University of Nottingham s1

Preparation and Submission of Theses for the degree of MPhil and PhD - guidelines for candidates

The full regulations for higher degrees are set out in the Regulations for Higher Degrees available on http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/current/regulations/ or in the University Calendar available on http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/registrar/calendar

Content A thesis presented for a degree shall not, whether in the same or a different form, have been presented to this or any other University for any degree. Your signature on the ‘Notification of Intention to Submit’ form acts as a declaration to this effect. Your supervisor’s signature on the same form acts as a confirmation that the thesis is the result of work done mainly while you have been registered as a candidate for the degree of PhD of this University.

These provisions shall not preclude a candidate from incorporating in the thesis any part of the work already submitted by them for a degree in this or any other university, provided that in the application to the University for admission to the course for the degree of PhD, or at an appropriate later date, they state a desire to do so, and in the thesis itself indicate the part of the work so incorporated. In any such case the candidate may be required to produce their previous work. (Regulation 7.2)

Submission After the end of the period of registered study, you are allowed up to one year (for full-time students), or two years (for part-time students), in which to write up and present the thesis for examination. You will not be permitted to present a thesis after the conclusion of this period without receiving formal approval for an extension of time. Applications for extensions of time should be made through the Student Registry, E Floor Portland Building (or other administrative office for students in the Schools of Biosciences and Education, at the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus or in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences).

Graduation If you propose to graduate at the July ceremonies, you must give formal notice of your intention to submit no later than 1 February. Although there are no formal submission deadlines for possible graduation, you should aim to submit the thesis for examination no later than 1 April. The equivalent dates for December graduation are 1 July (Notification) and 1 September (Submission). The examination process is however dependent on the availability of the Examiners, and no guarantee can be given that the necessary procedures will have been completed in time for a specific ceremony. The University offers a Mid-Sessional Graduation Procedure, held in March and October of each year, for candidates who have successfully completed the examination process by 20 February/20 September and prefer not to wait for the formal ceremonies. This option means that the degree will be conferred upon you in your absence, and the certificate is sent by post. You are not however entitled to attend a ceremony at a later date.

1 Restriction on publication Any work submitted for the degree of MPhil or PhD shall normally be free from any restriction on publication or consultation. Senate may, however, in special cases impose a restriction on publication or consultation of a thesis for a period not exceeding two years from the date of the award of the degree, with the possibility of an extension of that restriction up to a maximum of five years. Any such restriction shall not affect the award of the degree. If you wish this condition to apply to your thesis, you will need to apply to the Student Registry when you submit your thesis.

Layout Theses should be presented on A4 paper, single-sided, normally with 10-12 font typescript, with double spacing, and good quality printing to allow for reproduction. There should be a margin of at least 1.5 inches, preferably 2 inches (5cm), on the left side of the page, both for typescript and diagrams, to allow for binding. Other margins should be of at least 1 inch (2.5 cm). eTheses Archive In addition to the hard-copy thesis submission, candidates may submit a copy of their thesis in electronic format. The eTheses Archive is a digital library of research degree theses awarded by the University of Nottingham. This digital library provides a significant opportunity for better dissemination, giving much greater exposure to the research itself and raising the profile of the researcher. There is clear evidence that this immediacy of access dramatically increases the usage of current work by the international research community. You can register with the system and upload a copy of your thesis as a PDF document. Log on to the system (http://etheses.nottingham.ac.uk/) and follow the simple instructions in the deposit guide.

Initial Submission Candidates must submit to the Student Registry (or other administrative office for students in the Schools of Biosciences and Education, at the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus or in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences) two soft-bound copies of their thesis, e.g. spiral-bound or plastic binding. Theses presented in lever-arch or box-files will not be accepted.

At the time of the initial submission you must also present:

* 2 copies of a short abstract (not more than 300 words) * 2 copies of the title page (see page 3 for format) * 1 copy of the list of contents

* These copies are in addition to those bound into the thesis.

After any amendments required by the examiners following the viva voce examination have been made and approved by the Internal Examiner (unless otherwise advised), two hard-bound copies of the thesis (with the exception of candidates in the Faculties of Arts and Law & Social Sciences, who should submit one bound thesis) must be placed with the Student Registry (or other administrative office for students in the Schools of Biosciences and Education, at the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus or in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences). The final date for this to ensure eligibility for graduation in either July or December can be obtained from the Student Registry. Candidates should be aware that no recommendation for the award of the degree will be put forward without receipt of the final hard-bound thesis.

2 Final Submission

The first page of the thesis should be a title page, formatted as follows:

THE GEOLOGY OF THE EAST MIDLANDS

(full name of student) John Robinson, BSc.

Thesis submitted to the University of Nottingham for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy

(month & year) May 2004

The title page should be followed in this order:

Abstract page * Acknowledgements page List of Contents Main Body of the Thesis

* If desired, a list of published papers can be included after the abstract page

Professional black buckram binding is required. The sheets should be whipstitched and bound with white end papers and linen joints into a buckram cover.

The spine should be lettered in gold in such a way as to be readable when the volume is lying flat with the front cover uppermost. It should show the volume number (in the case of two or more volumes), the degree for which the thesis is submitted, and the year and the name of the candidate, as follows:

Volume No PhD 2004 John Robinson

The title of the thesis should be embossed in gold letters on the front cover in a position above the centre, as follows:

The Geology of the East Midlands

The Student Registry may be able to provide contact details of binders.