unsw thesis reference

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Citing different sources with APA referencing

This page outlines how to cite different kinds of print-based sources using APA referencing.

In-text citations

A page number is required if you are quoting. When paraphrasing, or if the information you are citing can be found on a particular page the APA publications manual 6th edn (p. 171) encourages you to provide page numbers to help the reader locate the information.

(Karskens, 1997, p. 23)

Ward (1966, p. 12) suggests that ...

If you are summarising, or only citing the main idea of the book:

(Willis, 1990)

Include information in the following order:

• author’s surname, and initial(s).
• year of publication (between parentheses).
• book title (in italics, capitalise first word of title and subtitle, and proper nouns).
• edition (if other than the first), (between parentheses, after the title, but before the full stop).

Karskens, G. (1997). The Rocks: Life in early Sydney . Melbourne University Press.

Yaffe, D. (2006). Fascinating rhythm: Reading jazz in American writing . Princeton University Press.

E-books and Audiobooks

Follow the author-date format for standard books.

If a Digital Object Identifier is available, it should be used. If it is not available, include a url.

Hunt, L. (1998). British low culture: From safari suits to sexploitation . Taylor & Francis Group. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com

Fu-Lai, T. Y. & Kwan, D. S. (2019).  Contemporary issues in international political economy . Palgrave Macmillan.  https://doi-org.wwwproxy1.library.unsw.edu.au/10.1007/978-981-13-6462-4

It's not necessary to note when an audiobook is used if the content is the same, even if the format is different. If necessary, note that the work is an audiobook in the title element.

Smith, C. (2021). How the word is passed: A reckoning with the history of slavery across America [Audiobook]. Little, Brown & Company. 

Edited book chapter

A book collection consists of a collection of articles or chapters, each by different authors, but compiled by editor(s). If you want to cite a particular article/chapter, cite the author(s) of the article or chapter in the text:

(Curthoys, 1997, p. 25)

• author’s surname and initial(s).
• name of chapter/ article (capitalise first word of title and subtitle, and proper nouns).
• initial(s) and surname(s) of editor(s)
• (Ed.). for a single editor; (Eds). for more than one.
• collection title (in italics, capitalise first word of title and subtitle, and proper nouns).
• page range (between parentheses, after the title, but before the full stop).

Curthoys, A. (1997). History and identity. In W. Hudson & G. Bolton (Eds).  Creating Australia: Changing Australian history  (pp. 23-38). Allen & Unwin.

Journal articles with Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

Author, date, page number (if required):

(Tucker, 1998, p. 257)

(Tucker, 1998)

• author’s surname and initial.
• article title (capitalise first word of title and subtitle, and proper nouns).
• journal or periodical title (in italics, maximum capitalisation),
• volume number (in italics)
• issue number (between parentheses),
• page range.
• Digital Object Identifier (in lowercase, followed by a colon. Provide the alphanumeric string exactly as published in the article in the format https :// doi.org/10.xxxx).

Tucker, S. (1998). Nobody's sweethearts: Gender, race, jazz, and the Darlings of Rhythm. American Music , 16 (3), 255-288. https :// doi.org/10.2307/3052637.

Journal article without a DOI

If the page number is required:

If no DOI has been assigned, and you retrieved the article online, provide the URL of the journal home page (if access is provided to the article there).

Curtis, S. (2009). Come in and hear the truth: Jazz and race on 52nd street. The Journal of American History, 96 (1), 264-265. http://jah.oah.org/

If the article was retrieved from a library database the article can be presented as though it were a print article.

Nairne, D. C., & Wilkinson, H. (2018). What's love got to do with it? Vermont Connection , 39 (1), 106-112.

Journal article that is an advance online publication

If there are no page numbers, cite the paragraph number:

(Jureidini, 2016, para. 2)

Identify the article as an Advance online publication after the journal title:

Jureidini, J. (2016). Antidepressants fail, but no cause for therapeutic gloom. The Lancet . Advance online publication. https :// doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(16)30585-2

Newspapers and magazines

For articles with no identified author, use a shortened title between double quotation marks:

(“UNSW gains top ranking”, 1994, February 30).

If there is an author, cite as for a journal article:

(Donaghy, 1994, p. 3)

Precede page numbers for newspaper articles with p. (single page) or pp. (page range).

A newspaper article with no identified author:

Alphabetise works with no author by the first significant word in the title:

UNSW gains top ranking from quality team. (1994, February 30). Sydney Morning Herald , p. 21.

An article with a named author:

Donaghy, B. (1994, March 3-9). National meeting set to review tertiary admissions.  Campus News . p. 3.

An online article:

Provide the URL of the homepage where the online version of the article is available via search.

