Identification of unresolved problem
Formulation of aims and objectives.
TYPE-II: Cumulative Doctoral thesis: A modem but quite useful practice.
A book containing the pearls of a PhD work has standardized divisions and formats, where the number of pages should be weighted in terms of content rather than container. The book includes summary, introduction, materials and methods, results, discussion, conclusions, references and acknowledgements.
Two exercises are mandatory before starting a PhD programme:
Now comes the most crucial and functional part of the doctoral work, the materials/subjects and methods section. This part can be considered as the motor of the PhD work. The reliability, sensitivity and specificity of the motor must be checked before embarking on a long journey. Controlling the controls is the best guide for a precise and authentic work. Usually materials and methods contain components such as a description of the species involved, their number, age, weight and anthropometric parameters, types of surgical procedures and anesthesia if applied, and a detailed description of methodology. Continuous or point measurements should be thoroughly described. However, a dynamic method should always be preferred to static one.
The experimental protocol should be designed after a small pilot study, which is especially advisable in research on human subjects. A detailed and well-thought experimental protocol forms the basis of conditions under which the results would be obtained. Any deviation from the experimental protocol will affect the outcome, and the interpretation of results. It may be noted that great discoveries are usually accidental and without a protocol, based merely on careful observation! However, for the sake of a publication, a protocol has to be designed after the discovery. After having described the different phases of the experimental protocol with the help of a schematic diagram e.g., showing variables, time period and interventions, the selection of a statistical method should be discussed. Negative results should not be disregarded because they represent the boundary conditions of positive results. Sometimes the negative results are the real results.
It is usual practice that most PhD candidates start writing the methodological components first. This is followed by writing the results. The pre-requisites for writing results are that all figures, tables, schematic diagrams of methods and a working model should be ready. They should be designed in such a way that the information content of each figure should, when projected as a frame be visually clear to audience viewing it from a distance of about fifty feet. It is often observed that the presenters themselves have difficulty in deciphering a frame of the Power-Point being projected in a conference.
The results of a doctoral thesis should be treated like a bride. The flow of writing results becomes easier if all figures and tables are well prepared. This promotes the train of thoughts required to analyze the data in a quantitative fashion. The golden rule of writing results of a thesis is to describe what the figure shows. No explanation is required. One should avoid writing anything which is not there in a figure. Before writing one should observe each diagram for some time and make a list of observations in the form of key words. The more one has understood the information content of a figure; the better will be the fluency of writing. The interruption of the flow in writing most often indicates that an author has not understood the results. Discussion with colleagues or reference to the literature is the only remedy, and it functions sometimes like a caesarean procedure.
Statistical methods are good devices to test the degree of authenticity and precision of results if appropriately applied. The application of statistical technique in human studies poses difficulties because of large standard deviations. Outliers must be discussed, if they are excluded for the sake of statistical significance. Large standard deviations can be minimized by increasing the number of observations. If a regression analysis is not weighted, it gives faulty information. The correlation coefficient value can change from 0.7 to 0.4 if the regression analysis is weighted using Fisher’s test. The dissection of effect from artifact should be analysed in such a way that the signal to noise ratio of a parameter should be considered. A competent statistician should always be consulted in order to avoid the danger of distortion of results.
The legend of a figure should be well written. It contains a title, a brief description of variables and interventions, the main effect and a concluding remark conveying the original message. The writing of PhD work is further eased by a well maintained collection of data in the form of log book, original recordings, analyzed references with summaries and compiling the virgin data of the study on master plan sheet to understand the original signals before submitting to the procedures of statistics. The original data belong to the laboratory of an institution where it came into being and should be preserved for 5-7 years in the archive for the sake of brevity.
This is the liveliest part of a thesis. Its main goal is to defend the work by staging a constructive debate with the literature. The golden rule of this written debate should be that a rigid explanation looks backward and a design looks forward. The object is to derive a model out of a jig-saw puzzle of information. It should be designed in such a way that the results of the present study and those of authors from the literature can be better discussed and interpreted. Agreement and disagreement can be better resolved if one considers under what experimental conditions the results were obtained by the various authors. It means that the boundary conditions for each result should be carefully analyzed and compared.
The discussion can be divided into the following parts:
Another way of writing a doctoral work is a cumulative type of thesis. 11 It consists of a few original publications in refereed journals of repute. It is supplemented by a concise summary about the research work. This type of thesis is usually practiced in Sweden, Germany and other countries. It has the advantage of being doubly refereed by the journals and the faculty of health sciences. Additionally, papers are published during a doctoral work. A declaration has to be given to the faculty of science about the sharing of research work in publications, provided there are co-authors. The weightage should be in favour of the PhD candidate, so that the thesis can ethically be better defended before the team of august research faculty.
A critical review of this manuscript by Dr. Roger Sutton, Dr. Khalid Khan, Dr. Bukhtiar Shah and Dr. Satwat Hashmi is gratefully acknowledged.
Dedicated to the memory of Mr. Azim Kidwai for his exemplary academic commitment and devotion to the science journalism in Pakistan.
Nov 21, 2019
Universities and supervisors often assume that PhD students know how to structure their PhD theses. But often this assumption is false, which can cause considerable headache and uncertainty. It can also waste a lot of time and money as you engage in a process of trial and error working out what goes where.
If you go to your university’s library, you’ll find whole shelves of books on how to structure or write your PhD . Many of these are great, and I highly recommend you check them out, but here I want to present to you a thesis structure 101 lesson.
I’ve read those books, proofread hundreds of PhDs and coached dozens of students and want to take what I know and run you through a basic introduction to structuring your PhD thesis .
In what follows, I’ll talk you through the basic outline of a typical thesis. This mirrors and expands upon the PhD Writing Template I’ve created. If you haven’t already downloaded it, you can find it here .
Now, I want to make an important observation: what I present below is an outline of the typical thesis. Yours may differ, whether considerably or just a little. That’s fine. The purpose is to give you an overarching summary so that when you do approach the books and guides that exist, you’ve already got a basic understanding of what goes where and why.
So, in what follows, I’ll walk you through each of the main sections and talk about what the purpose of each is, offer some tips for planning and writing them, and show you how they relate to one another.
At the end, I’ll tell you about an email based course I’ve put together that will teach you how to plan, structure and write your thesis. It goes into a lot more detail than I’ve presented here, so check it out if you’d like to learn more.
Your abstract should be a short summary at the beginning of the thesis that sums up the research, summarises the separate sections of the thesis and outlines the contribution.
Above all, your PhD abstract should answer the question: ‘So what?’ In other words, what is the contribution of your thesis to the field?
One thing that should be obvious is that you can’t write your abstract until the study itself has been written. It’ll typically be the last thing you write (alongside the acknowledgements).
The tricky thing about writing a great PhD abstract is that you haven’t got much space to answer the six questions above. There are a few things to consider though that will help to elevate your writing and make your abstract as efficient as possible:
The introduction serves three purposes:
The reader should be able to understand the whole thesis just by reading the introduction. It should tell them all they need to know about:
Imagine you’re making a new model of mobile phone. You’d need to look at old models to see how other people are designing them (and so you know how yours will differ) and to see how they are made. You’ll need to look for their flaws, and get an idea of where they can be improved.
That’s because you can’t make something new if you don’t know what the old one looks like.
The literature review is the same. You use it to make the case for your research by surveying the work that’s already been done in your discipline (and sometimes beyond). It’s a bit like a family tree. You use it to trace the lineage of your study. Putting it in its place.
A literature review has three objectives:
Use our free PhD Structure Template to quickly visualise every element of your thesis.
The theory framework is the scaffolding upon which your thesis is built. When you’re done writing your theory framework chapter or section, your reader should be able to answer these questions:
That means that a theory framework can take different forms:
It can state the theoretical assumptions underpinning the study.
