Guidelines for Doctoral Thesis

Submission of Doctoral Dissertations to the Library

According to Senate Decision no.3/2011 (19/1/2011), every PhD candidate at the University of Cyprus is obliged to submit to the Library the following:

  • A hard copy of their dissertation (the validity page must bear the signatures of Research Advisor and the President of the Evaluation Committee – other signatures are not necessary)
  • The Registration Form (without signatures) completed and submitted both via email ([email protected]) and in print form (with signatures)
  • Digital final version (PDF)  of their dissertation (without signatures) via e-mail ([email protected])
  • Self-archiving (instructions follow)

Self-archiving instructions:

  1.  Click on the link https://gnosis.library.ucy.ac.cy/. This will take you to the homepage of the Gnosis Institutional Repository.
  2. At the top right of the page please Log in via: Password Authentication using your University credentials (email / password).
  3.  Next, you should select from the home page the community Διδακτορικές Διατριβές ΠΚ / UCY Doctoral Thesis,  and then select the School and finally your Department. By selecting the Department, there you will find and click on the “Submit a new item to this collection” which will direct you to the self-archiving form.
  4. Please fill in the basic descriptive information of your doctoral thesis. Fields marked with an asterisk are mandatory.
  5. Attach the final version of your work (it is in the steps of the same form). The file (.pdf) must be the exact copy of the work (without signatures). The name of the file must be written in latin characters and include your name e.g. Ioannou_Anastasia.

File formats accepted:

Text file

The text file that comprises the main body of the dissertation must be submitted in Adobe Portable Document Format (.pdf) version 5.0 or later. In case it is submitted in formats such as MS Word, it will be converted to .pdf by the Library. If submitted in alternative formats, the candidate must inform the Library accordingly in order for the file to be converted safely to .pdf. In any case, the text of the dissertation must be submitted to the Library in its entirety in a single file, not in parts, and be an exact copy of the dissertation submitted to the Department. Additional files attached, such as presentation files (e.g. PowerPoint), will also be converted to .pdf. Documents in .pdf can be read in most operating systems, while maintaining the format (appearance) and characteristics of the original text without content loss or alteration.

Data file

Oftentimes dissertations are accompanied by files in other formats, usually containing research data, such as SPSS or AutoCAD files. Files in other formats must by compressed before being submitted, preferably in .zip or .rar format. WinZip and WinRar are the most popular formats for file compression. They are preferred because they bring together several files into one, facilitating data compression and the submission process. Upon delivery of the above, the validity of the information is checked by the Library in the presence of the candidate, who then receives a Doctoral Dissertation Receipt Confirmation as well as Confirmation of Settlement of any outstanding issues with the Library. The dissertation can be submitted at the Digitization and Archives Office, Rm 022 ground floor, Learning Resource Centre – Library “Stelios Ioannou” (1 Panepistimiou Avenue, 2109 Aglantzia, Nicosia).

Doctoral dissertation delivery hours

Monday – Friday, 8:30 – 14:00

Requirements for the Doctoral Dissertations

Binding: The dissertation must be bound in size A4 volume(s), in dark brown leather cover. The cost for binding is undertaken by the PhD candidate. Dissertation length: The length of the dissertation depends on the candidate, may be determined by the Department, and relates to the requirements and particularities of the topic. Scientific competence is more important than the length for the thesis evaluation. Cover: A golden-color University of Cyprus logo appears on the dissertation cover. Data included on the cover are: academic department, dissertation title, author’s name, the phrase “DOCTORAL DISSERTATION”, and the year it is submitted. Paper: The dissertation should be printed on good quality paper, size A4, such as semi-matt glossy DSP 100gr or similar. Fonts: It is recommended that the dissertation be printed in black font, preferably Times New Roman or Arial or other font, size 11 or 12. For footnotes and endnotes it is recommended that a smaller size of the same font be used. Titles and headings may have different size. Spacing: It is recommended that line spacing is 1,5. Extended citations, footnotes, appendices and references may be single-spaced. Margins: Top, bottom and right must be 2 cm; left must be 3,5 cm. Printing: Printing should be consistently clear and dark and only one side of the paper is to be used. Either laser printing or photocopying of high quality is acceptable. Inkjet printing is not accepted. Pagination: Preliminary pages (i.e. validation page, acknowledgements, table of contents and related pages) must have continuous numbering in lowercase roman numerals (i, ii, iii, iv, v, …). The title page inside must not be numbered and not be counted in the total number of pages. All following pages of the dissertation text, including appendices and bibliographies, must have continuous numbering in Arabic (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, ….). Page numbers are located at the  bottom, justified to the right.

Printed appearance of doctoral dissertations

Cover – The information below, in the order given, is provided in golden color:

  • University of Cyprus logo (in golden color)
  • Academic Department [Department of ……..]
  • Title of dissertation
  • The phrase «DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY DISSERTATION»
  • Author’s full name
  • Year of submission

Volume spine – The information below, in the order given, is provided in golden color:

  • Author’s full name
  • The phrase «DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY DISSERTATION»
  • Volume number (in case there are more than one)
  • Year of submission

Title page (inside) – In uppercase, the same information as provided on the cover, in the following order:

  • University of Cyprus logo
  • Academic Department [Department of ……..]
  • Title of dissertation
  • Author’s full name
  • The sentence “A dissertation submitted to the University of Cyprus in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy”
  • Month and year of submission

The page following the title page (on the back of title page) – Information provided:

  • ©Full name, year of submission

Structure of the main parts of the dissertation The dissertation’s parts must appear in the following order: Validation Page – Information provided:

  • “VALIDATION PAGE”
  • Doctoral candidate: [……………full name]
  • Dissertation title: […………………………….]
  • The following sentence in italics (“The present Doctoral Dissertation was submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the Department of ………. [name of the department] and was approved on the ……………. [date of approval] by the members of the Examination Committee.”)
  • Examination Committee:
  • Research Supervisor: [………….full name, position, signature]
  • Other members: […………full name, position, signature – for each one]

This page must bear the signatures of the Research Supervisor and the President of the Evaluation Committee. Other signatures are not obligatory. Declaration of Doctoral Candidate) – The following statement must be provided: “The present doctoral dissertation was submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy of the University of Cyprus. It is a product of original work of my own, unless otherwise mentioned through references, notes, or any other statements.” Full name and signature of the doctoral candidate Abstract in Greek (approximately 500 words) – (the abstract should be read independently) Abstract in an international language (approximately 500 words) – (the abstract should be read independently) Acknowledgements [optional – depends on the candidate] Dedication [optional – depends on the candidate] Table of Contents List of Figures List of Tables Chapter 1: Introduction Other Chapters Conclusions References Appendices [if applicable]

For more information