How to Make a Thesis Outline: Complete Examples by Discipline

The general principles of a good thesis outline are useful. Concrete examples are even better. This article presents detailed, fully worked outlines for different disciplines and levels, so that you can see what a solid outline looks like in practice.

To understand the strategies and principles behind these examples, see our companion article: Effective Thesis Outline: Strategy and Structuring Principles.

The two standard structures to know

Before the examples, let us recall the two main structures around which nearly all theses are organized:

IMRAD structure (natural, applied, health, and engineering sciences)

Introduction, Methods, Results, And Discussion

This is the standard in experimental disciplines. It makes later publication in international scientific journals easier and is universally recognized in these fields.

Argumentative structure (humanities and social sciences)

Literature review, Theoretical framework, Methodology, Results/Analysis, Discussion

The chapters follow an argumentative logic in which each part prepares the next. Variants include the thematic outline (chapters organized by theme) and the dialectical outline (thesis/antithesis/synthesis, common in the humanities and philosophy).

Example 1: Education (master’s, qualitative research)

Title: The use of digital technologies in the teaching of mathematics at the secondary level: a case study in three Quebec schools

Structure: argumentative

General introduction
  1.1  Setting the context: digital technology in schools
  1.2  Research problem and research question
  1.3  Objectives and relevance of the study
  1.4  Outline of the thesis

Chapter 1: Literature review
  1.1  Definition and framing: digital technology in education
  1.2  Empirical studies on effectiveness: contrasting results
  1.3  Determining factors in integration (teacher, institution, resources)
  1.4  Gaps in the literature: the French-speaking Quebec secondary context

Chapter 2: Theoretical framework
  2.1  Activity theory (Engeström) as an analytical framework
  2.2  The TPACK model (Mishra and Koehler) for analyzing teaching practices
  2.3  Articulation of the two frameworks in our study

Chapter 3: Methodology
  3.1  Interpretive paradigm and qualitative design
  3.2  Case selection: three Quebec secondary schools
  3.3  Data collection instruments: semi-structured interviews and classroom observation
  3.4  Analysis method: thematic analysis

Chapter 4: Results
  4.1  School A: structured integration, positive results
  4.2  School B: spontaneous integration, mixed results
  4.3  School C: institutional resistance
  4.4  Cross-cutting factors: training, administrative support, access

Chapter 5: Discussion
  5.1  Returning to the research questions
  5.2  Putting the findings in dialogue with the literature
  5.3  Limitations of the study
  5.4  Practical implications for school decision-makers

General conclusion
  Synthesis of contributions
  Avenues for future research

Bibliographic references
Appendices (interview guide, observation grids, consent forms)

Example 2: Management sciences (doctorate, article-based thesis)

Title: Social responsibility strategies of SMEs in a context of globalization: an institutional analysis in Quebec

Structure: article-based thesis

The article-based thesis brings together three standalone articles around a common research problem, framed by a general introduction and conclusion.

General introduction
  The research problem of CSR in SMEs
  Research questions
  Presentation of the three articles
  Integrating theoretical framework: institutional theory

Article 1: Systematic review of the CSR-SME literature
  Submitted to the Revue internationale de gestion
  Question: What do we know about the determinants of CSR adoption in SMEs?
  Method: systematic review (n = 87 studies, 2005-2024)
  Results: six key factors identified; gap on French-speaking SMEs

Article 2: Comparative study of 22 Quebec SMEs
  Published in Management & Avenir
  Question: Which CSR strategies do Quebec SMEs adopt and why?
  Method: semi-structured interviews with executives, content analysis
  Results: three distinct CSR strategic profiles

Article 3: Toward an integrating CSR-SME framework in a French-speaking context
  Under revision: Revue de gestion
  Question: Can we propose a theoretical model of CSR adoption suited to SMEs?
  Method: theoretical modelling based on the empirical data
  Results: a five-component model proposed and discussed

General conclusion
  Synthesis of the contributions of the three articles
  Theoretical and practical contributions
  Limitations and avenues for future research

References (bibliography shared across the three articles)

Example 3: Biology (master’s, IMRAD structure)

Title: Variations in the genetic diversity of St. Lawrence cod populations in relation to changes in water temperature (2010-2023)

Introduction
  1.1  St. Lawrence cod: an ecological and economic issue
  1.2  Climate change and population dynamics
  1.3  Environmental DNA as a monitoring tool
  1.4  Hypotheses and objectives of the study

