resources.nu.edu/c.php?g=1007176

© Copyright 2024 National University. All Rights Reserved.

Privacy Policy | Consumer Information

Hoortash Institute

Consultation writing, accepting and publishing articles

How to Write Chapter Two of a Thesis

In “ how to write chapter one; the introduction of thesis ” post, the way of writing the Introduction and its components were discussed.

In chapter 2 of a thesis or dissertation – a literature review or a review of the literature – generally, you need to write a background on the subject and make the conclusion that there is a gap in previous studies and you are going to fill it in your research.

In addition to the gap, the research questions and hypotheses as well as the theories that support your study should be discussed. You have to cover the purpose of your study, too.

How to start a literature review chapter?

This chapter is a component of the whole thesis, so it needs to be related to the previous and next chapters.

Start with stating the most important theories supporting your study. You may write them in Chronological order. Use the theories to emphasize the gap.

How to write subtitles of chapter two?

Your writing in chapter two and other chapters need some headings to organize your writing which are to be H3.

You can organize your thesis’s literature review based on each of these two factors:

Chronological order

It is your choice. You can organize your writing in chronological order, meaning, the timeline in which the theories were proposed. You may also choose to arrange it based on different subjects or variables.

Subjective arrangement

In this kind of arrangement, subtitles are chosen based on different subjects related to the title of your thesis. The content of each will be the theories and discussions on that specific subject.

In this case, the theories discussing in headings can be stated chronologically too.

Tips on writing the literature review chapter

Criticize the theories.

A literature review is not just a collection of previous studies or writing a brief history of them. You need to critic the theories and states made by other researchers. You can also use them in a way that shows the gap.

Support the gap

In conclusion chapter (chapter 5), some researchers propose some topics as further researches needed. Look for the gap of your study in this part and if there is one do not forget to mention it.

Emphasize the importance of the study

Everything you write in chapter two of the thesis (dissertation), should emphasize the existence of the gap as well as the importance of your study. Try to raise the research questions in the readers’ minds so that your research questions become theirs.

Write about everything

Do not forget to write on every component of your research especially the variables. Read the papers which are related to your thesis and write other researchers ideas about them. Then write your own idea (you can criticize them as it was said).

When is writing the literature review chapter done?

It is done when you have written on every topic which is discussed in your thesis. Do not leave a question in the readers’ minds.

While you are searching of some topics, it is possible that some new ideas and subtopics related to your dissertation title come up. In these cases, start a new search, read the related papers, and write about them in chapter two of your thesis too.

You Might Also Like

1 thought on “ How to Write Chapter Two of a Thesis ”

Asalamu ‘alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh this section of yours is very informative , Could I just ask if you have a research anything about niqabs in islam? if there are charts and statistics it is highly appreciated jazzakallahu khairan

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

The Structure of a Thesis

• First Online: 25 February 2021

Cite this chapter

• C. George Thomas 2  

4398 Accesses

Students enrolled for Master’s degree in agriculture and allied subjects have to conduct a short-term original research work, and present the outcome in the form of a thesis. A thesis is also mandatory for higher degrees in medicine and engineering. In basic sciences such as physics and botany, although thesis is not mandatory for Masters programme, the present trend is to have a dissertation or at least a project report. All the disciplines, whether basic or applied, demand the submission of a thesis for the award of Ph.D.

But man has still another powerful resource: natural science with its strictly objective methods . Ivan Pavlov (1849–1936), Russian Nobel laureate

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

• Available as EPUB and PDF
• Read on any device
• Instant download
• Own it forever
• Compact, lightweight edition
• Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
• Free shipping worldwide - see info
• Durable hardcover edition

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Bibliography

Bond, A. 2007. Your Masters Thesis: How to Plan, Draft, Write and Revise. Viva Books, New Delhi, 135p.

Google Scholar  

Day, R.A. 1989. The origins of the scientific paper: The IMRAD format. Am. Med. Writers Assoc. J. 4(2): 16–18.

Day, R.A. and Gastel, B. 2006. How to Write and Publish a Scientific Paper (6th Ed.). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 320p.

Eco, U. 2015. How to Write a Thesis (transl. Italian, Farina, C.M. and Farina, G.). The MIT Press, Cambridge, 229p.

Fisher, E. and Thompson, R. 2014. Enjoy Writing Your Science Thesis or Dissertation! (2nd Ed.). World Scientific Publishing Company, 337 p.

Gustavii, B. 2008. How to Write and Illustrate a Scientific Paper (2nd Ed.). Cambridge University press, Cambridge, 168p.

Hartley, J. 2008. Academic Writing and Publishing: A Practical Guide. Routledge, New York, 196p.

Jackson, M. L. 1958. Soil Chemical Analysis (Indian Reprint, 1967). Prentice Hall of India, New Delhi, 498p.

Lester, J.D. and Lester, J.D. Jr. 2009. Writing Research Papers: A Complete Guide (13th Ed.), Longman, 416p.

Matthews, J.R. and Matthews, R.W. 2007. Successful Scientific Writing: A Stepby-Step Guide for the Biological and Medical Sciences (3rd Ed.). Cambridge University Press, 256p.

