How to Write a Thesis

How to Write Your Thesis

compiled by Kim Kastens, Stephanie Pfirman, Martin Stute, Bill Hahn, Dallas Abbott, and Chris Scholz

I. Thesis structure

II. Crosscutting Issues

III. Editing Your Thesis

Title Page

What We Are Looking For

Copy Editing

Abstract

Planning Ahead for Your Thesis

Content Editing

Table of Contents

Writing for an Audience

Avoiding Ambiguity

List of Figures

Skimming vs. Reading

Thesis Length

List of Tables

Order of Writing

Writing for an International Audience

Introduction

Figures and Tables

Methods

Tying the Text to the Data

Results

Giving Credit

Discussion

Final Thesis

Conclusions

Resources

Recommendations

Acknowledgments

References

Appendices

I. Thesis structure

Title Page

Title (including subtitle), author, institution, department, date of delivery, research mentor(s) and advisor, their instututions and email adresses

Abstract

• A good abstract explains in one line why the paper is important. It then goes on to give a summary of your major results, preferably couched in numbers with error limits. The final sentences explain the major implications of your work. A good abstract is concise, readable, and quantitative.

• Length should be