MPhil Thesis

• Preparation of the thesis

• Expected requirements
• Standard of examination of creative work
• Completion seminar
• Writing a thesis in a language other than English
• Editing of theses
• Word limit
• Published material
• Format of the thesis
• Order of contents
• Thesis preparation and binding
• Notice of intention to submit thesis (80-word summary)
• Thesis submission
• Final form of the thesis
• Making the thesis available on the University of Melbourne ePrints Repository (UMER)
• Manuals on the presentation of theses

Preparation of the thesis

Candidates are strongly advised to discuss with their supervisors the style of writing to be used in
the thesis before writing begins. The thesis should include a general discussion of the candidate's
results and findings, and of their significance in relation to the current state of knowledge in the
field.

In some disciplines it will be appropriate to concentrate the review of the literature and extended
general discussion in introductory and concluding chapters, in other disciplines the review and
discussion should be distributed throughout the thesis.

In the case of creative arts disciplines where the thesis may take the form of creative works and a
dissertation, the candidate should specify the form and presentation of the thesis including the
proportion to be presented as creative work and the proportion to be presented as a dissertation.
The creative work and dissertation must be presented as an integrated, coherent whole.

At the stage of thesis preparation, the candidate should be able to express themselves with
precision, clarity and conciseness.

The candidate's supervisor must be consulted on the general form and the content of the thesis up
to the stage of the final draft.

Expected requirements

In order to pass examination, and thus qualify as the basis for the award of the MPhil degree,
candidates should be able to:
 • demonstrate advanced learning in research skills and mastery of appropriate techniques,
such as the use of archival or primary evidence, analysis of data, judgement of conflicting
evidence;
• demonstrate specialist knowledge in the area of their research;
• present the results of their research in publishable quality or work towards incorporating
their findings in further research; and
• demonstrate an understanding of, and commitment to, research ethics or code of practice.

The format and style of MPhil theses can differ as it is expected that a thesis be written to the
convention of that field. Examiners are asked to consider, where appropriate, the following
questions:

• does the candidate show sufficient familiarity with, and understanding and critical
appraisal of, the relevant literature?
• does the thesis provide a sufficiently comprehensive investigation of the topic?
• are the methods and techniques adopted appropriate to the subject matter and are they
properly justified and applied?
• are the results suitably set out and accompanied by adequate exposition and
interpretation?
• are conclusions and implications appropriately developed and clearly linked to the nature
and content of the research framework and findings?
• has/have the research question/questions been tested?
• is the literary quality and general presentation of the thesis of a suitably high standard?
• does the thesis as a whole constitute a substantive original contribution to knowledge in
the subject area with which it deals?

Standard of examination of creative work

The creative work and dissertation will be examined as an integrated whole. In order to pass the
examination, and thus qualify as part of the basis for the award of the MPhil degree, the creative
work must have the following attributes:

• it demonstrates a professional level of familiarity with and understanding of

contemporary work in the field;
• it demonstrates a sufficiently comprehensive investigation of the artistic form and
creative content;
• the methods and techniques applied in the execution of the work are appropriate to the
subject matter and are original and/or aesthetically effective;
• the creative work is presented in a sufficiently professional manner;
• the creative work demonstrates a sufficiently high standard of literary, visual, digital,
musical or performance literacy and quality;
• the research question/s has/have been identified and tested through the creative work;
• the documentation of the work (including catalogue/ program material where appropriate)
is sufficiently thorough and is of a standard that will ensure the work provides a reference
for subsequent researchers;
• there is an appropriate and substantiated interface between the creative work and the
dissertation;
• the creative work and the dissertation together makes an independent contribution to
existing scholarship in the area of research subject-area with which it deals.
Examiners are advised that they may ask for creative works to be represented or re-documented if
they do not meet the above criteria.

Editing of theses

Editing in this context has been defined as the detailed and extensive correction of problems in
writing style (e.g. ghost writing) as opposed to providing general guidelines about problems with
style and accuracy, or proof reading for mechanical inaccuracy.

As early as possible in the candidature the supervisor must assess the candidate's writing abilities.
In the case of MPhil candidates this must be an integral component of the Six Month Review
process, which requires the candidate to provide a piece of written work. This should be of
sufficient length to demonstrate writing proficiency and indicate the standard of the candidate's
composition skills.

