THE SAHLGRENSKA ACADEMY
DEFENDING A THESISPractical instructions for doctoral candidates at the Sahlgrenska Academy
January 2015
Compiled at the Academy Office in July 2014. Revised January 2015. Comments regarding the content and presentation should be submitted to [email protected]
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INNEHÅLLINTRODUCTION ........................................................................................4General information ......................................................................................4DOCTORAL DEGREE .................................................................................4Thesis ............................................................................................................4Course element ..............................................................................................4REQUIREMENTS REGARDING DOCTORAL DEGREES AT THE SAHLGRENSKA ACADEMY ......................................................................5THESIS PRESENTATION ............................................................................5Protection of unpublished research results (Intellectual Property) ..................6BOOKING THE DATE AND TIME FOR THE DISPUTATION ..................6Final seminar .................................................................................................7GRADING COMMITTEE, OPPONENT AND CHAIRPERSON AT THE DISPUTATION PROCEEDINGS ..................................................................7ANNOUNCEMENT OF DISPUTATION .....................................................8PRINTING THE THESIS .............................................................................9Regulations ...................................................................................................9Practical instructions .....................................................................................9Thesis cover ................................................................................................10NOTIFICATION OF THE DATE OF THE DEFENCE OF A DOCTORAL THESIS (“SPIKNING”) AND DISTRIBUTION .........................................10OTHER DISTRIBUTION OF THESIS ........................................................12INFORMATION FOR PRESS, RADIO AND TV .......................................12DISPUTATION ...........................................................................................12MEETING OF THE GRADING COMMITTEE .........................................12REMUNERATION FOR OPPONENT .......................................................13NOTIFICATION OF APPROVED DISPUTATION AND SATISFIED COURSE REQUIREMENTS ......................................................................13TITLE OF QUALIFICATION AND DEGREE CERTIFICATE ...................13CONFERRAL OF DOCTORAL DEGREE .................................................13FORMS .......................................................................................................14TIME SCHEDULE ......................................................................................15IMPORTANT DATES RELATING TO DISPUTATION .............................16Autumn term ...............................................................................................16Spring term .................................................................................................16CHECKLIST ...............................................................................................17TELEPHONE LIST .....................................................................................18APPENDICES .............................................................................................19LINKS .........................................................................................................19FORMS .......................................................................................................19
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INTRODUCTIONThis document provides information about the requirements that must be satisfied to be awarded a doctoral degree by the Sahlgrenska Academy, and about the practical tasks that you need to complete prior to your disputation. More detailed regulations can be found in the Higher Education Ordinance (HF), SFS 1993:100, with subsequent amendments, Chapter 6, “Education”, sections 25-36 “Third-cycle study programmes”.
General informationThe Sahlgrenska Academy offers the following third-cycle programme subjects:
– Pharmaceutical Science – Basic Medicine – Medical Science – Odontological Science – Health Care Sciences.
Third-cycle study programmes resulting in a doctoral degree are the equivalent of studies totalling 240 higher education credits1. A doctoral degree normally requires a total of four years’ full-time education.
The content of the programme is determined by the choice of third-cycle programme subject, with its general study plan and the doctoral candidate’s individual study plan.
Progress in the third-cycle programme is monitored at least once a year. In addition, a more thorough check-up is conducted half-way through the programme, when there is an equivalent of no more than two years’ full-time education remaining until the doctoral degree is achieved, according to the individual study plan.
DOCTORAL DEGREETo obtain a doctoral degree, doctoral candidates must have written and verbally defen-ded a scientifically-based doctoral thesis that has been passed at a public disputation, and he or she must also have passed the examinations that are included in the study programme (at least 30 higher education credits).
ThesisA scientifically-based thesis (corresponding to a minimum of 120 higher education credits) must be made available at the disputation (see page 12). The thesis can be a compilation thesis or a monograph.
Course elementAll doctoral candidates at the Sahlgrenska Academy must complete the course requi-rements. For more information please refer to the general study plan.
The institute’s Director of Studies is responsible for examining and approving your course element prior to the disputation. You should therefore allow plenty of time before the disputation to make contact with the institute’s Director of Studies to obtain approval of your course element. Information about who is your institute’s Director of Studies is available on the academy’s website.
