"A thesis is a thesis"? Insights into how researchers examine doctoral theses that include publications

Shannon Mason
Nagasaki University, Japan
Kristin Solli
Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway

Thesis by publication (TBP) is well-established in some geographic and disciplinary contexts, but is still emerging in others. The unique challenges of the TBP for doctoral researchers and supervisors have been well-covered in recent studies, but there has been limited attention given to examiners, despite the high stakes of the examination process for doctoral researchers. Because examination often involves researchers from different countries, variation in the conceptualisation and position of the TBP in different contexts may impact the way examiners approach examination, and what factors they consider and value. In this study we investigate how 79 researchers in and from 30 different countries approach examination of a TBP. The findings may serve to assist other examiners, to help doctoral researchers and supervisors prepare for the examination process and guide institutional policy-makers on how they can improve their procedures, making the process smoother and more transparent for all involved.
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Authors: Dr Shannon Mason is associate professor in the Faculty of Education, Nagasaki University, Japan. Her research activities in education cover a range of themes from P-12 to PhD, with a central interest in the lived experiences of beginning and established teachers and researchers, and the policies, processes and practices that influence them. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8999-4448 Email: shannon.lee.mason@gmail.com Dr Kristin Solli is associate professor in the English for Academic Purposes Unit, Faculty of Education and International Studies at Oslo Metropolitan University in Norway. Her research interests include doctoral education, doctoral writing, writing pedagogy, and the thesis by publication as a genre. She teaches various writing courses and workshops for students and researchers at OsloMet. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0107-6413 Email: kristin.solli@oslomet.no Please cite as: Mason, S. & Solli, K. (2025). "A thesis is a thesis"? Insights into how researchers examine doctoral theses that include publications. Issues in Educational Research, 35(1), 237-254. http://www.iier.org.au/iier35/mason.pdf