NIKANDER Methods Festival 2017

The summary of an article-based PhD

as a genre and a meta-text.

Dr. Pirjo Nikander

Research Director,

The Doctoral School, University of Tampere

The summary, synthesis, review…• “The publication-based”, “the article-based dissertation”,

“PhD by published work” is both an old and new format

depending on the academic discipline.

• Retrospective and prospective routes: existing/planned

“from scratch” articles on a coherent theme collated

together + the PhD candidate’s independetly written

summary.

• No one format, often scarcity of clear guidelines

• Unclarity of the functions, style and goals of the text?

NIKANDER Methods Festival 2017

Goals of my talk in brief: To discuss:

• What is an article-based PhD?

• Why would I choose PhD by publication?

• What tools should/could I use?

• Technical and practical guidelines concerning

the summary across disciplines and

universities.

• The dangers of simply learning from existing,

already published examples.

• Questions of self-plagiarism when applying cut-

and-paste

• The genre of the summary as a meta-text

NIKANDER Methods Festival 2017

Monograph or article doctorate:

• In both key is to:

– Show how you contribute to

the knowledge in your field.

– Identify why and how your

work is original to the field

– Demonstrate your overall

knowledge of your work and

its contributions in the

public defence.

NIKANDER Methods Festival 2017

Why would/should I choose PhD by publication?

• Disciplinary tradition: no choice over the matter

• My research question and topic fits the format

• Quality assurance through peer-review:

feedback all through

• Slicing the elephant, the data, the research

question

• Academic career reasons

• Supervisory support and co-authoring

NIKANDER Methods Festival 2017

What tools should/could I use?

• Device a publication strategy

• Make most of your supervisors.Talk structure

and (joint)publication in addition to content

• Write a thesis outline with details on the

articles-to-be + summary: originality?

• What is the key argumentative whole of the

thesis, and how do the articles + summary

convey this together?

• What is the ”golder thread” that weaves

through my work?

NIKANDER Methods Festival 2017

Potential drawbacks, mistakes?

• Finishing in 4 years?

• Not having a clear plan for the whole

• Clarity of your own contribution and authorship in

the published articles?

• Being at the mercy of journal publication policy.

• The danger of simply learning or copying the

summary format from existing, already published

examples => a vicious circle

• Questions of self-plagiarism when applying cut-and-

paste

NIKANDER Methods Festival 2017

One example of the summary structure1. Johdanto

- tutkimuksen tausta

- tutkimuksen perustelu

2. Tavoitteet

3. Teoreettinen viitekehys

4. Menetelmät

5. Tulosten koonti

6. Arvio julkaisujen tulosten

merkityksestä

7. Julkaistut artikkelit

• Introduction

• Background: Review of literature

• Aims of the Study/Objectives

• Data set(s)

• Methods & approach

• Summary of results

• Discussion

• Summary and Conclusions

• Acknowledgements

• Refs. + Original articles

NIKANDER Methods Festival 2017

Working on the article doctorate

• Be clear about all guidelines & requirements

• Follow the discussions/ debates in journals.

• Be clear about the individual profile of each article.

• Keep the summary always on the back burner, even

when working with individual articles.

• Ask for re-print rights for each publication in time.

• Make notes and work on your the summary throughout.

• Read particularly doctoral dissertations in your own

field.

• Go to public defenses & notes on styles of questions, of

answering etc. NIKANDER Methods Festival 2017

Things to consider:

• Impact factors? Predatory journals.

• Publications forum (Julkaisufoorumi)

– rates publishers and journals on a 1-2-3 – scale

http://www.tsv.fi/julkaisufoorumi/english.php?lang=en

• Aiming for top, or middle range journals?

• Being clear about the rules of joint publishing

with your supervisor(s) and research team.

• How to round up and develop the arguments,

findings and contributions in the articles?

• How to motivate and highlight your contribution,

niche? NIKANDER Methods Festival 2017

The everyday of writing:

• Read and write in a good ratio:

• Write from day 1– Learn to make good notes, mind-maps,

visualisations.

• Use references don’t simply refer: Seek to create an argumentativespace of debate.

• Evaluate, appreciate and constructively critisize excistingliterature

• When too tired to work on writing, revise, take notes, polish the refs.– This may help you over the writer’s block.

NIKANDER Methods Festival 2017

The summary as a meta-text:

• A synthesis of the whole work that is written last.

• The articles as the data for your summary: you now take

distance, evaluate, highlight strong and weaker points, your

own choices, and the specific contributions of your work.

• The articles may have ”tree rings” but the summary can

comment from today’s and tomorrow’s perspective

• Space for broader theoretical, methodological discussion &

for drawing empirical comparisons and contrasts.

NIKANDER Methods Festival 2017

In sum then:• Coherence, originality & contribution to knowledge key

irrespective of the format of your doctorate.

• Plan ahead and use of all tools and resources available.

• The summary should have stand-alone features and

vocalize the potential practical, methodological,

theoretical and policy contributions of your thesis.

• Elucidate the golden thread and argument(s) running

across.

• Also identify what remains to be studied and the ways

forward that your work points to.

• Create an argumentative academic community through

your writing. NIKANDER Methods Festival 2017