how long is a thesis typically

• How Long Is A Thesis
• Writing guide

How long is a thesis? Length guidelines for different thesis papers

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"How long should a thesis be?" This is perhaps one of the first questions that will cross your mind when you begin working on a thesis paper. Understanding the average length, structure, and expectations will help you stay on track without wasting precious time on unnecessary processes.

Generally, the thesis length varies greatly depending on the academic level and field of study. On average, it ranges from around 40 to 300 pages or approximately 10,000 to 80,000 words. Master's theses tend to be shorter (60-100 pages), while PhD dissertations are usually longer and sometimes hit more than 300 pages.

Below is a quick overview of how long a thesis should be depending on the degree level:

While these recommendations are standard, there is no “one size fits all” answer, since different institutions may have their own guidelines. For this reason, we recommend consulting your department or advisor.

In this article, you will find out how long a thesis has to be and what factors determine the volume. But remember that quality and depth of research are more important than simply meeting a page count.

Table of contents

What influences the thesis length?

Multiple factors influence the length of a thesis. Some of the most common elements include:

• Degree level The degree level is the biggest factor that impacts the paper count. Undergraduate theses are generally shorter and show your understanding of the basic concepts, while Master’s theses require a more in-depth analysis.
• Field of study Various fields require different approaches and explanations. For example, a thesis in mathematics or economics may be shorter as it relies on formulas and data rather than extensive textual explanations. In contrast, subjects like history, English, or anthropology may require longer analysis and discussions.
• Research approach & complexity A more complex or interdisciplinary study often requires a longer work to cover all relevant theories, methodologies, and analyses.
• University or department requirements Each college has its own set of rules regarding the length and structure of a thesis paper, so be sure to check with your instructor.

These influencing factors will shape how long your thesis ultimately needs to be.

How long should a thesis be: general recommendations

Typically, graduate course advisors offer specific instructions on the number of pages for a thesis. The length is usually presented as a range, not a precise page count. For instance it might be 60-100 pages or 15,000-40,000 words for a Master’s thesis paper. If no length is specified, we recommend keeping your graduate thesis around 80-100 pages.

A common mistake students make is focusing solely on meeting the thesis page count, rather than prioritizing content quality. It's essential to conduct thorough research and analysis, and build your work around the core findings. Remember, quality outweighs quantity – a well-organized thesis is far more valuable than simply a word limit.

You should aim to stay within the specified range to demonstrate your ability to adhere to the guidelines. However, falling significantly short of the expected length may suggest that you haven't fully explored your topic.

Recommended thesis length by type

As we have mentioned above, the "correct" length of a thesis mostly depends on its type. Make sure to verify and conform to degree criteria. Let’s see how long an undergraduate or Master’s thesis should be.

Undergraduate thesis length

An undergraduate thesis is usually the shortest type of thesis paper and is usually 40-60 pages or 10,000-15,000 words. This type of work is designed to test your understanding of the course material and present clear argumentation. It may include a literature review, a methodology section, analysis, and conclusion. While preliminary research is necessary, the scope of analysis is often less extensive than at higher levels.

Master’s thesis length

A Master’s thesis is expected to be more comprehensive than an undergraduate thesis. It ranges between 15,000-40,000 words or 60–80 pages. Here, you should demonstrate a deeper understanding of the subject matter and carry out original research or a critical analysis of existing studies.

PhD thesis (doctoral dissertation) length

A PhD thesis (dissertation) is the culmination of your degree completion and, thus, is expected to make a significant contribution to the field. As a rule, a PhD thesis is 150-300 pages long (5,000-40,000 words in total). It includes detailed chapters on literature review, methodology, research findings, and discussion. A dissertation is often the most challenging and lengthiest form of research.

How long is each part of a thesis?

Each section of a thesis has its own purpose and suggested length. Since the thesis length requirements can vary significantly, it's helpful to consider the relative proportions of each part rather than fixed page counts. Here's a general breakdown:

• Introduction (5-10%) : sets up the research question, context, and objectives. Briefly introduces what the reader can expect from the thesis.
• Literature review (20-25%) : surveys and critically analyzes relevant existing literature to establish the study’s foundation.
• Methodology (15-20%) : describes how the research was conducted, detailing the approach and techniques used.
• Results (10-15%) : presents the research outcomes without interpretation.
• Discussion (20-25%) : analyzes the results and places them in the context of the literature review.
• Conclusion (5-10%) : summarizes findings, reflects on implications, and suggests areas for further research.

