A PhD is the ultimate degree. Getting a doctorate is a matter of honour, as it reflects your knowledge, perseverance and hard work. While there is glory to a PhD, the road to it takes work. The long years of research and writing take a lot of determination to overcome all the challenges.
At Siliconchips Services, we’ve copyedited, proofread and typeset over a thousand theses on every topic imaginable. Here are five tips to keep in mind when writing your PhD thesis.
1. Have a solid plan to complete your PhD thesis
It takes years to assemble a PhD thesis, and you can quickly lose track without a proper plan. Although your plan can change over the years, having one helps you focus on the job at hand and prevents procrastination, as you can see the steps to reach your final goal.
2. Make a note of references and sources as you go
While researching for your thesis, you’re likely to read many reference books and journals. It is imperative to ensure that you note the references and sources you found helpful for your thesis. Even if you don’t use them, noting them down saves you a lot of time and effort at the end. The bibliography is an integral part of every PhD thesis, and without providing accurate information on your reference sources (as per the house style), your thesis will not be accepted. If you borrowed an idea from another book, you also need to mention the name of the writer, the book’s name and the date of publication.
3. Have a support group
Thesis writing can be lonely, but you don’t need to isolate yourself. If you’re lucky enough to have a good supervisor or mentor, they will help ensure your thesis is on track. However, creating a support team for yourself is a good idea to bolster motivation and be a shoulder to lean on if your supervisor or mentor is busy. Get in touch with peers and recent graduates who have gone through the process of writing their thesis, guide you through the practical details of writing one, and help you when you get stuck.
4. Be prepared to write and rewrite
Writing a PhD thesis is complex. You’ll probably end up writing and rewriting your thesis many times until it is perfect. Experts suggest writing as you go instead of leaving all the writing to the end of your research. Your write-up does not need to be in the correct order; you can rearrange and bring together all the parts at the end. Remember, rewriting is inevitable for your PhD thesis, so don’t beat yourself up about not getting it right the first or fifth time!
5. Grammar and spelling matter
Your research’s content and results are the focus of any PhD thesis. However, this doesn’t mean you can ignore grammar and spelling errors. Grammatical and spelling mistakes can ruin the flow of the content, making it unreadable. Spending a good amount of time editing and proofreading your content is crucial. Look for subject-verb disagreements, dangling modifiers, passive voice, repetitive phrases or words, etc. When it comes to spelling, you should either follow British English or American English, as per your house style. You can use AI tools like Grammarly, but remember these don’t always pick up everything, so manual proofreads and spell checking is still required.
Get help from experienced editors and proofreaders
If you’ve run out of time or motivation to get your PhD thesis across the grammar and proofreading line, contact us today. Our team of professional and experienced native language editors and proofreaders can ensure that your thesis is error-free.
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Mr. Manoj Mehta
Mr. Manoj Mehta, is a Science Graduate and a Fellow Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), practicing as a Chartered Accountant since 1984. He had the great opportunity to complete his article training with M/s. S.V.Ghatalia & Co. (now part of E&Y, one of the big four Consulting Firms in India).
He has got vast experience of 40 years in the profession. His core strength is in the field of Finance, as a Corporate Advisor to public, private and multinational companies in the field of financial planning, raising debt and equity, structuring, etc. His forte is strategic business and financial planning, compliances, deployment of funds, optimum utilization, budgeting, Preparation and analyzing of qualitative Project feasibility reports, anything and everything related to advising on financial decision making.
He holds trusteeship of a few charitable trust to show his philanthropy side.
He has held leadership roles and has been in the forefront in articulating values and beliefs in a team building approach.
Paul Evans
Dr Paul Evans has a long career in publishing in STM and business sectors since graduating from Oxford University and first working as a computer programmer. He worked for Reed Elsevier in a variety of roles for nearly 25 years (in UK, Netherlands and China) up to, in later years, Senior Vice President at the global headquarters in Amsterdam. He then became Managing Director for SAGE Publishing’s Asia Pacific company at its hub in Singapore for 7 years, doubling its size and performance. Latterly he was for three years Director of Nature Research China with Springer Nature in Shanghai and an adviser to the Chinese government for his industry, and then on return to the UK during Covid he has worked for Maverick Publishing Specialists as a consultant and Charlesworth Publishing Services as Director of Partnerships.
He has also taken a strong interest in education initially as a teacher in Japan, as a lecturer and course leader in Publishing Studies at a Scottish university, and now in working in UK education areas.
Bharath Ramadoss
Head of Production and Operations, has been with Siliconchips since 2015. In his time with us, he has managed a team of dedicated and experienced production team members, both in books, journals development.
A graduate of University of Madras, Bharath has a strong experience in quality, complex workflows in the publishing industry. His skill set includes e-publishing, project and team management, XML and HTML, content development, workflow improvement, and now working closely with technology team and developing various tools and platforms.
He enjoys cricket, and you will find him playing every Saturday.
Becca Mosher
Becca Mosher, US Editorial Project Manager, helped to develop the Siliconchips editorial department in 2015, and her team continues to grow. A graduate of University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and University of Missouri – Columbia, Becca has been in the publishing industry since 2007, where she has specialized in e-book project management, editorial management, and editing in a wide variety of styles at all levels, from proofreading to developmental editing. She is proficient in several languages and adept at client relations.
An avid board gamer, Becca teaches different games at a “Learn to Play” night once a week.
Abhijit Pathre
Abhijit Pathre, our Director of Account Management, manages data, accounts, delivery and operations, and maintains client relationships. He is highly experienced in the technology field and possesses excellent communication and problem-resolution skills; prior to joining Siliconchips Services, he was with Hutchison Global Services, working in 3G, and Goldshield Business Solutions, a UK-based Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) firm.
He leads with a humbleness that compels the team to follow his direction. His firm commitment and his vast fifteen-year experience spanning various industries contribute to his essential role as a member of the Siliconchips Services team in India.
Shahid Chowdhary
Shahid Chowdhary began Siliconchips Services in London in September 2010, with one basic idea: to build an organisation committed to value-based leadership and promoting a culture of trust, transparency, integrity and mutual respect.
Shahid received his graduate degree in Mechanical Engineering from NIT Srinagar and his post-graduate in Marketing and Finance from NMIMS, Mumbai – both leading engineering and business schools in India and he was certified by Baan in Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). He has acquired numerous professional qualifications in innovation, strategy and leadership development throughout his career, including Leadership Management Institute (LMI) in the US and Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) in London. Over the years he has worked with various multinational companies in India, the US and the UK, including engineering, software development and publishing companies.
Shahid is the driving force behind Siliconchips Services; he focuses on new markets, business development, human resources development and planning for the continued growth of the company. He unites his teams across borders, and encourages a cohesive working community to give our clients a professional and pleasant experience with Siliconchips Services.
Over the weekends, Shahid spends time with his two daughters, practicing martial arts, and volunteering at the stables for his love of horses.
"I have been working with Siliconchips for six years now as the editor of a scholarly journal that publishes 140 articles per yer. Our articles demand careful attention to the detail of graphs, tables, typefaces, and symbols. I am very satisfied with the high level of quality that Siliconchips brings to the typographical challenges posed by our articles. Their copy-editing and typesetting services are first-rate. The team is fast, diligent and resilient. All queries are answered within 24h, and accurately incorporated into the final proofs. The team is patient, courteous and precise with even the most demanding tasks. It is a real pleasure to be able to work with such professionals."
PROF. DO. JOHN ROORYCK Editor-in-Chief, Glossa: a journal of general linguistics