How to write a PhD thesis: references

PhD theses are very complicated academic words, and there is a lot that goes into them. To write one, you will of course have to use other sources in your research, even when you are doing original technical research. Your work will have to do with other work that has been done by other people in your field, and inevitable in your thesis you will need to include references to your research. Research is a long and difficult process, but thankfully, there are some tips and tricks to help you navigate the tricky waters of PHD thesis references.

The first thing you are going to need to do is find sources that you are going to be referencing. This is the major research part of your PhD thesis, so it is best to consult many sources to learn how this should be done. For now, though, just realize that you should really focus on doing quite a bit of research. Quality is important, but it is important that the quantity of research you do is vast. It depends greatly on the topic you are trying to write about, but consider for a moment that you will have opposition to the points you are trying to make. Just make sure that you can counter anything that disagrees with you and consider what challenges might be brought to your ideas, and research these fully.

Actually putting the references in your paper is going to be tough. It is not trivial to format these things correctly, so pay attention. If you are using MLA or APA format, it is going to be best for you to sit down, look through the appropriate manuals of style, and make sure that your referees are correct. You will have a different format for various media of references and different style guides. Therefore, study these and do practice references until you feel comfortable with the process. Contextually, when to add references to your paper is going to be non-trivial as well. The big thing you do not want to do is cite a source awkwardly. Make sure there is a flow to your writing and for each fact or quote your brink it make sure to follow this pattern every time. First, introduce the quote, and then give the quote or fact proper. Next, discuss it and the implications thereof, then transition to the next fact or point.