Writing a thesis

A thesis is a written report of your research, and generally contains the following chapters: introduction, methods, results, discussion and conclusion. It will also have a list of references and appendices. Check with your faculty/department/school for degree-specific thesis requirements. You may also find it helpful to look at published theses (in your department) to see how they are structured. (Internationally, the ‘thesis’ may be referred to as a ‘dissertation’).

Resources

• Gruba, P., & Zobel, J. (2014). How to write a better minor thesis. Melbourne, Australia: Melbourne University Publishing.
• Stoddart, K. (1991) Writing Sociologically: A Note on Teaching the Construction of a Qualitative Report. Teaching Sociology (2), 243-248.
• Mullins, G. and M. Kiley (2002). It’s a PhD, not a Nobel Prize: how experienced examiners assess research theses. Studies in Higher Education. 27(2): 369-386.
• The Graduate Student Association at the University of Melbourne offers workshops and events:
  • Thesis Bootcamp
  • Shut Up and Write Sessions
  • Study Skills workshops (including Word for Thesis and Introduction to NVivo workshops).