How to Write a Thesis

"I have been drawing upon Rowena's work and this book specifically for many years now, both in my own thesis writing as well as with the students I now support. This is a fantastic and most welcome resource as the new chapters on AI and neurodiversity, as well as further developments and resources on other sections bring it right up to date. Not only is it a very informative and useful resource, it also provides lots of excellent tasks and tools to employ that are a significant benefit to the writing processes at this level."
Joseph Allison, Lecturer in Clinical Education and Visiting Specialist, Plymouth Peninsula Medical School, UK
"A must read for students and supervisors alike! This book has become a brilliant companion to navigating the complexities of academic writing. Writing my own thesis often felt like climbing a mountain, but Rowena's book became my map. Packed with practical advice, support, and confidence-building strategies, it helped me reach the summit!"
Michelle Smith, Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Psychology, University of Stirling, UK
"The first edition of How to Write a Thesis was essential in my own PhD journey, providing a comprehensive oversight of thesis requirements that demystified the complex process of academic writing. Twenty years later, the latest iteration of the book remains vital reading. A must-buy book for PhD students."
Martin A Sharp, Director of Postgraduate Research, Edinburgh Napier University, UK
This fully updated edition of the classic guide to thesis writing will help you to write your thesis and make the most of the experience. It will also be useful for supervisors who want to help students develop their writing skills and strategies. This book breaks the writing of a thesis down into manageable tasks, offering routines for productive writing and drawing on research in different fields to help you discover the strategies that work best for you. Arguing that social writing activities such as writing retreats are key to getting started and staying motivated, this book will equip you to write regularly, maintain your confidence as you write and revise, respond to feedback, and create a community of writers as you go.
New to this edition:
1. Brand new content on neurodiversity and wellbeing
2. How to write for different audiences and purposes
3. How to write about research impact
4. How to tackle the last phase of your thesis
Rowena Murray is former Professor in Education at the University of the West of Scotland and Honorary Visiting Scholar at Liverpool University Management School, is an Independent Scholar, Adjunct Professor at Strathclyde Business School, Visiting Senior Research Fellow at the University of Leeds and Principal Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy. She works freelance for universities across the UK and in other countries

Rowena Murray is Associate Dean (Research) at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK. She carries out research on writing, funded by the Nuffield Foundation and British Academy. Her other bestselling books with Open University Press include How to Write a Thesis, How to Survive Your Viva and The Handbook of Academic Writing (written with Sarah Moore). Rowena is also Editor of the Helping Students to Learn Series and edited the first volume - The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education.

List of Figures and Tables
Preface to the fifth edition
Acknowledgements
Overview of the book
1. HOW TO WRITE 100, 250, 750 or 1,000 WORDS AN HOUR, A DAY or A WEEK
2. THINKING ABOUT WRITING A THESIS
3. STARTING TO WRITE
4. SEEKING STRUCTURE
5. THE FIRST MILESTONE
6. BECOMING A SERIAL WRITER
7. CONSTRUCTING CLOSURE
8. FEAR AND LOATHING: REVISING
9. IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO START
10. THE THESIS 'ENDGAME'
11. AFTER THE THESIS EXAMINATION: MORE WRITING?
Appendix: The Writing Meeting Framework
Bibliographies
Index