newcastle university thesis submission guidelines

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Approval of Title and Nomination of Examiners

• Approximately three months prior to your thesis submission deadline, you and your supervisor need to complete the online Approval of Title and Nomination of Examiners forms.
• You need to provide your exact final title of your thesis (ensure your wordings and spellings are correct!). Please also provide a very short summary of your area of research (approximately 6 words), suitable for use in a graduation ceremony.
• You must upload an abstract for your thesis as part of your submission.
• Your supervisor will then complete their form, including nominating examiners and providing evidence of their suitability in relation to examining your thesis. Usually an internal and an external examiner will be appointed. For staff candidates, two external examiners must be appointed.
• It then goes to Head of School & PG Dean for approval; after which you will be notified. You can monitor progress via the ‘Summary’ tab when you view your form.

For more detailed information see the Student Progress page:  The Research Degree Examination Process

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Answered By: Sarah Hornby Last Updated: Mar 27, 2023     Views: 157

The Library does not hold copies of undergraduate or masters level dissertations produced by students during their taught studies at the University. You will not be able to find this level of dissertation using Library Search.

PhD and MPhil theses produced by researchers at Newcastle University are deposited with the Library and can be found in Library Search . PhD theses are also available on our University thesis repository online.

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FMS TEL Digital Skills

Tutorials for postgraduate researchers.

Document Management

This is the first of 4 document management sessions, where you will be using some of the features of Word to format the content and layout of a document in preparation for producing your First Year Report. 

In part 3 of the 4 part document management series, advanced techniques are covered, including non-numbered headings as found in a thesis (e.g Abstract, Dedication, Acknowledgements), page layout, references and bibliographic tools, and some revision of previously covered skills.

In the 2nd of 4 Document Management sessions, you will be using some of the features of Word to manage and format images and tables in a document, in preparation for producing your First Year Report. Document Management - Content and Layout, is an essential pre-requisite to this. 

This course the final in the series of document management courses available from Digital Skills. It is designed for postgraduate students embarking on writing their thesis. The document should be long enough to need to be written so that each chapter resides in a different document.

Data Analysis

This tutorial is designed to help you develop and practice a variety of Microsoft Excel skills useful to the management of data including using formulas, database functions, logic functions, and gantt charts.

This course provides an introduction to NVivo 12 qualitative analysis software. It is recommended for students using predominantly qualitative data in their research.

This course provides an introduction to Classifications and Attributes in Nvivo and is recommended as a follow on from Intro to Nvivo.

This course provides an introduction to NVivo 1.0 qualitative analysis software. It is recommended for students using predominantly qualitative data in their research.

Specialist Software

 This workshop will give participants hands-on practice using some of the most useful features of Matlab, including vectors and matrices, functions, scripts, programming, linear algebra, and basic plots.

This course is designed to support the use of SPSS for statistical analysis in medical and biosciences research.

Do you use a lot of equations in your dissertation or thesis?  LaTeX is an open-source mark-up language designed with mathematicians, scientists, and engineers in mind. It can handle equations, figures, and tables with aplomb, while getting around some of the restraints of WYSIWYG Word processors and allowing for greater flexibility.

Promoting Yourself & Your Research

This tutorial will give you the skills necessary to develop and deliver an effective PPT Presentation.

In this session, you will learn to make academic posters that convey just what you need them to, drawing in the audience while following any guidelines provided by your programme.

Update your research portfolio in MyImpact for the research excellence framework ( REF ).

Find out more information about this popular professional network for scientists with a document from the developers behind it.

Thesis Resources

Use this word template for double-sided printing.

Click here for the LaTeX online tutorial and look under Session Resources for the LaTeX Thesis Template.

Select Guidelines for the Submission and Format of Thesis 

A practical guidebook on formatting your thesis.

Other Tutorials

Images play a very important part in your document but come in all different sizes and formats.  This session provides support in creating and managing a wide range of images within your document.

Covers how to make the most of the Review and Correction tools in Microsoft Word to support written feedback.

Forms, guidelines and policies

Candidature variation forms.

To request a variation to your candidature please complete the relevant variation form from the below list and obtain your Principal Supervisor's approval prior to submitting to Graduate Research.

Most variations must be received at Graduate Research at least two weeks prior to the census dates of 31 March (for semester 1) and 31 August (for semester 2) in order for them to take effect that semester. Once a variation form has been  processed by Graduate Research, we will notify you and your supervisors via email. Please ensure your contact details are correct in myHub.

