write phd thesis in a month

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Write Your PhD Thesis In One Month Or Less

Thesis/dissertation writing need not be a multi-month ordeal that makes you pull your hair out and roll up into a fetal position. The trick is to get a head start , set goals and deadlines, and work steadily—not feverishly—toward that ultimate satisfaction of handing your magnum opus to the graduate school. The first three sections of this article are devoted to ways that you can get way ahead of the curve from the very beginning of your graduate program—BEFORE push comes to shove.

1.) GET STARTED RIGHT AWAY— YES, REALLY .

NEWS FLASH: you can start working on your thesis or dissertation almost from the moment you decide on a lab/advisor .

In the beginning, there were papers …

The starting point for any newbie graduate student is to read boatloads of relevant papers so that you can learn your advisor’s repertoire of experimental techniques or areas of interest, what has been done so far in the field, what questions remain to be answered, and where your research will contribute.

Keep in mind that these seminal papers will be heavily integrated into your thesis or dissertation:

a) The introduction, in which you give all the pertinent background to set the stage for your research and make everyone on your committee (and beyond!) understand why it’s important

b) Data chapters, where previously published data lend validity to your findings, or are at least taken into consideration as you interpret your data

Let’s back up. How do you find these papers? Hopefully, your advisor will provide you with a few of the original papers that got the ball rolling. Find out what papers cite them . You can perform Boolean searches in Pubmed and Google Scholar (great tips explaining how to do this can be found at Boolean.pdf ).

Note that in Pubmed, you will need to go to “Advanced Search,” where the builder constructs the Boolean search for you (Figure 1). Pubmed offers another great strategy: you can set up citation alerts that notify you via e-mail every time one of these pivotal articles is cited. Pubmed has a tutorial on how to do this here: myncbi.html . You can control how often you receive these alerts, or adjust later based on how inundated your inbox becomes.

FIGURE 1. PubMed’s Boolean Search builder.

Google scholar offers a similar citation alert service. Go to Google Scholar, http://scholar.google.com/ , and click on “Alerts” (see Figure 2). From the next screen, click “Create Alert” (Figure 3). You can set up alerts based on Boolean searches (Figure 4), or by author . Also, since many principal authors have varied interests, you can customize by using a combination Boolean/search-by-author approach (Figure 5). Enter your e-mail address, and you’re good to go.

FIGURE 2. Setting up alerts in Google Scholar. First, click “Alerts.”

FIGURE 3. Setting up alerts in Google Scholar, part 2. Next, click “Create Alert.”

FIGURE 4. Setting up alerts in Google Scholar, part 3. Setting up your search criteria using Boolean operators.

FIGURE 5. Setting up alerts in Google Scholar, part 4. The combined Author/Boolean operator search in Google Scholar.

ORGANIZING your boatloads of papers…

Let’s back up again. Realize that unless you are a genius, you will probably have to revisit these nuggets of wisdom several times during your graduate career, particularly when you have a better grasp on the research. Also, unless you are a genius, you will find yourself wondering, “What was that paper that explained________?” This is where being organized will save you TONS of time.

I am a big fan of saving paper and not printing out reams of articles to be read and then stuffed into filing cabinets . I highly recommend a citation management program, such as Endnote . Find out which program your advisor uses (see if he or she will let you install the program on your computer). Some departments even offer this software free of charge. Not only are all of the citations in your library searchable, but you can also file them into folders based on the subject matter (Figure 6).

FIGURE 6. Filing papers in EndNote–beats a filing cabinet!

As you do your literature search, you download the citations into your citation manager. Most e-journals have a “download to citation manager” link. Google Scholar also recently added a very nice “Cite” function that lets you import citations directly into your citation manager (Figure 7).

FIGURE 7. Google Scholar’s Cite function.

You can also search PubMed from within Endnote, which saves you several steps (Figure 8). In addition, the program has a lovely feature called Cite-While-You-Write that links with Microsoft Word. No more the parenthetical “ need citation !” statements in your text. With the CWYW feature, you can pull up all of the papers in your Endnote library that pertain to your text, and with the click of one button in Word—voilà! Citations inserted (Figure 9)! You can format the bibliography later, when your behemoth is completely written—yet another convenient, automatic feature.

FIGURE 8. Searching for papers from within EndNote.

FIGURE 8. EndNote’s Cite While You Write function.

2) Intermediate documents: the thesis/dissertation proposal and grant applications

Think of your thesis or dissertation proposal and any grant applications as being a big first step toward the first chapter of your final document: the introduction. Preparation of these documents entails a thorough review of pertinent literature to set the stage and explain the rationale for the research you are proposing. So by this logic, you should have taken a very large bite out of the first chapter of your thesis or dissertation by the time you take your preliminary exams.

3) Methods: you do them every day, why not take the time to write them up?

In the STEM fields, theses and dissertations require a chapter devoted to methods. You have your own set of experimental and/or statistical techniques that you presumably learn from your advisor, then troubleshoot and tweak based on your specific needs. You know how you write detailed notes on the conditions of each experiment every time you do them in your lab notebook? (RIGHT?!) This is all information that you can take even an hour per week to write up in your thesis document. Check out the previous papers from your advisor to get ideas on wording, and then re-work it so it’s your own (citing relevant papers, of course). By the time you actually for-real start writing your thesis or dissertation, your methods chapter can be practically done already!

4) After the greenlight…careful planning and sticking to a schedule!

You’ve received the greenlight to “start” writing your thesis or dissertation from your committee. Now what? Well, you have a good chunk of the intro done already, right? Your chapter 2 is practically done as well! Be sure to check out the deadlines not only for getting your document to your committee, but also for depositing it with the graduate school. Wouldn’t it stink to defend your thesis in April, but not graduate until December because you missed the deadline?

Now, I will tell you a huge time-saving tip . Before you start (well, continue) writing, find a colleague who has recently turned in their thesis or dissertation and still has their final word document kicking around . Ask your colleague for permission to use their document in the following way: you are not going to copy anything in that document… EXCEPT THE FORMATTING.

You know the part where the clerk at the grad school pulls out the ruler and measures your margins, page number position and other random stuff while you hold your breath? All of that will already be in your colleague’s word document. Why re-invent the wheel? Just use the document as a template—delete ALL of the text and leave the margins and other formatting alone. (Of course, check over everything carefully before you deposit your document!) Anything you’ve written up to this point can easily be pasted into the template.

Next, agree upon deadlines : “I’ll have chapter 1 to you by________.” If you have been working ahead on your document and your reference library as described above, it should take you about a week to finish up chapter 1 (your introduction) and chapter 2 (methods). Can you do a chapter per week for each of the remaining chapters? Put the deadline in your calendar, and stick to it. Then, based on how much time you are still expected to spend in the lab, decide a set number of hours per day that you will spend on nothing but writing.

I would suggest asking your advisor for blocks of time to hole up at the library, or wherever it is that you do your best work . Then do it. You will be working weekends, no doubt, but try to work steadily and avoid all-nighters. Adjust as necessary—you may need to have an additional meeting with your advisor to request more time away from lab.

Do have a colleague read your document installments before you give them to your advisor . Run spell check and do all the basics before you offer up your baby to the red pen of death. If you really struggle with writing, or if you are not a native English speaker, there are services out there that will clean up your document on a by-the-hour basis. Spare your advisor the frustration of correcting simple errors.

Now, a caveat.

Just because you have a deadline that you are sticking to like an embedded tick does not mean that your advisor will adhere to similar deadlines in getting you edits and feedback . Many advisors, bless their hearts, are procrastinators (erm…busy with grant deadlines, writing their own papers, editing, and other important stuff that advisors do). Don’t sweat it… the ball is now in your advisor’s court, and you will now move steadily on to the next installment.

Which is due by __________in your calendar.

3) BACKUP, BACKUP, BACKUP!

And this time I do mean “backup”—as in your document. There is NO excuse for losing your thesis or dissertation . You should have MULTIPLE copies saved: on your computer, in Dropbox, on an external hard drive, etc. These copies should be clearly marked with dates in case you have to revert back to a prior version. They should also be marked after being edited by your advisor or others.

4) The final weeks

This will be a stressful time unless you are extremely lucky. It usually goes something like this: “Move this section to page 89.” Then two days later: “Put it back where it was.” Your advisor is stressed too—so try to take everything in stride.

If at all possible, try to get your thesis printed off for your committee a day or two in advance . This allows a cushion for the inevitable printer meltdown or copier jam. In my case, I got my final edits at 11 pm the night before my dissertation was due. Luckily, there weren’t a lot of changes to make, and there were no printer fiascos. I finished the edits by midnight and had the whole thing printed off by about 2 in the morning. Although I won’t say that I wasn’t completely stressed out and about to melt down myself…

You want your dissertation to look nice for your committee and to be easy for them to handle and write in . I’m a fan of bindings—I used three ring binders with pockets so that I could also include a CD with a copy of the document. But that’s not for everybody. Spiral bindings are just as good, but again, require planning because you’ll have to take your stack of documents somewhere like FedEx Kinkos. Even though it can be like herding cats to track down all the members of your committee, try to personally deliver your documents to them—not only for security’s sake, but to remind them of who you are.

I kid. Sort of.

5) After the defense

You may have loads of changes to make to your thesis or dissertation based on your committee members’ comments . You feel elated and relieved to have your defense over with. After the effects of the all-night post-defense bender have worn off, try to work diligently on the edits so that you don’t run up against the grad school’s deposit deadline. Make an appointment for a pre-check of your document to catch any formatting errors well in advance of the deadline.

Once you have deposited your thesis or dissertation with the graduate school (congratulations!), investigate how many bound copies you need. Most departments require a bound copy, as will your advisor. Then you need one, of course, and then there’s your parents…

University towns usually have at least one book bindery in addition to services on campus. There are online services as well—but be careful to check their ratings. You generally have to figure up the number of color-copy and high-resolution pages you have versus regular black and white. You send this estimate along with a digital copy of your dissertation and your selections for binding color, lettering, etc. There is something deeply satisfying about finally holding that beautifully bound book—that YOU wrote—in your hands at last.

In summary, it is possible to write your thesis or dissertation in under a month with good preparation, organization, and planning . The end result makes it all worthwhile. Keep in mind that if you move on to a postdoc or any other position that requires writing papers and grants, these same strategies apply.

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How I wrote a PhD thesis in just 3 months

by James Hayton, PhD
February 28th, 2012

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Dealing with phd research stress, the invincible mindset.

In the summer of 2006, almost 3 years after starting my PhD, I was ready to quit. I had nowhere near enough results, the equipment I was using didn’t work most of the time, and I could barely summon the motivation to get up in the morning.

