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PhD by Papers

Rather than writing a single book-like thesis examining a single topic, a PhD by Papers gives you the choice of writing a thesis comprising of several separate (though thematically unified) papers, in the style of philosophy journal articles.

Birmingham is one of the first philosophy departments in the UK to offer a PhD by Papers option and, although this style of PhD thesis is very popular at top US departments and offers many advantages for students, it is rare in the UK. The advantages include:

Ideas don’t always come in book-shaped packages. Our PhD by Papers format recognises that, allowing you greater scope to follow your interests
If you would like to become an academic philosopher, you will need to publish in philosophical journals, preferably before finishing your PhD. Our PhD by Papers means your work towards publishable papers is always work towards the PhD thesis, improving your academic job prospects along the way

The Department of Philosophy was ranked 1st in the UK in the Research Excellence Framework exercise 2021 based on Grade Point Average (Times Higher Education).

PhD by publication

PhD awards for published researchers

Explore how you can turn your existing peer reviewed research publications into a PhD qualification

What is a PhD by publication?

A PhD by publication is a postgraduate research degree that's based on research you've already undertaken and had published (excluding self-publishing) before registering with us.

Depending on the subject area, peer reviewed academic papers, complete books, chapters in anthologies, or equivalent materials accepted for publication, exhibited or performed may be eligibl e. You'll have to submit these materials for examination between 6–12 months after registering with us.

These materials will be accompanied by a commentary of 5,000–10,000 words, which outlines your work's coherence, significance and contribution to knowledge, and you'll be examined through an oral defence of your research, known as a viva voce. Applicants must have held a first or higher degree from a UK higher education institute – or a recognised equivalent non-UK degree of the same standard – for at least 5 years.

Once you've been awarded a PhD by publication, you'll be in a great position to move onto further research or to use your new postgraduate qualification to progress your career.

The cost of getting a PhD by publication in most of our subject areas is £4,500 for external candidates – check your research subject area page for more details.

How to apply

To be considered for a PhD by publication, you'll need to have held an undergraduate or postgraduate degree – awarded either by a UK higher education institute or a recognised non-UK equivalent – for at least 5 years.

To apply you'll need:

A CV and the names of two referees
A title of the proposed PhD
A listing of the published work on which the application is based
A statement of not more than 1000 words setting out your view of the nature and significance of the work submitted

Apply from the relevant subject area page .

If your application is successful, you'll need to submit the already-published materials – those that you wish to be considered as part of your PhD by publication award – between 6–12 months after registering with us.

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5 routes to getting a Doctorate

While most of those studying for a PhD take the PhD by thesis pathway, there are five viable routes to achieving a Doctorate degree

PhD by thesis

This is the most common means of getting a Doctorate degree. Over the three or four years of research at university, your PhD supervisor will support you as you aim to produce a thesis based on your research proposal .

A thesis is typically 60,000-90,000 words in length - although this can vary between institutions. For instance, the University of Glasgow's College of Social Sciences expects a thesis to be 70,000-100,000 words including references, bibliography and appendices, while the University of Cambridge has set an upper limit of 80,000 words.

Once completed, you'll need to defend your PhD thesis in front of a panel of examiners during your viva voce .

PhD by publication

This route involves submitting previously published work - such as books, book chapters and journal articles, which together form a coherent body of work and show evidence of an original contribution to a particular field of study.

It's often taken by mid-career academics that haven't had the opportunity to undertake a standard Doctorate degree.

Generally, a minimum of five to eight published pieces are required, but this varies between institutions and depends on their length. The published work will be assessed to the same rigorous standards as a traditional PhD by thesis.

You must also provide a written supporting statement, which can range from 5,000 to 20,000 words, and present your work to an academic committee. A supervisor will assist you with selecting which publications to submit and with the supporting statement.

Some universities accept only their own graduates for a PhD by publication, while others restrict this route to their academic staff. In general, you should have graduated from your first degree at least seven years ago to be eligible.

For example, The University of Manchester has published its own Guidance for the PhD By Published Work , with eligibility only extending to current members of staff.

Professional Doctorate

Geared primarily towards current professionals in vocational sectors such as healthcare , teaching and education , and engineering and manufacturing , this type of Doctorate degree includes a significant taught component and a smaller research project.

Professional Doctorates are often taken on a part-time basis and can last between two and eight years. Like their standard PhD counterparts, they usually begin in October or January.

While you won't typically be looking to get an academic job , your research is expected to contribute to theory as well as professional practice. Projects often revolve around a real-life issue that affects your employer.

Several professional Doctorates, such as the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (DClinPsy), are accredited by a professional body - for instance, the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC) and The British Psychological Society (BPS) - and may also lead to a professional qualification .

Common titles for graduates of professional Doctorate degrees include:

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)
Doctor of Education (EdD)
Doctor of Engineering (EngD)
Doctor of Medicine (MD).

Unlike many professional Doctorates, the EngD is typically offered as a full-time course and is aimed at young engineering graduates with little or no professional experience.

Explore what's currently available at Find a Professional Doctorate .

Integrated PhD

This four-year qualification, also known as the New Route PhD, involves studying a one-year research Masters degree (MRes) before progressing onto a three-year PhD.

Offered by a select number of universities across the UK, integrated PhDs are supported by the government and the British Council through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) . Visit Research Council funding for further information on research and funding for different types of PhD.

The integrated PhD involves a combination of taught materials, practical experience and advanced research. This allows you to learn subject-specific methodologies, while building the transferable skills that will enable you to become a leader in your chosen profession.

Institutions can also develop personalised integrated PhD programmes to meet each student's needs. For example, universities may offer you the opportunity to gain a postgraduate certificate (PGCert) in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education - perfect if you're considering a career as a higher education lecturer .

As PhDs are based primarily on independent research rather than time spent in lectures and seminars, distance learning has always been a viable route for many Doctoral students.

PhDs by distance learning offered by course providers such as The Open University are therefore a good option to consider if you've got family or work commitments or are an international student - as this gives you the chance to undertake Doctoral research without having to live close to your chosen institution. It's also a suitable mode of study if your subject requires you to be based in a specific location away from the university.

For the most part, you'll be in touch with your supervisor by phone, email or Skype/Zoom. You'll need to bear in mind that even if you opt for this form of research, you'll generally still need to attend university for one or two weeks of each academic year for meetings and to receive research skills training. Your final examination may be undertaken either face-to-face or virtually.

With online PhDs, you can usually register as a full or part-time student. The level of fees you pay varies between institutions - some charge the same as for a standard PhD while others offer a reduced rate.

Check that any funding you plan to apply for is available to distance learning students, as this isn't always the case.

Search for distance learning PhDs .

Find out more

Explore what is a PhD?
Sort out funding for postgraduate study .
Consider what to do after completing your PhD .

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Research (MPhil / PhD) Entry Route

The University of London academic community pursues and achieves excellence in a wide range of research activities and scholarship.

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Research opportunities

MPhil and PhD opportunities are available on-campus and by arrangement through our self-governing member institutions and research institutes, including the School of Advanced Study

Many of these institutions have performed highly in the Research Excellence Framework and are consistently ranked highly for research among UK universities.

Postgraduate research is offered via distance learning through the School of Advanced Study (Opens in new window) .

Research activity

The majority of academic staff are actively engaged in research, so you will be taught by experienced and motivated researchers who are eminent in their field.

To find out more about research opportunities, you can either search our courses to see which areas of research are available, or contact a university that offers related subjects to see if they can support your proposal.

Study with the world leaders in development studies and realise your potential to transform the world with our PhD by Research.

The PhD in Development Studies by Research is IDS’s advanced research degree. It is awarded to candidates after a minimum of three years study, based on completion of original and significant research in the field of Development Studies – which is assessed through a written thesis.

*Please note: It is not possible for international students to take a part-time PhD due to UK Home Office visa restrictions, and IDS does not have a distance learning mode of its PhD Programme.

World leaders in development studies

Ranked first in the world for Development Studies (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023) for the eighth year in a row – the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) transforms the knowledge, action and leadership needed for more equitable and sustainable development globally, through our world-class research, learning and teaching.

As a PhD researcher, you will join a thriving research community comprising more than 70 research staff and 50 postgraduate researchers. You will have access to research and teaching opportunities, as well as a substantial series of seminars presented by leading development professionals and practitioners.

Areas of study

We welcome submissions from researchers who share our commitment to:

upholding climate and environmental justice
reducing extreme inequities
fostering healthy and fulfilling lives
nurturing inclusive, democratic and accountable societies.

We are particularly interested in work that shows originality in addressing topics related to the work of our research fellows based across our ten research clusters : business; cities; digital; governance; health and nutrition; impact and policy; participation; power; resource politics; and rural futures.

Find out more about our current PhD Researchers Find out more about our Research Fellows and their interests

Studying at IDS can potentially transform your view of the world – you grow a lot learning from this very rich and diverse community.

