Publishing thesis research is often the ticket to the next stage of your academic career. Even putting the career aside, being a published scholar is an amazing achievement on its own. Especially per Doctoral Writing, published papers are more likely to reach a bigger audience and help students get bigger grants.
As per the National Institutes of Health, more than 70,000 full-text theses and dissertations are published each year. However, only papers that contribute meaningfully to a given field of research and make an original investigation are selected for publication. So, publication is important to make the thesis part of the scientific discourse.
Let’s explore the ways researchers can publish their theses online and discuss strategies for making this process effortless.
Can You Publish Part of a Thesis?
Yes, students can publish parts of their dissertations or thesis independently. It can be important for sharing research and enhancing the credibility of your work. The thesis publication boosts the confidence of students as well.
The top three ways to do so are the following:
● Journal Articles
According to Wageningen University and Research, students can publish their papers and theses as articles. However, they must mention in the cover letter to the journal that the manuscript is part of a publicly defended and available thesis.
● Books
Based on your entire thesis, you can also make a monograph or a book and publish it with your name. Be sure to check the university requirements before doing that.
● Open Access Articles
Many publishers also allow researchers to publish different parts of their theses under the licence of Commons Attribution. Such articles can be accessed by anyone on the Internet almost immediately, without any charges.
How Can I Get My Thesis Published? 7 Essential Tips
A strong, well-crafted thesis is the foundation of any successful publication. It needs to meet high academic standards and bring fresh insights to the field, addressing gaps in current research and adding to meaningful scholarly conversations. Writing this kind of thesis can be challenging, but students don’t have to face it alone. Professional thesis writing services offer the expertise and experience needed to develop well-defined, impactful papers, supporting students on their journey to publication.
Coming back to the topic, let’s discuss the top 7 tips necessary for the publication of a thesis:
1. Identify a Journal
Your research may not be situated on one discipline or topic, so keep in mind that no journal may appear as the perfect choice for thesis publication. You can use two strategies to pick the right journal for thesis publication.
Here are the strategies:
- You can examine the reference list of your thesis to see which journal you have cited the most in your papers.
- You can discuss the target journal options with someone familiar with your work.
This can give you broad ideas about what kind of journal you would want to pick for the publication of your thesis. It is an important part of the entire process, so there is no need to rush it. There is a wealth of online resources that can help you go further with the process.
2. Become Familiar with the Journal’s Specifications
According to the FERSA University of Cambridge, every journal has varying formatting requirements. Hence, it is important to carefully go through all the ‘instructions for writers’ on the journal’s website. It includes the expected citation style and the allowed length of a given manuscript.
It would be even better if you could read some articles from the journal in question to ensure that your thesis matches the journal’s publication style. You can pay attention to the patterns in the structure of the article, headings and length. See what kind of content that journal prefers, and you will get an idea.
3. Craft the Manuscript
You can start to craft your manuscript when it is about the publication of a thesis. Choose what you would want to focus on and address at least three of the research questions that your thesis has focussed on. Maybe you can find something that makes your thesis stand out from the rest.
You can also contact your dissertation supervisor to ask them for the co-authorship of your work. Also, you can at least cite 2-3 different articles in your work from the journals you choose. The journal’s editing committee would like to see that you have actually interacted with the journal content.
4. Proofread and Get Feedback
Once the manuscript has been written, it will be time for you to proofread it. Sit with the thesis and take your time to edit it thoroughly. If possible, get peer review and feedback from the experts. As per Taylor and Francis, peer review is the independent checking of the research work you have done.
The feedback will help you refine the quality of your thesis and make it fit for publication. The second pair of eyes can even detect the mistakes that you may fail to see. You can pick anyone from your colleagues or peers to review the papers you have crafted.
5. Submit and Wait
A lot of journals can ask you to submit the entire thesis or a part of it via the portal you can see on their website. Once you are done with the submission, it will be time for you to take a break. This is because after the submission, an editor will review your work, and it can take longer than expected.
The exact duration of the wait depends on the discipline and journal you have chosen. The revision and editing process may take weeks to months to finish. As per Verlag Barbara Budrich, it can take six to twelve months to three years for the thesis to be published.
6. Review the Feedback
Once the editors’ final decision has reached you, you should make sure to review it. Go through the entire feedback and make the changes where they are necessary. Rejections are quite common in academia. If your thesis gets rejected, don’t lose heart. That happens to the best and most well-established professors as well.
You will most likely be asked to make revisions to your papers based on the suggestions of the reviewers. Take it as your job to reply to the comments of the reviewers and make all the changes after thorough proofreading. It can increase the chances of publication of the chapters of your thesis.
7. Celebrate the Success
The submission of a thesis for publication must be a lengthy process, and you will most likely reach the outcomes when you least expect them. Hence, it is important to pause, slow down and take breaks where you need to. Once your thesis is finally published, you should reward yourself for it and celebrate the process.
It would be great if you could stay chill during the entire process. It will be over one day, and you will get where you have always wanted to be. That is why you should take your time and take it slowly but consistently.
Who Owns the Copyright of a Thesis?
As per the UCL – London’s Global University, as an author of the dissertation, the researcher owns the copyright in one’s thesis. Apart from any other work, such as images, quotes and figures, the remaining research work belongs to you. Initially, the copyright ownership stays with the people who craft the new work. If you work on the dissertation, you for sure own the copyright.
However, if you enter into a funding or employment arrangement with other people, that may change your copyright ownership status. For the final and well-defined answer, you will have to consult your supervisor.
Advice on Copyrights in Thesis
Your thesis can contain copyright material that belongs to some other researchers or authors. It may be relevant to the third-party copyright. According to the University of Cambridge, the copyright may relate to the photographs, diagrams and reproductions of your articles.
If there are no third-party copyright issues, then there won’t be much hassle. However, if your thesis contains third-party copyright material, then you will be responsible for seeking permission from copyright holders to reuse materials.
Here is a university flowchart that can help you determine the best course of action when dealing with third-party copyright issues.
Copyright protection in the UK is automatic, providing researchers with inherent rights to their original work. To strengthen ownership, researchers may choose to register their creations formally. Top-rated thesis writing companies in the UK offer personalised one-on-one support throughout the thesis writing process. Their tailored assistance enables students to produce polished, error-free papers ready for immediate publication.
Conclusion
We have discussed in detail the answer to your query, ‘Can you publish part of a thesis?’. When you have made up your mind to publish the thesis, ensure to thoroughly check it first. From spelling mistakes to the sentences that need to be fixed, everything must be on point.
The journal you choose must align with the kind of dissertation or thesis that you have written. Once the thesis has been submitted for publication, say no to all kinds of overthinking and celebrate the progress that you have made so far. The progress that you have made will not be wasted, and your thesis will eventually be published.