The format of a PhD thesis is the same as any other thesis with some variations. PhD thesis writing is different from simple dissertation writing. This is because PhD thesis differs from the dissertation in concepts of scope, purpose, length, and research requirements. A dissertation is different from your PhD thesis. A dissertation, in general, is usually in the form of a literature review. It is the compilation of a specific area of study only. It serves to prove that you’re competent in this study area.
A PhD thesis is a more specific type of research. You write it when you’re working on the specific idea of your doctorate degree. It adds to the knowledge, methods, and theory regarding your field of study. A PhD thesis is independent research. And its is conducted on a new area of research. It is a new and original piece of research, unlike other dissertations. The new knowledge may be about existing phenomena too.
A PhD thesis is a more specific type of research. You write it when you’re working on the specific idea of your doctorate degree. It adds to the knowledge, methods, and theory regarding your field of study. A PhD thesis is independent research. And its is conducted on a new area of research. It is a new and original piece of research, unlike other dissertations. The new knowledge may be about existing phenomena too.
A PhD thesis is also more complex, and detailed. It has more length and detail than the other dissertations. This is because a PhD thesis is mostly written over the years. A PhD thesis is intended to for separate publishing. It is sometimes added as the chapter of a book because of its credibility. The format of a PhD thesis is same as that of the dissertation, with some differences. These similarities and dissimilarities are in this article as follows;
Paper Format
Most of the time, a standard A4 paper is used for both a PhD thesis, and a dissertation. In the dissertation, the margin is 1.5 inches on the left, and 1-inch top, bottom, and on the right. In PhD thesis writing, 1-inch margins are set on top, bottom, right, and left.Size and Line Spacing
In PhD thesis writing, the size of the font is 12. The line spacing provided within PhD thesis is 1.5 spaced lines. Footnotes are mostly provided in PhD thesis writing instead of general in-text citations. It is possible that they may, or may not be given in dissertations. The font size of footnotes is 10 points. And they’re written with single spaces. Text and footnotes are usually justified in PhD thesis writing, as well as in the dissertations. Most commonly used fonts are used here that provide full characters. Most of the time, Times New Roman is also used for both PhD thesis, and dissertation writing aspects.Format for Tables and Pictures
Pictures and tables are inserted where they’re discussed. They're inserted at the place where they’re discussed within the PhD thesis and dissertation. They are never provided where they're divided into two pages. The pictures are also provided on a single page. These are not divided into two different pages. Same trend of formatting goes for the format of tables. Colours are not used in PhD thesis tables, or even in the graphs. Same goes for the dissertations. Instead of using colours, bold letters and italic letters are used for presenting the differences. The dashed line can also be used for this purpose.Pagination
Page numbers are provided throughout the text in both PhD thesis and other dissertations. Page numbers are also provided for annexes, notes, and bibliographies. In PhD thesis, the odd page numbers are on the right side. This trend is not constant for other dissertations. In PhD dissertation writing, a white page is inserted before the start of a new chapter. The new chapter always starts on an odd-numbered page. In other dissertations, text's provided on one side of the paper. The back of the paper is blank. Arabic numerals are used for the numbering of content, acknowledgment, title page, and abstract for PhD thesis writing. The same trend of page numbering goes for dissertation writing. The abstract of a PhD thesis is longer than that of other dissertations.Also Read This: Why Is 'X' The Unknown?
Title Page
The title pages of a thesis are as recommended by the institute, or template that you’re using. For example, the title page will be as the Harvard template recommends when you’re using this style during PhD thesis writing. Other systems are also used as per recommendation by the administrative assistant when your PhD thesis is not in English. Font size is also as per the system you’re following for PhD thesis writing.Language Correction
At PhD level, if the thesis is submitted for language correction, it's specified on the first inside page. In the dissertation, it can also be presented at the end of that thesis.