Assessment of Thesis

Using Translated Texts in Doctoral and MA Theses

Student Referral after Examination

Presentation of the Thesis

With regard to the "layout" and "content" of your thesis, you are advised to make sure you have completed the following:

Layout of thesis:

you must follow the guidelines regarding the word length;
include a title page, acknowledgements, abstract, contents list, and if appropriate a glossary;
your thesis should be professionally laid out, with headings, page numbers, references/bibliography;
the thesis should be word processed to a high quality, with appropriate margins and spacing;
all citations and references must consistently follow a recommended convention
the thesis should have been thoroughly proof-read and checked for typographical errors.

Content of thesis:

You should have:

a review of the literature which is relevant to the study and which critically appraises the work of others;
a theoretical framework for the thesis, which informs the design and links to the literature review;
a methodological framework which you have argued is appropriate for your study;
discussed the findings and identified the originality of the thesis;
conclusion/s that take account of the research questions first formulated;
a discussion of the limitations of the study and the findings, and exploration of issues of validity and reliability;
certify that this thesis is your own work, contains no plagiarism and has not been presented elsewhere for examination.

The thesis should not be more than 100,000 words in the case of PhD or 60,000 words in the case of MPhil (in both cases inclusive of appendices, footnotes, tables, and bibliography); the University may withhold from examination a thesis that exceeds these word limits.

Candidates must submit two soft-bound copies of their thesis, e.g. spiral-bound or plastic binding. Theses presented in lever-arch or box-files will NOT be accepted. These should be submitted to the Registry c/o the Student Services Centre, B Floor, Portland Building or by post to The Registry, E Floor, Portland Building, The University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD.

For further information, please see the Information for Research Students on the University's web pages. In particular the 'submission pack' contains many details on how to submit, and also includes a list of bookbinders if required.

i. Notification of Submission of Thesis form - should be completed and returned to Student Administration at least two months prior to the actual submission of your softbound thesis. Please see the submission pack for more details.

At the time of the initial submission you must also present (in addition to those bound into the thesis):

ii. Loose sheets
2 copies of a short abstract (not more than 300 words)
2 copies of the title page (see template):
1 copy of the list of contents

Please note that the Registry will also send you the following to complete and return when you submit the final (hardbound) version of your thesis:

iii. Deposit and Loan of Thesis Form (pink)

All successful candidates for higher degrees by research are required by University regulations to deposit a copy of their thesis in the University’s Library where it will be available for consultation or loan.

You may also wish to submit your thesis to the Nottingham eTheses service.

iv. British Library Thesis Agreement Form (white)

The British Thesis Service promotes awareness of, and access to, the results of Doctoral Research in British universities.

Referencing

Poor referencing is an easy mistake to make in a large thesis and can affect the success of your viva.
One option to address this issue is through the use of bibliographic management software. The University has a site licence for Endnote for use by our research students.

For information on the software see:
http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/studentservices/supportforyourstudies/academicsupport/studyresources/referencingandbibliographies.aspx

Note that Reference Management Software Training is also part of the compulsory Arts Faculty Researcher Programme

http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/graduateschool/graduatecentres/arts/traininganddevelopment/index.aspx

Using Translated Texts in Doctoral and Masters Theses

The School's Research Committee has discussed the importance of having oversight of translated material which may be used as evidence, or be the subject of an analysis or discussion, in a doctoral thesis or Masters dissertation. Research Committee agreed that, where necessary, an expert should always be internally appointed to check the translation. Where PhD and Masters topics include large amounts of translated material, these should pass through Research Committee for prior approval. For further information, please contact your supervisor.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is an academic offence defined by the University whereby a student gains or attempts to gain an un-permitted academic advantage. Such acts include using another person’s work and submitting it with the intent that it should be taken as a student’s own work. Academic offences may incur penalties up to and including expulsion from the University.

It is essential that all students should be aware of the School’s guidelines on what constitutes acceptable and legitimate use of other people’s work, and that you should follow them in submitting your own work. See the guide Producing Assessed Coursework.

The thesis must be the result of the student’s own work. The requirement does not preclude a student obtaining limited assistance with proof-reading and with the routine collection and/or processing of data under guidelines and instructions clearly devised by the student. When such help is obtained it should be with the prior approval of the supervisor who must be satisfied that the spirit of the 'own work' requirement is not breached.

The University’s policy and regulations governing academic offences may be obtained by consulting the Quality Manual.

