thesis submission sheffield

• Computer Science
•   Last modified: Thu May 5 15:56:28 2022.

So, you want to submit your thesis...

Related media.

Preparing your Thesis

Ideally, by the end of your third year you should already be preparing your PhD thesis for submission.

The University encourages PhD candidates to submit their work within three years, as most PhDs are only funded for this amount of time. However, the University does recognise that an additional (unfunded) year for thesis writing purposes may be required. PhD candidates are registered for 4 years in case of this eventuality.

If you continue into your fourth year of study, you must pay a continuation fee to the University. For 2023/24 this is £492, but will likely increase for future years.

If you enter your fourth year you should have prepared a clear plan towards completion of the thesis. This should be submitted to your supervisors for agreement. 

Preparation of Thesis

The University has some specific guidance on the preparation of the thesis, which can be found here: https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/rs/code/preparation , as well as details on Thesis Formats , and the formatting and binding of your thesis . These resources should all be consulted prior to submission of the thesis.

You may also find it useful to look at alumni theses, for help with formatting. These can all be accessed at White Rose eTheses Online .

If you're having trouble getting on with writing, the Think Ahead blog has some useful tips , and the Think Further team have articles on:

Reviewing Literature & Reference Management

Critique and Synthesis

Writing Style and Structure

Writing Problems and Practice

Review, Editing and Feedback

Publishing - where, what and how

Extension to Time Limit

If, towards the end of the year it becomes apparent that additional time is necessary you will need to make a formal application to extend your time limit. This will only be granted in truly exceptional circumstances . Do not count on this being approved. The form can be downloaded here . Forms should not be submitted earlier than three months before the time limit

Discussion regarding an extension should occur with the student, supervisor and PGR tutor not less than one month before the current time limit is to expire.

This form requires:

checking at which stage the thesis currently stands

reasons for non-completion

timetable of work to be carried out

statement of support from the supervisor

Recommendation of extensions is generally the responsibility of the PGR Tutor, in certain cases this may be deferred to the Head of Department. Final approval of extension applications is made at Faculty level, and will require the student to meet with the Head of the Engineering Graduate School to discuss the reasons for non-completion.

If you are studying on a Tier 4 visa, this may also have implications for your visa status, and ATAS clearance. You should contact International Student Services for further information in this case.

• The University Library
• Open access

Sheffield Thesis Publishing Prize 2022 - Winners Announced

The five winners of the inaugural Sheffield Thesis Publishing Prize have now been announced. The prize, which was launched in Spring 2022 with a closing date in Autumn 2022, celebrates doctoral research at The University of Sheffield by supporting recent PhD graduates to explore opportunities to develop their thesis into an open access monograph published by White Rose University Press .

PhD-holders who graduated from the University of Sheffield since 2019 were invited to submit proposals detailing how their thesis could be turned into an open access monograph. From a strong field of applications, five prize-winners were selected, each winning a £250 cash prize and consideration for publication by White Rose University Press, with guidance and support provided through the peer review process. Where monographs are commissioned, all open access publication costs will be paid for by The University of Sheffield Library.

The winners

The five winners and their projects (in alphabetical order) are:

• Daniel Clarke (English) - Wearing Historicity: Genre, Stardom, and American Identity in Hollywood’s Medieval Films, 1949-1956
• Xi Lu (Landscape Architecture) - A Multi-Scale Study of Stakeholder Participation and Visualisation in Chinese Urban Planning: The Case of the Pearl River Delta
• Adele Mason-Bertrand (Sociological Studies) - Unmasking Cosplay: Subculture, Inclusivity, and Escape
• Jost Migenda (Physics) - Supernova Neutrino Observation and Model Discrimination with Water Cherenkov and Liquid Scintillator Detectors
• Alice Siberry (Law) - Diversity, Difference, or Disorder? Exploring Neurodiversity within British Policing

Alice Siberry, now a Criminal Justice Neurodiversity Consultant with the organisation Creased Puddle, said, ‘I am absolutely delighted to be given the opportunity to share my passion for making research more accessible and inclusive.’ Independent researcher Daniel Clarke commented, ‘I am very excited at the prospect of publishing my monograph with White Rose UP. A central tenet of my research philosophy is producing work that is both accessible and engaging to a diverse range of audiences, and I believe that publishing open access helps me to achieve this.’ Adele Mason-Bertrand, a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Leeds, added, ‘I am delighted to be selected as one of the winners. This prize will enable me to share my thesis in the format that best showcases my research and will enable a range of audiences to access my research regardless of their financial situation or educational background.’

Open access monographs are a growing area of publishing, with the Directory of Open Access Books (DOAB) currently indexing over 50,000 books. Publishing an open access monograph means that it can be shared, read, downloaded and reused by anyone with an internet connection, increasing the book’s readership and impact. White Rose University Press (WRUP) is a non-profit, open access digital publisher, run jointly by the Universities of Leeds, Sheffield and York. It publishes open access journals and books across all disciplines, with current publications in areas such as archaeology, literature and linguistics, and is committed to academic quality and innovation in digital publishing.

Prize-winner Jost Migenda, a postdoctoral researcher at King’s College London, said ‘My PhD research would not have been possible without open source software. So when I started thinking about writing a monograph, I knew right away that I wanted it to be open access. White Rose UP, with its full commitment to open access publishing, was the natural choice.’ Xi Lu, Lecturer at the College of Landscape Architecture, Nanjing Forestry University, commented that ‘As a non-native English speaker, publishing an open access monograph in English is an exciting yet challenging opportunity. I’m interested in having my research reach further and gaining a wider readership including practitioners, policy makers, academics and others interested in the field of urban planning and public participation.’

Kate Petherbridge, Press Manager at WRUP, said ‘We are really excited to see the range and quality of the prizewinning submissions, and are very much looking forward to working with all the authors on their proposals as they go through the peer review and commissioning process.’

Ask a question

Email: [email protected]

Phone: +44 114 222 7200

Search for PhD opportunities at Sheffield and be part of our world-leading research.

• University of Sheffield Library
• Library Information and Advisory Support

Q. Where can I get my thesis bound?

• 4 AI Generative Tools
• 20 Assessment, Revision and Exams
• 3 Bibliometrics and Altmetrics
• 6 Bookable Spaces
• 3 Copyright
• 40 Databases
• 4 Dissertations and Thesis
• 12 Eresources
• 2 External Library User and Visitors
• 12 Inclusive Learning
• 8 InterLibrary Request
• 1 IT Support
• 12 Lending Services
• 6 Library Account
• 23 Library Sites
• 49 Library Support
• 6 Membership / External Users
• 11 Open Access
• 3 Print, Copy, Scan
• 1 Prospective Student
• 2 Reading Lists
• 1 Recommend a book
• 33 Referencing and Reference Management
• 11 Research Data Management
• 47 Research Skills and Critical Thinking
• 16 Research Support
• 1 Screen Sharing
• 1 Special Collections and National Fairground Archives
• 40 StarPlus Help
• 13 Studying remotely
• 4 Subject Guides

Answered By: Your Library Team Last Updated: Nov 21, 2022     Views: 877

Print Services have a Thesis & Dissertation Binding service  and offer three packages for The University of Sheffield thesis and dissertation binding. These packages all meet the University regulations for thesis first and full submissions.

• Order via myPrint at   https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/ printanddesign   discounts apply.
• You can drop your document at the Print & Design Solutions reception desk, located on Bolsover Street

Any queries please contact reception on 0114 222 1220 or email  [email protected]

Useful additional information

• Thesis binding price list
• Contact details and location

Links & Files

• Library Accessibility Statement
• Share on Facebook

Was this helpful? Yes 2 No 0

Welcome to White Rose eTheses Online

White rose etheses online.

Welcome to White Rose eTheses Online, a shared repository of electronic theses from the University of Leeds, the University of Sheffield and the University of York.

Student from the University of Leeds, Sheffield or York? Need to upload your thesis? Start by creating an account , or login to your account

If you are unsure if this is the right place for you, check the FAQs .

Recent additions for Leeds , Sheffield , York or all recent additions .

What is White Rose eTheses Online?

This repository gives access to theses awarded by the Universities of Leeds, Sheffield and York. The available repository content can be accessed for free, without the need to log on or create an account, as per the instructions of the depositing author. We also make the content available through aggregator sites via harvesting mechanisms.

Dissertations

• Library research skills
• Research methods
• Data sources
• Digital archives
• Databases for Arts and Humanities
• Databases for Engineering and Computer Science
• Databases for Medicine, Dentistry and Health
• Databases for Science
• Databases for Social Sciences

Library Help

Library subject guides.

