what is the writer's thesis

How to Write a Thesis Statement?

17 July, 2020

9 minutes read

Author:  Mathieu Johnson

So you’ve finished writing your paper, and it looks marvelous, but there’s one thing that you still haven’t managed to crack in your presentation - the Thesis Statement. Make no mistake - don't jumble it with a thesis paper, which is a separate project, not part of the regular paper you get from the course syllabus. You’ve probably heard the term before, but you are unsure how to write a good one and make it shine. Let’s find out how to do it together.

What is a Thesis Statement, How Long Should It Be, and Where It Should be Placed?

A thesis statement is a brief summary that describes the central premise of your paper. It helps you demonstrate your mastery of the subject and create a context for your arguments. After reading your thesis, a reader should be able to understand your position and recognize your expertise in a particular field.

A thesis statement is usually only one or two sentences long , but it can sometimes be extended to a full paragraph. You are not presenting any evidence in the thesis, as it is merely a description of intent at this stage.

As a part of the essay introduction , a thesis statement is usually placed at the end of the first paragraph because this makes it easy for you to start the first argument. Alternatively, it can be written at the very beginning of the paper. You will repeat the statement at the end of the paper where it will be more comprehensive and serve as a summary of your treatise.

How to Get Started?

You have to start by defining what type of paper you are going to write. Depending on the type, you have to tailor your thesis statement to the specific type of paper you are writing. Consider the goal of your paper: is to persuade, teach, or explain. 

A good strategy is to write a question first. Once you have defined the type of your key sentence, you need to write the premise. This you can do by creating a question first, formulating it properly, and providing an answer for it.

After you have formulated your thesis statement, you must check that it is correct. Keep in mind that your statement should be an assertion and it should answer a particular question in a way that is debatable. Be sure to check these criteria when formulating your statement.

Common Types of Thesis Statements

Not surprisingly, there are several thesis statement types that are suitable for various kinds of academic papers. Here are some more common ones:

The Analytical Thesis Statement . As you will see from the provided example, this sort of statement analyses the problem. It breaks down the issue into parts, components, and ideas, and then evaluates it.

The Explanatory Thesis Statement. This kind of statement explains a particular kind of problem.

The Argumentative Thesis Statement. In this type, the writer advances a particular argument on the issue, stating his or her opinion, claim, or interpretation. The writer’s aim is to convince the audience that substantial evidence backs the claim.

How to Check the Strength of Your Thesis

To begin with, your thesis must demonstrate your position on the issue. To do this, it must be clear and concise. No one appreciates a chaotic approach to a problem. People need to understand your opinion on the topic, together with the arguments that will support your claim. You should state your position “A” or “B”, then explain why you support one side of the issue.

Your position on the problem should challenge others and make them join the discussion. If it does, the reader will consume the rest of your essay in an effort to find instances of where he or she can oppose your argument. Don’t be afraid to disagree with people, as academic arguments can also lead to the development of knowledge.

A strong thesis statement is specific. It focuses on one specific problem and develops it further in detail. There should be a clear connection between the claim of your statement and the core of your paper. Otherwise, it’s necessary for you to revise the premise.

Make sure that your paper offers a unique reflection on the topic. While your topic has most likely been discussed thousands of times by the media, your job is to find a unique approach to the topic. You should represent the topic in a way that has never been done before. Use your imagination and creativity to develop a unique paper. 

Your thesis must also  focus on the problem, exclusively. Including irrelevancies in the thesis will make it look unprofessional.

Writing Your Thesis Statement

Now, it’s the perfect time to answer the question “how to write a thesis statement?” Whether you are writing a simple essay or a research paper, the approach is mostly the same.

First, investigate the topic thoroughly. You are intended to demonstrate your knowledge, so… show it! There shouldn’t be any questions on why you didn’t mention one or more aspects of your study. If you are discussing smoking in public, ignoring health issues will not look professional.

Second, create two to three drafts of the statement . The statement encapsulates the main thrust of your paper and will guide its content. It is useful to be able to approach your topic from more than one angle.

Third , write an outline of your paper, complete with a summary of your arguments, to see whether the construction will be suitable. Your statement should take the right spot in the outline – right before the argument is emerged or the topic discussion is initiated. Remember that the overall success of your essay or term paper depends on the structure, so now is the time to get it right.

Fourth, write and rewrite! Write the paper, then check it against your thesis; rewrite the paper, then rewrite your thesis… Do this until you feel the harmony between all the components.

Questions to Ask Yourself When Creating a Strong Thesis Statement

Am I just rephrasing someone else’s ideas?

A great thesis illustrates your unique position, even if the majority of people disagree with you. Use well-researched evidence, ideas, and concepts to prove your point. This will surely benefit you, but don’t forget that the arguments must be true!

Think about whether your thesis can be of at least some benefit to people. It is always a wonderful feeling to know that your thesis (and the paper itself!) can solve a problem. To be honest, that’s why students are often given “eco” topics: we need to find innovative ways to address global problems.

Can I make it shorter?

This is one of the most important questions to ask. If you can do it, there is nothing more to consider.

Is my thesis statement a genuine summary of the paper?

Yes, that’s a summation, but written at the beginning of the project. In essence, these few sentences are what you wrote the entire paper for.

Is it too basic?

It’s an academic piece of work, so you shouldn’t use simplified arguments. They need to be scientific and show your specialized understanding of the topic.

Can I somehow rewrite it from a different angle?

You probably can, so write three to four drafts and only choose the best. Writers all over the world do it, and it works!

Our pro essay writer help can cover any kind of academic writing task – from helping you with a thesis to taking on your whole assignment to get you an “A”. HandMadeWriting is a professional provider of custom essay writing for students.

A couple of good thesis statement examples: 

• Global warming is one of the most crucial challenges today, and it can only be solved by the collaboration of all countries.
• J. Kerouac’s novel “On the Road” is a study of the introspections of young people in the US at the beginning of the 20 th Century.
• Russian anti-pollution efforts should focus on big oil companies since they are the major contributors to global warming.

A life lesson in Romeo and Juliet taught by death

Due to human nature, we draw conclusions only when life gives us a lesson since the experience of others is not so effective and powerful. Therefore, when analyzing and sorting out common problems we face, we may trace a parallel with well-known book characters or real historical figures. Moreover, we often compare our situations with […]

Ethical Research Paper Topics

Writing a research paper on ethics is not an easy task, especially if you do not possess excellent writing skills and do not like to contemplate controversial questions. But an ethics course is obligatory in all higher education institutions, and students have to look for a way out and be creative. When you find an […]

Art Research Paper Topics

Students obtaining degrees in fine art and art & design programs most commonly need to write a paper on art topics. However, this subject is becoming more popular in educational institutions for expanding students’ horizons. Thus, both groups of receivers of education: those who are into arts and those who only get acquainted with art […]

Writing the Thesis

• First Online: 02 January 2020

Cite this chapter

• Susan Carter 4 ,
• Cally Guerin 5 &
• Claire Aitchison 6  

1946 Accesses

The independent researcher, with sophisticated writing skills and need for a career, is one outcome of the doctorate. The text itself, the thesis, is another. This chapter swings focus onto that textual artefact, still concerned with the human experience of producing it, but aware that, for most candidates, the doctoral period of their life is dominated by the research and the writing of the thesis. That document itself takes centre stage.

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

Access this chapter

• Available as PDF
• Read on any device
• Instant download
• Own it forever
• Available as EPUB and PDF
• 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

Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research. (2007). Retrieved from https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/about-us/publications/australian-code-responsible-conduct-research-2007 .

