thesis submission aberdeen

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The Aberdeen University Research Archive (AURA) provides access to the full text of selected research outputs of the University. Research theses are not included in AURA but are held in our Digital Resources collections.

If you are looking for an article, chapter, conference paper, working paper or other research output of the University and cannot find it in AURA (or have any other query) please contact us.

If you are a member of University staff, to keep your publication information up to date please make sure you notify paperaccepted of all new publications, and enter all relevant content into Pure. Further information can be found here .

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Guidance for electronic thesis submission

• Rules and regulations

The information on this page outlines the steps you should take to upload your thesis electronically.

If you have any questions, please contact the Registry Postgraduate Research team by emailing [email protected] . 

Submission for examination

• Complete the necessary steps in the 'Thesis preparation and examination' task in  MySaint  as normal. This includes the ‘Declare my intention to submit my thesis’ and 'Preparing for submission of my thesis’ steps, which includes the declarations that you will need to download and include in your thesis. The  Guidance for submission of theses  provides further help with this.
• Check in with your supervisor to ensure that they are happy for you to submit your thesis in its current format. Supervisors need to sign off the thesis submission, and Registry will check with them to digitally sign off after we have received your thesis.
• Please make sure to convert your thesis to PDF, and rename it using the following format:  StudentIDnumber.pdf .
• If you have any additional data that needs to be considered along with your thesis, please include them in the same file, at the end of your thesis. If this is not possible, please contact the Registry Postgraduate Research team by emailing  [email protected] . 
• Log in to  Moodle , and go to the  Registry Student Journey activities  module. You may need to click 'Enrol me' in order to access the page.
• You will be able to submit your thesis in the  PGR thesis submission section. Follow the instructions, and you will receive a short receipt at the end of the process.
• Following your submission, Registry will liaise with your supervisor and the Associate Provost (Students), and then send your thesis to the examination committee. Please check your email for further notifications regarding your viva and next steps.
• It is no longer required to submit soft-bound copies of your thesis.

Submission of final copies for graduation

• Complete the necessary steps in the 'Thesis preparation and examination' task in MySaint as normal. This includes the 'Preparing for submission of my Library copies' step, which includes the declarations that you will need to download and include in your thesis. The Guidance for submission of theses provides further help on this.
• Check in with your supervisor to ensure that they are happy for you to submit your thesis in its current format. Supervisors need to sign off the thesis submission, and Registry will check with them to digitally sign off after we have received your thesis.
• You will need to submit your thesis in in the  St Andrews Research Repository . For more information on registering to the Repository and for submitting your thesis, please see the  Thesis Libguide .

• Schools & departments

Submitting your dissertation for examination

The steps you need to carry out for submitting your dissertation plus LaTeX templates.

*Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic all PGR students should submit their thesis electronically until further notice. For information on this process please click  here  .

Dissertation binding.

You are required to submit at least 2 soft-bound copies of your dissertation to the College Office; however, if you have been or are currently a member of staff at the University you may be required to submit 3 soft-bound copies for examination.  You should discuss this with your Supervisor.

Each copy of your dissertation must contain the following:

• Signed declaration page
• Abstract of dissertation
• Electronic copy of dissertation (including abstract and dissertation) - please ensure the electronic copies are suitably attached to each dissertation.

The University has printing and binding services on the King's Buildings Campus (James Clerk Maxwell Building) and in the Central area (Infirmary Street).  For further information on locations to have your dissertation bound, see the 'Thesis Binding Information link below.  Please note, it is recommended that you print your dissertation single-sided so that examiners have space to make comments on the dissertation.  Your dissertation must conform to the College of Science and Engineering Thesis Format and Binding Guidelines.  The 'Temporary Binding' paragraph in the document relates to the requirements for a soft-bound dissertation.

Thesis binding Information

Thesis format and binding guidelines

Submitting your dissertation

You are required to submit on or before the Maximum End Date of your programme  (also known as your dissertation submission deadline) .  Your Maximum End Date can be found on your MyEd Portal.

In very rare circumstances, if you think you will need longer to complete your dissertation contact your supervisor and the Informatics Graduate School (IGS) immediately.  They will organise the request for an extension to your deadline.  An extension must be approved by the Deputy Head of the IGS and the College of Science and Engineering College Office.  Students will be charged a Continuation Fee for extensions; extension fees are calculated per month.  Please note, you may also need an extension to your Visa; you should contact Edinburgh Global for information.  Extensions to your funding may or may not be possible; you should contact your Supervisor and Institute Portfolio Manager.

Continuation fee

Edinburgh Global

You must submit two soft-bound copies of your dissertation (as described above) (three copies if a second external examiner has been appointed) to the College Office (Murchison House, north-west corner of the King's Buildings campus - via gate 1).

