manchester uni thesis

PGR handbook - School of Environment, Education and Development

Thesis submission and examination

Submission pending.

If you cannot submit your thesis by the end of the standard period of the degree programme, you need to apply for a period of submission pending for the purpose of preparing the thesis for submission. A fee will be payable for any such submission pending registration that is granted by the University.

Thesis presentation

Your thesis should be presented in accordance with University of Manchester guidelines. The University has also prepared a statement on proofreading and some useful information about writing your thesis.

Thesis submission

It is expected that you will complete your PhD within the standard length of the programme. However, the University recognises that there may, on occasion be justifiable reasons for early or indeed late submission. You can also ask for permission to submit your thesis in the non-traditional format (eg three papers tied together).

Thesis submission and open access

Thesis examination.

You can expect your viva examination to take place around six to eight weeks after submission. To find useful information about your viva, tips on how to prepare and examination policies, please visit:

Results and award

The Doctoral Programmes Office will write to you with the outcome of your viva examination, along with the required next steps.

Thesis extensions

Please visit the 'Policies and guidance' section for more information about extending the 'Prescribed Period of Programme':

• Extension to thesis deadline

Registration on Submission Pending Period

You are expected to complete all research degree work, including the writing up of the thesis, within the standard period of the degree programme.

If you cannot submit your thesis by the end of the standard period of the degree programme, you need to apply to register for a period of submission pending for the purpose of preparing the thesis for submission.

To check eligibility and apply for the registration, please refer to the Faculty Guiding Principles and for the Submission Pending Period and the University Submission Pending Procedure for PGR Students and submit the application to the School PGR Office.

• Faculty of Humanities Guiding Principles for the Submission Pending Period
• Submission Pending Procedure for PGR Students

You are required to submit the thesis no later than the end of Submission Pending Period, providing six weeks notice is given and should follow the usual thesis submission procedures.

Progress will be monitored via eProg during the Submission Pending period. Students and supervisors should meet prior to the Submission Pending year to formalise the timetable for thesis writing and to agree on a schedule for supervision during this period. Students who have not submitted their thesis by the end of the Submission Pending period will have their automatic right to submit withdrawn.

To apply for registration to the Submission Pending period, please complete the Submission Pending Application form  in liaison with your supervisory team and send it to [email protected] . 

A £225 fee will be payable for the submission pending period registration. 

The thesis must be presented according to the University’s ‘Presentation of Theses Policy’. The document can be found here: 

• Presentation of Theses Policy

Theses that do not adhere to the University’s ‘Presentation of Theses Policy’ may not be accepted for examination. You must submit an electronic version of your thesis through the My Manchester portal .  We recommend using Firefox or Chrome for submissions. Please also ensure that your ‘pop up blocker’ is turned off.

Standard of written English and proofreading information

Theses must achieve a universally acceptable standard of writing. Prior to submitting your thesis, you are advised to have it professionally proofread and corrected. You can find more information about this in the following document:

• Guidance on Proofreading Your Thesis .

The final draft of the thesis should be submitted to your supervisor(s) before forwarding to the proof-reader.

University statement on proofreading

If a student chooses to approach another person to proofread their written work or seeks to use the services of a proofreading service or agency, they must take account of the following principles:

• It is the responsibility of students to ensure that all work submitted is their own, and that it represents their own abilities and understanding. Any proofreading of work that is undertaken by a third party must not compromise the student’s own authorship of the work
• Proofreading undertaken by a third party must not take the form of editing of text, such as the adding or rewriting of phrases or passages within a piece of student’s work
• Proofreading undertaken by a third party must not change the content or meaning of the work in any way.

No allowance will be made for English not being the first language in the examining of the thesis.

Notice of submission

To prepare your thesis submission, you must give at least six weeks’ notice through eProg. A ‘Notice of Submission Form’ must be completed six weeks prior to your intended submission; this is the first stage in the examination process. Please log in to eProg to give notice of submission.

Please read the University policies related to the thesis examination carefully before submitting your thesis.

• Examination of Doctoral Degrees Policy
• eProg Student Guide

Also, we recommend that you prepare for your eThesis submission in advance by:

• Familiarising yourself with the University's  Presentation of Theses policy
• Considering any third-party claims on the Intellectual Property (IP) and  copyright  of your thesis
• Considering and discussing with your supervisor the appropriate access level for your final thesis

Submitting a journal format thesis 

There is no requirement to request permission to submit in journal format. However, it is important that you discuss the relative merits of this format with your supervisory team, and ensure that you pick the right format for you and your project. Further guidance is available in  Journal Format Theses - Guiding Principles for Students and Staff .

Early submission or deadline extension

If there are mitigating circumstances that prevent you from submitting the thesis by the deadline, you must apply for permission to extend the deadline. Please contact your School PGR office for advice.

If you intend to submit your thesis early (three months before your programme end date for a full-time student or six months for part-time students), please contact your School PGR office to apply for special permission to submit early.

All applications for early or late submission need to be formally considered by your school office.

