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G.Thesis - New regulation - 2016

Expand All IMPORTANT NOTICE: The new Thesis regulation is effective since October 1st, 2016.

Students who have submitted their theses BEFORE September 30, 2016 inclusively will be evaluated according to the old G.Theses regulation.

Note: In this regulation, the masculine is intended to include everyone.

Preamble

It is possible for a thesis to be assigned a failing grade - NS (Not Satisfactory) or an EIN (incomplete) - during the different stages in the evaluation process (evaluation, oral defence and final submission).

If a second NS or EIN is assigned during the process, the student is withdrawn from the program. It is to be noted that a withdrawal is never imposed following just one NS or EIN for the thesis. 1. Definitions

In these regulations:

“academic unit” refers to the student’s home department or faculty;

“FGPS” refers to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies at the University of Ottawa;

“jury” refers to the examiners appointed to evaluate a thesis; and,

“thesis supervisor(s)” refers to the thesis supervisor or co- supervisors.

2. Standards

A thesis is an original body of work produced by the student during his current course of study at the University of Ottawa.

It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that the thesis adheres to the University of Ottawa’s standards.

2.1 Master’s Thesis

The master's thesis demonstrates that the student is able to work in a scholarly manner and is acquainted with the principal works published on the subject of his thesis. Insofar as possible, the thesis must be an original contribution to the field of research.

2.2 Doctoral Thesis

A doctoral thesis must constitute a contribution to the advancement of knowledge and the field of study. It also must embody the results of extensive and original research on the part of the student and its quality must be such as to merit publication.

2.3 Thesis Defence

To meet the requirements of the master’s or doctoral degree, the thesis must not only meet the standards specified in sections 2.1. or 2.2. above, it must also be successfully defended in person in the presence of the jury. 3. Thesis Formats

There are essentially two kinds of theses: a monograph and a thesis consisting of one or more articles prepared for peer-review publication. Individual graduate programs must develop policies regarding the format, the nature of the publications and contents of different sections of the thesis as appropriate to their discipline. These policies must conform to FGPS regulations, and must be approved by the home faculty of the program. Before beginning work on their thesis, students must check with their program and their thesis supervisor(s) to determine the acceptable format for their work. The same quality and ethical standards apply to all theses regardless of format.

3.1 Monograph

In the monograph, the student presents a proposition or “thesis,” and its related research findings. Students draw on existing research, which they may accept or reject. The thesis begins with an introduction, followed by a main body or several sections, and ends with a conclusion and bibliography. The monograph must include a preface that specifies any approvals that had to be secured in connection with the research as well as the contributions of collaborators and/or co-authors (see Section 6). The preface must clearly identify the contributions of the student and distinguish these from the contributions of the other researchers.

3.2 Thesis by article

The thesis by article presents one or more articles prepared for peer-reviewed publication by the student. All the articles included in a thesis by article must have been prepared while the student was enrolled in the program of study for which the thesis is being written.

The minimum number of articles required for this thesis format is determined by the academic unit responsible for the program.

The thesis by article must include: a) a preface that specifies any approvals that had to be secured in connection with the research as well as the contributions of collaborators and/or co-authors (see Section 6). The preface must clearly identify the contributions of the student and distinguish these from the contributions of the other researchers; b) a general introduction, which outlines the thesis topic, and describes how the articles that comprise the main body of the text address the topic; c) a general discussion and conclusion (unless otherwise specified in the program’s specific regulations) integrating the material addressed in the various articles and providing an overall summary and analysis; and, d)any other contents (such as an expanded literature review) deemed appropriate by the academic unit responsible for the student’s program.

3.3 Copyrighted materials

Copyrighted materials, such as published articles, may only be used in a thesis with the permission of the copyright holders and, in the case of published articles, of all co-authors and the publisher. The student is responsible for obtaining all necessary copyright approvals.

3.4 Abstract

A thesis must include an abstract.

