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It also advises on how to introduce the thesis and how to position the literature review and methodology within the overall sequence.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/","Template",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/paper-templates/","Paper Templates",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/organising-your-chapters-and-formatting-your-thesis-guidance/170148/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/organising-your-chapters-and-formatting-your-thesis-guidance/170148.png","ImageObject",442,249,{"name":42,"@type":43},"Ophelia","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document","2026-10-14","2026-09-01",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":55},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",17,{"@type":57,"mainEntity":58},"FAQPage",[59,65,69],{"name":60,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":62},"How should a PhD or Masters by Research thesis be organized into chapters?","Question",{"text":63,"@type":64},"The thesis does not need a single fixed arrangement, but it should include typical sections that match the study and discipline. Common arrangements vary in how the introduction, literature review, and methodology are distributed across chapters.","Answer",{"name":66,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":67},"What information must be included in a thesis abstract (or executive summary)?",{"text":68,"@type":64},"An abstract typically includes background, purpose, methods, findings, and conclusions. Each part should be written in concise sentences that justify the study, describe the research approach, summarize results, and state key implications.",{"name":70,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":71},"What guidance does the document give for acknowledgements and gifts?",{"text":72,"@type":64},"Acknowledgements should express gratitude to supervisors, participants, relevant academics or peers, community or organizational supporters, and friends and family. If funding is received, it should be acknowledged, and gifts should not exceed $100 to avoid real or perceived conflicts of interest.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":75,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":77,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":79,"site_id":7},170148,1788268244,{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":83},"success",[84,89,94,99,104,109,113,118,122],{"id":85,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":86,"show_sort_weight":87,"slug":88},11,"Presentations",90,"presentations",{"id":90,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":91,"show_sort_weight":92,"slug":93},12,"Resumes",80,"resumes",{"id":95,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":96,"show_sort_weight":97,"slug":98},14,"Invoices",70,"invoices",{"id":100,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":101,"show_sort_weight":102,"slug":103},15,"Posters",60,"posters",{"id":105,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":106,"show_sort_weight":107,"slug":108},16,"Social Media",50,"social-media",{"id":55,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":110,"show_sort_weight":111,"slug":112},"Forms",40,"forms",{"id":114,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":115,"show_sort_weight":116,"slug":117},18,"Letters",30,"letters",{"id":119,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":120,"slug":121},21,5,"papers-templates",{"id":123,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":124,"show_sort_weight":4,"slug":125},158,"General","general-158",{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":127},{"doc_id":79,"user_id":128,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":129,"doc_module":22,"category_id":119,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":130,"file_id":131,"file_url":132,"file_type":133,"file_size":134,"view_count":55,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":135,"language":136,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":137,"faqs":138,"seo_title":139,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":80,"read_time":33},7971461741311,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/avatar/74000253aff267980c6?x-image-process=image/resize,m_fixed,w_180,h_180&k=1779345379180704826","ORGANISING YOUR CHAPTERS AND FORMATTING YOUR THESIS\nby Simon Moss\nIntroduction\nHow many chapters should a PhD or Masters by Research thesis comprise?  What are the contents of these chapters? What is the usual length of these chapters? Are these chapters the same in all disciplines? How should I format my thesis?  To answer these questions, you could\nconform to the format of some other theses in your field, available from \u0013 HYPERLINK \"https://researchers.cdu.edu.au/en/studentTheses/\" \u0014this link\u0015\nseek advice from your supervisor, or\nread this document\nCommon arrangements of chapters\nThe theses that PhD and Masters by Research candidates submit do not have to conform to a specific arrangement.  For example\nin some theses, the introduction and literature review are presented in one chapter\nin other theses, several chapters review distinct strands of literature\nin some theses, one chapter outlines the methodology and methods\nin other theses, this description of the methodology and methods is embedded within several chapters, such as the introduction and empirical chapters\nNevertheless, the following table specifies the main sections and chapter headings of a typical thesis. In addition, this table specifies the average number of words these chapters include—for PhD theses and Masters by Research theses respectively.\n* Often, fewer words if publications rather than chapters\nCommon variations on these chapters\nThe precise sequence of chapters will depend on the study, the discipline, and the preferences of candidates and supervisors.  The following table clarifies some common variations to the sequence of chapters that was presented in the previous section.\nMain contents of each chapter\nFinally, this section offers some insights into the main contents of each chapter.  Nevertheless, you should read other theses to learn more about these sections and chapters.\nTitle page\nThe first page, called the title page, often resembles the following format, but printed on a white background.\nDeclarations\nOn a separate page, you should include the following declarations or a close variant:\nIn various instances, if the thesis contains sensitive or commercial information, you can seek an embargo that can last up to 24 months.  You would still include the previous consent, however, because the thesis would not be deposited in the Charles Darwin University Library until the embargo ends.\nAbstract\nTypically, an abstract, or executive summary, should include the following information\nBackground.  Write one to three sentences about the problem in society, or controversy in the literature, you are attempting to resolve, primarily to justify the importance of this study. You might, for example, first highlight the prevalence or significance of some problem.  You might then describe the limitations of previous attempts to resolve this problem.\nPurpose. Write one to three sentences to clarify the aim or purpose of this study. Although usually one sentence is adequate, a second or third sentence could be included to clarify the unique feature of this research, to justify the approach, or to present the hypotheses.\nMethods.  Write one to four sentences that describe the method. Only include enough details to enable the reader to understand the research—to be able to visualize the research.  If your study comprises human participants, you would primarily describe the activities the participants completed.  If your study mainly comprises animals, specimens, chemicals, or other objects, you would primarily describe the main activities that you completed and the properties of these objects. You should also prioritize features that differentiate this study from past research\nFindings. Write one to three sentences that summarize the findings or results.  In general, describe a few significant patterns or discoveries rather than specific details or statistics, unless critical. Write concretely but refrain from too many details.\nYou might also choose to describe eac","cbCaiuLqJbmzB8t9","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaiuLqJbmzB8t9","docx",527344,10,"English","# Introduction\n## Common arrangements of chapters\n## Common variations on these chapters\n## Main contents of each chapter\n### Title page\n### Declarations\n### Abstract\n### Acknowledgements and gifts\n# Introduction\n## The literature review","[{\"question\":\"How should a PhD or Masters by Research thesis be organized into chapters?\",\"answer\":\"The thesis does not need a single fixed arrangement, but it should include typical sections that match the study and discipline. Common arrangements vary in how the introduction, literature review, and methodology are distributed across chapters.\"},{\"question\":\"What information must be included in a thesis abstract (or executive summary)?\",\"answer\":\"An abstract typically includes background, purpose, methods, findings, and conclusions. Each part should be written in concise sentences that justify the study, describe the research approach, summarize results, and state key implications.\"},{\"question\":\"What guidance does the document give for acknowledgements and gifts?\",\"answer\":\"Acknowledgements should express gratitude to supervisors, participants, relevant academics or peers, community or organizational supporters, and friends and family. If funding is received, it should be acknowledged, and gifts should not exceed $100 to avoid real or perceived conflicts of interest.\"}]","Organising Your Chapters and Formatting Your Thesis - Guidance | DOCX"]