unimelb thesis download

Finding theses

University of melbourne theses, australian theses,   international theses, referencing theses, further help, find theses online and in print.

This guide shows you how to find Masters and PhD theses, online and in print, from:

• The University of Melbourne
• Other Australian universities
• Outside Australia

Why use theses?

Theses can be a valuable source of information, especially for topics where there are fewer published works available., the references or works cited in a thesis can also be useful to find further published sources on a topic..

If you are currently writing a thesis (Honours, Masters or PhD) you may want to:

• check if anyone has recently completed a PhD thesis in your area of research internationally
• look at PhD theses from your faculty (or supervised by your supervisor) to get an idea of how to format your thesis.

Most recent theses are available through Minerva Access , the University's institutional repository. 

Minerva includes PhD and Masters Research theses, as well as a smaller number of Honours and Masters Coursework theses.

Accessing Full-Text in Minerva Access

Open access theses.

• Many theses are open access, which means anyone is able to read the full text online, and no subscription or login is required.
• Use the download link on the left to access a PDF of the thesis.

Restricted access theses

Some theses are currently only available to university of melbourne staff/students.

Use the login link and access with your unimelb username and password

Embargoed theses

If a thesis is under full embargo , full-text is not available for internal or external access (including inter-library loan requests). It a thesis is under an external embargo , it can be requested by University staff and students for research purposes via Minerva Access .

You will be able to view an abstract 

Finding theses from your faculty or school in Minerva Access

You can limit your results in minerva access to view only theses from your faculty..

1. Select your faculty from the list of Communities on the Minerva Access homepage. You may need to also choose your school on the next page. 

2. Select the option that includes Theses  (rather than Research Publications) 

3.To further refine the list (ie. to only PhD theses) scroll down to use the Type menu on the far left menu bar.

Finding University of Melbourne print theses

University of Melbourne theses not available online are held in the Cultural Collections Reading Room on level 3 of the Baillieu Library, or in offsite storage. While you cannot physically browse the thesis collection, you can submit a request to view a thesis using the online form .

You can search the Library Catalogue  to find our print collection of University of Melbourne theses

• To restrict your search to just theses, select University of Melbourne Theses from the drop-down menu to the right of the search bar

For more information on requesting to view print theses see the Special Collections website . ( Note : Use the request form for Rare Books)

Australian theses from other universities can be found via Trove .

1. Select Advanced search on the Trove homepage, and choose Research and reports

2. Type your search terms into the first box (Keyword search box)

3. Check the box next to Australian content

4. Click the green Search button

5. On the results page, select the Show more  option under Format

6. Select Thesis  to limit your results to theses

7.  To access, check the purple link at the bottom of each record. Theses available online will either:

• have a link to where they are held

• have an Access conditions apply  link

8. Click on the title of the thesis to view the record, and select the  Read  button to access the full text

•  If the thesis is not available online through Trove, please complete a Thesis request form on the  Request Forms page . We will then try to obtain a copy of the thesis for you via inter-library loan. 
• For more information on using the Advanced Search to create more specific searches, see Trove's Australian theses page. 

These are the top four international theses databases that include full-text:

• ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global The most comprehensive collection of dissertations and theses from around the world. Spans 1743 to the present day, offering full text for most dissertations added since 1997.
• British Library EThOS (Electronic Theses Online Service) Search for UK theses and access or request full text. See FAQs for more information.
• DART-Europe E-theses Portal Access to digitised theses from European universities.
• OATD: Open Access Theses and Dissertations Indexes more than 1.5 million theses and dissertations. Metadata (information about the theses) comes from 600+ colleges, universities, and research institutions.

Other useful theses databases ​

• American Doctoral Dissertations
• China Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses full-text Database This database is a comprehensive, high quality database of dissertations and theses in China. The dissertations and theses are from hundreds of institutions located across China. Coverage is 1984 onwards and is updated daily. It covers a wide range of subjects such as fundamental sciences, engineering technology, agriculture, medical science, history, philosophy, education, law, economics and more.
• CNKI China Academic Journals Most comprehensive, full-text database of Chinese journals. To narrow your searching select section (G) Politics/ Military Affairs/ Law to search across the database.
• KRIS - Kiwi Research Information Service NZ open access research document portal.
• TEL (thèses-en-ligne) French theses
• Theses Canada Portal

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• Submitting your thesis

Submitting your thesis and beyond

Tips on what you need to do before you submit your thesis and beyond.

When you pass the 3-year mark in your PhD candidature (or 1-year mark in your MPhil candidature) you should start preparing to submit your thesis to ensure timely completion. There are several requirements you will need to follow to successfully submit your thesis.

Get organised for your Completion Seminar

All graduate researchers are required to make a public presentation of their research findings at the University in the six-months prior to submitting their thesis for examination. This is called a Completion Seminar and is regarded as an important part of candidature. The seminar should present the objectives, methods, findings and significance of the candidate's thesis research. This is often a departmental seminar. Your supervisors will write a report detailing feedback that can be used for the final draft. Your Completion Seminar should be undertaken at around 3-6 months before you intend to submit. Be proactive and arrange your Completion Seminar ahead of time.

For more information on Completion seminars please go to the Graduate Research Hub page: Submitting my thesis | University of Melbourne (unimelb.edu.au)

Completion seminar requirements can be viewed on the Graduate Research Training Policy (MPF132) policy library. Please note: This policy in the process of being updated .