Using thesis length to plan your work

Knowing how long a thesis is supposed to be can help you with planning your timeline and tracking the progress. Here's how you can organize your work using the suggested page count.

• Break down the sections. Start by dividing your total page count by the chapters of your thesis. Allocate more space to substantial sections like the literature review and discussion, as they involve more analysis. Shorter sections, such as the abstract, methodology, and conclusion, can be more concise.
• Create a detailed outline. Use the length of each section to build a comprehensive outline. This will help you understand the depth needed for each part and keep your writing focused. Having a clear plan in front of your eyes will allow you to cover critical points.
• Set milestones and deadlines. Break the whole process into smaller, manageable milestones. For example, aim to complete the introduction within the first two weeks. Then, move on to the literature review over the next month.
• Schedule time for research and data collection. Allocate enough time for research, data gathering, and analysis before. If the bulk of your content is based on primary research, plan to collect your data and analyze it early on, which will allow for a more thorough discussion later.
• Leave time for revisions and editing. Save at least 1 to 2 weeks at the end of your schedule for final final corrections and editing. Make sure you apply proper formatting.

By using the thesis length as a framework, you can better manage your workload and create a piece that meets both page count and content requirements.

What if my thesis is not long enough?

It’s natural to worry if your thesis doesn’t fulfill the recommended length. However, many professors want to see the authentic world and the actual effort you put in. If your thesis is slightly under the suggested length, it may still be acceptable as long as it meets the core requirements and presents a strong argument.

Remember, consistency is often better than adding irrelevant content for the sake of word count.

However, whether to accept a shorter thesis depends on your professor or department. If you’re concerned, it’s best to seek feedback from your supervisor early on.

How to make a thesis paper longer?

If you're significantly lacking the word count, the department members may think that you didn;t do your best. There are several ways to lengthen your thesis properly. Consider adding extra details, but don’t simply fill in your work with unnecessary material.

Below are some effective strategies.

1. Expand your literature review

It’s always a good idea to revisit your sources and explore additional materials. Critically evaluate studies that are relevant to your research and compare them in more detail.

2. Include detailed analysis and case studies

If your Master’s thesis is not as long as it has to be, present more in-depth interpretations, examples, or case studies to support your arguments. Break down your data or findings with comparisons, applications, or counterarguments. This way, you will show different facets of your research.

3. Add subsections for clarity

If some section is complex or contains multiple ideas, consider breaking it down into subsections. This will not only lengthen the thesis but also make your argument more organized and easier for readers to follow.

For instance, if your "Discussion" chapter contains multiple types of analysis (e.g., social, economic, and environmental implications), divide it into separate subsections like “Social Implications,” “Economic Impact,” and “Environmental Concerns.”

4. Integrate more evidence and examples

Another way to make your college thesis long enough is to use additional data, quotes, or evidence to support your points. Provide examples that illustrate your findings more thoroughly. Do make sure they are directly related to your research question.

What if my thesis is longer than it’s supposed to be?

If your thesis ends up being longer than recommended, check whether the additional details still support your main argument and stay relevant. However, if the extra content is due to irrelevant material, it’s better to trim it down.

First and foremost, review your work to eliminate any "fluff" or "waterish" content – information that doesn't add any value. A lengthy thesis isn't necessarily better; precision is a key.

Here’s a list of details that may be redundant:

• Repeated ideas or statements
• Irrelevant background information and side topics
• Overly long quotations
• Filler words and phrases
• Vague or overly complex paragraphs.

How to shorten my thesis paper?

If your thesis is too long, try to prioritize your key arguments and cut down on lengthy explanations or examples that don't add any value. If you can explain the idea using fewer words, choose the shorter version.

Last but not least, seek feedback from your advisor or peers. A fresh pair of eyes can help identify areas that are too wordy and need further improvement.

