The thesis
- Planning and writing
- Presentation
- Plagiarism
- Submission of a thesis based on publications
- Thesis embargo
Planning and writing
Writing a thesis is a creative process. Thus its nature and progress can depend very much on the candidate and the subject matter. However a few general principles should be kept in mind:-
- An overall plan for the thesis should be compiled as early as possible and discussed with supervisors. A plan should not be binding but should be discussed and modified where necessary as research and analysis proceed. It is a good idea for candidates to have a draft outline plan together with a timetable pinned on a noticeboard in front of them so that they are regularly reminded of where they are and of their immediate goals.
- For creative arts disciplines where the thesis may take the form of creative works and a written component, the candidate should discuss with their supervisors the form and presentation of the thesis including the proportion to be presented as creative works and the proportion to be presented as a written component. Normally the creative work component will not constitute more than 70% of the thesis. The creative work and written component must be presented as an integrated coherent whole.
- As mentioned earlier, candidates and supervisors should fully discuss both safety and ethical issues in early planning stages, and take appropriate measures which may involve seeking advice and approval from the relevant University ethical and/or safety committees.
- Key technical issues should also be addressed in early planning stages. For example, criticism of statistical analysis is common among external examiners’ reports. The candidate should ensure that adequate statistical planning for the project is undertaken early in the project. Advice may be sought from supervisors or from other academic staff. The GRS website offers information regarding a consultancy service for research students on all three campuses. Time spent with these people should lead to a sound experimental design with data capable of being analysed according to statistical procedures appropriate for the discipline.
- Writing should commence as soon as possible. Even starting with very rough notes for paragraphs or chapters can develop confidence early. Thesis writing does not necessarily have to start with chapter one. Most candidates find it best to write the easiest sections or chapters first, since this encourages a sense of progress and achievement. It is common for conclusions and introductions to be written last, when candidates have a thorough awareness of the purpose and implications of their research. Bibliographies and/or references should not be left to do last. With current word processing software, these can be compiled and revised regularly as the reading and research progresses.
- Candidates should do all their writing on a computer word processor. If they have had no previous experience they should arrange with their supervisor to have appropriate instruction. Great care must be taken at all times to protect every computer file with multiple backup copies not all stored at the same location. It is also a good idea to make periodic hard copies (printouts) of your work. Research data, notes and chapter drafts may represent several years of intense effort by the candidate and may be impossible to recreate if they are lost through some electronic, technical or other misfortune.
- Draft sections or chapters should be discussed with supervisors as early as possible. Supervisors have a duty to examine these carefully and critically and return them promptly. Candidates have a right to have considered feedback on whatever they show their supervisors.
- Supervisors should see chapters at every stage, from rough notes, to early drafts, to revised drafts, to the final version. Supervisors should also see drafts of the whole thesis as soon as possible. While they may have commented on individual chapters shown to them at different times, they may also suggest revisions when all the chapters are seen together in the context of the whole thesis.
- It is extremely unwise for candidates to submit a thesis or parts of a thesis for examination that have not been seen and approved, in its final form, by the supervisor.
- In some disciplines, candidates are encouraged to publish the results of their research before their thesis is completed. Publication practice varies widely between Academic Units. Candidates should discuss publishing matters with their supervisors and there should be a clear understanding about issues such as authorship, choice of journal and timing of publication. Where both supervisor(s) and candidate are co-authors each has the right to expect that such publications will not be excessively delayed. The candidate must indicate in the thesis which parts of it have been published. (See Submission of a thesis based on publications for more information).
Presentation
Candidates are expected to take full responsibility for the totality of their thesis, including stylistic and grammatical aspects as well as the substance of the research. Problems in any of these areas should be addressed early to ensure that the completed thesis provides evidence of candidates' ability not only to carry out independent research, but to convey results to others in a scholarly and comprehensible manner in the official languages of Massey University (English and Maori). The final version of the thesis should represent the candidate's ability to present their research findings. Professional editing is therefore not permitted.
It is expected that a Doctoral thesis will be of very high quality. It is important that time for careful presentation and proof-reading is built into a candidate’s overall timetable. It is possible to ruin years of hard work with a hurried and poorly produced thesis. The following information is relevant:-
- Massey University Library can supply a document entitled ‘Guide to Presentation of Theses’ which gives a range of technical advice. This is available at each Campus Library and also on the Library website. Candidates should, in general, adopt the scholarly conventions of presentation according to their particular subject or discipline. Indeed early in their studies candidates should look at a number of Doctoral theses from the relevant Academic Unit or discipline to become familiar with what is required.
- All matters of style, such as referencing and bibliographic convention, should be fully discussed with supervisors as early as possible. It is most unwise to leave this until late in the programme.
- Succinctness is important. Examiners are not impressed by the length of a thesis but by its content and contribution. A lengthy introduction and bibliography do not prove that the candidate has thought deeply about the subject. A single moderate-sized volume is normally quite sufficient. The PhD regulations state that the maximum word limit is 100,000 words excluding appendices and bibliography, but in some disciplines it can be much less. For a PhD in Music which includes major components of composition and/or performance, the thesis will not exceed 60,000 words, excluding appendices and bibliography. The word limit for Named Doctorates is 65,000 words, excluding appendices and bibliography. Figures and tables in the thesis should be taken as the equivalent of 250 words per page. All these matters should be clarified with supervisors at the beginning of the candidacy.
- Particular care must be taken with grammar and spelling. Examiners will require a thesis to be revised and corrected if it contains poor expression, spelling mistakes and typographical errors. Candidate’s who have difficulty with such matters, for example those for whom English is not a first language, should seek assistance. Word processing, spelling and grammar checkers should also be used.