Preparing your thesis

There is a plethora of information on the GR Hub in regard to:

• Writing your thesis
• Incorporating your published work in your thesis
• Thesis with creative works
• Preparation of Graduate Research Thesis Rules
• Graduate researchers and digital assistance tools
• Research integrity in my thesis

All of which can be found here: Preparing my thesis | University of Melbourne (unimelb.edu.au)

Preparing to submit

Similarly, on the GR Hub there is information on what your need to do before you submit your thesis. Submitting my thesis | University of Melbourne (unimelb.edu.au)

Topics include

• Before you submit your thesis IP Guide
• Completion Seminar
• Creative works
• iThenticate
• Graduate Research Thesis Submission Checklist (download from the site)
• Read the section ‘How to submit’, which may take some of the mystery out of this final step and help take the jitters out of this stage.

The examination process

For information on the examination process Examination Overview | University of Melbourne (unimelb.edu.au)

Key points on:

• What examiners look for
• The Thesis Examination System
• Examination process
• Examination of jointly awarded PhD
• Examination criteria and marking
• Responding to examiners
• Changes to the thesis
• Citation for Completion

For additional information please view the Graduate Research Training Policy Graduate Research Training Policy (unimelb.edu.au)

Thesis submission date expiry and late submission

Your final thesis submission date will correspond to the maximum period of your candidature, that is for a PhD (4.5 EFTSL/years if you commenced prior to 1 March 2020, and 4 EFTSL if you commenced on or after 1 March 2020) or MPhil (2 EFTSL if you commenced on or after 1 March 2020).

However, if you need more time to submit, these are the options for GRs who confirmed after Jan 2018.

• If you need to up to two more weeks post final thesis submission date you need to apply for a 10-working day extension. Please request this by email with [email protected]
• If you cannot submit your thesis by your final thesis submission date and you need several weeks or up to 12 months extension of your thesis submission date, you need to apply for Late submission . Late submission applications need to be requested with the FEIT GR team 2 months prior to your final thesis submission date = 4 EFTSL date. More information on late submission can be found here: Late Submission | University of Melbourne (unimelb.edu.au)

Student visa holders: Staying in Australia for the examination period

Please take care with managing your visa extension needs, especially if your visa expiry date corresponds with your thesis submission date period and you intend on staying in Australia for the examination period. Please contact Stop1 for visa queries well before issues arise if you can.

Once student visa holders submit their thesis their CoE is ‘completed’ and they need to apply for a  CMT if they intend staying in Australia for the examination period. For requesting CMTs and more information: Renewing your student visa (unimelb.edu.au)

Graduate Research Hub

• Preparing my thesis

Preparation of Graduate Research Theses Rules

Materials required for submission of the thesis or compilation.

1.1 Candidates must provide the following materials on submission of their thesis or compilation for examination:

(a) where multi-authored papers have been submitted as part of the thesis or compilation, agreement by all co-authors that the paper may be included in the thesis, in the format required by the Academic Registrar; and

(b) an electronic version of the thesis or compilation, prepared in accordance with these rules.

1.2 The Academic Registrar may accept or request hard copy theses for examination.

1.3 Hard copy theses submitted for examination are only returned to the student if a request for their return was made at the time of submission or if their return is a requirement of a confidentiality agreement signed by the examiners.

1.4 Each electronic copy of the thesis or compilation must:

(a) be in a single clearly named file;

(b) be printable on international standard paper size A4 paper (297mm x210mm);

(c) have left and right margins of at least 3cm when printed;

(d) have logically numbered pages; and

(e) In the absence of any specific expectations or restrictions, any additional formatting is at the candidate’s discretion.

1.5 If required, each hard copy of the thesis or compilation must:

(a) be thermal bound and have sturdy front and back covers;

(b) have the candidate’s name clearly marked on the spine, with the family name in capital letters;

(c) be printed double-sided, on international standard paper size A4 paper (297mmx 210mm);

(d) have left and right margins of at least 3cm;

(e) have logically numbered pages;

(f) any folding diagrams and charts should be arranged to open out to the top and right; and

(g) In the absence of any specific expectations or restrictions, any additional formatting is at the candidate’s discretion.

1.6 The University of Melbourne logo is not permitted to be used in the thesis or compilation.

Thesis format

1.7 The thesis must be presented in the following order:

(a) title page, which must include the following information in the following order: (i) the title of the thesis; (ii) the full name of the author (as it appears in the student record); (iii) the ORCID identifier of the author; (iv) the degree for which the thesis is being submitted; (v) month and year of submission; (vi) month and year of re-submission (if resubmission is required) (vii) the names of the departments/schools or faculties in which the research was carried out; then (viii) a statement of whether the thesis is being submitted in partial or total fulfilment of the degree, and whether the degree is being completed under a jointly awarded degree.

(b) an English language summary of the thesis, where approval was granted for the thesis to be written in a language other than English. The summary should include an introduction, chapter outline and conclusion. It should be 5000 – 10000 words in length for a Doctoral Degree (Research) and 2500 –5000 for a Master Degree (Research);

(c) an abstract of 300 – 500 words in length. If the thesis contains creative works the abstract must include a description of the form and presentation of the creative work;

(d) declaration page which must be signed on submission for examination by the candidate and contain declarations that: (i) the thesis comprises only their original work towards the <name of the award> except where indicated in the preface; (ii) due acknowledgement has been made in the text to all other material used; and (iii) the thesis is fewer than the maximum word limit in length, exclusive of tables, maps, bibliographies and appendices or that the thesis is [number of words] as approved by the Higher Degrees by Research Committee.

