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A written work required for a doctorate.

In this article we have shared the answer for A written work required for a doctorate . Word Craze is the best version of puzzle word games at the moment. This game presents the best combination of word search, crosswords, and IQ games. In each level, you will be given several clues or questions and you need to find the correct answer and clear the simple grid. The questions are from different disciplines that will test your knowledge and give you the chance to learn more.

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A written work required for a doctorate

Please find below the A written work required for a doctorate answers. This question is part of Level 2196 . If you are stuck and are looking for help then this is the right place for you. Word Craze is an exciting crossword puzzle game where the game graphics and the unique crossword puzzle clues make it a great game to play for all ages. This level was last updated on November 29 2021

If you already solved these levels then turn back to the main page Word Craze Answers All Levels .

A written work required for a doctorate

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Word Craze A written work required for a doctorate answers

Below you will find the Word Craze - Crossword Answers. This is a brand new word game developed by Betta Games. Word Craze is without doubt one of the best word games we have played lately. More variety of challenging levels, find answers by looking at pictures, challenge your mind in a whole new way. Travel around the world, every level is a new destination! It will challenge your knowledge and skills in solving crossword puzzles in a new way. As you find new word the letters will start popping up to help you find the the rest of the words. We have grouped each of the answers and the hints so that you can easily find what you are looking for. If you still can’t figure it out please comment below and will try to help you out.

Answers updated 22/01/2024

A written work required for a doctorate

Dissertation

A written work required for a doctorate Word Craze Answer

Few minutes ago, I was playing the Clue : A written work required for a doctorate of the game Word Craze and I was able to find its answer. Now, I can reveal the words that may help all the upcoming players. And about the game answers of Word Craze, they will be up to date during the lifetime of the game.

Answer of Word Craze A written work required for a doctorate:

Dissertation

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Word Craze Level 2196 [ Answers ]

by Game Answer
2021-06-10 2023-02-13

You Will find in this topic the answers of Word Craze Level 2196, You will have in this game to find the words from the hint in order to fulfill the board and find a final word of the level. The game is new and we decided to cover it because it is a unique kind of crossword puzzle games. We have compiled here all the puzzles we found in this level so you just have to read the answers.

Word Craze Level 2196 Answers :

Combined into a single group or thing; grew together : Coalesced
Damaging the reputation of : Tarnishing
Unwanted advancements in the office : Harassments
Blueprint of the ground level, say : Floorplan
Taking something apart to see what it’s made of : Examining
A written work required for a doctorate : Dissertation
Avoiding something by going around it : Bypassing
What Denver is to Colorado, or Boston to Massachusetts : Statecapital
A critical revision of a text : Recension
Observes flying wildlife for fun : Birdwatches
Payment for causing damage : Compensation
Gathering together; amassing : Cumulating
To talk at length : Expatiate
Illumination for someone at the center of public attention : Limelight
Something relating to what is permitted by the law is this : Statutory
Snickers, Kit Kats and Milky Ways, for example : Candybars
Hit songs, fashion trends, and celebrity news are all part of this : Popculture
Gets the ball rolling : Commences
To eat greedily : Polishoff
Sets of beliefs : Doctrines
Mouth with no biters is this : Teethless
Someone extremely distressed or tormented by pain is this : Anguished
To do something that involves risks : Takeachance
Blocks a passage : Obstructs
One looks forward to these at the end of a month at work : Paychecks

After finishing this level, you can continue playing without stress by visiting this topic : Word Craze Level 2197

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Word Craze A written work required for a doctorate ANSWER

Episode 44 – austria – level 2196 – a written work required for a doctorate solution.

written work required for a doctorate word craze

Word Craze is an extremely hard game, sometimes your knowledge it’s not enough and you need external help, or maybe a rest because you already know the answer. But if you want to refresh your memory this is the right article, just check below the solution to complete the crossword .

If you are looking for the ANSWER of the specific clue mentioned above and below have a look inside the field, you will see the correct word. Then transcribe it in your Android or iOS device to complete the level.

Sometimes it’s better to spend a couple of minutes searching for the solution than get completely blocked for a couple of days…

The Word Craze ANSWER for the clue “ A written work required for a doctorate ” for the level 2196 of the episode Austria is:

DISSERTATION ✓

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Supporting documents

Requirements, official transcript.

Statement of purpose / research proposal

Written work

Which supporting documents do I need to supply?

To find out which documents you need to provide in your course application, see the How to Apply section of the relevant course page . This provides information about each required document, such as guidance on length/word count and how it will be assessed.

You are responsible for making sure that all required documents, including references, are submitted in time for your chosen deadline and meet the University’s requirements. If your application is submitted late, and/or it is incomplete, it will not normally be assessed at that deadline.

Check the documents you submit carefully. You will not be able to upload revised versions once your application is ready for assessment.

You must submit your supporting documents by the deadline to which you are applying. Documents should be submitted as part of your application.

Requirements for supporting documents

All of your supporting documents should meet the following requirements:

File format

Files should be in PDF, .jpg or .png format. Word documents (.doc or .docx) are not accepted. If you are unsure how to convert your files to PDF format, see below for instructions.

Files should be smaller than 4MB (for upload to your application form). Documents larger than 4MB cannot be uploaded to your application form. If your document is larger than 4MB, see below for instructions.

File language

Documents you have written yourself, such as a research proposal or written work, must be in English unless indicated otherwise on your course page . An English translation by a third party is not acceptable, unless explicitly permitted by the department. Official transcripts not issued in English should be translated by a professional translator, the relevant issuing body of the original document, or an authorised notary. Please note, if you are uploading a translated transcript, you will also need to upload the original language version of this transcript.

Documents such as a research proposal or written work must be entirely your own work, except where clearly indicated. Your work may be checked using plagiarism detection software (see our guidance on plagiarism ).

Not password protected

When your application is processed, all of the documents you have uploaded will be merged into a single PDF document, so make sure you have removed any encryption or password protection.

Readability

All documents must be legible and easy to identify. Make sure that the documents are as clear and easy to read as possible. Remember to give your name and the type of document (eg 'Research proposal') in each document.

How to upload supporting documents

Documents that are not required

You should not upload documents that are not specifically required for your course, such as degree certificates, or documents relating to training courses or study below degree level. Your supporting documents must meet the specifications set out in the How to Apply section of your course page. If your documents significantly differ from these specifications, such as exceeding the word limit, they may be removed from your application. Your application will then be considered incomplete and is unlikely to be assessed by the academic department.

What should I do if a document has been removed from my application?

If a document has been removed from your application by Graduate Admissions because it does not meet the academic department's requirements, you should consult the How to apply instructions on your course page before uploading a replacement document. Make sure that you are only uploading documents that are required for your course, and that the document you are uploading does not exceed the required word count. Replacement supporting documents can be uploaded via Graduate Applicant Self Service.

Use of Artificial Intelligence tools

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools may be used to research materials in preparing your application, but may not be used to generate documents or form the basis of documents that are then adapted. Our academic assessors will be looking for your own insights and critical evaluation skills, so it is unlikely that using AI tools to create your supporting documents will improve your chances of success. If academic assessors consider that inappropriate use of AI was made in application documents, they may reject your application.