It can be used as part of a literature search to help identify grey literature.

 [email protected]                  0114 222 7200                      01952 783022

• << Previous: Digital archives
• Next: Databases for Arts and Humanities >>
• Last Reviewed: Apr 16, 2024 8:38 AM
• URL: https://sheffield.libguides.com/dissertations

Sheffield Hallam Doctoral School

Planning for finishing the thesis

This workshop, held on 27 June, aimed to spark discussion and debate around planning for finishing the doctoral thesis, drawing on the experiences of doctoral programme leaders and providing opportunities for group discussions and sharing experiences and strategies. It also covered essential advice on open access and copyright in relation to the thesis.

The workshop included a panel session with Professor Paul Harrison (PVC Research and Innovation), Dr Kathy Doherty (Head of Research Degrees in ACES), and Professor Jon Wheat (Head of Research Degrees in HWB), who shared their critical success factors and strategies for completing the thesis:

With 12 months to go, you should have an idea of what chapters you’re going to have. As time goes on, this can be broken down into smaller, more detailed bite-sized chunks.

Write out of order

You don’t necessarily have to write your thesis in order (in fact, deliberately writing out of order is recommended). For example, scientists can write the methods chapter early on. Or write the ones you find easiest first – this will give you confidence for the rest.

By writing the introduction last you can ensure the thesis hangs together.

Write all the time

There is a popular misconception that you write your thesis at the end. This is not true – you must write throughout. There will be a period at the end when you’re drafting the final submission, and this will be almost impossible without having done some writing.

Write all the time – e.g. writing up your supervisory meeting notes helps you develop your argument. Keep a lab book or academic diary, where you note the justifications for the decisions you’ve made.

It’s daunting at first, but make a start and take it steady. Set yourself a target – e.g. 2 pages per day. This is very achievable – albeit easier on some days than others.

Don’t be scared to write things that don’t get used in the end. Writing text and then removing it is well worth doing. You can even keep a file of text that has been removed so it’s not lost.

Understand what’s required

You don’t want to exceed the word limit – examiners can refuse to examine it, and it’s good to get into the discipline of cutting and editing to remove redundancy.

Presentation is important – writing is not just the words. Understand the requirements for presentation – be clear what’s expected in terms of standard and quality. Don’t leave it to the last minute. Keep your references organised throughout.

Examiners will comment on the quality of the scholarly presentation. Pay close attention to checking things like the references in the text are properly listed in the references section, tables and graphs are correctly labelled, formatting is consistent, etc.

Perseverance is important – you will have low points. Accept that on some days, writing simply doesn’t happen. On those days, spend time instead on the graphs or making sure that the attention to detail is covered. This shows the examiner how much care has gone into the thesis.

Recognise when you employ diversionary tactics to avoid writing. If you’re likely to put it off, find some good strategies to overcome the block – e.g. write bullet points instead of sentences, or find a writing buddy. Activities such as Free Writing or Shut Up and Write! sessions may help. By writing at an early stage you know what kind of writer you are and what strategies work for you.

Discuss your ideas

Talking is also important – take every opportunity to talk about your work, from discussion with colleagues through to conferences. Use your peers for support. Discuss your emerging ideas, impact, what you want to make from the work you’ve done. This helps to define the emerging thesis. Even if you don’t feel you have anything to say, present it anyway as a work in progress.

Get used to presenting and defending your work – this helps you define and focus on what your thesis is. This is particularly relevant for the more discursive disciplines.

Get someone to read your thesis.

Use your peers for support.

Know when to stop

It has to be good enough, not perfect. You have to be prepared to let it go – your thesis can always improve with more time, but you have to recognise what’s ‘good enough’. Take advice from your supervisors on this.

—————-

Pete Smith of the Library Research Support Team then outlined some essential considerations regarding electronic theses, publishing and open access. Organisation is key – ask copyright questions early, review your data management plan, and sort out confidentiality in good time.

For more information or advice on these areas, contact the Library Research Support Team .

Copyright and your electronic thesis

Electronic PhD theses are available through the Sheffield Hallam University Research Archive ( SHURA ), making them widely available to researchers, funders, employers etc.

A hard copy thesis is not considered ‘published’, as it’s unlikely that a large number of people would read it. Electronic theses are more widely available, and are therefore considered to be published. This has implications for copyright.