Final thoughts on how long are thesis papers

Knowing how long a thesis needs to be and planning accordingly can help make the process easier to handle. Focus on producing a well-researched and organized piece that adheres to guidelines set by your college. Remember that the length of your thesis is only a part of a bigger picture. Quality, depth, and clarity are also very important.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, our professional writers are here to help. Whether you're just starting or need assistance fine-tuning your work, our team will be glad to assist you. Don’t hesitate to reach out – just ask us to write my thesis , and we’ll ensure your paper is crafted to perfection!

FAQs about thesis paper length

How many words should a thesis be.

A typical thesis is usually around 15,000 to 40,000 words for a master's level, while a PhD dissertation typically ranges from 50,000 to 80,000 words. Undergraduate theses are shorter, generally between 8,000 and 12,000 words. The word count can vary based on the subject area and specific university requirements.

How long are thesis papers in different colleges?

A Master's thesis at Harvard University usually takes between 60 and 80 pages. At the University of Oxford, on the other hand, the length is generally between 40 and 60 pages, especially for social sciences and humanities. A master's thesis at Stanford University is usually between 50 and 100 pages long. However, at the University of California, Berkeley, the length can be anywhere from 30 to 50 pages, especially for science fields.

How long is a Master’s thesis?

Most master's theses are between 15,000 and 40,000 words long, which is about 40 to 80 pages. The length can change, though, depending on the subject and the rules at your school. Always check with your department to make sure you know the exact rules.

Can I submit a thesis if it’s too short?

You can turn in a short thesis as long as it meets the minimum word count requirements for your school and answers your research question. However, your thesis must always include your arguments, proof, and analysis, no matter how long it is. If your thesis is shorter than expected, make sure it adheres to other rules. If you're unsure, it’s best to confirm whether the length is acceptable before submitting.

How do I know if my thesis length is appropriate?

To know if your thesis length is appropriate, double-check your university or department’s specific guidelines, as they usually provide a clear range for the word count or page length. If your thesis falls within that range, it’s likely on track. Additionally, you can compare your thesis with others from your program to see if the length is similar to previously accepted works. Make sure to contact your supervisor, as they can verify whether your content adequately addresses the research question and meets academic standards.

• How Long Is a PhD Thesis?
• Doing a PhD

It’s no secret that one of the most challenging aspects of a PhD degree is the volume of work that goes into writing your thesis . So this raises the question, exactly how long is a thesis?

Unfortunately, there’s no one size fits all answer to this question. However, from the analysis of over 100 PhD theses, the average thesis length is between 80,000 and 100,000 words. A further analysis of 1000 PhD thesis shows the average number of pages to be 204 . In reality, the actual word count for each PhD thesis will depend on the specific subject and the university it is being hosted by. This is because universities set their own word length requirements, with most found to be opting for around 100,000.

To find out more about how these word limits differ between universities, how the average word count from STEM thesis differ from non-STEM thesis and a more detailed breakdown from the analysis of over 1000 PhDs, carry on reading the below.

Word Count Differences Between Universities

For any PhD student writing a thesis, they will find that their document will be subject to a word limit set by their university. In nearly all cases, the limit only concerns the maximum number of words and doesn’t place any restrictions on the minimum word limit. The reason for this is that the student will be expected to write their thesis with the aim of clearly explaining their research, and so it is up to the student to determine what he deems appropriate.

Saying this, it is well accepted amongst PhD students and supervisors that the absence of a lower limit doesn’t suggest that a thesis can be ‘light’. Your thesis will focus on several years worth of original research and explore new ideas, theories or concepts. Besides this, your thesis will need to cover a wide range of topics such as your literature review, research methodology, results and conclusion. Therefore, your examiners will expect the length of your thesis to be proportional to convey all this information to a sufficient level.

Selecting a handful of universities at random, they state the following thesis word limits on their website:

• University of Edinburgh: 100,000
• University of Exeter: 100,000
• University of Leister: 80,000
• University of Bath: 80,000
• University of Warwick: 70,000

The above universities set upper word limits that apply across the board, however, some universities, such as the University of Birmingham and the University of Sheffield, set different word limits for different departments. For example, the University of Sheffield adopts these limits:

• Arts & Humanities: 75,000
• Medicine, Dentistry & Health: 75,000
• Science: 80,000
• Social Sciences: 75,000-100,000

Although there’s a range of limit, it’s safe to say that the majority fall within the 80,000 to 100,000 bracket.

