SciSpace Academy
Tutorial

Streamlining PhD Research and Thesis Writing with SciSpace

Kenan KrakovićEnglishAcademic writing

TL;DR

1-min read

A thesis is a long project in which reading, organising and writing all compete for time. In this tutorial, Kenan Kraković, a PhD researcher at EPFL with an MSc in Innovative Medicine from the University of Heidelberg and Uppsala University, shows how SciSpace can support each stage of thesis work. It is aimed at master's and PhD students preparing a thesis, graduate researchers overwhelmed by literature and academics exploring AI for writing and referencing.

Key takeaways

  • A clear, logical chapter structure is the starting point; check your department's guidelines and define how each chapter links to your research questions.
  • SciSpace AI tools can summarise literature and map arguments, helping you see how sources relate before you write.
  • Outlines can be built first and then developed into content chapter by chapter.
  • Difficult sections can be drafted or paraphrased with AI assistance, while the arguments, analysis and conclusions remain your own.
  • Adding and managing citations efficiently matters across a long document, and every source the tool returns should be verified.
  • Academic rigour stays central: keep records of how you used AI, follow your university's disclosure rules and confirm with your supervisor what is acceptable.
Apply it

To apply this, outline one thesis chapter in SciSpace, link each section to the sources that support it, and draft from that outline while checking every citation.

How to do it

  1. Set your thesis chapter structure

    Check your department's guidelines and define a logical chapter structure that links each chapter to your research questions.

  2. Summarise literature and map arguments

    Use SciSpace AI tools to summarise sources and map arguments, so you see how they relate before you write.

  3. Outline one chapter in SciSpace

    Build an outline for one thesis chapter and link each section to the sources that support it.

  4. Draft difficult sections with AI help

    Draft or paraphrase complex sections with AI assistance while keeping the arguments, analysis and conclusions your own. This is responsible PhD thesis writing with AI.

  5. Manage and verify your citations

    Add citations as you write throughout the long document and verify every source the tool returns.

  6. Record and disclose your AI use

    Keep records of how you used AI, follow your university's disclosure rules and confirm with your supervisor what is acceptable.

Try this on SciSpace

Frequently asked questions

How should a PhD thesis be structured?

Most theses include an introduction with research questions, a literature review, methodology, results or findings chapters, a discussion and a conclusion. Some disciplines use a thesis-by-publication format built around papers. Check your department's guidelines, then outline each chapter's purpose and how it links to your central research questions before you begin writing.

How can AI help with thesis writing without risking academic integrity?

Use AI for supportive tasks such as summarising papers, suggesting structure, improving clarity and handling references, while keeping arguments, analysis and conclusions your own. Verify every source the tool returns, keep records of how you used AI, and follow your university's disclosure rules. Your supervisor can confirm what is acceptable in your programme.

Related tutorials