Thesis requirements

A compilation thesis (also known as article-based, publication-based thesis) consists of separate papers addressing the same research problem, and a scientific summary that unites them.

The compilation thesis may include:

• Published papers
• Papers accepted for publication
• Manuscripts under peer review
• Unpublished manuscripts

The number and type of scientific publications may vary depending on the practices of the research field, the scope of content, and the doctoral researcher’s contribution. The critical factors of the work are the scientific quality and the doctoral researcher's independent contribution.

Published and accepted papers must have been genuinely peer reviewed. The publication channels must be relevant to the research topic and recognized by the scientific community. Articles published in non-indexed journals or so-called predatory journals are not accepted as part of the compilation thesis.

Summary section or synthesis

The summary section (also referred to as synthesis, synopsis or kappa) is a central and independent scientific part of the compilation thesis. It presents the research context, objectives, materials, methods, results, and interpretations according to the standards of the field. Rather than merely summarizing the individual papers, the summary section demonstrates the doctoral researcher’s ability to synthesize, critically evaluate, and position the findings within a broader scientific and societal framework.

A monograph is a scientific work that addresses a specific topic in depth and comprehensively. It has a coherent structure and a consistent style, systematically presenting the background, objectives, theoretical framework, methods, results and conclusions of the study. The recommended length of a monograph varies in different fields.

A monograph thesis is typically a unified scientific study authored by one doctoral researcher based on independent research. The monograph must be an original work that has not been previously published in its entirety, although separate scientific papers related to the research topic may be published during the research process.

In some fields, the monograph may also be based on papers published from the doctoral research. These papers must be properly cited in the final thesis in accordance with good scientific practice. If the monograph is based on papers with multiple authors, the doctoral researcher’s own contribution must be sufficient and clearly stated in the thesis.

• The quality of the doctoral research is the essential criterion in the doctoral degree, and its evaluation is based on scientific significance and a justified research process. Doctoral thesis is evaluated by experts in the field who have no conflicts of interest.
• Own Contribution. The doctoral researcher must have an independent contribution to the doctoral research. In thesis with multiple papers, the doctoral researcher’s own contribution to each paper must be specified. If the same publication is included in another thesis, this must be transparently disclosed in accordance with good scientific practice, and obtain the necessary permissions from co-authors. The Finnish National Board on Research Integrity (TENK) guidelines are the authoritative source for authorship definitions.
• Use of Artificial Intelligence: At the beginning of the thesis, it must be stated whether AI was used in the doctoral thesis process and described how it was used. The doctoral researcher is required to follow the university’s guidelines on the use of AI in their doctoral research.
• The language of the doctoral thesis. The thesis is written in Finnish, English, or another language with the doctoral degree programme’s approval (relevant to theses in language studies). For justified reasons, more than one language may be used within the doctoral thesis.
• A multidisciplinary doctoral thesis offers the opportunity to generate new knowledge from the perspectives of different fields but requires careful definition of the research topic, justified integration of theories and methods, and multidisciplinary supervisory expertise. In the evaluation, special characteristics of multidisciplinary thesis may necessitate the alignment of varying field specific requirements.

Claims of copyright owners of potential past publications must be considered in both monograph and compilation dissertations. The copyright principles and requirements of the publisher must be respected, and good scientific practice must be followed in all respects. In good time, prior to starting the publication process, the doctoral researcher will ask the publishers for permissions to republish research articles included in the compilation thesis and possible images and tables (see detailed information in Instructions for publishing in the series Acta Universitatis Ouluensis).

• Majors: Archaeology, English Language, German Language and Culture, History, History of Science and Ideas, Information Studies, Literature, Cultural Anthropology, Logopedics, Swedish Language, Saami Culture, Sami Language, Finnish language, Science Communication
• Doctoral thesis format: Compilation thesis, monograph.
• Total number of papers: At least three (3) papers.
• Published or accepted papers: At least two (2). If the thesis includes more than three articles, at least half of them must be published or accepted for publication.
• Manuscripts: Of the three papers, one may be under peer review or a finalized full-length manuscript.
• Publication types: The publication channel must be relevant to the research topic and recognized by the scientific community. A publication forum (JUFO) is a reliable source for choosing a suitable and reliable publication channel.
• Doctoral researcher’s contribution: The doctoral researcher’s role in each individual study must be central—such that the research would not have been possible without their contribution.
• First authorship: In at least two papers. Shared first authorship is acceptable. If the doctoral researcher is not the first author in at least two papers, additional papers must be included in the thesis.
• Reuse of sub-studies: Possible, but a maximum of two papers per thesis is recommended.
• Summary (kappa): Includes an introduction, background (theory and background of the research), description of the research approach (e.g., methods, methodology), description of used the research or source material, summary of results (i. e. synthesis and discussion which brings together the papers and presents the broader significance of the thesis), and conclusions. The individual papers of a compilation thesis may be presented in a separate chapter or integrated into the synthesis. Using the new Acta thesis template, the minimum length of the summary section is approximately 45 pages, and the recommended maximum length is approximately 90 pages. Detailed word count recommendations are in a separate instruction.
• Monograph: Strong recommendation: minimum of 170 pages, maximum of 290 pages. However, the length can also consider the discipline, its traditions and conventions, the data used, methods and methodology, and the number of figures, tables, and appendices included in the thesis. The doctoral degree programme emphasizes the importance of concise writing, sharp argumentation, and clear summaries. Detailed word count recommendations are in a separate instruction.