1 The scope of the course is stated in higher education credits, where full-time studies during a standard academic year of 40 weeks correspond to 60 higher education credits.
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The courses should be completed and passed by the time the disputation takes place. Doctoral degree certificates are not issued until the disputation and course element have been approved.
REQUIREMENTS REGARDING DOCTORAL DEGREES AT THE SAHLGRENSKA ACADEMYThe following requirements must be satisfied in order for you to obtain a doctoral degree:
� approved third-cycle programme courses (obligatory PhD course and subject-related courses)
� mandatory copies for the Biomedical Library � notification of the date of the defence of the thesis (“spikning”) in the
university’s main building, Vasaparken � approved disputation
You must also publish your thesis electronically, according to a decision by the Dean.
THESIS PRESENTATIONYou should discuss the presentation of your thesis with your supervisor and, if necessary, with your institute’s Director of Studies.
A thesis at the Sahlgrenska Academy should, to the greatest possible extent, be written as a compilation thesis, but can in some cases consist of a monograph. A compilation thesis comprises a summarising chapter based on 2–4 articles. The articles are subject to the following rules:
� they must be of a length and quality that is in keeping with the criteria established by the academy’s Permanent Examination Board
� the PhD student should have first authorship on at least one article � at least one of the articles must have been published in, or accepted by a peer-
reviewed journal at the time of the disputation announcement. Otherwise the thesis is regarded as a monograph
� the articles should have been published in a journal relevant to the field of research
The thesis can be composed of a monograph but be designed in general in the form of a summarising chapter followed by articles (compilation thesis). The summarising chapter can be arranged as a scientific article with sub headings, such as introduction/background, purpose, method, results and discussion, and be based on the content of detailed articles. However, students are granted considerable licence regarding the presentation of the summarising chapter. The text should integrate the results achieved in the area of research in question, and the description of the methods chosen, for example, should be a discussion rather than a repeat of the content of the articles. The summarising chapter can comprise a report on the results and principally a discussion beyond what is included in the articles. These may, for example, be combined under one heading.
The text should be the doctoral candidate’s own work and copying of sections of text from the articles should be avoided. Figures and tables from the articles may be included in the summarising chapter, but if they originate from published/accepted articles then permission must be obtained from the journal concerned.
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If you are writing the thesis in a different language than Swedish you need to write a summary in Swedish. If you are writing the thesis in Swedish there must be a summary in English.
The summarising chapter can also be presented as a review article in the research area in question. One advantage of this model is that the summarising chapter can then be published as a separate article.
The summarising chapter can be written in English or Swedish. If the chapter is written in Swedish, the title must also be in Swedish.
Protection of unpublished research results (Intellectual Property)The printed thesis and summarising chapter published on the university website are public documents, which should be taken into account if, for example, the research group is considering patenting findings that are detailed in the summarising chapter or in preliminary manuscripts.
The objective is to publish the result of the thesis work in international scientific jour-nals. These journals employ specialists within their fields, who subject your work to a high level of scientific scrutiny prior to publication. This is a considerable resource that you should take advantage of when you are in the process of putting together the final thesis. Publication in widely distributed English-language journals also offers you opportunities to spread your scientific message.
Finally, you need to produce a loose title page for the thesis, known as the “spiktitel-blad” (Appendix 1). On the reverse of this page, and on the reverse of the thesis’ fixed title page, there should be an abstract of the thesis in English, in accordance with more detailed instructions in Appendices 2 and 3. The loose title page should also contain information about the articles on which the thesis is based. The thesis should have ISBN numbers (International Standard Book Number). ISBN numbers is obtained via the National Library of Sweden (Kungliga biblioteket). They recommended that the printed version and the digital version of the thesis should have seperate ISBN numbers. You can order two ISBN numbers for your thesis using an online form, go to www.kb.se/isbn-centralen/
BOOKING THE DATE AND TIME FOR THE DISPUTATIONThe disputation (and licentiate seminar) can take place during the following periods:
1 September – 22 December
10 January – the Friday the week before Midsummer
16 June – 15 August and 24 December – 6 January can not be included in the adverting time.
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The date and time for the disputation are booked via the Academy Office. Contact Carina Ejdeholm on phone no. 031-786 3031, or Tanja Johansson on phone no. 031-786 3849. At the Sahlgrenska Academy, two disputations may take place at the same time – two at 9.00 a.m. and two at 1.00 p.m. However, this is provided that the theses do not cover related subjects.
