Doing something for the first time is always hard…and not many people write two or more theses! But the good news is that thousands of people each year submit their thesis and gain their PhD.

So it must be possible.

  1. Start by making sure you have looked through three or four theses that have been submitted recently in your department. Don’t read them word-by-word, but make a list of the sort of things that make up this long document.

  2. Create a list of what you have done so far. Research carried out, block of results gathered, maybe papers written, submitted or possibly even accepted. See how your list compares with the existing theses.

  3. Sketch out a plan. Set a date when you hope to submit and start working back. Think of the tasks that need completing and the blocks of writing that need creating and pencil them into a calendar.


You will struggle to finish if you don’t set out with purpose. Creating a framework of tasks and dates can generate energy and at times trigger urgency. You will need both of these agents if you are going to write your thesis.

While your research is going it is so easy to get carried away setting up experiments, collecting data, arranging interviews, etc. that you start to believe there is no spare time in the day to make any progress on your thesis. 

The view is that you always need to get all of your information and data gathering complete, then start working out how to pack it into a thesis. 

But you don’t need to finish your research before you start planning, shaping and creating your thesis. There is a lot you can do. To start with, how about locking down timelines and deadlines…it can focus your mind. 

Why not get out your diary and pick a date when you would love to be walking into the Submissions office with a completed thesis. Your choice of date could be guided by pragmatic issues such as:

  • When does your funding stop? 
  • When does your visa run out?
  • When does another job or piece of research start?


There will also be a set of research-related issues such as:

  • When will I have enough to build a credible thesis?
  • When will my supervisor stop asking me to do additional tasks?
  • When will I have read enough papers or articles to be ready to create an informed argument within my thesis?

Frequently asked questions

  • What part of my thesis should I write first?

    First of all map out a basic chapter structure, so you have an idea how the whole document fits together. Then a common place to start is either the Methods areas or the Literature Review. In both cases these are areas that you should know well, so they are easy areas to make quick progress.

  • What is longest part of a thesis?

    Some people would say the Discussion, as you need to show you have thoroughly analysed your own work, but we would suggest the Literature Review. Your Discussion discusses three or four pieces of research, the Literature Review draws from hundreds of published papers.

  • What part of my thesis should I write last?

    Surprisingly, the Introduction is a good section to write last. The idea of the Introduction is to introduce the reader to your thesis. That is best done once you know exactly what is in the thesis!

5 star rating

Brilliant – especially how to structure your chapters.

PhD Researcher

The idea of mapping out a thesis, filling in the chapters, filtering information and keeping the main purpose in mind.

The idea of mapping out a thesis, filling in the chapters, filtering information and keeping the main purpose in mind.

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5 star rating

I would recommend this to anyone who has the opportunity.

Advanced Practitioner

Information on typical structures and how to develop the 'story', alongside the advice on time management.

Information on typical structures and how to develop the 'story', alongside the advice on time management.

Read Less
5 star rating

I feel a huge weight taken off my shoulders...

PhD Researcher

This course broke down my thesis into manageable sections – the information about the external examiner was also really clear.

This course broke down my thesis into manageable sections – the information about the external examiner was also really clear.

Read Less

My Thesis: Bitesize Course

A thesis is almost certainly the biggest writing project you have faced – it looks daunting, and there is little guidance that tells you how to go about creating it.  

My Thesis In 10 Steps will show you what the requirements of a PhD thesis are and how to structure the document to clearly put across your findings.

Regular Clients Include: