3 Game-Changing Tips for PhD Thesis Writing in 2023-24

Starting to write a PhD thesis can be exciting but also a bit tricky. This blog will give you three really helpful Tips for PhD Thesis Writing in 2023-24. These are basically Guidelines for PhD Thesis writing that will make things easier for you. It doesn’t matter if you’ve just begun or you’re in the middle of your research – these tips will help you manage your thesis well. We’ll also talk about something important called Citation Compliance. This means making sure you give credit to other people’s work in the right way. We’ll cover citation compliance, APA, Harvard, and Foot Note, which are like different sets of rules for how to do this. They’re like road signs that guide you in writing your thesis. So, let’s get started and learn these important things for your PhD thesis!

Now before diving into the game-changing tips, let us know the guidelines for PhD thesis writing so that we can really learn the game-changing tips. 

i) Guidelines for PhD Thesis Writing Clear Structure: Make sure your thesis has a clear beginning, middle, and end. Begin with an introduction, then move on to the main body, and finish with a conclusion.

ii) Research Well: Gather a lot of information about your topic. Read books, articles, and talk to experts. This helps you understand your subject better.

iii) Plan Your Time: Set aside specific times for writing and researching. This helps you stay organized and make steady progress.

iv) Use Simple Language: Don’t use complicated words just to sound smart. Explain your ideas in clear and simple words.

v) Check Grammar and Spelling: Mistakes can make your work hard to understand. Use a spell-checker and ask someone to proofread your work.

Tip 1: Incorporate Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) Techniques

# Importance of Incorporating Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) Techniques

Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) is a set of psychological strategies that can be applied to various aspects of life, including academic pursuits like PhD thesis writing. By incorporating these tips for PhD thesis writing, researchers can:

a) Enhance Focus and Concentration:

i) NLP provides tools to improve concentration by helping individuals understand their personal triggers for distraction. 

ii) Through techniques like anchoring, one can create mental cues to easily enter a focused state of mind conducive to writing.

b) Overcome Procrastination and Writer’s Block:

i) NLP offers methods to reframe negative thought patterns and beliefs that contribute to procrastination and writer’s block. 

ii) By changing the way one thinks about the writing process, researchers can increase productivity and creativity.

c) Improve Time Management and Productivity:

i) NLP techniques, such as timeline therapy, can be used to set specific goals and deadlines. 

ii) This helps researchers manage their time effectively and stay on track with their writing schedule.

d) Boost Confidence and Motivation:

i) Through techniques like modelling, researchers can study and emulate the behaviours and thought patterns of successful writers. 

ii) This can lead to increased confidence and motivation in approaching and completing the thesis.

# How PhD Researchers Can Use It to Improve Their PhD Thesis Writing

i) Learn and Practice NLP Techniques: Begin by familiarizing yourself with basic NLP principles and techniques. Books, online courses, and workshops are among the various materials accessible.

ii) Apply Anchoring for Focus: Identify specific cues or actions that can trigger a focused state of mind. For example, you might associate a particular gesture or ritual with entering a writing flow.

iii) Set Clear Goals with Timeline Therapy: Use timeline therapy techniques to set realistic milestones and deadlines for your thesis. This methodical technique might assist you in efficiently managing your time.

iv) Practice Modeling Successful Writers: Identify accomplished authors or researchers in your field and study their writing habits and strategies. Emulate their techniques that resonate with you.

Tip 2: Experiment with Binaural Beats for Focus and Productivity

# Importance of Experimenting with Binaural Beats for Focus and Productivity

Binaural beats are an auditory phenomenon that involves playing two slightly different frequencies in each ear. This creates a perceived third frequency, which can have various effects on brainwave activity. For PhD researchers, incorporating binaural beats can provide the following benefits:

# How PhD Researchers Can Use It to Improve Their PhD Thesis Writing

i) Select Appropriate Binaural Beat Frequencies:

Research the different frequencies and their associated effects. 

For focused writing, frequencies in the alpha and beta range are often recommended.

ii) Choose Comfortable Headphones:

Invest in a good pair of headphones for optimal binaural beat experiences. 

