Theses - FAQ

Contents

1. How many pages do I have to write?
2. What is a proposal?
3. What does an outline include?
4. How many copies do I have to submit?
5. What is an appropriate research question?

How many pages do I have to write?

This is by far one of the most frequently asked questions. As a rule of thumb, a clear and well‑structured thesis will typically range between 60 and 80 pages. A thesis of only 20 or 30 pages usually does not provide the necessary depth. There are exceptions, but—as the term “exception” suggests—these are rare and should not be treated as the norm.

Several pages are required simply to present the state of the art, explain the research design and methods, and document how the methodology has been applied. This is before you even account for the results, their critical discussion, the limitations, the conclusion, and the outlook. On top of that, you must include references and, where appropriate, appendices.

The critical discussion of the findings should form the centerpiece of the thesis. This usually means that the corresponding chapter is comparatively substantial in length. A practical tip: note down the page count for each chapter and visualize the distribution in a simple Excel chart. Ideally, you will end up with something resembling a shifted bell curve, with its peak just before the conclusion. If the distribution deviates strongly from this pattern, it is often a signal that the balance of the thesis may need adjustment.

What is a proposal?

A detailed explanation is provided under
Theses - Proposal.

What does an outline include?

A detailed explanation is provided under
Theses - Outline.

How many copies do I have to submit?

This depends on your university and degree program. The formal requirements are usually specified on the websites of the relevant info points, examination offices, or student services. In some cases, individual departments or chairs have additional guidelines.

What is an appropriate research question?

Identifying a suitable research question is not trivial. In practice, students often ask for a simple quality label—frequently phrased as “What is a good research question?”. As soon as we speak of a “good” research question, it is worth asking what would count as a “bad” one and, more importantly, how we can tell the difference.

There are several characteristics that can help you determine whether a research question is appropriate:

• A research question cannot be answered with a simple yes or no.

• A research question specifies at least one object of study and should be precise enough to be answered in a focused way.

• A research question may refer to specific phenomena, for example discrepancies between theory and practice.

An example of a descriptive research question would be:

What are the characteristics of an appropriate research question?

Descriptive research questions are used to explore the subject of an investigation. They are particularly helpful when defining and refining the topic of a thesis.

The form of the research question has direct implications for the choice of method. Table 1 lists a selection of research methods and typical forms of questions associated with them.

Table 1: Research questions and their method assignment, adapted from Yin (2014)

Reference

Yin, R.K. (2014). Case Study Research: Design and Methods (5th ed.). Los Angeles et al.: Sage Publications.