(e) preface, if applicable. Where applicable, the following information must be included in a preface: (i) a description of work towards the thesis that was carried out in collaboration with others, indicating the nature and proportion of the contribution of others and in general terms the portions of the work which the student claims as original; (ii) a description of work towards the thesis that has been submitted for other qualifications; (iii) a description of work towards the thesis that was carried out prior to enrolment in the degree; (iv) whether any third party editorial assistance was provided in preparation of the thesis and whether the persons providing this assistance are knowledgeable in the academic discipline of the thesis; (v) the contributions of all persons involved in any multi-authored publications or articles in preparation included in the thesis; (vi) the publication status of all chapters presented in article format using the descriptors below;

• Unpublished material not submitted for publication
• Submitted for publication to [publication name] on[date]
• In revision following peer review by [publication name]
• Accepted for publication by [publication name] on[date]
• Published by [publication name] on[date]

(vii) an acknowledgement of all sources of funding, including grant identification numbers where applicable and Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarships, including fee offset scholarships.

(f) acknowledgments;

(g) table of contents;

(h) list of tables, figures and illustrations where more than 10 such items are included in the thesis;

(i) list of all third party copyright material included in the thesis and whether permissions have been obtained to include this content in the open access version of the thesis;

(j) main text, divided into chapters as appropriate;

(k) bibliography or list of references;

(l) creative works, if applicable, which may be submitted in electronic format. The following forms of creative works are required: (i) a good quality recording of a performance of dance, drama, music; (ii) a folio of a good quality recording of a performance and the accompanying musical score for a degree in music composition; (iii) good quality photographic reproduction or recording of exhibited visual art works.

(m) appendices, if applicable. Appendices must be limited to supporting material genuinely subsidiary to the main argument of the thesis and may include e-prints of journal articles, published creative writing and catalogues and documentation of public performances or exhibited work.

1.8 If the thesis contains accepted or published articles either as a chapter, or in the appendix of the thesis, the author-accepted version of the manuscript should be used.

Format of the compilation

1.9 The compilation must be presented in the following order:

(a) title page as described at 1.7 (a);

(b) preface as described at 1.7 (e);

(c) general introduction;

(d) literature review, that encompasses the historical and current literature;

(e) published papers;

(f) a durable record of any creative works;

(g) general discussion;

(h) summary.

Final copy of the thesis or compilation

1.10 Once a final result of ‘pass’ has been recommended, the candidate must provide an electronic copy of the thesis or compilation for inclusion in the University of Melbourne Library. The final copy must incorporate any necessary amendments or revisions required by the examiners.

1.11 The electronic copy must be prepared in accordance with the University of Melbourne Electronic Repository guidelines.

1.12 The declaration page of the thesis or compilation should not contain a copy of the student’s signature in this publicly accessible document.

Publication authorised by the Academic Secretary, 02 May 2022

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Minerva Access

• Honours and Masters Coursework thesis submission

Thesis submission - Honours and Masters Coursework degrees

Honours and Masters Coursework students are welcome to submit their completed thesis to the Minerva Access repository.

Deposit your thesis into Minerva Access

• Login to Minerva Access submissions.
• Select University of Melbourne username and password option. This must be your student username. Do not use your email address or your staff username.
• Browse to locate and select your primary Faculty > Department/School’s Theses collection.
• Click the Next button at the bottom of the page.
• Select additional Departments as a secondary affiliation (if applicable).
• Enter your personal details including your ORCID number (if you have one) and the details about your thesis.
• Follow the on-screen prompts to complete your submission, including your assent to the Minerva Access Repository Agreement.

Supplementary files that are part of your thesis (e.g. multimedia files) can be uploaded as separate files during the deposit process. Ensure you indicate if these need to be restricted (i.e. due to copyright or privacy concerns).

If a file is larger than 100MB, please supply them to the Minerva Access team via the University of Melbourne’s supported file sharing and cloud storage platform, CloudStor .

Thesis submission - former students

If you are a former student, no longer studying at the University, and wish to deposit your completed University of Melbourne thesis, please email the Minerva Access team .

Further support

If you require additional assistance, please email the Minerva Access team .

For more information on third-party copyright and your thesis, see the Copyright and Your Thesis page.

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• Melbourne School of Health Sciences
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• Social Work
• Social Work Graduate Research

Past Graduate Research Theses

The Department of Social Work offers a wide range of expert specialisations in Health, Mental Health and Disability; Family Violence and Child and Family Welfare; and Criminal Justice

The tables below are a historic record of all theses completed by students of the department and include names of supervisors and links to the full thesis where available. Prospective students are encouraged to use these both to seek supervisors, and to explore the vast range of topics in social work research.

Graduate research at the Department of Social Work

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Ask - /faq/3213/submitting-your-thesis/

Submitting your thesis, how/where do i submit my research thesis.

The process for submitting your thesis is as follows:

• Approximately two months prior to your expected date of submission, discuss the time-frame for thesis submission with your supervisor. You need their permission to submit.
• Once you have confirmation from your supervisor, log into the Thesis Examination System (TES) and register your intention to submit. As part of your notice of intention, you will be asked to include an 80-word summary of your thesis topic.
• You are encouraged to register for an ORCID and enter it in the intention to submit webform.
• Shortly after receipt of your 80-word summary, you will receive an email confirmation with information on submitting your thesis for examination.
• Your department will be sent a link to the 'Nomination of Examiners' form, which your supervisor and Chair of Examiners will complete and submit to the Examinations Office.
• You will be required to submit an electronic copy of your thesis for examination and you will need to log into the  Thesis Examination System  when you are ready to submit.

Further information on submitting a thesis is available on the Graduate Research Hub .

About this answer

Last updated: May 18, 2023, 12:55 p.m.

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Thesis Studios, Subjects and Research

Architecture thesis studio 01.

Nightingale Night School | Studio leaders: Ali Galbraith with Jeremy McLeod

Architecture Thesis Studio 02

Footscray Exchange | Studio leaders: Dr Kelum Palipane and Tom Proctor

Architecture Thesis Studio 03

DIG | Studio leader: Virginia Mannering

Architecture Thesis Studio 04

Contested States & the Architecture of the in-between | Studio leaders: Heather Mitcheltree and Mitchell Ransome

Architecture Thesis Studio 05

JOB. | Studio leader: Yvonne Meng

Architecture Thesis Studio 06

Melbourne Affordable Housing Challenge | Studio leader: Ursula Chandler

Architecture Thesis Studio 07

Post-COVID Campus - MGS Architects Place Lab | Studio leaders; Elliet Spring, Tahj Rosemarin and Toby Woolley

Architecture Thesis Studio 08

there is space for you right here | Studio leader: Marijke Davey

Architecture Thesis Studio 09

Interspecies-Design Studio: Bee Friends and Dog Colleagues in Future Cities | Studio leader: Dr Stanislav Roudavski

Architecture Thesis Studio 10

Inten(d)sity Ballarat. Postcode 3350: Come to life! | Studio leader: Dr Ammon Beyerele

Architecture Thesis Studio 11

Architecture as Identity: The New Fishermans Bend Campus | Studio leader: Hans van Rijnberk

Architecture Thesis Studio 12

Wicked Issues/Wicked Deliberations | Studio leader: Associate Professor Greg Missingham

Architecture Thesis Studio 13

Time, Societies & The Pavilion | Studio leader: James Bowman Fletcher

Architecture Thesis Studio 14

New Middle Housing | Studio leader: Mark Ng

Architecture Thesis Studio 15

The Body Keeps the Score | Studio leader: Anthony Clarke

Independent Thesis

Coordinator: Dr Alex Selenitsch. Supervisors: Dr Ben Cleveland, Professor Philip Goad, Professor Justyna Karakiewicz, Dr Paul Loh, Associate Professor Greg Missingham, Dr David O'Brien, Professor Alan Pert, Dr Alex Selenitsch, Dr Pippa Soccio

Landscape Architecture Thesis 01

The Future (Pandemic) Park 2.0 | Studio leader: Associate Professor Jillian Walliss

Landscape Architecture Thesis 02

Re-evaluating the Riparian | Studio leader: Alistair Kirkpatrick

Supervisors: Associate Professor Jillian Walliss and Dr Margaret Grose

Urban Design Thesis Studio 01

Studio leaders: Elliet Spring, Tahj Rosmarin, and Toby Woolley

Urban Design Thesis Studio 02

H2O | Studio leaders: David Mah and Leire Asensio Villoria

Víctor Alegría Corona. Supervisor: Professor Kim Dovey

Lingas Tran. Supervisor: Professor Justyna Karakiewicz

Minor Thesis Parts 1 and 2

Coordinator: Professor Nicholas Phelps

It is a great honour for me, as Assistant Dean Research Training, to welcome you to 2020’s MSDX Graduate Research Student Gallery.

Undertaking Research by Higher Degree is difficult at the best of times. While our cohort embraces the challenge of original research and generating new knowledge in the various progressive, stimulating and exciting fields under the ABP banner, the work is difficult and rewards often seem distant. Add to that a punishing dash of pandemic, which has cut the cohort off from workplaces, research options (including international and even very local travel) and each other, and you’ll be doubly impressed by the already very impressive work our candidates have generated this year.

The cohort comes to us through a rigorous selection process and have already shown themselves to be amongst the world’s best up-and-comers in their field by the time they get to ABP.  Some of the work is very visual, some of it is textual, but all of it is about ideas and perspectives. Our Grad Researchers come from all around the world and with a variety of professional backgrounds and a host of expectations and ideals. They’re unified, primarily, by a desire to complement and change their particular discipline with new ideas and directions. It’s a privilege for all ABP academics to be a part of such a dazzling process.

Associate Professor David Nichols

Philip Goldswain

Depicting Boom Urbanism: A critical investigation of Kalgoorlie and Boulder, Western Australia, 1893-1903

Human-built-forms coevolution via temporal-occupied spaces. Investigation on the human-scaled microstructure of Tmor-Da, an evolving settlement in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

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Visualise Your Thesis

Visualise your thesis™.

an international programme for graduate researchers

In a climate of knowledge exchange and community engagement, communicating to an audience outside the Academy is becoming increasingly important for research professionals.

The Programme

Visualise Your Thesis is an international programme that challenges graduate researchers to present their research in a 60-second audio-visual explainer. The programme provides an opportunity for universities from across the world to showcase their graduate research and for the participants to build essential information and digital literacy skills to effectively communicate complex research to a general audience.

Currently-enrolled PhD, MPhil, and Professional Doctorate (Research) candidates can participate. It is suitable for all disciplines and for students at any stage of their candidature. Visit our Figshare site to view past entries.

How to Participate

We invite institutions to participate by running a local Visualise Your Thesis programme for their own graduate researchers using the official guidelines and programme kit provided by the University of Melbourne upon registration.

Expressions of Interest (EOI) & Registrations for 2024 are now open! Visit the 2024 Visualise Your Thesis page here to find out more about how you can participate this year.

We're hosting an information session in a few weeks for institutions interested in hosting a local programme at their university and participating in the international 2024 programme. View the event details and register here.

Find out more about the origin and development of the Visualise Your Thesis programme.

Twenty-three institutions from five countries hosted a local Visualise Your Thesis programme, with their winners proceeding to the 2023 international programme. All of the submitted entries can be viewed on the Visualise Your Thesis figshare , a publicly available repository.

