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Thesis Writing: A Guide for Students
By Jennifer Swenson
The Sparrow’s introduction to thesis writing is a clear-cut and comprehensive tool for those who are about to embark on one of the more difficult projects in all of academia. Thesis writing is not an art; rather, it is the product of many months of research and painstaking hard work. Whether you are writing a master’s thesis, a PhD thesis, or any other form of this venerable genre, I hope this guide will serve you well.
Thesis Writing Background
What is a thesis?
A thesis is essentially a research report. It addresses a very specific issue and describes what is known about that issue, what work the student has done to investigate or resolve it, and how that issue may play out in the future. It is the thesis writer’s responsibility to familiarize her with the history of the issue and the different points of view that exist. The thesis writer works with a mentor who is an expert in the field that the thesis concerns, but not necessarily an expert on that exact topic. Usually thesis topics are so specific that very few people in the world except the thesis writer herself could be considered an expert on them. Your thesis writing will make a contribution to the field about which you are writing, and in a larger sense, to all of human knowledge. A thesis is distinctively different from an undergraduate research report because it is so original.
How Specific Should My Thesis Get?
When writing a thesis, you should get extremely specific. The intended readers of your thesis are only (1) your advisor and (2) future researchers in the field you are studying. Thesis writing is not for the common man. Therefore, there is virtually no limit to how involved you can get in the subject matter. In fact, besides the writing in the body of your thesis, it will also be

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