Students learning how to write a Master's Thesis will first learn that a central thesis

question must be presented and subsequently answered. A Master's Thesis will be

the most prominent piece of your graduate work up to this point, and a pertinent
thesis question that forms the spine of this work elevates it from the prosaic to the
significant. Pelajar yang belajar untuk menulis Tesis akan menemukan bahwa
pertanyaan utama tesis harus dinyatakan dan harus dijawab dengan
== Langkah ==
=== Choosing a Topic ===
#Think about what interests you. You will spend a '''lot''' of time working on this
project, so it is imperative that you choose a topic that you are truly interested in,
something that you will not grow bored of after a short period of time.[[Image:Write a
Master's Thesis Step 1.jpg|center]]
#*Try thinking about your favorite subject of study - it may be a particular author,
theory, time period, etc. Imagine how you might further the study of that subject.
#*If you are having trouble thinking about your academic interests, you might
consider skimming through papers you wrote for your graduate courses and see if
there is any apparent topic that you tend to gravitate towards.
#Choose your thesis question. Carefully consider questions for your Master's thesis
that will generate important research and answers for the members of the
educational community and their
clients.<ref>http://www.gwr.arizona.edu/writingproposal1.htm</ref> In your Master's
thesis, you must answer the thesis question with conviction and clarity in the written
presentation submitted to complete a Master's degree.[[Image:Write a Master's
Thesis Step 2.jpg|center]]
#*Make sure that your question and the answers provided will provide original
content to the body of research in existence. A judicious question will also keep
research focused, organized, and interesting.
#Conduct your research. In order to answer the central question of your Master's
thesis, you'll need to conduct the research necessary. Read the texts, conduct the
experiments, do what you have to do to answer your thesis question. This will allow
you to see if your project is worth moving forward with, or if there are some inherent
problems that you may need to work out. It will also help you gather the information
you'll need to move forward to the next steps.[[Image:Write a Master's Thesis Step
3.jpg|center]]
#Choose your committee members. Usually a thesis committee is made up of three
professors: a chair (the "head" of your committee), and two readers. It is important to
choose committee members with whom you get along, who have enough time in
their schedules to dedicate to your project, and whose area of expertise is relevant to
the work you propose to

do.<ref>http://www.sml.hw.ac.uk/postgraduate/downloads/dissertations/dissertationg
uide.pdf</ref>[[Image:Write a Master's Thesis Step 4.jpg|center]]
#*Nothing is more frustrating than your thesis progress being held up by a professor
who has too many obligations to make time to meet with you.
=== Selecting Your Texts ===
#Complete a literature review. Review the literature and research currently available
that is relevant to your Master's
thesis.<ref>http://www.sml.hw.ac.uk/postgraduate/downloads/dissertations/dissertati
onguide.pdf</ref> This review of the literature must be exhaustive to ensure that your
Master's thesis will be important and not be redundant. It is important that your thesis
idea be original and relevant. In order to ensure this is the case, you need to be
aware of the context of your research, what other people have said on the subject,
and what the general opinion of your topic is. Take notes on the background
information about your topic and on the people involved in the available material.
[[Image:Write a Master's Thesis Step 5.jpg|center]]
#Choose your primary sources. Primary sources are those that are written by the
person who created the
idea/story/theory/experiment/etc.<ref>http://www.princeton.edu/~refdesk/primary2.ht
ml</ref> They are the important factual base that you will use in your Master's thesis,
especially if you are writing an analytical thesis.[[Image:Write a Master's Thesis Step
6.jpg|center]]
#*For example, a novel written by Ernest Hemingway or a scientific journal article in
which new results are documented for the first time would both be considered
primary sources.
#Choose your secondary sources. Secondary sources are sources that are written
''about'' primary sources.<ref>http://www.princeton.edu/~refdesk/primary2.html</ref>
They are important to include in your Master's thesis because you'll need to
demonstrate that you have a solid understanding of the critical context of your topic
and that you understand what the major scholars in your field have to say about the
subject.[[Image:Write a Master's Thesis Step 7.jpg|center]]
#*For example, a book written about Ernest Hemingway's novel or a scientific journal
article examining the findings of someone else's experiment would both be
considered secondary sources.
#Manage your citations. Depending upon your field, you might front-load most of
your research into an early chapter of the thesis, or you might include sources
throughout the entirety of the document. Either way, youre likely to need to keep
track of many different citations. You need to keep track of your citations as you
write, rather than trying to add them after you are finished writing.[[Image:Write a
Master's Thesis Step 8.jpg|center]]