• Change of Circumstance Application Form

You should seek the advice of the Doctoral Academy when the thesis is nearing a standard suitable for submission and when to give notice of submission in eProg. You should also seek your supervisor’s opinion on your proposed submission date, though please note that whilst this is advised, you may decide when to submit and if to follow the advice of your supervisor(s). Equally, the agreement of the supervisor(s) to the submission of a thesis does not guarantee the award of the degree.

Submission  

The University of Manchester requires the mandatory submission of electronic theses for all PhD, Professional Doctorate and MPhil degrees through the University eThesis system. The Doctoral Academy has responsibility for the handling and processing of PhD theses. For further information on how to submit your thesis electronically please visit: 

You will need to upload to eThesis – Go to ' My Manchester ' and log in using your usual University username and password. We recommend using Firefox or Chrome for submissions. Please also ensure that you ‘pop up block’ is turned off.

Thesis binding

Bound copies of the thesis are not required. However, if you require your own copy, binding services include:

• U-Print.com
• MuPrint.com
• The Document Centre

Guidance for resubmission 

Resubmission procedures are identical to those for first submission except that you must pay a fee, when you submit your Notice of Resubmission form. You must submit a Notice of Resubmission form in eProg at least six weeks before you wish to resubmit. 

It is important that candidates who are required to resubmit their theses will be made aware of any points which the examiners require to be covered in the resubmission. Candidates are expected to liaise with the supervisor(s) regarding the nature of the revisions required. Should any of the points raised by your examiners be unclear you may ask for clarification from your internal examiner. When conducting the examination for a resubmitted thesis, examiners will pay particular attention to the manner in which the candidate has revised the thesis in response to their original report

Open access

What is open access.

Open Access (OA) means that items of scholarly work are made available online, in a digital format, at no charge to the reader and with limited restrictions on re-use.  The University Publications Policy which applies to all research staff and students sets out to ensure that output arising from publically funded research is widely disseminated and made freely accessible. The Policy is based on the Open Access requirements of various research funders:  the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), the UK Research Councils (UKRI) and the Wellcome Trust. 

• The University of Manchester Publications Policy

For you, making your research Open Access can support the development of a researcher profile by increasing visibility of your research and allows you to gain experience of OA without compromising future publication strategies (many publishers do not consider a thesis to be a prior publication).

Postgraduate research thesis

The University's Presentation of Theses policy requires that all final postgraduate research theses are made Open Access within 12 months of submission unless an exception to the policy is required. You will select your preferred access level for your final eThesis submission. This is subject to approval by your supervisor. Most students will be able to comply with the policy by selecting either immediate Open Access or Open Access with a 12-month embargo. It may not be possible for some students to comply with the policy, in which case an exception to the policy can be requested. More information on access requirements for your final postgraduate research thesis can be found via the eThesis Support Service webpages:

• eThesis Support Service

Final eThesis submissions are available via the institutional repository, Pure , and discoverable via the University’s Research Explorer and Library Search .

For students funded by UK research councils, their PhD theses must also be made open access through the University’s repository (eThesis). Please see more information in the UKRI Terms and Conditions of Research Council Training Grants.

• UKRI Terms and Conditions of Research Council Training Grants

As a PGR student, what output do I make open access?

If you are publishing research outputs during your time at Manchester, you need to make them Open Access. There are two ways of doing this and the best option for you will depend on your funding situation and output type.

You may wish to publish your work Gold OA, where it’s immediately available on publication via the publisher’s website and with limited restrictions on reuse. This method is required by certain funders. Some publishers levy an Article Processing Charge (APC) for Gold OA, so it is worth investigating your funding options.

Alternatively, most authors will be able to make their work Open Access via a repository, a method known as Green Open Access. The Library can advise you on depositing the appropriate version of your work, and setting any embargo required by the publisher. There is no additional cost associated with Green Open Access.

Further information regarding different types of Open Access, institutional and funder requirements, how to deposit your publication and funding for APCs can be found here:

• Open Access

Appointment of examiners

Examiners are appointed by the candidate’s School and approved by the Chair of the School PGR Committee. Two examiners (normally one internal and one external) will be appointed, their function being to make a recommendation to the Committee about the award of a research degree. Your supervisor(s) must not serve as the internal examiner.

Consultation in the appointment of nominated examiners

You should be consulted when deciding upon appropriate examiners. Although you do not necessarily have the right to veto any particular nomination, you can appeal against an examiner nomination. If you are unhappy with the choice of examiners you should put your objections in writing to the Doctoral Academy .

Substantial grounds for objecting to a particular examiner might be:

• That the candidate has had too close a connection with either examiner, on either a personal or professional basis.
• That there is felt to be too close a relationship between the examiners themselves (e.g. they are partners/relatives or they are directors of the same company).
• That there is evidence of dispute between an examiner and the candidate.

Oral examination

All candidates for the degree of PhD and MPhil will be required to attend an oral examination. (There are circumstances, however, where the internal and external examiners may agree to dispense with the oral examination for an MPhil thesis.) The oral must take place without undue delay, normally within 12 weeks. The external examiner should liaise with the internal examiner on the timing of the examination of the thesis. The internal examiner may also consult the candidate’s supervisor(s) and the candidate about the oral examination arrangements.