• Majors: Management, International Business, Accounting, Marketing, Finance, Economics, Business Analytics
• Doctoral thesis format: Compilation thesis, monograph.
• Number of papers: At least three (3) papers.
• Published or accepted papers: The papers can be a) research papers published in peer-reviewed journals, b) research papers accepted for publication in peer-reviewed journals, or
  c) previously unpublished manuscripts.
• Manuscripts: All papers may be previously unpublished.
• Types of papers: At least two empirical or theoretical papers creating new knowledge; one paper can be a literature review.
• Doctoral researcher’s contribution: A clear independent contribution
• First authorship: In at least two papers. As the first author, the doctoral researcher must have made the most significant contribution to the completion of the paper. An independent contribution is required in all papers.
• Reuse of papers: A maximum of one paper may also be used as part of another doctoral thesis.
• Summary: In accordance with the general thesis requirements of the Graduate School.
• Monograph: The recommended length of a monograph is 150–200 pages. Otherwise, according to the general guidelines of the University of Oulu Graduate School.

• Majors: Special Education, Educational Psychology, Educational Sciences, Music Education, Psychology, Sociology and Gender Studies
• Doctoral thesis format: Compilation thesis, monograph.
• Number of papers: At least two (2) papers.
• Published or accepted papers: At least two papers .
• Types of publications: Categories A1-A3 (A1 = Original scientific paper, A2 = Review paper, A3 = Book chapter or part of another compilation)
• Manuscripts: If there are more than two papers, the thesis may include unpublished finalized full-length manuscripts, in which the doctoral researcher may also be other than the first author.
• Doctoral researcher's contribution: A clear independent contribution
• First authorship: The doctoral researcher must be the sole first author in at least two published or accepted papers.
• Reuse of papers: Not specified.
• Summary: The recommended minimum length of the summary is approximately 45 pages, and the recommended maximum length is approximately 90 pages. Otherwise, according to the general guidelines of the University of Oulu Graduate School.
• Monograph: The recommended length of a monograph is 150-200 pages. Otherwise, according to the general guidelines of the University of Oulu Graduate School.

• Majors: Electrical Engineering, Information Processing Science, Communications Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering
• Doctoral thesis format: Compilation thesis, monograph
• Number of papers: At least three (3) papers.
• Published or accepted papers: At least two (2) papers.
• Manuscripts: At the beginning of pre-examination, one paper can be a manuscript submitted for publication.
• Types of publications: Peer-reviewed scientific publications.
• Doctoral researcher’s contribution: In each paper, the contribution of the doctoral researcher must be the most significant (first author) or a comparable, clear contribution.
• Main authorship: In each paper, the doctoral researcher must be the first author, or they must have a comparable, clear contribution.
• Reuse of papers: OK if the contribution is sufficient.
• Summary: According to the general guidelines of the University of Oulu Graduate School.
• Monograph: According to the general guidelines of the University of Oulu Graduate School.

• Majors: Architecture, Geology, Mining Engineering and Mineral Processing, Chemistry, Mechanical Engineering, Process Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Civil Engineering, Industrial Engineering and Management
• Doctoral thesis format: Compilation thesis, monograph.
• Number of papers: At least two (2) papers; typically 3–4 papers. The number of papers varies by field and depends primarily on their scientific content, novelty, significance, and the doctoral researcher’s contribution to the papers.
• Published or accepted papers: At least 2 papers.
• Manuscripts: Manuscripts can be included.
• Types of publications: No specific guidelines.
• Doctoral researcher’s contribution: Papers may include co-authored publications if the doctoral researcher’s independent and scientifically significant contribution can be demonstrated. The doctoral researcher must be the first author in at least one paper. The doctoral researcher must describe their own contribution in each paper, even if the papers are not used in other thesis. Guideline: For describing the contribution (credit-author-statement), it is recommended to use, for example, the Contributor Role Taxonomy (CRediT): https://credit.niso.org/
• Main authorship: Required in at least one paper.
• Reuse of papers: A single publication may, for justified reasons, be used in several different doctoral theses, provided that each author has their own independent and scientifically significant contributions to the paper.
• Summary: The summary of a compilation thesis must describe the research problem, research objectives, and used methods, and present a synthesis of the main new research findings as well as an assessment of the work’s significance in the scientific field. The summary must be a self-contained entity that provides a comprehensive overview of the thesis's content. It includes a list of the papers included in the thesis and describe the doctoral researcher's independent contribution to each paper.
• Monograph: A monograph thesis is an unpublished, original, cohesive work authored solely by the doctoral researcher, based on scientific research. The thesis must present the research problem, research objectives, methods used, results obtained, and a synthesis of the key new research findings along with an assessment of the work’s significance in the scientific field. A previously published work cannot be accepted as a monograph thesis. However, the doctoral researcher may publish papers related to the thesis topic before the thesis is completed and may refer to these in the final thesis. If the papers have multiple authors, only the doctoral researcher's own contribution may be included in the monograph, or this contribution must be clearly indicated.

