A literature review evaluates a given work of literature. In contrast to a book report, which exclusively discusses the content of the book, a literature review provides a brief summary of the content of the work of literature and then analyzes it in order to help others know whether or not it is worth reading. . . . .

Students may encounter occasions in which they must write a literature review, but they may struggle with knowing exactly what is a literature review. Whereas a literature report synopsizes the content of the chosen text, a literature review briefly synopsizes the text's content and then evaluates it. This evaluation is the key element of the literature review and should take up a fair two-thirds of its length. . . . .

An M.Sc. thesis becomes the defining document of one's master's degree. Unlike M.A. theses, which usually serve as projects in their own right, M.Sc. theses often report on a separate project; in this case, the writing is secondary to the project. For example, whereas the goal of an M.A. thesis may be to argue convincingly an original interpretation of a piece of literature, the goal of an M.Sc. thesis may be to report on a set of data gathered through an original experiment. The M.A. thesis is self-contained; the M.Sc. thesis is inseparable from an additional original project. . . . .

The candidate for a Master's of Business Administration writes an MBA thesis in order to apply what he or she has learned throughout the degree program to a specific project. The successful student bears in mind that the discipline deals with ideas and models that are applicable to the real business world; a good MBA thesis can and should be innovative, but the student must convince the thesis's readers that all the ideas presented are practical and feasible. . . . .

A student chooses a thesis topic from among the subject matter that constitutes the degree program. The goal of a thesis is to convincingly argue an original point and to make a meaningful contribution to that particular field of study; therefore, the student should avoid choosing to write on the exact topic upon which someone else has written, choosing instead to nuance the thesis topic to propound some original element. . . . .

Students write MIT theses as the largest, most in-depth tasks of the degrees they are pursuing, whether undergraduate or graduate. Because MIT is a school that focuses on science and mathematics, students will probably write their MIT theses as an explanation of a separate project or as a proof for a theory they have been formulating; therefore, while the text of an MIT thesis is important, the foundational project is generally more important. . . . .

A computer science thesis is likely to take shape as a textual exposition of an external project; that is, unlike theses in fields such as literature in which the whole project revolves around a creative written argument, computer science theses often explain the results of a separate experiment, the development of a program, or the creation of a new or different piece of computer hardware. . . . .

Because art is a discipline that focuses on non-textual expression, students who have to write art theses probably have a specific reason for doing so. For example, they may be pursuing degrees in art history or art education, and the art thesis should explore some topic within that subcategory of the discipline of art. However, no matter what aspect of art the student wishes to discuss, he or she should choose a topic, research it well, and write a thesis that supports those conclusions. . . . .

A junior thesis is an extensive research and writing project that one conducts during the junior year of college; one may then develop this project into a deeper, more focused senior thesis, which will serve as the capstone of an undergraduate education. In order to write excellent junior theses, students should concentrate first on the creation and nurturing of a significant idea, which they will then argue in their theses with the help of outside research. . . . .

An education thesis is an extensive research and writing project that makes a useful contribution to the field of education. One of the hallmarks of an education thesis is its practicality; generally, students write education theses that discuss some aspect of the teaching process, which they may then apply in their own classrooms. . . . .