Requirement for inclusion of papers within the thesis
Inclusion of papers within a thesis is not a suitable thesis format for all research projects (e.g. collaborative projects where there may be several co-authors for each paper which may make it difficult for the examiner to establish the independence of the candidates work; where primary data is not collected or results obtained until late in the candidature; or where the research will not produce a logical sequence of papers that are able to be presented as an integrated whole).
Candidates should also consider whether this thesis format is an accepted practice within their discipline and likely to be received well by the thesis examiners (refer also to the examination requirements below). Candidates are required to consult with their supervisor(s) early in their candidature to determine if this thesis format is appropriate. It is expected that candidates will identify as part of the confirmation of candidature milestone if their thesis is to be prepared in this format. Candidates should consult their Group specific guidelines in addition to the requirements detailed below. Candidates are also encouraged to attend the workshop: ‘Inclusion of papers within a thesis’ offered by the Griffith Graduate Research School.
Refer also to the Griffith University code for the Responsible Conduct of Research (PDF, 202k), specifically the sections pertaining to publication ethics and the dissemination of research findings, and authorship.
Status of papers
A thesis may include papers that have been submitted, accepted for publication, or published. Some disciplines may specify a variation to the status of papers requirement, refer to your Group specific guidelines.
Type of papers
For the purpose of this requirement, papers are defined as a journal article, conference publication, book or book chapter. Papers which have been rejected by a publisher must not be included unless they have been substantially rewritten to address the reviewers’ comments or have since been accepted for publication. Some disciplines may specify a variation to the type of papers requirement, refer to your Group specific guidelines.
Number of papers
A thesis may be entirely or partly comprised of papers. A paper maybe included as a single chapter if the paper contributes to the argument of the thesis, or several papers may form the core chapters of the theses where they present a cohesive argument. Where a thesis is entirely comprised of papers, there is no minimum requirement for the number of papers that must be included (except as noted below) and is a matter of professional judgment for the supervisor and the candidate. Overall, the material presented for examination needs to reflect the research thesis standard required for the award of the degree.
Where a thesis is entirely comprised of papers, some disciplines may specify a minimum number of papers to be included, refer to your Group specific guidelines.
Authorship
The candidate should normally be principal author (that is, responsible for the intellectual content and the majority of writing) of any work included in the body of the thesis. Where a paper has been co-authored, the candidate is required to have made a substantial contribution to the intellectual content and writing. Co-authored work in which the candidate was a minor author can only be used and referenced in the way common to any other research publication cited in the thesis. A signature from the corresponding author is required in order to include co- authored material in the body of the thesis, refer to the declarations section below.
For co-authored papers, the attribution of authorship must be in accordance with the Griffith University code for the Responsible Conduct of Research (PDF, 202k), which specifies that authorship must be based on substantial contributions in one or more of:
- Conception and design of the research project
- Analysis and interpretation of research data
- Drafting or making significant parts of the creative or scholarly work or critically revising it so as to contribute significantly to the final output.
Some disciplines may specify a variation to the authorship requirement, refer to your Group specific guidelines.
Quality of papers
Candidates should endeavour to publish their research in high-quality, peer-reviewed publications. Papers to be included in the body of the thesis must be peer-reviewed as well as being published (or submitted for publication) in reputable outlets that are held in high regard in the relevant field of research. Candidates can consult their supervisor(s) for advice on suitable publications specific to their research discipline. Some disciplines may specify quality standards that must be met for papers to be included, please see below for Group-specific guidelines.
The library provides detailed support and advice to candidates on choosing journals in which to publish. Candidates should take care to avoid ‘predatory’ journals and publishers.
Copyright
As copyright in an article is normally assigned to a publisher, the publisher must give permission to reproduce the work in the thesis and put a digital copy on the institutional repository. Information on how to seek permission is available at: Copyright and Articles in thesis. If permission cannot be obtained, students may still include the publication in the body of the thesis, however following examination the relevant chapter(s) will be redacted from the digital copy to be held by the Griffith University Library so that the copyright material is not made publicly available in the institutional repository. Students are required to advise the copyright status of each publication included in the thesis via a declaration to be inserted in the thesis, as detailed below.
Students requiring further advice regarding copyright issues can contact the Copyright and Information Policy Officer on (07) 3735 5695 or copyright@griffith.edu.au.
Group and discipline requirements
Some groups or elements may specify additional requirements for including papers within a thesis, refer below: