Ph.D. by Publication

OPEN CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY / DOCTORAL SCHOOL

A coherent programme of original research disseminated in linked scholarly publications.

AWARD   PhD

CREDITS   90

FULL-TIME   36-48 months

PART-TIME   48-72 months

Research route

The PhD by Publication is intended for candidates whose principal research will be undertaken during doctoral candidature and communicated through connected scholarly publications. It is not retrospective recognition of an already completed publication career. Applicants need not have publications before admission.

Requirements and credit structure

An article-based corpus normally includes three to five substantial peer-reviewed outputs, or an approved equivalent, meeting formal acceptance or publication standards. The principal contribution must arise during candidature. A candidate normally may include no more than one approved pre-registration work as a foundation. A new 20,000-30,000-word integrative thesis explains the cumulative argument and original contribution beyond the individual outputs.

Assessed components

PB01   Publication-Oriented Proposal and Candidature (15 credits)

PB02   Peer-Reviewed Publication Corpus (45 credits)

PB03   Integrative Doctoral Thesis (25 credits)

PB04   Independent Doctoral Examination (5 credits)

TOTAL   Total (90 credits)

Admission and examination

Applicants normally require a relevant master's degree or approved equivalent, research preparation, and a feasible publication strategy showing linked studies, intended methods, authorship and potential publication venues. A 4,000-7,000-word proposal is developed after registration.

Normal completion is 36-48 months full-time or 48-72 months part-time. Each counted work, the corpus and the integrative thesis must satisfy academic scrutiny. Final independent examination tests ownership, methods and originality through a viva or an approved examiner-led alternative.

Biblical foundation: Colossians 1:15-20 (CSB)

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