Should I use LaTeX or Word to write my Thesis?

This article is for anyone deciding whether they should write their Thesis in LaTeX vs. Word. The perspectives I share come from writing my Physiology/Biochemistry doctoral Thesis in LaTeX using the online LaTeX editor, Overleaf. Scattered among this list of positives and negatives are a number of tips I picked up along the way.

Positives:

• Folder/file structure: My Thesis was ~50,000 words, contained six sections, >50 images, 14 tables, 15 appendices and 301 references. Managing this in Word would, I believe, have been a nightmare. Using LaTeX, you can split this monstrous document into multiple .tex files, each stored neatly within folders. Below is an image of the folder/file structure i used for my Thesis (this was far from optimal). I recommend watching this excellent introductory video that explains how to structure your Thesis in LaTeX. There are a huge number of Thesis templates that you can download for free that provide this structure for you. The one I used can be found here.

• Separating thinking from making it look pretty: When using Word, I will frequently draft a section on paper before adding an edited version to the document. I find this approach stops me procrastinating over typos, grammar, formatting etc. and allows me to concentrate on the content (i.e., the hard bit!). By writing in the editor screen (see below) and compiling into a PDF (which automatically and beautifully formats the document), LaTeX allows you to similarly separate the “thinking” aspect of writing from the “making it look nice” part. I find this liberating.

• Managing table, figure, acronym numbering/orders: I dreaded the idea of having to manage figure, table and acronym orders in Word. It’s not that Word cannot do this; rather, I was scared that it would grind to a halt with the shear number it would have to track. LaTeX achieves this effortlessly. You can also easily label all aspects of your Thesis, including figures, tables, sections, paragraphs, chapters etc. For example, let’s say I wanted to reference a paragraph in my General Methods section. I would simply label the relevant section using the \label{paragraph name} function and then reference this in the text using the \ref{label name} function. It’s that simple.

Disadvantages

• References: I use Mendeley to manage my references. There is relatively seamless integration between Mendeley and the Overleaf online LaTeX editor. I say relatively because there are caveats. Firstly, you need to pay for the premium subscription (the personal plan costs £8/month at the time of writing). Secondly, it is a two-stage process to upload a reference: (i) upload it to your Mendeley library and sync; and (ii) sync you Mendeley library to the bibliography file in your LaTeX document. Moreover, you sometimes have to repeat this a few times before it actually syncs. This whole process can, I find, disrupt the flow of writing (or provide a handy procrastination tool!). Conversely, the Word Mendeley add-in is quick and painless.
• Table formatting: The no.1 frustration I had with LaTeX was creating tables. Small tables are no problem. Large tables with lots of text are, however, a nightmare. I highly recommend using the Excel to LaTeX plugin. Other tricks include: changing the font size in a table; creating sideways tables (requires the rotate package); using the array package, which gives you more precision over column properties; and using the multirow package that allows you to split a table across multiple pages.
• Positioning tables and figures: LaTeX will never position a Table or Figure before it is mentioned in the text. However, you may find it comes a long way after. Overwriting this is possible but troublesome. I recommend using the Float package, which gives you more flexibility in where you position Tables and Figures.
• Editing documents and collaborating with supervisors and peers: You can give supervisors/collaborators access to your document and they can make comments in the text Editor section. Alternatively, you can give them a PDF to review in Adobe or similar. However, editing documents is undoubtedly easier in Word. As a result, your supervisors may not be thrilled when you tell them you’re not using Word.
• “Unable to compile document”: On occasion (typically when you’re ready to finish for the day), you compile your edits into the PDF document and receive a message “unable to compile document”. This is often accompanied with a long list of half intelligible error messages (see below; tip: the multiple error messages are often associated with a single error). If you have made lots of edits since the last compile, it is sometimes difficult to identify the error, despite an excellent version history being available. I strongly recommend compiling regularly. This makes it far easier to trace your steps and correct any errors. Of course, you are protected from these errors when using Word.

Would I recommend using LaTeX versus Word?

Yes, I would. On balance, I think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. However, if are new to LaTeX, be prepared for some early pain and a relatively steep learning curve. Also, if your mindset is “I want this done as quickly as possible” or if you have a tight deadline, it might be best to stick with what you know.

Thanks for reading.

David

Originally published at https://daviddearlove.com on March 7, 2021.