The entries were judged by:

• Associate Professor Siouxsie Wiles MNZM: Head of the Bioluminescent Superbugs Lab at the University of Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand, and awarded science communicator.
• Dr David Phipps: Assistant Vice-President, Research & Impact at York University, Canada, and global leader in research impact.

Read more about the 2023 judges here.

The winners were announced online, and in-person at the eResearch Australasia conference in Brisbane, Australia, on 18 October 2023.

2023 VYT International programme winners

First place : recipient of AUD $5,000 prize Tegan Clark,  It’s Dusty Down Under, Australian National University

Second place : recipient of AUD $2,000 prize Kate Revell,  Year 7/8 Student Engagement in Performing-Arts , University of Canterbury

Third place : recipient of AUD $1,000 prize Tara Crandon,  “Weathering the Storm”: Understanding Climate Anxiety and Coping in Young People, The University of Queensland

The judges also awarded a highly commended entry to Christopher Hall,  Platform Journalism: Law & Society , University of Technology Sydney.

Trending on VYT

Trending on VYT recognised the entrant who achieved the highest number of views for their video on the VYT Figshare repository between 02 October - 06 October 2023. The Trending on VYT winner won a 1-year Gold Membership to the Research Impact Academy , providing them training and consulting to further develop their research communication skills.

The winner of Trending on VYT in 2023 was Tara Crandon, “ Weathering the Storm”: Understanding Climate Anxiety and Coping in Young People , The University of Queensland

Twenty-two institutions from five countries participated in the fourth international programme. All of the entries are available to view on the Visualise Your Thesis Figshare repository , showcasing the great work of the graduate researchers who won their institution's local programme to progress to the international programme.

• Dr Katy Peplin: creator of Thrive PhD , a community and coaching service for graduate researchers;
• Cr Davydd Griffiths, lead for the City of Melbourne's Education and Innovation portfolio; and
• Dr Eva Méndez, researcher at the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Spain, and 'open knowledge militant.'

Read more about the judges here.

The award winners were announced online, and in person, at the eResearch Australasia conference on 19 October 2022.

2022 Winners

First place: prize of AUD $5,000 Drew Min Su Cylinder, Neural Correlates of Behavioural Changes During Propofol General Anaesthesia in Caenorhabditis Elegans , the University of Queensland.

Second place: prize of AUD $2,000  Freya Muir, New Quest: Protect Our Beaches from Climate Change! , the University of Glasgow.

Third place: prize of AUD $1,000 Samuel Widodo, Switching cancer-promoting macrophages to fight brain cancer , the University of Melbourne.

Trending on VYT, the Visualise Your Thesis Viewers' Choice, recognised the entrant who achieved the highest number of views for their video on the VYT Figshare repository between 03-09 October 2022.  The Trending on VYT winner won a 1-year Gold Membership to  the Research Impact Academy , sponsored by Figshare, providing them training and consulting to further develop their research communication skills.

The winner of Trending on VYT in 2023 was Drew Min Su Cylinder, Neural Correlates of Behavioural Changes During Propofol General Anaesthesia in Caenorhabditis Elegans , the University of Queensland.

Twenty five institutions from six countries competed in the third international competition. All finalists’ works were added to the Visualise Your Thesis figshare repository where the public can watch and download the creative commons licenced videos, and the creators can gain insights into their impact through altmetrics tracking. The field was judged by a three judge panel and announced at eResearch Australasia on October 14th 2021.

The 2021 international prize pool totalled $8,000 AUD. The winners were:

2021 VYT International Competition prizes and winners:

First prize: AUD $5,000

Krystall Campbell, University of Technology Sydney

The experiences of Australian First in Family university students and graduate: an intergenerational and intersectional exploration

Second prize: AUD $2,000

Hannah Petocz, La Trobe University

Wondering if I was the Problem': Exploring the Perpetuation and impact of Dating Violence on young Australian Women

Third prize: AUD $1,000

Ratanapat Suchat, Swinburine University of Technology

Brand nostalgia: the emotional responses of Thai students studying in Australia to Thai condiment packaging

Highly commended

• YC Lin , Australia National University,  Understanding Piezo, a force-sensing molecular machine

2021  Trending on VYT competition

The entry with the most views as recorded on figshare between 4-10 October 2021:  Md Eaysir Arafat, Queensland University of Technology,  Effectiveness of Interventions for Mobile Phone Distracted Pedestrians

The winner of the 2021  Trending on VYT competition will be the video with the  most views  as recorded in the 2021  figshare gallery . Downloads will not be used to determine the winner.

Views were counted from midnight, Monday 4 th October (GMT), to 11:59pm on Sunday, 10 October (GMT). Make sure to check your  local start and  local end times so your view counts.

The 2021 judges were Dr Tamika Heiden, Al Cossar and Professor Deb Verhoeven. Find out more about the 2021 judges here .

Twenty one universities from five countries competed in the second international competition. All finalists’ works were added to the Visualise Your Thesis figshare repository where the public can watch and download the creative commons licenced videos, and the creators can gain insights into their impact through altmetrics tracking. The field was judged by a three judge panel and announced at eResearch Australasia in Brisbane on October 19th 2020.  Read more about the 2020 International Judges.

The 2020 international prize pool totalled $8,000 AUD. Our winners were:

1st place - Kelly Wilson-Stewart, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), $5,000 AU

Protecting nurses from radiation exposure

The judges said:  From a simple, almost storybook opening we are taken on a clear explanatory arc to the heart of the problem - x-rays don’t behave in an orderly fashion as one might imagine – and onwards, to the accompaniment of a cannily-chosen soundtrack, to a restrained but effective emotional payoff – these are not storybook characters but real people – lending the project a sense of importance and relevance that is inescapable. The result? We WANT this project to succeed! Great communication and salesmanship for an important research project.

