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Publishing a Master’s Thesis: A Guide for Novice Authors

Robert g. resta.

1 Swedish Cancer Institute, Swedish Medical Center, Seattle, WA USA

Patricia McCarthy Veach

2 Department of Educational Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN USA

Sarah Charles

3 Jefferson Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA USA

Kristen Vogel

4 Center for Medical Genetics, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, IL USA

Terri Blase

5 Department of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Advocate Christ Medical Center, Oak Lawn, IL USA

Christina G. S. Palmer

6 Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA USA

7 Department of Human Genetics, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA USA

8 UCLA Semel Institute, 760 Westwood Plaza, Room 47-422, Los Angeles, CA 90095 USA

Publication of original research, clinical experiences, and critical reviews of literature are vital to the growth of the genetic counseling field, delivery of genetic counseling services, and professional development of genetic counselors. Busy clinical schedules, lack of time and funding, and training that emphasizes clinical skills over research skills may make it difficult for new genetic counselors to turn their thesis projects into publications. This paper summarizes and elaborates upon a presentation aimed at de-mystifying the publishing process given at the 2008 National Society of Genetic Counselors Annual Education Conference. Specific topics include familiarizing prospective authors, particularly genetic counseling students, with the basics of the publication process and related ethical considerations. Former students’ experiences with publishing master’s theses also are described in hopes of encouraging new genetic counselors to submit for publication papers based on their thesis projects.

Introduction

Scholarship is important for growth of a profession and for clinical care. For these reasons, the American Board of Genetic Counseling (ABGC) endorses scholarly activities through Practice Based Competency IV.5 (American Board of Genetic Counseling 2009 ). Boyer ( 1990 ) describes four types of scholarship (Scholarship of Discovery, Scholarship of Integration, Scholarship of Application, and Scholarship of Teaching), all of which are endorsed by ABGC and required of accredited genetic counseling training programs. The first three types of scholarship, which involve generating new knowledge or applying existing knowledge to an important problem, are the basis of the ABGC’s requirement that students in accredited programs engage in scholarship and complete a scholarly product. The ABGC defines a scholarly product to include: a master’s thesis, an independent research project, a literature review/case report, a formal needs assessment, design and implementation of an innovative patient, professional, or community educational program, and/or preparation of a grant proposal.

The purpose of this article is to encourage students to disseminate their scholarly work (except grant proposals) through a journal publication. This article was developed from an Educational Breakout Session (EBS) at the 2008 National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC) Annual Education Conference and draws upon the experiences of a past editor and current assistant editor of the Journal of Genetic Counseling ( JOGC ), a student mentor, and recent genetic counseling graduates who successfully turned their student thesis projects into peer-reviewed publications.

Engaging in scholarship is important for increasing genetic counselors’ self-knowledge, but dissemination of scholarship is essential for the growth of the genetic counseling field. McGaghie and Webster ( 2009 ) identify a wide range of types of scholarly products that promote broad dissemination of information, including peer-reviewed journal articles (e.g., original research, case reports, review articles), book chapters, books or monographs, edited books, essays, editorials, book reviews, letters, conference reports, educational materials, reports of teaching practices, curriculum description, videos, simulations, simulators, and web-based tutorials. As evidence of the importance of disseminating scholarship to the field of genetic counseling, dissemination of scholarly products is actively promoted by the NSGC, the major professional organization for the genetic counseling profession. A prominent example of NSGC’s commitment to dissemination is the JOGC , a professional journal devoted to disseminating peer-reviewed information relevant to the practice of genetic counseling. The success of this journal over nearly two decades is a strong indicator of the value genetic counselors place on publishing journal articles as an essential product of scholarship.

Individuals who have completed a master’s thesis or equivalent should consider publication. This “call to publish” student work is based on evidence that a large proportion of students engage in a scholarly activity with publication potential. A recent survey of 531 genetic counselors suggests that 75% of respondents fulfilled their scholarly activity requirement via a master’s thesis (Clark et al. 2006 ). Among this group, 21% classified their thesis as “hypothesis driven” and 20% classified it as a “descriptive study.” Although the research may be relatively small scale given the time and resource constraints of short training programs (≤2 years), it nonetheless offers a rich and varied source of information about the practice of genetic counseling that could be shared with the broader community through publication. Yet Clark et al. ( 2006 ) found that only 21.6% of respondents who completed a master’s thesis had submitted a manuscript for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. It appears that many students do not submit their research for professional publication, perhaps due to a combination of time constraints, lack of mentoring and support, unfamiliarity with the publication process, lack of professional confidence, and fear of rejection (Clark et al. 2006 ; Cohen et al. 2008 ; Driscoll and Driscoll 2002 ; Keen 2006 ). Because this is one aspect of scholarship that has received limited attention, guidance regarding the details and vicissitudes of the publication process, and acknowledgement that master’s theses can be successfully published, are needed.

Of course, one might question why students should or would publish the results of their graduate work. The answer is complex, without a “one size fits all,” because scholarship can be intrinsically and/or extrinsically motivated. McGaghie and Webster ( 2009 ) describe intrinsic motives as including sharing knowledge, career advancement, status improvement, collegial approval, personal pleasure, and response to challenge; extrinsic motives include academic pressure, commitment to patient care, practice improvement, and promoting the use of new technologies. Although the reasons genetic counselors publish articles have not been empirically evaluated, Clark et al. ( 2006 ) (i) concluded that a substantial number of genetic counselors consider active involvement in research (a form of scholarship and precursor to publication) to be a core role, and (ii) found that respondents endorsed a range of intrinsic and extrinsic motives for their involvement in research. These reasons included interest in the subject, contributing to the field, personal development/satisfaction, diversifying job responsibilities, job requirements, lack of existing research on a particular topic, and career advancement. It is reasonable to infer that these reasons would extend to publication as well.

The work that culminates in a master’s thesis provides the basis for a professional journal article. However, writing a professional journal article differs from writing a master’s thesis. This article, therefore, provides practical ideas and considerations about the process for developing a master’s thesis into a peer-reviewed journal article and describes successful case examples. Research and publication occur in stages and include many important topics. Previous genetic counseling professional development articles have partially or comprehensively addressed the topics of developing and conducting a research project (Beeson 1997 ), writing a manuscript (Bowen 2003 ), and the peer-review process (Weil 2004 ). This paper expands on previous articles by describing the publication process and discussing publication ethics, with emphasis on aspects pertinent to publishing a master’s thesis. It is hoped that this article will encourage genetic counselors to publish their research.

The primary audience for this article is genetic counselors who are conducting a master’s thesis or equivalent or who completed a thesis in the last few years which remains unpublished. The secondary audience is other novice authors and affiliated faculty of genetic counseling training programs. Although the focus of this paper is on journal publications which are subject to a peer-review process (e.g., original research, clinical reports, and reviews), some of the basic information applies to a variety of publishing forms.

The Publication Process

Publish before it perishes.

Like produce and dairy products, data have a limited shelf life. Research results may be rendered marginal by new research, social changes, and shifts in research trends. For example, a study of patient reluctance to undergo genetic testing due to concerns about health insurance discrimination conducted in December 2007 would have been obsolete when the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (Pub.L. 110–233, 122 Stat. 881, enacted May 21, 2008) was enacted 5 months later. Or studies of whether patients think they might undergo testing if a gene for a particular condition were identified become less relevant once the gene is actually mapped and sequenced.

The hardest part about writing is actually writing. Making the time to sit down and compose a report of research findings is a very difficult first step. As noted in the three case examples, this is particularly true for a recent graduate whose time is occupied with searching for a new job, moving to a new city, and learning the details of a new job. However, the longer you wait, the more difficult it becomes, and the greater the risk that your data will grow stale. If you do not write it, the paper will likely not get written. The three case examples identify strong mentorship, ongoing communication with co-authors, constructive criticism, and commitment to publication by every author as key elements for successfully preparing a manuscript. The following sections describe basic processes for preparing a paper. See also Table  1 for helpful references about technical aspects of manuscript preparation.

Table 1

Selected Resources For Manuscript Preparation

Choosing a Journal

Research delivered to an inappropriate audience is ignored. Many journals publish genetic counseling research—as demonstrated by the three case examples—and therefore, choosing the right journal is critical (Thompson 2007 ). The first step is to decide who the audience should be. Is it important to reach genetic counselors? Medical geneticists? Or is the audience outside of the genetic counseling community? Some genetic counseling research is of interest to researchers in patient education, decision-making, or the social sciences. Clinicians such as surgeons, radiology technicians, psychologists, and family practice physicians might benefit from a greater understanding of genetic counseling and how it interfaces with their specialties.

The next step is to decide whether the journal is interested in the type of research conducted. For example, does the journal publish articles mostly on medical and clinical issues? Does it publish qualitative research? A description of the scope, aims, and types of research that are published is located in the “Instructions to Contributors” section on the web page of most journals. A look at the journal’s editorial board might also provide a good idea of a journal’s theoretical approaches, philosophical orientation, and research interests. Another strategy is to contact the journal’s editor or a member of the editorial board prior to submitting a manuscript to discuss the appropriateness of the manuscript for the journal. Many editors welcome such pre-submission contact since it reduces their workload of reading inappropriate manuscripts.

A journal’s “impact factor” may be important to some authors when considering where to publish a manuscript. The impact factor is a—perhaps imperfect—statistical measure of a journal’s importance. The impact factor was developed in the early 1960s by Eugene Garfield and Irving Sher and is technically defined as A/B, where A = the number of times articles published in that journal were cited and B = the number of citable articles published by the journal (letters and editorials are not usually citable articles) (Garfield 1994 ). An impact factor of one indicates that on average, articles published in the journal were cited once by other authors.

A journal’s impact factor can vary greatly from year to year, and its practical utility is widely debated (Andersen et al. 2006 ; Chew et al. 2006 ; Greenwood 2007 ; Ha et al. 2006 ; The PLoS Medicine Editors 2006 ). Genetic counselors often publish small studies and case reports. The journals that might publish such papers usually have impact factors of ten or less. Thus the impact factor may be a less important consideration for many genetic counselors when deciding where to publish.

A publisher’s copyright policy may also influence the choice of where to publish. The majority of publishers own the copyright (United States Copyright Office 2008 ) and authors do not have the right to copy, re-use, or distribute their own publications without buying reprints, which can be a significant source of income for publishers. Some journals, like the Public Library of Science (PLoS), are completely Open Access and make all articles fully available online. Other journals have Delayed Open Access, which makes articles publicly available after a specified period of time, often a year or two. Many journals, such as the JOGC , promote Hybrid Open Access in which authors, for a fee, can make their articles publicly available. Some journals will make select articles publicly available, usually those that attract media attention. For grant-funded research, consider the requirements of the funding source; some granting agencies require that the research results be made publicly available at some point.

Peer Review

Peer review is the process in which two or three experts evaluate a manuscript to determine whether it is worthy of publication. Peer review is the backbone of scholarly publishing; no research manuscript gets published until a team of reviewers and journal editors vets it. Ideally, reviewers are objective, constructively critical, open-minded, fair, and insightful. Some journals blind the reviewer to the author’s identity, in hopes that the authors’ reputations or professional relationships will not influence the review. Some journals will let authors suggest reviewers or request that certain people not review a manuscript. A journal’s peer review policies may be another important consideration in choosing where to submit a manuscript.

In practice, peer review is not always ideal (Benose et al. 2007 ; Curfman et al. 2008 ; Hames 2007 ; Wager et al. 2006 ). Nonetheless, no better or viable alternative has been proposed. Reviews may sometimes appear to be arbitrary, unfair, and poorly performed. Reading such reviews can be very difficult and frustrating, even for experienced authors. However, it is a reviewer’s job to be critical, and there may be elements of truth in even the most negative reviews. Some editors may be willing to send a manuscript to another reviewer if an original reviewer produces a harshly critical or poorly thought out critique. Some journals have a formal appeals process if a manuscript is rejected or an author feels a review is inaccurate, inappropriate, or biased. However, sometimes it is simply easier to submit the manuscript to a different journal. Case # 2 describes a successful example where submitting a manuscript to a different journal led to publication.

The manuscript rejection rate varies widely across journals, but about half of all manuscripts are rejected or require significant revisions (Armstrong et al. 2008 ; Hall and Wilcox 2007 ; Liesegang et al. 2007 ). About half of rejected manuscripts are published in other journals (Armstrong et al. 2008 ; Hall and Wilcox 2007 ; Liesegang et al. 2007 ). Even among articles that are accepted for publication, the vast majority will require significant revisions. All three case examples describe manuscripts that underwent significant revision. Thus, prospective authors should not be disheartened if a manuscript is rejected or needs extensive re-writing; this is the rule rather than the exception . Many editors are willing to work with authors who have questions about specific comments or how best to incorporate the reviewers’ suggestions. Busy journal editors would rather answer questions up front than have to laboriously edit a revised manuscript and send it back for further revisions.

Peer review, and the subsequent manuscript revisions, along with the number of manuscripts submitted to the journal, are probably the most critical bottlenecks in determining how long it takes before a manuscript appears in print. Typically, a year or more may pass from the time of submission to the publication date. The three case examples include their timeframes to highlight the need for perseverance and patience with the publication process.

The clearest way for authors to respond to editors’ and reviewers’ comments is to prepare a table that lists each comment and how the authors addressed them, item by item. Some reviewers’ comments may be inaccurate or simply unrealistic (e.g. “The authors should re-do the entire research study...”); these can be discussed in the table or in the cover letter that accompanies the table. Additional information about the peer-review process can be found in Weil ( 2004 ).

Acceptance!

Once a manuscript is accepted for publication, the publisher or the journal editor will send a copyright transfer statement that spells out ownership of the article. This statement must be signed and returned in short order before the manuscript will be published. The corresponding author will receive page proofs, usually electronically, which must be read by the author for accuracy and returned fairly quickly (usually 2–3 days). Many publishers are reluctant to make significant changes in the page proofs, and they may charge for substantial revisions. Thus, the version of the manuscript that is submitted to the journal before the page proofs are generated should be very close to what the author wishes to see in print. Usually at this time publishers will offer the author the option to purchase reprints to allow the author to share the publication with other researchers, co-authors, and colleagues. Some journals will provide a limited number of free reprints or a complimentary copy of the issue of the journal in which the paper appears. The steps in the publication process are summarized in Table  2 .

Table 2

Steps in the Publication Process

a ∼50% of manuscripts are rejected or require significant revision before being accepted for publication

Ethics of Publishing

“Scholarship (like life) is not always fair or precise.” (Thompson 1994 )

Manuscript preparation and submission for publication can be complicated by ethical issues. Many authors may not be aware of these ethical conundrums, let alone have a plan for addressing them. Ethics is not a stagnant concept. As research methodologies and research questions evolve, new ethical issues in publishing arise. This section contains a description of several issues broadly relevant to the publishing practice of genetic counselors, particularly as students or recent graduates. However, it is important for genetic counselors-as-authors to keep abreast of ethical issues relevant to their own work.

“Ethics” are principles that govern the behavior of individuals or groups (Merriam-Webster 1974 ). Ethical codes of conduct exist in order to preserve the integrity of a profession, ensure the public’s welfare, and protect scholars. Ethical issues particularly relevant to writing for publication, include: (1) authorship determination, (2) disclosure and conflicts of interest, (3) plagiarism, (4) subject confidentiality, (5) accuracy of information, and (6) publishing in multiple sources.

Authorship Determination

Consider the following situation: A student conducted an excellent study for her master’s thesis project. At the beginning of the project, her supervisor promised her that she would have first authorship on any manuscripts based on the project. However, when the time came to write the paper, the student procrastinated. Finally, after the supervisor repeatedly “nagged” her, she submitted a draft to her, but it was very poorly written. The supervisor decided the only way to salvage the paper was to totally rewrite it herself. Now the supervisor thinks that she deserves to be the first author. Is this ethical? Does it matter if the project was the student’s master’s thesis rather than a project in which she was voluntarily involved? Are there guidelines that might be implemented in advance to handle this kind of situation?

This complex situation may be all too familiar for many supervisors and students. It raises issues about valuing contributions to the publication process, the power differential between supervisors and students, determining when renegotiation of authorship is warranted, and setting expectations and priorities up front. Whenever manuscripts are authored by more than one individual, order of authorship should be negotiated as early in the process as possible. Only individuals who have actually contributed to the work should be listed as authors. Their order should indicate “...the relative scientific or professional contributions of the individuals involved, regardless of their status” (Shadish 1994 ) (p. 1096). In the sciences, the first and last authors typically are the individuals that made the greatest contributions to the project (Laflin et al. 2005 ). Many journals require a listing of each author’s contribution to the manuscript in order to make sure each person meets the journal’s requirements to be listed as an author.

Student authors pose a special situation. Doctoral students usually are the first authors of papers based on their dissertation research (Nguyen and Nguyen 2006 ). Authorship order is less clear for masters’ projects because masters’ students may lack sufficient knowledge and skills to conduct a project and prepare a manuscript of publishable quality without considerable input from their supervisor (Shadish 1994 ). Thompson ( 1994 ) recommends that when there is any question as to who made the primary contribution, the student should receive higher authorship. His recommendation helps to protect the person who has less power in the situation. Often students are involved in studies that are not based on their own master’s or doctoral research, but rather are connected to an existing research program, such as case examples 1 and 2. In those situations, some authors contend that their involvement should be creative and intellectual in order to warrant authorship; otherwise, student input can be credited in an acknowledgement section (Fine and Kurdek 1993 ; Holaday and Yost 1995 ; Thompson 1994 ).

