ok to go with bullet points?

i.e. "this thesis focuses on penguins and therefore makes several contributions to the field":
- addresses limitations in existing literature by looking at penguins on beaches as well as on the ice (the african kind of penguin)
- provides an analysis of how penguins don't really look like the chocolate biscuit of the same name
- Demonstrates the importance of examining penguins in their natural habitat and not going on 'batman' representations of penguins.

I do this sort of thing for job apps, but not in the thesis itself... what you describe above seems like an abstract, so why bullet it?

I have no idea what I'm doing now lol. This is in my intro - I've summed up the existing research problems and then have a section of contributions of the thesis where I was going to bullet point why my research addressed the problems.

When I got feedback from my sup she said I needed to make points clearer, break paragraphs up and put headings everywhere i.e. no more than 2 paragraphs without a new heading. So I thought bullet points would help me achieve this. Or is it too babyish?

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I have mine under headings but not bulleted. Each contribution is a few paragraphs. Plus my supvervisor has made me expand on how brilliant my stuff is (sic). He has made me specify exactly how I add to the field. So for your first point above works as an intro to what you have done but it needs more I think. I use words like 'furthermore' and 'moreover' to ram home how super-duper my work is!!

I really don't think I can expand it any more. I reckon I've got about 5 points. I have made a big contribution though, as essentially there has been NO research on pengiuns ;-)

She hasn't actually said I need this section, I kind of assumed I did though.

I should probably clarify. This section is at the end of my intro, which only introduces bits of research so..

Intro = what is the problem? what is the existing research on this participant group? (this is where I'm putting the contribution section)

Lit review = what has been done on the specific problem? (but no research done on this participant group) - what are the problems with the research..(that the approaches are a bit rubbish) and then why my approach is amazing.

ok, well I've redone it. Rathre than having a 'summary of the research' (i.e. criticisms) and then 'contribution' I am having a 'summary and contribution' section so I have Issue, followed by my contribution that solves it. - otherwise I was WAY too repetitive.

Apparently I use the term 'approach' too often rather than being specific about whether its a theory, paradigm or epistemological stance. Usually its becasue I don't know. My sup says it comes across that I don't know :$

I wouldn't recommend putting the contribution in the intro. Then why should the examiners bother reading your thesis? I put it in my final conclusions/summary discussion. I covered it briefly in the abstract too, but very very briefly. But the main place where I stressed my contribution was at the end.

I didn't go with bullet points but did but highlight the contribution to the field in the introduction and my supervisor thought this was great. Bilbo does make a good point though about why should the examiner read the rest of the thesis. However, for me, it should be a bit like the news, tell them what you intend to tell them, tell them it and then tell them what you have told them. Sneaks, you have to defend your thesis and live with it and so do what feels comfortable for you.