doctoral thesis wiki

A Step-By-Step Guide to Writing a Ph.D. Dissertation

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A dissertation, also known as a doctoral thesis , is the final required part of completing a student's doctoral study. Undertaken after a student completes coursework and passes a comprehensive examination , the dissertation is the final hurdle in completing a Ph.D. or other doctoral degree. The dissertation is expected to make a new and creative contribution to a field of study and to demonstrate the student's expertise. In social science and science programs, the dissertation usually requires conducting empirical research.

Elements of a Strong Dissertation

According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, a strong medical dissertation relies heavily on the creation of a specific hypothesis that can be either disproven or supported by data collected by independent student research. Further, it must also contain several key elements starting with an introduction to the problem statement, conceptual framework and research question as well as references to literature on already published on the topic. 

A dissertation must also be relevant (and proven to be such) as well as capable of being researched independently by the student. Though the required length of these dissertations varies by school, the governing body overseeing the practice of medicine in the United States standardizes this same protocol. Also included in the dissertation is the methodology for research and data collection as well as instrumentation and quality control. A stated section on population and sample size for the study is imperative to defending the thesis once it comes time to do so.

Like most scientific publications, the thesis must also contain a section of published results and an analysis of what this entails for the scientific or medical community. The discussion and conclusion sections let the review committee know that the student understands the full implications of his or her work as well as its real-world application to their field of study (and soon, professional work). 

Approval Process

Although students are expected to conduct the bulk of their research and pen the entire dissertation on their own, most graduate medical programs provide an advisory and review committee to the student upon starting their studies. Through a series of weekly reviews over their course of schooling, the student and his or her advisor hone in on the hypothesis of the dissertation before they submit it to the review committee to begin work on writing the thesis. 

From there, the student can take as long or as short of a time as they need to complete their dissertation, often resulting in students who have finished their entire courseload achieving ABD status ("all but dissertation"), just shy of receiving their full Ph.D. In this interim period, the student — with the occasional guidance of his or her advisor —  is expected to research, test and write a dissertation that can be defended in a public forum. 

Once the review committee accepts the finalized draft of the thesis, the doctoral candidate will then get the chance to publicly defend his or her statements. If they pass this test, the dissertation is submitted electronically to the school's academic journal or archive and the candidate's full doctoral degree is issued once the final paperwork has been submitted.

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• What Is a PhD Thesis?
• Doing a PhD

This page will explain what a PhD thesis is and offer advice on how to write a good thesis, from outlining the typical structure to guiding you through the referencing. A summary of this page is as follows:

• A PhD thesis is a concentrated piece of original research which must be carried out by all PhD students in order to successfully earn their doctoral degree.
• The fundamental purpose of a thesis is to explain the conclusion that has been reached as a result of undertaking the research project.
• The typical PhD thesis structure will contain four chapters of original work sandwiched between a literature review chapter and a concluding chapter.
• There is no universal rule for the length of a thesis, but general guidelines set the word count between 70,000 to 100,000 words .

What Is a Thesis?

A thesis is the main output of a PhD as it explains your workflow in reaching the conclusions you have come to in undertaking the research project. As a result, much of the content of your thesis will be based around your chapters of original work.

For your thesis to be successful, it needs to adequately defend your argument and provide a unique or increased insight into your field that was not previously available. As such, you can’t rely on other ideas or results to produce your thesis; it needs to be an original piece of text that belongs to you and you alone.

What Should a Thesis Include?

Although each thesis will be unique, they will all follow the same general format. To demonstrate this, we’ve put together an example structure of a PhD thesis and explained what you should include in each section below.

Acknowledgements

This is a personal section which you may or may not choose to include. The vast majority of students include it, giving both gratitude and recognition to their supervisor, university, sponsor/funder and anyone else who has supported them along the way.

1. Introduction

Provide a brief overview of your reason for carrying out your research project and what you hope to achieve by undertaking it. Following this, explain the structure of your thesis to give the reader context for what he or she is about to read.

2. Literature Review

Set the context of your research by explaining the foundation of what is currently known within your field of research, what recent developments have occurred, and where the gaps in knowledge are. You should conclude the literature review by outlining the overarching aims and objectives of the research project.

3. Main Body

This section focuses on explaining all aspects of your original research and so will form the bulk of your thesis. Typically, this section will contain four chapters covering the below:

• your research/data collection methodologies,
• your results,
• a comprehensive analysis of your results,
• a detailed discussion of your findings.

Depending on your project, each of your chapters may independently contain the structure listed above or in some projects, each chapter could be focussed entirely on one aspect (e.g. a standalone results chapter). Ideally, each of these chapters should be formatted such that they could be translated into papers for submission to peer-reviewed journals. Therefore, following your PhD, you should be able to submit papers for peer-review by reusing content you have already produced.

4. Conclusion

The conclusion will be a summary of your key findings with emphasis placed on the new contributions you have made to your field.

When producing your conclusion, it’s imperative that you relate it back to your original research aims, objectives and hypotheses. Make sure you have answered your original question.

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

How Many Words Is a PhD Thesis?

A common question we receive from students is – “how long should my thesis be?“.

Every university has different guidelines on this matter, therefore, consult with your university to get an understanding of their full requirements. Generally speaking, most supervisors will suggest somewhere between 70,000 and 100,000 words . This usually corresponds to somewhere between 250 – 350 pages .

We must stress that this is flexible, and it is important not to focus solely on the length of your thesis, but rather the quality.

How Do I Format My Thesis?

Although the exact formatting requirements will vary depending on the university, the typical formatting policies adopted by most universities are:

What Happens When I Finish My Thesis?

After you have submitted your thesis, you will attend a viva . A viva is an interview-style examination during which you are required to defend your thesis and answer questions on it. The aim of the viva is to convince your examiners that your work is of the level required for a doctoral degree. It is one of the last steps in the PhD process and arguably one of the most daunting!

For more information on the viva process and for tips on how to confidently pass it, please refer to our in-depth PhD Viva Guide .

How Do I Publish My Thesis?

Unfortunately, you can’t publish your thesis in its entirety in a journal. However, universities can make it available for others to read through their library system.

If you want to submit your work in a journal, you will need to develop it into one or more peer-reviewed papers. This will largely involve reformatting, condensing and tailoring it to meet the standards of the journal you are targeting.

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How to write a Doctoral Thesis

Prof. HR Ahmad, Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan. E-mail: [email protected]

Note: * Ahmad HR. In: Medical Writing. Eds. SA Jawaid, MH Jafary & SJ Zuberi. PMJA, 1997 Ed II: 133-142.

PATIENT care and teaching are rather well established components of our medical career. However, with the passage of time a third component has started to influence our medical culture, namely research. 1 - 4 How to accept this challenge is a question. 5 Indeed, teaching and research form a dialectic unit, meaning that teaching without a research component is like a soup without salt. It is a well-established fact that the research activity of an institution is directly proportional to the number of qualified and committed PhD candidates. An inspiring infrastructure, laboratory facilities and libraries are pre-requisites for a research culture to grow. 6 - 8 This forms the basis of a generation cycle for an institution, so that research activity and its culture continues to grow from one generation to the next. The main objective of doctoral work in biomedical sciences is to develop a galaxy of scientist physicians and surgeons possessing high degree of humility, selflessness and ethical superiority. Such a programme will add a scholastic dimension to the clinical faculty.

