I believe that when writing a thesis, most people are simply ripping off each other’s ideas and recreating their work. I can’t see any benefit in doing so. It seems like there is nothing original in anyone’s writing anymore, but rather just a copy of someone else’s work.
I believe that a meaningful thesis would be to express one’s own ideas, reflections, suggestions, advice, analysis, and observations. These would not just NOT repeat the thoughts of others, but rather provide new insight into a topic. It could explore theories, draw conclusions, and show how ideas develop over the course of its argument.
I think a real benefit of writing a thesis would be to express one’s own opinions, generate ideas, contemplate and reflect on thoughts, develop logical thought processes, form theories, and draw conclusions, as these would not be just a reiteration of other people’s ideas and thoughts.
I would insist that UNLESS the writing is not for research purposes, then the use of outside sources should be prohibited, and only one’s own ideas should be put down on paper. This should be enforced as this method could provide real value – not copying. Because right now the whole world just copies each other when it comes to writing thesis or papers at schools and universities. I am not talking about research papers – they are different. That’s understandable.
So what is the purpose of finding countless sources and combining them for a text?
Why isn’t it acceptable for a student to express their own thoughts without having to cite sources? Why can’t they just write down their train of thought without the need to reference external material? After all, if the ideas come from their own mind, why should they refer back to anyone else?
I had repeatedly been reprimanded by my professor for not citing my sources, even when the words, ideas and concepts were entirely my own. It seemed unimaginable to him that I could actually have my own ideas and thoughts without consulting anyone else. Why was it so hard to accept that someone has their own unique perspective? Why is it not a common thing?