phd monograph structure

PhD thesis types: Monograph and collection of articles

Starting PhD students often face a difficult choice. They have to decide whether they want to write their dissertation in the form of a monograph, or as a collection of journal articles. Some universities have strict requirements, not leaving a choice. But most offer both options. The decision is left to students and their supervisors and requires careful consideration.

Advantages of writing a monograph

Disadvantages of writing a monograph, advantages of a cumulative dissertation, disadvantages of a cumulative dissertation, checklist before deciding on a monograph or an article-based phd, writing a thesis as a monograph.

A monograph is a detailed study in one piece. Think of a book.

A monograph resembles an academic book. It typically has an introductory chapter, a methodology chapter, and a literature review chapter. Then, the empirical results of the PhD study are presented in several chapters of analysis. The final discussion and conclusion chapter wraps up the study.

A monograph is generally the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about a PhD thesis.

In some countries, monographs are still the norm. In others, theses based on academic articles are becoming increasingly popular.

Writing a coherent thesis is easier: You can edit all chapters of your thesis until your submission deadline.
You can write very detailed empirical analyses. In contrast, many journals have word limits for their articles.
You gain valuable skills in writing and editing long (academic) texts. When you finish your PhD, you can even try to publish your monograph as a book.
You are never done. If you change something in Chapter 5, you might have to adjust Chapter 2 as well.
A PhD as a monograph does not automatically lead to journal publications. Journal publications are key indicators for academic careers.
Writing good, publishable articles for high-ranking academic journals is a skill. You are not developing these skills as part of your thesis writing process.

Writing a thesis as a collection of articles (cumulative dissertation)

A thesis based on a collection of articles is based on individual journal publications. Universities tend to require 3-5 academic articles, published or submitted to academic journals.

The specific regulations differ from university to university, so make sure that you check what applies to you!

Combined, the individual articles form the body of the thesis. Nonetheless, a PhD thesis in the form of articles begins with an introduction. Some also have an extra chapter here and there, which is not published as a journal article.

Then, the journal articles are packed together, and followed by a general conclusion that rounds up the thesis.

The overwhelming task of writing a PhD is divided into concrete parts. Many PhD students write one article every 9 to 12 months.
Once an article is published, you cannot edit it anymore. This saves you from obsessive perfectionism, editing your work over and over again.
You will have a head start in terms of publications. Publishing is a lengthy process. 3-5 completed articles at the end of your PhD is a big advantage.
Cumulative PhD theses are often less coherent than monographs. It is difficult to integrate independent journal articles into a coherent whole.
For each journal article, you need to develop a distinct theoretical framework. If the theory is not your forte, you might struggle with this.
In some countries, PhD theses based on articles are considered worth less than monographs, and are looked down upon.

There is no right or wrong. Both monographs and theses based on a collection of articles have advantages and disadvantages.

One is also not easier than the other. But one might be more suited to your specific situation.

When making a decision, ask yourself the following questions:

What are your university’s regulations when it comes to thesis types?
What is the reputation of both thesis types in your (national) context? And in the context in which you aspire to work in?
What is your strength? (conducting detailed empirical analyses vs abstract theoretical thinking)
What is your end goal? (a non-academic career vs. an academic career requiring high numbers of journal publications)
Which thesis type fits best with your research topic?

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Structure and criteria of doctoral theses

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Doctoral thesis requirements
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The doctoral dissertation and related research are the most significant and extensive part of a doctoral degree. The University of Helsinki does not measure dissertations in credits, but their scope has been calculated to correspond to approximately 200 credits. A doctoral dissertation is a consistent scholarly work based on independent research that makes an original contribution to scientific knowledge. It can be a monograph or based on articles. In the natural sciences, dissertations are typically based on articles. The humanities and social sciences have traditionally preferred monographs, although the number of article-based dissertations is continuously increasing in these domains, with most dissertations already being article-based in such fields as the educational sciences.

Article-based dissertations consist of several peer-reviewed scholarly publications or manuscripts accepted for publication as well as a summarising report on them. A monograph dissertation is a scholarly work on a single topic issued under the name of the author alone and based on previously unpublished research results. In exceptional cases, a doctoral dissertation may also take another form, provided it meets the appropriate scholarly criteria and the doctoral candidate’s independent contribution to it can be verified.

Regardless of the chosen format, the dissertation must always make an original contribution to scientific knowledge. The dissertation should demonstrate the doctoral candidate’s critical thinking skills and profound familiarity with the topic as well as his or her knowledge of key research methods in the field and competence in their application. The research results presented in the dissertation must be justified, scientifically convincing and sustainable in terms of research ethics. Faculties assess dissertations on consistent criteria that are announced in advance. You and your supervisors should acquaint yourselves with the criteria at the outset of your dissertation work.

The topic of your dissertation should be clearly defined so that you are not overwhelmed by an excessive workload. Remember that the dissertation is just the first step on your career path as a researcher and should not take you forever to complete. You and your supervisor should together limit the topic and content of the dissertation in such a way that you can complete the dissertation and the doctoral degree in approximately four years of full-time study.

A completed dissertation always includes a one- or two-page abstract outlining the objectives or research questions of the dissertation, as well as the key research methods, results and conclusions.

Article-based dissertations

Article-based dissertations consist of scholarly publications focusing on the same research problem as well as a summarising report.

The summarising report is the core of an article-based dissertation: it must present the background, objectives, methods, material, results, discussion and conclusions of the research. It must be a balanced work based on both the publications included in the dissertation and the research literature. Its recommended length varies by faculty, so read your faculty’s instructions before writing the report. For practical tips on how to write a good summarising report, we recommend for example this blog post by researchers from Tampere University .

As a rule, the publications included in an article-based dissertation must have been published or approved for publication. However, article-based dissertations can also contain articles that have not yet been accepted for publication. In such cases, the preliminary examiners will pay particular attention to articles that have not yet been peer-reviewed. A typical article-based dissertation includes a summarising report and three to five scholarly articles. The number of articles required depends on their scope, scientific quality and significance, and publishing forum as well as the author’s independent contribution to any co-authored articles included in the dissertation. Read your faculty’s instructions for article-based dissertations, including the sections relevant to the above, at the outset of your dissertation work.

Article-based dissertations can include co-authored publications – indeed, such articles are the rule rather than the exception in some disciplines. However, if your dissertation includes co-authored articles, you must be able to clearly demonstrate your contribution to them. You and your supervisor must together write an informal report on your contribution to each co-authored article. You are strongly recommended (and in some faculties, required) to have the report approved by the other authors of the articles in question.

The recommended scope of a monograph is 250 pages, excluding appendices. Monographs must be previously unpublished, but doctoral researchers writing a monograph need not keep their findings under lock and key until the public examination. While working on their monograph, doctoral researchers can publish articles related to the dissertation topic and then refer to them in the completed dissertation using common referencing practices.

Other types of dissertations

Some faculties accept dissertations that differ from the format of a monograph or an article-based dissertation, provided the work otherwise meets the scholarly criteria set for dissertations. Decisions on the scope and structure of such dissertations are made by the faculty council of the relevant faculty at the proposal of a doctoral programme. As a rule, however, all dissertations must be monographs or article-based, and the acceptance of other types of dissertations is exceedingly rare at the University of Helsinki.