Through the oral, the examiners satisfy themselves that the thesis is the candidate’s own work, and clarify any ambiguities in the thesis. It also allows the candidate to relate the thesis to a broader field of study, and to demonstrate a knowledge and appreciation of adjoining fields which is up to the standard expected for the award of the degree.

Oral examinations must be held on University premises and will be attended by all the examiners. It is the internal examiner’s responsibility to book a room and to notify the PGR Office in eProg, at least ten days in advance, of the date, time and room for the oral. Oral exams are automatically open to University staff, PGR students and the supervisors, but the candidate has the right to exclude any individual.

Useful links in preparation for your viva

• Postgraduate Online Research Training - Preparing for your viva video
• Good Viva video
• Viva Survivor video
• Vitae - Your viva

Submission and confidentiality of examination reports

Examiners are asked to ensure that there is no unnecessary delay between the examination of a thesis and their submission of a report. Completed examiners' reports (pre-oral and joint Examiners Report Form) must be submitted to eProg within five working days of the oral examination and will be made available to you via eProg once the recommendation has been ratified.

Examination policies

• Examination of Doctoral Degrees Policy  - full details of the regulations for examination of a PhD thesis
• Examination of MPhil Degrees Policy  - full details of the regulations for examination of an MPhil thesis
• Resubmission and Re-examination of Postgraduate Research Degrees Policy  - full details of the regulations for the examination of a resubmitted PhD or MPhil thesis
• Nomination of Examiners and Independent Chairs for PGR Degree Examinations Policy  - the regulations governing the nomination of examiners for thesis.

Criteria for the award of the degree 

A successful PhD thesis must show evidence of originality and independent critical judgment and constitute an addition to knowledge (such as can reasonably be achieved within the period of registration). Original research is not a basic requirement for the degree of MPhil in the way that it is for the PhD, although naturally it is not ruled out, but the candidate must demonstrate full knowledge of existing scholarship in the field specified by the thesis title, show competence in the relevant methods of research, and present material with clarity and evidence of independent judgment. 

Details of the possible outcomes of your viva examination can be found in relevant Examination Policies .

The Doctoral Academy will write to you with the outcome of your viva examination, along with the required next steps.

When you have been recommended for award of the degree, you will be asked to submit a final version of your thesis through electronic theses submission. 

When you have submitted your final thesis into the eThesis window and it has been checked against the Presentation of Theses Policy, your student record will be completed and marked for graduation.

Appeals procedure

In accordance with the University’s Regulations XIX governing academic appeals, if you believe your case has not been dealt with properly or that the outcome is unreasonable, you may appeal against this decision by writing to the University Student Appeals and Complaints Coordinator .   

Examiners will be made aware, that, under the University’s Regulations Governing Academic Appeals at Postgraduate Research Level, in the event of an appeal, and notwithstanding their confidential nature, the examiners’ reports would be made available later to the Graduate Appeals Committee. 

Before initiating an appeal, you are strongly advised to discuss the matter with your supervisor(s), or the School PGR Director or any other appropriate person in the School. If the matter remains unresolved, you may invoke the formal appeal procedure. 

• A basic guide to academic appeals

Important note: access to your IT account following degree completion

You have access to IT facilities including email, eProg and personal storage space during the prescribed period of your programme, the submission pending period and the time leading up to and including your thesis examination. Access to these facilities is terminated on the date of graduation. We, therefore, advise you to ensure all data and files you wish to retain beyond the date of your graduation are safely transferred ahead of that date to prevent loss of work.

University Centre for Academic English

Writing dissertations

The purpose of the activities in this section is to enable you to produce an effective dissertation, in accordance with the academic writing conventions followed at British universities.

You will learn about the different parts of a dissertation and how they relate to each other. You will also have the opportunity to consider different writing styles and choose the most appropriate for your subject area. Finally, you will consider the importance of developing your own study skills and explore some useful dissertation writing tips and techniques.

What is a dissertation?

In this subsection, you will examine the overall structure of a dissertation and the common information elements found in each part. You will also reflect upon a number of important factors that need to be considered when selecting a topic for your dissertation.

Defining a dissertation and its structure

In this activity you will consider the difference between a thesis and a dissertation. You will also identify different types of research and consider how the type of research affects the overall organisational pattern of the dissertation.

• View defining a dissertation and its structure activity

The elements of a dissertation

You will identify the information elements that the different chapters of a dissertation are likely to include. The numbering system that is typically employed for different sections of a dissertation is introduced.

• View the elements of a dissertation activity

Selecting a topic for your dissertation

Here you will explore the factors which will help you select a topic for your dissertation.

• View selecting a topic for your dissertation activity

Focusing on a topic

Here you will learn about techniques that can help you focus on a topic for your dissertation: creating mindmaps, formulating and refining research questions, and developing strategies for reading efficiently.

Brainstorming and mindmaps

You will practise using the techniques of brainstorming and creating mind maps to explore the possible areas you wish to cover in your dissertation.

• View brainstorming and mindmaps activity

Research questions and hypotheses

Here you will find out how to formulate and refine research questions. The meaning of the term hypothesis is also discussed.