Murray, R. 2006. How to Write a Thesis (2nd Ed.) Open University Press, UK, 301p. Available: https://manaraa.com/upload/55b319e2-e557-4fdd-b3620d3268dd602b.pdf .

Oliver, P. 2008. Writing Your Thesis (2nd Ed). Sage Publications, New Delhi, 174p.

Rubens, P. 2004. Science and Technical writing: A Manual of Style (2nd Ed.). Routledge, New York, 427p.

Download references

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur, Kerala, India

C. George Thomas

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to C. George Thomas .

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2021 The Author(s)

About this chapter

Thomas, C.G. (2021). The Structure of a Thesis. In: Research Methodology and Scientific Writing . Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-64865-7_12

Download citation

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-64865-7_12

Published : 25 February 2021

Publisher Name : Springer, Cham

Print ISBN : 978-3-030-64864-0

Online ISBN : 978-3-030-64865-7

eBook Packages : Education Education (R0)

Share this chapter

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

• Publish with us

Policies and ethics

• Find a journal
• Track your research

• Academic Skills
• Graduate research services

Writing thesis sections - Part 2

Shaping the research question and hypothesis.

This resource introduces approaches to writing the core parts of your thesis. It includes activities to help you apply tips and reflect on your own learning, and should take you 15-20 minutes to read and complete. Check out the further resources at the bottom of each section and references on the last page for more information on this topic.

The core part of your thesis starts with your research question or hypothesis and proceeds through your explanation of methods and results, or data analysis, and ends with a discussion of your findings.

The research question and hypothesis mark your own disciplinary territory and drive your research.

Whether you have both a research question and a hypothesis, and whether they are broken down into several sub-areas, will depend on your discipline and topic; but however they appear, it is important that they are clearly formulated.

Research question

A research question should:

• Focus on a clear, specific and significant problem or puzzle
• Be shaped in a way that allows it to be answered with different research results
• Be revisited frequently in the research process.

You can use the FINER criteria when developing a research question:

• F easible – is the research practical and achievable given time and resources?
• I nteresting – is the research intriguing, compelling and able to contribute to the field?
• N ovel – is the research original?
• E thical – are there any concerns about the impact of the research on participants or wider community?
• R elevant – is the research important or meaningful for those in the field?

Example research questions:

• What impact will climate change have on production systems in the Tasmanian dairy industry?
• What are the unique challenges and opportunities for higher education institutions that allow first-year undergraduate students to use Generative AI tools in written assessments?

A hypothesis is a well-reasoned proposition in response to a research question that you will test to confirm or disprove in your research. Not all research has a hypothesis. A hypothesis should:

• Be in the form of a statement
• Be disprovable
• Be clear and specific in scope.

Example hypothesis:

• Undergraduate students who participate in a stress-reduction seminar will report an increase in their well-being after six weeks This is a statement that argues for a relationship between two clear and specific variables that can be tested and thus disproven.

Types of research questions

In order to help you frame a research question, keep in mind that there are four basic types of research (adapted from Fahnestock & Secor, 2004).

Four general research types and their corresponding  questions:

Note: almost all graduate research will involve elements of each of these types. However, it is useful to focus primarily on one of these questions.

Contextualise the research question or hypothesis

The research question or hypothesis is part of your thesis core as it guides your own research, but it is usually stated in a lead-in section, such as the thesis introduction.

Complete the activity below to learn how a research question or hypothesis can be contextualised.

*If content below does not display, please refresh your browser

Note that some disciplines require hypotheses rather than research questions and vice versa. However, the question implied in this example seems to be ‘What role does fast food play in the childhood obesity problem in the province?’

FINER: A research framework

What is and how to write a good hypothesis in research?

Use the side menu to go the next section: Choosing and justifying your methods , where we look at ways to present your research design.

Choosing and justifying your methods

Demonstrating that your methods are sound and appropriate for your question will help your reader see that the results and conclusions you reach are valid and reliable.

You can present your overarching research approach or methods in a central methods chapter in your thesis. If you use different methods for different parts of the thesis, these methods can be integrated into the parts.

Choosing your methods

To help you in this process:

• Are you an observer, experimenter or involved agent?
• How would this affect your data collection and/or analysis
• Align your methods to your research aim For example, if your question asks about a quantifiable variable, consider a quantitative method for measuring it.
• Compare your methods to alternative methods Demonstrate that your choice best suits your investigation.
• Show awareness of potential confounding factors What are the biases or pitfalls? Show how you’re accounting for or guarding against them.
• Show awareness of your own assumptions For example, show how a chosen method assumes a relationship between variables, and why that is reasonable.
• How will it allow you to answer your research question or test your hypothesis?
• What criteria and thresholds have you established for data collection and analysis?
• What type of answer will you be able to generate if these criteria and thresholds are satisfied?

Asking these questions will help you design your methods to be part of a consistent line of reasoning that will take you from raw data to conclusions.

Presenting your methods

This activity provides two examples of presenting research methods in a thesis. The first one shows how the methods are being aligned and justified with the research aim. The second shows how clear measurements, criteria and thresholds are being established.

Drag and drop the main writing moves in each example, such as ‘defining the method’ and ‘establishing the threshold’ into their corresponding places.

Sage Project Planner – Research Design (UoM login required)

Use the side menu to go the next section: Analysing data and reporting results , where we examine how to maximise the impact of your data.

Analysing data and reporting results

In this stage, you educate your reader on what you’ve found and take them through how you’ve turned data into knowledge, which involves making reasoned connections between variables or different parts of the data. Reporting your results and analysis requires summarising key points or patterns in the data and how they’ve emerged.

Choose representative information

• Use only representative data and analyses to demonstrate the validity of your results.
• What qualifies as representative data and why?
• What does it represent?
• How do I know if the representation is complete and correct?

Organise the information

• Capture categories or themes in the data that relate to your research question or hypothesis.
• Add informative headings and subheadings to help the reader navigate your results.

Illustrate your results

• Design any tables and figures to be understandable on their own and complementary to your writing, with clear, informative titles. These should illustrate the key evidence to support your results and make them easier for readers to process.
• whether they are necessary, and
• which type of illustration best suits the information. For example, if some qualitative information is best explained in a paragraph with a subheading, you may not need a table or figure at all. On the other hand, to compare the trends of two variables over time, a line graph will be useful.

State the new knowledge

• Begin every data chapter with a statement of purpose.
• End it with a statement of how the purpose has been addressed, highlighting the new knowledge generated by the chapter.

Example statement of purpose - chapter introduction

The aim of this study was to understand the role of group singing in inpatient and community mental health settings in regard to the contextual and conditional factors apparent within these settings which contribute to mental health recovery. (Bibb, 2016, p. 139)

Example statement of new knowledge - chapter conclusion

Findings were presented as a grounded theory of group singing which was described as the way consumers can experience triggering encounters with music in their singing group and use the group conditions as coping resources to regain musical, emotional and social health. (Bibb, 2016, p. 211)

Start early and revise regularly

• Evolve your analytical categories or themes
• Reflect on the new knowledge these chapters produce
• Recognise, rectify or acknowledge limitations in your data or results.
• Assess the validity and reliability of this knowledge: is it warranted by the nature of the data? Does it align with the aim and methods? Is the analytical process rigorous enough?

Activity: Examples of presenting results

The two examples below demonstrate high-level presentation of results and evidence, with strategic use of tables or headings. These are connected to a cohesive narrative that directly addresses the aim of the data chapter.

Drag and drop the elements of each example into their corresponding places. Some key language has been bolded to help you.

Statistical Consulting Centre resources

Use the side menu to go the next section: Synthesising and discussing findings , where we explore approaches to putting your results together.

Synthesising and discussing findings

The discussion section shows your arrival at new understandings, insights, solutions or theories emerging from your data analysis, which requires high levels of synthesis and conceptualisation.

To write an effective discussion:

• Connect all your findings and key evidence and put these in the bigger context of your inquiry
• Answer the research question or hypothesis
• Position your research in the field and state your original contribution
• Acknowledge limitations of your findings to show your self-awareness and critical thinking as a researcher.

Examples of discussing original contributions

Read the following discussion examples showing statements of original contributions. Notice the type of language that carries these statements, some of which we’ve bolded to highlight the writers’ authority and relationship to their field.

Thesis titled ‘Foreign direct investment in Australia: Determinants and consequences’ (Faeth, 2005, p. 308)

Comparing these results with previous econometric studies analysing the consequences of FDI [foreign direct investment] in Australia shows that FDI has a wider range of consequences than previously assumed . It has been shown in this study that employment growth, wage growth, labour productivity growth and industry concentration were affected by Australian FDI.

Thesis titled ‘Doctors down under: European medical migrants in Victoria (Australia), 1930-60’ (Mody, 2018, p. 231)

This thesis begins to redress the silence that characterises the historiography on twentieth-century medical migration to Australia. In doing so, I have demonstrated that medical migrants today represent part of an unbroken and sometimes hard-won legacy of refuge, second chances and fresh starts inherited from the medical migrants who arrived before them.

Approaches to the discussion

To arrive at a synthesis of your thesis and be able to state your original contribution, consider what processes to use for handling data.

Watch this video to learn about two approaches: tracking and mapping your findings and using a creative-rational approach .

Activity: Write a tiny discussion

Step 1: Free-write in response to the following prompt. Try 5-10 minutes of no-pause, no-edit writing:

• “What do you know now about your research problem that you didn’t know before starting your research?”

Step 2: Follow this up with the rational tasks of sorting and linking conclusions, as explained in the video.

Step 3: Write a brief introduction to your discussion. Start with what you’ve achieved in the previous chapters and quickly proceed to how you will put these findings together.

Use the side menu to go the next section: Using disciplinary conventions , where we look at a checklist for reflecting on the thesis core.