Each PhD researcher has a minimum of two supervisors. The number of hours of formal supervision will vary over the course of the PhD depending on the student, supervisor and type of research. IDS publishes a detailed PhD handbook which sets out expectations and responsibilities regarding supervision.

During the course of your PhD, you are required to give two seminars to the IDS community. The first, at the end of year one is called the Research Outline Seminar and this provides an overview of your PhD plans prior to beginning fieldwork. The second occurs halfway through year three. This is called the Work in Progress Seminar and it focuses on the research findings and overall arguments made in the dissertation.

Your PhD work is examined by dissertation and viva. Your thesis must be no longer than 80,000 words. These limits includes footnotes and bibliography but excludes any appendices.

You’re normally expected to have a Merit (an average of 60% overall) in a Master’s degree. Your qualification should be in a relevant social sciences subject. In exceptional circumstances, you may be considered for the degree if you have a qualification in a different subject area. You must also show evidence of substantial professional work experience in development-related work.

English language requirements

Students must be proficient in English. The minimum requirement is, for example, an IELTS grade of 7.0 overall and no less than 6.5 in each section of the IELTS test. For detailed information on English language requirements for international students please see the University of Sussex website .

IDS requires that students register for a minimum of three years. Most students spend time on fieldwork that may take place in a development context – either overseas or in the UK. During fieldwork, students are charged a fee which is normally 65% of the full-time fee but may be subject to change.

Almost all IDS PhD researchers choose to do empirical research and fieldwork for their PhDs. The broad parameters of this research (topic and country) are usually decided by the student and included in the proposal submitted as part of the application to the PhD programme. More detailed assessments of the scope and scale of this research are usually developed in conjunction with supervisors during the first year of the PhD. Fieldwork usually lasts between 8 and 12 months and costs depend on the scope and scale of the activities. For example, participant observation and qualitative interviews undertaken in your home country and in a language with which you are familiar, may not be very expensive, but working in a country where you need visas, in-country ethical approval, and have to employ translators, transcribers, or a team of enumerators for a quantitative survey can mean that costs rapidly escalate. Where you stay, how you travel to your fieldsite, what technology you use to collect and analyse data and how long you stay will all influence the costs. IDS does not have the resources to fund any fieldwork or travel costs. There is a small conference fund and PhD students can apply for up to £450 during their PhDs if they are presenting a paper at a conference.

After having made substantial progress and completed three years of registration, students may be permitted to transfer to pre-submission status for a maximum of 12 months. IDS considers substantial progress to be the completion of three empirical chapters, supervisors’ approval and a successful work-in-progress seminar. If pre-submission status is not granted, then full-time fees are still applicable. The pre-submission fee is approximately £500 for each year or part thereof.

Unfortunately, neither IDS nor the University of Sussex can offer financial support. Applicants requiring financial assistance should contact their local Ministry of Education or Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the British Council representative (c/o British Embassy). For the latest information on fees, funding and scholarships, visit the University of Sussex website .

Living costs

Find out typical living costs for studying at Sussex

Find out about our terms and conditions

Your time at IDS will equip you with the training needed to launch your career in academia, government, civil society or the private sector, and make a real difference in bringing about transformative change.

Our PhD graduates are defining and solving some of the world’s most pressing global challenges in their work as:

ministers in national governments and civil servants
high-level officials in development organisations such as UNDP and the World Bank
leaders and thinkers of civil-society and international development organisations such as ActionAid and Christian Aid
high-profile academics at universities across the world.

Apply via the University of Sussex online application . When completing the application form, please identify IDS on the application; the code for this is L1604R – Development Studies (IDS) (PHD).

Finding a supervisor

While you are not responsible for finding a supervisor, it is good practice to express your preferred supervisors on your application form. Applicants are assessed both on their academic credentials and on the relevance of their works to the research of one or more IDS Research Fellows .

Distance learning

IDS is unable to accept applications for distance learning. We believe it is in the best interests of both PhD students and the Institute that the majority of the study period is spent at IDS. This offers the opportunity for ongoing interaction with other IDS members and students.

Your research proposal

When you apply, you must submit a detailed research proposal of 2000-3500 words indicating the primary research questions of your research project, a short review of the literature that you are planning to engage with, and your methodology. Find out how to write a research proposal.

Before applying, please read carefully our guidelines on how to write your research proposal on the Sussex website . Here is a good example of a recent research proposal from a successful applicant: Susana Araujo’s PhD research proposal to IDS, 2020 .

Application deadline

We prefer our PhD by Research students to start in September to coincide with the start of the University of Sussex autumn term. This timing will maximise your opportunities to take part in induction sessions, training and module enrolment (optional), both at IDS and the University of Sussex.

For September entry, the application deadlines are:

21 June for international students
21 July for UK/EU students.

In exceptional circumstances IDS may permit students to start the PhD by Research in January (for example, if visa issues prevent a September entry). The application deadline is 31 October for all January starters. We may also be able to offer some flexibility in start dates for students transferring from another organisation.

How we assess your application

When assessing your application we take into account many factors including: the quality of your research proposal, your academic qualifications, fit with IDS research priorities, previous development experience, language skills and availability of suitable supervisors.

All applications are assessed by the IDS Director of Doctoral Studies, with input from two potential supervisors. You will also be interviewed on your PhD research plans by these potential supervisors. If your application is successful, you will be contacted by the University of Sussex Admissions Office with a formal offer letter.

Presence at IDS

Your presence at IDS is vital at the early stage of your PhD when the research proposal is prepared (the first year) and then, after fieldwork, at the stage of writing up the research findings (the third year). The maximum period of registration is four years, but a PhD can be completed in three years.

Key information

Full time duration, part time duration, home fees (uk, republic of ireland, channel islands & isle of man), overseas (including eu), open days and events.

Find our more about our PhD Open Evenings, information sessions, virtual PhD events and campus tours

Key contacts

Teaching Coordinator

s.s.watson@ids.ac.uk

+44 (0)1273 915662

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Research Degree Study Options

Research Degrees
Study Options

Applied Research

UWS offers a wide range of applied research opportunities across all of its active subject areas. Although many of the subject areas are listed individually, the reality is that much of our research takes place and will be delivered in multi-disciplinary teams and projects across the institution.

PhD opportunities

Each year, UWS offers funded or self-funded PhD project opportunities across a broad range of research areas.

You can find current project-specific PhD opportunities on our Findaphd.com listing. You can also propose your own PhD topic. Browse our research degree study options to see how these align with your interests and find out how to contact a member of academic staff to discuss your proposal.

Below you will find a list of all the main areas of active research in which doctoral research is possible at UWS.

Finally, details of all of the different types of research degrees (MRes, MPhil, PhD, DBA, DProf) that we offer can also be found below.

Research Degree Areas of Expertise

UWS has set the vision to be recognised as a world-leading university based on supporting excellent, relevant and purposeful research aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. In the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2022, UWS was the most impactful university in Scotland for ‘decent work and economic growth’ (United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 8), and 23rd most impactful university in the world for ‘reducing inequalities’ (UN Sustainable Development Goal 10). Our research will continue to address major global challenges and will be delivered in multi-disciplinary teams across the institution.

Research opportunities leading to MRes, MPhil or PHD.

Find out more

Research opportunities in Dementia Studies leading to MRes.

Research opportunities leading to MRes, MPhil or PhD.

Research opportunities leading to a PhD qualification.

Research opportunities leading to MRes, MPhil or PhD

Research opportunities leading to MPhil or PhD

Research opportunities leading to , MRes, MPhil or PhD

Research opportunities leading to MRes, MPhil and PhD.

Research opportunities leading to PhD.

Find the research degree that’s right for you

UWS offers the following postgraduate research degrees:

Master of Research (MRes)

Master of philosophy (mphil).

Master of Philosophy (MPhil) / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) by Publication
Doctor of Business Adminstration (DBA)

Doctor of Professional Studies (DProf)

Entry onto a postgraduate research degree normally requires you to have obtained a good Honours degree (First or Upper Second Class) or a postgraduate qualification in a relevant area of study. More information about academic entry requirements is listed on the individual course pages.

Postgraduate research degrees vary in terms of structure, duration, purpose and academic rigour.

For information on current postgraduate research tuition fees, visit our Research Degrees Tuition Fees section.

The Master of Research (MRes) degree is an advanced postgraduate research degree which is especially focused on preparing students for doctoral research.

The MRes usually takes 12 months of full-time study. The main difference between a taught MSc and an MRes is that the course structure is more flexible than a taught Masters degree and requires candidates to complete a research dissertation (typically 15-20,000 words) informed by independent research, or a practice-led research project.

The MRes provides structured research study and is a great place to begin your research career. If you’re thinking about studying at PhD level the MRes will give you a taste of what it’s like to complete a doctorate.

UWS normally requires MRes candidates to defend their dissertation thesis (viva voce examination) for successful completion of an MRes degree.

