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In the general introduction, you present your perspective on the current state-of-the-art in your discipline. You identify gaps in scientific knowledge and provide an overview of your thesis.

The general introduction contains essential information to help readers understand the context of your research chapters. A review article may be used as part of the general introduction. In such cases, a brief general introduction and an overview of the thesis must also be included. There is no minimum length for the introduction; quality is the sole criterion.

Each research chapter must demonstrate that you have followed the scientific research cycle by:

• Identifying a gap in scientific knowledge,
• Outlining an approach,
• Describing the collection and analysis of appropriate data, or the use of relevant existing databases,
• Reflecting on the results within the context of the specific field.

The length and format of each chapter, as well as the scientific depth and the quality of data collection and analysis, should meet the standards customary to your discipline. For further details, please refer to the section â€˜When can a manuscript be part of my doctoral thesis?. There is no prescribed number of research chapters required in a thesis; quality, coherence, and your individual contributions take precedence over quantity. As a guideline, three or more publishable chapters are recommended, though fewer may be justified by the depth, or extensiveness of the work. A publishable research chapter is defined as a (future) publication, or a substantial component of a larger study.

While the research chapters and, in some cases, the general introduction may be collaborative efforts, the general discussion should be your own work. In this final chapter, you take a broader perspective, reflecting on your research chapters and notable findings. You identify future research opportunities and discuss the impact of your work on the research field and society. There is no minimum length for the discussion; again, quality is the sole criterion.

Your development as a researcher is typically broader than the scientific content of your research chapters. You may choose to reflect on your broader personal and scientific development in an attachment to your thesis. This is optional and may help the Assessment Committee form a complete picture of you as an academic in training. However, this reflection lies outside the official content of your thesis and will not be evaluated by the Assessment Committee. You may refer to the GSLS PhD Competence Model as a guide, when drafting this attachment.

• Examples of PhD portfolios (pdf)

Scientific Contribution

The extent of your scientific contribution determines whether a manuscript can be included in your thesis, not your position in the list of authors. Therefore, each chapter of your thesis must clearly specify your contributions to the work. If relevant, this applies to the general introduction and discussion as well.

• Examples of author contribution (pdf)
• Detailed contribution definitions (pdf) 

Scientific Research Cycle

The collection of data by you alone is not sufficient for inclusion of a chapter. You must have followed the scientific research cycle (see the section â€˜Research Chapters’).

Team Contributions

If, as part of a team, you played a crucial role in a larger study but are not the first, second, or last author, the work may still be included in your thesis, provided you explain your role in the study. If your contribution is not enough for a standalone chapter, you may supplement the material with your own related work.

Publication Status

A (publishable) research chapter does not need to have been submitted to or accepted by a peer-reviewed journal to be included in the thesis. However, you and your supervisors should aim to publish these chapters in peer-reviewed open-access scientific journals. For manuscripts that are published or will be in the future, you will be a (co-)author of the respective thesis chapters in recognition of your scientific contribution.

Please note: it is important to know that PhD candidates of Utrecht ľ¹Ï¸£ÀûÓ°ÊÓ are required to offer a digital version of their thesis to the ľ¹Ï¸£ÀûÓ°ÊÓ Library. The thesis will be incorporated into the Utrecht ľ¹Ï¸£ÀûÓ°ÊÓ Repository, the digital scientific archive of the university that is publicly available. You have the possibility to place an embargo on certain chapters of your thesis.