• View research questions and hypotheses activity

Accessing and organising the literature for the dissertation 

You will explore effective ways to search for information and read efficiently. You will also find out how to manage, organise and record the literature that you access.

• View accessing and organising the literature for the dissertation activity

Research proposals, dissertation titles and personal journals

In this subsection you will identify the important elements in a research proposal, practise ways of writing an effective dissertation title, and explore the benefits of keeping a personal journal as part of the research process.

Writing a research proposal for a dissertation

Here you will examine the important information elements that should be included in a research proposal.

• View the writing a research proposal for a dissertation activity

Writing an effective title for your dissertation

You will find out how to write an effective title for your dissertation and how to present your title page.

• View writing an effective title for your dissertation activity

Keeping a research journal or diary

You will explore the value of keeping a research journal whilst conducting your research.

• View keeping a research journal or diary activity

The literature review

Different aspects of a dissertation literature review are explored. You will investigate the multiple purposes for which sources are cited in a literature review, explore different techniques for integrating sources into your text, consider the meaning of criticality in a literature review, and learn about strategies for giving your own voice prominence in your writing.

The multiple purposes of a literature review

This looks at how a literature review can be structured. It also considers the variety of purposes for which the related literature is used in a dissertation.

• View the multiple purposes of a literature review activity

Integrating sources

Different citation practices are introduced and the variety of ways in which the literature can be integrated into a text are considered.

• View integrating sources activity

Establishing your own position

You will learn about the organisational and linguistic techniques you can use to establish your own position in relation to the literature you are citing.

• View establishing your own position activity

How to be critical in a literature review

Here, the meaning of 'being critical' in a literature review is explored.

• View how to be critical in a literature review activity

Making linguistic choices

You will examine some of the linguistic strategies you can use to show your strength of commitment to the work you are citing.

• View making linguistic choices activity

Here, the different purposes of dissertation abstracts are considered. You will identify the common information elements in abstracts and the tense and voice changes that often occur in the text.

The purposes of a dissertation abstract

The various purposes of abstracts are explored. You will also analyse two abstracts to identify the different information elements which can be included.

• View the purposes of a dissertation abstract activity

Choices of verb tense and voice in different parts of an abstract

You will look at the changes in verb tense and voice that are likely to occur in an abstract and consider the reasons for these choices.

• View choices of verb tense and voice in different parts of an abstract activity

Writing and revising a draft abstract

Here you will have the opportunity to write a draft for your own dissertation abstract while considering the common information elements, as well as tense and voice choices.

• View writing and revising a draft abstract activity

Introductions

This subsection explores different aspects of a dissertation introduction. It focuses on its various functions, the common information elements it contains and its organisational structure. The differences between the dissertation introduction, abstract and literature review are also examined.

The purpose of an introduction and different information elements

You will focus on the purposes of dissertation introductions, their common information elements and their organisational structure.

• View the purpose of an introduction and different information elements activity

Abstracts and introductions

The differences between a dissertation abstract and introduction are examined.

• View the abstracts and introductions activity

The relationship between the introduction and the literature review

Here the difference between an introduction and a literature review is discussed. You will also look at examples of how the initial chapters of a dissertation can be organised.

• View the relationship between the introduction and the literature review activity

Research methodology

Here you will be introduced to the methodology section of a dissertation. The typical information elements and possible organisational structures will be presented. You will also focus on using appropriate verb tense and voice when describing your methodology.

Typical information elements when describing your methodology

You will be introduced to the methodology section of a dissertation and consider what information elements are typically included. You will then read four extracts and be given practice in identifying different elements. You will consider the different ways that methodology sections can be organised.

• View the typical information elements when describing your methodology activity

Common tense choice and voice choices

You will be given practice in choosing appropriate verb forms to complete short extracts which describe the methodology.

• View common tense choice and voice choices activity

Presenting and discussing findings

In this subsection, you are introduced to the various ways in which findings can be presented in dissertations. In particular, this section will cover the difference between the presentation of findings in a dissertation based on empirical research and in a library-based dissertation. You will also examine techniques for integrating tables and figures into a text.

Presenting findings from empirical research studies

You will explore the various ways in which research findings can be presented in a dissertation.

• View presenting findings from empirical research studies activity

Including tables and figures in your dissertation

Here important techniques for integrating figures and tables into a text are presented.

• View including tables and figures in your dissertation activity

Presenting findings in library-based dissertations

You will look at examples from library-based dissertations which illustrate the way findings are integrated into these types of text.

• View presenting findings in library-based dissertations activity

Interpretation and discussion

This subsection examines approaches to the discussion and interpretation of findings. The session includes an overview of the common information elements in the Discussion chapter of a dissertation, an analysis of the different meanings of interpretation, and practice in techniques for expressing different degrees of certainty in your writing.

Common elements in discussion chapters

You will consider the different ways in which you can organise the final chapters of your dissertation. The common information elements of the Discussion chapter of a dissertation are presented and explored.

• View common elements in discussion chapters activity

Different ways of interpreting findings

You will explore the various meanings of interpretation and analyse examples in texts.

• View different ways of interpreting findings activity

Expressing degrees of certainty 

You will practise the various language techniques available for expressing different degrees of certainty about your findings and interpretations.

