A PhD thesis is a targeted work of original research that all PhD candidates must complete to get their doctoral degree. This article will define a PhD thesis and provide tips on how to write one, from establishing the standard format to leading you through the referencing process.Lets check-> What is a Phd thesis and a get a detailed description about it?
What is a doctorate or PhD?
A PhD is a creative and innovative piece of research generated independently after an in-depth analysis of a given issue. It provides information and findings that are valuable.
What Exactly Is a Thesis?
A thesis is the primary product of a PhD since it describes how you arrived at the conclusions you did while conducting the study. As an outcome, your thesis’ content must be heavily centred on your chapters of original work. Your thesis must sufficiently support your case and give a novel or expanded perspective on your subject, which was not previously possible to be successful. As an outcome, you can’t depend on other people’s ideas or findings to write your thesis; it must be a unique piece of writing that belongs to you and no one else.
Things to keep in mind while writing a Thesis:
Before starting :
Orient yourself-
Review essential material about the thesis and viva from the College website.
Consider the following factors while writing a thesis:
- Anticipated format and content
- Examine some samples of the thesis
- Check out the latest research
While starting:
- Make a strategy – both in terms of content and timing (Update)
- Supervisor input on thesis content.
- Create a writing plan, including a list of chapters and relevant parts.
- Create a checklist and a timeline for content and administrative concerns (supervisor comments and proofreading).
- Allow enough time in your schedule.
What should be included in a Thesis?
Even though each thesis will be different, they will all follow the same basic framework.
- Title page
- Declarations (originality, copyright, thesis declaration form)
- Table of content
- List of figures and tables
- Acronyms
- Abstract
- Introduction
- Literature review
- Aims and Objectives
- Methods
- 2 to 4 substantial results chapters (include discussion)
- General discussion
- Conclusion- implications and future directions
Thesis Format
Here is a sample PhD thesis format created and outlined to exemplify what should include in each part below.
Acknowledgements
It is an area where you can add or exclude your personal information. The great majority of students include it, thanking and acknowledging their supervisor, university, sponsor/funder, and anybody else who has helped them along the route.
Provide an overview
Describe why you’re doing your research study and what you intend to accomplish by researching this topic. Following that, clarify the structure of your thesis to provide context for the reader.
Review of the Literature
Set the stage for your study by describing the present state of knowledge in your subject, as well as recent advancements and knowledge gaps. The literature review should end with a summary of the research project’s overall goals and objectives.
The Body
This part will make up the majority of your thesis, as it will cover all aspects of your original study. This section will typically comprise four chapters that address the following topics:
- your data collection/research procedures,
- your outcomes,
- a thorough examination of your findings,
- a thorough examination of your results
Depending on your project, each chapter may follow the format outlined above. Or in other cases, each chapter may be devoted solely to one element (e.g. a standalone results chapter). Each of these chapters should ideally be formatted in such a manner that they may be turned into papers and submitted to peer-reviewed publications. As a corollary, once you’ve finished your PhD, you should be able to submit peer-reviewed publications based on the information you’ve already written.
Conclusion
The conclusion will be a summary of your most significant findings, with a particular emphasis on the new contributions you’ve made to your field.
While writing your conclusion, it’s vital to tie it to your initial study goals, objectives, and hypothesis. Check to see whether you’ve answered the question correctly.
Appendix and references
Following your thesis, you must include a bibliography (reference) that includes a detailed list of the books, journals, and data you used. You may also need to provide an appendix with more information to strengthen your research.
Some Important things about Thesis
What Is the Length of a PhD Thesis?
“How lengthy should my thesis be?” is a regular question we get from students. Every institution has its own set of rules in this area; thus, contact your university to learn more about their specific criteria. Most supervisors will recommend a word count of between 70,000 and 100,000 words. Which ordinarily equates to between 250 and 350 pages.
We must emphasize that this is flexible and is critical to focus on the quality of your thesis rather than the length.
What format would be best for your thesis?
Although specific formatting rules differ by university, the following are the most common formatting policies used by most universities:
Element- Font
Format- Any serif font e.g. Times New Roman, Arial or Cambria
Element- Font Size
Format- 12pt
Element- Vertical Line Spacing
Format- 1.5 Lines
Element- Page Size
Format- A4
Element- Page Layout
Format- Portrait
Element- Page Margins
Format- Variable, however, must allow space for binding
Element- Referencing
Format- Variable, however, typically Harvard or Vancouver
What happens when you complete your thesis?
After you’ve finished writing your thesis, you’ll have a viva.
Viva is a questionnaire examination in which you must defend and respond to questions based on your thesis. The goal of the viva is to persuade your evaluators that your work meets the standards for a doctorate. It’s one of the final phases of the PhD process, and it’s also one of the toughest! Please do visit the in-depth PhD Viva Guide for more information on the viva procedure and ideas on how to pass it with confidence.
What should be an ideal writing style for a thesis?
Make your presentation clear, concise, and to the point. Don’t be too wordy.
Consider the audience – “lazy.” Provide all of the following information in a clear and user-friendly manner: Assume that the reviewer is completely ignorant (or a research subject, but not stupid). Provide all of the necessary conceptual groundwork — in basic and easy-to-understand words. There are no abbreviations or acronyms that do not have definitions.
Use diagrams to describe concepts, models, or a conceptual framework – make sure they’re correctly labelled and explained. Make sure numbers and tables are introduced and referred to – or don’t include them. For emphasis, use formatting but not excessively. Don’t be concerned with term repetition if you use essential words.
How to finish your Thesis?
Once the final copy of your draft has been finished and approved by your supervisor, you will submit your PhD thesis for examination. It will be forwarded to the examiners who will conduct your viva at this point. Printing adequate copies for your evaluators and the university’s archive is part of the thesis submission process.
Note- Do not wait until the last minute to print multiple copies of a 300-page document. You should always allow enough time to account for any printing issues or challenges.
Your assessors will offer you a report following your viva that will confirm whether or not you need to rewrite your thesis, with a variety of outcomes:
Permit/Pass:–
You’ve obtained your PhD.
Small adjustments:-
You’ll have three months to complete these minor edits, modifications, and upgrades to your thesis.
Major adjustments:–
Because you have a six-month deadline, you may need to rewrite a chunk of your thesis or do more research to make these significant changes.
How do you go about publishing your thesis?
Unfortunately, you won’t be able to publish your full thesis in a publication. University libraries, on the other hand, can make it available for others to read through their library systems.
You must build your work into one or more peer-reviewed articles if you wish to submit it to a publication. This will primarily entail reformatting, compressing, and customizing it to the requirements of the publication you’re aiming for.
What are some important and frequently asked questions for the viva?
Can you give a 5-minute summary of your thesis?
What are the most important findings you’ve made while researching for the Thesis?
What makes your study unique?
Describe your process and why you chose it–could you have done it any other way?
Is it possible for you to emphasize your thesis’s key contribution?
What is the relationship between your findings and the literature?
What makes your outcomes distinct from theirs?
What are the most intriguing research questions in your field?
What has been published on the topic in the recent six months?
Conclusion
The PhD thesis is the most essential component of a doctorate research degree: it is the conclusion of three or four years of full-time labour aimed at creating a unique contribution to your field of study. With a large word count, the pressure of producing something new and of course, the potential of defending it at a viva after you’ve completed, your PhD dissertation might appear to be a scary proposition.