Supporting documents FAQs

Should i post my paper documents to you when i apply.

There is no need to send in hard copies of your application materials when you apply. Any paper documents should be scanned and uploaded to your application. If you have done so, there is no need to send hard copies at the application stage.

If it is not possible for you to scan your paper documents and upload them to your application, you should only post documents to us after you have submitted your application, unless they would otherwise arrive too late for the deadline to which you are applying.

If your application is successful, you may be required to provide the original paper versions of documents you have scanned in. The relevant academic department will be in touch to request these from you later in the process.

How do I convert Word documents to PDF?

You can convert Word (or similar) documents into PDF format by selecting 'Save As' from the Microsoft Word 'File' menu and selecting 'PDF' from the 'Save as type' drop-down menu.

If the software you are using to create your document does not permit you to save the document as a PDF file, you may need to print out a hard copy of the document and then scan this to produce either a .jpg or .png image or a PDF file before uploading this in the relevant document slot.

How do I upload a document larger than 4MB?

For documents that are a mandatory part of your application form, you must upload a placeholder document to the relevant slot on the Supporting Documents tab in order to be able to submit your application form. The placeholder document should be in an accepted format (PDF, .jpg, .png) and include only the following statement: ' My document is over 4MB and will be sent separately .'

I'm unable to upload one of my supporting documents to my application

If you are having trouble uploading a supporting document to your application:

make sure it is one of the required file formats (PDF, .jpg, .png);
make sure it does not exceed the maximum file size (4MB)

If your document exceeds the maximum file size, upload it via the upload portal (see the instructions above).

If you believe that your supporting document meets our requirements, but you are still unable to upload it to your application form, please contact Graduate Admissions for guidance.

What might I need to supply if I receive an offer of a place?

If you are offered a place, you may be asked to send the original(s) of any official documents uploaded to your online application. You should only send these if they are specifically requested, as these documents cannot be returned to you.

Accepted transcript formats

Applicants who are currently studying, applicants with transcripts not in english, current and former oxford students, what if my institution is unable to provide me with a transcript, unclassified degrees.

As part of your application, you must submit a detailed record of all your university-level education up to the present, including courses taken and grades achieved. This includes university-level qualifications which you may perceive as not being relevant to the course you are applying to.

To be considered official, your transcript should come from the institution where you studied. Your institution may need several months to produce your transcript, so you should look into your institution's arrangements as soon as you decide to apply.

To be accepted, any transcript you provide (including screenshots) must clearly display:

your institution; and
a breakdown of grades.

If your transcript contains additional pages with details about how scores are calculated and other relevant information, please include these pages when uploading it.

We don't require hard or electronic versions of transcripts to be sent in by email or post when you apply. Before you submit your application, you can upload transcripts via the ‘Supporting Documents’ section of the online application form . After submitting your application, you can upload transcripts to your application using Graduate Applicant Self Service .

You can upload up to five transcript documents with your application.

Accepted transcript formats for assessment purposes

A scanned version of an official transcript.

This will often have a signature or stamp to certify it. The document(s) provided must be readable, but may show watermarks caused by copying or scanning.

An official e-transcript via a secure third-party electronic system

If you'd like to share an official transcript using an electronic system such as Digitary, register the email address [email protected] and choose the longest possible time for the document to be available. We will then add your transcript to the applications you have submitted, although you must let us know if you make any further applications later.

An electronic copy of an interim or provisional transcript provided by your institution

If you're currently studying and/or you do not have access to a transcript of your final results, you should submit an official interim or provisional transcript.

Screenshots

Screenshot images from self-service portals, if you're unable to obtain a transcript document.

In addition, we accept Higher Education Achievement Reports (HEAR).

Where your institution does not issue a grade breakdown for MBBS degrees, a certificate can be accepted.

We do not accept:

Word documents (.doc and .docx)
transcripts you have typed or translated yourself.

A degree certificate will not usually qualify as a transcript as it does not include detailed grade information, although it can be used as evidence of a PhD/DPhil qualification.

If an offer is made

The academic department may require you, as a condition of any offer made, to arrange for a final and/or more formal transcript to be sent to them directly from the institution or accredited e-transcript provider. Alternatively, the hard copy original transcript can be posted to the academic department.

If you have not yet completed your current degree and/or you do not have access to a transcript of your final results, you will need to submit an official interim or provisional transcript with details of your grades achieved to date. We will also accept screenshots from self-service portals provided they include the three elements stated in the above guidance.

If you are providing a Master’s transcript that does not yet contain any grades, you must include your undergraduate transcript to be considered ready for assessment.

If you are offered a place on a course starting in Michaelmas term (October) 2024, you will normally be required to arrange for your institution or accredited e-transcript provider to submit an official transcript with your final results by 31 August (or earlier, depending on the department’s requirements). Alternatively, the hard copy original transcript can be posted to the academic department. If you're applying for a research course and it isn't possible for you to meet this deadline, you should ask your department if you can be considered for a later start term.

If your official transcript is in any language other than English, you must submit:

the original official transcript, and
issued and stamped by the institution that issued your transcript, or
translated by a professional translator and visibly certified – ie signed and stamped – by the professional translator or an authorised notary.

Any non-English transcripts you upload to your application without a translation will be rejected.

If you are a current or former Oxford student, you must still submit a transcript when applying for graduate study, ensuring that this includes:

your institution; and

If you are a current Oxford student you must still provide a transcript/screenshots containing the above elements even if you have not yet received any grades for your course. For example, a breakdown of modules without corresponding grades.

The University's Academic transcripts page provides guidance on how to obtain a final or on-course transcript for your studies at Oxford. You may submit screenshots from Student Self Service as long as it contains the above information.

If your institution is unable to provide you with an official or provisional transcript – for example, due to the length of time since you studied there – you must ask them to provide written confirmation of this. This should include any details about your study that the institution can confirm, such as when you started and finished your degree, your degree title and your final grade. You may upload the written confirmation to your application instead of your transcript, or your institution may send it to us directly.

Applicants whose institution awarded unclassified degrees due to the pandemic may still apply for graduate courses at Oxford. Our assessors will make their decision based on any graded modules in your transcript, the strength of the other elements of the application, and the references. You will have the opportunity to declare any extenuating circumstances on the ‘Qualifications and experience’ tab of the form, and you may wish to ask your referees to comment on the unclassified part of your degree and your expected performance if that part had been graded.

Further information about declaring extenuating circumstances can be found in the Qualifications and experience, languages and funding section of this Application Guide.

Statement of purpose and research proposal

Many courses require you to submit a statement of purpose (sometimes called a 'personal statement') and/or a research proposal.

The How to apply section of your course page will state which of these documents are required, the specifications and the criteria by which they will be assessed.

There is one slot on the ‘Supporting Documents’ tab of the application form for documents of this category. If your course requires both a statement of purpose (or personal statement) and a research proposal, you should submit them within the same document with a clear subheading for each, unless specifically stated otherwise in the How to apply section of the course page.

For courses that require a piece of written work, please note that your research proposal or personal statement does not fulfil this requirement.

