Thesis structure and content Part 1

The Thesis Proposal

Points to keep in mind:

Research is a process which involves a lot of thinking, planning and writing. It is advisable to think about
topics that interest you at the beginning of your program. You must also find a faculty member who can
serve as your adviser and help you choose the committee members.⌋

In general, the first three chapters of your proposal are the Introduction, Literature Review and
Methodology. Take note of the following verb tenses when writing your chapters:

Chapter 1 - Simple present and future tense

Chapter 2 - Present but mostly past

Chapter 3 - Present but mostly future

The first chapter of a proposal consists of several subheadings or sections like introduction, statement of
the problem, scope and delimitations, significance of the study, assumtions/hypothesis (optional).
Discuss with your adviser as to which section should be omitted or added.

Subheadings and what they mean:

Introduction – What is the context of this problem? In what situation or environment can it be
observed? (Provide sufficient information for the readers to understand the topic you are researching
about.)

- tell the readers briefly about the problem you are planning to investigate. Start with sentences that are
simple enough to understand even for those who are not exactly experts in the topic. Begin with
presenting a broad perspective of the problem or issue and ‘gently’ ease the reader into problem
statement.

Statement of the Problem - What is it that you want to find out? (a question that’s broad enough to
stimulate your interest and narrow enough that you can provide a convincing answer)
-A Research Question is a question that focuses your study and stipulates the interaction between
variables. It could also be stated as a statement. It should be narrow enough and researchable within
the time frame and have available resources.

Example of Research Questions:

Which leadership style is associated with staff satisfaction?

Is there a difference is job satisfaction between women and men staff?

Is there a difference is how more experienced and less experienced staff perceive leadership style?

*Hypotheses – What ideas are suggested as possible explanation for the problem, situation or condition
and will be proved to be correct or incorrect by the research?

Scope and delimitations – this are two elements of a research paper or thesis. The scope of a study
explains the extent to which the research area will be explored in the work and specifies the parameters
within which the study will be operating.

For example, let's say a researcher wants to study the impact of mobile phones on behavior
patterns of elementary school children. However, it is not possible for the researcher to cover every
aspect of the topic. So the scope will have to be narrowed down to a certain section of the target
population. In this case, the scope might be narrowed down to a group of 50 children in grades 3-5 of
one specific school. Their behavior patterns in school may have been observed for a duration of 6
months. These would form the delimitations of the study.

Thus, delimitations are the characteristics that limit the scope and describe the boundaries of
the study, such as the sample size, geographical location or setting in which the study takes place,
population traits, etc. Additionally, the researcher might also choose to use some research tools and
methodologies to collect data but not others. These delimitations might be imposed for practical
reasons, such as lack of time or financial resources to carry out a more thorough investigation. The
delimitation section of the study should explain why specific choices were made while others were
excluded and how this might affect the outcome of the research.

In the example mentioned above, the researcher might state why he/she chose to study a
sample population of 50 students, why he/she selected students from Grades 3-5 and not grades 1-2,
and why he/she chose students of Billabong Elementary Public School over other schools.

*Scope of the Study – Is the study limited to a specific geographical area or people, or to only certain
aspects of the situation? Is there any aspect of the problem the researcher will not discuss?
Significance of the Study - The Significance of the Study presents the importance of your research. It
gives you an opportunity to prove the study’s impact on your field of research, the new knowledge it
contributes, and the people who will benefit from it.

How to Write Significance of the Study: 5 Steps.

1. Use your research problem as a starting point.

Your problem statement itself can provide clues to what outcome your research study will achieve and
who will benefit from it2.

Ask yourself “How will the answers to my research problem be beneficial?”. In this manner, you will
have an idea of how valuable it is to conduct your study.

2. State how your research will contribute to the existing literature in the field.

Think of the things that were not explored by previous studies. Then, write how your research tackles
those unexplored areas. Through this, you can convince your readers that you are studying something
new and adding value to the field.

3. Explain how your research will benefit society.

In this part, tell how your research will impact society. Think of how the results of your research will
change something in your community.

For example, in the study about the use of lemongrass tea in lowering blood glucose levels, you may
indicate that through your research, the community will be able to realize the significance of lemongrass
and other herbal plants. As a result, the community will be encouraged to promote the cultivation and
use of medicinal plants.

4. Mention the specific persons or institutions who will benefit from your study.

Using the same example above, you may indicate that the results of this research will benefit those
people who are looking for an alternative supplement to prevent high blood glucose levels.

5. Indicate how your study may help future studies in the field.

You must also specifically indicate how your research will be part of the literature of the field you are
studying and how it will benefit future researchers. In our example above, you may indicate that
through the data and analysis that your research will provide, future researchers may explore other
capabilities of herbal plants in preventing different diseases.

Tips and Warnings.

Think ahead. By visualizing your study being in its complete form, it will be easier for you to connect the
dots and identify the beneficiaries of your study.

Write concisely. Make it straightforward, clear, and easy to understand so that the readers will
appreciate the benefits of your research. Avoid making it too long and wordy.

Go from general to specific. Like an inverted pyramid, you start from above by discussing the general
contribution of your study and become more specific as you go along. For instance, if your research is
about the effect of remote learning setup on the mental health of college students of a certain
university, you may start by discussing the benefits of the research to the society, to the educational
institution, to the learning facilitators, and finally, to the students.

Revise, revise, revise. Be ready to apply necessary changes to your research on the fly. Whether it’s the
respondents or variables involved in your study, there will be unexpected things that will require your
adaptability. There’s always room for improvement so never assume your work is done until you have
reached the finish line.

Significance of the Study Examples.

This section presents examples of Significance of the Study using the steps and guidelines presented
above.

Example 1: STEM-Related Research.

Research Topic: Level of Effectiveness of the Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) Tea in Lowering the
Blood Glucose Level of Swiss Mice (Mus musculus).

Significance of the Study.

This research will provide new insights into the medicinal benefit of lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus)
specifically on its hypoglycemic ability.

Through this research, the community will further realize promoting the use of medicinal plants,
especially lemongrass, as a preventive measure against various diseases. People and medical institutions
may also consider lemongrass tea as an alternative supplement against hyperglycemia.

Moreover, the analysis that is presented in this study will convey valuable information for future
research that will explore the various medicinal benefits of lemongrass and other medicinal plants.

https://languages.ait.ac.th/home-thesis-structure-and-content-part-1/

http://valmikiacademy.com/lessons/writing-chapter-1-introduction/

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