Just over a year later I’d managed to;

turn things around and get the data for a few publications
write my entire PhD thesis from scratch in just 3 months.
pass my thesis defence with zero corrections

And, on top of all that, I actually started to enjoy the process.

So how did I do all this? The tips below are not easy and many go against common thesis-writing advice, but they worked.

1. Dealing with stress

After a near-breakdown, I started taking walks around the campus when I faced a problem or found myself getting stressed. I took the time to think about what I needed to do and get myself in the right frame of mind to go back.

Previously, I would have found myself killing time on the internet just to get through to the end of the day. This was one of the key habits that probably saved my PhD .

2. Slowing down

This may seem counter intuitive, but slowing down helped me to go faster. By taking more time over my experiments and doing thingscarefully, I eliminated a lot of time-consuming mistakes.

3. Limiting the time available

Though my productivity increased once I figured out how to deal with stress, I was still doing experiments well into my fourth year.

I had a final submission date (at the end of my 4th year), but my research was still a bit chaotic. It wasn’t focused on finishing.

My supervisor (the brilliant Professor Moriarty ) then told me that I would no longer be allowed into the lab after the end of March 2007, and that I would have to write whatever I had.

4. Adapting and acting decisively

Because of the limited time, I had to make some tough decisions. Anything I did, I would either have to finish or let go . There would be some loose ends, but that was OK as long as I tied up others.

I had to decide not to do certain things, and focus with energy and determination on others.

Still, though, the thesis would be a little thin. So I took on a side project based on another student’s research, which could produce some results quickly.

This side project produced the most interesting result of my scientific career .

5. Finishing research before writing

By the time I stopped doing experiments, I knew I had enough for a PhD. Not the best PhD ever, and not world-changing, but with two publications and enough data for another, I felt it was good enough.

Because I wasn’t allowed back in the lab, I just had to focus on writing. The hard part was behind me. The results weren’t going to change, so it was just a matter of making sure I was productive when writing.

It is much, much easier to write when you know the raw material isn’t going to change.

Tip: If there’s research or analysis still to do, prioritize this over writing

6. Preparation

I decided to work at home, not at the office, because there would be fewer distractions.

I got rid of the TV, and had no internet connection on my computer. The lack of internet meant I had to gather all the papers I would need beforehand, forcing me to think about what I would need.

I also set up a dedicated space (2 large desks joined together and a very comfortable chair, next to a large window for plenty of natural light), just for thesis writing.

7. Targets and consistency

I set myself a target of 3 months, broken down into targets for each chapter. This would give me about 3 months in reserve before the final absolute deadline.

I had a daily minimum target of 500 words , which I knew I could meet even on the least productive days.

This meant that because I smashed the target most days, I finished every day feeling good about my progress, which in turn meant I started the next day feeling confident.

Tip: Set your target as something you know you can achieve daily, then beat it. Don’t set it as high as you can possibly imagine.

The two most important parts of the day are the beginning and end. It’s important to build momentum early, and have a routine for ending the day too.

At the end of each day I always left myself something easy to do to get started with the next day, so I woke up knowing what I was going to do.

I also tidied the desk at the end of every day, which also helped close the day mentally and stopped my brain going over and over the thesis at night.

9. Applying ruthless standards to what I included

Whether it was the lit review, or my own work, I cut anything sub-standard.

I focused only on the very best literature, saving myself a huge amount of time. It also had the result of associating my work with the very best in the field.

I only wrote about what I knew about, which made the thesis shorter, faster and easier to write, and of higher quality than if I had included everything whether I understood it or not.

Tip: You choose the syllabus, not the examiner . Only include what you can comfortably defend.

10. Taking time over details that matter

I took painstaking care over the clarity of the writing, the diagrams and the overall look of the thesis.

If a diagram took 2 hours, so be it. If I couldn’t find a high-quality image in a paper to paste in, I would re-draw it myself. Why? Because it adds so much to the feel of quality running through the thesis.

By applying obsessive focus to one detail at a time , I could make sure that I wouldn’t have to do it again. This brings me to the final point…

11. One draft

I always edit as I write, with one goal only: to make sure I’ve expressed the idea in my head clearly on the page. I don’t move on until I feel the sentence makes sense, with no ambiguity of meaning.

Clarity of thought is always the number one aim. But it is very difficult to come back to a piece of writing days or weeks later and sort out a mess of thought if you don’t clarify your writing while the thought is still fresh in your head.

This means I was constantly re-reading and revising what I’ve just written, but also means that when I submitted something to my supervisor it needed very few revisions and saved months, simply by getting as close to submittable as I could the first time round.

Another key factor

Throughout the course of my PhD, event though a lot went wrong, I built up a lot of experience and skill in the techniques I’d been using and in the data analysis. This is one of the reasons why, when I slowed down and did experiments more carefully, I was able to analyse the results quickly.

Too often, I meet students who have left analysis to the very final months, having done virtually none throughout the course of their PhD. This is a difficult situation to be in, as you have to learn analytical skills very fast under immense pressure. Practice analysis early and don’t neglect your data!

Please Note

I’ve had some comments on this post reacting as if I completed my entire PhD in 3 months. No, I did three and a half years of research first, then wrote the thesis. I also do not claim that anyone can write that fast, as it depends on a lot of different factors. This is why the title is “How I wrote…”, not “How to write…”

What to do if you only have 3 months to finish your PhD

Your final PhD year: Moving towards completion

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PhD: An uncommon guide to research, writing & PhD life

By james hayton (2015).

PhD: an uncommon guide to research, writing & PhD life is your essential guide to the basic principles every PhD student needs to know.

Applicable to virtually any field of study, it covers everything from finding a research topic, getting to grips with the literature, planning and executing research and coping with the inevitable problems that arise, through to writing, submitting and successfully defending your thesis.

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All the text on this site (and every word of every video script) is written by me, personally, because I enjoy writing. I enjoy the challenges of thinking deeply and finding the right words to express my ideas. I do not advocate for the use of AI in academic research and writing, except for very limited use cases.

Why you shouldn't rely on AI for PhD research and writing

The false promise of AI for PhD research

8 Tips to Write a Thesis in 30 Days (Bonus Tip Included)

Every student wants to know how to write a thesis in a month . Before sharing the tips that I’ve used in my writing journey, we first need to ask: is it possible to write a thesis in one month, and actually finish it? The answer to this question is yes! You absolutely can write a thesis in 30 days. And you can write your thesis, from start to finish, without the emotional distress that often comes with such a monumental task. And, before you ask, no you’re not going to pay anybody to write a thesis for you. You’re going to write your thesis by yourself.

I’ve written two Masters’ theses, a PhD dissertation and a draft of a book. Here are the 8 tips that have helped me write my thesis as quickly as possible and get to the other side.

3.1 Use Grammarly: An Online Writing Assistant

My 8 tips on how to write a thesis or dissertation in a month.

Before we start, let me say that no one is born knowing how to write a thesis. My professors were not born knowing how to write a thesis and I wasn’t born knowing how to write a thesis either.

I learned how to write a thesis. It was not easy, and I struggled a lot in writing my first thesis. That’s until I discovered what I needed to do to push through and finish writing it.

I then used those lessons and applied them to my second thesis and every writing assignments since then. Writing became fun.

In fact, I was having so much fun writing my second thesis that I took on extra writing assignments. Hence the birth of this blog.

1. Adjust Your Expectations

If you want to finish writing your thesis in a month, the first thing you need to recognize is that you don’t need to break new grounds in your thesis for your thesis to be acceptable.

If for some reason you think you need to break new grounds, then you need to quickly adjust your expectations. The point of a thesis is to demonstrate mastery of the literature and show that you’re able to competently synthesize and present those works persuasively.

That’s all you need to do.

If you’re aiming for more, then consider these two points:

You don’t have the advanced training or the experience yet to “contribute” to the field. It’s certainly not impossible, but that’s not what’s expected of you in your M.A thesis (and even in your PhD thesis). In fact, if you can just slightly “advance” the research, that’s considered a great accomplishment!
You need much longer than 30 days or 3 months or even 3 years to come up with something new. Why? Because you need to read literally everything on your subject. And that’s what you’re expected to do when you’ve already finished writing your thesis, and decided to pursue an academic career.

For these two reasons, I think it’s best to view your thesis as something that reflects what you’ve been trained to do, which is to write a good thesis using the skills you already have. You are enough and you probably already have what it takes to write your thesis. So don’t be too hard on yourself. Think of this: Just like you can’t run a marathon if you’ve been training for a 5k, you also can’t “contribute to the field” when you’re still in the process of being trained on how to write a thesis. Most probably, this is your first time writing a masters degree thesis, so take it easy. (More on writing a PhD dissertation below).

So, adjust your expectations accordingly.

Now, if you are trying to write your PhD thesis in a month, let me first say that it’s almost impossible. But if you have certain circumstances (say like a serious illness), then talk to your advisor about it and see what he/she suggests.

2. Don’t Be a Perfectionist

A professor once told me, if you want to write a perfect thesis, “you will never finish writing.” And he was right. I can’t begin to tell you just how much time I wasted trying to write a flawless thesis (AHHH!). In the end, it was not worth it. I ended up procrastinating and wasting time. I wish I could have that time back. Please, don’t make the same mistake I made.

After that emotionally draining experience, I changed my approach. I strove to write something good (and not perfect). I then got feedback on my ideas from my professors and went back and made them better. Eventually, they were, in my eyes, perfect. I was happy.

If you still think you need to be a perfectionist, consider this: there’s always more you can say about your topic. There are more examples you can discuss, more evidence to support your arguments with, and there is an infinite number of ways to organize your ideas, paragraphs and chapters to eventually turn your thesis into a “masterpiece.” You literally can go on forever writing and re-writing your thesis.

If you’re tight on time and you want to finish writing your thesis in 30 days, then do yourself a favor and focus on being done . Write something that’s good enough and move on knowing that you will get back to it later.

So stop fixing things day in and day out. The goal is to make linear progress every single day until you’re done.

Remember, a mediocre finished thesis is better than a perfect unfinished one.

3. Take the 80/20 Rule Seriously

Each writing assignment will take you as much time as you’re willing to give it.

So if you give yourself 10 hours to write what usually takes 2 hours, then you will spend 10 hours working on it.

And the opposite is true.

If you have an assignment that usually takes 10 hours to finish, and I give you 2 hours to work on it, you will probably finish it in 2 hours.

On this basis, if you want to write your thesis in 30 days, you have to decide that 30 days is all you have to finish writing it. Be firm about this deadline, and work with the aim of finishing.

