WRITING ACADEMIC RESEARCH THESIS

1. TITLE PAGE
2. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
3. ABSTRACT
4. TABLE OF CONTENTS (Page # before introduction should be in i, ii… and after introduction in 1, 2…)
5. LIST OF TABLES
6. LIST OF FIGURES
7. LIST OF ILLUSTRATION
8. INTRODUCTION
I. Back ground / Preamble
A. Opening about your topic
B. The Overview of the area under study
C. Historical development
D. Philosophical or ideological issues related to the topic
E. Major theories (if any) / few selected theories if the topic is broad
F. Main issues / advantages in the area / Important practical issues
G. Major findings related to the core issues
II. The Problem Statement
A. Identify the issues that are the basis of the current study
B. Specify the various aspects of / Prospective on these issues
C. Raise some the main questions that you want to answer through
your study
D. Identify what knowledge is available concerning your question
E. Develop a rationale for your study with particular references how
your study will till the identified gap
III. Objective of the Study / Purpose of the study
A. Provide the main objective(s) of your study
B. Provide the sub-objectives of your study
C. Use action oriented word like: to determine, to identify, to ascertain
etc.
D. May be written in paragraph from or bullets for different objectives.
E. This will basically answer what this study would accomplish not why
IV. Justification
 A. Specify the reasons of your study
B. Identify stake holders (direct and related) and their benefits
V. Limitation
A. What this study will not accomplish
B. Under what circumstances / conditions / setting the results will be
applicable
C. Reasons of these limitations
VI. Scope
A. To what extent this study will be conducted
B. To what conditions / setting the results can be generalized /
applicable
VII. Assumption
A. State all the assumption you have taken to conduct this study
VIII. Definition of Key terms
A. Define key terms / Special terms / Specific terms
B. Explain acronyms used in your study
9. REVIEW OF RELATED LITRATURE AND STUDIES
I. Related literature
II. Related studies
III. Conceptual frame work / Theoretical frame work
IV. Hypothesis
A. State specific hypotheses included in your study or you wish to test
during your research
B. Hypotheses should be stated clearly delineating the relationships to
the objectives to be tested
10. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
I. Research design
A. Indicates what type of study will you use (qualitative / quantitative
etc.)
II. Procedure
A. How will you accomplish this study?
B. Your specific steps / method
III. Population
A. Frame of reference / entire population under consideration
(Homogeneous / Heterogeneous)
 B. Specific characteristic(s) related to your study
IV. Sample and Sampling method
A. Sampling method and its justification to use
B. Sample size and why this specific size
V. Measurement / Instrument selection
A. Data collection (Primary / Secondary)
B. Methods of data collection (focus group, Survey, Experiments etc.)
VI. Variables
A. Define different variables used in this study
B. How these variables will be measured
VII. Plan of analysis / Statistical tools
A. Plan of statistical analysis (descriptive stats. Different test statistics)
B. Parametric or non parametric, univariate or multivariate statistics to
be employed
C. Specific testing or analysis tools to be used
VIII. Software employed
A. Spreadsheet / SPSS / SAS / Minitab etc.
IX. Research Schedule
A. Time frame / Schedule
11. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
12. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMONDATIONS
13. FUTURE RESEARCH
14. REFERENCES
I. Provide all stated in literature review references. This may include books /
magazines / journals / reports / websites etc.
15. BIBLIOGRAPHY
I. Provide all consulted references either stated in literature review or not.
This may include books / magazines / journals / reports / websites etc.
16. APPENDIX
I. It contains any specific document like draft / selected questionnaire you
would like to attach
 WRITING ACADEMIC RESEARCH PROPOSAL
INTRODUCTION
 Back ground / Preamble
o Opening about your topic
o The Overview of the area under study
o Historical development
o Philosophical or ideological issues related to the topic
o Major theories (if any) / few selected theories if the topic is broad
o Main issues / advantages in the area / Important practical issues
o Major findings related to the core issues
 The Problem Statement
o Identify the issues that are the basis of the current study
o Specify the various aspects of / Prospective on these issues
o Raise some the main questions that you want to answer through
your study
o Identify what knowledge is available concerning your question
o Develop a rationale for your study with particular references how
your study will till the identified gap
 Objective of the Study / Purpose of the study
o Provide the main objective(s) of your study
o Provide the sub-objectives of your study
o Use action oriented word like: to determine, to identify, to ascertain
etc.
o May be written in paragraph from or bullets for different objectives.
o This will basically answer what this study would accomplish not why
 Justification
o Specify the reasons of your study
o Identify stake holders (direct and related) and their benefits
 Limitation
o What this study will not accomplish
o Under what circumstances / conditions / setting the results will be
applicable
o Reasons of these limitations
 Scope
 o To what extent this study will be conducted
o To what conditions / setting the results can be generalized /
applicable
 Assumption
o State all the assumption you have taken to conduct this study
 Definition of Key terms
o Define key terms / Special terms / Specific terms
o Explain acronyms used in your study

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
 Research design
o Indicates what type of study will you use (qualitative / quantitative
etc.)
 Procedure
o How will you accomplish this study?
o Your specific steps / method
 Population
o Frame of reference / entire population under consideration
(Homogeneous / Heterogeneous)
o Specific characteristic(s) related to your study
 Sample and Sampling method
o Sampling method and its justification to use
o Sample size and why this specific size
 Measurement / Instrument selection
o Data collection (Primary / Secondary)
o Methods of data collection (focus group, Survey, Experiments etc.)
 Variables
o Define different variables used in this study
o How these variables will be measured
 Hypothesis
o State specific hypotheses included in your study or you wish to test
during your research
o Hypotheses should be stated clearly delineating the relationships to
the objectives to be tested
  Plan of analysis / Statistical tools
o Plan of statistical analysis (descriptive stats. Different test statistics)
o Parametric or non parametric, univariate or multivariate statistics to
be employed
o Specific testing or analysis tools to be used
 Software employed
o Spreadsheet / SPSS / SAS / Minitab etc.
 Research Schedule
o Time frame / Schedule

REFERENCES
 Provide all consulted references. This may include books / magazines /
journals / reports / websites etc.

APPENDIX
 It contains any specific document like draft / selected questionnaire you
would like to attach