anu thesis requirements

CBE PhD Thesis by Compilation Guideline

1. introduction.

This Guideline details the College of Business and Economics’ (CBE’s) requirements for a thesis by compilation and the process that PhD candidates must follow when applying to submit one. 1  The Guideline should be read carefully in conjunction with:

• Research Award Rules (2021) ;
• Procedure: Higher degree by research - submission and examination of theses ; and
• Procedure: Higher degree by research - thesis by compilation and thesis by creative works .

As well as reading the Guideline and associated materials, PhD candidates wishing to submit a thesis by compilation:

• Should discuss this intention with their supervisors and School HDR Convenors as early in their candidature as possible; and
• Must follow the process outlined in this Guideline to apply to the CBE Delegated Authority for permission to do so. Unless in receipt of this approval, PhD candidates will be required to submit a standard format thesis.

Importantly, submitting a standard format thesis does not preclude PhD candidates from organizing the thesis into a multiple-study/essay structure.

2. Structure and Content of a Thesis by Compilation

A thesis by compilation submitted by any CBE PhD candidate must comprise no less than three (3) peer-reviewed journal articles that have been researched and written during the course of the candidature. These publications must revolve around a central theme and be presented in a cohesive manner. Taken together, these requirements mean that, in addition to its constituent papers, a thesis by compilation must include:

a.  An introduction to the field of study and the hypothesis or research questions of the thesis, how these are addressed through the constituent papers, and a general account of the theory and methodological components of the research; b.  Linking text to establish the relationship between one paper and the next, such as through a foreword to each paper; and c.  A conclusion that draws together the published papers in a cohesive manner, addresses how the individual publications link to the theory and methodology adopted and evaluates the contribution that the research makes to the advancement of the research area. 

3. Requirements of a Thesis by Compilation

The collective scope and quality of the research included in a thesis by compilation must be commensurate with that presented in a standard format thesis. Importantly:

• At least two (2) of the minimum of three (3) papers required in a thesis by compilation must have either been published, or accepted for publication, in an A- or A*-ranked journals at the time of the candidates’ application to submit their thesis in this format; 2,3   
• The publications included in a thesis by compilation can be either single-authored or co-authored;
• In the case of co-authored paper/s, the number of co-authors included must be sensible for the discipline. Moreover, the CBE PhD candidate must: be the lead author; have contributed significantly to the writing of the paper/s; and provide a statement clearly detailing the nature and extent of their contribution to each co-authored paper/s that, wherever possible, is signed by all co-authors. The Statement of Contribution Template may prove helpful in preparing this statement, a copy of which is available at the link included in the Application and Approval Process section; and
• All papers submitted in a thesis by compilation must comply with the ANU policies  Responsible Conduct of Research  and  Code of Research Conduct .

4. Application and Approval Process

As noted previously, PhD candidates should discuss their wish to submit a thesis by compilation with their supervisors and School HDR Convenors as early in their candidature as possible. At the latest, this should happen before their Thesis Proposal Review. This will allow candidates to develop a realistic research plan that takes into account the (often lengthy) peer-review and publication process.

PhD candidates must also obtain endorsement from their supervisory panel and approval from the CBE Director of HDR as the Delegated Authority to submit a thesis by compilation.  They must do this no less than 6 months prior to submission. The application requires candidates to:

a.  Complete the Thesis by Compilation Statement of Contribution ( a template is available here ) for each of the co-authored papers, detailing the extent of the contribution of the candidate to developing the research questions, creation and collection of data, analysis and interpretation of the data and to the writing of the paper; b.  Have the Statement signed by all co-authors of the papers and endorsed by the supervisors; and  c.  Apply to change their thesis format via  Manage My Degree eForms  through ISIS. Candidates should read  the application process here  before they proceed.

In reviewing an application to submit a thesis by compilation, the CBE Delegated Authority will take into account relevant University HDR Policies / Procedures and the CBE requirements set in this Guideline. Wherever necessary, the CBE Delegated Authority may also request further information from the candidates and supervisors.

5. Publishers’ Agreements

PhD candidates wishing to submit a thesis by compilation need to ensure publishers’ agreements do not preclude the inclusion of the published work in their thesis. They need to do this before submission. Please see  here  for further information. For any questions, please contact: 

ANU Copyright Officer: Roxanne Missingham T: 02 6125 2003 E:  [email protected]

6. Thesis Submission and Examination 

The submission and examination procedures for a thesis by compilation are the same as those for a standard format thesis and are detailed in ANU HDR thesis submission and examination policies and procedures.

1  Only in exceptional circumstances will approval be given to a candidate for a Master of Philosophy or Professional Doctorate to submit a thesis by compilation.

2  In the case of business and economics publications, A and A* journals are as defined by the Australian Business Deans Council List. For other publications, journal rankings are determined with reference to Thomson Reuters Impact Factors, with the top 5% of outlets in the discipline nominated by Thomson Reuters regarded as A* and the next 20% regarded as A.

3  This requirement ensures that the quality of the research conducted by candidates is commensurate with that expected of the unitary PhD business and economic disciplines, and to reduce examiners’ potential concerns about the rigour of journals’ peer-review processes.

Current Students ANU College of Health & Medicine ANU College of Science

Application to submit phd thesis by compilation, degree level.

CHM/COS Requirements for a Thesis by Compilation

A 'Thesis by Compilation' allows a candidate to submit his / her thesis for examination by published work. The number of publications is not prescriptive due to disciplinary variability, however should include at least three publications of which the majority are first author.

All candidates are automatically set up to submit their thesis as a standard thesis. If you wish to submit your thesis as a 'Thesis by Compilation' you must submit an MMD-HDR "Change Working Thesis Details" eForm at least 12 months, and no later than 6 months before completing the 'Notification of Intent to Submit' (NOI) milestone eForm. This process requires approval from your Primary Supervisor and Delegated Authority. It is important to speak with your Primary Supervisor, Delegated Authority or HDR Administrator before requesting a change to your thesis format.

Please see: " Change Working Thesis Details " webpage for more information on format types and procedure. 

The University procedure ( ANU HDR - Thesis by Compilation and Thesis by Creative Works procedure ) also requires a detailed ‘statement of contribution’ to be included and bound into the thesis at the time of submission.

This statement must detail the contribution to each paper, and include an agreement to the contribution statement and the inclusion of the paper by co-authors, using the ' Thesis by Compilation_Statement of Contribution ' template attached.

To ensure this requirement is followed, the statement must be endorsed by the supervisor and the Delegated Authority before submission of the thesis.

At least two months prior to submission, and after consulting with your supervisory panel, a candidate should commence the 'Notification of Intent to Submit (NoI)' milestone eForm (available via ISIS) indicating the thesis title, abstract, intended date of submission and thesis format.

NB: You CANNOT change these details following submission so please ensure they are correct prior to submission of thesis for examination. 

[SEE: Thesis by Compilation Application & Thesis by Compilation_Statement of Contribution forms]

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HDR policies & procedures

At ANU there are rules and guidelines that govern your responsibilities and requirements as a student. Some of these are specific to higher degree research (HDR) students, while others apply to ANU students and staff more broadly.

The most important of the HDR policy documents is the Research Awards Rule ; the federal legislation which underpins the ANU HDR policy framework of policies, procedures and guidelines.

While the Rule take precedences over the ANU HDR policy framework, these documents provide more detailed guidance relating to stages of your progress through your degree.  Exceptions are the Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP) scholarships policy and procedure (see below), which haverequirements under different Commonwealth legislation.

Links to all policies and related procedures, guidelines and information can be found in the Resources box, but you should be aware of the  following:

Research Training Program (RTP) Scholarships

RTP Fee Offset and RTP Stipend scholarships are relevant to all domestic students, and any international students awarded an RTP Stipend scholarship.  The Commonwealth Scholarship Guidelines (Research) 2017 require that the processes, policies and conditions of scholarships are readily and publicly available in a RTP Scholarship Policy.  The ANU RTP Scholarship Policy (and related procedure) can be found in the policies section of this page.  Further information regarding RTP scholarships can be found here and RTP International Fee Offset scholarships here.

