Griffith College
Business, computing, journalism
How a thesis is typically structured
Most of the structural problems examiners flag at private institutions show up in predictable places. A common one: an introduction that describes a broad topic rather than a specific, answerable question. Another: a literature review that summarizes sources one by one instead of showing where they disagree or where a gap remains — which then leaves the methodology chapter with nothing clear to justify. Results sections sometimes drift into interpretation that belongs in the discussion instead, and conclusions occasionally introduce new claims that were never actually argued in the body of the thesis. Knowing the twelve-part shape (title page, abstract, acknowledgements, contents, introduction, literature review, methodology, results, discussion, conclusion, references, appendices) is only useful once each part is doing the specific job it's meant to do, not just occupying the expected slot.
Citation and referencing norms
Citation style is usually decided by discipline more than by any single rule: APA is common across the social sciences, education and much of business writing; IEEE is standard in most engineering and computer-science programs; Vancouver-style numbered referencing dominates medicine and the health sciences; and Harvard or MLA referencing shows up frequently in humanities and Commonwealth-influenced programs.
Harvard referencing is common, similar to conventions across other Commonwealth-influenced higher-education systems.
None of this is a substitute for what your own program actually specifies — treat it as background, and confirm the required style in your handbook or with your supervisor before you commit to one.
General thesis-writing tips
A handful of habits tend to separate a manageable thesis project from a stressful one, regardless of subject or program:
- •Start early — even a rough outline weeks before you have to, beats a blank page the week you don't
- •Keep a running reference list from the first source you read, not a pile to sort out later
- •Write the methodology chapter while the decisions are still fresh, rather than reconstructing them from memory months later
- •Draft results and discussion as separate passes — report what you found first, interpret it second
- •Revise in structural passes before line-level passes — fix what each chapter argues before you polish how it's worded
How we support students at this institution
A common question is whether we already know what Griffith College expects. We don't, and we're upfront about that — we have no official relationship with Griffith College. What we do have is experience supporting students across private institutions, which means we know the right questions to ask: for your program's specific handbook, your citation and formatting requirements, and your supervisor's feedback so far. Those documents, not assumptions, are what shape the actual work.
What affects thesis complexity at this level
Complexity in a thesis rarely comes from length alone — it comes from what the methodology has to justify. Programs with a strong technical or scientific component typically require more defense of the analysis method itself (why this statistical test, why this dataset, why this experimental design), while programs with an applied or business orientation typically require more defense of the framing (why this case, why this context, why this recommendation follows from the evidence).
Based on what's typically studied here — Business, computing, journalism — it's worth discussing with your supervisor early which of these two demands your specific thesis leans toward, since it changes how you should be spending your research time.
Formatting and submission norms
A pattern worth knowing, even though it isn't a rule: many programs default to something in the range of 2.5–3 cm (roughly 1 inch) margins, 1.5 or double line spacing for the main text, and a numbered table of contents generated from consistent heading styles. None of that is guaranteed for any specific program, though — some faculties require single spacing, wider binding margins for printed copies, or specific heading formatting tied to a style guide.
The only reliable way to confirm any of this is your own official handbook — treat anything general written here as a starting expectation, not a substitute for checking it.
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Frequently asked questions
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Last reviewed: 2026-09-01