Writing thesis chapters 1-3 guidelines

1WRITING THESIS / DISSERTATION

2. Parts A.Preliminaries B.Text/Body C.References
3. B. The Text Five Major Sections I.Introduction II.Review of Related Literature
III.Methodology IV.Results and Discussion V.Summary, Conclusions, Recommendations
Note: In any section, if you’ll mention an idea which is not yours please always rephrase and
write your source.
4. I. Introduction introductory statement about the study presents a general statement
about the study (can be an issue or claim) presents support about the general statement
(organization or beneficiaries can be introduce also) last paragraph contains either the aims
or problems that the study would want to achieve or solve a. Statement of the Problem b.
Significance of the Study c. Objectives of the Study d. Time and Place of the Study e. Scope
and Limitation f. Definition of Terms
5. Example of introductory statement
6. a. Statement of the Problem •describes the problems to be investigated •contains a
general problem written in the form of a statement followed by the specific questions or
sub- problems
7. Example of statement of problem
8. b. Significance of the Study •discusses the reasons in conducting the research •if you
have few beneficiaries you can just write it in one or two paragraph (why is it important
to conduct the study & all the beneficiaries and how they can benefit from the study) •but
if you have many beneficiaries write the following: 1st paragraph (Why is it important
to conduct this study) 2nd paragraph – main beneficiary (organization) 3rd paragraph
– secondary beneficiary 4th paragraph – importance to the proponents/researchers 5th
paragraph – importance to the future researchers
9. Example of significance of the study
10. c. Objectives of the Study •includes both the general and specific objectives (must be
parallel to your SOP)
11. Example of objectives of the study
12. d. Time and Place of the Study •includes the period when the study was
conductedstarting from the preparation of outline, data gathering (preliminary interview
& RRL), conduct of survey to writing of the manuscript
13. Example of time and place of the study
14. e. Scope and Limitation •describes the extent of the study actual place where the
study will only be conducted duration of the conduct of the study inclusions of the study
(only specific aspect of the study or topic) limit of the number of respondents area limit
(if applicable)
15. Example of scope and limitation
16. f. Definition of Terms •key terms or phrases only used in the study •brief but clear
definitions
17. Example of definition of terms
18. Chapter II – Review of Related Literature •there should have a short introductory
statement (could be one paragraph only) that describes what could be seen under this part
Reminders get facts/ideas from a reliable source (encourage a source with author) jot
down your source for reference writing later make rephrasing a habit write only those
which are relevant to your study at the end of each topic, write a paragraph which explains
its significance or relevance to your topic
19. Chapter III - Methodology •discusses how the study was or will be conducted •there
should have a short introductory statement (could be one paragraph only) that describes
what could be seen under this part a. Research Design b. Sources of Data c. Data
Gathering Procedure d. Data Analysis e. Statistical Treatment f. Research Instrument
20. a. Research Design •write the type of research methodology you’ll employ with your
study (reason out) •write also the step by step procedure that you are going to do to
conduct the research Descriptive/Qualitative - this type of research methods involve
describing in details specific situation using research tools like interviews, surveys, and
Observations. It focuses on gathering of mainly verbal data rather than measurements.
Descriptive/Quantitative - this type of research methods requires quantifiable data
involving numerical and statistical explanations. Quantitative analysis hinges on
researchers understanding the assumptions inherent within different statistical models. It
generates numerical data or information that can be converted into numbers. The
presentation of data is through tables containing data in the form of numbers and
statistics.
21. Correlation/Regression Analysis – this research methodology involves determining
the strength of the relationship between two or more variables (e.g. are violent video
games correlated with aggression in children). Quasi-Experimental - this research
involves the comparison of two groups, one which is influenced by an external source
and another which is not. Experimental - involves the use of random assignment to
place participants in two groups: an experimental group which receives intervention, and
another control group without any intervention. It is using a positive control for you to
base it or compare it in your result. Meta-Analysis - this research method is useful for
finding out the average impact of several different studies on a hypothesis.
22. b. Sources of Data •provides information about the respondents / samples •mention
also the description of population (write also the total number of population) •and write
also how much percentage of the population was used as the respondents and mention
only what formula did you use in order to get the number of respondents •indicate also
the sampling technique (manner employed in the selection of respondents / samples)
23. Sampling Technique a. Probability sampling Simple random sampling - each
individual is chosen randomly and entirely by chance, such that each individual has the
same probability of being chosen at any stage during the sampling process Systematic
sampling - a statistical method involving the selection of elements from an ordered
sampling frame (criteria or reference/sequence of selection) Stratified sampling - the
population embraces a number of distinct categories, the frame can be organized by these
categories into separate "strata." Each stratum is then sampled as an independent sub-
population, out of which individual elements can be randomly selected. These various
ways of probability sampling have two things in common: •every element has a known
non-zero probability of being sampled; and •involves random selection at some point.
24. Sampling Technique b. Non-probability sampling Quota sampling - the population
is first segmented into mutually exclusive sub-groups, just as in stratified sampling. Then
judgement is used to select the subjects or units from each segment based on a specified
proportion. Accidental sampling - (sometimes known as grab, convenience or
opportunity sampling) is a type of nonprobability sampling which involves the sample
 being drawn from that part of the population which is close to hand Panel sampling -
the method of first selecting a group of participants through a random sampling method
and then asking that group for (potentially the same) information several times over a
period of time.
25. c. Data Gathering Procedure •explains the detailed description of how data used in the
study were collected (step by step)
26. d. Data Analysis •write here how the gathered data were presented and analyzed
(usually through tables and graphs or charts)
27. e. Statistical Treatment •mention and write the statistical method used in conducting
the study from identifying the respondents to analyzing of data
28. f. Research Instrument •describes the instrument (survey questionnaire or interview
form, etc

