Thesis with creative outputs

Overview

With approval from your advisory committee your thesis may include a creative or non-traditional research output (NTRO) component alongside a dissertation to fulfil the requirements of the degree. This is more common in some degrees and disciplines than others. The inclusion of a creative output and the relative weightings of the dissertation and creative outputs must be agreed upon at confirmation.

A durable record refers to a permanent file or archive that ensures the preservation and accessibility of all components of the thesis. This record typically includes any multimedia material (streaming or downloading), content on web links, or data sets that are integral to the thesis.

Both the dissertation and creative output must be passed, and a final version including a durable record of all components of your thesis must be submitted to the University’s digital repository, in order for you to be awarded the degree.

Format

All theses must be presented as a unified whole and address a significant research question.

The creative output may take a variety of forms including:

  • a performance
  • an exhibition
  • writing (poetry, fiction, script or other written literary forms)
  • musical composition
  • design
  • film
  • video
  • e-portfolio or website
  • multimedia
  • other new media technologies and modes of presentation.

If the creative output is not in writing it must be comprehensively documented. The output itself, or the documentation must be submitted with the dissertation through the Thesis Examination System (TES).

The dissertation and documentation of the output (where needed) must adhere to the Preparation of Graduate Research Theses Process. You must include a description of the form and presentation of the creative output in the abstract and specify the approved relative weighting on your declaration page.

The combined volume including the creative output and dissertation for a doctoral thesis would be equivalent to approximately 80,000 to 100,000 words. For a masters degree, the combined volume would be equivalent to approximately 40,000 to 50,000 words.

Any thesis that exceeds the maximum limit requires permission to proceed to examination, which must be sought via the Examinations Office prior to submission.

Relationship between the dissertation and creative output

The dissertation and the creative output should be considered as complementary, mutually reinforcing parts of a single project. You may argue, however, that the relationship between the two parts contributes to the originality and creativity of the whole.

The dissertation is required to do more than simply describe the creative output and how it was undertaken.

The dissertation must:

  • present the research questions address
  • contextualise the research as new knowledge within the field of its production.

The dissertation may:

  • include information on the materials and methodology used
  • elucidate the creative output
  • place the creative output in an artistic, intellectual or cultural context.

Weighting

The weighting given to the components of the thesis describes the proportion of the research that is demonstrated through the creative component/s and the proportion which is demonstrated in the written dissertation. The relative weighting will inform the examiners’ assessment of the output and must be stated in your thesis declaration page. When registering your intention to submit via TES, include the approved weighting in your 80-word summary.

The weighting of the dissertation and creative output, and the expected word length of the dissertation must be agreed at confirmation. Check the Handbook description for your course to see if the weighting is specified for the course. If not, the minimum weighting for the dissertation that can be agreed upon at confirmation is 25 per cent.

Examination

When submitting your thesis through TES, you are required to include any creative components, such as multimedia files. If your combined files exceeds 2 GB, please contact the Examinations Office to arrange a secure University SharePoint link to upload the additional files. Then add the shared link to TES as part of your submission.

Where the creative output includes a performance or exhibition of visual art works, the examiners may be required to travel to the site of the performance or exhibition. Requirements for the examination of a performance or exhibition of creative works are detailed in the Examination of a Live Performance or Exhibition Process.

In this situation, if the dissertation is not submitted at or around the same time, you must provide an extended abstract of 1000 to 3000 words to your Chair of Examiners two weeks prior to the viewing. You must then submit your dissertation by logging into TES no more than six calendar months after the performance/exhibition. The role of Chair of Examiners is normally undertaken by the head of department/school or nominee. To find out your Chair of Examiners, contact your supervisor or the Examinations Office.

If one or more components of your thesis is a live website or content hosted online, there should be no alterations made to the website or online content while the examination is in progress.

Additional criteria is specified in the Graduate Research Training Policy (MPF1321) for examiners who are examining creative outputs.

Final archival version of your thesis

To meet the University's digital repository (Minerva Access) requirements, you will need to deposit a durable record of all components of your thesis when submitting your final thesis. Methods of capturing and providing this durable representation of your creative output component vary widely depending on the nature and presentation of your creative component. It is important for you, in discussion with your supervisor, to decide and capture your desired best quality representation.

When submitting multiple files, you should upload them individually. You will be able to indicate the access for each file in Minerva access. For large files above 2GB (combined), please contact the Examinations Office to arrange a secure University SharePoint link or, alternatively, upload them to a cloud storage platform and email the shared link to the Examinations Office.

If your thesis included a website, you must provide a durable copy of the website as it was during the examination. For PhD and doctoral candidates, it should include any amendments requested by the examiners. You may also provide a link to the live website and have readers directed to that while it remains available, in addition to the archived copy.

You can find further information about requirements for deposit, as well as options and implications of choosing some options at My thesis in the library and Depositing multiple files for your final thesis record. You can request technical assistance for submitting the thesis to Minerva Access.