For more information please email:

[email protected]

The Master of Philosophy (MPhil) degree is a more advanced postgraduate research degree. In most cases, it is a thesis-only research degree – meaning that your studies will be exclusively focused on researching and writing your thesis – and is regarded as a senior or second Masters degree.

In most cases the MPhil usually requires 18-24 months of full-time, or 24-36 months of part-time study and requires the submission and oral defence (viva voce examination) of a thesis comprising original research undertaken by the candidate. The MPhil degree is different from the MRes degree in the scale and scope of the research undertaken and an extended time period; the MPhil thesis is typically 20-40,000 words, or the equivalent for practice-led research projects.

In addition, MPhil research students may be required to undertake a few taught/supporting modules where this is considered necessary for the attainment of competence in research methods and/or background knowledge. In an MPhil, evidence is required of the ability to test ideas, understand appropriate techniques, make use of published work and source material and show familiarity with different theories and empirical studies.

As such, the MPhil may be awarded to graduate students who satisfactorily complete a programme of supervised research training and have investigated and evaluated or critically studied an appropriate topic over the equivalent of not less than eighteen months of full-time study and who have presented a satisfactory thesis.

Master of Philosophy (MPhil) / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Typically, the duration of MPhil/PhD is 36 months to maximum 48 months (full-time) and 72 months to 84 months (part-time).

Embarking on this from of registration, candidates will prepare for an MPhil/PhD transfer event which normally takes place about 12-18 months (24-36 months, part-time) into their programme of research.

If, at the end of this transfer event, assessors are satisfied with respect to the quality, originality and potential contribution to the body of knowledge of the candidates work to date, and plan of future research, then they will recommend that the candidate transfer to PhD registration and complete their studies.

If, on the other hand, the assessors are not content with the candidate's progress to-date, the quality, originality or potential contribution to knowledge of the candidates work, then they may recommend that the candidate transfer to MPhil registration and complete the work required for the award of this degree.

Alternatively, candidates can choose to be considered for registering for MPhil degree for personal reasons.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree is the highest rated research degree awarded by UWS.

As the highest academic level of study, a PhD is rigourous and demanding. Most students are passionate about their area of interest and pursue a PhD as a result of their scientific and academic curiosity.

Candidates awarded a PhD are entitled to use the academic title Doctor before their name.

PhD candidates typically emerge from MRes or MPhil studies, although some candidates apply directly having gained appropriate research experience.

In most cases the PhD usually requires at least 33 months of full-time study, and requires the submission and oral defence (viva voce examination) of a thesis (typically 60-100,000 words, depending on your field of study) comprising original research undertaken by the candidate.

PhDs are normally awarded to students who have completed a programme of supervised research training and critically evaluated an appropriate topic over not less than the equivalent of 33 months of full-time study that results in a significant contribution to knowledge.

A PhD is generally a pre-requisite for a successful career in academia, and can help you to secure senior research and management roles in government agencies and companies.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) by publication

Submissions for this award will consist of coherent body of work (normally four to six research publications) along with an extended narrative which is of the same quality, rigour and volume as required of a standard PhD and which constitutes an original contribution to knowledge.

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

The Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) will appeal to those wishing to gain the highest level of professional qualification available in business and management, by undertaking world-class doctoral study.

It will be of interest to leader and managers working in the private sector, health, local authorities and higher education, enhancing your professional and executive practice through the application of rigorous research to real and complex issues in business and management.

UWS DBA graduates are equipped to hold several high-level positions including executive and leadership positions in business and commerce and the public sector.

A doctorate provides great personal satisfaction by enabling you to take your learning to the highest recognised level.

The Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) programme is unavailable for 2023/24 entry.

UWS is delighted to present its innovative, blended learning, part-time Professional Doctorate (DProf). This course combines the art and science of professional practice and the concept of reflective practice with relevant academic theory helping you to apply this to the investigation/exploration of problems. Many professionals come to the programme as they are preparing to move into senior leadership roles in the profession and find the programme an extremely useful way to enliven change design with cutting edge theory, deepen their understanding of transformative change and support change with reflective practice.

Because the programme is offered on a blended part-time basis and has a focus on professional practice there is no interruption to your earning power. The DProf is interdisciplinary, and recognises that real world professional practice problems are dynamic and complex. The course will facilitate an investigation into the contemporary issues facing your profession and to make a contribution to professional knowledge that is applied and practical in nature.

The DProf allows you to develop transferable skills in advanced applied research as well as in-depth expertise specifically related to your profession through a two year taught phase before moving on to research phase with supervision in which you will complete a piece of applied research and defend the resulting thesis. Through the programme we aim to help you develop confidence, increase your awareness as a reflective practitioner, and improve your career prospects and job satisfaction which will also be of benefit to your workplace in terms of organisational and succession planning.

Entry & Professional Requirements

Candidates usually hold a Masters level degree or equivalent research experience, have professional experience and are in a position to facilitate applied research within their organisation.

Normally candidates are interviewed about their professional experience and aspirations, their interests in the programme and the contribution they feel they can make to the UWS research community as well as their expectations of the programme. We offer flexible arrangements for interviews and can use a variety of digital platforms as well as face-to-face interviews on UWS Paisley Campus.

Research Tuition Fees 2023/24

For detailed information on current postgraduate research tuition fees, click the links below:

2023-24 research degree tuition fees

Search Research System

PURE is the University's research information management system and provides a single source of research information for UWS. It is used to record and manage research activity with details of research outputs, funding applications, conference contributions, external impact and staff profiles.

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Cambridge Libraries

Physical & Digital Collections

Theses & dissertations: home, access to theses and dissertations from other institutions and from the university of cambridge.

This guide provides information on searching for theses of Cambridge PhDs and for theses of UK universities and universities abroad.

For information and guidance on depositing your thesis as a cambridge phd, visit the cambridge office of scholarly communication pages on theses here ., this guide gives essential information on how to obtain theses using the british library's ethos service. .

On the last weekend of October, the British Library became the victim of a major cyber-attack. Essential digital services including the BL catalogue, website and online learning resources went dark, with research services like the EThOS collection of more than 600,000 doctoral theses suddenly unavailable. The BL state that they anticipate restoring more services in the next few weeks, but disruption to certain services is now expected to persist for several months. For the latest news on the attack and information on the restoration of services, please follow the BL blog here: Knowledge Matters blog and access the LibGuide page here: British Library Outage Update - Electronic Legal Deposit - LibGuides at University of Cambridge Subject Libraries

A full list of resources for searching theses online is provided by the Cambridge A-Z, available here .

University of Cambridge theses

Finding a cambridge phd thesis online via the institutional repository.

The University's institutional repository, Apollo , holds full-text digital versions of over 11,000 Cambridge PhD theses and is a rapidly growing collection deposited by Cambridge Ph.D. graduates. Theses in Apollo can be browsed via this link . More information on how to access theses by University of Cambridge students can be found on the access to Cambridge theses webpage. The requirement for impending PhD graduates to deposit a digital version in order to graduate means the repository will be increasing at a rate of approximately 1,000 per year from this source. About 200 theses are added annually through requests to make theses Open Access or via requests to digitize a thesis in printed format.

Locating and obtaining a copy of a Cambridge PhD thesis (not yet available via the repository)

Theses can be searched in iDiscover . Guidance on searching for theses in iDiscover can be found here . Requests for consultation of printed theses, not available online, should be made at the Manuscripts Reading Room (Email: [email protected] Telephone: +44 (0)1223 333143). Further information on the University Library's theses, dissertations and prize essays collections can be consulted at this link .

Researchers can order a copy of an unpublished thesis which was deposited in print form either through the Library’s Digital Content Unit via the image request form , or, if the thesis has been digitised, it may be available in the Apollo repository. Copies of theses may be provided to researchers in accordance with the law and in a manner that is common across UK libraries. The law allows us to provide whole copies of unpublished theses to individuals as long as they sign a declaration saying that it is for non-commercial research or private study.

How to make your thesis available online through Cambridge's institutional repository

Are you a Cambridge alumni and wish to make your Ph.D. thesis available online? You can do this by depositing it in Apollo the University's institutional repository. Click here for further information on how to proceed. Current Ph.D students at the University of Cambridge can find further information about the requirements to deposit theses on the Office of Scholarly Communication theses webpages.

UK Theses and Dissertations

Electronic copies of Ph.D. theses submitted at over 100 UK universities are obtainable from EThOS , a service set up to provide access to all theses from participating institutions. It achieves this by harvesting e-theses from Institutional Repositories and by digitising print theses as they are ordered by researchers using the system. Over 250,000 theses are already available in this way. Please note that it does not supply theses submitted at the universities of Cambridge or Oxford although they are listed on EThOS.

Registration with EThOS is not required to search for a thesis but is necessary to download or order one unless it is stored in the university repository rather than the British Library (in which case a link to the repository will be displayed). Many theses are available without charge on an Open Access basis but in all other cases, if you are requesting a thesis that has not yet been digitised you will be asked to meet the cost. Once a thesis has been digitised it is available for free download thereafter.