To help speed up the writing process, you can benefit from using a powerful writing assistant like Grammarly . ( Disclosure : these are affiliate links which means I will receive a commission if you make a purchase using my referral links.) Please know that I only talk about services that I believe in and can stand behind. And this is one of those amazing products that can be of tremendous benefit to you if you are looking to get over writer’s block and avoid unnecessary slowdowns .

Okay, so quickly: what should you expect from Grammarly?

Grammarly can help save you a lot of time – especially when you are stuck looking for the right word, or the right way to phrase a sentence. Grammarly gives you a list of context-specific vocabulary suggestions/enhancements/corrections and allows you to make an informed decision about what’s best in your specific writing context. This makes your writing flow better and allow you to move forward at a faster rate.

Here are testimonies by students about how Grammarly has helped them with writing their thesis.

finish writing your dissertation in 30 days

Just downloaded Grammarly for the first time and it has transformed my essays. I sound so smart! #Grammarly #Student — Lucy Jade ANutr (@lucyj_nutrition) March 2, 2019

#WhiteSmoke online editor combined with #Grammarly Chome extension..genius… Why didn't I discovered that earlier #Writing #Thesis #PhD — Quirina de Ruiter (@QuirinaDeRuiter) June 28, 2016

Here are some statistics on how Grammarly has helped students and writers get better results.

how to finish thesis or dissertation in less than a month

With Grammarly, you don’t have to worry about proofreading. It will do that for you. You don’t have to worry about manually checking for plagiarism , style, punctuation, and even wordiness. Grammarly can help you do all of that and will also offer explanations for the reasoning behind each correction.

You can also use Grammarly for better and more professional sounding emails – especially when you want to email your advisor and your committee. You can also use Grammarly across pretty much all of your social media platforms including twitter, facebook, linkedin and more.

In order to get access to all the tools that will help you write your thesis efficiently, I recommend their premium plan . The total cost comes out to 2 – 3 cups of cappuccinos… it’s worth it.

4. Don’t Reinvent the Wheel

Here’s a dose of realism.

As original as you would like to be in your thesis, someone has already written on your topic… and that’s a great thing!

Someone has read the same sources, summarized them and put them in their literature review. You can save yourself a whole lot of time by reading literature reviews. There, you will see exactly how they used those sources and how they might fit into your work. Consult the original sources briefly, but as much as necessary to get the main ideas out of them, and move on.

A literature review shouldn’t take you more than a week to complete if you plan to finish writing in 30 days, and that’s totally doable.

5. Complete a Quick First Draft

The fastest way to finish writing is to write quickly…duh.

What I mean by that is if you’re stuck and you can’t quite round up the paragraph or idea you’re working on, don’t dwell on it. Move on to other topics within your thesis and write them out.

The most helpful tip that I can share with you is to force yourself to write a quick high school draft (first draft) of the entire thesis. Go all the way through until you have a completed first draft of your thesis in your hands.

This is going to be tremendously helpful for your progress because if you can see the conclusion of your thesis, you will a have better sense of which parts of your thesis need work, and which parts need to be completely cut out.

In fact, that’s, in my opinion, the only way to know what your thesis really needs. I say this because imagine if you had spent tens of hours fixing a paragraph only to discover later on (or be told by your advisor) that you really don’t need it.

Let me tell you, it freakin sucks!

6. Journal Articles Are Your Best Friend

Journal articles are usually less than 25 pages in length and sometimes even less than 15 pages long. The best part about them: they’re succinct. You can pretty much read the abstract and you’ll know exactly what the main argument is and the strategy of the paper.

All you need to do then is to look for the evidence in the paper itself. It shouldn’t take you anything more than 3 hours to get this information out of the paper. And when you get good at this, it will take you even less than 3 hours.

Moreover, journal articles are a great way to help position your thesis within the literature on the topic, and you will have a much clearer destination when you do so.

See my post on how to read faster .

7. Write (Your Thesis) Everywhere

If you’ve been following my blog, then you know that I champion using free time effectively.

Plan to read or write everywhere : whether you’re waiting on a friend, waiting for the bus, or eating lunch. It will help you address what I’ve called elsewhere as the “familiarity deficit.” Read that post here . Don’t underestimate the value of that time. It will give you a much needed head-start when it’s time to sit down and work on the relevant chapter within your thesis.

The key to finishing your thesis in 30 days is to keep writing even when you don’t feel you’ve got much to say. It will come to you, just don’t give up too soon.

If you experience some mental roadblocks and you’re dealing with procrastination, then give this article a quick read to help you overcome procrastination and take action.

8. Bonus Tip – Join Online Writing Communities

Yes. Join online writing communities. They’re free and you will get a whole lot of support from people who are going through the same thing. Try Phinished . I’ve used it when I wrote my first thesis and it helped me a bunch.

I need to caution that it is easy to spend a lot of time on Phinished reading what others have to say. You might find yourself reading page after page about the challenges others are going through: including what they’re doing to move through the process, and how far they are in their thesis writing.

If you want to finish, then use it with the intention to finish and not to waste more time or procrastinate.

Hope this will help you finish your thesis in 30 days!

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Rule of Three: advice on writing a PhD thesis

PhD students sometimes get the same bad advice on writing their thesis. I call this advice the Rule of Three . Typically, they get told that their thesis:

Will take 3 months to write
Should have 3 results chapters
Should be 300 pages

These bits of advice have one thing in common: they are all wrong.

If you have been organised (see below), it should not take 3 months to write a PhD thesis. It certainly shouldn’t involve leaving the lab 3 months before your hand-in date to write up.
Theses can have one results chapter or they can have more. How many chapters depends on your project, and your results. Trying to make three results chapters out of one chapter ends up in a weak or overlong thesis.
A thesis is like a piece of string and it will be as long as it needs to be. Aim for brevity and not producing a magnus opus (see below).

Disclaimer: what follows is some different advice. As with all “advice”, your mileage will vary. It is written for the people in my lab but likely applies to UK PhD students doing biomedical research.

Rule 1: aim for a thesis that is good enough

Who will read your thesis? Two people. Your examiners. OK, some parts – such as the Methods section – will be useful to future lab members (although with electronic lab notebooks this function is becoming redundant). Maybe your thesis will be downloaded by someone from the repository, but essentially, it will only be read by your examiners.

How long does an examiner spend reading your thesis? A few hours. One day maximum. They simply have no more time. Do you really want to spend three months of your life writing something that will be read for just a few hours by two people?

It’s for these reasons that spending too much effort writing a perfect thesis is a waste of time. It just needs to be good enough.

As well as being just good enough, it only needs to be long enough . A big mistake students make is to produce a really long thesis because they think that that is what theses should be (rule of 3). What happens is the examiner will receive the thesis, look at how many pages there are, subtract the bibliography, and their heart will sink if it is too long.

You might now be wondering: is writing a thesis a waste of time?

No, because you have to do it to get your PhD.

No, because you learn important writing skills. You also learn how to assemble a large document (it’s often how students learn to use Word properly or up their LaTeX game). It’s good training for writing papers and other technical documents down the line. Employers know this when they hire you.

But that is about it. So you just need to write something that is good enough to pass.

Rule 2: prioritise papers and the thesis will follow

Papers are the priority. They are more useful to you and to your PI. But this advice isn’t motivated by self-interest. If you go into the viva and the work in your thesis is already peer reviewed and published, it’s harder for the examiners to criticise it. At least, they will not approach your thesis with the question: is this work publishable? This is one criteria for passing your PhD, so demonstrating that it is publishable means you are (almost) there.

This was the one bit of advice I received when doing my PhD and it is still true today. OK, it is harder these days to get a first author paper published before you submit your thesis. However a preprint on bioRxiv before you begin writing will help you to prepare your thesis and will still tick the publishable box.

How long should it take to write your thesis?

There is tension here because you are at your most useful in the lab as you near the end of your PhD. One week of labwork now is worth one month (or more) earlier in your PhD. You are most valuable to your lab/PI/science/career at this point and keeping working in the lab will yield more rewards. But it won’t get your thesis written.

The first bit of writing is busywork and can be done around lab work. “Deep writing” and reading does need time away for most students.

If you have only collected data in the lab and not analysed it, if you’ve not presented your work very often, if you are disorganised… yes, it will take you a full three months to write your thesis.

All the folks in my lab are encouraged to get figures ready, analyse as they go and they also give regular talks. It should not take anyone in this position three months away from the lab to write their thesis.

Agreeing a timeline with your PI for when you begin writing is really important. Regular deadlines and a commitment to timely feedback from your supervisor make thesis writing easier. The discussion needs to be based on facts though. Often students want to budget a lot of time to writing, because of the rule of 3 or because they believe they are “bad at writing”. It helps to see some evidence. Writing draft chapters earlier in the PhD – which is a requirement at some universities – can reveal difficulties and weaknesses.

Reality check

If you hear the rule of 3 from everyone and your supervisor is giving you different advice. It might be time for a reality check. Have a look at past theses from the lab. How long were they? How many chapters? Information is good.

Year	Results Chapters	Pages excl. bibliography/appendices	Papers associated with thesis
2011	3	208	1 published paper. Other work published later.
2013	2	203	1 published paper. Appendix contains a further paper and methods paper.
2016	3	133	1 published, 1 in preparation.
2016	3	94	1 paper in revision.
2017	2	138	1 paper submitted. Contributed to three other papers
2018	3	121	2 papers (but not published or submitted at the time). Appendix with one paper they contributed to.

You can see that all theses are fewer than 300 pages in length, many substantially so. Four have three chapters and two have two. Although looking closer, two of the theses with three chapters use a results chapter as an expanded methods chapter.

Ultimately, the thesis is your work but you will get input from your supervisor. Regardless of what is written here or how many people tell you about the rule of 3, your supervisor will have their own ideas about how your thesis should be. Agreeing a sensible plan with them is the way to get started productively.

Getting started

This is not a comprehensive guide but in order to write a good enough thesis, you first need a plan.

Make a figure list. This should be every single figure you can think of. You can cross off ones you don’t need later if they don’t fit or are insignificant.
Plan the narrative. There is usually more than one way to put together the figures to make a thesis. Be prepared for this to change after you start writing! Sometimes the writing process reveals ways in which the narrative should be rearranged.
How many results chapters? Start with the idea that you will have one. Does it need dividing? If yes, then what are the titles of the two chapters? If you have difficulty titling them you may need to split to a 3rd.

Now you have a plan. It’s time to get going.