Using disciplinary conventions

Although academic writing conventions are common to most disciplines, the way they are applied may differ. For example, some social sciences may require a full disclosure of a researcher’s paradigmatic alignment and its implications for their research, while other disciplines may put more emphasis on detailing the research procedure. Look at examples from your discipline and check with your supervisors if you have questions.

Reflect on the thesis core

Study an example thesis to observe how the author framed the research question or hypothesis, justified the research methods, analysed data, reported results and synthesised and discussed findings. Then, look at your own writing or plan for these parts.

Answer the following questions for both the example thesis and your own to help you reflect on how you are using disciplinary conventions in shaping your own thesis narrative.

1. Is the research question feasible, interesting, novel, ethical and relevant (the FINER criteria)?

2. Is the hypothesis disprovable, clear and specific? Can you identify the key variables in the hypothesis?

3. Is the question or hypothesis properly contextualised and justified?

4. What research methods does the thesis use? Are they conventional or novel in the discipline? How are they justified?

5. What measurements and/or thresholds have been established for the data collection and/or analysis? What are these measurements and thresholds based on?

6. Has a clear trail of methods been laid out to allow a reader to follow and/or replicate the research?

7. What new knowledge does each of the data/results chapters add?

8. What new insight, theory or solution does the discussion section of the thesis present? What’s the key argument and evidence for this claim to knowledge? Is this argument valid?

9. Is there a clear line of reasoning that leads from the research question/hypothesis to the methods, data analysis/results and discussion? How is the research question being answered?

10. How could you improve this thesis in the above aspects?

Together with your research question or hypothesis, your research methods, results, discussion, analysis and synthesis show the reader your own work, which shapes your original contribution. These parts should constitute the bulk of your writing effort throughout your candidature. Use your disciplinary expertise to promote your own innovation, whether in ideas or expression.

For more information and support in your writing, Explore: Academic Skills Graduate Research services

Bibb, J. (2016). Musical recovery: The role of group singing in regaining healthy relationships with music to promote mental health recovery [PhD thesis, University of Melbourne]. http://hdl.handle.net/11343/124271

Bitar, H. (2004). Public aesthetic preferences and efficient water use in urban parks [PhD thesis, University of Melbourne]. http://hdl.handle.net/11343/38880

Brown, T. (2022). Exploring the indirect effects of climate change on fire activity in Australian wet Eucalypt forests [PhD thesis, University of Melbourne]. http://hdl.handle.net/11343/311844

Evans, D., Gruba, P., & Zobel, J. (2014). How to write a better thesis . Springer.

Faeth, I. (2005). Foreign direct investment in Australia: Determinants and consequences [PhD thesis, University of Melbourne]. http://hdl.handle.net/11343/39043

Fahnestock, J., & Secor, M. (2004). A rhetoric of argument (3rd edition). McGraw-Hill.

Lindsay, D. (2020). Scientific writing = thinking in words . CSIRO.

Mody, F. (2018). Doctors down under: European medical migrants in Victoria (Australia), 1930-60 [PhD thesis, University of Melbourne]. http://hdl.handle.net/11343/221550

Graduate Research Hub

• Preparing my thesis
• Incorporating your published work in your thesis
• Examples of thesis and chapter formats when including publications

The following examples are acceptable ways of formatting your thesis and chapters when including one or more publications.

Essential requirements

All theses with publications must have the following:

• Declaration
• Preface – noting collaborations, and contributions to authorship
• Acknowledgements
• Table of contents
• List of tables, figures & illustrations
• Main text/chapters
• Bibliography or list of references

Main text examples

• Chapter 1: Introduction
• Chapter 2: Literature review
• Chapter 3: Methods
• Chapter 4: Paper 1 & general discussion
• Chapter 5: Paper 2
• Chapter 6: Regular thesis chapter – results
• Chapter 7 : Regular thesis chapter/general discussion tying in published and unpublished work
• Chapter 8: Conclusion
• Appendices - May include CD, DVD or other material, also reviews & methods papers
• Chapter 2: Methods
• Chapter 3: Paper 1
• Chapter 4: Regular thesis chapter
• Chapter 6: Regular thesis chapter, final preliminary study
• Chapter 7: General discussion
• Chapter 5: Regular thesis chapter
• Chapter 6: Regular thesis chapter
• Chapter 7: Regular thesis chapter, final preliminary study
• Chapter 8: General discussion
• Chapter 4: Paper 2 - e.g. data paper, including meta analyses
• Chapter 5: Paper 3
• Chapter 6: Paper 4
• Chapter 7: Paper 5
• Chapter 3: Major paper
• Chapter 4: Normal thesis chapter, final preliminary study
• Chapter 5: General discussion