If the supervisor considers that further work is required in areas such as composition and
grammar for the candidate to be successful in completing the MPhil, the supervisor should then
provide advice and assistance as to how an appropriate standard can be achieved. The supervisor
needs to explain the level and extent of support the candidate can expect of them as supervisor.
Such advice may include referral to the units such as the Academic Skills Unit and the Academic
Support Unit at the Melbourne School of Graduate Research.

The supervisor should continue to monitor the candidate's progress in order to resolve any on-
going difficulties. Supervisors should advise candidates about structure, style, and general editing
issues and should guide their candidates accordingly. It is appropriate for supervisors to
undertake some editing tasks, but within limits. A thesis must express the candidate's voice.
Writing is considered an important part of the degree and any assistance with writing must be
conducted as part of the overall learning process. Any additional assistance received by the
candidate must be fully supported by continuous feedback from supervisors as part of the integral
learning process. The integrity of the work relies on the thesis as demonstrably the candidate's
work and must indicate that the candidate has the ability to write and argue with clarity.

Acquiring expertise in writing and editing is often seen as an important professional development
for graduates. Graduate colleagues may be appropriate readers and editors of a thesis, and
candidates should be encouraged to explore alternative avenues for assistance available from
within their department and the wider University community.

Only in rare and exceptional circumstances and with the knowledge and support of supervisors,
should students use paid editorial assistance from an outside source. The use of third party
editorial assistance, either paid or voluntary, must be acknowledged in the preface and is limited
to the guidelines adopted by the University. See the Editing of Research Theses by Professional
Editors.

Completion seminar

All MPhil candidates are expected to take part in a Completion Seminar of their research findings
at the University. The Completion Seminar is regarded as an important part of MPhil candidature.
The Completion Seminar should present the objectives, methods, findings and significance of the
candidate's MPhil thesis research and is held in the department towards the end of candidature
and prior to submission of the thesis. Further information on the requirements and format of the
Completion Seminar can be found in the In Detail – Completion Seminar available from the
Melbourne School of Graduate Research.

Writing a thesis in a language other than English

All theses should normally be written in English. Should a candidate wish to write a thesis in a
language other than English, an application must be made to the RHD Committee at an early
stage in the candidature. The RHD Committee will consider such an application only if full
justification is provided by the department for presenting a thesis in a language other than
English.

Where permission is granted, a substantial summary of the thesis (approximately 2,500–5,000

words) in English should be bound in the thesis and should include an introduction, brief chapter
outline and a conclusion.

Word limit

Candidates should aim to write a thesis of approximately 30,000-40,000 words. Candidates

should consult their Department to determine the appropriate length within this range for a thesis
in their discipline. The word limit is exclusive of words in tables, maps, bibliographies and
appendices. Footnotes are included as part of the word limit. Appendices must be limited to
supporting material genuinely subsidiary to the main argument of the thesis.

Candidates may write up to 50,000 words without seeking special permission from the RHD
Committee. In exceptional circumstances, an application can be made to the RHD Committee to
submit theses longer than 50,000 words. The application must be made prior to submission of the
thesis. It must include the justification for the request, the expected length of the thesis and be
supported by the supervisor and Head of Department, who must also certify that the proposed
examiners do not object to examining a longer thesis.

In the case of creative arts disciplines where the thesis may take the form of creative works and a
dissertation, the integrated thesis should normally represent the equivalent of 30,000-40,000
words. The creative work component will be determined between the candidate and supervisor
and be relevant to the proportion of the thesis submitted as creative work. The length of the
dissertation will also depend on what proportion of the thesis it constitutes, but will normally be
at least 50% of the integrated thesis, between 15,000-20,000 words.

Published material

Candidates are strongly encouraged where appropriate to publish work from their MPhil research
during candidature. While work from the thesis may have been published prior to submission, the
thesis must be presented, in both form and content, as a unified whole, and be prepared
specifically for submission for examination for the degree. A candidate may not include the
actual publications such as reprints or journal articles in their published form as part of the body
of the thesis.

Material that has been published may be included, for example as chapters of the thesis, provided
that it is suitably acknowledged in the text and the Preface. Actual publications, such as reprints
of journal articles, published creative writing and catalogues and documentation of public
performances or exhibited work, may be included in an appropriate form in the appendix,
including for example a DVD, CD or URL addresses.

