The Acceptance Process of the Doctoral Theses and publishing at the Faculty of Social Sciences

Outline of the preliminary examination process

1. Commencing the preliminary examination process

• The doctoral candidate delivers the dissertation manuscript to the faculty (https://ugis.utu.fi/). After this the main surpervisor makes a suggestions for appointing the preliminary examiners and provides the certificate of the Turnitin plagiarism check and report on distribution of work concerning joint articles (i.e. candidate's role in producing the papers).
• The electronic application is signed by the doctoral candidate and the supervisor. 

2. Appointing preliminary examiners

• The coordinator of the doctoral programme ensures that the contents and structure of the manuscript are such that the dissertation is ready for preliminary examination and that the preliminary examiners are impartial and qualified.

• The dean appoints the preliminary examiners.

3. Preliminary examination (max 3 months)

• The faculty informs the doctoral candidate about the appointment of the preliminary examiners and gives instructions to the preliminary examiners.
• Representatives of the faculty sends the manuscript to the preliminary examiners.

4. Preliminary examiners deliver their statements to the faculty.

Doctoral candidate needs permisson by the Faculty to print, publish and for the public defence of the disseratation.

Faculty provides permission for public defence when:

1) Two examiners have provided a statements in which they support the permission

2) All other studies (min. 40 ECTS) have been done

After the Faculty has provided the permission for public defence, the supervisors will propose:

1) the opponent

2) custos

3) evaluation committee

4) date for the defence

Dean confirms the proposal.

Usually, the doctoral candidates decide how they publish their dissertation. Most often, the dissertation is published both electronically and as a printed version.

​Online publishing promotes open science and access to scientific information and it is therefore recommended. The dissertation does not have to be printed as a book if the doctoral candidate publishes it electronically. The electronic version of an article-based dissertation does not include the articles. However, the dissertation does not have to be published electronically if the doctoral candidate does not want to do so for a specific reason. In these cases, the dissertation has to be printed.

>> Instructions for both forms of publication are available in the Library’s ResearchGuides

A word template according to the common formal requirements for the dissertation published in the University's own publication series (Annales en):
>> Annales en

The word template is for assisting the doctoral candidate to produce the text of the dissertation in a right layout form. The template has correct fonts and margins by default.

Note: Because the word template does not include faculty specific requirements on heading and chapter order, the doctoral candidate has to include them by him-/herself according to the faculty’s instructions:

Printing

If the dissertation is printed, the doctoral candidate has to take care that, after getting the permission to defend the doctoral dissertation, the printed dissertation is released publicly at least 10 days before the dissertation defence. Doctoral candidates have to contact the printing house well in advance. You can contact the printing houses and ask about the schedule already before getting the permission to defend the doctoral degree. You should do so especially if you know that your own schedule is tight. You should reserve approximately 20 days for the printing process. If the layout of the content pages is done at the printing house (the layout of the cover, title page and loose sheet are always done automatically), you have to reserve 30 days for the printing process.

If you receive publishing support, use one of the printing houses tendered by the University. Please see the Guidelines for dissertation defence
 
The doctoral candidate is responsible for the proofreading of the dissertation and permission to print (approving the manuscript for printing). The doctoral candidate is also responsible for the outward appearance of the printed dissertation. Doctoral candidates have to take care that the dissertation corresponds to the formal requirements of the University and their faculty and that the work includes the abstract both in Finnish and English.

The cover and page templates of the University's own publication series:
>> Annales Universitatis Turkuensis cover templates (Library’s ResearchGuides)

Number of printed copies

Please see the Guidelines for dissertation defence.

Support for publishing

It is possible to receive publishing support for the publication of a doctoral dissertation. Please see the Guidelines for dissertation defence.

The printing house delivers the electronic invoice directly to the University. For the invoicing the doctoral candidate has to inform the faculty-specific internal order (cost centre number):

Faculty of Social Sciences: 2603000

Additionally, some foundations and organisations award grants for covering the costs of the publication. Further information is available in the Aurora grant database.