If another doctoral candidate has already booked a time for a disputation, requests for permission to hold the defence at the same time should be sent via e-mail to the Academy Office at: [email protected]. The request should contain details of the title of the thesis and a list of all the articles, as well as the date and time. The Sahlgrenska Academy’s Director of Studies for Third-cycle Programmes then makes a decision regarding whether the two disputations may be held at the same time.
Only one disputation per day may be carried out at the same department. You should therefore allow plenty of time to book a date if you want to be certain of holding the disputation on a particular day.
You are responsible for booking an appropriate venue and informing the Weekly Medi-cal Programme (Medicinska Veckoprogrammet) on phone no. 031 20 26 02 and the medical journal Läkartidningen (phone no. 08 790 34 78, e-mail: [email protected]) or the dentistry journal Tandläkartidningen (phone no. 08 666 15 13, e-mail: [email protected]) or Omvårdnadsmagasinet Jordemodern (e-mail: [email protected]) of the time and venue for your disputation, as well as the title of the thesis. You must also state who is to be your opponent. Remember to state your third-cycle programme subject.
Final seminarYou are advised to hold a predisseration as a rehearsal prior to your disputation where the material can be reviewed by researchers at your institute or invited from other universities. This is an opportunity for you to publically present your work in prepara-tion for your disputation. The predissertation is handled according to your institute’s regulations but should be planned so that you have plenty of time before the disputation to make any necessary changes.
GRADING COMMITTEE, OPPONENT AND CHAIRPERSON AT THE DISPUTATION PROCEEDINGSThe institute submits proposals to the grading committee. The grading committee should consist of three or five members, who are qualified for appointment as a docent. The standard number of members in the grading committee is three. If the nature of the subject is such that it requires greater specialist knowledge then the committee can comprise five members, but in such cases an additional member of the committee must be selected from the Permanent Examination Board. At least one of the members must be selected from among the teaching staff at another university, i.e. outside the University of Gothenburg, Higher Education Ordinance Chapter 6, section 34.
Furthermore, at least one of the members should be selected from the Permanent Examination Board. A list is available online: www.sahlgrenska.gu.se/doktorandportalen/regler
The faculty’s disqualification policy shall be applied (Appendix 4). Members of the grading committee may not be co-authors of any of the articles included in the thesis. Members from the student’s institute or department may not be in a majority. Both men and women should be represented on the grading committee.
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The institute submits proposals for an opponent. The opponent appointed should be from another university. Minimum requirement: qualification for appointment as a docent. The disqualification aspect must be taken into account.
The disputation announcement should also include proposals regarding a chairperson for the disputation proceedings. Requirement: member of teaching staff at the institute in the position of a senior lecturer, docent or professor. There should be no disqualification issue when selecting a chairperson, consequently the principal supervisor or assistant supervisor may not be appointed chairperson for the disputation proceedings. Similarly the chairperson may not be a member of the grading committee.
The principal supervisor is responsible for coordinating matters and ensuring that the proposed members of the grading committee and proposed opponent are consulted, and that the date for the disputation suits all the parties involved before the announcement is submitted to the Academy Office.
ANNOUNCEMENT OF DISPUTATIONYour institute submits an announcement regarding your disputation to the Academy Office no later than four months (term time) prior to the disputation date (see page 16). It is the responsibility of the supervisor to ensure that the announcement is received by the office on time. Always use the online forms and complete the information on screen. Hand-written announcements will not be accepted. Announcements that are incomplete or that have not been signed by the Head of Institute will be returned to the institute for completion. This may mean that the date for your disputation is postponed.