Faculty-specific grading criteria and additional requirements for article-based dissertations

The faculty-specific criteria for evaluating doctoral theses and the possible additional requirements placed on article-based dissertations are available on your home faculty’s external website, in the instructions aimed at the examiners of doctoral theses. Getting acquainted with the instructions aimed at the examiners is a recommendable idea in general, as it will give you a good idea of how your final doctoral thesis will be evaluated. However, do not forget that reading only the instructions aimed at the examiners is not enough – when you are ready to submit your doctoral thesis for preliminary examination, do not forget to read the instructions aimed at doctoral researchers about to get started with the examination process of their doctoral thesis. All those instructions are available elsewhere on this site.

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From PhD Thesis to Monograph: Tips for Editing Your First Book

Heather Hind is a Lecturer in English Literature with research interests in Victorian literature and material culture. She is currently turning her PhD thesis into a monograph. In this post, the second in our series on the PhD and beyond, she shares her hints and tips for getting started with this process.

“ Steppingstones across the River Aire, Gargrave ” by Tim Green aka atoach is licensed under CC BY 2.0 .

Why do you want to publish a book? And how, in broad terms, do you want to go about it? These questions are worth asking yourself early on. Perhaps you see a monograph as a steppingstone in an academic career. Or maybe you want to disseminate your research to a wider audience. Or publication might be a personal goal. Quite likely, your reasoning is a combination of all of these and more.

There are alternatives to the book route, such as publishing your research via academic journals or public-facing media outlets. In any case, practical life matters need to be factored in too. The post-PhD period can be tricky in terms of employment, access to resources and mentoring, and time. Even if you plan to lightly edit your thesis, the timeline from writing your proposal through to seeing your book being published can be surprisingly lengthy – not to mention busy and uncertain.

My best advice is to keep in mind a clear sense of your motivation for publishing your book, and to create a realistic editing schedule. For me, that has meant being more ambitious than I initially intended with my revisions (because my motivation is academic impact) and assigning plenty of time to do them (acknowledging that I have other demands on my time).

The next step, after deciding to publish your book, is to get a proposal and sample chapters in order. I’d highly recommend checking out Laura Portwood-Stacer’s Manuscript Works Archive . Laura is the author of The Book Proposal Book and her website contains guidelines, templates, prompts and all kinds of proposal-writing information.

The broad questions I found useful to think about while writing my proposal, and working out the new shape and emphasis of my monograph, were:

What new perspective/s will my book offer?
What ideas does it connect, or what story does it tell?
How might it inform and influence my field and discipline?

Initial edit

First, remove any thesis-y phrasing and heavy-handed signposting, such as ‘In this thesis…’. Next, revise or cull your footnotes and any extraneous references. One of my PhD supervisors advised me to ‘wear my learning heavily’ in the thesis or, in other words, include plenty of references to show the full breadth and depth of my reading and research. While your monograph should be detailed and well-researched, it doesn’t want quite the same ‘heaviness’ as a thesis. During this initial edit, pay extra attention to the clarity of your writing and flow of your argument. As with your footnotes and references, consider cutting any tangential sentences or paragraphs. It’s a good idea to make space for new material before it’s written, rather than adding and adding to an increasingly baggy monster of a manuscript.

Content and structure

“ Hot Air Balloon Inflating ” by ajagendorf25 is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0 .

Next, you might rethink your monograph’s overall content and structure. Your examiners’ reports can be very useful here! You may well plan to cut as well as add material, though identifying areas to expand—whether to include unused thesis research or new post-PhD developments—can make for a major selling point in a book proposal. I have heard that some publishers want to see an entirely new chapter for the monograph, though another approach (which I’ve adopted) is to add sections of new material to your existing chapters.

You might also consider restructuring your chapters so that they make more sense (or are more marketable) as a book. For example: would splitting your chapters up into shorter ones help to guide your reader through the material with more ease? Is there a current or emerging topic that you might engage with in a new chapter or sub-section? Can you retitle your chapters (or overall book) to appeal to a wider audience?

With these points in mind, I found it helpful to reread some monographs that I admire to reflect on what works well, especially in terms of structuring the introduction and conclusion.

Academic writing guides

These can also be sources of inspiration. Helen Sword’s books on academic writing are excellent and she also has some free writing tools and videos . Here are two more resources I’ve found helpful for writing and editing:

The Thesis Whisperer – This site is useful for thesis writing pointers as well as general academic writing tips.

Publish Not Perish / Jenn McClearen – A newsletter with a back catalogue of posts that includes tips on all aspects of academic writing.

Valuable tips

Picking up on my earlier point about recognising the pressures of the post-PhD period, here’s the advice I’ve found most helpful.

Carve out writing and editing time

“ Mechanical Clock 9 – by Eric Freitas ” by Kotomi_ is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0 .

I have found online writing retreats vital to gaining momentum with my editing because they force me to sit down, focus, and work in regular blocks. I even volunteered to run a series of them to squeeze more into my calendar. Even if you don’t join a writing group, you could try marking out blocks of writing and editing time in your calendar as well as planned deadlines for chapters or sub-chapters (which work even better if you tell someone about them for accountability!).

Look into post-PhD funding and other kinds of support

While there are major postdoctoral funders that provide longer-term fellowships (e.g. Leverhulme, British Academy), these almost exclusively require you to start work on a new project. However, your period or discipline may have societies or associations that provide small pots of research funding to early career academics for developing existing projects or publications (e.g. the Royal Historical Society ). Some will cover expenses for research trips (ideal if needed for expanding your monograph), while others may fund proposal writing or even monograph editing. Some have early career memberships and fellowships that provide other benefits to recent PhD graduates, such as academic affiliation, library access, or networking and mentoring opportunities.

Keep connected to others

I’ve found academic and peer networks in the form of writing groups, societies, conferences, and PhD/Early Career Researcher friends even more important in the post PhD-period. Whether it’s through presenting and getting feedback on your research, swapping proposals or chapter drafts with someone, or just venting about how it’s all going, don’t underestimate the value of sharing your work-in-progress with others.

Heather Hind Heather Hind ’s monograph will be the first book-length study of Victorian hairwork – the crafting of decorative objects from human hair – and its presence in British literature of the period, with chapters that focus on works by Charlotte and Emily Brontë, Wilkie Collins, and Margaret Oliphant. Her broader interests are in nineteenth-century literature, material culture, textiles and handicrafts, and object-led and embodied methodologies.

About Emma Claire Sweeney

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Pak J Med Sci
v.32(2); Mar-Apr 2016

How to write a Doctoral Thesis

Prof. HR Ahmad, Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan. E-mail: [email protected]

Note: * Ahmad HR. In: Medical Writing. Eds. SA Jawaid, MH Jafary & SJ Zuberi. PMJA, 1997 Ed II: 133-142.

PATIENT care and teaching are rather well established components of our medical career. However, with the passage of time a third component has started to influence our medical culture, namely research. 1 - 4 How to accept this challenge is a question. 5 Indeed, teaching and research form a dialectic unit, meaning that teaching without a research component is like a soup without salt. It is a well-established fact that the research activity of an institution is directly proportional to the number of qualified and committed PhD candidates. An inspiring infrastructure, laboratory facilities and libraries are pre-requisites for a research culture to grow. 6 - 8 This forms the basis of a generation cycle for an institution, so that research activity and its culture continues to grow from one generation to the next. The main objective of doctoral work in biomedical sciences is to develop a galaxy of scientist physicians and surgeons possessing high degree of humility, selflessness and ethical superiority. Such a programme will add a scholastic dimension to the clinical faculty.

Education in how to write a doctoral thesis or dissertation should be a part of the postgraduate curriculum, parallel to the laboratory work and Journal Club activities during the PhD studies and/or residency levels. 9 , 10 The overall structure of a doctoral thesis is internationally standardized. However, it varies in style and quality, depending upon how original the work is, and how much the author has understood the work. Therefore a thorough discussion with supervisor, colleagues and assistance from other authors through correspondence can be useful sources for consultation.

