Thesis formalities

A PhD thesis should preferably be written in English, and can be written as either a synopsis or a monograph.

Synopsis

The synopsis is typically 30-50 pages long, but there are no specific requirements concerning the number of pages. The synopsis should clearly and concisely encapsulate and discuss the research findings presented in the manuscripts/papers included in the thesis. If the thesis is based on manuscripts/papers, it should include:

• Summaries in Danish and English
• Objectives
• Description of the research project placed in the context of international state-of-the-art research within the subject area
• Summary of the results of the papers and their relation to international state-of-the-art research within the subject area
• Conclusions and perspectives for further research
• References
• Papers

Any articles included in the thesis may be written in cooperation with others, provided that each of the co-authors submits a written declaration stating the PhD student's or the author's contribution to the work. It must appear from the thesis if an article or manuscript is also included in a co-author’s thesis.

Monograph

The monograph is typically 100 pages long, but the number of pages can vary. The monograph should include the following elements:

• Summaries in Danish and English
• Objectives
• Description of the research project placed in the context of international state-of the-art research within the subject area
• Description of the research carried out (including materials, methods and results)
• Discussion of results
• Conclusions and perspectives for further research
• References

• The red UCPH logo must be included on the front page of the thesis. This applies from 1 February 2020.
• The following must be stated on the front page of the thesis: “This thesis has been submitted to the Graduate School of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen [INSERT DATE].
• See also UCPH design template (in Danish)
• Font, image use, etc. are agreed between the PhD student and the supervisor

If a manuscript or published paper has ten or less co-authors, all co-authors must sign a declaration of co-authorship. If it has more than ten co-authors, declarations of co-authorship from the corresponding author(s), the senior author and the principal supervisor (if relevant) are a minimum requirement.

Download: Co-authorship declaration

January 2019: The Faculty has updated the template for co-authorship declarations for PhD theses. If signatures have already been collected in the former template, the you may use it in your thesis.

As a rule, it requires permission from the copyright owner(s) to publish material from already published articles in your thesis. The allocation of the copyright often depends on which contract the journal's publisher has signed with the article's author(s).
If you plan to use this kind of material, we recommend that you contact the relevant publisher to ask for permission to use the material.