Word Count Based on Data from past Theses

A poll of 149 postdocs.

In mid-2019, Dr Eva Lantsoght, a published author, academic blogger and Structural Engineering Professor, conducted a poll which asked postgraduate doctoral students to share the length of their final thesis. 149 PostDoc students responded to the survey, with the majority reporting a length falling within the ‘80,000 – 120,000 words’ bracket as seen below.

Analysis of 1000 PhD Theses

Over a three-year time period, Dr Ian Brailsford, a then Postgraduate Learning Adviser at the University of Auckland, analysed 1000 doctoral thesis submitted to his university’s library. The PhD theses which formed the basis of his analysis were produced between 2008 to 2017 and showed:

• Average number of pages = 204
• Median number of pages = 198
• Average number of chapters = 7.6

We should note that the above metrics only cover the content falling within the main body of the thesis. This includes the introduction, literature review, methods section, results chapter, discussions and conclusions. All other sections, such as the title page, abstract, table of contents, acknowledgements, bibliography and appendices were omitted from the count.

Although it’s impossible to draw the exact word count from the number of pages alone, by using the universities recommended format of 12pt Times New Roman and 1.5 lines spacing, and assuming 10% of the main body are figures and footnotes, this equates to an average main body of 52,000 words.

STEM vs Non-STEM

As part of Dr Ian Brailsford’s analysis, he also compared the length of STEM doctorate theses to non-STEM theses. He found that STEM theses tended to be shorter. In fact, he found STEM theses to have a medium page length of 159 whilst non-STEM theses had a medium of around 223 pages. This is a 40% increase in average length!

Can You Exceed the Word Count?

Whilst most universities will allow you to go over the word count if you need to, it comes with the caveat that you must have a very strong reason for needing to do so. Besides this, your supervisor will also need to support your request. This is to acknowledge that they have reviewed your situation and agree that exceeding the word limit will be absolutely necessary to avoid detriment unnecessary detriment to your work.

This means that whilst it is possible to submit a thesis over 100,000 words or more, it’s unlikely that your research project will need to.

How Does This Compare to a Masters Dissertation?

The average Masters dissertation length is approximately 20,000 words whilst a thesis is 4 to 5 times this length at approximately 80,000 – 100,000.

The key reason for this difference is because of the level of knowledge they convey. A Master’s dissertation focuses on concluding from existing knowledge whilst a PhD thesis focuses on drawing a conclusion from new knowledge. As a result, the thesis is significantly longer as the new knowledge needs to be well documented so it can be verified, disseminated and used to shape future research.

Finding a PhD has never been this easy – search for a PhD by keyword, location or academic area of interest.

Related Reading

Unfortunately, the completion of your thesis doesn’t mark the end of your degree just yet. Once you submit your thesis, it’s time to start preparing for your viva – the all-to-fun thesis defence interview! To help you prepare for this, we’ve produced a helpful guide which you can read here: The Complete Guide to PhD Vivas.

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How long is a PhD dissertation? [Data by field]

The final piece of the PhD journey is the PhD dissertation. It takes many years to accumulate enough original and new data to fill out a dissertation to the satisfaction of experts in your field. Interestingly, the PhD dissertation length and content vary significantly based on the field you are studying and the publishing conventions.

A PhD can be anywhere from 50 pages to over 450 pages long. This equates to between about 20,000 words to 100,000 words. Most PhD theses are between 60,000 and 80,000 words long excluding contents, citations and references.

A PhD thesis contains different sections including an introduction, methods, results and discussion, conclusions, further work, and references. Each one of these different sections will vary in length depending on the field of study and your particular topic.

Ultimately, a PhD dissertation should contain as many pages and words as it takes to communicate the results of your multi-year investigation.

It is very rewarding to see your thesis come together as you are writing day after day. When I was writing my PhD dissertation I wrote the sections separately and my heart filled with joy when I finally put them all together and compile them into a single PDF document.

