I have modified the Oxford Maths LaTeX template to work for the social sciences. There are a lot of bells and whistles in this file, but I have tried to provide lots of comments to make the process of getting up and running with minimal effort.
I would also recommend perusing the LaTeX resources on the Maths website for lots of LaTeX tutorials and information.
You can find my thesis template folder here: Oxford LaTeX thesis
If you don’t have LaTeX installed yet, head over to CTAN.
[Update 22 May 2011] As for editors, I highly recommend Textmate (for Mac)

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Many thanks for sharing your LaTeX template for your DPhil.
You’re welcome! I hope it was of use to you.
Many thanks for sharing your DPhil template. I am looking for one as my preparation for writing up.