Chapter examples

• Introduction – including specific aims and hypotheses
• Introduction – including specific aims, hypotheses
• Methods – results (including validation, preliminary) not included in the paper
• Results (including validation, preliminary) not included in paper
• Discussion – expansion of paper discussion, further method development
• Resources for candidates
• Orientation and induction
• Mapping my degree
• Principles for infrastructure support
• Peer activities
• Change my commencement date
• Meeting expectations
• Working with my supervisors
• Responsible Research & Research Integrity
• Guidelines for external supervisors
• Pre-confirmation
• Confirmation
• At risk of unsatisfactory progress
• Unsatisfactory progress
• Add or drop coursework subjects
• Apply for leave
• Return from leave
• Apply for Study Away
• Return from Study Away
• Change my study rate
• Check my candidature status
• Change my current supervisors
• Request an evidence of enrolment or evidence of qualification statement
• Change my project details
• Change department
• Transfer to another graduate research degree
• Late submission
• Withdraw from my research degree
• Check the status of a request
• Re-enrolment
• Advice on requesting changes
• Extension of candidature
• Lapse candidature
• How to cancel a form in my.unimelb
• Resolving issues
• Taking leave
• About Study Away
• Finishing on time
• Accepting an offer for a joint PhD online
• Tenured Study Spaces (TSS) Usage Guidelines
• Tenured Study Spaces Procedures
• Research skills
• Academic writing and communication skills
• Building professional and academic networks
• Research internships
• Commercialising my research
• Supplementary PhD Programs
• Writing my thesis
• Thesis with creative works
• Research Integrity in my Thesis
• Graduate researchers and digital assistance tools
• TES Statuses
• Submitting my thesis
• Depositing multiple components for your final thesis record
• The Chancellor's Prize
• TES Graduate Researcher FAQs
• Career planning
• Publishing my research
• Getting support
• Key graduate research contacts
• Melbourne Research Experience Survey
• Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT)
• Current Students

• How It Works
• PhD thesis writing
• Master thesis writing
• Bachelor thesis writing
• Dissertation writing service
• Dissertation abstract writing
• Thesis proposal writing
• Thesis editing service
• Thesis proofreading service
• Thesis formatting service
• Coursework writing service
• Research paper writing service
• Architecture thesis writing
• Computer science thesis writing
• Engineering thesis writing
• History thesis writing
• MBA thesis writing
• Nursing dissertation writing
• Psychology dissertation writing
• Sociology thesis writing
• Statistics dissertation writing
• Buy dissertation online
• Write my dissertation
• Cheap thesis
• Cheap dissertation
• Custom dissertation
• Dissertation help
• Pay for thesis
• Pay for dissertation
• Senior thesis
• Write my thesis

Thesis Structure: Writing Guide For Your Success

If you are about to start writing your thesis, then it is extremely important to know as much as possible about the thesis structure. Learning the main thesis chapters should enable you to quickly structure your academic paper. Keep in mind that not structuring the paper correctly usually leads to severe penalties. We know some of you are probably having questions about numbering dissertation chapters. Basically, you just need to give all the major sections consecutive numbers. Use Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, and so on). Check out the most frequently asked questions and them move on to the 7 parts of the thesis or dissertation structure.

Thesis Structure Frequently Asked Questions

• What is a basic good structure for a thesis? A: The best structure is the one listed below. It contains the 7 important parts any thesis should have.
• What does “the structure of this dissertation is in manuscript style” mean? A: It means that the thesis includes one or more manuscripts that have been written in a way that facilitates publication. The thesis can, in this case, be a collection of papers that have been written or co-authored by the student.
• Which chapters of dissertation are mandatory? A: All the 7 chapters below are necessary, if you want to get a top score on your paper.
• Where can I get a thesis structure template? A: You can quickly get a thesis structure example from one of our seasoned academic writers. Don’t base your thesis on mediocre samples you find online.
• What is the preferred thesis sentence structure? A: There is no set sentence structure that you have to follow. Just make sure your writing is organized in a logical manner and that all complex terms are explained the first time you use them.

Thesis Abstract

The first part of the thesis structure is the abstract. It is basically an overview of the entire paper. There is no set dissertation abstract structure. It is just a summary of your thesis and it should be just 200 to 300 words long.

Thesis Introduction

The introduction is one of the most important dissertation chapters. It should contain all of the following information:

A bit of background about the topic. Some information about the current knowledge. The aim of your research (the gap in knowledge that prompted you to write the thesis).

Remember that the introduction must present the thesis statement. It is very important to learn more about the thesis statement structure. A great thesis statement will pique the interest of the evaluation committee.

Thesis Literature Review

Many students who are looking to learn how to structure a thesis don’t know about the Literature Review section. Why? Because many people prefer to include it into the introduction. However, by separating the literature review from the intro, you can focus more on why your research is important. You can evaluate the most important research on your topic and clearly show the gap in knowledge.

Thesis Methods

In most cases, the Methods section is the easiest part of the structure of a thesis. All you have to do is present the method or methods you chose for the research. Don’t forget to also explain why you chose that specific research method. Your audience needs to understand that the chosen method is the best for the task.

Thesis Results

This is one of the most important chapters of a dissertation. In the Results chapter, you need to present your findings. Remember that written text is not enough. You need figures, stats, graphs, and other forms of data. This section contains all the facts of your research and should be written in an objective, neutral manner. It would be unusual for your to discuss your findings in this section.

Thesis Discussion

The Discussion chapter is very important in the dissertation chapters structure. It is the reason why you didn’t discuss your findings in the Results section. This is the section you can use to talk about your findings and provide your own opinions about the results. Here is what you can do in the discussion section:

Explain to the audience what your results mean for the scientific community. Comment on each of the results and discuss how your findings support your thesis. Explain any unexpected results so the evaluation committee can see that you know what you’re doing. Interpret the results and tie them with other research on the subject. How does your research help the academic community?

Thesis Conclusion

While not the most important chapter, the conclusion is one of the important chapters in a dissertation. It is the part where you can show your readers that you have achieved your research objectives. You can talk a bit about what you’ve learned in the process and even make some suggestions regarding the need for future research. In most cases, students also reiterate the thesis statement at the beginning of the conclusion, followed by a short summary of the paper’s most important chapters.

Still Not Sure How to Structure Thesis?

In case you are still struggling to find the best history dissertation structure, you should get some help as fast as possible. Remember that writing a thesis takes weeks, if not months. Don’t spend too much time trying to find the best structure. Instead, get in touch with a reliable academic company and get some quick assistance. For examples, one of our writers can create a thesis outline for you. You can just follow the outline and everything will be just fine.

Of course, you can also get some help with the thesis formatting. Citations and references can be difficult to master. Each academic writing style (MLA, Chicago, APA, etc.) has its own requirements. The way you format your academic paper is very important. Bolding and italicizing can emphasize certain ideas. A professional editor can help you make the thesis stand out from the rest. After all, a pleasantly-formatted dissertation that impresses the evaluation committee with its structure and quality of content has a very high chance of getting a top score.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Comment * Error message

Name * Error message

Email * Error message

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

As Putin continues killing civilians, bombing kindergartens, and threatening WWIII, Ukraine fights for the world's peaceful future.

Ukraine Live Updates

The thesis and its parts

Recommended

More related content, what's hot, what's hot ( 20 ), viewers also liked, viewers also liked ( 20 ), similar to the thesis and its parts, similar to the thesis and its parts ( 20 ), more from draizelle sexon, more from draizelle sexon ( 20 ), recently uploaded, recently uploaded ( 20 ).