Submission of the Thesis

Please note that you must let the School and the University know that you intend to submit your thesis a minimum of two months BEFORE submitting your thesis for examination. All students are required to complete a Notification to Submit Thesis Form which must be signed by both Supervisors.

Please note that, in the School of English, the Supervisors cannot sign the Notification to Submit Form until they have read a complete, full draft of the thesis. In effect this means that all students must submit a full draft of their thesis to their Supervisors at least THREE months before they intend to submit it, in order to allow time for the thesis to be read.

The Notification to Submit Thesis Form should be returned to Lydia Wallman in the School Office. The completion of this form then acts as the trigger for the appointment of the Examiners by the Academic Services Division and also for them to send you information about submitting your thesis and the various forms you will need to complete.

One week before the Submission Date
You must present a final version of your thesis to your Supervisors no later than one week before the final submission date. This will give time your Supervisors time to make any final comments before you prepare the two required bound copies. Please check your Supervisors’ availability during the week before your submission.

On Your Submission Date

Please note that the submission date is the latest date for the formal submission of your thesis to the University. You can submit your thesis before this date, but you must not submit your thesis after this date without written permission from the University.

The final bound copies must be presented to the Registry c/o the Student Services Centre, B Floor, Portland Building or by post to The Registry, E Floor, Portland Building, The University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD.

Appointment of Examiners

Once you submit your Notification to Submit Form we will begin the process of formally appointing examiners. The choice of examiners will be decided by your supervisor/s in conjunction with you. Discussions will take place regarding the most appropriate examiners for your research area. Once examiners are nominated the supervisor/s will inform the School Office and quality assurance procedures regarding the suitability of the External Examiner will take place. The School Office will then liaise with the examiners and your supervisor/s regarding the date for the viva. You will be kept informed as to how negotiations are progressing.

You should be prepared for a delay at this stage. It will take a little time to negotiate a suitable date and also to allow the examiners time to read your thesis. However we will try to ensure you are not kept waiting an unreasonable length of time.

Assessment Guidelines

The University provides information for Examiners, Supervisors and candidates about the Procedures for Assessment for Research Degrees.

This information also includes information about the options available to the Examiners (e.g. award of MPhil/PhD, referral and failure).

Extenuating Circumstances

Research Students must keep in regular contact with their Supervisor and submit written work on time, undertake assessments (if applicable) and attend regular research monitoring and annual progress reviews as required by the School.

Students who cannot meet an agreed deadline (e.g. up to two missed consecutive supervision sessions, an upgrade meeting, an annual review meeting, submission date for their thesis etc.) through serious illness or other problems, should inform their Supervisor immediately and complete an Extenuating Circumstances Form for Research Students and give this to their Supervisor (with supporting medical evidence).

The School has a Special Cases Committee that normally meets each June to consider all cases of extenuating circumstances prior to Research Committee's annual review of all Research Students.

Viva Voce

A viva voce examination is normally held in the School of English within 3 months of the submission of the thesis to the Student Registry. An Internal Examiner and External Examiner are appointed by the University and research students notified of the date and time of the meeting by their Supervisor/s. Please see the Quality Manual for more guidance about the Viva Voce.

Following the viva voce examination the Examiners will complete and sign the joint report form and shall come to agreement an on the recommendation on the award (or not) of the degree. Students are normally informed of the decision of the Examiners on the day.

Student Referral after Examination

After the viva examination has been held, a thesis may be referred for correction by the Internal and External Examiner for one of the following reasons:

for corrections of typographical errors (1 month)
for minor amendments (3 months)
for re-submission with viva voce (12 months)
for re-submission without viva voce (12 months)

Students who are required to make typographical or minor amendments will be required to do this without assistance from their supervisory team and must show their corrected thesis to the internal examiner (in accordance with the instructions from the University confirmed in writing after the first viva examination.) This must be completed within the time limit specified.

Students who are required to re-submit their thesis (either with or without a viva) will have 12 months to complete major corrections and must pay a re-submission fee to the University and formally re-submit their work to the Registry c/o the Student Services Centre for another formal assessment (e.g. viva). Please note that there is no further requirement for the School to supervise students during this period of time, however, research students should ensure that they keep in touch with their lead supervisor and confirm, in writing, no later than one month before their re-submission date, their intention to submit on time.

The School will monitor the progress of all referred students during the Annual Review process in June each year and may require referred students to submit a short statement to their supervisor about their progress to date.

Graduation

Research students who have successfully submitted their thesis and attended their viva voce will be required to submit a hard bound copy of their thesis to Student Administration via the Student Cervices Centre by the date specified in writing by Student Administration (The Registry). In addition, students must complete a Deposit and Loan form for the library plus one loose copy of their abstract and title pages. Students will not be able to attend graduation until this has been completed. Please note that the University also has an inter-ceremony graduation procedure whereby degrees can be conferred in the absence of a ceremony. For further information please contact the Academic Services Division.

Research students who wish to graduate at the July ceremonies must give formal notice of their intention to submit no later than 1 February. Although there are no formal submission deadlines for possible graduation, students should aim to submit the thesis for examination no later than 1 April. The equivalent dates for December graduation are 1 July (Notification) and 1 September (Submission). The examination process is however dependent on the availability of the Examiners, and no guarantee can be given that the necessary procedures will have been completed in time for a specific ceremony.

Even when these dates have been correctly observed, no guarantee can be given that the necessary examination procedures will have been completed in time for a candidate to graduate at the next degree congregation. Only those candidates who have successfully completed the examination procedures (including viva, corrections etc.) and have submitted a hard-bound copy of their thesis to the Registry by 15 November (or 15 June) will be eligible to graduate at the ceremony.

The University offers a mid-sessional graduation procedure, held in March and October of each year, for candidates who have successfully completed the examination process by 20 February/20 September and prefer not to wait for the formal ceremonies. This option means that the degree will be conferred upon you in your absence and the certificate is sent by post. You are not, however, entitled to attend a ceremony at a later date.

Please note that it is important that the University has an up to date contact address for you in the period leading up to Graduation. The Academic Services Division will ask you to register online to confirm your attendance at graduation in either October or March. If you have any queries concerning graduation please contact the Graduation Team directly.

If you have any further queries, please contact Lydia Wallman in the School Office via email lydia.wallman@nottingham.ac.uk, phone (0115) 8467286 or in person by calling into A35, Trent Building.

e-Theses

The University has a facility for Research Students to deposit their thesis on-line on an e-Theses repository.

Research Students who have a final, corrected, version of their thesis and who have submitted a paper copy to the University can upload a PDF version to the Nottingham eTheses archive. Students who wish to do this should inform their supervisor in the first instance. Please note that students are not obliged to place their thesis on this on-line repository and should discuss any publication concerns with their Supervisor in the first instance.

Note: The British Library and the major funding bodies are committed to open access repositories of this kind and encourage research students to deposit their thesis on-line in order to promote their research and make it harder for others to plagiarise the work of Research Students.