Negotiating authorship is an important step that should begin in the initial stages of a project. This step usually involves assessing and agreeing upon each person’s tasks, contributions, and efforts. The amount of supervision required for an individual’s contributions is usually considered as well (Fine and Kurdek 1993 ). Sometimes renegotiation of authorship order is necessary due to unexpected changes and/or substantial revision of the manuscript. The key is to remember that authorship is negotiated. Questions to consider throughout this negotiation process include: Who had the original idea for the basis of the publication? Who designed and conducted the study that generated the data? Who will write most of the first draft of the paper? Is the study part of someone’s research lab? Students should maintain early and on-going communication with their co-authors about their investment of time and efforts and the outcomes of those efforts (Sandler and Russell 2005 ). However, scholarly contribution is more important than actual time and effort expended when determining authorship. For more information regarding authorship determination, it may be useful to review guidelines for discussing and clarifying authorship order (Gibelman and Gelman 1999 ) or developing individualized contracts for research collaboration (Stith et al. 1992 ). These guidelines also may be useful for initiating discussion of authorship as part of the curriculum in genetic counseling training programs.

Take another look at the authorship scenario. At the time of the original negotiation of authorship, it is likely that the supervisor (and other parties) believed the student warranted first authorship due to her creative contributions and time allotted to the study. In most authors’ minds, first authorship is equated with substantial contribution to writing the manuscript, usually the first draft, so it is important the student understand this is part of the responsibilities of being first author. Typically students have no experience writing a journal article, and so some procrastination is likely. In this scenario, the authorship dilemma may have been averted by having in place a plan to mentor the student, providing support, and delineating a specific process for writing the first draft of the manuscript.

Manuscripts invariably undergo substantial revision as co-authors and reviewers weigh in, so it is not unusual that the supervisor would revise the student’s first draft. This activity does not prima facie warrant a change in authorship order. However, by developing a specific plan to support the student’s writing, it may minimize the extent of the supervisor’s revisions. It is possible, though, that the student’s procrastination and poor writing should initiate a renegotiation of authorship order because the level and nature of her contributions to the work may be changing. The supervisor and student should discuss the reasons for changing authorship order; the supervisor should not unilaterally make this change without discussion. Keep in mind that the bar for changing authorship should be much higher if the paper is based on the student’s master’s thesis than if it is based on a project in which she was voluntarily involved. It is also important to inform students early in the process that most research is a collaborative effort, requiring time, energy, and sometimes funding, and therefore their collaborators have expectations that their contributions will be rewarded through publication. Developing an a priori policy for renegotiation may often reduce misunderstandings and minimize conflict.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

Consider the following situation: A student conducted a study to evaluate a new program that her clinic is offering to its patients. She interviewed ten patients who participated in the program about their experience. Nine of these patients were in general agreement about the value of the program, while the 10th patient was quite negative about her experience. The student’s impression of this patient is that she is a generally negative person. The student believes that the patient came into the program expecting not to like it. Furthermore, the student is concerned her clinic will lose funding for this program if she reports this patient’s responses. The student decides to exclude her data from the paper. Is this decision ethical? Why or why not?

One ethical issue raised in this scenario involves determining when it is appropriate to exclude data points. Data collected from research can be messy, and it is not unusual for some data points to be excluded from analyses. However, there must be an explicit methodology for excluding data points or subjects, and this information usually is reported in the manuscript. Examples for exclusions include: missing data (e.g., a participant did not complete a majority of the items on a questionnaire); measurement error (e.g., the recorded measurement of a biological process or part of the anatomy is simply impossible); small sample sizes (e.g., an insufficient number of individuals from a minority group participated in the research resulting in numbers too small for meaningful analysis). In the scenario described above, the rationale provided for excluding the 10th patient’s experience is not sufficient to warrant exclusion. Instead, it appears that exclusion of this individual is based on a desire to promote the new program in the student’s clinic. In order to eliminate this form of conflict of interest, one could consider involving a clinic outsider in the analysis and interpretation of the data. By including a clinic outsider in the project, editor and reviewer concerns about the integrity of the data, analyses, and conclusions will be allayed.

Most journals provide another “safeguard,” by requiring a statement about possible conflicts of interest. A conflict of interest statement requires the author to acknowledge in writing the nature of any circumstances that might bias the process and/or outcome of their work. For example, any project and published report that might result in direct financial gains for an author(s) should be disclosed to a journal’s editor and to the readership. Examples of possible conflicts of interest include conducting a study of the effectiveness of a genetic test funded by the company that developed and is marketing the test, or a program evaluation study whose outcome would determine the continuation of the investigators/authors’ jobs.

Plagiarism is a familiar concept to most people. Everyone generally understands the importance of “giving credit where credit is due.” Yet, the National Science Foundation estimates that the prevalence of plagiarism may be as high as 50% (Roig 2001 ). Probably many of these incidents are unintentional and/or occur because the authors were unaware of some of the nuances regarding plagiarism. Although there is some variability within and across disciplines about the specific behaviors that constitute plagiarism, there is general agreement about two broad types (Roig 2001 ): cryptamnesia -an individual thinks their idea is original when it actually was presented by someone else previously; and inappropriate paraphrasing —an individual uses another person’s published text without properly citing that use, and/or using their statements with little or no modification. Specific examples of inappropriate paraphrasing include: (1) publishing another person’s work as one’s own; (2) copying part of another author’s paper and claiming it as one’s own; (3) copying text from another source without using quotations marks and without citing that source in the text; (4) paraphrasing text from another source without providing an in-text citation; (5) summarizing material from another source without clearly connecting the summary to that source; and (6) using copyrighted materials without author/publisher permission (East 2006 ; Lester and Lester Jr. 1992 ).

Additional types of plagiarism include ambiguous use of citations. For instance, an individual includes a citation in a paragraph but does not clearly indicate which content in the paragraph is from the cited work. Another type of plagiarism is self-plagiarism . Self-plagiarism occurs when an individual includes published work of their own for which they do not own the copyright (e.g., reprinting a table from one of their previously published papers); repeating verbatim text from a previously published article. Permission to reprint material from the publisher must be obtained.

Plagiarism is a serious ethical breach which can result in a legal penalty. Strategies for avoiding plagiarism include limiting the use of direct quotes; avoiding the use of secondary sources—it is always better to read and cite an original source when available; and restating ideas in one’s own words while providing in-text citation of the work that contains the original ideas (East 2006 ; Lambie et al. 2008 ; Lester and Lester Jr. 1992 ). When in doubt regarding the originality of one’s words, it is best to cite the source(s) on which they are based. In this regard, it may help to bear in mind that readers will assume all words in the paper are the author’s unless the source(s) are cited.

Subject Confidentiality

Published papers must be written in a way that no subjects can be recognized by others without their written consent (Gavey and Braun 1997 ). Given the unique nature of genetics, family members may also need to provide written consent (McCarthy Veach et al. 2001 ). When possible, identifying information should be removed or disguised (e.g., use of pseudonyms) and data based on multiple subjects should be reported in aggregate (group) form. Institutional review boards (IRBs) play a critical role in assuring protection of subject confidentiality. Many journals require authors to indicate either in the paper or a cover letter that they have obtained institutional review board approval to conduct their animal or human subjects study. In some cases, an ethics board may have been consulted regarding ethical dilemmas reported in a clinical paper and this should be acknowledged in the paper.

Accuracy of Information

Authors are responsible for rigorously checking the accuracy of their facts, data, and conclusions. However, despite one’s best efforts, substantial errors sometimes are not discovered until after a paper is published. In that case, the corresponding author should contact the journal immediately and ask that an erratum be published. On a related note, authors have a professional responsibility to make data sets reported in published papers available to other professionals. This practice allows for verification of the findings and conclusions, and it also makes possible research replications and extensions of the original study. The length of time for retaining research records depends on institutional policy and sponsor policy, so it is important to be aware of how these policies apply to the research generated by a master’s thesis. Often institutional review boards require researchers to state how long they will maintain a data set, and the researchers must adhere to that time frame.

Another accuracy issue concerns modifying and reporting the use of published material (e.g., an interview protocol, psychological instrument, curriculum) without clearly describing the precise nature of the modifications. Interpretation of findings and their comparison to other studies using the “same” instrumentation may be severely compromised when an author fails to report modifications. Further, professional courtesy suggests that permission be sought from the author before changing her or his material. Also, use of published material requires crediting the author(s) of that material by including relevant citations.

Publishing in Multiple Sources

In the sciences, a manuscript should not be under review by more than one journal at a time. It is, however, acceptable to submit material for presentation at a conference prior to its actual publication in a journal, as the authors in case examples 1 and 3 did. Some conferences publish proceedings , and some journals will not publish work that is already published in a Proceedings unless the two papers differ substantially. When in doubt, it is good practice to contact a journal’s editor to determine the journal’s policy. Journals typically only publish original work, but on occasion there may be interest in reprinting an article. Reprinting a previously published paper requires written permission from the owner of the publication copyright. As a matter of courtesy, one should also seek the corresponding author’s permission, even if the author does not own the copyright.

Examples of Success

The benefits of sharing knowledge within the medical community and with the public via publication have been delineated. The publication of original work contributes to the advancement of the genetic counseling field overall, and at the individual level, authorship establishes a level of professional credibility, enhancing opportunities for future employability, funding and job satisfaction. The opportunity to develop a genetic counseling master’s thesis into a manuscript should therefore not be overlooked. Below are the personal accounts of three recent graduates who successfully transformed their individual master’s theses into published manuscripts. These examples were not systematically ascertained, and as such, do not necessarily represent all experiences with trying to publish a master’s thesis. These stories provide “first-hand accounts” of the authors’ experiences and, while acknowledging the challenges, demonstrate commitment to publishing their own projects throughout their careers. Table  3 contains a list of helpful hints gleaned from these cases.

Table 3

Helpful Hints for First Time Authors

Case 1: Consider Writing Your Thesis and Journal Article Concurrently

As a result of personal determination, and above all, strong mentorship, I was able to turn my master’s thesis work into a manuscript published in Patient Education and Counseling , titled “Satisfaction with genetic counseling for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations among African American women” (Charles et al. 2006 ). My work was a small component of an existing research project being conducted within a university academically affiliated with my genetic counseling training program. The project was an evaluation of the overall effects of “Culturally Tailored vs. Standard Genetic Counseling Protocol” among African American women.

I started by reviewing previous publications this group of researchers had produced and using these as a guide for my first draft, followed by multiple revisions. Approximately 17 months elapsed between first submission and publication. We submitted the manuscript in its original form in May 2005. We received the reviewers’ comments later that summer, and submitted revisions five months later. The article was accepted in that same month, published online five months later and in print seven months after the online version appeared. Shortly after graduating from my program I submitted an abstract of the work to NSGC for presentation at the 2005 Annual Education Conference, and subsequently learned that it was selected for the NSGC Beth Fine Student Abstract award.

My experience may be unusual because I worked on the manuscript and thesis project concurrently. Composing separate but related documents while still juggling second year genetic counseling student responsibilities was certainly a challenge. Preparing a comprehensive thesis project is a very different task than manuscript composition, the latter of which is more focused and narrow in scope. Challenges posed by this concurrent approach included ensuring that text requirements and deadlines specific to each document were met, as well as incorporating and addressing the reviews of both the training program and peer-reviewers. The main benefits of this approach were that I was still in school and therefore geographically close to my mentors, which facilitated ongoing communication throughout the process, and that the manuscript was under review by a journal before I started my new job.

Factors contributing to the successful publication of this project include mentorship, accountability, and commitment to publication by every author. Supportive, constructively critical, and well published, my mentors had high standards and knew the process. Frankly, I did not want to disappoint them. I found setting deadlines and meeting them, along with the accountability of in-person meetings (as opposed to email), to be effective approaches. Finally, publishing the project was a stated goal of the authors at the initiation of the project. I will not claim that the process was easy, but the goal is certainly attainable and worthwhile.

Case 2: You Need Not Publish Every Thesis Finding—Pick The Most Interesting and Relevant

As is the case for many graduate students, the first time I attempted to publish was after I completed my thesis. My thesis concerned the development of a minority research recruitment database and was the result of my graduate research on underserved populations.

Following graduation, I started my first job as a genetic counselor in a new city. During the overwhelming process of adjusting to “my new life,” my thesis advisor asked me to submit a manuscript to the American Journal of Public Health in response to a call for abstracts on genetics topics. Unfortunately, the deadline was only one week away. I scrambled to cut down my lengthy thesis to a reasonable length and submitted it, knowing that it was not my best work given the time constraint. Needless to say, it was rejected.

I decided that before resubmitting the manuscript to a different journal, I would need to take a different approach to the paper, more or less starting over. While my research results were interesting, they were limited in their application. I decided to publish instead on the success of our research initiative, as other researchers could learn from our process. Since I was changing the focus of the manuscript, I had to do an additional literature search and produce much of the writing from scratch. Most of this work had to be completed in my free time. While it was difficult to stay motivated, working on my manuscript when first starting a job was manageable as my caseload was lightest in the beginning. After several weeks of hard work, I submitted the manuscript to Health Promotion Practice .

About one month later, the editor contacted me and asked me to resubmit my manuscript with revisions. Three different reviewers provided feedback. Initially, it was overwhelming to read through their comments and frustrating, particularly when the reviewers contradicted each other. Despite my frustration, with my co-authors’ guidance I forged ahead and resubmitted, only to have the editor and reviewers ask for additional revisions. There were comments from the same three reviewers, however, far fewer in number. Still, I was beginning to think they would never accept the manuscript. I once again called upon my co-authors for guidance and was able to address the reviewers’ comments and resubmit the manuscript once again.

This time when I heard from the editor, the manuscript was finally accepted. What started out as a 120 page thesis ended up being published as an eight page paper (Vogel et al. 2007 ). It took approximately 8 months of writing and revising before the manuscript was finally accepted and an additional year before it came out in print. While the entire process was a true test of patience and determination, it was ultimately worth it. The experience gave me the foundation to carry on my research career and continue to publish successfully.

Case 3: Expectations and Mentorship are Crucial

I defended my thesis, received my Master’s degree, and was about to move back to the Midwest to start my new job as a genetic counselor, but my long “To-Do” list had one remaining item: Publish master’s thesis. I started the initial master’s thesis process with the expectation from one of my thesis advisors, and now a co-author, that research is not “put down and set aside” until published. I never questioned the process; if I was going to work with this advisor, I would be publishing. I was excited to undertake this challenge and impressed by my thesis advisor’s dedication, mentorship, and desire to see our hard work recognized. Nearly two years later, I could proudly say that this expectation, held by all of my thesis advisors and me, was accomplished. The manuscript, published in the JOGC , describes qualitative research regarding communication of genetic test results within a family (Blase et al. 2007 ).

In the beginning, I was unfamiliar with the publication process, but because of the support and guidance of my advisors, I began to learn the process, and so the frustrations and uncertainties were minimal. I also had a great working relationship with my co-authors that included communicating regularly and setting and meeting deadlines. After deciding the JOGC was the most appropriate venue for my research, I spent a good deal of time reducing and reformatting the 80 page thesis to a 20–25 page manuscript to meet the journal’s guidelines. Given the page constraints, this process necessitated determining which data to focus on and re-framing some information to appropriately fit the readers of my selected journal. Conversations with my advisors were instrumental in this phase.

There was nothing quick about publishing my master’s thesis. I graduated in June 2005, received an email shortly thereafter from one of my advisors about how to begin constructing a first draft of a manuscript, and began working on the manuscript in July 2005. I submitted the manuscript to JOGC in May 2006 and subsequently was informed by the editor that based on the reviews, revisions were required before the manuscript could be considered for publication. In September 2006, after two rounds of revisions, my manuscript was accepted, and by June 2007 it was published in the journal.

Although ultimately I was successful in publishing my master’s thesis, the process had its moments of frustration. I remember getting my first round of comments from the reviewers; I thought I was never going to get to the point of publication. My co-authors supported and encouraged me by explaining that revisions are truly part of the process. I was overwhelmed by the reviewers’ list of questions and changes after my initial submission, followed by additional reviews and revisions. Not only did I have to figure out how to keep the manuscript a priority in light of my new job, but I had to weed through and address the reviewers’ comments, and the suggestions of each co-author. The guidance of my thesis advisors, now co-authors, helped me navigate this process.

I have gained much through this experience. The process has opened doors for me including opportunities to work with other professionals with impressive publishing experiences, as well as speaking and poster presentation opportunities at national conferences. I also have greater confidence about the publishing process. What seemed like such a daunting and impossible task is now an attainable outcome. Although my master’s thesis was my most recent publication, the thought of taking on the publication process again is not nearly as intimidating as I once thought.

Publication of original research, clinical experience, and literature reviews are vital to the growth of the genetic counseling field and to the delivery of genetic counseling services. Publishing also promotes personal growth by counting toward maintenance of ABGC-certification as well as establishing the author as a credible and respected authority both within and outside the genetic counseling field. This professional recognition in turn can lead to employment opportunities, speaking engagements, research funding, and career advancement.

