A thesis is a long academic paper that is required to complete a degree program. They can take months to write and may be defended in front of a committee.
The thesis must be submitted in the correct format, including the signatures of all committee members. See the Graduate School formatting and submission guidelines for more information.
Methods
The methods section of a research degree thesis is an important part of the thesis because it describes how data was collected and analyzed. It also helps readers evaluate the reliability and validity of your research and dissertation topic.
The method section should clearly explain why you chose the specific procedure or technique used to conduct your research, and how it contributed to new knowledge or understanding. It should also address any limitations that you faced during the process, if any.
In addition to the specific procedures you used, the methodology section should also cover any necessary resources and equipment you needed to perform your research. For example, if you were collecting data in a laboratory, the section should include details about how you set up the lab and what research instruments you used to collect your data.
The method section should also discuss any limitations that were encountered during the data collection process, as well as how you mitigated those limitations to the best of your ability. This section should be critical of your study, but it should not beat it to death!
Results
One of the most challenging parts of a research degree thesis is presenting the results of your study in an effective and informative manner. A high-quality results chapter should not only answer your research question but also present a coherent argument in support of the conclusions you have reached.
A well-designed results chapter is the key to a successful dissertation or thesis. Your results page should contain the following items: a brief summary of your findings, an unbiased review of your data and a succinct explanation of your key conclusions. You should also consider including some kind of statistical analysis. It is also helpful to include an appendix of your findings that is not included in the main body of your work. If you have a particularly large dataset, you may wish to include a supplementary table or charts. This is especially true for quantitative data. You may be able to get away with skipping the statistical analysis altogether, but you should still make sure that you have taken all the relevant steps before publishing your results page to avoid costly errors down the line.
Discussion
The discussion that follows the research degree thesis is a chance to interpret the results of your analysis and explain them in the context of your field. It’s also a place to explore how your findings relate to other research and challenge existing theories.
The structure of your discussion chapter will vary according to the nature of your research. In some fields, it is based on established conventions, while in others, your argument determines the format.
Regardless of the structure, the discussion section needs to connect back to your literature review chapter and establish that the results of your research have significance. It should then discuss how your results have changed the way that people think about the problem or subject.
Whether you’re writing a research degree thesis or a dissertation, the discussion is an opportunity to demonstrate your ability to analyze and communicate complex information in a clear and compelling manner. Developing an effective argument and demonstrating that it’s supported by solid scholarly evidence gives you skills that are transferable to a variety of academic fields.
Conclusions
The conclusion is the last part of a research degree thesis. It presents your main findings and provides an answer to the research question you posed in your introduction.
In addition, the conclusion is where you demonstrate how your study adds value to your field of research. The conclusion may also explore weaknesses in your research and suggest ways to improve it.
It is important to write a strong and engaging conclusion that leaves your reader with an ultra-clear understanding of your central argument and how your research contributes to the field. It is also a good idea to make recommendations for future research (Sacred Heart University Library, n.d.).
Conclusions can be written in three pages or less. They must contain the essence of your work, what you have learned and how it will help other scholars and society.
A strong and well-written conclusion can help convince your readers that you have made a valuable contribution to your field of research, and that reading your paper is worth their time.
