How To Make A Thesis or Dissertation Paper
How To Make A Thesis or Dissertation Paper
How To Make A Thesis or Dissertation Paper
This is one of the main struggle of most students in colleges and universities on
how make a thesis or dissertation. What is the difference between the word
thesis and dissertation? Let me explain further of these two words. A thesis is
usually called a "Thesis Statement". This "statement" is normally less that 15
words and outlines an "idea" or "thesis" to the overall Dissertation.
A Dissertation is the research and explanation of a thesis statement.1
•A thesis statement advance a conclusion the writer will defend: contrary to what
some philosophers or theologians have advanced, human beings have always
participated in wars.
• An enthymeme uses a because clause to make a claim the writer will defend: there
has never been a “noble savage,” as such, because even prehistoric human beings
fought frequent wars for numerous reasons.
• A hypothesis is a theory that must be tested in the lab, in the literature, and/or by field
research to prove its validity: human beings are motivated by biological instincts
toward the physical overthrown of perceived enemies.
Let’s look at another view in more detail.
A thesis statement expands your topic into a scholarly proposal, one that you will try to prove and
defend in your paper. It does not state the obvious, such as “for God so love the world” that
statement or sentence will not provoke an academic discussion because your readers know that any
published devotional books talks about God. The writer must narrow and isolate one issue by finding
a critical focus, such as this one that a student considered for her essay:
Dissertation: This is, normally, a lengthy "paper" which includes all of the previous research, current
research, background information and "your theories" on why this is either wrong or right.
Dissertations are used as a final project for Master's and Doctoral degrees for helping further the
knowledge in the field that you are getting the degree in.
this is cut and dry, but gives you a pretty good idea. If you still don't understand think of a thesis
statement as the title, and the dissertation as the book.
1
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Difference_between_thesis_and_dissertation
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2. Thesis: SUVs are a threat to the environment. Scientists’ are warning that their contributions to
global warming and air pollutions are far greater than most people realize.2
3. Thesis: The manifest presence of God would be experience to the entire Christian believers of
Christ inside the Tabernacle. Theologically and Biblically the absence of God’s manifest presence
inside the Tabernacle was the result of sin.
4. Thesis: Chat rooms and online matching services enable people to meet only after a prearranged
engagement by e-mail.
The writer will defend online romance as similar to prearranged marriage of the past.
5. Thesis: Poverty forced Santiago to venture too far and struggle beyond reason in his attempt to
land the marlin.
Enthymeme
Your instructor might want the research paper to develop an argument expressed as an enthymeme,
which is a claim supported with a because clause.3
Example:
1. God’ manifest presence must be restore back to the Church, because without His presence and His
Word; life became miserable and meaningless.
2. God’s manifest presence is so vital in the Church as Tabernacle because most of the Churches
around the world were dying without life, full of legalism and man made services.
3. God’s manifest presence is necessary in body of Christ as the center of worship because man
became the center of praise services.
Example:
2
A division of Kaplan, Inc. Liberty Plaza, 24th Floor New York, NY 10006© 2008 Published by Kaplan Publishing, p.
180
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By James D. Lester and James D. Lester, Jr. writing Research Papers a complete guide thirteenth Edition Copyright©
2010 by Pearson Education, Inc. p.p 22-23
2
Using Your Thesis to Chart the
Direction of Your Research
Often, the thesis statement sets the direction of the paper’s development.
1. Arrangement by Issues
The thesis statement might force the writer to address various issues and positions.
Thesis: Misunderstanding about organ donation distorts reality and set serious limits on the
availability of those persons who need an eye, a liver, or a healthy heart.
Issue 1. Many myths mislead people into believing that donation is unethical.
Issue 2. Some fear that as a patient they might be terminated early for their body parts.
The outline above, though brief, gives these writer three categories that require detailed research in
support of the thesis. The note taking can be focused on these three issues.
accomplished speakers.
This outline can help the writer produce a full discussion on television viewing.