Fair use of someone else’s work, with attribution, is acceptable – e.g. a couple of lines of text. Reproduction of whole chunks of text or images is classed as ‘unfair use’, and you’ll need to get permission from the copyright holder.

Most of the time, the electronic thesis will be the same as the hard copy. But if there are copyright issues, you may need to produce an edited version for the electronic thesis.

Sometimes publishers can’t turn a thesis into a book if it’s already available online. The University can put an embargo on an electronic thesis, to keep it hidden for a couple of years while you prepare the book.

The “ Your thesis ” section of the Library Research Support pages has more information, or contact the Team if you’re unsure.

Open access requirements

Open access aims to increase the (free) availability of research outputs, making them accessible to the public, other researchers, research funders and research users. It applies to all digital material, and there are particular requirements around the REF and research supported through public funding.

Publishing your thesis

Consider where you want to publish, reputation of publisher and journal, any charges, copyright ownership, and open access. Be wary of anyunsolicited approaches to publish your thesis at a charge.

The Think.Check.Submit website has advice on choosing where to publish your research.

If there are major ethical or commercial risks, a confidentiality embargo can be applied to the thesis. Talk to your supervisor about this.

Open access data

The underlying data for research projects are now shared on SHURDA (SHU Research Data Archive). This is relatively new, and aims to support (1) verification of work and process (2) reproducibility, and (3) reuse of data.

As part of your data management plan, you should consider what happens to your data once your PhD is completed. The default is that is goes online in SHURDA. Again, if there are ethical or commercial considerations, appropriate restrictions can be applied.

Library Research Support Team https://blogs.shu.ac.uk/libraryresearchsupport/   Useful information covering references, data management, publishing, electronic theses, open access and ORCID.

Planning & writing

Vitae resources on completing your doctorate https://www.vitae.ac.uk/doing-research/doing-a-doctorate/completing-your-doctorate   (create an account/ log in with your SHU email address)

Shut Up and Write! https://blogs.shu.ac.uk/doctoralschool/writing/  Information on the approach and details of sessions at SHU

Free Writing – a paper-based (no typing) approach. Plan it out, then give yourself 5 minutes to write, with no stopping. It will not be the finished article, but will provide a scaffold of what you’re trying to say. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_writing

Data management

Online course on Research Data Management (available via Blackboard Academic CPD courses)

Research data store for active projects (Q drive) https://blogs.shu.ac.uk/libraryresearchsupport/manage/rdm/managingdata/research-store-q/

SHURDA – SHU Research Data Archive http://shurda.shu.ac.uk/

SHURA – SHU Research Archive of scholarly outputs and publications http://shura.shu.ac.uk/

EThOS – British Library e-thesis online service http://ethos.bl.uk/Home.do

A searchable database of theses from UK and Ireland is also available through ProQuest Dissertation, accessible via the SHU Library Gateway

Think.Check.Submit – choosing the right journal for your research http://thinkchecksubmit.org/

In the Epigeum Research Skills Course (available via Blackboard Academic CPD courses)

• Getting published in the arts
• Getting published in the sciences
• Selecting a conference, presenting and networking

Added to basket!

View your new Officers for 2024-25

• Advice And Support
• Academic Appeals
• Postgrad Research

Academic Appeals Postgraduate Research

The University has updated its forms to be completed online rather than in document form. We are working to update these pages to align with the new forms and provide a document version so that you can create a draft that could be checked by our advisers.

If you disagree with the University’s assessment of your research, whether it be your viva, confirmation review, thesis submission or downgrade decision; you have the right to appeal against that decision if you meet a ground for appeal.

In the first instance we would advise you to consult your Supervisor, Postgraduate Research Tutor or Head of Department to see if your concerns can be resolved informally. If this does not work you have the option of formally appealing under the University's Academic Appeal Regulations. The regulations apply to the following:

• Upgrade / downgrade decision
• Assessed coursework
• Confirmation review
• Departmental action for academic misconduct

An appeal must be made within 30 working days of publication of results. If for valid reason you require more time to submit your appeal, you should email the Student Engagement and Progress Team on [email protected] before the deadline to ask for more time. Include your department and registration number in the subject field and explain why you need more time. If more than 30 working days have passed since the publication of results, you will need to use the Late Submission Form to request permission to have your academic appeal considered late. You should explain the reasons for this and provide any evidence you are referring to

You may find it useful to first read the University's Code of Practice for Research Degree Programmes which contains information on; change of candidature, upgrades, confirmation reviews and academic progress.