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, depending upon how original the work is, and how much the author has understood the work. Therefore a thorough discussion with supervisor, colleagues and assistance from other authors through correspondence can be useful sources for consultation.

The choice of a topic for a doctoral thesis is a crucial step. It should be determined by scanning the literature whether the topic is original or similar work has already been done even a hundred years ago. It is the responsibility of both the supervisor and the PhD candidate to sort out this problem by continuous use of internet and a library. 11 The work leading to the PhD degree can originate from research in following spheres: 12

• b) Methodology
• c) Diagnostic
• d) Therapeutic and Management
• e) Epidemiology

The availability of internationally standardized methods, as well as research committed supervisors can enable physicians and surgeons to do PhD work in both basic and clinical health sciences. The importance of research in basic health sciences cannot be overemphasized. It is rather the base of the applied sciences. There are many instances where the elucidation of a mechanism involved in a process awaits the development of an adequate methodology. 13 In such a scenario; a new method is like a new eye. Research activity in the field of (a) and (b) illuminates the research directions for (c) (d) and (e). It is worth noting that sometimes important basic questions can come from (e) and stimulate research activity in the domain of basic health sciences. 14 , 15

Types of Doctoral Thesis

TYPE-I: Book Form: a classical style. The blueprint of this form is shown in Table-I .

Type-I: The Classical Book Form

TYPE-II: Cumulative Doctoral thesis: A modem but quite useful practice.

INTRODUCTION

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:

• Literature survey using a regular library hours and internet surfing
• Familiarization with the hands-on-experience of methodology involved in the work
• The importance of a continuous literature survey using library, internet and direct correspondence with authors across the globe in the same field cannot be over-emphasized. The main goal of this exercise is to pinpoint the unresolved problem in the literature. An attempt to solve this problem now becomes the topic of the PhD thesis. All the relevant references should be collected, and carefully preserved in the form of a card system arranged alphabetically according to themes and authors. The introduction of the thesis should be styled like a review article with a critical analysis of the work of authors in the literature. The aims of the present PhD work can then also be addressed in the form of questions. The objectives would then deal with how to achieve the aims of the proposed study.

MATERIALS / SUBJECTS AND METHODS

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:

• criticism of material/subjects and methods
• a list of important observations of the present study
• interpretation and comparison of results of other authors using a literature table
• design of a model
• claim of an original research work
• The criticism of the methodological procedure enables a candidate to demonstrate how precisely the research work has been carried out. The interpretation of results depends critically on the strict experimental protocol and methods. For example, an epidemiological work is a study of a population. However, if the population sampling is done regularly at a specific location; the question arises as to how a result derived from a localized place can be applied to the whole population.
• After having discussed at length the strong and weak points of material/subjects and methods, one should list in a telegraphic design the most important observations of the present study. This may form a good agenda to initiate interpretation, argument, reasoning and comparison with results of other authors. The outcome of this constructive debate should permit the design of a working model in the form of a block diagram. All statements should be very carefully referenced. The ratio of agreement and disagreement should indicate the ability of the author to reconcile conflicting data in an objective and quantitative way. Attempts should be made to design a solution out of the given quantum of information. It is also well known that most of the processes of human physiology can only be understood if their time course is known. The dynamic aspect of interpretation of results is therefore more powerful and superior to the static one. 16 Therefore a continuous record of variables should be preferred and sought to reveal the secrets hidden in the kinetics.
• Finally, the discussion should conclude how far the study was successful in answering the questions being posed at the end of the introduction part. Usually a doctoral thesis raises more questions than it answers. In this way research does not come to a standstill and does become a life time engagement for a committed scientist. Also it is important to note that all scientific theses should be quantifiable and falsifiable, otherwise they lose the spirit and fragrance of a scientific research.
• The author’s claim of original work is finally decided by the critical review of his research work by the literature and the number of times being cited. It can be easily read by a high rate of a citation index of a publication and invitation. When a methodological research clicks, one becomes a star overnight.

Type-II: CUMULATIVE DOCTORAL THESES

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.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

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.

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The doctoral dissertation and related research are the most significant and extensive part of a doctoral degree. The University of Helsinki does not measure dissertations in credits, but their scope has been calculated to correspond to approximately 200 credits. A doctoral dissertation is a consistent scholarly work based on independent research that makes an original contribution to scientific knowledge. It can be a monograph or based on articles. In the natural sciences, dissertations are typically based on articles. The humanities and social sciences have traditionally preferred monographs, although the number of article-based dissertations is continuously increasing in these domains, with most dissertations already being article-based in such fields as the educational sciences.

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General dissertation criteria.

Article-based dissertations consist of several peer-reviewed scholarly publications or manuscripts accepted for publication as well as a summarising report on them. A monograph dissertation is a scholarly work on a single topic issued under the name of the author alone and based on previously unpublished research results. In exceptional cases, a doctoral dissertation may also take another form, provided it meets the appropriate scholarly criteria and the doctoral candidate’s independent contribution to it can be verified.

Regardless of the chosen format, the dissertation must always make an original contribution to scientific knowledge. The dissertation should demonstrate the doctoral candidate’s critical thinking skills and profound familiarity with the topic as well as his or her knowledge of key research methods in the field and competence in their application. The research results presented in the dissertation must be justified, scientifically convincing and sustainable in terms of research ethics. Faculties assess dissertations on consistent criteria that are announced in advance. You and your supervisors should acquaint yourselves with the criteria at the outset of your dissertation work.

The topic of your dissertation should be clearly defined so that you are not overwhelmed by an excessive workload. Remember that the dissertation is just the first step on your career path as a researcher and should not take you forever to complete. You and your supervisor should together limit the topic and content of the dissertation in such a way that you can complete the dissertation and the doctoral degree in approximately four years of full-time study.

A completed dissertation always includes a one- or two-page abstract outlining the objectives or research questions of the dissertation, as well as the key research methods, results and conclusions.

Article-based dissertations

Article-based dissertations consist of scholarly publications focusing on the same research problem as well as a summarising report.

The summarising report is the core of an article-based dissertation: it must present the background, objectives, methods, material, results, discussion and conclusions of the research. It must be a balanced work based on both the publications included in the dissertation and the research literature. Its recommended length varies by faculty, so read your faculty’s instructions before writing the report. For practical tips on how to write a good summarising report, we recommend for example this blog post by researchers from Tampere University .

As a rule, the publications included in an article-based dissertation must have been published or approved for publication. However, article-based dissertations can also contain articles that have not yet been accepted for publication. In such cases, the preliminary examiners will pay particular attention to articles that have not yet been peer-reviewed. A typical article-based dissertation includes a summarising report and three to five scholarly articles. The number of articles required depends on their scope, scientific quality and significance, and publishing forum as well as the author’s independent contribution to any co-authored articles included in the dissertation. Read your faculty’s instructions for article-based dissertations, including the sections relevant to the above, at the outset of your dissertation work.

Article-based dissertations can include co-authored publications – indeed, such articles are the rule rather than the exception in some disciplines. However, if your dissertation includes co-authored articles, you must be able to clearly demonstrate your contribution to them. You and your supervisor must together write an informal report on your contribution to each co-authored article. You are strongly recommended (and in some faculties, required) to have the report approved by the other authors of the articles in question.

The recommended scope of a monograph is 250 pages, excluding appendices. Monographs must be previously unpublished, but doctoral researchers writing a monograph need not keep their findings under lock and key until the public examination. While working on their monograph, doctoral researchers can publish articles related to the dissertation topic and then refer to them in the completed dissertation using common referencing practices.

Other types of dissertations

Some faculties accept dissertations that differ from the format of a monograph or an article-based dissertation, provided the work otherwise meets the scholarly criteria set for dissertations. Decisions on the scope and structure of such dissertations are made by the faculty council of the relevant faculty at the proposal of a doctoral programme. As a rule, however, all dissertations must be monographs or article-based, and the acceptance of other types of dissertations is exceedingly rare at the University of Helsinki.

Faculty-specific grading criteria and additional requirements for article-based dissertations

The faculty-specific criteria for evaluating doctoral theses and the possible additional requirements placed on article-based dissertations are available on your home faculty’s external website, in the instructions aimed at the examiners of doctoral theses. Getting acquainted with the instructions aimed at the examiners is a recommendable idea in general, as it will give you a good idea of how your final doctoral thesis will be evaluated. However, do not forget that reading only the instructions aimed at the examiners is not enough – when you are ready to submit your doctoral thesis for preliminary examination, do not forget to read the instructions aimed at doctoral researchers about to get started with the examination process of their doctoral thesis. All those instructions are available elsewhere on this site.

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Research Repository

Uk doctoral thesis metadata from ethos.

The datasets in this collection comprise snapshots in time of metadata descriptions of hundreds of thousands of PhD theses awarded by UK Higher Education institutions aggregated by the British Library's EThOS service. The data is estimated to cover around 98% of all PhDs ever awarded by UK Higher Education institutions, dating back to 1787.

Previous versions of the datasets are restricted to ensure the most accurate version of metadata is available for download. Please contact [email protected] if you require access to an older version.

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• What Is a Thesis? | Ultimate Guide & Examples

What Is a Thesis? | Ultimate Guide & Examples

Published on September 14, 2022 by Tegan George . Revised on April 16, 2024.

A thesis is a type of research paper based on your original research. It is usually submitted as the final step of a master’s program or a capstone to a bachelor’s degree.

Writing a thesis can be a daunting experience. Other than a dissertation , it is one of the longest pieces of writing students typically complete. It relies on your ability to conduct research from start to finish: choosing a relevant topic , crafting a proposal , designing your research , collecting data , developing a robust analysis, drawing strong conclusions , and writing concisely .

Thesis template

You can also download our full thesis template in the format of your choice below. Our template includes a ready-made table of contents , as well as guidance for what each chapter should include. It’s easy to make it your own, and can help you get started.

Download Word template Download Google Docs template

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Table of contents

Thesis vs. thesis statement, how to structure a thesis, acknowledgements or preface, list of figures and tables, list of abbreviations, introduction, literature review, methodology, reference list, proofreading and editing, defending your thesis, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about theses.

You may have heard the word thesis as a standalone term or as a component of academic writing called a thesis statement . Keep in mind that these are two very different things.

• A thesis statement is a very common component of an essay, particularly in the humanities. It usually comprises 1 or 2 sentences in the introduction of your essay , and should clearly and concisely summarize the central points of your academic essay .
• A thesis is a long-form piece of academic writing, often taking more than a full semester to complete. It is generally a degree requirement for Master’s programs, and is also sometimes required to complete a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts colleges.
• In the US, a dissertation is generally written as a final step toward obtaining a PhD.
• In other countries (particularly the UK), a dissertation is generally written at the bachelor’s or master’s level.

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The final structure of your thesis depends on a variety of components, such as:

• Your discipline
• Your theoretical approach

Humanities theses are often structured more like a longer-form essay . Just like in an essay, you build an argument to support a central thesis.

In both hard and social sciences, theses typically include an introduction , literature review , methodology section ,  results section , discussion section , and conclusion section . These are each presented in their own dedicated section or chapter. In some cases, you might want to add an appendix .

Thesis examples

We’ve compiled a short list of thesis examples to help you get started.

• Example thesis #1:   “Abolition, Africans, and Abstraction: the Influence of the ‘Noble Savage’ on British and French Antislavery Thought, 1787-1807” by Suchait Kahlon.
• Example thesis #2: “’A Starving Man Helping Another Starving Man’: UNRRA, India, and the Genesis of Global Relief, 1943-1947″ by Julian Saint Reiman.

The very first page of your thesis contains all necessary identifying information, including:

• Your full title
• Your full name
• Your department
• Your institution and degree program
• Your submission date.

Sometimes the title page also includes your student ID, the name of your supervisor, or the university’s logo. Check out your university’s guidelines if you’re not sure.

Read more about title pages

The acknowledgements section is usually optional. Its main point is to allow you to thank everyone who helped you in your thesis journey, such as supervisors, friends, or family. You can also choose to write a preface , but it’s typically one or the other, not both.

Read more about acknowledgements Read more about prefaces

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An abstract is a short summary of your thesis. Usually a maximum of 300 words long, it’s should include brief descriptions of your research objectives , methods, results, and conclusions. Though it may seem short, it introduces your work to your audience, serving as a first impression of your thesis.

Read more about abstracts

A table of contents lists all of your sections, plus their corresponding page numbers and subheadings if you have them. This helps your reader seamlessly navigate your document.

Your table of contents should include all the major parts of your thesis. In particular, don’t forget the the appendices. If you used heading styles, it’s easy to generate an automatic table Microsoft Word.

Read more about tables of contents

While not mandatory, if you used a lot of tables and/or figures, it’s nice to include a list of them to help guide your reader. It’s also easy to generate one of these in Word: just use the “Insert Caption” feature.

Read more about lists of figures and tables

If you have used a lot of industry- or field-specific abbreviations in your thesis, you should include them in an alphabetized list of abbreviations . This way, your readers can easily look up any meanings they aren’t familiar with.

Read more about lists of abbreviations

Relatedly, if you find yourself using a lot of very specialized or field-specific terms that may not be familiar to your reader, consider including a glossary . Alphabetize the terms you want to include with a brief definition.

Read more about glossaries

An introduction sets up the topic, purpose, and relevance of your thesis, as well as expectations for your reader. This should:

• Ground your research topic , sharing any background information your reader may need
• Define the scope of your work
• Introduce any existing research on your topic, situating your work within a broader problem or debate
• State your research question(s)
• Outline (briefly) how the remainder of your work will proceed

In other words, your introduction should clearly and concisely show your reader the “what, why, and how” of your research.

Read more about introductions

A literature review helps you gain a robust understanding of any extant academic work on your topic, encompassing:

• Selecting relevant sources
• Determining the credibility of your sources
• Critically evaluating each of your sources
• Drawing connections between sources, including any themes, patterns, conflicts, or gaps

A literature review is not merely a summary of existing work. Rather, your literature review should ultimately lead to a clear justification for your own research, perhaps via:

• Addressing a gap in the literature
• Building on existing knowledge to draw new conclusions
• Exploring a new theoretical or methodological approach
• Introducing a new solution to an unresolved problem
• Definitively advocating for one side of a theoretical debate

Read more about literature reviews

Theoretical framework

Your literature review can often form the basis for your theoretical framework, but these are not the same thing. A theoretical framework defines and analyzes the concepts and theories that your research hinges on.

Read more about theoretical frameworks

Your methodology chapter shows your reader how you conducted your research. It should be written clearly and methodically, easily allowing your reader to critically assess the credibility of your argument. Furthermore, your methods section should convince your reader that your method was the best way to answer your research question.

A methodology section should generally include:

• Your overall approach ( quantitative vs. qualitative )
• Your research methods (e.g., a longitudinal study )
• Your data collection methods (e.g., interviews or a controlled experiment
• Any tools or materials you used (e.g., computer software)
• The data analysis methods you chose (e.g., statistical analysis , discourse analysis )
• A strong, but not defensive justification of your methods

Read more about methodology sections

Your results section should highlight what your methodology discovered. These two sections work in tandem, but shouldn’t repeat each other. While your results section can include hypotheses or themes, don’t include any speculation or new arguments here.

Your results section should:

• State each (relevant) result with any (relevant) descriptive statistics (e.g., mean , standard deviation ) and inferential statistics (e.g., test statistics , p values )
• Explain how each result relates to the research question
• Determine whether the hypothesis was supported

Additional data (like raw numbers or interview transcripts ) can be included as an appendix . You can include tables and figures, but only if they help the reader better understand your results.

Read more about results sections

Your discussion section is where you can interpret your results in detail. Did they meet your expectations? How well do they fit within the framework that you built? You can refer back to any relevant source material to situate your results within your field, but leave most of that analysis in your literature review.

For any unexpected results, offer explanations or alternative interpretations of your data.

Read more about discussion sections

Your thesis conclusion should concisely answer your main research question. It should leave your reader with an ultra-clear understanding of your central argument, and emphasize what your research specifically has contributed to your field.

Why does your research matter? What recommendations for future research do you have? Lastly, wrap up your work with any concluding remarks.

Read more about conclusions

In order to avoid plagiarism , don’t forget to include a full reference list at the end of your thesis, citing the sources that you used. Choose one citation style and follow it consistently throughout your thesis, taking note of the formatting requirements of each style.

Which style you choose is often set by your department or your field, but common styles include MLA , Chicago , and APA.

Create APA citations Create MLA citations

In order to stay clear and concise, your thesis should include the most essential information needed to answer your research question. However, chances are you have many contributing documents, like interview transcripts or survey questions . These can be added as appendices , to save space in the main body.

Read more about appendices

Once you’re done writing, the next part of your editing process begins. Leave plenty of time for proofreading and editing prior to submission. Nothing looks worse than grammar mistakes or sloppy spelling errors!

Consider using a professional thesis editing service or grammar checker to make sure your final project is perfect.

Once you’ve submitted your final product, it’s common practice to have a thesis defense, an oral component of your finished work. This is scheduled by your advisor or committee, and usually entails a presentation and Q&A session.

After your defense , your committee will meet to determine if you deserve any departmental honors or accolades. However, keep in mind that defenses are usually just a formality. If there are any serious issues with your work, these should be resolved with your advisor way before a defense.

If you want to know more about AI for academic writing, AI tools, or research bias, make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

Research bias

• Survivorship bias
• Self-serving bias
• Availability heuristic
• Halo effect
• Hindsight bias
• Deep learning
• Generative AI
• Machine learning
• Reinforcement learning
• Supervised vs. unsupervised learning

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The conclusion of your thesis or dissertation shouldn’t take up more than 5–7% of your overall word count.

If you only used a few abbreviations in your thesis or dissertation , you don’t necessarily need to include a list of abbreviations .

If your abbreviations are numerous, or if you think they won’t be known to your audience, it’s never a bad idea to add one. They can also improve readability, minimizing confusion about abbreviations unfamiliar to your reader.

When you mention different chapters within your text, it’s considered best to use Roman numerals for most citation styles. However, the most important thing here is to remain consistent whenever using numbers in your dissertation .

A thesis or dissertation outline is one of the most critical first steps in your writing process. It helps you to lay out and organize your ideas and can provide you with a roadmap for deciding what kind of research you’d like to undertake.

Generally, an outline contains information on the different sections included in your thesis or dissertation , such as:

• Your anticipated title
• Your abstract
• Your chapters (sometimes subdivided into further topics like literature review , research methods , avenues for future research, etc.)

A thesis is typically written by students finishing up a bachelor’s or Master’s degree. Some educational institutions, particularly in the liberal arts, have mandatory theses, but they are often not mandatory to graduate from bachelor’s degrees. It is more common for a thesis to be a graduation requirement from a Master’s degree.

Even if not mandatory, you may want to consider writing a thesis if you:

• Plan to attend graduate school soon
• Have a particular topic you’d like to study more in-depth
• Are considering a career in research
• Would like a capstone experience to tie up your academic experience

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Thesis vs. Dissertation: What’s the difference?

Thesis and dissertation are extensive research papers that differ in terms of their requirements, length, and purpose, with the former being associated with a master's degree and the latter with a doctoral degree, but are often used interchangeably.

Updated on September 15, 2023

A thesis and a dissertation are both extensive research papers, and both require literature searches and novel findings, but the two differ in various ways. Their definitions also differ across regions. Typically, in North America, a thesis is required for the completion of a master’s degree, while a dissertation is required for the completion of a doctoral degree. The former is long, while the latter is longer and more intensive.

Despite these differences, the two terms are often used interchangeably, especially among those who haven’t completed one or the other. Here, we’ll compare the components, length, and purpose of these two academic documents to clearly understand the differences between these important papers in the life of a graduate student.

What’s a thesis?

The term “thesis” explained here is generally consistent with how the word is used in North America to describe this substantive research paper.

A thesis is an extended argument (PDF). It is a research-based document that displays the student’s/author’s knowledge and understanding of a specific subject within their field of study. It generally presents findings on a particular topic. 

See this and this (PDFs) for examples. These superb master’s theses from Canada will give you an idea of the size and format of these papers.

Who would write a thesis?

You generally write a thesis if you’re undertaking a research-oriented master's degree program (as opposed to a practical program, which may require a capstone, internship, exam, etc.). 

The thesis is the essential part of a program’s research component, demonstrating the student's ability to critically analyze the literature and complete independent research. The process of writing a thesis involves exploring a specific research question, conducting a comprehensive literature review, collecting and analyzing data, and presenting findings in a structured and cohesive way.

A thesis' specific requirements and expectations differ depending on the academic institution, department, and program.

Components of a thesis

A thesis is typically presented in chapters. How many chapters will vary, but a common structure is:

• Introduction: Presents the research topic, purpose, and objectives, setting the context for the work.
• Literature review: Comprehensive survey of existing scholarly material related to the research topic, highlighting key theories and findings.
• Methodology: Describes the methods, procedures, and tools used in doing the research.
• Research: The actual performing of the study, collecting, and analyzing data relevant to the research question.
• Findings and conclusions: Gives the results obtained and explains their significance in relation to the research question.
• Limitations and future research: Outlines the study’s shortcomings and suggests potential areas for future investigation.

