Appendix 6: Specifications for Thesis 2009

1 Preparation

The responsibility for the layout of the thesis and selection of the title rests with the student after discussion with the supervisor(s). Students must consult with their Supervisors concerning selection of an appropriate style for the thesis. The student’s supervisor(s) and Head of School or Discipline must provide certification that the thesis is worthy of examination and that the technical presentation of the thesis is satisfactory.

Candidates submitting a thesis in the creative arts must consult the specific rules relative to that degree.

Candidates submitting a professional doctorate thesis must consult the General Academic Program Rules for Professional Doctorates and, if applicable, the Specific Academic Program Rules relative to the degree.

2 Thesis format and word length

A Doctoral thesis may comprise a conventional written narrative presented as typescript, a combination of conventional written narrative presented as typescript and publications that have been published and/or submitted for publication and/or text in manuscripts, or a single major publication such as a book, or a portfolio of publications that have been published and/or submitted for publication and/or text in manuscripts, or creative or visual work/s. A Masters by Research thesis may comprise a conventional written narrative presented as typescript, or a portfolio of creative or visual works and, where acceptable to the Faculty, a combination of conventional written narrative presented as typescript and publications that have been published and/or submitted for publication and/or text in manuscripts, or a single major publication such as a book, or a portfolio of publications that have been published and/or submitted for publication and/or text in manuscripts.

Any thesis submitted for examination must fulfill Rule 2.1 regarding word-length of thesis.

2.1 Irrespective of the nature of the thesis, the word length, including footnotes but excluding appendices, tables, diagrams, bibliography and references, shall not exceed 80,000 words in the case of a Doctoral thesis or 40,000 words in the case of a Master by Research thesis (see PhD rule 8.7).

See Rule 29.2 of the General Academic Program rules of the Professional Doctorates for the length of a professional doctorate thesis.

2.2 The thesis should incorporate in the following order

(a) a title page giving the title of the thesis in full, the name of the student, the name of the School/ Discipline(s) of the University associated with the work and the date (month and year) when submitted for the degree. Students should ensure that the thesis title is written in title case and does not exceed the character limit of 300 (including spaces).

(b) a table of contents

(c) an abstract of the thesis in not more than five hundred words

(d) a statement signed and dated by the student declaring the originality of the work, consent for the thesis to be made available to the university library and the situation with respect to copyright where applicable

See Section 3 for examples of declarations to be included where:

(i) thesis does not contain work already in the public domain

(ii) a thesis contains publications (i.e. where the work includes published papers).

If the student has any objections to including this statement the student must apply in writing to the Adelaide Graduate Centre, preferably prior to submission, for a period of embargo to be placed on the thesis.

(e) an acknowledgment of any help given or work carried out by any other person or organisation. If a student has sought professional editorial advice, the name of the editor and a brief description of the service rendered should be included in the acknowledgements. Should the professional editor’s current or former area of academic specialisation be similar to that of the candidate this should be noted.

See Section 4 for details of the University’s policy on editing.

(f) the main body of work (which may include either text or, as specified in clauses 2.2 and 2.3 respectively, a contextual statement and a portfolio of publications or creative works.

(g) appendices (if any)

(h) bibliography.

(i) additional pages or other material not suitable for binding should normally be placed near the back of the thesis as an appendix and treated as indicated in 8.2(d) - (g).

2.3 In the case of a thesis presented entirely or in part of published and/or accepted publications and/or manuscripts, the following requirements apply, in addition to those outlined in 2.2:

• A title page, a table of contents and an abstract as per 2.2(a) - (c),
• A declaration in accordance with 2.2(d),
• An acknowledgement of any help given as per 2.2(e),
• Statements of the contributions of jointly authored papers (see (a) below)
• The main body of work in accordance with 2.2(f) (see (b) below) and
• Appendices, bibliography and additional pages or material as per 2.2(g) - (i).

(a) The length of a major publication and the number and length of scholarly works included in a portfolio of publications shall be determined by Faculties in consultation with specific Discipline areas. Where the publication(s) are deemed to constitute a body of work worthy of the award, the candidate may include additional material submitted for publication.

(b) where papers have joint- or multiple-authorship, they must be accompanied by a clear statement of the contribution (in terms of the conceptualization of the work, its realization and its documentation) made by the candidate and all other authors. The statement must be sufficiently detailed to describe accurately the contribution of each author. All authors are required to sign the statement and co-authors must give written permission for the paper to be included in the thesis. Original signatures are preferred but scanned signatures are acceptable.

(c) the main body of work should contain in addition to the relevant publications a contextual statement which normally includes the aims underpinning the publication(s); a literature review or commentary which establishes the field of knowledge and provides a link between publications; and a conclusion showing the overall significance of the work and contribution to knowledge, problems encountered and future directions of the work. The discussion should not include a detailed reworking of the discussions from individual papers within the thesis.

