birkbeck phd thesis guidelines

How do I access theses?

Find out how to access MPhil and PhD theses written by Birkbeck research students, how to upload a thesis to BIROn , and request theses from other institutions on the  library website .

Birkbeck Library does not keep any MA or MSc dissertations, and these are not held through EThOS, or usually by other online libraries. The Birkbeck department  may be able to help.

OATD - Open Access Theses and Dissertations - has graduate theses and dissertations published around the world.

You can limit searches to dissertions & theses (mainly US) on ProQuest, available on our Databases page.

• Last Updated 21 Nov, 2023
• Answered By Lesley Nicol

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Birkbeck Graduate Research School (BGRS)

Starting my PhD during a Global Pandemic

A bgrs blog post by swathi kumar ( phd biology , cancer biology, ismb ).

I’m now in my second year of the BBSRC LIDo PhD programme . The first year was composed of two 4-month rotation projects, the first of which was based at both Birkbeck and UCL and is now my full-time PhD project. Like many others, March 17 th was my final pre-lockdown day working in the lab and I was one month in on my second rotation project based at Barts Cancer Institute. The rest of the summer was a blur with days spent teaching myself to use command-line interfaces to run bioinformatic tools in an attempt to produce any data whatsoever for my project that had then become wholly computational. I managed to complete a coding course covering MATLAB, R and Python which was a mandatory part of my first year and a useful skill to learn as a biologist. All that remained was to return back to my old lab and officially start my PhD.

My first day back in the lab was July 27 th – 4 and a half months post-lockdown. I had fastidiously read all the ‘returning to work’ documentation and was prepared for Birkbeck to look quite different to how I remembered it. Sure enough, the corridors were filled with COVID-19 safety measures and a 2-metre rule had been implemented. Luckily, I was already trained in the microbiology techniques I would need for the first month of my PhD thanks to my rotation project last year. My PhD researches the pathogenesis of the Kaposi Sarcoma-associated Herpes Virus with a particular focus on a viral oncogene it produces called vFLIP. I am interested in cancer biology having done a master’s degree in it, and my interdisciplinary PhD combines structural biology and virology. Overall, the majority of my PhD is wet lab based.

Being supervised while adhering to social distancing rules vaguely resembles a Quickstep dance. The 2-metre rule was recently relaxed to 1-metre with masks on at all times, which made it significantly easier for my supervisor to teach me how to use structural biology equipment. Later this month I will be demonstrating these techniques to undergraduate summer camp students and supervising an undergraduate placement student – both firsts in my career. Apart from eating our lunches at desks spaced 2-metres apart, the daily work routine is becoming relatively normal. I do look forward to the day we can attend seminars and lectures in-person rather than online. However, I will say that the switch to online talks gave me the courage to try a new profession – teaching! Overall, I’m thankful that my transition from working at home to experimenting in the lab has been smooth. I hope my story encourages others who may have some anxiety about returning to work to not be afraid and to believe in themselves!

Author: ubcg56b

Graduate Research School Manager View all posts by ubcg56b

2 thoughts on “Starting my PhD during a Global Pandemic”

Well done, Swathi – and good luck! Sue (tortoise PhD History)

Way to go! Onwards & upwards always! 😊

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University of London theses

Most University of London theses are held by the libraries of the colleges through which the theses were awarded.

Copies of some University of London  research degree theses  are held offsite at the depository of the Senate House Library. Copies may also be held by the relevant  Institute Libraries . If you know that the thesis you are interested in was awarded by the University of London, check the  Author/Title option in the catalogue of Theses.

If you want to locate theses written on a particular subject use  Theses Keyword  enquiry and enter terms for the subject area you are interested in.

Theses from the British Isles

Theses awarded by any university in Great Britain can be located using the  ProQuest Dissertations and Theses: Global . Most will be available via the  EThOS Electronic Theses Online Service . Theses will be available through EThOS for immediate download if they have already been digitised. If not, you can make a request can via the EThOS service for the thesis to be digitised and made available for you. In most cases the service is free of charge.