The disputation announcement should be accompanied by a supervisor’s certificate and the form, “Bilaga till anmälan om disputation” (Appendix to announcement of disputation). The forms are available at the academys website. The appendix contains information such as a brief account of the thesis, which can be written in Swedish or English. You should also provide a list of the articles included in the thesis, and state whether they have been published or accepted for publication.
The announcement is prepared by the Sahlgrenska Academy’s Director of Studies for Third-cycle Programmes. The Director of Studies submits proposals, based on suggestions from the institute, for the grading committee, opponent and chairperson for the disputation proceedings to the chair of the Council for Postgraduate Studies for a decision.
The articles in the thesis (for monographs, the entire thesis) must be received by the grading committee no later than three months (term time) prior to the scheduled disputation. No later than one week prior to this the articles should be sent as pdfs to [email protected]. Attach a copy of the letter from the editor confirming that the article has been accepted. The Academy Office sends the articles to the grading committee via e-mail. The grading committee must come to a decision within three weeks as to whether the scientific production satisfies the Sahlgrenska Academy’s quality requirements. Following this the grading committee gives the go-ahead for the disputation to take place on the day stated. You will receive notification via e-mail.
In the event of any questions, confusion or criticism, contact the members of the grading committee or the opponent or chairperson of the grading committee. The chairperson will then lead the discussion within the group. If the matter still cannot be cleared up, he or she will then contact the chairperson of the Council for Postgraduate Studies.
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If the grading committee finds that the articles in the thesis, or the entire monograph, do not satisfy the established quality requirements, the disputation should be postponed.
A decision to postpone the disputation must be accompanied by an explanation in writing, including suggestions for improvements.
To avoid, for example, members of the grading committee getting the time wrong and missing the disputation, your principal supervisor should confirm in person that all the members of the grading committee can participate. Should a member of the grading committee be absent at the beginning of the disputation, and the chairperson at the disputation proceedings is unable to make contact with either the Chairman of the council for postgraduate studies (FUR) or the Director of Studies for Third-cycle Programmes, the chairperson at the disputation proceedings has full authority to appoint a suitable replacement from among the audience’s academic representatives.
Two doctoral candidates can defend their theses based on the same or similar mate-rial. In the supervisor’s certificate, the principal supervisor must provide details of the contribution made by each doctoral candidate and of how your assignments differ. If the thesis shares articles, a copy of the announcement for this thesis or complete thesis must be attached.
PRINTING THE THESISRegulationsThe Faculty Board (Academy Board) makes a decision regarding the minimum number of copies needed prior to the disputation, and also regarding reimbursement for produc-tion costs.
The Sahlgrenska Academy Board has decided that a minimum of 70 copies of a thesis should be printed prior to disputation, that the institute responsible shall reimburse the cost of producing all 70 copies and that 14 mandatory copies of the thesis should be submitted to the Biomedical Library.
Practical instructionsThe institute you are registered with will cover reasonable costs relating to the printing of your thesis. The Head of Institute will assess whether your printing costs are reasonable. You should therefore discuss the costs with your Head of Institute well in advance of printing. Students may only engage the services of contracted printers, in accordance with the Public Procurement Act and the university’s purchasing policy. To find out more regarding the rules and regulations on policies and a list of contracted printers go to:
www.sahlgrenska.gu.se/doktorandportalen/doktor_fran_start_till_mal/disputation/tryckning/tryckerier (currently only available in Swedish).
When assessing reasonable costs relating to the production of the thesis, the Head of Institute should examine the technical layout, based on the cheapest possible method of production. Unnecessary printing that takes up too much space, blank pages, cover clichés, binding of sub sections with the summarising chapter and extra proofing can lead to deductions.
If you would like to have further copies made in addition to the quantity for which the Sahlgrenska Academy provides reimbursement, or if you would like higher quality printing, you will have to cover the costs yourself. You can do this in various ways.
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The Head of Institute may deem your requirement for higher printing quality as reaso-nable and decide to cover the cost using the institute’s faculty grant.
If you print more copies of the thesis than you are entitled to reimbursement for, you must ask the printer for two invoices – one for the copies for which you are reimbursed (this corresponds to the first copies that are printed), and a second invoice that you pay for yourself (this corresponds to additional copies).