Poniewozik, J. (2015, November 17). When TV turns itself off. The New York Times . http://www.nytimes.com

A privately obtained interview or other personal communication

Cite personal correspondence in text only. Give the initials as well as the surname of the communicator, and provide as exact a date as possible:

(B. Daly, personal communication, August 7, 2010)

(P. Gregory, personal photograph, May 2, 1987)

Note that the initial(s) precede the surname.

• Details of a personal communication do not usually need to be included in the list of references as it cannot be traced by the reader.
• Before using personal communications, ensure you have the permission of the person with whom you communicated.

Research reports

Cite as you would with a book, including author, date, and page number:

(Oldsberg & Winters, 2005, p. 17)

List research reports as you would a book:

Olsberg, D. & Winters, M. (2005). Ageing in place: Intergenerational and intrafamilial housing transfers and shifts in later life . (Report No. 127). Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute.

Unpublished material (thesis)

(Ballard, 2003, p. 132)

• Put the type of thesis between parenthesis after the title
• Acknowledge the university where the thesis was undertaken
• If a URL is available, provide it in full at the end of the reference.

Ballard, B.A. (2003). The seeing machine: Photography and the visualisation of culture in Australia, 1890-1930  [Doctoral Dissertation, University of Melbourne]. University of Melbourne Research Repository.

Cite the author or authoring body and date if available:

(New South Wales Dept of Primary Industries, 2005)

(New South Wales Dept of Primary Industries, 2015, p. 4)

Include as much information as available:

• author or authoring body.
• date (between parentheses).
• title (in italics).
• format [between square brackets].
• publisher (Use the word 'Author' for the publisher when the author and publisher are the same).

New South Wales Dept of Primary Industries. (2005). Saltwater recreational fishing in New South Wales: Rules & regulations summary . [Brochure]. Author.

If the brochure is online, include the URL instead of the publisher information:

New South Wales Dept of Primary Industries. (2015). NSW recreational freshwater fishing guide 2016-17 . [Brochure]. http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fishing/recreational/fishing-rules-and-regs/f…

A work reproduced in a book—image, poem, painting, etc.

Refer to the work in the text, then include book author, date, and page number:

De Kooning's 1952 painting "Woman and Bicycle" (Hughes, 1980, p. 295) is an example of ...'

List the book containing the image:

Hughes, R. (1980). The shock of the new: Art and the century of change . British Broadcasting Corporation.

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Undergraduate thesis

Undergraduate Thesis

UNSW Engineering students are required to complete an undergraduate thesis project during the 4th year of their study. Students can choose from a variety of projects, with research and industry thesis options available. The standard thesis is 4 UoC (Unit of Credit) per term starting T1, T2 or T3.

You’ll enrol Thesis A, Thesis B and Thesis C and complete the thesis across three consecutive terms. Once Thesis A is taken, Thesis B and Thesis C must be taken consecutively in the two terms that follow.

Your school may also offer the option to complete a practice thesis. You’ll enrol in Thesis A and Thesis B, each worth 6 UoC over two consecutive terms.

For further information or questions, please contact your  Undergraduate Thesis Coordinator .

All undergraduate students enrolled in the dual degree with Biomedical Engineering (regardless of undergraduate major), must enrol in 12 UoC of thesis courses with the Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering.

Students will complete their thesis over three terms (4+4+4) or over two terms (4+8). A summary of the assessment is as follows:

BIOM4951 Thesis A : It is intended that Thesis A cover the scoping, planning, and completing preparations for the project.

BIOM4952 Thesis B : The primary intention behind Thesis B is to ensure students stay on track with their projects and project work as they progress through the year.

BIOM4953 Thesis C : Thesis C continues the project work. The key deliverable is the Written Report, alongside a poster presentation.

Before commencing Thesis A

You must nominate 3 different supervisors to work with.

Please follow the below instructions in order to view the projects available and to find a supervisor.

The instructions to view the projects are as follows:

You must complete this process and have a project allocated BEFORE starting BIOM4951. If you are planning on doing a project with industry, this requires an industry supervisor and a supervisor from GSBmE. Please contact me  [email protected] .

• Go the Moodle course  Selection of Biomedical Thesis Project  
• Self-enrol as a student using the key Student50
• The projects are listed under Thesis Database
• Contact the supervisor directly if you have any questions
• When ready, follow the instructions on the Moodle page for nominating your three supervisors. Project selection opens midway through the previous term (e.g. for Thesis commencing in T2, selection opens in Week 6 of T1). Selection closes on the last day of exams of previous term.

Undergraduate students are required to complete at least 12 UOC of thesis courses. The table below shows the default Thesis course sequence for your stream and any additional options you may have. The following sections provide more information about each of these sequences.

Research thesis (CEIC4951/2/3)

Research thesis  consists of three courses worth 4 units of credit each –  CEIC4951  Research thesis A,  CEIC4952  Research Thesis B &  CEIC4953  Research Thesis C. Undergraduate students may commence Research Thesis once they have completed at least 126 UOC from a School of Chemical Engineering discipline stream and their 3rd year core.

You  must  identify a supervisor and project prior to commencing CEIC4951. To find out more about Research Thesis courses, the projects available and how to find a supervisor, please join the  Research Thesis Projects  page on Moodle (enrolment key co3shyh).

• These courses are normally taken over three consecutive terms. However, students that make excellent progress in Thesis A, may be allowed to take Thesis B and Thesis C in the same term.
• High performing students may be permitted to take  CEIC9005  (or CEIC4005) in lieu of their regular Research Thesis courses. Contact the course coordinator for more information.

Product Design Project Thesis (CEIC4007/8)

Product Design Project Thesis  consists of two courses both worth 6 UOC –  CEIC4007  Product Design Project Thesis A and  CEIC4008  Product Design Project Thesis B. Undergraduate students may commence Research Thesis once they have completed at least 126 UOC from a School of Chemical Engineering discipline stream.  CEIC6711  Complex Fluids Microstructure and Rheology is a co-requisite course.

You do not need to secure a supervisor before commencing Product Design Project Thesis A.

Research Thesis Extension (CEIC4954)

Research Thesis Extension  ( CEIC4954 ) aims to provide you with an opportunity to go extend your thesis project by exploring your research problem in more breath &/or depth. The work you do in this course builds on the work completed in CEIC4951, CEIC4952 and CEIC4953. This course is especially relevant for undergraduate students considering a research career in fields related to chemical engineering and food science. The activities in this course are designed to introduce you to the ways in which research is practiced and communicated in a higher degree environment.

CEIC4954 is considered a practice elective in the Chemical Engineering stream (CEICAH) and a discipline elective in all other streams.

Students enrolled in an undergraduate degree within the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering need to complete a thesis as part of their program. Students have the option of taking one of the following course combinations to complete their thesis requirement:

CVEN4951 / 4952 / 4953  (Research Thesis A/B/C)

Students must complete the  Thesis Application Form to be registered for the course. This combination of courses are worth 12UOC in total, and will take 3 terms to complete (or 2 with prior approval from the supervisor). A minimum WAM of 70 is required for entry.

CVEN4961 / 4962 / 4963  (Higher Honours Thesis A/B/C)

Students must complete the  Thesis Application Form  to be registered for the course. This combination of courses are worth worth 24UOC in total and requires students to have a minimum WAM of 80.

Note: If you choose to undertake the Research Thesis option (CVEN4951/4952/4953 or CVEN4961/4962/4963) you must also complete CVEN4701 prior to finishing your studies.

CVEN4050 / 4051  (Thesis A/B)

Students are able to enrol themselves into this course directly via myUNSW, it has no minimum WAM requirement, and does not require students to find a supervisor.

If you would like to register for Research Thesis subjects in Summer, you must first obtain approval from your supervisor prior to Summer enrolment. Please check the course notes for more information.

Thesis Submissions

As of Summer 2024, students will need to submit their Thesis submissions via Moodle instead of the School’s intranet.

For the list of topics and available supervisors, you can visit:  Find a Supervisor or Project

UNSW  Bachelor of Computer Science (Honours)  and  Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)  students can find a guide to getting started with Thesis A on the  CSE Thesis Topics Moodle site . Use cse-44747437 to enter the site as a student.

On this site, you will find the Thesis Topic Database. You can look through the topics or visit the academic supervisors' profile pages to find a topic you would like to work on. Once you have chosen your topic(s), you will then need to contact the relevant Supervisor for confirmation.

On this site, you can also find the course outlines of Thesis A, Thesis B and Thesis C, and the detailed instructions about finding a supervisor.

Final year students in Mechanical Engineering and Postgraduate coursework students are required to undertake a three-term, year long project. These projects are usually open-ended research or design projects, where the student works with an academic supervisor to find an answer to an engineering question. Students are required to manage and plan their projects over the three terms. The Thesis course can be started in any term and is generally completed in the final three terms of the degree.

If taking a Research Thesis (individual project), enrol in  Research Thesis A (MMAN4951) ,  Research Thesis B (MMAN4952)  and  Research Thesis C (MMAN4953) .