College contact details

If the nomination of examiners process has finished, the College Office will be able to send your dissertation to your examiners within 5 working days.  If the examiners have not been appointed yet, there may be some delay in sending your dissertation to the examiners.  Please read the Examination Process and Graduation pages for more information.

Examination Process

Examiners will normally be expected to read and examine your dissertation within two-three months of receiving it; but candidates should allow for examiners' other commitments.

The University takes plagiarism very seriously and is committed to ensuring that so far as possible it is detected and dealt with appropriately.

Plagiarism is the act of including in one’s work the work of another person without providing adequate acknowledgement of having done so, either deliberately or unintentionally. At whatever stage of a student’s course, whether discovered before or after graduation, plagiarism will be investigated and dealt with.

• Acknowledged all the sources they have used whether they be books, journal articles, any other printed material, or the internet (note that the references to sources on the internet should be as detailed as those for journal citations, including author, title, full url/web address, and the date you accessed that url)
• Used normal academic conventions such as quotations or indentations to identify direct quotations from others' work
• Acknowledged the sources if they have summarised or paraphrased someone's work
• Acknowledged any help they have received in writing their thesis, or gathering data for it, whether this be in an acknowledgement list or at the appropriate points in the thesis. This might include assistance with techniques, external collaborations, provision of substantial materials etc.
• Acknowledged their colleagues where information used in their thesis has been gathered in conjunction with other workers (such as team-working in laboratories).
• Students must consult with their supervisors on any issues relating to acknowledging the ideas or work of other people, and ask their supervisors to be mindful of their plagiarism concerns when they are reading thesis drafts.

      We strongly recommend you read the following Guidance document: Plagiarism guidance

Thesis LaTeX templates and Informatics logos

Several Informatics-specific LaTeX packages are provided in the DICE system. These are listed and documented at the Computing Support page:

Locally Installed LaTeX Packages Included are style files describing a thesis class, which allow you to ensure you conform to the relevant thesis regulations (see guidelines below).

Thesis Binding Guidance

If you wish to use the infthesis class on your own machine, the following archive contains the necessary files.

Infthesis files, April 2012

Useful links

Postgraduate Assessment Regulations for Research Degrees

Code of Practice for Supervisors and Research Students

Plagiarism prevention and detection - Information Services

University of Aberdeen thesis template

LaTeX template designed for typesetting BSc MSc MPhil and PhD theses for University of Aberdeen degrees.

This template was originally published on ShareLaTeX and subsequently moved to Overleaf in November 2019.

Have you checked our knowledge base ?

Message sent! Our team will review it and reply by email.

• Schools & departments

Doctoral thesis submission

For postgraduate research students: what you need to know about submitting your thesis for assessment and information on submitting your final thesis to the Library.

Submitting your thesis for assessment

Covid-19 arrangements.

All PGR s are required to submit their thesis electronically both for assessment and for final submission of thesis. Further advice for postgraduate research students on issues related to Covid-19 are available on the University's dedicated webpage.

Coronavirus (Covid-19)

Submission advice

Your College Office is the first point of contact for advice on submitting your thesis.

If your programme of studies is in the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (CAHSS), use the College's thesis submission guide.

CAHSS Thesis Submission Guide

If your programme of studies is in the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine (CMVM), see the College wiki.

CMVM Postgraduate Research wiki

If your programme of studies is in the College of Science and Engineering (CSE), see the College SharePoint site.

CSE Academic Affairs Assessment

Assessment criteria

Grounds for the award of postgraduate research degrees are found in the Postgraduate Degree Regulations in the DRPS . Doctoral theses are assessed under the University's Postgraduate Assessment Regulations for Research Degrees.

Degree Regulations and Programmes of Study - DRPS

Additional guidance

University guidance on thesis format and binding and other information relevant to thesis submission.

Thesis submission forms

Prior to submission, you must inform your supervisor of your intention to submit your thesis for assessment.  The Notice of Intention to Submit form asks your supervisor to confirm that you have discussed your intention to submit with them .  College offices can advise on thesis submission procedures.

Notice of intention to submit

You are not required to submit a lay summary with your notice of intention to submit.

The thesis containing an abstract and lay summary must be submitted to your College Office. 

Final thesis submission

After you have successfully completed your examination, you must submit the final electronic copy of your thesis to your College Office and deposit a copy on PURE.  Your College Office will invite you to submit your final thesis and provide guidance on how to do this. More information can be found on College webpages, the University Library’s theses website,  or by contacting your College Office. 

Once you have submitted your thesis, the College will arrange for your award letter to be issued and for your thesis to be sent to the University Library.

More information on how to deposit the electronic copy of your PhD or MPhil thesis is available from the Library.

University Library's theses website

Contact for regulations advice

Advice on degree and assessment regulations is available from Academic Services.

Susan Hunter

Academic policy officer, contact details.

