Format of the thesis
When including complete publications, you should use the publisher version, provided this does not breach your agreement with your publisher. Otherwise you should use the author-accepted version. This is the final draft as accepted by the publishers, including any changes based on referees’ suggestions before it has undergone copyediting, typesetting and proofing.
While some journals request that the version you send them includes any figures or tables at the end of the submitted document, when you reproduce the article in your thesis you should place them where they logically flow within the text. It is also recommended that you use similar formatting (e.g. line spacing, font type and size) as the rest of the thesis.
View suggested formats for arranging the chapters of a thesis that includes publications as distinct components. See also example theses in the University of Melbourne repository.
- A literature survey is included in each of the papers. Is an additional literature survey required?
In most cases it is preferred that you include a separate literature survey. Even with the literature reviews included in your publications, you may still need to add further supplementary material if the publications do not directly address all the research questions in your thesis. Your supervisors and advisory committee are best able to advise you whether the literature reviews included in your incorporated publications will meet disciplinary expectations and satisfy your examiners that you:
- have clearly detailed your research question/s and how they connect with the current literature
- have demonstrated sufficient familiarity with, and understanding and critical appraisal of the relevant literature. - I produced several publications during my candidature. Can I just bind them together and submit them for examination?
No. The policy allows your thesis to be submitted with publications; it is not a thesis by publication. You must include a literature review that clearly outlines the research question, and a concluding general discussion that connects to the research questions. You should also introduce each publication that is included as a distinct component, explaining its role in the work, and, where appropriate, provide a critical reflection on its contribution.
- I want to use part of a publication in my thesis, but not the entire publication. Can I do that?
Yes, but in the preface you must provide the full citation details and indicate the source of the information. For example, state that the text on page(s) xx is from [details of publication], or that chapter yy is adapted from [details of publication]. In each case you should give its publication status and your contribution to the publication. You will assist your examiners if, at the start of each chapter that includes work drawn from a publication, there is a footnote explaining where the work came from, including full citation details, and how it has been used in the chapter. You may wish to include the entire publication as an appendix so that your examiners can see where the material came from.
- Is there a different word-length expectation for theses that include publications?
- Theses that include publications in a 'thesis-with-publications' style can typically be slightly shorter. For example, the typical PhD length is 80,000 words, but a PhD including publications as distinct components has a typical length of 50,000 to 80,000 words.
- While the writing style may be more concise, there is no difference in the expected volume and requirements of work presented in theses with publications. The examination criteria remain the same whether or not publications are incorporated. Your examiners are asked to consider your thesis on its merits as an independent piece of research. Refer to the information available for examiners.
- Maximum limits apply to all theses.
- Do I need to list the references used in a publication in the overall reference list/bibliography for my thesis?
If you are including the list of references as part of the publication, they do not need to be repeated in the overall reference list/bibliography for the thesis.
- Should incorporated publications be included in the overall reference list?
No. Incorporated publications should not appear in the bibliography of the thesis. However, they can appear (as appropriate) in the reference list of an included publication, where that publication has been included verbatim.
- When creating my list of tables and figures, do I also need to include the tables and figures from a publication that I have included in my thesis?
No. But you may do so if you think that it will assist readers of your thesis.
- If the publication has a different reference/spelling style, should I update it to use a similar style as the rest of the thesis?
It is up to you whether you update the publication style or not. Whatever you choose, you should acknowledge your choice in the Preface, stating the differences between the publication and thesis, due to the requirements of different publishers.
- If the result of my examination is deferred and I have to make ‘major revisions' for second round of examination, can I include a new publication?
Yes. Revised and resubmitted theses are examined in their entirety and the inclusion of a new incorporated publication may strengthen your response to examiners.
- Which version of my publication should I include in my final thesis?
In most cases you should include the latest version, up to the publisher version, unless this will breach your publisher agreement, in which case use the author-accepted version. You must also update the publication status in the preface.
If your examiners request changes that conflict with the editorial or peer review advice you have since received from your publisher, you may choose to address this elsewhere in your thesis, or in your written response to the examiners’ reports.