Counting the pages should not be the way to determine a PhD dissertation’s value but it certainly helps when your thesis is starting to look substantial in thickness.

How many pages should a PhD dissertation be?

A PhD dissertation should contain as many pages and words as it takes to outline the current state of your field and provide adequate background information, present your results, and provide confidence in your conclusions. A PhD dissertation will also contain figures, graphs, schematics, and other large pictorial items that can easily inflate the page count.

Here is a boxplot summary of many different fields of study and the number of pages of a typical PhD dissertation in the field. It has been created by Marcus Beck from all of the dissertations at the University of Minnesota.

Typically, the mathematical sciences, economics, and biostatistics theses and dissertations tend to be shorter because they rely on mathematical formulas to provide proof of their results rather than diagrams and long explanations.

On the other end of the scale, English, communication studies, political science, history and anthropology are often the largest theses in terms of pages and word count because of the number of words it takes to provide proof and depth of their results.

At the end of the day, it is important that your thesis gets signed off by your review committee and other experts in the field. Your supervisor will be the main judge of whether or not your dissertation is capable of satisfying the requirements of a PhD in your field.

If you want to know more about how long a Masters’s thesis and PhD dissertation is you can check out my other articles:

• How Long is a Masters Thesis? [Your writing guide]
• How long is a Thesis or dissertation? [the data]

Can a PhD dissertation be too long?

A PhD thesis should contain enough evidence and discussion to report on the most significant findings of your PhD research.

A PhD dissertation should not contain everything that you have done during your PhD. It should only include the data and information required to convince your PhD examining body that wraps up and tells the full story of particular lines of investigation.

Including random results, thoughts, or superfluous explanation can result in a dissertation that is unfocused. I have heard of music PhD is being described as too verbose and physical sciences PhD dissertations as being unfocused.

Therefore, a PhD thesis can be too long if the information it contains does not form a full and cohesive story.

One of my colleagues during their PhD removed an entire chapter from the thesis after writing it as the supervisor said that it needed more experiments to be a full story. They did not want to spend the next six months gathering the data and simply removed the chapter altogether.

How short can PhD dissertation be?

The shortest PhD dissertations are typically found in mathematics.

George Bernard Danzig was an American mathematical scientist who made contributions to industrial engineering and many other mathematical-related fields. An interesting miscommunication led to 1 of the shortest PhD theses ever.

In 1939 his professor wrote two problems on the blackboard and Danzig thought they were homeless assignments. He stated that they were harder than usual but handed in solutions to the surprise of the professor.

They were, in fact, open mathematical problems in statistics.

His professor said to bind the solution to the two problems together and submit them as his thesis – the total thesis length = 14 pages.

Obviously, most PhD theses and dissertations will be so much longer than that!

My PhD dissertation was 256 pages long. It was full of schematics, diagrams, and tables to demonstrate and communicate my findings.

I would say that most people’s PhD thesis experience will be closer to mine than Prof George Bernard Danzig’s.

Why PhD dissertations are typically so long

PhD dissertations are often over 200 pages long.

One of the primary reasons they are so long is that it is a single document that summarises many years of hard work. Also, summarising the research field to date and making sure that all of your references and citations are included so you avoid plagiarism will bolster the word count of the thesis dramatically.

Here are all of the reasons PhD dissertations tend to be so long.

Many years of work

PhD theses or dissertations contain many years of research and analysis.

In many of my YouTube videos I recommend that a PhD student work towards their PhD thesis by doing at least three hours of focused work every work day.

This amount of work quickly adds up.

Of course, not every bit of work makes it into the PhD dissertation but a lot of it does. It can be difficult to work out what to include or leave out of your thesis.

As a PhD student, I perfected the art of turning one experiment into many different types of grafts and schematics to fully explore the limits of my data. The graphs can take up a lot of space in your PhD thesis and, therefore, bolster the page count significantly.

In depth literature review

One of the most substantial parts of a PhD dissertation is the literature review.

The literature review can take up a huge portion of the early part of your PhD dissertation depending on the amount of data and publications in your field.

Writing an in-depth literature review requires just as much meticulous data analysis and searching as the central part of your dissertation.