• Email: [email protected]

Related Links

Forms for students

Procedure for the submission of Theses for Examination (PHD, PhDFA, MPhil, LLM (Research)

A pdf copy of this section is available for download: Guidelines For Thesis Submission

The following notes will guide you when completing the form necessary for submission of your thesis for examination by Aberystwyth University. A checklist has been included to assist you with ensuring you have completed all the necessary steps prior to submitting your work.

Included in these notes is the mandatory layout for the declaration and statements page which must be included with your thesis along with the Abstract. The content of this page should be reproduced as is, then completed, signed and included within the electronic thesis.

Following the guidance carefully and fully will allow the University to examine your thesis in a timely manner.

• Student has completed an intention to submit form and submitted it to their department 3 months prior to expected submission of the thesis.
• Contact [email protected] to be added to the Blackboard thesis submission link.
• One electronic version of the thesis in PDF or Word format. After the title page the Mandatory Statement and Declaration form should be completed and signed. The thesis should also include the Abstract after the Declaration.
• Other forms to be uploaded with the thesis on Blackboard:
• One completed Electronic Thesis Declaration Form

PLEASE NOTE THAT IF ANY OF THE ABOVE ARE OMITTED THERE WILL BE A DELAY IN THE EXAMINATION OF YOUR THESIS

Time Limits for the submission of Thesis

Submission of your work must take place on, or before, the deadline recorded in your student record.

Length of Thesis

The text of the PhD thesis is a maximum of 100,000 words (excluding appendices and references).

The text of the MPhil/LLM (Res) or Dag/DProf thesis is a maximum of 60,000 words (excluding appendices and references.

Special provisions relating to Schemes in the Creative Arts.

In the case of candidates following approved research degree schemes which fall within the University's subject area of Creative and Performing Arts, the thesis may take one or more of the following forms: artefacts, score, portfolio of original works, performance or exhibition.

The submission shall be accompanied by a written commentary placing it in its academic context together with any other items which may be required (e.g., a catalogue or audio or visual recording). These submissions can now be submitted via SharePoint which can support MP4 files. Please email [email protected] for more information.

A copy of the Abstract will be published in the University’s online research repository, even if the thesis is not made available. A form is provided at the end of this booklet for you to complete.

Thesis abstract: guidance for research students

An abstract is a self-contained summary of 250-300 words of your thesis. This will appear at the front of the thesis and give your examiners a succinct introduction to the thesis. Very significantly, once you have passed, it will be displayed on online research repositories to inform potential readers of the thesis of its contents.

It will contain key terms that may be picked out in searches. So, it is important in enabling readers to find your work and helping them to decide whether it is relevant to their own research. Conference papers, research grants and journal publications will all require an abstract and so it is useful to develop the ability to produce these informative summaries.

The abstract will be written once the thesis has been finalised so that it can cover the whole work. It may take different forms dependent on discipline (check works in your own discipline area for guidance) but usually it will cover:

• Project rationale
• Research question(s)
• Main findings / conclusions
• Implications of the findings (e.g., for future research, practical applications)

It is well worth taking some time to produce a well-written abstract, especially when you come to the final submission for deposit, to attract as much attention as possible to your thesis.

An abstract should be produced for all types of research degree submission, including creative practice-based works. Even if the thesis is embargoed for a period, the abstract will be published, so that anyone interested can request individual access or make a note to check the thesis when it is released.

Documents to be Submitted with your thesis.

Included in these Guidance notes you will find a page titled ‘Mandatory Layout of Declarations and Statements’. The FULL content of these pages should be inserted at the front of the electronic copy of your thesis without change to the wording or content of the Declaration or Statements.

Each Declaration and Statement must be signed and dated.

This form also includes the word count of your thesis, which must be completed.

Presentation of Theses

Candidates submitting a thesis for examination shall submit one electronic copy to the BB thesis submission link.

• Candidate’s name;
• University’s name (can be abbreviated to AU);
• Degree for which the thesis is being submitted;
• The full or abbreviated name of the thesis; and
• The date of submission.

This information shall be visible on the front page

If the work consists of more than one volume, the front page shall also bear the number of each volume.

The electronic copy of the thesis, whether for the purpose of examination or for deposit in libraries, shall be presented in permanent and legible form and the characters employed in the main text (but not necessarily in illustrations, maps etc.) shall be not less than 12pt; characters employed in all other texts, notes, footnotes, etc. shall be not less than 10pt. Typing shall be of even quality with clear black characters.

Double or one-and-a–half spacing shall be used in the main text, but single spacing shall be used in the abstract and in any indented quotations and footnotes. Drawings and sketches shall be in black ink, unnecessary details should be omitted and the scale should be such that the minimum space between lines is not less than 1mm. All pages should be appropriately numbered.

