1. Thesis preparation

A thesis with publications must reflect the same level of effort and rigour required for a conventional thesis without publications. It is not sufficient to simply submit a collection of publications as a thesis, no matter how good they are. You must develop and sustain a coherent argument across all chapters and papers included in your thesis.

In the body of your thesis:

• you can only include research published during your candidature.
• you can't include the content of manuscripts or research conducted before the commencement of your candidature.

At a minimum, any thesis including publications must contain:

• an independent introduction that contextualises the research project in relation to the present state of the knowledge in the field
• thesis chapters (i.e. publications) in a logical and cogent sequence leading to an argument that supports the main findings of the thesis
• an independent and original discussion that integrates the significant findings of the thesis.

It is important to be mindful that:

• a chapter does not have to be exactly the same as the paper it is drawn from. Edits can be made to the original text. 
• publications do not have to be 'published' prior to submitting the thesis. It is fine to submit your thesis if publications are under review. 
• if the publication is under review you may wish to consider placing the thesis under embargo to avoid issues with the journal publisher and similarity comparisons that may prevent publication. 

For more information about including publications in your thesis, see Section 1 of the Higher Degree by Research Examination Guidelines.

Co-authored papers

If you are the co-author of a manuscript published during your candidature, you must ask permission from your co-authors to include any part of the publication in your thesis.

On the page immediately before the chapter that includes the publication/s, you must state:

• how much original research was undertaken by you rather than your co-authors; and
• the extent to which you authored the paper.

Structure the page as follows:

• Chapter XXX
• Citation of the co-authored paper
• Details of your contribution (no more than one page).

You should seek guidance from your advisors and co-authors when preparing this statement.

More information is available in the preliminary pages template.

Formatting

If you’re including publications in your thesis, make sure you use a consistent formatting and referencing style across the entire thesis. Please refer to the formatting your thesis information.

Publishing third-party material

If your thesis contains third-party material (e.g. photographs, maps or drawings), you may need permission to reproduce this material from the copyright holder.

Discuss any potential copyright issues with your advisors as soon as possible.