Belcher, W. (2009). Writing your journal article in 12 weeks: A guide to academic publishing success . Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Google Scholar  

Cargill, M., & O’Connor, P. (2009). Writing scientific research articles: Strategy and steps . Oxford, UK: Wiley-Blackwell.

Carter, S. (2011). Doctorate as genre: Supporting thesis writing across campus. Higher Education Research and Development, 30 (6), 725–736.

Carter, S., Kelly, F., & Brailsford, I. (2012). Structuring your research thesis . Houndmills, UK: Palgrave MacMillan.

Book   Google Scholar  

Crotty, M. (1998). The foundation of social research: Meaning and perspective in the research process . London, UK: Sage Publications.

Elbow, P. (1998). Writing without teachers . Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.

Feak, C. B., & Swales, J. M. (2011). Creating contexts: Writing introductions across genres. Retrieved from https://www.press.umich.edu/elt/compsite/ETRW/9780472034567-commentary.pdf .

Frank, L., Basch, E., & Selby, J. V. (2014). The PCORI perspective on patient-centered outcomes research. JAMA Network Open, 312 (15), 1513–1514. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2014.11100 .

Article   Google Scholar  

Glatthorn, A. A. (1998). Writing the winning dissertation: A step-by-step guide . Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Goodson, P. (2016). Becoming an academic writer: 50 exercises for paced, productive, and powerful writing . Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Graff, G., & Birkenstein, C. (2014). ‘They say / I say’: The moves that matter in academic writing . New York, NY: W. W. Norton.

Hart, C. (1998). Doing a literature review: Releasing the social science imagination . London: Sage.

Holbrook, A., Bourke, S., Fairbairn, H., & Lovat, T. (2007). Examiner comment on the literature review in PhD theses. Studies in Higher Education, 32 (3), 337–356.

Johnston, S. (1997). Examining the examiners: An analysis of examiners’ reports on doctoral theses. Studies in Higher Education, 22 (3), 333–347.

Kamler, B., & Thomson, P. (2014). Helping doctoral students write: Pedagogies for supervision (2nd ed.). Oxon, UK: Routledge.

Kempe, S. (2005). A conversation on conversation: A research journey with Professor Anne Sigismund Huff. Journal of the Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management, 11 (2), 4–12.

Kiley, M. (2009). ‘You don’t want a smart Alec’: Selecting examiners to assess doctoral dissertations. Studies in Higher Education, 34 (8), 889–903.

MacLure, M. (2010). The offence of theory.  Journal of Education Policy ,  25 (2), 277–286.  https://doi.org/10.1080/02680930903462316 .

MacLure, M. (2013). The wonder of data. Cultural Studies ↔ Critical Methodologies, 13 (4), 228–232.

Mullins, G., & Kiley, M. (2002). ‘It’s a PhD, not a Nobel Prize’: How experienced examiners assess research theses. Studies in Higher Education, 27 (4), 369–386. https://doi.org/10.1080/0307507022000011507 .

Paltridge, B., & Starfield, S. (2007). Thesis and dissertation writing in a second language: A handbook for supervisors . London, UK: Routledge.

Poulsen, A. K. I. (2009). Another way with words: Language as twentieth-century art practice. Doctoral dissertation, University of Auckland, New Zealand.

Rankin, E. (2001). The work of writing: Insights and strategies for academics and professionals . San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Reeves, M. (2000). Telling the tale of the rise of the novel. Clio: A Journal of Literature, History, and the Philosophy of History, 30 (1, Fall), 25–49.

Rudestam, K. E., & Newton, R. R. (2001). Surviving your dissertation: A comprehensive guide to content and process (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Swales, J. M., & Feak, C. B. (1994, 1996, 2004). Academic writing for graduate students. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press.

Swales, J. M., & Feak, C. (2000). English in today’s research world: A writing guide . Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press.

Swedberg, R. (2012). Theorizing in sociology and social science: To the context of discovery. Theory and Society, 41 (1), 1–40. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11186-011-9161-5 .

Tinkler, P., & Jackson, C. (2004). The doctoral examination process: A handbook for students, examiners and supervisors . Berkshire, UK: Open University Press.

Trafford, V., & Leshem, S. (2002). Starting at the end to undertake doctoral research: Predictable questions as stepping stones. Higher Education Review, 34 (4), 43–61.

Trafford, V., Leshem, S., & Bitzer, E. (2014). Conclusion chapters in doctoral theses: Some international findings. Higher Education Review, 46 (3), 52–81.

White, B. (2011). Mapping your thesis: The comprehensive manual of theory and techniques for masters and doctoral research . London, UK: ACER.

Wisker, G. (2005). The good supervisor: Supervising postgraduate and undergraduate research for doctoral theses and dissertations . Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan.

Wisker, G. (2012). The good supervisor: Supervising postgraduate and undergraduate research for doctoral theses and dissertations (2nd ed.). London, UK: Macmillan International Higher Education.

Young, M., & Muller, J. (2014). On the powers of powerful knowledge. In E. Rata & B. Barrett (Eds.), Knowledge and the future of the curriculum: International studies in social realism (pp. 41–64). Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave MacMillan.

Chapter   Google Scholar  

Zeiger, M. (2000). Essentials of writing biomedical research papers (2nd ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Download references

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand

Susan Carter

University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia

Cally Guerin

University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia

Claire Aitchison

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Susan Carter .

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2020 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

About this chapter

Carter, S., Guerin, C., Aitchison, C. (2020). Writing the Thesis. In: Doctoral Writing. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-1808-9_5

Download citation

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-1808-9_5

Published : 02 January 2020

Publisher Name : Springer, Singapore

Print ISBN : 978-981-15-1807-2

Online ISBN : 978-981-15-1808-9

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

• Home »

find your perfect postgrad program Search our Database of 30,000 Courses

How to write a masters dissertation or thesis: top tips.

It is completely normal to find the idea of writing a masters thesis or dissertation slightly daunting, even for students who have written one before at undergraduate level. Though, don’t feel put off by the idea. You’ll have plenty of time to complete it, and plenty of support from your supervisor and peers.

One of the main challenges that students face is putting their ideas and findings into words. Writing is a skill in itself, but with the right advice, you’ll find it much easier to get into the flow of writing your masters thesis or dissertation.

We’ve put together a step-by-step guide on how to write a dissertation or thesis for your masters degree, with top tips to consider at each stage in the process.

1. Understand your dissertation (or thesis) topic

There are slight differences between theses and dissertations , although both require a high standard of writing skill and knowledge in your topic. They are also formatted very similarly.

At first, writing a masters thesis can feel like running a 100m race – the course feels very quick and like there is not as much time for thinking! However, you’ll usually have a summer semester dedicated to completing your dissertation – giving plenty of time and space to write a strong academic piece.

By comparison, writing a PhD thesis can feel like running a marathon, working on the same topic for 3-4 years can be laborious. But in many ways, the approach to both of these tasks is quite similar.

Before writing your masters dissertation, get to know your research topic inside out. Not only will understanding your topic help you conduct better research, it will also help you write better dissertation content.

Also consider the main purpose of your dissertation. You are writing to put forward a theory or unique research angle – so make your purpose clear in your writing.

Top writing tip: when researching your topic, look out for specific terms and writing patterns used by other academics. It is likely that there will be a lot of jargon and important themes across research papers in your chosen dissertation topic. 

2. Structure your dissertation or thesis

Writing a thesis is a unique experience and there is no general consensus on what the best way to structure it is. 