Within that structure, and in addition to those parts, a thesis may also include: 

• Cover page: Contains the thesis title, author's name, institution, department, date, and other relevant information
• Abstract : A brief summary of the thesis, highlighting the research objectives, methods, key findings, and conclusions.
• Certificates of own work
• Certificate of readiness to be included in the library
• Certificate that the research has not been presented to another university
• Acknowledgments
• Table of contents: List of the main sections, subsections, and corresponding page numbers.
• Index of figures and tables
• References: A comprehensive list of all the sources cited in the thesis, following a specific citation style (e.g., APA, MLA).
• Appendices (optional): Additional materials include:
• Abbreviations and/or acronyms used
• Questionnaire or interview schedule/s (if used)
• Data acquired in the form of transcripts or numeric tables
• Research protocol
• Ethics protocol

What’s a dissertation?

This is also viewed from a North American perspective, where a dissertation is usually the main research work toward completing a research-based doctoral program.

A dissertation is a comprehensive and in-depth research project completed as part of the requirements for a doctoral degree. It’s a substantial piece of original work that contributes new knowledge to a specific field of study.  Naturally, when it’s completed as the major requirement for earning a PhD, it’s longer, more detailed, and the expectations are higher.

Dissertations themselves can add to the literature in the field. For this reason, some students choose to publish them and have them indexed. The research and the data acquired while working on a dissertation can potentially lead to more publications and help define the researcher’s growing area of expertise.

See this and this (PDFs)  top-ranking dissertation on ProQuest for good examples.

Who would write a dissertation?

Completion and defense of a dissertation is a standard requirement for doctoral students to earn a PhD or another doctorate such as an EdD or DM. But some specialized degrees, such as a PsyD (Doctor of Psychology), JD (Juris Doctor) or DPT (Doctor of Physical Therapy) may have practice-based requirements in place of a research project, as these courses of study are geared more toward practical application.

Components of a dissertation

A dissertation’s components are generally the same as those of a thesis. You can look at the list above for a thesis to see what typically goes into a dissertation. But, if compared with a master’s thesis, most aspects are longer and more rigorous.

The word count requirements for theses can vary significantly, but doctoral dissertations often range 40,000–80,000 words or, per Harvard , 100–300 pages.

Differences between a thesis and a dissertation

As already touched on, the key differences are in where the two documents are used, length, and rigor. There are also regional differences.

A thesis typically demonstrates a master’s degree program student's grasp and presentation of a specific subject in their field of study. It normally involves a literature review, data analysis, and original research, but it is usually shorter and less comprehensive than a dissertation. The standards for rigor and novelty may also be lower.

A dissertation requires more extensive research, original contributions to the field, and a deeper exploration of the research topic. A dissertation is typically the output associated with a doctoral degree program.

The main differences in structure between a thesis and a dissertation are in the scope and complexity.

The word count requirement for theses and dissertations can vary depending on the institution and program.

A thesis is usually 20,000–40,000 words. However, there have been cases of mathematics dissertations that were only a few pages long!

Doctoral dissertations may range 60,000 to upward of 100,000 words, and exceed 100 pages. Many universities, however, seek around 80,000 words.

Oversight and process

A thesis may simply be submitted to the student's instructor, though rigorous thesis programs require a committee and defense. A dissertation will nearly always require the student to choose a chair, a committee, and then go through a more rigorous defense and revision (if necessary).

• Committee: Master's thesis committees usually have fewer members (typically 2–3) than doctoral dissertation committees (often 4–5, or even more).
• Guidance: Master's students often receive more detailed direction from advisers than doctoral students, who are expected to work more independently.
• Review: Dissertation reviews are typically more rigorous, often involving external reviewers, while thesis reviews are usually internal.
• Defense: A dissertation defense is generally more intense and formal, as it often involves a presentation to the wider academic community, while a thesis defense might be more confined and informal.
• Revision: The revision process for a doctoral dissertation is typically more extensive, given the larger scope of the project and higher stakes involved, compared with those for a master's thesis.

Regional differences

The terms' use varies among (and even within) countries. Here are some general regional differences:

In the United Kingdom, a thesis is commonly associated with both master's and doctoral degree programs. For example, the University College London  refers to a thesis for EngD, MPhil, MD(Res), and PhD degrees. At the University of Nottingham , a dissertation is written for a research master’s degree.

In Australia and New Zealand , “thesis” is generally used to refer to a substantial research project completed for a higher degree, though not limited to a master’s (you’ll find ample references to a “PhD thesis”).

In Latin American countries,  the thesis is commonly used to refer to both master's and doctoral research projects.

Closing thoughts

Both theses and dissertations are necessary documents for students in graduate programs. Despite the differences in expectations, and even in definitions of these papers, the student-author must do a diligent and rigorous job to earn their degree.

Here are a few helpful resources if you want to get into greater detail:

• Writing the Winning Thesis or Dissertation: A Step-By-Step Guide
• 100 PhD rules of the game to successfully complete a doctoral dissertation (PDF)
• Theses and Dissertations: A Guide to Writing in Social and Physical Sciences

Perfect the English on your thesis or dissertation

Whether you’re submitting a thesis or a dissertation, if it’s in English, it should:

• Have no grammatical or spelling mistakes
• Use field-appropriate language
• Concisely and clearly communicate your research.

That’s what AJE expert editors will do for you. Within days, you can receive an expert English edit of your work. The editor will be familiar with your field of study and will comprehensively improve both the language quality and the delivery of your message. Look into AJE English Editing .

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Wikidata : WikiProject LSEThesisProject

• 1 Background
• 2 Project dashboards
• 3.1 Relational data
• 3.2 Awards and Archives data
• 3.3 Subject data
• 3.4 Employment and Educational data
• 3.5 Other person related data
• 3.6 Images and Timelines
• 3.7 Citation data
• 4 Cross-over with other thesis projects
• 5 Related content
• 6 Data quality
• 7 Project participants

In 2020 the Library of the London School of Economics began adding metadata for LSE doctoral theses to Wikidata. This is an organising page for our ongoing project work with doctoral theses. Thesis data has been added up to 2021. The Wikidata Thesis Toolkit , co-authored with the University of York, has been an additional output of our Wikidata Thesis Project.

Project dashboards

• Project outreach dashboard counting edits
• LSEThesisProject Wikidata dashboard for theses - displays properties of Wikidata thesis items
• LSEThesisProject Wikidata dashboard for people - displays properties of people (authors and supervisors) related to the project.
• LSEThesisProject Wikidata dashboard for theses that people in this project have in other institutions around the world

There is also a Scholia page for the project here https://scholia.toolforge.org/wikiproject/Q112895606

Data visualisations via SPARQL

The first 2 links draw on the complete set of digitised doctoral and MPhil metadata at LSE from 1926-2021.

• LSE doctoral theses 1926-2021 with author links to Wikipedia pages where available https://w.wiki/5aHL
• Chains of doctoral students/advisors in the project (as of August 2022 the longest is 4) https://w.wiki/5b4L

All the visualisations below link LSE thesis metadata with other data available in Wikidata, and so are not necessarily complete datasets. Wikidata evolves continually and so these datasets will change over time - please re-visit periodically to see if further relationships and connections have been exposed!