#*Use the in-text citation format appropriate to your discipline. The most common
formats are MLA, APA, and Chicago.
#*Create a coordinating works cited or reference entry for each source you cite in the
text of your document or in a footnote.
#*Consider using a citation management software such as EndNote, Mendeley, or
Zotero.<ref> http://www.libraries.psu.edu/psul/lls/choose_citation_mgr.html</ref>
These will enable you to insert and move citations within your word processor
program and will automatically populate a works cited or reference page for you.
=== Planning an Outline ===
#Know the requirements for your field/department. An English Master's Thesis has
different requirements and employs different formats than a Master's Thesis in
Chemistry. There are two types of Master's
theses<ref>http://www.unk.edu/academics/gradstudies/admissions/grad-files/Grad
%20Files/ThesisGdlnsFinal08.pdf</ref>:[[Image:Write a Master's Thesis Step 9.jpg|
center]]
#*Qualitative. This type of thesis involves completing a project that is exploratory,
analytical, or creative in some way. Usually students in the humanities will complete
this kind of thesis.
#*Quantitative. This type of thesis involves conducting experiments, measuring data,
and recording results. Students in the sciences usually complete this kind of thesis.
#Nail down your thesis idea. Prepare a clear statement of the central thesis question
that you intend to answer with your research. Being able to state your thesis explicitly
and clearly is important. If you struggle stating the question, you might need to
rethink your project altogether.[[Image:Write a Master's Thesis Step 10.jpg|center]]
#Prepare an outline. The outline will be beneficial to you to "see where you're going"
as you move forward in your project, but also to give your committee members an
idea of what you want to accomplish and how you plan to do so.[[Image:Write a
Master's Thesis Step 11.jpg|center]]
#Know what to include. You should check with your university for the exact
requirements, but most Master's theses should include the
following<ref>http://www.kf.vu.lt/dokumentai/Uzsienio
%20reikalai/Masters_Thesis_Guide.pdf</ref>:[[Image:Write a Master's Thesis Step
12.jpg|center]]
#*Title page
#*Signature page (with the completed signatures of your advising committee usually attained at the defense, or after the project is deemed ''complete'')
#*Abstract - this is a short (one paragraph or so) description/summary of the work
completed in your thesis
#*Table of Contents (with page numbers)
#*Introduction

#*Body of paper
#*Conclusion
#*Works Cited or Bibliography
#*Any necessary appendices or endnotes
=== Moving through the Writing Process ===
#Make a schedule. One approach that works for many people is to use a reverse
calendar, where you plan your writing schedule from the due date and work
backwards.<ref>http://ifsh.de/pdf/studium/Thesis-Guide.pdf</ref> If you know how
much time you have to complete the project and break it up into manageable parts
with individual due dates (whether these due dates are simply for you or if they are
for your committee chair as well), you'll be less likely to get overwhelmed by the
scale of the project.[[Image:Write a Master's Thesis Step 13.jpg|center]]
#Write a little every day. Writing 30 finished pages in two weeks is a daunting task,
but if you write 500 words every day, then you will be able to meet that deadline with
ease. Try not to get frustrated and put off your work because then it will pile up and
become unmanageable.[[Image:Write a Master's Thesis Step 14.jpg|center]]
#Try the Pomodoro Technique. Many people who have trouble motivating
themselves and being productive with their theses find it useful to work in tomatoes
using the Pomodoro Technique.<ref> http://pomodorotechnique.com/</ref> The
basic idea is that you complete 25 minutes of completely focused work, then you get
a 5 minute break. This breaks your work into manageable chunks and can cut down
on the feeling of being overwhelmed that often accompanies a large, long-term
project.[[Image:Write a Master's Thesis Step 15.jpg|center]]
#Take breaks. It is important, especially when working on a large-scale project, to
give your brain a break every now and then. You can't stay focused and on-task
100% of the time without losing content quality, and letting yourself step away from
your ideas for a couple days will give you fresh eyes when you come back to your
work. You'll catch mistakes you didn't see before and come up with new answers you
couldn't think of before.[[Image:Write a Master's Thesis Step 16.jpg|center]]
#Find a writing time that works for you. Some people work best in the morning, while
others are able to focus more effectively at night. If you are unsure of when you are
most productive, try different approaches and see what seems to work the best for
you.[[Image:Write a Master's Thesis Step 17.jpg|center]]
#Write your introduction. You may find that your thesis proposal is a useful jumping
off point for writing your introduction. You might want to copy and paste sections of
your proposal for the start of your introduction, but remember that its okay to change
your ideas as they progress. You may want to revisit and revise your introduction at
several points throughout your writing process, perhaps even each time you finish a
large section or chapter.[[Image:Write a Master's Thesis Step 18.jpg|center]]

