Requirements and recommendations for the dissertation at the Philosophical Faculty

Instructions for Doctoral Dissertations Submitted for Preliminary Examination from January 1, 2026, Onward

This page presents the key requirements related to the preparation, examination, and evaluation of doctoral dissertations in the Philosophical Faculty, as well as provides an overall picture of the different stages of the process.

Requirements and Recommendations for the Doctoral Dissertation

A doctoral dissertation is a coherent work based on independent research that provides new scientific knowledge. It may be either a monograph or an article-based dissertation.

The following types of doctoral dissertations may be approved:

1. A single study (monograph): A monographic dissertation is an independently written, unified work by the doctoral researcher. The content has not been published in its entirety before, although the dissertation may partially be based on the researcher’s previously published studies and sub-studies. If previously published research was conducted collaboratively, the doctoral researcher’s personal contribution and input must be clearly described. The recommended length for a monograph is 125–250 pages, or about 250,000–500,000 characters. The topic should be scoped so that the dissertation can be completed in about three years of full-time work.

2. Article-based dissertation: An article-based dissertation consists of at least three peer-reviewed scientific articles addressing the same set of research questions, plus a summary section. Two of the articles must be published or accepted for publication, and the third must be verifiably under review before pre-examination. Peer review means the practice where an independent reviewer evaluates an article or part of a compilation in advance. See more about the definition of a scientific publication on the UEF Library’s website (opens in a new tab).

If the articles include co-authored publications, the doctoral researcher must be the first (responsible) author in at least three articles. Shared first authorship is interpreted as first authorship. The doctoral researcher must clearly demonstrate their independent contribution either in the summary or in a separate appendix. A co-authored article may be included in the licentiate thesis or dissertation of no more than two different researchers. An article-based dissertation cannot include articles from the researcher’s previous dissertation. The summary section must be written independently by the doctoral researcher.

The summary should present the research background, objectives and research questions, methods, ethical considerations, results, discussion, and conclusions. The summary should engage with previous research in the dissertation’s field and compare it to the researcher’s own findings. The summary should be written so that information presented in the articles is not unnecessarily repeated. The recommended length for the summary is 40–80 pages, or 80,000–160,000 characters. The topic should be scoped so that the dissertation can be completed in about three years of full-time work.

Use of AI in doctoral dissertations

Doctoral dissertations follow the University of Eastern Finland’s guidelines on the use of artificial intelligence, applied as appropriate. If an AI application is used in a thesis, the doctoral researcher must report, in writing, which application was used and in which manner it was used. Theses must not be completed entirely by using an AI application. Please read the detailed instructions on the following pages:

• Guidelines for Describing the Use of AI in Bachelor’s and Master’s Theses (opens in a new tab) (requires UEF login)
• AI Policy for Students (Kamu)
• University of Eastern Finland AI Policy (UEF Intranet, opens in a new tab) (requires UEF login)

Examination and evaluation of the doctoral dissertation

The dissertation is examined in two stages: first the pre-examination, then the public defence.

Publishing the dissertation and preparing for the public defence take time. If you wish to defend in the spring semester, you should submit your manuscript for pre-examination by January–February at the latest. If you wish to defend in the autumn semester, you should submit your manuscript for pre-examination by August at the latest.

Evaluation Criteria for the Doctoral Dissertation

1. Compliance with the principles and practices of research ethics:

The research follows the principles and practices recognized by the scientific community: honesty, general diligence, and accuracy in conducting research, recording and presenting results, and in evaluating research and their results. (https://tenk.fi/en/research-integrity-ri (opens in a new tab))

2. Selection of the topic, definition of the research problem and research task, and formulation of the research questions:

The topic is significant in terms of information value, and the research produces new knowledge in the field or opens up a new line of research. The research task and questions are appropriately defined. The research task is meaningfully related to previous research.

3. Conceptual clarity:

The concepts used in the research are clear and justified. They have been critically and comprehensively analyzed and assessed using high-quality scholarly literature.

4. Selection and management of research methods:

The research is methodologically justified. The researcher demonstrates knowledge of prior theoretical and methodological discussions. The methods used are presented and justified. The researcher demonstrates that the methods enable the research questions to be answered.

5. Data:

The data used in the research is of high quality, relevant to the topic, and sufficient.

6. Knowledge of research literature:

The doctoral researcher demonstrates command of previous scientific discussion on the research topic and can position their work within it.

