Front page
• Title thesis.
• Full name student.
• Student number.
• Name supervisor.
Index/Table of contents
Chapter 1: Introduction
• Contains problem statement, consisting of:
o Central research question and sub-questions (research aim).
o Societal and academic relevance of thesis (research motive).
o Reading guide (telling the reader what you are going to do in each chapter).
Chapters 2, 3 etc.: Description/reconstruction of the academic debate
• Detailed overview of the relevant positions defended by others concerning your research
question.
• Discuss these positions in a coherent, integrated and thematic way. Bring the texts into dialogue
with one another. This is just about comparing and contrasting the articles. Give an overview of
the main similarities and differences between the articles, and do this by discussing how the
central ideas (e.g. assumptions, approaches, theories, arguments, conclusions) put forward in
each of the articles are related. Organize your overview as little as possible on the basis of texts
and as much as possible on the basis of ideas.
Chapter: Critical reflection
• Critical discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of the positions defended by others in the
academic debate resulting in a reasoned perspective of your own.
• Assess/evaluate the quality of argumentation by applying basic rules of argumentation (See:
Weston, A. (2017). A rulebook for arguments. Fifth edition. Indianapolis/Cambridge: Hackett
Publishing Company):
o Reliability: related to the individual premises and conclusions. Are these
true/plausible/acceptable? (ch. 1.3 Weston)
o Different kinds of argumentation → different kinds of rules (ch. 2-6 Weston):
▪ Argumentation based on examples: Can you generalize from the examples?
▪ Argumentation based on analogy/comparison: Does the comparison hold?
▪ Argumentation based on authority: Is the source really authoritative?
▪ Argumentation based on cause and effect: Is the presumed causal mechanism
really present?
▪ Argumentation based on deduction: Is the argument valid?
o Fallacies: Arguments that violate the rules for good argumentation (see Appendix 1
Weston for a list of common mistakes)
Chapter: Conclusion
• Repeat the central research question.
• Give a brief summary of the thesis (i.e. the main argument) resulting in answering your research
question.
• Discuss the limitations of your research.
• Discuss the implications of your research:
o Societal implications: What is the meaning of your research outcomes for the world?
o Academic implications: Based on your research outcomes, what suggestions for future
research can you give?
Bibliography
• Use the APA-guidelines!