For Research thesis, you will first need to find a supervisor and get their approval. An approved application is required to undertake Research and to gain permission to enrol. The deadline to enrol in MMAN4951/MMAN9451 is Friday Week 1, but get in early to get the project and supervisor you want.

For information on available projects and the enrolment process, please see our  Sharepoint site , or contact Professor  Tracie Barber .

If you’re an Electrical Engineering student and planning to take Thesis course, you will need to find a supervisor and get their approval prior to enrolling to the course. The deadline to find a supervisor and enrol into the course is Friday week 1. Please follow the procedure below to look for potential supervisors, their topics and enrol into the course

• Go to:  https://moodle.telt.unsw.edu.au/course/view.php?id=20890
• Enrol yourself as student using the enrolment key: EETTPstudent
• Login to Moodle course: 'EET School Thesis/Project'
• View research profiles of prospective supervisors and topics in 'Research Topics' section.
• Contact potential supervisor to discuss the possibility of working with them.. You must get their written permission to sign up on a topic before you can proceed to next step.
• a. Go to ‘Select Supervisor’, find the supervisor and click action box to become a member
• b. Go to ‘Register Topic,’ ‘Add Entry’ and enter your details and topic title.
• Enrol into Thesis course on myUNSW.

Research Thesis

Research Thesis is a compulsory pathway in the Mining Engineering (Hons) degree, Engineering (Hons) – Petroleum Engineering [Main Stream], and an optional pathway for high WAM students doing Petroleum Engineering. This thesis allows a student to work closely with a particular supervisor, learn particular skills – like programming or laboratory work, conduct research and write up their findings. To take this stream, you will need to first enrol in MERE4951 Research Thesis A.

MERE4951 Research Thesis A

In this course you will be required to find a supervisor and topic to work on. You can find a list of our research strengths here:

https://www.unsw.edu.au/engineering//our-schools/minerals-and-energy-resources-engineering/our-research

You can also find an individual academic and ask them about topics that they work on. Academics from our school are available here:

https://www.unsw.edu.au/engineering/ourschools/minerals-and-energy-resources-engineering/about-us/our-people

Once you enrol, make sure you have access to the Microsoft Team (the link is on the Moodle page), which is filled with information and has active forums for asking questions:

MERE4952 & MERE9453 Research Thesis B & C

These two units (4UoC each) can be taken in the same term or separately. Thesis B involves submitting a video/audio reflection of the work so far and an interim report. Thesis C involves writing your thesis and recording and submitting a scientific presentation of your results./engineering/our-schools/minerals-and-energy-resources-engineering/our-researchengineering/our-schools/minerals-and-energy-resources-engineering/our-research

All undergrad thesis sudents can find a list of thesis topics will posted on the  Thesis A Moodle site . The student key to access the site will be sent out by the thesis co-ordinator to all students who will be taking thesis the following term. You should review the list and discuss the topics with the relevant supervisor to get an idea of what it entails.

Once both the supervisor and student have agreed on the topic, a Thesis Nomination Form should be completed. This is submitted to the Thesis Coordinator and uploaded to the SOLA 4951 Moodle site prior to the student commencing work on their topic. All students must have chosen a supervisor by 9am Monday week 1 of term.

You can develop your own thesis topic, if you can find a supervisor from within the School. This will require you to attach a one page description of the thesis topic and signed by the supervisor to the Thesis Nomination Form.

The School also encourages students who wish to do an industry-led thesis topic. In this case the mentor from industry would be the student’s co-supervisor, however an academic staff member from the School must act as the supervisor of the thesis.

For an industry-led thesis, you must obtain approval from an academic of the School to supervise the topic. You should submit a signed letter from the industry representative and academic supervisor with a brief outline of the project with a Thesis Nomination Form.

All information needed for the deliverables of thesis A can be found in the course outline which is available on the SOLA4951 Moodle site.

Undergraduate Thesis FAQs

The Engineering thesis will be taken for the duration of three terms - as Thesis A, Thesis B and Thesis C.

Each course will carry 4 Units of Credit (UoC) for a total of 12 UoC. The total UoC requirement remains unchanged from current.

Students will have two options to take Thesis from 2019:

• Option 1 - Standard: (4 UoC per term starting T1, T2 or T3) : Students enrol in Thesis A, Thesis B and thesis C and complete the Thesis across three consecutive terms. Total of 12 UoC.  Note than once Thesis A is taken, Thesis B and Thesis C must be taken consecutively in the two terms that follow.  
• Option 2: (4+8: 4 UoC in one term and 8 UoC in the following term) : Students who demonstrate satisfactory progress in Thesis A may apply to their School to take a 4+8 UoC structure where both Thesis B and C are taken in the next single term of that year. Total of 12 UoC.  This option is subject to having demonstrated satisfactory progress in Thesis A.