When you order a thesis it will either be immediately available for download or writing to hard copy or it will need to be digitised. If you order a thesis for digitisation, the system will manage the process and you will be informed when the thesis is available for download/preparation to hard copy.

See the Search results section of the help page for full information on interpreting search results in EThOS.

EThOS is managed by the British Library and can be found at http://ethos.bl.uk . For more information see About EThOS .

World-wide (incl. UK) theses and dissertations

Electronic versions of non-UK theses may be available from the institution at which they were submitted, sometimes on an open access basis from the institutional repository. A good starting point for discovering freely available electronic theses and dissertations beyond the UK is the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (NDLTD) , which facilitates searching across institutions. Information can also usually be found on the library web pages of the relevant institution.

The DART Europe etheses portal lists several thousand full-text theses from a group of European universities.

The University Library subscribes to the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses (PQDT) database which from August 31 2023 is accessed on the Web of Science platform. To search this index select it from the Web of Science "Search in" drop-down list of databases (available on the Documents tab on WoS home page)

PQDT includes 2.4 million dissertation and theses citations, representing 700 leading academic institutions worldwide from 1861 to the present day. The database offers full text for most of the dissertations added since 1997 and strong retrospective full text coverage for older graduate works. Each dissertation published since July 1980 includes a 350-word abstract written by the author. Master's theses published since 1988 include 150-word abstracts.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The University Library only subscribes to the abstracting & indexing version of the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database and NOT the full text version. A fee is payable for ordering a dissertation from this source. To obtain the full text of a dissertation as a downloadable PDF you can submit your request via the University Library Inter-Library Loans department (see contact details below). NB this service is only available to full and current members of the University of Cambridge.

Alternatively you can pay yourself for the dissertation PDF on the PQDT platform. Link from Web of Science record display of any thesis to PQDT by clicking on "View Details on ProQuest". On the "Preview" page you will see an option "Order a copy" top right. This will allow you to order your own copy from ProQuest directly.

Dissertations and theses submitted at non-UK universities may also be requested on Inter-Library Loan through the Inter-Library Loans department (01223 333039 or 333080, [email protected] )

Last Updated: Dec 20, 2023 9:47 AM
URL: https://libguides.cam.ac.uk/theses

Library Guides

Theses and dissertations

Introduction to ethos, about ethos, benefits of using phds, further information.

Benefits to researchers

Easy access to UK research theses.
Centralised access to new and retrospectively digitised theses.
Raised profile for individual authors from wider circulation of their work.
Support for the principle of Open Access and increased use of publicly-funded research outputs.

Ethos is the British Library digital repository for UK research theses offering a central access point to UK doctoral theses. The majority of universities in the UK are members. You can cross-search over 500,000 theses including those available for immediate download.

Requesting doctoral theses

You must first register on an individual basis with Ethos in order to make requests through the Ethos website. The Ethos site provides further information .

In some cases the first person (or their institution) to request a thesis is required to pay for the cost of digitisation. In the first instance researchers should refer to the Director of Research and Enterprise or their supervisor in the school about recovering costs from school research funds.

How long will it take?

Immediate download for theses already digitised. For theses not yet digitised you will need to contact the library of the university where the paper thesis is held to request access.

University of Greenwich theses are uploaded to GALA and harvested into Ethos allowing you to search and download from from either source.

Visit our theses and dissertations page to find out more about finding PhD theses within and beyond the university.

List of institutions taking part in Ethos .

Frequently asked questions about Ethos .

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Last Updated: Aug 8, 2023 9:35 AM
URL: https://libguides.gre.ac.uk/theses

Theses and Dissertations: UK PhD Theses

UK PhD Theses
Overseas PhD Theses
BU Theses & Dissertations This link opens in a new window

For Library Enquiries: tel. +44 (0) 1202 965959 Available 9am - 5pm Mon to Fri

For IT Support: tel. +44 (0) 1202 965515 Available 24/7

Using UK PhD Theses in EThOS

Obtaining Theses

Thesis and Dissertation databases can be accessed via this BU Library webpage .
If a thesis is not available full text online then it may be possible to obtain via the Inter-Library Loan service . The clarity of your request is enhanced if you attach a printout of the source details e.g. a record from one of the databases .
Electronic Theses Online Service (EThOS) is the British Library service which provides full text open access to digital copies of UK PhD theses. The EThOS database contains records of over 250,000 UK theses, with the added functionality of being able to request access to digital copies of selected theses that have not already been digitised.
Personal registration on EThOS is required to be able to download theses. Bournemouth University is an Open Access Sponsor of EThOS, so all BU theses are indexed.
Theses which are already available to download have a pdf attached to the record. For those theses that do not have a pdf attached, you should select the record to check Availability of Full Text – there are 3 possible scenarios:
The home institution will pay the digitisation cost and access will be free.
The home institution will digitise the thesis, but you will be charged. In these cases you should consult your supervisor as to how important the thesis is to your research and consider requesting payment via the Inter-Library Request Service.
The thesis is not available via EThOS service. Please contact the current institution's library directly if you wish to view the thesis.

Doing a thesis at BU

This guide is to help with searching for theses from other institutions.

If you are doing a thesis at BU and want guidance to help with writing and completing your research see our PGR Guide

Subject Guide

Next: Overseas PhD Theses >>
Last Updated: Oct 18, 2023 11:46 AM
URL: https://libguides.bournemouth.ac.uk/theses-dissertations

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PhD (doctoral) theses

Accessing our collection of Goldsmiths PhD (doctoral) theses.

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On this page:

Print theses in the Library

Digital copies in gro and ethos, using library search to find theses, finding practice research theses on gro, finding creative writing theses on gro.

Until 2020, a single copy of all Goldsmiths PhD (doctoral) theses were deposited in the Library, in the same year that they were awarded. In the 2020-21 academic year, PhD candidates were asked to deposit their final thesis in digital format only as an interim adjustment due to Covid-19. Please see the Graduate School guidance on thesis deposit formats .

All print copies of PhD theses held in the library are discoverable on Library Search .

Printed theses are for reference only and cannot be borrowed, because they are unique. Theses are not available for browsing on the open shelves and are instead held in our store.

Print theses can be consulted in the Library upon request by using the ‘Place a hold’ function on Library Search . Guidance on using the ‘Place a hold’ function is also available. Requested theses can be collected from the Library Help Desk during opening hours .

Most printed theses may be photocopied, but do check the coversheet inside as that will tell you what permission the author has given for copying. If no restrictions are specified then you can copy no more than 5% of the thesis, or one chapter, provided it is for research or private study.

Please note that University of London theses were held at Senate House Library until 2010, but were then transferred back to the home institution so there are no print copies of Goldsmiths theses held at Senate House Library.

Digital copies of many Goldsmiths PhD (doctoral) theses are available from two sources:

Goldsmiths Research Online (GRO)
EThOS , the British Library's collection of UK theses

Theses completed on or after 1 June 2010 are collected in Goldsmiths Research Online (GRO) and also made available in the British Library's EThOS service.

Copyright restrictions mean that it is not possible to make all theses available in GRO or EThOS. In some cases, embargoes are requested by authors following the completion of their thesis. This means that the bibliographic details and abstract of the thesis is available on GRO but the full text cannot be downloaded. Embargoes are not permanent and it is rare that an embargo will extend beyond the standard length of 36 months.

Theses from before 2010, originally deposited in Senate House Library, which are not yet available digitally can usually be requested for digitisation from EThOS. You will need to register with EThOS to make a digitisation request, but there is no charge for requesting a digital copy of a Goldsmiths thesis, because Goldsmiths is an open access sponsor of EThOS.

Some theses completed before 2010 have been digitised and are available in GRO and ETHoS. If you completed your thesis at Goldsmiths before 2010, we would encourage you to make a digital copy of your thesis available. Please contact the Goldsmiths Research Online team on gro (@gold.ac.uk) , if you would like to know more about making a digital copy of your thesis available.

How to find theses on Library Search

All print copies of PhD theses held in the Library are on Library Search . Theses with access to the full text on GRO can also be found on Library Search. Some theses from other UK universities that are available on the British Library EThOS service can also be found on Library Search (you will need to register for a free EThOS account in order to download theses through the service).

To find a specific PhD thesis, you can search for the author or title on Library Search .

The results may include both print and digital copies of the thesis.

Digital copies will have an ‘Online access’ or ‘Full text available’ link. For Goldsmiths theses, the ‘Online access’ link will take you to the copy of the full text thesis on Goldsmiths Research Online . For theses from other institutions, the link will take you to the record held on the British Library EThOS service.

Print copies will list the Dewey classmark.

To find theses on a particular subject area or discipline, you can perform a keyword search on Library Search and then use the ‘Refine my results’ options on the right of the results page to filter your results to ‘Theses’.

You can also use the ‘Advanced Search’ function to search for theses only by selecting ‘Theses’ in the ‘Material Type’ field.

