FORBES COLLEGE INC.

Legazpi City

A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO THESIS WRITING

A MODULAR APPROACH

JACK A. MACEDA
Instructor/Module Developer
FORBES COLLEGE

INTRODUCTION

This Thesis Writing Guide is intended for students who are bent on writing a thesis but finds it
difficult to do so. So if you think thesis writing is easy for you, don’t bother reading this guide.

This is a product of years of my experience both as a researcher and as Thesis Adviser among
my students. Since the time I have accepted thesis advising, I have been plagued with various
questions on how to write a thesis. From the introduction all the way down to the conclusions
and recommendations. I told them that it is being taught in Methods of Research subject but they
replied it actually didn’t help much since what is being taught are theories about basic research,
types, etc., but meager on things about how to practically write a thesis, and useful information
on what to write. Reading methods of research books and published thesis guides won’t help that
much either for the same reasons. Moreover, the complex verbosity of research books added to
the difficulty of understanding them by first time research writers.

The idea of writing a thesis writing guide came to mind a few years back as seemingly endless
questions and consultations pour from my advisees. The idea is simple, to make a thesis writing
guide as simple as possible that can be understood by the average student. In writing this guide,
I tried to be as stripped to basics as possible with the contents. I tried to use words that are
easily understood, provided examples and some useful tips to be an effective thesis writer.
Although each educational institution has their respective thesis formats adopted but the contents
in this guide can fit to any format. Sometimes it is merely the titles that change in the format but
the essence is basically the same. In addition, this guide can also be adopted in any field that
requires thesis from their students.

I have accumulated these materials through years of research and experience as a writer of
researches presented in research forums and as an adviser among undergraduate students in
their thesis writing. I should have had written this guide earlier but due to my difficulty in finding
ample time to write, it is only now that I have completed this humble work.

This Thesis Writing Guide is far from perfect but it will be of great help to those who find difficulty
in research or thesis writing. Furthermore, it follows the thesis format that we will adopt in your
undergraduate researches, and discusses each component chapter by chapter for your
convenience.

2
A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO THESIS WRITING JACK A. MACEDA
FORBES COLLEGE

THE DILEMMA OF THESIS WRITING

Aspects of Thesis Writing

Thesis writing is perhaps the most challenging task in most of a student’s academic life. This
unlikely paradox has posed a challenge in my mind, not as a writer, but as an educator trying to
understand why most students find thesis writing a monstrosity bordering travesty. In fact, an
undergraduate student of one state university had even conducted a thesis on thesis writing and
found out that it is not an important and necessary task at all. In over a decade in the academe,
I have watched students struggle, strive and even literally shed tears on writing a thesis. Why is
this so? Is thesis writing really that hard? To answer these questions, we must examine some
factors in thesis writing. There are certain aspects that have to be considered in thesis writing.
These aspects may be classified under two (2) types: Personal Aptitudes and External Factors.

Personal Aptitudes

One such aspect is the personal aptitudes of an individual, since writing is not just really as simple
as it sounds. Personal aptitudes are the individual’s acquired capabilities to accomplish the task
of writing a thesis. It includes the person’s English vocabulary, knowledge, discipline and the
mindset to write.

The ability to capture the person’s ideas and concepts in the thesis is accomplished through one’s
vocabulary. It is the ability to put in words the essence of ideas and concepts in order that these
ideas and concepts are communicated through the thesis. Perhaps it is one of the paramount
concern of students (which is ironically the downfall of many), and is the reason why most
students find thesis writing a monstrosity. The verbosity of laying down ideas is, in my opinion,
the most burdensome task of most thesis writers. In my experience as an adviser and thesis
panel, this weakness is obviously recognizable. This however is not a hopeless case since it may
be remedied through study and proper diligence. One might ask; how do I improve my
vocabulary? The answer is simple, study hard. Pay attention to advanced English, grammar and
composition courses which is often offered in the first two years of college life. This unfortunately
is often ignored or overlooked by many students. In addition, habitual reading of English materials
such as Encyclopedia, Dictionaries, Books, Novels, Journals, Newspapers, literary pieces and even
music lyrics are great aid in enhancing the English vocabulary.

One’s knowledge is a factor in crystalizing and expounding the subject of thesis writing. Certainly,
one cannot write anything over something which one does not know about. One’s awareness and
understanding of a phenomenon is a key factor, not only in the writing process but likewise in
the conceptualizing and planning of what to write about. Choosing a subject for thesis writing
requires knowledge, in the same way that writing about it would require even more knowledge.
One’s knowledge may be enhanced in various ways. Through diligent reading of various topical
materials such as documentaries, fact books, general references, specialized books, etc. In these
day and age where information is readily available to those who seek it, enhancing knowledge is
not a difficult task. Research and the conviction to make it work play a very important role in
enhancing knowledge.

Discipline is another crucial element in thesis writing. That is, the conviction to accomplish the
task of writing a thesis. Most students today are pre-occupied with various indulgences that make

3
A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO THESIS WRITING JACK A. MACEDA
FORBES COLLEGE

them take thesis writing less seriously. It seemed that they now devote more time over activities
that promise short-lived fun than those which have definitive and fruitful results. This dilemma
posed grave implications to the academic activities of students, especially in thesis writing. Thesis
writing demands quality time and patience for its accomplishment. In other words, one cannot
successfully write a thesis without devoting one’s time, patience and effort. It is in this that
discipline plays a significant role.

Thesis writing likewise requires focus and deeper concentration in order to be accomplished. It is
the mindset to write a thesis that perhaps spells the success of such undertaking. For without the
unfettered mindset to accomplish such task, all will be in disarray. The mindset to write a thesis
is the definitive goal or objective of coming up with an academic paper that in a way determine
the path to that coveted diploma. This being the case, writing a thesis has to be dealt with utmost
seriousness and conviction by students as if their lives depended on it. It is the mindset that
perhaps would work in most students encumbered with the task of thesis writing.

External Factors

Another aspect is that of external factors. External factors are the circumstances outside of the
individual’s abilities that influence thesis writing. Such factors include familiarity on the different
aspects of a thesis, the contents of a thesis, how to organize them, and what needs to be done
to write a good thesis.