If your result has meant that there has been a change of candidature (eg to MPhil), then this status remains until your appeal is accepted and any subsequest conditions are met, eg passing of viva/confirmation review.

Find out more about postgraduate research student academic appeals

Grounds for appeal

How to appeal, how to complete the appeal form, advice related to specific appeal grounds, what happens once you have submitted your appeal, what happens if you are not satisfied with the outcome of the appeal, oia (office of the independant adjudicator).

It is important to remember that you cannot appeal on the grounds of academic judgement, i.e. you think your work deserved a better result, for example if you disagree with the examiners opinions.

You have grounds for an appeal if:

• You can show that there has been negligence or misconduct by an examiner.
• You can show there has been a procedural error by the examiner, or an error in the recording, transcription or reporting of your results i.e. human error in giving the wrong result to the Examination Board.
• You can show there have been extenuating circumstances which you could not, or felt unable to declare to the University earlier, for a valid reason.
• You can show that supervision problems seriously affected your performance. In this case you also need to explain why you were unable to report or resolve the problems before the exam, viva or thesis submission informally with the department or via the University Complaints Procedure.
• Where you have been found to have used unfair means in an assessment and disagree with the penalty imposed by the department.

Your appeal should be made in writing using the standard University Academic Appeals form .

The form should be submitted by email with the evidence to [email protected] within 15 working days of the formal publication of results.

If you are appealing the results of a confirmation review or PhD viva/re-examination, the date would be that on the formal notification letter that you receive from the Research Services.

Here is quick guide, including screen shots and tips to help you fill in the Academic Appeals form.

You need to explain exactly what happened and why you consider this to be negligence or misconduct. You need address whether you discussed it with anyone in your department/ supervisor to try and see if it can be resolved and what the outcome of that was (include any evidence of meetings of minutes, emails etc). If you did not discuss these issues with your department / supervisor, you need to explain why. Please note; you need to ensure that your basis for this ground is not questioning academic judgment. For example, if you feel the examiner was not knowledgeable in your field or you disagree with their comments.

You need to explain what the procedural error was, and evidence of this; whether you discussed it with your department to try and resolve it, if not why not. Again you need to ensure that your basis for this ground is not questioning academic judgment; for example, if you disagree with the examiners comments.

• You first need to clearly explain what the extenuating circumstances were and how they affected your performance.
• If your extenuating circumstances were medical reasons, then you would need medical evidence confirming what the circumstances were and for the doctor to confirm that they would have impacted your performance in the assessment. If you are a patient of the University Health Service, the doctor would usually expect you to request this evidence on a medical extenuating circumstances form . Alternatively they may be willing to provide you with a letter. Please note; if you have been seeing another health professional such as a counsellor, specialist nurse, consultant, you should provide a letter from them.
• The next point you need to address for this ground, is why you were unable to present these circumstances to the department or examiner earlier, usually via extenuating circumstances form.
• You would need to explain the nature of the supervision problemsand explain how you feel it directly contributed to your performance in the assessment. If it has been an going issue, it is advisable to do a timeline or chronology of events detailing issues, and what you have been trying to do to resolve them along the way, e.g. meetings with supervisory team, postgraduate tutor or head of department, and the outcome of these. It is recommded to include any email evidence, feedback sheets, minutes of meeting, annual progress reports etc, to evidence your claims.
• You also need to address why you were unable to resolve this issue earlier eg through the Postgraduate tutor or head of department, or why you were unable to submit a complaint via the University Complaints Procedure prior to the assessment.
• You would need to explain why you believe the penalty/ action was unfair / unreasonable in your situation. If you have any extenuating circumstances related to this, please ensure you state them and provide evidence.
• Please note: under this ground, the faculty officer has the power to; uphold your appeal; reject your appeal; or impose a different penalty/action.
• The Student Administration Service will confirm in writing that your appeal has been received and is being dealt with, usually by email.
• Your department will receive a copy of your appeal and be asked to comment on it. Your appeal and this response are then considered by a Faculty Officer (Pro-Vice Chancellor or his/her nominee).
• The Faculty Officer can make a decision to uphold or reject your appeal. Usually you would receive a written response (which should include your departments comments) within about a month, but it can take longer in busy periods or more complicated cases.
• If the Faculty Officer decides your appeal needs more in-depth consideration, he/she may refer it to Faculty Academic Appeals Committee (FAAC) for full investigation and decision.
• If this happens you would be given the opportunity to submit further evidence.
• If your appeal goes to FAAC you can choose to attend a hearing, or opt for it to be dealt with in writing. It is generally advisable to attend this hearing, so that you can take part in discussions about your appeal and answer questions that arise.
• The Student Advice Centre can help you prepare for the FAAC and accompany you to the hearing to speak on your behalf.
• You will be notified in writing of the outcome of your appeal with an explanation of the decision.
• Your academic department will have responded and provided written comments in response to the appeal. Usually a copy of those comments is sent to the student at the time the decision is notified.