The dissertation defence press release offers you the chance to tell about your research and to practice the popularisation of research, making your research known to the general public.

Announcement of the public defence of a doctoral dissertation

After the faculty has granted you the permission to print and appointed the opponent and Custos, they will grant you permission to defend your dissertation. Next, fill in the announcement of the public defence of a doctoral dissertation to the University Communications, which is for the media coverage of the public defence.

Do not fill in the announcement before you have been granted the permission to defend your dissertation.

> Make an announcement of the public defence of a doctoral dissertation to the University Communications

Press release - the business card of your research

The press release of the dissertation is written in Finnish. If you do not know enough Finnish to draft a press release, please ask your Custos or supervisor for help. The press release of the public defence of a doctoral dissertation is sent nationally to nearly 400 media representatives. The press release may be used as a basis for a news article by itself or as a tip for a larger story, in which case a reporter might contact you directly.

Interviews are generally conducted prior to the public defence.  Therefore, it is important that you can be reached from the phone numbers given in the press release during the week before your public defence.

University Communications helps with final press release

Sum up the main points of your dissertation into a one-page press release draft in Finnish. Send the draft and a high-quality picture of yourself to the University Communications three weeks before your public defence: communications@utu.fi

The press release draft is edited into its final form together with a Communications Officer. The Communications Officer will contact you before sending off the press release. The University Communications sends the finished press release to the media approximately a week before the defence.

The press release consists of two parts. The first part is the actual press release. The second part is written by the University Communications and it presents the basic information of your dissertation based on the information given by you.

Start the press release with results

The press release is aimed at journalists. For that reason, it is important to use standard language and avoid using specialised terminology. The press release is written in opposite order than a scientific article:

• Begin by introducing the most important result of your research
• Provide background information and explain the result more towards the end.

How to write a good press release draft:

• Title: Try to come up with a clear and enticing heading. Avoid using difficult terms.
• The Introduction summarises your research in a few sentences, and it functions as a preface for the text. Aim to begin the introduction with a short statement, e.g. with the most important result of your research. Here you can also explain why your research is important. Avoid long sentences and keep the introduction short.
• Body is the actual text of your press release. It should not be longer than a page. Begin with your results and think what kind of new information your research has revealed. Explain foreign terms when you use them for the first time. Concentrate on the essential information and write concisely. Write short sentences.
• Sub-headings give structure to the text and make it easier to read.
• Quotations make the text easier to approach and bring the researcher’s voice into it. Quotations also make it easier for the journalists to use the text in the media.

You can model the press release after the previous press releases published on the University’s website (in Finnish)

Questions about press releases?

Tuomas Koivula, communications@utu.fi

Procedure and dress code in dissertation defence

Dress code

These guidelines are for the Doctoral Candidate, Opponent and Custos, who follow the rules of a dignified dress code that is appropriate for the event. The guidelines are traditional and do not have to be followed to the letter.

There is no special dress code for the audience.

Black tie

Men can wear a black, dark grey, or dark blue suit with a single or double-breasted jacket. The material can have faint stripes and the suit can include a waistcoat of the same fabric or in similar colours. A white shirt and a restrained colour tie or bow tie that matches the suit (but not white), dark socks and dress shoes.

Women can wear an elegant black or dark dress, a light jacket suit or a trouser suit, light court shoes (pumps) and, for example, stockings that match the shoes.

White tie

Men should wear a black tailcoat, a black waistcoat, a white shirt with a stiff front and collar. The trousers should have satin strips on the side seams.  A white bow tie is always worn with a tailcoat. Dress shoes and black socks are always worn with a black waistcoat, no pocket square or wristwatch. At dinner and in the evening, wear a white waistcoat and patent-leather shoes. With a white waistcoat, you can use a pocket square, unless unless you have decorations. At a so-called gentlemen’s dinner, a black waistcoat is used also in the evening. Outer garments consist of a black coat or cloak and a white scarf and white gloves.

