This thesis guide presents an overview for doctoral and master’s students and their supervisors for the development of a thesis proposal, the ethical conduct of research, the standardized presentation of the final thesis, its subsequent external examination, and the procedure for its binding. Doctoral and master’s theses should provide clear evidence of scholarship and originality. Originality can be demonstrated through the formulation of new theory, the reinterpretation or extension of known data and established ideas, or, on occasion, the discovery of new facts.
Thesis Proposal and Final Thesis Presentation
The thesis must be presented in UK or US English, but not a mixture of both, and be free of any spelling, grammatical, or nomenclature errors.
Drafts of all chapters should be submitted to the Chair of the Supervisory Committee and subsequently to all members of the Supervisory Committee for comment. Reasonably prompt feedback should be provided on substantive issues. Most supervisors also give feedback on style, grammar, etc., but students are encouraged to seek additional feedback from other professionals.
The greater portion of the work submitted for examination must have been completed following the registration of the student as a candidate for the degree, where the thesis is presented in partial fulfillment of that degree.
A candidate will not be permitted to submit a thesis consisting wholly of work for which a degree has been conferred on the candidate from this or any other University. However, a candidate shall not be precluded from incorporating work that has already been submitted for a degree in this or any other university in a thesis covering a wider field or a different component of a related topic.
The candidate shall be free to publish or exhibit material at appropriate meetings and/or conferences in advance of the final thesis production. Reference should be made in the thesis to any such work.
The copies of the final thesis, following successful examination, shall remain the property of the University, but the copyright of the thesis shall be vested in the graduate.
There are certain stylistic requirements to be adhered to, which are set out in the thesis guidelines below.
The chapter format can be flexible and may follow either a traditional thesis style, in which each section follows the layout presented below, or a format that follows a publication structure for each chapter. The style of the final thesis should be agreed upon by the Supervisory Committee and the student during the earlier stages of the writing. Any changes that may need to be made later are to be agreed to again by these parties.