Certain costs may be covered by research grants. Certain interested parties, for example pharmaceutical companies, may be willing to buy copies at a price that covers the additional costs. In some cases a thesis can be sold via a publishing company.
Remember to take the opportunity to discuss the production of your thesis with people who are experienced in these matters. In addition to your Head of Institute and super-visor, researchers who have recently defended their thesis may also be a useful source of advice.
Thesis coverAll covers for theses must be designed according to a set template, according to a decision by the Dean. The main purpose is to make it clear that the thesis is the work of a doctoral candidate at the Sahlgrenska Academy.
Using a consistent graphic design makes it possible to distinguish theses from the academy from those of other educational institutions. At the same time it creates a visual link with other material from the academy. Students may add a image they own to make the thesis more personal. The fact that the thesis in general bears the characteristics of the Sahlgrenska Academy signals a certain level of quality. Go to www.sahlgrenska.gu.se/internt/kommunicera/omslag for additional information and instructions.
NOTIFICATION OF THE DATE OF THE DEFENCE OF A DOCTORAL THESIS (“SPIKNING”) AND DISTRIBUTIONBefore the date of the disputation your thesis should have been advertised for a minimum of three term weeks in a specified place in the university’s main building in Vasaparken. See below for further information.
Providing mandatory copies of the thesisBefore you can notify the public of the date of your disputation you must already have submitted mandatory copies of the thesis to the Biomedical Library. These copies are distributed to the research library in exchange for material that is presented elsewhere.
Fourteen complete copies of the thesis are submitted to the Biomedical Library. A loose title page should be inserted into all of these copies.
The Biomedical Library holds one copy of the thesis for loan and two reference copies. Furthermore, a number of loose title pages are made available on the display table in the library’s reading room. Those who wish to obtain their own copy of the thesis should contact the author direct. You will receive a certificate from the Biomedical Library confirming that you have submitted your mandatory copies.
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Approval before notification of the date of your disputationYou need to bring this certificate, together with two copies of the thesis, to the Academy Office for approval before announcing the date of the disputation. All copies of the thesis should contain loose title pages. Doctoral candidates at the Institute of Odontology should bring three copies of the thesis to the Academy Office. The handling officers at the Academy Office will check that the loose title page and thesis is correctly formulated ahead of the notification.
Call and book a time for approval before notification of the date of your disputation with Carina Ejdeholm, phone no. 031-786 3031, Tanja Johansson, phone no. 031-786 3849, Annika Sandequist, phone no. 031-786 3212, or Lena Eriksson Tanemar, phone no. 031-786 3583
Notification of the date of your disputation (spikning)You can get assistance with announcing the date of the public defence of your thesis at reception in the university’s main building in Vasaparken. Reception will provide you with a hammer and nail. Call and book a time on phone no. 031-786 1827. You can of course invite your relatives to attend the ceremony.
The loose title page notifying the date of your disputation should be published electro-nically at the same time as you “hang up” your thesis in the traditional manner using a hammer and nail in Vasaparken (“spikning”). You will receive a message via e-mail well in advance of your disputation from the Biomedical Library/GUPEA containing log-in details and instructions.
All theses issued by the Sahlgrenska Academy must be published electronically. The electronic publication relates to the summarising chapter and notification of submis-sion. This is also called “e-spikning” and complements the traditional manual method of notification.
The purpose of publishing the Sahlgrenska Academy’s theses electronically is to distribute information about the research that is being conducted at the academy and to show the range of research conducted here. It also gives you the opportunity to raise awareness about the work you are presenting, to boost interest in the disputation proceedings and to present the thesis as a qualification in future.
Remember that your summarising chapter will be available online and that the material in it will be considered as published. This must be taken into account when it comes to unpublished data. You should not include this data in a form that means it cannot be published in a scientific article at a later date.
The publication period may be reduced in exceptional cases. Requests to reduce the publication period – including an explanation – should be addressed to the Sahlgrenska Academy Board. Send your request to the Academy Office. Acceptable reasons for allowing a reduced publication period are mainly illness and technical factors, such as delivery delays from the printer.