4. Registration of the topic

4.1 Topic of the thesis

The general topic of the thesis, including major themes and the research subject, is to be determined in consultation with the student's thesis supervisor(s). The thesis supervisor(s) must be member(s) of the FGPS who are authorized to supervise theses at the appropriate level (master’s and/or doctorate) in the student’s graduate program.

4.2 Deadlines and registration requirements

Master's students must register their proposed topic by the end of the second term (session) of registration in the program. Doctoral students must register their proposed topic by the end of the third term (session) of registration in the program. 5. The thesis proposal

Most doctoral programs and many master’s programs require students to submit a formal thesis proposal, which must be approved by a committee before the student can begin his research. Each program must develop its own policies regarding the contents of the proposal and how and when it is to be presented and formally approved.

6. Research ethics and integrity

6.1 Before some thesis research projects can begin, various approvals may be required, for instance, from the Research Ethics Boards (REB), the Animal Care Committee, the Office of Risk Management and Laboratory Safety Committees. When the thesis is submitted for evaluation, the preface must specify the approvals that were secured and the relevant proofs of approval must be included in an appendix. In the event that the appropriate approvals have not been secured, the thesis cannot be accepted for evaluation or defence.

6.2 The thesis supervisor(s) must ensure that the student knows what approvals are required and how they can be obtained.

6.3 The student is responsible for respecting the University of Ottawa’s integrity standards for research throughout his program and in the preparation, writing and defence of the thesis. These standards also apply to any oral presentations of the thesis research or its findings as well as to published work resulting from the thesis.

6.4 The student, as author of the thesis, is responsible for the accuracy of its content and for ensuring that all sources, including Internet sources, are meticulously identified and referenced according to disciplinary standards.

6.5 The contributions of any collaborators must be acknowledged and stated in detail in a preface. In addition, the student’s own contributions must be distinguished from all other contributions.

6.6 Where the thesis is suspected of failing to meet the University’s integrity standards for research, the Dean of the FGPS must be notified. The Dean of the FGPS will conduct a preliminary review and, if he deems that a breach may have occurred, he will inform the Office of Research Ethics and Integrity. That Office will ensure that the matter is dealt with in accordance with the appropriate University procedures.

7. Academic Fraud

7.1 Prior to submission of a thesis for evaluation, the student must confirm, in writing, that the thesis respects all standards of academic integrity by signing the appropriate form.

7.2 In the event that, during the evaluation process, one or more examiners discover what they consider to be academic fraud, they must report this to the Dean of the FGPS pursuant to Regulation 14.2 of the University of Ottawa. In such a case, the evaluation process may be suspended and the office in charge of organizing the evaluation and defence will send a notification to this effect to the student, the thesis supervisor(s) and the examiners. The Dean of the FGPS will follow-up in accordance with the University’s Regulation 14.

7.3 If the allegation is deemed unfounded, the evaluation of the thesis will resume with the same jury.

7.4 If the allegation is deemed to be founded, a sanction will be imposed in accordance with the University’s Academic Regulation 14.

7.5 The examiners, the thesis supervisor(s) and the student will be informed of the outcome, including the sanction, if any. If the evaluation resumes, it will be with the same jury.

8. Confidential thesis

8.1 In exceptional circumstances, the Dean of the FGPS may agree to keeping a thesis, including its evaluation and defence, confidential. For a confidential thesis, the examiners are required to sign a notification of confidentiality before the thesis evaluation can begin. All information disclosed in the thesis evaluation and the defence, whether oral, written, graphic, photographic, recorded, prototype, sample or in any other form, is deemed to be confidential and is to be kept confidential for a predetermined period (from six months up to five years). The defence of a confidential thesis is closed to the public.

8.2 For a thesis evaluation and defence to be considered confidential, the student and the thesis supervisor(s) must inform the FGPS in writing, before the thesis is submitted for evaluation, of the reasons why the thesis and the defence must be confidential, and for what period of time.