7. Presentation and conclusions of the results, and their scientific novelty and significance:

The research results are presented logically and comprehensively in relation to the research task, and their significance for the field is evaluated appropriately. The research assesses the societal and international significance of the results and presents key suggestions for further research.

8. Style and Formal Aspects:

The language is clear. The style, presentation, and language are polished. The table of contents corresponds to the numbering and headings of main and subchapters as well as pagination. Citation practices for data and literature are consistent and uniform throughout the dissertation.

9. The work as a whole:

The research has been done independently and demonstrates critical and original thinking in relation to previous research, research methods, and concepts. The work’s structure and argumentation are logical. The text focuses on essential points. In evaluating article-based dissertations, attention should be paid to whether the parts form a sufficiently unified and broad entity as defined for a dissertation. Repetition and overlap in articles closely related in topic due to the publication format should not be considered significant deficiencies in the assessment.

Grading Scale for Approved Doctoral Dissertations

Pass: The dissertation satisfactorily meets the evaluation criteria and adheres to research ethics practices.

Pass with Distinction: An exceptionally high-quality and meritorious dissertation may receive the grade “pass with distinction.” The research is ambitious in its topic and, considering the evaluation criteria, particularly meritorious and adheres to research ethics practices.

Dissertations submitted for pre-examination on or after 1 August 2026: the assessment scale is pass / fail.

Instructions for Doctoral Dissertations Submitted for Preliminary Examination before January 1, 2026

An eligible doctoral dissertation may be a monograph or a collection of research articles. A collection of research articles refers to an entity consisting of the following parts: 1) a sufficient number of scientific publications or manuscripts, which examine the same set of problems. The number of articles required is determined by the Philosophical Faculty. 2) An independently compiled summary based on them. An article-based dissertation contains at least three peer-reviewed articles, two of which must have been accepted for publication, and the third accepted for the review process. Peer review refers to the practice of the scientific community in which an independent reviewer prepares a preliminary review of an article or part of a compilation. That assessment shall be verifiable. If the publications include collaborative works, the doctoral candidate must attest to his/her independent contribution either in the summary or in a separate appendix. The doctoral candidate must be the first author (responsible author) of at least three articles. A collaborative publication may be included in no more than two person’s licentiate theses or doctoral dissertations. The summary of the article-based dissertation is written independently by the author of the dissertation.

Doctoral dissertations follow the University of Eastern Finland’s guidelines on the use of artificial intelligence, applied as appropriate. If an AI application is used in a thesis, the doctoral researcher must report, in writing, which application was used and in which manner it was used. Theses must not be completed entirely by using an AI application. Please read the detailed instructions on the following pages:

• AI Policy for Students (Kamu)
• University of Eastern Finland AI Policy (UEF Intranet, opens in a new tab) (requires UEF login)
• Guidelines for Describing the Use of AI in Bachelor’s and Master’s Theses (opens in a new tab) (requires UEF login)

Evaluation criteria for the doctoral dissertation

The topic and research problem of the research project and narrowing the research problem:
The topic has significant information value and generates new information in the field of research or opens a new line of research. The research tasks and questions have been appropriately narrowed down. The research project has a meaningful connection to earlier research.

Conceptual clarity:
The concepts used in the research project are clear and justified. They have been analysed and assessed critically and extensively with the help of high-quality scientific literature.

Research methodology and methods:
The research project is methodologically justified. The researcher demonstrates their knowledge of earlier theoretical and methodological discussion. The methods employed in the research project are described and their choice is explained. The researcher demonstrates that the methods can be used to solve the research problems which have been set.

Material:
The material used in the research project is of high quality. It is relevant and sufficient in light of the research topic.

Reporting the results and conclusions:
In light of the research tasks, the results have been reported in a logical way from multiple viewpoints. The significance of the results to the field has been assessed in a relevant manner. The research report lists the most important questions for future research. The social and international significance of the research project is assessed.

The dissertation in general and its presentation:
The research project is a logical entity both in terms of structure and argumentation, and the language is clear and readable. The text focuses on essential questions. The research project has been completed independently and it demonstrates independent critical thinking towards earlier research, research methods and research concepts.

Grading scale of an approved doctoral dissertation

Pass: The dissertation meets the evaluation criteria satisfactorily and complies with research ethical practices.

Pass with distinction: An exceptionally high-quality and meritorious dissertation may receive a grade of pass with distinction. The dissertation has an ambitious topic and in light of the evaluation criteria its merits are exceptional, and it complies with research ethical practices.