Top 3 Thesis Writing Tips for PhD Candidates (From an Academic Editor)

As an academic editor, here are three things I wish PhD candidates would do when writing their thesis:

1. Start with a template

Using a template with the fonts, heading styles, and page numbers formatted to your style guide can literally save you hours of time (and unnecessary frustration) during your final edit. I’ve had clients manually type out their table of contents and even create custom graphics for Roman numerals. Your time is better spent formulating your ideas than formatting your margins!

2. Use a citation manager

Missing references are shockingly common. I’ve edited theses with over 100! You don’t want to spend your final, crucial hours chasing down articles you read years ago. Using a citation manager allows you to store texts, insert in-text citations, and create a reference list with one click. The initial learning curve is absolutely worth the added peace of mind and precision.

3. Enlist another reader

When you’re deeply immersed in your research, it’s impossible to catch every error. Whether it’s a trusted classmate or a professional proofreader, a fresh pair of eyes is invaluable. One client recently asked me for a “light copy edit,” convinced she’d caught most mistakes herself. I ended up making 3,574 edits for grammar, conciseness, cohesion, consistency, and formatting.

What’s one thing you wish authors would do to make their writing experience smoother?

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