Further information on each candidature variation can be found at the relevant FAQ .

Enrolment Status

• Leave of Absence (PDF, 91KB)
• Change of Load (PDF, 134KB)
• Off-Campus Enrolment - Prospective Candidates (PDF, 33KB)
• Off-Campus Enrolment - Current Candidates (PDF, 59KB)
• On-Campus Enrolment (PDF, 61KB)
• Extension of Candidature Form (PDF, 137KB)
• Extension of Candidature Guidelines (PDF, 90KB)
• Research Activity at External Organisations (PDF, 100KB)

Supervisory Team

• Change of Supervisors (PDF, 116KB)

HDR Program / Topic

• Transfer of Program (PDF, 68KB)
• Change of Research Topic (PDF, 68KB)

Joint and Dual Award Programs

• Adjust Study Period (PDF, 139KB)
• Arrival/Departure Form (PDF,  149KB)

Thesis Submission Forms and Guides

• Thesis Submission Step-by-Step Guide (PDF, 565KB)
• Thesis Submission Checklist (PDF, 96KB)
• Thesis Examination Guidelines (PDF, 134KB)
• Thesis Examination Format Guidelines (PDF, 89KB)
• Thesis Examination Application Form (PDF, 169KB)
• Application for Embargo (PDF, 95KB)
• Research Thesis with a Creative Component Procedure (PDF, 155KB)
• Copyright in Your Digital Thesis Information Sheet (PDF, 110KB)
• HDR Corrections Report Form, (DOC, 44KB)

Examination Documents

• Appointment of Examiners Form (PDF, 133KB)
• Appointment of Examiners Guidelines (PDF, 173KB)

Setting Supervisory Expectations

Candidates are required to complete a Supervisory Expectations Document in consultation with their supervisors within the first six months of candidature.

In setting the supervisory expectations, it is advisable to use the supplementary Paired Questions Task sheet , which lists a number of components of the supervisor-candidate relationship, and the degree to which each party is responsible. It is strongly recommended that the supervisor(s) and candidate complete the paired questions task independently and then meet to discuss the responses.

Recording Candidate-Supervisor Meetings

Candidates are encouraged to keep a record of all meetings with their supervisors. These may be in the form of brief notes and should be circulated to all supervisors (present at the meeting or not) to keep all up to date with progress. A focus on actions (with timeframes) is also recommended. A meeting log template has been prepared for such a purpose.

• Guidelines for Resourcing HDR Candidates (PDF, 23KB)
• Use of corporate stationery for research higher degree students (PDF, 308KB)
• Thesis Examination Guidelines (PDF, 146KB)
• Terms and conditions HDR Laptop scheme (PDF, 42KB)
• Guide to enrolment (PDF, 155KB)
• Guide to re-enrolment (PPT, 2.2MB)
• Graduate Research Direct Research Costs Guidelines (PDF, 314KB)
• Student Conduct Rule
• Code of Practice for Higher Degree by Research Candidature
• Higher Degree by Research Policy
• Higher Degree by Research Procedure
• Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research
• Doctoral Degree (Research) Awards and Program Schedule
• Masters Degree (Research) Awards and Programs Schedule
• Research Thesis with a Creative Component Procedure
• English Language Proficiency Policy
• Enrolment Terms and Conditions (PDF, 115.83Kb)
• Intellectual Property Policy
• Intellectual Policy Procedure
• Authorship of Research Policy
• Liability and Personal Accident Insurance for Students on Fieldwork

A range of other student policies exist that also relate to research higher degree students. For more information see the policy library .

PhD Scholarships • 01 January 2018 Apply Now

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• Dissertations and Extended Projects

A collection of resources to help you plan and succeed in a dissertation or extended project.

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This collection of resources provides you with a range of strategies and advice for tackling your extended project or dissertation, from first draft to final edits.

Planning your work

It’s important to have a clear plan of action when approaching your dissertation or extended project. Take a look at these resources to help make sure you hit the ground running.

Find out more about how taking a process approach to your written work can make tackling your dissertation more manageable.

Download a pdf version of the writing process tutorial video to find out more about taking a process approach to your written work.

Use our proposal planner tool to explore your initial research ideas, identify your aims, highlight potential challenges and limitations, and plan how you'll manage your time.

Watch our video for advice on how starting to think about the overall shape of your dissertation or project early on can give you a way forward, help you to stay focused, and help manage your word count.

