Techniques to improve your PhD writing and fluency
Writing’s not that easy. Here you’ll learn simple techniques to write more effectively and convincingly.
The PhD Discussion Chapter: What It Is & How To Write It
Your PhD discussion chapter is your thesis's intellectual epicenter. Think of it as the scholarly equivalent of a courtroom closing argument, where you summarise the evidence and make your case. Perhaps that’s why it’s so tricky - the skills you need in your...
Keep Your Reader Engaged: How To Craft PhD Thesis Statements
In this post, I'm going to give you what I think is the easiest win when it comes to improving your writing: using thesis statements to tell the reader what the destination is right at the outset of your writing. PhD thesis statements will be a useful tool in your...
Stop! Before you write a word of your thesis, you need to choose a style guide.
Using a style guide in your PhD can give it a professional finish. Here we explain their importance and why you should use one in your PhD.
Seven tips for clear and concise writing in your PhD
At the heart of a PhD is a goal to make the examiner happy. Clear, concise writing is an important component of achieving that goal.
Five tips to improve your PhD thesis
Regardless of what stage of the writing process you are at, there are five overarching tips you need to keep in mind if you want to improve your PhD thesis.
The PhD only needs to be good enough, which is terrifying if English is your second language.
The hardest thing about doing a PhD isn’t the research, the literature review, the research design. They’re all hard, sure, but the hardest thing about doing a PhD is the constant worry about whether what you’re doing is ‘good enough’. The trouble is, we only have so much control over making it good enough.
Proofreading is cheating, isn’t it?
Record numbers of PhD students are having their dissertations proofread. Should it be counted as cheating? Sometimes, yes.
7 Ways To Beat PhD Writer’s Block
Then the deadline grows shorter. You start to worry, “I’m so far behind. Can I ever catch up? I’m a good student. So why haven’t I been more productive?”
A System That Helps Makes Academic Writing Less Boring
Let’s be honest, PhD theses can be boring. The subject matter and technical language is necessarily complex, so writing one that remains engaging can be tough. It’s worth it though.
Learn how to write a PhD proposal that will stand out from the rest
When stripped down to its basic components, the PhD proposal explains the what and the why of your research. What it will be about and why it will be important.
Easily understand how to write a PhD thesis introduction
Get the introduction right and the rest of your dissertation will follow. Mess it up and you’ll be struggling to catch up. The introduction is the place to factually recount what it is you will be discussing in the thesis. Learn more in this detailed guide.
Ten Reasons Why You Need Your PhD Proofread
Deciding whether or not to hire a proofreader for you PhD is a big commitment. Whichever way you look at it, it’s expensive. Plus, you may think that your English language skills are good enough. So why bother? Read our ten reasons why.
Russian (dolls) to the rescue – how to structure an argument in your PhD
At the core of the PhD are arguments. Lots of them. Some more important and some very specific. When you understand how to structure an argument, your thesis reads clearly and logically. If you don’t the reader ends up confused and your thesis suffers.
Five Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Use Grammarly To Proofread A PhD
Grammarly, the free online grammar and spelling checker, claims to ‘make sure everything you type is clear, effective, and mistake-free’ and that ‘everything you write clear and effective all the time’. If that’s the case, then why spend money on a proofreader when Grammarly can do it for free? Put simply, Grammarly is terrible at proofreading academic texts.
Explore Other PhD Knowledge Base Collections
Eight collections of free resources to help you along the PhD journey
Mastering your theory and literature review chapters
How to structure and write every chapter of the PhD
How to stay motivated and productive
Techniques to improve your writing and fluency
Advice on maintaining good mental health
Resources designed for non-native English speakers
Explore our back-catalogue of motivational advice
Each week we send out a short, motivational email to over 4,000 students. Here you can sign up and access the archive.