3
Evaluation will evolve from thesis statements that judge a subject by a set of criteria, such as your
analysis of a poem, movie, or museum display. Notice how the next student’s thesis statement
requires an interpretation Hamlet’s character.
4.Arrangement by Comparison
Sometimes a thesis statement stipulates a comparison on the value of two sides of an issue, as
shown in one student’s preliminary outline:
Thesis: Discipline often involves punishment, but child abuse adds another element: the
gratification of the adult.
Comparison 1: A spanking has the interest of the child at heart but a beating or a canning
Has no redeeming value.
Comparison 2. Time- outs remind the child that relationships are important and to be cherished, but
lockouts in a closet only promote hysteria and fear.
Comparison 3. The parent’s ego and selfish interests often take precedence over the welfare of the
child or children.4
CHECKLIST
1. Make a list of key terms related to your topic. When you have a list, try to group the
term into main ideas and subtopics. You can use this list as a rough working outline to
guide your readings and note taking.
2. Develop a list of questions about your topic. Try to generate a list of questions
yourself and then follow up by asking some of your friends or classmates to suggest
4
Ibid p.p 36-37
questions that they would like to know more about based on your initial topic.
4 kind of direction it sets for your
3. Revisit your thesis statement to think about what
paper’s development. Try to reconsider the pattern I give in the above thesis statement.
Doing the Introduction
What it is
Good introductions do two things; they announce your subject and they grab [or hook] the reader’s
attention. Depending on the type of writing you’re working, you might need to write more “
announcement” and less “ hook”5
What it is
In the Body of your writing, you develop your argument, present your ideas, and analyze your topic.
The body is made up of paragraphs that separate ideas and include details, example, and
evidence to support those ideas.
What it is
As you end your writing, you have another chance to show your reader why everything you’ve said
is important. Your conclusion should answer the question, “so what?” leave a good last
impression with your reader with a story conclusion that avoids clichés. “to conclude” to
summarize” “in closing” are boring and overused. Leave them out.6
Getting it right
6
Ibid., p.p 184-185
5
Conclusions are not the place for introducing new information. But you also don’t need a paragraph
to repeat everything in the body of your writing. What makes an effective conclusion? Many of
the techniques that help create story introductions also work well as doing.
3. Issue a call to action; tell your readers what they should do.
1. Plagiarism Penalties
Consequences can be serious. In 2006, an engineering student at Ohio University was preparing to
write his thesis. While reading the theses of past students, he found many instances of plagiarism.
Forty past students were reported and were threatened with losing their degrees if they did not revise
their thesis.
Sometimes the penalty might be losing a grade for a paper, but for more serious cases, an entire
degree might be forfeited. Plagiarism can sometimes lead to lawsuits or even arrests—and as was
demonstrated at Ohio University, a person’s literary indiscretions can threaten a career many years
later.
Merriam-Webster states that to plagiarize is: “to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as
one’s own: use (another’s production) without crediting the source.” Many high schools and colleges
are using powerful tools to check papers for plagiarism. Sometimes institutions give students access
to these tools in order to check their own papers. Also, students can open their own accounts if this is
not available at their high school or college. Teachers and professors are often trained in detection,
and they also learn to recognize their students’ writing voices and often suspect cheating before a
tool is used.
Entrepreneurs tempted to steal content should be aware that authors have access to tools that help
find stolen content online within just a few hours. Authors who have to deal with content thieves can
create a resource to share with them that discusses plagiarism and provides links to articles that can
be purchased online.
So although the internet has made it easy to copy and paste, it has also made it a simple matter to
find the perpetrators.
One of the best ways to avoid plagiarism is to improve writing and research skills. A writing tutor
can help, and there are many good academic writing tutors available online. A good local and free
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resource is the reference librarian. Although the librarian usually is thought of as helping students
find references, he or she can also help with research skills, writing formats and citing references.