If you are not satisfied with the decision of your academic appeal, you have the right to request a Case Review (which comes under the University Complaints Procedure ), if your case comes under at least one of the following grounds:

• There was a material procedural irregularity which rendered the process leading to the decision taken in respect of the academic appeal unfair.
• Material which the student could not reasonably have been expected to produce at the time of the decision taken in respect of the academic appeal casts substantial doubt upon the appropriateness of that decision.
• The decision taken in respect of the academic appeal was manifestly unreasonable.

The request for a Case Review must be made within 10 working days of the full written response provided in relation to the academic appeal. If you need longer than this you must contact the Student Contact and Appeals team ( [email protected] ) and request an extension detailing the reasons. This will then be passed to a Pro-Vice-Chancellor, or their representative, who can decide to extend this time limit.

Case Reviews requests should be submitted using the Case Review form .

The request will be considered by a Pro-Vice-Chancellor, or their nominee, who can decide:

• To uphold the complaint.
• To establish a Case Review Panel, which would usually give you the opportunity to attend a meeting and present your case to the panel, with a representative, should you wish. The Student Advice Centre is usually able to represent students at these meetings depending on staffing capacity).The case review panel would consist of; the chair (which would be a Pro-Vice-Chancellor or their representative), a Faculty Officer or representative (not from your Faculty), and another member which is usually a Sabbatical Officer from the Students' Union. Papers would be circulated prior to the meeting, which consist of your academic appeal, departmental response and you would usually be given the opportunity to submit a further statement or evidence should it be deemed necessary.
• To refer the matter to be considered under another University procedure, such as back to the Academic Appeals procedure to have an academic appeals committee to be set up.
• That there are insufficient grounds to take further action, thereby concluding the matter at this stage.

Usually where a department has responded and provide written comments in response to the request for a case review, a copy of those comments will be sent to the student at the time the decision is notified.

The University's Procedures for the Conduct of Academic Appeals stipulates that the University aims to deal with Academic Appeals including any subsequent Case Review Request within 90 days of receipt of the Academic Appeal. If this is not possible you should be kept informed on the progress of your case.

It is advisable to use the Word version of the Case Review Request form, and type your appeal, so that sections can be expanded and changes can be made easily.

Section A: Personal Details

Section B: You need to tick the ground you believe your case comes into.

You need to give an explanation of why you disagree with the decision of the formal complaint based on the case review ground you are applying under, and reasoning in the decision letter:

Grounds for case review

• There was a material procedural irregularity which rendered the process leading to the decision taken in respect of the academic appeal unfair; For this ground you would have to demonstrate that there was something incorrect in the academic appeals procedure which would have made the decision unfair, for example if a person closely linked to the academic appeal or from the department considered the academic appeal, or if it was clear from the decision letter that a significant piece of evidence submitted had not be considered because it seems to have been overlooked. These are just examples and are not to base your request on. If you are unsure whether your situation meets this grounds you can speak to an academic adviser at the Student Advice Centre to seek clarification.
• Material which the student could not reasonably have been expected to produce at the time of the decision taken in respect of the academic appeal casts substantial doubt upon the appropriateness of that decision; This would have to be significant evidence that would have likely led to a different decision being made in the academic appeal, and you need explain why you were unable to provide it with the formal complaint.

You need to set out the reasons why you believe the decision given in the academic appeal was extremely unreasonable. You should refer to points in the decision letter when explaining this.