HDR candidature & supervision

Candidates have the ultimate responsibility for their candidature but ANU has responsibility for supporting them throughout their time with the university. These policies (and related procedures and guidelines) provide guidance on:

• attendance requirements;
• your supervisors and Supervisory panel;
• external status;
• joint or dual award PhD programs
• change of research topic and transfers;
• leave and extensions of program.

They also outline responsibilities of HDR candidates, such as satisfactory academic progress and milestone completion as well as responsibilities of supervisors and the university.

All HDR students are required to submit regular reporting milestones , and the student milestones themselves are outlined in the HDR Candidature Progression Procedure.

HDR submissions & examinations of theses

The submission and examination of your thesis is the culmination of years of research, work and collaboration.  The Submission and Examination of theses policy framework provides guidance on the various aspects of submission and examination for HDR candidates, including the:

• thesis submission process ;
• nomination of examiners;
• submission of a Thesis by Compilation or Thesis by Creative Works;
• examination process; and
• thesis deposit and Open Access.

HDR Research Integrity, Ethics Approval and Misconduct

As a student you should familiarise yourself with any ethics approvals you may need for your research as soon as possible. Research at ANU must not commence until all relevant approvals have been obtained.

You are also required to undertake a research integrity course which deals with common issues in research.

At ANU any student misconduct, including research misconduct, is addressed by the ANU Discipline Rules .

There are also a number of policies specifying how research misconduct matters involving ANU staff are handled, and these can be found below.

HDR Leave, Travel and Fieldwork

Leave for HDR students is dealt with under Candidature and Supervision , while travel and fieldwork are governed more generally (see below under General Policies ).

General Policies

There are other policies and procedures that apply to all students and staff at ANU but which are relevant to HDR students:

• Collection, storage, and disposal of human tissue in research : The requirements of ANU for ethical approval of research studies involving the use of human tissue;
• Conflict of interest and commitment : An overview of the principles and means for handling conflicts of interest or conflicts of commitment;
• Fieldwork health and off-campus work safety : the procedure for fieldwork and off-campus work safety;
• Intellectual property : A description of the ownership, management, and use of intellectual property created by ANU staff, students, and visitors;
• Prevention of discrimination, harassment and bullying : To inform staff and students about specific behaviours not accepted at the University;
• Social media participation by ANU students : Guidelines for ANU students who create or contribute to blogs, wikis, social networks, virtual worlds or any other kind of social media;
• Student complaint resolution : Information on the process of the resolution of student concerns about their experience at the University;
• Travel policy : Information on duties of care, efficient use of resources, and maintaining records of travel approvals;
• Travel procedure : Information on University and individual responsibilities when travelling on behalf of ANU.

Research Integrity and Misconduct

• Code of research conduct policy : Sets out the responsibilities of ANU researchers to conduct research responsibly and ethically;
• Managing misconduct, serious misconduct and suspension : The process for the management of misconduct and serious misconduct involving staff, in accordance with the Enterprise Agreement;
• Research misconduct and serious research misconduct procedure : Sets out the procedures related to managing allegations of research misconduct and serious research misconduct involving staff;
• Responsible conduct of research policy : Outlines the expectations upon ANU researchers to foster and maintain a research environment of intellectual honesty, integrity, and scholarly rigour.

Or you can browse the ANU Policy Library .

Advisory information

• Ethics and integrity
• HDR - Examinations policy
• HDR - Submission and examination of theses procedure
• HDR - Thesis by compilation and thesis by creative works procedure
• HDR - Use of confidential or restricted information in theses procedure
• HDR - Editing of theses guideline
• HDR - Examiners’ reports recommendations guideline
• HDR - Supervision policy
• HDR - Supervision procedure
• HDR - Candidature policy
• HDR - Candidature procedure
• HDR - Candidature progression procedure
• HDR - University, candidate, and supervisor responsibilities guideline
• RTP Scholarship Policy
• RTP Scholarship Procedure
• Joint and dual award PhD degree policy
• Joint and dual award PhD degree procedure
• Procedure: Overpayments

Legislations

• Research Awards Rule 2021 (Latest version)  
• Discipline Rule 2021  

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Guideline : Higher Degree by Research: Editing of Theses

To provide guidelines for e ditors, whether they are formal supervisors, informal mentors, family or friends or professionals, regarding the extent and nature of help they offer in the editing of research candidates' theses and dissertations.