Submitting a manuscript for publication also can be an intellectually challenging, emotionally trying, and time-consuming task. But similar to life’s other difficult tasks, the rewards and satisfaction are commensurately great—to see your name in print, have your work cited by other authors, and know that you have contributed in a meaningful way to the practice and understanding of genetic counseling. Transforming a master’s thesis into a journal article is an obvious first step in developing and sustaining a commitment to publishing for our genetic counseling profession. Common themes in the three success experiences include the importance of mentorship and clear expectations for publishing, recognition of the length of the process and concomitant need for perseverance in the face of revisions, awareness of personal and professional benefits in terms of presentations at national meetings, awards, and motivation to continue publishing. Hopefully the information provided in this article will help to de-mystify the publishing process, promote consideration of ethical issues in publishing, and stimulate genetic counseling students and new graduates to embrace a “Publish for Success” philosophy.

Acknowledgments

This paper was developed from an Educational Breakout Session (EBS) sponsored by the Jane Engelberg Memorial Fellowship Advisory Group at the 2008 NSGC Annual Education Conference.

Open Access

This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial License which permits any noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author(s) and source are credited.

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How to Write a Master's Thesis

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“Yvonne Bui’s How to Write a Master’s Thesis should be mandatory for all thesis track master’s students.  It steers students away from the shortcuts students may be tempted to use that would be costly in the long run. The step by step intentional approach is what I like best about this book.”

“This is the best textbook about writing an M.A. thesis available in the market.” 

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Excellent book. Thorough, yet concise, information for students writing their Master's Thesis who may not have had a strong background in research.

Clear, Concise, easy for students to access and understand. Contains all the elements for a successful thesis.

I loved the ease of this book. It was clear without extra nonsense that would just confuse the students.

Clear, concise, easily accessible. Students find it of great value.

NEW TO THIS EDITION:             

• Concrete instruction and guides for conceptualizing the literature review help students navigate through the most challenging topics.        
• Step-by-step instructions and more screenshots give students the guidance they need to write the foundational chapter, along with the latest online resources and general library information.          
• Additional coverage of single case designs and mixed methods help students gain a more comprehensive understanding of research methods.           
• Expanded explanation of unintentional plagiarism within the ethics chapter shows students the path to successful and professional writing.       
• Detailed information on conference presentation as a way to disseminate research , in addition to getting published, help students understand all of the tools needed to write a master’s thesis.    

KEY FEATURES:  

• An advanced chapter organizer provides an up-front checklist of what to expect in the chapter and serves as a project planner, so that students can immediately prepare and work alongside the chapter as they begin to develop their thesis.
• Full guidance on conducting successful literature reviews includes up-to-date information on electronic databases and Internet tools complete with numerous figures and captured screen shots from relevant web sites, electronic databases, and SPSS software, all integrated with the text.
• Excerpts from research articles and samples from exemplary students' master's theses relate specifically to the content of each chapter and provide the reader with a real-world context.
• Detailed explanations of the various components of the master's thesis and concrete strategies on how to conduct a literature review help students write each chapter of the master's thesis, and apply the American Psychological Association (APA) editorial style.
• A comprehensive Resources section features "Try It!" boxes which lead students through a sample problem or writing exercise based on a piece of the thesis to reinforce prior course learning and the writing objectives at hand. Reflection/discussion questions in the same section are designed to help students work through the thesis process.

Sample Materials & Chapters

1: Overview of the Master's Degree and Thesis

3: Using the Literature to Research Your Problem

For instructors

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• Writing Tips

The Ultimate Guide to Getting Your Thesis Published in a Journal

7-minute read

• 25th February 2023

Writing your thesis and getting it published are huge accomplishments. However, publishing your thesis in an academic journal is another journey for scholars. Beyond how much hard work, time, and research you invest, having your findings published in a scholarly journal is vital for your reputation as a scholar and also advances research findings within your field.

This guide will walk you through how to make sure your thesis is ready for publication in a journal. We’ll go over how to prepare for pre-publication, how to submit your research, and what to do after acceptance.

Pre-Publication Preparations

Understanding the publishing process.

Ideally, you have already considered what type of publication outlet you want your thesis research to appear in. If not, it’s best to do this so you can tailor your writing and overall presentation to fit that publication outlet’s expectations. When selecting an outlet for your research, consider the following:

●  How well will my research fit the journal?

●  Are the reputation and quality of this journal high?

●  Who is this journal’s readership/audience?

●  How long does it take the journal to respond to a submission?

●  What’s the journal’s rejection rate?

Once you finish writing, revising, editing, and proofreading your work (which can take months or years), expect the publication process to be an additional three months or so.

Revising Your Thesis

Your thesis will need to be thoroughly revised, reworked, reorganized, and edited before a journal will accept it. Journals have specific requirements for all submissions, so read everything on a journal’s submission requirements page before you submit. Make a checklist of all the requirements to be sure you don’t overlook anything. Failing to meet the submission requirements could result in your paper being rejected.

Areas for Improvement

No doubt, the biggest challenge academics face in this journey is reducing the word count of their thesis to meet journal publication requirements. Remember that the average thesis is between 60,000 and 80,000 words, not including footnotes, appendices, and references. On the other hand, the average academic journal article is 4,000 to 7,000 words. Reducing the number of words this much may seem impossible when you are staring at the year or more of research your thesis required, but remember, many have done this before, and many will do it again. You can do it too. Be patient with the process.

Additional areas of improvement include>

·   having to reorganize your thesis to meet the section requirements of the journal you submit to ( abstract, intro , methods, results, and discussion).

·   Possibly changing your reference system to match the journal requirements or reducing the number of references.

·   Reformatting tables and figures.

·   Going through an extensive editing process to make sure everything is in place and ready.

Identifying Potential Publishers

Many options exist for publishing your academic research in a journal. However, along with the many credible and legitimate publishers available online, just as many predatory publishers are out there looking to take advantage of academics. Be sure to always check unfamiliar publishers’ credentials before commencing the process. If in doubt, ask your mentor or peer whether they think the publisher is legitimate, or you can use Think. Check. Submit .

If you need help identifying which journals your research is best suited to, there are many tools to help. Here’s a short list:

○  Elsevier JournalFinder

○  EndNote Matcher

○  Journal/Author Name Estimator (JANE)

○  Publish & Flourish Open Access

·   The topics the journal publishes and whether your research will be a good fit.

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·   The journal’s audience (whom you want to read your research).

·   The types of articles the journal publishes (e.g., reviews, case studies).

·   Your personal requirements (e.g., whether you’re willing to wait a long time to see your research published).

Submitting Your Thesis

Now that you have thoroughly prepared, it’s time to submit your thesis for publication. This can also be a long process, depending on peer review feedback.

Preparing Your Submission

Many publishers require you to write and submit a cover letter along with your research. The cover letter is your sales pitch to the journal’s editor. In the letter, you should not only introduce your work but also emphasize why it’s new, important, and worth the journal’s time to publish. Be sure to check the journal’s website to see whether submission requires you to include specific information in your cover letter, such as a list of reviewers.

Whenever you submit your thesis for publication in a journal article, it should be in its “final form” – that is, completely ready for publication. Do not submit your thesis if it has not been thoroughly edited, formatted, and proofread. Specifically, check that you’ve met all the journal-specific requirements to avoid rejection.

Navigating the Peer Review Process

Once you submit your thesis to the journal, it will undergo the peer review process. This process may vary among journals, but in general, peer reviews all address the same points. Once submitted, your paper will go through the relevant editors and offices at the journal, then one or more scholars will peer-review it. They will submit their reviews to the journal, which will use the information in its final decision (to accept or reject your submission).

While many academics wait for an acceptance letter that says “no revisions necessary,” this verdict does not appear very often. Instead, the publisher will likely give you a list of necessary revisions based on peer review feedback (these revisions could be major, minor, or a combination of the two). The purpose of the feedback is to verify and strengthen your research. When you respond to the feedback, keep these tips in mind:

●  Always be respectful and polite in your responses, even if you disagree.

●  If you do disagree, be prepared to provide supporting evidence.

●  Respond to all the comments, questions, and feedback in a clear and organized manner.

●  Make sure you have sufficient time to make any changes (e.g., whether you will need to conduct additional experiments).

After Publication

Once the journal accepts your article officially, with no further revisions needed, take a moment to enjoy the fruits of your hard work. After all, having your work appear in a distinguished journal is not an easy feat. Once you’ve finished celebrating, it’s time to promote your work. Here’s how you can do that:

●  Connect with other experts online (like their posts, follow them, and comment on their work).

●  Email your academic mentors.

●  Share your article on social media so others in your field may see your work.

●  Add the article to your LinkedIn publications.

●  Respond to any comments with a “Thank you.”

Getting your thesis research published in a journal is a long process that goes from reworking your thesis to promoting your article online. Be sure you take your time in the pre-publication process so you don’t have to make lots of revisions. You can do this by thoroughly revising, editing, formatting, and proofreading your article.

During this process, make sure you and your co-authors (if any) are going over one another’s work and having outsiders read it to make sure no comma is out of place.

What are the benefits of getting your thesis published?

Having your thesis published builds your reputation as a scholar in your field. It also means you are contributing to the body of work in your field by promoting research and communication with other scholars.

How long does it typically take to get a thesis published?

Once you have finished writing, revising, editing, formatting, and proofreading your thesis – processes that can add up to months or years of work – publication can take around three months. The exact length of time will depend on the journal you submit your work to and the peer review feedback timeline.

How can I ensure the quality of my thesis when attempting to get it published?

If you want to make sure your thesis is of the highest quality, consider having professionals proofread it before submission (some journals even require submissions to be professionally proofread). Proofed has helped thousands of researchers proofread their theses. Check out our free trial today.

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Research Guides

Submit and publish your thesis.

• The Graduate Thesis: What is it?
• Thesis Defences
• Deadlines and Fees
• Formatting in MS Word
• Formatting in LaTeX
• Making Thesis Accessible
• Thesis Embargo
• Review and Release
• Your Rights as an Author
• Re-using Third Party Materials
• Creative Commons Licenses for Theses
• Turning Thesis into an Article
• Turning Thesis into a Book
• Other Venues of Publication

Publishing from your thesis before or after graduation

"Will repository submission affect my publishing plans?"

... this is a common question for someone looking to publish from their thesis before or after graduation.

Most journals welcome submissions based on a thesis or dissertation. Some may have additional requirements, such as to:

• Let them know about the university’s requirement to make your thesis publicly available
• Submit a manuscript that is substantially different than the thesis content
• Embargo the thesis until after publication, etc.

Your steps will depend on the following scenarios:

Scenario 1 - you ARE NOT planning on publishing your thesis before or after graduation

In this case:

• You can submit your thesis without an embargo
• Your thesis will become publicly available in TSpace  and Library and Archives Canada after your convocation and will be widely indexed via search engines and indexes
• Use the TSpace-generated permanent URL to share and cite your thesis - see example of such citation below

Tajdaran, K. (2015). Enhancement of Peripheral Nerve Regeneration with Controlled Release of Glial Cell Line-derived Neurotrophic Factor (GDNF) (Master’s Thesis, University of Toronto). Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/1807/74747

Scenario 2 - You ARE planning on publishing your thesis AFTER graduation

Most journals are interested in “original, previously unpublished” research. Some journals consider theses as a form of “prior publications”, others do not, and the majority does not have a clear definition. It will be best to check journal policy before you submit your thesis.

Nature Research will consider submissions containing material that has previously formed part of a PhD or other academic thesis which has been published according to the requirements of the institution awarding the qualification.

►►►How to check journal policies:

• MIT Libraries' list of policy excerpts from major publishers
• Journal’s website - usually under Information for Authors or Copyright / Permissions or Editorial Policy; or in the publication agreement if available online
• If such information cannot be located online, contact the editors directly
• If the journal requires that you place an embargo on your thesis until after publication, see the SGS instructions on how to request an embargo on your thesis .

Scenario 3 - You ARE planning on publishing (or have already published) from your thesis BEFORE graduation

You may want or be expected to publish parts of your thesis before your thesis is submitted, such as with an integrated/publication-based/sandwich thesis. The most important thing to keep in mind here is copyright. You own copyright of your written materials, and a publisher may require copyright transfer of your manuscript.

You need to ensure you retain certain rights or obtain permission in order to satisfy the university’s requirement of making your thesis openly accessible via TSpace, ProQuest and Library and Archives Canada (LAC). For more details on these repositories, see the  Review and Release  section of this guide.

Check whether the journal requires prior notification about U of T’s open access requirement for theses. Some journals want to be notified of this mandate whether or not they restrict the re-use of articles in theses.

Check whether the publisher requires copyright transfer . This should be stated on their website, in the publication agreement, or you can inquire directly with the journal.

If the publisher does not require copyright transfer , i.e. author retains copyright, then you can reuse your article/chapter in your thesis; no permission needed.

If the publisher requires copyright transfer , follow these steps:

Check if the publisher has special provisions for reusing your published work in your thesis. They may permit the inclusion of a non-final version, such as your submitted or accepted manuscript. See more below on understanding different article versions for sharing .

►►►How to check journal policies:  See MIT Libraries' list of policy excerpts from major publishers or the journal/publisher website.

For example, Taylor and Francis policy allows to:

Include your article Author’s Original Manuscript (AOM) or Accepted Manuscript(AM) , depending on the embargo period in your thesis or dissertation. The Version of Record cannot be used. https://authorservices.taylorandfrancis.com/copyright-and-you/

Check if the article is distributed under a Creative Commons license. This may allow re-use.

►►►How to check journal's CC license:  See the journal/publisher website or contact the journal directly.

If the publisher requires copyright transfer, has no special provisions and does not publish under a CC license, you will need to contact them to request permission to include your article in your thesis. You can:

• Negotiate making the article available as part of the thesis in TSpace, ProQuest, and LAC Theses Portal; 
• Request an embargo [link to Lisa’ section on embargo] if the publisher only permits open sharing after some time post-publication;
• If permission is denied you may include in place of the chapter an abstract and a link to the article on the journal website.

If you have specific questions about your situation, publisher policy or author rights, contact the Scholarly Communications and Copyright Office at [email protected] for a consultation (best before you publish!)

Understanding different versions of a published article

A publisher may distinguish between the versions of an article that you may be allowed to include in your thesis:

• Submitted manuscript / pre-print - version you initially send in (often permitted)
• Accepted manuscript / post-print - version after peer review but before copyediting, layout editing, formatting, etc. (sometimes permitted; publisher may require an embargo/access restriction for a period of time)
• Version of record / final publisher’s PDF - version that appears in the journal (many publishers do not permit sharing this version)

►►►How to check article versions permitted for sharing:

• MIT Libraries’s list of policy excerpts from major publishers
• Sherpa/RoMEO database of publisher policies
• Journal’s website - usually under Information for Authors or Copyright/Permissions or Editorial Policy; or in the publication agreement if available online
• << Previous: Creative Commons Licenses for Theses
• Next: Turning Thesis into an Article >>
• Last Updated: Sep 15, 2023 3:23 PM
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• Publication Process

How to Write a Journal Article from a Thesis

• 3 minute read
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Table of Contents

You are almost done with your PhD thesis and want to convert it into a journal article. Or, you’re initiating a career as a journal writer and intend to use your thesis as a starting point for an article. Whatever your situation, turning a thesis into a journal article is a logical step and a process that eventually every researcher completes. But…how to start?

The first thing to know about converting a thesis into a journal article is how different they are:

Thesis Characteristics:

• Meets academic requirements
• Reviewed by select committee members
• Contains chapters
• Lengthy, no word limits
• Table of contents
• Lengthy research of literature
• IRB approval described in detail
• Description and copies of tools used
• All findings presented
• Verb tenses may vary

Journal Article Characteristics:

• Meets journalistic standards
• Reviewed by a panel of “blind” reviewers
• Word limits
• Manuscript format
• Succinct research of literature
• IRB described in 1 to 3 sentences
• Essential and succinct tool information
• Selected findings presented
• Verb tenses are fairly consistent

Converting your thesis to a journal article may be complex, but it’s not impossible.

A thesis is a document of academic nature, so it’s more detailed in content. A journal article, however, is shorter, highlighting key points in a more succinct format. Adapting a thesis for conversion into a journal article is a time-consuming and intricate process that can take you away from other important work. In that case, Elsevier’s Language Editing services may help you focus on important matters and provide a high-quality text for submission in no time at all.

If you are going to convert a thesis into a journal article, with or without professional help, here is a list of some of the steps you will likely have to go through:

1. Identify the best journal for your work

• Ensure that your article is within the journal’s aim and scope. How to find the right journal? Find out more .
• Check the journal’s recommended structure and reference style

2. Shorten the length of your thesis

• Treat your thesis as a separate work
• Paraphrase but do not distort meaning
• Select and repurpose parts of your thesis

3. Reformat the introduction as an abstract

• Shorten the introduction to 100-150 words, but maintain key topics to hold the reader’s attention.
• Use the introduction and discussion as basis for the abstract

4. Modify the introduction

• If your thesis has more than one research question or hypothesis, which are not all relevant for your paper, consider combining your research questions or focusing on just one for the article
• Use previously published papers (at least three) from the target journal as examples

5. Tighten the methods section

• Keep the discussion about your research approach short

6. Report main findings in the results

• Expose your main findings in the results section in concise statements

7. Discussion must be clear and concise

• Begin by providing an interpretation of your results: “What is it that we have learned from your research?”
• Situate the findings to the literature
• Discuss how your findings expand known or previous perspectives
• Briefly present ways in which future studies can build upon your work and address limitations in your study

8. Limit the number of references

• To choose the most relevant and recent
• To format them correctly
• Consider using a reference manager system (e.g. Mendeley ) to make your life easier

If you are not a proficient English speaker, the task of converting a thesis into a journal article might make it even more difficult. At Elsevier’s Language Editing services we ensure that your manuscript is written in correct scientific English before submission. Our professional proofers and editors check your manuscript in detail, taking your text as our own and with the guarantee of maximum text quality.