One cannot write a thesis unless one is familiar with its aspects. No matter what format is adopted
by the educational institution, thesis basically has universal aspects that comprise it. Among these
is the abstract, introduction, statement of the problem, scope and delimitation, literature and
studies review, statistics and methods used, interpretation and analysis, summary, findings,
conclusions and recommendations, among others. Familiarities of these compositions are
essential in the successful thesis writing. It is therefore advised that one must understand these
different aspects. It may be familiarized through lectures aided by a competent instructor or
through reading of reference materials in research methods and writing.

Okay, so now one is already familiar with the aspects of a thesis, the next question will be what
you are going to write in it. In the introduction for example, just what exactly is necessary for an
introduction? The know-how of the contents of a thesis is another factor for writing a good thesis.
The accomplishment of such task is discussed in detail in this Guide.

How to organize the thesis is another important factor in writing a good research. Mere
familiarization of the aspects and contents will not suffice nor guarantee that one can write a
good thesis. It is the organization of the contents that makes it more successful. In the
introduction for example, even if you know what needs to be written in it, but if you do not know
how to organize it, chances are you will be making a very poor introduction for your thesis. This
module provides a useful discussion of thesis contents organization.

Another factor that is often overlooked in thesis writing lectures are the things that needs to be
done in writing a thesis. It is to be noted that thesis writing requires preparation. One cannot
write a thesis by just sitting in front of a computer with a blank document and expect for the
information to write to fall out of thin air. Before writing a thesis, one must already have
something in mind to write about, a topic so to speak. Topics don’t just fall from air either,

4
A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO THESIS WRITING JACK A. MACEDA
FORBES COLLEGE

although it may be thought of individually without reference to other studies or information but
it would be better if preliminary research or reading of materials in the area of the topic is done
before settling on a particular topic to write. In other words, preliminary readings on various areas
would help enhance the idea for a topic to write about. One of the many advantages of doing a
preliminary research or reading is to avoid duplication of research topic, thus saving the time and
effort in writing on a topic that may later be abandoned due to duplication because of previous
researches that have been done on the same topic that may be found out later.

Tips in Choosing a Topic

A good research depends on the topic chosen to write about. Choosing a topic for some is not an
easy task. In some instances, even if one has already chosen a topic, one still finds it difficult to
write about it for certain reasons. One reason is possibly because the writer does not have the
personal willingness to write about such topic. Choosing a topic can be facilitated with the
following in mind:

a. Personal inventory
b. Realizability of the research
c. Preliminary research or reading

Most first time research or thesis writers find it very difficult to choose a topic to write about. It
is perhaps because the society is full of issues that make it hard for one to choose which among
these issues to write about. The very first step in choosing a topic for a research or thesis is for
one to indulge in a personal inventory. That is, to conduct a personal assessment of the things
that one likes or dislikes; a sort of personal SWOT analysis so to speak. SWOT stands for
Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. It is the identification of ones aptitudes and
personal grasp of things. The idea is to find the things that the person likes or of the person’s
strengths, hence making it a catalyst for conceptualizing a research topic. It is much easier to
write over something in which the person is comfortable doing or have the capability of doing so.
Conversely, it is difficult to write about something in which the person feels awkward about and/or
do not have the capability of doing to make it happen. So in choosing a topic, choose a topic in
which you are comfortable or that which you find the enthusiasm to do so. A good starting point
is to identify what is it that you like most such as personal interests, likes, hobbies, inclinations,
etc. It is in this realm that can help you facilitate the writing process, which is, writing about
something you like and not because you are forced to do. For example, if you like joining civic
organizations, no matter what your chosen field of specialization is, try to find its connection to
your field, which I am certain there will always be. All it takes is a creative mind and imagination.
Say you are taking up Political Science Course; you can write or study about the role of civic
organizations in policymaking, etc. The point is, there is always a connection of every
phenomenon to every field of specialization. In my case for example, in my undergraduate thesis,
I wrote a study on the Effects of Songs of Condemnations against the Politicians and the
Government as perceived by the Youth, since during my college days I was very much musically
inclined. So what I did was to study about my musical inclinations in relation to my field of
specialization which is Political Science. To this day my undergraduate thesis is among the unique
studies ever conducted in my Alma Mater because of its features of combining music and politics.

5
A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO THESIS WRITING JACK A. MACEDA
FORBES COLLEGE

Time is a factor in thesis writing; remember that you only have 4 – 6 months at most to complete
your thesis. This being the case, make sure that your chosen topic for research is something that
is realizable or that it can be done within the time frame. It is best to make a plan of action or
calendar of activities for the research process. It will help you track your progress in your thesis.
One of the common problems of thesis writers is cramming up to beat the deadline for submission
of the thesis manuscript. Most importantly, in order that your research is realized you have to
trim down the scope of your study. Do not make a study with a very huge scope. It is best to
delimit your study to specific problems that you really wanted to accomplish but not too small for
it to be lacking essence or substance.

As soon as you have already identified what is it that you want to write or study about and
trimmed it down to be realizable, commence the preliminary research. Read materials that is of
relevance to your chosen topic, scour libraries for studies that may have been conducted
previously. There is always the possibility that you might not be the first to conceptualize such
study. Doing this will ensure that your study is uniquely yours and will save you efforts of writing
about it only to be abandoned later if you found out that there were already studies conducted
previously on the same topic. So before starting to write about it, make sure that your work will
not be a duplication of previous studies.

CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION
THE PURPOSE OF THE INTRODUCTION

Every piece of writing comes with an introduction, except of course to some literary pieces in
which one can scribble on any piece of paper, but in research writing, an introduction is a must.
It introduces the research by contextualizing it (by giving a background of the study), presenting
the research problem and expressing why and how it should be done. Without this important
information the reader cannot easily understand the information about the research that comes
later in the thesis. These things are crucial for the understanding of the research’s significance
that will follow later.

