One of the biggest challenges of any degree course is writing the thesis. It is a mammoth task which many students dread. But, they know it has to be done and that they need to do a good job. If they do not do so there is no way they will be able to get a high grade. The skills you need to be able to write a good thesis can be learned and, as you will see, there are lots of tools out there you can use to make it easier.
Make sure you are never accused of plagiarism
Unfortunately, over the years, students have tried to play the system. It has now reached the point where universities have to use a suite of tools to catch and stop the cheats. One such tool is Turnitin. That program checks to see if a student has copied or simply paraphrased other people’s work to produce their thesis.
If you want to avoid being accused of doing this then make sure you buy a plagiarism software tool. It will not cost much for you to put your work through one before you submit it. That way if you have made a mistake, you can pick that issue up and correct it. Students have been known to inadvertently copy portions of their research text into their thesis and forget to rewrite that portion. Or to inadvertently write passages that end up sounding very much like something that someone else has already published.
Understand and meet the requirements
Before you do anything, sit down and read through what is required of you. Condense everything down into a simple checklist and try to commit the requirements to memory.
Periodically pause the writing process and use your checklist to make sure you are staying on track. Correcting things as you go is a lot easier than trying to go through an entire paper.
Get the structure of your thesis right
It is vital that you get the structure right. Think of it as being the frame on which everything else will hang. If you do not do a good job with the structure, the chances of your being able to create a first-class thesis are dramatically reduced. This in-depth article will tell you most of what you need to know.
Keep careful track of your citations
An awful lot of students do not take the need to make proper citations seriously enough. The person marking your thesis needs to be sure of the veracity of what you are saying. Providing them with the details of where you got your facts and quotes will make it easier for them to have confidence in what you are saying. They can use that information to go off and check the data that has led you to create the arguments that you have.
Do not be afraid to ask for help
Last on the list is asking for help when you need it. Letting your pride get in your way will only hold you back.
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