As a postgraduate student , you’ll probably decide what kind of structure suits your research project best after consultation with your supervisor. You’ll also have a chance to look at previous masters students’ theses in your university library.

To some extent, all postgraduate dissertations are unique. Though they almost always consist of chapters. The number of chapters you cover will vary depending on the research. 

A masters dissertation or thesis organised into chapters would typically look like this: 

Write down your structure and use these as headings that you’ll write for later on.

Top writing tip : ease each chapter together with a paragraph that links the end of a chapter to the start of a new chapter. For example, you could say something along the lines of “in the next section, these findings are evaluated in more detail”. This makes it easier for the reader to understand each chapter and helps your writing flow better.

3. Write up your literature review

One of the best places to start when writing your masters dissertation is with the literature review. This involves researching and evaluating existing academic literature in order to identify any gaps for your own research.

Many students prefer to write the literature review chapter first, as this is where several of the underpinning theories and concepts exist. This section helps set the stage for the rest of your dissertation, and will help inform the writing of your other dissertation chapters.

What to include in your literature review

The literature review chapter is more than just a summary of existing research, it is an evaluation of how this research has informed your own unique research.

Demonstrate how the different pieces of research fit together. Are there overlapping theories? Are there disagreements between researchers?

Highlight the gap in the research. This is key, as a dissertation is mostly about developing your own unique research. Is there an unexplored avenue of research? Has existing research failed to disprove a particular theory?

Back up your methodology. Demonstrate why your methodology is appropriate by discussing where it has been used successfully in other research.

4. Write up your research

Your research is the heart and soul of your dissertation. Conducting your actual research is a whole other topic in itself, but it’s important to consider that your research design will heavily influence the way you write your final dissertation.

For instance, a more theoretical-based research topic might encompass more writing from a philosophical perspective. Qualitative data might require a lot more evaluation and discussion than quantitative research. 

Methodology chapter

The methodology chapter is all about how you carried out your research and which specific techniques you used to gather data. You should write about broader methodological approaches (e.g. qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods), and then go into more detail about your chosen data collection strategy. 

Data collection strategies include things like interviews, questionnaires, surveys, content analyses, discourse analyses and many more.

Data analysis and findings chapters

The data analysis or findings chapter should cover what you actually discovered during your research project. It should be detailed, specific and objective (don’t worry, you’ll have time for evaluation later on in your dissertation)

Write up your findings in a way that is easy to understand. For example, if you have a lot of numerical data, this could be easier to digest in tables.

This will make it easier for you to dive into some deeper analysis in later chapters. Remember, the reader will refer back to your data analysis section to cross-reference your later evaluations against your actual findings – so presenting your data in a simple manner is beneficial.

Think about how you can segment your data into categories. For instance, it can be useful to segment interview transcripts by interviewee. 

Top writing tip : write up notes on how you might phrase a certain part of the research. This will help bring the best out of your writing. There is nothing worse than when you think of the perfect way to phrase something and then you completely forget it.

5. Discuss and evaluate

Once you’ve presented your findings, it’s time to evaluate and discuss them.

It might feel difficult to differentiate between your findings and discussion sections, because you are essentially talking about the same data. The easiest way to remember the difference is that your findings simply present the data, whereas your discussion tells the story of this data.

Your evaluation breaks the story down, explaining the key findings, what went well and what didn’t go so well.

In your discussion chapter, you’ll have chance to expand on the results from your findings section. For example, explain what certain numbers mean and draw relationships between different pieces of data.

Top writing tip: don’t be afraid to point out the shortcomings of your research. You will receive higher marks for writing objectively. For example, if you didn’t receive as many interview responses as expected, evaluate how this has impacted your research and findings. Don’t let your ego get in the way!

6. Write your introduction

Your introduction sets the scene for the rest of your masters dissertation. You might be wondering why writing an introduction isn't at the start of our step-by-step list, and that’s because many students write this chapter last.

Here’s what your introduction chapter should cover:

Problem statement

Research question

Significance of your research

This tells the reader what you’ll be researching as well as its importance. You’ll have a good idea of what to include here from your original dissertation proposal , though it’s fairly common for research to change once it gets started.

Writing or at least revisiting this section last can be really helpful, since you’ll have a more well-rounded view of what your research actually covers once it has been completed and written up.

Masters dissertation writing tips

When to start writing your thesis or dissertation.

When you should start writing your masters thesis or dissertation depends on the scope of the research project and the duration of your course. In some cases, your research project may be relatively short and you may not be able to write much of your thesis before completing the project. 

But regardless of the nature of your research project and of the scope of your course, you should start writing your thesis or at least some of its sections as early as possible, and there are a number of good reasons for this:

Academic writing is about practice, not talent. The first steps of writing your dissertation will help you get into the swing of your project. Write early to help you prepare in good time.

Write things as you do them. This is a good way to keep your dissertation full of fresh ideas and ensure that you don’t forget valuable information.

The first draft is never perfect. Give yourself time to edit and improve your dissertation. It’s likely that you’ll need to make at least one or two more drafts before your final submission.

Writing early on will help you stay motivated when writing all subsequent drafts.

Thinking and writing are very connected. As you write, new ideas and concepts will come to mind. So writing early on is a great way to generate new ideas.

How to improve your writing skills

The best way of improving your dissertation or thesis writing skills is to:

 Finish the first draft of your masters thesis as early as possible and send it to your supervisor for revision. Your supervisor will correct your draft and point out any writing errors. This process will be repeated a few times which will help you recognise and correct writing mistakes yourself as time progresses.

If you are not a native English speaker, it may be useful to ask your English friends to read a part of your thesis and warn you about any recurring writing mistakes. Read our section on English language support for more advice. 

Most universities have writing centres that offer writing courses and other kinds of support for postgraduate students. Attending these courses may help you improve your writing and meet other postgraduate students with whom you will be able to discuss what constitutes a well-written thesis.

Read academic articles and search for writing resources on the internet. This will help you adopt an academic writing style, which will eventually become effortless with practice.

Keep track of your bibliography 

When studying for your masters dissertation, you will need to develop an efficient way of organising your bibliography – this will prevent you from getting lost in large piles of data that you’ll need to write your dissertation. 

The easiest way to keep the track of all the articles you have read for your research is to create a database where you can summarise each article/chapter into a few most important bullet points to help you remember their content. 

Another useful tool for doing this effectively is to learn how to use specific reference management software (RMS) such as EndNote. RMS is relatively simple to use and saves a lot of time when it comes to organising your bibliography. This may come in very handy, especially if your reference section is suspiciously missing two hours before you need to submit your dissertation! 

Avoid accidental plagiarism

Plagiarism may cost you your postgraduate degree and it is important that you consciously avoid it when writing your thesis or dissertation. 

Occasionally, postgraduate students commit plagiarism unintentionally. This can happen when sections are copy and pasted from journal articles they are citing instead of simply rephrasing them. Whenever you are presenting information from another academic source, make sure you reference the source and avoid writing the statement exactly as it is written in the original paper.

What kind of format should your thesis have?

Read your university’s guidelines before you actually start writing your thesis so you don’t have to waste time changing the format further down the line. However in general, most universities will require you to use 1.5-2 line spacing, font size 12 for text, and to print your thesis on A4 paper. These formatting guidelines may not necessarily result in the most aesthetically appealing thesis, however beauty is not always practical, and a nice looking thesis can be a more tiring reading experience for your postgrad examiner .

When should I submit my thesis?

The length of time it takes to complete your MSc or MA thesis will vary from student to student. This is because people work at different speeds, projects vary in difficulty, and some projects encounter more problems than others. 