Broadly speaking, a theory framework can be used to either derive certain testable assumptions or as a way of making sense of your data. In both cases, it structures your data collection by focusing your attention on a small subset of concepts.
You can, therefore, think of it as a toolbox. In your literature review, you outlined the problem that needs ‘fixing’. The theory framework is a toolbox stuffed full of concepts, variables, or hypotheses (your tools) that you’ll then use to address the problem and do the fixing.
You can find an extended guide on creating your theory framework . Check it out if you’re still struggling.
When you discuss theory, you are seeking to provide a background examination of what other researchers think about a phenomenon and how they have conceptualised it. You should discuss the relevance of particular theoretical approaches for your study, and you should take care to consider the dominant theoretical schools in your field. This shows the examiner you have understood the state of the art.
But, you should do so critically, and question the suitability of any theories that exist or that you are creating to your particular study. That means that you should discuss previous applications of theory in order to discuss what implications they have for your own research.
The reason you do this is that your discipline likely has accepted and ’tried and tested’ ways of doing things. In many cases, this is an advantage, because it can serve as inspiration for your choice of concepts, hypotheses or variables, and can influence your choice of methods.
In other cases, it may be that the existing theory is ill-equipped to account for your particular phenomenon. In either case, you need to demonstrate a good understanding of what that theory is discussing, both to demonstrate your skills as a researcher and scholar, but also to justify your own theoretical and methodological position.
The job of a methods chapter is:
Your reader should be able to answer the following questions when they’re done reading it:
Our top-rated PhD proofreaders check your writing, formatting, references and readability. The goal? To make sure your research is written and presented in the most compelling manner possible.
That way, you’ll have complete peace of mind prior to submission and save yourself months of costly revisions.
The discussion chapter is the place in which you discuss your empirics. Many people find it the hardest chapter, primarily because it’s the stage at which you start to flex your academic muscles and speak like a doctor. It is here that you start to push the boundaries of knowledge.
That’s a hard thing to do, largely because you’ve probably never had to do it before. All through your masters and undergraduate work you’ve learnt what other people have found. Now you’re finding out things that no-one else knows.
The difference between a discussion and an empirical chapter is subtle, but I’ve written a detailed guide that will clear up any confusion you’ve got.
The job of the conclusion is to:
It is not the place to introduce new ideas and concepts, or to present new findings.
Your job is to reflect back on your original aims and intentions and discuss them in terms of your findings and new expertise.
Three things to do in a conclusion:
There’s clearly a lot more that can be said about how to structure each of these sections. Go to your university library and you’ll find dozens of books on how to write a PhD. Google it and you’ll find thousands of posts. It’s hard to know where to start.
That’s why I’ve put together an email based course on How To Write Your Thesis . Over twelve emails you’ll get detailed chapter guides that expand on the above, a ton of templates, checklist and worksheets, and lots of curated videos and external resources to really cement your learning. By the end, you’ll understand what goes where and why and would have saved yourself a bunch of time and energy sifting through all those books and posts.
That way, you can write more, worry less and graduate sooner.
To sign up, click here .
Sounds good, doesn’t it? Be able to call yourself Doctor sooner with our five-star rated How to Write A PhD email-course. Learn everything your supervisor should have taught you about planning and completing a PhD.
Now half price. Join hundreds of other students and become a better thesis writer, or your money back.
26 comments.
This is seriously and absolutely helpful but some terminologies used may not be understood by most beginners in research methodology. Beginners would better understand the use of chapter1, etc. Thank you.
Thanks for the useful feedback. Enjoy the rest of your day.
Wonderful…. It is really practical to have such tips… Many thanks….
You’re welcome!
Well done Max, very informative post.
Great. Thanks for the kind words.
Cheers Max! Sent it on to many friends starting the journey
Great. Thanks Dean!
Hi Dr Lumpriere,
Thanks for creating this website, it is really helpful to situate oneself – I am really new to this. In your experience, how many hours does one (roughly. – of course depending on the scope of the project) have to dedicate to a PhD weekly on average?
Thanks again, Maureen
Hi Maureen – it really depends on so many factors, including how much familiarity you already have with research and how quickly you want to finish. It’s hard to say! I devoted around 3/4 of full time to mine per week – so roughly 30 hours. But then I had never conducted research before, didn’t have any caregiving responsibilities, and wanted to complete quickly.
Thanks a lot for dedicating your time and effort to helping those who are still struggling with writing up their PhD!
Best, Felix
You’re welcome Felix.
Good job. Thanks for the information here.
You’re welcome! Glad you found it useful.
This is great, I am impressed by the guideline. I shall consult these steps as I work on my Thesis for my PhD.
Thanks for this information keep it up.
Very interesting and useful job!
Well done Dr Max. Quite helpful, thanks
I am really grateful for this tip. God bless the writer in Jesus’ name
Thank you for this guide.
Thank you very much for the information. It’s very useful.
This article is insanely helpful. Especially the questions that should be answered in each part. Even though I was aware of most of it, seeing it all put together so neatly helps a lot. Thank you!
Wow. Such great praise. Thanks!
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1. did you add page numbers, 2. did you test animation and videos, 3. did you check if the font sizes are too small, especially in tables and figures, content checklist, 1. did you emphasize the importance of the work, 2. was your contribution clearly identified , 3. did you include your funding sources in your acknowledgment .
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Posted by Rene Tetzner | Nov 9, 2021 | PhD Success | 0 |
Although the way in which you format the many elements of your thesis might not seem as important as the intellectual content (the research, results and argument) that goes into the thesis or the accuracy and clarity of the language in which you express that content, formatting nonetheless matters a great deal. Your university or department may present you with specific guidelines that include instructions for formatting a variety of elements in your thesis; if so, these guidelines must be followed with precision to meet the requirements of your doctoral degree. Formatting tends to be a highly visible aspect of scholarly writing, so it will stand out for your readers, especially if it is ineffective and inconsistent, in which case the result will be both sloppy and confusing. Effective and consistent methods of formatting, on the other hand, can significantly increase the clarity of what you are attempting to communicate in your thesis. In addition, a thesis that is carefully formatted in a thoughtful and orderly fashion often indicates (and still more often is understood as indicating) carefully ordered patterns of thought. The assumption that there is a correlation between the quality of scholarship in a thesis and the quality of its presentation is not always correct – sound scholarship can be hidden in poorly prepared theses and beautifully presented work can contain poor scholarship – but there is nonetheless truth in the idea that a candidate who can accurately and consistently follow instructions and format his or her thesis according to guidelines and good sense is also an academic or scientist who reads and refers to sources and reports methods and results in accurate and meaningful ways. Exactitude and precision are, after all, not just requirements of effective formatting, but also elements of quality scholarship, so they should be applied to the formatting and presentation of all doctoral theses whether there are guidelines to follow or not. In the following sections, I describe sound scholarly approaches for formatting and presenting various elements of a thesis, but they should be used in conjunction with any guidelines provided by your university and/or department, which should always take precedence.
6.1 Titles, Headings and Subheadings: Not Just Fancy Words
Titles, headings and subheadings are among the most immediately visible aspects of a thesis or indeed any piece of academic or scientific writing, so they are certainly what one may call fancy words. However, these fancy words should also outline the overall structure and content of a thesis and indicate the specific contents of any given chapter, section or subsection, so it is essential that they achieve these goals both effectively and accurately. Since I have already discussed the main title of the thesis in Sections 3.5.1 and 4.2, I focus here on the headings and subheadings within a thesis, but the principles I outline for lower-level headings can apply also to the main title, which often uses a slightly larger font than other headings in a thesis do and perhaps a different pattern of capitalisation as well (block capitals, for instance, when other headings use capitals only on the initial letters of words). The advice I offer here should not replace any guidelines or templates for headings and structure provided by your university, department or thesis committee, but it can certainly be used along with or in the absence of such guidance to ensure a clear, attractive and orderly layout for your thesis. The discussion of capitalisation and special fonts in Section 6.2 may also prove helpful.