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OTHER DISTRIBUTION OF THESISThe principal supervisor should have access to the copies of the thesis that are to be delivered to the members of the grading committee and the opponent no later than three term weeks prior to the disputation. The principal supervisor should ensure that the copies are distributed.
INFORMATION FOR PRESS, RADIO AND TVInformation about impending disputations at the Sahlgrenska Academy is usually sent to the press, radio and TV by the information office. This information has increased interest and understanding among the wider community regarding the research being conducted here.
Besides offering courses and conducting research, universities and university colleges are also obliged by law to inform the public about their activities, in accordance with what is known as the “third task”, or public outreach. You therefore need to provide a brief description of your thesis in a format that is accessible to the public (Appendix 5).
Give an account of your research results in a way that is comprehensible and appealing to the public, no longer than one side of A4. The rule of thumb is to always start with the most interesting aspect, i.e. the results. Remember to write the text so that it can be followed by a person who is not a medical expert.
Find out more at www.sahlgrenska.gu.se/internt/kommunicera/mediakontakter
DISPUTATIONThe disputation is led by a chairperson. The disputation proceedings are conducted in English or Swedish. The opponent initiates the disputation by providing an outline of the subject. The thesis in question is presented by the opponent or doctoral candidate for 20-30 minutes.
This is followed by the examination, which can take a fairly free format and include participation from the audience. However, the disputation should chiefly involve a dialo-gue between yourself and your opponent, allowing you the opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge of the subject. There is no maximum time limit for the disputation; the proceedings continue until all questions from the opponent and audience have been discussed.
MEETING OF THE GRADING COMMITTEEThe meeting with the grading committee following the disputation is only attended by the opponent and the principal supervisor. They may participate in the discussion, but not the final decision.
The chair of the grading committee should be a member of the Permanent Examination Board. When grading the thesis, the content of the thesis and the manner of its defence are taken into consideration. The disputation is awarded either a pass or a fail.
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Following the meeting of the grading committee, the chairperson of the committee announces the committee’s decision. If the members are not all in agreement, the grading committee must justify its decision and state any dissenting opinions in writing. The announcement regarding an approved disputation should also state that there was no disqualification issue.
REMUNERATION FOR OPPONENTThe cost of remuneration to the opponent (fee, travel and subsistence), as well as reimbursement for printing doctoral theses, will be covered by the institute. Forms are available online for the opponent’s fee. The form is coded and signed by the Head of Institute or equivalent, and submitted to Göteborgs universiet, Lönenheten, Box 100, 405 30 Gothenburg.
To facilitate matters for the opponent and visiting grading committee members, the institute can take charge of booking travel and accommodation.
NOTIFICATION OF APPROVED DISPUTATION AND SATISFIED COURSE REQUIREMENTSThe documentation for issuing the doctoral degree is sent by the institute to the Academy Office when the public defence has been approved and the Director of Studies has passed the courses that are included in the programme, in accordance with the study plan. Registration in LADOK is made at your institute. The forms are then sent to the Faculty Office.
TITLE OF QUALIFICATION AND DEGREE CERTIFICATEWhen the doctoral candidate has completed and passed the third-cycle programme a doctoral degree certificate is issued on request by the University of Gothenburg’s Office of Degrees. Your request should be submitted electronically and forms for this are available on the office of degrees website. This form is only available in Swedish.
Doctoral degrees from the Sahlgrenska Academy are titled Degree of Doctor of Philo-sophy or Degree of Licentiate.
CONFERRAL OF DOCTORAL DEGREEThe conferral of a doctoral degree is one of the most traditional academic ceremonies. Conferral refers to the ceremony via which a university or university college, which has permanent research resources, confers on the candidate the outward symbols of the title of doctor (the insignia – the doctor’s hat and the diploma).
The ceremony takes place once a year, usually in mid October. Those who have their degrees conferred at this ceremony have in most cases obtained their doctoral degree during the previous academic year. It is now voluntary to have your degree conferred at the ceremony. If you wish to be invited to have your degree conferred, your degree must have been issued no later than June 30th before the ceremony. For more information please refer to the Academy website.