8.3 Where the research being undertaken by the student is subject to a research contract that includes a confidentiality clause, the student and the thesis supervisor(s) must contact the Technology Transfer and Business Enterprise Services (TTBE) of the University of Ottawa before the research begins to ensure that the confidentiality clause complies with the University’s guidelines. In such cases, the thesis will remain confidential for a fixed period.

8.4 A request to embargo access to the confidential thesis must be made at the time of the final online submission of the thesis following the defence. See Sections 13 and 14 below for more information.

9. Submission of the thesis for evaluation

The writing of the thesis and the presentation of the completed document must conform to the rules established by the FGPS and the student’s graduate program.

Please note: Before submitting a thesis for the evaluation, the student must complete all other program requirements, including residence.

9.1 At the time the thesis is submitted for evaluation, the thesis supervisor(s) must sign the appropriate form confirming that they have read the thesis and find it acceptable for submission to the jury for evaluation, and that all required approvals were obtained. In the case of a doctoral thesis, the academic unit must forward the completed “List of Examiners for the evaluation of the thesis” form to the FGPS, one month prior to submission of the thesis.

9.2 A thesis will not be considered to be officially submitted for evaluation until all the following documents have been received by the office responsible for organizing the evaluation and defence: a) the signed form entitled “Statement of thesis supervisor for the submission of the thesis for evaluation”; b) the number of paper copies required; including a copy for the chair of the defence; c) the electronic version of the thesis, and d) the “List of Examiners for the evaluation of the thesis” form. For doctoral theses, the “List of Examiners for the evaluation of the thesis” form must reach the FGPS one month in advance of the anticipated submission date.

9.3 The student must be registered during the term (session) in which the thesis is officially submitted for evaluation.

10. Evaluation of the thesis

10.1 The Jury

Both at the master’s and doctoral levels, all the internal examiners of a thesis must be members of the FGPS or, in the case of the joint graduate programs with Carleton University, of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs of Carleton University. For all PhD theses in the joint programs, the jury must include one internal examiner from Carleton University. For master’s theses, the inclusion of one examiner from Carleton University is strongly encouraged.

There is a potential conflict of interest when the student is a current or future regular full-time employee (administrative and professional staff or faculty member) of the University of Ottawa, of Saint Paul University or of an academic unit of Carleton University associated with the joint graduate programs. In these cases, the Academic Unit responsible for the program must inform the Dean of the FGPS of the employee status of the student and the Dean of the FGPS will determine whether in fact a conflict of interest exists. If so, the master’s thesis jury will be composed of two external examiners and the doctoral thesis jury will be composed of four external examiners. The cost incurred will be divided equally between the FGPS and the academic unit.

For both master’s and doctoral theses, a program may propose an internal examiner who is not a member of the FGPS. The examiner must have equivalent qualifications to those required for membership in the FGPS, must agree to provide a written evaluation report on the thesis and to attend the oral defence in person. The Dean of the FGPS or his delegate must approve the nomination. The academic unit concerned is responsible for covering any costs incurred by the examiner. Regular and adjunct professors of Saint Paul University, members of the Ottawa-Carleton Joint Institutes, as well as adjunct professors at the University of Ottawa, cannot be appointed as external examiners.

10.1.1 Master's thesis

10.1.1.1 A master's thesis will be evaluated by and subsequently defended in person before a jury of no fewer than two and no more than four examiners.

10.1.1.2 The examiners of a master's thesis are appointed by the Dean of the student’s home faculty or his delegate. The academic unit is responsible for ensuring that the proposed examiners meet all the FGPS requirements and that they are willing to evaluate the thesis and attend the defence in person. The thesis supervisor(s), if invited to submit a list of possible examiners, must ensure that they include only those who meet these requirements.

10.1.2 Doctoral thesis

10.1.2.1 A doctoral thesis will be evaluated by and subsequently defended in person before a jury of no fewer than four and no more than seven members.

