How to Write a Thesis for PhD

04 November 2020

How to Write PhD Thesis

Cover Page
Title Page
Acknowledgments
Abstract
Table of Contents
List of Figures, Graphs & Tables
Chapter 1 Introduction
Chapter 2 Literature Review
Chapter 3 Research Methodology
Chapter 4 Results & Analyses
Chapter 5 Discussion
Chapter 6 Conclusions
Chapter 7 Recommendations & Future Study
References
Bibliography
Appendices
Proofreading, Editing, & Publication

The specialty of a PhD thesis lies in its uniqueness. Compared to all other kinds of research, a PhD thesis is a matter of great importance for the academic field. The target of a PhD thesis is not only to get an academic degree but to make a very valuable contribution to the determined field of research. Universities take great pride in possessing a PhD thesis with innovative discoveries and path-breaking ideas to resolve issues.

It is the high-quality expectations that a PhD thesis holds, that make it a very complex and complicated piece of work. During the submission period, the PhD scholar undergoes enormous questions and queries regarding the thesis. It is the thorough knowledge of the research field that adds validity to the thesis. A well-constructed and appropriately structured thesis attained great credibility.

Background Purpose to Resolve Research Issue

The background purpose of writing a PhD thesis is not only to earn a degree but to motivate a very innovatively researched new idea. This new idea aims to resolve a determined concern that has not been resolved to date. This is the reason for the question of - How to write a PhD thesis. - is not only challenging but also demands extensive background knowledge about the particular selected topic. The researcher needs to offer an original and very scientifically convincing paper to the University to get recognized as a PhD scholar.

The figure below illustrates the background for initiating a PhD thesis. The foremost step in this process is to identify the Research Problem that has not been solved yet. As the research problem was detected the researcher needed to plan for new research in the respective field. This needs voracious reading and skimming of literature in the relevant field.

writing a PhD thesis

The phase for voracious reading will make the reader about the specific domain related to the research field that has not yet been researched by any former researcher. This is called the ‘Gap’. As the gap gets identified the researcher is all set to start with the process of collecting data to bridge the gap. This leads to the ultimate process of writing the PhD thesis.

As the writing process starts the researcher needs to have a clear picture of the structure of the thesis. The following guidelines offer the best tips for writing a PhD thesis through a clear structural distribution.

Structure of a Thesis Writing

The structure of a Thesis must comprise the following section. It is important to note here that the titles enlisted below are subject to get named or structured as per the researcher. However, the chapter-wise distributions will remain the same. The figure noted below offers a basic framework to guide you towards - How to write a thesis for a PhD.

Cover Page

The ‘Cover Page’ of a PhD thesis must declare the Title of the Research. The researcher can choose to have a watermark about the case or the University on this page.

Title Page

The page for the ‘Title Page’ comprises the title of the thesis. It must be accompanied by the following information-

Title of the PhD thesis in ALL CAPS.
Name of the Research Scholar
Name of the Department
Name of the University
Name of the Degree Program
Name of the Supervisor
Date of Submission

Acknowledgments

This page for ‘Acknowledgements’ is very important as on this page the researcher needs to make declarations about all those people who guided and supported him/her in accomplishing the research process. It usually starts with- “I would like to thank …”

Abstract

This page is meant to offer the core idea about the objectives and the process of results. The results and conclusion of the research are also expressed here. However, if the researcher is inclined to offer more detailed declarations about the research, then this abstract should be termed an ‘Executive Summary’. The ‘Executive Summary’ is a detailed description of the research process that has been stated in a very concise manner in the ‘Abstract’.

The page for ‘Table of Contents’ is like a map of the research work with specific page numbers. It declares all the headings and subheadings that are noted in the research work. This page in the soft copy of the PhD thesis offers direct accessibility to the required page.

List of Figures, Graphs & Tables

This page enlists the offered figures, graphs, and tables as added to the research paper. For easy accessibility, it gives the page numbers along with the title of the figures, graphs, and tables.

Chapter 1: Introduction

This is usually noted as the 1str Chapter of the PhD thesis. The most important inclusions in this chapter are –

Research Statement
Research Background
Aims of the Research
Research Question/ Problem
Research Objectives
Research Hypotheses (if any)
Research Relevance
Research Structure

Chapter 2: Literature Review

In the process of how to write a thesis or how to write a PhD thesis, this chapter is very important. It is all about going from unknown to known. In this chapter, the researcher needs to understand the responsibility of evaluating all those aspects that can add information to the research objectives. For this purpose this chapter must include-

Empirical Knowledge
Conceptual Realisations
Theoretical Introspections

To meet the aforementioned targets the researcher must read relevant books, peer-reviewed journal articles, various official data, and information as made available by the University library. Moreover, to search the relevant information on the internet, it is necessary to consider the most reliable sources like- Google Scholar, JSTOR, Emerald, EBSCO, etc. To resolve the issues related to the concerned topic, the research must follow the following approach -

the writing process

Note: Every source must be well acknowledged here to avoid Plagiarism.

Chapter 3: Research Methodology

This chapter gets constructed once the researcher decides the ways to collect primary data. The primary data gets collected to bridge the gap identified in the secondary data. The selection of the right research methodology depends on the type of data the researcher aims to have. Under the best tips for writing a PhD thesis, the research methodology declares the way to analyze the collected data.

Qualitative Approach is for data in the form of words
A quantitative approach is data in the form of statistical variables.
The descriptive Approach measures information in its original form.
The experimental Approach is about experimenting.

Chapter 4: Results & Analyses

This chapter on Results & Analyses must be structured in such a way that the reader feels comfortable absorbing the idea and the derivations, as presented by the researcher. This chapter must follow the points noted below-

Results should be declared by actual observations, statistical derivations
Results must be analyzed in statements, tables & graphs, for better understanding.
The analyses of the results must remain about the secondary data attained through the Literature Review.

Chapter 5: Discussion

This chapter on Discussion remains focused on meeting the research objectives by establishing the relation between the primary and secondary data. The researcher must consider the following best tips for writing a PhD thesis-

Both positive and negative derivations in an unbiased manner.
The discussion should open doors for further investigations.

Chapter 6: Conclusions

This chapter sums up the entire research work. In this chapter, the researcher needs to explain the process of research and the ways he/she attained the relevance of the study.

Chapter 7: Recommendations & Future Study

The chapter on Recommendations & Future Study is very significant as pot paves the way for solutions and future means of developing research in the respective fields. This is a chapter that offers a vision of the research and thus is a very important part of the entire study.

References

In this section, the researcher needs to enlist all those secondary sources that are used in the research. This list must be structured as per the University's recommended and subject-oriented Harvard, APA, MLA, or Chicago styles. An error in this section can lead to disapproval of the work.