Figures and schematics

Some fields end up producing a lot of figures and schematics.

My thesis had many full-page figures of atomic force microscopy experiments with much more explanation on subsequent pages.

As they say, a picture paints a thousand words and a dissertation can really benefit from having many schematics to highlight the important aspects of your findings.

References and citations

The recommended PhD dissertation word count from an institution or university does not include citations, references, or other thesis parts such as summary of abbreviations, table of figures, et cetera.

However, these components of your dissertation can take up many pages and add to the overall thickness of your PhD dissertation.

University formatting rules

University formatting rules will also dictate how you many pages your words take up.

I often get roasted on my YouTube channel for having doublespaced lines and wide margins. Unfortunately, this layout was dictated by my university before printing.

PhD dissertations often end up going into long-term storage and therefore, need to adhere to archival and standardised formatting rules.

Deep in the depths of the University of Newcastle, there is a copy of my thesis on a shelf. The formatting and binding rules mean that my thesis looks like everyone else’s.

Universities will often have their own requirements for PhD dissertation cover colour, quality, and type of paper. Even the quality of the paper can change the thickness of the PhD dissertation significantly.

PhD by publication

It is becoming increasingly common to submit a number of peer-reviewed papers bound together with supplementary information in between instead of a PhD dissertation.

The benefits of this to the researcher and university are:

• More early career peer-reviewed journals for career advancement
• an easier review process – they have already been peer-reviewed
• an early focus on publishing means better research outcomes for the researcher, supervisor, and Department.
• No mad rush at the end to finish a thesis
• continually writing peer-reviewed papers throughout your PhD helps with timely analysis and communication of results

Even though this option has been available to PhD students for a number of years, I have only known a handful of students actually submit their PhD via publication.

Nonetheless, having this option will suit some research fields better than others and lead to a more productive PhD.

Wrapping up

This article has been through everything you need to know about the length of a PhD dissertation and the common lengths of PhD dissertations for various fields.

Ultimately, there is no predefined length of a PhD .

A PhD thesis is as long as it needs to be to convince your examiners that you have contributed significantly enough to an academic field to be awarded the title of Dr of philosophy.

Mathematical and analytical theses tend to be shorter and can be as short as 50 pages (with one of the shortest being only 14 pages long). At the other end of the spectrum, PhD students in anthropology and history tend to produce the longest dissertations.

Dr Andrew Stapleton has a Masters and PhD in Chemistry from the UK and Australia. He has many years of research experience and has worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow and Associate at a number of Universities. Although having secured funding for his own research, he left academia to help others with his YouTube channel all about the inner workings of academia and how to make it work for you.

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How long is a Thesis Paper: for Bachelor’s, Master’s or PhD

Best Thesis Paper length

A thesis statement is a sentence that declares your stand on a particular issue that you are handling in your research paper. Typically, such a statement can be both arguable and specific.

As a rule of thumb, we place the thesis statement at the end of the first paragraph.  The remaining part of your paper will be carrying facts to back up your thesis statement.

How long is a Thesis Paper?

A thesis paper should be at least 20 pages long and can go up to 100 pages depending on the research task and the institutional guidelines. Typically, a Ph.D. thesis can be longer than a master’s thesis. Also, there is no particular limit since it is about the quality. The author should make it as efficient and concise as possible.

The best approach is to avoid filler materials to help you attain a certain number of pages.

You can check with your supervisor for official requirements, including the higher and the lower bounds.

Some institutions give the word limit to indicate how far you can go.

Generally, you can choose to exceed by a few words as shown in the instructions without exaggerating your ability. Meeting the page limit would be better here.

Factors determining the Length of a Thesis Paper

Your thesis paper could either be long or standard according to several factors we want to discuss in this section. You should strive to be on the safe side when writing your thesis paper to ensure you stay within the word limit. The following variables will determine the overall length of your research paper.

1. Professional Instructions

As stated above, you should liaise with your advisor before you begin to write your thesis paper. You must be keen to adhere to the professional instructions that your institution gives you.

Some instructions can prompt you to write more pages than others. For example, if you are handling a Ph.D. thesis, it is obvious that you can write more papers than at any other level. Such papers tend to be longer than others.

