General indications – degree thesis

The choice of the topic should always stem from a personal interest: you are about to undertake a research that will keep you busy for a long time, so it is advisable to aim for a topic that constantly stimulates your curiosity and the desire to delve deeper. It is important to keep in mind that you should not begin with expectations about the outcome: if you start from the assumption that the research must satisfy the predictions, all the work will not be objective because you will only look for sources that support your assumptions. Research is a journey with an often unexpected destination. That is why it is essential to consult the most up-to-date sources, and, if necessary, follow debates and conferences on the topic.

Once you have agreed on the topic with your supervisor, it is time to start the research. It is normal to feel a bit lost or overwhelmed at first, especially if the chosen topic is widely studied and there is a large amount of material available. However, it may be useful to start by distinguishing between primary sources, which represent the foundation for building your argument, and secondary sources which support your thesis and help the reader understand it more clearly. During this selection process, always remember to verify that your sources are reliable and authoritative. If you have any doubts, we recommend exploring this tutorial provided by the University of Bologna which explains how to locate, evaluate and effectively use information and sources: "Information Literacy Tutorial".

Starting from the assumption that each discipline, each topic and each teacher requires a personalized approach to the structure and substructure of the thesis work, it is still possible to outline some fundamental components:

• Frontispiece
• Index
• Introduction
• Body of the thesis
• Conclusion
• Bibliography

Certainly, there are other sections that can be included depending on the specific case: preface, index of tables, appendices, acknowledgments and so on. Remember that the thesis is a work shared with the supervisor, therefore you can always consult with him to clarify any doubts.

The thesis must be entirely written following the University's editorial rules, for which you can contact: segreteriastudenti@unirsm.sm

You have probably already heard of experimental thesis and theoretical thesis, but what is the difference? An experimental thesis is the result of research and analysis carried out personally by the student. It involves more practical work and offers the chance to "get your hands dirty", but even in this case researching sources is an essential starting point. A theoretical thesis is instead more based on theory, it focuses on the re-elaboration of the sources to identify a logical thread that supports the student's hypotheses. It is based on existing material and enriched by the reasoning and critical approach of the student.

Several factors influence the evaluation of the thesis. First of all its originality: a research project must have a well-defined purpose, and the more innovative the approach to the topic and the results obtained are, the more original the paper will be. Equally important is clarity: choosing unambiguous language appropriate to your field will make the work more convincing in the eyes of the committee, as it reflects solid preparation and competence. The ability to select sources is also fundamental, since the validity of any type of thesis largely depends on the quality and reliability of the sources that serve as its foundation.