Helping the reader

There are various ways you can help your reader make sense of what you're trying to say in your thesis. One of the easiest ways to do this is through the use of an appropriately named and structured system of headings. Headings and subheadings in your thesis serve a similar purpose as road signs in a foreign city. The best signage systems can not only prevent you from getting lost on the route from Point A to Point B, but they can also help you find your way back on track if you do get disoriented. In the same way, headings can not only tell your readers where they are now, but where they have been, and also where they are going.

Similarly, you can also provide your reader with some valuable directions in the text of your thesis itself. Instead of telling your reader to 'go left at Chapter Three', your reader directions will let them know what to expect once they get there.