How do I write a literature thesis as a bachelor or master thesis?

Silvio Gerlach -

A literature thesis is an academic text in which specific information and data are independently collected from already existing reliable scientific sources in order to answer a specific question.

Studies from scientific journals and statistics of all kinds from official sources are the sources most commonly used to compose a literature thesis. The main methods are logical reasoning, analogies, comparisons and critical observations.

What are the advantages of a literature thesis?

The advantages are:

  • No dependence on other people
  • There is an array written sources and especially in digital formats
  • Easier to follow the literature closely
  • Can be well planned
  • Fast writing is possible
  • Relatively little effort
  • No time wasted waiting for data
  • Fewer risks and fewer surprises.

What are the disadvantages of a literature thesis?

The disadvantages are:

  • Difficult to find a topic
  • Research question is more difficult to formulate
  • Possibility of receiving a lower grade than with an empirical study
  • Personal contribution is much more difficult
  • Risk of getting lost in literature
  • Risk of plagiarism,
  • The methodology is harder to define.

What does an outline in a literature thesis look like? What chapters does it contain?

The literature thesis has a proven sample outline.

  1. Introduction
  2. Theory
  3. State of research
  4. Methodology and results of the analysis
  5. Conclusion

What is my personal contribution to a literary thesis if I do not collect any data?

You have several possibilities for your own contribution. You can...

  • Give an overview of the current state of research, i.e. create a puzzle and solve it
  • Identify research gaps and research needs
  • Compare models and theories
  • Create a model approach that "thinks ahead",
  • Visualize results of studies.

Details of the respective procedures can be found in the Thesis Guide.

What are the biggest challenges and what do I have to do to get a good grade on the literature thesis?

Challenge 1: You have to gain new insight by using sources rather than collecting data!

Maybe you're thinking, everything is already written in the sources in great detail... How am I supposed to find something new to contribute? I can't do that...

Yes, you can. But you need a plan to do it, which is your proposal. It describes the context, the research question, the detailed questions, the goal and thus the findings of your project. Then you will see YOUR personal contribution right at the beginning.

Challenge 2: You must use text analysis methods!

All you have are texts. No experts, no people to interview. Time is limited. Many texts seem good. But you will find again and again better texts... And keep all these contents while reading? Not easy!

You need the right methods to evaluate the texts. With the leading question at the start of the thesis you already have the beginning for the storyline for the evaluation of the texts...

Challenge 3: You must be on guard against plagiarism!

In a literature thesis the danger of copying and thus the risk of plagiarism is very high. You have to pay attention to this from the beginning of writing. It is imperative that you do a plagiarism analysis at the end of the project, using software approved by universities. With our Thesis Guide you get this plagiarism analysis for FREE. With the checked text you will get a detailed instruction with examples how to correct dubious passages.

What is the best way to start my literature thesis?

Start with the research question and topic and the appropriate sources! What answers do you want to win for which questions? Then follow this standardized procedure in the Aristolo Thesis Guide:

  • Write a proposal,
  • Filter specific content from books and fill theory chapters,
  • Evaluate studies and write chapter on the state of research,
  • Consider and describe analytical methods (research methods),
  • Obtain information, data and arguments from sources and gain new insights through analysis,
  • Draw conclusions, write the chapter on results and complete the work.

How can the Aristolo Thesis Guide help with literature thesis?

In the Thesis Guide you will find detailed descriptions of the contents of all chapters with micro-questions, sample formulations and tools of all kinds and much more. Test the Thesis Guide for your literature thesis.

Good luck writing your text!

Silvio and the Team Aristolo

PS: Check out the Thesis-ABC and the Thesis Guide for writing a bachelor or master thesis in 31 days.