Work carried out in collaboration with others, and the nature and proportion of the contribution of
others, must be clearly indicated in the preface and in general terms the portions of the work that
the candidate claims as original.

Where multi-author published material is included in the thesis, the candidate must prepare a
statement explaining the contributions of all involved. The statement must be signed by all
authors and be included with the Submission of Thesis form.

Note: The above advice is subject to any obligations or contractual agreements with a third party
that may encumber the publication of a candidate's research but not the inclusion of such work in
the candidate's thesis.

Format of the thesis

International Standard Paper Size A4 (297 x 210mm) should be used. The typing should be 1.5
spaced and presented in a clear and legible font and would normally be expected to be double-
sided. Left and right margins should be no less than 30mm and page numbers should appear
inside the margins. Pages should be numbered consecutively and clearly. Folding diagrams or
charts should be arranged so as to open to the top and right.

Before producing final copies of a thesis for submission, the candidate should ensure that all the
spelling, grammar, punctuation and choice of language are correct and the bibliography is
complete and exact.

In the case of creative arts disciplines the thesis may take the form of creative work plus
dissertation. The creative work may take the form of performance, exhibition, writing (poetry,
fiction, script or other written literary forms), design, film, video, multimedia, CD, DVD or other
new media technologies and modes of presentation. Where appropriate to the study, the creative
work must be comprehensively documented. Either the documentation or the creative work or
both must be submitted with the dissertation.

The dissertation and the creative work should be considered as complementary, mutually
reinforcing parts of a single project. The candidate may argue, however, that the relationship
between the two parts contributes to the originality and creativity of the whole. The dissertation
should not simply describe the creative work and how it was undertaken. While it will often
include information on the materials and methodology used and elucidate the creative work and
place it in an artistic, intellectual and/ or cultural context, the dissertation must answer to the
requirement of every MPhil research thesis that it makes an independent contribution to existing
scholarship in the area of research.

The format of the creative work component of the thesis will be agreed between the candidate and
supervisor, and be approved by the Head of Department at confirmation. The format of the
dissertation component will normally meet the guidelines for a written thesis set out above.

Where the creative work component involves performance (dance, drama, music), a good quality
recording of the performance must be included as part of the thesis. Where the creative work
component involves exhibited visual art works, good quality photographic reproductions of the
work must be included as an appendix to the dissertation.

Order of contents

A thesis follows the following order:

• Title page
• Abstract
• Declaration
• Preface (if applicable)
• Acknowledgments
• Table of Contents
• List of tables, figures and illustrations (if list items are fewer than 10 in number, this is
not necessary)
• Main text
• Bibliography or List of References
• Appendices

Title page

A thesis must be preceded by a title page. The University logo is not permitted to be used in the
thesis. The title page of the thesis should show:

• the title of the thesis

• the full name of the author
• the degree for which submitted (see below)
• month and year of submission
• the name of the department or faculty in which the research was carried out and the
words:
"Submitted in total fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Philosophy"

Example of title page:

Title of the thesis

Full name of the author
Submitted in total fulfilment of the requirements
of the degree of Master of Philosophy
Month Year
Department or Faculty
The University of Melbourne

Candidates who have submitted a thesis consisting of creative work and a dissertation shall state:
"Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Philosophy (by
creative work and dissertation)".

Abstract

The title page must be followed by:

 • An Abstract of 300-500 words in English. (In the case of creative arts the Abstract must
include a description of the form and presentation of the creative work.)

Declaration

• The following Declaration, signed by the student:

This is to certify that

i. the thesis comprises only my original work towards the MPhil except where indicated in
the Preface,
ii. due acknowledgement has been made in the text to all other material used,
iii. the thesis is less than 50,000 words in length, exclusive of tables, maps, bibliographies
and appendices or the thesis is [number of words] as approved by the RHD Committee.

Preface

If applicable, a Preface includes where appropriate, a statement of:

• work carried out in collaboration indicating the nature and proportion of the contribution
of others and in general terms the portions of the work which the candidate claims as
original,
• work submitted for other "qualifications",
• work carried out prior to MPhil candidature enrolment,
• any third party editorial assistance, either paid or voluntary (as limited to the Editing of
Research Theses by Professional Editors guidelines) and/or
• where a substantially unchanged multi-author paper is included in the thesis a statement
prepared by the candidate explaining the contributions of all involved. A signed copy by
all authors must be included with the Submission of Thesis form.