• View expressing degrees of certainty activity

Conclusions and dissertation writing techniques

In this final subsection, you will examine the role of the conclusion in a dissertation and its links to other sections. Typical information elements will be presented. You will also focus on the need for cross referencing within a dissertation. You will consider a number of general techniques which will help you throughout your dissertation.

Conclusions

You will consider the role of a conclusion in a dissertation and how it is linked to other sections. You will also look at the different information elements often found in a conclusion.

• View conclusions activity

Cross referencing between dissertation chapters 

You will look at how authors refer back to previously given information within a dissertation and consider why it is necessary to cross reference in longer texts.

• View cross referencing between dissertation chapters activity

Time management, dealing with writer's block and revision strategies

Here you will focus on the importance of planning your time carefully during your dissertation. You will then be introduced to a number of strategies to help you keep writing. Finally, you will think about the importance of proof reading your work and making revisions.

• View time management, dealing with writer's block and revision strategies activity

• MyManchester
• Faculty StaffNet

• PGR handbook - Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health

Writing up and submitting your research

You can find up-to-date guidance on submitting your thesis on the Doctoral Academy website:

• Thesis submission

The guidance includes information on:

• plagiarism and referencing
• how to format and present your thesis
• using a journal format for your thesis
• electronic submission
• submission deadlines, including submission pending
• thesis binding
• the viva/oral exam
• getting your result.

Presentation of thesis

The University has a specific format required for PGR theses. You will find this detailed in the Presentation of Theses Policy .

If you have queries about presentation, you can ask staff in the Doctoral Academy , or ask them to have a look at a draft document.

Traditional and journal thesis formats

You may hear your supervisors or other PGRS talk about the different types of thesis format that are accepted for examination at Manchester.

These are currently defined as 'standard' and 'journal' format, although you shouldn't get too concerned about the terminology used. One format is not inherently better or more widely regarded than the other.

The standard thesis will have an introduction, literature review, materials and methods, results and discussion and conclusion, references and appendices.

The journal format thesis comprises chapters that have been written in the form of journal papers.

These may be papers that have been submitted to a journal, already accepted and published or chapters that are written as journal papers but are not yet or even are not intended to be submitted.

The advantage of this format is that it gives you the experience of writing in journal paper format. This format is increasingly popular in some disciplines, and yet may not be appropriate for all projects. Your supervisory team is the best place to start discussing your thoughts on this.

There is no requirement to request permission to submit in journal format. However, it is important that you discuss the relative merits of this format with your supervisory team, and ensure that you pick the right format for you and your project. Further guidance is available in Journal Format Theses - Guiding Principles for Students and Staff (PDF).

Submission pending

• Three-year PhD, MD and part-time - 12 months
• MPhil and 3.5-year PhD - 6 months

If you are a PGR on one of the programmes above and you do not submit by the end of programme, you may be able to register for the submission pending period.

You will need to have completed all your research (such as data collection and experiments) and should have a draft of the thesis completed (usually 80% of chapters in a reasonable draft form).

Your Student Support Administrator will provide details on registering for submission pending and paying the fee (£225 in the 2023/24 academic year).

You should be aware that during this writing up period, you are not considered to be a full-time PGR at the University.

You will still have access to facilities and your supervisory team will continue to support you towards submission of the thesis and preparation for the oral examination (as appropriate).

Once you enter submission pending, you may be returning to full-time work or be involved in a number of external activities that will reduce the amount of time that you have to spend on writing your thesis.

Please note that due to HMRC requirements, the University cannot make stipend payments to a PGR during the submission pending period.

Submission deadlines

It is important for your career development that you submit your thesis within the period of your programme as set out in your initial offer letter.

If you are eligible to use the submission pending period, remember that it will be increasingly difficult to find time to dedicate to completing your thesis once you are in full-time work.

Your final submission deadline will be stated on your original offer letter. If you are granted any periods of interruption or an extension to your programme, you will be notified of any change in your final submission deadline in the letter confirming this change to programme.

You will also see your submissions deadline displayed in eProg ('Thesis Submission Deadline' on the 'My Profile' page).

Extensions to final submission deadlines

Extensions to your final submission deadline will only be considered in exceptional circumstances and where permission is sought at least two months prior to the final submission deadline. Visit the Forms page on the Doctoral Academy website for the relevant forms to complete.

You will need to provide clear, documented evidence as to how your mitigating circumstances have impacted your ability to meet the deadline. Examples of appropriate exceptional circumstances can be found within the policy on circumstances leading to changes to postgraduate research study .

It is expected that your mitigating circumstances will have occurred within the submission pending period, or the last 12 months of a four-year programme.

Should your request for an extension to the final submission deadline be rejected, you will have the right of appeal.

Please note that even if you submit an appeal, you should still submit your thesis for examination by the final submission deadline.

Oral examination/viva

An integral part of the PhD/MD process is the oral examination (viva). This will take place at Manchester with your internal and external examiner.

The Academic and Researcher Development Team provide courses on preparing for this examination, and you will also receive guidance from your supervisory team on what to expect.

