7 Mistakes to Avoid When Developing a Thesis

Writing a well-done thesis is easier said than done for many students. College students struggle with thesis writing for one reason or the other. Thankfully, reliable resources like a custom thesis writing service provide students with the help they might need. Check here for more info.

Since the quality of your thesis is used as a determinant of whether or not you’re ready to graduate, you should take it seriously. Besides, if you’ve come this far, it means you’ve got what it takes to complete one last project before you finish school.

While a thesis is a big project, you shouldn’t let this fact overwhelm you. Remember, you can always break down the assignment into bite-size chunks for easier writing. How you approach the paper can make or break your assignment.

If you’re in your final year of college, you likely need help with your thesis. Before you begin this big project, go through this article to learn seven mistakes you should avoid. Thesis development is much easier when you’re aware of the pitfalls to avoid.

1. Not Doing Enough Research

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Since you’re doing a master’s thesis, it’s only natural that the project requires a substantial amount of research. This is especially true for students doing their doctoral dissertation. You need to invest time in doing extensive research because when you have sufficient writing material, you’ll have a rich trove of ideas to get your creative juices flowing.

Only then can you generate an original thesis rather than copying and pasting what others have already submitted. In addition, an assignment that is backed up with enough references simplifies your work and earns you more points.

Too much research is also a mistake to avoid. While you’re supposed to read widely, determine the scope of your thesis, so you don’t drift too far away from your topic.

2. Putting Things Off Until the Last Minute

An average thesis project should be about 100 to 200 pages, and it could be much longer depending on the topic you chose. Imagine how much pressure you would be in to write all these pages if you put things off until the last minute.

Leaving all this work until you’re pressed for time would compromise the quality of your research, writing and editing. Why? You would have to rush through all thesis-writing steps to meet the deadline.

Remember that you get a supervisor for a thesis whom you’re supposed to show your progress at least once every week. So, what will you show if you’re not making any progress? Your supervisor needs to see your drafts and correct you if you’re barking up the wrong tree.

A good student should submit several drafts and use the feedback to improve their thesis’s structure and presentation. Since all these will be happening on top of the classes and other academic responsibilities, you would require excellent time management skills.

Making gradual progress ensures that you get the right feedback from your supervisor to convey a truly unique insight into your work.

3. Choosing The Wrong Topic

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Have you ever been writing an assignment essay only to realize you’re backing yourself into a corner you can get out of? Or have you ever realized halfway through an essay that you don’t have enough writing material to meet the assignment’s word count? In such scenarios, the only way out is to start afresh with a new topic that is easier to research and discuss.

This is frustrating but totally doable for a takeaway essay because the papers are usually not longer than two pages. However, imagine what it would feel like realizing you’ve run out of material 70-pages into a thesis project.

At this time, so much time would have passed by that starting again would not be an option. You would be forced to compromise the quality of your project or submit a paper that doesn’t meet the word count.

4. Being Disorganized

You need to be organized in the way you research writing material and how you prepare for the thesis writing. Even when you begin the writing process, there is an order to be followed to ensure you’re doing the right thing.

Before you get down to business, have a system in place to help you move from one section to the next. Being organized ensures that you don’t forget to include important details.

5. Committing Plagiarism

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Plagiarism is an offence in the academic world because it’s likened to stealing someone else’s work and presenting it as yours. So, while it’s okay to use online sources to inform your arguments, you should not copy and paste what has been presented in past years. Instead, you should paraphrase the information you gather online to suit the uniqueness of your paper.

Note that as a well-meaning student, you can unconsciously plagiarize other people’s work. That’s why before submitting your thesis, you should run it through a plagiarism checker to ascertain that it’s 100% original. Some professors allow for 70% and above originality, so this means you don’t have to spend so much time editing your work before submission.

6. Choosing Readers and Editors Who Aren’t Critical Enough

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The success of a thesis is not all up to you. You need readers, advisors and a committee to help you evaluate its progress. They should challenge, assist and ultimately grade your work. Unfortunately, some readers and editors aren’t as critical of your work as you need them to be, which can cost you during thesis grading.

While encouragement goes a long way in unleashing your potential, you also need constructive criticism to improve on the paper. Look for objective readers and editors who will give it to you straight.

7. Checking the Final Product for Grammar and Spelling Mistakes Only

Proofreading is not only about spotting spelling and grammar mistakes. It’s essential that you also check the flow and consistency of the writing, as these are what contribute to a coherent paper.

Conclusion

Since a thesis is such a big project, you want to ensure that you’re adequately prepared for it. Extensive preparation and following the right guidelines during the project ensure that you get enough points to earn you timely graduation.