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Many students do not find interest in thesis writing and that’s why try to finish it in a hurry. Writing a thesis does not mean just rushing over words. It requires a complete plan and smart strategy to deal with the selected research topic.
Without a roadmap, you cannot proceed with your thesis. The thesis outline plays the role of the roadmap so that you can reach your destiny, i.e. the accomplishment of the degree – the ultimate academic success.
Here is the detailed guide about why making a thesis outline, beforehand, is important and how students can write it properly to manage their proceedings systematically.
Why Outlining a Thesis is Important
In the thesis outline, you mention in detail what and how you are going to do in your thesis, what approach you will follow, and what contributions your thesis would make to the subject. You can search for the thesis outline template online to get an idea of how your thesis outline is supposed to be written.
Outlining a thesis means you are planning your 6 months’ schedules because usually, the students have to write and submit their thesis in six months. Following are the major reasons why a thesis outline is important.
It Helps You Make a Schedule
The thesis outline shows you a picture of multiple steps that you need to take to efficiently get done with your thesis. In this way, it helps you make a schedule. This means you can divide your study hours to fulfill the determined steps and work on your thesis accordingly.
It Organizes Your Work
When you work according to what you have planned in the outline, your thesis automatically becomes organized. You will not have to roam around and look hither thither to decide what to do next. Your work will be organized and will help you move forward with a swift flow.
It Saves Your Time
The prewritten thesis paper outline helps you stay focused on the topic and doesn’t let you waste your time with irrelevant thoughts, ideas, and research. Therefore, you proceed with your work quickly that ultimately saving your time.
It Doesn’t Let You Forget Anything
When you plan your thesis according to the chapters and assemble it all in your thesis outline, it will help you remember each step. Also, you don’t miss the important points while writing your thesis if you mention and highlight them in the prewritten outline.
Essential Elements of a Thesis Outline
Whether you are planning to write a bachelor’s thesis outline or a master’s thesis outline, you must consider the factors that shape the way you do your work. Following are the most important elements that you must include in your thesis outline.
Thesis Statement
The problem statement provides the basis for your thesis. You must add it to your thesis outline. Form it as if you are writing a thesis statement outline and state what points you will raise in your problem statement. Also, tell how your research would deal with the proposed thesis statement. In some of the scientific thesis, the problem statement itself outlines the thesis.
Major Ideas
Clearly list out the major ideas that you have in your mind concerning the topic and the research. These ideas, later on, give birth to strong arguments when you start writing your thesis. Also, adding these ideas to the thesis outline helps you determine your secondary sources that can support your main argument.
The Research Questions
By including research questions in your thesis outline, you can choose your research methodology. Prewritten research questions will help you determine which research tools can get you the required answers.
The Proposed Research Methodology
While writing your undergraduate, master, or PhD thesis outline, you need to propose a suitable research methodology for your thesis. An outline must hold the research methods and tools that you are going to use to collect the facts, figures, and other information for your thesis.
The Determined Approach
Your thesis outline must follow a single approach to plan each chapter. You have to write your whole thesis under the approach that you use and mention in your thesis outline, so you must be conscious enough to select an appropriate approach, like chronological, thematic, and theoretical, etc.
Tips to Prepare a Thesis Outline
Planning and preparing a thesis outline has a lot of advantages as discussed above. You may look for a thesis outline example over the internet to have a better understanding of the task. However, here are some useful tips that should be considered while preparing the thesis outline.
Form a Comprehensive Problem Statement
Don’t forget to write a comprehensive problem statement in your thesis outline. It will help you carry out the relevant research give backing to your findings.
Write Your Aims & Objectives
Your thesis outline must contain the aims and objectives of your research as well as the thesis. When your goals are predetermined, it shows you a clear roadmap that you need to follow to achieve the goals.
Be Clear & Concise
Stay stick to the main points while writing your thesis outline. You don’t need to write details in the outline. You may use bullet pointers to prepare the outline for the whole thesis. Write your pan in a clear and concise way.
Stay Focused & Relevant
Do not go irrelevant both in terms of research and writing. Your points, arguments, research questions, and research methodology, each and everything you add to your thesis outline must be relevant and focused on your thesis topic.
Assemble All the Ideas
You need to write down all the ideas in your outline that you have in your mind concerning your thesis topic. When you note thesis ideas on paper, they provoke your thoughts and help you generate effective ways to insert them into your thesis.
List Your Arguments
In your thesis outline, you must list out the arguments that you want to highlight later your thesis. This will help you remember these arguments so that you can use them correctly at the right place when needed.
Take Online Assistance
You can take online assistance to get done with your thesis outline without a hassle. Several online thesis help services can help you in this regard. This would be a wise option as it will save your time and the thesis outline you will get from the professionals would be perfect by all means.
Final Note
This is the complete guide to writing a thesis outline. No matter if you have to write a bachelor’s, PhD, or master’s thesis outline, these tips, and other details will help you get done with your task efficiently and effectively.
Free presentation slides
If you are a course instructor willing to educate your class or a student who wants to learn then refer to our free presentation slides available for Google slides and Microsoft PowerPoint.