Obviously, you should submit your MSc thesis or MA thesis when it is finished! Every university will say in its regulations that it is the student who must decide when it is ready to submit. 

However, your supervisor will advise you whether your work is ready and you should take their advice on this. If your supervisor says that your work is not ready, then it is probably unwise to submit it. Usually your supervisor will read your final thesis or dissertation draft and will let you know what’s required before submitting your final draft.

Set yourself a target for completion. This will help you stay on track and avoid falling behind. You may also only have funding for the year, so it is important to ensure you submit your dissertation before the deadline – and also ensure you don’t miss out on your graduation ceremony ! 

To set your target date, work backwards from the final completion and submission date, and aim to have your final draft completed at least three months before that final date.

Don’t leave your submission until the last minute – submit your work in good time before the final deadline. Consider what else you’ll have going on around that time. Are you moving back home? Do you have a holiday? Do you have other plans?

If you need to have finished by the end of June to be able to go to a graduation ceremony in July, then you should leave a suitable amount of time for this. You can build this into your dissertation project planning at the start of your research.

It is important to remember that handing in your thesis or dissertation is not the end of your masters program . There will be a period of time of one to three months between the time you submit and your final day. Some courses may even require a viva to discuss your research project, though this is more common at PhD level . 

If you have passed, you will need to make arrangements for the thesis to be properly bound and resubmitted, which will take a week or two. You may also have minor corrections to make to the work, which could take up to a month or so. This means that you need to allow a period of at least three months between submitting your thesis and the time when your program will be completely finished. Of course, it is also possible you may be asked after the viva to do more work on your thesis and resubmit it before the examiners will agree to award the degree – so there may be an even longer time period before you have finished.

How do I submit the MA or MSc dissertation?

Most universities will have a clear procedure for submitting a masters dissertation. Some universities require your ‘intention to submit’. This notifies them that you are ready to submit and allows the university to appoint an external examiner.

This normally has to be completed at least three months before the date on which you think you will be ready to submit.

When your MA or MSc dissertation is ready, you will have to print several copies and have them bound. The number of copies varies between universities, but the university usually requires three – one for each of the examiners and one for your supervisor.

However, you will need one more copy – for yourself! These copies must be softbound, not hardbound. The theses you see on the library shelves will be bound in an impressive hardback cover, but you can only get your work bound like this once you have passed. 

You should submit your dissertation or thesis for examination in soft paper or card covers, and your university will give you detailed guidance on how it should be bound. They will also recommend places where you can get the work done.

The next stage is to hand in your work, in the way and to the place that is indicated in your university’s regulations. All you can do then is sit and wait for the examination – but submitting your thesis is often a time of great relief and celebration!

Some universities only require a digital submission, where you upload your dissertation as a file through their online submission system.

Related articles

What Is The Difference Between A Dissertation & A Thesis

How To Get The Most Out Of Your Writing At Postgraduate Level

Dos & Don'ts Of Academic Writing

Dispelling Dissertation Drama

Dissertation Proposal

Essay Tips For Out of Practice Postgrads

Choosing A Unique Dissertation Topic

How To Edit Your Own Postgraduate Writing

Basic Essay Writing Skills For Postgrads

Postgrad Solutions Study Bursaries

Exclusive bursaries Open day alerts Funding advice Application tips Latest PG news

Sign up now!

Take 2 minutes to sign up to PGS student services and reap the benefits…

• The chance to apply for one of our 5 PGS Bursaries worth £2,000 each
• Fantastic scholarship updates
• Latest PG news sent directly to you.

The Plagiarism Checker Online For Your Academic Work

Start Plagiarism Check

Editing & Proofreading for Your Research Paper

Get it proofread now

Online Printing & Binding with Free Express Delivery

Configure binding now

• Academic essay overview
• The writing process
• Structuring academic essays
• Types of academic essays
• Academic writing overview
• Sentence structure
• Academic writing process
• Improving your academic writing
• Titles and headings
• APA style overview
• APA citation & referencing
• APA structure & sections
• Citation & referencing
• Structure and sections
• APA examples overview
• Commonly used citations
• Other examples
• British English vs. American English
• Chicago style overview
• Chicago citation & referencing
• Chicago structure & sections
• Chicago style examples
• Citing sources overview
• Citation format
• Citation examples
• College essay overview
• Application
• How to write a college essay
• Types of college essays
• Commonly confused words
• Definitions
• Dissertation overview
• Dissertation structure & sections
• Dissertation writing process
• Graduate school overview
• Application & admission
• Study abroad
• Master degree
• Harvard referencing overview
• Language rules overview
• Grammatical rules & structures
• Parts of speech
• Punctuation
• Methodology overview
• Analyzing data
• Experiments
• Observations
• Inductive vs. Deductive
• Qualitative vs. Quantitative
• Types of validity
• Types of reliability
• Sampling methods
• Theories & Concepts
• Types of research studies
• Types of variables
• MLA style overview
• MLA examples
• MLA citation & referencing
• MLA structure & sections
• Plagiarism overview
• Plagiarism checker
• Types of plagiarism
• Printing production overview
• Research bias overview
• Types of research bias
• Example sections
• Types of research papers
• Research process overview
• Problem statement
• Research proposal
• Research topic
• Statistics overview
• Levels of measurment
• Frequency distribution
• Measures of central tendency
• Measures of variability
• Hypothesis testing
• Parameters & test statistics
• Types of distributions
• Correlation
• Effect size
• Hypothesis testing assumptions
• Types of ANOVAs
• Types of chi-square
• Statistical data
• Statistical models
• Spelling mistakes
• Tips overview
• Academic writing tips
• Dissertation tips
• Sources tips
• Working with sources overview
• Evaluating sources
• Finding sources
• Including sources
• Types of sources

Your Step to Success

Plagiarism Check within 10min

Printing & Binding with 3D Live Preview

Thesis – the guide to writing a good thesis

How do you like this article cancel reply.

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

Inhaltsverzeichnis

• 1 Thesis: Definition and Meaning
• 2 The Thesis Title
• 3 Table of Contents
• 4 Acknowledgement for thesis

Thesis: Definition and Meaning

A thesis is written as part of your course requirements at university. The document is based on the author’s research and findings and is used to show mastery of the profession in question. It is also a gauge of the student’s ability to plan, analyze, report and present a project. A bachelor’s thesis is usually written in the culmination of a bachelor’s program while the master’s thesis is written at the culmination of a master’s course. Both papers should be original documents written under the direction of the faculty advisor.

A thesis paper could be anything between 40 and 80 pages without counting the bibliography section. You are required to write your thesis in the last year of your course. Depending on the university policy and faculty, it may take about two semesters to complete your document.

The Thesis Title

If you write a thesis, the first thing you have to think about is the thesis title . The thesis title is the first thing the readers will come in contact with regardin your thesis. Therefore the audience should already get a brief insight of your thesis through the thesis title.

It is important that you find a thesis title that you are interested in. Furthermore the thesis title should be brief because too many words can dishearten some readers.

There is also a possibility to structure the thesis title as a question. For capturing the attention of the reader, the question must reflect the tone of the paper and predict content, so readers are not left wondering what the paper is about.

The main components of a thesis title are:

• Area of Interest
• Internal Consistency

Every thesis title is as different as the research it describes. The components mentioned above are only some fundamental factors every thesis title includes.