Methods
  2.1  Sampling areas (3 areas, 15 stations)
  2.2  eDNA collection protocol (2010, 2015, 2020, 2023)
  2.3  DNA extraction and sequencing
  2.4  Genetic analyses (allelic diversity, Fst, PCA)
  2.5  Statistical modelling (temperature-diversity correlation)

Results
  3.1  Genetic diversity by area and by period
  3.2  Correlation with recorded thermal anomalies
  3.3  Genetic isolation between coastal and offshore populations

Discussion
  4.1  Interpretation of the genetic trends
  4.2  Comparison with studies on other cod populations
  4.3  Implications for stock management and conservation
  4.4  Methodological limitations

Conclusion
  Synthesis of the main results
  Conservation recommendations
  Avenues for future research

References
Appendices (laboratory protocols, raw genetic data)

Example 4: Psychology (master’s, quantitative research)

Title: The effect of structured outdoor activities on the psychological well-being of adolescents: an experimental study

Introduction
  1.1  Psychological well-being in adolescence: current issues
  1.2  Nature and the outdoors: what the literature suggests
  1.3  Research question and hypotheses

Chapter 1: Literature review
  1.1  Definitions of adolescent psychological well-being
  1.2  Effects of nature-based activities on mental health
  1.3  Experimental studies on outdoor interventions

Chapter 2: Theoretical framework
  2.1  Attention Restoration Theory (Kaplan, 1989)
  2.2  Biophilia theory (Wilson), relevance to our study

Chapter 3: Methodology
  3.1  Experimental design with a control group
  3.2  Participants: 80 adolescents, 14-16 years old, urban setting
  3.3  Intervention protocol (6 weeks, 2 sessions/week)
  3.4  Measurement instruments (PANAS-C, MHC-SF, GHQ-12)
  3.5  Statistical analysis: ANCOVA, effect sizes

Chapter 4: Results
  4.1  Participant characteristics at pretest
  4.2  Effects on emotional well-being
  4.3  Effects on social and psychological well-being
  4.4  Moderators: gender, initial level of distress

Chapter 5: Discussion and conclusion
  5.1  Interpretation of the results in relation to the hypotheses
  5.2  Contextualization within the literature
  5.3  Limitations and future avenues
  5.4  Clinical and educational implications

References
Appendices (consent forms, measurement instruments, raw data)

Example 5: Humanities and arts (master’s, thematic outline)

Title: Representations of exile in Quebec migrant literature of the 1990s to 2010s

Introduction
  Research problem: the figure of exile in migrant texts
  Selected corpus (8 novels) and justification
  Analytical framework: postcolonial studies and the theory of exile (Said, Kristeva)

Chapter 1: Exile as spatial rupture
  1.1  The hometown as a lost space
  1.2  Montreal as an ambivalent space of welcome
  1.3  Language as an inner territory

Chapter 2: Exile as temporal rupture
  2.1  Fragmented memory as a narrative motif
  2.2  The impossible return: time of the narrative and time of exile
  2.3  The intergenerational transmission of uprootedness

Chapter 3: Exile as identity construction
  3.1  Dual belonging and its contradictions
  3.2  Cultural creolization in the texts of the corpus
  3.3  Writing as a partial resolution of exile

Conclusion
  Synthesis: three interdependent dimensions of exile
  Contribution to the theory of migrant literatures
  Perspectives: comparing with other French-speaking corpora outside Quebec

Bibliography

How to adapt these examples to your situation

These examples illustrate standard structures, but your actual outline will be tailored to your topic, your discipline, and the requirements of your program. A few practical rules:

  • Read recent theses from your program in your university’s institutional repository. These are the best models for your specific context.
  • Talk to your supervisor before finalizing your outline. Every supervisor has structural preferences.
  • Start with the major parts before detailing the subsections. Validate the architecture before working on the details.
  • Revisit your outline after every major phase of your research: data collection, analysis, supervisor feedback.

Formatting the outline and the table of contents

Once your outline is finalized, your table of contents must reflect it exactly. Generate it automatically from your software’s heading styles (Heading 1, Heading 2 in Word; \tableofcontents in LaTeX). Uniformat ensures that your table of contents complies with your university’s formatting standards and updates automatically.

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Conclusion

A concrete thesis outline is more than a list of headings: it is the argument of your thesis given form. The examples presented here give you adaptable models. Choose the structure that matches your discipline, craft your section headings with precision, and validate with your supervisor before you launch into the writing.

To automate the table of contents and standards compliance, visit uniformat.ca.