MPhil PGRs may have to undertake an oral examination, and this will be determined by the examiners following initial review of the thesis.

You may find it useful to refer to the full University policies on PGR examination .

Examiner recommendations

• A (i) no corrections
• A (ii) subject to minor corrections (four weeks to complete, exceptionally up to 12 weeks can be granted for completion of minor corrections)
• B (i) permitting submission of a revised thesis without further research and without further oral examination (six months to complete)
• B (ii) permitting submission of a revised thesis without further research but with a further oral examination (six months to complete, exceptionally up to 12 months)
• B (iii) permitting submission of a revised thesis with further research and with a further oral examination (12 months to complete)
• C (i) but award the degree of MPhil
• C (ii) award the degree of MPhil subject to minor corrections (four weeks to complete, exceptionally up to 12 weeks)
• C (iii) advising that the thesis be submitted, after revision, for examination for the degree of Master (six months to complete)
• C (iv) not permitting resubmission
• Your programme

• language Search for " " in the Library Website Search the library website
• menu_book Search for " " in Library Search Search Library Search
• The University of Manchester Library
• Sharing your thesis research data

What is research data?

Research data is any information or material collected (or created) for the purposes of analysis, which supports the conclusions and assertions contained within your thesis. This can include, but is not limited to, digital images, video, source code, transcripts, survey data, measurements and readings, software, and notes from fieldwork, archival research, or lab work.

Why should I share my data?

Sharing research data has numerous benefits including increasing the discoverability of research findings and allowing new research questions to be answered. This can raise the impact of your research through increased visibility, citations, and facilitating new collaborations. 

Data sharing is also mandated by many research funders , including the UKRI research councils. Funders, publishers, and institutions increasingly require researchers to share the data which underpins their publications, so it’s good practice to think about this for your thesis.

How do I share my data?

What data should i share.

Please contact your supervisor ahead of sharing any research data from your PhD project. They will help you consider what research data you can share. For example, it might not be appropriate to make an interview recording or third-party data publicly available, due to ethical concerns or license restrictions. 

Data access statements

If you decide to share your data, then you could include a data access statement at the start of your thesis. Data access statements should contain information about where your data can be accessed and who can access it. In addition, adding the link to your eThesis within the metadata record for your data enables you to easily link your thesis to your data.

Where can I deposit my data?

If appropriate to share your research data publicly, you can do this using the University’s institutional research data repository, Figshare . This enables you to easily link your thesis, and any publications, to your data. For full instructions on using the Figshare platform for your Thesis data visit eThesis submission: research data .

There are also many discipline-specific data repositories, including for software or code, which can be found on Re3data . Some funders expect data to be deposited in specific data centres e.g. ESRC and NERC support dedicated data centres.

Licensing your data

Data repositories will likely ask you to choose a licence for your research data. Licences clearly communicate to others what they can and cannot do with your research data.

Personal data

Most research data can be shared using a combination of informed consent, anonymisation and controlling access to data. If your data includes sensitive or confidential data , see the University’s research ethics pages for guidance. Further information and training about collecting and sharing personal research data is available from the Library’s researcher development programme My Research Essentials ' online resource Start to finish: Personal data .

How do I prepare my data for sharing?

Good research data management practices ensure that your data is easy to share and easy to access. This begins with data management planning and continues throughout your research project. Choosing the right file format can help ensure research data remains usable and accessible and will make sharing data easier. My Research Essentials also provides training on good research data management.

Documentation and metadata

To help you, and possibly others, make sense of your data in the future, you should ensure that sufficient documentation and metadata are recorded alongside your data. This may include descriptors of the data, how it is organised, file formats, and access conditions.

For guidance on what to consider in advance of eThesis submission see  Prepare your eThesis . For further information about how to share your data see eThesis submission: research data  and  Sharing data . For any other assistance please contact us .

Please contact your supervisor ahead of sharing any research data from your PhD project. They will help you consider what research data you can share. For example, it might not be appropriate to make an interview recording or third-party data publicly available, due to ethical concerns or license restrictions.

• Library services
• Researcher services
• Prepare your eThesis
• Access to your final thesis
• Journal format theses
• Submitting your eThesis

Academic Phrasebank

• GENERAL LANGUAGE FUNCTIONS
• Being cautious
• Being critical
• Classifying and listing
• Compare and contrast
• Defining terms
• Describing trends
• Describing quantities
• Explaining causality
• Giving examples
• Signalling transition
• Writing about the past

The Academic Phrasebank is a general resource for academic writers. It aims to provide you with examples of some of the phraseological ‘nuts and bolts’ of writing organised according to the main sections of a research paper or dissertation (see the top menu ). Other phrases are listed under the more general communicative functions of academic writing (see the menu on the left). The resource should be particularly useful for writers who need to report their research work. The phrases, and the headings under which they are listed, can be used simply to assist you in thinking about the content and organisation of your own writing, or the phrases can be incorporated into your writing where this is appropriate. In most cases, a certain amount of creativity and adaptation will be necessary when a phrase is used. The items in the Academic Phrasebank are mostly content neutral and generic in nature; in using them, therefore, you are not stealing other people’s ideas and this does not constitute plagiarism. For some of the entries, specific content words have been included for illustrative purposes, and these should be substituted when the phrases are used. The resource was designed primarily for academic and scientific writers who are non-native speakers of English. However, native speaker writers may still find much of the material helpful. In fact, recent data suggest that the majority of users are native speakers of English. More about  Academic Phrasebank .