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The doctor’s hat and doctor’s ring are ordered by the candidate. For further information, go to www.medarbetarportalen.gu.se/akademiska_hogtider
The doctor’s hat can be ordered from: Lisa Franzéns Modeist & Hattmakeri Västra Skansgatan 1B, Gothenburg Store: 031-7118959 Workshop: 0737-014309
The ring can be ordered from: Martin Johansson, Jeweller to H.M. The King, Kungsportsavenyn 27, Gothenburg Tel: 031-160050, 031-160065
FORMSAll forms are available on the academy’s website at: www.sahlgrenska.gu.se/doktorandportalen/blanketter
The forms should be completed on screen. They should then be printed out and signed before being sent to the Academy Office.
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TIME SCHEDULEThe following time schedule may be of use to you during the planning stage running up to your disputation. The times in the column on the left are the minimum times prior to the disputation based on spring/autumn semesters. For a more detailed date please refer to the calendar at the Faculty website.
6-9 months � Discuss a preliminary time for the disputation with your supervisor and the
Director of Studies. � Book a time for disputation through the Academy Office. Book a venue. � The principal supervisor should consider suggestions for a suitable opponent
and a grading committee as well as making sure they are available.
4 months � The institute must submit the form “ enrolment of disputation“ to the
Academy Office. � The announcement must include the title of the dissertation, the suggested
opponent, grading committee and the chairperson to preside over the disputa-tion proceedings.
3 months + 1 week � All articles are to be sent via e-mail to the Academy Office in pdf format to
[email protected] � For monographs, the entire thesis is sent.
3 months � Contact printers and obtain quotations. � Book a time at the printers. � Order a cover for the thesis
7 weeks � Hand in the thesis to the printers. � Send a manuscript to the opponent.
6-3 weeks � Prepare the electronic publication of the date of the disputation.
3 weeks � Hand in 14 mandatory copies to the Biomedical Library. � Visit the Academy Office for approval of the notification of the date of the
disputation. Bring a certificate from the library and two copies of the thesis. � Notify the date of the disputation (“spikning”) at Vasaparken – make sure
to book the time � Publish the thesis electronically � Send the thesis to the opponent and grading committee. Other distribution
of the thesis. � Send draft press release to the academy’s Press Officer.
0 weeks � Disputation � Apply for a degree when all requirements are fulfilled
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IMPORTANT DATES RELATING TO DISPUTATIONAutumn termDisputation Application submitted Articles submitted Estimated response from
grading committee
1/9 1/4 24/4 15/5
15/9 15/4 8/5 15/6
1/10 1/5 25/5 1/7
15/10 15/5 5/6 15/8
1/11 1/6 21/6 1/9
15/11 10/6 1/7 15/9
1/12 10/6 25/8 1/10
15/12 15/8 8/9 15/10
Spring termDisputation Application submitted Articles submitted Estimated response from
grading committee
15/1 15/9 8/10 15/11
1/2 1/10 25/10 1/12
15/2 15/10 8/11 15/12
1/3 1/11 17/11 20/12
15/3 15/11 8/12 15/1
1/4 1/12 15/12 1/2
15/4 15/12 8/1 15/2
1/5 15/12 25/1 1/3
15/5 15/1 8/2 15/3
1/6 1/2 22/2 1/4
15/6 15/2 8/3 15/4
The disputation (and licentiate seminar) can take place during the following periods:
1 September – 22 December
10 January – the Friday the week before Midsummer
16 June – 15 August and 24 December – 6 January can not be included in the adverting time.
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CHECKLISTThe announcement regarding the disputation must contain:
� the original announcement. The announcement should contain the title of the thesis, the proposed opponent, grading committee and chairperson to preside over the disputation proceedings,
� supervisor’s certificate, � summary (3-page form), � where applicable, copies of the decision regarding dispensation obtained
should be attached.
Please note that any announcements that are incomplete will be returned for comple-tion. Only in exceptional cases can doctoral candidates defend a thesis on the date requested if the announcement is submitted too late or is incomplete. Hand-written announcements will not be accepted.
Announcements must be legible – complete the form online and print it out.