Candidates may submit other supporting materials where they form a useful addition to, or explanation of, work contained in the written submission and if such material constitutes the most appropriate method of presenting the information concerned. Ideally this will be in digital form but if this is not possible, students should consult their supervisors and Information Services staff for advice at an early stage of their research.

Please contact [email protected] for more information regarding submissions using MP4 files.

Theses are submitted electronically via Blackboard for the purpose of examination and final deposit in the University’s online research repository. This also enables checking by software that can indicate whether the work might not be the student’s own.

The electronic version of the PRE viva thesis should be uploaded to the BB submission link. Acceptable formats include any University recognised electronic format (.doc, .docx, .odt, .txt, .rtf, .pdf, .html).

The file name of the thesis should appear as “pre_viva_thesis_title_student_name_submission_date” (to a maximum of 255 characters, abbreviations may be required).

The body of the thesis should be in one file. The file must not exceed 100 MB. If the file exceeds this size, please create a separate file for images or compress the file.

Additionally, all successful candidates must submit an electronic copy of the final version of the thesis to the BB submission link. The final electronic version should be clearly labelled and the file name to include: “post_viva_final_thesis_title_student_name_date” (to a maximum of 255 characters; abbreviations may be required). An electronic version is required for harvesting of meta-data even in instances where the work is not placed in the online research repository.

Once you have submitted all the required documents and pre viva thesis to BB, Graduate School will organize the dispatch to the examiners, together with the relevant Regulations and procedural guidance.

Neither students nor Academic Departments/Institutes are to send theses directly to examiners.

Amendments to submitted theses prior to viva:

Candidates may not amend, add, or delete from the thesis after it has been submitted for examination. Submitted theses may not be returned to candidates for improvement prior to the completion of the Examining Board’s deliberations and formal recommendation. A work which cannot be passed as submitted, should be re-submitted formally in modified form for re-examination.

Examiners are requested to notify the Graduate School immediately if they receive draft theses for ‘comment and return’ prior to the commencement of the formal examining process. They should decline firmly any suggestion that a thesis should be returned to a candidate for improvement and re-consideration prior to completion of the Examining Board’s formal deliberations.

Oral Examination (First Submission)

An oral examination (‘viva voce’) is compulsory and you should be available to be examined in this way. Oral examinations will normally be held at the University. If, following the viva, the Examining Board confirmed that you were required to make either Minor Corrections (4 weeks) or Corrections and amendments (6 months or 3 months depending on the degree) to your thesis and have these approved by your examiners before the degree can be awarded. You must meet these corrections deadlines.

Departments/Faculties must report to Graduate School any student that has not completed the corrections within the required timeframe.

Extensions to the corrections deadline will only be approved in exceptional circumstances and when a formal application with supporting evidence has been made to the Graduate School.

Oral Examination (Re-examinations)

In the event of a re-examination, a further oral examination will normally be required. If so, you must be available to attend such an examination which normally will be held at the University.

The viva may only be waived in the instance of a clear pass or other exceptional circumstances. The normal expectation is that the viva must be held in order to allow the student an opportunity to defend their work. A resubmission is treated like a first submission and all documents must be submitted again including the intention to submit form.

It is the responsibility of the Chair to inform the student of the scope and deadline for completion of the required corrections. Where the candidate has passed, but the work requires minor corrections, amendments or typographical corrections, the Chair should arrange with the candidate for the necessary corrections to be made.

The Chair should send the completed Report and Result form and the Interim Report Form to the Graduate School. The forms must be completed, to include the individual examiners reports, a joint report and must be signed by the examiners, the student and the chair where required.

Candidates’ results must not be released until any minor or typographical corrections required have been carried out and the final approved version of the thesis has been received and checked.

It is the responsibility of candidates to make the required corrections within the specified time. Chairs should check that these tasks have been performed satisfactorily and in a timely fashion to avoid delays in awarding degrees.

Any notes or marginal comments made by examiners in theses must be erased prior to their deposit in Libraries.

The final version thesis will be sent to the AU Repository by the Graduate School along with the electronic Thesis Declaration Form.

Theses so deposited will be made available by the University to external repositories and search tools including the digital collection of the National Library of Wales and the British Library’s UK database of theses.

The candidate will be expected to sign a declaration that they have obtained the appropriate copyright permission for the inclusion of any third-party content within the thesis so that the work can legally be made available in an open access repository.

Material accepted for the institutional repository should conform to guidelines issued from time to time by Information Services.

When a thesis is subject to a bar on access, it will not be deposited in the open access electronic repository until the expiry of that bar.

Unsuccessful submissions should be returned to the candidate after completion of the examination process.

Bars on Access

The University expects that research work accepted for a higher degree shall be openly available, and subject to no security classification or restriction of access.

