Hey everyone!
I’m knee-deep in my interdisciplinary master’s thesis (Latin American studies) and could use some real-talk advice. For those in history/social sciences—what do you consider the must-haves for a strong thesis?
Some specific Qs:
1. Theory: How deep do I need to go into debates (postcolonialism, dependency theory, etc.)? Do I need to pick a side, or is synthesizing OK?
2. Methodology: Since I’m mixing disciplines, how do I avoid the “jack of all trades, master of none” trap? Any tips for making interdisciplinary work feel cohesive?
3. Sources: Is there a magic number of authors/citations? How do I balance primary vs. secondary sources?
4. Originality: How “new” does my argument need to be?If you’ve reviewed theses or survived your own, what made you go “Damn, this is good” vs. “Meh”?
Thanks in advance