2nd place - Ané van der Walt, ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage (CABAH), $2,000 AU

The Narrative Atlas: creative prototyping and multivocality in archaeology

The judges said:  This was just beautiful and was a well told and visually rich illustrated story itself about how to make a story. In addition, it explained well the cultural importance of the project and indeed how the atlas would have a life after the project ends.

3rd place - Maleen Jayasuriya, University of Technology Sydney (UTS), $1,000 AU

One Small Step for a PhD Student, One Giant Leap for Mobility Scooters

The judges said:  This grabbed immediately with its humour, engaging character and a good story – which made all the judges laugh. But there was more than humour – a clever use of animation and a mix of graphics, succinctly explained a quite complex solution for very a real world problem.

• Nicola Rivers, Monash University,  "Everything not saved will be lost"

The judges said:  An elegant and lucid explanation of species recovery technology drawing on the easily-relatable analogy of data back-up. We appreciate immediately what the problem is and are led to an equally clear grasp of the proposed solution. Deceptively simple animation gains sophistication through a limited colour palette. The choice of a stylish and highly legible font completes the picture making for an excellent communication package.

• Gwendolyn Foo, UNSW,  Using Robots to Solve the World’s Fastest Growing Problem

The judges said:  There was a great use of photos and images to explain the human and societal costs of waste. The editing of images and the soundtrack provided really good tension in the story, which led logically to the resolution described by the research project.

2020  Trending on VYT competition

The entry with the most views as recorded on figshare between 12-19 October 2020: Chantelle Clarke, CQU,  Supporting mental health for women with lipoedema through compassionate mind training .  Chantelle wins a VYT prize pack incl. a Kindle Prologue. (6"touch display 167 PPI. 4GB wifi).

The winner of the 2020  Trending on VYT competition will be the video with the most views as recorded in the 2020  figshare gallery . Downloads will not be used to determine the winner.

Views were counted from midnight, Monday 12th October (GMT), to 11:59pm on Sunday, 18 October (GMT). Make sure to check your  local start and  local end times so your view counts.

The 2020 judges were: Professor Ginny Barbour, Graeme Base and Professor Deb Verhoeven. Find out more about the 2020 judges here .

2019 saw our first true International competition, when 16 institutions from 4 countries ran a local competition and sent their winner to the International final. The field was judged by a three judge panel and announced at eResearch Australasia in Brisbane on October 22nd 2019 by Professor Ginny Barbour. Read more about the 2019 International Judges.

All winning entries were  showcased on our figshare site , provided with the support of Digital Science, where they can be reused in accordance with a creative commons licence of the entrants choosing.  The site also provides detailed viewing metrics so that students can learn more about the reach of their presentations.

The 2019 international prize pool totalled $8,000 AUD. Our inaugural winners were:

• 1st  prize  - Annaclaire McDonald, University of Technology Sydney ($5,000 AU) Fantastic Metals & Where to Phyt Them
• 2nd  prize  - Donovan Garcia-Ceron, La Trobe University ($2,000 AUD) Exploring Extracellular Vesicles From Plant Fungal Pathogens
• 3rd prize -  Carmen Glanville, University of Melbourne ($1,000 AUD) Protecting Pets by Changing People

The team presented at THETA 2019 in Wollongong on the benefits of Visualise Your Thesis for students and research administrators, and at eResearch Australasia in Brisbane on creating digital stories for impact in research.

The 2019 judges were: Professor Ginny Barbour, Assoc. Professor Tim Sherratt and Sam Muirhead. Find out more about the 2019 judges here .

After a relatively short history the competition was offered nationally so that other institutions could get involved. It was almost immediately forced to go international such was the demand from universities around the world. Each participating university sent their local winning entry to be showcased in the non-competitive online winners' gallery hosted by the University of Melbourne.

Institutions received a competition kit and resources to run their local competitions with the support of the University of Melbourne Visualise Your Thesis team, and the feedback from the early adopters was used to refine the competition processes for the future.

The team presented at the Australian Research Management Society conference in Hobart, speaking about the development of the competition to date.

University of Hong Kong local competition entrants 2018

In August 2017, the competition became Pitch Your Thesis and, as an indication of how far the competition had come in its short history, judge Simon Clews was joined by academic celebrity, Associate Professor Inger Mewburn (known to all as the Thesis Whisperer).

First prize that year was awarded to "Mathematics and assessment in early childhood education" by Rachel Pollitt, second prize to "A seasonal thermal energy storage system for space heating" by Sheikh Khaleduzzaman Shah, and third prize to "Designing animal-computer interaction to shape zoo visitors' perceptions of animals" by Sarah Webber. The popular Viewer's Choice prize went to "Saving life with new artificial blood vessels" by Fatemeh Karimi.

University of Melbourne competition entrants with competition judges, Simon Clews and Inger Mewburn 2017

In August 2016 the competition put down its digital roots and became an ePoster competition called Visualise My Thesis. Still Melbourne-only in these early days, the competition challenged PhDs to effectively communicate complex research to a general audience.

First prize was awarded to "Imagination of adventure in today's art" by Emilie Walsh, second prize went to "Development of the Rowley Shoals Reefs" by Jackson McCaffrey and third prize to "Weak feet and walking, it’s in the shoes" by Rachel Kennedy. That year also saw a new prize, the Viewers' Choice prize, which also went to Emilie Walsh.

The 2016 competition was judged by Simon Clews (Director of the Melbourne Engagement Lab).