Nevertheless, in cases where there is an overriding need for a restriction of copying or access (for example where sponsored research has resulted in a thesis which contains commercially-sensitive information) the University may, on the special recommendation of a Department, place a bar on photocopying of and/or access to a thesis for a specified period (normally three years in the first instance). It is the responsibility of your supervisor to make an application to the Department for a bar to be sought as soon as is reasonably practicable. Ideally the Department will be able to forward a recommendation that a bar be applied to the University at the outset of your candidature.

Please note that, in the event that a bar on photocopying and/or access is granted by the University, the signed statement to be included with each copy of the thesis submitted should indicate that the thesis may be made openly available after the expiry of the bar on access.

Normally, the title and summary of the thesis will be made available.

• Electronic Thesis Declaration
• Mandatory Layout of Declaration/Statements
• Intention to Submit Form

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• The University of Manchester Library
• Submitting your eThesis

Postgraduate Research Students are required to submit an electronic version of their thesis as part of the PGR examination process.

Electronic submission is completed via the eThesis submission portal:

• eThesis submission portal (log in required)

Following successful final submission, University of Manchester eTheses are available via the institutional repository, Pure , and discoverable via the University’s Research Explorer and Library Search .

eThesis Submission FAQs

1. Where is the link to submit my eThesis?

You can submit your eThesis here: https://my.manchester.ac.uk/portlet/etd . Scroll down to ‘PGR Services’ and click on the link for ‘eThesis submission’.

2. I’m planning on publishing content from my thesis. Can my thesis still be Open Access?

The majority of PGR students will be able to comply with the  Presentation of Theses policy by selecting either immediate Open Access or Open Access with a 12 month embargo, for their final eThesis. You can find more information about publishing your thesis here.

If you're planning to submit a  Journal format thesis , there are likely to be additional considerations related to sharing your thesis, so we recommend consulting our  Journal format thesis submission guidance .

3. I’ve submitted the final version of my thesis but I can’t find it online. When will it be Open Access?

If you selected ‘Immediate Open Access’ as the access level for your final eThesis but you can’t find it online via Research Explorer, please contact the eThesis Support Service  and we will investigate this for you.

If you selected a 12 month, 2 year, or 5 year embargo (or if you selected ‘Indefinitely closed’) it will not be available online until the end of this embargo period.

4. The personal information or supervisor details are wrong. Can these be changed?

If you notice that your personal details, or the details of your supervisor, are wrong when submitting your eThesis online or the viewing the webpage of your eThesis online via Research Explorer, please  contact the eThesis Support Service .

5. How do I record supplementary data when I submit my thesis online?

You can include any supplementary material or data by recording the details of these on Step 3 of the eThesis online submission form. Space to record these are in two free text-boxes marked ‘Describe any digital materials that make up your thesis and are not submitted here’ and ‘‘Describe any non- digital materials that make up your thesis and are not submitted here’.

6. Do I need to submit physical copies for the examination version and/or final version of my thesis?

Submission of physical copies of the thesis is NOT required. 

7. I can’t see my submission window

Your submission window is opened automatically once you have completed your Notice of Submission form and you should receive an email advising you that your window is now open. If you have not received this or your window is not displaying when you log in, you should contact your PGR administrator for advice.

8. I have received an error message while trying to submit

If you do receive an error message then please contact the eThesis Support Service  and we will be able to investigate this for you.

Examination submission

You will be notified by email when your PGR Administrator has opened a submission window for you.

You are required to select your preferred access level for your final eThesis when completing examination submission. The University's  Presentation of Theses policy  requires that all final Postgraduate Research eTheses are made Open Access no longer than 12 months after submission, unless an exception to the policy is required for reasons of sponsorship or sensitive content. Your final eThesis access level is subject to supervisor approval. See  Access to your final eThesis  for more information.

After submitting your examination eThesis, your supervisor will be notified of your preferred access level and prompted to approve or override your selection. You will be notified via email once your supervisor confirms your access level. 

Depending on the recommendations of your examiners, you may be required to complete resubmission of your eThesis. In this case, a resubmission window will be opened by your PGR Administrator.

When you’re ready to submit of your final eThesis, your PGR Administrator will open a final submission window for you to complete. Once final submission is completed, your final eThesis will be available via the institutional repository,  Pure , and discoverable via the University’s  Research Explorer  and  Library Search .

Help and guidance

Download our  eThesis submission guide   for detailed information to support your eThesis preparation.

To help you prepare for your eThesis submission, you may wish to view these screenshots of the eThesis submission form:

Screenshots: eThesis examination submission form

Screenshots: eThesis final submission form

You should familiarise yourself with the University’s regulations and guidance notes on submission and presentation of Postgraduate Research theses:

• University Ordinances and Regulations for Graduate Education  
• Code of Practice for Postgraduate Research Degrees  
• Presentation of Theses Policy  
• Guidance Notes for the Presentation of Masters Level Dissertations

Your Postgraduate Research Development team will be able to provide training and guidance on thesis preparation and submission.