If your statement of purpose or research proposal significantly exceeds the permitted length stated on the relevant course page , it will be removed from your application and your application will be considered incomplete and is unlikely to be assessed by the academic department.

If you have questions about the permitted content and length of your statement of purpose (personal statement) or research proposal, contact the relevant academic department using the contact details on the relevant course page .

Your statement of purpose or research proposal must be entirely your own original work. Departments may screen your statement of purpose or research proposal using plagiarism-detection software. For more information, consult our guidance on plagiarism as well as the guidance on the use of Artificial Intelligence tools in the Supporting Documents section of the Application Guide.

Visit our How-to guides for advice on writing a personal statement and writing a research proposal .

Written work is a piece of your writing, usually an essay on an academic subject, that helps the academic department assess your suitability for the course.

Not all courses require written work, and requirements for written work are specific to each course. You should read the instructions in the 'How to apply' section of your course page carefully.

Each piece of written work should be in English, unless stated otherwise on your course page. They should ideally be pieces you have written during previous university-level study, such as an essay, project, or extract from a dissertation, thesis or published paper. They should, as far as possible, relate to your chosen course.

Written work must be entirely your own original work except where clearly indicated. If the work involved other authors, you should include the full list of authors and clearly indicate your own contribution. Supporting quotations from any work authored by others must be properly identified and referenced. Ensure that you check the How to apply section of your course page, as some courses may not permit co-authored written work. Departments may screen your written work using plagiarism-detection software. For more information, consult our guidance on plagiarism as well as the use of Artificial Intelligence tools in the Supporting Documents section of the Application Guide.

Your work can be marked or unmarked, and published or unpublished. Your work can be single- or double-spaced, and you may use any citation style. You should state the word count of your work on the final page wherever possible.

If you have questions about the written work requirements for your chosen course, such as the permitted content and word limit, please contact the academic department. Contact details for each academic department are available via the relevant course page , under ‘Course-related enquiries’.

If you are submitting an extract from a longer piece of work, you should not include the whole document but just a note at the beginning explaining how it fits into the overall piece.

If your written work significantly exceeds the permitted length stated on the relevant course page , it will be removed from your application and your application will be considered incomplete.

Submitting one longer piece of work instead of two shorter pieces

For permitted courses, you may choose to submit one longer piece of work (usually around 4,000-5,000 words) instead of two shorter pieces. You should only follow the instructions below if this is explicitly permitted on the How to apply section of your course page .

Instructions for submitting one long piece of work instead of two short pieces

To submit one longer piece of work in your application instead of two shorter pieces, you should upload this document in the first 'Written work' slot on the 'Supporting Documents' tab of the Application Form. In the second 'Written work' slot, you should upload a PDF document with the following statement:

' I have included one long essay in lieu of two short essays. I have checked the course page to confirm this is permitted for this course. '

If you include this statement but are applying for a course which does not permit one longer piece of written work instead of two shorter pieces, it will be removed from your application.

English language test score report/certificate

Certificate of language proficiency, gre certificate, scholarship supporting statement.

Most courses do not require a CV (résumé), so you should only upload this where this is specified in the How to apply section of the course page.

Where a separate CV is required, it should be one or two pages in length and provide a summary of your recent achievements. It should provide details of your qualifications, any publications and any other experience relevant to your application.

You are encouraged to provide English language test scores when you submit your application, but it is not compulsory.

If you have indicated on the 'Languages' tab of your application form that you intend to submit English language test results, a slot will become available on the 'Supporting Documents' tab for you to do so.

We accept test score documents in any of the following formats:

An official score report/certificate
A PDF version of your score report
A screenshot from the testing agency website, as long as your name, registration number and test scores are clearly visible.

The University checks IELTS and TOEFL results directly with test providers. For these tests, you can also nominate the University of Oxford as a test recipient when you sit your test.

If you provide Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE) or C2 Proficiency (CPE) results, you will be asked to supply your original test certificate if you are offered a place.

English language waiver evidence

If you are applying for an English language test waiver based on having completed a degree-level course taught in English, you will need to provide evidence of this if the institution was not in a majority English speaking country. If this is the case, a slot will become available on the 'Supporting Documents' tab for you to do so.

To find out more about language requirements and submitting test scores, visit the English language proficiency section of this Application Guide.

Some courses require evidence of proficiency in a language other than English, such as a Japanese language proficiency certificate. This should be uploaded to your application as a transcript.

For a small number of courses, applicants are required or encouraged to submit GRE General Test scores. For other courses, they are not required.

If you have indicated on the 'Qualifications' tab of your application form that you are providing GRE scores with your application, you will see the 'GRE certificate' slot for uploading your GRE Test-taker Score Report.

For more information about providing GRE scores as part of your application, visit the Qualifications section of this Application Guide.

The 'Funding' tab of your application form may display one or more Oxford scholarships with an asterisk ( * ), which indicates that you must submit additional documentation in order to apply for them. Please first click on the link provided for each scholarship for more information and to check whether you are eligible. If you have ticked the box for a scholarship that requires additional documentation to be uploaded with your application, such as a supporting statement or questionnaire, you will see a slot for this on the 'Supporting Documents' tab.

For more information, visit our Fees and funding pages and the Funding section of this Application Guide.

A number of courses require applicants to submit a portfolio as part of an application. Some portfolio items, such as musical scores, can be uploaded to your application as written work in document format (PDF or .jpg).

Any music and video files (.mp3 or .mp4) should be submitted to Graduate Admissions via the document portal . It is not currently possible to upload these file types to the application form.

Instructions for how to send us your portfolio and what it should contain are available on course pages .

Application form

After starting an application via the course page , you can save your progress and continue it later:

Continue your application

Qualifications
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English language requirements
Fees, funding and scholarship search
How to guides: Writing a personal statement
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How to guides: Writing a CV

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Writing a Postgraduate or Doctoral Thesis: A Step-by-Step Approach

First Online: 01 October 2023

Cite this chapter

Usha Y. Nayak 4 ,
Praveen Hoogar 5 ,
Srinivas Mutalik 4 &
N. Udupa 6

640 Accesses

1 Citations

A key characteristic looked after by postgraduate or doctoral students is how they communicate and defend their knowledge. Many candidates believe that there is insufficient instruction on constructing strong arguments. The thesis writing procedure must be meticulously followed to achieve outstanding results. It should be well organized, simple to read, and provide detailed explanations of the core research concepts. Each section in a thesis should be carefully written to make sure that it transitions logically from one to the next in a smooth way and is free of any unclear, cluttered, or redundant elements that make it difficult for the reader to understand what is being tried to convey. In this regard, students must acquire the information and skills to successfully create a strong and effective thesis. A step-by-step description of the thesis/dissertation writing process is provided in this chapter.

Dissertation
Postgraduate
SMART objectives

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Hupe M (2019) EndNote X9. J Electron Resour Med Libr 16:117–119. https://doi.org/10.1080/15424065.2019.1691963

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Nayak, U.Y., Hoogar, P., Mutalik, S., Udupa, N. (2023). Writing a Postgraduate or Doctoral Thesis: A Step-by-Step Approach. In: Jagadeesh, G., Balakumar, P., Senatore, F. (eds) The Quintessence of Basic and Clinical Research and Scientific Publishing. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-1284-1_48

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10 tips for writing a PhD thesis

Ingrid curl shares simple rules for keeping your work clear and jargon-free.

