Formats and content-related guidelines for the thesis
The PhD thesis is the final output after a three-year PhD research programme. The thesis is the result of extensive, original research and presents the findings of the PhD student’s research project.
A PhD thesis must clearly demonstrate the author’s ability to generate new knowledge and understanding in relation to the international state of the art of the relevant research field(s). The thesis must engage with the academic theories and concepts and apply relevant methods of the field and present a research effort corresponding to the international standards for PhD theses.
A PhD thesis is usually written in Danish or English. Theses written in other languages than Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, or English must be approved by the PhD committee following application. The thesis should include an abstract in both Danish and English, with each abstract limited to one page.
Formats
A PhD thesis can take various forms, such as a monograph or an article-based thesis, each offering their own advantages. It is advisable to discuss the thesis format with the supervisor and determine the structure early in the process.
Monograph PhD thesis
A monograph is usually 200-250 pages long and does not usually exceed approx. 100,000 words, including footnotes, endnotes, and captions. The word count does not include bibliography, table of content, abstracts, indexes, image inventory, appendices, etc. However, PhD projects, dissertations and fields of research vary, and these word counts should be taken as a rule of thumb rather than a hard limit.
In addition to the research and analysis in each chapter, the monograph should include:
- An introduction detailing the objectives and research questions of the thesis.
- A comprehensive review of the international state of the art.
- An account and explanation of key theories, concepts and methods used in the thesis.
- A description of the empirical material and criteria for its selection (if applicable).
- A conclusion summarizing the thesis and a discussion of its contribution to the advancement of the research field(s).
It is perfectly acceptable for parts of the monograph (e.g. a chapter, or parts of a chapter) to be published in the same form or in a different form as an article or a contribution to an anthology before handing in the thesis. The publication status of chapters in question should be clearly stated in the thesis, and the reprinted or edited/rewritten parts clearly marked.
See further guidelines on research integrity (UCPH intranet)
Article-based PhD thesis
An article-based thesis consists of a number of substantial articles related in content, tied together and framed by an introductory chapter (a ‘cape’). The articles must cohere in terms of subject matter, theory or methodology and may be single- or co-authored. An article-based thesis is usually shorter than a monograph but should be guided by the same rule of thumb of a maximum of 100,000 words.
Articles included in a PhD thesis adhere to general academic standards for articles published with peer review. However, it is not necessary for the articles to have been published, undergone peer review, or submitted for publication before the thesis submission. The publication status of the articles will not impact the assessment of the thesis.
The introductory chapter, for which the PhD student must be the sole author, serves as an introductory and summarizing text approximating a major review article (approx. 30–50 pages). In addition to presenting the objectives and overall research questions of the thesis, the chapter should include the following:
- An introduction detailing the objectives and research questions of the thesis.
- A comprehensive review of the international state of the art.
- An account and explanation of key theories, concepts and methods used in the thesis.
- A description of the empirical material and criteria used for its selection (if applicable).
- A synopsis for each of the articles, outlining their results and elucidating their interrelationships and cohesion.
- A conclusion summarizing the thesis and a discussion of its contribution to the advancement of the research field(s).
In cases where the PhD thesis includes co-authored articles, the introductory chapter should also provide a detailed account of the PhD student's role in and independent contributions to each article for which they are not the sole author.
If one or more of the above subjects is adequately met in the individual articles (e.g. international state-of-the-art, definition of central concepts etc.) it does not need to be repeated in the introductory chapter, which may be shortened accordingly.
For published articles or articles accepted for publication, the name and date of the publication must be listed.
See guidelines for article-based PhD theses (pdf)