Relational data

• Relationships between thesis supervisors and authors. https://w.wiki/5WYp Extends beyond LSE's digitised theses by drawing on Wikidata statements for people educated at or employed by LSE with a doctoral student/supervisor relationship. This is such a large dataset it will be a little slow to open
• Relationships between notable thesis authors and supervisors where both have a Wikipedia page. Shown in list format https://w.wiki/63Jh and in graph format https://w.wiki/7p8V

Awards and Archives data

• Table of awards won by LSE thesis authors and supervisors https://w.wiki/5aMU
• Graph, with images where available, of awards won by LSE thesis authors and supervisors https://w.wiki/5djt
• Other institutions holding archives about LSE thesis authors and supervisors https://w.wiki/5aLx
• Graph, with images where available, showing relationships between LSE thesis authors and supervisors and archive-holding institutions https://w.wiki/5d66

Subject data

In progress with data added up to 1996 so far

• Bubble chart showing main subjects of the thesis set https://w.wiki/5aG5
• Bubble chart showing types of main subjects (depicts what the main subject is an instance of) https://w.wiki/7Kiz
• Map of places that have been the subject of an LSE thesis (relies on that place having coordinates in Wikidata) https://w.wiki/7Kj6 . Table of place data available at https://w.wiki/7KjB

Employment and Educational data

• Map showing employer location of LSE thesis authors and supervisors https://w.wiki/5b3Y
• Table of employers of LSE thesis authors and supervisors https://w.wiki/5b3r
• Table of LSE thesis authors who have subsequently been employed by LSE (and any additional employers for those individuals) https://w.wiki/5bhs
• Bubble chart showing occupations of LSE thesis authors https://w.wiki/5buq
• Bubble chart showing field of work for LSE thesis authors and supervisors https://w.wiki/5but
• Map showing location of other educational institutions attended by LSE thesis authors and supervisors https://w.wiki/5b43
• Table of educational institutions attended by LSE thesis authors and supervisors https://w.wiki/5b49

Other person related data

• Table of ORCIDs for LSE thesis authors and supervisors https://w.wiki/5beu
• Table of LSE thesis authors and supervisors with a Wikipedia page https://w.wiki/5bhz

Images and Timelines

• Image grid of authors and supervisors in the LSEThesisProject, where available in Wikimedia Commons https://w.wiki/5aTp
• Histropedia timeline of people who are part of the LSEThesisProject, where birth date is available
• Histropedia timeline of theses by year Because all the theses have the same date, results are stacked for each year, and it is less easy to see individual titles, but the timeline is a good way to see how many theses are available for each year, and to see titles for pre 1990 theses
• Try using the EntiTree tool and selecting doctoral student to see visualisations of student/supervisor relationships. The longest chain we have found so far dates back to the 1500s !

Citation data

• An experimental query listing works cited by LSE theses. This is not metadata we hold, but Wikidata may make some interesting connections for us - as of May 2023 there are 5 results! https://w.wiki/5ckW
• Similarly this experimental query looks for connections Wikidata could make, this time seeking works citing an LSE thesis - as of September 2022 we have our first 16 results! https://w.wiki/5eTJ

Cross-over with other thesis projects

The Wikidata Thesis Toolkit , has been co-authored by LSE and the University of York to reduce the development burden for other universities wanting to carry out a Wikidata thesis project.

We have had lots of discussion with the New Zealand Thesis Project and this query https://w.wiki/5d55 shows items on the focus list of both our projects.

We are also aware of thesis projects at

• Stanford University
• Texas A&M University Libraries
• University of Washington
• Oxford University

Related content

• SourceMetaData thesis by institution dashboard
• Count of doctoral theses by institution https://w.wiki/jwZ
• LSEThesisProject represented on Scholia https://scholia.toolforge.org/wikiproject/Q112895606

Data quality

• This query will show any missing reciprocal links between doctoral students and advisors https://w.wiki/5bgK As of September 2022 all students and supervisors are linked, but if any duplicate records are merged, the links need to be re-created, so this query should be periodically checked to maintain data quality

Project participants

• Helen Williams Project lead
• Gemma Read Project Participant
• Ryan Kermode Project participant

• Wikidata thesis project

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File : Theodore John Kaczynski - Boundary functions (1967).pdf

