Writing an effective reading guide for your thesis

Where do you place the reading guide in your thesis?

The reading guide is typically placed in the introduction of your thesis. Although some courses may consider it a mandatory part of the introduction, it is often optional to include it. It is important to consult your program’s graduation manual to confirm this. Since a reading guide helps enhance the structure and accessibility of your thesis, making it easier to read, we suggest adding one. Place it at the end of the introduction, where you can provide an overview of the thesis chapters and indicate where readers can locate specific information.

Tips for writing a good reading guide

Below we will provide you with several tips to assist you in creating a useful reading guide.

• Keep it concise: The reading guide should be brief, providing a concise overview of the thesis structure. Aim for clear and concise presentation of information.
• Use clear language: Avoid jargon and complex language in the reading guide to ensure easy understanding. If technical terms or abbreviations are used, explain them clearly.
• Be consistent: Use consistent terminology in the reading guide, referring to each chapter by its designated name or number.
• Explain the function of each chapter: Include a brief explanation of what to expect from each chapter in the reading guide.
• Refer to appendices: If appendices are included in the thesis, mention their relevance and provide information on where to find them in the reading guide.
• Provide reading instructions if necessary: If specific chapters or sections should be read in a particular order, include these instructions in the reading guide.
• Refer to the bibliography: Mention in the reading guide that a bibliography is included, specifying the chosen style guide for citations and references to sources.

Tip: Use synonyms and vary

The issue with the reading guide is that it is often excessively dry. Typically, it only provides a basic summary of the content found in each chapter. This can result in limited language variation. It is recommended to incorporate synonyms and vary sentence structures within the guide. If you’re in need of quality synonyms, you can make use of the website synonyms.net. By doing so, your reading guide will become more engaging and appealing. Generally, the reading guide frequently employs the passive voice.

Have your thesis professionally reviewed for language and content

Have you completed your thesis and would you like an experienced proofreader to review your document for language? Request a quote right away. We can also assess the content of your document, ensuring that all sections are included, conducting a linguistic check, and evaluating the text for clarity and proper structure. By doing so, you will be able to submit a thesis that is easy to comprehend.