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Research Writing and Thesis Requirements

PGR degrees are examined primarily on the basis of a piece of research presented in the form of a thesis submitted within the prescribed period of study. You will be examined about your thesis at the end of your programme. The production of that thesis is, therefore, your main task. In order to undertake this work you will need a well-focused research topic, a knowledge of the existing secondary literature on the subject, a well thought out methodology for tackling the research, access to the necessary primary sources required and the ability to produce a well-structured argument in lucid and well-presented prose. Many ancillary skills may be required to do this: knowledge of languages, palaeography, information technology, the latest theoretical and methodological approaches in your discipline, interview techniques and questionnaires to name but a few. 

Successful research students understand the task in hand, plan their work carefully, acquire the training and skills required, and take a systematic approach to research and writing, always keeping their deadline for submission clearly in view. They are helped in this task by supervisors, with whom they work closely. A thesis needs to conform to accepted academic conventions, to avoid plagiarism and to follow the ethical guidelines laid down for research. 

Students must work within strict deadlines laid down for completion, which vary according to the type of degree being taken and the registration status of each student. The progress of each student is monitored by the PGR Support team, which decides on any changes to a student’s status.

Requirements of a Research Thesis

You need to know what you have to achieve in your research in order to obtain your degree. A thesis must conform to standards laid down by the University and to follow proper academic conventions. The PhD demands a higher standard than the MPhil. 

• TQA Manual, Chapter 11 – Presentation of theses/dissertations for degrees in the Faculty of Research .
• MPhil regulations
• PhD regulations

Presentation of Thesis

The TQA Manual,   Chapter 11 - Presentation of theses/dissertations for degrees in the Faculty of Graduate Research: statement of procedures   details the format and presentation of the thesis must be closely followed. These provide information on all aspects of the overall layout of a thesis, including word length (up to 100,000 for a PhD and 60,000 for an MPhil), division into chapters, the scholarly apparatus. As of March 2020, you are no longer required to print and bind a hard copy of your thesis for submission, as we now follow an   electronic thesis submission   procedure. If your examiner requests a hard bound copy, our PGR Administration team will arrange for a copy to be printed and sent to your examiner. If you would like a hard copy of the thesis to refer to in your viva, it is your responsibility to arrange for your copy to be printed. 

If you would like to see an example of a successful thesis please ask your supervisor to show you one. 

In addition to the general formatting rules, research and writing in the Business School normally follow particular conventions and in part your thesis will be judged upon its adherence to them.

Alternative Form of Submission

Changes to the guidance on the presentation of theses have been made resulting in a re-definition of what we mean by the term ‘thesis’ which reflects the wide variety of ways in which research is carried out and assessed. This allows, for example, for the production of a thesis in an alternative format, which may include either:

a) The presentation of part or all of the thesis in an alternative format e.g. it may be a multimedia document (e.g. an element or the thesis in its entirety, which is presented in a format appropriate perhaps for presentation at a conference; OR

b) A constructed text such as a piece of art, or a record of professional practice in the form of a series of case-studies, which must be accompanied by a commentary.

You must seek advice from your supervisor and   PGR Support Team   as early as possible into your degree if you wish to consider the use of an alternative thesis format.

Business School Discipline Thesis Norms

Different disciplines within the Business School may expect “norms” in the way that research degrees are presented. Whilst for many Business and Management Schools these norms are unspoken rules, we have defined the most common ways that theses may be presented. Over the last few years, we have found that the 3 study thesis is becomiong more popular across all disciplines, although this is the primary thesis style in Economics and Finance. 

It is important to note that the structure of the thesis depends very much on the project itself and is to be agreed by the student and supervisor prior to upgrade, and preferably within the first few weeks of planning the research.

If you are unsure which format your thesis will take, you should discuss with your supervisory team in the first instance. They can share examples of other thesis in your subject area.

Research Misconduct

The University expects its staff and students to maintain the highest standards for the conduct of research. As such the University has procedures in place that govern academic/research conduct for graduate research students. ‘ Research Misconduct – Procedure for Graduate Research Students suspected of Research Misconduct ’ is specific to graduate research students, and defines research conduct in the context of the range of activities undertaken by those doing research. 

You are expected to review this procedure and ensure that you understand your responsibilities under this Procedure, and that you understand the definitions of misconduct. You should also be aware that any work submitted to a member of your supervision team either in full, in part, or as a draft will fall under the provisions of this Procedure, as will any work handed to a member of staff. 

If you are in any doubt as to what constitutes Research Misconduct and how to avoid it please talk to your supervisors or your Discipline DPGR.

Research Data Management and Open Access

There are a number of benefits to making your research and thesis available via Open Access:

• Increases citations and the visibility of your research
• Helps to build your research career
• Increases chances of further funding opportunities and collaborations
• Meets the transparency/openness agenda

The key points of the University’s   Open Access Research and Research Data Management Policy for PGR Students  are as follows:

A copy of your final thesis/dissertation will need to be   submitted to the institutional repository ,   Open Research Exeter (ORE) , prior to the award of your degree.

Research Papers

• PGR students should make the published peer-reviewed research papers and conference proceedings they produce whilst affiliated with the University available on Open Access according to funder requirements and as soon as publisher restrictions will allow.
• PGR research papers should be made available on Open Access, by depositing a copy of the paper in   Open Research Exeter (ORE) .
• Published research papers should include a short statement describing how and on what terms any supporting research data may be accessed.