This ensures that the frequencies are delivered effectively to each ear.

iii) Bonus Section: Citation Compliance

Citation compliance is like giving credit for someone else’s work. It shows where we got information from. It helps others find the same information. It makes our work more trustworthy. It prevents plagiarism, which is copying without permission. Teachers and experts like it when we do it right. It’s like saying “thank you” to the people who did the original work. So, always remember to cite sources when we use them!

a) APA is a style with specific ways to write author names and dates.

b) Harvard is another style, which also includes the author’s name and date.

c) Footnote is a style where we put numbers in the text and write details at the bottom.

d) These rules help others find the original source of information.

It’s like using different recipes for cooking – they all make a tasty meal, but with slight differences.

Choosing the right style depends on what our teacher or boss asks for.

Tip 3: Apply Design Thinking to Research Methodology

# Importance of Applying Design Thinking to Research Methodology

Design Thinking is a problem-solving approach that focuses on empathy, ideation, and prototyping to find innovative solutions. When applied to research methodology, it can offer several advantages for PhD researchers:

a) Empathize with End Users: By adopting a user-centred approach, researchers gain a deeper understanding of the needs and perspectives of the people who will engage with their research. This leads to more relevant and impactful findings.

b) Define Research Questions Clearly: Design Thinking encourages precise articulation of research questions, ensuring they are focused and actionable. This clarity guides the entire research process.

c) Generate Innovative Ideas and Approaches: Through ideation, researchers explore a wide range of creative possibilities for data collection, analysis, and interpretation. This can lead to novel insights and methodologies.

d) Prototype and Test Research Methods: Researchers can create prototypes of their research methods or data collection instruments to refine and improve them before implementation. This helps identify and rectify potential issues early on.

e) Iterate and Refine the Research Process: Design Thinking promotes an iterative approach, allowing researchers to refine their methodology based on ongoing feedback and insights. This leads to a more robust and effective research process.

# How PhD Researchers Can Use It to Improve Their PhD Thesis Writing

a) Begin by understanding the perspective and needs of your target audience, whether it’s fellow researchers, practitioners, or the general public.

b) Clearly state the objectives of your research. What do you want to achieve? How will it benefit your field or society?

c) Engage in brainstorming sessions to generate a wide range of research methods and approaches. Encourage creativity and exploration.

e) Create prototypes of surveys, interview guides, or experimental setups. Test them with a small sample to identify and address any potential issues.

f) Gather feedback from peers, advisors, or pilot studies. Use this input to refine and improve your research methodology.

Conclusion

In the end, these three special tips for PhD thesis writing in 2023-24, along with the suggested guidelines, are here to help you. They show you how to manage your thesis well. Also, making sure to cite your sources correctly using formats like citation compliance, APA, Harvard, and Footnote is really important for your thesis to be trustworthy and organized. These strategies are helpful tools, not strict rules. They can be adjusted to fit your own way of doing research and writing. So, use them to make your PhD thesis strong and effective. Keep up the good work!

Phdthesis.in is an online platform that provides PhD students with a range of services to help them with their thesis writing. The platform offers a thesis formatting service that ensures the final document is academically compliant and presented in the format specified by the university. Additionally, the platform provides an online Ph.D. thesis evaluation system that allows professors to upload and manage theses. If you need any help with your thesis, you can email the platform at consulting@phdthesis.in.

FAQs

1. How can I make my PhD life easier?

Ans. Prioritize time management and seek support from peers and advisors.

2. How can I be a better PhD student?

Ans. Maintain your curiosity, ask questions, and be open to learning from a variety of sources.

3. What’s the hardest part about a PhD?

Ans. Balancing research, writing, and personal life demands can be one of the most challenging aspects of pursuing a PhD.