Language editing services by Elsevier Author Services:

• Research Process

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Thesis content and article publishing

Journal publishers usually acquire the copyright to scholarly articles through a publication agreement with the author. Their policies then determine what authors can do with their work.

Below are publisher policies regarding graduate students’ reuse of their previously published articles in their theses, and policies on accepting journal submissions that first appeared in an author’s previously released thesis.

If an article is co-authored with a member of the MIT faculty, or if you have opted-in to an OA license , the MIT open access policy  is likely to apply to the article, which allows for the extension of additional rights to graduate student authors through MIT for reuse.  Short excerpts of published works may also be available for reuse under the MIT Libraries license agreements .

See this page for information about who owns the copyright to your thesis (generally, it’s either MIT or you).

Please contact Ask Scholarly Communications with questions or if you need information that does not yet appear below.

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

Reuse of author’s previously published article in author’s thesis

Check the terms of your publication agreement .

Submission of new article by author that first appeared as part of author’s thesis

Allows :  “ We do not regard dissertations/theses as prior publications.”

American Chemical Society

Allows : “Authors may reuse all or part of the Submitted, Accepted or Published Work in a thesis or dissertation that the author writes and is required to submit to satisfy the criteria of degree-granting institutions…. Appropriate citation of the Published Work must be made as follows “Reprinted with permission from [COMPLETE REFERENCE CITATION]. Copyright [YEAR] American Chemical Society.”

“If the thesis or dissertation to be published is in electronic format, a direct link to the Published Work must be included using the  ACS Articles on Request link.”

See also this FAQ for thesis info.

Each ACS journal has a specific policy on prior publication that is determined by the respective ACS Editor-in-Chief. Authors should consult these policies and/or contact the appropriate journal editorial office to ensure they understand the policy before submitting material for consideration.

American Geophysical Union

Allows : “If you wish to reuse your own article (or an amended version of it) in a new publication of which you are the author, editor or co-editor, prior permission is not required (with the usual acknowledgements). However, a formal grant of license can be downloaded free of charge from RightsLink by selecting “Author of this Wiley article” as your requestor type.”

Allows : “Previously published explicitly does not include oral or poster presentations, meeting abstracts or student theses/dissertations.”

American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics

Allows : “ Upon publication of an article or paper in an AIAA journal or conference proceeding, authors can use in their own theses/dissertations (with permission of AIAA if required by copyright).”

From here : “In most cases when AIAA is the copyright holder of a work, authors will be automatically granted permission by AIAA to reprint their own material in subsequent works, to include figures, tables, and verbatim portions of text, upon request. Explicit permission should be sought from AIAA through Copyright Clearance Center (CCC) ; all reprinted material must be acknowledged and the original source cited in full.” 

American Institute of Physics

Allows : “A uthors do not need permission from AIP Publishing to reuse your own AIP Publishing article in your thesis or dissertation (please format your credit line: “Reproduced from [FULL CITATION], with the permission of AIP Publishing”)” Author agreement says the version of record can be used . 

Allows : Publishing the work in a thesis is not considered prior publication according to author warranties in the publication agreement.

American Meteorological Society

AMS seems to require permission. Email [email protected] . It can take 10 days to hear back. They will then ask that you include the complete bibliographic citation of the original source, as well as the following statement with that citation for each: © American Meteorological Society. Used with permission.

American Physical Society

Allows , “ provided the bibliographic citation and the APS copyright credit line are given on the appropriate pages.”

Allows Language from Physical Review journals page: “Publication of material in a master’s or doctoral thesis does not preclude publication of that material in the Physical Review journals.”

American Society for Clinical Investigation

After Jan 4, 2022 : “Effective with the January 4, 2022 issue of JCI, authors retain copyright on all articles, which are published with a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0).”

Prior to Jan 4, 2022 : “ Permission can be obtained via Copyright Clearance Center . Copyright or license information is noted on each article.”

Likely allows : D oesn’t explicitly call out theses but says posting on preprints isn’t prior publication. 

Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)

Allows : “Authors can include partial or complete papers of their own (and no fee is expected) in a dissertation as long as citations and DOI pointers to the Versions of Record in the ACM Digital Library are included. Authors can use any portion of their own work in presentations and in the classroom (and no fee is expected).”

Likely allows . Prior publication rules apply to “peer reviewed” publications.  

Cambridge University Press

Allows : “Permissions requests are waived if t he author of the work wishes to reproduce a single chapter (not exceeding 20 per cent of their work), journal article or shorter extract in a subsequent work (i.e. with a later publication date) of which he or she is to be the author, co-author or editor.”

Policies set by individual journals.

Allows : “ ​​ Use and share their works for scholarly purposes (with full acknowledgement of the original article): Include in a thesis or dissertation (provided this is not published commercially).”

Allows : “ Elsevier does not count publication of an academic thesis as prior publication.”

Emerald Publishing

Allows . Authors should use the submitted version or accepted manuscript version.  Use of the final published version is permitted in print, but not electronic versions of theses.

Allows : “We are happy for submissions to Emerald to include work that has previously formed part of your PhD or other academic thesis. Please submit your paper in the usual way but declare the existence of the uploaded thesis to the Editor of the journal. If the Editor wished to consider the paper further, the paper would go through our standard anonymised peer-review process.”

Allows , with some requirements

Theses not specifically addressed , but permitted subject to editorial discretion. Individual journals may have their own policies.

Institute of Physics

Allows. A uthor may use the final published version or figures/text, and should include citation and a link to the version of record. “When you transfer the copyright in your article to IOP, we grant back to you certain rights, including the right to include all or part of the Final Published Version of the article within any thesis or dissertation.”

Inter-Research Science Center

Reuse of published content is “generally free of charge,” but you must get permission. Email: [email protected]

Not addressed , except to say, “ Permission to re-use any previously published material must have been obtained by the authors from the copyright holders.”

International Speech Communication Association (ISCA) INTERSPEECH conference

Allows , with citation. “ISCA grants each author permission to use the article in that author’s dissertation….”

Mathematical Sciences Publishers

Allows , with citation. “The Author may use part or all of this Work or its image in any future works of his/her/their own.”

Unclear, but the author agreement says , “The Author warrants that the Work has not been published before, in any form except as a preprint.” We suggest asking your editor.

National Academy of Sciences

Allows , with citation. “ PNAS authors do not need to obtain permission in the following cases: …to include their articles as part of their dissertations.”

Not addressed . “ What constitutes prior publication…will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

Allows , with citation. “ Authors have the right to reuse their article’s Version of Record, in whole or in part, in their own thesis.”

Allows . “ Nature Portfolio will consider submissions containing material that has previously formed part of a PhD or other academic thesis which has been published according to the requirements of the institution awarding the qualification.”

Oxford University Press

Journals have their own policies . OUP uses the Copyright Clearance Center for permissions . Contact your editor.

Royal Society of Chemistry

Allows , but says, “ Excerpts or material from your dissertation that have not been through peer review will generally be eligible for publication. However, if the excerpt from the dissertation included in your manuscript is the same or substantially the same as any previously published work, the editor may determine that it is not suitable for publication in the journal.”

Allows — in addition, a special agreement with Springer for MIT authors allows for reuse for scholarly and educational purposes.

Policy varies by journal but according to Springer: “There are no overriding ethical issues as long as the dual publication is transparent and cross referenced. Transparency is key, though a few journals might reject such an article for the reason of non-originality.”

Taylor & Francis

Allows — authors retain the right to “Include your article Author’s Original Manuscript (AOM) or Accepted Manuscript(AM), depending on the embargo period, in your thesis or dissertation. The Version of Record cannot be used.”

Allows : “ Y ou may share any version of your article with individual colleagues and students… as submission of thesis, or doctorate.”

Allows : “ The following types of “prior publication” do not present cause for concerns about duplicate or redundant publication: Dissertations and theses in university archives.”

Page last updated: April 10, 2024

Citation guides

All you need to know about citations

How to cite a master's thesis in APA

• Google Docs

To cite a master's thesis in a reference entry in APA style 6th edition include the following elements:

• Author(s) of the thesis: Give the last name and initials (e. g. Watson, J. D.) of up to seven authors with the last name preceded by an ampersand (&). For eight or more authors include the first six names followed by an ellipsis (…) and add the last author's name.
• Year of publication: Give the year in brackets followed by a full stop.
• Title of the master's thesis: Only the first letter of the first word and proper nouns are capitalized.
• URL: Give the full URL where the document can be retrieved from.

Here is the basic format for a reference list entry of a master's thesis in APA style 6th edition:

Author(s) of the thesis . ( Year of publication ). Title of the master's thesis (Master's thesis). Retrieved from URL

If the thesis is available from a database, archive or any online platform use the following template:

• Author(s) of the thesis: Give the last name and initials (e. g. Watson, J. D.) of up to 20 authors with the last name preceded by an ampersand (&). For 21 or more authors include the first 19 names followed by an ellipsis (…) and add the last author's name.
• Title of the Master's thesis: Only the first letter of the first word and proper nouns are capitalized.
• Publication number: Give the identification number of the thesis, if available.
• Name of the degree awarding institution: Give the name of the institution.
• Name of Platform: Give the name of the database, archive or any platform that holds the thesis.
• URL: If the thesis was found on a database, omit this element.

Here is the basic format for a reference list entry of a master's thesis in APA style 7th edition:

Author(s) of the thesis . ( Year of publication ). Title of the Master's thesis ( Publication number ) [Master's thesis, Name of the degree awarding institution ]. Name of Platform . URL

If the thesis has not been published or is available from a database use the following template:

• Location: Give the location of the institution. If outside the United States also include the country name.

Author(s) of the thesis . ( Year of publication ). Title of the master's thesis (Unpublished master's thesis). Name of the degree awarding institution , Location .

If the thesis is not published, use the following template:

Author(s) of the thesis . ( Year of publication ). Title of the master's thesis [Unpublished master's thesis]. Name of the degree awarding institution .

APA reference list examples

Take a look at our reference list examples that demonstrate the APA style guidelines for a master's thesis citation in action:

A master's thesis found in an online platform

Bauger, L . ( 2011 ). Personality, passion, self-esteem and psychological well-being among junior elite athletes in Norway ( Master's Thesis ). Retrieved from https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/29a9/ef96c34e577211246b83b11813a2585033c5.pdf

Bauger, L . ( 2011 ). Personality, passion, self-esteem and psychological well-being among junior elite athletes in Norway [ Master's Thesis , University of Tromsø ]. Semantic Scholar . https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/29a9/ef96c34e577211246b83b11813a2585033c5.pdf

An unpublished master's thesis

Aube, K. E . ( 2019 ). A comparison of water main failure prediction models in San Luis Obispo, CA ( Unpublished master's thesis ). Cal Poly , San Luis Obispo, CA .

Aube, K. E . ( 2019 ). A comparison of water main failure prediction models in San Luis Obispo, CA [ Unpublished master's thesis ]. Cal Poly .

This citation style guide is based on the official Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association ( 6 th edition).

More useful guides

• APA Referencing: Theses
• Citation Help for APA: Master's Thesis or Project
• APA Thesis, dissertation or exegesis?

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Master’s Theses | Montezuma Publishing YouTube Channel | Universal Formatting Requirements for All Departments | Master’s Thesis & EdD Dissertation Formatting Templates | Thesis Q&A Sessions and Companion Guide | Optional Professional Formatting Services | Master’s Student Milestones and Typical Timeline | Review and Publishing Fees | Thesis Deadlines for Upcoming Terms | Master’s Thesis Submission Procedure | Review Procedures | EdD Dissertations | PhD Dissertations | Publishing | Policies | Frequently Asked Questions | Optional Formatting Services vs. Editing Services | Optional Montezuma Formatting | Optional Thesis/Dissertation Editing | Contact | Thesis Links

• Master’s Theses

Universal Formatting Requirements for All Departments

• Master’s Thesis & EdD Dissertation Formatting Templates
• Thesis Q&A Sessions and Survival Guide

Optional Professional Formatting Services

• Master’s Student Milestones and Typical Timeline

Review and Publishing Fees

Thesis Deadlines for Upcoming Terms

• Master’s Thesis Submission Procedure

Review Procedures

EdD Dissertations

PhD Dissertations

• Frequently Asked Questions

Optional Formatting Services vs. Editing Services

Optional Montezuma Formatting

Optional Thesis/Dissertation Editing

Thesis Links

THESIS AND DISSERTATION SERVICES

Our business hours are Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Our register is open to process payments in person or by phone Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 3:45 pm. Hours of operation are subject to change.

Montezuma Publishing (MP) is a non-profit department on campus at SDSU. One of our principal areas of service is graduate publishing. For graduate students, MP is responsible for:

• Reviewing all SDSU theses and dissertations for formatting consistency.
• Publishing SDSU theses and dissertations. Since 2014, publication is electronic through ProQuest , which is the platform that SDSU uses for repositories, reference requests, and on-demand publication. Your thesis or dissertation will be available to a global audience within a matter of weeks after your graduation is posted

Montezuma Publishing is part of Aztec Shops, which is an auxiliary of SDSU. We provide these services on behalf of the College of Graduate Studies, and partner with them to verify that each document meets the requirements adopted by the SDSU Graduate Council. These criteria establish uniformity in style and presentation for all published documents.

The MP reviewers pay particular attention to the aspects of formatting that are discussed in detail below. The MP Reviewer does not read theses for content and does not perform proofreader services. Your faculty thesis committee approves content, and proofreading is your responsibility.

Montezuma Publishing YouTube Channel

Montezuma Publishing’s YouTube Channel provides additional guidance for SDSU Master’s and Ed.D. students that must publish a thesis or dissertation as part of their graduation requirement. There you can find detailed information about formatting and department requirements , SDSU deadlines , and more. We have a growing list of tutorials such as how to apply text styles in a template, how to generate a Table of Contents , and how to perform a subdocument import . These are all designed to help you prepare your document for review and provide you with the knowledge you will need to complete the publication process. We continue to create new content for our channel, so make sure to subscribe today!

Master’s Theses

If you are in a Plan A Master’s program, your submitted thesis needs to be well written, stylistically appropriate, and edited. Your thesis committee is unlikely to approve your thesis (by signing the cover sheet) until it meets those standards.

After your submission is approved for formatting consistency by the MP Reviewer, thesis publication is the final graduation requirement. Even if all your coursework is completed, your Plan A Master’s program requires thesis publication prior to awarding the degree. The thesis is considered to be “published” after your thesis document formatting has been reviewed and approved, and all publishing fees have been paid.

Here are the formatting guidelines that apply to all Master’s degrees University-wide, which will be reviewed by Montezuma Publishing.

After thesis or dissertation committee approval, most students complete the remaining stylistic and formatting adjustments themselves. The remainder choose to hire a professional formatter for these services. The style and formatting requirements are presented here so that you will have the best chance of passing format review with minimal mistakes.

Your Thesis Style

Theses need to be submitted in a consistent and predictable style. Your Master’s program has pre-approved one or more specific styles that can be verified in this style list . If your thesis chair and advisor believe a different style should be approved for you as an exception, then your graduate advisor can notify Montezuma Publishing (MP) via email to [email protected] , stating what reference style you are to use. If the style does not appear on our existing style list , the graduate advisor will also need to provide a sample article and/or author formatting instructions for us to refer to during your review.

Your Thesis Formatting

In addition to adhering to your program’s chosen style, all Master’s theses need to follow some simple universal formatting guidelines. See the SDSU Thesis template for instructions, samples, and formatting assistance. There are 13 rules:

• 1. Your document must follow your program formatting requirements for text organization, in-text citations, and reference pages. See your department guidelines for information about your approved reference style guide and other program-specific requirements.
• 2. Margins: Set your margins at 1.25 inches for the left margin, and 1 inch for the right, top, and bottom margins. Margins may be reduced on some pages to .875 inches all around to accommodate oversized tables or figures.
• 3. Use a professional font in 12pt size. Do not use an ornamental font based on script, cursive, or calligraphic styles. For tables, footnotes, or other material outside of the main text, a font size as low as 8pt may be used. Use black for all text. Figures, tables, and computer code may include color at your discretion (but not captions, legends or titles).
• 4. Line spacing: 1.5 is preferred for the text body, but 2.0 (double-spacing) is acceptable. Exceptions: tables, lists, block quotations, footnotes/endnotes, figure captions, table titles, and bibliographic entries; these must be single line spaced. The transition back to normal text spacing will happen automatically if you use the provided template.
• 5. Start the first page of each section (Acknowledgements, Table of Contents, Lists, Appendix, etc.) and each Chapter on a new page and increase the top margin on that page to 2 inches. The top margin spacing will be applied automatically if you use the provided template.
• 6. Place your Bibliography or Reference section(s) at the end of each chapter or at the end of the main document text (but before the Appendices). The placement will correspond to your department’s style guidelines. Use single line spacing with normal spacing between each entry.
• 7. If your thesis has more than one of these features: figure, table, illustration, plate, etc., then each type of item requires a separate sequential number scheme. Label each item in the category (tables, figures, etc.) uniquely and consecutively.
• 8. Similarly, if your thesis has more than one of these features: figure, table, illustration, plate, etc., then each type of item requires a separate list in the preliminary pages. As you will see in the template, each preliminary page list includes the figure/table number, figure caption/table title and the page number on which it begins.
• 9. The thesis electronic file size may not exceed 1GB. The recommended image resolution for embedded figures and images is 300 dpi. Supplementary electronic documents (such as audio or video) are not part of the 1 GB total.
• 10. Your name, committee members, and degree title must match University records.
• 11. The Table of Contents (TOC) lists each chapter number, chapter title, and the page on which each chapter begins. In the TOC, the word “Chapter” must appear as a heading before listing the numbers and titles of each chapter below. See a sample Table of Contents here.
• 12. Preliminary page numbers are lowercase Roman numerals, starting with page iii. The title page and signature page (representing i and ii) will not have printed numbers.
• 13. Preliminary pages appear in the following order (first numbered page must be page iii):
• Title page : Mandatory; no page number.
• Signature page : Mandatory; no page number.
• Copyright page : Mandatory; numbered iii.
• Dedication : Optional; must have page number.
• Epigraph : Optional; must have page number.
• Abstract : Mandatory; up to 350 words, single-spaced; must have page number.
• Table of Contents : Mandatory; must have page number.
• List of Tables, List of Figures, etc. : Mandatory when the document includes more than one table, figure, etc. (e.g., if you have 2 tables, include a List of Tables; 2 figures, include a List of Figures); must have page number.
• List of Abbreviations, List of Acronyms, List of Symbols : Optional; must have page number.
• Preface : Optional; must have page number.
• Acknowledgements : Optional; must have page number (Department of Biology guidelines requires acknowledgements to appear after the last chapter and before the reference pages).