10.1.2.2 The jury will be appointed by the Dean of the FGPS or his delegate, upon the recommendation of the head of the student’s academic unit or his delegate. The academic unit is responsible for ensuring that the proposed examiners meet all FGPS requirements and that they are willing to evaluate the thesis and to attend the defence in person.

10.1.2.3 At least one examiner must be from outside the University of Ottawa, Saint Paul University and the Ottawa- Carleton Joint Institutes. The proposed external examiner(s) must be at arm’s length from the student and the thesis supervisor(s) (see Section10.1.3). External examiners cannot serve more than once per year for the University as a whole.

10.1.2.4 The list of recommended examiners must reach the FGPS one month in advance of the expected date of submission of the thesis for evaluation.

10.1.3 Independence of external examiner 10.1.3.1 The external examiner should be at arm’s length from the student and from the thesis supervisor(s). Examiners must be seen to be able to examine the student and his thesis at arm's length, free of substantial conflict of interest from any source. The test of whether or not a conflict of interest might exist is whether a reasonable outside person could consider a situation to exist that could give rise to an apprehension of bias.

For example:

There is a conflict of interest in one or more of the following circumstances:

There is a close personal link or family link between the proposed external examiner and the thesis supervisor(s) or student;

There is an administrative link between the proposed external examiner and the thesis supervisor(s) or student;

The thesis supervisor(s) or student has formal links with the organization or university with which the proposed external examiner is affiliated;

A proposed external examiner is a former thesis or research supervisor or graduate student of the thesis supervisor(s) or student;

A proposed external examiner is, or was in the last six years, from the same university, organization or department, or belongs or belonged, in the last six years, to the same research unit as the thesis supervisor(s) or student;

A proposed external examiner has collaborated on the same research grant or has co-authored a publication with the student.

There may be a conflict of interest in one or more of the following circumstances:

A proposed external examiner has collaborated on the same research grant or co-authored with the thesis supervisor(s) within the past six years. A proposed external examiner is an industrial or government representative who is or was in the last six years directly involved in collaborative activities with the thesis supervisor(s) or student.

This list, while not exhaustive, illustrates the nature of potential conflicts to be avoided. The student's program must take reasonable steps to avoid recommending an examiner whose relationship with the student or thesis supervisor(s) could be seen as jeopardizing an impartial judgment on the thesis.

10.1.3.2 The individuals approving the proposed examiners are indicating that, to the best of their knowledge, no conflict of interest exists or is likely to be perceived to exist. The thesis supervisor(s), if invited to submit a list of possible names, must ensure that they include only those who are acceptable in this respect.

10.1.3.3 The FGPS reserves the right to refuse examiners for other reasons related to the possibility of real or perceived conflict of interest or if the proposed examiner does not meet the FGPS membership requirements.

10.2 Written evaluation procedures

10.2.1 Evaluation Reports

All examiners must submit a detailed written evaluation report. All of the reports, including the name of the examiner, will be sent to the student, the thesis supervisor(s), the other examiners and the chair of the defence prior to the defence.

The examiners’ reports must be sufficiently detailed to enable the student to prepare for the defence. The report must clearly indicate whether the examiner judges the thesis ready for the defence. If the report is not sufficiently detailed, the Dean of the FGPS or his delegate, in the case of doctoral theses, or the home faculty Dean or his delegate, in the case of master’s theses, may require that the report be rewritten.

If the reports are not received within the deadlines set by the office responsible of organizing the defence, the defence may be postponed.

Examiners may write reports in the official language of their choice. However, if a student is unable to understand the language in which the report is written, the student’s program must arrange and pay for having the report translated.

