Composite Thesis

Instructions for the Composite Thesis

Instructions as laid down by Hanken's Teaching and Research Council (TRC) 11.5.2004

According to the Government Decree on University Degrees (794/2004), a composite thesis consists of a number of scientific publications or manuscripts vetted for publication, deemed sufficient by the university, and which deals with the same set of problems, and a paper summarising the findings or some other work which meets corresponding scientific criteria. The publications may include co-authored publications if the author's independent contribution to them can be demonstrated.

1. The composite thesis for the degrees Doctor of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy in Economics consists of articles that have been published/accepted for publication in refereed scientific journals. In accordance with what is laid down in item 2, some of the articles can be published in the Hanken publication series or in the publication series of other similar institutions, or in other scientific series. In addition to the articles, the thesis should include a summary section that constitutes the thesis manuscript proper.
   
   
2. The number of articles included in the thesis isn't decisive, but the student's scientific contribution and specifically reports of them in the summary is what matters. However, the minimum requirement is that a composite thesis consist of work equivalent to at least three individually authored scientific articles, at least two of which are published, accepted for publication or meet the requirements for publication in refereed scientific journals. Other articles included can be published, accepted for publication, or meet the requirements for publication in another type of publication series. The assessment of the thesis is not based on the number, or on the type of articles, but on the contribution of each article and the scientific contribution of the thesis as a whole.
   
   
3. In addition to the articles, the thesis must include a summary section. In this section the student must present the research problem, goal, method and results. In the summary section the research results and contribution should also be reported in detail. In addition, the relevance of the included articles for the whole is reported. Thus, this summary section is very important in the review, defence and assessment; it constitutes the thesis manuscript proper that is to be published.
   
   
4. Irrespective of the number and type of articles, the articles as well as the summary section must deal with a uniform research problem or area in such a way that the student's personal achievement as a whole fulfils the requirements laid down for a thesis.
   
   
5. Although the thesis should consist primarily of articles based on the student's own research, joint publications may also be accepted as part of the thesis provided that it is clearly stated that the student has contributed to them with independent work. It is recommended that authors take this into account at the writing stage by including in the article itself information about each co-author's role and contribution.
   
   If the student's contribution or share is not stated in the article, he or she must hand in a report on it when submitting the thesis manuscript. A report should therefore be attached for each jointly authored article, signed by the co-authors, in which each author's contribution to the article is stated. It is recommended that the report be prepared at the writing stage of the article. In this way the authors can also agree at an early stage on its use/publication in a possible composite thesis. Any article for which the student's own contribution cannot be clearly demonstrated cannot be included as part of the thesis.
   
   
6. As to the number of articles, a thesis including joint publications should consist of work equivalent to at least three individually authored scientific articles, at least two of which are published, accepted for publication, or meet the requirements for publication in refereed scientific journals. Other articles which can be included may be published, accepted for publication, or meet the requirements for publication in another type of scientific publication series. Thus, an article with one co-author is, for example, estimated to equal 1/2 of an individually authored article, one with three authors 1/3, etc., unless a different distribution of the contributions is stated in the report. At least one of the articles that has been published, accepted for publication, or has met the requirements for publication in refereed scientific journals must have been sole-authored by the student.
   
   
7. If published articles are to be printed in the thesis (which is not obligatory), the publishers' permission to do so must also be attached. Permission from the publishers is also required for printing manuscripts that have been accepted, but not yet published. These documents must be submitted with the manuscript to the Teaching and Research Council (TRC) and the external reviewers. The printing of previously printed material should take place in accordance with the terms of the publishers (which often means that it will be unedited in terms of either contents or format, i.e. a "photocopy" of the article). Some publishers permit publication only in a limited number. This number must be sufficient for those involved in the review of the thesis to receive a personal copy. The summary and the unpublished articles, which constitute the thesis manuscript proper, may then be printed in a larger edition, in accordance with Hanken's and the student's requirements and needs.
   
   Article manuscripts accepted but not yet published, for which the publisher's permission to print has not been received cannot be printed in the thesis and consequently cannot be included in it.
   
   
8. The TRC and the external reviewers decide whether the manuscript (the summary and the articles respectively) can be officially submitted. In cases where previously unpublished manuscripts have been included in the thesis, the TRC and external reviewers also have to determine whether the manuscripts can be assessed to fulfil the scientific requirements for refereed scientific journals. They also determine whether the summary section and the separate articles constitute a totality and whether the student's share in possible joint publications is sufficient for submitting the manuscript as the student's doctoral thesis. The opponents will express their opinion regarding the same factors after the defence and submit their review reports regarding acceptance to the TRC.
   
   
9. Although refereed articles have already been assessed, they must also be reviewed by the external reviewer and the opponent as well as by the TRC whose responsibility it is to review the manuscript and assess the thesis.

Composite Thesis for the Degree of Licentiate in Economics

The same directives as for the doctoral thesis apply to the composite licentiate thesis in economics, with the major difference being that the number of articles included must be equivalent to at least two individually authored articles, at least one of which must have been published, accepted for publication or fulfil the requirements for publication in a refereed scientific journal. This article must be individually authored by the student.