People are sometimes surprised when they are accused of cheating. High school and college students
may not have not mastered certain writing skills like summarizing and paraphrasing. Sometimes
students think that finding synonyms for words in a paragraph is paraphrasing. However, this is
known as “mosaic plagiarism.” Mastering true paraphrasing is one very useful skill to help a student
avoid the plague of plagiarism. Other skills that should be pursued include:
These skills take time to learn, but will repay the learner for a lifetime.
Although there are free resources available, nothing beats the one on one help of a writing tutor who
can give specific feedback to the writer. It is a worthwhile investment because what is learned will
prevent frustration and temptation throughout the academic career. Online tutoring services make
learning writing skills more convenient than ever. Once the basic writing and research skills are
mastered, free online resources can serve as references.
A good resource for institutions and teachers to help them plan prevention programs is The Center
for Academic Integrity: Rutland Institute for Ethics. This is an organization that promotes academic
integrity in high schools and universities.
4. Don’t Buy Research Papers! Giving in to the temptation could have serious consequences,
especially if another student submits the same paper.
Avoiding plagiarism is possible. Although not everyone will become a polished writer, anyone can
learn to write a decent research paper or essay. It’s important to remember that improper
paraphrasing can lead to what is known as “mosaic plagiarism.” There are many other mistakes that
can lead to a student or writer being accused of pirating another’s work. The best way to avoid this
problem is by:
A teacher or writer can use the great tools available online; and develop material to help students or
the entrepreneurs that have plagiarized.
To The Candidate:
So, you are preparing to write a Ph.D. dissertation in an experimental area of Computer Science.
Unless you have written many formal documents before, you are in for a surprise: it's difficult!
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There are two possible paths to success:
o Planning Ahead.
Few take this path. The few who do leave the University so quickly that they are
hardly noticed. If you want to make a lasting impression and have a long career as a
graduate student, do not choose it.
o Perseverance.
All you really have to do is outlast your doctoral committee. The good news is that
they are much older than you, so you can guess who will eventually expire first. The
bad news is that they are more practiced at this game (after all, they persevered in the
face of their doctoral committee, didn't they?).
Here are a few guidelines that may help you when you finally get serious about writing. The list goes
on forever; you probably won't want to read it all at once. But, please read it before you write
anything.
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What One Should Learn From The Exercise?
1. All scientists need to communicate discoveries; the PhD dissertation provides training for
communication with other scientists.
2. Writing a dissertation requires a student to think deeply, to organize technical discussion, to
muster arguments that will convince other scientists, and to follow rules for rigorous, formal
presentation of the arguments and discussion.
3. Theologians and scholars of the Bible provide also the facts and theories of some other
authors; basically their main reference is the Word of God. Theology without Scriptural
support is invalid in Christian worldviews’.
A Rule Of Thumb:
Good writing is essential in a dissertation. However, good writing cannot compensate for a
paucity of ideas or concepts. Quite the contrary, a clear presentation always exposes
weaknesses.
• adverbs
Mostly, they are very often overly used. Use strong words instead. For example, one
could say, ``Writers abuse adverbs.''
• ``true'', ``pure'',
• ``perfect''
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Nothing is.
• ``soon''
• ``seems'', ``seemingly'',
Usually vague
• ``different''
Colloquial
• ``lots of''
• ``kind of''
• ``type of''
• ``just about''
• ``number of''
• ``due to''
Colloquial
• ``probably''
Only if you know the statistical probability (if you do, state it quantatively
• ``obviously, clearly''
• ``simple''
• ``along with''
• ``actually, really''
• ``this'', ``that''
As in ``this causes concern.'' Reason: ``this'' can refer to the subject of the previous
sentence, the entire previous sentence, the entire previous paragraph, the entire
previous section, etc. More important, it can be interpreted in the concrete sense or in
the meta-sense. For example, in: ``X does Y. This means ...'' the reader can assume
``this'' refers to Y or to the fact that X does it. Even when restricted (e.g., ``this
computation...''), the phrase is weak and often ambiguous.