10.2.2 Evaluation process

Once the thesis has been submitted for evaluation, the student and the thesis supervisor(s) must not contact the examiners concerning the assessment of the thesis prior to the defence. In addition, the examiners must evaluate the thesis independently and, during the evaluation process, must not communicate with the other examiners, the thesis supervisor(s) or the student concerning the thesis evaluation prior to submitting their report to the office responsible for organizing the evaluation and defence. The Dean of the FGPS may replace one or more examiners if he deems that the integrity of the evaluation process has been breached.

11. Defence of the thesis

11.1 Time of defence

Both for master’s and doctoral theses, students should allow at least three months between the date their thesis is sent to the jury for evaluation and the defence. During the evaluation period, the student is not required to register.

11.2 Organization of the thesis defence

11.2.1 Once the evaluation process has commenced, the office responsible for organizing the defence will tentatively schedule the defence on a time and date acceptable to the examiners, to the student and to the thesis supervisor(s). This will be confirmed once all the reports have been received. If the reports are not received within the deadlines set by the office responsible of organizing the defence, the defence may be postponed.

11.2.2 Once the evaluation reports on the thesis have been received, the student is allowed to defend his thesis. However, the student, in consultation with his thesis supervisor(s), may deem it preferable to revise the thesis before going to the defence. In this case, the student may withdraw the thesis from the defence.

Within five (5) business days after receiving the evaluation reports, the student must confirm in writing whether he wishes to: a) defend his thesis; and, if not: whether b) he intends to revise his thesis before the defence; or, c) he is withdrawing from the program.

11.2.3 The decision to withdraw from the program or to revise the thesis before the defence will result in a failure, which will be recorded as an NS (not satisfactory) on the student’s transcript. A student who decides to revise his thesis must submit it for defence by the same jury within a maximum of three (3) consecutive terms (sessions). The revisions relative to the original version must be clearly indicated. The examiners will evaluate the revised thesis. The procedure and verdicts for a second defence will apply to the revised thesis.

If the thesis is not submitted within the deadline, a second NS will be recorded on the student’s transcript and his file will be closed.

11.2.4 All of the examiners as well as the student and the thesis supervisor(s) must be physically present at the defence. Under exceptional circumstances, one examiner may participate in the defence at distance.

11.2.5 For the master’s thesis defence, the chair of the defence will be appointed by the Dean of the student’s home faculty or his delegate. For the doctoral thesis defence, the chair of the defence will be appointed by the Dean of the FGPS or his delegate. Both at the master’s and doctoral levels, the chair of the defence must be a member of the FGPS. A thesis defence cannot be chaired by the thesis supervisor(s) or by one of the examiners.

11.2.6 Defences are open to the public, except in the case of confidential theses.

11.2.7 Filming or recording the defence is prohibited.

11.2.8 Prior to the defence, the Chair of the Defence receives a file containing the examiners' reports and other documents pertaining to the defence.

11.3 Role of the thesis supervisor(s) during the defence

Thesis supervisors participate in the defence, but are not examiners and do not have the right to vote. A thesis defence may be held in the absence of the thesis supervisor(s) with the written agreement of the student. In the absence of the thesis supervisor(s), another representative of the student’s graduate program nominated by the program director or the chair of the academic unit acts as the thesis supervisor during the defence.

11.4 The Defence

11.4.1 At the beginning of the defence, the Chair asks everyone other than the examiners and the thesis supervisor(s) to leave the room, in order to: a) discuss any difficulties arising from the examiners' reports, b) explain the procedure to be adopted, and c) determine the sequence in which the examiners will question the student and the time allocated to each examiner for questioning.

11.4.2 The Chair begins the defence by inviting the student to present the subject of his thesis. The time allotted for this purpose is a maximum of 20 minutes, unless the program has approved a different policy.

11.4.3 The Chair then invites the examiners (in the sequence previously determined) to question the student on the thesis.

11.4.4 During the questioning of the student, the thesis supervisor(s) are not allowed to intervene. At the end of the questioning, they will be given an opportunity to comment or ask questions.

