Background of the Study
A thesis background study is a comprehensive review of information surrounding and influencing your topic. It includes reading books, academic journals, studies and other thesis materials relating to either your topic or the situations around your topic. Performing a background study is a daunting challenge. There are a few techniques you can use to get your background study going and make the task much more manageable. After you finish, your background study will form the foundation for your thesis and provide you with the valuable sources that you can use.
Instructions
1. o 1
Write an early outline for your research. Include some of the elements of your topic that you expect to research as well as significant issues surrounding your topic. Remember that this list is speculative and many of these things may change after you finish with your research. Make a list of significant words and phrases that are likely to appear in search databases. For instance, if your thesis includes a review of "Pride and Prejudice," your list may include the following words: Jane Austin, marriage market, women in the early 19th century and British literature.
o 2
Use your topic as a search subject in databases to look for peer-reviewed journal articles and books about your topic. Perform additional searches with your list of significant words and phrases. Collect sources that you may be able to use in your thesis. This includes checking out books and making copies of significant academic articles.
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o 3
Start a binder with your thesis research and place copies of all of your journal articles inside. Keep this binder in a safe place.
o 4
Read through all of the sources you found. Separate them into three groups. The first group consists of articles and books that have no relevance to your
Instructions
1. o 1
Write an early outline for your research. Include some of the elements of your topic that you expect to research as well as significant issues surrounding your topic. Remember that this list is speculative and many of these things may change after you finish with your research. Make a list of significant words and phrases that are likely to appear in search databases. For instance, if your thesis includes a review of "Pride and Prejudice," your list may include the following words: Jane Austin, marriage market, women in the early 19th century and British literature.
o 2
Use your topic as a search subject in databases to look for peer-reviewed journal articles and books about your topic. Perform additional searches with your list of significant words and phrases. Collect sources that you may be able to use in your thesis. This includes checking out books and making copies of significant academic articles.
o Sponsored Links ▪ Academic Papers from $7.5 Business/IT Custom Academic Papers Students save 20% www.academicpaperwriting.com
o 3
Start a binder with your thesis research and place copies of all of your journal articles inside. Keep this binder in a safe place.
o 4
Read through all of the sources you found. Separate them into three groups. The first group consists of articles and books that have no relevance to your
References: or Works Cited, section of your third stack and copy all of this information. Retrieve the resources from this reference list that seem significant to your topic and distribute them among your original three stacks. Continue doing this until you feel comfortable with your overall research and are ready to put together your background study. o 6 Write your background study as a review of the elements surrounding your topic, using the information you obtained from your recent study of your topic. Include specific references to the information that you received and make sure to cite this information correctly in your own Works Cited section. Reread and revise your background study before including it in your thesis proposal.