The choice of a topic for a doctoral thesis is a crucial step. It should be determined by scanning the literature whether the topic is original or similar work has already been done even a hundred years ago. It is the responsibility of both the supervisor and the PhD candidate to sort out this problem by continuous use of internet and a library. 11 The work leading to the PhD degree can originate from research in following spheres: 12

b) Methodology
c) Diagnostic
d) Therapeutic and Management
e) Epidemiology

The availability of internationally standardized methods, as well as research committed supervisors can enable physicians and surgeons to do PhD work in both basic and clinical health sciences. The importance of research in basic health sciences cannot be overemphasized. It is rather the base of the applied sciences. There are many instances where the elucidation of a mechanism involved in a process awaits the development of an adequate methodology. 13 In such a scenario; a new method is like a new eye. Research activity in the field of (a) and (b) illuminates the research directions for (c) (d) and (e). It is worth noting that sometimes important basic questions can come from (e) and stimulate research activity in the domain of basic health sciences. 14 , 15

Types of Doctoral Thesis

TYPE-I: Book Form: a classical style. The blueprint of this form is shown in Table-I .

Type-I: The Classical Book Form

TYPE-II: Cumulative Doctoral thesis: A modem but quite useful practice.

INTRODUCTION

A book containing the pearls of a PhD work has standardized divisions and formats, where the number of pages should be weighted in terms of content rather than container. The book includes summary, introduction, materials and methods, results, discussion, conclusions, references and acknowledgements.

Two exercises are mandatory before starting a PhD programme:

Literature survey using a regular library hours and internet surfing
Familiarization with the hands-on-experience of methodology involved in the work
The importance of a continuous literature survey using library, internet and direct correspondence with authors across the globe in the same field cannot be over-emphasized. The main goal of this exercise is to pinpoint the unresolved problem in the literature. An attempt to solve this problem now becomes the topic of the PhD thesis. All the relevant references should be collected, and carefully preserved in the form of a card system arranged alphabetically according to themes and authors. The introduction of the thesis should be styled like a review article with a critical analysis of the work of authors in the literature. The aims of the present PhD work can then also be addressed in the form of questions. The objectives would then deal with how to achieve the aims of the proposed study.

MATERIALS / SUBJECTS AND METHODS

Now comes the most crucial and functional part of the doctoral work, the materials/subjects and methods section. This part can be considered as the motor of the PhD work. The reliability, sensitivity and specificity of the motor must be checked before embarking on a long journey. Controlling the controls is the best guide for a precise and authentic work. Usually materials and methods contain components such as a description of the species involved, their number, age, weight and anthropometric parameters, types of surgical procedures and anesthesia if applied, and a detailed description of methodology. Continuous or point measurements should be thoroughly described. However, a dynamic method should always be preferred to static one.

The experimental protocol should be designed after a small pilot study, which is especially advisable in research on human subjects. A detailed and well-thought experimental protocol forms the basis of conditions under which the results would be obtained. Any deviation from the experimental protocol will affect the outcome, and the interpretation of results. It may be noted that great discoveries are usually accidental and without a protocol, based merely on careful observation! However, for the sake of a publication, a protocol has to be designed after the discovery. After having described the different phases of the experimental protocol with the help of a schematic diagram e.g., showing variables, time period and interventions, the selection of a statistical method should be discussed. Negative results should not be disregarded because they represent the boundary conditions of positive results. Sometimes the negative results are the real results.

It is usual practice that most PhD candidates start writing the methodological components first. This is followed by writing the results. The pre-requisites for writing results are that all figures, tables, schematic diagrams of methods and a working model should be ready. They should be designed in such a way that the information content of each figure should, when projected as a frame be visually clear to audience viewing it from a distance of about fifty feet. It is often observed that the presenters themselves have difficulty in deciphering a frame of the Power-Point being projected in a conference.

The results of a doctoral thesis should be treated like a bride. The flow of writing results becomes easier if all figures and tables are well prepared. This promotes the train of thoughts required to analyze the data in a quantitative fashion. The golden rule of writing results of a thesis is to describe what the figure shows. No explanation is required. One should avoid writing anything which is not there in a figure. Before writing one should observe each diagram for some time and make a list of observations in the form of key words. The more one has understood the information content of a figure; the better will be the fluency of writing. The interruption of the flow in writing most often indicates that an author has not understood the results. Discussion with colleagues or reference to the literature is the only remedy, and it functions sometimes like a caesarean procedure.

Statistical methods are good devices to test the degree of authenticity and precision of results if appropriately applied. The application of statistical technique in human studies poses difficulties because of large standard deviations. Outliers must be discussed, if they are excluded for the sake of statistical significance. Large standard deviations can be minimized by increasing the number of observations. If a regression analysis is not weighted, it gives faulty information. The correlation coefficient value can change from 0.7 to 0.4 if the regression analysis is weighted using Fisher’s test. The dissection of effect from artifact should be analysed in such a way that the signal to noise ratio of a parameter should be considered. A competent statistician should always be consulted in order to avoid the danger of distortion of results.

The legend of a figure should be well written. It contains a title, a brief description of variables and interventions, the main effect and a concluding remark conveying the original message. The writing of PhD work is further eased by a well maintained collection of data in the form of log book, original recordings, analyzed references with summaries and compiling the virgin data of the study on master plan sheet to understand the original signals before submitting to the procedures of statistics. The original data belong to the laboratory of an institution where it came into being and should be preserved for 5-7 years in the archive for the sake of brevity.

This is the liveliest part of a thesis. Its main goal is to defend the work by staging a constructive debate with the literature. The golden rule of this written debate should be that a rigid explanation looks backward and a design looks forward. The object is to derive a model out of a jig-saw puzzle of information. It should be designed in such a way that the results of the present study and those of authors from the literature can be better discussed and interpreted. Agreement and disagreement can be better resolved if one considers under what experimental conditions the results were obtained by the various authors. It means that the boundary conditions for each result should be carefully analyzed and compared.

The discussion can be divided into the following parts:

criticism of material/subjects and methods
a list of important observations of the present study
interpretation and comparison of results of other authors using a literature table
design of a model
claim of an original research work
The criticism of the methodological procedure enables a candidate to demonstrate how precisely the research work has been carried out. The interpretation of results depends critically on the strict experimental protocol and methods. For example, an epidemiological work is a study of a population. However, if the population sampling is done regularly at a specific location; the question arises as to how a result derived from a localized place can be applied to the whole population.
After having discussed at length the strong and weak points of material/subjects and methods, one should list in a telegraphic design the most important observations of the present study. This may form a good agenda to initiate interpretation, argument, reasoning and comparison with results of other authors. The outcome of this constructive debate should permit the design of a working model in the form of a block diagram. All statements should be very carefully referenced. The ratio of agreement and disagreement should indicate the ability of the author to reconcile conflicting data in an objective and quantitative way. Attempts should be made to design a solution out of the given quantum of information. It is also well known that most of the processes of human physiology can only be understood if their time course is known. The dynamic aspect of interpretation of results is therefore more powerful and superior to the static one. 16 Therefore a continuous record of variables should be preferred and sought to reveal the secrets hidden in the kinetics.
Finally, the discussion should conclude how far the study was successful in answering the questions being posed at the end of the introduction part. Usually a doctoral thesis raises more questions than it answers. In this way research does not come to a standstill and does become a life time engagement for a committed scientist. Also it is important to note that all scientific theses should be quantifiable and falsifiable, otherwise they lose the spirit and fragrance of a scientific research.
The author’s claim of original work is finally decided by the critical review of his research work by the literature and the number of times being cited. It can be easily read by a high rate of a citation index of a publication and invitation. When a methodological research clicks, one becomes a star overnight.

