Tezler

Tezler are Turkish terms for academic theses or dissertations prepared as part of higher education degrees. In Turkey, students produce tezler to demonstrate mastery of a field and the ability to conduct independent research. They can be written for undergraduate (lisans), master’s (yüksek lisans), or doctoral (doktora) programs. Tezler may take two main formats: monograph theses, which present a single, coherent argument, and compilation theses (derleme tezleri), which consist of a set of publishable articles with an integrating introduction and synthesis.

The process typically involves topic selection and proposal submission, supervision by a faculty advisor, writing and revision, and submission for evaluation. The defense (savunma) before a committee is a common final step; upon a successful defense, the degree is conferred. Depending on the program, results may also be subject to additional requirements, such as publishing in a journal.

Structure generally follows a standard set of components, though specifics vary by institution. Common elements include a title page, abstract (öz/özet), table of contents (içindekiler), introduction (giriş), literature review, methodology, results or findings, discussion, conclusion, and references (kaynakça). Appendices (ekler) may accompany the main text.

Accessibility varies by institution. Many tezler are archived in university libraries or institutional repositories and may be available open access or restricted to members of the institution. Tezler document original or synthesized research, contribute to scholarly knowledge, and can serve as a basis for journal publications or further study, reflecting training in research design, data analysis, and academic writing.