University or department guidelines for doctoral theses often indicate standard topics and therefore standard headings for the chapters of a thesis, at least in general terms. Such guidelines will usually require chapter titles that begin with or include words such as ‘Introduction,’ ‘Background,’ ‘Literature Review,’ ‘Methodology,’ ‘Results,’ ‘Discussion’ and ‘Conclusions.’ This standard pattern is assumed in the list of basic thesis components in Chapter 1 of this book and also in the advice offered on drafting the chapters of a proposal and thesis in Chapters 3 and 4; in the absence of guidelines specifying the order and content of individual chapters for your thesis, chapter headings that focus on these basic concepts are usually appropriate. Whether you are following guidelines or not in using such headings for your chapters, however, there is almost always room for additional information that points more specifically to the precise content of your thesis. A colon and subtitle can, for instance, be added to any one of these words to individualise the heading for a chapter: an introductory chapter might be called ‘Background: Previous Trials and Literature’ or a chapter on methods might be entitled ‘Methodology: Participants and Questionnaires.’ Such subtitles can then become elements of section headings within the chapters and these headings can also contain further information that specifies the exact content of each section: ‘Participants Who Received Chemotherapy,’ for instance, and ‘Participants Who Did Not Receive Chemotherapy.’
The chapters of a thesis are always numbered (usually with Arabic numerals), but the sections and subsections within chapters need not be unless your university or department requires numbered sections. Numbering the sections and subsections within thesis chapters can be very effective for some material and topics, however, and extremely useful if you happen to use a large number of cross references in your thesis. When sections and subsections are numbered, generally using Arabic numerals because Roman numerals can quickly become unwieldy if there are many sections, the numbering itself distinguishes the different levels of headings and sections. For instance, each main section in a chapter should bear a first-level heading using two numbers (indicating the chapter and section number, as in ‘1.3’ for the third section of the first chapter and ‘2.4’ for the fourth section of the second chapter); each subsection within a main section should bear a second-level heading using three numbers (with the third number indicating the subsection number, as in ‘1.3.1’ for the first subsection within the third section in the first chapter); each secondary subsection within a subsection should bear a third-level heading using four numbers (with the fourth number indicating the secondary subsection number, as in ‘2.4.3.3’ for the third secondary subsection within the third subsection in the fourth section of the second chapter); and each tertiary subsection within a secondary subsection should bear a fourth-level heading using five numbers (with the fifth number indicating the tertiary subsection number, as in ‘1.3.4.3.1’ for the first tertiary subsection within the third secondary subsection in the fourth subsection of the third section of the first chapter).
The pattern of numbering required might be clarified by examining the table of contents for this book or the example below, which outlines the structure of a hypothetical chapter on Romantic English literature:
Expect the Unexpected: The Results of Rereading Romantic Literature
3.1 The Literature
3.1.1 Poetry
3.1.2 Prose
3.1.2.1 Novels and Short Stories
3.1.2.2 Other Prose Genres
3.2 The Literary History
3.2.1 Publication: Who, What, When and How Often?
3.2.1.1 The Most Respected Authors and Texts
3.2.1.2 The Most Popular Authors and Texts
3.2.1.3 Comparing the Publication of Men and Women
3.2.2 Reception and Influence: Who Was Reading Whom?
3.2.2.1 The Most Quoted and Copied Authors and Texts
3.2.2.2 The Most Criticised Authors and Texts
3.2.2.2.1 An Example from Nature: Smith and Darwin
3.2.2.3 Comparing the Reception of Men and Women
All headings in a numbered system generally appear in the same position on the page: flush to the left margin in most cases, which will be adjusted to a slight indentation if you use Word’s automatic numbering system (see the PRS Tip below), but centred headings, though less common in numbered than in unnumbered systems, would work as an alternative. In the example headings I provide above, I have indented each level slightly more than the one above it, but only to highlight the different levels for readers.
A numbered system of headings works well for any number of levels (down to numbered paragraphs if required, though they may not be included in the table of contents as other sections are: see Sections 3.5.2, 4.1 and 5.5.1, as well as Section 6.1), but keep in mind that heading levels bearing numbers consisting of more than five digits are unusual and are also discouraged in some style guides. Numbered headings can use different patterns of capitalisation as well as different sizes and styles of font to indicate different heading levels, but they do not need to do so because each heading already bears a unique number and the numbering system alone does all the work of differentiating levels. For this reason, the capitalisation and size and style of font used for the numbered headings in thesis chapters tend to remain consistent across levels (do be sure to check university or department guidelines for advice on the use of these elements, however). The numerical distinction of levels allows an author to use the same or very similar headings for different sections in a thesis: the rather general headings ‘Poetry’ and ‘Prose’ in my example above, for instance, could be used again in a different chapter to return to the same texts from a different angle if necessary, because the headings would use different numbers in that context and therefore be unique in each case.
PRS Tip: Authors will often make use of Word’s automatic numbering function when constructing numbered headings simply because Word imposes this system if something like ‘3.’ or ‘3.1’ followed by a space and a heading or title is typed on a new line. If you are using this automatic function in your thesis, you should pay special attention to the numbering to ensure that no errors have been introduced by the program. In many cases, especially for chapters with a simple structure (five sections, for instance, without subsections), the automatic numbering will prove successful and not introduce any problems. However, Word’s automatic numbering can miss sections if material is typed in differently, resulting in all subsequent sections being misnumbered. This can create considerable disorder if the chapter has several sections and subsections of various levels, and the problem will be magnified if you include cross references to misnumbered sections and subsections. Numbering all sections and subsections in your thesis manually can therefore be a wise practice. To do this, type a space against the left margin on the relevant line, type the heading immediately after the space and then return to the beginning of the line to add the correct number before the space. Since it is when you add a space or hit the return key after typing a number that Word’s automatic numbering kicks in, it will not apply if you enter the information in this way, and the same practice can be used to avoid automatic numbering in numbered lists (on which, see Section 5.5.2). If you have used automatic numbering for sections and subsections and something has gone awry, simply delete the incorrect numbering (and the automatic indentation Word adds with the number) for each affected heading, add the space before the heading and then return to the beginning of the line to add the correct number; in some instances, you may have to retype the heading as a whole, but this is rare.
You may, however, not wish to use numbered sections in your chapters, or your university or department may request that heading levels in theses be differentiated in ways other than through the use of numbers. In an unnumbered system of headings, the position, capitalisation and font style (sometimes the font size as well) of the headings distinguish one level from another, so such a system should only be used if the guidelines you are following allow such variations in the headings of your thesis. APA style, which is used extensively in the social sciences and other fields of study, provides a clear example of this method (see the Publication Manual of the APA , 2010, pp.62–63). To conform to APA requirements, first-level headings are centred on the page and set in bold font with the initial letter of the first and all other main words capitalised:
The Literary History
Second-level headings in this system use the same bold font and capitalisation, but appear flush against the left margin:
Reception and Influence: Who Was Reading Whom?