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Writing up a PhD can often take place in a frenzy of activity in the last few months of your degree study, after years of hard work. But there are some steps that you can take to increase your chances of success.

Do not be daunted by the task of “writing up”. Work on the text as your PhD takes shape, remember that all writers need editing, and help yourself by using these basic tips to make life easier. Read what great writers say about how to write before you start, and take their advice to heart. There is no dark art to clear, concise work; it is mostly a result of editing, and editing again. Above all, keep Elmore Leonard’s advice in mind: “If it reads like writing…rewrite it.”
Plan the structure of your thesis carefully with your supervisor. Create rough drafts as you go so that you can refine them as you become more focused on the write-up. Much of writing comprises rewriting so be prepared to rework each chapter many times. Even Ernest Hemingway said: “The first draft of everything is shit.”
Academic writing does not have to be dry. Inject some flair into your work. Read advice on writing and remember George Orwell’s words in Why I Write : “Never use the passive where you can use the active”; and Mark Twain’s on adjectives: “When you catch an adjective, kill it.” If you prefer, Stephen King said: “The road to hell is paved with adverbs.”
Do not write up in chronological order. Work on each chapter while it is fresh in your mind or pertinent to what you are doing at that moment, but come back to it all later and work it up into a consistent, coherent piece, restructuring sections where necessary.
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. If you are too involved with the text to be able to take a step back and do this, then ask a friend or colleague to read it with a critical eye. Remember Hemingway’s advice: “Prose is architecture, not interior decoration.” Clarity is key.
Most universities use a preferred style of references. Make sure you know what this is and stick to it. One of the most common errors in academic writing is to cite papers in the text that do not then appear in the bibliography. All references in your thesis need to be cross-checked with the bibliography before submission. Using a database during your research can save a great deal of time in the writing-up process. Helpful software includes EndNote or Paperpile. Managing your bibliography from day one may seem obsessive but it will save you a great deal of time and stress by the end of the PhD process.
Use a house style. Professional publications such as Times Higher Education use a house style guide to ensure consistency in spelling. For example, do not use both -ise spellings and -ize spellings, stick to British spelling and be consistent when referring to organisations or bodies. Because dictionaries vary in their use of hyphenation, use one dictionary and stick to it throughout the writing process. If you consult the New Oxford Dictionary for Writers and Editors , you will note the extraordinary number of words with alternative spellings. It can also be a very useful guide to preferred spellings, use of italicisation and foreign phrases.
Take care when quoting from other sources. Ensure you note whether the italic emphasis is in the original and take careful notes when you are collecting quotes for your thesis. Transcribe them accurately to save work later and keep original spellings (even if they differ from your chosen style) to ensure fidelity to your source.
Think about plagiarism. If you are quoting from works, quote from them accurately and paraphrase where necessary for your argument. This is where careful note-taking and use of references is invaluable and will help you to avoid even inadvertently plagiarising another work.
Remember that your thesis is your chance to present your work in the best possible light. Consider your opening paragraphs, entice your reader with your writing and above all be clear about your hypothesis and your conclusion. Append material where it adds value but not where it merely bulks out your work. Consider your reader at all times. This is your chance to showcase your work.

If you stick to these simple rules, your writing will be clear and jargon-free. Above all, take to heart Orwell’s advice: “Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.”

Ingrid Curl is associate editor of Times Higher Education , and a former PhD student.

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The final few months of a PhD can often be the hardest, so here are a few tips from a doctoral candidate who recently submitted her thesis

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What type of written work is required for my graduate application?

Some courses require one or two samples of your previous work. This will be stated in the 'How to Apply' section of the course page , along with specifications for the document(s). Please ensure that you submit documents that meet these specifications - note that you must not exceed the stated word limit. Written work not meeting the specifications on the course page may be removed, which will mean that your application is unlikely to be assessed. Each piece of written work should be in English, unless you are applying to Modern Languages, where one sample may be submitted in a relevant foreign language. They should ideally be pieces you have written during previous University-level study, such as an essay, project, or extract from a dissertation, thesis or published paper. They should, as far as possible, relate to your chosen course. The samples do not need to have been marked.

Written work must be entirely your own work except where clearly indicated. For co-authored work, you must include the full list of authors and clearly indicate your own contribution, otherwise the work may be removed.

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How Long Is a PhD Thesis?
Doing a PhD

It’s no secret that one of the most challenging aspects of a PhD degree is the volume of work that goes into writing your thesis . So this raises the question, exactly how long is a thesis?

Unfortunately, there’s no one size fits all answer to this question. However, from the analysis of over 100 PhD theses, the average thesis length is between 80,000 and 100,000 words. A further analysis of 1000 PhD thesis shows the average number of pages to be 204 . In reality, the actual word count for each PhD thesis will depend on the specific subject and the university it is being hosted by. This is because universities set their own word length requirements, with most found to be opting for around 100,000.

To find out more about how these word limits differ between universities, how the average word count from STEM thesis differ from non-STEM thesis and a more detailed breakdown from the analysis of over 1000 PhDs, carry on reading the below.

Word Count Differences Between Universities

For any PhD student writing a thesis, they will find that their document will be subject to a word limit set by their university. In nearly all cases, the limit only concerns the maximum number of words and doesn’t place any restrictions on the minimum word limit. The reason for this is that the student will be expected to write their thesis with the aim of clearly explaining their research, and so it is up to the student to determine what he deems appropriate.

Saying this, it is well accepted amongst PhD students and supervisors that the absence of a lower limit doesn’t suggest that a thesis can be ‘light’. Your thesis will focus on several years worth of original research and explore new ideas, theories or concepts. Besides this, your thesis will need to cover a wide range of topics such as your literature review, research methodology, results and conclusion. Therefore, your examiners will expect the length of your thesis to be proportional to convey all this information to a sufficient level.

Selecting a handful of universities at random, they state the following thesis word limits on their website:

University of Edinburgh: 100,000
University of Exeter: 100,000
University of Leister: 80,000
University of Bath: 80,000
University of Warwick: 70,000

The above universities set upper word limits that apply across the board, however, some universities, such as the University of Birmingham and the University of Sheffield, set different word limits for different departments. For example, the University of Sheffield adopts these limits:

Arts & Humanities: 75,000
Medicine, Dentistry & Health: 75,000
Science: 80,000
Social Sciences: 75,000-100,000

Although there’s a range of limit, it’s safe to say that the majority fall within the 80,000 to 100,000 bracket.

Word Count Based on Data from past Theses

A poll of 149 postdocs.

In mid-2019, Dr Eva Lantsoght, a published author, academic blogger and Structural Engineering Professor, conducted a poll which asked postgraduate doctoral students to share the length of their final thesis. 149 PostDoc students responded to the survey, with the majority reporting a length falling within the ‘80,000 – 120,000 words’ bracket as seen below.