Women can wear a black full-length dress with long sleeves or a jacket or trouser suit and elegant festive shoes. The neckline of the dress should not be open. At dinner and outside, you can also wear black gloves.

Doctoral Gown

If one of the aforementioned attendants wears a doctoral gown, the rest will decide amongst themselves whether black or white tie is a suitable dress code.

How the defence of a doctoral dissertation proceeds

Beginning of the event

The first one to enter the hall is the doctoral candidate, the second the Custos and the last the opponent.

If the Custos and the opponent have a doctoral degree from a Finnish university, they hold their doctoral hat in their hands when entering the hall.

When everyone is in place, the Custos opens the proceedings with the words: “As the Custos appointed by the Faculty of …, I declare the beginning of this public defence of a doctoral dissertation.”

The doctoral candidate, standing, delivers their lectio praecursoria (mainly in Finnish, doctoral candidates who do not know Finnish can give their lectio praecursoria in English) and it may not exceed 20 minutes. If needed, the opponent will be supplied with a translation of the lectio praecursoria.

The doctoral candidate begins with the greetings: “Learned Custos, my esteemed opponent, Ladies and Gentlemen…”

After the lectio praecursoria, the doctoral candidate states: “I respectfully ask you, esteemed Professor (Doctor etc.) … as the Opponent appointed by the Faculty of … for the public defence of my doctoral dissertation, to present your criticisms of my doctoral dissertation.”

The opponent, stands up and delivers a short statement concerning the scientific status and significance of the topic and other general questions. After this statement, both the doctoral candidate and the opponent resume their seats.

Examination of the dissertation

The opponent should begin the examination of the dissertation by handling methodological and general questions and then proceed to a detailed scrutiny of the text.

The opponent may not spend more than four hours on the examination of the dissertation, so that enough time remains for other speakers to present questions or criticisms. If the examination takes a long time, the Custos may announce a break. The total duration of the public defence may not exceed six hours.

The correction of misprints is not part of the proceedings at the public defence. The doctoral candidate may submit to the opponent a written list of errors which they have found, and this list may be appended to the opponent's statement submitted to the Faculty.

Conclusion of the public defence

When the opponent has concluded the examination of the dissertation, the opponent and the doctoral candidate stand, and the opponent delivers a final statement.

The doctoral candidate , still standing, then thanks the opponent.

Next, the doctoral candidate turns to the audience and invites their contributions as follows:
"I now respectfully invite any members of the honoured audience who wish to offer criticisms of my dissertation to request the Custos for a permission to speak."

The Custos may then grant permission for members of the audience to speak and is responsible for ensuring that the doctoral candidate is able to reply immediately to the offered criticism and that the discussion does not stray from the matter at hand.

Finally, the Custos stands up and terminates the proceedings as follows:
"This public defence of the doctoral dissertation is now concluded."

Afterwards, there is usually a coffee service in the front of the lecture hall.

When the faculty board has given the permission to hold the thesis defence, the dean will appoint an opponent, a custos and an evaluation committee for the thesis.
 
The dean appoints one or two opponents to the thesis defence. The opponents should, if possible, have the scientific credentials required of a docent. The thesis supervisor may not act as an opponent. As a rule, the opponent should come from outside the University of Turku. The candidate is given the opportunity to give a statement before the opponent is appointed.
 
After consulting with the evaluation committee, the opponent must give the faculty a well-founded statement in writing within six weeks of the defence session. The statement must either support or oppose approving the thesis and suggest a grade for a work to be approved. The statement must indicate how the evaluation committee has been consulted. Due to academic tradition of the Faculty a doctoral candidate doesn’t discuss with the opponent about the grade, before the Faculty has accepted the dissertation and its grade.
 
The candidate is offered the chance to respond to the opponent’s statement. The response must be given to the faculty before the faculty board meeting where the evaluation of the thesis in question is discussed.

Forthcoming public defences of the Faculty can be found in the Events webpage.