Among the many importance of introduction is to arouse the interest of the reader. A banner
statement of the area which you will or have researched on would usually do the trick. A banner
statement could be a claim that would incite the reader that your thesis is worth reading. Here is
an example of a banner statement from a study on Juvenile Delinquency:

“Crimes committed by youth offenders gradually proliferate in our society. Its occurrence has in
fact prompted the government to enact R.A 9433 (2006) otherwise known as Juvenile Justice
Law….”
Introduction must be presented from the general perspective to specific. An inverted pyramid, as
others would call it. It can be done by first presenting the issue on the international level (if
applicable), national and local. Another way of doing it is to present the topic in a more generic
sense, going to particular and to specific topic area that is intended to be researched.

6
A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO THESIS WRITING JACK A. MACEDA
FORBES COLLEGE

HOW RESEARCH INTRODUCTION IS ORGANIZED

• Provide banner statement(s) as much as possible – usually in the opening sentence to arouse
the interest of the reader.

• Move from general to specific – First paragraph must establish the general or generic sense
(International level, if applicable) information of the topic/area. Second to third paragraph must
establish the particular (national level, if applicable) problem area. Fourth to fifth paragraph must
establish the specific (local, if applicable) problem that needs to be researched. Paragraphs may
vary depending on the information you have gathered for your research.

• Cite previous studies or researches – this would provide background and facilitate the
justification for your study.

• Concluding paragraph must establish the general purpose of the research – why is there a need
for the study? Where will the study take place? Why did you choose the topic?

Here is an example of an introduction from an undergraduate thesis on Leadership Capability of

SK Presidents in Sorsogon City:
Throughout Philippine history, the youth have actively exercised their right to participate in governance.
Young Filipinos have made their voices heard by joining various youth organizations and political
movements. Over time, the Philippine government has developed mechanisms for the youth to become
directly involved in governance. The Sangguniang Kabataan is the group of young citizens entrusted and
expected to become good leaders, leaders that will one day become the innovators of ideas that will better
the future of the current and next generations. These SKs undergo similar process as the elected officials
of the government, as they are also chosen among the youths in the community to become the
representatives of the youth sectors. Since they are within the sectors of the youth, they are ought to be
the one that understands the needs of their fellow youth. The following is an overview of events that led
towards the development of the current SK (Albano, 2013).
The creation of the now Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) dates back in 1975, when President Ferdinand Marcos
issued Presidential Decree (PD) 684 to create Kabataang Barangay. The KB’s aim was to give the youth a
definite role in community affairs and provide the government a means to tap the youth in its development
efforts. The KB was later modified in 1986 in response to the recommendations made by a government –
sponsored study on the KB which was conducted to investigate criticisms on the KB at that period in relation
to its capability in youth governance. From 1988 to 1990, Congress youth representatives worked with
the PCYA’s technical committee to craft the Sangguniang Kabataan representation proposal. The SK
proposal was incorporated into the 1991 Local Government Code (LGC), also known as the Local
Autonomy Law. The 1991 LGC or RA 7160 gave the youth another opportunity to directly participate in
governance from the grassroots level to the national level through the creation of the Katipunan ng
Kabataan (KK) and the Sangguniang (SK). Originally, as provided in the 1991 LGC, registered KK members
aged 15 to 21 years and residents of their barangay for at least six (6) months could participate as voters
and candidates of the SK elections. In 2002, Republic Act 9164 reduced the age range of KK-and SK-
eligible youth to 15 to below 18 years (ISKOLAR-BOS Trainers Manual, 2011).
The KB’s leadership capability may be dignified in its many notable accomplishments, among them is the
Youth Development Training program that aimed to develop the youth’s values and skills for them to
become productive leaders. It also implemented programs and projects in areas like livelihood, education,
sports, and culture. Various projects have likewise been initiated by the SK nationwide along education,
sports, infrastructure, economic, social and political aspects to boost and empower the youth. In Davao for

7
A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO THESIS WRITING JACK A. MACEDA
FORBES COLLEGE

example, the SK have had organized the Youth Livelihood Training and Education Center, in order to cater
to education and livelihood training for out of school youths in order for them to become productive citizens
of the community (www.dyltec.com.ph). In Cebu, Youth Campaign Against Drugs and Violence is another
example of SK capability as a partner of the government in nation-building, wherein, the youth are
organized to be vigilant against drug abuse and violence committed against the young population of the
City (www.bit.ly.nupla.com). In Sorsogon City, various projects mostly sports-oriented projects and
infrastructure had been initiated by the SK, such as summer basketball league, which is aimed at developing
the personal capabilities of the youth and luring them away from drug abuse; construction of basketball
courts and pavements; waiting sheds and the like were all but few notable accomplishments of the SK
(DILG Sorsogon Annual Report Summary, 2012).
However, The KB was criticized for failing to develop the youth as a “democratic force responsive to the
times”, as what critics called it. Its real intention was also questioned. People speculated that the KB was
organized to oppose militant youth activity. These criticisms led the youth to join other cause-oriented
organizations. As the KB slid in popularity, student activism became the trend in youth participation
(Mercado, 2012).
Leadership is the ability to influence people in accomplishing a particular goal. It has been described as a
process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the
accomplishment of a common task (Chemers, 2007), although there are alternative definitions of
leadership. For example, some understand a leader simply as somebody whom people follow or as
somebody who guides or directs others, while others define leadership as organizing a group of people to
achieve a common goal.
According to Nem Singh (2010), a leader is a person who looks at a situation, takes hold of it, and finds a
solution. A leader is good in planning, organizing, communicating, coordinating and evaluating. A leader
must be sound and practical in his objectives, as well as gets results. A leader must be prudent and tactful,
yet forceful and firm. A leader must be easy to work with, persuasive, and believe in the delegation of
powers. A leader must possess exceptional vitality- in addition to moral and spiritual, also physical and
intellectual vitality. Nem Singh stated that leadership is a mission. It means self-forgetfulness. A leader’s
service is for others not for themselves alone, and must not seek material wealth. That leader must set
their minds to work of love and dedication. Singh’s work, provided useful traits and characteristics that a
leader must possess that may help this study in identifying the SK’s strengths and weaknesses that may
affect their leadership capabilities.
Leadership capability on the other hand is the possession of leadership qualities that enables the person to
effectively lead people towards the attainment of specific goals and objectives (Beringer, 2010). A good
leader needs to possess certain qualities in order to become a capable and effective leader. Among the
qualities that a leader must possess are competence, communication skills, interpersonal skills, optimistic
attitude, visionary and human relation skills, among others. These qualities can be learned through
persistent study and experience. Oftentimes, the success of failure of an organization or group depends
upon the leadership capability of its head.
Leadership therefore is intertwined upon knowledge and skills of the individual. The possession of adequate
knowledge on the art of leadership as well as the acquisition of necessary skills to deal with people is a
significant factor for an effective and capable leadership.
Today’s Sangguniang Kabataan’s capabilities in fulfilling its role encumbered by the Local Government Code
of 1991 is however once again being put to test with issues being posed as to the role of the youth in
governance. Will the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) be abolished like the Kabataang Barangay (KB), from
which history would seem to repeat itself in the process? It is along this view that this study was conceived,
that is, the researcher wanted to inquire about the leadership capability of the SK, so as to have a premise