How to find theses on GRO

GRO offers some search options that are not available on Library Search and it is recommended if you wish to find theses produced by a specific department or find theses which make use of practice research or creative writing methods.

Please note that some theses listed on GRO are under embargo and full text is not currently accessible.

Finding theses on GRO for a specific department

Navigate to GRO . From the landing page, use the drop-down menu on the right hand side to select "Advanced Search". In "Advanced Search" select "Thesis" as the item type.

In the "Departments, Centres and Research Units" field, select the appropriate department. To select more than one department, hold down the "Ctrl" (PC) or "Cmd" (Mac) key while clicking on the relevant departments.

In the “Full Text Status” field select “Public” to search for theses with full text availability. If you want to see all theses held on GRO for the department regardless of full text status leave all the boxes unticked.

Hit the “Search” button at the bottom of the page.

Navigate to GRO . From the landing page, use the drop-down menu on the right-hand side to select "Advanced Search". In "Advanced Search" select "Thesis" as the item type.

In the keywords field enter the word "Practice". Although alternative terms are used to describe this type of research, entering the term “Practice” will retrieve the fullest range of results in GRO.

In the keywords field enter word "Creative Writing".

If you need further help accessing our doctoral thesis collection please contact gro (@gold.ac.uk) .

Finding UK theses

The Bodleian Libraries hold copies of some UK theses. These are listed on SOLO and may be ordered for delivery to a reading room.

These theses are not all catalogued in a uniform way. Adding the word 'thesis' as a keyword in SOLO may help, but this is unlikely to find all theses, and may find published works based upon theses as well as unpublished theses.

Card catalogue

Some early theses accepted for higher degrees and published before 1973 are held in the Bodleian Libraries but are not yet catalogued on SOLO. These holdings can be found in the Foreign Dissertations Catalogue card index.

To request access to material in the catalogue, speak to library staff at the Main Enquiry Desk in the Lower Reading Room of the Old Bodleian Library, or contact us via [email protected] or phone (01865 277162).

Other finding aids

Proquest dissertations & theses.

You can use ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global to locate theses accepted for higher degrees at universities in the UK and Ireland since 1716. The service also provides abstracts of these theses.

Library Hub Discover

You can use Library Hub Discover to search the online catalogues of some of the UK’s largest university research libraries to see if a thesis is held by another UK library.

EThOS is the UK’s national thesis service, managed by the British Library. It aims to provide a national aggregated record of all doctoral theses awarded by UK higher education institutions, with free access to the full text of many theses. It has around 500,000 records for theses awarded by over 120 institutions.

UTREES - University Theses in Russian, Soviet, and East European Studies 1907–

UTREES is a bibliographical database of research in the British Isles. The database has been continuously extended from the printed volume, most recently with 202 recent theses added in 2021. The database lists details of over 6,000 doctoral and selected masters’ theses from British and Irish universities. It covers research relating to Eastern and Central Europe, Russia and the area of the former USSR, including Central Asia, the Caucasus and Siberia.

Individual universities

You can also go to individual UK universities' sites for their online theses repositories.

You can purchase copies of Cambridge University theses through the Cambridge University Library's online order form . There is a standard charge of £75 (plus VAT and postage). White Rose ETheses Online is an online repository of doctoral theses from the Universities of Leeds, Sheffield and York. It is part of a national and international network of open access online databases which promote access to research outputs. Many theses have been digitised by the British Library as part of the EThOS. However, there have been instances where theses are available via WhiteRose eTheses Online before they reach EThOS.

Ordering UK theses

Many theses from other UK universities are available from the British Library's EThOS service. Unfortunately, this service is currently unavailable due to a cyber attack on the British Library.

You can also request theses from other UK universities as an inter-library request .

Please note that it may not be possible to obtain some theses due to restrictions on lending placed by the author of the thesis or the institution at which it is held.

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OU theses and dissertations

Online theses.

Are available via Open Research Online .

Print theses

Search for OU theses in the Library Search . To see only print theses click 'In the Walton Hall library' and refine your results to resource type 'Thesis'.

OU staff and research students can borrow a consultation copy of a thesis (if available). Please contact the Library helpdesk giving the author and title of the thesis.

UK theses and dissertations from EThOS

The Electronic Theses Online System (EThOS) offers free access to the full text of UK theses.

EThOS offers a one stop online shop providing free access to UK theses
EThOS digitizes theses on request into PDF format, this may require payment
EThOS is managed by the British Library in partnership with a number of UK universities
EThOS is open to all categories of library user

What does this mean to you as a library user?

When you need to access a PhD thesis from another UK based HE institution you should check EThOS to either download a thesis which has already been digitised or to request that a UK thesis be supplied to you.

For all UK theses EThOS will be the first point of delivery. You can use the online ordering and tracking system direct from EThOS to manage your requests for UK PhD theses, including checking the status of your requests
As readers you will deal directly with EThOS so will not need to fill in a document delivery request
OU staff and research students will still be entitled to access non-UK based PhD theses by filling in a document delivery request
In some cases where EThOS is unable to supply a UK thesis OU staff and research students will be able to access it by filling in a conventional document delivery request. The thesis will be supplied through direct loan
The EThOS system is both faster and cheaper than the previous British Theses service which was based on microfilm
The British Library no longer arranges interlibrary loans for UK PhD theses
Interlibrary Loan procedures for other types of request from the British Library (articles and books for example) will remain the same

If you have any queries about using EThOS contact the Document Delivery Team ( [email protected] or the Library Helpdesk ).

Note 13/03/2024: The British Library is continuing to experience a major technology outage affecting its websites and other online systems, due to a Cyber attack. as a result access to ETHOS might not be possible until the issue is fixed.

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Finding SOAS PhD Theses in the Library Catalogue

All SOAS PhD theses can be found through the Library catalogue and this will tell you if there is a digital copy which can be viewed online.

Search by author or title if you know the details of the particular thesis you would like to see
To browse our PhD thesis collection enter ‘Thesis’ in the search box and select ‘Classmark’ in the drop-down menu
To limit your search of theses to a particular subject then click on ‘Advanced’ select ‘Add Search Field’ and enter keywords into the new search box
If a digital copy of the PhD thesis is available for you to view online there will either be a note in the catalogue record or a separate entry for the digital copy

Using Printed Copies of SOAS PhD Theses

SOAS keeps printed copies of all PhD Theses and they can be consulted in our Special Collections Reading Room on Level F
All printed PhD theses need to be ordered before you visit the Reading Room. Once you have found the PhD thesis you need you can fill in an online order form through the ‘Order archive material’ link from the catalogue record of the PhD thesis. Alternatively you can fill in an order form available from the Library Enquiry Desk or Special Collections Reading Room
Before you consult any SOAS PhD thesis in the Special Collections Reading Room you will be asked to fill in a Data Protection Declaration
You are permitted to photograph a maximum of 5% of a PhD thesis or one complete chapter (whichever is the greatest) for personal research purposes only
Please note that some of our printed PhD theses are currently unavailable to consult in Special Collections because they are being digitized. If this is a case you will find a note on the Library Catalogue record for the PhD thesis
If the printed thesis you need is affected please write to [email protected] for further assistance

Using Digital Copies of SOAS PhD Theses

A significant number of SOAS PhD theses have been made available freely online (with permission from the author) through SOAS Research Online since 2011
You can browse the latest PhD theses via SOAS Research Online or you can search by author or title if you know the details of the thesis you need
Some PhD theses in SOAS Research Online are restricted for a period of time at the request of the author. They will only become available digitally once this restriction period has expired
A number of our PhD theses (dated before 2011) are available via the British Library EThOS service. You can search the EThOS database to check if a PhD thesis is available
SOAS will be making a significant proportion of our PhD thesis collection available online in 2018 due to our work with Proquest who are digitizing our backrun of PhD Theses. If you cannot find a digital copy through the SOAS Library catalogue then please check ProQuest’s Dissertations and Theses database

Finding PhD theses from Other Institutions

To find PhD theses produced at other institutions we recommend you use the following resources

British Library EThOS Service
ProQuest Dissertations & Theses: The Humanities and Social Sciences Collection
EBSCO Open Dissertations
DART - Europe E-Theses Portal
Shodhganga - Indian Theses
Theses Canada Portal
SOAS Interlibrary Loan Service
Other Library Catalogues

SOAS PhD Digitization Project

SOAS is currently working with Proquest to digitize our entire collection of PhD theses. The results of this project will mean that theses will be made available to anyone to read, without charge, via SOAS Research Online . In addition, a copy will be added to ProQuest’s Dissertations and Theses online database, a very well established database used by students and researchers internationally.

Please note that this may affect access to the printed library copy of some theses in 2018, if this is the case there will be a note in the catalogue records of the individual thesis. Once a PhD thesis is added to SOAS Research Online you will be able to find a link to the digital copy via the SOAS Library Catalogue.

