Before you start writing a thesis: Define the objectives and choose the literature
A thesis is the culmination of years of dedicated study. A future graduate demonstrates his knowledge as well as the ability to work independently and use relevant sources and demonstrates his understanding of an expert text. Half of the success of undergraduate studies is accomplished right at the beginning – it is dependent on what theme and professional literature the student follows.
Thorough research will completely facilitate the writing of an expert paper. The time, that the author devotes to the preparation of supporting materials, will be returned manifold in the course of the thesis elaboration. The proverbial saying about measuring twice before cutting applies perfectly in this case. Not to mention that once registered, a topic is very difficult to change on academic grounds. It does not matter if you aspire to an MBA, MSc. or Ph.D. degree. What must be kept in mind before starting to write?
The Theme must be Fun!
You should be interested in the theme of your choice. After all, you will spend many hours on it, so it should not lose its appeal or even start to bore you. You should care about the result, and be motivated not by the evaluation, but rather by the outcome of what new findings you may make along with what hypotheses you attempt to confirm.
If you have access to inspiring information, for example as a trainee in a significant company or through a job, it is worth considering whether and how it could be connected with the theme. This will make the subsequent search for practical information sources considerably easier.
Define the Objectives of the Thesis
What findings do you want to make? What questions do you want to answer? Create a well-arranged structure of the whole thesis, which will form the “Contents” later. In the case of your thesis being divided into theoretical and practical parts, consider what theoretical information should be presented in the first part in order to precede to the practical findings.
Suggest the approximate scope of individual chapters and subchapters, their topics, which will provide a basis for seeking the relevant literature.
Build on Other Authors
When searching for information sources, forget about “Uncle Google” or “Aunt Wikipedia”. While the Internet surely offers plenty of texts, these are unfounded and can only give you hints for further research orientation.
Elaboration of an academic text requires sufficient technical literature from which you will proceed. Any statement used in your thesis (in the theoretical part) must be supported by a reference to the particular author and publication, possibly also a specific page. The list of used literature is at the end of the thesis. In the case of passages of text taken from other authors, a reference can be made to the relevant page as a footnote.
When writing an academic text, always follow the instructions of the thesis supervisor, consultant or lecturer. You can also seek his or her advice regarding suitable literature. The library staff will help you obtain the recommended reference materials.