Mastering The Art Of Writing A Phd Thesis
Writing a PhD thesis is not an easy task. A lot of hard work is required to execute a PhD thesis and it is on the whole a meticulous process that takes place over extended periods of time. Successful completion of the thesis requires careful consideration of several factors which needs to be closely linked to create a thesis that is unique, sound, makes sense and adds to the existing body of knowledge.
PhD Thesis – What it Entails
A PhD degree irrevocably comprises of an independent research to be carried out catching up to the respective university’s academic standard, which is what is called a thesis. An academic thesis is a monograph, a self-encompassing work written exclusively by the research candidate. It usually deals with a particular problem which the candidate has discovered, under the guidance of an academic supervisor. It looks at the origin of the problem, defines the problem, looks at existing views on the problem, explores angles that would provide scope for a novel academic contribution, and leads to a hypothesis that proposes an explanation for the identified problem and provides possible inferences or solutions for the same. It is of utmost importance that any PhD thesis must contain further literature review, application of theory, analytical design, primary and secondary data collection, experimental details, data analysis, inferences drawn, drawbacks of the research, further scope of research and relevance of the research issue handled.
Challenges in Writing a PhD Thesis
Although this sounds like a simple task due to the enumerated list of steps involved in writing the thesis, many research scholars encounter problems because they do not pursue a proper research on their broader area of interest before narrowing down on their thesis statement which also in turn does not have clarity due to the lack of adequate knowledge of the former. Due to this mismatch between the area of research and the specific thesis statement, there arise issues in providing a connection between the thesis statement and the supporting argument. This issue in making connections leads to furnishing of inadequate information that is of relevance to the research topic, thus wavering from the focus taken. Apart from this, formatting errors and errors in citing bibliography also occur.
Circumventing the Challenges
The first step of reviewing all the information available for research is of utmost importance as;
- IT scrutinizes the topic
- The supporting information
- As to how far the research could be taken based on the information available.
There is a tendency to choose a topic that is overtly explored already hoping a smooth ride with all the necessary information already available or to choose a topic that is too specific and unexplored that it might be tedious to arrive at minimum number of inferences expected in a PhD research.
For instance, a topic concerning population in India would make up a doctoral thesis but if one were to narrow it down to population in a particular street, it wouldn’t suffice for about 200 to 250 pages that is expected of a PhD scholar.
After careful scrutiny of a topic, putting down a suitable thesis statement is necessary. Certain academic supervisors give liberty to the scholars to come up with an appropriate thesis statement while some others seem to have a say on the same Either way, the research scholar has to have a vivid idea as to why he/she has arrived at that thesis statement to proceed with research.
The research paper could be argumentative or informative
For an argumentative research paper
1. The thesis statement chosen should be convincing enough to change opinions of readers that they have about a particular field.
For an informative research paper
2. The paper must be novel and must not contain mundane information that is not presented in an interesting way.
Going Ahead
Next comes the issue of making connections between the thesis statement and the substantial information that you provide. This can be accomplished by providing coherent transitions between the paragraphs and constantly reminding the reader as to why each point is relevant to the topic. But, while doing so, it is to be noted that the transitions do not go far-fetched and create redundancy. An offshoot of this issue is that relevant supporting information is not provided. In argumentative research theses, it is mandatory that all the supporting information are asserted in such a way that the argument made is strong and persuasive. This is where the initial research for secondary sources before choosing the topic helps. However, it is to be kept in mind that anything remotely related to your topic should not be inserted in your paper just to fill pages since that will make your paper lose focus and will not be to the point.
Apart from these mistakes that usually haunt a PhD scholar, properly citing sources within the texts and formatting also matter. If an idea is borrowed and not acknowledged, it is considered plagiarism. Blatantly copying something and passing them off as your own deliberately or unintentionally by not providing citations while providing others’ ideas. It is of utmost importance to acknowledge whatever information is borrowed, whether it is quoted as it is or paraphrased. Be it MLA, APA or Chicago rules of thesis formatting that is followed, plagiarism guarantees a black mark on your research.
Reaping the Rewards
On the whole, a PhD research thesis demands a lot of time, effort and organization. Major errors enlisted here could be avoided if you give yourself time for each and every step. Completing a PhD research paper that puts forth an idea or an argument that is well substantiated by information convincing enough to prove your thesis statement right takes a lot of patience and hard work but the effort and time that goes into it is absolutely rewarding as it is a learning process that you go through when you pursue PhD. By the time you appear for the Viva Voce which follows your submission of the research paper, you would have gained a vast knowledge of the subject, thereby having elevated yourself from the status of a student to a true scholar. It helps you apply the learning to further study or research and pass on your learning to your inmates. It should be looked at as an investment rather than a tedious process of research. Also, when you’ve written a good research paper, it makes it easy for you to go through your viva smoothly, get your doctoral degree and also get your paper published in recognized journals. This way, your doctoral thesis benefits you and your academic fraternity as well.
Why Tutors India
We, at Tutors India, have our team of experts who make this ride smooth by guiding you through hurdles that you would possibly face. Our years of expertise as a PhD thesis writing service UK, it allows us to recognize your problems based on your field of research and thus, help you to overcome those problems through simple steps of caution and correction. Do approach us to make your PhD a pleasurable learning experience. Our proficiencies, experience, skills and evolving expertise in this challenging field that demands staunch patience, resolution and persistence of high degree really speaks for itself and this is evinced by our growing portfolio of reliable clients that deem us as one of the eminent Dissertation writing services UK.
Improving our own standards, raising our own efforts, constantly raising the bar of our commitment, dedication and perpetual loyalty to our clients are our focus as we grow and prosper as one of the best PhD thesis writing services UK.