• The Institute of Professional Editors Limited (IPEd) have collaboratively developed an agreed set of guideli n es based on the Australian standards fo r editing practice that provide guidance to candidates, supervisors and professional editors in how much assistance they should provide to candidates who have requested help in writing their theses.

Proof-Reading and Editing of Research Theses and Dissertations

• Academic supervisors of higher degree by research candidates provide editorial advice to their candidates on:
• Matters of content, substance and structure;
• Interpretation of the research literature and data;
• use of illustrations and tables;
• use of language (including clarity, voice and tone, grammar, spelling and punctuation);
• use of technical and specialised terminology. (IPEd 2019).
• Supervisors may also provide copy editing and proofreading. The Australian standards for editin g practice outline the differences between editorial advice on content, substance and structure (Part C), copy editing (Part D) and proofreading (Part E).
• Candidates may use third parties (professional or otherwise) to assist in preparing their thesis for submission, provided they discuss this with their supervisor and provide the editor with a copy of this guideline and the Australian Standards for editing practice guideline before they commence work.
• Third party editorial intervention is restricted to:
• Where a third party provides advice on matters of structure (Standard C), only examples should be given, not detailed sets of changes.
• Feedback as a result of professional editing or proofreading is provided in a format that encourages consideration of the recommendations of the editor rather than simply acceptance of those recommendations.
• Where editorial advice is given, it is acknowledged as per the Higher degree by research - submission and examination of theses procedure .

Editorial Services

• Available editorial services include:
• A directory of editors fro m the Canberra Society of Editors ;
• A searchable database f r om the Institute of Professional Editors ( IPEd ) .
• Before commissioning an editor , the following checklist should be used to determine the scope of work in line with these guidelines: http://w w w.editorscanberra.org/wp-content/uploads/checklist . pdf .

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Honours Thesis

An undergraduate course offered by the Fenner School of Environment and Society .

• Code ENVS4000
• Unit Value 6 to 24 units
• Offered by Fenner School of Environment and Society
• ANU College ANU Joint Colleges of Science
• Course subject Environmental Science
• Areas of interest Geography, Environmental Studies, Sustainability, Environmental Science, Resource and Environmental Management
• Work Integrated Learning Projects
• Academic career UGRD
• Dr Sara Beavis
• Mode of delivery In Person
• Offered in First Semester 2025 Second Semester 2025 See Future Offerings
• STEM Course

• Introduction

Learning Outcomes

Work integrated learning, indicative assessment, inherent requirements, requisite and incompatibility, prescribed texts.

• Offerings and Dates

This course is a compulsory component of the Honours program that provides practical training in research practice culminating in the production of a thesis.  Students develop a research topic in consultation with one or more academic supervisors, and design, plan, execute and report on their research conducted with the guidance of a supervisory panel.

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

• Plan and engage in an independent and sustained critical investigation and evaluation of a chosen research topic to generate new knowledge.
• Systematically identify and evaluate relevant theory and concepts, relate these to appropriate methodologies and evidence, and draw appropriate original conclusions.
• Analyse and interpret original science research data with statistical or other evaluative processes where appropriate.
• Demonstrate sufficient mastery to understand and apply experimental techniques and methods to collect original research data.
• Communicate complex research concepts, methods, results and implications clearly and effectively both in writing and orally.

Students may engage with WIL partners (internal/external) as a component of the course

• 15,000 word thesis (90) [LO 1,2,3,4,5]
• Final exit seminar (10) [LO 2,4,5]

The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.

Approximately 1365 hours distributed over approximately 39 weeks across two semesters of full-time enrolment (24 units)

Not applicable

You will need to contact the Fenner School of Environment and Society to request a permission code to enrol in this course.

Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.  

Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students If you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees . 

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First Semester

Second semester.

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