The PhD thesis should be written in English and should have a proper introduction to the scientific topic. It should also include a summary and discussion of the scientific results obtained. The thesis must have an abstract in both English and Danish.
The suggested structure, although not mandatory, is as follows:
-
Title page with project title, student's name, department, date, year, and supervisor's name
-
List of publications
-
Table of contents
-
Preface
-
List of Abbreviations
-
English abstract (maximum one page)
-
Danish abstract (maximum one page)
-
Introduction to the scientific field
-
Summary of the results obtained, along with a discussion and evaluation in relation to the broader research area
-
List of References
-
Appendices (if needed) that may contain technical information not suitable for other chapters and could disrupt the reading flow
-
Copies of articles and manuscripts included with the thesis for assessment
*If it is a pedagogical thesis (IMADA), however, it can be written in Danish.
The use of the status report from the qualifying exam
You can use material from the status report in your PhD thesis, but it's essential to clearly indicate which parts of the thesis have been reused to prevent self-plagiarism.
The PhD School recommends two options:
- At the beginning of each chapter in the PhD thesis, explicitly state which sections have been previously assessed
- Include an overview in the PhD thesis that specifies which parts of the thesis have been assessed before
For more information on ensuring original content, understanding plagiarism, and preventing it, you can refer to the University Library's website.
Correction in the PhD thesis after the submission
Once the PhD thesis has been submitted for assessment, no corrections can be made directly to the thesis itself. However, if the PhD student wishes to address errors, omissions, or make improvements, they can prepare a separate document describing these issues. This document should outline the errors and omissions in the PhD thesis, as well as the improvements the PhD student intends to make.
This document can be linked to the PhD thesis in Pure, allowing for a clear record of the changes and updates that the PhD student wishes to implement.
The departmental guidelines on publishing activity for obtaining a PhD degree
Department of Biology
A PhD thesis will typically contain three or more full-length articles consisting of original research. Of these, at least one should be submitted, to an internationally recognized journal and at least two articles should have the PhD student as first author. In cases where only manuscripts are included that have not been accepted for publication in an internationally recognized journal, it is up to the assessment committee to assess whether these have the sufficient quality that they could be publicized in an internationally recognized journal.
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
A PhD thesis must normally contain at least one full-length article consisting of original research with the PhD student as first author. The article must be published or accepted for publication in an internationally recognized journal. If there is only a manuscript, it is for the assessment committee to assess whether the quality of the article is sufficient to be published in an internationally recognized journal.
In cases where a manuscript has not yet been prepared, or where the student does not appear as first author on any article or manuscript, detailed explanation must be set out for the reasons for this, as well as arguments that the work should still lead to the acquisition of a PhD degree. Based on this, the assessment committee must decide whether, despite the lack of publications, the quality of the thesis is of a sufficiently high level and can be submitted for public defence.
Department of Physics, Chemistry and Pharmacy
A PhD thesis must normally contain at least two full-length articles consisting of original research with the PhD student as first author and should be published or accepted for publication in an internationally recognized journal. If there are only one or more manuscripts, it is up to the assessment committee to assess whether these manuscripts have the sufficient quality to be accepted by an internationally recognized journal.
In cases where a manuscript has not yet been prepared, or where the student does not appear as first author on any article or manuscript, detailed explanation must be set out for the reasons for this, as well as arguments that the work should still lead to the acquisition of a PhD degree. Based on this, the assessment committee must decide whether, despite the lack of publications, the quality of the thesis is of a sufficiently high level and can be submitted for public defence.
Department of Mathematics and Computer Science
In computer science, it is expected that the PhD Programme will lead to original research equivalent to 3-5 publications in international peer-reviewed forums (conferences and journals). Usually students will submit their findings for publication during the course of the programme and thus by the time of completion of the PhD work have experience and understanding of the computer science publication process and research dissemination.
In statistics, it is expected that the PhD Programme will lead to original research equivalent to 2-5 publications in international peer-reviewed forums (journals). Usually students will submit their findings for publication during the course of the programme and thus by the time of completion of the PhD work have experience and understanding of the statistics publication process and research dissemination.
In mathematics, it is expected that the PhD Programme will lead to original research equivalent to 1-2 publications in international peer-reviewed forums (journals). Usually students will submit their findings for publication during the course of the programme and thus by the time of completion of the PhD work have experience and understanding of the mathematics publication process and research dissemination.
In science and mathematics education, it is expected that a PhD programme will lead to original research equivalent to 2-4 publications in international or Scandinavian hereunder Danish peer reviewed forums (journals). At least one of the publications shall have the PhD student as first author.
In cases where a manuscript has not yet been prepared, or (where applicable) the student does not appear as first author on any article or manuscript, detailed explanation must be set out for the reasons for this, as well as arguments that the work should still lead to the acquisition of a PhD degree. Based on this, the assessment committee must decide whether, despite the lack of publications, the quality of the thesis is of a sufficiently high level and can be submitted for public defense.
Interdisciplinary PhD programmes
In the case of interdisciplinary PhD programs, the Dean establishes particular publication requirements. These requirements are formulated based on recommendations from the relevant PhD Study Board, and this process is typically overseen by the Faculty PhD Committee. The specific publication requirements must be defined and communicated no later than when the Head of the PhD School approves the PhD plan.
Co-author statements
Articles included in the thesis may be created in collaboration with other individuals, provided that the contributions of the co-authors are clearly indicated. It's crucial that there is a written co-author statement from the first author and/or senior author specifying the proportionate share of the work completed by the PhD student.
The specific form for co-author statements can be accessed on the PhD School's website. It is recommended that co-author statements are collected in an ongoing manner.