  Resear ch  Data

• PGR students should always comply with   funder policy   and   University policy   on research data management.
• Responsibility for ongoing, day-to-day management of their research data lies with PGR students. Where the PGR is part of a project, data management policy will be set and monitored by the Principal Investigator (PI) and the PGR will be expected to comply with project guidelines.
• The lead PGR Supervisor is responsible for advising the PGR student on good practice in research data management.
• PGR students and their supervisors should discuss and review research data management issues annually, addressing issues of the capture, management, integrity, confidentiality, security, selection, preservation and disposal, commercialisation, costs, sharing and publication of research data and the production of descriptive metadata to aid discovery and re-use when relevant.
• A  checklist  to support PGRs and their supervisors in the annual research data review is available.
• At the end of the degree, PGR students should register selected research data in   Open Research Exeter (ORE) . Information about the data should be included as a statement in the thesis record using the Description field. When legally, commercially and ethically appropriate, this selected research data should also be made available on Open Access in an appropriate repository.
• unprotected intellectual property which you, your sponsor or any other 3rd party has the intention to use
• sensitive information that may need to be withheld from public view
• commercially sensitive material that may belong to your project sponsor
• Please contact   [email protected]   if you require any further advice.
• It is not School policy that students must provide the School with a copy of the final version of the thesis. However, it would be courteous of students to offer their supervisors a personal copy of the final thesis

Research Data Management Guidance

In order to save time and effort later on in your degree, before you start collecting or creating research data or materials research students should consider the following:

Further Information

The following links provide further help and guidance on Open Access and research data management:

• Research Data Management Survival Guide for New PhD Students .
• Open Access guide for PGRs 
• Research data management  
• Further help and advice is available via   [email protected]  or   [email protected] .

There are also training sessions on Open Access and Research Data Management as part of the  Researcher Development.

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Frequently Asked Questions

• Embargo Periods
• Open Access for Postgraduate Researchers
• Examination of Thesis/Dissertation
• Nomination of Examiners
• Submission of Thesis/Dissertation
• Award and Graduation

Where within ORE is my thesis/dissertation submitted?

Open Research Exeter  (ORE) is structured as a list of communities and collections into which material can be submitted. The community called  Doctoral College  contains three collections based upon the nature of the award:

• Doctoral Theses
• MPhil Dissertations
• MbyRes Dissertations.

Do I have to deposit a digital copy of my thesis / dissertation into ORE?

Students who registered for a research degree after October 2008 must submit a copy of their final thesis to  ORE . This replaces the submission of a hardbound copy. Full details can be found in the  Presentation of Theses/Dissertations for the Degrees in the Faculty of Graduate Research: Statement of Procedures .

Students who registered before October 2008 may choose whether to submit either a hard-bound copy of their final thesis to the Postgraduate Administration Office or an electronic copy to ORE.

If I have already graduated from Exeter and originally deposited a hard-bound copy of my thesis/dissertation to the Library, can I deposit an electronic copy?

Yes. You will need to provide a copy of your thesis in PDF format which you should email to the  Postgraduate Administration Office  with your full name, date of birth and year of award.

When and where do I deposit the digital copy?

You may deposit a copy of your thesis/dissertation in  ORE  as soon as you have been recommended for award by your Board of Examiners. Any corrections required by your examiners must be completed and approved by your examiners before your thesis/dissertation is submitted to ORE.

How do I prepare my files?

You will need have your thesis in PDF format before you deposit. The file should consist of the complete text of the thesis/dissertation (including title page, abstract and contents). The filename should be constructed from your Surname and first initial eg, SmithA.

The text must be identical to that which was approved by your board of examiners for award. Should you need to remove any third party copyright material , an additional file must be submitted with the copyright material removed.

Can I include published papers?

The university regulations permit the inclusion of published papers within theses/dissertations submitted for examination. However, not all publishers will allow the inclusion of either pre or post publication papers in  ORE . It is your responsibility to check liability.

If you have contributed to a co-authored paper then you will also require permission from the other authors. If a paper cannot be made accessible on ORE you must insert a link to the publisher’s website in the relevant section of your thesis.

Do I need to inform the Postgraduate Admission Office that I have successfully deposited my work to graduate?

No, the Postgraduate Administration Office will have approved your submission and will automatically process the award of your degree. Once the award has been formally approved you will receive a confirmation letter inviting you to attend the next degree congregation.

DClinPsy students: You will need to forward the confirmation email to the Programme Administrator.

Will my thesis/dissertation be included in the Library catalogue as well as on ORE?

Yes, all theses/dissertations deposited on ORE are also included in the Library catalogue with links to the full text in ORE. If the thesis author has requested a temporary embargo the full text will not be available until the embargo has expired.

Is there a permanent way of linking to my thesis/dissertation on ORE?

Once your work has been checked and approved for entry to  ORE  by the Postgraduate Administration Office you will receive an email containing the stable/persistent handle that can be used to link to your work. When citing or linking to your thesis (for example, on a CV or personal website) please use this handle rather than the URL of your thesis/dissertation. Use of the handle will ensure that even if the repository URL changes your thesis/dissertation will still be available.

How will people be able to access my thesis/dissertation?

Your thesis will be available via  ORE  where people may search or browse collections directly or locate your work through search engines such as Google.

Your thesis/dissertation can be linked to directly with a special type of permanent link (a handle) that is not subject to change. We will create a record for your thesis/dissertation in our online library catalogue, including a link to its record in ORE. This will direct access from the library catalogueto the full text of your thesis/dissertation (providing there is no embargo in place).

We will also work with the British Library’s Electronic Theses Online Service ( EthOS ), the UK’s national doctoral e-theses service. This will allow those searching EThOS direct access to your thesis/dissertation.

How do I deposit multimedia files associated with my thesis/dissertation?

Any type of file can be deposited in  ORE . If your work includes images, sound or movie files which are separate from the text of your thesis/dissertation, you are encouraged to deposit these as supplementary files. We will accept files in most standard formats and endeavour to make them available online.

Email  [email protected]  for advice with ‘ORE – Supplementary Files’ as the subject of your message.

What is the ORE Deposit Licence?

This is the licence that you agree to when you deposit your thesis into ORE. We recommend that you take the time to read this licence as it includes information about the permissions granted by you to ORE, as well as a declaration of ownership of the work and a third-party copyright statement. Granting this licence will not affect the copyright of your thesis, which will still belong to you as the author, unless the sponsor of your research requires ownership.

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Thesis by Alternative Format

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PGR Thesis by Alternative Format

The University of Exeter adopts an open approach to the definition of what we mean by the term ‘ thesis’ which reflects the wide variety of ways in which research is carried out and assessed.   

This allows, for example, for the production of a thesis in an alternative format, which may include either:  

• The presentation of part or all of the thesis in an alternative format e.g. it may be a multimedia document (e.g. an element or the thesis in its entirety, which is presented in a format appropriate perhaps for presentation at a conference), or
• A constructed text such as a piece of art, or a record of professional practice in the form of a series of case-studies, which must be accompanied by a commentary.  

The  regulations governing academic programmes in the Faculty of Graduate Research also make clear reference to the ' Presentation of Theses/Dissertations for Degrees in the Faculty of Graduate Research: Statement of Procedures ' for further guidance.  

The ‘ Handbook for Examination of Postgraduate Research programmes ’ also includes guidance for examination of alternative theses.  

Although the revisions to the procedures have made them more permissive, they do not and cannot provide detailed guidance for the variety of ways in which students might seek to present their work, and as such, students are asked to discuss with their supervisor any proposals for varying the format in which their thesis is presented, according to the process laid out below.   

Students wishing to submit their thesis in an alternative or non-traditional format must seek formal approval. Through completing the  Application to submit a thesis in an alternative format form , students and supervisors are required to  set out guidance for the formation and submission of the thesis , as well as confirming how the thesis will be archived and how the research may be disseminated following completion.  ‌  

Only those students in receipt of an approved  Change to Format of Thesis  form  will be allowed to submit their thesis in an alternative format.  

Faculties and PGR Support Teams are encouraged to raise queries with, and address feedback to the Doctoral College   Quality Development Team  in order that these revised procedures can be improved with use.  

A communication was sent to PGRs and PGR supervisors on Monday 12/02/2024 outlining the recently approved changes to the policy.

Guidance for operating the revised procedures  

Candidates should be encouraged to request permission to submit a thesis as early as possible , and the Application to submit a thesis in an alternative format form  should be submitted by the following deadlines: ‌ ‌

• Doctorate programmes : 24 months after your programme start date.
• Research Masters (MPhil, MbyRes) : 12 months after your programme start date.

(Application) How should individual requests received at application stage be handled?

• the proposed supervisor should, in discussion with the applicant, start to discuss the Application to submit a thesis in an alternative format form to start thinking about the implications of creating a thesis in an alternative format.  ‌  
• the student should be directed to complete a programme application form as normal .  

(Registered Student) How do I apply to submit my thesis in an alternative format?

• Doctorate programmes : 24 months after your programme start date
• Whether you have the appropriate experience to supervise this thesis .  
• Whether you will have difficulty nominating an appropriate Board of Examiners .  
• The format in which the submission would take place .  
• How the academic commentary will support the thesis.  
• What guidelines for submission the student will require – are these clear and available to the student and PGR Administration Team.  
• How will the thesis be shared with the examiners following submission.  
• How the thesis will be archived – will the thesis being in an alternative format mean that the thesis needs an alternative to online archiving.  
• Any changes to the format of the thesis must be reviewed through this process, to ensure that due consideration has been taken and that risks have been mitigated as far as possible.  

(Supervisor) What do I need to do if my student has asked to submit their thesis in an alternative format?

• How the academic commentary will support the thesis .  
• What guidelines for submission the student will require – are these clear and available to the student and PGR Administration Team .  
• How will the thesis be shared with the examiners following submission .  
• How the thesis will be archived – will the thesis being in an alternative format mean that the thesis needs an alternative to online archiving .  

(PGR Support Team) What do I need to do if I receive a request to submit a thesis in an alternative format?

• The DDPGR will confirm approval with the PGR Support Team, who will submit the request to the DCQD Team.
• The DCQD Team will check the proposal against policy and liaise with the Dean of PGR for approval.
• DCQD will confirm the outcome with the PGR Support Team, along with any recommendations from the Dean.    
• The PGR Support Team will notify the student and the supervisory team of the outcome and any parameters associated with approval .  
• The   Postgraduate Administration Office   will be advised of the approval by the DC Quality Development Manager and will record the approval on the student’s SITS record.    
• Following approval students should be advised to upload a copy of the approved form to their MyPGR documents list for reference.   

(Examination) How does this affect the nomination of the Boards of Examiners?

(Archive) How do I archive my thesis?

