The regulations in this section cover the criteria postgraduate research (PGR) students must fulfil to be awarded a research degree, including for doctoral degrees by published works.
15.1. Examiners are appointed to assess a PGR student’s dissertation (or submission for doctoral degrees by published works) and performance in the oral examination and to determine if the student has achieved the relevant award criteria.
15.2. The examiners must assess the scope and depth of the work at the appropriate level for the relevant award criteria. A doctoral degree examination, for example, will be more in depth and will typically require a longer oral examination than that of a research master's degree.
15.3. Any integrated taught components connected to a doctoral degree are assessed separately.
15.4. There are general criteria covering all research degrees and additional criteria for doctorates and for research master’s degrees.
15.5. A PGR dissertation (or submission for a doctoral degree by published work) must:
15.5.1. Embody the results of research carried out by the student with the work produced being reasonably expected from a capable and diligent student in the period of study specified in regulation.
15.5.2. Consist of the student’s own account of their investigations.
15.5.3. Make clear where information has been derived, the extent to which the work of others has been used, and the areas that the student claims to be original.
15.5.4. Demonstrate critical judgement in relation to the student’s own work and to the work of other researchers in the field.
15.5.5. Present an integrated structure and a coherent argument.
15.6. Through a combination of the dissertation (or submission for a doctoral degree by published work) and the oral examination, a PGR student must:
15.6.1. Demonstrate an adequate knowledge and understanding of the discipline, the context in which the research is grounded, and the literature relevant to the research.
15.6.2. Demonstrate verbally and in writing an ability to put forward arguments in an appropriate form.
15.7. In addition to the general criteria for all research degrees, doctoral degrees by dissertation are awarded when the doctoral student fulfils the following criteria:
15.7.1. The dissertation represents a significant and original contribution to knowledge that is worthy of publication or dissemination in whole or in part.
15.7.2. The dissertation and the performance in the oral examination demonstrate the student’s capacity to pursue original research based on a good understanding of the relevant techniques and concepts.
15.8. In addition to the general criteria for all research degrees, doctoral degrees by published works are awarded when the following criteria are fulfilled:
15.8.1. The published works are coherent and represent a significant and original contribution to knowledge.
15.8.2. The commentary demonstrates the coherence, significance, and originality of the published works.
15.8.3. The commentary and published works, together with the performance in the oral examination, demonstrate the student’s capacity to pursue original research based on a good understanding of the relevant techniques and concepts.
15.9. Originality for a doctoral degree means a contribution to learning. For example:
15.9.1. Discovering new knowledge or applying existing knowledge to new situations.
15.9.2. Connecting previously unrelated facts, the development of new theory, or the revision of previously held views.
15.9.3. Developing new research methods or techniques.
15.10. In addition to the general criteria for all research degrees, research master's degrees should represent a contribution to knowledge.