Section C: You need to enclose a copy of your academic appeal and the evidence submitted, including any additional new evidence you wish to submit for your case review.

If a solicitor or adviser from the Student Advice Centre has assisted you, you may put their details in the representative box. Please note: you may only use the Student Advice Centre representative’s name if we have seen and fed back on your form before you submit.

Section D: Please detail the outcome that you would like, taking into consideration anything that has already been resolved at earlier stages.

Section E: You may type your name or enter an electronic signature.

Once the form and evidence are ready you need to submit it to [email protected] within 10 working days of the date of the academic appeal decision letter.

The Case Review stage is the last stage of the University’s internal appeals procedure.

The University’s Procedures for the Conduct of Academic Appeals stipulate that the University aims to deal with Academic Appeals including any subsequent Case Review Request within 90 days of receipt of the Academic Appeal. If this is not possible you should be kept informed on the progress of your case.

If you remain unsatisfied after completing the University’s internal appeals procedure, you may be able to make a complaint to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education (OIA). The OIA is an independent review scheme and forms no part of the University's review or appeal procedures. You have 12 months from the Case Review decision letter to make a complaint to the OIA.

Before you go to the OIA you must have concluded the university complaints procedure.

Further details on the OIA, their complaints process and how to apply can be found on their website.

You may also find the following direct links useful:

• Making a complaint to the OIA .
• Eligibility guidance for complaints the OIA will look at .
• Complaints the OIA will not consider .

• language Search for " " in the Library Website Search the library website
• menu_book Search for " " in Library Search Search Library Search
• 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

2024 ThesisIn3 Competition for Students

Call for proposals: asis&t europe thesisin3 competition for students ist conference july 8-10, 2024 submission deadline: 12th june 2024 @ 18:00 cet.

As part of the Information Science Trends (IST) Living online and offline, in darkness and light conference, the European Student Chapter (ESC) of the Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T) in collaboration with iSchools are seeking student contributions to an online ThesisIn3 event where students are invited to present their research topics for theses and dissertations in three minutes.

This event is intended to encourage wider student participation in the Information Science field in a fun and inclusive space, allowing students to develop both their confidence and their presentation skills, and to offer their own insights and gain constructive feedback. The event will be run as a video entry competition, students are encouraged to attend both as presenters and as observers and will be able to join virtually via Zoom to ensure as many students as want to, can attend. You can register for the ThesisIn3 competition here . Students are encouraged to present their research topics for theses and dissertations within a concise three-minute timeframe. Submissions, accepted in video format, will be eligible for multiple prizes, prizes including Best Visuals and Best Explanation of Topic, etc. Winners will be notified prior to the conference and invited to attend the full IST conference. Their winning video presentations will be showcased during the event, with the ESC announcing the winners. The date for the presentation of the winning entries will take place between July 9th and 10th and will be confirmed later.

Submission requirements:

Students are defined as BA/BSc, MA/MSc, or PhD students within Information Science (including related areas such as Library Science, Archival Science, Data Science, Information Management, Digital Humanities and Human Computer Interaction).

Please submit a short description (max. 5 sentences) of the topic of your (3 minute) presentation and video entry via Google Form here .

Submission Deadline:

Submissions to participate will be accepted until 18:00 CET on 12th June 2024 and we will be in touch with everyone who has submitted their proposal shortly thereafter regarding the outcome.

For more information:

The organisers are happy to answer any questions you might have regarding this student-run event.

• Nana Musa, [email protected] , (EU Student Chapter Chair)
• Juan Becerril del Toro, [email protected] , (Communication Officer)
• Faye Carrie, [email protected] (EU Student Chapter past-chair)
• Richmond Sarpong, [email protected] (EU Student Chapter Chair Elect)
• Romain Herault, [email protected] , (iSchools Doctoral Seminars Chair)

For any queries you might have on the Information Science Trends (IST) Information Science Living online and offline, in darkness and light conference, you can contact any of the co-chairs below.

• Dr Yuhua Wang, [email protected] , (EU Chapter chair)
• Dr Muhammet Damar, [email protected] , (EU Chapter chair-elect)
• Dr Sophie Rutter, [email protected] , (EU Chapter past-chair)
• Nana Musa, [email protected] , (EU Student chapter Chair)
• Richmond Sarpong, [email protected] , (EU Student chapter Chair-elect)