Masters Thesis by Publication Guidelines
Masters by Research candidates in the Faculty of Arts are permitted to submit a thesis entirely or partially consisting of sole, jointly or multi-authored published and/or unpublished work.
The thesis must reflect a sustained and cohesive theme. To this end framing or substantial linking text is normally required to introduce the research and link the chapters/papers/manuscripts.
Candidates who wish to submit by this mode are required to follow the guidelines detailed below.
| Pagination | Inclusive pagination is to be used. |
| Bibliography | A complete, consolidated bibliography is preferred where appropriate or possible. |
| Framing papers | The thesis should include an introduction and concluding remarks. Framing papers could be distributed throughout the thesis. The introduction should specify the research question/s covered by the thesis. Research to be contexualised in existing literature. |
| No. of papers | The material presented for examination needs to equate to that which would otherwise be presented in the traditional thesis format. (This remains a matter for professional judgment for the supervisor and candidate.) See below. |
| Photocopies | A photocopy should not normally be used. Printing should be of the highest quality. Use a pdf where possible. |
| % Authorship | initiation, key ideas, development and writing up of each of the works should be the primary responsibility of the candidate.. |
| Declarations | To be clearly specified and formatted according to the template. Coauthor signatures necessary on all papers in all thesis copies except those in the appendix. Rewritten, previously published papers require acknowledgement of others' contributions. |
| Status of papers | Papers must have at least been submitted for publication, though not necessarily accepted. |
A thesis by publication differs in nature from a conventional masters thesis but the depth and breadth of research presented in the thesis should be commensurate to that expected of a conventional masters thesis.
Formatting Requirements
General
Consult Chapter 8 of the Survival Guide for general information about formatting a masters thesis. Section 8.1 Preparation and Presentation of a Masters Thesis will prove most helpful.
Declarations
All theses by publication must include
declarations which specify the extent and nature of the candidate's
contribution to the publication/s. This is necessary even when the
candidate is the sole author of the work/s.
There are
two declarations that must be included:
General
declaration (part A): this is placed at the front
of the thesis and replaces the standard general declaration. It lists
the work/s written by the candidate and shows the publication status
of those works. Sole authored works need to specify the publication
status.
Specific declaration (part B):
this is required for each work in the thesis that was written in
collaboration with other authors and contains the signatures of all
authors of that work. It is not required for sole-authored work.
We strongly advise that the Part B declaration form be signed by
contributing authors as soon as the paper is prepared or submitted
for publication.
Relative contributions to the work need
to be determined and presented in percentage terms for the candidate
and any co-authors who are students at Monash University. Co-authors
who are not fellow students need only indicate the nature of their
contribution to the work.
Each specific declaration should
be placed at the start of the thesis chapter where the conjointly
authored work appears.
There may be occasions where a
contributing author is unable to sign the declaration (ie an author
who cannot be contacted after sustained attempts to do so).
In these cases the School Graduate Coordinator can sign in
the author's place, but s/he must briefly annotate the signature
box explaining why the original author's signature is not available.
Template declarations are available for download. These templates
must be customised where highlighted.
- General declaration (part A)
- Specific declaration (part B)
Please note that completion of these forms does not negate the need to comply with any other university requirements relating to conjointly authored works.
Framing & Linking Papers
The thesis must contain an introductory
framing paper as well as a conclusion. In the case of theses which
comprise more than one or a series of papers the thesis should also
contain linking papers. Such theses will comprise the publications
plus framing, linking and concluding papers.
The framing
paper should give an account of how the work fits into the field
of scholarly literature and, where appropriate, into the discipline
through a discussion of key methodological and epistemological questions.
Publication Specifications
Papers or publications included in the thesis must have at least been submitted for publication, though not necessarily accepted or published.
A candidate should only include in the thesis papers to which they have been the key contributor. The candidate should have held primary responsibility for the initiation, key concepts, development and writing up of each of the works contained in the body of the thesis.
Only works that have been produced during the period of candidature should be included in the thesis.
Any papers or publications that fall outside these parameters can be included in the appendix of the thesis. The appendix to a thesis by publication should contain the same types of material as a standard thesis. For example, papers written by the thesis author and referred to in the thesis but which do not form part of the main thesis body, or primary source material such as transcripts or data.
Extent of Candidate’s Contribution in the case of Multi-Authored Musical Works
The initiation, key ideas, development and documentation of each of the multi-authored works within the music composition folio should be the primary responsibility of the candidate. Overall, the material presented for examination needs to equate to that which would otherwise be presented in a music composition folio.
Multi-authored works for music performance must be the principal work of the candidate who is responsible for the initiation, key ideas, development and documentation of these works in order to be considered for examination.
Determination of Percentage Contribution
The specific declaration (see above) requires determination of percentages to reflect the contribution of various authors. The ascribed percentages should remain static over time. Candidates are encouraged to reach a decision regarding authorship at the time the paper is submitted for publication and be proactive in ensuring the thesis declaration is completed at that time. The same declaration should then by used by any co-authors who may be using the paper in their theses.
Documentation of Candidate’s Contribution in the Case of Multi-Authored Musical Works
For both music composition and performance candidates, the critical commentary should identify all parts or elements of multi-authored works that have been created by other authors. It should also explain how these parts or elements have been created.