Guidelines to Abide for Effective Thesis Synopsis Writing
Undoubtedly, a synopsis form an integral part of a thesis that defines the future course of actions taken for research. It ensures that the review committee gets a clear picture of the proposed research and spots the gap established.
Writing a synopsis must be given due time, thought and necessary attention to specifications required. While writing your thesis synopsis, ensure the following:
- It offers a comprehensive overview of research areas which have been investigated
- It helps in verbalizing the idea of the thesis.
- It helps you to focus and structure the thesis.
A thesis synopsis should be brief but precise. Adopt these tried and tested guidelines to deliver a structured thesis synopsis:
Introduction:
This section states the core research questions and all the important background facts throughout the procedure. It must clearly state the purpose of the study.
Title:
The title reflects the objective of the research. The title of the synopsis and title of the thesis shall be invariably the same. The title must include a creative or unique element and should not be either too long nor too short.
Aims and objectives:
Research consists of objectives and aims pertaining to the study problem. Usages of terms like “the first study”, “the only study”, etc. should be avoided.
Hypothesis:
The problem being studied should be mentioned in precise and clear terms. The hypothesis can be formulated by understanding the problem, reviewing the literature on it, and considering other factors.
Literature review:
A review of the relevant literature is another very important part of the synopsis. It shows the work done previously in the area of proposed research and assists in identifying various variables in the research project and conceptualizes their relationship.
Research methodology:
In synopsis, the research methodology describes a method which may be intended for use in the research. The methodology should cover the following aspects:
- Sources of data (Primary or Secondary)
- The survey, questionnaires, observation, case studies, portfolios, books, journals, periodicals, abstracts, indexes, directories, research reports, conference papers, online databases, the Internet, videos & broadcasts.
- Sample size
- Data Collection Techniques
- Analysis of Data
Results:
Briefly mention the key findings of your study
Conclusion:
This section includes the inference obtained, significant contributions of the research and shortcomings of the research.
Reference and bibliography:
In the end, a synopsis contains a list of references and a bibliography written in a standard pattern. Each and every aspect such as the name of the author, publication year, title, the title of journal/series, page number needs to be included.
The format for writing a synopsis varies from University to University and among disciplines. Above is the outline of how the thesis synopsis should look like. The synopsis is an important part of the thesis that cannot be taken lightly. It contains crucial chapters like literature review, research methodology, reference lists, with each having its own significance.