8
A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO THESIS WRITING JACK A. MACEDA
FORBES COLLEGE

whether or not the abolition of the SK is justified. In addition perhaps, answers to some questions as to
their capability may be provided by this study. The SK’s inactiveness (not only in Sorsogon City but in
almost all places in the Philippines), and it seems that they are slowly fading away in focus. By far, the SK’s
existence is only felt during Summer Sports Tournament and during solicitations for their sports
development projects, but are rarely on other aspects which led for the many to wonder and doubt their
capabilities in leadership.
Sorsogon City was chosen as the locale of this study for the reason that it is the only city in Sorsogon
province and is a developing city in terms of social and economic progress. Although it had become a city
for quite sometime but it seemed like it is falling far behind other cities in the region despite the fact that
it is situated strategically as the entry point from the Visayan Islands and an exit point in Luzon. Sorsogon
City is distinguished from other cities in the region because of its rich natural resources and varied ethnicity
of people. It may be said that it is stable politically; however, it is overshadowed by its gradual economic
development. Perhaps, leadership is among the factors for its status quo both young and old. Furthermore,
the SK in Sorsogon is among the underrated youth leaders in the Philippines due to its complacent approach
in governance.

Tip: It is highly advisable to have preliminary research on the area/topic that is related to
your study. It helps facilitate the making of the introduction.

Note: Notice how the introduction moved from general to specific. Do not begin by being too
general. If your work is examining the delivery of cash to ATM machines, do not start by a
history of the banking system in Europe since the Middle Ages - it's probably not relevant and
will mean you will take a very long time to reach the specific area of your research. Think of
"general" in terms of information which will help your reader understand the context of your
research problem (rather than your whole field of study!).

COMMON ERRORS

Intricately detailed that almost all of the details are included, making it quite long. Bear in mind
that the introduction is like an overview of what the research is all about. Although important
matters regarding the research have to be covered but it does not necessarily follow that you
discuss all of it in the introduction. The detailed discussion of the specific problem to be
researched, the methods used and the locale or site of the study has to be discussed in later
sections of the research. It is enough that you have presented to the reader what and why do
you intend to conduct the research in a particular topic or area. Introductions in most cases are
short but concise because it serves as a summary of what follows in the research.

Beating around the same idea for the sake of making a point. Although you have to make a clear
point to the reader what the research is all about but discussing it over and over again paragraph
by paragraph is not a good thing. There will be times that you have to re-iterate some of the
points you have made but using the same words or phrases over and over again becomes
dragging and will make your introduction trying hard to get to the point. In case you need to re-
iterate the same idea again, using synonyms or pronouns to replace the words you have
previously used would help to avoid looking repetitive.

9
A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO THESIS WRITING JACK A. MACEDA
FORBES COLLEGE

Unclear problem definition. Without a clear definition of your research problem, your reader is
left with no clear idea of what you were studying. This means that they cannot judge your work's
relevance to their own work, or its usefulness, quality, etc. As an exercise, you should be able to
complete a sentence that starts, "The purpose of this study is …” or “This study is conducted for
the purpose of …” that encapsulates the problem you are investigating. Of course you will not
include this exact sentence in your thesis, but it serves as an easy way to check that you have a
clearly defined problem. In your thesis you should be able to write your research problem in one
sentence - you can add details in the sentences that follow. You should also ensure that your
research problem matches the title of your study.

Poor organization. Writing an introduction that effectively introduces your research problem and
encapsulates your study is not an easy task. Often when we write we discover gradually what we
want to say and how we want to say it. Writing is often a process of discovery. Bear this in mind
when you write your introduction, and be prepared to go back and make big changes to what
you have written, and the order in which you have presented your ideas and information. Your
introduction must have a logical sequence that your reader can follow easily. Some suggestions
for how to organize your introduction are given the next paragraph.

Tip: In the example introduction above, notice how it is organized accordingly. Also, personal
reasons to justify your study must be avoided, although it is not prohibited, but it is more
meaningful if you can justify your research based on a more useful contribution to the society in
general.

Note: Notice the connections of each specific question to one another, from the main
objective to the specific questions of intervention activities, the level of implementation, to
problems encountered and solutions or recommendation offered. Research proposals are
written in the Future Tense. The example given above is in Past Tense, which is used in the
final presentation of the research. The lettered items in question #1 are called sub-variables
in the loose sense, it is the criteria used to measure the leadership capability in the mentioned
study. A statement of the problem may or may not have sub-variables. It depends upon the
nature of the problem that the research wants to inquire about or study.

Tip: In qualitative researches, the statement of the problem is oftentimes in a declarative

form. In contrast to quantitative researches which is in an interrogative form such as the
example given above.

THE STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Your research must be new in some way. It must add knowledge to your field, so you need to
show in what way your work explores an area/issue/question that has previously not been
explored, or not been explored in detail, in not explored in the way that you are going to use. In
other words, you need to give a rationale for your work (i.e. show the reasons for doing it). In
undergraduate studies, it is usually expressed in a form of a question or series of questions about
what the research wants to inquire about.

