Thesis requirements
The thesis shall contribute to the development of new scientific knowledge and be of sufficiently high quality to merit publication as part of the scientific literature in the field.
The thesis requirements are laid down in § 10.1 of the Regulations for the degree of PhD and the Supplementary rules pertaining to the regulations.
All PhD theses must have two scientific summaries: a Norwegian and an English (they may be identical). Each summary should be no longer than 2 pages (800 - 1200 words) and both must be included in the thesis at the time of submission.
Article-based theses
A compilation of several shorter papers may be approved as a thesis provided that the papers are related and the relationship between them is clearly explained (synopsis/"kappe").
Published papers cannot be accepted as part of a doctoral thesis if the publication date precedes the candidate's date of admission by more than 5 years.
A work or a part of a work that has been approved as the basis for previous examinations or degrees is not eligible for evaluation, see § 10.2 of the Regulations and Supplementary rules. An article that has previously been submitted and/or evaluated as part of another person’s doctoral thesis may be accepted for evaluation if the thesis is accompanied by a declaration describing the contributions of the candidate and each co‑author, cf. § 10.1 of the Supplementary rules. The co‑authorship declarations must state that the work also forms part of another doctoral thesis.
Papers (articles/manuscripts):
The number of papers included in a thesis will vary and depends on the size and quality of each paper and on the extent of the candidate’s contribution.
- At least one (1) paper must be published or finally accepted for publication in an internationally recognised, English language, peer reviewed journal. An internationally recognised journal is a journal in the relevant field indexed in PubMed, the Science Citation Index, or similar scientific databases. An English language journal is one that accepts manuscripts in English, conducts peer review in English, and publishes in English (not merely English translations of articles originally published in another language). All papers included in the thesis must either be published or be completed manuscripts that are ready for submission to internationally recognised journals.
- At least one (1) paper/manuscript must not be a joint work that is included in another doctoral thesis. Joint works may be included in a maximum of two doctoral theses. In such cases the principal supervisor must submit a statement describing the candidate’s independent contribution to the joint works. The Faculty will not approve a thesis that is entirely a joint work shared by two doctoral candidates.
- As a general rule, the doctoral candidate should be first author on at least one (1) paper. Shared first authorship with one other candidate also counts as first authorship. Where the candidate is not first author, the candidate must have made a substantial contribution to data collection/processing, interpretation of results and manuscript writing. The principal supervisor must enclose an account of the candidate’s independent contribution to the work.
- The synopsis (the “kappe”) and the included papers must all be in the same language. Normally the thesis shall be in English, but Norwegian may be approved following a reasoned application to the Faculty. Other languages or a mixture of languages in the thesis are not permitted.
- The requirements for a PhD thesis are set out in § 10.1 of the Regulations for the PhD degree and the Faculty’s supplementary rules.
- For works that are not accepted, see § 10.2 of the Regulations and supplementary rules.
Synopsis/kappe
The overall presentation of scientific results must be an independent scientific document in which the candidate has the opportunity to elaborate and if necessary correct aspects of the articles. It must show a thorough grasp of scientific perspectives and maturity as well as the ability to investigate specialised scientific issues, see § 10.1 of the Supplementary rules pertaining to the Regulations.
According to the Guidelines for doctoral theses consisting of several shorter works (in Norwegian), the presentation of the scientific results should not only summarize but also compare the research questions and conclusions presented in the articles in a holistic perspective, and in that way document the thesis’ interrelationship. This includes a presentation of the thesis’ contribution to the research field.
If the thesis contains previously published articles, the presentation should also contain academic updates to ensure that the thesis as a whole appears academically updated. Alternatively, updates can be done for each article.
Affiliation
All PhD candidates must quote UiO as the author affiliation on publications carried out under the supervision of the PhD programme and which are to be included in the PhD thesis, cf. § 17.2 of the Regulations for the degree of philosophiae doctor (PhD) at the University of Oslo.
Externally employed candidates must also quote their principal employer's address on the publication when the institution's contribution to the publication warrants it.
For more information about affiliation, see UiO’s affiliation instructions and guidelines for different Groups.
Monographs
Unpublished monographs can also be approved as theses for the PhD degree.
Unpublished monographs are assessed according to the same criteria as those used when assessing a collection of published articles with presentation, i.e. the minimum standards of scientific quality are the same.
Thesis template
- The Faculty does not provide a thesis template. We recommend that you look at earlier doctoral theses in Duo for information about layout.
Choice of reference style
Publicising the thesis
- The thesis must be made publicly available no later than two weeks before the date set for the public defence.
Guidelines for the evaluation of Norwegian doctoral degrees
- Guidelines for the evaluation of Norwegian doctoral degrees
- Recommended guidelines for doctoral theses consisting of several smaller works (article-based theses)