Thesis submission guidelines (effective from 1 August 2026)

These guidelines are effective from 1 August 2026.

The procedure for the submission of a thesis/portfolio of work is outlined in the following sections of the regulations:

MPhil/PhD: RD 17.1–RD 17.9
PhD by Distance Learning RDD 16.1–RDD 16.9
Professional Doctorates: PD 15.1–PD 15.8
PhD by Published Work: PW 10.1–PW 10.5
Higher Doctorates: HD 9.1–HD 9.3

Please read the regulations prior to consulting this document. The regulations contain information that will not be repeated here.

1. Overview
2. Presentation of your thesis
3. Thesis portfolio submission for examination
4. Post-examination requirements

1. Overview

An Open University (OU) PhD, MPhil or Professional Doctorate thesis is presented as a single, coherent narrative (a monograph) that articulates the arguments made and the evidence that supports those arguments.

Any reference to additional research outputs that form part of the thesis (such as datasets, performances etc) must be properly integrated into the narrative to provide a coherent and comprehensive whole. The thesis must satisfy the OU standards of presentation and the QAA research degree characteristics (Appendix 1 of the Research Degree Regulations).

1.1 Intellectual Property Rights

The student holds the copyright to the text of their thesis unless otherwise specified in a contractual agreement with a sponsor.

Information about the University’s policy concerning the management and exploitation of intellectual property is available in the Open University Intellectual Property policy.

1.2 Plagiarism

Plagiarism is using the work of other people to gain some form of benefit without formally acknowledging that the work came from someone else. This work could include text, images, or ideas. The Open University takes allegations of plagiarism very seriously. Further information is outlined in the PGR Plagiarism and Misconduct policy. Any proven case of plagiarism is treated as a serious offence.

We recommend you successfully complete the Plagiarism guidance for Postgraduate Researchers module before you finalise your thesis.

1.3 The use of Generative AI tools in your work

There are several ways to use GenAI tools in research. Acceptable use of GenAI in doctoral research are guided by the underlying principle that it is the human researcher who remains accountable for their research and research outputs by ensuring intellectual and ethical insight and oversight, originality, and critical reflection. These must not be deferred, delegated, or relinquished to GenAI.

The Graduate School Position Statement on Generative AI outlines suggestions for suitable and sustainable practices and for what constitutes malpractice.

If you have used GenAI in your research, please ensure that you have used it in accordance with the Graduate School Position Statement on Generative AI and referenced its use appropriately in your thesis (see Section 2.3: Declarations).

1.4 Copyright

All PGRs are required to confirm that they have the relevant permissions for use of any third-party material contained in the thesis before the award can be made. Further guidance can be found on the relevant library webpages. The Library Research Support team also run training sessions on copyright.

If copyright cannot be cleared you will need to create a redacted version of your thesis for deposition onto ORO after examination.

The Candidate Declaration Form on PGR Manager requires you to confirm that all the work submitted is either your own or credited appropriately.

1.5 Creating an accessible thesis

Whilst there is no requirement to create an accessible thesis, doing so has the benefit of ensuring your thesis can be accessed by everyone regardless of background, circumstances and disabilities.

A starter guide to using the functionality in Word to making your thesis accessible is available from the Accessibility and Usability Evaluation site (internal link only).

2. Presentation of your thesis

The text must be 1.5 spaced.

The font and size of all text (including captions, footnotes, and appendices) must be easily legible. You must use a sans serif font, e.g., Arial or Calibri, with a minimum font size of 9pt for footnotes and 11pt for the main text and appendices.

The pages should be numbered consecutively.

We advise that you keep the default page margins in Word to facilitate printing if required.

2.1 Word count

The total word count and information about overlength theses are listed in the following regulations:

PhD/MPhil: RD 17.5
PhD by Distance Learning RDD 16.5
Professional Doctorates: PD 15.5

The word count for PhD and MPhil includes contents pages, the main body of the thesis, footnotes, references, and appendices. It does not include abstract or acknowledgements.

The word count for Professional Doctorates includes contents pages, the main body of the thesis, footnotes and references. It does not include appendices, abstract or acknowledgements.

There is no word limit for PhD by Published Works as it is a portfolio of work.

2.2 Title page

The title page must provide the following information:

your full name
the thesis title
the degree for which it has been submitted:
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
- Doctor of Philosophy by Published Works (PW)
- Professional Doctorate in Education (EdD)
- Professional Doctorate in Health and Social Care (DHSC)
- Higher Doctorate (DSc, DLitt)
- Master of Philosophy (MPhil)
the appropriate discipline or disciplines e.g., History
the name of the Affiliated Research Centre (ARC) if applicable
the month and year of submission for examination (or resubmission for examination, if applicable)
the name(s) of your supervisor(s)

2.3 Declarations

Following the title page, you must include a declarations page that contains the following three statements:

A statement that expressly confirms that unless otherwise credited in subsequent statements on this page, the thesis is your own original work.

