LaTeX: The Bedrock of My Geology PhD Thesis

Embarking on my geology PhD journey, I was keenly aware that the tools I chose to write my thesis would make the process either a sluggish trek or a streamlined process. Having endured the trials of using Microsoft Word for my honours thesis, which, when preparing a document over 100 pages, becomes a painful endeavour (do not try to move a figure - it won’t end well). I resolved to embrace LaTeX for my doctoral dissertation. Herein lies the tale of my transition to LaTeX and reaping the rewards of switching to this powerful typesetting system.

Choosing the Right Software: A Personalized Setup

The quest for the ideal LaTeX environment led me, like many other beginners, to experiment with Overleaf. However, its online-only nature didn’t resonate with me. I sought a more flexible solution that I could load up on the train or at a café, and found my match in Visual Studio Code (VS Code) with a suite of extensions for LaTeX, paired with GitHub. I was already familiar with VS Code for programming and to me the UI was simple. Through GitHub, I was still able to link the repository to Overleaf (a premium only feature of Overleaf, courtesy of my institution’s subscription). This combination afforded me the offline capability I desired, with Overleaf still in the loop for backup, my triple-layered safeguard.

Mastering LaTeX: A Journey of Discovery

The learning curve for LaTeX was steep, but YouTube tutorials, Reddit discussions, Discord communities, and endless Google searches illuminated the path. I learned to organize my thesis into manageable chapters, each nestled in separate files. Figures found their rightful place with a bit of finesse, and mathematical equations were displayed with elegance. An online table generator became my go-to for creating complex tables without hassle (https://www.tablesgenerator.com/).

Crafting Aesthetics: The Artistry of Typesetting

The true charm of LaTeX is its remarkable flexibility, allowing for meticulous customization of every detail while maintaining a consistent style throughout the thesis. My university’s lenient formatting guidelines gave me the freedom to experiment with various fonts, borders, and styles for chapters and sections. However, this freedom sometimes led me down a rabbit hole. I often found myself spending hours troubleshooting why certain styles weren’t working, only to eventually get them working. Ironically, after all that effort, I would often revert everything back, after realizing that I actually liked it better before. This part of the process, though time-consuming, was a valuable lesson in the art of design and the importance of simplicity.

5. The Art of Referencing: Streamlining with Zotero, BibLaTeX, and .bib Files

Zotero became my trusty sidekick, managing my references and seamlessly integrating with BibLaTeX. The hurdle of figuring out how it all works was intimidating at first, but once you’re up and running with a self-updating .bib file, it becomes a breeze. This system ensured a robust and error-free referencing system, and saved me lots of time in the long run. Except for the occasional hiccup where everything breaks for no seemingly apparant reason, and after a few hours of panic you find out it’s because a paper’s title uses a weird character for ‘ë’ that the .bib file cannot read.

6. The Summit: Completing the PhD

As my PhD journey reached its zenith, LaTeX stood as the steadfast framework supporting my research compilation. It transformed what could have been a Sisyphean task into a structured and semi-enjoyable process. I recommend it to anyone who is considering it, and I hope this post has helped you in your decision.

I plan to post a LaTeX template of my thesis in the near future, and will update this post with a link when it is available.