A thesis must have a substantial research component, present an original argument using proper academic writing conventions including carefully documented primary and/or secondary sources, and contain the following elements per the End of Program Assessment Manual for Master’s Programs (EOP Manual) and specifically the National Security Studies End of Program Guide:
A refined introduction (Mandatory)
Updated Title Page (Mandatory)
Copyright Page with Declaration (Mandatory)
Dedication Page (Optional)
Acknowledgement Page (Optional)
Abstract (Mandatory)
Table of Contents (Mandatory)
List of Tables (Mandatory if tables are used in your thesis)
List of Figures (Mandatory if figures are used in your thesis)
References (Mandatory)
I. Introduction: This section provides an overview of the topic that you are writing about, a concise synopsis of the issues, and why the topic presents a “puzzle” that prompts your research question(s), which you will include. This section will typically be 5-8 pages. This section can be preceded by an epigraph that creates interest in the topic. Ensure that you follow proper format for epigraphs!! For this section you can draw from your Research Question(s), Statement of the Problem, and Purpose Statement and Thesis Proposal assignments.
II. Review of the Literature: All research projects include a literature review to set out for the reader what knowledge exists on the subject under study and helps the researcher develop the research strategy to use in the study. A good literature review is a thoughtful study of what has been written, a summary of the arguments that exist (whether you agree with them or not), arranged thematically. At the end of the summary, you should have circled back to your research question that remains to be answered. It is written in narrative format and can be from 12-18 pages depending on the scope and length of the paper. You wrote a version of your Literature Review for the Assignment due in Week 6.
III. Methodology and Research Strategy: This section provides the reader with a description of how you are planning to conduct research. It explains what research approach you have chosen, and why. The theoretical framework section is included, which develops the theories or models to be used in the study and shows how you have developed testable research hypotheses. This section includes a discussion of the gaps in the literature and how your thesis will address those gaps. It will include a justification and explanation of the theory or model that is used in the thesis. It describes any special considerations and defines any limitations and terms specific to this project, if necessary. This section will range from 5-8 pages Please draw on your research proposal as you should have already developed a preliminary strategy for the Proposal that you submitted at the end of Week 4.
IV. Findings and Analysis: This section provides the results of your research and the analytical arguments that will make as a result of your findings. In a quantitative project, this section would provide the results of the data collection and an analysis of what it illustrates in empirical terms. In a qualitative project, you will do the same even if there is no quantitative component. For an empirical qualitative project, you will provide your analysis of the variables you identified and explain what your research findings are. How did your independent variables affect the outcome (your dependent variable)? Did you prove or disprove your hypothesis? What new information have you discovered, if any? This section will range from 10-15 pages.
V. Conclusions: This section will contain the concluding analytical arguments based on what research has revealed to answer the research question. Like any conclusion, it should provide a synopsis of the project, the strategy, and the results and what they add to the body of knowledge. This section should also offer suggestions for avenues of future research for other scholars, as all knowledge is evolutionary. This section can be 5 – 7 pages depending on the scope of the project.
References (or Bibliography): This section will contain all references, cited in Turabian format and alphabetically arranged. Entitle this section as either “References” or “Bibliography” depending on the type of citation you use in the rest of the paper.
Technical Requirements
Your paper must be at a minimum of 50 pages (the Title and Reference pages (Front and Back Matter) do not count towards the minimum limit).
Scholarly and credible references should be used. A good rule of thumb is at least 2 scholarly sources per page of content.
Type in Times New Roman, 12 point and double space.
Students will follow the current Turabian Bibliography Style or Turabian Reference List Style