For example:

“Unless otherwise credited elsewhere in this thesis, this thesis is my own original work”
An acknowledgement on any use of generative AI tools in your work. The statement should specify what type of AI was used, how it was used, the role it played in shaping the final thesis and a declaration that it’s use has not compromised the academic integrity of the thesis and that as author, you take full responsibility for the content of the thesis”.

For example:

“I acknowledge the use of [insert AI system(s)] to [specific use] and I have included further details in my [methods/appendices].

My use of AI has not compromised the originality of my research and I take full responsibility for the content of my thesis.”

or

“I have not made use of any Generative AI tools during my research or in the writing of this thesis.”

Further examples of how to acknowledge the use of Generative AI in your thesis may be found in the Graduate School Position Statement on Generative AI.
A CRediT - Contributor role taxonomy statement that explicitly states the roles and contributions of any research team members in your research outputs, including, but not limited to, your supervisors, technical staff, external collaborators and peers. Where appropriate, you should include contributors to conceptualization, data curation, formal analysis, funding acquisition, investigation, methodology, project administration, resources, software, validation, visualization and writing. You do not need to explicitly credit your supervisors for their supervision role here as they are credited on the title page.

Please discuss and agree the roles and contributions with your supervisors.

For example:

“Conceptualisation: This project was conceptualised by [XX] in [discussion /consultation] with [XXX]. [XX] helped develop the [tools, experimental paradigms, aims, research questions, hypotheses].

Data curation: [XX] helped me with [data processing, cleaning, cataloguing, annotation, archiving, integrating and aggregating data, developing or implementing data preservation strategies, version control]

Formal Analysis: [X] helped me [uncover pattens, identify relationships, performing statistical tests, evaluate change, applying models, develop simulations, code interview transcripts]

Funding acquisition: I received funding from [sources] for [fees, stipend, fieldwork, data collection].

Investigation: [XX] helped with [searching and reviewing the literature, collecting any data, lending or donating samples, creating figures]

Methodology: [X] helped me [develop or modify methods, develop frameworks, define search strategies, determine the criteria for the systematic literature review, determine study design]

Project administration: [XX] helped with [monitoring or reporting on progress, timelines, budgets, ethical compliance, health and safety, recruiting participants for studies, organising logistics, managing correspondence between project partners].

Resources: [XX] helped with [preparing, transporting or managing access to samples, artifacts, tools, equipment, documents, archives, digital or physical infrastructure, safekeeping of samples, calibrating or maintaining or tuning instruments or equipment, computational resources]

Software: [XX] helped with [designing, developing, testing, debugging, implementing, documenting, sharing or maintaining code; developing, managing, optimising, or maintaining digital infrastructure; data extraction, mining or parsing data for qualitative or quantitative collection or analysis; ensuring interoperability, functionality and scalability of code, databases, systems or platforms]

Validation: [XX] helped [ensure the rigour, integrity, reliability of data, methods or resources; conducting pilot tests or preliminary studies, appraising the studies included in systematic reviews, ensuring compliance with review standards or reporting frameworks; testing computational models or simulations for accuracy]

Visualisation: [XX] helped produce [charts, figures, graphs, videos, podcasts etc]

Writing: I produced all original drafts. [XX] helped [review, copy-edit, refine language, provided comments and suggestions, review input on figures, tables, supplementary materials]”

2.4 Abstract

The abstract should not exceed 300 words.

The abstract will be made available on Open Research Online even if the thesis is embargoed at the point of award.

Students who were given permission, on registration, to submit a thesis in Welsh or Gaelic, should also provide an English translation of the abstract.

2.5 Plain language summary

A plain language summary should follow your abstract and should not exceed 500 words.

The plain language summary should be in English or Welsh and in the same language as your thesis. It should explain the purpose and outcomes of your research in a way that would be understandable to the general public.

2.6 Dedication and/or acknowledgements

Any dedications and/or acknowledgements should be placed immediately after the Abstract page and before the Table of contents.

This section is an opportunity for you to thank those who have helped and supported you personally during your research degree. Professional help and support should be listed in the CRediT taxonomy (See Section 2.3: Declarations).

2.7 Table of contents

A Table of contents should be included after the Abstract and after any Dedications and/or Acknowledgements.

The Table of contents should list in sequence, with page number, all relevant subdivisions of the thesis. Subdivisions could include the titles of chapters, sections and subsections, any appendices, reference list etc.

Optionally, and where appropriate, lists of tables and figures, a glossary, and/or any publications that have arisen from your doctoral work, should appear after the Table of contents.

2.8 Footnotes

Footnotes are optional.

Where present, they may be positioned at the bottom of the page, at the end of each chapter, or at the end of the thesis. The positioning should be consistent throughout the thesis.

