The Thesis Checklist: What Every Chapter Must Do
By Verbatim Editorial
The Thesis Checklist
Your thesis is not five loosely connected essays. It is a single, continuous argument distributed across chapters — each one doing a specific job. If a chapter doesn’t know its job, neither does your examiner.
This is the standard structure used across most Ghanaian universities. Whether you’re at KNUST, Legon, UCC, or anywhere else, this is the skeleton your work should hang on.
Chapter 1 — Introduction
This is your contract with the reader. It tells them what you’re investigating, why it matters, and how you’ll go about it.
Must include:
- Background to the Study — Set the scene. What is the broader issue? Move from general context to the specific gap you’re addressing. Don’t write a history essay — be focused.
- Statement of the Problem — The single most important paragraph in your thesis. What exactly is wrong, missing, or unknown? If you can’t state this clearly, you’re not ready to write.
- Research Objectives — One general objective, broken into 3–5 specific objectives. These must be measurable. Avoid vague language like “to look at” or “to find out about.”
- Research Questions — Each specific objective should have a corresponding research question. They must align exactly.
- Significance of the Study — Who benefits from this research and how? Be concrete. “This study will contribute to knowledge” is not significance — it’s filler.
- Scope and Delimitations — What are you covering? What are you deliberately leaving out, and why?
- Organisation of the Study — A brief roadmap of the remaining chapters. One or two sentences per chapter.
Common mistakes:
- Writing the background as if it were a literature review
- Problem statement that describes a topic instead of an actual problem
- Objectives that don’t match the research questions
Chapter 2 — Literature Review
This chapter proves you’ve read widely and thought critically. It is not a summary dump of everything you’ve found.
Must include:
- Theoretical Framework — What established theory underpins your study? Explain the theory, who developed it, and why it applies to your research. This is your intellectual anchor.
- Conceptual Framework — A diagram or model showing the relationship between your variables. This should make your study’s logic visible at a glance.
- Review of Related Literature — Organised thematically, not author-by-author. Group studies by theme. Compare findings. Identify agreements, contradictions, and gaps.
- Empirical Review — What have other researchers actually found? Focus on methodology and results, not just conclusions.
Common mistakes:
- Listing sources instead of engaging with them
- No conceptual framework (or one that doesn’t connect to your objectives)
- Reviewing literature that has nothing to do with your variables
- Over-relying on textbooks instead of journal articles
Chapter 3 — Methodology
This chapter answers one question: how did you collect and analyse your data? Every choice must be justified.
Must include:
- Research Design — Quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods? Descriptive, explanatory, exploratory? State it and defend it.
- Study Area / Population — Where and who? Define your target population precisely.
- Sample and Sampling Technique — How many respondents and how did you select them? If you used a formula (e.g., Yamane, Krejcie & Morgan), show the calculation.
- Data Collection Instruments — Questionnaire? Interview guide? Observation checklist? Describe the structure — how many sections, what types of questions, what scales.
- Validity and Reliability — How did you ensure your instrument measures what it claims to? If you did a pilot study, report it. If you calculated Cronbach’s alpha, state the value.
- Data Analysis — What tools did you use (SPSS, Excel, thematic analysis)? What specific tests or techniques will you apply to answer each research question?
- Ethical Considerations — Informed consent, anonymity, confidentiality, institutional approval. This is not optional.
Common mistakes:
- Choosing a research design without explaining why
- No pilot study
- Data analysis section that doesn’t match the research questions
- Forgetting ethical considerations entirely
Chapter 4 — Results and Discussion
This is where your data speaks. Present it cleanly, then interpret it.
Must include:
- Response Rate — How many questionnaires went out? How many came back usable?
- Demographic Characteristics — Tables and descriptions of your respondents (age, gender, education level, etc.)
- Presentation of Findings — Organised by research question or objective. Use tables, figures, and charts. Every table must be referenced and explained in the text.
- Discussion of Findings — This is where you compare your results with the literature from Chapter 2. Do your findings agree or disagree with previous studies? Why?
Common mistakes:
- Presenting data without interpreting it
- Discussion that doesn’t reference the literature review
- Tables that appear but are never mentioned in the text
- Mixing up results (what you found) with discussion (what it means)
Chapter 5 — Summary, Conclusions, and Recommendations
This is your closing argument. No new data. No new literature. Just synthesis.
Must include:
- Summary of Findings — One or two sentences per research question, stating what you found. Keep it tight.
- Conclusions — What do the findings mean as a whole? What is the big picture takeaway?
- Recommendations — Practical suggestions based on your findings. Who should do what differently? Be specific.
- Suggestions for Further Research — What questions remain unanswered? What would you investigate next with more time and resources?
- Limitations of the Study — Be honest about what constrained your research. This shows maturity, not weakness.
Common mistakes:
- Introducing new information in the conclusion
- Recommendations that have nothing to do with the findings
- Generic suggestions for further research (“more studies should be conducted”)
The References
Not a chapter, but it will get you failed if it’s wrong.
- Use APA 7th edition unless your department specifies otherwise
- Every in-text citation must appear in the reference list, and vice versa
- Minimum source count varies by programme — check your department’s guidelines
- Prioritise journal articles published within the last 10 years
Final Word
Print this checklist. Tape it to your wall. Before you submit, go through it chapter by chapter. If anything is missing, fix it before your supervisor has to tell you.
That’s what we’re here for.
Need help with any of these chapters? Begin your briefing — we’ll take it from there.