10
A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO THESIS WRITING JACK A. MACEDA
FORBES COLLEGE

HOW THE STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM IS ORGANIZED

• It must state the general and specific purpose of your study – the reason for doing the research
and the main objective that you want to achieve.

• Should match the title of your study – the statement of the problem must match and exploit
the title of your study. You cannot make a research with a title but with a very different statement
of the problem.

• Must provide fluidity or connection from one question to another – the main objective and the
specific questions must be connected with one another so as to provide oneness of the study.
Otherwise your statement of the problem might be taken as a separate study. You don’t want
this to happen; else you cannot complete your thesis until you the time of your graduation.

Example of a statement of the problem taken from the same study mentioned in the introduction:
This study determined the leadership capabilities of SK Chairperson in Sorsogon City, Sorsogon through an
assessment of their extent of knowledge on some of the pertinent provisions of the Local Government Code
of 1991 and the SK Constitution and bylaws. This study specifically answered the following problems:
1. What is the extent of knowledge of the SK Presidents along the following leadership criteria:

a. Conduct of meetings;
b. Policy formulation;
c. Initiation and implementation of programs;
d. Execution and enforcement of the objectives of SK Federation;
e. Appropriation of funds;
f. Rendering of Annual Report;
g. Supervisory function;
h. Discipline of member;
i. Appointing Powers; and,
j. Human relations and ethical standards?
2. What problems are encountered by the SK Presidents of Sorsogon City along the leadership criteria?
3. What measures may be offered to improve the knowledge of the SK Chairmen in Sorsogon City along
the leadership criteria?

THE SCOPE AND DELIMITATION OF THE STUDY

You must provide a clear limitation of your research in order to avoid having a “shotgun Type” of
research that provides many things but does not accomplish anything. The scope makes the
reader understand the specific area/topics that you are studying or what your research is
specifically concerned about. The scope also provides the distinction or uniqueness of your study

11
A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO THESIS WRITING JACK A. MACEDA
FORBES COLLEGE

from other studies in a glance. The scope provides detail on the areas or subjects that your study
will inquire, in includes all the subjects that the research will do that are included in the research.

It is equally important to delimit your study. In delimiting the study, you have to trim down the
scope of your study to a significantly specific area of concern that will make it quite realizable.
Remember that you will be working in your thesis on a limited time frame (see Tips in Choosing
a Topic). Delimitations refer to the boundaries of the research study, based on the researcher’s
decision of what to include and what to exclude. They narrow your study to make it more
manageable and relevant to what you are trying to prove.

Limitations relate to the validity and reliability of the study. They are characteristics of the
research design or methodology that are out of your control but influence your research findings.
Because of this, they determine the internal and external validity of your study and are considered
potential weaknesses.

In other words, limitations are what the researcher cannot do (elements outside of their control)
and delimitations are what the researcher will not do (elements outside of the boundaries they
have set). Both are important because they help to put the research findings into context, and
although they explain how the study is limited, they increase the credibility and validity of a
research project.

HOW SCOPE AND DELIMITATION IS ORGANIZED

• Reiterate the main objective of your research – to further provide the problem area you are
concerned with.

• Must contain the specific variables of your study – you have to specify the variables in the
problem statement and a brief justification of these variables.

• Must mention the locale, respondents and setting – the locale is the place where the study takes
place, while the respondents are the individuals/organizations that have direct participation in the
study (sample population).

• Must specify areas NOT included in your study (disclaimer) – to provide specific limitations in
your area of inquiry.

Example of scope and delimitation of the study taken from the same study:
This study focused on the determination of the leadership capabilities of the SK Chairmen in Sorsogon City,
2010 - 2013 along the areas of Conduct of meetings; Policy formulation; Initiation and implementation of
programs; Execution and enforcement of the objectives of SK Federation; Appropriation of funds;
Rendering of Annual Report; Supervisory function; Discipline of member; Appointing Powers; and Human
relations and ethical standards. It further investigated on the problems encountered by the SK along the
mentioned areas as well as recommendations that may be offered to enhance or improve the leadership
capabilities of the SK Chairmen in Sorsogon City. All SK Chairmen of Sorsogon City were the respondents
of this study except the researcher, being an SK Chairman himself, that is in order to ensure objectivity of
the study, and 1 SK Chairman who recently resigned for personal reasons. All in all there were 62
respondents from the 64 Barangays of Sorsogon City. Other areas not mentioned are not included in this
undertaking.

12
A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO THESIS WRITING JACK A. MACEDA
FORBES COLLEGE

Tip: in stating the area/s not included in your study it is best to make it in a form of specifying
the variables of your study and negating/denying those that were not included, as what is done
in the example above.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The significance of the study adds justification for your study. It states the usefulness of your
study not only to you (as a passport to graduation) but to the society in general and to specific
persons/organizations in particular. It provides information on who will benefit from your study.

HOW SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY IS ORGANIZED

• Must include the organizations/persons that will benefit from your study – this includes persons,
organizations or groups that will be benefitted by your study.

• Must provide explanation about the beneficiaries – you have to explain why you think they will
benefit from your study.

• Must be arranged from general to specific – just like the introduction, significance must be
presented from the general beneficiaries to the specific beneficiaries.

Example of a significance of the study taken from the same study:

Findings of this study are deemed significant to the following:
Congress of the Philippines. Findings of this study can serve as valuable data in formulating further
policies regarding the Sangguniang Kabataan, as well as, a consideration on the issue on the abolition of
the SK.
Local Legislators. Findings of this study may serve as a consideration for enactment of policies that
concerns the SK, as well as, in helping the SK in fulfilling their roles as leaders of the youth in the
community.
The Local Government of Sorsogon City. Findings of this study shall serve as an eye-opener in relation
to the capabilities of the SK Chairmen on leadership in their jurisdiction. It shall likewise serve as valuable
data in determining the areas on which the SK Chairmen needs further improvement in order to enhance
their leadership capabilities.
Youth Leaders. Findings of this study shall serve as a mirror image for them to reconsider self-assessment
on their leadership capabilities in order to become more effective and efficient youth leaders.

