If you are just starting to learn how to write a Master’s thesis, the very first thing you will get to know is that it is important to come up with a central research argument and then elaborate it throughout the paper. As such, you will need to address all questions on the writing prompt logically and step-by-step.
When you are a graduate of a Master’s educational program, keep in mind that the Master’s thesis is one of the most serious and decisive pieces of writing. Should you need expert assistance, you are welcome to rely on Grand-Essays.com Master’s thesis writing service for help.
What Is a Master’s Thesis?
The very first thing that differentiates a Master’s thesis from an undergraduate thesis is that the latter is shorter when it comes to the research scope and length. When you work on a Master’s thesis, be prepared to conduct extensive research, where you will thoroughly investigate the given topic, elaborate on the core issues, and demonstrate the theoretical and practical skills you have acquired over the Master’s program. Thesis papers are a must of the curriculum in degrees that are research-oriented.
The type of writing and the way of topic development also vary across disciplines. Specifically, when you prepare a Master’s thesis in Psychology, for example, you may investigate the impact of certain colors on people’s moods, the role music and art play in the process of trauma healing, etc. When you are working on a thesis paper in the sphere of education, you may have to research some new teaching strategy and write about it. An important fact is that, depending on the subject area, the admission committee or your supervisor will evaluate the bulk of your paper differently.
You need to start your research project by coming up with a thesis statement. Specifically, it should perform the following functions:
- organize the argument so that it could be further developed;
- help prove your research hypothesis in writing;
- provide clear guidelines for your target audience.
The success of your thesis paper depends on how well you managed to develop ideas put forward in the thesis statement. After the work is completed, you will have to provide a presentation of your findings and defend it in front of the committee.
Difference Between a Thesis and a Research Paper
A Master’s thesis has the aim of revealing the candidate’s skills and capabilities within the given scope of research. Besides, when one is working on a Master’s thesis, it is essential to demonstrate research skills as well as the ability to analyze information critically. More so, one should be acquainted with collecting and processing different types of literature sources for review. An underlying purpose is to provide original research and contribute to the research field with your findings. You need to be well-versed in the methodology that could be most effectively used for researching your given topic. On average, a Master’s thesis should range from 20,000 to 25,000 words in length, which means that it should be from 100 to 130 pages.
Not every research paper is a thesis, but every thesis is a research paper. An ordinary research project that can be assigned midterm is shorter than a thesis paper. In general, it takes significantly less time to complete a research paper. It does not necessarily have to bring some contribution to the relevant field of study, but it should demonstrate specific methodology and present extensive research. Research papers are frequently assigned so that students learn how to work independently and how to process scholarly materials. Research projects may range from 10,000 to 15,000 words in length, and thus be 50 or 60 pages.
How to Choose a Topic?
- Pick a topic that you are interested in or passionate about. Keep in mind that, if you pick a topic that bores you, it will be immensely difficult to work on the topic for a long period of time.
- Come up with a thesis question. The question should be clear and specific so that it can generate discussion and boost the process of conducting research. When addressing the central question, you need to sound argumentative and convincing in nature.
- Carry out the research. To address the question, extensive research is needed. So, rely on credible scholarly sources, discuss and analyze them, conduct experiments, and perform any other steps needed for elaborating the thesis question.
Compose Your Bibliography
It is essential to use scholarly sources and rely specifically on those that are credible and trustworthy. You need to compose the reference or bibliography list consistently as you work on the research. For example, always remember to indicate the names of sources and authors when you take some notes. If you do not do it gradually as you move through the research, it may be hard to remember them after that hence more possibility for making mistakes or plagiarizing.
Take Notes While Reviewing Literature
Have you ever heard about the forgetting curve? It’s what happens to you if you ignore the note-taking process. To put it simply, a forgetting curve demonstrates the amount of information that is forgotten as time passes. It depends on a person how steep or smooth this forgetting curve is. Some people tend to forget within hours or days, whereas others within months. So, if you do not want your literature review to be in vain, take notes throughout the research process.
Organize the notes from each of the sources you take in an Excel spreadsheet or some list. These techniques can be helpful for further tracking the information. Specifically, you may include the following:
- Dates of publication.
- Authors’ names.
- Titles of works.
- Places of publication.
- Research methodology utilized.
- Key ideas or quotations.
- Main findings.
With the help of your notes, you could keep track of the information you collect. Besides, you could easily go back to specific sources for some additional review.
Thesis Writing: The Pace of Work and the Importance of Breaks
When it comes to thesis writing, do not expect a quick process. If you start working too quickly and extensively, you may quickly exert yourself. So, take a moderate pace of working and remember about taking frequent breaks and recharging your batteries. Whatever you cannot remember quickly, jot it down.
When taking pauses throughout the process, try to have some fun, go for a walk, let your eyes rest, do some physical exercises, etc. Try to split the whole amount of work into milestones and gratify each achieved milestone with a break.
Break Your Thesis Writing Process into Stages
Just same way as a thesis project has chapters, the writing process should have stages. Specifically, one of the first stages relates to selecting the topic and collecting ideas.
Second, you need to review and analyze the data. Third, you need to write everything and structure the information logically. Last but not the least, you have to review, edit, and proofread the paper.
When you collect ideas, try to follow the brainstorming approach – you just write down all ideas that come to your mind without applying any critique. Just follow your creativity. When you analyze the data and write the very paper, try to be logical, clear, and consistent. Finally, when you are in the editing phase, you need to thoroughly review the paper.