You can also contact the eThesis Support Service  if you would like more information or assistance.

Hints and tips

• Use Google chrome or Mozilla Firefox
• Turn off pop-up blockers
• Your eThesis must be in PDF format
• Large files take longer to upload. Reduce the size of your eThesis file as much as possible

The eThesis team is here to support you; contact us if we can provide more information or assistance.

• Library services
• Researcher services
• Prepare your eThesis
• Access to your final thesis
• Journal format theses
• Sharing your thesis research data

Rules and regulations

Form and presentation of theses for higher degrees

Updated on 1 June 2015

How to present a thesis for research degrees and where to deposit it.

• The final version of the thesis, as accepted by the examiners for the degree must be deposited in the University’s research portal (Discovery in an electronic format approved by the Senatus. However, the initial submission of the thesis for examination may be presented in hard copy at the request of the examiners. The examination hard copy must be in a standard word processed and printed format acceptable to the examiners.  
• The thesis must be word processed in a standard format with a page size equivalent to paper size A4.
• All text must be in font size 12pt (10pt for charts, captions and footnotes). The font type must be Arial, Times New Roman or an approved equivalent and must be consistent throughout the thesis, including chapter headings, quotations and references. 1.5pt line spacing is required throughout the thesis except for long quotations that may be in 1.0pt line spacing.
• The document’s left margins must be at least 40 mm and the other margins at least 20mm.
• Pages must be numbered consecutively through the main text with the numbers located centrally at the top of the page.
• The title page must include the title of the thesis, the full name of the author in the centre and the full designation of the degree, the name of the University and the month and year of the award of the degree in the bottom right-hand corner.
• The table of contents and list of illustrations (if applicable) should normally follow the title page.
• Acknowledgements should normally appear on the page following the table of contents and any list of illustrations.
• Following the acknowledgements, if any, there must be a signed declaration, that the candidate is the author of the thesis; that, unless otherwise stated, all references cited have been consulted by the candidate; that the work of which the thesis is a record has been done by the candidate, and that it has not been previously accepted for a higher degree. If the thesis is based upon joint research, the nature and extent of the candidate's individual contribution must be clearly defined;
• Following the declaration and statement referred to in Regulation 9, there must be a summary of the contents of approximately three hundred words.
• References must enable the reader to identify the work cited and to locate the specific passage concerned.
• The thesis must be written in English unless the appropriate School Board, on the recommendation of the candidate's supervisor, has approved the use of another language.
• Candidates for a higher degree by thesis must have deposited the thesis in accordance with Regulation 1 above and must have paid to the University all fees or charges outstanding including those payable for submission or resubmission of the thesis in question. A candidate who fails to satisfy any of the requirements of this sub-section will not be permitted to graduate.
• The copyright in a thesis shall remain with the author of the thesis.
• As part of the deposition process each candidate will be invited to give permission for the University Library to make the thesis freely available as an electronic resource (for example via the University repository or the British Library Electronic Thesis Online Service (EThOS)) on the authority of the Librarian and subject to appropriate safeguards, but without further reference to the author.

The following recommendations, which do not form part of the above Regulations, are intended to be of assistance to those preparing theses for higher degrees.

• The table of contents (Regulation 7) should list in sequence, with page numbers, all relevant subdivisions of the thesis, including the titles of chapters, sections and subsections, as appropriate; the bibliography or list of references; the list of abbreviations and other functional parts of the whole thesis; any appendices.
•  If the thesis contains tables, photographs, illustrations, diagrams etc., a list of these, in the order in which they appear in the text, should follow the table of contents.
• Diagrams, illustrations and tables should be inserted as close as possible to the associated text. When previously published papers are submitted as an appendix to the thesis they should be listed in the table of contents but with a clear statement that the papers did not form part of the material examined for the degree, unless the degree awarded is designated as “…by Publication”.
• Photographs, diagrams or illustrations should be inserted in a standard format (jpg or gif) and must conform to any copyright requirements in force and be properly referenced.
• Notes may be inserted at the foot of the relevant page, beneath a horizontal rule separating them from the main text and may be typed in single spacing.
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PhD Theses       MLitt Res Dissertations      MLitt Dissertations

Most of these dissertations are available to read at the Elphinstone Institute's Buchan Library . Many of the PhD theses can be read online via the University Library .

