Thesis modalities

Types of doctoral thesis

Doctoral thesis in monograph format

1. In general, the doctoral thesis in monograph format must:
a) Have, as a minimum, an introduction to the subject of study and a summary of the state of the art, the objectives of the research, the methodology used, an exposition of the research carried out, the discussion, if applicable, of the results obtained, the conclusions and the referenced bibliography. It may also include any annexes considered appropriate.
b) State that it is a doctoral thesis and specify the title, the author, the director or directors, the doctoral program, the name of the University of Malaga and, in the case of joint supervision, the name of the other university, as well as the year of its defense. In theses with more than one volume, the volume number will be clearly indicated on each cover.
2. The thesis must be written in Spanish or in one of the languages ​​commonly used for scientific communication. When the thesis is not written in Spanish, it must include a summary of at least three thousand words in that language.
3. Doctoral theses written in the fields of philology or translation and interpretation may be presented in the corresponding languages. When none of the languages ​​is Spanish, they must include a summary of at least three thousand words in that language.
4. Theses must be supported by scientific publications or works generated during the course of their doctoral studies by the author, in which their connection with the University of Malaga must be stated, and which will be directly related to their thesis. These works must respond to the ANECA quality criteria on publications in each area in accordance with the provisions of the corresponding academic and quality committee of the doctoral program.

In the case of the Doctoral Program in Health Sciences, these criteria are (approved by the Academic Commission on 15/12/2020):

Contribution published in a journal indexed in the Journal of Citation reports (JCR) of the Science Citation Index or the Social Science Citation Index:

• Journal located in the first tercile: 1 point
• Journal located in the second tercile: 0.75 points
• Journal located in the third tercile: 0.5 points

For doctoral students enrolled in the 2014/15 academic year, 0.75 points will be required and for those enrolled in the 2013/14 academic year, 0.5 points. The position in JCR that coincides with the year of publication or the last year of publication will be used if the most recent is not available.

In a work with multiple authors:
a) The number of authors must not exceed four. If this is the case, a detailed report will be required from the person supervising the thesis on the contribution of each author to the published work.
b) The doctoral candidate must obtain the waiver of the remaining authors to present it as part or endorsement of another doctoral thesis.
c) The doctoral candidate must be the first author, or the second author provided that the first signatory is the one supervising his or her thesis and that the doctoral candidate specifies what his or her scientific contribution has been, which must be endorsed by the director. Works from disciplines in which a different order of authors is usual in the presentation of the authorship will be exempt from this requirement, in which case the doctoral candidate, with the approval of the director, will justify his or her contribution and the relationship of the work with his or her thesis.
5. When the doctoral candidate shares authorship in any of the works with which he or she wishes to endorse his or her thesis, he or she must obtain the waiver of the other authors to present it as part or endorsement of another doctoral thesis.

Doctoral thesis by compendium of publications

1. A set of works, directly related to each other, that have been previously published by the doctoral candidate and are presented in a report that gives them unity, and in which their connection with the University of Malaga must be stated, may be submitted for evaluation as a doctoral thesis.

2. Theses presented as a compendium of publications must consist of:

 

• a) An introduction that presents the works and justifies their thematic unity to form a thesis. This introduction must be sufficiently extensive, and will include the study of the state of the art, the details that, due to space limitations, could not have been included in the publications that endorse the thesis and the objectives of the work.
• b) A global summary of the results, the discussion, if applicable, of these results, the conclusions and a copy of the works that form an integral part of the thesis. The introduction must be sufficiently extensive and must include the study of the state of the art, the details that have not been able to be included in the publications that support the thesis due to space limitations and the objectives of the thesis.
• c) When the thesis is not written in Spanish, it must include in all cases a summary of at least three thousand words in that language.

3. To request the admission of a thesis for processing by compendium of publications, it will be necessary that it be composed of a minimum of three publications (articles, book chapters or books). These same publications are those that will be taken into account to support the thesis. At least two of the publications must have been made in media considered suitable according to the evaluation criteria that, in relation to the scientific field to which the line of research in which the doctoral thesis is presented belongs, are published by the CNEAI.

4. The sum of the scores of the publications that are part of a thesis presented as a compendium of publications must respond to the quality criteria of the ANECA on publications in each area in accordance with what is established in the corresponding academic and quality commission of the doctoral program.

5. The combined works must have been published after the first registration for academic supervision of the doctoral thesis at the University of Malaga.

6. In a work with multiple authors:

 

• a) The number of authors must not exceed four. If it is, a detailed report will be required from the person directing the thesis on the contribution of each author to the published work.
• b) The doctoral student must obtain the waiver of the remaining authors to present it as part or endorsement of another doctoral thesis.
• c) The doctoral student must be the first author, or the second author provided that the first signatory is the one directing his or her thesis and that the doctoral student specifies what his or her scientific contribution has been, which must be endorsed by the director. This requirement is not applicable to works in disciplines in which a different order of authors is customary in the presentation of the authorship, in which case the doctoral candidate, with the approval of the director, will justify his or her contribution and the relationship of the work with his or her thesis.

7. Each copy of the thesis will state that it is a doctoral thesis by compendium of publications and will specify the title, the author, the director or directors, the doctoral program, the name of the University of Malaga and, in the case of joint supervision, that of the other university, as well as the year of its defense. In theses with more than one volume, the volume number will be clearly indicated on each cover.

Authorization for the presentation of the thesis in a compendium of publications

1. To present a thesis in a compendium of publications, the doctoral candidate will request admission for processing, provided that he or she has a prior favorable report from those who direct and supervise the thesis, as well as the approval of the corresponding academic and quality committee and the director of the Doctoral School.
2. The report of those who direct and supervise the thesis will record the suitability of the presentation of the thesis in the compendium format, and will detail the scientific relevance of the means of dissemination used for the publication of the contributions that make up the thesis.
3. When deemed necessary, the management of the Doctoral School may request reports from two external experts, stating the specific value of the works that make up the thesis and, where appropriate, the relevance of the publishers where they have been published or accepted, and the mechanisms they use to select originals. In accordance with the provisions of Chapter V of the Doctoral Regulations of the University of Malaga, theses will be supported by scientific publications generated during the doctorate by the author, in which their connection with the University of Malaga must be stated, and which will be directly related to their thesis.

These works must respond to the quality criteria of ANECA on publications in each area in accordance with the provisions of the corresponding academic and quality committee of the doctoral program.