For the other academic levels below the Ph.D., you can write a thesis with a few pages. Unless instructed well, you should write within the given limit. If you are struggling to attain the word count, you should add more examples and evidence to the paragraphs.

Let every paragraph focus on each argument without meandering. Every sentence should relate to the paragraph’s point by being concise and clear. You can also exceed the suggested length if your instructor allows that.

2. The Topic you are writing about

The type of topic you select will determine the length of your thesis paper. You can choose to broaden the topic and provide more details.

We have a complex research topic which one should expand by breaking into smaller subtopics to assist the reader in understanding it well.

When you begin to broaden the topic, it becomes apparent that your thesis paper will be longer. You will be covering more details within your thesis paper hence causing your thesis paper to be a tad longer.

On the contrary, if there is an easy topic that you can handle in your thesis paper opt to go straight to the point without elaborating with many details for the audience to understand. Such an easy topic can make your document shorter.

3. Depth of the Research

You can choose to go deeper in your research and dig additional details to support your arguments. If you want to widen the topic, you will employ different research methods to help you focus on what you want to explore.

When researching a new topic, you are likely to discover more issues concerning the same topic.

As such, you would want to capture such issues and make your topic exciting.

The more you incorporate new items in your research topic, means that the paper will belong.

It can be inadequate if you fail to put the right things in your thesis paper to support your argument.

You should document your research well. When the panel challenges you with a question; you should give a detailed answer based on what you captured.

Again, when you perform shallow research, it is apparent that you will have tiny details to capture about the topic. The length of the study is bound to the number of details that you carry after research.

For this case, it will be a short thesis paper because you have a few facts to back your arguments.

4. The Technicality of the Research

A certain topic can dictate the type of research you have to do to discover certain details. The author can only convince the audience by widening the research to impress the audience. Here, you have to develop more evidence and back up what you want to put across.

As captured above, it is evident that when you find more facts to prove your points, you will have to write more, causing the thesis paper to be longer. The topic outline will be expansive hence prompting you to put more information to make it sensible.

On the other hand, the length of the thesis paper will be reduced if you did shallow research before you could capture the most important items to use in your arguments.

5. Your Writing Skills

Some authors who have impeccable writing skills have fun expressing their points creatively and articulately. They can develop convenient and vital phrases to create situations with the right emotions to enable the reader to follow them keenly.

While writing could be your hobby, you may put more details in sentences than the standard ones, prompting the length of the research paper to be extensive.

Since the author has a wide experience in writing, most of the phrases will flow naturally, thereby making the paper longer.

Another scenario could be the author could be inexperienced in writing. For that matter, this writer can be struggling to express his points well hence failing to go further into explaining more issues articulately. Automatically, the thesis paper, in this case, will be shorter than the former.

Some people prefer to hire a reputable essay writing firm to craft decent essays.

These firm have their pricing according to the number of pages that your essay could have.

Due to budgetary constraints, the client may instruct the writer to minimize the number of pages while summarizing some paragraphs to fit into a certain length.

For this case, the thesis paper will be shorter. Not all students will be working on limited funds.

One can be willing to pay for more so that the hired writer could capture more details after research and make the paper as long as possible. These students will later edit and retain the ones that could be relevant to the topic only.

7. Academic Level

Lastly, the academic level will also determine the length of the paper. You cannot expect a Ph.D. student to have fewer pages than the one below it.

It is the highest level; hence one expects you to go in-depth in your research and come up with convincing facts to showcase your skills about your topic mastery.

It is automatic that the higher the level, the more the details you will need to provide to more your points; hence your thesis paper will increase.

What a bachelor’s student can handle is less than what a Ph.D. student will be handled based on the related topics. For our case, the information that a bachelor student will capture can make the thesis paper shorter than the one on a higher level.

Check the optimal length of a dissertation to understand the factors that determine the length of each of the different academic levels.

Josh Jasen or JJ as we fondly call him, is a senior academic editor at Grade Bees in charge of the writing department. When not managing complex essays and academic writing tasks, Josh is busy advising students on how to pass assignments. In his spare time, he loves playing football or walking with his dog around the park.

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