This site was created by  John Morley .  

Academic Phrasebank is the Intellectual Property of the University of Manchester.

Copyright © 2023 The University of Manchester

+44 (0) 161 306 6000

The University of Manchester Oxford Rd Manchester M13 9PL UK

Connect With Us

The University of Manchester

• MyManchester
• Faculty StaffNet

• Doctoral Academy

Submission deadlines

You are expected to submit your thesis before the end of your final year of registration. However you may request additional time at the end of your programme for writing up. This additional time is known as a Submission Pending period.

During Submission Pending you may not conduct any experimental work or data collection, this time is solely for writing up of the thesis.

Submission pending

If you’re on a 3 or 6 year PhD or 2 or 4 year MD programme you will be eligible for a full year of Submission Pending. For MPhil, 3.5, 5 or 7 year PhD programmes the Submission Pending period is 6 months.

You will need to register for this period and will be contacted by your local School Graduate Administrator regarding online registration.

If you're on a 4 or 8 year programme, you are expected to write up within four years, as you are not entitled to a submission pending period.

Fees for submission pending are £225 for the 12-month period. If you are unsure of your final submission deadline, in the first instance please check your eProg details page. If you are still unsure you should contact the Doctoral Academy office at [email protected] .

COVID-19 update

The University will waive the submission pending fee for any PGR with an original programme/funding start date before  September 2022 (before any COVID-related extension may have been applied), regardless of their funding source.

If you meet the end date criteria and your submission pending application is approved then the fee will be waived automatically.

If you have any questions please first contact  [email protected] .

An extension is where there is a change of circumstances that requires additional time. If you have any approved interruption during your programme, that time will be automatically added to your programme.

If you require any additional time, contact us at  [email protected] . 

• Essential information
• Thesis submission

Science and Engineering Doctoral Academy

Getting your result

Following your viva, the internal examiner will upload a joint examination report to eProg.

This report will not be visible to either you or your supervisors until the recommendation has been ratified by the Research Degrees Panel.

The Doctoral Academy will write to you regarding the examiner's recommendations. If corrections are required, full details of these will be attached. For all recommendations a further electronic submission will be required.

Results and corrections

Ai – No corrections – a final post-examination copy of your thesis must be submitted to eThesis before a result will be published.

Aii – Minor corrections must be completed within four weeks and exceptionally no more than 12 weeks, of receiving notification of the recommendation. Corrections must be seen and approved by your internal examiner. A final corrected copy of your thesis must be submitted to eThesis before a result will be published.

Resubmission

If your thesis is recommended for resubmission, the Doctoral Academy will write to you with full details of the resubmission process and the timescale for resubmission.

Referencing guide at the University of Manchester: Home

• Harvard Manchester
• American Psychological Association APA
• Modern Humanities Research Association MHRA
• Referencing Software
• EndNote online

Specialist Library Support

The Library provides expert support to students, staff and researchers in the specialist areas of business data, copyright, maths and statistics, referencing support, advanced searching and systematic reviews. This includes:

• Online resources

If you’ve tried our online resources and workshops and need more help, you can get expert help via our online help pages , attending a drop-in session, giving us a call or arranging a consultation.

What is referencing?

Referencing is a vital part of the academic writing process. It allows you to:

• acknowledge the contribution that other authors have made to the development of your arguments and concepts.
• inform your readers of the sources of quotations, theories, datasets etc that you've referred to, and enable them to find the sources quickly and easily themselves.
• demonstrate that you have understood particular concepts proposed by other writers while developing your own ideas.
• provide evidence of the depth and breadth of your own reading on a subject.

What is a reference list?

This is your list of all the sources that have been cited in the text of your work. The reference list includes all the books, e-books, journals, websites etc. in one list at the end of your document.

What is a bibliography?

The bibliography includes items which you have consulted for your work but not cited in the main body of your text. The list should appear at the end of your piece of work after the list of references. This demonstrates to the reader (examiner) the unused research you carried out.

Always check with your School if you need to produce a bibliography.

Word count and referencing

Generally, the word count of your work will include everything that is in the main text (citations, quotes, tables, lists etc) but will not include what is in the reference list/bibliography.

As always, you need to check the referencing advice given in your course handbook usually found in your Blackboard space, as rules can change from school to school.

• When to cite?
• How to cite?
• Citing secondary sources

Whenever you quote, paraphrase or make use of another person’s work in your own writing, you must indicate this in the body of your work (a citation) and provide full details of the source in a reference list (all the sources you have referred to directly in your work) or a bibliography (all the sources you have read in the course of your research, not just those you have cited).   

Your reference list should include details of all the books, journal articles, websites and any other material you have used.

You do not need to reference:

• your own ideas and observations
• information regarded as ‘common knowledge’
• your conclusions (where you are pulling together ideas already discussed and cited in the main body of your work).