Students who do not maintain satisfactory performance in Option 2 will revert to Option 1 and take Thesis across three terms.

Thesis A, Thesis B and Thesis C will run in every term (T1, T2 and T3).

Yes, it’s possible to start your thesis in any term, however once Thesis A is taken, Thesis B and Thesis C must be completed in each term consecutively afterward.

Depending on the thesis course you take, your topic may be provided to you or you will need to develop one.

If you need to develop one, most schools have a website that lists available topics and the staff willing to supervise those topics. You may wish to select a topic based on areas of engineering interest, extracurricular interests (such as the  ChallENG Projects ), or preference for working with a particular academic in your field.  You can even come up with your own in consultation with your thesis supervisor. Take a look!

The process is different for each school, so review the information above.

If you still have questions, contact your school’s  postgraduate thesis coordinator .

Doing thesis in industry is a great opportunity and worth pursuing. Some students are able to arrange a thesis project that follows on from an industrial training placement.

Students wanting to take an industry-based project still need to take the Research Thesis courses for their specialisation. You need to arrange a UNSW academic as a co-supervisor and apply for permission to take thesis offsite.

Please check with your school’s  Undergraduate Thesis Coordinator  for further details.

Yes, there are a number of Humanitarian Engineering Thesis Supervisors within UNSW Engineering who can potentially supervise a thesis.

Students who demonstrate satisfactory progress in Thesis A may apply to their School to take a 4+8 UoC structure where both Thesis B and C are taken in the next single term of that year.

The 4+8 UoC option is intended for high performing students to finish their thesis project in two terms. Students enrolled in this structure will take Thesis A in the first term and then, provided that satisfactory progress has been reached, will take Thesis B and C in the term following Thesis A.

Yes. In addition to the Thesis, you can enrol in up to two additional courses per term. You should enrol in these courses when annual enrolment opens. Overloading is possible but will require program authority approval.

If progress is deemed as unsatisfactory at the end of Thesis A, the student will move to the default Thesis option: Thesis A, B and C (4 UoC).

Yes, you’ll still be able to enrol in up to two additional courses. Given the increased workload of having to do Thesis B and C together, two courses per term would be the maximum recommended by the Faculty.

An enrolment continued (EC) grade will appear against your Thesis A/Thesis B subjects until you’ve completed your thesis. At this time your final grade will appear against your Thesis C. Around a week after you have received your final mark, a roll back process will be run so that the EC grades previously against Thesis A and Thesis B will be updated to reflect your overall Thesis mark.

Information on honours calculations are available on the  Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) program  rules page.

It’s possible to take leave and then continue your thesis on your return. Talk to your supervisor about your situation and the dates involved so that you can work out a suitable plan together.

Most schools have a Moodle, intranet, or web page with detailed information about their thesis program. That should be your next port of call – check your school’s section above for access instructions.

Schools often run information sessions during the year. These will be advertised via email, on social media and/or during class. Keep an eye out for these events.

If you have questions related to enrolment or progression, contact the  Nucleus .

Finally, each school has an  Undergraduate Thesis Coordinator  who can answer specific questions related to your personal circumstances.

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Locate Australian, New Zealand and International Theses

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Trove - Australian Theses  

Search the National Library of Australia's discovery service Trove for print and digital theses held in collecting institutions across Australia.

• Tip: Choose Advanced Search.  Select Research & Reports from the the drop down menu. Enter search terms then refine the results by selecting Thesis under the Format heading.

Union list of higher degree theses in Australian university libraries: cumulative edition to 1965  

Find theses submitted for a higher degree at Australian universities between 1959 and 1978 by searching this text.

• Tip: The link goes to the catalogue record for the cumulative edition to 1965 but there are also supplements at the same location.

New Zealand Libraries (Te Puna)  

Use this web-based search service to search for theses in New Zealand libraries and/or worldwide.

• Tip: Select Thesis/Dissertation under the Format filter to narrow your results.

nzresearch.org.nz  

Search open-access research documents produced at universities, polytechnics, and other institutions in New Zealand at this site.

• Tip: Select Thesis from the Browse by Type menu on the search page.

ProQuest Dissertations and Theses - GLOBAL 

Search this comprehensive online collection to find doctoral theses from universities in the UK and Ireland dating back to 1716.

British Library - EThOS Electronic Thesis Online Service  

Search this site for doctoral theses from the United Kingdom, including many with free full text access.

DART - Europe E-theses Portal  

Search this extensive collection to locate research theses from European countries.

Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations

Find an extensive list of international sites for locating free, electronic theses and dissertations at this site.

