The PhD thesis must demonstrate the author's proficiency in applying pertinent scientific methods and conducting research projects that meet international standards for PhD degrees in the relevant academic field.
Upon uploading the thesis as a PDF to Pure, students are required to include these four additional documents in separate files:
- Co-author statements for papers included in the thesis, compiled into a single PDF file.
- The principal supervisor’s statement in English, detailing the entire PhD course, including completion of individual PhD plan components, submitted as a PDF file.
- A concise, popular scientific abstract in English of the PhD thesis, using widely comprehensible scientific terminology. The abstract should be approximately one A4 page, submitted as a PDF file.
- A reporting form for Statistics Denmark, available on their website, detailing obtained and discontinued PhD degrees, submitted as a PDF file.
Plagiarism check
Once uploaded, the thesis manuscript in Pure undergoes a plagiarism check.
Co-author statements
If the PhD thesis includes co-authored papers, co-author statements must be uploaded in one collective PDF file during submission. It’s advisable to gather these statements throughout the PhD studies.
Confidentiality
Both the PhD thesis and the defense are publicly accessible. Any confidentiality issues with external partners and the university should be resolved at enrollment to prevent delays in the defense due to confidentiality concerns.
Form and substance of the PhD thesis
The PhD thesis should be written in English and include both Danish and English abstracts. In special cases, and with approval from the head of the PhD School, the thesis can be in Danish with a detailed English abstract.
The thesis must contain internationally publishable material of the highest quality, reflecting expectations within the research field. It may be structured as a monograph or an anthology. A thesis without published material can be submitted if the principal supervisor attaches a statement to the supervisor declaration, affirming that the research quality is sufficient for assessment and explaining the lack of published material.
Thesis articles can be co-authored, provided statements from each co-author are included, indicating the author's contribution. These statements must be completed on a special form and signed by both the co-authors and the PhD student.
Layout and print
PhD students should avoid printing and distributing their dissertations if publication is restricted or embargoed. This includes dissertations with confidential information, business concepts from external collaborations, non-disclosure agreement-covered material, or data not to be publicized. Similarly, printed distribution should be foregone if containing trade secrets, sensitive data, protected research results, or information compromising collaborations, intellectual property, or legal responsibilities. In such scenarios, share the dissertation only with authorized individuals, following applicable confidentiality and data protection rules.
Please be advised that when a thesis is printed, 2 copies are automatically sent from the printers to the Royal Danish Library for public access.
If printing is needed, the PhD thesis should be printed at SDU’s in-house printing office, "Grafisk Center." Note that all PhD theses will have an SDU cover following their official design guidelines. The PhD student may select the page layout after the cover.
Download the template for the mandatory SDU cover and find detailed information on ordering your thesis printing at the "Grafisk Center" website.
Please be advised that when a thesis is printed, 2 copies are automatically sent from the printers to the Royal Danish Library for public access.