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• ``I will describe...''
A trap to avoid. Reason: almost any sentence can be written to begin with ``we''
because ``we'' can refer to: the reader and author, the author and advisor, the author
and research team, experimental computer scientists, the entire computer science
community, the science community, or some other unspecified group.
Computer programs don't hope, not unless they implement AI systems. By the way, if
you are writing an AI thesis, talk to someone else: AI people have their own system of
rules.
It doesn't matter who said it or who did it. In fact, such statements prejudice the
reader.
A dissertation is precise. If a sentence says ``Most computer systems contain X'', you
must be able to defend it. Are you sure you really know the facts? How many
computers were built and sold yesterday?
• ``must'', ``always''
Absolutely?
• ``should''
• ``proof'', ``prove''
• ``show''
Used in the sense of ``prove''. To ``show'' something, you need to provide a formal
proof.
• ``can/may''
Voice:
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Use active constructions. For example, say ``the operating system starts the device'' instead of
``the device is started by the operating system.''
Tense:
Write in the present tense. For example, say ``the system writes a page to the disk and then
uses the frame...'' instead of ``the system will use the frame after it wrote the page to disk...''
Example: say ``no data block waits on the output queue'' instead of ``a data block awaiting
output is not on the queue.''
Be careful that the subject of each sentence really does what the verb says it does. Saying
``Programs must make procedure calls using the X instruction'' is not the same as saying
``Programs must use the X instruction when they call a procedure.'' In fact, the first is
patently false! Another example: ``RPC requires programs to transmit large packets'' is not
the same as ``RPC requires a mechanism that allows programs to transmit large packets.''
All computer scientists should know the rules of logic. Unfortunately the rules are more
difficult to follow when the language of discourse is English instead of mathematical
symbols. For example, the sentence ``There is a compiler that translates the N languages
by...'' means a single compiler exists that handles all the languages, while the sentence ``for
each of the N languages, there is a compiler that translates...'' means that there may be 1
compiler, 2 compilers, or N compilers. When written using mathematical symbols, the
difference are obvious because ``for all'' and ``there exists'' are reversed.
``After working eight hours in the lab that night, we realized...'' has no place in the
dissertation. It doesn't matter when you realized it or how long you worked to obtain the
answer. Another example: ``Jim and I arrived at the numbers shown in Table 3 by
measuring...'' Put an acknowledgement to Jim in the dissertation, but do not include names
(even your own) in the main body. You may be tempted to document a long series of
experiments that produced nothing or a coincidence that resulted in success. Avoid it
completely. In particular, do not document seemingly mystical influences (e.g., ``if that cat
had not crawled through the hole in the floor, we might not have discovered the power supply
error indicator on the network bridge''). Never attribute such events to mystical causes or
imply that strange forces may have affected your results. Summary: stick to the plain facts.
Describe the results without dwelling on your reactions or events that helped you achieve
them.
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Avoid Self-Assessment (both praise and criticism):
Both of the following examples are incorrect: ``the method outlined in Section 2 represents a
major breakthrough in the design of distributed systems because...'' ``although the technique
in the next section is not earthshaking...''
One always cites papers, not authors. Thus, one uses a singular verb to refer to a paper even
though it has multiple authors. For example ``Johnson and Smith [J&S90] reports that...''
Avoid the phrase ``the authors claim that X''. The use of ``claim'' casts doubt on ``X'' because
it references the authors' thoughts instead of the facts. If you agree ``X'' is correct, simply
state ``X'' followed by a reference. If one absolutely must reference a paper instead of a
result, say ``the paper states that...'' or ``Johnson and Smith [J&S 90] presents evidence
that...''.
A reader can become confused when a concept and an instance of it are blurred. Common
examples include: an algorithm and a particular program that implements it, a programming
language and a compiler, a general abstraction and its particular implementation in a
computer system, a data structure and a particular instance of it in memory.