University of Melbourne  competition entrants with competition judge Simon Clews 2016

2015 saw the precursor to the Visualise Your Thesis competition, the Researcher@Library Week Poster competition. Part of the University of Melbourne's inaugural Researcher@Library Week.

The competition was won by Matthew Wood, a PhD Candidate researching Tectonic Geomorphology. Second prize was awarded to Marcella Purnama, a Publishing and Communications Master's student, and third prize to Vincent Bachtiar, who was undertaking a PhD in Mechanical Engineering.

The competition was successful and extremely popular, but there was clearly a demand for the poster to do more - to be more engaging, and even dramatic. An ePoster competition was almost inevitable.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

• Programme rules
• Template (Powerpoint - ppt)
• Judging criteria and judging rubric
• Technical instructions
• How to run the programme
• Participant submission checklist
• How Graduate Researchers use the template
• Tips for Graduate Researchers to create their video
• Tips for Graduate Researchers to add audio to their video
• Guidelines for the use of the Visualise Your Thesis identity and concept

It is up to individual institutions to devise and offer training sessions for programme participants.

The University of Melbourne, for past programmes, offered the following supporting resources presented in a workshop, video, or LMS:

• Working with PowerPoint
• Principles of graphic design and visual presentation
• Writing succinctly for a non-specialist audience
• Effective video storytelling for researchers
• Copyright, for example: keeping your entry compliant, seeking permissions, accessing expired copyright materials,  protecting your copyright materials.

We highly recommend incorporating information on how to source and cite copyright-compliant visual or audio-visual material into any training resources you provide.

Expressions of Interest (EOI) & Registrations for 2023 are now closed.

There are no costs involved in participating in the programme; however, all local prizes are to be supplied by the individual participating institutions. The University of Melbourne does not provide prizes for local programmes.

The 2023 International programme final prize pool  can be found under the 2023 tab .

Please contact us via  [email protected] for further information.

This programme does not have a verbal presentation component and relies purely on each submission's visual presentation. Students who are in earlier stages of research (have not reached confirmation/ before writing up) are also welcome to enter the programme.

Sponsorship Enquiries

Sponsorship enquiries are welcome at any time. Businesses interested in finding out more about sponsorship opportunities associated with the programme should email [email protected] for further information and a sponsorship prospectus.

For further information, institutions can contact [email protected] . You can also connect with us by following the Visualise Your Thesis LinkedIn .

Please note: University of Melbourne graduate researchers should visit the UoM Visualise Your Thesis site.

2024 is the sixth year for Visualise Your Thesis: graduate researchers who have won their institutions' programme move on to participate in the international programme with entrants from around the world.

Latest Programme Updates

Expressions of interest and registrations now open.

We're excited to announce that EOIs and registrations for the 2024 programme are now open. Institutions can submit:

• An Expression of Interest (EOI) in hosting a programme. Institutions who submit an EOI receive a copy of the programme kit with further information about how to run a local programme and participate in the international programme. Submit your EOI here . Submitting an EOI doesn't mean you host a local programme in 2024, but allows you to learn more about what's involved.
• A formal registration to participate. Institutions who submit an EOI are confirming they are going to host a local programme provide a winning entry to the Visualise Your Thesis International programme, and agree to the legal terms and conditions of participating.  Submit your registration here.

We recommend that institutions who have not hosted a programme before submit an EOI to get further information before they formally register.

The deadline to submit an EOI or registration is 4 June 2024.

What's in the programme kit?

All institutions who submit an EOI, or register for the programme, receive access to the programme kit. This includes:

• The Administration Pack: what you need to know to coordinate a programme at your institution.
• The Entrant Pack: a customisable set of resources to provide to graduate researchers submitting an entry to your local programme.
• The VYT Australian or international licence: the legal terms of hosting a local programme, and participating in the international programme.
• The Presentation template: for use by your graduate researchers when preparing their entry.

What's the timeline for hosting a programme?

There's more detail about this in the programme kit, and there's a timeline for the international programme listed on this page (scroll down!)

In summary, institutions have from March to August to host their local programme. The sooner institutions register to participate, the sooner they can launch their local programme.

What if I have more questions after I've submitted an EOI or registration?

Please email us with any questions via [email protected].  

We hosted an information session on 22 March 2024 to go into more detail about Visualise Your Thesis and what's new in 2024. If you would like to access a copy of the recording, please email us.

I am a graduate researcher and would like to submit an entry for 2024. Do I submit an EOI or registration?

Expressions of Interest and registrations for the international programme are made by institutions who are wanting to host a programme for their graduate researchers for 2024. Graduate researchers wanting to submit an entry to Visualise Your Thesis should contact their institution to ask for further information about their programme.

2024 Programme Timeline

Institutions submit an expression of interest and register to host a local Visualise Your Thesis programme.

Visualise Your Thesis local programmes held at individual universities worldwide. Winners of local Visualise Your Thesis programmes are entered into the International Visualise Your Thesis Programme.

Institutional winners who will be participating in Visualise Your Thesis International 2024 are announced, and entries published on the Visualise Your Thesis Figshare repository.

Trending on VYT takes place, rewarding the entrant whose entry has the most views on the VYT International Figshare repository during a set week of the programme. #TrendingOnVYT

The judges select the winning entries, and the Visualise Your Thesis award announcements are made online and in-person.

2024 prizes to be announced soon.

The International Visualise Your Thesis respository is powered by Figshare. Figshare also sponsor the  Trending on Visualise Your Thesis  prize.

For further information, institutions can contact [email protected] .   You can also connect with us by following the Visualise Your Thesis LinkedIn .