Selected PhD Theses

• Dr Kristin Jonzon (2023) -  Tuning the Human Voice: A New Model of Tonality Based on the Voices of Northern Singers, Past and Present
• Dr Athanasios Barmpalexis (2020) - 'People, Land, Spirit': Contemporary Shamanism, Vernacular Healing, and the Realm of the Supernatural in North-East Scotland
• Dr Erika Sidorenko (2019) - An Ethnographic Enquiry into the Use of Medicinal Wild Plants by the Gaelic-Speaking Native People of the Hebridean Isles
• Dr Sheila Young (2017) -  The Hen Party: A Study of the Form, Meaning, and Function of a Prenuptial Ritual for Women
• Dr Pat Ballantyne (2016) - Regulation and Reaction: The Development of Scottish Traditional Dance with Particular Reference to Aberdeenshire, from 1805 to the Present Day
• Dr Jennifer Lynn Fagen (2013) - 'The Fowk an the Lan, the Lan an the Fowk': Community Identity and the Landscape Heritage of Bennachie
• Dr Irene Watt (2012) - An Ethnological Study of the Text, Performance, and Function of Lullabies
• Dr Fiona-Jane Brown (2010) - Faith, Fear, and Folk Narrative: Belief and Identity in Scottish Fishing Communities
• Dr Adam Grydehøj (2009) - Historiography of Picts, Vikings, Scots, and Fairies and Its Influence on Shetland's Twenty-First Century Economic Development
• Dr Frances Wilkins (2009) -  Old Ship of Zion: Singing in Evangelicalism in North-East and Northern Isles Scottish Coastal Communities 1859–2009
• Dr Mary Anne Alburger (2001) -  Making the Fiddle Sing: Captain Simon Fraser of Knockie and His Airs and Melodies

Selected MLitt Res Dissertations

• Richard Bennett (2013) - Aspects of the Culture of the Whisky Industry in the North-East of Scotland: A Study of Cultural Change in Speyside Distillery Communities in the Post-War Period, 1946 to the Present Day
• Janet M. Byth (2013) - Fintry, a Rural Aberdeenshire School: 180 Years in Its Community

Selected MLitt Dissertations

• David Fayle (2023) -  Metamorphic Narratives within the North-East of Scotland
• Forbes Inglis (2023) -  Corn Cultivation: Traditions, Rituals, and Beliefs in North-East Scotland, Then and Now
• Kayleigh Mair (2023) -  What Makes a Witch a Witch or a Pagan a Pagan? A Modern Day Take on Witchcraft and Paganism
• Andrada Maries (2023) - 'A Stone on the Cairn': Memorialising the People Accused of Witchcraft in Scotland
• Mary Stratman (2023) - 'She Was Really with Women That Day': The Importance of Relational Continuity as Women Travel through the Liminal Maternity Journey
• Kate Cowe (2023) - St Combs: Stories of Continuity and Change
• Simon Gall (2023) - 'The Telly that We Watch Seems to Be All-Pervasive': A Study of Media Referenced Family Folklore in the North-East of Scotland
• Raonaid Mackrory (2023) - The Shifting Narratives of Leith Hall Guided Tours: Incorporating Dissonant History including National Trust for Scotland Facing Our Past Research
• Sydney Hubbel (2022) -  Stories on Skin: Tattoos as a Method of Storytelling
• Brenna Quinton (2022) -  Blended Beliefs: The Vernacular Religions of Divination Practitioners in Scotland with Backgrounds in Christianity
• Michelle Soto (2022) -  Seeking Claire -ity: An Ethnographic Study of Claire Brown's Connection to Her Traditional Beliefs throughout Her Life
• Megan Vanderhoef (2022) -  The Search for the Unknown
• James Brown (2022) -  The Wright Way: A Study of a Fairground Family in the North-East of Scotland
• Sue Rhodes (2022) -  The Red Telephone Box: Creative Communication
• Elisabeth Flett (2021) -  Bogha-Frois: Queer Voices in Folk – An Ethnographic Study of Scotland’s First Queer Folk Collective  
• Janet Tavendale (2021) -  Twists and Turns of New Pitsligo Lacemaking: Yesterday and Tomorrow, Connected by Today
• Iain Fraser (2020) -  Fiddlers and their Fiddle Stories
• Wenqiu Chen (2019) - ‘ Come Aa Ye’: The Participation and Community Feel of the Aberdeen Folk Club
• David Francis (2019) - The Dance Caller in Scotland: Practice, Role, and Function
• Anne L. Greig (2019) -  Mill of Tifty’s Annie: Gone but Not Forgotten?
• Rebecca Palomino (2019) -  Summitting Ben Macdui: Stories of the Big Grey Man and Other Anomalous Mountaineering Experiences
• Mara Shea (2019) -  The Fiddler’s Fingerprints: A Tune Book from 1850 Aberdeenshire
• Eleanor Telfer (2019) -  ‘Music Don’t kill’: Music in Contemporary Funerary Practices
• Anna Joy Thigpen Hunt (2019) - Lily Grenall's Stories upon Stories
• Emma Barclay (2018) -  North Sea Quines: Personal Experience Narratives of Female Offshore Employees in the North Sea
• Lauren Hossack (2018) -  Over and About: Walking and Talking about Place through Aberdeen Walking Tours
• Eilidh Whiteford (2018) -  Young Quines and Auld Songs: A Study of Women Traditional Singers
• Elizabeth Kent (2017) -  Witchcraft in Contemporary Media: The North-East Perspective
• Vera Nikitina (2017) - Cultural Differences in Everyday Clothing: Outsiders' View
• Ryo Yamasaki (2017) -  Stanley Robertson as a Writer: An Examination of his Writing Styles and Literary Works
• Ali Anwar III (2016) - Scottish Folklore and the Digital Humanities: Bringing the Two Together
• Maia Daniel (2016) -  Storytelling in the Twenty-First Century: The Contemporary Application of Stories
• Casey Rennie (2016) -  Aberdeen Football Club: Standing Free in North-East Scotland
• Tallen Sloane (2016) -  Miriam’s Daughters: Narratives Celebrating Vernacular Jewish Religion, Culture, and Ethnicity throughout the North-East of Scotland
• Ian Kinnear (2015) -  The Curry Ceilidh: A Window on the Indian Community in the Highlands of Scotland
• Heather Lodge (2015) -  It Makes a Village: A Look into the the Place and Purpose of the Kincardine O'Neil Primary School within Its Community
• Catriona Moore (2015) -  Boundless Hospitality: A Study of Nigerian Foodways in Aberdeen
• Athanasios Barmpalexis (2014) -  Pagan Paths: Druidry and Shamanism in Modern Scotland
• Jessica Doble (2014) -  The Legacy of Stanley Robertson in North-East of Scotland Storytelling
• Thitiphat Jaroonchaikuljaroen (2014) -  Jack and His Storytellers: An Analaysis of the Jack Tales, their Defining Elements and the Thematic Sanitisation that Has Shaped Them
• Christine Kydd (2014) -  The Boys' Ploughing Match and Festival of the Horse: An Ethnographical Study of Form, Meaning and Function
• Catherine Somerville (2014) -  Donald MacDonald, Founder of the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games: His Life and Interpretation of Scottish-American Identity
• Natalie Brown (2013) - Traditional Music Education Today: A Research Project in North-East Scotland
• Elizabeth Campbell (2013) - The Agricultural Mart: Its Place in Rural Culture Today?
• Carley Jean Tierney (2013) -  Knitters' Use of Internet and Face-to-Face Resources
• James Johnson (2013) - Stanley Robertson: A Case Study of a Traveller's Supernatural Abilities and Experiences
• Hazel MacFarlane (2013) - A Sense of Community: Staying Connected in Retirement
• Wibke Reimer (2013) - Experiencing the Extraordinary: Encounters with the Supernatural Collected in and around Aberdeen
• Lorna Summers (2012) -  Salmon Fishing at Porsoy: An Ethnographic Study of the Salmon Net Fishers of That Town
• Nicolas Le Bigre (2011) - Polish Immigrant Narratives of the North-East of Scotland
• Carley Williams (2011) - Scottish Traditional Arts and the Cultural Commission: An Examination of the Role of Traditional Arts in Scotland's Cultural Strategies from 1999–2011
• Bee Kerr (2010) -  Ho! Ho! Lonach: A Study of the Lonach Highland Friendly Society
• Callan Anne Stout (2009) -  Stories for Performance: An Inquiry into the Storytellers in the North-East of Scotland and How They Negotiate the Acquisition, Transmission, and Performance of Oral Narratives under the Pressures of Imposed Value Systems and Personal Aesthetics
• Dan Melnick (2008) - Scotch Whisky: Mythos and Phenomena
• J. T. Winogrond (2008) - The Disappearance of Rural Family Landscape: Reminiscence of Commonty in Northern Scotland
• Norman MacKenzie (2007) - Madame Isabel Murray, 1883–1972: 'She Taught Aberdeen Generations to Dance'
• George Leslie Donaldson (2007) -  A Study of National Service Conscription (1947–1963) Relating to the Experiences and Reflections of Participants from Scottish Communities
• Iain Stewart (2006) - 'Nae Dainty Steps': A Folklorist's Ethnological Observations on 'Strip The Willow' in Scotland
• Jen-Hao Cheng (2005) - Sacred Singing: A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Gaelic Psalm Singing in Lewis and the Unaccompanied Sacred Songs of the Formosan Aboriginal Bunnun Tribe
• Sara Reith (2005) - Alex Green, North-East Whistle Player: His Music and Identity
• Shirley Ann Watson (2005) - The Evolution of Culloden Battlefield to Heritage Icon and the Changing Attitudes Towards It
• Hilary Carby-Hall (2005) -  An Exploration of the State of Children's Play on the Glenlivet Estate, Banffshire, at the Beginning of the Twenty-First Century

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