2.4 In the case of a doctoral thesis submitted in the areas of musical, artistic or visual practice the thesis should incorporate in the following order:

• A title page, a table of contents and an abstract as per 2.2(a) - (c),
• A declaration in accordance with 2.2(d),
• An acknowledgement of any help given as per 2.2(e),
• The main body of work in accordance with 2.2(f) (see (a) below) and
• Appendices, bibliography and additional pages or material as per 2.2(g) - (i):

(a) The main body of work may be in one of three forms:

(i) by a theoretical thesis which may include either text or a portfolio of publications, or

(ii) by creative work(s) and exegesis. In the case of the PhD, the creative or visual work should be a substantial opus and the criteria for this work should be determined by the Faculty. Such substantial works would normally include a book length work appropriate to its genre or musical compositions which require more than 75 minutes for performance. In the case of the Masters degree, the musical compositions will normally require not less than 50 minutes and not more than 60 minutes for performance or

(iii) by recorded musical performances and exegesis. For the PhD, the recordings shall constitute a substantial body of work of up to four hours duration, for the Masters, the recordings shall constitute two sixty minute public recitals.

The length and format of the exegesis should be determined by the Faculty but normally, for the PhD, should not exceed 50,000 words in the case of a creative or visual work, 10,000 - 15,000 words in the case of music composition and 15,000 words in the case of music performance. For the Masters degree, the exegesis normally should not exceed 7,500 words. The exegesis should contain a description of the form and presentation of the artistic practice which constitutes the remainder of the thesis and inter alia, an analytical commentary and consideration of the work in the broader framework of the discipline and/or repertory. It should demonstrate mastery of the conceptual and scholarly skills associated with higher degree candidature.

In the case of a written exegesis or thesis and visual works both presented in the format of a compact disc, the written exegesis or textual portion of the thesis shall also be presented in hard copy and must be presented in accordance with the guidelines.

3 Examples of thesis declarations

3.1 For a thesis that does not contain work already in the public domain

This work contains no material which has been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma in any university or other tertiary institution to <name of student> and, to the best of my knowledge and belief, contains no material previously published or written by another person, except where due reference has been made in the text. I give consent to this copy of my thesis, when deposited in the University Library, being made available for loan and photocopying, subject to the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. I also give permission for the digital version of my thesis to be made available on the web, via the University’s digital research repository, the Library catalogue, the Australasian Digital Theses Program (ADTP) and also through web search engines, unless permission has been granted by the University to restrict access for a period of time.

3.2 For a thesis that contains publications

This work contains no material which has been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma in any university or other tertiary institution to <name of student> and, to the best of my knowledge and belief, contains no material previously published or written by another person, except where due reference has been made in the text.

I give consent to this copy of my thesis when deposited in the University Library, being made available for loan and photocopying, subject to the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968.

The author acknowledges that copyright of published works contained within this thesis (as listed below* ) resides with the copyright holder(s) of those works.

I also give permission for the digital version of my thesis to be made available on the web, via the University’s digital research repository, the Library catalogue, the Australasian Digital Theses Program (ADTP) and also through web search engines, unless permission has been granted by the University to restrict access for a period of time.

* The thesis declaration must include a list of all publications or works contained within the thesis and include the bibliographical details of the copyright holder(s) for each work.

4 Editing

The University has adopted the policy developed by the Deans and Directors of Graduate Studies collaboratively with the Council of Australian Societies of Editors with regard to the editing of research theses by professional editors.

The policy has been developed with close attention to the current Australian Standards for Editing Practice (ASEP) and it espouses the following principles:

A professional editor may be used by students in preparing their theses for submission provided that the editing assistance is restricted to ASEP Standards for ‘Language and Illustrations’ and for ‘Completeness and Consistency’. Where a professional editor provides advice on matters of ‘Substance and Structure’ exemplars only should be given.

Further information about the ASEP standards is available on line at: http://www.adelaide.edu.au/graduatecentre/policy

Students should discuss the procedures with their principal supervisor and before editing is commenced provide the editor with a copy of this section of the Specifications for Thesis and details of the ASEP standards. Material for editing or proof-reading should be submitted in hard copy.

5 Typing

A thesis, which may be produced on both sides of the paper, should normally be printed on A4 paper in a clear and legible font (eg. Arial Narrow 12 or Times 12).

Margins for both text and figures should not be less than 35 mm on the inside edge and 15 mm on the other three sides to allow for binding and trimming. (See also ‘Soft-binding of thesis for examination’ under 8: Binding, below.)

6 Copying

6.1 Archival Copy

The archival copy should be marked accordingly and will become the University’s copy following the award of the degree. The archival copy should be produced on archival quality (acid-free) paper to ensure its long-term preservation, preferably on 90 or 100gsm paper.

6.2 Additional Copies

Additional copies of the thesis should be produced on acid free bond, or similar high-quality paper using a copying method which produces a good-quality copy. Chemically coated paper is acceptable for the production of a thesis only if it is known to provide a high quality reproduction and proven long-term stability

6.3 Audio and audio-visual recordings

Audio and audio-visual recordings should be produced on an internationally compatible medium using a copying method which creates a high quality audio and visual reproduction with proven longevity. Students should consult with their supervisors regarding the technical issues involved in the submission of digital media.