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Presentation of Thesis/Dissertation

• Changes to Study

Before you submit your thesis/dissertation for examination you must ensure that it is correctly formatted and bound in accordance with our Statement of Procedures:

Presentation of Theses/Dissertations for the Degrees of MPhil/PhD/EdD/DEdPsy/DClinPsy/MbyRes: Statement of Procedures

Please read the document carefully as it sets out the format that should be used for the content of your work including the sequencing of your contents, page numbering, margins etc. If you have any questions about the correct format to be used for your Bibliography and references please contact your Supervisor.

When you submit your thesis/dissertation for examination please remember to include a correctly worded title page as the first page of your thesis and sign each copy before submission.

Alternative Form of Submission

Changes to the guidance on the presentation of theses have been made resulting in a re-definition of what we mean by the term ‘thesis’ which reflects the wide variety of ways in which research is carried out and assessed.

This allows, for example, for the production of a thesis in an alternative format, which may include either:

(a) the presentation of part or all of the thesis in an alternative format e.g. it may be a multimedia document (e.g. an element or the thesis in its entirety, which is presented in a format appropriate perhaps for presentation at a conference)

(b) A constructed text such as a piece of art, or a record of professional practice in the form of a series of case-studies, which must be accompanied by a commentary

For further information please see the ‘Presentation of Theses/Dissertations for Degrees in the Faculty of Graduate Research: Statement of Procedures’ .

How do I apply to submit my thesis in an alternative format?

• Review the guidance in section 3 of the ‘Presentation of Theses/Dissertations for Degrees in the Faculty of Graduate Research: Statement of Procedures’ ;
• If you consider that you have a proposal which meets the relevant criteria you should first discuss this with your supervisor, if your supervisor considers that you proposal is appropriate they will direct you to complete a Change to Format of Submission form in consultation with them;
• This form will then be considered by the Dean of your College, and if they consider it is an appropriate proposal, you will be given permission to submit your thesis in line with the format of thesis and guidelines for submission laid out on your Change to Format of Submission form ;
• You will then need to refer back to this paperwork in order to ensure that you submit your thesis according to the agreed format: as such you should append a copy to your MyPGR documents list; you will also need to attach a copy of your approved ‘format of submission’ form to your submission paperwork.

Please note that any proposals to change the format of your thesis must be made as early as possible in your period of study.

Further guidance for staff may be found here .

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Mbyres dissertations, recent submissions, how does night-time light pollution affect parental care and provisioning behaviour in herring gulls larus argentatus , arctic thermokarst lake behaviour: quantifying change through automatic pixel classification in google earth engine and the landsat archive , the causes and consequences of personality variation in the red cherry shrimp, neocaridina heteropoda. , automating high-throughput viral isolation and characterisation for phage therapy , conservation in elasmobranchs: insights from studies of infectious diseases and morphometrics .

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• 1. PGR Support Team
• 2. Registration, attendance, off campus learning and Change of Status
• 3. Research Supervision
• 5.Progress monitoring and completion
• 6. Transfer from MPhil to PhD
• 7. Transfer of registration from MA by Research to PhD
• 8. Research Training
• 9. Ethics Approval
• 10. Insurance for Research Undertaken Outside the UK
• 11. Research, Writing and Thesis Requirements
• 12. Submission and Examination Process
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Transfer from MPhil to PhD

Initial registration status

All new students who register for doctoral study within the College of Humanities are required to register initially as MPhil students, with an expectation that they will be transferred to PhD registration subject to meeting certain requirements and making satisfactory academic progress. 

The purpose of the transfer (or upgrade) process is to assess your progress and ability to complete your PhD programme within a reasonable time frame. The upgrade panel will establish whether you have produced work of sufficient quantity and quality to suggest that you can achieve the standard required for a PhD. In particular they will consider if you

a)             understand the research question(s)

b)             have an appropriate understanding of the relevant scholarly literature

c)              have demonstrated capability to conduct the research

d)             have a realistic research plan and schedule and

e)             can deliver work at PhD level. 

The transfer process is intended to be a ‘formative’ process for you. That is, the transfer panel should aim to use the process to help you develop and improve your thesis and professional skills, rather than simply to sit in judgment. The viva voce is in particular an opportunity for you to experience speaking about and defending your work in front of an academic panel, in preparation for your final viva voce.

Funded Students

Doctoral students in receipt of funding for their studies, either from the College of Humanities or from a Research Council, are required to have upgraded to PhD before they enter their final year of funding or their funding will be withdrawn.

Timing of the upgrade

Entrants Registering Before the 2019-20 Academic Year

Time-frames for transfer of registration should normally take place not later than after 18 months of full-time registration, or 36 months of part-time registration. Applications to transfer registration should take place within a timeframe that allows a decision about changes to registration status to be made within this timeframe.

Entrants Registering from the 2019-20 Academic Year Onwards

Transfer of registration should normally take place not later than after 12 months of full-time registration, or the pro-rata equivalent for part-time registration.

Applications for the deferral of upgrade

In exceptional circumstances beyond the student’s control applications for deferral of the deadline for transfer from MPhil to PhD may be made.  Details about the circumstances in which a deferral of the deadline for transfer may be considered can be found online in the Code of Good Practice: Periods of registration and changes to registration status for graduate research students . 

Time-frames for Application

An application for deferral should normally be made 6 weeks before the expected submission deadline for upgrade. In exceptional cases, i.e. when serious and unexpected circumstances occur closer to the deadline, an application can be made later, provided that it is prior to the College Upgrade Committee’s scheduled meeting. If serious and unexpected circumstances arise after the student’s first attempt at upgrade these may also be considered.

Please contact the PGR Support Team to obtain a copy of the form to request a deferral of upgrade deadline.  

An application for deferral must be supported by:

• verifiable and/or independent evidence
• a statement by a supervisor, and, where appropriate, pastoral tutor;
• a work-plan with a proposed date by which the work will be submitted. 

The evidence provided must give a clear indication of the length of time by which progress was delayed: if deciding to accept the application for deferral this will inform the College’s decision about what period of deferral might be considered reasonable, which shall not exceed a period of three months. 

Where an application for deferral is made on the basis of especially sensitive information this should be treated confidentially. If a student prefers the reasons for the application may be considered by their pastoral tutor, with whom the student may have discussed their circumstances, who will report to the College Director of Postgraduate Research, without sharing the detail of the evidence provided to them. 

Applications for deferral will be granted by the College Director of Postgraduate Research, in collaboration with the relevant discipline DPGR and the PGR Support team. 

Where a period of deferral to the deadline for transfer is approved:

• This will be added to the student’s record, however, it will not lead to an extension to the thesis submission deadline. It is expected that the time elapsed by the point at which thesis submission would take place would normally mean that a student would have had sufficient opportunity to get back on track with their studies.
• No further deferral of the transfer deadline will be permitted without further agreement. Without agreement, any failure to transfer by the deadline given will normally result in action being initiated or progressed under the relevant unsatisfactory student progress procedures, unless the College has concerns that a student’s health, wellbeing and/or behaviour is significantly impacting their ability to successfully complete the upgrade process by the deadline – in these cases it should then be determined whether it is appropriate to take alternative action under the procedures for health, wellbeing and support for study.
• Depending on the nature of a student’s funding, it may be necessary to report any delay in successfully upgrading within the first year (pro-rata) of study to a student’s sponsor.

Failure to apply for or have a period of deferral approved

If an application for deferral is unsuccessful failure to transfer by the deadline given will normally result in action being initiated or progressed under the relevant procedures for unsatisfactory student progress and unless the College has concerns that a student’s health, wellbeing and/or behaviour is significantly impacting their ability to successfully complete the upgrade process by the deadline, where it should then be determined whether it is appropriate to take alternative action under the ‘Health Wellbeing and Support for Study Procedures’. 

If a student has not applied for deferral, failure to transfer by the deadline given will normally result in action being initiated or progressed under the 'Unsatisfactory Student Progress and Engagement: Code of Good Practice’ unless the College has concerns that a student’s health, wellbeing and/or behaviour is significantly impacting their ability to successfully complete the upgrade process by the deadline, where it should then be determined whether it is appropriate to take alternative action under the ‘Health Wellbeing and Support for Study Procedures’.

Membership of the upgrade panel

All students requesting an upgrade from MPhil to PhD will be assessed viva voce (more commonly known as a ‘viva’) by at least two members of the University’s academic staff, one of whom will normally be the Discipline Director of Postgraduate Research, although it is expected that the discipline DPGR will delegate this role to another member of academic staff when a large number of students in that discipline will be going through upgrade. One member of the upgrade panel will be designated as lead, and they will be responsible for organising the upgrade meeting. The panel must be independent of your supervisory team but your lead supervisor should attend the meeting as an observer. To allow you to make any comments to the upgrade panel without your supervisor being present, you shall always be invited to talk with the panel after your supervisor is asked to leave. 

In advance of the viva the he panel will read the written work submitted by you, as well as a progress report submitted by your lead supervisor. 

Please note that sitting on your upgrade panel does not normally preclude an academic member of staff from going on to act as your internal examiner.

Upgrade requirements – for students who began their studies before August 2019

Timing of Transfers

Requests to transfer from MPhil to PhD are normally considered on the recommendation of your first supervisor, although the PGR Support Team will prompt you and your supervisor at the appropriate time. Normally all requests to transfer should be made during the first term of the second year (the 4th term) of full-time study or the third year (the 7 th term) of part-time study. Those who start at other times of the year will have their transfers scheduled as appropriate. 

Students are allowed two possible attempts at transfer to PhD, the period between the first and second attempt should normally be no more than 3 months. A second attempt at the transfer must have taken place by the end of the second year of full-time study or the fourth year of part-time study.

Submission requirements

Standard upgrade.

Students are required to submit the following for consideration by the interview panel: 

In total, 15-20,000 words should be submitted. This should comprise: 

• A draft abstract of the thesis (up to 300 words).  This should describe your research in terms that can be understood by a non-specialist. 
• An extended proposal (5,000 words or above). This should cover the following areas: 

a)     Research questions What are the main issues that your thesis will address? What are the hypotheses that you wish to test? (NB: At this stage you will not necessarily know the answers to all your research questions. Part of the purpose of this exercise is to identify issues thrown up by your research that will need to be addressed in the completed thesis.) 

b)     Research context Which scholars have written on these issues before? What are the strengths and weaknesses of the existing literature? Does it contain errors or omissions (or both)? What opportunities are there for your thesis to correct these? 

c)      Methodology . What resources and/or evidence are you using in your research (eg archival material, web-based material, databases, interviews)? How will these materials help you to address your research questions? Are there any novel aspects to your methods, and is there any particular guidance that you require? Are there any ethical issues arising from your research that still need to be addressed? 