Set some goals – but make them small. Having a goal of “I am going to complete my thesis” is too demoralising. You need to feel like you are making progress constantly to stay motivated. Break it down into smaller chunks. “I will finish this chapter by next Friday”. “I will write the cloning section this morning and then go for a walk”.

Write the materials and methods first . It’s the easiest bit to write because it is all technical writing with little wordcraft required. You can fit it around labwork. In fact, it is easier to write whilst in the lab because you can look up all the stuff you need. Importantly, it gets over the “blank page syndrome”.

Next get your figures together . This should already be done if you have been organised.

Then write the figure legends . You already have the title for each figure from your plan. All you need to do is describe each panel. Again, quite low energy writing required for this task.

Now write the results sections ! This is the same way that we put papers together. The results parts of the thesis are more extended but in principle you will guide the reader though the figures that you’ve made. Remember, you already have the legends written. So you are already partly on your way.

Time to regroup . At this point you can refine your plan for the introduction and check the rest of your plan still makes sense. Now is the time for some deep writing and reading.

The post title comes from “Rule of Three” by The Lemonheads.

How to write a PhD thesis: a step-by-step guide

A draft isn’t a perfect, finished product; it is your opportunity to start getting words down on paper, writes Kelly Louise Preece

Kelly Louise Preece

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Congratulations; you’ve finished your research! Time to write your PhD thesis. This resource will take you through an eight-step plan for drafting your chapters and your thesis as a whole.

Infographic with steps on how to draft your PhD thesis

Organise your material

Before you start, it’s important to get organised. Take a step back and look at the data you have, then reorganise your research. Which parts of it are central to your thesis and which bits need putting to one side? Label and organise everything using logical folders – make it easy for yourself! Academic and blogger Pat Thomson calls this “Clean up to get clearer” . Thomson suggests these questions to ask yourself before you start writing:

What data do you have? You might find it useful to write out a list of types of data (your supervisor will find this list useful too.) This list is also an audit document that can go in your thesis. Do you have any for the “cutting room floor”? Take a deep breath and put it in a separate non-thesis file. You can easily retrieve it if it turns out you need it.
What do you have already written? What chunks of material have you written so far that could form the basis of pieces of the thesis text? They will most likely need to be revised but they are useful starting points. Do you have any holding text? That is material you already know has to be rewritten but contains information that will be the basis of a new piece of text.
What have you read and what do you still need to read? Are there new texts that you need to consult now after your analysis? What readings can you now put to one side, knowing that they aren’t useful for this thesis – although they might be useful at another time?
What goes with what? Can you create chunks or themes of materials that are going to form the basis of some chunks of your text, perhaps even chapters?

Once you have assessed and sorted what you have collected and generated you will be in much better shape to approach the big task of composing the dissertation.

Decide on a key message

A key message is a summary of new information communicated in your thesis. You should have started to map this out already in the section on argument and contribution – an overarching argument with building blocks that you will flesh out in individual chapters.

You have already mapped your argument visually, now you need to begin writing it in prose. Following another of Pat Thomson’s exercises, write a “tiny text” thesis abstract. This doesn’t have to be elegant, or indeed the finished product, but it will help you articulate the argument you want your thesis to make. You create a tiny text using a five-paragraph structure:

The first sentence addresses the broad context. This locates the study in a policy, practice or research field.
The second sentence establishes a problem related to the broad context you have set out. It often starts with “But”, “Yet” or “However”.
The third sentence says what specific research has been done. This often starts with “This research” or “I report…”
The fourth sentence reports the results. Don’t try to be too tricky here, just start with something like: “This study shows,” or “Analysis of the data suggests that…”
The fifth and final sentence addresses the “So What?” question and makes clear the claim to contribution.

Here’s an example that Thomson provides:

Secondary school arts are in trouble, as the fall in enrolments in arts subjects dramatically attests. However, there is patchy evidence about the benefits of studying arts subjects at school and this makes it hard to argue why the drop in arts enrolments matters. This thesis reports on research which attempts to provide some answers to this problem – a longitudinal study which followed two groups of senior secondary students, one group enrolled in arts subjects and the other not, for three years. The results of the study demonstrate the benefits of young people’s engagement in arts activities, both in and out of school, as well as the connections between the two. The study not only adds to what is known about the benefits of both formal and informal arts education but also provides robust evidence for policymakers and practitioners arguing for the benefits of the arts. You can find out more about tiny texts and thesis abstracts on Thomson’s blog.

Writing tips for higher education professionals
Resource collection on academic writing
What is your academic writing temperament?

Write a plan

You might not be a planner when it comes to writing. You might prefer to sit, type and think through ideas as you go. That’s OK. Everybody works differently. But one of the benefits of planning your writing is that your plan can help you when you get stuck. It can help with writer’s block (more on this shortly!) but also maintain clarity of intention and purpose in your writing.

You can do this by creating a thesis skeleton or storyboard , planning the order of your chapters, thinking of potential titles (which may change at a later stage), noting down what each chapter/section will cover and considering how many words you will dedicate to each chapter (make sure the total doesn’t exceed the maximum word limit allowed).

Use your plan to help prompt your writing when you get stuck and to develop clarity in your writing.

Some starting points include:

This chapter will argue that…
This section illustrates that…
This paragraph provides evidence that…

Of course, we wish it werethat easy. But you need to approach your first draft as exactly that: a draft. It isn’t a perfect, finished product; it is your opportunity to start getting words down on paper. Start with whichever chapter you feel you want to write first; you don’t necessarily have to write the introduction first. Depending on your research, you may find it easier to begin with your empirical/data chapters.

Vitae advocates for the “three draft approach” to help with this and to stop you from focusing on finding exactly the right word or transition as part of your first draft.

This resource originally appeared on Researcher Development .

Kelly Louse Preece is head of educator development at the University of Exeter.

If you would like advice and insight from academics and university staff delivered direct to your inbox each week, sign up for the Campus newsletter .

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How to Write a PhD Thesis: 13 Tips For PhD Thesis Writing

13 Tips for writing a PhD Thesis - Paperpal

Completing a successful PhD research thesis is extremely challenging, and how to write a PhD thesis is often a question in students’ minds. Fret not, there are many ways to make the process of PhD thesis writing less bumpy. This article will provide some PhD thesis writing tips to simplify the writing process and help you complete your thesis on time, while keeping your sanity mostly intact.

Only about 50% of students enrolled in a PhD program ever complete it 1 . They drop out at many different points during the process for many different reasons. Some leave because the course work is too difficult or time consuming. Some leave for personal or financial reasons. One common cause of non-completion, or late completion, is the daunting spectre of PhD thesis writing.

PhD thesis writing tips: How to overcome the challenge of writing your PhD thesis

First, remember that although writing a PhD thesis is difficult, this can be accomplished. Here are some things to consider that will increase your confidence and make the task of PhD thesis writing a bit less scary.

Create an outline before you start writing – The most effective way to keep your work organized is to first create an outline based on the PhD thesis structure required by your university. Using an outline for your PhD paper writing has tremendous benefits. It creates a handy space to keep and organize all the little snippets of information and questions you will have during your preparation. It allows you to effectively plan your work and manage your time and makes the actual writing much easier. A thesis is shaped more than written, and an outline provides it the required PhD thesis structure.
Follow all university guides – Be careful to ensure that you are meeting all the requirements of your university. This includes everything from topic selection to structure to writing style. It is extremely frustrating to spend a lot of time and effort on a section only to have to do it over because you didn’t follow the proper guidelines. Read all relevant material from your university over and over until you have it memorized. Then, check it again.
Section order – It is usually best not to do your PhD thesis writing in chronological order. For researchers, the easiest parts to write are usually the Method and Results. So, gain some confidence first and write the Introduction and Conclusion last to tie it all together.
Work extensively with your supervisor – Don’t forget that in the process of PhD thesis writing, help is right there when you ask for it. Do not hesitate to ask for guidance from your supervisor, advisors, or other committee members when you get stuck. Clear and regular communication with these important resources can save you untold heartache during the PhD research and thesis writing processes. This should not be a solo exercise; they have all been where you are now.
Plan carefully, create rough drafts, and refine 2 – This is so important and basic to all academic research that it bears repeating. You will not write the final PhD thesis on your first try. Do not become frustrated, trust the process.
Produce quality writing – Make sure your ideas flow easily and are clear and easy to read. This is not a strong skill for most beginning researchers, but it’s a skill that can be learned with a lot of practice. Therefore, edit, edit, and edit some more. If you need it, there are many places to get PhD thesis writing help and assistance.
Details matter – Pay attention to the small things, especially with the document formatting. If you start out using the proper format, you will be saving a tremendous amount of time and grief later.
Avoid plagiarism – Quote accurately, otherwise paraphrase. There is no excuse for being a lazy writer. Consider using a smart tool or service to check for plagiarism during your PhD thesis editing process to make sure you did not unintentionally copy any material.
Rein in the references – Use a database, such as EndNote or Mendeley, to keep them organized and under control; check and double check citations and references with the bibliography to ensure they all match. Don’t forget to use the PhD thesis style required by your university.
Keep it simple – Remember, this is only the start of your career, not your ultimate work 3 ; perfectionism can be a disaster.
Make consistent progress – Try to write at least a little every day; check quotations and references when writing seems too difficult. 3
Keep your reader in mind – As with all writing, your PhD thesis is meant to be read, so be considerate of those who read it; be concise, include all necessary data/information to support your argument but nothing extra. Strive to be understood and avoid unnecessary words.
Be persistent and eager – Writing a doctoral thesis becomes easier if you are consistent and dedicated. All other things being equal, your attitude will ultimately determine your success. Have patience and work hard. Create work you will be proud of for a lifetime.
Cassuto, L. Ph.D. attrition: How much is too much? The Chronicle of Higher Education. https://www.chronicle.com/article/ph-d-attrition-how-much-is-too-much/?cid=gen_sign_in [Accessed 20 July 2022]
Curl, I. 10 tips for writing a PhD thesis. Times Higher Education. https://www.timeshighereducation.com/blog/10-tips-writing-phd-thesis [Accessed 20 July 2022]
Thomas, K. Finishing your PhD thesis: 15 top tips from those in the know. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/higher-education-network/blog/2014/aug/27/finishing-phd-thesis-top-tips-experts-advice [Accessed 20 July 2022]

A PhD thesis includes several key components, that are essential for the work to be considered seriously. These may vary depending on the research field and specific requirements of the institution, but generally include: · an introduction that presents the research question and context, · a literature review that surveys existing knowledge and research, · a methodology section describing the research design and methods employed, · a presentation of findings or results, · a discussion section interpreting the results and their implications, and · a conclusion that summarizes the main findings and contributions. Additionally, appendices may contain supplementary materials such as data, charts, or technical details.