There are some mistakes which easily can be done like too much words or jagon. To avoid these mistakes you have to focus on the following principles :

• purpose of the study
• scope of the study
• techniques used for the study
• tone of the study

Would you like to know more about finding the perfect thesis title for your thesis? The following article will help you to find a suitable thesis title. This way:

Find your thesis title

Table of Contents

The table of contents is an important part of your academic thesis. It shows how your paper is organised. The table of contents shows the chapters , sections and their page numbers . To guarantee that your table of contents is formatted accurately, you should complete it at the end of your paper.

Although every table of contents looks different because it depends on your academic field, there is a general order of how it should look like approximately:

1. Title Page 2. Copyright / Statement of Originality 3. Abstract 4. Acknowledgement, Dedication and Preface (optional) 5. Table of Contents 6. List of Figures/Tables/Illustrations 7. Chapters 8. Appendices 9. Endnotes (depending on your formatting) 10. Bibliography / References

Consistancy and accuracy is the main key for writing a table of contents for your thesis. If you are using subheadings in one chapter, you have to use them in all of your chapters. Furthermore the page numbers must match the pages of your thesis.

In Microsoft Word you have the possibility to create a table of contents automatically.

You would like to know more about creating a table of contents for your thesis? The following article gives you more information about table of contents. This way:

Table of contents

Acknowledgement for thesis

There are many people who help you during writing your thesis. In the acknowledgement for thesis you show your appreciation to all of these people, institutions and perhaps companies. You don´t need to thank all people who helped you during writing your thesis. It is up to you who you mention in your acknowledgement.

Note that the acknowledgement for thesis is not a mandatory part of your thesis. If you want to include an acknowledgement in your thesis, it needs to be as professional as the thesis itself.

An acknowledgement for thesis has to be formal which means you should avoid being to emotional. Usually you do not use a first person voice in academic papers, but in the acknowledgement it is possible.

In the acknowledgement for thesis, you start with the most important person of your study. The length of your acknowledgement depends on how many people you want to thank. There is no standart length . Nevertheless you should keep it as short as possible.

Here are some good samples:

• I would like to express my gratitude to my main supervisor, Michael Brown, who guided me throughout this project. I would also like to thank my friends and family who supported me and offered deep insight into the study.
• I wish to acknowledge the help provided by the technical and support staff in the Economics department of the University of London. I would also like to show my deep appreciation to my supervisors who helped me finalize my project.

Would you like to know more about writing the perfect acknowledgement for thesis? The following article shows you how to write a good acknowledgement for thesis. This way:

How do you structure a thesis?

The thesis formatting can be broken down into 3 main parts.

Part 1: This part has your cover page, description page, table of contents and a list of figures and tables. Part 2: This part is the body of your thesis. It will contain your introduction, results and discussion. Part 3: The last part simply contains your references and appendicies.

How do you write a good thesis title?

The thesis title will frame what you’re going to be discussing in your paper. It’s important that the thesis title isn’t too vague, but also not too long. Generally, 10-15 words is the perfect amount to work with. Readers should be able to read your title and immediately have an idea of what your thesis is about, what the formatting will look like and the tone that your thesis will take.

What defines a good thesis introduction?

The thesis introduction should draw the reader in and evoke interest. It needs to describe the purpose or objectives of your thesis and mention the methods that you used to conduct your research. If you’re having difficulty writing your thesis introduction, try to write some of the body paragraphs before coming back to the introduction.

What is the purpose of the thesis statement?

The thesis statement provides a summary of the  main idea of the paper in 1-2 sentences. It tells the reader about your interpretation of the subject/issue and sets the tone for the paper. The thesis statement is usually placed towards the end of the introduction.

When should you design the table of contents for your thesis?

You should finalize your table of contents once you’ve completed your thesis. However, it’s a good idea to draw up a rough plan for your table of contents whilst you’re creating your thesis format. As you write your thesis and alter the structure, you can add and remove sections from your ‘mock’ table of contents.

We use cookies on our website. Some of them are essential, while others help us to improve this website and your experience.

• External Media

Individual Privacy Preferences

Cookie Details Privacy Policy Imprint

Here you will find an overview of all cookies used. You can give your consent to whole categories or display further information and select certain cookies.

Accept all Save

Essential cookies enable basic functions and are necessary for the proper function of the website.

Show Cookie Information Hide Cookie Information

Statistics cookies collect information anonymously. This information helps us to understand how our visitors use our website.

Content from video platforms and social media platforms is blocked by default. If External Media cookies are accepted, access to those contents no longer requires manual consent.

Privacy Policy Imprint

Introductions

What this handout is about.

This handout will explain the functions of introductions, offer strategies for creating effective introductions, and provide some examples of less effective introductions to avoid.

The role of introductions

Introductions and conclusions can be the most difficult parts of papers to write. Usually when you sit down to respond to an assignment, you have at least some sense of what you want to say in the body of your paper. You might have chosen a few examples you want to use or have an idea that will help you answer the main question of your assignment; these sections, therefore, may not be as hard to write. And it’s fine to write them first! But in your final draft, these middle parts of the paper can’t just come out of thin air; they need to be introduced and concluded in a way that makes sense to your reader.

Your introduction and conclusion act as bridges that transport your readers from their own lives into the “place” of your analysis. If your readers pick up your paper about education in the autobiography of Frederick Douglass, for example, they need a transition to help them leave behind the world of Chapel Hill, television, e-mail, and The Daily Tar Heel and to help them temporarily enter the world of nineteenth-century American slavery. By providing an introduction that helps your readers make a transition between their own world and the issues you will be writing about, you give your readers the tools they need to get into your topic and care about what you are saying. Similarly, once you’ve hooked your readers with the introduction and offered evidence to prove your thesis, your conclusion can provide a bridge to help your readers make the transition back to their daily lives. (See our handout on conclusions .)

Note that what constitutes a good introduction may vary widely based on the kind of paper you are writing and the academic discipline in which you are writing it. If you are uncertain what kind of introduction is expected, ask your instructor.

Why bother writing a good introduction?

You never get a second chance to make a first impression. The opening paragraph of your paper will provide your readers with their initial impressions of your argument, your writing style, and the overall quality of your work. A vague, disorganized, error-filled, off-the-wall, or boring introduction will probably create a negative impression. On the other hand, a concise, engaging, and well-written introduction will start your readers off thinking highly of you, your analytical skills, your writing, and your paper.

Your introduction is an important road map for the rest of your paper. Your introduction conveys a lot of information to your readers. You can let them know what your topic is, why it is important, and how you plan to proceed with your discussion. In many academic disciplines, your introduction should contain a thesis that will assert your main argument. Your introduction should also give the reader a sense of the kinds of information you will use to make that argument and the general organization of the paragraphs and pages that will follow. After reading your introduction, your readers should not have any major surprises in store when they read the main body of your paper.

Ideally, your introduction will make your readers want to read your paper. The introduction should capture your readers’ interest, making them want to read the rest of your paper. Opening with a compelling story, an interesting question, or a vivid example can get your readers to see why your topic matters and serve as an invitation for them to join you for an engaging intellectual conversation (remember, though, that these strategies may not be suitable for all papers and disciplines).

Strategies for writing an effective introduction

Start by thinking about the question (or questions) you are trying to answer. Your entire essay will be a response to this question, and your introduction is the first step toward that end. Your direct answer to the assigned question will be your thesis, and your thesis will likely be included in your introduction, so it is a good idea to use the question as a jumping off point. Imagine that you are assigned the following question:

Drawing on the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass , discuss the relationship between education and slavery in 19th-century America. Consider the following: How did white control of education reinforce slavery? How did Douglass and other enslaved African Americans view education while they endured slavery? And what role did education play in the acquisition of freedom? Most importantly, consider the degree to which education was or was not a major force for social change with regard to slavery.