11.4.5 At the end of the defence, the Chair asks everyone, except the examiners and the thesis supervisor(s), to leave the room. The examiners then exchange views and arrive at a verdict. The thesis supervisor(s) participate in the discussion but are not allowed to vote.

11.4.6 The chair indicates the decision on the appropriate form and, where necessary, notes in the space for "comments" (or separately) the general nature of the corrections/revisions required. He also specifies the names of those responsible for ensuring that the corrections/revisions are satisfactory.

11.4.7 Following determination of the verdict and, in the absence of the thesis supervisor(s), the chair will enquire whether the examiners consider that the thesis deserves to be recommended for a prize.

11.4.8 The chair of the defence invites the student, the thesis supervisor(s) and all other persons to return and immediately informs the student of the outcome.

11.5 Verdicts at the defence

11.5.1 Unanimous verdict

The examiners will render one of the following three verdicts:

Verdict #1. The thesis is accepted for the degree with minor corrections. The thesis supervisor(s) will ensure that all corrections are made as required by the jury. The corrections must be completed and the final version of the thesis submitted no later than thirty (30) days after the defence.

Verdict #2. The thesis is accepted for the degree with major corrections/revisions. The jury, in consultation with the thesis supervisor(s) must decide whether the required corrections/revisions are to be verified by the thesis supervisor(s) OR the thesis supervisor(s) and one or more examiners. The student will have one hundred and twenty (120) days after the date of the defence to complete the required revisions and to submit the final version of the thesis. The student must register for a term (session) within this 120-day period.

Verdict #3. The thesis is NOT accepted for the degree. It must be revised and undergo the evaluation and defence process again with the same jury. A #3 verdict is considered a failure and it will be recorded on the student’s transcript as NS (not satisfactory).

11.5.2 Split verdict

If the examiners are unable to arrive at a unanimous verdict, the following procedures will apply: a) The chair of the defence will record the individual verdicts of the examiners or, on the request of an examiner, will conduct a secret ballot. b) If two or more examiners give a #3 verdict, the chair will record a final verdict of #3. c) In all other cases, the chair will record a final verdict of #2, and the jury, in consultation with the thesis supervisor(s), must decide on what changes need to be made to the thesis and who will supervise and be responsible for approving them.

11.5.3 Deadlines In the case of a #1 verdict, a student must submit the final version of his thesis within thirty (30) days of the defence and is not required to register during that period. Beyond that period, he must register for the entire term (session). If the student does not submit the final version of his thesis within one hundred and twenty (120) days, this will be recorded on the student’s transcript as EIN (Incomplete).

In the case of a # 2 verdict, if the student does not submit the final version of his thesis within one hundred and twenty (120) days, this will be recorded on the student’s transcript as EIN (Incomplete).

In the case of a #1 or #2 verdict, the student may submit a request for an extension of the submission deadline to the FGPS. The request must be submitted at least twenty (20) days in advance of the deadline. The maximum extension that will be granted is three (3) consecutive terms (sessions) following the date of the defence. The EIN (Incomplete) will be recorded on the student’s transcript even if the extension is granted. The student must be registered for all terms (sessions) and must make satisfactory progress during each term (session). If the submission deadline is missed or the student does not register, a second failure for the thesis (NS) will be recorded on the student’s transcript and his file will be closed.

In the case of a # 3 verdict, the student must submit the revised thesis for evaluation within three (3) consecutive terms (sessions) after the initial defence. The student must be registered for any and all of these terms (sessions) and must make satisfactory progress during each term (session). If the submission deadline is missed or the student does not register, a second failure for the thesis (NS) will be recorded on the student’s transcript and his file will be closed.

12. Second defence or defence following the evaluation of the revised thesis

12.1 The same jury will evaluate the revised thesis and attend the defence. The procedures for organizing the re-evaluation and the second defence are the same as those that apply for the first one.

12.2 When a student decides to revise his thesis before the defence (see 11.2.2.b), the verdicts that will apply for the defence following the evaluation of the revised thesis are the same as those that apply for a second defence.

