What is a multi-part thesis? 

A multi-part thesis is essentially a thesis where the examined work consists of multiple elements, aside from the written PDF commentary. Additional content can potentially include a variety of file types (jpegs, MP3, MP4), which form a fundamental part of the thesis. Prior to the pilot, such submissions were limited to students in the Faculty of AHC who were enrolled under the University’s practice-led thesis protocol. 

Why think about multi-part theses? 

The White Rose Etheses Online (WREO) repository was introduced in 2009 to accommodate research theses in electronic form. Doctoral theses are uploaded to WREO after the viva and any corrections. WREO also holds older theses which have been digitised by the University Library, or by the British Library as part of their online electronic thesis service, EThOS. Most theses are a single PDF file.  

In 2016, the British Library published case studies exploring how thesis formats might evolve to accommodate new forms of scholarship and maximize the potential of electronic rather than paper-based formats. Examples included PGRs who were creating software, apps and a variety of multi-media content they wanted to share (see Multimedia PhD Research and Non-text Theses). In fact, theses submitted with multiple parts have been with us for many years in the form of ‘back of the thesis’ content such as CDs, memory sticks and additional elements bound into theses such as maps and diagrams.  

Although the WREO software can accommodate multiple files, we thought it could be helpful to review and standardise our advice and our approach. We have had feedback over the years from practice researchers wanting practice materials to be presented more effectively and asking for better advice and support on thesis preparation and deposit.  

Multi-part thesis Task and Finish Group 

The mpThesis (multi-part) Thesis Group convened in March 2021 as a task and finish group to investigate doctoral theses not easily accommodated in a single PDF. The group undertook desk research, focus groups and interviews. We found low awareness of WREO amongst PGRs and interest in mpTheses outside practice research areas – for example, providing examiners with videos of laboratory set ups, software, or data visualisations. We also found examples of multi-file theses which were tricky to navigate, with ambiguity around which material had been examined (i.e., was part of the thesis) and which material was supplementary. The groups was also aware of concerns that creating thesis with multiple elements might make them more difficult to examine and challenging to preserve long term.  

The group made a number of recommendations, including for a pilot phase, encouragement of multi-part thesis conversations between PGRs, supervisors, Doctoral College and Library staff and a new index form to help thesis preparation and navigation. 

Multi-part thesis pilot 

Having been agreed by Graduate Board and Progress and Examinations Group (PEG), the Multi-part thesis pilot became live in Autumn 2023, extending the support for PGRs wishing to submit in this way to any school. Prior to the pilot, the multi-part format was only open to students on the practice-led route, and as there are commonalities between the two pathways, it is hoped that any learning outcomes from the pilot can be used to improve the processes around practice-led theses. 

One of the main differences is that it is necessary to apply to the Progress and Examinations Group to take part in the multi-part pilot. This is required to ensure the coherence of submissions, maintain academic rigour and decide whether this pathway is appropriate. 

To prepare for the pilot, the library has liaised closely with colleagues in the Doctoral College to establish a workflow for such applications and to try and anticipate what demands may be made in terms of staff time when dealing with these submissions. Associated guidance and index forms have also been produced, and these are linked to from the Doctoral College pages: 

https://students.leeds.ac.uk/info/10125/thesis-submission-and-the-viva/1751/multi-part-thesis

The pilot is due to run for 12 months, but there is the possibility of extending it if needed, as we currently do not know what the demand will be.