Thesis preparation and binding

Theses should normally be bound using thermal binding.

Thermal binding must be used with covers strong enough to resist damage by bending or
knocking. Twin-ring, spring-back and spiral binders are not acceptable, as theses bound in these
ways frequently do not survive travel through the post. Thermal binding should not exceed 300
pages (absolute maximum thickness of 35mm per copy).

Thermal binding is available from the University's Copy Centre, tel: 8344 6832, Graduate Student
Association's Print Room, tel: 8344 8326, or Officeworks, tel: 1300 734 154.

Notice of intention to submit thesis (80-word summary)

80-word summary

Approximately three months prior to your expected date of submission, you are required to
submit an 80-word summary of your thesis argument to MSGR . You are required to discuss
the time-frame for thesis submission with your supervisor prior to submitting an 80-word
summary.

Your 80-word summary should be submitted at:

www.apps.unimelb.edu.au/sgr/eforms/thesissubmission.

In addition to the 80-word summary you are asked to supply the following:

• your name
• student number
• thesis title
• degree
• Department
• supervisor/s (a 'Change of Supervisor' form can be obtained from MSGR website)
• current address

The summary activates the process of nominating potential examiners for the thesis. The
summary is sent to examiners when inviting them to act.

Candidates are not informed of the names of persons nominated as possible examiners, but are
permitted to name individuals whom they do not wish appointed as examiners. Candidates who
wish to name individuals whom they do not wish to act as their examiners should provide a
written statement to the Head of Department at the time of submission of their 80-word summary.

In the case of creative arts disciplines where a thesis consists of creative works and a dissertation,
and where the creative work component includes performance or exhibition of visual art works,
candidates are additionally required to submit an extended abstract of 500–1,500 words to the
Chairperson of Examiners for forwarding to the examiners one week prior to the viewing, unless
the dissertation is submitted around the same time as the viewing.

Note: If more than 3 months lapses between submission of the 80-word summary and the
thesis for examination, it is recommended that you notify MSGR two weeks before the
thesis is to be submitted to avoid delays with the examination. You can notify MSGR at: msgr-
exams@unimelb.edu.au.

Thesis submission

Three copies of the thesis must be submitted to the Melbourne School of Graduate Research, with
the candidates name clearly marked on the spine, family name in capitals. In the case of creative
arts disciplines where a thesis consists of creative works and a dissertation, and where the
creative work component includes performance or exhibition of visual art works, four copies
must be submitted within six months from the time of the viewing. Any additional
documentation, eg. video of the performance, must be supplied to the examiners with the
dissertation. Where a candidate submits the thesis by courier (or mail) MSGR will send all
appropriate forms to the candidate, along with a thesis receipt.

On receipt of an approved Submission of Thesis form two copies will be sent to the examiners and
one will be retained for the reference of the Chairperson of Examiners. The Chair's copy will be
available to the candidate on receipt of a result. Candidates are strongly advised to retain a further
copy of the thesis for their own use during the examination. Examiners' copies will only be
returned if prior agreement has been made with MSGR . A request for the return of your thesis
can be made on the Submission of Thesis form, sent by MSGR on receipt of your 80-word
summary. As an academic courtesy, it is hoped that candidates will allow examiners to keep their
copy of the thesis.

The Submission of Thesis form, also certifies that the thesis comprises only the candidate’s
original work, and that due acknowledgement has been made to all other material used. A
supervisor (normally the principal supervisor) and Chairperson of Examiners (normally the head
of department) will be required to certify that the thesis is prima facie ready to go forward to
examination and that it embodies the candidate's own work. The form also includes a section
where the candidate (in consultation with the supervisor) may request that the examiners maintain
the confidentiality of the thesis contents. Such a request may be required where there are research
contracts with an outside organisation or other issues related to intellectual property.

Final form of the thesis

On completion of the examination two copies of the thesis in permanent hard cover binding,
incorporating any necessary amendments or revisions, must be submitted to the Chairperson of
Examiners to be approved. Candidates are also required to submit an electronic copy of the thesis
on the University of Melbourne ePrints Repository (UMER). Addenda of any length are not
accepted. One permanent bound copy must be printed on archival quality paper (paper should be
approximately 80-100gsm) available from the University Bookshop or stationery suppliers. The
words "Produced on archival quality paper" should be printed on the title page of this copy. The
University logo is not permitted to be used in the thesis.