OpenDOAR  

Search and browse this authoritative directory of open-access repositories worldwide.

Theses Canada  

Find theses and dissertations from universities across Canada, covering the 1960s to the present, via this searchable collection.

WorldCat  

Search the world's most comprehensive database of information about library collections by performing a search then selecting  the Thesis/Dissertation option from the format list.

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Find UNSW theses

UNSW theses can be found using the institutional repository  UNSWorks.

Some Australian and international theses/dissertations can be found using the Academy Library collection .

• Carry out a search on your topic, author, or thesis title. 
• Refine your results by selecting the tick box next to Dissertations under the Resource Types heading. 

eBooks on Thesis Writing

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Your Thesis

The goal of all higher degree research (HDR) programs is to write a thesis that demonstrates how you have made an original contribution to knowledge. While the task of writing a thesis can be daunting, there are several things you can do to stay on track and complete your thesis on time while producing your best work.  

The Graduate Research School (GRS) runs two seminars that will help you prepare for your thesis submission:

Thesis Submission Seminar   Outlines the submission and examination process

Using Publications in Your Thesis Seminar Examines how publications may be incorporated into your thesis, including how authorship is determined, and when to seek permission to use published work

The GRS also offers a weekly HDR writing group and a Thesis Writing Boot Camp to help you build a regular writing practice. For information on the seminars and events available, please visit this page .  

Can’t make it to a Seminar or event? Watch a recording of the last session and download a copy of the slides here . 

Additional Resources

UNSW Resources Thesis Submission and Examination Applying for Restricted Access   iThenticate  Thesis Format Guide Thesis Examination Procedure

Finding other HDR theses in your field UNSW digital thesis collection Trove – Australian print and digital theses ProQuest dissertations and theses global (UNSW sign in required for access) EThOS e-theses online service

Writing Your Thesis The Writing Center - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 10 Tips for writing a PhD thesis – Times Higher Education  How to write 10,000 words a day – The Thesis Whisperer

Thesis Plans Free Thesis Plan templates – iThinkwell Sample Thesis Plan - The University of Edinburgh

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• Managing copyright in your thesis
• Requesting permission
• Incorporating publications into your thesis
• Depositing your thesis in UNSWorks

UNSW students generally own copyright in their own works, including UNSW postgraduate students’ research theses.  There are exceptions to these rules, and they can be found in the UNSW intellectual property policy

When researching and writing your thesis, you may include third party copyright material such as quotes, tables, photographs, illustrations or diagrams. When using third party copyright material, you must ensure that you comply with copyright law. Under the fair dealing provision for research or study , within the Copyright Act, a reasonable portion of third party copyright material can be used in the version of your thesis submitted for examination. 

If third party copyright materials are reproduced in the public version of your thesis, you generally need permission from the copyright owner.  This permission is in addition to the normal academic practice of citing resources. 

UNSW requires a digital copy of theses to be deposited into the University's open access repository, UNSWorks. As part of the depositing process, you must declare that you obtained permission from any third party copyright materials within your thesis. More information about thesis submission can be found at Graduate Research . 

For this reason, it is important for students to carefully consider what third party copyright material they include in their thesis and allow time to obtain permission from copyright owners, if required.

For more information about thesis examination processes for all higher degree research programs at UNSW, see Thesis examination procedure .

Generally, substantial third party copyright material may be included without copyright owner's permission if:

• Copyright has expired
• A fair dealing exception covers the use 
• An insubstantial portion is used
• The material has a licence to allow for re-use

When researching and writing a thesis, it is likely that third party copyright material is used. 

Generally, research students can rely on the fair dealing for research or study when using copyright materials in the version of their thesis they turn in for examination as part of their degree program.  

Deciding whether a use is ‘fair’ is determined largely by how much of the work has been copied. 

A reasonable portion is generally considered to be:

• 10% or one chapter if the work is a published edition of 10 pages or more
• 10% of the words if the work is electronic
• one article in a single edition of a periodical publication (a journal or newspaper)
• more than one article in a single edition of a periodical publication if the same subject matter

Artistic works, unpublished material, films, and sound recordings do not have the same 10% provision. To be able to use these types of materials, you need to consider whether the use is fair and reasonable.    It is generally considered ‘reasonable’ under the fair dealing for research or study to reproduce a whole of an ‘artistic works’ (including maps, diagrams, graphs, etc.) that accompany and illustrate/explain a text for research or study purposes. If including a substantial amount of material that has been sourced from e-books or e-journals provided by the Library, best practice is to check the licence terms of these resources and request permission to include these resources in both your thesis for examination as well as the public version of your thesis. 

