Academic Coaching Blog

Thesis Formatting: When, How and Why

• PhD • Style Guide • Thesis • Thesis Format

Why should you be so picky about your thesis format? First, you have to meet your university’s standards for submission. Even more importantly, your examiners will take your clean, elegant, and beautifully presented manuscript as a sign that you are an organized and confident candidate, ready to successfully defend your work. And that’s a good thing.

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I sleep with the APA Manual under my pillow!

• Style Guide • Thesis • Thesis Format

I sleep with the APA Manual under my pillow!

At least that’s what I tell PhD candidates.  Yes, I assure them, it’s slightly uncomfortable but if you want to use the American Psychological Association (APA)Style Guide, you have to spend a lot of time with the manual! And just in case you’re just starting your academic writing and are not sure what a Style Guide is used for, it’s to ensure consistency in citations, reference lists, formatting and layout.  So, if you want to know how long your dashes should be, a good Style Guide will help you with that. I’ve never quite understood why a manual developed by...

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Earth Day

• Ontology

 My clever friend added my logo to this Earth Day image, because she knows my commitment. This English woman with a love of Manchester United football team is very talented and a visionary. It's a pleasure to call her my friend, and to benefit from her advice and her skill.  My message to her is: Thanks so much!

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Free Webinar on " Your Conclusion and How to End It"

• Conclusion • Thesis

In our small group free webinar today we discussed Conclusions, because I believe it's always a good idea to think about endings. Don't wait until the last few months of your doctoral journey to think about your Conclusion. Why? Well, in the first place, many researchers are frightened at the thought of writing a Conclusion, imagining that it is a complex, difficult thing to do. So they procrastinate and then don't leave enough time to write it. Also, students may think it's premature to think about the ending when they've just started the beginning.  What can possibly be done to prepare...

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International Women's Day: The first woman to earn a PhD

• IWD • Women PhDs

I'm proud to remember the woman who has gone down in history as the first to earn a PhD in 1678: Elena Comaro Piscopia. We've come a long way!! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elena_Cornaro_Piscopia

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