Third-level APA headings are paragraph headings. They appear at the beginning of paragraphs (which are indented in APA style), and they, too, use bold font (on the full stop that appears at the end of each heading as well), but only the initial letter of the first word and any proper nouns is uppercase:
The most criticised authors and texts. Fourth-level headings are also paragraph headings in APA style and use only an initial capital, but the font for the heading and the following stop should be both bold and italic:
An example from nature: Smith and Darwin. Fifth-level APA headings appear at the beginning of paragraphs as well, with the same pattern of capitalisation as the third- and fourth-level headings, but the font should be italic (without bold) for both words and the final stop:
The nature poetry of Charlotte Smith. This system of headings is as effective as a numbered system for differentiating section levels, but at this point the author is forced to alternate between bold italics and italics, so the potential for further levels of heading is somewhat limited.
The APA system is suitable for most theses, however, which generally do not use more than five heading levels within a single chapter (department guidelines will sometimes indicate exactly how many levels should be used, so do be careful not to exceed the limit), and it can, of course, be adjusted to work more effectively for additional levels, or you can devise your own similar system for differentiating headings. Using different font sizes could, for instance, enable you to add further levels, and so could using different font colours and different spacing patterns around headings, but remember that all elements used to distinguish headings (capitalisation, position, spacing and font style, size and colour) should always enhance rather than hinder or confuse a system of headings and thus the overall structure of a thesis. Keep in mind that an ineffective system of sections and headings can force the reader to conjecture about the structure of a chapter (and a thesis) and can even promote misinterpretation of your writing and argument, especially if the material is complex, as the information reported in theses often is. Therefore, whatever methods you choose to use to structure and divide your thesis chapters, be sure that they create uniformity within a single heading level and clear distinction between different levels, and once you have established the formats for your system, be consistent and stick to them precisely.
Several other important details also require careful attention when designing titles, headings and subheadings. Generally speaking, for instance, abbreviations should be avoided in titles and headings (with the exception of those used more frequently and better known than their full versions, such as ‘CD,’ ‘IQ’ and ‘AIDS’). Abbreviations should therefore be introduced and defined in the main text rather than in headings, and the full versions of terms should be used in headings whether they have already been defined in the thesis (or chapter) or are about to be defined in one of the sentences appearing beneath the relevant heading (for more information on abbreviations, see Section 6.3). The phrasing of titles and headings should be not only correct, concise and informative, but also (and especially in the case of the main title of your thesis) engaging and not overly burdened with technical information or language, while also observing any word limits on titles and headings set by your university or department guidelines. Punctuation should be as consistent as possible within each level of heading and, as appropriate, throughout the headings in a chapter or thesis, and although headings generally do not feature closing punctuation unless they are paragraph headings (which can use a full stop or a colon), a question mark or exclamation mark can usually be added at the end of any heading if required (e.g., ‘Publication: Who, What, When and How Often?’). Full stops are used to separate the individual numerals in numbered headings (as in ‘3.2.1.3 Comparing the Publication of Men and Women’), but a full stop normally does not appear after the final number: if you wish, an extra space can be added after the full number to separate it from the rest of the heading.
It is, of course, essential that the heading for each section and subsection of a thesis accurately reflects the material that appears beneath it, so the wording of headings should always be given careful thought in relation to the sections they label. Finally, it is also essential that all sections and subsections as well as all chapters in a thesis are accurately listed in the table of contents (see Sections 1.1.5, 3.5.2 and 4.1). If you used a system of headings within your chapters that distinguishes different section levels by numbers alone, both the numbers and the other content of all headings, including punctuation and usually capitalisation, should appear in the table of contents exactly as they do in the thesis chapters. Retaining in the table of contents the capitalisation used in each heading in the thesis itself is especially important if capitalisation is used as one of the ways in which heading levels are differentiated, but if you used other methods of distinction for your headings (font sizes, styles and colours, for instance) either instead of or along with numbering and capitalisation, you may or may not want to retain those elements of distinction in your table of contents. In the table of contents for this book, for instance, I use a larger font only for the titles of the three main parts of the book, although in the book itself I use a larger font for chapter titles as well; I also do not retain the bold font used for first-level headings in the book itself, but I have added some indentation before section and subsection headings to distinguish them. Stylistic details of this kind should be determined by the need to represent the structure of the thesis accurately in the table of contents while also achieving an attractive appearance for the table of contents itself, which can begin to look disorganised or cluttered if too many different font sizes, styles and colours are used (for formatting automatic tables of contents, see also Section 6.1.1). However you choose to lay out your thesis and table of contents, however, the content (including numbers, punctuation and usually capitalisation) and order of your titles and headings should in all cases be exactly the same in both the body of the thesis and its table of contents.
To Graduate Successfully
This article is part of a book called "PhD Success" which focuses on the writing process of a phd thesis, with its aim being to provide sound practices and principles for reporting and formatting in text the methods, results and discussion of even the most innovative and unique research in ways that are clear, correct, professional and persuasive.
The assumption of the book is that the doctoral candidate reading it is both eager to write and more than capable of doing so, but nonetheless requires information and guidance on exactly what he or she should be writing and how best to approach the task. The basic components of a doctoral thesis are outlined and described, as are the elements of complete and accurate scholarly references, and detailed descriptions of writing practices are clarified through the use of numerous examples.
The basic components of a doctoral thesis are outlined and described, as are the elements of complete and accurate scholarly references, and detailed descriptions of writing practices are clarified through the use of numerous examples. PhD Success provides guidance for students familiar with English and the procedures of English universities, but it also acknowledges that many theses in the English language are now written by candidates whose first language is not English, so it carefully explains the scholarly styles, conventions and standards expected of a successful doctoral thesis in the English language.
Individual chapters of this book address reflective and critical writing early in the thesis process; working successfully with thesis supervisors and benefiting from commentary and criticism; drafting and revising effective thesis chapters and developing an academic or scientific argument; writing and formatting a thesis in clear and correct scholarly English; citing, quoting and documenting sources thoroughly and accurately; and preparing for and excelling in thesis meetings and examinations.
Completing a doctoral thesis successfully requires long and penetrating thought, intellectual rigour and creativity, original research and sound methods (whether established or innovative), precision in recording detail and a wide-ranging thoroughness, as much perseverance and mental toughness as insight and brilliance, and, no matter how many helpful writing guides are consulted, a great deal of hard work over a significant period of time. Writing a thesis can be an enjoyable as well as a challenging experience, however, and even if it is not always so, the personal and professional rewards of achieving such an enormous goal are considerable, as all doctoral candidates no doubt realise, and will last a great deal longer than any problems that may be encountered during the process.
If you are interested in proofreading your PhD thesis or dissertation, please explore our expert dissertation proofreading services.
Rene Tetzner's blog posts dedicated to academic writing. Although the focus is on How To Write a Doctoral Thesis, many other important aspects of research-based writing, editing and publishing are addressed in helpful detail.
October 1, 2021
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October 4, 2021
Phd dissertation and master's thesis submission guidelines.
The Princeton University Archives at the Mudd Manuscript Library is the repository for Ph.D. dissertations and Master’s theses. The Princeton University Archives partners with ProQuest to publish and distribute Princeton University dissertations beyond the campus community.
Below you will find instructions on the submission process and the formatting requirements for your Ph.D. dissertation or Master's thesis. If you have questions about this process, please use our Ask Us form or visit the Mudd Manuscript Library during our open hours.
The first step is for the student to prepare their dissertation according to the Dissertation Formatting Requirements . Near the time of the final public oral examination (FPO) (shortly before or immediately after) the student must complete the online submission of their dissertation via the ProQuest UMI ETD Administrator website . Students are required to upload a PDF of their dissertation, choose publishing options, enter subject categories and keywords, and make payment to ProQuest (if fees apply). This step will take roughly 20-25 minutes.
After the FPO the student should log on to TigerHub and complete the checkout process. When this step is complete, Mudd Library will be notified for processing. This step will occur M-F during business hours. The Mudd Library staff member will review, apply the embargo (when applicable), and approve the dissertation submission in ProQuest. You will receive an email notification of the approval from ProQuest when it has been approved or needs revisions.
