All About Thesis Writing Format: Guidelines & More

Writing a thesis is not an easy task at all. Moreover, if you are writing a thesis for the first time, you might be confused about a lot of things. What to write in a thesis, what not to write in a thesis, how to structure it, and most importantly, what the thesis writing format should be, you must be having all these questions in your mind.

Well, now you do not need to worry anymore. In this article, we will answer all these questions for you. So, without any further delay, let’s get to know about the format of a thesis and how to write a thesis. Here We Go!

What is a Thesis: An Overview 

When you are completing your Master’s or Ph.D. program, you need to write a thesis. It is basically the student’s own research work. Here, from selecting the topic to completing the thesis and deriving a conclusion from it, student needs to do everything on their own. In a thesis, first, you need to select a hypothesis or research question and then answer it with yes or no with the help of research. 

In short, a thesis is the long format of a research paper. Depending on the subject and topic, it can be 100 to 150 pages. If you do everything by yourself and you conduct all the research and experiments genuinely, it can take up to 6 months to complete a thesis. Here, the most important part is the thesis writing format. You need to make sure that you follow the thesis paper format to get your thesis approved. 

Thesis Writing Format: How to Map a Thesis?

When it comes to format, the format of thesis writing is the same as in a dissertation. However, there are a few differences here and there. Here is the complete thesis writing format for you. 

Front Content

• Title

The title is something that can make or break your dissertation. If your title is creative and generates curiosity in a person, then it is a perfect title. It needs to have the main keywords and an aspect of your research question. 

• Abstract 

An abstract is basically a short summary of everything that your research contains. It needs to have the aim of your research and what results you derived from it so that the reader can get to know what your thesis is all about. 

• Table of Contents 

The table of contents is basically an index. Here, the student needs to mention the chapter names and the headings and subheadings under it, along with the page number. This allows the readers to go to any particular topic in your research without wasting a lot of time reading the whole thesis. 

• List of Figures

It is basically the list of all the figures used in the thesis, including figure numbers, figure titles, and page numbers. 

• List of Tables

When you are writing a thesis, you might need to conclude some data in tabular format. If there are any tables in your thesis, then you need to mention their list along with their title and the page number on which they are present. 

• Nomenclature

While writing a thesis, you need to use a lot of terms, signs, and symbols that a layman might not be able to understand. So, nomenclature is basically a list of all those terms, symbols, and signs, along with their meaning. 

Body

• Introduction

When it comes to the introduction of a thesis, it is divided into 3 basic parts: 

1. Introduction of subject matter 
2. Gap or problem 
3. Research question/ Thesis/ Aim/ Research problem

You need to describe all these things one by one in the introduction of your thesis. 

• Theory

In the theory section, you need to build theoretical support around your research problem. If there are any governing equations, they also need to be mentioned here. 

• Methodology

Methodology is basically the method that you have used for your research. Here, you need to mention how you collected data for your research. It can be through lab experiments, on-ground data collection, and through books, articles, research papers, magazines, etc. as well. 

• Results

In this section, you need to mention the results you derived through the whole research process. This needs to be very precise and accurate, and in thesis writing format, results can be in the form of graphs, tables, charts, etc. 

• Significance/Implications (Discussion of results)

Once you reveal the results of your research, you need to show how the results have raised new questions, what the impact of the result is, and how it can change the current situation or scenario for betterment. 

• Overview (Conclusion)

In the end, you need to write the conclusion and your own suggestions regarding the subject matter and the results of your research. 

Conclusion

• Acknowledgments

Writing a thesis and following the thesis writing format is not an easy task and one person’s work. While writing the thesis, many people might help you, like your professors, libertarians, and sponsors. In the acknowledgment, you need to acknowledge all the people who helped you and thank them. 

• Appendices

The appendix is basically the list of calculations, procedures, and data that have been used in the thesis.

• Bibliography

At the end of the thesis writing format comes the bibliography. It is a list of all the sources that you have used and all the references that you have taken for the thesis writing. 

Steps to Write a Thesis

In order to write a thesis, you need to follow the proper thesis writing format. If you miss even a single thing, all your hard work can go into vain. Here are the steps that you should follow while writing your thesis: 

1. Select the Topic

First, you need to start with selecting your topic. The topic should be of your choice and interest so that you can work on your thesis with your full interest. Moreover, your topic also needs to be relevant to the current scenarios. 

2. Write Proposal 

Before you start working on your thesis, you need to write a proposal. The proposal basically includes the topic of your research, your research problem, and the roadmap that you are going to follow for your thesis. If your supervisor approves your proposal, then you can start working on your thesis. 

3. Design Your Research 

Once your proposal gets approved, you need to start with your research work. Start with the planning first, like how you will collect the data and what steps need to be taken in order to execute the complete research. 

4. Collect the Data 

After planning, it is time for the execution. Start collecting all the relevant data through various sources like the internet, books, articles, research papers, magazines, etc. Depending on your topic, you might also need to do lab experiments and collect data from people. 

5. Analyse Data 

Once you have all the data, go through it and analyze the data. See where the gaps are and how you can fill the voids that are there. While analyzing the data, you need to be very conscious and consider everything that can make your thesis better. 