Copyright in the public version of your thesis

While the fair dealing for research or study allows for the use of copyright materials in the version submitted for examination, the research or study exception does not cover the use of copyright materials in the public version submitted to UNSWorks (UNSW’s institutional repository). If copyright materials are reproduced and communicated in the public version of their thesis, permission is generally required, unless an exception or licence applies. 

When can copyright material be used without seeking permission?

There are some circumstances where other people’s material can be used without permission. These include:

• when the copyright has expired or the copyright owner has waived their rights (Public Domain) 
• when a fair dealing exception covers the use 
• the amount used is insubstantial (i.e. brief quote / extract from a publication). See,  Quoting materials  
• materials with a Creative Commons licence attached
• materials copied from a website where the terms and conditions allow re-use for your intended purposes
• library subscribed resources where the publisher allows for the copyright material to be included in the public version of your thesis 

When using other people’s copyright material, remember to attribute the work and abide by any terms attached to licences.

What copyright materials requires permission for reuse?

Permission is generally required if a substantial portion of the third party material has been used.  Whether a portion is considered substantial or not is judged on both a qualitative and quantitative basis.

Examples of the type of materials that require permission for the public version of your thesis are as follows:

If the use of copyright material does not fall in one of the categories mentioned above, then student would either need to seek permission or redact the copyright material from the public facing version of their thesis that is deposited into UNSWorks. Find out more about requesting permission here .  

When writing your thesis, it is important to start the process of obtaining permission as soon as possible as it can take some time to gain the necessary permissions.  There are a number of ways to approach seeking permission:

• Use Rightslink for permissions for the use  images in books/journals; journal articles and book chapters Many commercial publishers direct permission requests to the Copyright Clearance Centre – RightsLink service.  It important that when requesting permission that the intended use is to post the thesis in an open institutional repository.
• If you are unable to gain permission via RightsLink then you need to locate the copyright owner/s. A guide to locating the copyright owner can be found on the Australia Copyright Council Information Sheet: Permission How to Get It
• If the copyright owner is a publisher, then they normally would have a ‘request copyright permission’ type link on their website. 

To request permission from a copyright owner you should: 

• check to see if the publisher has an online permission form on their website 
• if the publisher does not have a form, this Copyright permission request template  can be used as a guide to request permission
• include a detailed description of material to be used and the amount of the material you wish to use 
• state clearly that you are seeking permission to use the work for non-commercial purposes and that a copy of your thesis will be made publicly available online in UNSWorks (UNSW’s institutional repository).
• be conscious that the copyright owner has the right to say no 
• be aware that a copyright owner may charge a fee or ask you to sign a licence agreement 

Remember to allow plenty of time, as it may take months for the permission to be granted.  

It also important to retain copies of permissions you have received. Copyright permission granted by publishers and copyright owners can be included in the master copy of your thesis that is submitted to the Library, however they should be removed from the public version. Refer to Depositing Your Thesis for more information. 

Removing third party copyright material from the public version of your thesis

If it is not possible to obtain permission for the reuse of certain copyright material in the public facing version of a thesis, then those material should be removed. In the place of the redacted materials, you may include a short statement such as:

• “Figure (Text/Chart/Diagram etc.) has been removed due to copyright restrictions”. 
• “Content can be access via [insert name of publication, URL etc.]”  

If you plan to incorporate your own research publications into your research, it may be possible if the research and its publication occurred during the candidature of your degree. You will need the necessary permission from the publishers and any co-authors, and if you are using a publication/s in lieu of a chapter/s in your thesis, approval from your primary supervisor and School Postgraduate Research Coordinator is also required. Some faculties may also have discipline-specific guidelines that should be consulted. 

For more information about incorporating publications into your thesis, see Thesis Examination Procedure  and the UNSW Thesis Format Guide .

Publisher agreements often assign the publisher all rights to the work, although each publisher's policy differs. If you plan to incorporate articles in your thesis, the terms can be negotiated with the publisher prior to signing the agreement. For more information, see Publishing your research . 

If you haven’t negotiated rights prior to publication and need to request permission from the publisher:

• check to see if the publisher has an online permission form on their website
• if the publisher does not have a form, this  UNSW copyright permission template  can be used to request permission
• tell them the amount of the work you wish to use (e.g. the whole work or a part/section)
• state clearly that you are seeking permission to use the work for non-commercial purposes
• consider asking permission for future use of the material (e.g. conference presentations)
• be conscious that the copyright owner has the right to say no
• be aware that a copyright owner may charge a fee or ask you to sign a licence agreement
• allow plenty of time, as it may take months for the permission to be granted

UNSWorks is the UNSW Open Access institutional repository which enables UNSW researchers to make their research outputs freely available and accessible. 

