Free tool · PhD planning
PhD checklists
Tick-off lists for five PhD stages, each item linked to the guide section that explains it.
These are checklists for five stages of a PhD where it is easy to miss something. They cover the synopsis, the pre-submission seminar, thesis submission, the viva voce and sending a paper to a journal. Tick items off as you go. Your ticks stay in this browser, so the list is still there when you come back.
Every item comes from one of our guides, and each has a link to the section that explains it. Many details differ from one university to the next. Where they do, the item says so and links to our PhD rules by university tool.
Synopsis or research proposal
Before you submit your registration synopsis to the Doctoral Committee or Research Advisory Committee.
0 of 17 done
Pre-submission seminar
Before your university fixes a date for the open presentation to your Research Advisory Committee.
0 of 17 done
Thesis submission
About a month before you plan to hand in the thesis, and again for the Shodhganga deposit after the viva.
0 of 18 done
Viva voce
From the day your viva is scheduled to the day itself.
0 of 18 done
Journal manuscript submission
Before you press submit, with the journal’s guide for authors open beside you.
0 of 14 done
Method
How this tool works
We went through our guides on the synopsis, the pre-submission seminar, thesis submission, Shodhganga deposit, the viva and desk rejection. From them we took the things you have to do or bring at each stage. Each one became a short line. The national rules behind them come from the UGC PhD Regulations, 2022 and the UGC plagiarism regulations of 2018. Everything else is common practice that the guides describe, and your university may do it differently.
Your ticks are saved in your browser’s local storage, one list at a time. They are never sent to us. “Reset this list” clears the ticks on the list you are looking at. “Print this list” prints only that list, with its ticks, so you can take it to your research section. Each list also has its own link, such as #viva for the viva list, which you can share with a friend.
Limits
What this tool can’t do
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Are my ticks saved?
Yes, in this browser only. They stay there when you close the page and come back. They are not sent to us, and they don’t follow you to your phone or another computer.
Can I print a checklist?
Yes. Open the list you want and press “Print this list”. Only that list prints, with your ticks. With JavaScript off, the page prints all five lists.
Why doesn’t the thesis list give the number of copies or the fee?
Because each university sets its own. The UGC regulations don’t fix them. Our PhD rules by university tool compares some of these rules, and your research section has the current figures.
Do I need published papers before I submit my thesis?
The UGC 2022 regulations set no paper count, but many universities do. Our guide on the publication requirement for a PhD explains how to find your own university’s rule.
Do I upload my thesis to Shodhganga myself?
Usually not. You give the final soft copy to your university, and its Shodhganga coordinator uploads it after the viva. Our Shodhganga guide covers what to prepare.
Evidence
Sources
- UGC (Minimum Standards and Procedures for Award of Ph.D. Degree) Regulations, 2022 (PDF), clauses 11 and 17
- UGC (Promotion of Academic Integrity and Prevention of Plagiarism in Higher Educational Institutions) Regulations, 2018 (PDF)
- Shodhganga: a reservoir of Indian theses (INFLIBNET)
- Shodhgangotri: repository of Indian research in progress (INFLIBNET)
Keep reading
Related guides and services
PhD thesis submission and evaluation
From submission to award: similarity check, examiners, reports, revisions and the viva.
The PhD pre-submission seminar
Who attends, what the committee checks, how to structure the talk and what happens after.
Common PhD viva questions
The questions examiners ask most often, grouped by theme, with how to prepare each answer.
PhD rules by university
Pick a university, or two to compare, and see its PhD rules on one card beside the UGC 2022 minimum.
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