A helpful guide for when you start working on your thesis.

Step-by-step plan when you start writing your thesis

Below are the most important steps you can follow, explained step by step.

Choose your internship site and client.
Involve your thesis supervisor in your program’s proposal.
Determine the topic of your thesis.
Provide a clear problem definition to establish a well-defined problem and objective.
Write your main and sub-questions.
Consider the research design and methods you will employ.
Describe the process of your thesis and research in your research proposal or research plan.

These steps form the preliminary research and help you to define your research question, find relevant literature, and set up the structure of your research. They serve as the foundation of your thesis. You incorporate your findings from the preliminary research into your research plan, also known as a research plan or research proposal. In this plan, you describe the problem orientation and research design. Once you have received the green light on your research plan, you can begin your research and write your thesis.

Step 1: Choose your internship address and client

Good preparation begins by making choices, such as selecting your internship location and client. Whether you are interning at a company or conducting research for your university, it is crucial to comprehend and align with the expectations of both your client and your school supervisor.

Your course frequently establishes requirements that the assignment you intend to undertake must fulfill. HBO students typically pursue an internship and search for a company or organization where they can fulfill their internships and write their thesis, whereas university students often need to initially decide whether they wish (and are capable) to write their thesis for an organization or solely for college.

Step 2: Involve your thesis supervisor of your study program in your research proposal

In addition to involving your client, it is also important to include your academic advisor from your program. This advisor will primarily assess whether your research meets the graduation requirements of your program. Therefore, discuss your preliminary findings with your academic advisor. By collaborating on the direction and clearly defining the problem, you can better formulate your research questions.

Your academic advisor will focus on the requirements outlined in the assessment form. However, it is crucial to ensure both your client and your program are satisfied upon graduation. Your client seeks a practical solution to their problem, while your program expects a thesis that meets the graduation requirements. This can sometimes cause friction between the two parties, which is why regular communication with your academic advisor is essential.

Step 3: Determine the topic of your thesis

Determining the topic for your thesis is the next crucial step. This can be based on the instructions provided by your client or your own personal interests. It is important to select a contemporary topic that is relevant to your course, aligns with existing research, and has ample literature accessible.

What are the requirements for your training?
What are your personal interests? What did you have an affinity for during the training?
What is the scientific, social, or practical relevance?
Is there enough literature available on your topic and is it current?

Step 4: Provide clear problem orientation to arrive at a well-defined problem and objective.

You begin by working on problem orientation, which leads to a clear problem definition. A comprehensive problem analysis is crucial in formulating pertinent research questions.

A thorough problem analysis leads to a clearly defined problem statement and objective, aiding in formulating the appropriate research questions. Typically, you commence with an organizational description where you contextualize the problem and objective.

In your problem definition, you address the query: What is the problem that requires a solution?
In the objective, you specify the insight that your research should offer and explain why it is essential to investigate it.

Step 5: Write your main and sub-questions

You determine the direction of your research by formulating main and sub-questions. It is important to create these questions in a specific and achievable manner so that you can work effectively. When formulating your main question and sub-questions, it is helpful to refer to relevant literature and models that you intend to use. Scientific databases, such as Google Scholar, can provide a wealth of information for consultation.

Your main question should always be relevant to your thesis topic and serve as the central research question guiding your study. It should also be feasible, specific, and address a current problem within your chosen context and for your client. Making the right choices in defining your main question is crucial. Sub-questions, in turn, provide answers and help guide your research. It is advisable to formulate a manageable number of sub-questions to keep your research focused.

In some cases, your training may not require the formulation of sub-questions, and you may work with hypotheses instead. A hypothesis is a preliminary statement that outlines what you expect to find in your research. You can then test this hypothesis using scientific methods.

Additionally, it can be beneficial to develop a conceptual model to visually represent the anticipated cause-and-effect relationship, especially if your topic is complex and involves multiple moderators. We have a separate article dedicated to explaining how to create a conceptual model.

Please note: Sometimes, different concepts such as problem definition, objectives, and main questions are mistakenly used interchangeably, despite their distinct differences.

Your problem statement describes the problem being investigated.
The objective briefly indicates what the research aims to gain insight into.
The main question (or central research question) is the question related to the problem to which your thesis provides an answer.

Step 6: Consider how you will design the research and determine which methods you will utilize.

Finally, you should consider how you will conduct your research and decide which methods to use. This entails defining your research population, selecting appropriate research methods, and gathering and analyzing data. In the research design, you detail how you will structure your study. This is outlined by:

Who the research population is and how large the total group potentially is;
Which research methods you choose and why;
How large the sample you use and what criteria you choose for the selection of respondents;
How you will collect, process, and analyze the data;
And how to ensure that the results are valid and reliable.

You typically begin by starting with your theoretical framework or literature review to establish what you already know about a specific subject and what still needs further research. During the literature review, your focus will primarily be on understanding what has already been discussed in the literature regarding the particular subject, utilizing existing valuable knowledge from other sources.

The theoretical framework entails selecting and utilizing material from your literature research to shape your own research, making this step essential to your project. Afterwards, you decide which methodology to employ - qualitative research or quantitative research?

During this phase, you also identify which instruments to utilize, such as whether to opt for a survey or a semi-structured interview.

Step 7: Describe the process of your thesis and research in your research proposal or research plan.

With all these steps in mind, you can create a solid research plan and begin your thesis with confidence. Ensure that your plan is well structured and meets the requirements of your course. It is common to see two different formats being used for the research plan:

A research plan (for practice-oriented research)
A research proposal (for scientific research)

In both documents, you should include the background of the organization, the context and relevance of your research, followed by the problem analysis, objectives and research questions, as well as your research methods and design. Additionally, remember to include a time schedule and a bibliography.

Tip: Ensure that you adequately manage and cite the sources you use, following the appropriate source standard for your course. If your course requires using the APA standard, be sure to refer to our tips regarding source citations, APA standards, and bibliographies.

Time to get started!

By completing the above six steps, you will have all the necessary elements to develop a specific and well-defined topic and prepare your research proposal or research plan. Need more tips? Make sure to check out our articles on writing a design-oriented research project, including the introduction and various research methods that can be employed.

If you need assistance in refining your research question or if you’re just starting out and would like someone to bounce ideas off of, feel free to request a free consultation right away.