Developing Your Conference Paper with PhD Thesis

Conferences offer numerous benefits for academics, including the opportunity to present new research and interact with peers. They can also be an important tool for networking and professional advancement. However, many academics are uncertain about how to prepare for a conference presentation. This can be a particularly challenging concern for early-career researchers who may be less experienced in public speaking. In addition to the usual concerns associated with public speaking, conference presentations pose unique challenges due to the highly technical nature of most conference sessions. As such, it is important that you take the time to prepare yourself properly.

While there is no single “right” way to prepare for a conference presentation, there are a number of things you can do to minimize risk. First and foremost, it is important that you practice your presentation in advance. This not only helps you become comfortable speaking in front of an audience, but it also helps you identify any potential weak spots in your presentation that could lead to more awkward or uncomfortable moments during the actual event. Second, it is important to practice pacing yourself so that you do not run out of time before your presentation is over. Finally, it is essential that you practice going back and reworking your slides and talking points once you have finished your presentation. 

PhD Thesis Expert Support for Conference Paper Development

The first thing a researcher would have realized is that the conference paper is different from their research paper and the journal paper formats. They surely do share essential constituents but based on the conference requirements, there might be additional or custom requirements. Of course, your conference paper will be submitted prior to the conference and if it is accepted by the panel, you will be invited to present your paper. Our experts at PhD Thesis help you draft the perfect conference paper by providing you guidance on molding your research paper into the requisite format, language and length to completely modify it for the conference you have opted for. 

It is almost impossible to present entire thesis research and most conferences might require a substantial thesis chapter to be presented. Can I not just give my dissertation chapter as the conference paper then? It is not how that works, if it did then we would not have anything to help you with. Your research paper and conference paper are two different categories of writing and based on conference paper demands you might even find it difficult to fit all your chapter details into it and you actually don’t have to. Your research paper is a unique blend of qualitative or quantitative research and data analysis, literature reviews, and descriptions of methodology, but a conference paper is to be presented orally – i.e. you cannot divulge into such great detail even if you wanted to. This does not mean that it is easy, if anything, your task is now doubly difficult considering you have to filter and cherry pick the best of your research work, amend the language and add technical details to intrigue the academic audience. Your data presentation has to be shrewd and must be presented in compelling graphical detail, we take care of that too!

What help would I require as a researcher?

After years of experience helping researchers present their research in conferences and also helping many publish their research papers later on, we have developed the expertise to help researchers prepare conference papers and offer them quality support to present them as well. 

We help researchers analyze the conference requirements in detail and discern how and what of their paper fits the conference. This is followed by an expert development of the abstract for your paper which provides the organizers with a brief overview of your topic and a summary of your results. This is an important aspect of the conference paper development. We then proceed to help you develop the conference paper based on the conference paper format that has been demanded or otherwise follow standard format which include managing your expectation and that of the audience and organizers, this will involve optimizing of language, preparation of important sections like introduction, organizing data, prioritizing the best results and careful assortment of the references. The experts also take care of the citation style that is to be followed. 

We also help you with presenting your data such as through PowerPoint presentations and provide you with essential suggestions to better present your conference paper. 

Explaining your findings in a conference presentation can help you form a perceptual connection with your audience, receive feedback on your work, and identify future improvements. It may also help researchers establish a foundation for future research and peer-reviewed publications.

PhD Proposal Format: An Important Part Of Your Thesis Journey

What is a Research/Thesis Proposal?

A research or a thesis proposal aims to outline the idea of your entire research/thesis paper. It tends to answer the why and what of your research purpose, research questions, statement of problem, research methodology, expected findings/outcomes, conclusion, the time required for research, references etc. 

It is like defining the plan of action before you begin writing your thesis paper. It sets a base for your successful final paper and it helps you avoid any confusion while you are working hard on your actual research, hence following a proper PhD proposal format is important.

First reason to work on a good research proposal is that you will get a clear picture of your research work and second significant reason is that you will be able to submit a convincing proposal to the universities you want to apply into.