SK Constituents/Voters. This study shall serve as valuable information on the leadership capabilities of
the SK officers whom they have voted, as well as, may serve as guidelines in electing their youth leaders
in the future.
The Academe. Findings of this study may serve as a valuable reference material that can be of use for
classroom discussions relating to the Sangguniang Kabataan and youth leadership in general.

13
A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO THESIS WRITING JACK A. MACEDA
FORBES COLLEGE

Political Science Students. This study will enlighten their knowledge on the role of the youth leader in
the community and their leadership capabilities. This study may educate students on molding of future
leaders.
Future Researchers. Findings of this study shall serve as reference material for future research purposes
on the same vein

Note: Notice how it is arranged from the general to the specific beneficiaries.

Tip: In most cases, the phrasing for the significance of the study depends upon the format
adopted by schools. Some schools allow paragraph for, such as in the example given; while
some allows, numbered type, that is, the beneficiaries are numbered or highlighted
accordingly.

THINGS TO REMEMBER IN WRITING CHAPTER 1:

After reading THE FIRST CHAPTER, the reader should be able to answer most of these questions:

• What is the context of this problem? In what situation or environment can this problem be
observed? (Background/Introduction)

• Why is this research important? Who will benefit? Why do we need to know this
(Rationale/Significance of the Study)

• What is it we don’t know? What is the gap in our knowledge this research will fill? (Problem
Statement)

• What steps will the researcher take to try and fill this gap or improve the situation?
(Objectives/Statement of the Problem/Introduction)

• Is there any aspect of the problem the researcher will not discuss? Is the study limited to a
specific geographical area or to only certain aspects of the situation? (Scope)

If these conditions are met, you have a very good Chapter 1.

14
A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO THESIS WRITING JACK A. MACEDA
FORBES COLLEGE

APA Citation Style

APA citation style refers to the rules and conventions established by the American Psychological
Association for documenting sources used in a research paper. APA style requires both in-text
citations and a reference list. For every in-text citation there should be a full citation in the
reference list and vice versa.

The examples of APA styles and formats listed on this page include many of the most common
types of sources used in academic research. For additional examples and more detailed
information about APA citation style, refer to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological
Association and the APA Style Guide to Electronic References. Also, for automatic generation of
citations in appropriate citation style, use a bibliographic citation management program such as
Refworks or EndNote. You can find more information on this in our Citation Management page.

Reference Citations in Text

In APA style, in-text citations are placed within sentences and paragraphs so that it is clear what
information is being quoted or paraphrased and whose information is being cited.

Examples:

Works by a single author

The last name of the author and the year of publication are inserted in the text at the appropriate
point.

Example: from theory on bounded rationality (Simon, 1945)...

If the name of the author or the date appear as part of the narrative, cite only missing information
in parentheses.

Example: Simon (1945) posited that…

Works by multiple authors

When a work has two authors, always cite both names every time the reference occurs in the
text. In parenthetical material join the names with an ampersand (&).

Example: as has been shown (Leiter & Maslach, 1998)..

In the narrative text, join the names with the word "and."

Example: as Leiter and Maslach (1998) demonstrated…

When a work has three, four, or five authors, cite all authors the first time the reference occurs.
Regardless of the medium of the source, all sources with three authors or more are now attributed
using the name of the first author followed by “et al.”

Example: Kahneman, Knetsch, and Thaler (1991) can be cited as, Kahneman et al. (1991)
found…

15
A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO THESIS WRITING JACK A. MACEDA
FORBES COLLEGE

The only exception to this occurs when doing so would create ambiguity (e.g., if two papers have
first-listed authors with the same name). In these cases, list as many names as needed to
differentiate the papers, followed by “et al.”

Fannon, Chan, Ramirez, Johnson, and Grimsdottir (2019) and Fannon, Chan, Montego, Daniels,
and Miller (2019), can be cited as (Fannon, Chan, Ramirez, et al., 2019) and (Fannon, Chan,
Montego, et al., 2019), respectively.
Works by associations, corporations, government agencies, etc.

The names of groups that serve as authors (corporate authors) are usually written out each time
they appear in a text reference.

Example: (National Institute of Mental Health [NIMH], 2007)…

When appropriate, the names of some corporate authors are spelled out in the first reference
and abbreviated in all subsequent citations. The general rule for abbreviating in this manner is to
supply enough information in the text citation for a reader to locate its source in the Reference
List without difficulty.

Example: (NIMH, 2007)…

Works with no author

When a work has no author, use the first two or three words of the work's title (omitting any
initial articles) as your text reference, capitalizing each word. Place the title in quotation marks if
it refers to an article, chapter of a book, or Web page. Italicize the title if it refers to a book,
periodical, brochure, or report.

Examples: on climate change ("Climate and Weather," 1997)…

Guide to Agricultural Meteorological Practices (1981)…
Anonymous authors should be listed as such followed by a comma and the date.

Example: on climate change (Anonymous, 2008)…

Specific parts of a source

To cite a specific part of a source (always necessary for quotations), include the page, chapter,
etc. (with appropriate abbreviations) in the in-text citation.

Examples: (Stigter & Das, 1981, p. 96)…

De Waal (1996) overstated the case when he asserted that "we seem to be
reaching... from the hands of philosophers” (p. 218)…
If page numbers are not included in electronic sources (such as Web-based journals), provide the
paragraph number preceded by the abbreviation "para." or the heading and following paragraph.

Example: (Mönnich & Spiering, 2008, para. 9)…

16
A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO THESIS WRITING JACK A. MACEDA
FORBES COLLEGE

Oral Traditions and traditional knowledge of Indigenous peoples are treated as a

distinct source category

If the information has been recorded (e.g., as an audio file or an interview transcript), follow the
ordinary directions for citing the appropriate form of media.

If the information was not recorded, but was gleaned from a personal interaction, use a modified
form of the personal communication citation. Include the person’s name, the name of the
indigenous group or nation to which they belong, their location, any other relevant details, the
words “personal communication,” and the date of the communication. If the conversation took
place over time, provide a date range or a general date. You do not need to provide a reference
list entry.