2.9 Citations and referencing

Citations and referencing should conform to practice within the discipline.

The reference list should follow your conclusions.

Typically, the reference list should be alphabetical by author, following a standard format such as the Harvard system.

Each listed reference should enable the reader to identify the work cited and to locate the specific passage referred to.

2.10 Appendices

Appendices are used to provide additional or supporting text that would interrupt the flow of the main text. Material provided in the appendices allows the examiners to ensure that your arguments are built on logical foundations.

Any appendices to your thesis should appear in your thesis document after your reference list.

The division of your appendices into different materials or datasets (e.g., Appendix A1) should be referenced in your Table of contents.

Appendices that are mainly text may naturally lend itself to being included as part of your thesis document itself. This material should be referenced in the thesis text as e.g. “Appendix 1” and then included in the Appendix section of your thesis.

Substantive text (i.e., where the text is more than a few lines) included in appendices is included in the total thesis word count (with the exception of a Professional Doctorate thesis).

Appendices that would naturally lend themselves to different file formats such as large data tables, datasets, code, multiple images should remain as separate files rather than including them within your thesis document.

See instructions in Section 3 on how to submit separate Appendix files for examination.

See instructions in Section 4 on how to prepare separate Appendix files for final deposition on an approved institutional data repository after your thesis has been approved.

3. Thesis portfolio submission for examination

Your thesis and any additional appendix files (which together constitute your portfolio of examinable work) must be submitted to PGR Manager for examination before your registration deadline.

The portfolio submitted through PGR Manager is the only version that will be examined.

Instructions

Navigate to your project page on PGR Manager and then Examination.
Open the Thesis Submission stage and upload the final version of yur thesis and any additional separate Appendix files.
Fill out the online candidate declaration form.
Check that your notice of submission is complete.
Follow instructions on the system and progress until the status of your thesis submission shows it is with your supervisor. At this point, you have submitted your thesis.

Please ensure you upload the correct version of your thesis and any separate Appendix files. You will not be able to change your portfolio after submission.

4. Post-examination requirements

Once you have made any required corrections to your portfolio and resubmitted it to PGR Manager, your examiners will check it and sign it off as complete. You will then receive an email from the Graduate School – Congratulations!

At this point an electronic copy of the final version of the thesis must be submitted to Open Research Online (ORO) (see Section 4.1) in accordance with the Open Access Policy.

Any additional Appendix files should be submitted to Open Research Data Online (ORDO) if you are based at The Open University, or your institutional research data repository if you are based in an ARC (Section 4.2) in accordance with the Research Data Management Policy.

A copy of the Electronic Thesis Deposition Form should be submitted through PGR Manager.

You will only be allowed to redact (parts of) your thesis if you were given embargo approval at the Intention to Submit stage. If you require an extension to the embargo, please contact the relevant Graduate School email address below at least three months before the embargo expires. Any embargo is set from the date of award (i.e. the date you receive the email from the Graduate School letting you know that you have been awarded your degree).

Graduate School email addresses

4.1 Thesis deposition on Open Research Online (ORO)

Instructions on how to upload your thesis to ORO are on the etheses webpage.

Please use your staff Open University Computer Username and password to upload to ORO.

During upload, you will be required to add any keywords associated with your thesis.

The plain language summary should be added to the Plain Language Summary field.

If you have been given permission to submit a redacted version of your thesis by the Graduate School Director, please first read the advice on redactions. Please upload the redacted version to the ORO record as well as the full version that the award was made on. Please ensure that the final and redacted versions are distinguishable from their file names.

If you are depositing appendix files to ORDO or another data repository, please ensure that you do that first and provide the doi link(s) to your datasets in the Appendix section of your thesis. Further information on how to do this can be found on the Library Help Pages.

See also Research Degree Regulations regarding theses containing sensitive material:

RD 20.2–RD 20.5
RDD 19.2–RDD 19.5
PD 18.2–PD 18.5

4.2 Appendix file deposition on a data repository

Items deposited on ORDO or any other data repository should be suited to digital media, such as, images, audio files, drawings, software, etc. Contributions should comply with existing standards appropriate for the type of media (e.g., 3D, hypertext, image audio).

You will need to provide metadata for all uploaded materials.

Please refer to the guidance on how to upload data to Open Research Data Online.

Please contact the library research support team if you need assistance.

4.3 Research data/materials deposition on a data repository

As part of good Open Research practices, we recommend that research materials that underpin your thesis and/or research materials that were not included in your final thesis should be deposited in a data repository alongside your appendices.

This repository could be Open Research Data Online (ORDO), another data repository if required by your funder, or your institutional repository if you are hosted by an ARC. We recommend you deposit your materials prior to final thesis upload to ORO and provide a DOI link in your thesis appendix section.

There is guidance on preserving and sharing research data on the Library Research Support website.

Please contact the library research support team if you need assistance.