You will probably refer back to your assignment extensively as you prepare your complete essay, and the prompt itself can also give you some clues about how to approach the introduction. Notice that it starts with a broad statement and then narrows to focus on specific questions from the book. One strategy might be to use a similar model in your own introduction—start off with a big picture sentence or two and then focus in on the details of your argument about Douglass. Of course, a different approach could also be very successful, but looking at the way the professor set up the question can sometimes give you some ideas for how you might answer it. (See our handout on understanding assignments for additional information on the hidden clues in assignments.)

Decide how general or broad your opening should be. Keep in mind that even a “big picture” opening needs to be clearly related to your topic; an opening sentence that said “Human beings, more than any other creatures on earth, are capable of learning” would be too broad for our sample assignment about slavery and education. If you have ever used Google Maps or similar programs, that experience can provide a helpful way of thinking about how broad your opening should be. Imagine that you’re researching Chapel Hill. If what you want to find out is whether Chapel Hill is at roughly the same latitude as Rome, it might make sense to hit that little “minus” sign on the online map until it has zoomed all the way out and you can see the whole globe. If you’re trying to figure out how to get from Chapel Hill to Wrightsville Beach, it might make more sense to zoom in to the level where you can see most of North Carolina (but not the rest of the world, or even the rest of the United States). And if you are looking for the intersection of Ridge Road and Manning Drive so that you can find the Writing Center’s main office, you may need to zoom all the way in. The question you are asking determines how “broad” your view should be. In the sample assignment above, the questions are probably at the “state” or “city” level of generality. When writing, you need to place your ideas in context—but that context doesn’t generally have to be as big as the whole galaxy!

Try writing your introduction last. You may think that you have to write your introduction first, but that isn’t necessarily true, and it isn’t always the most effective way to craft a good introduction. You may find that you don’t know precisely what you are going to argue at the beginning of the writing process. It is perfectly fine to start out thinking that you want to argue a particular point but wind up arguing something slightly or even dramatically different by the time you’ve written most of the paper. The writing process can be an important way to organize your ideas, think through complicated issues, refine your thoughts, and develop a sophisticated argument. However, an introduction written at the beginning of that discovery process will not necessarily reflect what you wind up with at the end. You will need to revise your paper to make sure that the introduction, all of the evidence, and the conclusion reflect the argument you intend. Sometimes it’s easiest to just write up all of your evidence first and then write the introduction last—that way you can be sure that the introduction will match the body of the paper.

Don’t be afraid to write a tentative introduction first and then change it later. Some people find that they need to write some kind of introduction in order to get the writing process started. That’s fine, but if you are one of those people, be sure to return to your initial introduction later and rewrite if necessary.

Open with something that will draw readers in. Consider these options (remembering that they may not be suitable for all kinds of papers):

• an intriguing example —for example, Douglass writes about a mistress who initially teaches him but then ceases her instruction as she learns more about slavery.
• a provocative quotation that is closely related to your argument —for example, Douglass writes that “education and slavery were incompatible with each other.” (Quotes from famous people, inspirational quotes, etc. may not work well for an academic paper; in this example, the quote is from the author himself.)
• a puzzling scenario —for example, Frederick Douglass says of slaves that “[N]othing has been left undone to cripple their intellects, darken their minds, debase their moral nature, obliterate all traces of their relationship to mankind; and yet how wonderfully they have sustained the mighty load of a most frightful bondage, under which they have been groaning for centuries!” Douglass clearly asserts that slave owners went to great lengths to destroy the mental capacities of slaves, yet his own life story proves that these efforts could be unsuccessful.
• a vivid and perhaps unexpected anecdote —for example, “Learning about slavery in the American history course at Frederick Douglass High School, students studied the work slaves did, the impact of slavery on their families, and the rules that governed their lives. We didn’t discuss education, however, until one student, Mary, raised her hand and asked, ‘But when did they go to school?’ That modern high school students could not conceive of an American childhood devoid of formal education speaks volumes about the centrality of education to American youth today and also suggests the significance of the deprivation of education in past generations.”
• a thought-provoking question —for example, given all of the freedoms that were denied enslaved individuals in the American South, why does Frederick Douglass focus his attentions so squarely on education and literacy?

Pay special attention to your first sentence. Start off on the right foot with your readers by making sure that the first sentence actually says something useful and that it does so in an interesting and polished way.

How to evaluate your introduction draft

Ask a friend to read your introduction and then tell you what they expect the paper will discuss, what kinds of evidence the paper will use, and what the tone of the paper will be. If your friend is able to predict the rest of your paper accurately, you probably have a good introduction.

Five kinds of less effective introductions

1. The placeholder introduction. When you don’t have much to say on a given topic, it is easy to create this kind of introduction. Essentially, this kind of weaker introduction contains several sentences that are vague and don’t really say much. They exist just to take up the “introduction space” in your paper. If you had something more effective to say, you would probably say it, but in the meantime this paragraph is just a place holder.

Example: Slavery was one of the greatest tragedies in American history. There were many different aspects of slavery. Each created different kinds of problems for enslaved people.

2. The restated question introduction. Restating the question can sometimes be an effective strategy, but it can be easy to stop at JUST restating the question instead of offering a more specific, interesting introduction to your paper. The professor or teaching assistant wrote your question and will be reading many essays in response to it—they do not need to read a whole paragraph that simply restates the question.

Example: The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass discusses the relationship between education and slavery in 19th century America, showing how white control of education reinforced slavery and how Douglass and other enslaved African Americans viewed education while they endured. Moreover, the book discusses the role that education played in the acquisition of freedom. Education was a major force for social change with regard to slavery.

3. The Webster’s Dictionary introduction. This introduction begins by giving the dictionary definition of one or more of the words in the assigned question. Anyone can look a word up in the dictionary and copy down what Webster says. If you want to open with a discussion of an important term, it may be far more interesting for you (and your reader) if you develop your own definition of the term in the specific context of your class and assignment. You may also be able to use a definition from one of the sources you’ve been reading for class. Also recognize that the dictionary is also not a particularly authoritative work—it doesn’t take into account the context of your course and doesn’t offer particularly detailed information. If you feel that you must seek out an authority, try to find one that is very relevant and specific. Perhaps a quotation from a source reading might prove better? Dictionary introductions are also ineffective simply because they are so overused. Instructors may see a great many papers that begin in this way, greatly decreasing the dramatic impact that any one of those papers will have.

Example: Webster’s dictionary defines slavery as “the state of being a slave,” as “the practice of owning slaves,” and as “a condition of hard work and subjection.”

4. The “dawn of man” introduction. This kind of introduction generally makes broad, sweeping statements about the relevance of this topic since the beginning of time, throughout the world, etc. It is usually very general (similar to the placeholder introduction) and fails to connect to the thesis. It may employ cliches—the phrases “the dawn of man” and “throughout human history” are examples, and it’s hard to imagine a time when starting with one of these would work. Instructors often find them extremely annoying.

Example: Since the dawn of man, slavery has been a problem in human history.

5. The book report introduction. This introduction is what you had to do for your elementary school book reports. It gives the name and author of the book you are writing about, tells what the book is about, and offers other basic facts about the book. You might resort to this sort of introduction when you are trying to fill space because it’s a familiar, comfortable format. It is ineffective because it offers details that your reader probably already knows and that are irrelevant to the thesis.

Example: Frederick Douglass wrote his autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave , in the 1840s. It was published in 1986 by Penguin Books. In it, he tells the story of his life.