Understanding when to cite references is an important part of your academic progression.

The way that you cite references will depend on the referencing style you are using. There are many different referencing styles and you must ensure that you are following the appropriate style when submitting your work.

Getting started with referencing  - is a MLE resource that explores the principles behind referencing, highlighting why it is good academic practice.

Check with your course handbook or supervisor to be sure that you are following the specific guidelines required by your school.

Commonly used referencing styles at The University of Manchester include Harvard, APA, MHLA, MLA and Vancouver.

These referencing pages will provide you with a useful introduction to the principles of referencing in various styles.

There are cases when an author discusses the research of another author in their work. When you are unable to track down the original research document you can cite them as a secondary source. In the citation include the (primary) source and where it was cited (secondary).

Only secondary cite when you cannot gain access to the primary source

In Harvard style: (Author, Date)

In-text citation:

Use either 'quoted in' or 'cited in' depending on the included detail.

 Anderton places the importance of taste squarely at the feet of the regurgitated... (2016, cited in Stevenson, 2017).

"It is the regurgitated that I lay complete blame"... (2016, quoted in Stevenson, 2017).

For referencing purposes, only include the research you did consult because you did not read the original document and are taking any inference on the work from that author.

Stevenson, M. (2017). The genius in action: tales from the reference world , Oxford University Press: Oxford.

In Vancouver (numeric) style:

According to Anderton as cited in Stevenson (3) importance of taste is squarely at the feet of the regurgitated...

"It is the regurgitated that I lay complete blame"... Anderton quoted in Stevenson (3).

3. Stevenson, M. The genius in action: tales from the reference world. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 2017.

Quote, paraphrase and summarise

There are several ways in which you may want to utilise other people’s ideas in order to add substance to your work. The most common ways to accomplish this are to quote, paraphrase or summarise.

When using quotations, remember to make sure they are relevant and thoughtfully used. Short and direct quotations provide the most succinct and direct way of conveying the ideas of others in support of your work.

• Use single quotation marks to indicate direct quotations and the definition of words.
• In quoted passages follow the original spelling, punctuation etc.
• Short quotations (usually less than 40 words) should be enclosed in single quotation marks (‘…’) and be part of the main text.
• Longer quotations should start on a separate line not italicised, with no quotation marks, and indented throughout.
• Double quotation marks (“…”) are used for a quote within a quote.
• Always include page numbers when using direct quotations to point the reader directly to the relevant point.

It is worth remembering that direct quotations count as part of your overall word count and excessive use can affect the flow of your work when reading.

Burroughs provides a great examples of the synthesis between the 'I' as author and the 'you' as reader  'You were not there for the beginning. You will not be there for the end. Your knowledge of what is going on can only be superficial and relative' (1959, p. 184)

Longer quotations should form their own paragraphs and be indented. Quotation marks are not a prerequisite when paragraphs and indentation are used.

Anderton describes the changes in societal landscape in his own inimitable way:  

In a time of turbulent war and electrical fascination, rise a group of people with a different ideology to what had previously been commonplace. They became the new masters of their domain and the overlords of a world I no longer related to, nor understood. (Anderton, 2017, p. 1)

Non-English quotations should follow the same rules but always be displayed in the original source language.

Paraphrasing

Paraphrasing is the expression of someone else’s thoughts or ideas in your own words. One of the benefits of this is that you can better describe the intentions of the author and your understanding, while maintaining your own writing style.

Although this is a way of manipulating text, you must not betray the original meaning of the author you are paraphrasing.

Original Text:

Paraphrased:

Anderton (2017, p. 1) discusses the turbulence of this era of war and the new onset of electrical fascination, he continues on the theme that these changes resulted in people becoming the owners of this new domain acting as overlords of a world he no could no longer fathom.

Summarising

When summarising, you condense in your own words the relevant points from materials such as books, articles, webpages etc.

Summarised:

Anderton (2017, p. 1) promulgates his feelings in relation to the turbulence of war and man's changing ideologies and his disenfranchised view of this new world landscape.

Additional online resources

Online resources:.

• EndNote desktop: getting started
• EndNote desktop: collecting references
• EndNote desktop: organising your references
• EndNote desktop: formatting your references
• EndNote desktop: YouTube playlist
• EndNote online: YouTube playlist

Other resources

• Introducing reference management tools
• EndNote desktop workbook for windows
• EndNote desktop workbook for MacOS
• EndNote online workbook
• Mendeley workbook

www.escholar.manchester.ac.uk/learning-objects/sls/packages/referencing/

My Learning Essentials

My Learning Essentials i s the Library’s programme of skills support, including both online resources and face-to-face workshops to help you in your personal and professional development. Workshops offer a relaxed group environment where you can try out new strategies while learning from and with peers. The online resources cover everything from referencing, to managing your procrastination, to writing a CV and you can access them through the Library website from wherever you are, whenever you need to!

Further help

The information contained within these pages is intended as a general referencing guideline.

Please check with your supervisor to ensure that you are following the specific guidelines required by your school.

• Next: Referencing Styles >>
• Last Updated: Mar 25, 2024 12:20 PM
• URL: https://subjects.library.manchester.ac.uk/referencing