Download a copy of these SDSU Formatting Guidelines here.

Download a copy of the style guide for the Chicago Author-Number System here.

The Master’s Thesis Formatting Review Checklist

Before submitting your thesis to our office for review, refer to this review checklist to verify that you have addressed the most common formatting errors, and applied the correct format to your document. If you have followed all 13 rules and passed the checklist, then your thesis should pass MP review.

Master’s Thesis & EdD Dissertation Formatting Templates

Nearly all students find it easiest to meet the universal formatting requirements by using the SDSU Thesis Template . The template contains all of the correct formatting for preliminary pages, a page to auto-generate the table of contents and lists of figures or tables, and all of the necessary styles for headings, text, images, and references.

Here are links to download the appropriate template for your discipline:

1a. SDSU Thesis Template

This main template is an MS Word file. It contains styles that will assist you with formatting according to the University guidelines. It contains all the required preliminary page formatting necessary to prepare your thesis. Here are a few extra notes:

• When using the SDSU Thesis Template with Word 2013 or later, you should check the option to “maintain compatibility with previous versions of word,” or may need to save your file in the Word 97-2003 document file type. Failure to do so may create drop margin errors in your document, although this does not occur for all students.
• If your document has any landscape pages, then you’ll need to use this SDSU Dissertation Template for Landscape Pages . The included instructions will tell you how to correctly copy and paste into the main template.
• The SDSU Thesis template is set up to create a Table of Contents (TOC) after you've applied the correct styles to your headings in text. Instructions are included in the template. If you need additional help, see these screenshots and notes for TOC creation .
• The TOC creation notes will also be useful if you are having difficulties with generating the List of Tables and the List of Figures.

1b. SDSU LaTeX Template (for the entire thesis)

Some graduate programs have been approved to use LaTeX rather than MS Word to write the thesis. (See the style list and discuss with your thesis chair if you are unsure.) For those programs, this LaTeX template complies with the SDSU formatting requirements. The template can be found on the Math Department Resources web page, if you follow this link . Downloads are available for Windows or Linux/Unix. If you need guidance beyond the documents on that web page, a good third-party resource on using LaTeX is the LaTeX Wikibook .

1c. Hybrid MS Word - LaTeX Thesis

Some graduate programs require their students to write their thesis using the MS Word SDSU Thesis Template , but format the in-text citations and references pages according to the LaTex requirements. If your program has this “hybrid” requirement, then after writing your thesis in the MS Word template, download the “PDF - sdsu thesis latex” from this web site . Manually edit each citation and each reference so that they all meet the LaTeX requirements.

2a. SDSU Thesis Signature Page Template with 3 Committee Members

If you have a 3-member committee, use this signature page template to fill in your committee information. Print it out to get your committee signatures.

2b. SDSU Thesis Signature Page Template with 4 Committee Members

If you have a 4-member committee, use this signature page template to fill in your committee information. Print it out to get your committee signatures.

2c. SDSU Thesis Signature Page Template with 5 Committee Members

If you have a 5-member committee, replace the main template's signature page with this one. You may use the copy and paste function to do this.

EdD Dissertation Formatting Template

EdD students should use the SDSU APA EdD Dissertation Template , which was developed in partnership with the EdD directors. Here are some additional notes:

• The SDSU APA EdD Dissertation template is set up to create a Table of Contents (TOC) after you've applied the correct styles to your headings in text. Instructions are included in the template. If you need additional help, see these additional screenshots and notes for TOC creation

I Started Without the Template, But Now I Changed My Mind

If you are writing your thesis without the SDSU template and now want to switch, you will not need to start over from the beginning. Follow these instructions or video tutorial for “subdocument import” to safely copy your existing documents into the SDSU template (screenshots are taken from MS Word in Windows). Follow these instructions for “subdocument import” and/or Video Tutorial will ensure that the thesis template styles are not corrupted by conflicting formatting that you could accidentally bring over with a simple copy/paste. on our website to be amended to say the following

Thesis Q&A Sessions and Companion Guide

Montezuma Publishing hosts multiple Zoom Q&A sessions each February for the spring semester and October for the fall semester. Here are the spring session dates and Zoom links:

February 6, 2024 - 11:00 am

Register for Zoom Meeting

https://SDSU.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEtf-yhrjgsHNHsvbgNwhQtYnKg_89WJdcX

February 7, 2024 - 11:00 am

https://SDSU.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0odOiupjIrE9Wjaib-_jX0xNGWjKdk-t_N

February 8, 2024 - 2:00 pm

https://SDSU.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZctcuCprTIoHdTH-zOkR8qEZQYr27g-WIV4

These sessions cover everything you will need to know from submission to publication. A copy of the material discussed in each session can be found in our Thesis Companion Guide .

Dissertation Q&A Sessions and Companion Guide

February 6, 2024 - 2:00 pm

https://SDSU.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMud-GqqDwjG930GTwegv8qBqDp6j6cHzfa

February 8, 2024 - 11:00 am

https://SDSU.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIlceCuqTkrHNWhcPvrJxUbVISHXw_KJfr3

These sessions cover everything you will need to know from submission to publication. A copy of the material discussed in each session can be found in our Dissertation Companion Guide .

Although thesis/dissertation content and writing are the sole responsibility of the student, some students do not believe that final formatting is an effective use of their personal time. If the thesis has met all of your committee’s expectations, you are permitted to hire another individual for final formatting. If a formatter is hired, please note that you are still responsible for assuring that the thesis does not violate academic standards.

Optional formatting services are available from freelance formatters, or from Montezuma Formatting. Montezuma Formatting is an optional on-campus, fee-based formatting service, and a separate department from Montezuma Publishing (the unit that conducts required thesis review and publication). Montezuma Formatting and Montezuma Publishing have separate staff. However, a supervisor from Montezuma Publishing does train Montezuma Formatting staff to assure that their services are aligned with campus requirements.

If you elect to use Montezuma Formatting services, MP will ensure that the document passes MP internal review, and you will not be charged a separate review fee to validate the formatting. When you hire a freelance formatter (not MP), you will be working with them directly for turnaround time and associated costs. When the freelance formatter provides you with a final draft, you will submit your document to MP for review.

Contact information for freelance formatters (who are not Aztec Shops or SDSU employees) can be found here: Professional Support .

To hire formatters from the Montezuma Formatting department, see this section of our web page . Their current prices are $3 per page. A 50% deposit is required at the time of submission.

Master’s Student Milestones and Typical Timeline

Graduate Studies posts graduation deadline fliers for each term on this web page: https://grad.sdsu.edu/announcements-and-deadlines

Here is a typical Master's student timeline:

This flowchart shows a typical sequence for review: Flowchart - Review . Each round of formatting review takes 2-4 weeks, and an average student passes review on their first or second attempt. Overall, a typical timeline for two reviews might be:

Submission → 1st Review: 4 weeks Review → Resubmission: <2 weeks Resubmission → 2nd Review → MP approval: 4 weeks First submission → MP approval ≈ 10 weeks total

• The review process is initiated upon receipt of payment. Contact our office by phone or in person to make your payment between 9:00 am - 3:45 pm, Monday through Friday. Each review payment covers two rounds of review. The review fees are:1st Review (pays for two reviews)$503rd Review (pays for two reviews)$255th Review (pays for two reviews)$25
• After the formatting is approved, thesis or dissertation publishing with ProQuest is an additional $45 fee (Prices are subject to change without notice.) The SDSU library no longer maintains physical copies of theses and dissertations.
• You may wish to purchase a print copy for yourself. Information and pricing for print copies through MP can be found here . It is also possible to purchase a personal copy from ProQuest.
• Your department, graduate program or thesis committee members may require you to purchase additional copies for their libraries. Discuss with these individuals, and also review your graduate program’s entry in the department style list to verify. To maintain consistency with prior submissions, departments and graduate programs usually request that their copy be published by MP with a specific binding.

Disclaimer: You must be enrolled in 799 A or B at the time of your initial document submission to MP, see The College of Graduate Studies for more information .

Are you ready to submit?

If your committee-approved thesis does not yet meet the 13 SDSU formatting guidelines described above, then you should not submit it to Montezuma Publishing for formatting review. For example, we cannot accept the thesis if any mandatory preliminary pages are missing (Title page, Signature page, Copyright page, Abstract, Table of Contents, List of Figures/Tables if applicable), or if it has been written in a style your department does not approve of. We also cannot accept your submission if it is not organized into a single Word Document or PDF.

Some students are unable to complete all formatting requirements themselves due to competing time constraints. If you fall into this category, please see the “Optional Montezuma Formatting” section below.

Spring 2024 Deadlines

Submission Deadline: March 15, 2024, by 3:45 pm

Publication Deadline: May 10, 2024, by 3:45 pm

Avoid Re-enrollment in 799B: May 16, 2024 at 3:45 pm

Summer 2024 Deadlines

Submission Deadline: June 21, 2024, by 3:45 pm

Publication Deadline: August 9, 2024, by 3:45 pm

Avoid Re-enrollment in 799B: August 14, 2024, at 3:45 pm

Fall 2024 Deadlines

Submission Deadline: October 25, 2024, by 3:45 pm

Publication Deadline: December 13, 2024, by 3:45 pm

Avoid Re-enrollment in 799B: December 20, 2024, at 12:00 pm

Submission Deadlines

If you submit your well-written and properly formatted thesis and complete payment ($50) to Montezuma Publishing (MP) by this deadline, MP will review your thesis within 2-4 weeks. If you need to make formatting corrections and resubmit within 2 weeks, your next round of formatting review will be given priority status.

To have the best possibility for graduation during the current semester, work with your thesis chair and committee to meet the Submission Deadline. Thesis submission is not received until payment is made, and our register is open to process payments Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 3:45 pm. Sent emails are not considered to be submissions until payment is made.

Publication Deadlines

If your thesis receives final formatting approval from MP and you pay the $45 ProQuest publishing fee by the 3:45pm deadline, you are eligible for the Master’s degree in the current semester. If your department requires you to purchase a thesis copy for the department library, this payment must be made at the same time as the ProQuest fee. Students who miss the Publication Deadline (even by one day) are eligible for the Master’s degree in a future semester.

Thesis publication is not approved until payment is made, and our register is open to process payments Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 3:45 pm. Emails sent overnight are not considered for publication until payment is made the following day.

Avoid Re-enrollment in 799B Deadline (Last Day of Term)

The last day of the term is the “avoid re-enrollment in 799B” deadline. If you submit your thesis on any day prior to the “avoid re-enrollment in 799B” deadline, you will not have to register for 799B in the following term. Note that your thesis cannot be accepted for review if it does not meet the requirements listed above. Pay special attention to the “Are you ready to submit?” section before attempting submission.

Thesis submission is not received until payment is made, and our register is open to process payments Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 3:45 pm. Emails sent overnight are not considered to be submissions until payment is made the following day.

For more information, visit our YouTube channel for our "San Diego State University Thesis Deadlines Explained" video.

Master’s Thesis Submission Procedure

To submit for review, please supply your signed signature page(s), old RED ID, new my.SDSU EMPL ID, and the attached thesis file in one email to [email protected] . If supplementary materials are needed (such as audio, video, oversized tables/figures), then these must be submitted at the same time as the thesis. Upon receipt of these documents, we will verify your enrollment in 799 and create a record for you in our system. You will then receive an email with instructions on how to make payments in person or by phone.

Please review the Submission Deadline information above. Our business hours are Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Our register is open to process payments Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 3:45 pm. Hours of operation are subject to change.

The Committee Signature Page

The thesis committee signature page is one of the most important parts of the thesis. The signed committee page is confirmation that all committee members approve of your scholarly work. Montezuma Publishing can accept electronic or physical signatures for the thesis signature page.

Download a signature page template from the Templates section above. Fill in your personal and thesis information. When your committee members are ready to approve, here are the options:

• You can email your completed signature page to each committee member. They can print the document, sign it, scan it, and email it back to you. It is not necessary that all signatures appear on the same document; you can instead collect the scanned documents with one signature each.
• Your committee members can electronically sign your signature page in sequence via Adobe Sign, if you or your committee chair know how to initiate this process.
• You may print the thesis committee page and obtain physical signatures from one or more committee members. You can submit the paper document in person or scan it and save a pdf.

Regardless of which approach you choose, submit all signatures to MP in person or by pdf email attachment. If you submit multiple documents, our staff will combine them into a single committee signature page for publication.

Our business hours are Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Our register is open to process payments Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 3:45 pm. Hours of operation are subject to change.

The Review Process

Note: You must be enrolled in Thesis 799A or 799B, or Dissertation 899 at SDSU at the time of your initial document submission before MP will accept your manuscript for format review.

• If you are using LaTex formatting, ask your Master’s program graduate advisor if special review procedures are needed after thesis committee approval, but before Montezuma Publishing submission.
• Email your thesis file to [email protected] . Attach your signed signature page(s) to the same email. If you are unable to email the signature pages, you can submit them in person to our office in ED 107 during business hours. Your email must include contact information: your new (my.SDSU) EMPLID, old Red ID if you have one, primary email address*, billing address, and phone number. *Provide an email address that you frequently check. Email is our primary means of communication. We will be sending you essential information that may require a quick response or action on your part. Please monitor your spam folder so that emails from [email protected] are not lost. Please know that SDSU email addresses are deactivated for students who stop registering for classes, lose matriculation, or graduate. Your email address must remain active throughout the entire review and publishing process. MP will do our best to contact you through all available means, but cannot be responsible for emails that you do not receive or do not read.
• After submitting the electronic thesis document and signed committee page, call (619) 594-7551 or visit our office (ED-107) to pay the required $50 review fee. MP must verify your enrollment in 799A or 799B, prior to accepting your review payment.Your submission is not complete until your review payment has been received. *All Doctoral Students must consult the College of Graduate Studies before submitting their dissertation to Montezuma Publishing.
• Your thesis is now in the queue to be reviewed. The MP Reviewer will check your document for style and formatting as described above. *If your thesis requires corrections after the first review, see the steps below. If it is approved on the first review, skip to step #12.
• If corrections are needed, you will receive an email with your thesis document attached. It will have comments from the reviewer, and specific instructions for each error.
• Read all comments, and make all required corrections. Check your entire document for all errors in accordance with the SDSU 13 rules , your department style guide , and the review checklist before resubmission. Your thorough examination of the entire thesis is especially important if your review includes the following comment: We have stopped reviewing at this point in the document, as there are too many style and/or formatting discrepancies in the remainder of the thesis to continue reviewing…
• After completing all necessary stylistic and formatting corrections, resubmit your thesis via email to [email protected] .
• Your thesis is now in the queue to be reviewed again for formatting. * If your thesis requires corrections after a second review, repeat steps 5-6. If it’s approved on the second review, skip to step #12.
• Be advised: An additional $25 review fee is required before the third review will be conducted. Your thesis is now in the queue to be reviewed a third time. * If your thesis requires corrections after the third review, repeat steps 5-6. If it’s approved on the third review, skip to step #12.
• Very rarely, a thesis must be reviewed four or more times for formatting errors. * If your thesis requires corrections after the fourth review, repeat steps 5-6. If it’s approved on the fourth review, skip to step #12.
• Be advised: An additional $25 review fee is required before the fifth review will be conducted. Your thesis is now in the queue to be reviewed a fifth time. * If your thesis requires corrections after the fifth review, repeat steps 5-6. If it’s approved on fifth review, skip to step #12.
• Your thesis is now in the queue to be reviewed a sixth time. * If it’s approved on sixth review, move to step #12. Very rarely, a thesis does not pass the sixth review. If this happens, you will need to either hire a professional formatter to assist, or possibly re-enroll in 799 and begin the process again from step #2. Contact your thesis chair and MP for further instructions before resubmitting.  
• Upon review approval, you will be emailed final instructions and a quote for the ProQuest required publishing fees (currently $45). Once the publishing fees are paid, MP will notify the College of Graduate Studies that you have published your thesis. Orders for personal copies can be placed at this time.