And now for the conclusion…

Writing an effective introduction can be tough. Try playing around with several different options and choose the one that ends up sounding best to you!

Just as your introduction helps readers make the transition to your topic, your conclusion needs to help them return to their daily lives–but with a lasting sense of how what they have just read is useful or meaningful. Check out our handout on  conclusions for tips on ending your paper as effectively as you began it!

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Douglass, Frederick. 1995. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by Himself . New York: Dover.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Make a Gift

Developing an Implied Thesis Statement and Topic Sentences 

LESSON Different types of writing require different types of thesis statements A brief statement that identifies a writer's thoughts, opinions, or conclusions about a topic. Thesis statements bring unity to a piece of writing, giving it a focus and a purpose. You can use three questions to help form a thesis statement: What is my topic? What am I trying to say about that topic? Why is this important to me or my reader? . Most academic essays A formal writing that the author composes using research, a strong thesis, and supporting details in order to advance an idea or demonstrate understanding of a topic. require the writer to include a stated thesis statement A thesis statement that has been explicitly written in an article, essay, or other reading. while other pieces, such as personal narratives A story or account of events that is written or told. , allow the writer to use an implied thesis statement An indirect overall argument, idea, or belief that a writer uses as the basis of an essay or dissertation but is never stated directly in the writing. , one that is not directly stated but one that the reader can infer To reach a conclusion based on context and your own knowledge. from reading. Both types of thesis statements tell the reader the author A person who wrote a text. 's topic The subject of a reading. and purpose The reason the writer is writing about a topic. It is what the writer wants the reader to know, feel, or do after reading the work. for writing about it.

Both an implied and stated thesis in an academic essay may sound like this: Preparing a weekly schedule helps students to be successful because it allows them to structure their class and work schedules, plan ahead for busy periods, and build in some free time for themselves . Both types of thesis statements provide direction for the remainder of the essay. The difference is that as a stated thesis, the statement actually appears in the introduction The first paragraph of an essay. It must engage the reader, set the tone, provide background information, and present the thesis. of the essay. An implied thesis statement, on the other hand, does not appear in the essay at all.

The introductory paragraph The first paragraph of an essay. It must engage the reader, set the tone, provide background information, and present the thesis. written for a narrative using the above thesis as an implied thesis statement may sound like this:

My first week in college taught me many things about my new, busy schedule. I got caught up in socializing and missed a few important assignments. I also thought I could work more at my part-time job like I had during high school. I soon learned, however, that I needed to schedule my activities better in order to be successful.

An opening paragraph A selection of a writing that is made up of sentences formed around one main point. Paragraphs are set apart by a new line and sometimes indentation. like this one in a narrative does not come out and state the author's exact thesis. It does, however, provide similar direction for the reader, resulting in an implied thesis.

A narrative is a story that has a purpose for being told. In other words, when a writer chooses a topic for a narrative, he or she must have a reason for writing about it. For example, if you wanted to write about a significant event in your life by telling a story about how you got your first job, you would need to think about your audience reading the narrative and ask yourself, "What do I want my readers to take away from this story?"

Using a variety of starting strategies such as brainstorming A prewriting technique where the author lists multiple ideas as he or she thinks of them, not considering one more than another until all ideas are captured. The objective is to create one great idea, or many ideas, on which to base a writing. , listing ideas, freewriting A prewriting technique where the author begins writing without regard to spelling or grammar about ideas, topics, or even characters, descriptions of events, and settings. Often the writer will freewrite for a set period of time. The objective is to develop a storyline through the writing process itself. , clustering A prewriting technique where the author creates an informal visual layout of possible ideas, grouping them together. The objective is to create visual clusters of information on which to base a writing. , or webbing A prewriting technique where the author creates an informal visual layout of possible ideas and then draws lines to connect them into a type of "web." The objective is to see connections between events and characters. can help you to begin thinking about a topic. Then, you can ask yourself questions about your topic using the five "Ws and the H – who, what, where, when, why, and how" to gather more ideas to write about. From there, you can begin the writing process by writing one paragraph about your topic, including a clear topic sentence A group of words, phrases, or clauses that expresses a complete thought. A complete sentence has these characteristics: a capitalized first word, a subject and a predicate, and end punctuation, such as a period (.), question mark (?), or exclamation mark (!). . That paragraph should reveal the main points The most important idea in a paragraph. Main points support the main idea of a reading. you would like to expand on in multiple paragraphs. The topic sentence in the paragraph can be used as your implied thesis statement for a narrative essay.

To write an implied thesis statement in response to a narrative prompt Instructions for a writing assignment given by an instructor. , follow these steps:

Step 1: Brainstorm.

Brainstorm possible ideas from your life experience that could potentially answer or respond to the prompt.

Step 2: Choose a topic and write a paragraph.

Choose one of the topics and write a brief paragraph explaining how that particular topic applies to the prompt.

Step 3: Write an implied thesis statement.

Using the topic sentence of the paragraph as a guide, write an implied thesis statement that explains why the details of the paragraph are important.

Step 4: Develop the topic sentences.

Begin outlining A preliminary plan for a piece of a writing, often in the form of a list. It should include a topic, audience, purpose, thesis statement, and main and supporting points. the essay by developing topic sentences A sentence that contains the controlling idea for an entire paragraph and is typically the first sentence of the paragraph. from the supporting details in the paragraph. This ensures that the implied thesis works as the guiding idea for the narrative.

There are many approaches to writing a narrative essay, but using the steps above can help you respond effectively to a typical narrative prompt in a college class.

Sometimes it works better for writers to write an implied thesis statement instead of a stated one because of the nature of the content The text in a writing that includes facts, thoughts, and ideas. The information that forms the body of the work. . For example, a report including large amounts of data that seeks to persuade the reader to draw a certain conclusion would be more likely to include a stated thesis. However, a narrative essay that explains certain events in a person's life is more likely to include an implied thesis statement because the writer wants to engage the reader in a different way. College students are often asked to write narrative essays to make connections between their personal experiences and the content they are studying, and an implied thesis statement helps to organize narratives in the same way a stated thesis statement organizes other essays.

Let's examine the process of developing a narrative essay that includes an implied thesis statement.

Prompt from instructor:  Write about an important life lesson you have learned.

First, create a list of possible narrative essay topics from the prompt given by the instructor.

• A little kindness goes a long way.
• Being patient can bring rewards.
• I am a role model in everything I do.

Next, choose one of the ideas related to a life lesson to be your topic.

Topic: How I learned to be a role model in everything I do.

Now, begin to create the implied thesis using this topic. To do this, write a short paragraph describing how you will tell this narrative and what you learned or are trying to explain to the reader.

Narrative: I will tell the story of when I worked at the daycare center last summer. When I worked as a childcare assistant, I learned the children were watching me and would mimic my actions. This taught me to be careful of what I said and did because I learned that children act like those around them.

Now, write the implied thesis statement: "My experience at the daycare center taught me to always be a good role model because children are always watching."

From here, develop topic sentences that support the implied thesis statement for the paragraphs of the essay.

• Paragraph 1, Introduction, Topic Sentence:

"I learned many lessons when I worked at the community daycare center."

• Paragraph 2, Topic Sentence:

"My first day on the job was the most important of them all."

• Paragraph 3, Topic Sentence:

"Little Johnny taught me what it meant to be a bad role model for children."

• Paragraph 4, Topic Sentence:

"I changed my actions and saw immediate results with the children."

• Paragraph 5, Conclusion, Topic Sentence:

"I’ve worked at the daycare center for three summers now and continue to learn lessons from the children each year."

