Cumulative thesis vs. 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 as well as the (potential) contributions of others to each paper must be clearly outlined in a contribution statement.
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. A contribution statement must be included to either confirm that all results were generated by the PhD candidate or to specify results (including the figure number) that were contributed by colleagues.
A monograph 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.
In case of questions, please reach out to Theresa and Valpuri.
General Guidelines
For further details on writing a thesis, please refer to our Guidelines for PhD theses at the University of Vienna (Vienna Biocenter PhD Program) (PDF), which provide helpful advice on structure and expectations. Please note: during the plagiarism check, your thesis will also be reviewed for formal requirements. Follow the guidelines to avoid being asked to make revisions.
Medical University of Vienna: If your home university is the Medical University of Vienna, please also check the specific guidelines and instructions of the Medical University of Vienna.
Thesis embargo
The blockage of your thesis is optional. For more information, please refer to the chapter "Submission of Thesis"