Examples of thesis and chapter formats when including publications

The following examples are acceptable ways of formatting your thesis and chapters when including one or more publications.

Essential requirements

All theses with publications must have the following:

  • Title page
  • Abstract
  • Declaration
  • Preface – noting collaborations, and contributions to authorship
  • Acknowledgements
  • Table of contents
  • List of tables, figures & illustrations
  • Main text/chapters
  • Bibliography or list of references
  • Appendices

Main text examples

  • Chapter 1: Introduction
  • Chapter 2: Literature review
  • Chapter 3: Methods
  • Chapter 4: Paper 1 & general discussion
  • Chapter 5: Paper 2
  • Chapter 6: Regular thesis chapter – results
  • Chapter 7: Regular thesis chapter/general discussion tying in published and unpublished work
  • Chapter 8: Conclusion
  • Appendices - May include CD, DVD or other material, also reviews & methods papers
  • Chapter 1: Introduction
  • Chapter 2: Methods
  • Chapter 3: Paper 1
  • Chapter 4: Regular thesis chapter
  • Chapter 5: Paper 2
  • Chapter 6: Regular thesis chapter, final preliminary study
  • Chapter 7: General discussion
  • Chapter 1: Introduction
  • Chapter 2: Methods
  • Chapter 3: Paper 1
  • Chapter 4: Regular thesis chapter
  • Chapter 5: Regular thesis chapter
  • Chapter 6: Regular thesis chapter
  • Chapter 7: Regular thesis chapter, final preliminary study
  • Chapter 8: General discussion
  • Chapter 1: Introduction
  • Chapter 2: Methods
  • Chapter 3: Paper 1
  • Chapter 4: Paper 2 - e.g. data paper, including meta analyses
  • Chapter 5: Paper 3
  • Chapter 6: Paper 4
  • Chapter 7: Paper 5
  • Chapter 8: General discussion
  • Chapter 1: Introduction
  • Chapter 2: Methods
  • Chapter 3: Major paper
  • Chapter 4: Normal thesis chapter, final preliminary study
  • Chapter 5: General discussion

Chapter examples

  1. Introduction – including specific aims and hypotheses
  2. Paper 1
  1. Introduction – including specific aims, hypotheses
  2. Methods – results (including validation, preliminary) not included in the paper
  3. Results (including validation, preliminary) not included in paper
  4. Paper 1
  5. Discussion – expansion of paper discussion, further method development