The time required for writing a PhD thesis can vary significantly depending on factors such as the research topic, the individual’s research progress, the specific requirements of the institution, and the researcher’s writing process. On average, it can take several months to a few years to complete a PhD thesis. The research, data collection, and analysis stages can span several years, with the PhD thesis writing phase itself often lasting several months. Here, AI writing assistants like Paperpal, designed for academics, can help you write better. Explore Paperpal and see the difference for yourself!

To select a suitable topic for your PhD thesis, start by identifying your research interests and areas of expertise. Consider the gaps or unresolved questions in your field of study and explore potential research avenues and read extensively in your area of interest. Consult with your advisor or mentors, who can offer guidance and help narrow down your options. Once you have a tentative topic, conduct a literature review to ensure its novelty and feasibility. It’s important to choose a topic that aligns with your passion, has potential for meaningful contribution, and is feasible given available resources and time constraints.

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A Guide to Writing a PhD Thesis

Written by Ben Taylor

A PhD thesis is a work of original research all students are requiured to submit in order to succesfully complete their PhD. The thesis details the research that you carried out during the course of your doctoral degree and highlights the outcomes and conclusions reached.

The PhD thesis is the most important part of a doctoral research degree: the culmination of three or four years of full-time work towards producing an original contribution to your academic field.

Your PhD dissertation can therefore seem like quite a daunting possibility, with a hefty word count, the pressure of writing something new and, of course, the prospect of defending it at a viva once you’ve finished.

This page will give you an introduction to what you need to know about the doctoral thesis, with advice on structure, feedback, submission and more.

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The literature review is a chance for you to display your knowledge and understanding of what’s already been written about your research area – this could consist of papers, articles, books, data and more
Rather than simply summarising what other scholars have said about your subject, you should aim to assess and analyse their arguments
The literature review is usually the first task of your PhD – and typically forms the first part or chapter of your dissertation

After finishing your literature review, you’ll move onto the bulk of your doctoral thesis. Of course, you’ll eventually return to the lit review to make sure it’s up-to-date and contains any additional material you may have come across during the course of your research.

PhD thesis research

What sets your PhD thesis apart from previous university work you’ve done is the fact that it should represent an original contribution to academic knowledge . The form that this original contribution takes will largely depend on your discipline.

Arts and Humanities dissertations usually involve investigating different texts, sources and theoretical frameworks
Social Sciences are more likely to focus on qualitive or quantitative surveys and case studies
STEM subjects involve designing, recording and analysing experiments, using their data to prove or disprove a set theory

Depending on the nature of your research, you may ‘write up’ your findings as you go, or leave it until the dedicated ‘writing-up’ period, usually in the third year of your PhD. Whatever your approach, it’s vital to keep detailed notes of your sources and methods – it’ll make your life a lot easier when it comes to using references in your dissertation further down the line.

PhD thesis vs dissertation

It’s common to use the terms ‘thesis’ and ‘dissertation’ interchangeably, but strictly speaking there is a difference in meaning between them:

Your thesis is your argument. It’s the conclusions you’ve arrived at through surveying existing scholarship in your literature review and combining this with the results of your own original research.
Your dissertation is the written statement of your thesis. This is where you lay out your findings in a way that systematically demonstrates and proves your conclusion.

Put simply, you submit a dissertation, but it’s the thesis it attempts to prove that will form the basis of your PhD.

What this also means is that the writing up of your dissertation generally follows the formulation of your doctoral thesis (it’s fairly difficult to write up a PhD before you know what you want to say!).

However, it’s normal for universities and academics to use either (or both) terms when describing PhD research – indeed, we use both ‘thesis’ and ‘dissertation’ across our website.

Can I use my Masters research in my PhD thesis?

If you’re studying an MPhil, it’s normal to ‘ upgrade ’ it into a PhD. Find mroe information on our guide.

PhD thesis structure

Having completed your initial literature review and conducted your original research, you’ll move onto the next phase of your doctoral dissertation, beginning to sketch out a plan that your thesis will follow.

The exact structure and make-up of your doctoral thesis will vary between fields, but this is the general template that many dissertations follow:

Introduction – This sets out the key objectives of your project, why the work is significant and what its original contribution to knowledge is. At this point you may also summarise the remaining chapters, offering an abstract of the argument you will go on to develop.
Literature review – The introduction will generally lead into a write-up of your literature review. Here you’ll outline the scholarly context for your project. You’ll acknowledge where existing research has shaped your PhD, but emphasise the unique nature of your work.
Chapters – After you’ve finished introducing your research, you’ll begin the bulk of the dissertation. This will summarise your results and begin explaining the argument you have based on them. Some PhDs will also include specific chapters on methodology and / or a recreation of the data you have developed. Others will develop your argument over a series of stages, drawing on sources and results as relevant.
Conclusion – The dissertation will end with a final chapter that pulls together the different elements of your argument and the evidence you have provided for it. You’ll restate the significance of your project (and its all-important original contribution to knowledge). You may also take the opportunity to acknowledge the potential for further work or opportunities to apply your findings outside academia.
Bibliography and appendices – At the end of your thesis, you’ll need to include a full list of the books, articles and data you’ve referenced in a bibliography. You may also need to provide additional information in the form of an appendix.

How long is a PhD thesis?

The length of a PhD thesis varies from subject to subject, but all are far longer than those for undergraduate or Masters degrees. Your university will usually set an upper limit – typically between 70,000 and 100,000 words, with most dissertations coming in at around 80,000 words.

Generally speaking, STEM-based theses will be a little shorter than those in the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.

Different universities (and departments) will have different policies regarding what counts towards the PhD thesis word count, so make sure you’re aware what is expected of you. Check with your supervisor whether references, the bibliography or appendices are included in the word count for your dissertation.

How many chapters should a PhD thesis have?

There’s no hard and fast rule for the numbers of chapters in a PhD thesis, but most will have four or five chapters (in addition to the introduction and conclusion). This is the sort of thing you’ll discuss with your supervisor when planning out your research.

Writing up your PhD thesis

Once you’ve conducted your research and settled upon your thesis, there’s only one thing left to do: get it down on paper. Appropriately enough, this final part of a PhD is often referred to as the ‘ writing up period ’.

This is when you produce the final dissertation, which will be submitted as the basis for your viva voce exam. The nature of this task can vary from PhD to PhD.

In some cases you may already have a large amount of chapter drafts and other material. ‘Writing up’ therefore becomes a process of re-drafting and assembling this work into a final dissertation. This approach is common in Arts and Humanities subjects where PhD students tend to work through stages of a project, writing as they go.

Alternatively, you may have spent most of your PhD collecting and analysing data. If so, you’ll now ‘write up’ your findings and conclusions in order to produce your final dissertation. This approach is more common in STEM subjects, where experiment design and data collection are much more resource intensive.

Whatever process you adopt, you’ll now produce a persuasive and coherent statement of your argument, ready to submit for examination.

PhD thesis feedback

Your supervisor will usually give you feedback on each chapter draft, and then feedback on the overall completed dissertation draft before you submit it for examination. When the thesis is a work-in-progress, their comments will be a chance for them to make sure your research is going in the right direction and for you to ask their advice on anything you’re concerned about. This feedback will normally be given in the form of a supervisory meeting.

Although your PhD supervisor will be happy to give you advice on your work, you shouldn’t expect them to be an editor – it’s not their responsibility to correct grammatical or spelling mistakes, and you should make sure any drafts you submit to them are as error-free as possible. Similarly, they won’t be willing to edit your work down to fit a particular word count.

Finishing your PhD thesis

When you’ve finished the final draft of your doctoral thesis and it’s been approved by your supervisor, you’ll submit it for examination. This is when it’s sent to the examiners who will conduct your viva.

Submitting your thesis involves printing enough copies for your examiners and the university’s repository. Don’t leave this until the last minute – printing multiple copies of a 300-page document is a substantial undertaking and you should always allow enough time to account for any possible glitches or issues with the printing process.

Your viva will usually take place within three months of submitting your thesis. You can find out more in our dedicated guide to the PhD viva . After your viva, your examiners will give you a report that confirms whether or not you need to make any changes to your thesis, with several different potential outcomes:

Pass – You’ve received your doctoral qualification!
Minor corrections – These are usually fairly small edits, tweaks and improvements to your thesis, which you’ll be given three months to implement
Major corrections – For these substantial changes, you may have to rewrite part of your dissertation or complete extra research, with a six-month deadline

Most PhD students will need to fix some corrections with their thesis (hopefully not major ones). It’s very rare for a dissertation to be failed.

Once you’ve made any necessary changes to your thesis, you’ll submit it one last time (usually electronically).

If you have plans to publish all or part of your work, you may want to request an embargo so that it won’t be visible to the public for a certain time. 12 months is a fairly standard time period for this, although you may want to ask for a longer embargo if you know that you want to turn your thesis into a book or monograph.

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Emeritus Professor, Edinburgh Napier University

How long does it take to write a PhD thesis?

My short answer is 68 days, but please read the detail below…

Bold resolutions: “Piled Higher and Deeper” by Jorge Cham www.phdcomics.com

As a PhD supervisor I have often been asked ‘How long do you think it will take me to write up my thesis?’ My answer always begins ‘It depends…’ We then continue the conversation with an audit of material already drafted that may contribute (in edited format) to the final thesis. These include the initial literature review from the first year transfer report, and posters, conference papers and journal articles presented and/or published from the on-going work.

For example third year PhD student John Mowbray , who is currently based within the Centre for Social Informatics (CSI) at Edinburgh Napier University , has a strong basis for his literature review chapter in the form of a conference paper delivered at CoLIS 2016 , which is due to be published in full in Information Research later this year. Similarly John’s fellow student Frances Ryan has already published an account of research design for her study. This paper will underpin the writing of her methods chapter.

Then we consider less formal sources, such as any discussions or debates that the student has documented publicly elsewhere, for example in blog posts. See, for instance Lyndsey Jenkins ‘ recent thoughts about the importance of research domain at http://lyndseyjenkins.org. These may well contribute to a section of Lyndsey’s methods chapter when she comes to write up her work in 2018.

The students also have ‘non-public’ material about their work that will be adapted for their theses. These include interim reports for their supervisors and/or other stakeholders. For example, last semester CSI PhD student Iris Buunk wrote a report on some of the empirical work that she has conducted for the body that gave her access to survey respondents. Handwritten ideas and remarks kept in notebooks over the course of PhD registration are also very valuable ‘private’ resources.

