Research thesis and research report?

[Bumtsend]

Hi there! I got into my Master's degree right after my undergrads. And with that, I'm confused with a lot of things, one of which is the difference between research thesis and research report. My program is in International Relations and my degree requires me to do either one of the two types of research above and I have no idea what they are and how to conduct them. Any help would be highly appreciated

[Sigaba]

1 hour ago, Bumtsend said:

Hi there! I got into my Master's degree right after my undergrads. And with that, I'm confused with a lot of things, one of which is the difference between research thesis and research report. My program is in International Relations and my degree requires me to do either one of the two types of research above and I have no idea what they are and how to conduct them. Any help would be highly appreciated

The way it was explained to me is that a thesis is a more comprehensive work than a report but that over time the difference between the two is diminishing in terms of perceived value. FWIW, my report was a revision and expansion of a research paper. The report ended up being about 19k words of text with around 210 footnotes--I was told that it was long for a report.

For your specific situation, I suggest that you make a choice based upon

• the requirements of each option and what you plan to do with a master's degree,
• how a report or thesis supports that plan, and
• the relative prestige of each option

The prestige can be gauged by what your current professors recommend and which option was pursued more often by academics and graduate students at your destination of choice.

[Quickmick]

21 hours ago, Sigaba said:

...and what you plan to do with a master's degree...
 

 

When @Sigaba says this, the way I understand it is that the thesis option will involve more research and is generally the preferred experience if you plan to continue in academia, while the non-thesis/profession/report track is more appropriate if you plan to enter the workforce upon completion.

Edited June 14, 2019 by Quickmick