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Content of thesis: You should have: a review of the literature which is relevant to the study and which critically appraises the work of others; a theoretical framework for the thesis, which informs the design and links to the literature review; a methodological framework which you have argued is appropriate for your study; discussed the findings and identified the originality of the thesis; conclusion/s that take account of the research questions first formulated; a discussion of the limitations of the study and the findings, and exploration of issues of validity and reliability; certify that this thesis is your own work, contains no plagiarism and has not been presented elsewhere for examination. The thesis should not be more than 100,000 words in the case of PhD or 60,000 words in the case of MPhil (in both cases inclusive of appendices, footnotes, tables, and bibliography); the University may withhold from examination a thesis that exceeds these word limits. Candidates must submit two soft-bound copies of their thesis, e.g. spiral-bound or plastic binding. Theses presented in lever-arch or box-files will NOT be accepted. These should be submitted to the Registry c/o the Student Services Centre, B Floor, Portland Building or by post to The Registry, E Floor, Portland Building, The University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD. For further information, please see the Information for Research Students on the University's web pages. In particular the 'submission pack' contains many details on how to submit, and also includes a list of bookbinders if required. i. Notification of Submission of Thesis form - should be completed and returned to Student Administration at least two months prior to the actual submission of your softbound thesis. Please see the submission pack for more details. At the time of the initial submission you must also present (in addition to those bound into the thesis): ii. Loose sheets 2 copies of a short abstract (not more than 300 words) 2 copies of the title page (see template): 1 copy of the list of contents Please note that the Registry will also send you the following to complete and return when you submit the final (hardbound) version of your thesis: iii. Deposit and Loan of Thesis Form (pink) All successful candidates for higher degrees by research are required by University regulations to deposit a copy of their thesis in the University’s Library where it will be available for consultation or loan. You may also wish to submit your thesis to the Nottingham eTheses service. iv. British Library Thesis Agreement Form (white) The British Thesis Service promotes awareness of, and access to, the results of Doctoral Research in British universities. Back to top Referencing Poor referencing is an easy mistake to make in a large thesis and can affect the success of your viva. One option to address this issue is through the use of bibliographic management software. The University has a site licence for Endnote for use by our research students. For information on the software see: http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/studentservices/supportforyourstudies/academicsupport/studyresources/referencingandbibliographies.aspx Note that Reference Management Software Training is also part of the compulsory Arts Faculty Researcher Programme http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/graduateschool/graduatecentres/arts/traininganddevelopment/index.aspx Back to top Using Translated Texts in Doctoral and Masters Theses The School's Research Committee has discussed the importance of having oversight of translated material which may be used as evidence, or be the subject of an analysis or discussion, in a doctoral thesis or Masters dissertation. Research Committee agreed that, where necessary, an expert should always be internally appointed to check the translation. Where PhD and Masters topics include large amounts of translated material, these should pass through Research Committee for prior approval. For further information, please contact your supervisor. back to top Plagiarism Plagiarism is an academic offence defined by the University whereby a student gains or attempts to gain an un-permitted academic advantage. Such acts include using another person’s work and submitting it with the intent that it should be taken as a student’s own work. Academic offences may incur penalties up to and including expulsion from the University. It is essential that all students should be aware of the School’s guidelines on what constitutes acceptable and legitimate use of other people’s work, and that you should follow them in submitting your own work. See the guide Producing Assessed Coursework. The thesis must be the result of the student’s own work. The requirement does not preclude a student obtaining limited assistance with proof-reading and with the routine collection and/or processing of data under guidelines and instructions clearly devised by the student. When such help is obtained it should be with the prior approval of the supervisor who must be satisfied that the spirit of the 'own work' requirement is not breached. The University’s policy and regulations governing academic offences may be obtained by consulting the Quality Manual. Back to top Submission of the Thesis Please note that you must let the School and the University know that you intend to submit your thesis a minimum of two months BEFORE submitting your thesis for examination. All students are required to complete a Notification to Submit Thesis Form which must be signed by both Supervisors. Please note that, in the School of English, the Supervisors cannot sign the Notification to Submit Form until they have read a complete, full draft of the thesis. In effect this means that all students must submit a full draft of their thesis to their Supervisors at least THREE months before they intend to submit it, in order to allow time for the thesis to be read. The Notification to Submit Thesis Form should be returned to Lydia Wallman in the School Office. The completion of this form then acts as the trigger for the appointment of the Examiners by the Academic Services Division and also for them to send you information about submitting your thesis and the various forms you will need to complete. One week before the Submission Date You must present a final version of your thesis to your Supervisors no later than one week before the final submission date. This will give time your Supervisors time to make any final comments before you prepare the two required bound copies. Please check your Supervisors’ availability during the week before your submission. On Your Submission Date Please note that the submission date is the latest date for the formal submission of your thesis to the University. You can submit your thesis before this date, but you must not submit your thesis after this date without written permission from the University. The final bound copies must be presented to the Registry c/o the Student Services Centre, B Floor, Portland Building or by post to The Registry, E Floor, Portland Building, The University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD. Back to top Appointment of Examiners Once you submit your Notification to Submit Form we will begin the process of formally appointing examiners. The choice of examiners will be decided by your supervisor/s in conjunction with you. Discussions will take place regarding the most appropriate examiners for your research area. Once examiners are nominated the supervisor/s will inform the School Office and quality assurance procedures regarding the suitability of the External Examiner will take place. The School Office will then liaise with the examiners and