Postgraduate Thesis Guidelines
A guide to preparing, submitting, publishing, and preserving your postgraduate thesis or dissertation.
Before You Submit Your Thesis
Please read the university’s postgraduate research requirements and thesis submission guidelines carefully before preparing your final manuscript. Make sure your thesis meets the required academic, formatting, copyright, and submission requirements.
Thesis Preparation
Follow the approved requirements when preparing your postgraduate thesis or dissertation.
Key requirements
- Use the approved thesis structure and format.
- Follow the required font, margins, spacing, and page layout.
- Include the title page, abstract, declarations, and required preliminary pages.
- Ensure figures, tables, references, and appendices are correctly formatted.
- Follow the approved citation and referencing style.
Submission Requirements
Complete all required steps before submitting the final version of your thesis to the university or graduate school.
Before submission
- Confirm that your thesis has received the required approval.
- Check that all corrections requested during examination have been completed.
- Prepare the final electronic thesis file.
- Complete all required forms and declarations.
- Check the submission deadline carefully.
Copyright & Permissions
Authors are responsible for ensuring that copyrighted materials included in their thesis are used appropriately.
Remember to check
- Copyright ownership of images, tables, and other third-party materials.
- Permission requirements for substantial copyrighted content.
- Publisher policies for previously published work.
- Copyright and licensing options for your own thesis.
Access & Embargo
Your thesis may be made available through the institutional repository according to university policies.
Access options
- Open access in CC-BY-NC-ND is defaulted. Student can request other licenses with reasonal explanation.
- Open access through the institutional repository.
- Restricted access where applicable.
- Temporary embargo for approved circumstances.
- Different access conditions for the full text and metadata.
Thesis Submission Process
Prepare
Prepare your thesis according to the approved university formatting and submission requirements.
Check
Check your document, references, declarations, copyright, permissions, and required forms.
Submit
Submit the final thesis through the designated university submission system before the deadline.
Repository
Once processed, the approved thesis may be deposited and made discoverable through the institutional repository.
Formatting Checklist
Use this checklist as a final review before submitting your thesis. Always refer to your university’s official regulations where they differ from this general guidance.
- Title page is complete
- Abstract is included
- Table of contents is updated
- List of figures and tables is correct
- Page numbering is consistent
- Headings follow the required hierarchy
- References are complete and consistent
- Figures and tables are appropriately labelled
- Appendices are correctly identified
- Document meets required file format
Final Submission Checklist
- Confirm that you are submitting the correct final version of your thesis.
- Check that all examination corrections and required amendments have been completed.
- Confirm that your supervisor, faculty, or graduate school has provided the required approval.
- Check copyright and permissions for third-party material.
- Complete the required thesis declaration and submission forms.
- Select the appropriate repository access or embargo option, where applicable.
- Submit before the official deadline.
Copyright & Intellectual Property
Before depositing your thesis in the institutional repository, review the copyright status of material created by other authors. This may include photographs, maps, diagrams, questionnaires, datasets, substantial quotations, and previously published articles.
Your thesis
As the author, you may retain copyright in your thesis subject to university policies, funding conditions, publishing agreements, and other applicable requirements.
Read the Policy on Artificial Intelligence for Teaching, Learning, and Research →Thesis Embargo & Restricted Access
An embargo temporarily delays public access to the full text of a thesis while its bibliographic record may remain discoverable in the repository.
Possible reasons for an embargo
- Pending publication of research findings.
- Patent or commercialisation considerations.
- Third-party copyright or permissions issues.
- Confidential or sensitive research material.
- Other circumstances recognised by university policy.
常見問題解答。
When should I submit my thesis?
Submit your final thesis according to the deadline specified by your faculty.
What file format should I use?
Unless your institution specifies otherwise, the final thesis is commonly submitted as a PDF. Check the official submission requirements before uploading your file.
Can I include material that has already been published?
Published material may be included where permitted by your university and the relevant publisher agreements. Check copyright and licensing conditions before repository deposit.
Can I request an embargo?
Where permitted by institutional policy, open access is defaulted. Postgraduate researchers may request restricted access or an embargo for an approved reason. Additional documentation or approval may be required.
Where can I find previous theses?
Approved postgraduate theses may be searchable through the university’s institutional repository.
Explore Thesis Repository →Need Help?
The library can assist with questions relating to thesis formatting, copyright, referencing, repository deposit, open access, and thesis discoverability.
Contact the Library →