The following must be printed on the spine of the thesis:

• full name of the author,

• title of the thesis (abbreviated if necessary),
• degree (i.e. MPhil), and
• year of initial submission, or in the case of rewrites, the year of resubmission

There are no colour restrictions for the thesis cover. The archival quality copy is for the Baillieu
Library and the second copy for the Department Library.

Making your thesis available on the University of Melbourne ePrints Repository (UMER)

University Statute 12.5 mandates that a digital copy of a completed higher degree thesis must be
submitted to the Library. This applies to candidates who commenced from 2007. The thesis
must be received by the Library prior to award of the degree. All candidates who commenced
prior to 2007 are encouraged to submit a digital copy but it is not mandatory.

The University of Melbourne Library maintains an institutional repository (UMER) that is able to
receive and store these digital copies. Theses submitted can be made available for open access
and they can also be restricted so that only the citation and metadata will be made available for
open access. In some cases access may be restricted to theses if there are any concerns about
ownership of intellectual property and copyright. Candidates are required to discuss with their
supervisor any Intellectual Property implications prior to lodging their thesis on-line. For further
information about copyright see http://www.unimelb.edu.au/copyright/eprint.html.
When the thesis has been deposited by the candidate using the online deposit form, the Library
notifies MSGR that the digital copy of the thesis has been received so that the award can be
made. The thesis is not made available for open access at this point. The citation and metadata
only would be available on open access.

Although it is mandatory to submit a digital copy of a thesis to the repository, candidates may
choose to publish their thesis online (available to the world) or allow only the citation and
abstract to be available. If the candidate agrees to allow the full text of their thesis to be made
available, the necessary permissions for third party copyright material and clearance from the
supervisor must be dealt with. For further information visit the Copyright Office website or
contact the Copyright Office.

If the candidate has chosen open access, the Library will contact the supervisor or HOD for
‘clearance’ before making the thesis available. If an objection is received, the Library will alert
MSGR that there is a potential problem. MSGR will facilitate resolution of the situation and
notify the Library when the matter is resolved. If the candidate disagrees with the restriction
placed on the thesis, they can appeal through the University Grievance Procedures.

MSGR notifies the Library about the resolution of the issue. Depending upon this decision, the
thesis is either made available for open access in its entirety, or only the citation and metadata are
displayed. An embargo will apply if the candidate has selected open access but the supervisor
has requested that the full text not be made available for a specific period of time however, this
cannot exceed 7 years.

There are advantages to storage in the institutional repository. As far as is practicable, UMER
assumes responsibility for preservation of the document in digital format. Theses made available
for open access may receive greater exposure from an international community of scholars.
UMER uses software which is searchable by 'scholarly' search engines such as Google Scholar,
Arc, my.Oai and OAISter. All PhD theses loaded onto the open access area of the Repository will
be automatically transferred to the Australasian Digital Theses Program site. This raises the
profile of the scholar and also raises the profile of the University. However it is important to
respect the intellectual property rights of any collaborators involved in the project.

There are clear instructions to guide the uploading process on the Repository available at:
http://www.lib.unimelb.edu.au/eprints/
Information about Australasian Digital Theses Program: http://adt.caul.edu.au/

Manuals on the presentation of theses

Library services, resources and contacts for graduates

www.lib.unimelb.edu.au/postgrad

The University of Melbourne library collection contains a variety of publications on the writing
of theses. There are also numerous information guides written by Information Librarians which
can be accessed online at: http://dydo.infodiv.unimelb.edu.au/index.php?

Research help

www.lib.unimelb.edu.au/sg/tools.html
Thesis Writing Guide and Writing a Thesis: some basic advice are available from the Graduate
Student Association or on the web at: http://www.gsa.unimelb.edu.au/publications/index.shtml.

An A4 list of bookbinders is available from MSGR or Graduate Student Association.

How to Write a Better Thesis (2nd ed) by David Evans and Paul Gruba, is available from various
University of Melbourne Libraries.

Candidates may also access completed theses available from the University of Melbourne Library
and sometimes their own Department or Faculty. University of Melbourne Library information at:
www.lib.unimelb.edu.au.