• Chapter-by-chapter outline of the thesis . This may be in continuous prose, bullet-points, or a combination of the two. 
• Timetable for completion of the thesis (including any corrections to be made post-viva) within four years from the date of initial registration (seven years part time). 
• One substantive chapter of Ph.D. standard material (10,000 words or above). 

Archaeology Upgrade Requirements

• A draft abstract of the thesis (up to 300 words)
• Thesis contents page as a working document
• Substantial parts of contextual chapters (such as the introduction and history of previous research), complete with figures and tables, and with accompanying bibliography
• Methodology chapter complete with figures and tables, and with accompanying bibliography
• Some evidence of primary data gathering and analysis as a case study or work in progress (students can submit or bring for discussion their maps, databases, photomicrographs etc).
• Chapter-by-chapter outline of the thesis . This may be in continuous prose, or in bullet-points, or it may be a combination of the two.
• Timetable for completion of the thesis (including any corrections to be made post-viva) within four years from the date of initial registration (or seven years for part-time students).  

By Practice Upgrade Requirements 

You will upload these documents to MyPGR as prompted by the PGR Support Team, at least two weeks before the transfer interview.  These documents will then be forwarded on to your panel by the PGR Support Team. The PGR Support Team will also request a report on your work from your lead supervisor and they will send this on to your panel in advance of your transfer viva. The lead panel member will contact you within one week of receipt of your upgrade documents to agree a date for the review meeting. The panel meeting will normally take place within one month of the panel receiving the documents.

Outcome of Upgrade Interview

Following the upgrade interview, the panel will complete a transfer report form stating their recommendations and submit this to the PGR Support team. The three possible outcomes at the first attempt are that the candidate be:

a) Allowed to transfer their registration to PhD b) Be allowed to transfer their registration to PhD subject to the completion of the identified corrections and/or amendments by the following date___________* (to be within two months) c) Allowed a second attempt at upgrade (to be within three months). 

If the outcome is a second attempt (c), the form must indicate the conditions to be assessed by the re-sit transfer process and whether a second viva is required. An upgrade viva would not normally be required for a second attempt at upgrade, however the panel may wish to hold one at their discretion. A second upgrade viva must be held however if the panel are inclined to recommend that you must remain at MPhil level.  

The PGR Support Team will inform you by email of the outcome of your upgrade interview.  Your lead supervisor will be copied in on this correspondence. 

If the recommendation is that you pass unconditionally the PGR Support Team will inform you by email of your official transfer to PhD and your lead supervisor will be copied in on this correspondence. Your official student record will also be updated. 

Where a second attempt is required, the PGR Support Team will inform you by email and a copy will also be sent to your lead supervisor. 

The three possible outcomes at a second attempt are that the candidate be:

a) Allowed to transfer their registration to PhD

b) Be allowed to transfer their registration to PhD, subject to the completion of the identified corrections and/or amendments by a specified date (to be within two months)

c) Required to remain registered as an MPhil student.

You will be informed via email, by the PGR Support team, of the outcome of your transfer interview.  Your supervisor will be copied in on this correspondence.

Upgrade requirements – for students who began their studies after August 2019

Students who began their doctoral studies after August 2019 are required to upgrade within the first 12 months of their programme (pro-rata for part time students).  The submission date for all students, regardless of your discipline, will be shown on your MyPGR record.  You mustupload your documents onto MyPGR by this date  

Please note that there are three different types of upgrade requirements, dependent on your programme of study:

• By Practice programmes (except for Creative Writing);
• Creative Writing; and
• Standard (for all other programmes). 

Please ensure you follow the correct requirements for your programme of study.

In addition to your uploaded documents, your first supervisor will also be asked to provide a detailed report which will forwarded to the upgrade panel.

Submission Requirements

Students on by practice programmes.

In total, 7,500-9,000 words (exclusive of footnotes) should be submitted. This should comprise:

• A draft abstract of the thesis (up to 300 words).  This should describe your research and practice in terms that can be understood by a non-specialist. 
• An extended research proposal (maximum 3,000 words). You are asked to demonstrate clear awareness of how the proposed research will address a bigger question or problem. This should cover the following areas: 

a)        Research questions . What are your research aims? What are the main issues that your thesis will address? What are the hypotheses that you wish to test? What is the originality and contribution of your thesis? (NB: At this stage you will not necessarily know the answers to all your research questions. Part of the purpose of this exercise is to identify issues thrown up by your research that will need to be addressed in the completed thesis.) 

b)        Research context . Which scholars have written on these issues before? What are the strengths and weaknesses of the existing literature? Does it contain errors, omissions (or both)? What opportunities are there for your thesis to correct these? How does your research fit into and develop these literatures? 

c)         Methodology . What sources/evidence are you using in your research (e.g. archival material, web-based material, databases, interviews)? How will these materials help you to address your research questions? Are there any novel aspects to your methods, and is there any particular guidance that you require? What methodologies and critical frameworks will you use? Are there any ethical issues arising from your research that need to be addressed? 

• A contents outline of the thesis (one page). This may be in continuous prose, bullet-points, or a combination of the two; this document is to show the structure and organisation of the thesis.  
• Draft timetable (one page) for submission of the thesis within the candidate’s planned submission period (within a maximum of four years for full-time students from the date of initial registration; eight years for those who are part-time students who are studying at 0.5 FTE). This should show the student’s work plan for the remaining period of study and highlight any areas where problems might arise. It is intended that this draft timetable will be regularly reviewed and updated at the regular progress review meetings which take place each year. 