your supervisor/s regarding the date for the viva. You will be kept informed as to how negotiations are progressing. You should be prepared for a delay at this stage. It will take a little time to negotiate a suitable date and also to allow the examiners time to read your thesis. However we will try to ensure you are not kept waiting an unreasonable length of time. Back to top Assessment Guidelines The University provides information for Examiners, Supervisors and candidates about the Procedures for Assessment for Research Degrees. This information also includes information about the options available to the Examiners (e.g. award of MPhil/PhD, referral and failure). Back to top Extenuating Circumstances Research Students must keep in regular contact with their Supervisor and submit written work on time, undertake assessments (if applicable) and attend regular research monitoring and annual progress reviews as required by the School. Students who cannot meet an agreed deadline (e.g. up to two missed consecutive supervision sessions, an upgrade meeting, an annual review meeting, submission date for their thesis etc.) through serious illness or other problems, should inform their Supervisor immediately and complete an Extenuating Circumstances Form for Research Students and give this to their Supervisor (with supporting medical evidence). The School has a Special Cases Committee that normally meets each June to consider all cases of extenuating circumstances prior to Research Committee's annual review of all Research Students. Back to top Viva Voce A viva voce examination is normally held in the School of English within 3 months of the submission of the thesis to the Student Registry. An Internal Examiner and External Examiner are appointed by the University and research students notified of the date and time of the meeting by their Supervisor/s. Please see the Quality Manual for more guidance about the Viva Voce. Following the viva voce examination the Examiners will complete and sign the joint report form and shall come to agreement an on the recommendation on the award (or not) of the degree. Students are normally informed of the decision of the Examiners on the day. Back to top Student Referral after Examination After the viva examination has been held, a thesis may be referred for correction by the Internal and External Examiner for one of the following reasons: for corrections of typographical errors (1 month) for minor amendments (3 months) for re-submission with viva voce (12 months) for re-submission without viva voce (12 months) Students who are required to make typographical or minor amendments will be required to do this without assistance from their supervisory team and must show their corrected thesis to the internal examiner (in accordance with the instructions from the University confirmed in writing after the first viva examination.) This must be completed within the time limit specified. Students who are required to re-submit their thesis (either with or without a viva) will have 12 months to complete major corrections and must pay a re-submission fee to the University and formally re-submit their work to the Registry c/o the Student Services Centre for another formal assessment (e.g. viva). Please note that there is no further requirement for the School to supervise students during this period of time, however, research students should ensure that they keep in touch with their lead supervisor and confirm, in writing, no later than one month before their re-submission date, their intention to submit on time. The School will monitor the progress of all referred students during the Annual Review process in June each year and may require referred students to submit a short statement to their supervisor about their progress to date. Back to top Graduation Research students who have successfully submitted their thesis and attended their viva voce will be required to submit a hard bound copy of their thesis to Student Administration via the Student Cervices Centre by the date specified in writing by Student Administration (The Registry). In addition, students must complete a Deposit and Loan form for the library plus one loose copy of their abstract and title pages. Students will not be able to attend graduation until this has been completed. Please note that the University also has an inter-ceremony graduation procedure whereby degrees can be conferred in the absence of a ceremony. For further information please contact the Academic Services Division. Research students who wish to graduate at the July ceremonies must give formal notice of their intention to submit no later than 1 February. Although there are no formal submission deadlines for possible graduation, students should aim to submit the thesis for examination no later than 1 April. The equivalent dates for December graduation are 1 July (Notification) and 1 September (Submission). The examination process is however dependent on the availability of the Examiners, and no guarantee can be given that the necessary procedures will have been completed in time for a specific ceremony. Even when these dates have been correctly observed, no guarantee can be given that the necessary examination procedures will have been completed in time for a candidate to graduate at the next degree congregation. Only those candidates who have successfully completed the examination procedures (including viva, corrections etc.) and have submitted a hard-bound copy of their thesis to the Registry by 15 November (or 15 June) will be eligible to graduate at the ceremony. The University offers a mid-sessional graduation procedure, held in March and October of each year, for candidates who have successfully completed the examination process by 20 February/20 September and prefer not to wait for the formal ceremonies. This option means that the degree will be conferred upon you in your absence and the certificate is sent by post. You are not, however, entitled to attend a ceremony at a later date. Please note that it is important that the University has an up to date contact address for you in the period leading up to Graduation. The Academic Services Division will ask you to register online to confirm your attendance at graduation in either October or March. If you have any queries concerning graduation please contact the Graduation Team directly. If you have any further queries, please contact Lydia Wallman in the School Office via email lydia.wallman@nottingham.ac.uk, phone (0115) 8467286 or in person by calling into A35, Trent Building. e-Theses The University has a facility for Research Students to deposit their thesis on-line on an e-Theses repository. Research Students who have a final, corrected, version of their thesis and who have submitted a paper copy to the University can upload a PDF version to the Nottingham eTheses archive. Students who wish to do this should inform their supervisor in the first instance. Please note that students are not obliged to place their thesis on this on-line repository and should discuss any publication concerns with their Supervisor in the first instance. Note: The British Library and the major funding bodies are committed to open access repositories of this kind and encourage research students to deposit their thesis on-line in order to promote their research and make it harder for others to plagiarise the work of Research Students. Back to top
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QUICK LINKS

Assessment of Thesis

Presentation of the Thesis

Referencing

Using Translated Texts in Doctoral and Masters Theses

Plagiarism

Submission of the Thesis

Appointment of Examiners

Assessment Guidelines

Extenuating Circumstances

Viva Voce

Student Referral after Examination

Graduation

e-Theses