7 Diagrams and figures

The following are general suggestions for normal practice, but they may be varied in special cases with the approval of the Librarian:

7.1 Diagrams and figures, etc, should preferably be drawn or photographed on A4 paper and bound in the appropriate place in the text. If it is necessary to mount photographs, the mounting should be on paper somewhat heavier than that of the other pages, and great care should be taken to avoid wrinkling the paper or distorting the shape of the volume.

7.2 Figures should either be inserted at an appropriate place in the text, or form a separate page. For normal orientation with the top of the figure upwards, the legend should be at the bottom of the figure. If it is necessary to rotate the figure, it should be placed on a separate page with the top of the figure on the left-hand side of the page and the legend on the right-hand side of the page. This applies regardless of whether the figure forms a left-hand or a right-hand page, but if the thesis is produced with the text only on right-hand pages, then figures should also appear only on right-hand pages. If there is insufficient space for the legend, it may be placed on the page facing the figure.

7.3 Tables should be inserted in the appropriate place in the text, except that lengthy or bulky tables should appear as an appendix.

7.4 Folded diagrams, maps, tables, etc, should read as right-hand pages when open.

7.5 Musical notation and similar forms of written notation should be inserted in the appropriate place in the text, except that lengthy examples should appear as an appendix.

8 Binding

8.1 Soft-binding of thesis for examination

Higher degree students may opt to submit three copies of their thesis in soft bound form initially for examination purposes.

Students who wish to have their theses soft-bound should note that

(a) It is not possible to rebind a thesis that has been soft-covered using the currently available methods, such as Thermo-Bind or Wire- Spiral, without having first to trim the left hand margin by 10 to 15 mm. This means that the provision for the left hand margin of the thesis must be at least 45 mm. This may result in an increase in the number of pages of the thesis and the consequent increase in cost of production.

(b) Most soft-binding processes will handle up to around 30 mm in thickness. Many theses are thicker than this and may have to be bound in more than one volume.

(c) Students are responsible for all costs incurred in the soft-binding of their thesis as well as in the subsequent hard-binding. Some scholarships provide a thesis allowance and costs may be refunded to students on presentation of relevant receipts.

(d) When the examination process (including the completion of any required amendments) is complete, students are obliged to submit three hard-bound copies and one digital copy of their theses (see 9 Australasian Digital Thesis Program) before a degree can be conferred. Any supplementary material submitted with paper copies should be digitised, where possible, and submitted as an attachment to the digital copy.

8.2 Hard-binding

(a) The three required copies of the thesis must be sewn and bound with cloth on stiff covers. (A sprint-type or screw-type binder is unacceptable. Stapling and plastic or ‘perfect’ binding without sewing are also unacceptable.)

(b) During binding the edges should be trimmed.

(c) On the spine of the thesis should be printed, in gold lettering of suitable size, normally reading from the top to the bottom, the title of the thesis, shortened if necessary, followed by the student’s surname. Where the width of the spine allows, the lettering may be placed horizontally, with the title of the thesis near the top of the spine and student’s surname near the middle.

(d) Supplementary material such as folding maps and other large folded sheets and primary data on sheets, and data on CD or DVD, may be placed in a pocket inside the back cover of the bound thesis.

(e) In the case of published papers of unusual size it may be desirable to bind them in a separate volume. If they have been bound by a publisher it is desirable to keep them in a special case made and lettered to simulate a bound volume of a thesis.

(f) Supplementary material which cannot readily be kept in a pocket should be placed in a special case made and lettered to simulate a bound volume of the thesis.

(g) In some cases, it may be desirable to submit audio or audio-visual recordings in a separate volume made to simulate a bound volume of the thesis.

(h) A supplementary case or additional volume of a thesis should be distinguished by a volume number but should otherwise be uniform with the first part of the thesis in respect to colour, lettering and, as far as possible, size.

9 Australian Digital Theses (ADT) Program

The University of Adelaide is a member of the Australasian Digital Theses Program. This is a national collaborative program which aims to establish a distributed database of digital versions of theses produced by postgraduate research students at Australian Universities.

In addition to the three required printed copies, University of Adelaide postgraduate research students are required to deposit a digital copy of their thesis for inclusion in the national database of Australian theses. Once entered into the database, the thesis will be accessible through the University of Adelaide Library’s web pages, the Library’s web catalogue, a national database of Australian theses and also through web search engines unless permission has been granted to restrict access for a period of time e.g. where the thesis is under embargo or where commercial publication of the thesis is being sought*.

The digital thesis copy must be provided on disk or CDROM, together with a completed and signed submission form. It is preferred that the digital version be in PDF format. The digital version must be a direct copy of the thesis which has been approved by the University for the award of the degree.

Students must obtain permission for use of copyrighted material, such as diagrams, illustrations, maps, tables, photographs, musical notation, images and audio-visual recordings that are not the students’ own creation, or if written permission cannot be obtained, then such material will need to be identified so Library staff can remove them from the digital copy.

Further assistance and deposit instructions for digital theses are available on the Library’s web site at: http://www.adelaide.edu.au/library/digital/theses

* Information regarding the process for applying to restrict access to the digital thesis is available from the Adelaide Graduate Centre and on the web at: http://www.adelaide.edu.au/graduatecentre/policy