Finding and evaluating information

Knowing where to find the right information and being able to establish its quality is a crucial part of the dissertation or extended project process. Selecting the type of information needed for your purpose and the section of the project you are working on, will also help you to determine where and how to search. 

Plan your search

Make a start by creating a search plan for your topic, or watch our search planning video to learn more about the steps you need to take to be more methodical in your approach. 

Build your search strategy with our interactive Search Planner tool.

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Perform your search

Once you have a basic plan, there are simple techniques you can use to perform an effective search and discover the most cutting edge research on your topic. 

Resources and study support

Visit the Library website to explore the most relevant information resources for your subject.

Search techniques

Discover how to perform a more successful information search.

Explore tools and techniques to help you find the most current information on your topic.

Evaluating information

A strong research project needs a strong evidence base, so assessing the quality and relevance of the sources you find and use is vital. You need to be selective and consider potential issues around the authority and accuracy of the information you find. 

Our video on evaluating information provides you with six critical questions to consider when making your judgements. 

Evaluating your search 

If you find that some or all of your search results are not relevant or appropriate to your needs, it’s important that you pause and extend your criticality from the material itself to the search that you carried out.  It may be that part of your search plan needs to be changed to improve your results.

Consider the following questions: 

• Are you searching on the right databases? Are there other databases you could try?
• Is a particular type of information missing from your plan? 
• What keywords and search techniques did you use? Are there alternative synonyms or search combinations you could try? 
• What has worked successfully with your search? Why did it work well?
• What lessons have you learned along the way? 

Remember literature searching is not a linear process and you need to be willing to review and adapt your search plan as you go to ensure you find all the information you need to successfully answer your search question.

Help from the Liaison Team

Get in touch with the Liaison Team for help with planning and finding information for your dissertation or extended project.

Critical reading

Engaging critically with the research in your field is a key challenge in academic assessments, and it's especially important for an extended piece of independent research. Take a look at these resources to help you ensure your writing showcases your critical and analytical skills.

Downloadable resources about critical reading

Three domains of critical reading.

A resource to guide your literature review reading that can help you discover links between resources and your research. **PDF Download**

Use a critical framework

The PMI tool offers a quick and easy way to get started with critical thinking and writing. **PDF Download**

Mapping the literature

An approach to help you gain an overview of your literature review reading. **PDF Download**

Building an argument

In an extended project or dissertation the markers will be looking at how you have drawn from the work of other scholars as your foundation, supporting each of your points with evidence.

Being able to combine different sources is an essential academic skill. It demonstrates that you have fully understood the materials you have read and how they impact on your work or research. You will need to weave your sources into your own writing so that it is clear what is your work, and what is the work of other scholars. Whilst also showing how their work relates to yours and helps you make your case. 

Using evidence

Explore advice on supporting your argument with evidence from your reading.

Integrating scholarship

Discover how to draw on the work of scholars to support your points.

The sections of an extended project

A dissertation or extended piece of writing can have several different sections making up its overall structure. For more information on the different types of writing you might use, and what to include in some of the key sections of your project, take a look at these resources.

Resources about dissertation sections

Modes of writing in a dissertation.

Discover the different types of writing you can use in your dissertation. **PDF Download**

The literature review

Explore advice about how to approach and structure your literature review. **PDF Download**

The methodology section

Explore SAGE Research Methods for useful information about your methodology section. **ONLINE RESOURCE**

Editing your work

Editing is something you can do throughout the writing process, not only at the end. These resources show you how to edit your work to improve structure, criticality and style, and demonstrate how to use features of Microsoft Word to support the editing process.

Download our study guide to help you edit your work.

Correcting your work in Word

Find out how to make the most of the review and corrections tools in Microsoft Word when editing your work.

Your wellbeing

Looking after yourself is vital when undertaking an extended piece of writing. We’ve got some useful resources to help support your wellbeing throughout this time.

Online resources for wellbeing

Be well @ncl.

Explore books recommended to help you manage your wellbeing. **WEBPAGE**

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Further support

We’ve also got lots of sessions and support to help you throughout the dissertation and extended project process. Check out our one- to- one sessions and our Your Skills programme.

Book a one-to-one

Request a 50-minute tutorial with the Academic Skills Team for bespoke support around academic and study skills challenges

Your Skills Programme

Sign up for our open programme of group sessions covering aspects of academic writing and research to support you as you study.