• 1. THE THESIS
• 2. WHAT IS A THESIS? noun, plural the·ses 1.a proposition stated or put forward for consideration, especially one to be discussed and proved or to be maintained against objections: He vigorously defended his thesis on the causes of war. 2.a subject for a composition or essay. 3.a dissertation on a particular subject in which one has done original research, as one presented by a candidate for a diploma or degree.
• 3. PARTS OF A THESIS
• 4. INITIAL PAGES • Title Page • Approval Sheet • Abstract • Acknowledgment • Dedication • Table of Contents • List of Tables • List of Figures
• 5. TITLE PAGE The following information needs to be on the title page: • The title (and possibly the subtitle) of your thesis • First name and surname of the author(s) • Whether it is a ‘Bachelor’s thesis’ or a ‘Master’s thesis’ • Faculty and department • Place and date of completion
• 6. APPROVAL SHEET • This is to prove that the authors have passed the requirements needed for the thesis. • This is signed by the thesis/FS adviser, panel and the Dean. • This also states the grade obtained by the author/s.
• 7. ABSTRACT • An abstract presents a brief summary of your thesis. • The aim of the abstract is to briefly provide the reader with the most important information from the entire text. • An abstract never contains new information. • This summary is no longer than 2 pages of A4.
• 8. ACKNOWLEDGMENT • This is a page focused on expressing gratitude to organizations, agencies or individuals who, in one way or another, have aided the researchers in finishing the thesis.
• 9. DEDICATION • This is the page for dedicating the thesis to certain people or groups who have inspired the researchers while doing the thesis.
• 10. TABLE OF CONTENTS • The table of contents is essentially a topic outline of the thesis. • It is compiled by listing the headings in the thesis down to whichever level you choose.
• 11. LIST OF TABLES / LIST OF FIGURES • Include a list of figures (illustrations) and a list of tables if you have one or more items in these categories. • Use a separate page for each list. • List the number, caption, and page number of every figure and table in the body of the thesis.
• 12. TITLE OF CHAPTERS 1. Problem and Its Background 2. Review of Related Literature and Studies 3. Methodology of the Study 4. Presentation, Analysis and Interpretation of Data 5. Summary, Conclusions and Recommendations
• 13. CHAPTER I Introduction and Background of the Study
• 14. INTRODUCTION • The first chapter of your thesis is your introduction. • This is where you provide an introduction to the topic of your thesis: you give the context in terms of content of the research project.
• 15. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY • The significance of the study will mainly focus on the question “Who will benefit from the study?”. • This section will state the contribution of your study and the usefulness of your study in the society.
• 16. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM • The problem must be reflected to your title or the readers must know your problem by just simply reading your topic. • The problem must not be answerable by yes or no and must be arranged in the flow of your documentation or study.
• 17. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK • A conceptual framework elaborates the research problem in relation to relevant literature. This section may summarize the major (dependent and independent) variables in your research. The framework may be summarized in a schematic diagram that presents the major variables and their hypothesized relationships. It should also cover the following: • •Existing research and its relevance for your topic • •Key ideas or constructs in your approach • •Identify and discuss the variables related to the problem. • •Conceptualized relationships between variables • Independent variables (presumed cause) • Dependent variables (presumed effect) • Intervening variables (other variables that influence the effect of the independent variable)
• 18. Instructional Materials and Equipment commonly used in Effects of the use of teaching Science instructional Materials and 1Traditional Materials equipment 2Technological Equipment Profile of the respondents 1Age 2Gender 3Civil Status 4Educational Attainment 5Years of Service
• 19. SCOPE AND DELIMITATION • The scope is mainly the coverage of your study and the Delimitation is the limitation of your study or topic.
• 20. DEFINITION OF TERMS • The definition of terms must be arranged in alphabetically. It must be also stated if you used your definition of terms in technically or operationally.
• 21. CHAPTER II Review of Related Literature and Studies
• 22. RELATED LITERATURE • In this part you must get your data and information from any books, magazines, and news papers. You must label your published material with local or foreign. • 1. Must be also organized to cover specific problems. • 2. Must take all the evidences about the problem with the author’s experiences. • 3. As much as possible, get the latest published materials. Avoid old published materials. • 4. It must be related to your topic. If not, do not get it. • 5. On the last part of this part you must have a statement how this old published material helps the researcher in their current study and relate it to your study.
• 23. RELATED STUDIES • In this part you must get your data and information from unpublished material such as previous or old study, research or thesis. In some format, you must label your unpublished material with local or foreign. • 1. This should be organized to cover the specific problems. • 2. You must take note all of the evidences that the previous researcher came up. • 3. The unpublished material should not be older than 5 years if possible. • 4. It must be related to your topic. If not, do not get it. • 5. On the last part of this part you must have a statement how this old unpublished material helps the researcher in their current study and relate it to your study.
• 24. CHAPTER III Methodology of the Study
• 25. RESEARCH DESIGN • The appropriate research design should be specified and described.
• 26. POPULATION AND SAMPLES • Describe the population of interest and the sampling of subjects used in the study.
• 27. RESEARCH INSTRUMENT • Describe the instrument and what it will measure. • State qualifications of informants if used in the study.
• 28. VALIDATION PROCEDURE • Discuss how the validity and the reliability will be established. Specify the level of reliability (probability).
• 29. DATA GATHERING PROCEDURE • Describe how instrument will be administered.
• 30. DATA PROCESSING PROCEDURE AND STATISTICAL TREATMENT OF DATA • Describe the processing and treatment of data
• 31. CHAPTER IV Presentation, Analysis and Interpretation of Data
• 32. PRESENTATION OF DATA • Present the findings of the study in the order of the specific problem as stated in the statement of the Problem. • Present the data in these forms: – Tabular – Textual – Graphical (optional)
• 33. ANALYSIS OF DATA • Data may be analyzed quantitatively or qualitatively depending on the level of measurement and the number of dimensions and variables of the study. • Analyze in depth to give meaning to the data presented in the data presented in the table. Avoid table reading. • State statistical descriptions in declarative sentences, e.g. in the studies involving:
• 34. INTERPRETATION OF DATA • Establish interconnection between and among data • Check for indicators whether hypothesis/es is/are supported or not by findings. • Link the present findings with the previous literature. • Use parallel observations with contemporary events to give credence presented in the introduction.
• 35. CHAPTER V Summary of Findings, Conclusions and Recommendations
• 36. SUMMARY OF FINDINGS • This describes the problem, research design, and the findings (answer to the questions raised). The recommended format is the paragraph form instead of the enumeration form. • For each of the problems, present: – The salient findings, – The results of the hypothesis tested
• 37. CONCLUSIONS • These are brief, generalized statements in answer to the general and each of the specific sub-problems. • These contain generalized in relation to the population. These are general inferences applicable to a wider and similar population. • Flexibility is considered in making of conclusions. It is not a must to state conclusions on a one-to-one correspondence with the problems and the findings as all variables can be subsume in one paragraph. • Conclusions may be used as generalizations from a micro to a macro-level or vice versa (ZOOM LENS approach).
• 38. RECOMMENDATIONS • They should be based on the findings and conclusion of the study. • Recommendations may be specific or general or both. They may include suggestions for further studies. • They should be in non-technical language. • They should be feasible, workable, flexible, doable, adaptable.
• 39. REFERENCES: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/thesis http://www.jpsimbulan.net/thesis-writing- guide/how-to-write-a-thesis/

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville

The graduate school, multi-part theses and dissertations.

With committee approval, the primary division of a thesis/dissertation may consist of parts rather than sections or chapters. This is sometimes called a “manuscript” thesis or dissertation. This is most effective when:

• research has been performed in two or more areas that cannot be combined into a single presentation;
• to assist in maintaining consistent format for journal articles;
• the thesis or dissertation will contain two or more separate but related essays.

Students with a single chapter that is conceived of as a journal article, should only follow the guidelines for incorporating journal articles and not treat their document as a “multi-part” thesis or dissertation.