Type-II: CUMULATIVE DOCTORAL THESES

Another way of writing a doctoral work is a cumulative type of thesis. 11 It consists of a few original publications in refereed journals of repute. It is supplemented by a concise summary about the research work. This type of thesis is usually practiced in Sweden, Germany and other countries. It has the advantage of being doubly refereed by the journals and the faculty of health sciences. Additionally, papers are published during a doctoral work. A declaration has to be given to the faculty of science about the sharing of research work in publications, provided there are co-authors. The weightage should be in favour of the PhD candidate, so that the thesis can ethically be better defended before the team of august research faculty.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

A critical review of this manuscript by Dr. Roger Sutton, Dr. Khalid Khan, Dr. Bukhtiar Shah and Dr. Satwat Hashmi is gratefully acknowledged.

Dedicated to the memory of Mr. Azim Kidwai for his exemplary academic commitment and devotion to the science journalism in Pakistan.

Manuscript Preparation

Know How to Structure Your PhD Thesis

4 minute read

Table of Contents

In your academic career, few projects are more important than your PhD thesis. Unfortunately, many university professors and advisors assume that their students know how to structure a PhD. Books have literally been written on the subject, but there’s no need to read a book in order to know about PhD thesis paper format and structure. With that said, however, it’s important to understand that your PhD thesis format requirement may not be the same as another student’s. The bottom line is that how to structure a PhD thesis often depends on your university and department guidelines.

But, let’s take a look at a general PhD thesis format. We’ll look at the main sections, and how to connect them to each other. We’ll also examine different hints and tips for each of the sections. As you read through this toolkit, compare it to published PhD theses in your area of study to see how a real-life example looks.

Main Sections of a PhD Thesis

In almost every PhD thesis or dissertation, there are standard sections. Of course, some of these may differ, depending on your university or department requirements, as well as your topic of study, but this will give you a good idea of the basic components of a PhD thesis format.

Abstract : The abstract is a brief summary that quickly outlines your research, touches on each of the main sections of your thesis, and clearly outlines your contribution to the field by way of your PhD thesis. Even though the abstract is very short, similar to what you’ve seen in published research articles, its impact shouldn’t be underestimated. The abstract is there to answer the most important question to the reviewer. “Why is this important?”
Introduction : In this section, you help the reviewer understand your entire dissertation, including what your paper is about, why it’s important to the field, a brief description of your methodology, and how your research and the thesis are laid out. Think of your introduction as an expansion of your abstract.
Literature Review : Within the literature review, you are making a case for your new research by telling the story of the work that’s already been done. You’ll cover a bit about the history of the topic at hand, and how your study fits into the present and future.
Theory Framework : Here, you explain assumptions related to your study. Here you’re explaining to the review what theoretical concepts you might have used in your research, how it relates to existing knowledge and ideas.
Methods : This section of a PhD thesis is typically the most detailed and descriptive, depending of course on your research design. Here you’ll discuss the specific techniques you used to get the information you were looking for, in addition to how those methods are relevant and appropriate, as well as how you specifically used each method described.
Results : Here you present your empirical findings. This section is sometimes also called the “empiracles” chapter. This section is usually pretty straightforward and technical, and full of details. Don’t shortcut this chapter.
Discussion : This can be a tricky chapter, because it’s where you want to show the reviewer that you know what you’re talking about. You need to speak as a PhD versus a student. The discussion chapter is similar to the empirical/results chapter, but you’re building on those results to push the new information that you learned, prior to making your conclusion.
Conclusion : Here, you take a step back and reflect on what your original goals and intentions for the research were. You’ll outline them in context of your new findings and expertise.

Tips for your PhD Thesis Format

As you put together your PhD thesis, it’s easy to get a little overwhelmed. Here are some tips that might keep you on track.

Don’t try to write your PhD as a first-draft. Every great masterwork has typically been edited, and edited, and…edited.
Work with your thesis supervisor to plan the structure and format of your PhD thesis. Be prepared to rewrite each section, as you work out rough drafts. Don’t get discouraged by this process. It’s typical.
Make your writing interesting. Academic writing has a reputation of being very dry.
You don’t have to necessarily work on the chapters and sections outlined above in chronological order. Work on each section as things come up, and while your work on that section is relevant to what you’re doing.
Don’t rush things. Write a first draft, and leave it for a few days, so you can come back to it with a more critical take. Look at it objectively and carefully grammatical errors, clarity, logic and flow.
Know what style your references need to be in, and utilize tools out there to organize them in the required format.
It’s easier to accidentally plagiarize than you think. Make sure you’re referencing appropriately, and check your document for inadvertent plagiarism throughout your writing process.

PhD Thesis Editing Plus

Want some support during your PhD writing process? Our PhD Thesis Editing Plus service includes extensive and detailed editing of your thesis to improve the flow and quality of your writing. Unlimited editing support for guaranteed results. Learn more here , and get started today!

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From PhD to Monograph: How to Revise Your Thesis for Publication | Lex Academic Blog

25 November 2021

Most early career researchers in the arts and humanities are encouraged to see their PhD thesis as a monograph-in-waiting – and with good reason. In the increasingly competitive academic job market, a monograph, along with several peer-reviewed journal articles, is often a requirement for obtaining a permanent lectureship. In the UK, the Research Excellence Framework – the system that assesses the quality and impact of a department’s research and determines how much funding it will receive – allows a monograph to count as two submissions. Job applicants with a monograph therefore offer the hiring department a valuable opportunity to add to its tally of research outputs. A monograph is, then, vital for kick-starting an academic career. Turning a thesis into a monograph normally requires some work because the needs of a publisher are different from those of a PhD examiner. Here’s our how-to guide to revising your thesis for publication.

The difference between a thesis and a book boils down to this: ultimately, a book has to sell. Revisions to your thesis must therefore make your book accessible and appealing to a variety of readers. One way to improve accessibility is to reduce the size of your theoretical framework. Much of the theoretical material in your thesis is included to show your examiners that you’ve engaged with and understood it. In your book, this material can be given a lighter touch. It’s important to strike a balance here, though, so as not to give the impression that the book is under-researched, which would damage its credibility. A tip is to take a book on a similar topic – perhaps one you refer to frequently in your thesis – and note when theory is introduced and in how much detail. Think also about the needs of your audience. If yours will be the first book-length study of a topic, readers might well benefit from an opening chapter that outlines the theories most applicable to it. This is equally true if your book is as likely to appear on an undergraduate student’s reading list as it is in the bibliography of an established researcher. Keep in mind, too, that your readers may include experts in different fields who are reading your book for background. On the other hand, if your target reader is a specialist who is already well-versed in the theories you draw on, or if an overview of these theories exists in another recent publication, a theoretical chapter might be redundant. No matter who your reader is, a big part of the journey from thesis to monograph is de-theorising .

Another thing to think about when considering the needs of your audience is structure. Whereas your thesis is intended to be read from cover to cover, readers of your book may want to consult only the introduction or the chapter most relevant to them. Your introduction should provide a strong sense of the topic, scope, originality and main findings, as well as a chapter-by-chapter outline. In your analytical chapters, avoid excessive cross-references to other sections and ensure as far as possible that a particular theme, text, event, etc., is discussed in full in a single place, rather than scattered throughout the book.