Once we have completed this audit, the challenge of transforming all the work completed to date into an 80,000 word thesis appears not to be so great – but of course, it still all needs to be done!

Records from writing up my own PhD have also recently served as another source for answering questions about preparing the main output of the doctoral study. I undertook my PhD part-time over a period of just over four years while working full-time. Throughout this period there were weeks when I could not progress my work at all. This was largely due to other commitments in intensive periods related to teaching such as the marking season towards the end of each semester. There were other times when it was much easier to devote myself to my PhD. For example, I took annual leave in University vacation time for this purpose (rather than went away on holiday). To guard against losing track of my PhD at times when I was too busy to devote any time to it I kept detailed notes of my progress. As a result of this, I know exactly how much time I spent writing up each chapter for the final version of the thesis. Although all PhD theses are different, the proportion of time on each type of chapter may be helpful to those who have resolved to submit their theses in 2017.

In total it took me 68 days to write up my thesis (NB 68 to write up the work, not 68 days to complete the PhD!) This is the equivalent of approximately 14 working weeks, assuming a five day week. It needs to be borne in mind, however, that I was a part-time student. In practice the writing up was done over the last seven months of the four and half years in which I worked on the entire doctoral study.

The largest portion of the writing-up time – around three quarters – was spent on the two chapters that related the findings of my research, and about a fifth on the discussion chapter. My literature review took very little time to write up (just 5 days) because I had already presented much of it in published form. The methods and conclusions chapters did not take very long either (3.5 and 2.5 days respectively) largely because their content was straightforward. My introductory chapter was very short at a page and a half and was thus drafted in just a couple of hours.

As might be deduced from the time allocations given above, I found the results and discussion chapters most heavy-going. The former was due to the quantity of empirical data to convert into a fluent account of the findings, and the latter because of the intellectual challenge of expressing the meaning of the findings and how the outcomes of my study represented an original contribution to the domain. However, once these two elements were ‘cracked’ it was a relatively easy task to pull all the other chapters together.

If you are reading this blog post as a PhD student in the later stages of your work, I would advise you to be prepared for the long haul of writing up your results and the discussion chapters, and ensure that you allocate a high proportion of your write-up time to these accordingly. It is also worth noting that I found that the closer I came to the target of completing my write-up, the more important it was for me to avoid other distractions. You cannot control for all of them (for example, illness), but I would caution against getting actively involved in anything that will take you away from your PhD at this intensive stage, such as planning a big event (for example, a major holiday, a house move, or a family wedding) or starting a new job.

If you are still in the early stages of your doctoral study, my first piece of advice is to plan your conference participation and journal paper publishing activity with the final thesis in mind. Be selective and strategic so that you prioritise engagement in external events that are valuable to the completion of your thesis and/or your future career. Each piece of work that you present externally should progress your study by encouraging you to write-up as you go along (for example in the form of a poster, a set of slides, a full paper), defend your ideas in person within your academic community, seek feedback on work completed to date, and solicit advice on the later stages. You should also be documenting any thoughts or ideas that may be valuable to writing up in a format that make sense to you, whether this be in a set of handwritten notes or in a more public format such as a series of structured blog posts.

Good luck to all those who will submit their theses in 2017!

Know How to Structure Your PhD Thesis

4 minute read
41.2K views

Table of Contents

In your academic career, few projects are more important than your PhD thesis. Unfortunately, many university professors and advisors assume that their students know how to structure a PhD. Books have literally been written on the subject, but there’s no need to read a book in order to know about PhD thesis paper format and structure. With that said, however, it’s important to understand that your PhD thesis format requirement may not be the same as another student’s. The bottom line is that how to structure a PhD thesis often depends on your university and department guidelines.

But, let’s take a look at a general PhD thesis format. We’ll look at the main sections, and how to connect them to each other. We’ll also examine different hints and tips for each of the sections. As you read through this toolkit, compare it to published PhD theses in your area of study to see how a real-life example looks.

Main Sections of a PhD Thesis

In almost every PhD thesis or dissertation, there are standard sections. Of course, some of these may differ, depending on your university or department requirements, as well as your topic of study, but this will give you a good idea of the basic components of a PhD thesis format.

Abstract : The abstract is a brief summary that quickly outlines your research, touches on each of the main sections of your thesis, and clearly outlines your contribution to the field by way of your PhD thesis. Even though the abstract is very short, similar to what you’ve seen in published research articles, its impact shouldn’t be underestimated. The abstract is there to answer the most important question to the reviewer. “Why is this important?”
Introduction : In this section, you help the reviewer understand your entire dissertation, including what your paper is about, why it’s important to the field, a brief description of your methodology, and how your research and the thesis are laid out. Think of your introduction as an expansion of your abstract.
Literature Review : Within the literature review, you are making a case for your new research by telling the story of the work that’s already been done. You’ll cover a bit about the history of the topic at hand, and how your study fits into the present and future.
Theory Framework : Here, you explain assumptions related to your study. Here you’re explaining to the review what theoretical concepts you might have used in your research, how it relates to existing knowledge and ideas.
Methods : This section of a PhD thesis is typically the most detailed and descriptive, depending of course on your research design. Here you’ll discuss the specific techniques you used to get the information you were looking for, in addition to how those methods are relevant and appropriate, as well as how you specifically used each method described.
Results : Here you present your empirical findings. This section is sometimes also called the “empiracles” chapter. This section is usually pretty straightforward and technical, and full of details. Don’t shortcut this chapter.
Discussion : This can be a tricky chapter, because it’s where you want to show the reviewer that you know what you’re talking about. You need to speak as a PhD versus a student. The discussion chapter is similar to the empirical/results chapter, but you’re building on those results to push the new information that you learned, prior to making your conclusion.
Conclusion : Here, you take a step back and reflect on what your original goals and intentions for the research were. You’ll outline them in context of your new findings and expertise.

Tips for your PhD Thesis Format

As you put together your PhD thesis, it’s easy to get a little overwhelmed. Here are some tips that might keep you on track.

Don’t try to write your PhD as a first-draft. Every great masterwork has typically been edited, and edited, and…edited.
Work with your thesis supervisor to plan the structure and format of your PhD thesis. Be prepared to rewrite each section, as you work out rough drafts. Don’t get discouraged by this process. It’s typical.
Make your writing interesting. Academic writing has a reputation of being very dry.
You don’t have to necessarily work on the chapters and sections outlined above in chronological order. Work on each section as things come up, and while your work on that section is relevant to what you’re doing.
Don’t rush things. Write a first draft, and leave it for a few days, so you can come back to it with a more critical take. Look at it objectively and carefully grammatical errors, clarity, logic and flow.
Know what style your references need to be in, and utilize tools out there to organize them in the required format.
It’s easier to accidentally plagiarize than you think. Make sure you’re referencing appropriately, and check your document for inadvertent plagiarism throughout your writing process.

PhD Thesis Editing Plus

Want some support during your PhD writing process? Our PhD Thesis Editing Plus service includes extensive and detailed editing of your thesis to improve the flow and quality of your writing. Unlimited editing support for guaranteed results. Learn more here , and get started today!

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PhD Thesis: Topics, Example, Process, Tips, How to Write?

Muhammad Hasim Sheikh Aug 28, 2024 1K Reads

PhD Thesis or PhD Dissertation is an important component in the process of getting a doctorate. If you are pursuing PhD or deciding to pursue it, it will be mandatory for you to prepare and submit your PhD Thesis.

All the details and information collected during the PhD research are presented in the form of a PhD Thesis. It is a detailed description of the research process of research outcomes that can contribute to the original field of knowledge in the particular field.

The PhD candidates prepare the PhD Thesis to showcase their research findings. A PhD Thesis is the backbone of the doctoral degree and plays an important role in showcasing the research ability and competency in conducting independent and original research.

A PhD Thesis not only demonstrates the research competency of the candidates but also exhibits their expertise, critical thinking, and research skills. The preparation of a PhD Thesis is a very difficult and challenging task and you need to take the utmost precautions while preparing it.

Here in this blog, we will discuss all the procedures adopted while preparing a detailed PhD and high-quality PhD Thesis:

What is the need for PhD Thesis Preparation?

The preparation of a PhD Thesis is crucial as it represents the cumulative research work and outcomes. The PhD Thesis provides a detailed description of the comprehensive research in the particular field. If you are a PhD Scholar, it will be mandatory for you to prepare a PhD Thesis to complete your degree.

It acts as proof of document of your research and findings while pursuing the PhD program. A PhD Thesis also guides the new PhD scholars for reference. Newly enrolled PhD scholars who have just begun their research work can refer to the previous research works conducted by a different researcher in the field to begin his journey.

PhD Thesis is a document that also provides a pathway to new research scholars in the field. The PhD thesis preparation involves organizing and assembling the research findings in a coherent structure. This allows you to refine ideas, identify gaps in the research, and ensure that the arguments are logically presented.

Additionally, you will be able to develop essential skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and effective communication that are highly valuable in both academic and professional settings.

Beginning of the PhD Thesis Writing

PhD Thesis writing begins after completion of the PhD coursework. Every PhD Scholar has to go through a PhD coursework. PhD coursework is offered in the initial years to provide a strong foundation in the research aptitude in the given field.

Once the coursework is completed, a comprehensive exam is conducted to examine and evaluate the ability of the scholars to conduct original research. Generally, the examination is conducted in the 3rd year of the PhD program. Once the examinations are concluded for the coursework, PhD scholars can start working on their PhD Thesis/Dissertation.

Process and Structure of PhD Thesis Writing

Writing a PhD Thesis is a daunting task and one has to go through a prolonged process. It involves several stages and PhD scholars need to through all the stages to prepare a highly inclusive Thesis.

