A storyline makes the final text more compelling. Your supervisor won't be able to stop reading. The bachelor’s or master’s thesis will become night reading for your supervisor... What a picture...
Let's get straight to the point. A storyline also depends on the type of thesis you are constructing.
A storyline in a simple literature thesis looks like this:
- Introduction
- Theory
- State of research
- Analysis and findings
- Conclusion
While a storyline in a practical thesis with a company looks like this:
- Introduction
- Theory
- As-is analysis
- TARGET concept
- Conclusion
This is the storyline for an empirical thesis:
- Introduction
- Theory
- State of research
- Research design, methodology
- Analysis and findings
- Conclusion
How is the storyline spun?
Formulate a clear and interesting question as the leading question in the introduction. Describe a tangible goal. Then follow our outline template for academic texts.
What do supervisors look for in the storyline?
- You want comprehensible transitions between chapters.
- Meaningful bullet points and chapter headings are very important. This helps with orientation.
- Include a very brief explanation of the information in the next chapter at the beginning of the chapter.
- Supervisors pay attention to the contents of the last chapters because they explain your findings. These must refer to content from previous chapters.
- Anything that is not leading to the findings should not be described in detail in the theory chapter. This is otherwise perceived as "inflating the pages".
How to spin your storyline in the thesis - practical tips:
At the beginning of the thesis:
- Take your time when formulating the research question and the goal, so they are as precise as possible.
- Create the outline carefully, following the sample outline.
- Write a proposal and explain the contents of each chapter.
- Explain the topic and the outline to your supervisor in a conversation.
- Perhaps give a presentation on your topic and outline, even if it is not required.
While writing the thesis:
- Avoid changing the basic structure of the outline. The first and second chapters should remain stable, as in the outline example.
- Add details to the outline to the third or fourth chapters. Always formulate meaningful headlines.
- Learn and use the turbo writing technique to write five pages per day.
- You need professionals for an error-free text.
At the end of the bachelor’s or master’s thesis:
- Check the transitions between paragraphs and chapters again and refine them.
- Use our sample formulations for these transitions.
- Check your chapter headings and refine them.
What does a storyline in the bachelor's or master's thesis need?
- A storyline works best with a clear research question, detailed questions and a tangible goal.
- The storyline is beneficial when accompanied by a differentiated outline with a comprehensible logic.
- Thematically relevant sources are good for the storyline.
- Follow our tips and the Thesis Guide to spin your storyline.
Good luck writing your text!
Silvio and the Aristolo Team
PS: Check out the Thesis-ABC and the Thesis Guide for writing a bachelor or master thesis in 31 days.
