Science Thesis

All theses, all writing in fact, should be written for the audience. The audience of a science thesis is the professor or tutor who will mark the paper and possibly an academic peer group for peer review. In both cases the science thesis audience is people who are reading and have read quite a few papers.

Put yourself in their shoes and a few things are immediately obvious. These people want to know what they are reading about straight off the bat. A science thesis is NOT the place for rhetoric. The next thing they want to know is how they are going to be convinced of the authors’ argument. Science thesis arguments should therefore be clearly stated in the opening paragraphs and in the writing style required by the course. An excellent way to achieve this is to plan your argument before you begin writing; define for yourself what your argument is, what the literature says about the problem, how you intend to tackle the issues and how you intend to implement a solution. The opening paragraphs should provide the reader with exactly what the thesis statement is and precisely what scientific methods or tools are used to present the argument. The following paragraphs, chapters and sections must deliver what was promised and should do so for both the arguments in favor of the author’s thesis and also for any dissenting arguments. Research methods must be credible and proven throughout, don’t expect the reader to go searching for information or to try and understand unclear statements. Scientists are expected to know their subject and present it clearly using data, graphs, charts and results.

As with every thesis the conclusion must restate the argument, recap the methods and evidence presented and then leave the reader with a lasting impression – maybe, hopefully even, the desire to know more about your ideas.

Related Links and Resources

• How to Write Your Thesis – ldeo.columbia.edu
• How to Write a Thesis – uwa.edu.au
• Writing a Thesis – dartmouth.edu
• Thesis Writing in the Sciences – web.clas.ufl.edu

Recommended Books

• How to Write a Successful Science Thesis: The Concise Guide for Students
• Enjoy Writing Your Science Thesis or Dissertation!: A Step by Step Guide to Planning and Writing…
• How to Write a Better Thesis