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Biology Ph.D Candidate Dissertation (Thesis)?
I noticed that just about all biology PhD programs say that by the time your dissertation defense comes around, you should have at least 1 first-authored published work. I'm confused. I thought a dissertation was, by itself, publishable work. In the previous case, how broad IS a PhD dissertation supposed to be? Is the thesis technically the culmination of many publishable works thrown together into the RESULTS section of the thesis?
(Also, almost all non-dissertation publications I've read contained multiple different experiments that were done to prove a point. This further confuses me as to the difference between a PhD thesis and just a regular publication.)
RECAP: What is the difference between a biology PhD thesis and a "regular" publication [esp. in terms of topic/hypothesis(es) broadness]?
1 Answer
- 1 decade agoFavorite Answer
A dissertation for the PhD should have written quality enough to be a published work, but most want something from your dissertation to be part of a journal article.
Most PhD candidates have at least one article or more under their belt, or several publications along the way. If you have a great mentor/adviser for your program, s/he would tell you having at least one article would best serve you.
The dissertation contains several components. There is a literature review section with background information the study you plan to conduct and your "research questions." There is a methods section that explains how you will collect your data/what it is you are studying. There is the results, explaining the results/data. And discussion/summary/recommendations of what you discovered, how it relates to the literature, and what your new work contributes.
The PhD thesis usually has a LENGTHY literature review, followed by the lengthiness of everything else. In some programs, your PhD is supposed to be able to have enough depth to produce at least 2 papers out of it. a "regular" publication usually has less in the literature review, but a further explanation of the results, discussion, and your contribution to the field.
I hope this helps
Source(s): Personal experience - working on my thesis, with one prior publication on my belt.
