Thesis Writing Guidelines For International University Of Applied Sciences

What is a Thesis?

A thesis paper is a type of research study that is based on original research. It is considered the last step in the University of Applied Sciences for completing a master's or bachelor's degree.  Writing a thesis paper is very helpful in giving university students an opportunity. To identify a specific topic, incident or argument and deliver valuable insights to a systematically made research study. The thesis paper is also known as an academic study of a particular case or issue relevant to the academic field of study of the researcher.  The thesis paper is essential as it helps showcase a researcher's ability to work independently in subject-specific and interdisciplinary contexts. The research consists of different scientific tools within a given time frame. It is also essential for the researcher to showcase that they can defend their study in front of various types of legal bodies. Some of the key steps for writing a successful thesis paper at the International Institute of Applied Science are:

• As a researcher, you need to be interested in the research topic.
• The researcher needs to become an expert in the relevant field.
• As a researcher, you must be 100% motivated to complete the study. 

Writing an Expose

Exposing research is considered one of the most essential elements of a research study.  The research expose should be around 2-3 pages long and include a lengthy topic description. Before writing an exposure, reviewing the book's guidelines is very important. “Introduction to Academic Work” while preparing a thesis paper.  However, providing a detailed explanation of the research question is not essential. However, it should contain information regarding the direction the thesis will be completed.  Providing information regarding the main objectives of the research is helpful for both the researcher and the supervisor supervising the research work.

Layout of thesis:

Title page: The title page of the thesis is the first page and should contain the following information which are listed as follows

• Name of the college
• Name of the degree
• The thesis title
• Name of the researcher 
• Student number
• Student address
• Name of the supervisor
• Submission date

Any change in the thesis title can only be done after the supervisor has approved it. 

Abstract: The section contains a single main paragraph summarising the aim, results, and conclusion drawn in the research thesis.  The abstract should be 200 words or less. Providing keywords in the extract is also essential in the abstract as it makes it easy for the reader to identify the research topic. 

Table of contents: “Table of contact” is considered necessary as it helps provide an outline in which the research paper has been prepared.  The section should also contain the page number of the topics covered.  

List of tables and figures: The section lists the tables, figures, and glossary that will help locate the related information regarding the thesis prepared for the universities of applied science.  

Body of the thesis: This is one of the most essential parts and contains detailed information regarding the thesis topic.  The main body of the thesis paper includes the following information. 

• Literature review 
•  Research Methodology 
• Research findings 
• Conclusion 
• Recommendations/ Limitations
• The introduction provides information regarding the thesis's aims, objectives, and purpose. The section also includes information regarding the overall structure of the thesis.
• The literature review section provides information regarding the literature analysed for the thesis's completion. The literature included in the thesis are books, articles, journals and other sources of information relevant to the research topic.  The structure of the literature review depends on the choice of the researcher. 
• The research methodology in the research thesis paper provides information regarding the different types of research tools used to complete a thesis paper in the universities of applied science. The research methodology should identify the information regarding the analysis and survey.  Referencing the relevant literature review also helps increase the credibility of the research methodologies. The chapter also contains information regarding the critique of different methods used in the thesis. 
• The thesis result should always be provided in a single chapter as it helps better understand the thesis. Visualisations and tables are very helpful in making the result section more informative for the readers. No interpretation of the results is conducted in this particular chapter. 
• The findings of the results are linked to the literature review during the process of interpretation of results.  Recommendations for required actions regarding the thesis topic are provided in this chapter, which can be achieved during thesis preparation. 
• The conclusion section helps in concluding the overall thesis paper. Any further scope of research and the different limitation faced by the researcher during the preparation of the thesis study is also provided in this section. Conclusion alos helps in describing the knowledge gained during the thesis preparation.

Abbreviations: commonly used abbreviations are permitted to be used in the thesis. Also, using economic abbreviations such as the DBW is allowed in the research thesis.  However, using acronyms for the writers' convenience is not permitted in the thesis prepared for the International University of Applied Sciences.  The abbreviations are generally listed alphabetically in the “list of abbreviations” in the thesis.  However, standard abbreviations such as etc. should not be included in the abbreviations list.

Figures: Different types of figures used in the thesis should be numbered accordingly for the convenience of the readers. The figures attract the readers' interest by gaining relevant information in the visual form. The figures provided in the thesis will also contain news on the content from which they are appropriate. This helps increase the relevancy of the image used in the thesis paper.  The information of the figure is mentioned along with the number and title of the image in 10 font size.  In case the original image is changed in the thesis, it is important to mention “adapted from” in the thesis. However, the use of screenshots is not recommended in the thesis unless the supervisor of the research thesis permits it.

Tables: The use of tables is crucial in a thesis paper as they help provide a clear understanding of the information provided in the main body of the thesis.  Short tables can be included in the main body of the thesis. However, the more elaborated tables become part of the appendices in a thesis paper.  Each table should have a suitable heading describing the header's title. The tables used in the thesis should also be numbered systematically in the thesis with the help of a consistent layout.  Using frames in the tables is unnecessary and based on the writer's choice.  The references used for the tables will be provided below the table in font size ten, starting with the word source.  If the original tables are changed, they should be mentioned as “adapted from”.  Moreover, the self-made table is to be noted as self-illustrated in the source section of the table.

Appendices: the use of appendices is constructive in providing information that is elaborated in a detailed manner in the main body of the thesis and plays a critical role in making the readers understand the context of the research objective selected in the thesis paper.  The appendices can include an original copy of tables, figures, surveys and transcripts of different interviews.  Including the interview, the transcript is only done after permission from the thesis supervisor is submitted to the International University of Applied Science.  The transcripts, questionnaires, and other relevant information are presented in the original form in the appendices of the thesis paper.

Formal Specifications

For making a thesis paper academically correct to be submitted to the International University of Applied Sciences, it is essential to follow some specifications while writing the thesis. 

• The number of pages required to complete any thesis paper depends on the degree programme of the student in which they are enrolled.  The overall length of the thesis study can be adjusted by 10% during the completion of the thesis paper. Meeting this requirement makes the thesis paper eligible for international universities of Applied Sciences.
• Bachelor's degree programmes: 40 DIN A4 pages
• Master's degree programmes 60 CP: 60 DIN A4 pages
• Master's degree programmes 120 CP: 80 DIN A4 pages
•  MBA 60 CP: 40 DIN A4 pages
• −MBA 90 CP: 60 DIN A4 pages
• −MBA Clinical Research Management: 50 DIN A4 pages

The first page of the thesis begins with an introduction and is marked as page 1 of the thesis.  The page numbers do not include the table of contents, acknowledgement and declaration. 

The page number of the thesis should be mentioned in Arabic format and always begin from page 1.  The page number should be provided continuously till the end of the thesis.  Ideally, the page number of the thesis papers is placed at the centre at the bottom of the page. However, in the case of APA standards, the page numbers in the thesis paper are provided in the page's header along with the title of the thesis paper.