Revising the role of theory and the structure is probably the most time-consuming and intellectually taxing part of converting a thesis into a book, but there are a few other elements that warrant attention. Let’s go back to the main difference between a thesis and a book: a book has to sell. For it to sell, it must first be found . As an author in the digital age, you should ensure that your book is discoverable via a search engine. Your thesis title may be long, specific and technical. Your book title will need to be shorter and contain keywords that readers are likely to put into a search engine. Think about the terms you searched for when you were first looking for literature on your thesis topic and, if possible, include some in your book title. Likewise, overly generic chapter titles like ‘Aims’, ‘Methods’ or ‘Discussion’ will need to be replaced with clear and descriptive alternatives. Your publisher will probably insist on this – they want your book to be discoverable, too! But it’s also in your interest because you want your academic peers to read and cite your work. A tip for increasing your book’s visibility is to choose a publisher with a book series your title fits into. Publishing in a series gives your book an identity; an automatic endorsement from the series editor and a greater likelihood that it’ll be displayed at a conference or other event.

The last issue you’ll need to address is any formatting requirements requested by the publisher, especially if the book is part of a series. It’s worth asking, however, if your publisher would accept an alternative style guide, as many are flexible as long as the style is applied consistently. This will reduce time and effort spent on formal elements and enable you to focus on ensuring that the content, structure and readability of your book are as good as possible.

Before you can implement your plan for revising your thesis for publication, you’ll first need to obtain a contract from a publisher . Many proposals for books based on theses are rejected because they fail to demonstrate that the author understands the differences between a thesis and a book. It’s therefore worth including a bullet-point list detailing how you intend to revise your thesis to make it more accessible, coherent and relevant to readers. You should also emphasise your book’s originality. List any competing publications and explain why your book is distinctive. If parts of the thesis have already been published, indicate whether you could theoretically reproduce them (and especially if the material is open access). Finally, stress the marketability of your book. What readership do you envisage for it? Which courses would it be suitable for? If you’re lucky, the publisher’s book proposal form will invite you to share this information. If the application is more open-ended, you’ll have to take the initiative.

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#6: Dissertation dilemma? Hand in a monograph or papers?

April 8, 2019 by Tress Academic

Having doubts about the type of PhD dissertation you’ll hand in at the end of your studies? Getting all sorts of confusing advice, and not knowing how to move on? Let us help you out of the dilemma!

Are you pondering one of the following issues:

Not exactly sure what the differences are between a monograph or a paper-based dissertation?
Not quite sure what the university requirements are?
Uncertain if you’ve got a choice at all, and what would be the best option in your case?
What you need to be aware of in order to have a smooth process?

In this blog post we’ll explain the key-features of a monograph or paper-based PhD dissertation and the main points to be aware of. We’ve also compiled a super helpful fact sheet “What type of dissertation do I hand in & what to consider?” with the key points you need to know about your dissertation of choice!

The two main types of PhD dissertations

There are two main types of dissertations. One is the monograph, and the other is the paper-based dissertation:

1) The monograph is what one always wrote in order to get the PhD degree. It’s been around for centuries – as long as PhD degrees have been awarded, this was the thing to do. But, with the growing importance of academic papers (peer-reviewed articles) and the simultaneous declining importance of scholarly works published as a book (monograph) in many disciplines, this has shifted.

2) The paper-based dissertations emerged as an alternative to the traditional monograph, around about 20-25 years ago. From a history-of-science perspective, that means ‘recently’! And, just so you know: a paper-based dissertation may also be called a ‘cumulative dissertation’, but it’s the same thing.

Which type is more common?

The paper-based dissertation is more common in the natural sciences, life sciences, medical sciences, engineering and quantitative social sciences than in the humanities. So one determining factor is the research area in which you work. Also, different countries still have different preferences, or are about to shift from monograph to paper-based dissertations. Often, PhD students opt for a paper-based dissertation at the beginning of their PhD studies, but that may change during the PhD process.

Who decides what can be handed in?

The university from which you graduate, and more specifically your faculty decides. Even within your faculty, your specific discipline can hammer out particular requirements for submitting the dissertation. In some countries this is also subject to ministerial orders, governmental acts, and rulings.

The university regulations are the framework within which you operate. Now let’s give you a better understanding of the key features of the two types of dissertations, their main differences and what this means for your PhD.

Monograph – key features

What you submit: A research-report with a comprehensive record of pretty much the total research you did during your PhD time. It can include all findings of your study right from the start until the end.
Authorship: You are the only author.
Language: The monograph might be written in the national language. You may have an option to choose between your national language(s) or English.
Lengths: It varies. We’ve seen anything between 100 pages (a bit on the short end) and up to 1,500 pages. No kidding, this was a human geographer who graduated after 12 years and today is a professor at a university in the Netherlands. Most monographs would be in the range of 150 to 250 pages.

Benefits of a monograph

If you opt for a monograph, you’ll have this grand piece of work – all done in your PhD years – and it will remain for the rest of your life. It looks impressive on the book shelf in your office or in the library. You have a lot of freedom in the way you write, deciding rather freely on the layout, and how to include photographs, tables, figures or data-sheets. You’re not dependant on any external determining factors like the editorial and peer-review process of a journal. That means you have more freedom with the timeline in which you write your dissertation – it is you who makes the decisions.

Problems with a monograph

What is often considered problematic about the monograph in the natural sciences and life sciences, is that most scholars find it too much to read in comparison to papers. Ask yourself: How many monographic PhD dissertations have you read cover to cover? One? Hmm, zero?

If you do not plan to publish your monograph as a book with a publisher, it will have a relatively low distribution, with only a few copies going to the university library. International accessibility is then a real issue. Accessibility is further restricted if you write in a language other than English.

Paper-based dissertation – key features

What you submit: A number of international peer-reviewed journal papers, which must be related to the overarching topic of your PhD. The number varies between 2-5. Yes, that’s a broad margin, but it depends on your university and faculty. Many PhD regulations do not state an exact number, but leave it open, probably to have some flexibility in the assessment process. Often, however, and this is a crucial detail, not all your papers have to be accepted or published by the time you submit your thesis. So a regulation may well call for two accepted/published papers and an additional 1-2 submitted papers.
Authorship: The papers normally are (but don’t have to be) co-authored. An important detail (watch out for this!) can be that your regulations give requirement on the authorship of papers you hand in for your dissertation. For example, they can ask you to hand in three published papers, and require you to be the first-author of at least two of those papers. You normally have to declare the exact contribution each author made to the publication of your papers.
Language: The peer-reviewed publications you include are written in English.
Lengths: Apart from the papers you’ve also got to write a binding-text. This means a substantial introduction, which also explains how the papers are related, and a detailed conclusion. The additional binding text may be in the range of 30-50 pages.

Benefits of a paper-based dissertation

Clearly, if you consider the individual papers, the paper-based dissertation presents less to read than a monograph. Through the publishing platforms or the open access platforms and indexing databases, your peer-reviewed papers are far more widely distributed and accessible.

Also, the external peer-review process is often considered as a quality-label regarding your scholarly work. Assessment committees ( = examination board) often perceive it as a bonus if the main body of scholarly work of your dissertation was already accepted by an international peer-reviewed journal in your field. With 2-3 published papers in such an outlet any risk of failing your PhD at the end is a close ‘zero’.

In addition, you start your academic career already having some papers to your name, whereas with the monograph you might need to write additional papers!

Problems with the paper-based dissertation

Critics sometimes point out that with a paper-based dissertation, you never get an overview on everything you’ve done in your PhD, because for the individual papers you just “take the cream off” your research. You single out the very best and most innovative bits to write about.

For the paper-based dissertation you are heavily dependant on decisions and deadlines of journals and editors. Plus, there is a risk of one or more of your papers being rejected. And that can make the entire process rather tricky.

