Ph.D. thesis writing guidelines PhD Assistance
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Structure your content Revisit your draft Style of references Publication style No Plagiarism Citing sources
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Are you contemplating a PhD..? Ph.D. thesis writing dissertation is a long process and often comes into picture toward the end of your study. Here are some process guidelines for writing a Ph.D. dissertation. Do not be afraid of the activity of spending time and writing your project. Doing a little work every day will go a long way in helping you complete your report. Plan your topic, structure and write daily so that your thesis builds gradually. Remember one of 10 rules of writing? “If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it.”, stated Elmore Leonard. Review your friend’s material and read about other PHD topics. Revise and rewrite your material always.
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Structure your content Structure your thesis carefully with the help of 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 section (e.g., literature review) many times. Use active voice and restructure sentences as required. Work on random sections instead of a chronological order; decide if you want to hire a research proposal writer from PHD Assistance.
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Revisit your draft Write your first draft, leave it and then come back to it with a sharp eye. Look objectively at the writing and read it closely for style and sense. Watch out for dangling modifiers, subject-verb disagreement, and pronoun-antecedent clarity. Request a friend or colleague to read it with a keen eye. Note Hemingway’s tip: “Prose is architecture, not interior decoration.” Hence, coherence is vital.
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Style of references Make sure you know the style guide and follow it. One of the most common mistakes 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 saves you time in the writing-up process. Helpful software includes Mendley, and EndNote. Maintain your bibliography from the first day to save time and make the process easier.
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Publication style Engineering thesis writing experts at PHD Assistance ensure consistency in spelling. Use American or British style of writing. Dictionaries vary in their use of hyphenation; hence, adhere to a good dictionary such as Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. Steer clear of jargons. Orwell said the following: “Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent?”
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No Plagiarism Plagiarism is the unacknowledged use of other writers’ work. If you are quoting from works, cite from them accurately and paraphrase where necessary for your argument. This is where careful note-taking and use of references is essential and will help you to avoid even mistakenly plagiarizing other author’s work. Present your thesis the best way. Work on your opening sentences, paragraphs, and attract your readers. State a clear hypothesis and conclusion. Your readers are priority and hence append material wherever applicable instead of padding your report with irrelevant information.
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Citing sources Quote other sources carefully; ensure you note whether the italic emphasis is in the original and take careful notes when you are collecting quotes for your thesis and transcribe them accurately to save work later and keep original spellings (variation from selected style) to ensure accuracy. What obstacles have you encountered in your Ph.D. until now? What motivational advice did you find useful when you had to face tough times? Tweet us at #PHDAssistance
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