Cumulative thesis or monograph?
Cumulative Thesis
Special regulations apply to cumulative theses:
- They must contain at least two publications.
- At least one publication must be published or in press, while the others may be included after submission. Publications on preprint servers and review articles are also eligible for cumulative theses.
- Papers that do not include the correct affiliation to the Vienna BioCenter PhD Program will not be considered for cumulative theses.
- The student must be the main contributor (first or co-first author) on at least one of the included papers.
- Confirmations of acceptance or submission must be included in the thesis.
- The student's specific contribution to each paper must be clearly outlined in a contribution statement.
For further details on writing a cumulative thesis, please refer to our guidelines, which provide helpful advice on structure and expectations.
Monograph
If you do not meet the criteria for a cumulative thesis, your thesis will take the form of a monograph. A monograph is a single, cohesive document that presents an original research contribution by the author. It typically includes the following sections:
- Introduction: An overview of the research problem and its context.
- Methods: A detailed explanation of the approaches used in the research.
- Results: A presentation of the findings obtained during the research.
- Discussion: An in-depth exploration of the findings and their implications.
Unlike a cumulative thesis, which is a collection of independent articles, a monograph is written as a continuous narrative, showcasing the depth and breadth of your research in a unified manner. Although structured differently, you may consult the guidelines for cumulative theses (see above) to better understand expectations for length and general structure.
In case of questions, please reach out to Theresa.
Blockage
The blockage of your thesis is optional. For more information, please refer to the chapter "Submission of Thesis & Registration for Defense."