#Incorporate the review of literature. If you were required to write a review of

literature prior to beginning your thesis, good news: youve already written almost an
entire chapter! Again, you may need to reshape and revise the work, and you will
likely also find occasion to add to the review as you move forward with your work.
[[Image:Write a Master's Thesis Step 19.jpg|center]]
#*If you do not already have a review of literature written, its time to do you research!
The review of literature is essentially a summary of all of the existing scholarship
about your topic with plenty of direct quotations from the primary and secondary
sources that youre referencing.
#Contextualize your work. After reviewing the existing scholarship, you should
explain how your work contributes to the existing scholarshipin other words, youre
explaining what you are adding to the field with your work.[[Image:Write a Master's
Thesis Step 20.jpg|center]]
#Write your thesis. The remainder of the thesis varies greatly by field. A sciencebased thesis will involve few secondary sources as the remainder of your work will
involve describing and presenting the results of a study. A literary thesis, on the
other hand, will likely continue to cite secondary scholarship as it builds an analysis
or reading of a particular text or texts.[[Image:Write a Master's Thesis Step 21.jpg|
center]]
#Write a powerful conclusion. Your conclusion should details the importance of this
Master's thesis to the subject community, and may suggest the direction that future
researchers might follow to continue with relevant information on the
subject.<ref>http://www.imm.dtu.dk/~janba/MastersThesisAdvice.pdf</ref>[[Image:W
rite a Master's Thesis Step 22.jpg|center]]
#Add supplemental information. Be sure to include relevant charts, graphs, and
figure as appropriate. You may also need to add appendices at the end of your work
that are germane to your work but tangential to the central question of your Master's
thesis. Be sure that all aspects of your work are formatted in accordance with the
guidelines of your institutional and discipline expectations.[[Image:Write a Master's
Thesis Step 23.jpg|center]]
=== Finalizing Your Thesis ===
#Compare your draft with your university's requirements. The formatting
requirements for theses and dissertations are notoriously tedious and complicated.
Make sure that your documents adheres to all of the requirements laid out by your
department, in general, and by your committee chair, in specific.[[Image:Write a
Master's Thesis Step 24.jpg|center]]
#*Many departments or programs provide a document template for theses and
dissertations. If you have one of these, it may be easiest to use such a template
from the beginning of your work (rather than copying and pasting your writing into it).

#Re-read the entire thesis for correctness. Take a week or so off, if possible, once
you have finished writing and give your brain a break. Then, go back with fresh eyes
to catch any grammatical errors or typos you may have made. When you are so deep
in the writing process, it is easy to just read what you ''mean'' instead of what you
actually ''wrote''. So it is important to take a step back so that you can evaluate your
work and your writing more effectively.[[Image:Write a Master's Thesis Step 25.jpg|
center]]
#*Alternatively, ask a trusted colleague or friend to read over your thesis to help you
catch any minor grammar/spelling/punctuation errors and typos.
#Follow all printing guidelines according to your department's policies. You will
probably have to pay (our of pocket) to print one or more copies of your Master's
thesis for your university, as well as any other personal copies you may want for
yourself. Make sure you abide by these guidelines to avoid any potential setbacks
during this final stage.[[Image:Write a Master's Thesis Step 26.jpg|center]]
#Prepare for your thesis defense. After completing the written portion of your
Master's thesis, you will probably have to participate in a ''defense'' involving you
presenting the ideas discussed in your thesis to your committee members. This is a
great opportunity to show what you have learned during the process and to give your
committee members a chance to bring up any questions or concerns they might
have. It is usually more of a conversation than actually defending your stance, as the
name might seem to imply.[[Image:Write a Master's Thesis Step 27.jpg|center]]
#Submit your thesis. Your institution likely has very specific guidelines for submitting
your thesis. Most universities require you to upload your thesis to Pro Quest for
electronic publication (or at least tracking) through their dissertation and thesis
archive. Be sure to follow your schools specific guidelines for submission.
[[Image:Write a Master's Thesis Step 28.jpg|center]]
#*Some institutions require you to submit your thesis for a formatting check prior to
uploading the document to ProQuest. Be sure to check with your departments
Director of Graduate Studies for specific instructions.
#*Be aware of thesis submission deadlines, which are often well in advance of your
graduation date. Late submission of your thesis may force you to push back your
graduation date, which may affect your employment or continuing graduate studies.
== Tips ==
*An exhaustive review of the literature and research available on similar topics will
save you from time consuming revisions before presenting your work.
*Remember why you are writing a Master's thesis and who will want to read and use
the material. You write a Master's thesis for members of your community, so keep in
mind that they will have extensive knowledge and experience before reading your
work. Don't bore them with unnecessary material.
*Choosing the perfect question before starting research will prevent frustration and

save time. Rigorous effort on finding the perfect question is probably the most
important task when learning how to write a Master's thesis.
*Consult other people who have completed a Master's thesis and obtained a
Master's degree. It can be a long, grueling process, and having the support and
advice of someone who has already done it can be very valuable.
== Sumber ==
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