The vast majority of students will not be required to submit a bound copy of their dissertation to the library. Only students who have removed content from the PDF to avoid copyright infringement are required to submit a bound copy to the library. This unredacted, bound version of the dissertation must be formatted according to the Dissertation Formatting Requirements , and delivered by hand, mail, or delivery service to the Mudd Manuscript Library by the degree date deadline in order to be placed on the degree list. Address the bound copy to: Attn: Dissertations, Mudd Manuscript Library, 65 Olden Street, Princeton, NJ 08540.
When you submit your dissertation to the ProQuest ETD Administrator site, you will be given two options: Traditional Publishing or Open Access Publishing Plus. ProQuest compares the two options in their Open Access Overview document . Full details will be presented in the ProQuest ETD Administrator site.
No fee is paid to ProQuest; your dissertation will be available in full text to subscribing institutions only through the ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global ; If you have an embargo, your dissertation will be unavailable for viewing or purchase through the subscription database during the embargo period.
$95 fee to ProQuest; your dissertation will be available in full text through the Internet to anyone via the ProQuest Database ; if you have an embargo, your dissertation will be unavailable for viewing through the open access database during the embargo period.
$75 fee to ProQuest; ProQuest offers the optional service of registering your copyright on your behalf. The dissertation author owns the copyright to their dissertation regardless of copyright registration. Registering your copyright makes a public record of your copyright claim and may entitle you to additional compensation should your copyright be infringed upon. For a full discussion of your dissertation and copyright, see ProQuest’s Copyright and Your Dissertation .
If you have questions regarding the ProQuest publishing options, contact their Author and School Relations team at 1-800-521-0600 ext. 77020 or via email at [email protected] .
Each Princeton University dissertation is deposited in Princeton’s Institutional Repository, DataSpace . Dissertations will be freely available on the Internet except during an embargo period. If your dissertation is embargoed, the PDF will be completely restricted during the embargo period. The bound copy, however, will be available for viewing in the Mudd Manuscript Library reading room during the embargo.
According to the Graduate School’s embargo policy , students can request up to a two-year embargo on their dissertation, with the potential for renewal by petition. If approved, the embargo would apply to the dissertation in ProQuest, as well as in Princeton’s digital repository, DataSpace . Students in the sciences and engineering seeking patents or pursuing journal articles may be approved for a shorter embargo period. Students must apply for the embargo during the Advanced Degree Application process . More information can be found on the Graduate School's Ph.D. Publication, Access and Embargoing webpage .
Those who have been approved for the embargo can choose "Traditional Publishing" or "Open Access Plus" publishing when they complete their online submission to ProQuest. Mudd Manuscript Library staff will apply the embargo in the ProQuest ETD system at the time of submission of materials to the Library. In the case of Open Access Plus, the dissertation would become freely available on the ProQuest open access site when the embargo expires. The embargo in ProQuest will also apply to the embargo in Princeton’s digital repository, DataSpace
Those who wish to request a renewal of an existing embargo must email Assistant Dean Geoffrey Hill and provide the reason for the extension. An embargo renewal must be requested in writing at least one month before the original embargo has expired, but may not be requested more than three months prior to the embargo expiration date. Embargoes cannot be reinstituted after having expired. Embargoes are set to expire two years from the date on which the Ph.D. was awarded (degrees are awarded five times per year at Board of Trustee meetings); this date will coincide with the degree date (month and year) on the title page of your dissertation. Please note: You, the student, are responsible for keeping track of the embargo period--notifications will not be sent.
Whether a student pays fees to ProQuest in the ETD Administrator Site depends on the publishing option they choose, and if they opt to register their copyright (if a student selects Traditional Publishing, and does not register their copyright, no charges are incurred). Fees are to be submitted via the UMI ETD Administrator Site. Publishing and copyright registration fees are payable by Visa, MasterCard, or American Express and a small service tax may be added to the total. The options listed below will be fully explained in the ETD Administrator site.
Degrees are granted five times per year at Board of Trustee meetings. Deadlines for materials to be submitted to the Mudd Manuscript Library are set by the Office of the Graduate School . The title page of your dissertation must state the month and year of the board meeting at which you will be granted your degree, for example “April 2023.”
Academic Year 2024-2025
Please note: If a student is granted an extension for submission of their materials after a deadline has passed, the Mudd Manuscript Library must have written confirmation of the extension from the Office of the Graduate School in the form of an email to [email protected] .
One non-circulating , bound copy of each dissertation produced until and including the January 2022 degree list is held in the collection of the University Archives. For dissertations submitted prior to September 2011, a circulating , bound copy of each dissertation may also be available. Information about these dissertations can be found in Princeton University Library's catalog .
ProQuest Dissertation Publishing distributes Princeton University dissertations. Members of the Princeton University community can access most dissertations through the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses subscription database, which is made available through the Princeton University Library. For students that choose "Open Access Plus publishing," their dissertations are available freely on the internet via ProQuest Dissertations and Theses . Dissertations are available for purchase through ProQuest Dissertation Express . Once the dissertation has been accepted by the Mudd Library it will be released to ProQuest following the Board of Trustee meeting on which your degree is conferred. Bound copies ordered from ProQuest will be printed following release. Please note, dissertations under embargo are not available in full text through the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses subscription database or for sale via ProQuest Dissertation Express during the embargo period.
Beginning in the fall of 2011, dissertations will be available through the internet in full-text via Princeton's digital repository, DataSpace . (Embargoed dissertations become available to the world once the embargo expires.)
Dissertations that have bound copies and are not under embargo are available through Interlibrary Loan (ILL) to libraries in the United States and Canada, either through hard copy or PDF. If PDFs are available, they can be sent internationally.
Students who are enrolled in a thesis-based Master’s degree program must upload a PDF of their thesis to Princeton's ETD Administrator site (ProQuest) just prior to completing the final paperwork for the Graduate School. These programs currently include:
The PDF should be formatted according to our Dissertation Formatting Requirements (PDF download). The Mudd Library will review and approve the submission upon notification from the Graduate School that your final paperwork is ready for this step. Bound copies are no longer required or accepted for Master's theses.
Students who are not in a thesis-based Master's degree program do not need to make a submission to the library upon graduation. If you have questions, please complete the form on the Ask Special Collections page.
The Baylor Department of History Ph.D. program has established policies and procedures to guide students through their doctoral journey.
a. Three year minimum on-campus time
Course Work
a. Students entering with a bachelor’s degree will complete 54 hours of course work. For these students, the M.A. thesis will be waived, and the student will be granted an M.A. degree after successfully completing course work and written examinations over their preliminary examinations reading lists.
b. Students entering with a master’s degree will complete 39 hours of course work.*
c. All entering Ph.D. students will be required to take HIS 5369 The Historian's Craft (first semester) and HIS 5370 Advanced Graduate Research and Writing (second semester), during their first year.
d. All students must take at least one American/US, one European, and one Global (i.e. Latin America or non-western) course.
e. All students must take one professional development course, either HIS 5391 History Pedagogy or HIS 5390 Archival Research in History. Students are encouraged to take both seminars if possible.
f. With GPD permission, Ph.D. students may take up to 6 hours in the following departments/schools: Education, English, Museum Studies, Music, Philosophy, Political Science, Religion, Psychology, Social Work (6000-level only), and Sociology.
Students entering the Ph.D. program with an M.A. in history from Baylor may petition to have successfully completed HIS 5369 and HIS 5370 seminars count towards the required hours for the Ph.D. program. If the petition is successful, this reduces the required hours from 39 to 33.
Languages
a. Demonstrated intermediate proficiency in one foreign language by one of the methods listed below.
Preliminary Examination Readings (6 hours)
a. Following completion of course work, students will enroll in 6 hours of HIS 6V85 Preliminary Readings. See below.
Dissertation (12 hours)
a. The capstone of the Ph.D. degree is the dissertation. Students will enroll in a total of 12 hours of HIS 6V99 Dissertation as they write the dissertation.
Proficiency in a foreign language as required for Ph.D. candidacy may be demonstrated by one of the following options.
For other options to fulfill this requirement, see the Graduate Catalog .
Over the course of the program, most history Ph.D. students will work as Graduate Assistants in various capacities within the department in fulfillment of the terms of their stipend. Assistantships will be assigned by the Graduate Program Director each semester, in consultation with advisors and the Undergraduate Program Director.
By the end of spring semester in the second doctoral year if entering with M.A., or the third doctoral year if entering with B.A., students should:
In consultation with the examiner in each field, develop three reading lists of books and major articles for each field of study. The fields and lists should be composed as follows:
a. Major/Teaching field (limit of 125 books/articles): e.g., US History, 1877-Present, Early Modern England, etc.
b. Minor/Outside field (must be on continent other than student’s major, limit of 50 books/articles): e.g., Modern China, Medieval Women, etc.
c. Dissertation field (field within the major field in which the student anticipates his or her dissertation work, limit of 125 books/articles): e.g. US religious history, gender in Latin America, etc.
Following completion of course work, students will enroll in 6 hours of HIS 6V85 Preliminary Readings during the semester(s) they are preparing for comprehensive exams.
There are two portions of the comprehensive exams: written and oral.
Written Exams:
At the conclusion of the exam period, students should email their exam to their examiner, the GPD, and the administrative associate.
Your exam responses will be circulated among your entire committee (not just to each individual examiner). However, written exam grades will be determined solely by your examiner.
If the student fails any area of his/her written examination, he/she must make up that deficiency no sooner than two months after his/her first attempt. The privilege of taking a second examination will be given at the discretion of the committee. The committee may decide (a) that the initial failure is terminal, (b) that the student must take the entire written examination again, or (c) that the student must repeat only those area examinations failed at the first attempt. Under no condition will the student be allowed to take any area examination more than two times. The director is responsible for arranging any makeup parts of the examination.
Oral Exams:
Oral exams should be scheduled within one week of the completion of written exams, and must include all three examiners. Oral exams may constitute questions related to the written portion and may also cover general field knowledge. The goal is to ensure both broad knowledge about research/teaching fields as well as mastery of the historical conversation in these areas. Students will be notified of exam results (both written and oral) at the completion of their Oral exams. Upon notification of the successful completion of the written and oral examinations, GPD submits Results of Preliminary Examination form to the Graduate School.
At any time following the successful completion of comprehensive exams, but no later than the end of the semester following comprehensive exams, the student will present a prospectus of the dissertation to his/her dissertation committee for review.
This is a different committee than the committee formed for comprehensive examinations, although some members of the committee may be the same.
According to the Baylor Graduate School , the composition of the dissertation committee should be, at minimum:
A dissertation committee may include more than four members.
Once the dissertation chair and student have agreed that the prospectus is ready for presentation, the dissertation chair will schedule a meeting of the committee, usually for one hour.
Students are recognized as candidates for a doctoral degree only after they have met the foreign language requirement, passed the comprehensive examinations and the prospectus review, completed all departmental requirements including all coursework (except the dissertation), and received approval by the Graduate School of their formal application for admission to candidacy. An Application for Admission to Candidacy form must be filed with the Graduate School by the Graduate Program Director upon successful completion of the above requirements, and is required before a student may defend the dissertation.
Beginning either during the semester in which the student presents the prospectus or the following semester (at the discretion of the dissertation director and Graduate Program Director), students will gain teaching experience by serving as a Teacher of Record (TOR) in the history department in fulfillment of the terms of their graduate stipend.
The capstone of the Ph.D. degree is the dissertation. Students will enroll in a total of 12 hours of HIS 6v99 as they write the dissertation. The dissertation must make an original scholarly contribution to the student's chosen area of study. The student will be required to make an oral defense of the written dissertation to a dissertation committee composed in accordance with Graduate School regulations.
Before applying to the department for travel funding to a professional meeting, graduate students, if presenting, should apply for funding through the Graduate School :
a. Travel to Professional Meetings to Present Research
b. Two awards of up to $400 each are available each year (June 1-May 31 of the following calendar year). Any one award may not exceed $400. However, students may request less than $400, thereby possibly allowing support for more than two meetings in a year.
Students are required to be enrolled in the semester of travel to be eligible for a travel award.
After applying to the Graduate School, if presenting, students may apply to the history department for supplemental funding by completing the History Graduate Student Travel Request form online.
a. Department of History will generally match up to $400 for one professional meeting per academic year at which the student will be presenting.
b. The Department of History will also generally reimburse the student up to $200 for one professional meeting per academic year at which the student will not be presenting.
c. Additional travel must be approved by the GPD and your advisor, and approval is dependent on departmental budget at the time of the request.
d. There will be an exception for graduate students attending a non-presenting professional meeting if it is required for a graduate class. The department may fund up to $400 if the budget allows.
Before applying to the Graduate School for travel funding in support of doctoral research, graduate students should first secure GPD assurance of matching departmental funds. Then students should apply for funding through the Graduate School :
Travel to Support Doctoral Research
This award is designed to support travel for doctoral research directly related to the completion of a candidate's dissertation. The student's dissertation proposal must be formally approved by the program at the time of application. The Graduate School will match funds with the student's department, up to $400. A doctoral student is eligible for one such award during her/his doctoral studies at Baylor University.
The following policies can be found in the Baylor Graduate School Catalog .
A student who is admitted to Graduate School on probation must maintain a “B” (3.0) overall grade point average for the first nine semester hours of graduate course work. Failure to do so will result in notification of dismissal by the Graduate School. The Graduate School is not required to hear student appeals of this decision. Students will have an option to appeal the dismissal one time. The form to be completed for the appeal will be included in the dismissal letter received. Students are automatically removed from probation upon completion of the first nine semester hours of graduate-level course work if an overall 3.0 grade point average is attained.
Any fully admitted student whose overall GPA falls below a “B” (3.0) average during any semester will be placed on probation for the next nine semester hours of graduate course work. If, after completion of the ninth semester-hour credit, the student’s overall grade point average is still below 3.0, the student will receive notification of dismissal from the Graduate School. Students receiving assistantships must maintain an overall grade point average of 3.0 to avoid being placed on probation. Probationary status prevents the student from Graduate Assistantships and tuition scholarships eligibility.
Individuals who do not attain the required minimum grade point average of 3.0 during the probationary period will be notified in writing by the Graduate School of their dismissal. Students may be placed on probation or be dismissed without being placed on probation for failure to complete program degree requirements.
The student will be precluded from all registration and enrollment privileges at that time. Should the student’s circumstances be so unusual as to warrant special consideration, the dismissal letter will include directions and provisions for engaging in an appeals process. A student can appeal a dismissal one time. Should a student be dismissed a second time, they will be unable to appeal the decision.
In keeping with Baylor University’s commitment to mutual respect and personal integrity, the Graduate School expects that all students will conduct themselves in a manner fitting their professional identity. This includes personal conduct towards faculty, staff, peers, and colleagues both on and off campus. Failure to display professional conduct may result in disciplinary action, including dismissal from the graduate program.
Department of History One Bear Place #97306 Waco, TX 76798
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Linguistics PhD candidate Lauretta Cheng sucessfully defended her dissertation on Tuesday., April 23rd.