12.3 The possible verdicts for the second defence or for the defence following the evaluation of the revised thesis are as follows:

Verdict #1. The thesis is accepted for the degree with minor corrections. The thesis supervisor(s) will ensure that all corrections are made as required by the jury. The corrections must be completed and the final version of the thesis submitted no later than thirty (30) days after the defence.

Note: A student who does not submit the final version of the thesis within the deadline must register for the entire term (session).

Verdict #2. The thesis is accepted for the degree with major corrections/revisions. The jury, in consultation with the thesis supervisor(s), must decide who will be responsible for checking the required corrections/revisions: the thesis supervisor(s) or the thesis supervisor(s) and one or more examiners. The student will have one hundred and twenty (120) days after the date of the defence to complete the required revisions and to submit the final version of the thesis. The student must register for a term (session) within this 120-day period.

IMPORTANT: In the case of a # 1 or # 2 verdict for the second defence, if the student does not submit the final version of his thesis within 120 days, a second failure for the thesis will be recorded on the student’s transcript and his file will be closed.

Verdict # 3: The thesis is NOT accepted for the degree. A # 3 verdict at the second defence is deemed a failure (NS grade) and it leads to mandatory withdrawal of the student and closure of his file.

If, at any time, a student decides not to proceed to the second defence, this will be considered a second failure (NS) for the thesis and his file will be closed.

13. Embargo of thesis

13.1 The University of Ottawa encourages public dissemination of, and unrestricted access to, successfully defended theses. An embargo on public access to a thesis may be sought on a number of grounds including where dissemination of the thesis poses a significant threat of injury to real persons, where the finalization of an application for a patent is pending or where a delay is necessary for the publication of the thesis.

13.2 The student can apply to place an embargo on access to his thesis by completing the designated form. The application must be completed, sent and approved by the FGPS before the student submits the final electronic copy of the thesis to uO Research. An embargo period will not be applied to a thesis after it has been submitted and approved online.

13.3 When the thesis has been evaluated confidentially (See Section 8 – Confidential Thesis), the student must submit a request for an embargo on the access to his thesis for the same period of time that was stipulated in the agreement of confidentiality.

13.4 The embargo is for a specific and limited time period (six months, one year, two years or five years). Once approved, an embargo period is irrevocable and the duration cannot be extended. Any request for embargo for a period of five years requires significant justification, and will only be granted under exceptional circumstances.

14. Final submission of the thesis after a successful defence

14.1 After the defence and correction of the thesis, the student must submit the final version electronically in uO Research, the institutional repository of the University of Ottawa. The University of Ottawa participates in the Thesis Canada program, whereby the electronic version of the thesis is harvested by Library and Archives Canada and added to their online collection.

Once deposited in uO Research, the thesis becomes available online in open access although the student keeps its copyright. Each thesis will be indexed in the University Library’s local catalogue.

14.2 Under no circumstances can a student be recommended for the degree unless one acceptable final version of his thesis has been submitted electronically in uO Research and approved by the FGPS.

14.3 Before proceeding with the online submission of the thesis, the student must submit all required forms to the FGPS. Otherwise the thesis will not be accepted.

14.4 If a student wants to place an embargo on dissemination of his thesis, he must complete an application prior to final submission (see Section 13).

14.5 Approval of the final submission in uO Research can take up to ten (10) working days.

15. Appeal Procedure

15.1 A student may appeal his withdrawal to the Executive Committee of the FGPS within ten (10) business days of being notified that his file has been closed.

15.2 A student may appeal the decision of the Executive Committee of the FGPS to the Senate Appeals Committee on the grounds that appropriate procedures have not been followed. The appeal must be made within ten (10) working days of the Executive Committee’s decision.

15.3 The University of Ottawa keeps for a maximum period of 15 years one copy of a thesis that has not been approved for the defence or for the degree.

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Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies

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