If you have to hand-in three accepted papers and you’ve got three years to complete your PhD, you’ve got a pretty tight timeline to consider. You’ve got to calculate anything between three months (that is rather quick) and 12 months (which is rather slow, but happens) for the entire peer-review process, from the day you submit your paper until you receive the letter of acceptance from the editor. The process for a paper-based dissertation is not entirely in your hands. It needs very careful planning and decision-making early on in order to avoid trouble.

How can you get a smooth ride and figure out what you hand?

We so much want you to have a smooth PhD process, and the best way to do this is to be really clear about the exact requirements of your dissertation! You can make your PhD process a lot easier, if you know early on, which option might be best in your case and what the specific consequences of your choice are.

Let us help you on the way! Below, we’ve listed the key points that you should consider when thinking about the type of dissertation you hand in. And to make this even easier for you, we’ve designed a “Fact sheet: What type of dissertation do I hand in & what to consider?”

So let’s get you out of the dissertation dilemma quickly: Download our free factsheet “What type of dissertation do I hand in and what to consider?”

What to consider for the type of dissertation you hand in?

Check your PhD regulations : Figure out what your PhD regulations say about the type of dissertation that has to be handed in at your university, in your particular faculty, and also in your discipline. Do you have the choice of handing in a monograph OR a paper-based PhD? dissertation?
What are the particular requirements for each type of dissertation that you can hand in? Find out, what exactly you have to hand in for the monograph and for the paper-based dissertation.
What is more common in your discipline ? This is the reality check. Because the regulations often leave some room for interpretation, it is good to check what was ultimately accepted as a dissertation by the university. If those PhDs passed, you’ll also pass. You have two options to find this out:
Ask 2-3 post-docs who have recently completed their PhDs at your university, in the same faculty and discipline. What did they hand in?
Ask a friendly librarian, to source the 5-10 most recently submitted PhD dissertations in your field. What have those PhDs handed in?
What do your supervisors want: Do they have clear expectations for you to write a monograph or a paper-based dissertation? Have you discussed this together? The point of reference is always the PhD regulations and what is written there.
What type of research project are you working on for your PhD? This can also influence what type of dissertation is more suitable. Does your PhD project consist of a string of smaller but related individual sub-projects or experiments? Are you still able to design it that way? OR is it one big block of research or a single experiment?
When will you first have publishable results ? If this is rather late in your PhD due to the particular circumstances of your research, it can be difficult to get all the required papers for a paper-based dissertation through the review process so you can complete on time.
Future career choice: Do you want to stay in science and progress with an academic career? Therefore the monograph/paper-based choice is CRUCIAL to your discipline. Or are you not staying in academia, but have different plans for your career? So for you, the most important thing is to get the PhD title, but it won’t matter much which type of dissertation you hand in.

We hope we could shed some light on the important matter of submitting a paper-based PhD dissertation or a monograph. We would love to hear from your experiences on this topic! Did you have a good or not-so-good experience with the paper-based dissertation? What is most common in your discipline? And for all of you who completed already: What would you advise other PhD students to consider?

Relevant resources:

Fact-sheet: What type of dissertation do I hand in and what to consider?
Smart Academics Blog #5: How to get started with writing papers?
Smart Academics Blog #99: Why is dissertation writing so scary?
Smart Academics Blog #74: No time for dissertation writing?
Smart Academics Blog #58: Why you should not leave dissertation writing until the end!
Smart Academics Blog #123: Publishing papers from a PhD thesis
Free expert guide: 5 strategies to avoid initial paper rejection?
Related blog-post at the University of Warwick: Six misconceptions about the three paper route

More information:

Do you want to complete your PhD successfully? If so, please sign up to receive our free guides.

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How to structure academic books (monographs): a dilemma

I’d like to share a banal but important insight about writing books. However you structure your academic book, someone isn’t going to like it (the structure, and probably the contents too). This has struck me quite a bit recently as I plan my third book, and as I regularly read and review others’ manuscripts.

I don’t think we are honest enough about this. And the more I read and think about this, the more I think we need to challenge existing assumptions, models and ‘logics’ of what a scholarly monograph looks like.

All finished books contain the ghosts – often suppressed – of other pathways towards presentation of the same, ‘raw’ data or ideas. This post will be a little thinking aloud particularly about ‘philosophical’ decisions I’m having to make now right now. These are less about structure – although that can’t be separated out, and more about ethos, voice, fine-grain v. broad-brush, and the positioning of the author.

Fundamentally, based on my previous publishing experience – which is quite varied, the questions come down to the following:

How to move past the ‘easy’ option that makes books resemble traditional PhD dissertations?
How to provide enough ‘context’ (history/politics, whatever) without sacrificing ‘working’ – i.e. empirically fine-grained data that really show you know your material?
What to do with the imperative to ‘speak’ to a group of peers – whether that’s a discipline or something else, without falling into the trap of a rather dense, sometimes isolated piece of ‘theory diving’ that few will want to read?

From these three we could break it down further into any number of subsections. Here are a few that are bugging me right now.

On structure (points 1 and 2). A major problem is how to introduce a place and a group of key informants. It is possible to do this in a stand-alone chapter. It’s also possible to have a stand-alone theory chapter, or even a ‘here’s all the politics and history of the fieldsite’ chapter. I know some people can pull this off and this is often what happens as a PhD is turned into a book. However, ‘the theory dump’ is often a tell-tale sign of a weak, uncoordinated monograph – i.e. a sign that not enough time and effort has been taken in moving from PhD to book. I think in field-work based social science monographs writers should really be looking to ways to avoid all of the above ‘easy’ options.

On the other hand, the lack of an upfront theory presentation raises the problem I encountered in my last book – readers criticising it for being undertheorised. One usual solution is to have a kind of 3-step presentation – and that ‘three-step’ is itself embedded within a number of empirical chapters. It goes: Empirics , plus Theory , plus ‘ Here’s how my empirics move theory on ’. Or a variation on that ordering. Other approaches can be novel. I’m struck in re-reading Alice Mah’s book Industrial Ruination , how she presents three case studies and then three thematic chapters. Mah is also striking for her relatively light theorising approach – some will like it, others not. I cite Mah here as an example of a field-work generating, post-PhD career monograph.

Anyway, this post was part inspired by my planning a new monograph with the structure of the previous one in mind. At the same time, each time I read a monograph I can’t help but see it as a potential template. A case in point was recently re-reading Simon Charlesworth’s A phenomenology of working class experience , which was published 20 years ago and appears to be based on a PhD. There’s clearly a lot to learn from Charlesworth given his book has nearly 800 citations (5 times more than Mah for what is a much more difficult and narrower book in a less cited discipline, albeit published more than ten years earlier). I’m very sympathetic to various choices he makes about voice, structure, and the weaving of theory and empirics. At the same time, you can see traces of the imposition of a PhD-like structure that are less successful. In fact, I suspect that Charlesworth would agree that he is most successful where he resists the ‘right way’ of doing a PhD thesis-book project.

Let me leave you with a few examples from Charlesworth on the hard choices of monograph-crafting.

Charlesworth rejects a true sociological scene-setting chapter. He does this with a justification: ‘the demographic and statistical account separates the phenomena recorded from people’s experience of them. In itself it tells us nothing of the impact of these phenomena upon what people think or feel.’ (he’s talking about the decline of the North of England and austerity politics). He goes on to argue that a ‘landscape’ framing is inappropriate because the academic spectator is divorced from a position within the world. ‘This stance is characteristic of anthropologists who […] seek to relate to the particularities of place through the medium of representation’. Another way of putting this is that it’s like thinking about a place you know intimately but confining yourself to explaining it only by recourse to symbols on a map. – ‘a familiarity born of preconstructured social knowledge’, as Charlesworth concludes.