DiscoverPhDs_How-long-is-a-PhD-Thesis_Poll

Analysis of 1000 PhD Theses

Over a three-year time period, Dr Ian Brailsford, a then Postgraduate Learning Adviser at the University of Auckland, analysed 1000 doctoral thesis submitted to his university’s library. The PhD theses which formed the basis of his analysis were produced between 2008 to 2017 and showed:

Average number of pages = 204
Median number of pages = 198
Average number of chapters = 7.6

We should note that the above metrics only cover the content falling within the main body of the thesis. This includes the introduction, literature review, methods section, results chapter, discussions and conclusions. All other sections, such as the title page, abstract, table of contents, acknowledgements, bibliography and appendices were omitted from the count.

Although it’s impossible to draw the exact word count from the number of pages alone, by using the universities recommended format of 12pt Times New Roman and 1.5 lines spacing, and assuming 10% of the main body are figures and footnotes, this equates to an average main body of 52,000 words.

STEM vs Non-STEM

As part of Dr Ian Brailsford’s analysis, he also compared the length of STEM doctorate theses to non-STEM theses. He found that STEM theses tended to be shorter. In fact, he found STEM theses to have a medium page length of 159 whilst non-STEM theses had a medium of around 223 pages. This is a 40% increase in average length!

Can You Exceed the Word Count?

Whilst most universities will allow you to go over the word count if you need to, it comes with the caveat that you must have a very strong reason for needing to do so. Besides this, your supervisor will also need to support your request. This is to acknowledge that they have reviewed your situation and agree that exceeding the word limit will be absolutely necessary to avoid detriment unnecessary detriment to your work.

This means that whilst it is possible to submit a thesis over 100,000 words or more, it’s unlikely that your research project will need to.

How Does This Compare to a Masters Dissertation?

The average Masters dissertation length is approximately 20,000 words whilst a thesis is 4 to 5 times this length at approximately 80,000 – 100,000.

The key reason for this difference is because of the level of knowledge they convey. A Master’s dissertation focuses on concluding from existing knowledge whilst a PhD thesis focuses on drawing a conclusion from new knowledge. As a result, the thesis is significantly longer as the new knowledge needs to be well documented so it can be verified, disseminated and used to shape future research.

Finding a PhD has never been this easy – search for a PhD by keyword, location or academic area of interest.

Browse PhDs Now

Join thousands of students.

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The Writing Center • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Word Choice

What this handout is about.

This handout can help you revise your papers for word-level clarity, eliminate wordiness and avoid clichés, find the words that best express your ideas, and choose words that suit an academic audience.

Introduction

Writing is a series of choices. As you work on a paper, you choose your topic, your approach, your sources, and your thesis; when it’s time to write, you have to choose the words you will use to express your ideas and decide how you will arrange those words into sentences and paragraphs. As you revise your draft, you make more choices. You might ask yourself, “Is this really what I mean?” or “Will readers understand this?” or “Does this sound good?” Finding words that capture your meaning and convey that meaning to your readers is challenging. When your instructors write things like “awkward,” “vague,” or “wordy” on your draft, they are letting you know that they want you to work on word choice. This handout will explain some common issues related to word choice and give you strategies for choosing the best words as you revise your drafts.

As you read further into the handout, keep in mind that it can sometimes take more time to “save” words from your original sentence than to write a brand new sentence to convey the same meaning or idea. Don’t be too attached to what you’ve already written; if you are willing to start a sentence fresh, you may be able to choose words with greater clarity.

For tips on making more substantial revisions, take a look at our handouts on reorganizing drafts and revising drafts .

“Awkward,” “vague,” and “unclear” word choice

So: you write a paper that makes perfect sense to you, but it comes back with “awkward” scribbled throughout the margins. Why, you wonder, are instructors so fond of terms like “awkward”? Most instructors use terms like this to draw your attention to sentences they had trouble understanding and to encourage you to rewrite those sentences more clearly.

Difficulties with word choice aren’t the only cause of awkwardness, vagueness, or other problems with clarity. Sometimes a sentence is hard to follow because there is a grammatical problem with it or because of the syntax (the way the words and phrases are put together). Here’s an example: “Having finished with studying, the pizza was quickly eaten.” This sentence isn’t hard to understand because of the words I chose—everybody knows what studying, pizza, and eating are. The problem here is that readers will naturally assume that first bit of the sentence “(Having finished with studying”) goes with the next noun that follows it—which, in this case, is “the pizza”! It doesn’t make a lot of sense to imply that the pizza was studying. What I was actually trying to express was something more like this: “Having finished with studying, the students quickly ate the pizza.” If you have a sentence that has been marked “awkward,” “vague,” or “unclear,” try to think about it from a reader’s point of view—see if you can tell where it changes direction or leaves out important information.

Sometimes, though, problems with clarity are a matter of word choice. See if you recognize any of these issues:

Misused words —the word doesn’t actually mean what the writer thinks it does. Example : Cree Indians were a monotonous culture until French and British settlers arrived. Revision: Cree Indians were a homogenous culture.
Words with unwanted connotations or meanings. Example : I sprayed the ants in their private places. Revision: I sprayed the ants in their hiding places.
Using a pronoun when readers can’t tell whom/what it refers to. Example : My cousin Jake hugged my brother Trey, even though he didn’t like him very much. Revision: My cousin Jake hugged my brother Trey, even though Jake doesn’t like Trey very much.
Jargon or technical terms that make readers work unnecessarily hard. Maybe you need to use some of these words because they are important terms in your field, but don’t throw them in just to “sound smart.” Example : The dialectical interface between neo-Platonists and anti-disestablishment Catholics offers an algorithm for deontological thought. Revision : The dialogue between neo-Platonists and certain Catholic thinkers is a model for deontological thought.
Loaded language. Sometimes we as writers know what we mean by a certain word, but we haven’t ever spelled that out for readers. We rely too heavily on that word, perhaps repeating it often, without clarifying what we are talking about. Example : Society teaches young girls that beauty is their most important quality. In order to prevent eating disorders and other health problems, we must change society. Revision : Contemporary American popular media, like magazines and movies, teach young girls that beauty is their most important quality. In order to prevent eating disorders and other health problems, we must change the images and role models girls are offered.

Sometimes the problem isn’t choosing exactly the right word to express an idea—it’s being “wordy,” or using words that your reader may regard as “extra” or inefficient. Take a look at the following list for some examples. On the left are some phrases that use three, four, or more words where fewer will do; on the right are some shorter substitutes:

Keep an eye out for wordy constructions in your writing and see if you can replace them with more concise words or phrases.

In academic writing, it’s a good idea to limit your use of clichés. Clichés are catchy little phrases so frequently used that they have become trite, corny, or annoying. They are problematic because their overuse has diminished their impact and because they require several words where just one would do.

The main way to avoid clichés is first to recognize them and then to create shorter, fresher equivalents. Ask yourself if there is one word that means the same thing as the cliché. If there isn’t, can you use two or three words to state the idea your own way? Below you will see five common clichés, with some alternatives to their right. As a challenge, see how many alternatives you can create for the final two examples.

