A Complete Guide on Thesis Word Count and Format at PhD Level

If you start searching for the true stories of a PhD scholar’s life, at least for a moment, you may think that getting a doctorate degree is really a tough process. Yes, it is. But at the same time, you will also come to know some problem-solving approaches that these scholars opted to finally become a doctor of philosophy. Selecting a topic for research, using the latest equipment, and effectively managing large datasets are among some of the challenging tasks, especially in a doctorate thesis. But if you start following the footsteps of an expert writer or researcher, you can surely make a masterpiece which will be accepted in no time. Thus, to keep the importance of getting solutions to all thesis problems by seeking expert advice in mind, the following article will be a complete guide to PhD thesis word count and formatting. Let’s directly jump on to a matter of discussion:

PhD Dissertation – A Brief Introduction:

Unlike master’s and undergraduate theses, doctorate dissertations need you to do extensive research and writing. It must be based on unique ideas that are completely explored to get noticed by the research committee quickly. However, the main steps to writing a winning Ph.D. thesis are more and less similar to as required to write an undergraduate or graduate thesis. It is your efforts for clarity, originality, and authenticity that help you draft a thesis that can meet the international level of research for doctorate studies.

Furthermore, dissertation writing starts by selecting a topic with a wider scope. Moreover, the definition of the main problem statement, brief background, detailed literature search, good methodology, and clear results along with discussion, are a few tasks to be completed in the body of the thesis (which usually comprises three chapters). Lastly, the thesis writing ends by providing a brief and to-the-point conclusion. Moreover, validating each point by giving using credible sources is also a factor affecting the quality of the Ph.D. dissertation. Remember, you are allowed to cite a piece of information by using multiple scholarly articles or using more than one piece of information from a single source is also fair enough.

PhD Thesis Word Count:

There are several differences between a doctorate, master’s and undergraduate thesis, but the most common one is the thesis word count. Basically, the word limit of the thesis is highly determined by your discipline. Still, as a rough idea, the undergraduate thesis must be limited between 8,000 to 15,000 words. Moreover, with a few exceptions, you can sum up your master’s thesis between 15,000 to 20,000 words. But for completing a doctorate thesis, it’s obvious that you must take a step forward or try to touch 80,000 words.

Additionally, this suggested word limit is exclusive of added tables, charts, maps, bibliographies, and appendices. However, in many settings, the words written in the footnotes are included within it. If you are writing a thesis on your own, then even without deciding the word count, you can start writing the thesis. But if you are planning to write a dissertation by getting PhD dissertation help, then you must discuss the word count with your supervisor before placing an order.

Note: There is not at all a hard and fast rule for setting a benchmark for your dissertation. It’s you, your institute, your field, and especially your supervisor who can guide you about the thesis word count. Generally, your PhD thesis acceptance has no connection with the thesis word count. It’s the originality in research, the quality of evidence, and your problem-solving approach that affect a dissertation’s acceptance more than your thesis word count.

PhD Thesis Format:

Starting from the very basic information, for PhD dissertation, you must have to follow a complete formatting guide. There are many different types of dissertation formatting guides. Among them, a few important ones include the Chicago style formatting, Harvard style formatting, and APA style formatting. Each guide suggests writers follow a set of rules regarding the margins, borders, font size, heading styles, style of bibliography, and even cover page design. Let’s briefly discuss a few differences in thesis formatting under different style guides.

Harvard Style Formatting:

Usually, the thesis or paper following the Harvard style guide has the following:

1-inch or 2.5cm margins on all sides of the pages
Font size and style must be Times New Roman or Arial 12
The text must be double-spaced
The title of the thesis must be at the centre of the page
The text must be left-aligned, and the first sentence of all paragraphs must be intended by 0.

APA Style Formatting:

Likewise, if a thesis follows the APA style formatting, then its format will be:

The margins must be one inch from all sides
The font style or size must be Times New Roman or Arial 12.
The text must be double-spaced.
The title, student, and institution name must be aligned at the centre of the cover page.

Chicago Style Formatting

Like APA or Harvard styles, the Chicago style also provides complete details for thesis formatting. Such as:

The margins must be 1 inch on all sides
The font style and size must be Times New Roman 12
The text should be double-spaced.
The first line of each paragraph must be indented by ½ inch.

These are only a few simple thesis formatting styles, even though there are many more. The best tip to deal with thesis formatting is to select any one style. Then ask experts from the thesis writing services to help you in producing a perfect thesis draft.

Final Thoughts:

In a nutshell, thesis writing is not as difficult as conducting research. Basically, it’s your originality concerns that give you a tough time. But if you have effectively done extensive research, then the next step must be just to follow the thesis guide to limit your work under the suggested thesis word count and follow the formatting style guide to complete the task.