If you have difficulty finding a thesis on the  EThOS catalogue  we strongly recommend you consult the ‘Search tips’ available via the main EThOS search page.

Not all UK universities participate in the EThOS service. If a thesis is not available through EThOS it may be possible to consult it on interlibrary loan. Senate House Library can arrange this on your behalf but you may wish to make a request through your home library as this will usually be cheaper. See our  Interlibrary Loans  pages for further information on making a request through Senate House Library.

OpenDissertations  includes links to EThos or Institutional repositories, for the British theses it includes.

American, Canadian & some European Universities Theses

Theses awarded by American, Canadian and some European Universities can be located using  ProQuest Dissertations and Theses: Global  which includes full text from 1997. Going back to 1743, this is a computer searchable database available offsite for authorised users. Some theses are also being made available on an open access basis on the  PQDT Open  website. Others may be ordered on  Dissertation Express .

OpenDissertations  is an EBSCO open-access database which incorporates American Doctoral Dissertations, and information about theses contributed by select colleges and universities from around the world. While the database does not contain the full text it does have links to ETHOS or Institutional repositories, for the British theses it includes.

In order to consult a thesis from abroad which is not available via this service it is advisable to ask your college library (or the British Library if you are a member there) if they can organise an inter-library loan. If you are not a member of another library we can organise an inter-library loan on your behalf, but there is a  charge 

There is a gateway for European e-theses at  DART-Europe E-theses Portal .

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Information for supervisors

The Birkbeck Graduate Research School (BGRS) provides essential information and guidance to support supervisors at Birkbeck. 

New starter checklist for supervisors 

• The following checklist highlights issues of particular importance for new PhD supervisors:
• Birkbeck’s Code of Practice for Postgraduate Training and Research for MPhil and PhD degrees , describes the responsibilities of supervisors (including the roles of Principal, Joint Principal and Second Supervisor) so please familiarise yourself with this document.
• Your faculty PGR Support Manager.
• Your school PGR Academic Lead.
• Your faculty Head of Research.
• It is important to check whether your PhD students have been correctly assigned to you on Research Track (see section below). The BGRS will send routine updates to all supervisors who have students assigned on Research Track.
• Attend one of the forthcoming  BGRS induction/refresher sessions for research degree supervisors .
• Familiarise yourself with the BGRS SharePoint pages .
• Read our health and safety policies on the Health, Safety and Wellbeing SharePoint connect site (Birkbeck staff only) .

BGRS SharePoint site

• highlighted information for new research students 
• a detailed overview of training and professional development available to research students 
• lecture capture, slides and handouts from BGRS training sessions 
• details of Birkbeck Postgraduate Research Student (PGR) Reps 
• a summary of careers and employability resources for research students
• information about potential funding sources for current PhD students
• information about internships, teaching and demonstrating opportunities 
• video resources and other useful information.  

Research track

• Research Track is a centrally accessible system supporting postgraduate research student activities at Birkbeck. Further information about Research Track is available on the BGRS Moodle site .
• As a supervisor, you can view details of your current Birkbeck PhD students on Research Track. To do this you should log in to My Birkbeck for Staff , look for the blue container titled ‘Research Track’ and select ‘My Research Students’.

training for supervisors 

• The Birkbeck Graduate Research School (BGRS) Training Programme includes training/ refresher sessions for new and more experienced PhD supervisors which takes place twice per year.
• If you are an Arts and Humanities PhD supervisor you will be able to access supervisor training via the AHRC CHASE DTP . 
• The BGRS SharePoint site  contains video resources, including a useful video on 'Outstanding Supervision'.
• Equality & Diversity Essentials
• Unconscious Bias
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• HR also provide a more general ‘Recruitment and Selection Refresher Briefing’ and ‘Recruitment and Selection and Interview Skills training’. 
• You can view these HR training opportunities by logging in to Business World .

BGRS COMMUNICATIONS

• If you have information that is of interest to the wider research student community at Birkbeck, please contact the BGRS who can distribute messages to all PhD students or add a piece to the BGRS blog.
• An archive of BGRS updates sent to Birkbeck PhD students is available on the BGRS SharePoint site .