We have written to our SOAS PhD graduates by letter and email to ask authors to opt-out of the project if they do not want their thesis to be digitized. If you are an author of a SOAS PhD thesis and did not receive this communication and do not want your thesis to be included in the project please let us know by writing to [email protected] Please note any thesis submitted from 2011 onwards is not included in this project as authors have already selected whether they wish to have their thesis digitized and these existing agreements will stand.

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301 Academic Skills Centre
Study skills online

Dissertation planning

Information on how to plan and manage your dissertation project.

What is research?

A dissertation project is an opportunity to pursue your own ideas in an environment of relative intellectual freedom.

It also present a number of new challenges relating to the scale, scope and structure of a piece of work that is likely to be more substantial than any you have undertaken before.

These resources will help you to break the process down and explore ways to plan and structure your research and organise your written work.

A research-led university

Sheffield prides itself on being a research-led university . Crucially, this means that teaching is informed by cutting-edge research in the academic field.

It also means that you are learning in an environment where you develop and use research skills as you progress. The most successful students tend to develop research skills early and use them consistently.

Research in higher education

Research sometimes just means finding out information about a topic. However, in the HE setting, specific understandings of 'research' carry a lot of weight.

The classic definition is that research leads to an original ' contribution to knowledge ' in a particular field of inquiry by defining an important question or problem and then answering or solving it in a systematic way.

You will build this contribution on the foundation of a robust structure of primary and secondary sources and evidence.

Differences across disciplines

Depending on the discipline you work in, there will be different ways of designing and articulating a research problem and different methods for answering these problems.

Not everything about research is 'original'. Sometimes the majority (or even all) of a research project will involve documenting or summarising information or ideas that are already available.

Not all research leads to answers. Sometimes research produces unusable results, or the inquiry leads to only more questions. Sometimes the originality of a research project is that it straddles more than one field of inquiry.

Some examples of approaches to research and what that contribution to knowledge might look like include:

Explore an under-researched area
Develop or test out a new methodology or technique
Extend or develop a previous study
Review the knowledge thus far in a specific field
Makes connections between disciplines
Replicate an existing study/approach in a different setting
Apply a theoretical idea to a real world problem

This all adds up to the fact that research is a complicated topic that seems to mean a lot to academic experts but is very difficult to understand intimately when you are a novice.

As someone new to research, you will need to do some work to find out how research is conceived of and done in your discipline.

301 Recommends:

Our Dissertation Planning Essentials workshop will look at the initial stages and challenges of preparing for a large-scale dissertation project.

Our Dissertation Writing workshop will break down the process of writing a dissertation and explore approaches to voice and style to help develop a way of writing academically.

Our Creativity and Research interactive workshop looks at how to identify, develop and apply your creativity and innovation skills to the research process, whatever stage you're at. In our Creativity and Problem Solving interactive workshop you'll learn how to identify and develop your creativity and innovation skills, address problems and challenges, explore creative models and strategies, and look at how you can apply this to your academic work.

Our Part 1 workshop on Setting Research Priorities will help to break down the research process by identifying the key information that you need to have in place to develop your project. It will help you to prioritise key tasks and create a project workflow to set targets, track progress and reach key milestones. Part 2 will revisit that workflow to assess progress. It will encourage you to reflect on your project so far, identify opportunities for feedback and review your intermediate targets to ensure that you stay on track towards your deadline.

Explore this Illustrated Guide to a PhD by Matt Might as a visualisation of research to help you identify how you can develop your research ideas.

Our Video Dissemination workshop will give you an insight into the best practices for using video to disseminate research and communicate your ideas. It will look at styles, common communication techniques and the pedagogy of visual mediums, as well as top production tips for making your content engaging, informative and professional.

Research proposals

A research proposal often needs to encompass many things: it is part description, part analysis, part review, part guesswork, part advert, part CV.

Writing a research proposal that can achieve all these things is an important first step towards realising your project idea. Your research proposal will allow you to receive some early feedback on your ideas and will act as a guide as you plan and develop your project more fully.

But how can you explain what you hope to discover in the project before you’ve done the research?

There are a number of things that you can do to make sure that your research proposal is professional, realistic and relevant:

Read around your topic of interest as much as possible. Getting a feel for what other kinds of research have been done will give you a much clearer idea of where your project might fit in.
Create a mind map of relevant topics to explore the links and connections between themes. Which branches of your mind map seem most promising as an area for enquiry?
Be realistic. You may dream of making the next big breakthrough in the field, but this is probably unlikely! Set your self aims and objectives that are realistic within the timescales of your project.
Finally, make sure you follow your department guidelines and include everything that you need to in your proposal.

301 Recommends: Research Project Design Template

Make a copy of this Research project design template (google doc) to capture the key information you need to complete your research proposal.

Research ethics

Whenever you undertake research, no matter what level you are working at, it is always important to consider the immediate and continued impact of your project.

All research should be designed to ensure that individuals involved in the project as subjects or participants are treated with respect and consideration. In practice, this means that:

Participants have a right to full knowledge about the project and what its results will be used for.
You should also be mindful of an individual's rights to privacy and confidentiality.
You should consider the issue of data protection, how you will store project data safely and how long you will need to retain the data
The physical, emotional and psychological well-being of participants and researchers should be prioritised in your research design.
Environmental impacts of the research should be considered and mitigated where possible.
Longer-term impacts, for example, if you are planning to publish findings from the project, should also be considered.

It is perhaps easy to think that working directly with living participants raises the most pressing ethical questions.

However, you equally need to give very important consideration to the ethics of working in text-based subjects, especially when considering unpublished material (see also copyright).

Your department will have its own guidelines on the area of research ethics and you should certainly consult your tutor or supervisor as s/he will be able to give you detailed topic-specific guidance. More more guidance on ethics in research, visit Research Services Ethics and Integrity pages here .

Project management

The key to completing a research project successfully is to invest time in planning and organising your project.

A student research project, whether a dissertation or a research placement, will usually involve tight timescales and deadlines. Given the wealth of tasks involved in a typical dissertation project, this can seriously limit the time available for actual data collection or research.

Setting yourself clear and achievable aims and objectives will help to ensure that the project is manageable within the timeframe available.

As an early stage of the planning process, have a go at breaking your project down into its constituent parts: i.e. all of the tasks that you will need to complete between now and the deadline. How long will each of them take? For example:

Every project will have its own specific tasks, but breaking them down in this way will allow you to start planning ahead, adding milestones to your calendar and chipping away at the project task by task.

301 Recommends: Trello

Trello is an online planning tool that allows you to create a project workflow. It is a simple and accessible tool that allows you to set yourself deadlines, colour code tasks and share your project plan with collaborators. View our example Dissertation Planning Trello board here and some guidance for students on using Trello (Linked In Learning) .

Working with your supervisor

Your supervisor will be your first point of contact for advice on your project and to help you to resolve issues arising.

Remember, your supervisor will have a busy schedule and may be supervising several students at once. Although they will do their best to support you, they may not be able to get back to you right away and may be limited in their availability to meet you.

There are a number of things that you can do to make the most out of the relationship. Some strategies to consider include:

Share plans/ideas/work-in-progress with your supervisor early
Plan for meetings, sketch out an informal agenda
Write down your main questions before the meeting. Don’t leave without answers!
Be receptive to feedback and criticism
Take notes/record the meeting on a smartphone with your supervisor’s permission!)

301 recommends: Supervisor and supervisee relationships interactive digital workshop

This interactive resource will help you to develop a positive and productive working relationship with your supervisor.

Top Tips and resources

Read other dissertations from students in your department/discipline to get an idea of how similar projects are organised and presented.
Break your project down into its constituent parts and treat each chapter as an essay in its own right.
Choose a topic that interests you and will sustain your interest, not just for a few days, but for a few months!
Write up as you go along - writing can and should be part of all stages of the diissertation planning and developing process.
Keep good records – don’t throw anything out!
If in doubt, talk to your supervisor.

Internal resources

Library - Research and Critical Thinking Resources
Library – Digital Skills for Dissertations : Information, resources and training on developing your dissertation projects, including finding and referencing sources, your literature review and creating and using images and infographics.
ELTC - Writing Advisory Service
301 - Dissertation Essentials lecture recording
301 - Dissertation Writing lecture recording

External resources

The Theis Whisperer - Writing Blog
Gradhacker - When it comes to dissertations, done is best

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Creating Synthetic Organelles Through Engineering Biology for Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing

3 years (full time) 6 years (part time)

14 June 2024

About this project

Organelles are subcellular compartments with specialised function, like mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell or chloroplasts enable photosynthesis. Organelles allow biological processes that other components like enzymes alone do not. Despite our wealth of knowledge on organelles in their native organisms, we do not know enough to make bespoke organelles for targeted purposes. In a create-to-understand approach, the Rinaldi lab at University of Hull is exploring engineering biology approaches to create synthetic organelles for multiple applications in biotechnology. After the revolution of DNA sequencing and manipulation, synthetic organelles might be the next frontier in synthetic biology.

