Abstract
The alternative format PhD, in which doctoral candidates produce a thesis composed of a series of peer reviewed publications, is growing in popularity internationally. However, across the higher education system in the United Kingdom (UK), universities have been slower to adopt the alterative thesis format. This paper presents a systematic narrative review to understand the development of institutional-level policies pertaining to the alternative thesis format across UK HE institutions (n = 135), identifying best practice and opportunities for improvement. We evidence a fragmented policy landscape in which there is a notable lack of consistent and coherent policy and guidance across HE institutions, which may in fact compound existing inequalities in doctoral provision. Recommendations are made to encourage the design of institutional policies that support PhD candidates to opt for the alterative format thesis where appropriate, with wide ranging implications for the HE sector.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 140-149 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | Perspectives |
| Volume | 27 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| Early online date | 27 Jul 2023 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 27 Jul 2023 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:Caitlin Robinson received funding from a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship grant (MR/V021672/1). Caitlin is grateful to Eli Saetnan and Judith Schoch from The Academy at the University of Liverpool for their support and guidance, and the two annonymous reviewers for their thoughtful comments.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Keywords
- Alternative format thesis
- PhD
- Academic publishing
- United Kingdom
- Higher Education