Example: Following a series of conversations with Joseph Turnipseed (Tulalip Nation, lives in
Portland, Oregon, personal communication, September 2017), we discovered
connections between…
In both cases, capitalize not only the name of indigenous groups and nations (e.g., Crow,
Seminole, Narragansett), but also most terms derived from indigenous culture (e.g., Oral
Tradition, Elder, Traditional Knowledge, Vision Quest).

Finally, work closely with indigenous keepers of traditional knowledge to ensure that the
knowledge is reproduced only with the permission of relevant indigenous stakeholders.

Quotations from research participants

Quotations from research participants should be formatted like normal quotations (e.g., if they
are longer than 40 words, use a block quotation). However, you do not need to provide an in-
text citation or a reference list entry. Instead, simply indicate that the quote is from a research
participant in the text.

If attributing the quote to a pseudonym, enclose the name in quotation marks the first time you
use it. After the first time, do not use quotation marks.

Reference List
References cited in the text of a research paper must appear in a Reference List or bibliography.
This list provides the information necessary to identify and retrieve each source.

Order: Entries should be arranged in alphabetical order by authors' last names. Sources
without authors are arranged alphabetically by title within the same list.

Authors: Write out the last name and initials for all authors of a particular work. Use an
ampersand (&) instead of the word "and" when listing multiple authors of a single work. e.g.
Smith, J. D., & Jones, M.

Titles: Capitalize only the first word of a title or subtitle, and any proper names that are part of
a title.

17
A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO THESIS WRITING JACK A. MACEDA
FORBES COLLEGE

Pagination: Use the abbreviation p. or pp. to designate page numbers of articles from periodicals
that do not use volume numbers, especially newspapers. These abbreviations are also used to
designate pages in encyclopedia articles and chapters from edited books.

Indentation*: The first line of the entry is flush with the left margin, and all subsequent lines
are indented (5 to 7 spaces) to form a "hanging indent".

Underlining vs. Italics*: It is appropriate to use italics instead of underlining for titles of books
and journals.

Two additional pieces of information should be included for works accessed online.

Internet Address**: A stable Internet address should be included and should direct the reader
as close as possible to the actual work. If the work has a digital object identifier (DOI), use this.
If there is no DOI or similar handle, use a stable URL. If the URL is not stable, as is often the
case with online newspapers and some subscription-based databases, use the home page of the
site you retrieved the work from.

Date: If the work is a finalized version published and dated, as in the case of a journal article,
the date within the main body of the citation is enough. However, if the work is not dated and/or
is subject to change, as in the case of an online encyclopedia article, include the date that you
retrieved the information.

* The APA has special formatting standards for the use of indentation and italics in manuscripts
or papers that will be typeset or submitted for official publication. For more detailed information
on these publication standards, refer to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological
Association, or consult with your instructors or editors to determine their style preferences.

** See the APA Style Guide to Electronic References for information on how to format URLs that
take up more than one line.

Examples:
Articles in journals, magazines, and newspapers
References to periodical articles must include the following elements: author(s), date of
publication, article title, journal title, volume number, issue number (if applicable), and page
numbers.

Journal article, one author, accessed online

Ku, G. (2008). Learning to de-escalate: The effects of regret in escalation of commitment.

Organizational Behavior and Human. Decision Processes, 105(2), 221-232. doi:
10.1016/j.obhdp.2007.08.002

18
A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO THESIS WRITING JACK A. MACEDA
FORBES COLLEGE

Journal article, two authors, accessed online

Sanchez, D., & King-Toler, E. (2007). Addressing disparities consultation and outreach strategies
for university settings. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, 59(4), 286-
295. doi:10.1037/1065- 9293.59.4.286

Journal article, more than two authors, accessed online

Van Vugt, M., Hogan, R., & Kaiser, R. B. (2008). Leadership, followership, and evolution: Some
lessons from the past. American Psychologist, 63(3), 182-196. doi:10.1037/0003-
066X.63.3.182

Article from an Internet-only journal

Hirtle, P. B. (2008, July-August). Copyright renewal, copyright restoration, and the difficulty of
determining copyright status. D-Lib Magazine, 14(7/8). doi:10.1045/july2008-hirtle

Journal article from a subscription database (no DOI)

Colvin, G. (2008, July 21). Information worth billions. Fortune, 158(2), 73-79. Retrieved from
Business Source Complete, EBSCO. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com

Magazine article, in print

Kluger, J. (2008, January 28). Why we love. Time, 171(4), 54-60.

Newspaper article, no author, in print

As prices surge, Thailand pitches OPEC-style rice cartel. (2008, May 5). The Wall Street Journal,
p. A9.

Newspaper article, multiple authors, discontinuous pages, in print

Delaney, K. J., Karnitschnig, M., & Guth, R. A. (2008, May 5). Microsoft ends pursuit of
Yahoo, reassesses its online options. The Wall Street Journal, pp. A1, A12.

Books
References to an entire book must include the following elements: author(s) or editor(s), date of
publication, title, place of publication, and the name of the publisher.

No Author or editor, in print

Merriam-Webster's collegiate dictionary (11th ed.). (2003). Springfield, MA: Merriam- Webster.

One author, in print

Kidder, T. (1981). The soul of a new machine. Boston, MA: Little, Brown & Company.

19
A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO THESIS WRITING JACK A. MACEDA
FORBES COLLEGE

Two authors, in print

Frank, R. H., & Bernanke, B. (2007). Principles of macro-economic (3rd ed.). Boston, MA:
McGraw-Hill/Irwin.

Corporate author, author as publisher, accessed online

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2000). Tasmanian year book 2000 (No. 1301.6). Canberra,
Australian Capital Territory: Author. Retrieved from
http://www.ausstats.abs.gov.au/ausstats/subscriber.nsf/0/CA2568710006989...$File/130
16_2000.pdf

Edited book

Gibbs, J. T., & Huang, L. N. (Eds.). (2001). Children of color: Psychological interventions with
culturally diverse youth. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Dissertations
References for dissertations should include the following elements: author, date of publication,
title, and institution (if you accessed the manuscript copy from the university collections). If there
is a UMI number or a database accession number, include it at the end of the citation.