Here is the detailed process and structure of the PhD Thesis:

Cover Page: The PhD Thesis writing begins with the preparation of the cover page. The cover page includes the title of the research topic, the name of the university, the name of the scholar, and the supervisor. Generally, the cover page of the thesis is designed to catch the attention of the viewers.
Preface: The cover page is followed by the Preface of the PhD Thesis. The Preface is written by the PhD scholars. In the preface of the thesis, they explain the reasons for taking up a particular research topic and their experiences while conducting the research and writing the PhD Thesis. Generally, the preface is written after writing the thesis but arranged after the cover page.
Acknowledgment: After writing the Preface of the thesis, PhD scholars begin with the acknowledgment page. Generally, the acknowledgment page of the thesis recognizes all those people who have contributed and given their support in conducting the research. PhD scholars acknowledge the contribution of all the people who have professionally and personally helped in the research.
Introduction: In the Introduction, PhD scholars introduce their research topic and explain how this study contributes to the original knowledge of the field. The introduction in the PhD Thesis is a summary of all the key objectives of the research and an explanation of why the particular research is needed.
Literature Review: The literature Review in the PhD Thesis is a summary of all the works done by previous researchers and academicians in the same field or field relevant to the topic. In the literature review, all the scholarly works whether books, research journals, research papers, or previous research thesis related to the subject are cited in the PhD Thesis. A literature review is done to support the current research by analyzing the previous works done on the same subject.
Research Chapters: Research Chapters are the crux of the PhD Thesis. In this stage, the PhD Thesis is divided into various chapters. The research conducted by the PhD scholars is recorded in detail in this section. Research Chapters broadly explain the methodology, hypothesis, and original research. The research chapter includes the process of conducting the research on a particular area and the explanation of the research questions.
Conclusion: After writing all the research chapters in the PhD Thesis, the conclusion of the research is added. The conclusion is the final chapter of the PhD Thesis Writing that concludes all the research edvideces and findings to reach to a final result. The conclusion also includes the possibilities of further research in the same field and its application to enhance the knowledge of the particular subject.
Bibliography and Appendices: The bibliography is written at the end of the PhD Thesis. The Bibliography lists all sources such as books, journals, research papers, thesis, etc used in the PhD Thesis writing. It is written in alphabetical order and includes the author's name, title, publication year, etc. The PhD Scholar may be required to provide supplementary materials that aren't essential to the PhD Thesis in the form of appendices.

What is the Length of the PhDThesis/Dissertation?

The length of the PhD Thesis (or dissertation) greatly depends on the field of the study. Generally, the length of the PhD Thesis ranges between 60,000 to 1,20,000 words which can curated in 150 pages to 300 pages. The average length of the PhD Thesis is around 80,000 words.In general, the length of the PhD Thesis in Engineering and Sciences is shorter than that of Humanities and Social Sciences.

The average length of a PhD Thesis in different disciplines is explained in the table below:

How to Write Up PhD Thesis

Once all the research related to the relevant topics and subjects has been conducted and all the data and results are collected, you can start with your PhD Thesis Writing.

This period is also known as the Writing Up period. The writing-up stage in a PhD Thesis starts when the original research has already been completed.

In this stage, you only focus on the PhD Thesis Writing and do not conduct any additional research.

In research related to Humanities and Social sciences, you may already have a large amount of chapter drafts and papers which makes writing up easy. You only need to redraft and assemble these chapter drafts and research papers to formulate a PhD Thesis.

However, writing a PhD Thesis for a Science and Engineering subject may be different. If you are conducting research in these fields, a major part of your research depends on collecting and analyzing data.

Writing Up a PhD Thesis in Science and Engineering fields may require findings and conclusions from the data collected.

Regardless of the subject and process of PhD Thesis Writing, it should be able to reflect your findings which can be applied in the particular discipline to enhance knowledge.

Role of PhD Thesis Feedback

Feedback from the supervisor while writing the PhD Thesis plays a crucial role. It helps in formulating a well-organized and highly structured PhD Thesis. You must seek constant feedback from your supervisor on your chapter drafts while writing the PhD Thesis.

When the thesis writing is in progress, comments and feedback from the supervisor who has significant research experience will ensure that the research is going in the right direction. You must regularly attend the supervisory meeting and present your chapter drafts for review.

Your PhD supervisor will be more than happy to help and guide you through your PhD Thesis Writing. However, PhD supervisor is not responsible for grammatical mistakes. You must ensure that your thesis is free from grammatical errors.

Levels of Plagiarism in PhD Thesis

While writing the PhD Thesis, you must ensure that your thesis is free from plagiarism. The PhD Thesis must contain your original research and not be copied from anywhere. Plagiarism in a PhD Thesis is considered a serious academic offense and can lead to severe consequences.

If you are giving references to works from other authors, you must give proper citations. Paraphrasing and rephrasing of other’s work must be duly acknowledged. In PhD Thesis Writing, plagiarism is defined on various levels.

Here are the different levels of plagiarism in PhD Thesis Writing:

Penalty for Plagiarism in PhD Thesis/Dissertation

The University Grants Commission (UGC) takes plagiarism very seriously and sets the penalty standards for different levels of plagiarism.

Here is the punishment for Plagiarism in the PhD Thesis:

Finishing PhD Thesis and Final Submission

Once you are done with the final draft of the PhD Thesis, you will need to send it to your supervisor. The supervisor will go through the thesis and after reviewing it, approve it for final submission.

Once your supervisor has approved you thesis, submit it for the examination. The Departmental Research Committee (DRC) will examine the PhD Thesis and you will have to appear for the Grand PhD Viva. In this Viva, you will need to defend your research findings and conclusions in the PhD Thesis.

PhD Thesis submission is done in physical form and you will have to take a printout of the thesis. You should always take multiple printouts of the thesis to avoid any printing mistakes and glitches. At the time of final submission, generally, multiple copies of the thesis are required which makes it more important.

PhD Viva is conducted within 3 months of thesis submission. Once the viva has been completed, the examiners will let you know whether or not you need to make any changes to your PhD Thesis.

These could be 3 outcomes after thesis submission and viva. All are mentioned below:


	You will receive your Doctorate.
	Usually, these are just minor adjustments, modifications, and enhancements to your thesis, and you will have three months to put them into practice.
	You might need to rewrite a portion of your dissertation or conduct additional research to make these significant modifications, and you have a six-month deadline.

If you asked for a correction, you will have to fix the errors and re-submit the PhD thesis again. The re-submission of PhD is usually done digitally.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

⭐ what is a phd thesis.

A PhD Thesis is a well-structured and well-organized piece of original research that every PhD scholar has to prepare and submit to get their doctorate.

⭐ Is PhD Viva mandatory after the final submission of the PhD Thesis?

Yes, PhD Viva is mandatory for every PhD Candidate once they have made the final submission of their thesis. In PhD Viva, candidates defend their research and findings before the departmental research committee.

⭐ What is the ideal length of a PhD Thesis?

There is no ideal length for a PhD Thesis. However, the length of the PhD thesis is greatly influenced by the disciplines of the research. The length of PhD in Engineering and Sciences is comparatively less than that of PhD in Humanities and Social Sciences. The PhD thesis ranges between 60,000 words to 1,20,000 words.

⭐ What percentage of Plagiarism is allowed for a PhD Thesis?

The University Grants Commission (UGC) allows a maximum of 10 percent plagiarism in the PhD Thesis. The candidates whose thesis plagiarism falls within 10% are not penalized.

⭐ What is the penalty for Level 2 Plagiarism?

Level 2 plagiarism means that the PhD Thesis has a similarity above 40% to 60%. For this level of plagiarism, the PhD candidate will be asked to withdraw the manuscript and debarred from the annual increment for one year. The supervisor of such PhD scholar will also be penalized with a ban on any PhD supervision for 2 years.

⭐ What is the Penalty for Level 3 Plagiarism?

Level 3 plagiarism exhibits a similarity above 60% in the PhD Thesis. The PhD Scholars will be asked to withdraw their manuscript and they will be prohibited to annual increments for 2 consecutive years. The supervisor will not be allowed to supervise any new Master’s and PhD Thesis/dissertation for 3 consecutive years.

By Muhammad Hasim Sheikh

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Tips and tricks for being more productive!

I have 2 months to write on my thesis. Please share with me your adhd-friendly pro tips on how to use this time as good as possible!

Hi everyone,

I recently accepted an offer for a job I really wanted, which I will start May 1 (80%, so I will have 1 day off + weekends. From October 1 on, it will be a full-time position). I am also a last year MA student in philosophy and political science and basically "only" have to write my thesis to finish my degree. The thesis will have around 80-100 pages. So far, I have completed an extensive proposal as well as read around 2500 pages of text (I'd say that's around half of what I will have to read in total)

I had my last day at my current job yesterday, so this gives me the luxury of almost 2 months to fully dedicate myself to my thesis before starting my new job. It's not realistic I will finish the complete thesis during that time knowing my pace but I'm hoping for around 50 pages. That should give me a good basis to complete the thesis by my deadline of December 1.

My only problem now is that I'm super demotivated at the moment. That and I am also anxious about not being able to complete the thesis and have adhd to round it all off. It just makes it difficult to actually start (and continue) working bc I get anxiety about starting the work and if I finally do manage to start, I get bored super easily (even though the topic is interesting).

So, long story short: does anyone of you have any adhd-friendly tips on how to use this time as good as possible, especially tips for a routine that works for you? Tips on how to minimise boredom, task-inhibition and distractions? I'd highly appreciate it.

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PRTH 987 Dissertation Writing in Practical Theology I

Course Description

For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the Academic Course Catalog .

Course Guide

View this course’s outcomes, policies, schedule, and more.*

*The information contained in our Course Guides is provided as a sample. Specific course curriculum and requirements for each course are provided by individual instructors each semester. Students should not use Course Guides to find and complete assignments, class prerequisites, or order books.

PRTH 987 is the transitional course that assesses competency from PhD in Practical Theology course work and prepares the PhD candidate for dissertation writing. This is accomplished through the successful completion of a comprehensive field exam, prospectus development and approval, and pairing the candidate with an appropriate dissertation supervisor. All these tasks are necessary before dissertation writing can formally commence.

Course Assignment

Textbooks readings and lecture presentations.

No details available.

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations , the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Quiz: Preprospectus Proposal Consultation

The student will submit to the instructor teaching PRTH 987 a “Preprospectus Proposal” developed in the Tier II courses for the instructor’s evaluation and feedback, especially as it relates to the three overriding principles of dissertations in the PhD in Practical Theology program; namely, that they must be appropriately biblical, theological, and practical. The student will then meet with the instructor to discuss the details of the proposal before the first draft of the prospectus is composed. This initial consultation will provide opportunity for redirection and refinement as appropriate, along with advice on how the particular topic might best be developed into a library-based, biblically, and practically oriented PhD dissertation. The student will complete a quiz verifying that they have completed the requirement. (CLO: A, B).

Comprehensive Exam 4: Journal Article Proposal Assignment

The fourth and final comprehensive exam requires the composition of an article related to the student’s intended dissertation topic. The article functions as a “field essay” and (1) establishes that the student has “read themselves into the field” sufficient to demonstrate mastery of the issues and literature appropriate to the PhD level of research, and (2) establishes that the student has a viable proposed research topic in the field. In preparation for the exam, the student must write a brief proposal (2-page maximum) to be submitted to the professor for approval. (CLO: A).