The Basic PhD Thesis Proposal Format-

  1. Title of the Project/Research/Thesis-
  • An eye catchy, relevant, to the point, engaging title is all what you need to select. The title should be crisp enough yet you should make sure that it explains what your research is going to be all about.
  1. Introduction-
  • Introduction includes the statement of your research in a few words that comprises of the research idea you are working on. 
  1. Research Objectives/ Purpose of Research-
  • This part includes all the research objectives you want to showcase, you can explain three to four research objectives related to the scope of your study and the objective of your study.
  • The objectives would define the purpose of your research, as in what is the aim or goal of your research, what do you want to achieve at the end of your research.
  1. Review of Literature-
  • This part is really important as it contains previously published work of research experts who have done somewhat similar research which can help you further in your work. 
  • Taking help of previously published research papers is crucial as you get a base for how do you have to move ahead in your research.
  • Going through similar topics will enhance your knowledge even more and you will have a broader perspective towards the topic your are researching on.
  1. Research methodology-
  • This section will define the methods, techniques, tools, framework, theories that you are going to use for carrying out your research study.
  • Selecting a particular method and the reason to select the same is what you will explain in this section.
  • For example, you are going to use qualitative method or quantitative method or may be a mix of both methods depending on what is the topic of your research.
  1. Data collection-
  • In this section you have to mention about the data collection tools and techniques that you are going to use.
  • For example, using the questionnaire method with the implementation of semantic likert scale.

Which method is right and why that you are supposed to explain here.

  1. Expected Outcomes/Findings-
  • This section contains the expected or possible outcomes of your research study. 
  1. Conclusion-
  • This part includes the conclusion that you can possibly generate out of the overall research and findings.

  1. Bibliography or References-
  • This will contain the references that you have used.

Following proper PhD proposal format is very crucial, if you find any issues in doing so you can always reach us at: https://www.phdthesis.in/contact-us/ or +91-80-4675-9500

How to Pen Down an Approval-Ready Research Proposal in Sociology Like a Pro?

Research proposal is a project outline that presents the need for the study and practical approaches used to obtain the key findings. It identifies the subject matter of the proposed study and enables the reader to judge originality and quality of the proposed study. Since research proposal is what the PhD applicant & his/her application gets judged for, it is therefore necessary to ensure it includes nil or minimum typographical and other language errors.

Generally, a proposal includes about 2000-3000 words and involves articulating research problem & hypothesis. However, the number of words and the elements included within the proposal may vary according to the needs of the subject. In this blog, we guide you on proposal development for research in sociology. 

  • Working title – The title must describe the nature of the study (For example, describing a comparative study) and should include empirical focus or key concepts . Avoid using uninformative title, instead employ title that is original and describes what you aspire in your research. For example, social movements in the modern age, what and how demonstrations lead social policy change?, etc. 
  • Topic & hypothesis– Research question or hypothesis is required to progress with the study. Include both broad as well as narrow question and less certain & potential possibilities. Translate the theoretical issue into hypothesis and ensure your hypothesis distinguishes competing arguments. Provide an explanation as to why the chosen issue is worth exploring. Next, clearly state the importance of the chosen topic and how does it contribute to your field of study. Identify the research gaps (theoretical & practical) and demonstrate your understanding in addressing the gap. 

Note: hypothesis should be derived from theoretical arguments and not from empirical projections.  

  • Aims of the research – The research aims are broader than the hypothesis or question. Give a clear and concise outline of the objectives you want to achieve in your study. The aim should be an answer to questions like ‘what will the study contribute to the field of study?’ or ‘what will the study explore?’. Provide a general overview of the study and establish relevance with the existing academic thinking. Remember, your proposal should explain why your study is important to the research community. 
  • Literature review –  This section illustrates your understanding regarding your field of study and are capable of performing the research. Demonstrate how your proposal adds value to the existing knowledge. This is achieved by presenting how your work fits in the existing framework. Give a logical explanation on the theoretical scope of framework used to support the research. You can also mention the important contributions of other researchers in your field of study. Also, do not simply summarise the literature & law. Instead, identify the trends, results, and incorporate a critical assessment. 
  • Research method/approach – Having defined the research question and establishing a relationship with the existing study, the next step is to outline the research methods. This section should give detailed information about the approaches to be used to answer the research question. Provide details about the method of investigation (survey, interviews, content analysis, etc.) you wish to employ. List the resources ( field visits, specialist library, access to database, analytical software, data gathering methods, controls to be introduced, etc.) used in the study. Additionally, explain the tools and techniques used to analyse the data. If necessary, ethical issues and challenges faced during data collection can be included in this section. 
  • Time scale – Provide details pertaining to the estimated time taken to complete the research. This demonstrates the sequence of research phases and time required to complete each phase. You can also include the estimated budget and means of funding for your study. 
  • References & bibliography – List the references using standard formatting style or the one demanded by your target institute. Make sure you list only those sources which you have used to develop the proposal. 