When defining the terminology for a concept, be careful to decide precisely how the idea
translates to an implementation. Consider the following discussion:
VM systems include a concept known as an address space. The system dynamically creates
an address space when a program needs one, and destroys an address space when the
program that created the space has finished using it. A VM system uses a small, finite
number to identify each address space. Conceptually, one understands that each new address
space should have a new identifier. However, if a VM system executes so long that it exhausts
all possible address space identifiers, it must reuse a number.
The important point is that the discussion only makes sense because it defines ``address
space'' independently from ``address space identifier''. If one expects to discuss the
differences between a concept and its implementation, the definitions must allow such a
distinction.
The facts that result from an experiment are called ``data''. The term ``knowledge'' implies
that the facts have been analyzed, condensed, or combined with facts from other experiments
to produce useful information.
One must be careful to only draw conclusions that the evidence supports. For example, if
programs run much slower on computer A than on computer B, one cannot conclude that the
processor in A is slower than the processor in B unless one has ruled out all differences in the
computers' operating systems, input or output devices, memory size, memory cache, or
internal bus bandwidth. In fact, one must still refrain from judgment unless one has the
results from a controlled experiment (e.g., running a set of several programs many times,
each when the computer is otherwise idle). Even if the cause of some phenomenon seems
obvious, one cannot draw a conclusion without solid, supporting evidence.
In a scientific dissertation, one never draws conclusions about the economic viability or
commercial success of an idea/method, nor does one speculate about the history of
development or origins of an idea. A scientist must remain objective about the merits of an
idea independent of its commercial popularity. In particular, a scientist never assumes that
commercial success is a valid measure of merit (many popular products are neither well-
designed nor well-engineered). Thus, statements such as ``over four hundred vendors make
products using technique Y'' are irrelevant in a dissertation.
A scientist avoids all political influence when assessing ideas. Obviously, it should not matter
whether government bodies, political parties, religious groups, or other organizations endorse
an idea. More important and often overlooked, it does not matter whether an idea originated
with a scientist who has already won a Nobel Prize or a first-year graduate student. One must
assess the idea independent of the source.
Canonical Organization:
In general, every dissertation must define the problem that motivated the research, tell why
that problem is important, tell what others have done, describe the new contribution,
document the experiments that validate the contribution, and draw conclusions. There is no
canonical organization for a dissertation; each is unique. However, novices writing a
dissertation in the experimental areas of CS may find the following example a good starting
point:
Chapter 1: Introduction
New terms only. Make the definitions precise, concise, and unambiguous.
Describe the central concept underlying your work. Make it a ``theme'' that ties together all your
arguments. It should provide an answer to the question posed in the introduction at a conceptual
level.
Chapter 6: Conclusions
Summarize what was learned and how it can be applied. Mention the
possibilities for future research.
Abstract:
The easiest way to build a dissertation is inside-out. Begin by writing the chapters that
describe your research (3, 4, and 5 in the above outline). Collect terms as they arise and keep
a definition for each. Define each technical term, even if you use it in a conventional manner.
Organize the definitions into a separate chapter. Make the definitions precise and formal.
Review later chapters to verify that each use of a technical term adheres to its definition.
After reading the middle chapters to verify terminology, write the conclusions. Write the
introduction next. Finally, complete an abstract.
Key to Success:
By the way, there is a key to success: practice. No one ever learned to write by reading essays
like this. Instead, you need to practice, practice, and practice. Every day.
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Parting thoughts:
We leave you with the following ideas to mull over. If they don't mean anything to you now,
revisit them after you finish writing a dissertation.
A man may write at any time, if he will set himself doggedly to it.
-- Samuel Johnson
The average Ph.D. thesis is nothing but the transference of bones from one graveyard
to another.
-- Frank J. Dobie 9
The differences that mark a dissertation and a thesis may be subtle but not entirely indistinguishable.
There are some clear-cut parameters that set apart thesis and dissertation like length, presentation,
format etc. The difference between a Thesis and Dissertation is also made confusing by different
universities. Most universities in North America call a PhD research paper a dissertation and the
masters degree research paper a thesis. But most British universities call the PhD the thesis and the
masters the dissertation.