Dissertation, accessed online

Young, R. F. (2007). Crossing boundaries in urban ecology: Pathways to sustainable cities

(Doctoral dissertation). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses database. (UMI
No. 327681)

Essays or chapters in edited books

References to an essay or chapter in an edited book must include the following elements: essay
or chapter authors, date of publication, essay or chapter title, book editor(s), book title, essay or
chapter page numbers, place of publication, and the name of the publisher.

One author

Labajo, J. (2003). Body and voice: The construction of gender in flamenco. In T. Magrini (Ed.),
Music and gender: perspectives from the Mediterranean (pp. 67-86). Chicago, IL:
University of Chicago Press.

Two editors

Hammond, K. R., & Adelman, L. (1986). Science, values, and human judgment. In H. R. Arkes
& K. R. Hammond (Eds.), Judgement and decision making: An interdisciplinary reader
(pp. 127-143). Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.

20
A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO THESIS WRITING JACK A. MACEDA
FORBES COLLEGE

Encyclopedias or dictionaries and entries in an encyclopedia

References for encyclopedias must include the following elements: author(s) or editor(s), date of
publication, title, place of publication, and the name of the publisher. For sources accessed online,
include the retrieval date as the entry may be edited over time.

Encyclopedia set or dictionary

Sadie, S., & Tyrrell, J. (Eds.). (2002). The new Grove dictionary of music and musicians (2nd
ed., Vols. 1-29). New York, NY: Grove.

Article from an online encyclopedia

Containerization. (2008). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved May 6, 2008, from

http://search.eb.com

Encyclopedia article

Kinni, T. B. (2004). Disney, Walt (1901-1966): Founder of the Walt Disney Company. In
Encyclopedia of Leadership (Vol. 1, pp. 345- 349). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage
Publications.

Research reports and papers

References to a report must include the following elements: author(s), date of publication, title,
place of publication, and name of publisher. If the issuing organization assigned a number (e.g.,
report number, contract number, or monograph number) to the report, give that number in
parentheses immediately after the title. If it was accessed online, include the URL.

Government report, accessed online

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2005). Medicaid drug price comparisons:
Average manufacturer price to published prices (OIG publication No. OEI-05-05- 00240).
Washington, DC: Author. Retrieved from http://www.oig.hhs.gov/oei/reports/oei-05-05-
00240.pdf

Government reports, GPO publisher, accessed online

Congressional Budget Office. (2008). Effects of gasoline prices on driving behavior and vehicle
markets: A CBO study (CBO Publication No. 2883). Washington, DC: U.S. Government
Printing Office. Retrieved from http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/88xx/doc8893/01-14-
GasolinePrices.pdf

Technical and/or research reports, accessed online

Deming, D., & Dynarski, S. (2008). The lengthening of childhood (NBER Working Paper 14124).
Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Research. Retrieved July 21, 2008, from
http://www.nber.org/papers/w14124

21
A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO THESIS WRITING JACK A. MACEDA
FORBES COLLEGE

Document available on university program or department site

Victor, N. M. (2008). Gazprom: Gas giant under strain. Retrieved from Stanford University,
Program on Energy and Sustainable Development Website:
http://pesd.stanford.edu/publications/gazprom_gas_giant_under_st rain/

Audio-visual media
References to audio-visual media must include the following elements: name and function of the
primary contributors (e.g., producer, director), date, title, the medium in brackets, location or
place of production, and name of the distributor. If the medium is indicated as part of the retrieval
ID, brackets are not needed.

Videocassette/DVD

Achbar, M. (Director/Producer), Abbott, J. (Director), Bakan, J. (Writer), & Simpson, B.

(Producer) (2004). The corporation [DVD]. Canada: Big Picture Media Corporation.

Audio recording

Nhat Hanh, T. (Speaker). (1998). Mindful living: a collection of teachings on love, mindfulness,
and meditation [Cassette Recording]. Boulder, CO: Sounds True Audio.

Motion picture

Gilbert, B. (Producer), & Higgins, C. (Screenwriter/Director). (1980). Nine to five [Motion

Picture]. United States: Twentieth Century Fox.

Television broadcast

Anderson, R., & Morgan, C. (Producers). (2008, June 20). 60 Minutes [Television broadcast].
Washington, DC: CBS News.

Television show from a series

Whedon, J. (Director/Writer). (1999, December 14). Hush [Television series episode]. In

Whedon, J., Berman, G., Gallin, S., Kuzui, F., & Kuzui, K. (Executive Producers), Buffy
the Vampire Slayer. Burbank, CA: Warner Bros.

Music recording

Jackson, M. (1982). Beat it. On Thriller [CD]. New York, NY: Sony Music.

Undated Web site content, blogs, and data

For content that does not easily fit into categories such as journal papers, books, and reports,
keep in mind the goal of a citation is to give the reader a clear path to the source material. For
electronic and online materials, include stable URL or database name. Include the author, title,
and date published when available. For undated materials, include the date the resource was
accessed.

22
A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO THESIS WRITING JACK A. MACEDA
FORBES COLLEGE

Blog entry

Arrington, M. (2008, August 5). The viral video guy gets $1 million in funding. Message posted
to http://www.techcrunch.com

Professional Web site

National Renewable Energy Laboratory. (2008). Biofuels. Retrieved May 6, 2008, from
http://www.nrel.gov/learning/re_biofuels.html

Data set from a database

Bloomberg L.P. (2008). Return on capital for Hewitt Packard 12/31/90 to 09/30/08. Retrieved
Dec. 3, 2008, from Bloomberg database. Central Statistics Office of the Republic of
Botswana. (2008). Gross domestic product per capita 06/01/1994 to 06/01/2008
[statistics]. Available from CEIC Data database.

Entire Web site

When citing an entire Web site (and not a specific document on that site), no Reference List entry
is required if the address for the site is cited in the text of your paper.

Example: Witchcraft in Europe and America is a site that presents the full text of many essential
works in the literature of witchcraft and demonology (http://www.witchcraft.psmedia.com/).

23
A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO THESIS WRITING JACK A. MACEDA