Some of the pitfalls to avoid while crafting the proposal include:

  1. Including overly broad research topic. Realistic topic that can be completed in the given time limits have higher chances of acceptance.
  2. Incorporating references that are more than 5years old. Instead, include sources that cover the latest advancement in your field of study. Also, ensure to include more than 10 references.
  3. Including unclear explanation on choice of research methods and techniques used to arrive at the desired result. 
  4. Overuse of jargon and too lengthy/wordy proposal.
  5. Sloppy presentation. Despite including all the necessary elements, a proposal may get rejected due to the poor presentation. Therefore, ensure it is well-organised and is neatly presented. 

 

Crafting a proposal can be tedious. But on knowing what needs to be included and what must be excluded, you can do justice to your research proposal.

 

Why is a Conceptual Framework not a Conceptual Model?

Any research topic has many perspectives. However, the researcher can’t concentrate simultaneously on all points of view. He has to put forward a logical structure that the research will continue to focus on in broad areas that will be covered. This is called the research framework. In essence, the research framework helps the researcher retain … Continue reading “Why is a Conceptual Framework not a Conceptual Model?”

Any research topic has many perspectives. However, the researcher can’t concentrate simultaneously on all points of view. He has to put forward a logical structure that the research will continue to focus on in broad areas that will be covered. This is called the research framework. In essence, the research framework helps the researcher retain a clear focus on the job. It can be theoretical or conceptual.

Definition

When there is a subject to investigate, there are certain theories associated with it. These theories are generalized with observations of the researcher himself or well-established theories proposed in the subject by the first researchers. A research framework is based on the theory known as the conceptual model and consists of a set of coherent ideas and interrelated models. It establishes the strategic point or perspective through which the researcher observes the problem. The conceptual framework is used by researchers to guide their information and presents research in relation to relevant publications. The conceptual framework can summarize the main dependent and independent variables in the research and the relationship between them. The conceptual framework is the operationalization of the conceptual model.

Goals

The objective of forming a conceptual model is to define a broad framework in which a researcher can work. The conceptual model improves the complete transparency of the
research, it also helps the researcher to get involved in the research more quickly as he searches only the information in the conceptual model and does not follow any other information he finds on the subject. The main objective in the formation of a conceptual model is to help the researcher to direct the research. The conceptual framework is used to identify the research methods and tools to carry out research effectively.

Components

The conceptual model seeks recognized theories in connection to the particular topic of research. The conceptual framework is the researcher’s idea about the way in which the research problem is explored, bearing in mind the theories presented in the conceptual model. The conceptual model is observed in the general relation of things of a phenomenon, while the conceptual framework presents the methods of study of the relationship between specific variables identified in the research topic. The conceptual framework gives an instruction to research that is missing in the conceptual model, helping to decide on the tools and methods that can be used in research.

The conceptual model is more extensive in the field and is seen in the larger image. Thus, an example of a conceptual model to investigate could be an extensive topic such as “Eating habits that affect health”. The conceptual framework is more specific and points out the specific variables that will have to be explored in the research. In this specific example, the conceptual framework may include the specific foods that can be eaten and their relationship to specify health issues such as blood pressure or diabetes.

Thus, conceptual framework can be stated as something that is variable where thoughts and concepts can be implemented making sure that the original theory is not distorted, whereas a model is something that represents a set of system that has a composition and self-defined characteristics.