 Students studying Creative Writing

Prior to upgrade, and no later than the end of the second term of full-time study (pro-rata for part-time study), Creative Writing students are required to submit to their supervisors the following to fulfil the requirements of study for their first year: 

1)  A draft abstract of your thesis (up to 300 words). This should describe your research and practice in terms that can be understood by a non-specialist.  

2)  An extended research proposal (maximum of 3,000 words) clarifying

• your research questions;
• aims, objectives and research context;
• methodology;
• chapter-by-chapter outline;
• and proposed timetable for completion.  

3)  A literature review summarising all the current texts (both creative and critical) that represent the field in which you are writing. This must contain full bibliographic details and short annotated paragraphs summarising the main content of each text and how you will be using it in your thesis.  

4)  Sample Creative Writing , discussed with your supervisors in meetings.  

5)  Sample Critical Writing , discussed with your supervisors in meetings.

This work will form the basis of your supervisors’ reports to the upgrade panel.  

Submission Requirements for the Upgrade Panel:

Students must submit the following to the upgrade panel. In total, 9-10,000 words (exclusive of footnotes) (or equivalent, as below) which will comprise two main elements: 

1)             Creative Work

Prose Fiction/Life Writing: 7,000 words

Poetry: 24 pages (c. 350 lines)

Screenplay/Script: 20 pages 

2)              Critical Work

For all disciplines of Creative Writing: 3,000 words of contextual literary-critical commentary.

Standard Upgrade Requirements

• A draft abstract of the thesis (up to 300 words).  This should describe your research in terms that can be understood by a non-specialist.
• A further developed proposal (max 1,500 words). You are asked to demonstrate clear awareness of how the proposed research will address a bigger question or problem. This should cover the following areas: 

b)        Research context . Which scholars have written on these issues before? What are the strengths and weaknesses of the existing literature? Does it contain errors, omissions, or both? What opportunities are there for your thesis to correct these? How does your research fit into and develop these literatures? 

c)         Methodology . What sources/evidence are you using in your research? (For example: archival material, web-based material, databases, interviews). How will these materials help you to address your research questions? Are there any novel aspects to your methods, and is there any particular guidance that you require? What methodologies and critical frameworks will you use? Are there any ethical issues arising from your research that need to be addressed? 

• A contents outline of the thesis (1 page). This may be in continuous prose, or bullet-points (or a combination of the two); this document is to show the structure and organisation of the thesis. 
• Draft timetable (1 page) for submission of the thesis within the candidate’s planned submission period (within a maximum of four years for full-time study from the date of initial registration; pro-rata for part-time study). This should show the student’s work plan for the remaining period of study and highlight any areas where problems might arise. It is intended that this draft timetable will be regularly reviewed and updated at the regular progress review meetings which take place each year. 
• One or more substantive pieces of a writing sample at PhD standard in good presentational order (approx. 5,000-6,000 words, which is the length of a short article). This should include original work on the substance and methodology of the thesis such as the collation, analysis or new interpretation of evidence or data; in the writing sample the candidate will have to show their ability to write clear and effective extended prose, to construct an argument, and to analyse source materials. These pieces could be:
• Either a sample chapter, which can include a basic literature review;
• Or ethics application and fieldwork plan with literature review.

You will upload these documents to MyPGR , as prompted by the PGR Support Team, at least two weeks before the upgrade interview.  These will then be forwarded on to your panel by the PGR Support Team. The PGR Support Team will also request a report on your work from your lead supervisor, and they will send this on to your panel in advance of your upgrade viva. The lead panel member will contact you within one week of receipt of your upgrade documents, to agree a date for the review meeting. The panel meeting will normally take place within one month of the panel receiving the documents.

Outcome of Transfer Interview

Following the transfer interview, the panel will complete a transfer report form stating their recommendations and submit this to the PGR Support Team. The three possible outcomes at the first attempt are that the candidate be:

b) Be allowed to transfer their registration to PhD subject to the completion of the identified corrections and/or amendments by a specified date (to be within two months)

c) That a second attempt at upgrade be allowed (to be within three months). 

If the outcome is a second attempt (c), the form must indicate the conditions to be assessed by the re-sit upgrade process and whether a second viva is required. An upgrade viva would not normally be required for a second attempt at upgrade, however the panel may wish to hold one at their discretion. A second upgrade viva must be held, however, if the panel are inclined to recommend that you must remain at MPhil level. 

The PGR Support Team will inform you by email of the outcome of your upgrade interview.  Your supervisor will be copied in on this correspondence. 

If the recommendation is that you pass unconditionally, you will be notified via email of your official transfer to PhD and your lead supervisor will be copied in on this correspondence. Your official student record will also be updated. 

a)Allowed to transfer their registration to PhD

b) Required to remain registered as an MPhil student, where they have provided satisfactory evidence of their ability to submit work of MPhil quality within the appropriate time frame for an MPhil

c) Required to remain registered as an MPhil student, normally with a recommendation of initiation or progression of a case under Unsatisfactory Progress procedures.

The PGR Support team will inform you by email of the outcome of your transfer interview.  Your supervisor will be copied in on this correspondence.

University of Exeter on Overleaf

Quick start.

The University of Exeter is providing Overleaf Professional features for all students, faculty and staff who would like to use a collaborative, online LaTeX editor for their projects. Overleaf Professional features include real-time track changes, unlimited collaborators, and full document history.