Try these yourself:

Writing for an academic audience

When you choose words to express your ideas, you have to think not only about what makes sense and sounds best to you, but what will make sense and sound best to your readers. Thinking about your audience and their expectations will help you make decisions about word choice.

Some writers think that academic audiences expect them to “sound smart” by using big or technical words. But the most important goal of academic writing is not to sound smart—it is to communicate an argument or information clearly and convincingly. It is true that academic writing has a certain style of its own and that you, as a student, are beginning to learn to read and write in that style. You may find yourself using words and grammatical constructions that you didn’t use in your high school writing. The danger is that if you consciously set out to “sound smart” and use words or structures that are very unfamiliar to you, you may produce sentences that your readers can’t understand.

When writing for your professors, think simplicity. Using simple words does not indicate simple thoughts. In an academic argument paper, what makes the thesis and argument sophisticated are the connections presented in simple, clear language.

Keep in mind, though, that simple and clear doesn’t necessarily mean casual. Most instructors will not be pleased if your paper looks like an instant message or an email to a friend. It’s usually best to avoid slang and colloquialisms. Take a look at this example and ask yourself how a professor would probably respond to it if it were the thesis statement of a paper: “Moulin Rouge really bit because the singing sucked and the costume colors were nasty, KWIM?”

Selecting and using key terms

When writing academic papers, it is often helpful to find key terms and use them within your paper as well as in your thesis. This section comments on the crucial difference between repetition and redundancy of terms and works through an example of using key terms in a thesis statement.

Repetition vs. redundancy

These two phenomena are not necessarily the same. Repetition can be a good thing. Sometimes we have to use our key terms several times within a paper, especially in topic sentences. Sometimes there is simply no substitute for the key terms, and selecting a weaker term as a synonym can do more harm than good. Repeating key terms emphasizes important points and signals to the reader that the argument is still being supported. This kind of repetition can give your paper cohesion and is done by conscious choice.

In contrast, if you find yourself frustrated, tiredly repeating the same nouns, verbs, or adjectives, or making the same point over and over, you are probably being redundant. In this case, you are swimming aimlessly around the same points because you have not decided what your argument really is or because you are truly fatigued and clarity escapes you. Refer to the “Strategies” section below for ideas on revising for redundancy.

Building clear thesis statements

Writing clear sentences is important throughout your writing. For the purposes of this handout, let’s focus on the thesis statement—one of the most important sentences in academic argument papers. You can apply these ideas to other sentences in your papers.

A common problem with writing good thesis statements is finding the words that best capture both the important elements and the significance of the essay’s argument. It is not always easy to condense several paragraphs or several pages into concise key terms that, when combined in one sentence, can effectively describe the argument.

However, taking the time to find the right words offers writers a significant edge. Concise and appropriate terms will help both the writer and the reader keep track of what the essay will show and how it will show it. Graders, in particular, like to see clearly stated thesis statements. (For more on thesis statements in general, please refer to our handout .)

Example : You’ve been assigned to write an essay that contrasts the river and shore scenes in Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn. You work on it for several days, producing three versions of your thesis:

Version 1 : There are many important river and shore scenes in Huckleberry Finn.

Version 2 : The contrasting river and shore scenes in Huckleberry Finn suggest a return to nature.

Version 3 : Through its contrasting river and shore scenes, Twain’s Huckleberry Finn suggests that to find the true expression of American democratic ideals, one must leave “civilized” society and go back to nature.

Let’s consider the word choice issues in these statements. In Version 1, the word “important”—like “interesting”—is both overused and vague; it suggests that the author has an opinion but gives very little indication about the framework of that opinion. As a result, your reader knows only that you’re going to talk about river and shore scenes, but not what you’re going to say. Version 2 is an improvement: the words “return to nature” give your reader a better idea where the paper is headed. On the other hand, they still do not know how this return to nature is crucial to your understanding of the novel.

Finally, you come up with Version 3, which is a stronger thesis because it offers a sophisticated argument and the key terms used to make this argument are clear. At least three key terms or concepts are evident: the contrast between river and shore scenes, a return to nature, and American democratic ideals.

By itself, a key term is merely a topic—an element of the argument but not the argument itself. The argument, then, becomes clear to the reader through the way in which you combine key terms.

Strategies for successful word choice

Be careful when using words you are unfamiliar with. Look at how they are used in context and check their dictionary definitions.
Be careful when using the thesaurus. Each word listed as a synonym for the word you’re looking up may have its own unique connotations or shades of meaning. Use a dictionary to be sure the synonym you are considering really fits what you are trying to say.
Under the present conditions of our society, marriage practices generally demonstrate a high degree of homogeneity.
In our culture, people tend to marry others who are like themselves. (Longman, p. 452)
Before you revise for accurate and strong adjectives, make sure you are first using accurate and strong nouns and verbs. For example, if you were revising the sentence “This is a good book that tells about the Revolutionary War,” think about whether “book” and “tells” are as strong as they could be before you worry about “good.” (A stronger sentence might read “The novel describes the experiences of a soldier during the Revolutionary War.” “Novel” tells us what kind of book it is, and “describes” tells us more about how the book communicates information.)
Try the slash/option technique, which is like brainstorming as you write. When you get stuck, write out two or more choices for a questionable word or a confusing sentence, e.g., “questionable/inaccurate/vague/inappropriate.” Pick the word that best indicates your meaning or combine different terms to say what you mean.
Look for repetition. When you find it, decide if it is “good” repetition (using key terms that are crucial and helpful to meaning) or “bad” repetition (redundancy or laziness in reusing words).
Write your thesis in five different ways. Make five different versions of your thesis sentence. Compose five sentences that express your argument. Try to come up with four alternatives to the thesis sentence you’ve already written. Find five possible ways to communicate your argument in one sentence to your reader. (We’ve just used this technique—which of the last five sentences do you prefer?)Whenever we write a sentence we make choices. Some are less obvious than others, so that it can often feel like we’ve written the sentence the only way we know how. By writing out five different versions of your thesis, you can begin to see your range of choices. The final version may be a combination of phrasings and words from all five versions, or the one version that says it best. By literally spelling out some possibilities for yourself, you will be able to make better decisions.
Read your paper out loud and at… a… slow… pace. You can do this alone or with a friend, roommate, TA, etc. When read out loud, your written words should make sense to both you and other listeners. If a sentence seems confusing, rewrite it to make the meaning clear.
Instead of reading the paper itself, put it down and just talk through your argument as concisely as you can. If your listener quickly and easily comprehends your essay’s main point and significance, you should then make sure that your written words are as clear as your oral presentation was. If, on the other hand, your listener keeps asking for clarification, you will need to work on finding the right terms for your essay. If you do this in exchange with a friend or classmate, rest assured that whether you are the talker or the listener, your articulation skills will develop.
Have someone not familiar with the issue read the paper and point out words or sentences they find confusing. Do not brush off this reader’s confusion by assuming they simply doesn’t know enough about the topic. Instead, rewrite the sentences so that your “outsider” reader can follow along at all times.
Check out the Writing Center’s handouts on style , passive voice , and proofreading for more tips.