Title: "Ideology, Awareness and Sociophonetic Perception in Asian American and Canadian Speech"
Co-Chairs: Andries Coetzee and Jon Brennan
Release Date: | 04/29/2024 |
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Congratulations to Dr Madhulika Kaul, Strategy & Business Policy, who successfully defended her doctoral dissertation at HEC Paris on the 6th of June, 2024.
Specialisation: Strategy & Business Policy
Topic: Essays on Digital Platforms as Private Regulators
Supervisor: Professor Olivier Chatain, HEC Paris
Jury members:
Professor Annabelle GAWER, University of Surrey, Surrey Business School, UK Professor Francisco POLIDORO, The University of Texas at Austin, McCombs School of Business, US Associate Professor Jiao LUO, University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Business, US Professor Aseem KAUL, University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Business, US Associate Professor, Denisa MINDRUTA, HEC Paris, France Professor Olivier CHATAIN, HEC Paris, France
Abstract: My thesis examines the role of digital platforms as private regulators. This thesis evaluates how and why platforms choose which rules to create and enforce and the impact of these choices on platforms and their stakeholders such as individuals, firms, civil society, and regulators. The first essay develops a theoretical framework that explores the different aspects of platforms’ rule-making focusing on the interdependence of social movement organizations on digital content-sharing platforms. The second essay investigates how a platform’s implementation of a public regulation impacts its complementors’ compliance and adaptation by employing a spatial difference-in-difference design in the Paris short-term tourism rental accommodation market. The third essay explores how a platform’s governance choice impacts the professionalization of complementors in the same empirical context. Overall, my thesis makes three contributions to research on platforms. First, I extend the literature on platforms by taking an integrated view of platforms’ market and non-market strategies. Second, by evaluating the role of digital platforms as private regulators, I contribute to the broader literature on how these firms shape the non-market environment of their stakeholders as individuals, firms, social movement organizations, and regulators. Third, I provide evidence for how complementors may strategically adapt and thus limit the influence of platforms’ private regulation.
The PhD thesis investigates the potential consequences of the adoption of modern automation technologies in advanced and developing economies.
Venue: Aula, Minderbroedersberg 4-6, Maastricht online: https://www.youtube.com/@UMphddefense
In recent decades, the enthusiasm to understand the effects of the proliferation of novel automation technologies has heightened amidst rapid advancements in technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotics. Given that, historically, the use of automation has been associated with economic growth, technological unemployment, and structural changes in the labour market resulting in inequality, the present debate reflects both high expectations and deep concerns and will likely persist as these technologies evolve and advance.
Key questions raised include whether modern automation will result in higher productivity growth gains than earlier automation waves and through what channels the expected gains would be realized. Other questions have been more concerned with identifying the group of workers who are at higher or lower risk of displacement through automation. From a global viewpoint, questions have also emerged regarding whether the developing world would be adversely impacted through trade with the advanced world, as the latter adopts automation and returns previously offshored production activities from the former. This thesis focuses on addressing these questions using modern quantitative techniques.
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Spring 2024 awards, honors, and presentations, undergraduate accomplishments, fellowships.
Congratulations to undergraduate student Kayla Kolpin in the Molecular Physiology Lab, who was awarded an Office of Undergraduate Research Summer Fellowship for 2024. Kayla will work with Prof. Erin Talbert on a project investigating the effects of a class of drugs called MEK inhibitors on skeletal muscle cells.
On February 27, 2024, Elizabeth Munoz Cuadra, an undergraduate student majoring in Human Physiology, was awarded the John and Elsie Mae Ferentz Research Fellowship for the Spring 2024 semester. This Fellowship was established by Mr. Kirk Ferentz as a memorial to his parents, John and Elsie Mae Ferentz. Ferentz’s goal is to provide support and encouragement to undergraduate students who conduct research under the guidance of a tenured or tenure-track faculty in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Elizabeth is conducting research on mechanisms leading to age-related muscle atrophy and weakness under the mentorship of Associate Professor Vitor Lira.
Undergraduate student Nathan Stephens, majoring in Human Physiology, was awarded a Summer 2024 ICRU Fellowship to support his research at Dr. Vitor Lira's lab. Nathan will be studying a new pathway modulating atrophy and hypertrophy in skeletal muscle. This research may reveal new targets for therapy aiming at preserving muscle mass and force during immobilization and hospitalizations.
Across the Exercise Science, Health Studies, Health Promotion, Human Physiology, Sport and Recreation Management, and Therapeutic Recreation Programs, 60 undergraduate students have been invited to join Phi Beta Kappa Society for their academic excellence and integrity. Out of the 10% of U.S. colleges and universities that have Phi Beta Kappa chapters, only 10% of their arts and sciences graduates are invited to join. Congratulations to our dedicated students who achieved this honor!
C. Pauline Spencer Scholarship : Lauren McCartney, Alyssa Mizzi, Grace Sindt, and Jayden Salmon
M. Gladys Scott Scholarship : Micah Poellett, Megan Sills, Julianne Van Arnun, and Sarah Hrubecky
Dr. Sofi R. Boutros Fund : Thomas Hart and Kenzie Newton
Benjamin B. and Clae Mae Brom Scholarship : Taylor Wittkop
Margaret Osborn Scholarship : Nicholas Wagner
Miriam Taylor Scholarship Fund : Matthew King
Bess Whittaker Scholarship : Kenzie Newton
Dr. Margaret Fox Scholarship : Elizabeth Dickman
McCloy Memorial Fund : Thomas Hart
The University of Iowa has hundreds of scholarship opportunities available.
Visit uiowa.academicworks.com/opportunities
Awards, honors, and presentations.
Congratulations to Ryan Allen, HHP PhD student in Prof. Vitor Lira’s lab, who was selected for the “Dare to Discover” downtown Iowa City banner campaign by the Office of the Vice President for Research.
Congratulations to Prof. Kara Whitaker’s Postdoc Jacob Gallagher who received a 2-year NIH-NHLBI funded Postdoctoral Diversity Supplement to Dr. Whitaker's ongoing Offspring Study.
Well done to Prof. Jess Gorzelitz’s graduate student Kaitlyn Steffen for a successful presentation on PACS data at UI Spring Undergraduate Research Festival (SURF) in April!
Congratulations to Prof. Kara Whitaker’s Post Doc Jacob Gallagher who won the 3-minute thesis competition at American Heart Association Epidemiology/Lifestyles conference!
PhD. student Kelsey Schwartz also published a paper in Journal of Applied Physiology titled: Angiotensin II type 2 receptor-mediated dilation is greater in the cutaneous microvasculature of premenopausal women compared to men .
PhD student Jackie Dziewior was featured in an article by CLAS for her work as a student researcher. In response to a question about the research environment in CLAS, she responded, “CLAS (and specifically the Department of Health and Human Physiology) has been incredible in shaping the beginning of my scientific career by providing opportunities to grow both professionally and personally. I’ve enjoyed an interdisciplinary education that supports collaboration across various fields of research. This has instilled in me the value of having various approaches to one problem and that the best science happens when we work together.”
C. Pauline Spencer Scholarship : Jenna Springer
Dr. Sofi R. Boutros Fund : Justin Deters
Elizabeth Halsey Scholarship : Kelsey Schwartz
Mary Monroe Bell Scholarship Fund : Grace Maurer
Miriam Taylor Scholarship Fund : Ryan Allen
Homewood Memorial Scholarship Fund : Lisa Van Wiel
Ray-Tai & Ray-Fong Chang Scholarship Fund : Ruda Lee
Louis E. Alley Scholarship Fund : Emma Somers and Wangkuk Sun
McCloy Memorial Fund : Yunjie Luo
IMAGES
COMMENTS
Purpose of the Guide. This Guide was created to help Ph.D. students in engineering fields to design dissertation defense presentations. The Guide provides 1) tips on how to effectively communicate research, and 2) full presentation examples from Ph.D. graduates. The tips on designing effective slides are not restricted to dissertation defense ...