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DescriptionTheodore John Kaczynski - Boundary functions (1967).pdf	Theodore John Kaczynski's 1967 doctoral dissertation, . A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the University of Michigan. Published without a copyright notice prior to 1977.
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Author	(1942–2023)        Alternative names Description American-Polish mathematician, writer, philosopher, environmentalist, domestic terrorist and terrorist Date of birth/death 22 May 1942  10 June 2023  Location of birth/death : :  :  :  :  :  Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse in the United States because it was in the United States between 1929 and 1977, inclusive, . For further explanation, see as well as a of "publication" for public art. for US works (depending on the date of the author's death), such as Canada (50 ), Mainland China (50 p.m.a., not Hong Kong or Macao), Germany (70 p.m.a.), Mexico (100 p.m.a.), Switzerland (70 p.m.a.), and other countries with individual treaties.                                             Click on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. Date/Time Thumbnail Dimensions User Comment current 1,275 × 1,764, 81 pages (2.17 MB) ( | ) Uploaded a work by {{Creator:Theodore Kaczynski}} from [https://ia904601.us.archive.org/18/items/ted-kaczynski-writings-collection/Theodore%20John%20Kaczynski%20-%20Boundary%20functions%20%281967%29.pdf] with UploadWizard You cannot overwrite this file. There are no pages that use this file. This file contains additional information such as Exif metadata which may have been added by the digital camera, scanner, or software program used to create or digitize it. If the file has been modified from its original state, some details such as the timestamp may not fully reflect those of the original file. The timestamp is only as accurate as the clock in the camera, and it may be completely wrong. File change date and time 04:10, 11 April 2020 Conversion program image2pdf.c Encrypted no Page size Version of PDF format 1.4 Structured data Items portrayed in this file. Ted Kaczynski Doctoral theses 1967 works in the United States PD US no notice PD-US missing SDC copyright status Navigation menu Main navigation Shutkin awarded 2023-2024 fulbright-hays doctoral dissertation research abroad grant. Tal Shutkin , a doctoral candidate in the  Department of Geography at The Ohio State University, has been awarded the prestigious  Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad (DDRA) Fellowship by the U.S. Department of Education, International and Foreign Language Education (IFLE) office. Shutkin will conduct research for his dissertation for seven months in Peru examining “Glacier Change and Social Hydrology of the Cordillera Huaytapallana.” The Andes of Peru host the world’s greatest concentration of glaciers existing in the tropics, which have evolved with the tropical climate over many millennia. Today, in the era of anthropogenic climate warming, these glaciers are rapidly disappearing, triggering social-environmental change across the region. Shutkin’s dissertation research evaluates the changes in Peru’s Cordillera Huaytapallana, a glacierized range near Huancayo, the capital city of the department of Junin. Shutkin asks three complementary questions. One, how have the glaciers of the Cordillera Huaytapallana evolved since the Little Ice Age (~500 years BP) and what impact has this had on water availability? Two, what are the cascading glacio-hydrological impacts of contemporary glacier loss in watersheds with varying physical characteristics including remaining glacier ice volume, hypsometry, and aspect? Three, how do the social-environmental systems differ between these watersheds and to what extent do these differences impact experiences of and contributions to environmental change?  A physical geography PhD candidate, Shutkin is fascinated by the interplay of climate, water, and landscape in social-environmental systems. He will pursue this dissertation research using geomorphological, hydrological, and social scientific field methods, as well as statistical and numerical modeling, thereby contributing to a transdisciplinary assessment of the region’s evolving geography. Shutkin earned his Bachelor of Science in environment and natural resources in 2019 and his Master of Arts in geography in 2022, both from The Ohio State University. His research focuses on the high tropical Andean environment, where communities situated in close proximity to glaciers rely on the mountains to provide water. He uses field-based and glacier modeling approaches to understand how past climate change drove glacier advances which carved out the tropical Andean landscape and how modern climate change is driving ice loss and altering seasonal water availability. His faculty advisor is  Bryan Mark . The DDRA grant supports doctoral candidates to engage in full-time dissertation research abroad in modern foreign languages and area studies across the world. Nationwide across all disciplines approximately 90 Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad Fellowships were awarded this year. The Office of International Affairs administers the  Fulbright-Hays program for Ohio State , and grant competitions are held annually. Doctoral candidates interested in applying for the award must contact Fulbright-Hays program director,  Joanna Kukielka-Blaser . 15 Graduate Students Receive Dissertation Fellowships for 2024–25 Each year, the NBER provides dissertation fellowships for a number of doctoral students in economics and finance, in each case after a widely-disseminated call for applications. Fellowships for dissertation writers in aging and health economics, supported by the National Institute on Aging and the NBER, have been awarded to Michael B. Briskin, of Boston University; Marema Gaye and Graeme P. Peterson of Harvard University; and Theodore L. Caputi, Rebekah A. Dix, Dean Li, Kelsey Moran, and James C. Okun of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Briskin is studying the widespread adoption of private health insurance in the 1940s and 1950s and its effects on physician labor markets and health outcomes in the US. Caputi’s research focuses on behavioral aspects of public health, such as drug use, violence, and crime, and their effects on economic outcomes. Dix is investigating externalities in medical innovation and how interoperability and technological frictions affect patients and healthcare providers. Gaye is studying mental health care and the non-participation of some clinicians in public health insurance. Li is examining the effects of outsourcing, technological change, and consolidation on healthcare labor markets and healthcare delivery. Moran is investigating the determinants of hospital provision of charity care as well as the effects of health information exchange on patients and organizations. Okun’s research analyzes public procurement and the dynamics of buyer groups. Peterson’s dissertation addresses health insurance markets, environmental health, and the causes and consequences of racial disparities in the US healthcare system. Fellowships for graduate students studying behavioral macroeconomics, sponsored by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, have been awarded to Lingxuan Sean Wu of Harvard University, Michael D. Cai of Northwestern University, and Matteo Saccarola of University of California, Berkeley. Cai is studying the estimation of macroeconomic models that accommodate wide classes of non-rational expectations. Saccarola is analyzing the formation of beliefs about inflation, exchange rates, and prices. Wu is studying the implications of misunderstanding of economic relations for the economic fluctuations and stabilization policy. Fellowships to support research on consumer financial management, funded by the Institute of Consumer Money Management, have been awarded to Justin Katz of Harvard University and Grace Ortuzar of the University of Notre Dame. Katz is studying frictions in household debt repayment decisions, with a particular focus on the mortgage and housing sector. Ortuzar is examining the effects of a range of policies that are designed to benefit low-income tenants and reduce homelessness.  Fellowships for the study of retirement and disability policy research, sponsored by the Social Security Administration, have been awarded to Melissa D. Gentry of Texas A&M University and Sydney Gordon of the University of California, Irvine. Gentry is studying the role of access to transportation in affecting employment of individuals with disabilities. Gordon is investigating Social Security Administration field office staffing affects benefit enrollment patterns.  The NBER posts calls for  fellowship applications  each fall. Application closing dates are usually in early December. Those interested in receiving fellowship announcements can sign up to receive notices . More from NBER In addition to working papers , the NBER disseminates affiliates’ latest findings through a range of free periodicals — the NBER Reporter , the NBER Digest , the Bulletin on Retirement and Disability , the Bulletin on Health , and the Bulletin on Entrepreneurship  — as well as online conference reports , video lectures , and interviews . © 2023 National Bureau of Economic Research. Periodical content may be reproduced freely with appropriate attribution. Processing violence and misogyny in extreme metal lyrics to optimise psychosocial benefits This thesis investigated how fans process, appraise, and respond emotionally to violent lyrics in extreme metal music to derive enjoyment and psychosocial benefits. Four studies were conducted. The goal of the first study was to characterise the nature of passion, ingroup identification, and emotional responses among extreme metal music fans. Study 2 was conducted to examine potential differences in how violent linguistic stimuli capture the attention of fans and non-fans, while Study 3 examined the possibility that fans suppress their awareness of, or suppress their emotional responses to, violent extreme metal lyrics. Finally, Study 4 examined the role of cognitive reappraisal in processing themes of violence against women in extreme metal music. The results of Study 1 showed that fans with harmonious passion for extreme metal music experienced high levels of satisfaction as members of the extreme metal community, whereas fans with obsessive passion tended to define themselves more by using their in-group membership. Using an attentional blink paradigm in Study 2, no differences were observed between fans and nonfans, or between males and females, in the way attention is captured by violent linguistic material. Using a recognition memory task, Study 3 revealed participants had poorer discrimination performance (ability to discriminate between targets and foils) for violent lyrics relative to neutral lyrics. Finally, Study 4 revealed that