6. Derive Conclusion 

After analysis, you can move forward and conclude your research. By this time, you need to have a clear answer to your hypothesis or research problem. 

7. Write Your Thesis 

Now that you have everything, you can start with writing your thesis. Just make sure that you do not use any paraphrasing tools or just copy-paste the content. If needed, you can get help from thesis writing services. 

How to Select Thesis Title and Topic?

The topic and title of the thesis need to be captivating so that people actually like to read it. Here are the tips that you should follow while selecting your thesis title and topic: 

1. Go for a topic that interests you so that you can actually research it with your whole heart. 
2. While selecting the topic, you must check if you can find enough sources related to the subject matter to support your argument or not. There should be enough content to support your point. 
3. When it comes to the research question or hypothesis, you should go for a question that goes beyond yes or no. This allows you to explain your thesis in a better and more interesting way, where you can use theories, phenomenons, etc., to support your answer. 
4. Make sure that you get your work reviewed by your supervisor and professors from time to time. With their knowledge and experience, they can provide you with better insights regarding your work. 
5. Finally, while writing the title of your thesis, make sure that it includes all the important keywords of your thesis and does justice to all the hard work that you have put in. 

Thesis Writing Format Additional Tips 

Now that you are well aware of the thesis report format, here are some additional tips that you can follow to make your thesis top-notch and get the best marks. 

1. Start with making a plan. Set deadlines for yourself and when you need to complete each task so that you can get everything done on time. 
2. Do not wait for the deadline. Make sure that you give 2 to 3 hours every day to your thesis. This will help you to stay connected with your work and complete your work on time. 
3. Do not wait to write the final work at the end. Keep writing your thesis and keep refining it. This way, in the end, you will get the perfect thesis. 
4. Make sure to include all the proofs in your thesis to support your result. This will make your thesis more impactful. 
5. The research question or hypothesis of your thesis needs to be very precise so that it can be easy for you to explain and answer it. 
6. You need to work on your thesis with complete honesty. Do not use any plagiarised content or paraphrasing tools to write your thesis. Moreover, keep proofreading your work. Do not forget to do a plag check and change the plagiarized part if detected.  
7. When you are selecting the topic, you should choose a topic that is relevant to your concern so that you do not feel bored while writing your thesis. 
8. While doing the research, do not look just on the internet. Read books, research papers, articles, magazines, etc. Conduct lab experiments and collect data from people, if required. 
9. Follow the proper acknowledgement format for thesis. Follow the college guidelines as well. 

Sample Format – Thesis

Are you looking for a reference format for thesis? Look no further. Here is an example of a thesis writing format for you. 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………1

• What is Ebola Virus? …………………………………………………………………….1
• Tables and Figures………………………………………………………………………….3

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW ………………………………………………..19

• Impact of Ebola Virus on the World ……………………………………….19
• Effects of Ebola Virus on World Economy ……………………………..28

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY ………………………………………………………39

• Participants…………………………………………………………………………….58
• Methodology ………………………………………………………………………………..64
• Statistical Analysis ………………………………………………………………………..75

CHAPTER 4: RESULTS………………………………………………………………………84

CHAPTER 5: DISCUSSION………………………………………………………………92

• Long-Term Effects of Ebola Virus……………………………………………..101
• Limitations of the study……………………………………………………………… 110

CONCLUSIONS ……………………………………………………………..117

REFERENCE ………………………………………………………………………………..124

APPENDIX A: Questionnaire for survey participants. 

Thesis Writing Format Guidelines

• Paper Size- 8.5 x 11-inch paper
• Spacing- 1.5
• Margins- A top, bottom, and right margin of 1 and a left margin of 1.5
• Title Page- It must have all the details of the thesis writer. 
• Abstract- It should be of 350 words. 
• Footnotes- Sources of the content should be present at the bottom of the page. 
• Numbering of Pages- It should be at the lower right corner of the page. 

FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions 

Q1. What is the format for the thesis?

You can sum up the whole thesis writing format in three major parts: start, body, and end. Moreover, you also need to add other sections under these parts. The whole process starts with the introduction of the subject matter and ends with the analysis of the collected data and deriving a conclusion from it. 

Q2. How to write a thesis step by step?

Here is how you can write a thesis step by step: 

• Select a relevant topic 
• Write proposal
• Plan your research 
• Collect all the relevant data and conduct research 
• Analyze the collected data
• Derive conclusion from data 
• Write your thesis

Q3. What is the basic structure of a thesis?

This is what the basic structure of a thesis looks like: 

Start

• Title
• Abstract 
• Table of Contents 
• List of Figures
• List of Tables
• Nomenclature

Body 

• Introduction
• Theory
• Methodology
• Results
• Significance/Implications (Discussion of results)
• Overview (Conclusion)

End

• Acknowledgments
• Appendices
• Bibliography

Conclusion 

All in all, the thesis writing format stays the same for all theses, no matter what your subject or topic is. In order to write a good thesis, make sure that you write original content and do not use any paraphrasing tools. Also, it is important to proofread your thesis multiple times to get the best and refined content. You can also get help from your professors and supervisors for better insights. Moreover, the guidelines and format may vary from institute to institute, so do not forget to read your college’s guidelines before you start working on your thesis.