In accordance with UNSW’s Open Access Policy, when depositing your thesis into UNSWorks, you grant UNSW a licence to make the thesis freely available online under a Creative Commons licence. 

As of 1 December 2021, all deposited theses will have a Creative Commons Attribution ( CC BY ) licence applied. This licence allows users to copy, share and adapt the material provided appropriate attribution is given to the creator. The licence also allows for commercial use.

Theses submitted prior to 1 Dec 2021, will have a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives Licence ( CC BY-NC-ND ).

As the creator of the work, you retain copyright in the thesis as well as the right to use the thesis in future works (i.e. future articles, books, conference presentations).

As part of the depositing process, you must declare that you have obtained permission for any third party copyright materials within your thesis. If you have been unable to obtain permission, the third party copyright material must be removed from the public version of your thesis.

Find out more about requesting permissions for third party copyright materials within your thesis. 

UNSW staff and students can contact [email protected] for assistance with a copyright query or to arrange a copyright information session.

Related resources

Depositing your thesis

Copyright log (257KB DOCX)

Australian Copyright Council Information Sheet: Permission: How to Get It

• Last Updated: May 17, 2024 4:26 PM

Mr Nicholas Hoai Nam Nguyen

Dr Nicholas Hoài Nam Nguyen (PhD) is a seasoned optometrist, clinical researcher and Adjunct Lecturer, working in the field of Optometry and Vision Science since 2003. Nicholas has an interest in holograms and their use for the measurement of human vision and refractive error . Nicholas completed his PhD titled " Applications of holograms for spherical refractive error measurements " in 2017 (UNSW). Nicholas now works primarily at Eye Focus , an... view more

Dr Nicholas Hoài Nam Nguyen (PhD) is a seasoned optometrist, clinical researcher and Adjunct Lecturer, working in the field of Optometry and Vision Science since 2003. Nicholas has an interest in holograms and their use for the measurement of human vision and refractive error . Nicholas completed his PhD titled " Applications of holograms for spherical refractive error measurements " in 2017 (UNSW). Nicholas now works primarily at Eye Focus , an optometry clinic in Cabramatta (Western Sydney). See Nicholas' research .

My Qualifications

BOptom, PhD (UNSW)

Publications

• Journal articles 5
• Conference Presentations 2

ORCID as entered in ROS

Related Links

Paper: holographic refraction, poster: hyperparallel optical coherence tomography, poster: subjective refractive error measurements, paper: test for progressive myopia, paper: role of mandelbaum-like effect when using a hologram, paper: performance of the holographic multivergence target, thesis: applications of holograms for spherical refractive error measurements.

Eye Focus Optometry

UNSW Sydney NSW 2052 Australia Telephone +61 2 93851000 Authorised by Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) UNSW CRICOS Provider Code: 00098G ABN: 57 195 873 179

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File(s) under embargo

until file(s) become available

ANOMALY DETECTION USING MACHINE LEARNING FORINTRUSION DETECTION

This thesis examines machine learning approaches for anomaly detection in network security, particularly focusing on intrusion detection using TCP and UDP protocols. It uses logistic regression models to effectively distinguish between normal and abnormal network actions, demonstrating a strong ability to detect possible security concerns. The study uses the UNSW-NB15 dataset for model validation, allowing a thorough evaluation of the models' capacity to detect anomalies in real-world network scenarios. The UNSW-NB15 dataset is a comprehensive network attack dataset frequently used in research to evaluate intrusion detection systems and anomaly detection algorithms because of its realistic attack scenarios and various network activities.

Further investigation is carried out using a Multi-Task Neural Network built for binary and multi-class classification tasks. This method allows for the in-depth study of network data, making it easier to identify potential threats. The model is fine-tuned during successive training epochs, focusing on validation measures to ensure its generalizability. The thesis also applied early stopping mechanisms to enhance the ML model, which helps optimize the training process, reduces the risk of overfitting, and improves the model's performance on new, unseen data.

This thesis also uses blockchain technology to track model performance indicators, a novel strategy that improves data integrity and reliability. This blockchain-based logging system keeps an immutable record of the models' performance over time, which helps to build a transparent and verifiable anomaly detection framework.

In summation, this research enhances Machine Learning approaches for network anomaly detection. It proposes scalable and effective approaches for early detection and mitigation of network intrusions, ultimately improving the security posture of network systems.

Degree Type

• Master of Science
• Computer and Information Technology

Campus location

• West Lafayette

Advisor/Supervisor/Committee Chair

Additional committee member 2, additional committee member 3, usage metrics.

• Machine learning not elsewhere classified