You can download a copy of the Review Flowchart here: Flowchart - Review

What is Checked During Formatting Review?

Your submitted thesis needs to be well written, stylistically appropriate, and edited. Your thesis committee is unlikely to approve your thesis (by signing the cover sheet) until it meets those standards. However, even with careful preparation, most students have minor formatting errors due to the complexity of the document. Your thesis will be a globally published document through ProQuest, and the MP reviewers are tasked with assuring formatting consistency for these publications. They will ensure that both your department style requirements and the SDSU Master’s formatting guidelines (or EdD Dissertation formatting guidelines ) are met.

A comment will be placed in your thesis file where each correction is needed. For repetitions of the same mistake, you can expect to receive comments only the first two times. After that, you will need to personally review the entire document to ensure that the error does not appear again. As a reminder, you can refer to this review checklist for the most common formatting errors.

If your thesis has more than 20 errors, the reviewer will stop prior to the end of your thesis. In these cases, the student must complete all corrections and thoroughly review the thesis to its end, in order to minimize additional rounds of review.

After the Thesis or EdD Dissertation is Approved for Publication

Master’s thesis or EdD dissertation publication is the final graduation requirement. Even if all your coursework is completed and your thesis/dissertation committee has signed the cover page, thesis publication is necessary to award the degree. The thesis or dissertation is considered to be “published” after document formatting has been reviewed and approved, and all publishing fees have been paid.

All fees must be paid by the Publication Deadline in order to graduate during the current semester. After formatting review is approved, you will be emailed a quote for the ProQuest publishing fee and payment instructions. Once all fees are paid, MP will notify the College of Graduate Studies that you have completed publication.

Please visit the Thesis Publishing section below for costs associated with print copies, if you choose to purchase these.

EdD students should follow the graduation and dissertation steps posted on the

Graduate Studies website

as a “Graduation and Dissertation Steps for Ed. D Students” flyer.

After successfully defending their dissertation and obtaining committee approval, EdD students submit their dissertation packet through the SDSU Doctoral Dissertation Submission Form . Pat Walls ( [email protected] ) in Graduate Studies will evaluate the packet and transcripts, and then send the dissertation and associated documents to Montezuma Publishing. You will be emailed submission confirmation.

EdD Dissertation Formatting and Review

If you format the dissertation yourself, MP will review it for consistency with APA formatting and your program’s preliminary page requirements. These requirements are described in the SDSU APA EdD Dissertation Template . You can use the APA manual checklist or the SDSU Dissertation Review Checklist to find potential errors before submission.

Your Dissertation Formatting

In addition to adhering to your program’s chosen style, all Master’s theses need to follow some simple universal formatting guidelines. See the SDSU APA EdD Dissertation Template for instructions, samples, and formatting assistance. There are 13 rules:

• Your name, committee members and degree title must match University records.
• Follow the current APA formatting style guide (7 th ed.).
• Set your margins at 1.25 inches for the left margin, and 1 inch on the right, top, and bottom margins. Margins may be reduced to .875 inches all around to accommodate oversized tables or figures.
• Use a professional font in 12pt size. Do not use an ornamental font based on script, cursive, or calligraphic styles. For tables, footnotes, or other material outside of the main text, a font size as low as 8pts may be used. Use black for all text apart from figures, tables, and computer code, which may include color.
• Line spacing: Double-spaced, with the exception of tables, lists, block quotations, footnotes/endnotes, figure captions, table titles, and bibliographic entries, which are to be single-line spaced.
• Start the first page of each section (Acknowledgements, Table of Contents, Lists, etc.), chapter, and appendix on a new page and increase the top margin on that page to 2 inches.
• Place your Reference section(s) at the end of the main document text (but before the Appendices). Use single-line spacing.
• If including more than one figure, table, or illustration, create a separate list for each type of item, which includes the figure/table number, figure caption/table title and the page number on which it begins.
• Label tables, figures, illustrations, etc. uniquely and number each consecutively throughout your document.
• Recommend image resolution: 300 dpi. Supplementary materials such as audio, video, and oversized tables/figures must be submitted to Montezuma Publishing at the same time the thesis is submitted.
• The Table of Contents lists each chapter number, chapter title, and the page on which each chapter begins. Type the word “Chapter” as a heading before listing the numbers and titles of each chapter below. See the template for examples.
• Preliminary page numbers are lowercase Roman numerals, starting with page iii (preferably centered at the bottom of the page).
• Preliminary pages appear in the following order (first numbered page must be page iii):

Title page : Mandatory; no page number

Signature page : Mandatory; no page number Copyright page : Mandatory; numbered iii Dedication : Optional; must have page number

Abstract : Mandatory; up to 350 words, single-spaced; must have page number

Table of Contents : Mandatory; must have page number

List of Tables, List of Figures, etc. : Mandatory when the document includes more than one table, figure, etc. (e.g., if you have 2 tables, include a List of Tables; 2 figures, include a List of Figures); must have page number

Acknowledgements : Optional; must have page number

Download a copy of these SDSU APA EdD Formatting Guidelines here.

If you choose not to format the approved dissertation yourself, please see the Optional Montezuma Formatting section below. You can also find contact information for freelance formatters (who are not Aztec Shops or SDSU employees) here: Professional Support

For publishing information, please visit the Publishing section on this page.

PhD students should follow the graduation and dissertation steps posted on the Graduate Studies website as a “Graduation and Dissertation Steps for Ph. D Students” flyer.

After publication at the partner campus, PhD students must complete the SDSU Doctoral Dissertation Submission Form . As of May 2020, all official SDSU communications must use official SDSU emails. The form requires being logged into your SDSU email account. Within five business days of submitting the form, Pat Walls ( [email protected] ) in Graduate Studies will evaluate the packet and transcripts, and then send the dissertation and associated documents to Montezuma Publishing. You will be emailed submission confirmation.

PhD Dissertation Formatting and Review

Students in joint PhD programs must follow their partner campus dissertation defense deadlines, formatting requirements, and submission procedures. Please visit the College of Graduate Studies website for more information.

University Requirements

A $45.00 processing fee includes ProQuest submission, an electronic file, metadata file, and abstract for SDSU Library.

As of Fall 2013, SDSU has partnered with ProQuest, an online archival database. It provides full text dissertations and theses from over 700 academic institutions, allowing students and researchers to access and share relevant material quickly and conveniently.

Visit ProQuest or the SDSU Library website to access currently published dissertations and theses.

An “embargo” is a restriction of access to the use of a thesis, dissertation, or project. Embargoed theses and dissertations will only feature the author’s abstract and the document title.

If you and/or your committee chair would like to request protection for potential copyrights or patents of the thesis or dissertation, a memorandum must be submitted to the College of Graduate Studies for the Associate Dean’s approval. If the Associate Dean approves the delay of publication, a signed copy of the request must be submitted to MP at the time of thesis submission. The embargo must be supplied to MP before the thesis formatting is approved and publication fees are paid.

Department Requirements/Personal Copies

Some departments require a hard-bound copy for their own department libraries. Check with your department for specific requirements. For your personal copy, you have a choice of binding, cover color,* and paper type for your thesis.

*Due to variances among color monitors, the colors on your computer monitor may appear differently than the actual products. If color is important to you, please stop by the Montezuma Publishing office to make your selection.

Hard Bound $45.00

Soft (vinyl) Bound $15.00

Paper Options

Cotton bond: $0.12 per page Regular paper: $0.08 per page Color copies: $1.00 per page

Pages are printed single sided unless double sided printing is requested.

MP can bind original copies. Binding charges apply.

Pricing Example:

This example includes the University Requirements and 1 personal hardbound cotton copy for a 130-page thesis.

Item Cost Hard Bind$45.00Cotton Copy Fees (130 pg. x $0.12 per page)$15.60Processing Fee$45.00Subtotal$105.60Tax (7.75%)$4.70Total$110.30

Hard-bound copies take 6-8 weeks.

Soft-bound copies take 2-4 weeks.

Students purchasing their thesis closer to deadlines or the winter holiday season may experience a longer waiting period. MP will email you when your copies are ready. If printed copies are required by your department, then the publishing requirement is dependent only on the final publishing payment; you do not have to wait for copies to arrive in order to be cleared for graduation.

Pick-Up & Shipping

Department copies will be delivered to the designated department, free of charge. Personal copies can be either picked up at our office or shipped to your address. We use USPS flat-rate shipping. As such, the shipping fee is determined by the length of your document and subsequent size of your book. MP will email you with the tracking information once the copies are shipped.

• Re-Submission/Publication Policy

Copyright Policy

• Theses in Foreign Languages

Rejection of Theses/Dissertations

• Restricted Use of Thesis Request

*Policies are established by the College of Graduate Studies. If you have questions, call (619) 594-5213.

If a student submits for review before the "Avoid Re-enrollment in 799B" deadline but does not pass, the student can resubmit at any point until the "Avoid Re-enrollment in 799B" deadline or within 45 days of receiving a corrections email, whichever comes later. If the student does not pass or resubmit within this time frame, the thesis will be rejected and the student will have to register in 799B the following semester and re-apply for graduation.

A student must pay for publication within 90 days of the notification that they have passed review. If a student fails to pay for publishing within this timeframe, the thesis will be rejected and the student will have to register in 799B the following semester and re-apply for graduation.

Copyright law is highly complex and what follows is offered as only a general guide. This information is not a substitute for a legal opinion.

Ownership of a dissertation, thesis or project begins at the moment the manuscript or "object" is created. Although no further act of the author is required, the law does provide some advantages in giving formal notice and registration of a copyright.

Formal notice of copyright is given by including a copyright page in the manuscript. This notice does not establish any copyright privileges, but it does signal acknowledgment of a legal right and copyright ownership. Registration with the U.S. Copyright Office is optional, but it provides a record of the work, the fact of copyright, and the author's name and address. Registration would probably be most important if the author wished to file in the future a lawsuit over copyright infringement.

The University assumes that a dissertation, thesis or project approved by a faculty committee is primarily the product of the student's efforts. Thus, the student will usually be considered the owner of the copyrights associated with the manuscript. Students should be aware, however, that the dissertation, thesis, or project is the actual product submitted in satisfaction of one of the requirements for an advanced degree rather than the basic research or the results of which it reports. In some instances, therefore, individual faculty members may retain some copyright or patent interest in the data or other jointly developed work included in the thesis or dissertation. Students are, therefore, strongly advised to resolve any questions about ownership rights to data or other elements of the thesis/dissertation in which the faculty committee chair may have an interest. Agreement over such issues should be obtained in writing before beginning research on the dissertation, thesis, or project.

In order to foster broad dissemination of the results of scholarly research, the student, upon submission of the dissertation, thesis, or project to the SDSU Graduate Division, agrees to convey to the University a license for the following uses of the product:

• Copying of the work for distribution to other libraries upon the request of those libraries
• Inter-library loans of the work
• Display and use of the work in the University Library
• Circulation of the work by the University Library. These rights become effective upon the shelving of the work in the SDSU University Library. The shelving of the work may be postponed for a period of usually up to one year upon written request of the student and consent of the Vice President for Research and Dean of the Graduate Division, Office of Graduate and Research Affairs. (See Requests for Restricted Use of Theses.)

Students wanting more information should access a copy of the U.S. Copyright Office Circular 1, "Copyright Basics" on campus via the SDSU library web site.

The federal government has a very good website - Copyright.gov with complete copyright information including application forms. To speak with an information specialist, call (202) 707-3000. Lastly, students or faculty requiring additional information about copyrights may contact the SDSU Foundation Technology Transfer Office at (619) 594-0516.

Thesis in Foriegn Languages

As presentations of original research to the academic community, theses are ordinarily prepared for the University in the English language. In certain cases, however, for a foreign language degree, a student's thesis in the history and literary analysis of non-English languages and literatures may be presented in the subject’s language. When the departmental graduate adviser and the prospective thesis committee deem this academically appropriate for the specific research topic, the appointment of the student's thesis committee and authorization of the thesis research by the graduate dean shall be based on the provisions that:

• An abstract of the thesis shall be presented in English;
• All members of the thesis committee shall be fluent in the subject language; and
• Student competency in standard written English shall be demonstrated through satisfactory completion of a departmental procedure that has been approved by the graduate dean.

To botain approval by the Graduate Dean:

• The "thesis in a foreign language" box must be checked on the appointment of thesis committee form; and
• Written verification by the departmental graduate adviser that provisions 2 and 3 above have been met must be attached to the appointment of thesis committee form when it is submitted to the Division of Graduate Affairs.

Your submitted thesis needs to be well written, stylistically appropriate, and edited. Your thesis committee is unlikely to approve your thesis (by signing the cover sheet) until it meets those standards. Dissertations and theses should be fully formatted as described above prior to their submission for review. As stated in the Bulletin of the Graduate Division under "Thesis Submission," manuscripts deemed unready for submission (those with "gross deficiencies of format or presentation") will be rejected at the time of submission for review, and returned to the student. The Rejection Form lists the criteria for rejection. When a thesis is rejected, the names of the thesis chair and graduate adviser will be listed at the bottom of the form and both will receive copies; a copy will also be placed in your file with MP.

If, because of rejection, you cannot meet the original semester's deadline for the Avoid Re-enrollment in 799B, you will be required to re-enroll in Dissertation/Thesis 899/799.

Restricted Use of Thesis Request - Embargo

On rare occasions, and to protect potential copyrights or patents, thesis accessibility can be restricted on a short-term basis.

Library & Information Access will restrict the use of a thesis or project if the author and the chair of the thesis committee request such action and the Graduate Dean approves. The purpose of the restriction is to protect the author's right to publish or otherwise exploit the new knowledge before making it available to others.

The display of a thesis, dissertation, or project may be embargoed for a period of up to two years upon written request of the student and consent of the Dean of the Graduate Division. In the case of Joint Doctoral degrees, students must notify both schools and comply with each school's policies.

To designate restricted use of a thesis, the author and the thesis committee chair should send a memorandum requesting restricted use to the Dean of the Graduate Division. If the dean approves, a signed copy of the request with approval is provided to Montezuma Publishing at the time of thesis submission. The embargo must be supplied to Montezuma Publishing before the thesis formatting is approved and publication fees are paid. The request is then sent to the Monograph Cataloging Unit, who in turn will withhold from use all copies of the restricted thesis when they are received in the Library & Information Access.

The author's memorandum to the Dean of the Graduate Division requesting restricted use of a thesis should state the following:

• The reason of the request
• THe period of restriction (up to two years)
• The author's address and telephone number. These will be used by the University's achrival librarian in requesting poermission for a reader to consult, borrow, or copy the thesis during the period of restriction. Authors may request a renewal of the restriction period for a second year by sending a memorandum to the Associate Dean of the Graduate Division specifying the reason for the renewal.

Authors may request a renewal of the restriction period for a second year by sending a memorandum to the Vice President for Research and Dean of the Graduate Division specifying the reason for the renewal.

How hard is it to format my thesis myself?

That depends on the complexity of your work. You must be familiar with your department reference style, the SDSU formatting rules, and be an adept Microsoft Word user with regard to the Thesis Template (i.e., you must know how to import your document into the template, apply/remove template styles, change page orientation without losing proper pagination placement, generate a table of contents, work with different types of page breaks, etc.).

I am going to format my thesis myself. How much time should I set aside for this process?

In general, you should plan to spend a minimum of two weeks formatting your thesis. You will need time to:

• Learn how to apply the SDSU formatting rules
• Understand how the Thesis Template works along with the embedded formatting styles
• Do the actual formatting
• Proofread and edit your thesis.

What are the top mistakes people make when formatting their theses?

• Sources on the reference page are not cited in the text, or vice versa
• References are incomplete or do not follow department-required style
• Student's name doesn't match what is on record with the university
• Name of degree, professor's names and/or department names are misspelled or incorrect
• Page numbers are missing or incorrect
• Line items do not match what is given in text
• Page numbers are either missing, out of order, or placed on the page incorrectly
• Not numbered correctly
• Missing captions (figures) or titles (tables)
• Lines or pages are broken in odd places
• Block quotations and/or enumerated lists are not formatted correctly
• The template is altered which affects the entire document in adverse ways

Do you have any information on the Chicago Author-Number System?

Yes. Information can be found here: Chicago Author-Number System .

Whose name should I put on my copyright page: My name or my professor's name?

You need to have your name on the copyright page in the same manner as it is on the title and signature pages. For more information on publication rights, please see the Copyright Policy .

What are the deadlines this semester and can you explain what they are?

See the Thesis Deadlines page ; it contains a list of deadlines for this semester with explanations of each of deadline.

Do we need to take the Submission Deadline seriously?

YES! Never count on graduating if you submit after that deadline.

What are my chances for having my thesis reviewed in time to graduate this semester if I submit it after the submission deadline?

Your chances of having your thesis reviewed after the submission deadline depend on how many theses have been submitted ahead of yours. Additionally, if your thesis is reviewed and returned to you with needed corrections, this will decrease your chances of graduating on-time as your work will need to be revised and reviewed again.

You can increase your chances of getting your thesis approved by using the thesis template and following the SDSU formatting rules precisely or by using Montezuma Publishing.

Do you have any idea how many people will be submitting their theses this semester?

On average, between 100 and 200 students submit their thesis EACH semester. Using the Spring 2022 semester as an example, please note the following statistics:

• Total theses submitted: 156
• Total submitted before the submission deadline: 44
• Total submitted during the at risk timeframe: 73
• Total submitted after publication deadline: 39
• Total studetns that met the Publication Deadline: 118

Does the signature page need to be on special paper (100% cotton or other acid-free paper)?