This PhD in Biochemistry project focusses on creating synthetic organelles that compartmentalise oily chemicals in microbes using components from plants and other organisms. These organelles will target a key challenge in biomanufacturing , the practice of using biobased processes like microbial fermentation to make chemicals. These chemicals are life-saving medicines, agrichemicals, and flavours and fragrances in our toothpaste and cleaning products that we interact with every day. Chemical production cannot be decarbonised and biomass is the only material abundant enough to displace petrochemicals. However, some high-value chemicals are toxic to the production chassis and ultimately, microbes can only make as much chemical as they can tolerate. Synthetic organelles are a radical new approach to provide tolerance and increase levels of high-value chemicals. This technology will be key in the transition from petrochemicals to renewable feedstocks in chemical production to meet sustainability and renewable carbon goals. This project will thus be researching how to engineer microbes to make high-value chemicals through fermentation from waste wood from the forestry industry towards a circular bioeconomy, whereby maximum value is extracted from resources and minimum waste generated.

Our multidisciplinary supervisory team brings together Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Chemical Engineering and circular economy to create industrial symbiosis towards a circular bioeconomy. We will perform Techno-Economic Assessment and Life Cycle Analysis to evaluate the commercial viability and sustainability claims of our technology and develop to Technology Readiness Level 4 to pursue commercialisation. We will also assess the implications of the process in terms of environmental, economic and social effects. This will involve consideration of sources of cellulose as well as potential end-users for the chemicals and the requirements they may have. Social considerations include the potential for creation/loss of jobs and likely geographic distribution of these changes. The evolving regulatory framework also needs to be considered.

The PhD student will join a vibrant and diverse research community that will support and empower them and includes other PhD students in Biology and related disciplines, and technical support and knowledgeable experts. They will attend and present at weekly lab meetings and departmental seminars and be assigned a mentor to develop their career and scientific skills.

The PhD student is expected to be trained in a unique and highly valued skillset that combines molecular biology with fermentation science to fill skill gaps in the growing UK bioeconomy, which is supported by government funding and research strategy from UKRI BBSRC and EPSRC (Synthetic Biology, Engineering Biology). They will also produce world-class, high-impact publications and patents to pursue commercialisation. They will be exposed to a breadth of disciplines and stakeholders, and through the supervisor networks, they will explore post-PhD career paths in academia, industry, biotech entrepreneurship, consultancy, science communication, patent law, policy, government and more.

For informal enquiries please contact Dr Mauro Adriel Rinaldi .

How to apply

You will need to supply a personal statement when applying for this scholarship position. Find out more about writing a personal statement .

Please also ensure you include the following information:

What motivates you to pursue PhD study
Why you are interested in this project
How your skill set matches the requirements for your choice of project and/or any additional training you will need
The wider significance of research in this area and potential future research directions for the project.

Apply for the scholarship:

Closing date for applications

Supervisors.

University of Hull's Doctoral College provides support to postgraduate research students. Offering skills development opportunities and dedicated facilities, the college is here to help you achieve your potential.

The successful applicant will receive a fee waiver and a maintenance grant/stipend for three years (full-time) or six years (part-time), which covers the research period of the PhD. The fee waiver for 24/25 is £4786 (Home fee) and the maintenance grant is £19,237 per annum. This rises each year in line with the UKRI’s recommended stipend allowance.

If you need to move into a fourth year (full-time) or seventh year (part-time) to complete your thesis, please note that you will not receive a tuition fee waiver or maintenance grant during this period and you will be required to pay a continuation fee.

Entry requirements

Applicants should have a minimum 2:1 degree in a Molecular Biology related subject. A taught MSc or Masters by Research in a relevant subject would be an advantage.

For more details on our entry requirements please visit the postgraduate admissions webpage .

This scholarship is available for full-time and part-time study.

International applicants

This opportunity comes with a Home fee waiver only, which will not cover the full International fee. You will need to pay the difference between the Home fee and the International fee and will need to provide evidence that you have sufficient funds to cover this.

Submission of thesis

Submission of your final thesis for is expected within three years which is the end of the funded research period of the scholarship for full time and within six years if studying part-time. However there is a permitted thesis finalisation period which is unfunded..

Research training

As a PhD student at the University of Hull, you will undertake the Postgraduate Training Scheme alongside your main degree, to help you develop the research skills and knowledge you will need in your future career. You will gain an additional Certificate or Diploma in Research Training in addition to your PhD.

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King's College London

21 May 2024

Mathematics alumnus wins King's Outstanding PhD Thesis Prize for cylindrical Lévy process theroy

Dr Gergely Bodó received the award for his research laying down the theory of stochastic integration for cylindrical Lévy processes.

Dr Gergely Bodó, a former PhD student from the Department of Mathematics at King's College London, was awarded a 2023/2024 King's Outstanding Thesis Prize. His PhD thesis lays down theoretical foundations for the application of cylindrical Lévy processes as models for random perturbations in infinite-dimensional systems.

By first developing this comprehensive theory, he also generalised fundamental tools in stochastic analysis, including Itô’s formula and the stochastic dominated convergence theorem.

Dr Bodó completed his PhD in August 2023 supervised by Professor Markus Riedle.

The King's Outstanding Thesis Award celebrates outstanding research completed by King's doctoral students. EA

These prizes are awarded in January and June each year, with 20 prizes given out annually across all faculties. Successful students receive a certificate and £250.

Since finishing his PhD, Dr Bodó has joined the stochastics group of the Korteweg-de Vries Institute at the University of Amsterdam as a postdoctoral researcher.

In this story

Professor Markus Riedle

Professor of Probability Theory

Technology & Science

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Faculty of Natural, Mathematical & Engineering Sciences

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A framework for effective intermediate task selection in transfer learning

Pugantsov, Alexander (2024) A framework for effective intermediate task selection in transfer learning. PhD thesis, University of Glasgow.

This thesis investigates strategies to improve the performance of natural language processing (NLP) models across diverse tasks, particularly in environments with limited training data. Central to this investigation is the concept of transfer learning, a method where a model developed for one task is repurposed as the starting point for a model on another task. Determining which model will yield improved performance on a specific task is a complex and non-trivial challenge. This complexity arises due to the varying natures of tasks, the intricacies of model architectures, and the unpredictability of their interactions. Accurately estimating which models will be most effective before committing to extensive training can provide substantial benefits, including significant reductions in runtime, environmental impact, and other associated costs. To address this challenge, we propose a framework designed to determine, from a pool of candidate models, which one will provide the greatest performance enhancement for a given task. This framework consists of five components, each addressing a particular concern in selecting tasks for transfer. Parallel to this, and running continuously throughout the process, is the Cost Estimation background process. This module evaluates the resource efficiency of all other components, ensuring that the model development and adaptation processes are both effective and sustainable. The Domain Adapter Generation component involves developing resource-efficient models using training documents from various text-based tasks. The Domain Transfer Analysis component involves evaluating the models created in the previous stage on documents other than those they were originally trained on, providing an understanding in how these models perform on different types of textual data. The Representation Construction component involves the development of profiles or “representations” of each task based on, for example, terms or linguistic characteristics. These representations are intended to be expressive of the features of the underlying data, which we use in subsequent stages of our analysis. The Divergence Estimation component systematically quantifies the degree of variation between different representations through the use of statistical methods. By assessing the divergence between task-specific representations, this component helps identify which intermediate task models exhibit the most promising alignment for a specific target task. Finally, in the Intermediate Task Selection component uses the divergence data to rank tasks by their potential to improve model performance on a given target task. This ranking provides guidance on which intermediate task models, when used to transfer to the target task, are most likely to yield the best performance. In addressing the challenge of identifying tasks that are conducive to effective transfer learning, this thesis places a significant emphasis on evaluating representations against the performance scores derived from the Domain Adapter Generation stage. The core of this evaluation lies in assessing the “effectiveness” of these representations. Effectiveness, in this context, is defined as the capacity of representations to accurately estimate the most beneficial ordering of task combinations. This estimation is based on comparing the outputs of the divergence measures with the inherent ordering of tasks according to their relative transfer gain. Here, transfer gain is measured by the performance ranking of models that have been adapted from intermediate tasks to target tasks, where intermediate tasks are typically tasks abundant in training data, which are then used to transfer knowledge to resource-scarce target tasks that we would like to improve performance on. The theoretical basis of this approach is rooted in a fundamental principle of transfer learning: tasks with higher similarity in their representations are expected to offer greater improvements in model performance when transferred to a target task. Consequently, the thesis investigates the relationship between task similarity, as quantified by our divergence measures, and the actual performance gains observed in transferred models. By analysing the correlation between divergence scores with the model performance rankings across tasks, we aim to validate the hypothesis that task similarity, in terms of representational divergence, is a key predictor of transfer success. This correlation not only provides a practical method to predict the projected effectiveness of task combinations but also offers insights into the nature of transfer learning itself, shedding light on which task characteristics most significantly impact model adaptability and performance enhancement. To evaluate the effectiveness of our framework, we simulate a scenario akin to a user employing the framework to “search” for the most suitable model to transfer to their specific target task. Traditionally, this process would involve exhaustive training and evaluation of all candidate tasks—often a time-consuming and resource-intensive process. We posit that, by predicting which tasks are likely to yield the largest performance gains ahead of time, through the analysis of task similarity, we can substantially improve the accuracy of task selection and also significantly reduce the time and resources required to find effective task pairs. Our framework allows users to bypass the labour-intensive cycle of trial and error, directly focusing on task combinations that are most likely to enhance their model’s performance on a target task. The central contributions of this thesis are the introduction of an effective and efficient intermediate task selection framework for transfer learning in natural language processing. This thesis draws from a diverse range of experiments, covering a broad range of NLP domains and experimental settings, to validate and refine the framework. The experiments presented in this thesis demonstrate the potential of task selection approaches to provide more efficient, sustainable, and impactful practices in the field of transfer learning.

