Knowledge Unit of Health Sciences
Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation
General Thesis Writing Guidelines
Doctor of Physiotherapy (DPT) Program
1. Thesis Length
• Total thesis should be between 50 to 80 pages, excluding appendices.
• The word count should range from 12,000 to 20,000 words,
=> excluding the abstract and references.
• Page and word count may vary slightly depending on the nature of the study and formatting
choices.
2. Font and Formatting
• Font: Times New Romans
• Font Size: 12 pt for body text; 14 pt bold for main headings
• Line Spacing: 1.5
• Margins: 1 inch on all sides
• Alignment: Fully justified
• Page Numbering: Bottom center starting from Chapter 1
3. Citation Style
• Style: Vancouver (Superscript format)
• Cite using superscript numbers after punctuation (e.g., “...is well-documented.1”)
• References listed numerically in order of appearance at the end
4. Referencing Requirements
• Minimum References: 50
• Recency: At least 70% of sources must be published within the last 5 to 10 years
• Prefer peer-reviewed journal articles, evidence-based guidelines, and systematic reviews
5. Language and Academic Writing
• Use formal academic tone and third-person writing
• Avoid personal pronouns (e.g., “I”, “we”)
• Maintain clarity, precision, and grammatical accuracy
6. Plagiarism Policy
• Acceptable plagiarism limit: Below 19% (checked via Turnitin or equivalent)
• All borrowed text, data, or visuals must be properly paraphrased and cited
7. Tables and Figures
• Each must have a number, title, and (if applicable) source citation
• Titles above tables and figures; sources below
• All must be referred to within the text (e.g., “see Figure 2”)
8. Thesis Structure
Preliminary Pages
• Title Page
• Dedication (optional)
• Acknowledgments
• Abstract (250–300 words)
• Table of Contents
• List of Tables
• List of Figures
• List of Abbreviations
Main Chapters
• Chapter 1: Introduction
– Background
– Problem Statement
– Rationale
– Objectives
– Hypothesis/Research Questions
• Chapter 2: Literature Review
– Overview of existing research
– Theoretical framework
– Research gaps
• Chapter 3: Methodology
– Study design
– Population and sampling
– Inclusion/exclusion criteria
– Data collection tools
– Procedure
– Ethical considerations
– Statistical analysis plan
• Chapter 4: Results
– Data presentation (charts, tables, text)
– No interpretation in this chapter
• Chapter 5: Discussion
– Interpretation of findings
– Comparison with existing studies
– Implications, strengths, and limitations
• Chapter 6: Conclusion and Recommendations
– Key findings
– Clinical/research recommendations
– Future directions
• References In Vancouver style, ordered numerically
• Appendices Consent forms, questionnaire/tools, IRB approval, raw data (if applicable)
9. Ethical Approval
• Mandatory approval from the Institutional Review Board (IRB)
• Must be attached in the appendix
10. Thesis Submission and Defense
• Submit 3 hardbound copies: For Supervisor, Internal Examiner, and External Examiner
• Prepare a PowerPoint presentation (10–15 slides) for the viva voce/defense
• Defense includes an oral presentation and question session with the examination panel
11. Recommended Software Tools
• Referencing: Zotero, EndNote, Mendeley
• Plagiarism Check: Turnitin
• Data Analysis: SPSS, Excel
12. Hardbound Format
• Cover Color: Blue
• Text Embossing: Silver embossed text
• Final thesis must be submitted in the standard university binding format