Comprehensive Exam 4: Journal Article Assignment

Once the Comprehensive Exam 4: Journal Article Proposal Assignment has been approved by the instructor of PRTH 987, the student must prepare and submit a publishable article on an approved topic relevant to the student’s dissertation that explores a gap in the literature. This exam must demonstrate that the student has a mastery of the field, a grasp of the literature, and an ability to integrate information and themes developed in their PhD in Practical Theology coursework. (CLO: A).

Dissertation Prospectus: First Draft Assignment

The PhD in Practical Theology prospectus will be submitted in two stages: first draft and final draft. In the first draft submission, the student will submit a prospectus containing 4 key components: (1) a dissertation abstract; (2) a description of the dissertation’s research methodology and design of the dissertation’s argument; (3) a chapter-by-chapter outline; (4) a working bibliography. (CLO: B, C).

Dissertation Prospectus: Final Draft Assignment

The final draft of the dissertation prospectus will contain the same 4 components as the Dissertation Prospectus First Draft Assignment and will gather up, address, and remediate any issues raised by the instructor. (CLO: B, C).

Quiz: Dissertation Supervisor Pairing Assignment

The student will complete the Dissertation Supervisor Pairing Quiz to verify that they are ready to be paired with a dissertation supervisor. (CLO: G).

Argument Analysis and Research Methodology Assignment

Considering the elements of a good argument in Turabian’s A Manual for Writers, Chapter 5, “Planning Your Argument,” the student will assess their dissertation’s proposed argument relative to (1) its central claim; (2) warrants on which the claim relies; (3) evidence supporting the claim the student intends to present in the dissertation; and (4) the student’s response to potential objections to the argument. Then, the student will describe their research methodology relative to 4 key concerns: (1) it employs library-based (rather than human subject) research; (2) it employs an evidence-based, logically-defensible research heurism; (3) it is biblical and theological with engagement with primary sources as appropriate; and (4) it is practical. The paper must be double-spaced and between 7-10 pages in length, exclusive of title page, contents page, and bibliography, and follow current Turabian format guidelines, utilizing footnote citations. The paper must consist of two distinct sections: argument analysis and revised research methodology. (CLO: D).

Quiz: Primary Source Research

Because this is a PhD in Practical Theology, engagement with the biblical text (primary source) sufficient to undergird both the theological and practical components of the student’s research is both required and expected. The student will complete a quiz verifying that they have engaged in appropriate primary source research related to their dissertation’s topic and focus. (CLO: E, F).

Quiz: Turabian Review

Because Kate Turabian’s A Manual for Writers is the style standard for the student’s dissertation, the student will complete a quiz verifying that they have reviewed the style guide sufficiently to be able to produce a clean dissertation. (CLO: E, F).

Quiz: Dissertation Supervisor Initial Consultation Assignment

Once the student has been notified of dissertation supervisor pairing, the student will reach out to the dissertation supervisor and request an initial consultation. This consultation meeting will typically be 20 to 30 minutes in length and will be conducted virtually through Microsoft Teams or the current video conferencing platform the university is using at the time. (CLO: G).

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How to Write PhD Thesis Very Smartly in 1 Month
Complete Step by Step Guide to Write PhD Dissertation in a Month
How To Write a Better PhD Thesis/Dissertation?
How Do You Write A PhD Dissertation In A Month?
Comprehensive Guidelines for Writing a PhD Thesis Proposal (+ free
(PDF) HOW TO WRITE YOUR Phd THESIS: THE EASY HANDBOOK

COMMENTS

Write Your PhD Thesis In One Month Or Less
FIGURE 8. EndNote's Cite While You Write function. 2) Intermediate documents: the thesis/dissertation proposal and grant applications. Think of your thesis or dissertation proposal and any grant applications as being a big first step toward the first chapter of your final document: the introduction.
Procrastinated and now I have 1 month to write my thesis
I procrastinated 3 months away and did 90% of the research and writing in about one month for my 40 page minimum master's thesis. You can see a flurry of activity on my github in the 1-1.5 weeks of writing. I'm now doing a PhD straight out of my master's. You'll be okay.
How I wrote a PhD thesis in just 3 months
7. Targets and consistency. I set myself a target of 3 months, broken down into targets for each chapter. This would give me about 3 months in reserve before the final absolute deadline. I had a daily minimum target of 500 words, which I knew I could meet even on the least productive days.
8 Tips to Write a Thesis in 30 Days (Bonus Tip Included)
Table Of Contents. My 8 tips on how to write a thesis or dissertation in a month. 1. Adjust Your Expectations. 2. Don't Be a Perfectionist. 3. Take the 80/20 Rule Seriously. 3.1 Use Grammarly: An Online Writing Assistant.
Insider's Guide: Writing A Thesis When You're Short On Time
Instead of inserting "work on thesis" into your calendar, insert measurable goals like "finish Figure 1" or "write two pages of Chapter 2.". 7. Write In Very Short Bursts. Writing in several short bursts is more efficient than writing in a few, long extended periods of time. If you ever tried to write for several hours in a row, you ...
How I wrote my PhD thesis in just 3 months
https://phd.academy/blog/how-i-wrote-a-phd-thesis-in-3-monthsHere's the paper that came from my accidental discovery: https://www.worldscientific.com/doi/abs...
10 tips for writing a PhD thesis
Think carefully about your writing. Write your first draft, leave it and then come back to it with a critical eye. Look objectively at the writing and read it closely for style and sense. Look out for common errors such as dangling modifiers, subject-verb disagreement and inconsistency.
Rule of Three: advice on writing a PhD thesis
PhD students sometimes get the same bad advice on writing their thesis. I call this advice the Rule of Three. Typically, they get told that their thesis: Will take 3 months to write; Should have 3 results chapters; Should be 300 pages; These bits of advice have one thing in common: they are all wrong.
How to Write PhD Thesis in 3 Months
10. Taking time over details that matter. I took careful care over the clarity of the writing, the diagrams and thus the look of the thesis. If a diagram took a pair of hours, so be it. If i ...
How to write a PhD thesis: a step-by-step guide
You create a tiny text using a five-paragraph structure: The first sentence addresses the broad context. This locates the study in a policy, practice or research field. The second sentence establishes a problem related to the broad context you have set out. It often starts with "But", "Yet" or "However".
How to Write a PhD Thesis: 13 Tips For PhD Thesis Writing
Strive to be understood and avoid unnecessary words. Be persistent and eager - Writing a doctoral thesis becomes easier if you are consistent and dedicated. All other things being equal, your attitude will ultimately determine your success. Have patience and work hard. Create work you will be proud of for a lifetime.
Write PhD thesis in 2 months: 9 Easy Strategy Tips
Key strategy tips:1) How long is a PhD thesis? You've written annual reports, literature reviews, and methods. Recycle them and use software like Mendeley an...
PDF How to write a good PhD thesis and survive the viva
into a PhD thesis | that is another story. It is all about writing a successful thesis and enjoying the viva. Let's get started! 2 Writing a thesis At the point of writing up, PhD students are unlikely to have written many theses: typically one to document an undergraduate nal year project and possibly another one at Master level.
PhD Thesis
A Guide to Writing a PhD Thesis. A PhD thesis is a work of original research all students are requiured to submit in order to succesfully complete their PhD. The thesis details the research that you carried out during the course of your doctoral degree and highlights the outcomes and conclusions reached. The PhD thesis is the most important ...
How long does it take to write a PhD thesis?
In total it took me 68 days to write up my thesis (NB 68 to write up the work, not 68 days to complete the PhD!) This is the equivalent of approximately 14 working weeks, assuming a five day week. It needs to be borne in mind, however, that I was a part-time student. In practice the writing up was done over the last seven months of the four and ...
Know How to Structure Your PhD Thesis
Tips for your PhD Thesis Format. As you put together your PhD thesis, it's easy to get a little overwhelmed. Here are some tips that might keep you on track. Don't try to write your PhD as a first-draft. Every great masterwork has typically been edited, and edited, and…edited. Work with your thesis supervisor to plan the structure and ...
Writing A PhD Thesis (you love) in 3 MONTHS
📚 For academic support, proofreading and mentorship https://www.thepagedoctor.com🧠 Pick my brain, book a 1-1 academic consultation with me https://resource...
Is it possible to draft a thesis in 3 months? : r/PhD
So, if you've done with the research, and is just outstanding around 50-60 percent of the write-up, I believe 3 months is totally doable. For context, I'm in the humanities field so if you're in a profoundly different field, things may be different. 5.
How to finish a PhD thesis quickly
How do you finish a Ph.D. quickly? Well, it takes a lot of dedication and ruthlessness towards how you spend your time. Follow these 5 tips and you'll be abl...
Mastering Your Ph.D.: Writing Your Doctoral Thesis With Style
Last month, we offered suggestions on how to prepare for your thesis defence: Decide whether you need more research results, sketch out a plan for those experiments and for writing thesis chapters, and--importantly--get your supervisor's support for that plan.Now it's time to wrap things up in the lab and start writing. Writing a thesis is easier said than done, of course, and you have plenty ...
PhD Thesis: Topics, Example, Process, Tips, How to Write?
How to Write Up PhD Thesis . Once all the research related to the relevant topics and subjects has been conducted and all the data and results are collected, you can start with your PhD Thesis Writing. This period is also known as the Writing Up period. The writing-up stage in a PhD Thesis starts when the original research has already been ...
How I Wrote a 100,000 Word PhD in Six Months.
4. Get a Decent Computer. All my life i've used the cheapest computer I could get. As an undergraduate I didn't have a computer until my final year. That had been slightly upgraded during the ...
I have 2 months to write on my thesis. Please share with me ...
Overall it took me around 1 month to process the data and 1 week to actually write the thesis. Nowadays you can use paraphrasing tools online, which make the whole writing process faster. Ofc dont just copy/paste, but paraphrasing tools save your brain from rethinking sentences, etc. You got this!
PRTH 988 Dissertation Writing in Practical Theology II
Home Courses PRTH 988. This course is the first course comprising dissertation writing for the PhD in Practical Theology candidate, under the direction and guidance of their faculty supervisor.
PRTH 987 Dissertation Writing in Practical Theology I
PRTH 987 is the transitional course that assesses competency from PhD in Practical Theology course work and prepares the PhD candidate for dissertation writing.
Timeline
Pre-candidacy. Student: Seeks information on dissertation requirements from program administrators, deans, and the Dissertation Office. Departments, divisions, and schools may have requirements in addition to requirements set by the University. Dissertation Office: Provides information about the University's dissertation requirements. Welcomes PhD students and encourages their questions at any ...