Overleaf is designed to make the process of writing, editing and producing your research papers and project reports much quicker for both you and your collaborators. Overleaf can also be linked to other services to best fit into your workflow.

Claim your Overleaf Professional upgrade by signing up (or signing in) below. You’ll need to link your account to your University of Exeter single sign on.

Join a community of authors at University of Exeter

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Welcome to the quick start guide to Overleaf. We've put together some useful resources and links in the sections below, and if you have any questions about how to get started please let us know and we'll be happy to help!

All Students

Try out the overleaf editor with built in tutorial.

If you'd like to dive straight into the editor, simply click the button to create a new paper using our quick-start template. A short tutorial will walk you through the main features to quickly get you started.

Browse the Overleaf template gallery

You can find a selection of featured templates , or check out our full template gallery for more ideas and inspiration.

Take our free course to quickly master the LaTeX essentials

If you're new to LaTeX, we've put together a free online course to help you learn the basics. If you have never used LaTeX before, or if it has been a while and you would like a refresher, this is the place to start.

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Through our partnerships within the publishing community, we provide a selection of academic journal templates for articles and papers. These templates automatically format your manuscripts in the style required for submission to that journal.

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If you prefer to edit directly in LaTeX, you can! Overleaf provides a full collaborative online LaTeX editor you can switch to at any time.

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You can also submit your paper directly to a number of journals and other editorial and review services via the publish menu in the editor. Simply open the publish menu from any document and follow the appropriate 'Submit to ...' link.

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Addressing errors as they happen helps ensure that your LaTeX project continues to compile and look the way it should.

Show your class how to turn on track changes for review

Overleaf offers an impressive collection of collaboration features, and your institutional subscription provides all users with access to the powerful track changes feature.

Featured LaTeX Templates

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Who should i contact if i have questions about overleaf or the university of exeter license.

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We've put together a short How do I use Overleaf help page to give you pointers on exactly that :)

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University of Exeter PhD in Computer Science thesis template

georgedeath/University_of_Exeter_Thesis_Template

Folders and files.

Repository files navigation

Thesis template: university of exeter (unofficial).

This is a minimum working example of a template that adheres to the University guidelines as of 11/12/2019.

The template was the basis of my PhD thesis and it was submitted with only minor alterations to it.

In order to edit the information on the title page, e.g. the thesis title, change the contents of the macros starting with \thesis (line 114).

Note: the template does not use the correct font according to the guidelines (Size 12 in Arial) as the general consensus is that using Arial is unprofessional -- no issues were raised with the font change.

To compile the file use the following commands in the command line:

Law Testimony and Trauma Library Research Guide

• Introduction
• Online search tips
• Searching for your project topic
• Library Search
• Legal databases
• Tailored internet searching
• News sources
• Audiovisual sources
• Help & support

For more help with Library Search, take a look at out the Law Database Support Guides .

Legal Databases

You can use legal databases  to access primary legal sources such as case law and legislation, plus commentary sources such as journal articles, and book content.  

Finding Databases

Lexis and Westlaw are two key legal databases. Other databases are also available so browse the full list of Law Databases once you have chosen your topic to identify which databases might be useful for your topic.

alternative off campus link

A support guide for Lexis is available.

Searching the Databases

Once you have decided on your topic you can use that to search for content and see what sorts of materials are avilable to you.   Use the Online search tips to help you search the databases effectively.

This sceenshot from Westlaw shows that you can find varied content relating to the Grenfell Tower disaster. including case law, legislation and journal articles. 

Going beyond the databases

You should bear in mind that full legal proceeding documentation is not publicly accessible.  If a case reached the higher courts you will be able to access a law report with the court judgment and any sentencing remarks, but the full proceedings including content such as witness testimony and court documents are not available.

Also, be aware that all not cases are reported.  High profile cases which are of general interest and look at facts and apply established law  are not usually reported in formal law report series. It is only cases that challenge issues of law that tend to appear before the higher courts and reach the law reports.

You should use the internet, news and audiovisual sources to help you trace this sort of information.  For example, some trials and tribunals are televised and local and national newspapers often report on daily events at high profile court cases.

Following events, interviews may be conducted with family members or communities,  or investigative documentaries may be produced to examine issues and attitudes. These may be available in audiovisual form such as film, tv ir radio broadcasts or podcasts etc.

International Legal Materials

You may need to access legal materials from a range of different jurisdictions for your project. 

Lexis & Westlaw

Lexis and Westlaw both have large collections of US materials and a varying degree of material from other jurisdictions around the world.   The other common law traditions countries such as Australia and New Zealand have more significant coverage than some other jurisdictions.

Where the jurisdiction you are looking at is not well respresented in these databases you can turn to Worlldii for freely available legal content. 

The World Legal Information Institute provides free, independent and non-profit access to worldwide law, through collaborqation with the various national and regional legal institutes. You can use it to explore the legal materials that are freely available for particular countries around the world. Find out  more about WorldLII

Different amounts of information are available for each country.  Compare the differing coverage for Belize v Rwanda v United States.

Understanding Legal Systems

If you are using a jurisdiction you are unfamiliar with then you may want to take a look at the international Encyclopedia of Comparative Law online.

You can choose a country and learn more about the setup of the country in terms of its legal system and constitutional arrangements etc

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• Last Updated: Sep 28, 2024 6:39 PM
• URL: https://libguides.exeter.ac.uk/LTT