thesis-writing
Writing a Thesis or Dissertation
Overview
An empirical thesis tells one argument across chapters: a question worth asking → what is and isn't already known → how you investigated it → what you found → what it means. Each chapter earns the next. The grade is won or lost in two chapters most students skimp on: a sharply-defined purpose (Ch. 1) and a Discussion that answers "So what?"
This skill operates in five modes. Pick the one matching the request; combine as needed. When the request is vague ("help me with my thesis/TFG", "I don't know where to start") or the topic isn't yet sharp, start with Mode 0 — discuss and scope before outlining. Don't jump to a chapter skeleton on a fuzzy topic.
Parameters, set these first
- Level — changes chapter count and depth:
- Undergraduate thesis / TFG: Abstract/Resumen · Introduction/Introducción · Literature Review or Theoretical Framework/Revisión de la literatura o Marco teórico · Methodology/Metodología · Results/Resultados · Discussion/Discusión · Conclusions/Conclusiones · References/Bibliografía · Appendices/Anexos.
- Master's thesis / TFM / doctoral dissertation: fuller empirical outline — explicit rival hypotheses, scope and assumptions, internal/external validity, operational definitions, dummy tables, and a more formal contribution argument. See
structure.md.
- Language — match the document's language. Default to the user's working language and never silently switch languages.
- Institutional format — use the university/faculty/supervisor guidelines when available. They override this skill's generic chapter names and ordering.
- Output format — default to Markdown/plain prose for planning and review. Use LaTeX, Word-oriented prose, or Google Docs-oriented prose only when requested or when the existing project already uses that format.
If a missing parameter would change the output materially, ask once, then proceed with a reasonable default.