From here, a draft of the narrative essay can be created using the topic sentences.

Now, follow the process to choose a topic, write an implied thesis statement, and develop topic sentences that support the implied thesis statement for a potential narrative essay.

List three potential narrative topics from the following prompt:

Write about an important life lesson that you have learned.

Potential narrative topics

• Learning how to benefit from your failures creates success.

Patience leads to perfection.

• Real happiness comes not from things, but from giving and receiving love.

Step 2: Choose a topic and write a paragraph . 

From the list created in Step 1, choose one as your topic.

Write a three- to four-sentence paragraph about the topic.

I learned how to play the piano, but it took many years to develop this skill. I had to be patient to sit down and practice daily. I also had to be patient with myself to realize I would learn how to play the piano in time. Only through repeated practice can a person really perfect a talent. Therefore, patience is essential to perfection.

From the short paragraph above, write an implied thesis statement.

Implied Thesis Statement

I have learned that when developing a skill, patience leads to practice, and practice leads to perfection.

Develop topic sentences that would be used in a narrative essay to support the implied thesis statement.

Paragraph 1, Introduction, Topic Sentence

It took many years for me to learn how to play the piano when I was young. 

Paragraph 2, Topic Sentence

I had to be patient and practice every day, even when there seemed to be better things to do.

Paragraph 3, Topic Sentence

I also had to be patient with myself because I wanted to learn faster and become a modern-day Beethoven.

Paragraph 4, Conclusion, Topic Sentence

Repeated practice is how all perfection is achieved, even the perfection of genius.

How can an implied thesis statement be just as effective as a stated thesis? 

Sample Answer

Like a stated thesis, an implied thesis will include the topic and purpose of the piece of writing and will help the writer structure his or her supporting details.

Why do implied thesis statements work well in a narrative essay?

Narratives are about something personal that is happening to the writer. Sometimes it is more effective for a writer to draw the reader into the narrative. Doing so can create a stronger connection between the writer and the passage and can help the reader find the meaning by becoming personally connected with the piece.

Copyright ©2022 The NROC Project

Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Organization and Structure

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

There is no single organizational pattern that works well for all writing across all disciplines; rather, organization depends on what you’re writing, who you’re writing it for, and where your writing will be read. In order to communicate your ideas, you’ll need to use a logical and consistent organizational structure in all of your writing. We can think about organization at the global level (your entire paper or project) as well as at the local level (a chapter, section, or paragraph). For an American academic situation, this means that at all times, the goal of revising for organization and structure is to consciously design your writing projects to make them easy for readers to understand. In this context, you as the writer are always responsible for the reader's ability to understand your work; in other words, American academic writing is writer-responsible. A good goal is to make your writing accessible and comprehensible to someone who just reads sections of your writing rather than the entire piece. This handout provides strategies for revising your writing to help meet this goal.

Note that this resource focuses on writing for an American academic setting, specifically for graduate students. American academic writing is of course not the only standard for academic writing, and researchers around the globe will have different expectations for organization and structure. The OWL has some more resources about writing for American and international audiences here .

Whole-Essay Structure

While organization varies across and within disciplines, usually based on the genre, publication venue, and other rhetorical considerations of the writing, a great deal of academic writing can be described by the acronym IMRAD (or IMRaD): Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion. This structure is common across most of the sciences and is often used in the humanities for empirical research. This structure doesn't serve every purpose (for instance, it may be difficult to follow IMRAD in a proposal for a future study or in more exploratory writing in the humanities), and it is often tweaked or changed to fit a particular situation. Still, its wide use as a base for a great deal of scholarly writing makes it worthwhile to break down here.

• Introduction : What is the purpose of the study? What were the research questions? What necessary background information should the reader understand to help contextualize the study? (Some disciplines include their literature review section as part of the introduction; some give the literature review its own heading on the same level as the other sections, i.e., ILMRAD.) Some writers use the CARS model to help craft their introductions more effectively.
• Methods: What methods did the researchers use? How was the study conducted? If the study included participants, who were they, and how were they selected?
• Results : This section lists the data. What did the researchers find as a result of their experiments (or, if the research is not experimental, what did the researchers learn from the study)? How were the research questions answered?
• Discussion : This section places the data within the larger conversation of the field. What might the results mean? Do these results agree or disagree with other literature cited? What should researchers do in the future?

Depending on your discipline, this may be exactly the structure you should use in your writing; or, it may be a base that you can see under the surface of published pieces in your field, which then diverge from the IMRAD structure to meet the expectations of other scholars in the field. However, you should always check to see what's expected of you in a given situation; this might mean talking to the professor for your class, looking at a journal's submission guidelines, reading your field's style manual, examining published examples, or asking a trusted mentor. Every field is a little different.

Outlining & Reverse Outlining

One of the most effective ways to get your ideas organized is to write an outline. A traditional outline comes as the pre-writing or drafting stage of the writing process. As you make your outline, think about all of the concepts, topics, and ideas you will need to include in order to accomplish your goal for the piece of writing. This may also include important citations and key terms. Write down each of these, and then consider what information readers will need to know in order for each point to make sense. Try to arrange your ideas in a way that logically progresses, building from one key idea or point to the next.

Questions for Writing Outlines

• What are the main points I am trying to make in this piece of writing?
• What background information will my readers need to understand each point? What will novice readers vs. experienced readers need to know?
• In what order do I want to present my ideas? Most important to least important, or least important to most important? Chronologically? Most complex to least complex? According to categories? Another order?

Reverse outlining comes at the drafting or revision stage of the writing process. After you have a complete draft of your project (or a section of your project), work alone or with a partner to read your project with the goal of understanding the main points you have made and the relationship of these points to one another. The OWL has another resource about reverse outlining here.

Questions for Writing Reverse Outlines

• What topics are covered in this piece of writing?
• In what order are the ideas presented? Is this order logical for both novice and experienced readers?
• Is adequate background information provided for each point, making it easy to understand how one idea leads to the next?
• What other points might the author include to further develop the writing project?

Organizing at the sentence and paragraph level

Signposting.

Signposting is the practice of using language specifically designed to help orient readers of your text. We call it signposting because this practice is like leaving road signs for a driver — it tells your reader where to go and what to expect up ahead. Signposting includes the use of transitional words and phrasing, and they may be explicit or more subtle. For example, an explicit signpost might say:

This section will cover Topic A­­ and Topic B­­­­­.

A more subtle signpost might look like this:

It's important to consider the impact of Topic A­­ and Topic B­­­­­.

The style of signpost you use will depend on the genre of your paper, the discipline in which you are writing, and your or your readers’ personal preferences. Regardless of the style of signpost you select, it’s important to include signposts regularly. They occur most frequently at the beginnings and endings of sections of your paper. It is often helpful to include signposts at mid-points in your project in order to remind readers of where you are in your argument.

Questions for Identifying and Evaluating Signposts

• How and where does the author include a phrase, sentence, or short group of sentences that explains the purpose and contents of the paper?
• How does each section of the paper provide a brief summary of what was covered earlier in the paper?
• How does each section of the paper explain what will be covered in that section?
• How does the author use transitional words and phrases to guide readers through ideas (e.g. however, in addition, similarly, nevertheless, another, while, because, first, second, next, then etc.)?

WORKS CONSULTED

Clark, I. (2006). Writing the successful thesis and dissertation: Entering the conversation . Prentice Hall Press.

Davis, M., Davis, K. J., & Dunagan, M. (2012). Scientific papers and presentations . Academic press.