While his first chapter is largely devoted to laying out theory, Charlesworth subverts a number of expectations – all of them on purpose: he provides very very long quotes from theorists including within empirical chapters. He partially inserts himself in the text and also in footnotes as a kind of commentator on method and style. He tries, not totally successfully, to mimic his research people’s way of talking in textual form in his quotes (which are also very long in places). He wilfully ignores various relevant currents in contemporary sociology (he even has a footnote that engages in metacommentary of the criticism his MS got because of this). Some reviews of his book were very hostile. Others understood that the form, content and style of the book were themselves political interventions in academic writing.

This narrowing of dialogue is quite interesting in the context of the perennial problem I started this post with: ‘ Who do you want to talk to through this book? ’ Charlesworth seems to answer this by wilfully framing to exclude debates he clearly sees as not useful. Similarly, the book is theoretically and empirically repetitive in a way that’s intentional – provocative. I’m not saying I’ll do any of these things in my new book. But certainly subversions of convention are something I’m thinking more and more about.

Advice from our Editors: Revising the Dissertation into a Monograph

Palgrave Macmillan will consider submissions containing material that has previously formed part of a PhD or other academic thesis including those that have been made publicly available according to the requirements of the institution awarding the qualification. Prospective authors should bear in mind that every PhD thesis will need to undergo rigorous revision in order to be published as a monograph with our press. To help with this revision, our editors have put together the following advice:

How do I go about planning the revisions and when should I start?

Be aware that transforming your dissertation into a publishable book is a complex process, which will take time and require some careful planning. Time will be an issue, especially if you need to juggle the work on the book with full-time teaching and/or other research activities. Most authors take at least a year to complete a PhD-based book, but this could also take longer if the book requires fresh data and new research.
You should endeavor to begin working on the book proposal only after having submitted your thesis and successfully completing your PhD program. This will allow you to look at the thesis with a fresh eye and to take into account any helpful feedback from your examiners as you develop your proposal.
Consider all the available formats. Depending on the subject and breadth of the topic, some proposals may develop into a full-length monograph (c.90,000 words), whilst for others a shorter format like Palgrave Pivot (25,000 to 50,000 words) may be suitable – for example a single-case or single-country study once they have been extracted out of any redundant or unnecessary content.

What’s the difference between the PhD thesis and a monograph?

Audience . While a PhD thesis is meant to be read and scrutinized by your supervisors and examiners, the readership of your book will extend to the broader academic community, scholars and practitioners, who may not be specialized on or even familiar with your research topic.
Rationale . The motivation behind writing your book will need to be rethought to reflect the expectations of your new audience and should clearly unfold in the introduction. The objective is not to convince your examiners that you have what it takes to complete a PhD, but to make sure the book is coherent and your conclusions are persuasive.
Structure . Your introductory chapter should also offer readers a concise ‘preview’ of the various chapters. The conclusion should summarize your key findings and identify avenues for further research. Look over the table of contents in books which you would consider as related literature or competitors. How does that differ from the structure of your thesis? You should simplify and optimize your table of contents so as to articulate the material in a logical and accessible fashion.
Length . Monographs are normally much shorter than PhD theses. Separate chapters about the review of literature and research methodologies may be vital in a thesis, but will not be necessary in a book, as readers and experts in your field will be familiar already with both. References to the relevant literature can be moved to the endnotes of individual chapters, and what is not pertinent to advancing your own arguments can be cut out. The methodology chapter should be reduced and merged with the introduction if not omitted altogether.

How do I write a proposal for a PhD-based book?

Think of it as a brand new project which builds on rather than derives from your PhD research.
Avoid mentioning phrases like ‘this PhD’ or ‘this thesis’ throughout the proposal.
Identify your USPs (unique selling points) and build your proposal around them so as to highlight what is really original about your research, its contribution to the field and what makes the book ‘stand out of the crowd.
Avoid recommending your supervisors or examiners as potential peer reviewers.
Keep footnotes and endnotes to a minimum.
Be mindful that you will need to obtain permission to include quotes from interviewees if they were not informed at the time of the interview that these could appear in print. Otherwise, these quotes must be attributed anonymously or removed completely.
Reduce third-party materials as much as possible, as obtaining permission for this content is the responsibility of the author and can be a time-consuming process.
Select illustrations/tables/diagrams that further the argument of the text, rather than are illustrative.
Informally ask colleagues or mentors to read your chapters before submission. An outside perspective can help refine the work for final publication. If English is not your first language, it might be useful to ask a native speaker to read-through the manuscript as well.

In addition, a number of our authors who have gone through this process themselves have been kind enough to share their experiences. All of these advice articles can be found on the Early Career Researcher Hub .

A monograph is a very different body of work to a thesis. So, rather than sending out a proposal at once, and simply rewriting a chapter of the thesis to go with it, I ignored the advice and decided to think of the book as a new project. This involved taking key concepts from the thesis, but significantly reworking and developing them. This approach took a long time (three years, post-viva) because the work was undertaken alongside HPL teaching and summer work, which slowed the project down considerably.

However, the proposal I eventually submitted to Palgrave was a book proposal, rather than a modified thesis proposal. As such, the submission process was significantly easier; the project was accepted, a contract issued, and the completed manuscript took just three months to finish and submit. The book appeared in print just eight months later (less than a year after I first submitted the proposal.) I have no doubt that this was because I took that time to develop the project.

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17 August, 2022

If you search for a definition of a monograph, you may find conflicting information. There are slightly different definitions according to discipline and depending on which audience a particular definition is targeted at. For example…

In biology, it is a comprehensive review of all the information on a specific taxonomic group of organisms. In art, it is a focus on (the work of) a single artist.

However, what the definitions broadly agree on is that there are two possible audiences , an academic and a more general audience.

Monograph defined and differentiated

The definitions of an academic monograph agree that it is generally a single-authored, scholarly contribution of professional research on a specific topic or aspect of a topic .

What differentiates it from a journal article is largely length as it is considerably longer. A considerably longer research article could be considered a monograph; it is more likely to take the form of a book.

Reasons for writing a monograph

Primarily, as is also evident from its definition, a monograph offers the opportunity to really explore a particular topic in greater depth .
Another reason why you might wish to write and publish a monograph is that it might open up career promotion opportunities , especially in the American academic tradition, where a book is often required for more senior academic positions such as Associate or full Professors.

Considerations for writing and publishing a monograph

As the scope of writing and publishing a monograph is quite vast (as you have probably grasped by now), here, we will just explore the basics of going about developing a monograph.

a. Understanding the peculiarities of writing a book

Note that, generally, books are less cited than journal articles; ground-breaking work or new contributions to academic knowledge are generally revealed in the article form. Books are more difficult to access , cost considerably more and generally do not claim to make significant new academic contributions as they often draw on material previously published by the author, either from articles published earlier by the same author or from their previous doctoral thesis. So, your reason for turning to the book format should be a strong one !

b. Understanding the time and effort involved

Writing a monograph demands extensive reading around the topic you focus on. Academic monographs usually take years in the making , a PhD taking on average 7-8 years. Even a professional academic who might write a monograph in a year is drawing on years of experience and an existing extensive knowledge around the topic of the monograph.

c. Turning your PhD into a monograph

If you are turning your doctoral thesis into a book, this can still take considerable time depending on the form your PhD took. The more traditional PhD often has an extensive review of the literature as one component. So, this might be the first area to cut or amend as the book needs to adapt to a broader audience who are less interested in an extensive review, and who are more interested in the themes, cases, findings, new perspectives or arguments that the book offers.

d. Finding a suitable publisher

You will almost certainly need a publisher who can publish and promote your monograph. Here’s an overview of what’s typically involved.