A dissertation is usually written over an extended period and is expected to contribute new knowledge or insights to the field. Unlike a thesis presentation, a dissertation is submitted in written form and is typically evaluated by a committee of faculty members or experts in the field. 2. Choose which ideas to illustrate
A PhD viva or PhD defence is often one of the last steps that PhD students have to pass before receiving a doctorate. The viva or defence usually starts with a short presentation of the PhD candidate on the PhD thesis. Presenting a whole PhD in a short amount of time is very challenging. After all, a PhD is often the result of several years of ...
12 Free presentation templates for a Thesis Defense; Define your signature idea. Your thesis has a focus. A goal. A core concept. And this should be incorporated into your thesis defense presentation's design in every respect. A strong design will help to engage the committee and reinforce your expert understanding of your research area.
Myth #1. "Answer all the questions correctly. Otherwise, your thesis won't get approved.". You are expected to have a focus on your research. That being said, you have to study each part of your thesis, every detail, and even your sources. You have to study and practice how to effectively deliver your presentation.
Get prepared. The trick to giving a great presentation is to be prepared, know your stuff, and practice your talk until it feels completely natural to stand up in front of an audience. Perhaps your first presentation will be in an informal setting with other members of your lab during a weekly or monthly group meeting.
A thesis defense requires a lot of prior research and preparation. And as important as its content is, so is how you present it because a stunning design with clear data and text hierarchy plays an immense role in comprehension. In this article, we'll explore how you make your thesis defense. The organization is the key to success.
PhD Dissertation Defense Slides Design: Example slides. Start; Tips for designing the slides; Presentation checklist; Example slides; Additional Resources; Acknowledgments. Thank all Ph.D.s for sharing their presentations. If you are interested in sharing your slides, please contact Julie Chen ([email protected]).
PhD Dissertation Defense Slides Design: Tips for designing the slides ... For engineering, a plain, white background is generally ideal for dissertation proposals and defenses. Don't pick a template that is too busy and distracting. ... During your presentation, the committee members can use page numbers to reference specific slides for their ...
POSTS Swath and Dive: A pattern for PhD defense presentations by Luis P. Prieto, November 11, 2022 - 10 minutes read - 2037 words In recent times I'm having the fortune of seeing several of my own doctoral students approach the end of the doctoral journey (yes, it does end!). As they submit the dissertation and prepare for their defense, there is one piece of advice I find myself giving ...
Dissertation defenses are daunting, and no wonder; it's not a "dissertation discussion," or a "dissertation dialogue." ... which many students have said was the hardest part of their PhD. I've included this section on the writing process because this is where you'll create all the material you'll present during your defense, so ...
Your PhD defense presentation is a critical step in your academic journey - one that requires a smart and sophisticated format, layout, and story flow. That's why our template includes everything you need to create an effective presentation. Tailoring this defense template to your unique PhD thesis is simple.
Instead, focus on the highlights. Identify a single compelling research question which your work addressed, and craft a succinct but complete narrative around it. Craft a compelling research narrative. After identifying the focused research question, walk your audience through your research as if it were a story.
1. Plan your presentation. PhD is all about planning- I mean, proper planning. So, you also have to plan for your presentation. Remember, you are at the last stage of getting the honor hence things must be nearly perfect and in your favor. Make a rough outline of the points you will discuss in the presentation.
The thesis details the research that you carried out during the course of your doctoral degree and highlights the outcomes and conclusions reached. The PhD thesis is the most important part of a doctoral research degree: the culmination of three or four years of full-time work towards producing an original contribution to your academic field.
5) Don't let distractions get to you. Completing your thesis is a huge milestone. Those last two weeks until defense day can be stressful. Whether you are doing job interviews, applying to other jobs, or you want to "jump the gun" and finally start your post-PhD life, don't give into temptation.
Even if your thesis defence seems far away, there are several planning considerations you can consider early on to help the end stages of your PhD go smoothly. On this page you will find videos, tools, and information about what the PhD thesis defence is, timelines for the PhD thesis defence, and tips for a successful PhD thesis defence.
The bottom line is that how to structure a PhD thesis often depends on your university and department guidelines. But, let's take a look at a general PhD thesis format. We'll look at the main sections, and how to connect them to each other. We'll also examine different hints and tips for each of the sections.
Education in how to write a doctoral thesis or dissertation should be a part of the postgraduate curriculum, parallel to the laboratory work and Journal Club activities during the PhD studies and/or residency levels.9,10 The overall structure of a doctoral thesis is internationally standardized. However, it varies in style and quality ...
Respect the word limit. Don't be vague - the abstract should be a self-contained summary of the research, so don't introduce ambiguous words or complex terms. Focus on just four or five essential points, concepts, or findings. Don't, for example, try to explain your entire theoretical framework. Edit it carefully.
PhD Dissertation Defense Slides Design: Presentation checklist. Start; Tips for designing the slides; Presentation checklist; Example slides; Additional Resources; Technical checklist. 1. Did you add page numbers? 2. Did you test animation and videos? 3. Did you check if the font sizes are too small, especially in tables and figures?
earnings. The standard thesis option should ultimately be phased out for the stated reasons and students are not encouraged to present their theses in that format. Consequently this document does not describe the standard thesis. 2.2 MSc dissertation The rules on presentation of MSc dissertations are presented in CR13 (course work), CHS 14
Dissertation-Proofreading.com. Allia Future Business Centre. The Guildhall. Market Square. Cambridge. CB2 3QJ. United Kingdom. +44 (0) 20 31 500 431. This post offers advice on how to present your PhD thesis effectively to make sure the formatting meet your doctoral degree requirements.
According to the Graduate School's embargo policy, students can request up to a two-year embargo on their dissertation, with the potential for renewal by petition.If approved, the embargo would apply to the dissertation in ProQuest, as well as in Princeton's digital repository, DataSpace.Students in the sciences and engineering seeking patents or pursuing journal articles may be approved ...
A dissertation committee may include more than four members. Presentation Process. Once the dissertation chair and student have agreed that the prospectus is ready for presentation, the dissertation chair will schedule a meeting of the committee, usually for one hour. Attending the review will be the student and his/her dissertation committee.
Linguistics PhD candidate Lauretta Cheng sucessfully defended her dissertation on Tuesday., April 23rd. Title: "Ideology, Awareness and Sociophonetic Perception in Asian American and Canadian Speech" Co-Chairs: Andries Coetzee and Jon Brennan
Congratulations to PhD candidate Christopher Lopez, who successfully defended his thesis, "Studies on cellular and humoral immunity elicited by Influenza A virus infection and vaccination," on June 28, 2023. ... present vaccines predominately provide protection against matched strains of IAV and generate suboptimal protection against distinct ...
My thesis examines the role of digital platforms as private regulators. This thesis evaluates how and why platforms choose which rules to create and enforce and the impact of these choices on platforms and their stakeholders such as individuals, firms, civil society, and regulators.
The PhD thesis investigates the potential consequences of the adoption of modern automation technologies in advanced and developing economies. Time 08 Oct 2024 ... the present debate reflects both high expectations and deep concerns and will likely persist as these technologies evolve and advance.
PhD. student Kelsey Schwartz also published a paper in Journal of Applied Physiology titled: Angiotensin II type 2 receptor-mediated dilation is greater in the cutaneous microvasculature of premenopausal women compared to men.. PhD student Jackie Dziewior was featured in an article by CLAS for her work as a student researcher.