No. Although an original signature page is required at the time of submission, a scanned and re-printed copy will be bound with your manuscript.

Ink Color: One of my professors signed in blue ink. Will I have to get a new signature page signed?

Black ink is strongly recommended, but blue ink is acceptable as long as the signature is dark enough to be clearly read.

If I use the signature page provided in the Thesis Template, will everything be automatically formatted correctly?

No. The page is formatted for you, but you must type in your name and thesis title correctly as well as your faculty member's names and their department names correctly. Also, the order in which the faculty names appear must be correct and in the same order as on the Thesis Committee Form.

What if my professors sign different signature pages? Do all the signatures need to be on one page?

No. Once your thesis has been approved through Montezuma Publishing, the reviewer will transfer signatures onto one page and create a digital copy. Each signature can be on a separate page if it's easier for you to get it signed that way.

What happens after I submit my thesis?

After your thesis is submitted, it will be put in line to be reviewed in order of submission. If the thesis passes review, it will proceed to the publishing phase. If it does not pass, the thesis will be returned to you with comments regarding revisions that are necessary to bring the work into compliance with the University's formatting rules. You will then need to resubmit your thesis once you complete your revisions, beginning the review process again. See the Review Procedures section for more information.

I am using Montezuma Formatting to format my thesis. What can I do to speed up the process to make sure I graduate on time?

• Don't delay and plan ahead. Finish your thesis and get committee approval as soon as possible to provide enough time for formatting and approval – it often takes longer than you think. Waiting two to three weeks before the final deadline to submit your thesis will put your graduation at risk.
• References cited in-text must be cited on the reference page and vice versa
• Provide all information for each reference (e.g., author names, titles, publication year, publisher name, page numbers, etc.) – you can never provide too much information. You can use the Bibliography Form as a guide.
• Make sure each figure has a caption and each table and appendix has a title.

Document formatting pertains to how the document appears on the page as well as in-text citations and reference department requirements. This includes things like margins, font size, line spacing, etc. Formatting does not involve making changes to the content of the document or correcting typos. Editing involves reading the thesis to correct improper spelling, grammar, sentence structure, and readability. Editing needs to be completed prior to formatting.

Montezuma Formatting offers an optional thesis and dissertation formatting service. We are here to assist you if you do not want to complete the formatting yourself or a freelance formatter is not available. This service is in demand so we do implement a cut-off date for accepting orders to be completed during the current semester. This cut-off date is typically near the Submission Deadline. Our formatting turnaround time depends on the length and complexity of your document, your response time when a correction email is necessary, and the time of the semester that you hire us. Formatting orders placed near the Submission Deadline may take more time to complete as we receive an influx of orders at that time. If we accept your order for the current semester, we will have it formatted and approved in time for you to make your final payments on or before the Publication Deadline. Be sure to respond to any correspondence emails that are sent to you as quickly as possible so we can approve your document formatting in time for you to make the required publishing payments on or before the Publication Deadline.

How to Begin

Note: You must be enrolled in Thesis 799A or 799B, or Dissertation 899 at SDSU at the time of your initial document submission before Montezuma Formatting will accept your manuscript for formatting.

To submit for formatting, please supply your signed signature page(s), RED ID, and thesis or dissertation Microsoft Word file in one email to [email protected] . Upon receipt of these documents, we will verify your enrollment in 799 and create a record for you in our system. You will then receive an email with instructions on how to make payments in person or by phone.

We cannot format your document from a PDF, Google Doc, or LaTex template file. We are only able to use Microsoft Word.

A 50% formatting deposit is due at the time of submission. The remaining balance is due after the formatting is approved and the final page count is determined.

Format Pricing

$3.00 per page*

We do not offer partial formatting. We charge for the entire document from the first page to the last. This includes appendices.

$50.00 non-refundable fee will be subtracted from deposit if formatting is canceled.

*Price includes a PDF file of your formatted thesis.

When you hire us to format your thesis or dissertation, we will ensure your document meets the San Diego State University Formatting Guidelines . In addition to meeting the SDSU Formatting Guidelines, we will exceed these standards at no additional charge, providing you with a consistent and professional document.

It is important to note that unless you specifically request an exception before you make your formatting deposit Montezuma Formatting will use:

• 1.5 line spacing
• Times New Roman 12pt font
• Left alignment
• Your department’s preferred reference style for all bibliographic entries, in-text citations, and for other items (like enumerated lists) not covered by the SDSU Formatting Guidelines
• Your department’s preferred text format (chapter, section, or technical style)
• The SDSU Template style for preliminary pages, including the Table of Contents, List of Tables, and List of Figures
• The SDSU Template style for all chapter labels and subsection headings
• The SDSU Template style for equations
• 12 pts above and 18 pts below offset spacing for Tables and Figures

Let us know upfront if there are any special considerations (e.g., oversized pages, maps, landscape pages needed, etc.).

While Montezuma Formatting does work with your document beyond the SDSU formatting requirements, we do not edit for content or grammar unless you have paid for this additional service. Furthermore, once the formatting process has begun, we will not make any grammatical or content changes to your document or accept a new document from you with grammatical or content changes. If you need assistance editing your document, be sure to consult an editor before submitting your file to us.

We format theses and dissertations in the order received; however, the length of time it takes to format your document will depend primarily on its length, complexity, and your response time when a correction email is necessary. If we accept your document for formatting for the current semester, it will be completed in time to meet the Publication Deadline (provided you respond to all correspondence in a timely manner). The average order is completed within 2 months. In some cases it may take longer but will not exceed the Publication Deadline for the semester that you hire us for. If questions arise during the formatting of your document, the formatter assigned to you will send you an email requesting assistance. It is important that you respond as quickly as possible to maintain priority status. Failure to respond may put your graduation at risk.

Completed Formatting

Once we are done formatting your document, it will be placed in line for internal review. Once the formatting is approved, we will contact you to arrange for payment of the formatting balance ($3 per page) and publishing costs ($45 + any required department copies). See the Publishing section for more details.

Editing Pricing

*$3.00 per page (250 words = 1 page)

50% deposit is required at the time of initial order

Editing/Formatting Pricing: $6 per page**

*Editing page count only includes the body of your thesis/dissertation. This does not include preliminary pages, references, figures, or tables.

**Price includes a PDF file of your formatted thesis/dissertation.

Editing Standards

Thye editor will check for the following:

• Punctuation
• Effective use of language
• Dissertations will be edited to follow APA format

The time it takes to complete the editing of your file will be determined on a case-by-case basis. Variables such as document length, the number of edits required, response rate, and your date of submission will affect this timeline. If your defense is after the Submission Deadline, it may impact your ability to graduate during the current semester.

Michael Cook SJSU Graduate Publishing Lead

Bridget Cole SDSU Graduate Publishing Lead

Gabriela Calvo Front Office Assistant

Karalyne Porter Assistant Manager

Steve Murawka Production Manager

Lia Dearborn General Manager

Kathy Brown Division of Campus Stores Director

Phone: (619) 594-7551

Email: [email protected]

Mail: Montezuma Publishing San Diego State University San Diego, CA 92182-1701

In person: Education Building, ED-107 Thesis orders are accepted 9:00am - 3:45pm, Monday through Friday.

Other Websites

Graduate Division

Graduate Division – Doctoral Program

LaTeX website

LaTeX Wikibook

Thesis Companion Guide

Review Checklist

Department Guidelines

Learn how to insert an existing thesis into the template

Learn how to generate a TOC automatically

Chicago Author-Number system

SDSU Thesis Template

SDSU Thesis Template for Landscape Pages

SDSU Thesis Signature Page Template with 3 Committee Members

SDSU Thesis Signature Page Template with 4 Committee Members

SDSU Thesis Signature Page Template with 5 Committee Members

Thesis orders are accepted Monday through Friday, 9:00am - 3:45pm.

Note: When using the SDSU Thesis Template with Word 2013 or later, you must save your file in the Word 97-2003 Document file type. Failure to do so will create errors in your document.

Documents in Word format (DOC) require Microsoft Viewer. Download Word .

Open Access Theses and Dissertations

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Advanced research and scholarship. Theses and dissertations, free to find, free to use.

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Recent Additions

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About OATD.org

OATD.org aims to be the best possible resource for finding open access graduate theses and dissertations published around the world. Metadata (information about the theses) comes from over 1100 colleges, universities, and research institutions . OATD currently indexes 7,241,108 theses and dissertations.

About OATD (our FAQ) .

Visual OATD.org

We’re happy to present several data visualizations to give an overall sense of the OATD.org collection by county of publication, language, and field of study.

You may also want to consult these sites to search for other theses:

• Google Scholar
• NDLTD , the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations. NDLTD provides information and a search engine for electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs), whether they are open access or not.
• Proquest Theses and Dissertations (PQDT), a database of dissertations and theses, whether they were published electronically or in print, and mostly available for purchase. Access to PQDT may be limited; consult your local library for access information.

Main navigation

• Graduate Students
• Faculty & Staff
• General requirements

Manuscript-Based (Article-Based) Theses

• Initial Thesis Submission
• Thesis examination
• Doctoral oral defence
• Final Thesis Submission
• Thesis Writing and Support Resources
• Letters of Completion/PGWP

FAQ on manuscript-based theses

As an alternative to the traditional format, a thesis may be presented as a collection of scholarly papers of which the student is the first author or co-first author. A manuscript-based doctoral thesis must include the text of a minimum of two manuscripts published, submitted or to be submitted for publication. A manuscript-based Master’s thesis must include the text of one or more manuscripts. Articles must be formatted according to the requirements described below. Note that a manuscript-based thesis must follow the general structure of a thesis as explained here . An FAQ explaining the difference between a standard and a manuscript-based thesis is available here .

Manuscripts for publication in journals are frequently very concise documents. A thesis, however, is expected to consist of more detailed, scholarly work. A manuscript-based thesis will be evaluated by the examiners as a unified, logically coherent document in the same way a traditional thesis is evaluated. Publication of manuscripts, or acceptance for publication by a peer-reviewed journal, does not guarantee that the thesis will be found acceptable for the degree sought.

A manuscript-based thesis must:

• be presented with uniform font size, line spacing, and margin sizes (see Thesis Format under Preparation of a Thesis );
• conform to all other requirements listed under Thesis Components on the Preparation of a Thesis page;
• contain additional text that connects the manuscript(s) in a logical progression from one chapter to the next, producing a cohesive, unitary focus, and documenting a single program of research - the manuscript(s) alone do not constitute the thesis;
• stand as an integrated whole.

Any manuscripts that are under review, accepted or published in a journal must be included in your manuscript-based thesis without changes (i.e. identical to the published or submitted versions). The only change is with respect to the font/size which should be the same as the one used for the rest of the thesis for consistency and homogeneity reasons. So each chapter represents a full manuscript and has its own reference list. Then at the end of the thesis, you have a master reference list which includes all the other references cited throughout the other sections of the thesis, mostly within the general introduction but also from the general discussion.

Depending on the feedback of your examiners and/or the oral defence committee, you may be required to make revisions to your thesis before final submission. The committee’s comments must be addressed in the connecting text between chapters and/or the discussion section. You must not make any changes to the manuscripts themselves in your final thesis.

In the case of multiple-authored articles, the student must be the first author . Multiple-authored articles cannot be used in more than one thesis. In the case of students who have worked collaboratively on projects, it may be preferable for both students to write a traditional format thesis, identifying individual contributions. Consult this page for information on intellectual property and required permissions/waivers.

In the case of co-first authored articles , only one student can use the article in a manuscript-based thesis and must have a written agreement from the other co-first author student(s).

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial 4.0 International License . Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, McGill University .

Department and University Information

Graduate and postdoctoral studies.

Graduate Research Hub

• Preparing my thesis

Incorporating your published work in your thesis

A streamlined procedure has been approved for obtaining co-author authorisation.  You now only need to provide a Declaration for publication incorporated in a thesis form for the inclusion of in progress or published material in the thesis, that is completed by your Principal Supervisor and the Coordinating Author.

Accepted statuses for publications

• Unpublished material not submitted for publication
• Submitted for publication to [publication name] on [date]
• In revision following peer review by [publication name]
• Accepted for publication by [publication name] on [date]
• Published by [publication name] on [date]

You may include in progress or published material written during your enrolment upon approval from your advisory committee, as part of your thesis, by having either:

• “included publications", in which your publications are included as components that are distinct from the rest of the thesis, in the format described below; or
• “included material” that is drawn from your publications and combined with text that is otherwise written specifically for the thesis.

In this page we refer to both these kinds of inclusion of published work as “incorporated publications”; the first format, where the publications are included as distinct components, is also known as “thesis with publications”.

The  Graduate Research Training Policy (section 4.65) outlines what can be included in the thesis. Your thesis must include a literature review that clearly details the research questions and a general discussion that integrates the work and places the publications into the context of the research question.

You may have to supplement the incorporated publications with additional methods sections as they are often abbreviated in published articles. You are also encouraged to include any data and discussion that was omitted from the article as an addendum in the thesis. Where a publication is included as a distinct component, you are also encouraged to include a critical reflection on the work, which could, for example, acknowledge or address limitations or impacts of the work that have appeared since publication.

When submitting your thesis, you will be required to confirm that:

(a) the work in the incorporated publications is your own, and (b) that any co-authors give permission for the article to be included in the thesis.

To do this, you must complete the  Declaration for publication incorporated in a thesis form.  You will need to submit a completed form for each in progress or published work included in your thesis.

Your principal supervisor must sign the Declaration form for each publication.  Where there is more than one author of a publication, at least one co-author by agreement amongst the authors, should be nominated as the coordinating author (also known as corresponding author), as defined in the University’s Authorship Policy . The coordinating author is responsible for communication between the publishers and managing communication between the co-authors. The coordinating author must maintain records of any authorship agreement.  The coordinating author must also sign the Declaration form.

You must upload all completed Declaration forms as a single combined file to the Thesis Examination System when submitting your thesis for examination.  The signed forms should not be included in the thesis itself. Plan well ahead to obtain the required signatures to avoid delays to your examination.

Don’t forget to include your ORCID when submitting your work to publishers, conference organisers, etc.  This will help you to distinguish your research activities and outputs, and make sure you get credit for your work throughout your career.

The Preface

As detailed in the  Preparation of Graduate Research Theses rules , your preface should outline:

• the publication status of any incorporated publications
• your contribution to any incorporated publications
• any work carried out in collaboration with others
• editorial assistance received
• parts of the work completed outside of your candidature.

There is no prescribed format for a preface; you may wish to include a written description or a table outlining the tasks performed by others and the proportion of the contribution as a percentage.

Usually this means you will have written the initial draft and you performed any subsequent editing in response to co-authors' and editors' reviews.

As specified in the Graduate Research Training Policy , your principal supervisor and coordinating author must declare that:

(a) you are the primary author of the included material, and

(b) you contributed more than 50% of the work towards the publication.

No. You need to have contributed more than 50 per cent for it to be included. You could, however, include this paper as an appendix.

Yes. It is understood that portions of the thesis that have been published or accepted for publication will have been through an editorial process. Such editorial changes should be explicitly acknowledged.

Refer to the Authorship page for information about the requirements and responsible practice.

Format of the thesis

When including complete publications, you should use the author accepted manuscripts of articles that have been accepted or published. This is the final draft as accepted by the publishers, including any changes based on referees’ suggestions before it has undergone copy-editing, typesetting and proofing. If you are certain you will not breach your agreement with your publisher, you may include the published version in your thesis.

If you are using your author accepted manuscript, while some journals request that the version you send them includes any figures or tables at the end of the submitted document, when you reproduce the article in your thesis you should place them where they logically flow within the text. It is also recommended that you use similar formatting (e.g. line spacing, font type and size) as the rest of the thesis.

You can view suggested formats for arranging the chapters of a thesis that includes publications as distinct components here . See also example theses in the University of Melbourne repository.

In most cases it is preferred that you include a separate literature survey.  Even with the literature reviews included in your publications you may find you still need to add further supplementary material if the publications do not directly address all the research questions you are trying to answer in your thesis.  Your supervisors and advisory committee are best able to advise you whether the literature reviews included in your incorporated publications will meet disciplinary expectations and satisfy your examiners that you: - Have clearly detailed your research question/s and how they integrate with the current literature - Have demonstrated sufficient familiarity with, and understanding and critical appraisal of the relevant literature.

No. The policy allows the thesis to be submitted with publications, it is not a thesis by publication. You must include a literature review that clearly details the research question, and a concluding general discussion that integrates the work and places it into the context of the research questions. You should also introduce each publication that is included as a distinct component, explaining its role in the work, and, where appropriate, provide a critical reflection on its contribution.

Yes, but you must cite it correctly and indicate in the preface the source of the information (eg. that the text on page(s) xx is from [name of publication], or that chapter yy is adapted from [name of publication]. In each case you should give its publication status and your contribution to the publication). It will assist your examiners if, at the start of each chapter that includes work drawn from a publication, there is a footnote explaining where the work came from and how it has been used in the chapter. You may wish to include the entire publication as an appendix so that your examiners can see where the material came from.

• Theses which include publications in a “thesis with publications” style can typically be slightly shorter; for example the typical PhD length is 80,000 words, but a PhD including publications as distinct components has a typical length of 50,000-80,000 words).
• While the writing style may be more concise, there is no difference in the expected volume and requirements of work presented in theses with publications. The examination criteria remain the same whether or not publications are incorporated. Your examiners are asked to consider your thesis on its merits as an independent piece of research. Refer to the information available for examiners .
• Maximum limits apply to all theses.

