How to write a thesis?

Thesis writing seems a long, difficult task before one begins to write it. It is a long and difficult task. But one has to segregate the long task in to less formidable segments for more effective handling. When one completes writing a couple of chapters the whole thought of writing it will sound easier. As one goes on writing it, it will be an enjoyable activity where one feels a sense of accomplishment and pleasure of having developed capability in technical writing. Like many other tasks thesis writing appears tough before one begins it, but the spirit of the whole process can be changed if one wills so.

The first step to consider in writing a thesis is an outline. A brief sketch of how many chapters should the thesis include, how many pages should each of the chapters should run into, the figures and their titles, other notes like foot notes and end notes and comments should be thought of. Once the chapters are mentally planned, one should think of the things or points to be mentioned in each chapter. Making this outline is the most important thing and by doing this a researcher will be striking a blow against the writer's block. Once this much is done the main obstacle is successfully crossed. If you sit down to write thinking you should write an entire thesis, the chances are you will not be able to write much. Instead, you should aim at writing a paragraph of a section or a subsection and you will be able to do justice to your plans. As you go on writing your self-confidence will improve conspicuously and you will be able to write more subsequently.

When you start writing a thesis, it is not necessary that you start writing from the very beginning of the thesis. You can write what is the easiest section for you first followed by the difficult ones. If the research carried out is empirical in nature, one can write the Materials and Methods chapter first. It is otherwise called the Methodology chapter. It is often the easiest chapter to write. One has to write what one has done carefully, formally and in a logical order. Just like the outline of the whole thesis, an outline can be made for each chapter of the thesis. In an attempt to make an outline of a chapter, you should put all the figures you will use in it together. You can also practice how you will explain things to someone especially what those things meant. You will have to give several talks on your thesis later; so it is better to start speaking about it in a more formal way. You should also assemble the key words in a chapter. Keywords form the skeleton of a chapter. It is very much essential to have a discussion with one's supervisor once the keywords are identified.

The logical structure for the chapters can be formulated in consultation with the research supervisor/s. One can make use of some word processors to put notes in files. It is extremely important to have a back-up of files. It is advisable to have a remote back-up since a hypothetical thief may find access to your files. Just to be on a safe side you should protect all your files either as email attachments or in some other hard discs. Back-up files help you to get back to your files anytime. You can add or edit your write up whenever a new thought strikes you. If you prefer keeping hard copies, you must keep multiple copies at different locations. Writing sections and sub sections and bibliography in the suggested format is as important as writing the main text of the thesis. Therefore, writing a thesis must be carefully thought of and the plans must be wisely executed.