• Majors: Astronomy, Biology, Geography, Physics, Mathematical Sciences,
• Doctoral thesis format: Compilation thesis, monograph.
• Number of papers: At least two (2) papers.
• Published or accepted papers: At least one (1) paper.
• Types of publications: Geography: The peer-review process must meet the criteria defined by the Ministry of Education and Culture’s (OKM) publication data collection for a scientific peer-reviewed publication.
• Manuscripts: Manuscripts can be included.
• Doctoral researcher’s contribution: A significant role, which must be described in the thesis.
• Main authorship: Geography: The doctoral researcher must be the first author in at least two of the papers.
• Reuse of papers: Not specified.

• Summary: Geography: The summary must be an independently written section by the doctoral researcher. It should present the key foundations, research problem, methodology, main findings, and scientific contribution of the thesis. Detailed word count recommendations are provided in a separate guideline. Thesis in Geography, a 1–2 page abstract must be provided in both Finnish and in the publication language. If the thesis is written in Finnish, an English abstract is also required.

  Other majors: According the general guidelines of the University of Oulu Graduate School.

• Monograph: Geography: The monograph must be a cohesive and unified work. It is typically written in a single language. The content of the monograph must not have been previously published in its entirety, although the doctoral researcher’s previously published studies and papers may be utilized. If the papers have multiple authors, only the doctoral researcher’s own contribution may be included in the monograph, or this contribution must be clearly indicated.

  Other majors: According the general guidelines of the University of Oulu Graduate School.

• Majors: Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Oral Health Sciences, Nursing Science, Health Management, Medicine , Medical Physics and Technology
• Doctoral thesis format: Compilation thesis, monograph.
• Number of papers: Typically two to three (2-3) papers. If the thesis includes fewer than three papers, particular attention must be paid to their quality and the doctoral researcher’s individual contribution to the material presented.
  • Clinical medicine, Dentistry, Health Sciences: 3 papers
  • Biomedicine, Medical Physics and Technology: 2–3 papers
  • Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine: 2–3 papers

• Published or accepted papers: At least half of the papers must be published or accepted for publication:

  • Clinical medicine, Dentistry, Health Sciences: 2 papers
  • Biomedicine, Medical Physics and Technology: 1–2 papers
  • Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine: 1–2 papers

  Metrics based on the publication channel, such as Publication Forum, can support the selection of the appropriate publication channel.

• Manuscripts: An unpublished manuscript must be complete in content and scope, and ready for submission to a peer-reviewed journal.
• Types of publications: If the compilation thesis includes at least three papers, one of them may be a systematic or scoping review that meets the requirements of an original research paper. For including conference papers in a thesis, please see the instructions.
• Doctoral researcher’s contribution: Must have an independent contribution to all papers included in the thesis.
• First authorship: The doctoral researcher must be the first or shared first author in at least one (1) published paper.
• Reuse of papers: Unless well justified, no more than half of the papers in a thesis may be included in other theses. The first author has priority to use the paper in a thesis.
• Summary: Follows the general guidelines.
• Monograph: The doctoral researcher must have their own independent contribution to the results presented in the Results section. As a general principle, material published in a monograph may not be used as results in another thesis. The doctoral researcher’s contribution to the presented material must be clearly and comprehensively stated in the thesis.

An Author Contribution Form must be completed if the thesis 1) includes an unpublished manuscript, 2) includes an article or data that has been/will be used in another thesis or is 3) a monograph.

Documents

• Instructions for doctoral researchers on monograph thesis in the Doctoral Programme for Health and Biosciences
• Instructions for pre-examiners on monograph thesis in the Doctoral Programme for Health and Biosciences
• Author Contribution Form for presenting the contribution of doctoral researcher in papers and monographs (Doctoral researcher must attach this to the nomination of pre-examiners form in eForms)