If you are including the list of references as part of the publication they do not need to be repeated in the overall reference list/bibliography for the thesis.

Incorporated publications can be referenced via a footnote, but if references to them are included in the bibliography an examiner may be unsure as to whether the work was completed as part of the research.

No, but you may do so if you think that it will assist readers of your thesis.

It is up to you whether you update the publication style or not. Whatever you chose, you should acknowledge your choice in the Preface, stating the differences between the publication and thesis, due to the requirements of different publishers.

Yes. Revised and resubmitted theses are examined in their entirety and the inclusion of a new incorporated publication may strengthen your response to examiners.

In most cases you should include the latest version, up to the author accepted version and update the publication status in the preface. If your examiners request changes which conflict with the editorial or peer review advice you have since received from your publisher, you may choose to address this elsewhere in your thesis, or in your written response to the examiners’ reports.

Publication suitability

A work is suitable for inclusion if the research was conducted and the publication was in progress or published during your enrolment in your current degree. This includes:

You may need to supplement this with analysis of literature published between writing the article and submitting your thesis.

All methods need to be covered to a high degree of detail in your thesis.

• literature reviews where you are the primary author .
• systematic reviews of a research question as a results chapter.
• a protocol paper involving novel method development.
• material exploring key methodological issues .

No. Only work completed during your candidature can be included in the thesis. You can cite your earlier work just like you would any work that is relevant to your research. The work should be listed in the preface of your thesis.

Yes. You will need to clearly acknowledge in the preface that its status is ‘in progress’ or, that the paper has been published but not peer reviewed.

Completing the forms

Yes. You may wish to include the entire publication as an appendix so that your examiner can see where the information came from.

Yes. All sections of the form must be completed for any multi-authored material. The coordinating author is required to reassure that all co-authors have had an opportunity to agree to the inclusion of the material in the thesis and to the contribution declared on the form. The authorship agreement template is available here.

No. You can use the figure in your thesis without completing the form but you should acknowledge the origin of the figure in the preface and appropriately cite the publication in your thesis.

No. You should provide this evidence to your advisory committee when you are discussing the proposed format for your thesis. Your principal supervisor must sign the  Declaration for publication incorporated in a thesis form which confirms their agreement to the inclusion of any publication/s.  The coordinating author will need to sign the form for any multi-authored material.

You can use Adobe Acrobat's 'Combine Files' tool which will allow you to combine files of different filetypes into a PDF. Alternatively, you can open a PDF copy of a file and then use the 'Organise Pages' tool which will allow you to drag additional pages where you can then save it as a single file.

iThenticate report

You should run your whole thesis through iThenticate, including the chapters comprised wholly or partly of your published work.  You can then exclude the specific matching publication source/s that correspond to the publications you have included in your thesis in a “thesis with publications” style. This means that the thesis chapter or publication is reviewed against the other literature in the repository, but not matched to itself. You should only exclude matching sources that are articles which you have appropriately included.  You should outline and explain any filters and exclusions you applied in iThenticate in an accompanying declaration which you can also upload to TES.

You should not exclude publications from which you have included material (but not the complete publication), as the iThenticate report will then show where the material is present in the thesis, allowing your supervisors and Chair of Examiners to verify that it has been included appropriately.

Further information on the use of iThenticate can be found here: https://gateway.research.unimelb.edu.au/funding-contracts-and-ethics/ethics-and-integrity/research-integrity/ithenticate-text-matching-tool

The examination

The criteria for examination remain the same whether or not publications are incorporated. See the Graduate Research Training Policy for more information. You can also view the information for examiners here: https://gradresearch.unimelb.edu.au/staff#examiner-information .

If the publication status of your article changes between submission for examination and submission of your final thesis, it is appropriate to include the most recent version (up to the author-accepted version). You should also update the preface to reflect the new status. If you are submitting a list of corrections for approval and/or resubmitting for re-examination you should also note this in your index of changes.

Examples of theses with publications

The following are theses available openly or with University of Melbourne log-in through the University of Melbourne repository that include publications as distinct components in a “thesis with publications” style.

Al Zein, Eza (2019). Taskscape: Caring for Migrant Materials . http://hdl.handle.net/11343/235841

Arundel, Jonathan Paul (2015) The spatio-temporal distribution of honey bees and floral resources in Australia . http://hdl.handle.net/11343/59612

Bamford, Nicholas James (2016) Relationships between diet, obesity and insulin dysregulation in horses and ponies. http://hdl.handle.net/11343/148423

Bibb, Jennifer Louise (2016) Musical recovery: the role of group singing in regaining healthy relationships with music to promote mental health recovery. http://hdl.handle.net/11343/124271

Burfurd, Ingrid Ellen (2018) Beliefs and learning in the laboratory: essays in experimental economics . http://hdl.handle.net/11343/219180

Fan, Yi (2019) Quantification of mandibular morphological changes in 3D . http://hdl.handle.net/11343/225588

Kriesner, Peter (2017) Wolbachia fitness benefits and symbiont interactions in Drosophila . http://hdl.handle.net/11343/207959

Mody, Fallon (2019) Doctors down under: European medical migrants in Victoria (Australia), 1930-60 .   http://hdl.handle.net/11343/221550

Nencini, Sara (2018) Tackling bone pain at the source: identifying and exploring new therapeutic targets . http://hdl.handle.net/11343/216858

Pan, Xuan (2018) Graphene quantum dot based electronic devices . http://hdl.handle.net/11343/222013

Seibt, Susanne (2018) In-situ investigations of molecular self-assembly using microfluidics. http://hdl.handle.net/11343/214671

Smith, Merryn (2018) Non-structural carbohydrate storage and use in eucalypt trees of south-east Australia. http://hdl.handle.net/11343/221163

Uddin, Shihab (2019) Functional aspects of root and leaf development in dryland crop water use under elevated CO2 .   http://hdl.handle.net/11343/219849

Vahedi, Andisheh (2018) The work-family interface and child mental health: longitudinal associations via family functioning across childhood. http://hdl.handle.net/11343/217236

Al Zein, Eza (2019) Taskscape: Caring for Migrant Materials .  http://hdl.handle.net/11343/235841

Schlichthorst, Marisa (2020)   Engaging men in conversations about masculinity and suicide – An evaluation of the Man Up social media campaign .   http://hdl.handle.net/11343/265962

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Rescheduled: Master of Architecture Thesis Presentations

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Shattuck Hall 1914 SW Park Ave, Portland, OR

[email protected]

In the School of Architecture, students pursuing the Master of Architecture degree engage in a yearlong investigation in which they select a topical issue, develop a body of research both within and outside the discipline of architecture, and create a complete and detailed architectural design response to the topic. Master of Architecture thesis projects at Portland State range from community-focused public interest design concepts to explorations of architectural materiality and sustainability, from the poetic to the concrete and everything in between. The thesis program culminates in oral presentations to a panel of invited jurors, followed by the production of a commemorative book detailing the students' research, design process, and inspiring results.

*Thesis Reviews have been pushed back one week and will now take place May 13-16.

Schedule of Reviews: Subject to change

Monday 13th:

12:00 - 01:00 Maribel Zepeda | SH 212

01:00 - 02:00 Athena Rilatos | SH 212

02:30 - 03:30 Regina Batiste | SH 212

03:30 - 04:30 Van Khue Do Thai | SH 235

Tuesday 14th:

09:45 - 10:00 Niusha Manavi Namaghi | SH 137

10:45 - 11:45 Eric Giovannetti | SH 235

01:15 - 02:15 Victoria Fuentes-Sotelo | SH 3rd Floor

02:30 - 03:30 Brandi Barlow | SH 212

03:30 - 04:30 Alondra Maldonado | SH 212

Wednesday 15th:

12:00 - 01:00 Zeta Blice | SH 212

01:00 - 02:00 Rebecca Silk | SH 235

02:30 - 04:00 Ethan Goldblatt & Kaleb Huerta | SH 3rd Floor Crit Corner

Thursday 16th:

12:00 - 01:00 Adam Lee Soon | SH 3rd Floor

01:00 - 02:00 Lauren Espinoza | SH 212

02:30 - 03:30 Brianna Montes | SH 212

03:30 - 04:30 Sam Barber | SH 212

Visiting Guest Reviewers

Sharone Tomer | Virginia Tech

Sharone Tomer teaches design studios and courses on urbanism and social issues at Virginia Tech. Her work sits at the intersection of architectural history and urban studies through research that explores how architectural practices operate within and address conditions of urbanized inequality; her teaching and research focus on housing, public space, and architectural activism. Her research topics include spatial change in late-apartheid Cape Town, contested histories, and transforming spaces in Appalachia.

Jonathan Bolch | Woofter Bolch Architecture

Jonathan Bolch is Principal, RA, LEED AP of Woofter Bolch Architecture. A native of Raleigh, North Carolina, Jonathan has over 20 years of professional experience practicing and teaching architecture in a diverse array of places, including New York, Boston, Seoul, and Portland. As an architect, he has led the design effort on a wide range of project types and scales, including institutional, commercial, and residential, with a particular focus on creating enduring buildings for colleges and universities. His portfolio of educational projects includes work for leading institutions around the country, from Princeton to Portland State, from the University of Virginia to the University of Hawaii. Jonathan received a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Virginia and a Master of Architecture from Yale University. In addition to his work as an architect, Jonathan has taught as Adjunct Faculty at the Portland State University School of Architecture since 2012.

Elisandra Garcia-Gonsalez | El Dorado

Elisandra is a designer, activist, and educator from Ciudad Juárez, México. Elisandra is the Director of Engagement at El Dorado Architects, a national firm with offices in Portland and Kansas City. She leads engagement and design processes for diverse project typologies, from equitable urban frameworks for communities to interior architecture grounded on Trauma-Informed design. Elisandra Garcia served as the Design for Spatial Justice Fellow at the University of Oregon School of Architecture & Environment from 2021 to 2023, where she continues to lead the Urban Violence Lab, an advanced architectural design studio that focuses on social inequities within our shared urban environment. 

Yuki Bowman | Waechter Architecture

Yuki is an architect and project lead at Waechter Architecture. She holds a Master of Architecture degree from UC Berkeley and a Bachelor of Arts from Harvard College. She brings a foundation in design writing and Japanese woodcraft to more than a decade of architectural practice focused on conceptual clarity and spatial dynamism. She led award-winning residential projects with Ogrydziak Prillinger Architects in San Francisco before moving to Portland, where she helped spearhead high-profile cultural projects such as the recently opened PRAx building at OSU's campus in Corvallis. On every project, she collaborates closely with consultants, contractors, and client teams to maintain design rigor throughout the detailing and construction of residential, civic, and educational projects. Yuki is also a lecturer, mentor, and educator for architectural students, with experience teaching at UC Berkeley and Portland State University Department of Architecture.

Justin Fowler | University of Oregon

Justin Fowler teaches studios in architectural design and seminars in history and theory in the urban architecture specialization at the University of Oregon. His doctoral work centers on Pragmatism and the tectonic aesthetics of social and psychological relief in U.S. architecture and urbanism from the late 19th Century to the New Deal, and his contemporary research concerns public health and precarity in the built environment, climate action, anthropotechnics, housing, aging populations, narrative practices, games, and exchanges between physical and digital media environments. His writing has appeared in publications such as Volume, Harvard Design Magazine, Thresholds, PIN-UP, Domus, and Topos, and he has given talks at the GSD, the University of Virginia, the Cooper Union, and the Storefront for Art and Architecture, among others. He is an editor of Public Natures: Evolutionary Infrastructures by Weiss/Manfredi (Princeton Architectural Press, 2015) and a founding editor of Manifest: A Journal of American Architecture and Urbanism, the recipient of two grants from the Graham Foundation. He has worked as a designer for Dick van Gameren Architecten in Amsterdam, Somatic Collaborative in Cambridge, and managed research and editorial projects at the Columbia University Lab for Architectural Broadcasting (C-Lab) in New York.

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For This BU Employee, Commencement Will Be a Family Affair

Dave kolar will receive a master’s in financial management, sons charles and james bas in economics.

Charles Kolar (left) and James Kolar (right) and dad Dave took a somewhat circuitous route to get their BU diplomas: Dave (MET’24) decided to pursue a graduate degree more than two decades after earning his undergrad, while both James (CAS’24) and Charles (CAS’24) transferred to BU.

Dave Kolar has earned a master’s in financial management, sons Charles and James BAs in economics

Sophie yarin, melissa ostrow.

BU is a family affair for the Kolars, a tight-knit team of five from Marshfield, Mass. The eldest of the three children, Julia Kolar (Sargent’20), earned a bachelor’s from Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences. Now they’re adding three more diplomas to the mantelpiece: dad Dave Kolar and sons James Kolar and Charles Kolar graduate this Sunday. 

“It was a challenge, but definitely worth it,” says Dave (MET’24), who will receive a degree from Metropolitan College, where he earned a master’s through its Financial Management program. “I learned a lot and I’m glad I did it.”  

Dave and his sons not only share an alma mater, they also share a keen interest in money matters. Both James (the elder by two years) and Charles, will receive bachelor’s degrees in economics; as it happens, the younger Kolars both came to BU as sophomore transfers looking to change majors. Charles (CAS’24) arrived from the University of Massachusetts Boston as a finance major, and James (CAS’24), who graduated last December, but will walk in the Commencement ceremony this Sunday, transferred from UMass Dartmouth, where he was studying engineering.

“I switched to econ because our father was letting us know what he was learning during his classes, and I took a liking to it,” James says. “Knowing that my father was studying a similar field made it easier for me if I had any questions. With Chuck, having the same major also brought us closer together and allowed us to exchange ideas.”

“Finance was just strict numbers,” Charles adds, “with econ, you get the numbers, and you’re also building a story and getting the grand scope of things.”

Unlike his sons, Dave has been a daily presence on BU’s Charles River Campus for nearly a decade. As assistant director of the University’s Learning & Event Technology Services , he’s responsible for making sure all campus classrooms and event spaces have the audio and visual equipment they need. (He earned his bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University in broadcast production.) He first became interested in finance after observing his father-in-law playing the stock market.

“When I went to school for the first time, there was absolutely no math involved, and I never took Econ 101 or 102,” Dave says. “So when it comes to the macro perspective, I defer to [Charles and James]. I’ll ask them for guidance and thoughts.”

The three talk about finance all the time: in the car, at the dinner table, and during weekend downtime. “We used to drive [to campus] together, and we’d have a lot of interesting conversations on the way,” Dave says. These days, they’ll pick up the routine whenever they’re in the car together. “We were recently listening to a podcast that brought up something about the class I took this semester, so we were yapping on and on, just completely into it,” he adds. He admits all the talk about finance can prove a bit boring for his wife and daughter. 

Outside of their studies, the Kolar brothers are gym buffs and avid athletes. Both played rugby and hockey in high school, James favoring the former and Charles the latter—he participated in club hockey at BU, playing defense for three years. In their free time, they also pitch in to help mom Renée with her  landscaping business . 

“James and I did pretty much everything together growing up, and we enjoyed every second of it,” Charles says. “It’s definitely a good balance and we have a good relationship. There are ups and downs, but we have a blast.”

But graduation will mark a big change for the family. James has been working as an accountant for Lynn Community Health Center since December. Charles is looking farther afield for job opportunities after graduation. “There are a lot of places I’m interested in,” he says. “I really like Dallas; I’ve applied to a lot of jobs there, and I’m also in the process of interviewing in New York.”

Could they all come back together as a family business someday? According to James, it’s in the cards. “We’ve always talked about trying to regroup and start our own little trading firm after getting a few years’ experience,” he says.

But for now, the Kolar men are looking forward to celebrating a big win; although Dave will also be overseeing audio/visual details for Commencement Sunday, he’ll be cheering on his sons with the rest of the family. 

“I’ll still be able to partake and I’m definitely looking forward to it,” he says. “It’s going to be a treat for all of us and I’m really excited to do it, particularly with the boys—it makes it that much better.”

Find more information about Commencement here

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• Commencement 2024
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Associate Editor, BU Today; Managing Editor Bostonia

Sophie Yarin is a BU Today associate editor and Bostonia managing editor. She graduated from Emerson College's journalism program and has experience in digital and print publications as a hybrid writer/editor. A lifelong fan of local art and music, she's constantly on the hunt for stories that shine light on Boston's unique creative communities. She lives in Jamaica Plain with her partner and their cats, Ringo and Xerxes, but she’s usually out getting iced coffee. Profile

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Boston University moderates comments to facilitate an informed, substantive, civil conversation. Abusive, profane, self-promotional, misleading, incoherent or off-topic comments will be rejected. Moderators are staffed during regular business hours (EST) and can only accept comments written in English. Statistics or facts must include a citation or a link to the citation.

There are 8 comments on For This BU Employee, Commencement Will Be a Family Affair

Congratulations!!

Hey! I work with this guy :-) Such a wonderful person and so happy for him and his boys! Congratulations to the Kolars!

Congratulations Dave, to you and your sons!

Congratulations Dave, Charles and James! Dave is such a great colleague.

Congratulations! What a happy time!

Dave – such a great article and how wonderful for your sons too! Congratulations to Charles & James.

This was so great to read. Congrats, Dave, and sons!! :)

Such an awesome story to read … Congrats to you, Dave, and your sons and enjoy the Commencement along your sons.

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