Questions to ask yourself

Am I sure what each word I use really means? Am I positive, or should I look it up?
Have I found the best word or just settled for the most obvious, or the easiest, one?
Am I trying too hard to impress my reader?
What’s the easiest way to write this sentence? (Sometimes it helps to answer this question by trying it out loud. How would you say it to someone?)
What are the key terms of my argument?
Can I outline out my argument using only these key terms? What others do I need? Which do I not need?
Have I created my own terms, or have I simply borrowed what looked like key ones from the assignment? If I’ve borrowed the terms, can I find better ones in my own vocabulary, the texts, my notes, the dictionary, or the thesaurus to make myself clearer?
Are my key terms too specific? (Do they cover the entire range of my argument?) Can I think of specific examples from my sources that fall under the key term?
Are my key terms too vague? (Do they cover more than the range of my argument?)

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Anson, Chris M., and Robert A. Schwegler. 2010. The Longman Handbook for Writers and Readers , 6th ed. New York: Longman.

Cook, Claire Kehrwald. 1985. Line by Line: How to Improve Your Own Writing . Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Grossman, Ellie. 1997. The Grammatically Correct Handbook: A Lively and Unorthodox Review of Common English for the Linguistically Challenged . New York: Hyperion.

Houghton Mifflin. 1996. The American Heritage Book of English Usage: A Practical and Authoritative Guide to Contemporary English . Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

O’Conner, Patricia. 2010. Woe Is I: The Grammarphobe’s Guide to Better English in Plain English , 3rd ed. New York: Penguin Publishing Group.

Tarshis, Barry. 1998. How to Be Your Own Best Editor: The Toolkit for Everyone Who Writes . New York: Three Rivers Press.

Williams, Joseph, and Joseph Bizup. 2017. Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace , 12th ed. Boston: Pearson.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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Research Guides

Submit and publish your thesis.

The Graduate Thesis: What is it?
Thesis Defences
Deadlines and Fees

Formatting in MS Word

Formatting in LaTeX
Making Thesis Accessible
Thesis Embargo
Review and Release
Your Rights as an Author
Re-using Third Party Materials
Creative Commons Licenses for Theses
Turning Thesis into an Article
Turning Thesis into a Book
Other Venues of Publication

Thesis style template for MS Word is available on the School of Graduate Studies website . You are not required to use the template but using it will make some of the formatting requirements easier to meet.

►► Thesis template for Microsoft Word (.docx)

For formatting instructions and requirements see the Formatting section of the SGS website .

MS Word formatting tips

Section breaks and page numbers.

One of the most common formatting items that causes difficulty is the page numbering, since the front section and the rest of the thesis use different characters and placement. The way to properly format these sections is to add Section Breaks in between the front matter and the Introduction or Chapter One and between each of the following chapters, including the Bibliography and Appendices sections.

Adding Section Breaks and Page Numbers in Word 2016

You will need to insert “Section Break – next page” in between all chapters and between the front matter and the first chapter as well as between the last chapter and the appendices and the references.

Click on the place where the break should be inserted and then go to the Layout tab.
Click on the arrow beside Breaks and choose Section Break Next Page from the list. This allows you to format sections individually of each other.
Go to the first chapter after the front matter, click in the header and footer area and in the Header & Footer tools, ensure that “Different First Page” is selected and then ensure that the “Link to Previous” option is not selected. This way, when you format the front matter with Roman numerals in the bottom centre, it won’t carry the formatting into the next section.
Use the Insert Page Numbers and Format Page numbers to insert the page numbers in the appropriate place with the appropriate formatting.

Using Document Styles

The template has Styles that can be used to format your entire thesis. To use a style, select the text to apply the style to, then choose the appropriate style from the Styles window.

If you don’t want to use the template (for example, if you don’t want to use the numbered headings, you can create your own styles. To do this, format the heading (or other element) the way you want, then click New Style in the style window. Insert a unique name for the style and click OK . You can then use that style for those elements going forward.

Table of Contents (TOC)

To automatically generate a TOC, apply the appropriate Styles to all headings. The template has styles created for this purpose. If you are not using the template, you can create your own heading styles to apply.

Auto-generate the TOC in Word 2016 on both Mac and Windows

Go to the References tab, choose Table of Contents and select Custom Table of Contents . Click OK .

Using your own styles

If you have created your own styles with custom names, go to the References tab, choose Table of Contents and select Custom Table of Contents , then click Options .
Put numbers beside the styles you created that correspond with the level of heading they represent. Click OK , then OK again.

Manual formatting of TOC

To add right-aligned tabs with leaders:

From the Home tab, open the Paragraph settings and click on the Tabs button.
Enter the tab stop position, choose Right Tab and for Leader , choose the … option. Click Set (or the + sign on Mac), then click OK .
Type the TOC entry, press tab, then insert the page number.

Miscellaneous tips

Use page breaks instead of pressing Enter or Return
Use paragraph first-line indent or tab consistently throughout doc (best to use Styles)
Use consistent spacing around headers
Use Shift + Return/Enter to keep headings that run over 2 lines in the same paragraph
Ensure there are no Widow/Orphan headings or paragraphs
When inserting longer quotes, use margins to indent rather than tabbing in and inserting a hard return after each line
Always use tabs rather than spaces. Set tab stops so you aren’t using multiple tabs

Formatting issues and examples

When creating your own table of contents , be sure to format the space between the text and the numbers properly. Do not use multiple tabs or periods to separate them. This will result in a jagged right margin. You want to set a right-aligned tab with leaders in order to have the numbers properly aligned to the right margin. The auto-generate TOC feature does this automatically.

Table of contents incorrect and correct formatting examples. Discussion above.

When starting content on a new page, do not use the return key until you get to the next page. If you add content to that section later on, it will move everything down the page, even on the following page. Instead, use the Insert Page Break feature.

Page break formatting incorrect and correct example. Discussion above.

When formatting indented quotes, do not use tabs to indent the lines , or put a return at the end of each line. The test in the paragraph won’t flow properly if you need to add more text or change the margins. Instead use the margin controls in the Ruler to indent the paragraph on each side.

Indented quotes incorrect and correct formatting examples. Discussion above.

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Last Updated: Sep 15, 2023 3:23 PM
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How To Format A PhD Thesis In Microsoft Word (An Illustrative Guide)

The format of a PhD thesis is as important as the content of the thesis. Different institutions have different formatting guidelines so PhD students should always refer to their handbook.

However, there are some standard requirements of PhD theses which do not change with institutions thus making the theses look similar in many aspects. This article highlights the common formatting standards expected of PhD theses and provides step-by-step instructions on how to format some sections in Microsoft Word.

A PhD thesis or dissertation is divided into three distinct components – front matter, main text and back matter – each of which has its own sub-components, as discussed below:

Front matter

Declaration by the candidate and approval of thesis, table of contents, list of figures, list of tables, list of abbreviations, acknowledgements, inserting figures into main text, inserting tables into main text, back matter, numbering the thesis, related article.

The front matter refers to the preliminary pages that come before the main chapters of the theses. These include:

The title page is the first page of the thesis. It includes: the title of the PhD thesis, the name of the PhD student, the school or department and university in which the study took place, the city and country in which the university is located, and lastly the month and year in which the degree was conferred.

