Writing PhD Thesis: How many Sections are Enough?

A student who has reached the pinnacle of their discipline is going to produce a once in a lifetime document to display to the world their mastery of the subject. This is a PhD thesis and if done successfully, will live as a testament to their accomplishments in a specific area of study. Getting all of the formatting can be difficult but writing a great PhD thesis paper is a necessary part of a high level education. All students have questions about appropriate length and formatting an appropriate PhD thesis should contain.

Number of Sections Will Vary

There is no set number of sections for a PhD thesis paper. Much will depend on the topic you choose and the amount of information you will be sharing. Some topics are going to lend themselves to more sections than others will simply because of the diversity and depth a person needs to write them. There are however certain sections that writers should pay specific attention to. There will be a temptation to make you paper really long, just to make it seem important. At some point the author is going to have to stop and it should be when all of the relevant information has been collected.

Introduction is Important

Many writers of PhD Thesis papers are very focused, and rightfully so, on the content of the majority of their paper. When your paper is evaluated the first thing an examiner is going to see is the introduction. Like any project, the first impression a person gets is going to be a lasting one. Spend extra time on this section and create a pleasant and informative invitation to readers. This sets the tone for the rest of the paper and provides a great first impression of the author. The great part of this is that it will only take a little time and effort to make the introduction a thing of beauty.

Make Information Relevant

As the thesis paper is developed, the writing process will be easier if the author remembers a few simple questions. It is human nature to want a major work to be long and seem important, but don’t create sections just for the sake of length. Focus on the relevance. Does the information being presented add to the body of knowledge needed to support the thesis. Also it is wise to look at the quality of the information as well. Is it coming from a trustworthy source and does it add to the information you are presenting. Finally make sure there is a complete understanding of every piece of information included in the paper.