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Our PhD by Papers means your work towards publishable papers is always work towards the PhD thesis, improving your academic job prospects along the way. The Department of Philosophy was ranked 1st in the UK in the Research Excellence Framework exercise 2021 based on Grade Point Average (Times Higher Education).
PhD by publication
To be considered for a PhD by publication, you'll need to have held an undergraduate or postgraduate degree - awarded either by a UK higher education institute or a recognised non-UK equivalent - for at least 5 years. To apply you'll need: A CV and the names of two referees. A title of the proposed PhD. A listing of the published work on ...
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
PhD by Thesis. This is the most popular route to the award of PhD. ... This not only makes it cost effective but also a viable option for busy professionals who may be musicians, authors, engineers or healthcare professionals, ... A UK 2:1 honours degree in a relevant subject (or equivalent) or a UK Masters qualification in a relevant subject ...
UK Doctoral Thesis Metadata from EThOS // British Library
UK Doctoral Thesis Metadata from EThOS. The datasets in this collection comprise snapshots in time of metadata descriptions of hundreds of thousands of PhD theses awarded by UK Higher Education institutions aggregated by the British Library's EThOS service. The data is estimated to cover around 98% of all PhDs ever awarded by UK Higher ...
5 routes to getting a Doctorate
This is the most common means of getting a Doctorate degree. Over the three or four years of research at university, your PhD supervisor will support you as you aim to produce a thesis based on your research proposal. A thesis is typically 60,000-90,000 words in length - although this can vary between institutions.
Types of doctoral degree
Master's by research. To gain a master's by research (MbyRes), you are required to study a number of taught modules and carry out independent, original research, which you present as a thesis. A MbyRes programme takes one year full-time or two years part-time, and is only available in specific subjects. At Reading you can study different forms ...
Research (MPhil / PhD)
MPhil and PhD opportunities are available on-campus and by arrangement through our self-governing member institutions and research institutes, including the School of Advanced Study. Many of these institutions have performed highly in the Research Excellence Framework and are consistently ranked highly for research among UK universities ...
PhD by Research
Teaching Coordinator. [email protected]. +44 (0)1273 915662. The PhD in Development Studies by Research is IDS's advanced research degree, with supervision by world-class research faculty. Apply today.
Studying A PhD in the UK
Study a PhD or research degree in the UK. Information on PhD, MRes and MPhil programmes, entry requirements & application support for international students. ... An MPhil is also a qualification in its own right and is generally thesis-only, lasting one year full-time and two years part-time. The thesis must present the results of a study and ...
PDF PhD by Publication
focusses on preparing a thesis with additional text that wraps around the publications; ii) PhD/MD by Publication Format: This option is for postgraduate research students registered on a standard PhD or MD degree who want to include one or more chapters written for publication in their thesis.
Research Degree Study Options
In most cases the PhD usually requires at least 33 months of full-time study, and requires the submission and oral defence (viva voce examination) of a thesis (typically 60-100,000 words, depending on your field of study) comprising original research undertaken by the candidate.
PhD by Distance
On the PhD by Distance programme, you will benefit from: supervision from one or more leading University of Reading academics, working at the forefront of their field. access to a range of high-quality training, delivered on campus or online. access to extensive online Library resources. a reduced tuition fee set at half the standard full- or ...
Theses & Dissertations: Home
Finding a Cambridge PhD thesis online via the institutional repository. The University's institutional repository, Apollo, holds full-text digital versions of over 11,000 Cambridge PhD theses and is a rapidly growing collection deposited by Cambridge Ph.D. graduates.Theses in Apollo can be browsed via this link.More information on how to access theses by University of Cambridge students can be ...
Ethos
University of Greenwich theses are uploaded to GALA and harvested into Ethos allowing you to search and download from from either source. Visit our theses and dissertations page to find out more about finding PhD theses within and beyond the university. List of institutions taking part in Ethos. Frequently asked questions about Ethos.
Theses and Dissertations: UK PhD Theses
Electronic Theses Online Service (EThOS) is the British Library service which provides full text open access to digital copies of UK PhD theses. The EThOS database contains records of over 250,000 UK theses, with the added functionality of being able to request access to digital copies of selected theses that have not already been digitised.
PDF Writing a Thesis As a Collection of Papers
PhD by Thesis: This is the traditional PhD programme that the vast majority of doctoral students take. Within this programme, students can opt to structure their PhD as a collection of papers rather than as a series of linked chapters. In both cases, the work described in the thesis has primarily been undertaken whilst the student has been
phd
It's normal in the UK for the thesis to be the only mandatory requirement for a PhD (but this is not to say that anyone with a thesis-esque document could walk in and be awarded a degree). ... So yes, not only can you do a PhD thesis in your free time, in most cases that's what you'll end up doing even if you enroll in a formal PhD program ...
PhD (doctoral) theses
Print theses in the Library. Until 2020, a single copy of all Goldsmiths PhD (doctoral) theses were deposited in the Library, in the same year that they were awarded. In the 2020-21 academic year, PhD candidates were asked to deposit their final thesis in digital format only as an interim adjustment due to Covid-19.
UK theses
EThOS. EThOS is the UK's national thesis service, managed by the British Library. It aims to provide a national aggregated record of all doctoral theses awarded by UK higher education institutions, with free access to the full text of many theses. It has around 500,000 records for theses awarded by over 120 institutions.
Doctor of Philosophy
A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: philosophiae doctor or doctor philosophiae) is the most common degree at the highest academic level, awarded following a course of study and research. The degree is most often abbreviated PhD (or, at times, as Ph.D. in North America).It is derived from the Latin Philosophiae Doctor, pronounced as three separate letters (/ p iː eɪ tʃ ˈ d ...
Theses & dissertations
Search for OU theses in the Library Search. To see only print theses click 'In the Walton Hall library' and refine your results to resource type 'Thesis'. ... When you need to access a PhD thesis from another UK based HE institution you should check EThOS to either download a thesis which has already been digitised or to request that a UK ...
Theses
A number of our PhD theses (dated before 2011) are available via the British Library EThOS service. You can search the EThOS database to check if a PhD thesis is available. SOAS will be making a significant proportion of our PhD thesis collection available online in 2018 due to our work with Proquest who are digitizing our backrun of PhD Theses.
Doctorate
The PhD spread to the UK from the US via Canada and was instituted at all British universities from 1917. The first (titled a DPhil) was awarded at the University of Oxford. ... Dissertation-only. Until the 1990s, most natural science and engineering doctorates in Japan were earned by industrial researchers in Japanese companies. These degrees ...
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The UK Graduate Route allows international students to apply for a post-study work (PSW) visa which is valid for at least two years after completing their degree. You don't need to be in employment to stay in the UK on a graduate visa, and there are no restrictions of the kind of work you can do. This guide will cover everything you need to ...
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301 Recommends: Our Dissertation Planning Essentials workshop will look at the initial stages and challenges of preparing for a large-scale dissertation project. Our Dissertation Writing workshop will break down the process of writing a dissertation and explore approaches to voice and style to help develop a way of writing academically.
Creating Synthetic Organelles Through Engineering Biology for
However there is a permitted thesis finalisation period which is unfunded.. Research training. As a PhD student at the University of Hull, you will undertake the Postgraduate Training Scheme alongside your main degree, to help you develop the research skills and knowledge you will need in your future career. You will gain an additional ...
Dr Gergely Bodó awarded King's Outstanding PhD Thesis Prize
Dr Gergely Bodó from the Department of Mathematics has been awarded the 2023/24 King's Outstanding PhD Thesis Prize. Gergely completed his PhD in August 2023 supervised by Professor Markus Riedle. The external examiners of Gergely's thesis, Professor R, Cont (University of Oxford) and Professor S. Geiss (University of Jyväskylä ...
A framework for effective intermediate task selection in transfer
This thesis investigates strategies to improve the performance of natural language processing (NLP) models across diverse tasks, particularly in environments with limited training data. Central to this investigation is the concept of transfer learning, a method where a model developed for one task is repurposed as the starting point for a model on another task.

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