Hi,

I'm just wondering how long it took people to write up and submit once data collection/experiments were completed?

I have been writing up as I am going along, but I still have introduction, literature review, discussion, methodology and conclusion to write up. The data chapters also need major editing.

I've also been told formatting can take up to a month (!?!)

Thanks!

It's difficult to say because many people (like me) had to finish experiments and write simultaneously. I would say allowing 1 month per chapter is enough time to go from zero to finished - so six months in total. I formatted as I wrote so that didn't take any time.

Hi Hugh

If you do a search on the forum, there are quite a few topics that deal with this subject. Also, I think perhaps folk haven't replied because everyone is different.

I hadn't written very much by the time I entered into my 'writing up year', and I was still doing quite a lot of desk-based analysis, so it's kind of difficult to say. I've just looked back through my diary and I reckon it probably took me about 7 months to draft write up most of my chapters, finish my analysis which didn't take me long once I'd got the hang of it, redraft, edit, get revisions back from supervisors chapter by chapter, edit, get final revisions from supervisors, edit, and submit.

Another thing to consider is what kind of worker you are. I'm a bit of a slow starter, but once I get going with something, I can tram along nicely and if I know I've got a deadline coming up, I'll really power through.

Hope that helps! Good luck!

Thank you both! I'll keep one month per chapter. How long did formatting take you?

Also, did your supervisors check each chapter as you wrote, or did they check it all at the end?

hi hugh,
one month per chapter is a good idea.

Formatting depends on what you use, I used LaTeX which was helpful because the pages didn't shift and written material didn't mysteriously move (as can happen sometimes with Word), I don't know if it was a month for that. However I had to spend a lot of time learning LaTeX commands so that the thesis could appear as I wanted it (and no mysterious maneuvers upon adding extra material).

The downside of using LaTeX is having supervisors who only want to work with Word.

If you can get your supervisor to check things as you go along, it will save you a lot of complications at the end.

love satchi

Thank you! :)

My approach is to write up the theoretical background chapter as I go. The other chapters will then be taken directly from published articles at the end and I don't expect that to take more than a month. It's likely I will take a month out with 3 months to go to complete the thesis. If I have any residual time left I can go back to my research. I work in Theoretical Chemistry so this approach may not work for everyone.

I am currently writing up. I am aiming to submit one chapter every two months then two months to apply feedback which I feel is doable. However, if you can, budget time for 'unexpected life things'! I am going to be submitting my draft on my funding deadline rather than the final thesis as I landed in hospital during the first two months of my write up schedule requiring surgery which put me out of action. I was always on target until then, so it is always good to leave some additional time!

By the way, my thesis is in social science.