Sample Chapter 1 and 3 Outlines CHAPTER 1 In this section, you will introduce your readers to the issue
you are exploring. Be sure to make your first sentence a compelling “hook.” State the major thesis that
guides your study. Problem Statement In this section you will provide a concise statement of the
problem in just a few paragraphs. Conceptual/Theoretical Framework for PhD / Statement of Context
for EdD Here you will make a case for the proposed relationship between the variables under study.
Example of Level Three Heading It may be helpful to provide your readers with subheading to guide
them through your argument. This will be even more important in Chapter 2 than in Chapter 1. Section
Headings If you divide your section using subheading, be sure to include at least two at any given level.
Research Questions After a brief introduction, list your questions in a numbered list. These research
questions, worded in exactly the same way, will be repeated at the beginning of Chapter 3. Significance
of the Study Here, you will make a case for why the problem you have proposed to study is both
interesting (contestable) and important (negative consequence will be avoided or positive consequences
will ensue with the information that may be gained from your study). Definitions of Terms Provide your
readers with constitutive definitions of any specialized terms that you use, especially those that may
have multiple definitions in the literature. You may quote specific authors whose work you may be
following. This is not the place to discuss operational definitions (i.e., measures of your constructs).
These will be provided in Chapter 3. CHAPTER 3 You’ll probably start with a brief introduction, stating
once again the purpose of your study. Research Questions Provide a brief introduction linking what you
presented in Chapter 2 to your research questions. Then list your research questions exactly as they
were listed in Chapter 1. Method You should avoid “stacking” headings one of top of the other with no
intervening text. Describe the nature of your study (e.g., mixed methods, quasi-experimental, program
evaluation, etc.) Participants Tell who you plan to invite to participate in your study. Be as specific as you
can at this point. Data Sources Describe the nature of the data you will use to answer your research
questions. Again, avoid stacking headings. Measure one. Describe your survey in detail, including the
number of items in each section, the response scale, any available validity and reliability information, as
well one or two sample items. Measure two. Provide the same information for each measure you will
use in your study, including extant student achievement data from SOLs. Interview protocol. If your
study is qualitative in nature, you will describe your interview protocol for individual or focus group
interviews. You may provide a copy of the complete list of questions you will ask in an appendix.
Document analysis. Describe any documents or other artifacts that will be part of your study, as well as
any other data sources you plan to use. Data Collection Describe how you will recruit participants to
your study, including any incentives you will offer. Be specific about your data collection plan. Data
Analysis Describe specifically how you plan to analyze your data. It is helpful to provide a table that lists
each research question along with the data sources and the data analysis that you plan to use to answer
each question. See Table 1. Table 1 Include the Title of the Table on a Separate Line Research Question
Data Sources Data Analysis Question 1 Question 2 Question 3 Question 4 Ethical Considerations
Describe the procedures you will follow to secure appropriate permissions to conduct your study
through the W&M Education Institutional Review Board (EDIRC) and to protect your participants from
any potential harm. Assumptions, Delimitations, and Limitations Describe the underlying assumptions of
the research method or approach that you are selected for your study. The delimitations and limitations
sections of your research proposal describe situations and circumstances that may affect or restrict your
methods and analysis of research data. Delimitations define the parameters of the investigation. In
educational research the delimitations will frequently deal with such items as population/sample,
treatment(s), setting, and instrumentation. Delimitations are choices made by the researcher which
should be mentioned. They describe the boundaries that you have set for the study. Limit your
delimitations to the things that a reader might reasonably expect you to do but that you, for clearly
explained reasons, have decided not to do. Limitations are influences that the researcher cannot
control. They are the shortcomings, conditions or influences that cannot be controlled by the researcher
that place restrictions on your methods and conclusions. Any limitations that might influence the results
should be mentioned. You might consider limitations affecting the instruments you utilized, the sample,
your analysis, the nature of self-reporting, time constraints, and limitations to the generalizability of the
findings.