Check out the resources below to support you in coordinating your programme.

Powerpoint Resources

Microsoft's PowerPoint Training Resources

Effective Video Storytelling for Researchers

1. Finding your why

Chapter 1 of the 'Effective Video Storytelling for Researchers' series

2. Show, don't tell

Chapter 2 of the 'Effective Video Storytelling for Researchers' series

3. Your video lab at home

Chapter 3 of the 'Effective Video Storytelling for Researchers' series

Copyright videos for Visualise Your The sis Programme

Keeping your entry copyright compliant*

An Introduction to Copyright for Visualise Your The sis TM Programme.

Seeking Permissions*

Using copyright materials for Visualise Your The sis TM Programme.

Accessing expired copyright materials*

Using public domain works for Visualise Your The sis TM Programme.

Protecting your copyright materials*

Using your own materials for Visualise Your The sis TM Programme

* While we endeavour to ensure that all content published in these Visualise Your Thesis videos is correct at the time of publishing, we make no warranty about the accuracy, completeness or reliability of this content. The information provided here is general information only and is not a substitute for legal advice.

View all of the previous entries

Each of the participants whose entries are featured in the galleries won their institution's local Visualise Your Thesis programme, before progressing to the international programme.

Entries are judged on visual impact: how well they presented their research projects as short, engaging, digital narratives. Participants from a variety of disciplines used multi-media, interactivity and their creativity to take the ‘classic conference poster’ to the next level.

VIEW 2023 INTERNATIONAL GALLERY

VIEW 2022 INTERNATIONAL GALLERY

VIEW 2021 INTERNATIONAL GALLERY

VIEW 2020 INTERNATIONAL GALLERY

VIEW 2019 INTERNATIONAL GALLERY

VIEW 2018 INTERNATIONAL GALLERY

• Current Students

• Referencing styles

PhD and Master's theses

You may need to consult more than one section to accurately represent the source used (eg. number of authors and source descriptions)

Format for in-text citation

In-text citation example.

Willis (1997) has shown…

…was found (Willis, 1997).

Willis (1997, p.26) proposes…

Format for reference list

Elements, punctuation & capitalisation.

For an unpublished thesis (thesis in print form):

Author, A. A. (Year). Title [Unpublished doctoral dissertation/Master's thesis]. Institution issuing degree.

For a thesis available through a database service, such as ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database, include the name of the database and the accession or order number in the reference:

Author, A. A. (Year). Title (Accession or Order No.)[Doctoral dissertation/Master's thesis, Institution issuing degree]. Name of Database.

For a thesis from an institutional database:

A Author, A. A. (Year). Title [Doctoral dissertation/Master's thesis, Institution issuing degree]. URL (persistent identifier)

For a thesis available on the web:

Author, A. A. (Year). Title [Doctoral dissertation/Master's thesis, Institution issuing degree]. URL

When citing the abstract for a thesis, as from Dissertation Abstracts International:

Author, A. A. (Year). Title. Dissertation Abstracts International: Section. Title of section , Volume(Issue), Number of abstract.

Reference list example

Kilpatrick, H. (2019). Writing with feeling: Practising angers in late-medieval English chronicles . [Doctoral dissertation, University of Melbourne]. http://minerva-access.unimelb.edu.au/handle/11343/235596

Willis, J. (1997). Women in architecture in Victoria 1905-1955. Their education and professional life . [Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Melbourne].

Make sure to look at the style notes

Style notes for this reference type

• APA 7 Publication Manual , pp.333–334.
• Italicise the title of the thesis, unless citing only the abstract.
• Capitalisation: Capitalise only the first word of the title and of the subtitle, if any, and any proper nouns.
• If pages are being directly referenced in the text, include the cited page number/s in the in-text citation after the year.
• Print format: Unpublished theses retrieved from the issuing university have the name of the issuing university in the Source part of the reference.
• A dissertation or thesis is considered published when it is available from a database, institutional repository, or archive. Place in square brackets after the title both the type of thesis and the institution awarding the thesis.

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• Design Thesis

Design Thesis (ABPL90169)

Graduate coursework Points: 25 Dual-Delivery (Parkville)

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About this subject

• Eligibility and requirements
• Dates and times
• Further information
• Timetable (opens in new window)

Contact information

Semester 1 (early-start).

Subject Coordinators

Janet McGaw

Email: [email protected]

Semester 2 (Early-Start)

Subject Coordinator

This subject is the culmination of each student's studies in Master of Architecture. It will consist of a number of autonomous studio groups offering a range of opportunities for students to demonstrate an original approach to design synthesis in the relevant discipline, which is based on research and critical thinking. These studios may offer an interdisciplinary experience with students working alongside others in a parallel design discipline.

Students will be expected to demonstrate mastery of design resolution, conceptual engagement and aesthetic expression.

With course coordinator approval, high-achieving students may undertake the Design Thesis as an individually supervised design investigation. Similarly, under exceptional circumstances and with course coordinator approval, the Design Thesis may be undertaken as a written thesis.

Note : For Independent thesis, please check Extra information - Subject Notes

Intended learning outcomes

On completion of this subject, students will be able to:

• Demonstrate a capacity to make a contribution to the existing body of knowledge in architectural theory and practice;
• Demonstrate critical awareness of how their chosen specialisation contributes to this body of knowledge;
• Demonstrate an understanding of design as a form of research enquiry.

Generic skills

• Written, verbal and graphic presentation of ideas
• Correct use of design terminology
• Ability to analyse social and cultural contexts
• Critical thinking and analysis
• Creative response to complex problems
• Ability to select the appropriate design approach

Last updated: 31 October 2023