A sample title page is shown below:

Originality is very crucial for PhD-level theses and dissertations. In this section, the PhD candidate declares that his work has not been published elsewhere to the best of his knowledge. The declaration is followed by approval of thesis and includes the names of all those people who reviewed and approved the thesis. These could be the supervisors, the Head of Department/School and/or the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies. The wordings on this page may vary from one institution to another, it is therefore important for the candidates to refer to their handbooks.

The abstract is a short summary of the thesis, normally a paragraph in length. Abstracts can be structured or unstructured. A structured abstract is one that has headings and text below each heading, while an unstructured abstract does not have headings, it is written in paragraph form.

A sample of a structured and unstructured abstract is provided below:

The table of contents provides the outline of the thesis and shows all the headings and sub-headings of the thesis and their page numbers.

To insert a table of contents in Microsoft Word:

Make sure all the headings and sub-headings of the front matter pages, the main text and the back matter pages have been properly specified in the Word document.
Click the references tab, then select table of contents option.
The table of contents has a drop-down arrow which when clicked shows the different style of TOC.
Select the preferred style of TOC and click OK.
The TOC will be inserted automatically.

The list of figures shows the titles of all the figures in the thesis and their page numbers.

To insert the list of figures in Microsoft Word:

Click on the references tab, then click on “insert table of figures” option.

The following dialogue box will open. In the caption label window, select “figure”. It will show different formats for the list of figures. Choose the style you prefer and click OK.

Like the list of figures, the list of tables shows the titles of all the tables in the thesis and their page numbers.

To insert the list of tables in Microsoft Word:

The following dialogue box will open. In the caption label window, select “table”. It will show different formats for the list of tables. Choose the style you prefer and click OK.

The list of figures and the list of tables should be on different pages.

All acronyms and their abbreviations used throughout the thesis should be highlighted in their own separate page titled ‘list of abbreviations.”

In a PhD thesis, it is mandatory to acknowledge all those who helped you in your PhD journey. These include: your supervisors, other faculty who either reviewed your work or gave advice, people who proofread your work, institutions that helped you gain access to your data, your research respondents, fellow colleagues etc.

Some PhD candidates dedicate their thesis to people who are dear to them, for instance, parents, siblings, spouse/partner, children etc. This section is however not mandatory.

Page numbering for front matter

For front matter, Roman numerals should be used excluding the title page which should not be numbered. The page numbers should be placed at the bottom and centre-aligned.

The main text of thesis is the meat of the thesis and starts from chapter all the way to the last chapter of the thesis. The chapters of theses vary from one institution to another but generally have the following structure:

Chapter 1: Introduction

Chapter 2: Literature review

Chapter 3: Research methodology

Chapter 4: Research findings/results

Chapter 5: Discussions

Chapter 6: Conclusions and recommendations

Each chapter should be organised into headings. There are different levels of headings: level 1, level 2, level 3 etc. The use of these different levels depends on a student’s work.

Other formatting requirements for the main text include:

Font: the most recommended font styles are Times New Roman, Arial, Book Antiqua etc. Students should refer to their handbook for guidance on the font required by their institution.

Spacing: the most recommended spacing for theses is 1.5 for the main text except for things like tables.

Referencing style: the recommended referencing style (such as APA, MLA, Havard etc) should be used throughout the text.

Page numbering: for main text, Arabic numerals are used. The page numbers should be placed at the bottom and centre-aligned.

It is advisable to include figures into theses. Figures help to present some information in a more appealing way than plain text. For each figure inserted, make sure to number it and include a caption explaining what the figure is about.

To insert figures’ captions and numbers into Microsoft Word:

Click on the references tab, then click on insert caption.

A dialogue box will open. Under options, choose “figure” as the label.

Type the caption for the figure, choose the numbering format preferred and click OK. The caption and number of the figure will be inserted.

How to insert captions and numbers for figures.

The procedure for tables is the same as for figures.

To insert tables’ captions and numbers into Microsoft Word:

A dialogue box will open. Under options, choose “table” as the label.

Type the caption for the table, choose the numbering format preferred and click OK. The caption and number of the table will be inserted.

How to insert captions and numbers for tables.

The same procedure is used when you have equations, maps and other illustrations.

Important points to remembers:

When inserting captions and numbers for figures and tables, the cursor should be placed at the right position, that is, above the figures and tables.

If the table or figure has been lifted from somewhere else, the source should be acknowledged at the bottom of the table or figure.

The numbering of the figures and tables should be done by chapter. For instance, all figures in chapter 1 should be numbered: figure 1.1, figure 1.2, figure 1.3 etc. while all figures in chapter 2 should be numbered: figure 2.1, figure 2.2, figure 2.3 etc. Same for the tables, equations and all other illustrations.

The back matter has two main content: the references and the appendices.

The references should be done in accordance with the referencing style recommended by the institution.

The appendices section lists all other materials pertaining to the study that were not included in the front matter. Depending on the study, these may include: the research protocol, a letter of introduction for the research, the questionnaire used for the study, the list of respondents etc.

The page numbers for the references and appendices should be Arabic numerals and a continuation of the pages from main text.

The title of the appendices should be done using either Roman numerals (Appendix I, Appendix II, Appendix III etc) or the alphabet letters in caps, that is, Appendix A, Appendix B, Appendix C… etc.

Each appendix should start on its own page.

As discussed earlier, different numbering styles are used for the different sections of the thesis:

The title page should not be numbered.

The other front matter pages should be numbered using Roman numerals.

The main text and back matter pages should be numbered using Arabic numerals.

Many students struggle with doing the numbering correctly.

The best way to do this in Microsoft Word is to use the “section break” function which divides the thesis into different sections. Each section is then numbered separately from the other sections. To do this:

Go to the end of the page where you want to insert the section break. This should be: at the end of the title page, and after the last front matter page (dedication). Because the main text and back matter pages are numbered using the same style, there is no need to create a section break after the main text.

From insert menu, go to break then section break and select the one written (next page).

Word will create different sections for the title page, the other front matter pages and the main text and back matter pages.

Use the insert tab and page number function to insert different formats for the different sections: not to be numbered (title page), numbered using Roman numerals (for front matter pages) and numbered using Arabic numerals (main text and back matter pages).

How to insert different page number formats into a Microsoft Word document.

In conclusion, formatting a PhD thesis requires careful consideration of the requirements given by an institution for the different parts of a thesis. PhD students should always consult their handbooks to ensure that their theses meet the high academic standards required of them. This article discussed some key formatting issues and provided step-by-step instructions on some formatting options.

Comprehensive Guidelines for Writing a PhD Thesis Proposal (+ free checklist for PhD Students)

Grace Njeri-Otieno

Grace Njeri-Otieno is a Kenyan, a wife, a mom, and currently a PhD student, among many other balls she juggles. She holds a Bachelors' and Masters' degrees in Economics and has more than 7 years' experience with an INGO. She was inspired to start this site so as to share the lessons learned throughout her PhD journey with other PhD students. Her vision for this site is "to become a go-to resource center for PhD students in all their spheres of learning."

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