Differences between thesis and thesis (characteristics and examples)

Theses and dissertations are academic research papers intended to close higher education cycles and test the author's competence. Although with several aspects in common, theses and theses also have substantial differences in objectives, length, complexity and results..

Theses are shorter works whose objective is usually to test the knowledge of the research methodology, they are shorter than a thesis. The theses aim to develop research on a specific topic, trying to provide an original approach.

In general, theses are usually works that take several years, while theses take several weeks or a few months. On the other hand, theses are usually carried out by graduates who aspire to be Doctors, while theses are carried out by high school, high school or lower university students..

	Thesis	Thesis
objective	Expand knowledge on a specific topic.	That the student demonstrate their abilities to develop a topic, write and explain.
Extension	Long extension. 100-500 pages approx. depending on the subject and the student.	Short extension. 20-100 pages approx. depending on the subject and the student.
Depth	Great depth in the subject of study.	Little depth in the subject of study.
Who performs them?	They are usually carried out by graduates, master's students and doctoral students.	High school students or first university courses.
Complexity	High complexity.	Low complexity.

Thesis

A thesis is a 100- to 500-page written monograph, required in many institutions of higher education as a mandatory step towards obtaining a bachelor's, master's, or doctorate degree..

Its objective is to test the knowledge acquired during undergraduate or graduate studies and search for new approaches to the field studied..

- Characteristics of the thesis

Authorship and execution

The thesis can have one or more authors, and generally has periods for its execution, ranging from one to five years.

Generally, theses state a hypothesis or problem to be studied followed by the argumentation and presentation of evidence that confirms or refutes the hypothesis, closing with a conclusion.

Extension

The length of a thesis can vary between 100 and 500 pages, depending on the country or academic institution. Scientific theses are usually less extensive than humanistic ones, and in Anglo-Saxon countries they can be shorter than in Latin countries.

Topics

It can be the end result of a larger job that eventually includes experiments, gathering information in the field through interviews, inventories or surveys; or be the conclusion of a bibliographic research work, with reinterpretations or discoveries of the thesis.

Theses must be carried out responding to a methodology, variable depending on the science or discipline in which the cycle is closing.

It must have a wide and recognized bibliography, and in the case of research results in the field or laboratory, with the annexes and reports that support the thesis.

Tutored research

In the preparation of a thesis, a tutor usually participates who advises the student, makes corrections, and supports him in defending the thesis before a jury..

- Structure of the thesis

Usually a thesis is structured as follows:

Presentation

Thesis title, thesis author's name, tutor's name, academic institution data.

Before the introduction there may also be a couple of paragraphs with thanks to family, colleagues and teachers who provided support for the thesis.

Introduction

This section gives an overview of the thesis, the most relevant facts during the research process, anticipating the conclusions and scope of the study. In the introduction, the methodology used can be explained.

Background

The situation prior to the development of the thesis is raised from a critical point of view, and the hypothesis that is going to be defended is raised.

Body or development

It constitutes the main part of the thesis and includes the statement of the problem, the data collected, the analysis and the discussion around the information collected and exposed.

Conclusions.

It constitutes the closing of the thesis. The information presented is reformulated, without incorporating new data, and the conclusions derived from this information are raised..

Bibliography and annexes

All sources, publications and materials cited or mentioned in the thesis are presented, organized in a systematic way. The annexes vary according to the thesis: maps, laboratory results, tables, charts and diagrams, analytical indexes, photographs, etc..

General index

It is essential for evaluators and other readers to access the information contained in the thesis.

- Thesis types

There are several classifications on the types of thesis, according to the methodology and the scope that have been proposed. Apart from the simple and very general division between humanistic thesis and scientific thesis, it has been proposed to divide it into three large groups: descriptive, analytical and experimental..

• Descriptive: As the name implies, they describe a situation or event without intervening. They are those theses that provide panoramas or different scenarios.
• Analytics: are those theses that, based on the information collected in a certain field, establish relationships and interpretations.
• Experimental: they are the most frequent in the scientific field, and generally involve an intervention in the field studied: experiments with plants, animals or human beings, technological innovations, medical studies, etc..

- Thesis examples

• Example of a descriptive thesis: “Panorama of the Colombian female narrative of the XXI century. Novels and short stories published from 2001 to 2019 ".
• Analytical thesis example: "Evaluation of compliance with quarantine in the underground transport system of the city of Madrid based on the movement of passengers and the number of sanctions carried out by the authorities".
• Experimental thesis: "Effects of the supplementary supply of doses of vitamin C in adults older than 70 years in retirement homes affected by cases of Covid19".

Thesis

A thesis is an academic work of much less length and depth than a thesis, which can be requested before the end of an educational cycle, and whose main objective is to test the student's knowledge of methodology and their mastery of the subject. selected.

In some countries, theses are also called degree theses.

- Characteristics of the thesis

Extension and execution

Its length can range between 20 and 100 pages, and the time set for its completion ranges from six months to a year..

Theme

The object of the thesis must be very specific, it can be an advance for a larger research project, such as a thesis.

Kind

It is generally descriptive: review of the bibliography or the state of knowledge on certain topics.

objective

It is used to evaluate the student's knowledge of methodology: they are not expected to make an original contribution to the subject studied.

- Structure of the thesis

Cover or presentation

Thesis title, name of the student, the institution, place and date, etc..

Index

You can go to the beginning or the end of the thesis, indicating chapters and sections.

Introduction

Clear and brief description of the topic to be studied and the methodology used.

Development and conclusions

The selected topic is developed: history, current situation, perspectives or possible future derivations.

Bibliography

It must include all the sources consulted in a systematic way, and in accordance with the rules for citing publications used by the institution where the thesis is presented..

- Examples of theses

"Criminal violence in Venezuela in 2019: official statistics versus records of Non-Governmental Organizations".

"Juan Rulfo before the criticism of the XXI century: Publications about the author in Spain and Latin America".

"Current situation of the endemic fauna of the Teide National Park (Tenerife, Spain)".

References

1. Eco, U. (1977). How do you write a thesis. Taken from mdp.edu.ar
2. Mauch, J., Park, N. (2003). Guide to the Succesful Thesis and Dissertation: A Handbook for Students and Faculty. Taken from academia.edu.
3. Rojas Caraimpoma, M. (2015). Taken from redalyc.org.
4. Guide for the preparation of the thesis (2016). Taken from uv.mx.
5. Differences between thesis and thesis (2018). Taken from guiauniversitaria.mx.
6. Doctoral thesis (2020). Taken from es.wikipedia.org.