IMPORTANT MPHIL/PHD STUDENT POLICIES AND REGULATIONS 

• Regulations :  read Birkbeck's regulations for research degrees . 
• Policies : many of Birkbeck's policies apply to students at all levels of study, but  some are specific to research students . 

MPHIL/PHD SUPERVISION AND THE SUPERVISORY RELATIONSHIP

• Read the  Birkbeck Code of Practice for Postgraduate Training and Research for MPhil and PhD degrees , which describes the responsibilities of supervisors and research students at Birkbeck and outlines the expectations for supervision arrangements and supervisory roles (including the roles of Principal Supervisor, Joint Principal Supervisor and Second Supervisor). 
• Read about  MPhil/PhD supervision and the supervisory relationship  from the student's perspective.
• Read our guidance notes on appointing an external supervisor. 
• If you need to arrange a period of parental leave or absence you should follow the appropriate human resources policies/ procedures but you must also consider whether any arrangements are required to provide supervision for PhD students while you are absent. If you will be away for more than one term and your student does not have a second supervisor you should arrange for a colleague to join the supervisory team. If your absence is planned this should be done in advance so that there is an opportunity to facilitate a handover period with the supervisor who is covering your period of absence.
• Birkbeck is a member of the UK Council for Graduate Education (UKCGE) which provides resources for PhD supervisors including the UKCGE’s Research Supervisors Network. 
• Thinkwell tools for MPhil/PhD supervisors (a collection of free guides and tools for supervisors and supervisees) 
• The Thesis Whisperer (a regular blog about writing a doctoral thesis) 
• 'PhD chat' hashtag on Twitter.

RESOURCES FOR SUPERVISORS 

• Vitae  is a non-profit organisation that has been enhancing the skills and supporting the professional development of researchers for over 45 years. They provide research, training, events, consultancy and resources. 
• Birkbeck is an institutional member of Vitae, so you can access their  online materials to support MPhil/PhD supervisors  (note: you will need to log in). 
• Vitae also provides  extensive information on part-time researchers . 
• Birkbeck is a member of UKCGE which has a list of resources for supervisors.
• There is a helpful report on perceptions of trust within supervisory relationships, with suggestions for more effective supervisory practice available on the Advance HE website.
• 'Are You Ok' project
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Field trips 

• If your student is planning a field trip please read guidance available on the BGRS SharePoint site to ensure that planning, risk assessment, and insurance arrangements are made in advance.

training and training needs analysis

• MPhil/PhD supervisors should read about the Training Needs Analysis (TNA) process . The TNA allows research students to establish and document their training priorities.
• Further information about training opportunities for PhD students is available on the BGRS Training Timetable and on the BGRS SharePoint site .

THE MPHIL/PHD APPLICATION PROCESS 

• Read more about the application process for prospective MPhil/PhD research students . 
• Prospective MPhil/PhD research students can  search our academic staff profiles  for potential supervisors. 
• If you need to amend or update your details on the Experts' Database, please contact your school PGR administrator and/or team leader, or, if you're unsure who to contact,  get in touch with the BGRS . 

STUDENTSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

• A list of current PhD studentship opportunities at Birkbeck is available on our  PhD funding page . 
• If you have a PhD studentship opportunity that you would like to highlight, or which you would like to advertise, please  contact us . 
• You can read an overview of  UKRI-funded studentship opportunities at Birkbeck .
• Arts and Humanities Council (AHRC) studentships are available for MPhil/PhD research at Birkbeck via the  Consortium for the Humanities and the Arts Southeast England (CHASE) doctoral training programme . 
• Read the CHASE Studentship application: guidance notes for applicants and selection criteria (2022 entry), including selection criteria and grade descriptors .
• Read Birkbeck's CHASE briefing for supervisors/staff (2020-21)  - access restricted to Birkbeck staff.
• Read CHASE's briefing for staff (2020-21) .
• Read about CHASE Collaborative Doctoral Awards .
• Read a statement on interfaces between the arts and humanities and the social sciences .
• Find out about Birkbeck membership of committees related to the AHRC-funded CHASE DTP2.

