Writing a Thesis/Dissertation (Final Stage)

Thesis General Format

The following are the parts of the thesis, optional and necessary, that must be followed and must
appear in this order.

Title Page.
This page contains the title of the thesis, name of proponents and a statement regarding
the qualification for which the thesis is submitted. It also contains the name of the
institution, to which the thesis is being submitted, and the month and year of submission.

Approval Sheet.
This page bears the name of the proponent/s and title of the thesis, together with the
signature of the adviser, college dean and members of the oral defense panel. This
page certifies that the thesis has been duly approved, and must bear the date of
approval.

Acknowledgements.
This section recognizes persons and organizations who/which assisted the proponents in
the completion of the thesis. Acknowledgements should be expressed simply and
tactfully.

Abstract.
This is a presentation of the thesis summary. Included in the thesis abstract are the
statement of the problem, objective/s of the study, methodology, major findings,
significance and conclusions. The abstract should not be less than 200 words but not to
exceed 500 words, and should be typed single-spaced. Normally the abstract does not
include any reference to the literature.

Table of Contents.
A sequential listing of all major parts of a thesis with corresponding page numbers.
Included in the table of contents are the titles of chapters, sections and subsections,
references and appendices. Also included are the titles of the preliminary pages as well
as the required forms.

List of Tables.
A comprehensive listing of titles of all tables found in the body of the thesis with indication
of the corresponding page numbers. Tables should be numbered in sequence, using
Arabic numerals. For example, the third table appearing in chapter two should be
labeled Table 2.3.

List of Figures.
List of charts, graphs, maps and other illustrations used in the thesis. Specific items
consisting of 12 or more must be listed separately. For example, if there are more than 12
illustrations, then there must be a separate list of illustrations. List the exact title or caption
of each figure and its corresponding page. Figures should also be numbered in
sequence, using Arabic numerals. The first figure in the third chapter is labeled Figure 3.1.

List of Appendices.
An appendix or appendices, if any, should be after the References. Appendices include
original data, preliminary tests, tabulations, tables that contain data of lesser importance,
 very lengthy quotations, forms and documents, computer printouts and other pertinent
documents. Appendices should be arranged chronologically as they are cited in the
main text. Use capital letters of the English alphabet to track appendices, and always
begin with the letter A.

List of Abbreviations and Symbols

All abbreviations used in the thesis are listed for easy reference of the reader. This section,
however, is optional.

Definition of Terms
This section enumerates technical terms that are deem necessary in understanding the
study. Operational terms and its definition is listed and defined inthis area of the
documents.

BODY OF THE THESIS.

The main body of a thesis is divided into five (5) chapters, which may be further
subdivided into sections.

Chapter 1 – Problems and Its Background

Introduction.
This chapter serves as a backgrounder for readers to have an overview of the study even
without prior reference to other publications on the topic. The introduction is the first
chapter of the thesis and must include the objective/s and justification of the study as
well as the limitations set by the proponent. The introduction is the proper place to define
any specialized terms and concepts used in the thesis.

Statement of the Problem.

The statement of the problem is the backbone of the proposal/paper. This is the
main idea of the entire research project. This is a statement that you can prove
with evidence/s. Well-constructed problem statements will convince your
audience that the problem is real and worth having you investigates. Well-
constructed problem statement defines the problem and helps identify the
variables that will be investigated in the study.

Hypothesis.
Research hypotheses are the possible answer to the research problems or sub-
problems. Good hypotheses are based on well-constructed research questions. It
guides or supports the research to find an answer to the research problems.
However, this is not a requirement for social science research instead a
conceptual framework or theoretical framework is needed.

Purpose/Objective of the Study.

This section summarizes what is to be achieved by the study. This usually contains
general and specific objectives. Research objectives are closely related to
research problem.

Significance of the Study.

This section describes or explains the potential value of the study and findings. It
should be clear in here, the target audience for the study and how the results will
be beneficial for them. It answer the questions – Why is it important? To whom it
will be beneficial?
 Scope and Limitation.
This section sets parameters of the study. Limitations are the inherent problems
encountered by the researcher, thus, stating the limitations of the study can be
very useful for readers in interpreting the results of the study.

Chapter 2 – Related Literature.

The review of related literature showcases previous studies and publications relevant to
the thesis. This chapter gives light as to what motivated the proponent/s in pursuing the
specific field of study.

Synthesis – summary of the related literatures showing the gap and a need to
develop/improve a system.

Conceptual Framework/Theoretical Framework.

The conceptual framework is the outline or a diagram of preferred approach to
the concepts (an idea or thought) used in the study. It shows all the variables
included in the study. The theoretical framework, on the other hand, consists of
theories, principles, and research findings - interrelated concepts - which are
related to the study. This is the framework on how the study is organized or
developed.

Chapter 3 – Research Methodology.

Materials and Methods is the chronological listing of steps and procedure/s used by the
proponent/s. Methods used for gathering of data, laboratory and field experiment,
theoretical and/or conceptual frameworks, as well as techniques employed in the
analyses of data must be specifically listed. For the materials, exact technical
specifications, quantities and sources must be included. It includes instrumentation (or
the procedures used in developing an instrument to gather data) and the data
collection (or the details on how the data will be obtained) – the method of
investigation, i.e. questionnaires, personal interviews, focus groups, laboratory modeling,
design techniques, etc.; the sampling methodology, i.e. size of sample, population,
experimental and control groups, prevention of bias, etc; and, the statistical methods
used with explanation as to why you intend to use specific statistical methods.

Chapter 4 – Results and Analysis.

This chapter presents the data gathered and the information obtained from them.
Results and analyses in the form of figures, tables, graphs and text are found in this
chapter. The discussion part is a presentation of the principles, relationship and
generalization evidenced by the results. If applicable, the results need to be compared
and interpreted with previously published works. Implications as well as possible practical
applications must be mentioned.

Chapter 5 – Conclusions and Recommendations.

This chapter includes a summary of the main findings of the thesis, and states the
deduction/s obtained. It also presents the significance of the study, and relates findings
to the objectives and problems written in the introduction part of the thesis.
 Recommendation/s must be stated in this chapter. This part usually directs the reader to
conduct further research on some specific areas related to the thesis topic.

References. This is a list of works cited, as well as works consulted but not cited (example,
background reading not necessarily cited) in the construction of the research paper. The list of
references is numbered and arranged alphabetically. For format on the writing of references,
the APA (American Psychological Association) style of documentation shall be followed.

Appendices. An appendix or appendices, if any, should be after the bibliography. Appendices

include original data, preliminary tests, tabulations, tables that contain data of lesser
importance, very lengthy quotations, forms and documents, computer printouts and other
pertinent documents. Appendices should be arranged chronologically as they are cited in the
main text. Use capital letters of the English alphabet to track appendices, and always begin with
the letter A.