- Where appropriate and possible, raw data on which research is based should be included in the thesis, usually in appendices. Where data are extensive, a portable storage device may be used.
- Original scientific data generated by Doctoral research should be retained in durable and appropriately referenced form and kept in a safe place for a period of at least five years after the completion of the project. All such data must be available for independent analysis by supervisors, examiners, or other scientific researchers.
- All theses must have an abstract of no more than 350 words bound into the thesis at the beginning.
- There should be a clear statement under ‘acknowledgements’ indicating the extent to which the candidate has had assistance with the project.
- The Doctoral thesis should be printed by word processor or similar device. The thesis can be printed as single sided pages or double sided pages. A handwritten manuscript is not permissible.
- The Doctoral thesis may be submitted in final hard bound form or in a temporary but securely bound form (hot melt or spiral). The DRC does not permit theses to be submitted in an unbound state.
Plagiarism
The DRC expects candidates to adhere to accepted international standards of research, with proper acknowledgement of assistance and collaboration, and to make appropriate references to all sources of information. Failure to properly acknowledge and reference the work of others constitutes plagiarism. Massey University treats plagiarism and research misconduct very seriously. Candidates found guilty of these activities may have their candidature terminated or be failed in the doctoral examination. If you have any doubts about what constitutes plagiarism or research misconduct please seek advice from your supervisors or learning services. It is essential that you are familiar with the Massey University policy on Research Practice and the Code of Responsible Research Conduct and Procedures for Dealing with Misconduct in Research. Both policies can be accessed on the Policy guides web pages.
Submission of a thesis based on publications
The publication of papers during candidacy can be highly advantageous. Massey University allows the submission of theses based upon published research (or research accepted for publication), providing it conforms to the following:
- The research must have been conducted during the period of candidature (this stems from CUAP requirements, and it has implications for funding).
- The candidate may be the sole author of the publication(s), OR, where the candidate was a joint author, the research contributed by the candidate is normally expected to be in the capacity of primary author. The contribution of the candidate to jointly authored chapters must be clearly documented by a statement signed by the supervisor and candidate and bound into the thesis. To protect the interest of candidates, it is important that authorship is discussed at an early stage of candidacy, ideally with the involvement of an independent party.
- Published material may be submitted for examination once only and by one doctoral candidate, so where team research is involved, it is important to clarify roles at an early stage. Where material submitted for publication or examination by another candidate is critical to understanding the thesis, it may be included in a non-examinable appendix with an appropriate explanation. In special circumstances, different parts of the same publication may be submitted for examination by different candidates (e.g. where experiments and modelling have been done by different people).
- Theses based upon publications must have an appropriate introduction, including research objectives, and a comprehensive conclusion which clearly identifies the original contribution to knowledge of the subject with which it deals. The thesis must work as an integrated whole, and linking sections may also be used to this end.
- Submitted manuscripts and accepted and published work, in part or in full, may all provide the basis for chapters in the thesis. Where work has been previously published, a journal may need to give copyright permission for the material to be included in a thesis which will be placed in the Library’s electronic repository. Candidates should gain copyright clearance as early as possible.
- Candidates are strongly advised to standardise the format and referencing of chapters. Copies of articles and/or creative works, as appropriate as published may be included in a pocket in the thesis, or in pdf form on the thesis CD.
- Candidates are advised to fully reference previous publication of their own sole-authored work, including graphs, tables and images that they themselves have generated. Any other intellectual content must be fully and appropriately referenced to the person(s) that supplied them. They are then able to sign a statement that the thesis is their own work. It is advisable to list in the preface publications that have arisen out of the work.
- The University sets the standard by which theses are examined, and acceptance of any part by a publisher does not necessarily mean that it meets examination standards. Examiners will be instructed to examine all parts of the thesis with equal rigour, and may request changes to any part of the thesis regardless of whether it has been published or not.
- The candidate is expected to have a working knowledge of all parts of the thesis, and to be able to answer questions about the thesis as a whole in the oral examination.
- The candidate is required to complete the form
DRC 16 Statement of Contribution to Doctoral Thesis Containing Publications (78 KB)
– for each article/paper included in the thesis.
Note: Research that has been published (or accepted for publication), does not ensure a pass in a Doctoral degree. Examiners will judge a candidate’s research on its original contribution to knowledge and scholarship. This thesis must stand as a thesis and it will be assessed on its totality, so the integration of sections may be especially important in some disciplines.
Thesis embargo
Grounds for embargo
The grounds for a thesis embargo might be that harm could come about through such things as:
- Disclosure of commercially sensitive information (the most likely situation and one typically covered by a written agreement with an external party).
- Disclosure of information which is personal or private (this may be covered, for example, by undertakings to research participants, or by documentation used to obtain ethical approval).
- Disclosure of thesis contents before the author of the thesis has had reasonable opportunity to publish all or part of the thesis.
- Disclosure of material which has been provided on conditions that it not be disclosed.
Authority for thesis embargo
Once the grounds are agreed and declared, candidates or supervisors should make application for the embargo, stating the reason for the embargo.
Applications for a thesis embargo should be on the appropriate proforma, which is available on the GRS website. The application should be signed by the supervisor and candidate before being submitted to the Assistant Vice Chancellor, Research, at Massey University.
This application should be processed before the thesis is bound and should be bound into all copies of the thesis. Note that the wording of the abstract repository may need to be adjusted in the light of the need to protect Intellectual Property.