THE PHD EXAMINATION PROCESS

• The examination and awarding process for all MPhil/PhD researchers is overseen by the Birkbeck Graduate Research School (BGRS). If you have queries, please  contact the BGRS .
• Once a student has submitted their exam entry, you can check the progress of their examination (e.g. dates of submission, whether the RSSC have approved examiners, deadline for corrections) on Research Track by clicking the orange ‘Examinations and Awards’ button at the bottom of the student’s page.
• You can record the date of a candidate's viva by clicking the blue button ‘Enter or Update Viva Date for this Student’. Please note that this is for record-keeping purposes only and you should notify the BGRS via email as soon as a viva date has been agreed.
• Supervisors should  read Birkbeck's regulations for research degrees  to understand the requirements for entry to PhD examination and how the candidate will be examined. 
• Supervisors and students should read our SharePoint guidance on the examination process.
• In the case that a candidate submits against your advice, or submits a version of their thesis that you have not been allowed to read, you may choose to submit our  submission of thesis form for supervisors  to record the situation.
• Statement of Contribution guidance  is available for work done jointly by the research student and their supervisor(s). 
• PhD supervisors are responsible for nominating examiners.  Read our guidance for appointing PhD examiners . 
• Once you have identified two examiners, you should complete the online nominations form around four months before the anticipated thesis submission date.
• External examiners can find all the forms and guidelines they may need during the examination process on our dedicated web page . 
• In some circumstances, it may be appropriate for the viva to be chaired by an independent member of academic staff. The role of an Independent Chair is to attend the oral examination and ensure that it is conducted fairly and in accordance with the University Regulations.  View the procedure and guidance for independent chairs .

change log 

• If you have a suggestion for changes or additions to this page, please contact the BGRS. 
• 11 May 2022: Additional external resources for supervisors added.
• 1 October 2021: Changes to reflect updated guidance and requirements for online vivas and online thesis submission.
• 1 October 2020: Highlighted information about research degree examination and COVID-19.
• 9 December 2019: Page updated and re-ordered and supervisor checklist added.

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Sick and surplus : personality disorder, political economy, and the production of subjectivity in British prisons

Seglow Hudson, Rebecca Lucy (2024) Sick and surplus : personality disorder, political economy, and the production of subjectivity in British prisons. PhD thesis, Birkbeck, University of London.

This thesis traces the construction and management of personality disorder in English and Welsh prisons. The single most overrepresented mental disorder diagnosis in prison, personality disorder forms the backbone of an elaborate rehabilitative infrastructure spread across the prison estate. ‘Having’ the disorder often shapes one’s journey throughout a custodial sentence and impacts prospects of release. This thesis asks how the disorder is constructed, and why. In so doing, it connects the ‘inner’ world of subject, diagnosis, and treatment to the ‘outer’ world of institutions and political-economic conjuncture. It draws chiefly on critical medical anthropology, critical criminology and historical materialist literature. Historically informed, the thesis emphasises the long relationship of psy categorisation to imprisonment. In this vein, it also situates the diagnosis’ emergence under New Labour to the political-economic circumstances of their governance. Based on fieldwork with documents, former prisoners, and Parole Board members, the thesis unearths a prison-specific nosology of personality disorder. Here, ‘trauma’ is understood to sediment into immovable personality ‘traits’ that determine criminal behaviour and continually generate ‘risk’. These traits are worked on through interventions that aim to produce ‘insight’ and self-management skills within prisoners. I locate this—a prison-specific nosology, its logic, and its attendant infrastructure—within the wider arc of British capitalism. A core contention of the thesis is that the deployment of personality disorder has to be understood within historical and material developments. To this end, the thesis lastly argues that the diagnosis’ long-lasting dominance in penal healthcare can be understood by connecting its breadth, fluidity and ossification of trauma to political-economic developments. The thesis offers contributions to work on subjectification in prison, imprisonment under neoliberalism, the management of surpluses under capitalism, and the political negotiation of trauma.

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