listening to metal songs with lyrical themes of sexual violence against women led to a decrease in positive affect, but non-threatening interpretations of those lyrics (cognitive reappraisal) successfully mitigated such effects. Overall, the results suggest that fans and non-fans of extreme metal process violent stimuli similarly at early stages of attention and encoding, but fans may engage higher order processes such as cognitive reappraisal to derive enjoyment and psychosocial benefits from extreme metal with violent and/or misogynistic lyrics. Table of Contents Awarding institution, degree type, department, centre or school, year of award, principal supervisor, additional supervisor 1, usage metrics. Other education not elsewhere classified 417 IMAGES Guide to Write a PhD Thesis What is a PhD Dissertation and How to Structure it? Doctoral Thesis Work thesis of phd PhD Thesis (PDF) Phd Thesis VIDEO Thesis, Anti-thesis & Synthesis What Is a Thesis? كيفية كتابة رسائل الماجستير واطاريح الدكتوراه How to write Master thesis and Doctoral dissertation Focus on the legal deposit of doctoral theses Neri Oxman admits to plagiarizing in her doctoral dissertation after BI report Doctoral Thesis Defense by Kristiina Urb COMMENTS Thesis At universities in the United Kingdom, the term thesis is usually associated with PhD/ EngD (doctoral) and research master's degrees, while dissertation is the more common term for a substantial project submitted as part of a taught master's degree or an undergraduate degree (e.g. MSc, BA, BSc, BMus, BEd, BEng etc.). Doctorate A doctorate (from Latin doctor, meaning "teacher") or doctoral degree is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism licentia docendi ("licence to teach").. In most countries, a research degree qualifies the holder to teach at university level in the degree's field or work in a specific profession. Doctor of Philosophy A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD or DPhil; Latin: philosophiae doctor or doctor philosophiae) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of graduate study and original research.The name of the degree is most often abbreviated PhD (or, at times, as Ph.D. in North America), pronounced as three separate ... Ph.D. Dissertation Writing: A Short Guide A dissertation, also known as a doctoral thesis, is the final required part of completing a student's doctoral study.Undertaken after a student completes coursework and passes a comprehensive examination, the dissertation is the final hurdle in completing a Ph.D. or other doctoral degree. The dissertation is expected to make a new and creative contribution to a field of study and to ... What Is a PhD Thesis? A PhD thesis is a concentrated piece of original research which must be carried out by all PhD students in order to successfully earn their doctoral degree. The fundamental purpose of a thesis is to explain the conclusion that has been reached as a result of undertaking the research project. The typical PhD thesis structure will contain four ... How to write a Doctoral Thesis 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 ... Structure and criteria of doctoral theses A doctoral dissertation is a consistent scholarly work based on independent research that makes an original contribution to scientific knowledge. It can be a monograph or based on articles. In the natural sciences, dissertations are typically based on articles. The humanities and social sciences have traditionally preferred monographs, although ... UK Doctoral Thesis Metadata from EThOS // British Library The datasets in this collection comprise snapshots in time of metadata descriptions of hundreds of thousands of PhD theses awarded by UK Higher Education institutions aggregated by the British Library's EThOS service. The data is estimated to cover around 98% of all PhDs ever awarded by UK Higher Education institutions, dating back to 1787. What Is a Thesis? Revised on April 16, 2024. A thesis is a type of research paper based on your original research. It is usually submitted as the final step of a master's program or a capstone to a bachelor's degree. Writing a thesis can be a daunting experience. Other than a dissertation, it is one of the longest pieces of writing students typically complete. Writing the doctoral thesis differently A thesis is, however, much more than just an output of learning. It is a formative process through which a doctoral student learns what it means to be a researcher. The doctoral thesis as a form of academic writing has, however, received scant attention in organisational studies. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses ProQuest Dissertations and Theses (PQDT) is an online database that indexes, abstracts, and provides full-text access to dissertations and theses.The database includes over 2.4 million records and covers 1637 to the present. [1] [2] It is produced by ProQuest and was formerly known as ProQuest Digital Dissertations.The bibliographic database (without full-text dissertations) is known as ... Thesis vs. Dissertation: What's the difference? A thesis and a dissertation are both extensive research papers, and both require literature searches and novel findings, but the two differ in various ways. Their definitions also differ across regions. Typically, in North America, a thesis is required for the completion of a master's degree, while a dissertation is required for the completion of a doctoral degree. Wikidata : WikiProject LSEThesisProject The first 2 links draw on the complete set of digitised doctoral and MPhil metadata at LSE from 1926-2021. LSE doctoral theses 1926-2021 with author links to Wikipedia pages where available https://w.wiki/5aHL; Chains of doctoral students/advisors in the project (as of August 2022 the longest is 4) https://w.wiki/5b4L All the visualisations below link LSE thesis metadata with other data ... Doctor of Philosophy The Doctor of Philosophy, (PhD, Ph.D., DPhil or D.Phil.) is a degree which a person gets from a university by finishing a doctorate program. In many areas of study, the PhD / DPhil is the highest degree that a person can earn. ... The product is a long research report called a dissertation (or a "thesis"). Some PhD / DPhil degrees also require ... Doctorate The normal duration is three years. The writing of a comprehensive thesis constitutes the bulk of the doctoral work. While the length of the thesis varies according to the discipline, it is rarely less than 150 pages, and often substantially more. Some 15,000 new doctoral matriculations occur every year and ≈10,000 doctorates are awarded. [95] Write 'According to Wikipedia' in a PhD thesis [duplicate] No, you should not. Wikipedia is not a scientific source. The scientific source is the primary peer-reviewed reference that wikipedia's articles cite. You can (and should) use Wikipedia for a general understanding of a concept, but you should (read and) cite the primary source of the particular concept. Finally, I would avoid writing "According ... Thesis A thesis (plural: 'theses') is a document written in support of an idea that is presented for discussion or disputation. In modern usage it usually refers to a document presented as a requirement for an academic degree or professional qualification. It presents the author 's research and findings. [1] In the academic context it means the same ... Collection of articles A thesis as a collection of articles[1] or series of papers, [2] also known as thesis by published works, [1] or article thesis, [3] is a doctoral dissertation that, as opposed to a coherent monograph, is a collection of research papers with an introductory section consisting of summary chapters. Other less used terms are "sandwich thesis" and ... PDF File : Theodore John Kaczynski English: Theodore John Kaczynski's 1967 doctoral dissertation, Boundary Functions. A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the University of Michigan. Published without a copyright notice prior to 1977. Shutkin awarded 2023-2024 Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Tal Shutkin, a doctoral candidate in the Department of Geography at The Ohio State University, has been awarded the prestigious Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad (DDRA) Fellowship by the U.S. Department of Education, International and Foreign Language Education (IFLE) office. Shutkin will conduct research for his dissertation for seven months in Peru examining "Glacier ... Doctor of Business Administration The Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) or (DrBA) is a terminal degree in business administration.The DBA is classified as a research doctorate or professional doctorate depending on the granting university and country where the degree was awarded. Academically, the DBA is awarded based on advanced study, examinations, project work, and advanced research in the field of business ... 15 Graduate Students Receive Dissertation Fellowships for 2024-25 Each year, the NBER provides dissertation fellowships for a number of doctoral students in economics and finance, in each case after a widely-disseminated call for applications. Fellowships for dissertation writers in aging and health economics, supported by the National Institute on Aging and the NBER, have been awarded to Michael B. Briskin ... Processing violence and misogyny in extreme metal lyrics to optimise This thesis investigated how fans process, appraise, and respond emotionally to violent lyrics in extreme metal music to derive enjoyment and psychosocial benefits. Four studies were conducted. The goal of the first study was to characterise the nature of passion, ingroup identification, and emotional responses among extreme metal music fans. Study 2 was conducted to examine potential ... Doctoral advisor A doctoral advisor (also dissertation director, dissertation advisor; or doctoral supervisor) is a member of a university faculty whose role is to guide graduate students who are candidates for a doctorate, helping them select coursework, as well as shaping, refining and directing the students' choice of sub-discipline in which they will be examined or on which they will write a dissertation. [1] Habilitation Habilitation. Habilitation is the highest university degree, or the procedure by which it is achieved, in Germany, France, Italy and some other European and non-English-speaking countries. The candidate fulfills a university's set criteria of excellence in research, teaching, and further education, which usually includes a dissertation. Doctor of Ministry The Doctor of Ministry (abbreviated DMin or D.Min.) is a professional doctorate, often including a research component, that may be earned by a minister of religion while concurrently engaged in some form of ministry.It is categorized as an advanced program oriented toward ministerial and/or academic leadership. [1] As a terminal professional doctorate, the Doctor of Ministry is primarily ... assignment essay homework paper phd report resume review thesis