A dissertation is a lengthy formal treatise compulsively required for obtaining a doctoral degree in
any university. A thesis is also a treatise but for the limited purpose of validating a hypothetical
proposition as a result of research findings. A thesis has to be submitted for obtaining an advanced
academic degree.10
A dissertation is generally written at the end of ones research degree studies and it should reflect an
erudite and in-depth knowledge of a topic. The dissertation has to be inevitably long and more
specific. A thesis will be shorter and will not cover as much of details as a dissertation.
The length of a thesis and dissertation are invariably set by the concerned university departments or
faculties based on the nature of subject, its scope and type of presentation. Dissertation in the
humanities and social sciences are hover around 100,000 words. Thesis in the sciences is generally
set at roughly half that length. The length of master's thesis varies considerably, but is almost always
between 10,000 and 30,000 words. In most cases, a thesis is shorter than a dissertation. This
vindicates the fact that a Master's thesis is usually written in a relatively brief period of time - mostly
under a year, whereas a PhD dissertation takes much longer.
A thesis written for a Masters degree usually involves analysis or synthesis of data and
Researched contents based on the interpretation of the person submitting the thesis. It is also
permitted for a Master's thesis to rely on the research of other writers and scholars. But a PhD
dissertation is written more in the form of a book than a formal research paper and calls for findings
based on firsthand original research.
9
http://www.cs.purdue.edu/homes/dec/essay.dissertation.html
10
http://www.slideshare.net/parthee/difference-between-dissertation-writing-and-thesis-writing
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The difference between a thesis and dissertation can be summarized as:
1. in most universities, a thesis is written to get masters degree while a dissertation is written to get
doctoral degree.
2. The length of thesis is around 100+ pages for dissertation around 300+ pages.
3. A dissertation is much longer than a thesis as it has much more detailed information in terms of
researched data, diagrams, fact and figures.
4. A dissertation has to reflect original research, theory or argumentation.
5. A thesis has study of data and borrowed ideas from other scholars.
6. A thesis is usually completed in a year since it is written less number of pages than a dissertation.
7. A dissertation requires much more time than a thesis since it has a greater number of pages and it
requires original research and in-depth analysis.
Most of all, remember that you need not feel diffident when you undertake to write a thesis or
dissertation. There are plenty of tutorials available, both online and offline and more importantly,
your professors and advisors will be only too ready to offer you help in any manner you need.
Dr. Bishop Danilo O. Bantilan, the founding President and overseer of Church of Christ Brings
Revival, International, Inc., and also he is the founding President of Asian Revival College of
Theology, Inc., located at 3f Elipe Building, Elipe Park Carmen Cagayan de Oro City 9000
Philippines. He is a professor of ARCT, locally and globally in the year 2008 at the present. He was
graduated in Bachelor of Theology Degree (B.Th.) at Mindanao Bible College Cagayan de Oro City,
Master of Divinity (M.Div.) Major in Church Planting, and he earned his Doctor of Theology
(Th.D.) Major in Christian Theology, at Newburgh Theological Seminary in USA. Doctor of
Religious Education (DRE Candidate), Trinity Graduate Study of Apologetics and Theology. India.
Authored of different articles and reference books such as theological and devotional for teachers
and students. Singer, musician, composer and a business man; he owned and manage Oro’s
Specialties delicacies in Cagayan de Oro City.
References
By James D. Lester and James D. Lester, Jr. writing Research Papers a complete guide thirteenth Edition Copyright©
2010 by Pearson Education, Inc. p.p 22-23
http://www.cs.purdue.edu/homes/dec/essay.dissertation.html
http://www.slideshare.net/parthee/difference-between-dissertation-writing-and-thesis-writing
http://www.dbsalliance.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Signs_symptoms&printer_friendly=1
http://blogs.wingofmadness.com/feel/
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