We explain what a thesis is and what the structure of this research work is like. Also, some thesis topics and what a thesis is.
What is a thesis?
A thesis is understood, in the academic world, to a research work, usually monographic or investigativewhich consists of a dissertation and verification of previously established hypotheses, to demonstrate analytical capacity and the management of research procedures.
Most academic degrees are awarded after the preparation, defense and approval of a degree thesis. Its preparation usually involves months of investigative work in a specific area of knowledge, presented in a document of around one hundred to one hundred and fifty pages, where the procedure is detailed and the results are shown, using graphs or support material if necessary.
However, in a thesis also There is room for the author's own opinions and elaborations.so it is an original written work, which makes a specific contribution to the field of organized knowledge.
Its name comes from the Greek word for “proposition.” thesis. Scientific arguments were known by this name in ancient times, and it is preserved today despite the fact that the appearance of the scientific method during the European Renaissance forever modified the way we conceive science and knowledge.
Structure of a thesis
Although its characteristics vary according to the field of research addressed, a thesis is usually structured as follows:
- Preliminaries. Everything that precedes the research itself, such as the cover, the summary of the research (for references), the content indexes, the dedication, acknowledgments and, finally, a general introduction to the topic that is proposed to be addressed.
- Background. A contextual explanation regarding the state of the matter at the time of starting the research work, taking into account what was said by previous authors and results of previous research.
- Methodology used. Which explains what data and sources were used, what research or experimentation methods, depending on the field, and what is the theoretical framework or central hypothesis of the research.
- Results. Here the author's own results are presented, with their respective analyzes to find out what they mean, what they say, and a discussion that eventually leads to conclusions.
- Conclusions and limitations. Where the contributions of research to the field of specific knowledge are explained, and warnings for future researchers.
- Bibliographic references. The books and materials consulted throughout the research are detailed here with all their complete editorial data.
- Appendices. All tables, graphs, images, charts, etc. are ordered in this segment. that help understand the results.
Thesis topics
Choosing a thesis topic is the first essential step to complete it. A researcher must be very clear about the direction he is aiming for and the hypotheses he intends to question or demonstrate. For this, the most common recommendations are:
- A topic that is passionate. This is elementary: if your thesis topic bores you, it will bore you even more to endure it for a hundred pages, and it will bore those who read it even more. Passion and commitment are essential when writing a thesis.
- Define the topic well. Delimiting what is going to be studied is vital. The topics can be very broad and diverse, and generalities are not enough to stand on solid ground.
- Review the background well. It may be that previous research has already done what you propose, but differently, or that it gives you a novel approach to the topic, or that it shows you that it is not really what you want. The first thing is to see what there is about it.
- Consider professional input. You should be able to talk about your thesis topic in the future, without feeling that you wasted your time or that it was a whim that has nothing to do with your future professional development.
Thesis and dissertation
Both theses and dissertations are investigations expressed in writing through a monographic document and with the aspiration of contributing something to the field of studies or at least demonstrating the knowledge acquired and its implementation into practice.
The thesis, however, is usually much less demanding, complex and extensive. than a thesis, devoid of the need for step-by-step demonstration of the procedure, and with a much more limited approach. An ordinary dissertation does not exceed twenty or thirty pages, while a thesis easily exceeds one hundred.
Thesis Examples
- Example 1: “Theoretical-methodological proposal to evaluate archive services based on a user study. Unit of analysis: municipal archives. By Silvia Acosta, Elia Íncer and Adriana Mena. Presented to the University of Costa Rica, to obtain the degree of Bachelor of History. Costa Rica, 2006.
- Example 2: “Poverty, socialization and social mobility.” By Sonia Rocha Reza. Presented to the Universidad Iberoamericana to obtain the title of Doctor of Research in Psychology. Mexico, 2007.
- Example 3: “Foundation and design of a socio-educational intervention model from a constructivist perspective, for its application in productive or service organizations. Study of its application and observation of its impact on a company.” By Jorge Leiva Cabanillas. Presented to the Ramón Llull University, to obtain the title of Doctor in psychology. Spain, s/f.