Parts of a Multi-Part Thesis of Dissertation

Each part may be treated as a separate unit, with its own chapters, figures and tables, bibliography and appendix (if needed). The bibliography and appendix may be combined at the end of the document.

The student must exercise caution to ensure that formatting is consistent throughout, that all tables/figures have unique numbers, and that, in general, the organization into parts is logically arranged and consistently applied.

In all cases, the multi-part thesis or dissertation must include the following elements:

• introduction and conclusion, which provide an overview and summary of the project
• table of contents for the entire document
• list of tables for the entire document
• list of figures for the entire document
• abstract for the entire document (of 350 or fewer words)
• separation sheet (title page) for each part
• abstract for each part (abstracts for individual essays do not need to adhere to the requirements of length and format)

Consecutive pagination should be used throughout the document, including numbering of the required separation sheets listing the part number and title. These separation sheets must be placed immediately in front of the first page of text for each part.

The flagship campus of the University of Tennessee System and partner in the Tennessee Transfer Pathway .

Academia.edu no longer supports Internet Explorer.

To browse Academia.edu and the wider internet faster and more securely, please take a few seconds to  upgrade your browser .

Enter the email address you signed up with and we'll email you a reset link.

• We're Hiring!
• Help Center

CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

Related Papers

Ana Liza Sigue

Motoky Hayakawa

Rene E Ofreneo

... Rene E. Ofreneo University of the Philippines School of Labor and Industrial Relations ... Erickson, Christopher L.; Kuruvilla, Sarosh ; Ofreneo, Rene E.; and Ortiz, Maria Asuncion , "Recent Developments in Employment Relations in the Philippines" (2001). ...

Lucita Lazo

This book begins by looking at the status of women in Filipino society and their place in the general socio-economic situation. It continues with sections on education and training in the Philippines and work and training. The next section reviews the constraints to women’s participation in training. In the summary the author gives a general overview of the situation of women and opportunities for work and training in the Philippines and offers some practical suggestions for the enhancement of women’s training and development.

EducationInvestor Global

Tony Mitchener

Rosalyn Eder

In this article, I examine the role of CHED and the Technical Panels (TPs) in the “production” of the globally competitive Filipina/o worker. For this paper, I draw on relevant literature on the topic and take nurse education, which is rooted in the colonial system established during the US-American occupation, as an example of how CHED and the TPs could be more linked to labor migration. I use the colonial difference - a space that offers critical insights and interpretation - to illustrate how coloniality remains hidden under the cloak of modernity. Link to the article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00131946.2016.1214913

Asia Pacific Journal of Management and Sustainable Development ISSN 2782-8557(Print)

Ryan O Tayco , Pio Supat

This study aims to determine the employability of the Negros Oriental State University graduates from 2016 to 2020. Employability is measured using different dimensions-from the graduates' side including the perspectives of the employers. A total of 1, 056 NORSU graduates and 68 employers locally and abroad answered the questionnaire through online and offline survey methods. Basic statistics were used and simple linear regression was also used to estimate the relationship between manifestations of respondents in NORSU VMGOs and the job performance as perceived by the employers. Most of the respondents in the study are presently employed and work locally. Many of them stay and accept the job because of the salaries and benefits they received, a career challenge, and related to the course they have taken in college. The study shows that the curriculum used and competencies learned by the NORSU graduates are relevant to their job. Competencies such as communication skills, human relations skills, critical thinking skills, and problem-solving skills are found to be useful by the respondents. It is found that the manifestation of the respondents is very high and homogenous. The same can be said with job performance as perceived by employers in terms of attitudes and values, skills and competencies, and knowledge. Furthermore, job performance and the manifestation of NORSU VMGOs have a significant relationship. That is, those respondents who have higher job performance in terms of attitude and values, skills and competencies, and knowledge have higher manifestations of NORSU VMGOs.

Annals of Tropical Research

Pedro Armenia

Ezekiel Succor

RELATED PAPERS

Pau Miret-Gamundi

International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics

Journal of King Saud University - Science

Lamjed Mansour

Anuario De Historia De La Iglesia

Alicia Sandoval

Archives of Histology and Cytology

Stefano Guizzardi

Marcela De Castro

Studies in People's History

Jurnal Borneo Administrator: Media Pengembangan Paradigma dan Gaya Baru Manajemen Pemerintahan Daerah

Semuel Risal

Ophthalmology

Selim Görgün

Wouter Gheyle

Seminar Nasional Official Statistics

Azka Ubaidillah

Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Archives of Pharmacology

Maurizio Campo

Fertility and Sterility

Tomer Singer

Jasenka Gudelj

Ana Paula Graboski de Almeida

Guilherme Anghinoni

elisabeth gonzales

International Journal of Scientific Research in Computer Science, Engineering and Information Technology

International Journal of Scientific Research in Computer Science, Engineering and Information Technology IJSRCSEIT

Annals of cardiac anaesthesia

Ganapathy Arumugam

•   We're Hiring!
•   Help Center
• Find new research papers in:
• Health Sciences
• Earth Sciences
• Cognitive Science
• Mathematics
• Computer Science
• Academia ©2024