Doctoral Programme
Committee
6/2011
A memo
25.5.2011 Sirje Liukko
1 (3)
Instructions for the article-based and monograph dissertation at School of
Chemical Technology (AaltoCHEM)
Ohjeet artikkeli- ja monografiaväitöskirjan
korkeakoulussa (AaltoCHEM)
1
tekijälle
kemian
tekniikan
General quality requirements for doctoral dissertation
According to the degree regulations of the School of Chemical Technology (37 §) as
a doctoral dissertation may be approved a monograph or a sufficient number of publications, or manuscripts accepted for publication dealing with the same set of problems and a summary of them, or some other work that meets corresponding scientific criteria. Publications may include also joint publications if the independent contribution of the author can be demonstrated. A publication here is taken to mean a refereed (peer reviewed) scientific article which has been published or accepted for
publication, in a scientific journal or other refereed printed work.
1.1 The dissertation shall contain new scientific knowledge in the field it represents.
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The dissertation shall clearly set forth the new findings.
The new scientific knowledge presented in the dissertation, or in the articles
constituting it, shall be up to date.
The candidate’s own contribution to the research shall be clearly stated.
1.2 The formal content of doctoral dissertation
The dissertation must include the following specific data
 Indication of doctoral dissertation (Doctor of Science / Doctor of Philosophy)
 A reference to the Aalto University School of Chemical Technology
 Supervisor, instructor(s), pre-examiners and opponent(s)
 Date, time and place of the public defense of the dissertation
The dissertation itself shall include an abstract in English and another in Finnish or
Swedish if the author has received his/her high school education in Finland in Finnish or Swedish. It is to be composed primarily according to the instructions given by
the publication series. Aalto University has also provided an abstract form, which can
be used unless the publisher requires a different type of abstract. The abstract forms
are available on the Aalto Publication platform. The recommended place for the abstract(s) is at the beginning of the dissertation.
1.3 Methods, experimental setups, measurements and the data presented in a dissertation should withstand the scrutiny appropriate for scientific research.
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The research findings and the analysis of results shall be so explained and
described that they can be replicated and confirmed.
1.4 The doctoral candidate shall present the results and conclusions clearly and in
Aalto University
Sirje Liukko
Postal address
P.O. Box 16400
FI-00076 AALTO
Visiting address
Tekniikantie 3
Espoo, Finland
Tel +358 9 47001
Fax <xx>
Business ID 2228357-4
www.aalto.fi/en
[email protected]
VAT FI22283574
Domicile Helsinki
Doctoral Programme
Committee
6/2011
A memo
25.5.2011 Sirje Liukko
2 (3)
such a way as to meet the scientific demands.
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The research shall be set in the correct frame of reference by referring to the
research results and methods of other researchers relevant to the candidate’s
research; particularly important are references to the latest published results,
not forgetting primary sources.
The dissertation should avoid verbosity; a concise style is appropriate for scientific presentation. Matters of opinion or emotional reactions are inappropriate to scientific style.
2
Detailed requirements and rules for dissertations
When a dissertation contains previously published material (figures etc.), the doctoral
candidate shall refer to this correctly and obtain copyright permission where necessary. Copyright permission must also be obtained for the different articles in an article dissertation. Printed and electronic versions must be identical.
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A literature study is not appropriate for a doctoral dissertation in the field of
technology
Facts and publications presented in a licentiate thesis may be used in a doctoral dissertation. The licentiate thesis must not, however, be one of the publications in an article dissertation.
Patents may not be used as part of an article dissertation. When the content
of a patent is not evident from the other publications in the dissertation, it can
be presented in the summary, and if necessary, be appended to the dissertation.
2.1 An article-based dissertation
If the dissertation consists of several articles, they shall deal with the same scientific
question or set of questions. The summary shall contain an explanation of the research subject, the most important results achieved by the candidate, and a list of
the articles mentioned above; if necessary it should elucidate the articles further
(Degree Regulations 37 §). A separate list is not made for other publications by the
doctoral candidate, but they are referred to, if necessary, in the summary section of
the dissertation manuscript.
An article-based dissertation includes a sufficient amount of scholarly publications on
the same set of problems and a summary report of them.
 Although according to the common practice, an article-based dissertation at School of Chemical Technology typically includes 4-5
full articles or even more, the exact number of publications is not
the most important quality factor for a dissertation. More emphasis
should be given on quality of publications and doctoral candidate’s
personal contribution to them. Also the overall academic quality of
publication and (publication series) should be acknowledged.
 Publications can include also co-authored publications if the independent contribution of the doctoral candidate can be demonstrat-
Aalto University
Sirje Liukko
Postal address
P.O. Box 16400
FI-00076 AALTO
Visiting address
Tekniikantie 3
Espoo, Finland
Tel +358 9 47001
Fax <xx>
Business ID 2228357-4
www.aalto.fi/en
[email protected]
VAT FI22283574
Domicile Helsinki
Doctoral Programme
Committee
6/2011
A memo
25.5.2011 Sirje Liukko
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3 (3)
ed to be sufficient. The input of each co-author must be reported.
In case of co-authored publication, the Doctoral Programme
Committee reserves the right to enquire a statement of doctoral
candidate’s personal contribution to publication from the corresponding author.
All publications must be published in refereed, international scientific series.
An article dissertation may contain a literature review.
Book chapters may be published as a part of article-based dissertation provided that the amount and quality of new findings presented in it is indeed significant.
In several areas of expertise of the School of Chemical Technology, it is customary to publish conference papers. Their level may
vary and the supervisor and instructor should decide whether they
can be included as a minor part of an article dissertation.
Extended abstracts (one to three page announcements) are not
acceptable as part of a doctoral dissertation.
At the early stage of pre-examination, the manuscript may include
one or two submitted manuscripts that have not yet been accepted
for publication.
2.2 A monograph dissertation
A monograph must include previously unpublished results of independent research.
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Aalto University
Sirje Liukko
The author must play a distinct, major role in forming the research
problem, carrying out the research, in writing the dissertation and
formulating the results.
A monograph must meet scholarly criteria equivalent to an article
dissertation
A monograph does not contain a separate list of the candidate's
publications; all references to such publications, however relevant
they are to the dissertation, are included in the list of references.
Doctoral students are always strongly encouraged to publish articles since the knowledge of publication process as a whole is
highly important to a researcher.
Postal address
P.O. Box 16400
FI-00076 AALTO
Visiting address
Tekniikantie 3
Espoo, Finland
Tel +358 9 47001
Fax <xx>
Business ID 2228357-4
www.aalto.fi/en
[email protected]
VAT FI22283574
Domicile Helsinki