You need to identify possible publishers who have other books that address similar subjects or that take a similar written or methodological approach , or who has an established collection that you can add to.
You then need to write a book proposal that lays out how your book contributes to academia and to the publisher in question.
The preliminary research for your monograph should reveal how you might best approach the organisation of the writing.

There is no one way to actually write a monograph. However, if you understand what it is, and if you can find a publisher with a collection that your work would fit with, you’ll have a better idea of how it might be best organised. Publishers will also, of course, be particularly helpful in suggesting ways to present your research. Good luck for your monograph!

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COMMENTS

Monograph-Style Theses and Dissertations
Choosing Monograph Style Choosing to write a thesis or dissertation as a monograph is left to the student, the student's degree-granting unit and supervising committee. The monograph style is especially appropriate for work that is best presented as a series of interrelated chapters. Even research work that could be submitted for
PhD thesis types: Monograph and collection of articles
Writing a thesis as a monograph. A monograph is a detailed study in one piece. Think of a book. A monograph resembles an academic book. It typically has an introductory chapter, a methodology chapter, and a literature review chapter. Then, the empirical results of the PhD study are presented in several chapters of analysis.
Structure and criteria of doctoral theses
Some faculties accept dissertations that differ from the format of a monograph or an article-based dissertation, provided the work otherwise meets the scholarly criteria set for dissertations. Decisions on the scope and structure of such dissertations are made by the faculty council of the relevant faculty at the proposal of a doctoral programme.
PDF Guidelines for The PhD Dissertation
3 sample title page for a phd dissertation copyright notice abstract sample abstract formatting errors front and back matter supplemental material tables and figures visual material acknowledging the work of others page 19 references footnotes bibliography citation & style guides use of copyrighted material page 20 services and information page 22 proquest publishing orders and payments
Thesis types
A monograph is a unified text describing a specialist topic in detail written by a single author. A doctoral thesis written as a monograph is structured in various chapters with an introduction and a conclusion, and the PhD-candidate is the sole author. Historically, a monograph was the preferred form of doctoral thesis, and it still is in some ...
PDF How to Turn Your Thesis into a Monograph
Turning Your Thesis into a Monograph 24/03/2022 Catherine Pope 2 www.victoriansecrets.co.uk What we're going to cover •Understanding the differences between a thesis and a monograph •Identifying suitable publishers •Deciding on the right structure •Writing an effective book proposal •Developing a productive writing process
From PhD Thesis to Monograph: Tips for Editing Your First Book
Next, you might rethink your monograph's overall content and structure. Your examiners' reports can be very useful here! You may well plan to cut as well as add material, though identifying areas to expand—whether to include unused thesis research or new post-PhD developments—can make for a major selling point in a book proposal.
5 Key Tips for Turning your PhD into a Successful Monograph
5 Key Tips for Turning your PhD into a Successful Monograph. Some PhD theses make for excellent books, allowing for the research to be distributed more widely, often providing a springboard for a successful academic career. However, it is important to remember that a book is a very different product from a thesis and not all good theses would ...
PDF TRANSFORMING YOUR PHD THESIS INTO A MONOGRAPH
monograph. Zélie Asava and Aoibhín de Búrca will talk about their experiences of using the research they undertook for their PhD theses when writing their monographs. This workshop will be of interest to students in the latter stages of their PhD and researchers who have completed a PhD.
PDF Author Directions: Navigating your success from PhD to Book
5 Key Tips for Turning your PhD into a Successful Monograph SNAPSHOT. For permission to reproduce this snapshot for educational purposes, please contact [email protected]. 1 ... strands that comprise the book's argument in a way that will tighten the structure and focus the
How to write a Doctoral Thesis
Education in how to write a doctoral thesis or dissertation should be a part of the postgraduate curriculum, parallel to the laboratory work and Journal Club activities during the PhD studies and/or residency levels.9,10 The overall structure of a doctoral thesis is internationally standardized. However, it varies in style and quality ...
The doctorate in pieces: a scoping review of research on the PhD thesis
In the public mind, a PhD thesis has traditionally been synonymous with a monograph, a book-length text consisting of several chapters (Kelly, Citation 2017). As Paltridge and Starfield (Citation 2020) highlight, however, the structure and formats of PhD theses have always been diverse across time, institutions, and disciplines. Although there ...
The dissertation book; Should it be a monograph or a compilation thesis?
A dissertation book based on articles, i.e. a compilation thesis, has the same structure as the monograph, but the theoretical part, the so-called summarising chapter or framework, is much more condensed while the empirical part includes the peer reviewed articles which make the backbone of the thesis. The theoretical part could of course not ...
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In general, there are two styles of doctoral dissertations: monographs (thesis as a book), and cumulative thesis (thesis by publications/papers). ... 5 Strategies to structure a cumulative PhD ...
How to structure your PhD for a scholarly monograph
This flipped PD session assists students in the planning of their PhD for future publication. If your goal is a book - a scholarly monograph - here are some...
How to write a monograph
That talk does not have to be even in the language in which you are going to write. Next best is to mull over the previous day what you are going to write the next day. Set a target for each writing session—and that target should be defined in terms of the number of words; say 500 words an hour. That way, each session will be productive.
PDF From Phd Thesis to Monograph: a Reflective Account of The Process
to a monograph, which in simple terms is written for awider audience including students and academics with the aim of communicatingideas. I t is hoped that this will provide someinsight for post-doctoral researchers who may be thinking about submitting a proposal to a publisher for adaptation of their PhD thesis to a the monograph.
Know How to Structure Your PhD Thesis
In your academic career, few projects are more important than your PhD thesis. Unfortunately, many university professors and advisors assume that their students know how to structure a PhD. Books have literally been written on the subject, but there's no need to read a book in order to know about PhD thesis paper format and structure.
From PhD to Monograph: How to Revise Your Thesis for Publication
25 November 2021. Most early career researchers in the arts and humanities are encouraged to see their PhD thesis as a monograph-in-waiting - and with good reason. In the increasingly competitive academic job market, a monograph, along with several peer-reviewed journal articles, is often a requirement for obtaining a permanent lectureship.
PhD dissertation: Hand in a monograph or papers?
There are two main types of dissertations. One is the monograph, and the other is the paper-based dissertation: 1) The monograph is what one always wrote in order to get the PhD degree. It's been around for centuries - as long as PhD degrees have been awarded, this was the thing to do. But, with the growing importance of academic papers ...
How to structure academic books (monographs): a dilemma
On structure (points 1 and 2). A major problem is how to introduce a place and a group of key informants. It is possible to do this in a stand-alone chapter. It's also possible to have a stand-alone theory chapter, or even a 'here's all the politics and history of the fieldsite' chapter. I know some people can pull this off and this is ...
Revising the Dissertation
A monograph is a very different body of work to a thesis. So, rather than sending out a proposal at once, and simply rewriting a chapter of the thesis to go with it, I ignored the advice and decided to think of the book as a new project. This involved taking key concepts from the thesis, but significantly reworking and developing them.
How to write a monograph?
Writing a monograph demands extensive reading around the topic you focus on. Academic monographs usually take years in the making, a PhD taking on average 7-8 years. Even a professional academic who might write a monograph in a year is drawing on years of experience and an existing extensive knowledge around the topic of the monograph.