Proposal for the approval of journal-based dissertations
The goal of the alternative, journal-based dissertation has always been to provide a more
authentic experience for students, specifically those with intentions to continue pursuing an
academic or research-based career. The payoff for students is that they graduate with, at a
minimum, two journal articles ready for submission in quality peer-reviewed journals.
If a student desires to conduct a journal-ready dissertation, s/he must follow one of two paths
Path A: Projects
This path encourages students to use their PhD projects to follow a sustained research agenda
throughout their studies. In this case a student will use either one or both of their research
projects to generate a publishable article that will count toward his/her dissertation. Students
following this path must still complete a prospectus defense. The form of the defense should
include:
1. An introduction, tying all the research together
2. An overview of the first study and the journal or book it is to be submitted to. It is
expected that this paper will be more completed or near completion. The quality of this
article should be high enough to be publishable in a 2nd-tier publication venue. In
addition, quality in itself does not ensure the article be included as part of the dissertation.
The student must make and defend a reasoned argument that the article and study is
clearly connected to/with the remaining dissertation work.
3. Literature review and method section(s) for a proposed dissertation study/studies and the
journal(s) to be submitted to.
Identifying the journal a work is to be submitted to does not preclude the student from ultimately
submitting their work to another journal, but rather is an exercise in helping the student to
identify and write to a particular audience. It also communicates to the committee what level of
quality they are expecting for that article. For example, the committee may accept an article
targeting a lower-tier journal if other pieces of the dissertation are targeting higher tier journals.
The committee could then evaluate these various pieces according to the standard being
presented by the student. It is not expected, for example, that all three articles of a three-article
dissertation be Tier 1-quality publications, but it may be expected that one of them could be.
The student does not have to ensure that committee members grade his/her project. Graders will
be assigned per normal departmental procedures.
Participating in this way does not lock the student into completing a journal-style dissertation.
If, after completing a project, a student decides that s/he would rather complete a traditional 5chapter dissertation s/he may do so with a traditional 3-chapter prospectus defense.
Path B: Articles and Literature Review
A student does not have to use his/her projects to conduct a journal-ready dissertation. In this
case, the student convenes his/her committee for a traditional prospectus defense. Though the
student is encouraged to build on his earlier work, all articles generated must originate from the
dissertation research. As in the case of Path A, the student must write an introduction that ties
the research together, followed by self-contained proposals for each subsequent article. In this
case, it is strongly encouraged that the student write a full-length literature review or theoretical
framework for the first article, demonstrating a deep understanding of the issues facing his/her
topic.
NOTE: Regardless of the path selected, a student completing a journal-style dissertation does not
need to have their articles accepted as this aspect of the review process resides outside the
control of either the student or the committee. However, it is expected that a student submit
his/her articles for review prior to final approval of the dissertation.