All articles/the monograph should be submitted three months and one week (term time) prior to the disputation via e-mail to [email protected]. Articles that have been accepted for publication should be accompanied by a letter from the editor confirming acceptance. The Academy Office sends the articles/monograph to the grading committee.
Please check the following before the printing of your thesis and loose title page:
� the cover is to be designed according to the university’s format
� only the University of Gothenburg logo should be present on the cover and the inside
� the title of the thesis must be the same as the one written on the loose title page
� the date, time and type of degree on the loose title page must be correct
� all text written on the first page of the loose title page should be in Swedish, excluding the titles of the articles
� if the thesis is written in English there must be a summary in Swedish
� all articles are to be presented on the loose title page
� the titles of the articles must be the same on both the thesis and the loose title page. All authors’ names must be present. Compare with the articles in the thesis and the list of included articles in the beginning of the thesis.
� the ISBN numbers on the cover, the inside of the thesis as well as the loose title page should be correct
� both ISBN numbers (one for the printed version and one for the digital version) must be printed
� the printing company you choose must be publically procured
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TELEPHONE LISTThe Sahlgrenska Academy’s Directors of Studies for Third Cycle Programmes
Professor Carina Mallard .....................................................................031-786 3498
Professor Esbjörn Telemo .....................................................................031-342 4770
Conference bookings, Sahlgrenska University Hospital .........................031-13 64 03 e-mail ...........................................................gastronomen.konferens.su@vgregion.se
Venue booking, Academicum (Service Center Academicum) ................031-786 6504 Webpage: ...................www.service.gf.gu.se/servicecenter/servicecenter-academicum
Weekly Medical Programme .................................................................031-20 26 02
Läkartidningen, Carin Jacobsson ...........................................................08-7903478 e-mail .................................................................. [email protected]
Tandläkartidningen, Elisabeth Frisk .......................................................08-6661513 e-mail .............................................................elisabeth.frisk@tandlakarforbundet.se
Omvårdnadsmagasinet Jordemodern, Margareta Rehn e-mail ....................................................... [email protected]
National Library of Sweden (Kungliga biblioteket), Stockholm ..............08-4634200 web site ........................................................................... www.kb.se/isbn-centralen/
Biomedical Library ..................................................... 031-786 3778, 031-786 3651 Biomedical Library loans office ............................................................031-786 3003
Reception, Vasaparken ........................................................................031-786 1827
Department for External Relations, academic ceremonies ...................031-786 5708
University of Gothenburg Office of Degrees .........................................031-786 1850 Website: ...........www.utbildning.gu.se/education/academic-life/degrees/application/
The Academy Office (Akademikansliet)
Postgraduate Programme Officer Anita Lovén-Andersson ...................031-786 3032
Postgraduate Programme Officer Carina Ejdeholm .............................031-786 3031
Postgraduate Programme Officer Tanja Johansson ...............................031-786 3849
Postgraduate Programme Officer Patrik Karlsson .................................031-786 3029
Postgraduate Programme Officer Annika Sandequist ...........................031-786 3212
Postgraduate Programme Officer Lena Eriksson Tanemar ...................031-786 3583
Press Officer Krister Svahn ..................................................................031-786 3869
Public Relations Officer Pontus Sundén ...............................................031-786 3287
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APPENDICES1 Example of loose title page (spiktitelblad) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
2 Example of thesis summary in English . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
3 Regulations regarding abstract in English to be attached to doctoral theses . . . 22
4 Disqualification regulations applied at the Sahlgrenska Academy . . . . . . . . . . . 24
5 Presentation of draft press release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
LINKSThe Higher Education Ordinance, Chapter 6 sections 25-36 “Third-cycle study programmes”
www.hsv.se/reglerochtillsyn/lagarochregler
Swedish National Agency for Higher Education’s Handbook for Postgraduate Students
www.doktorandhandboken.nu
FORMS – disputation announcement – appendix to disputation announcement – supervisor’s certificate – notification of approved disputation – notification of approved course element – application for doctoral degree
www.sahlgrenska.gu.se/doktorandportalen/blanketter/
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EXAMPLE OF LOOSE TITLE PAGE (SPIKTITELBLAD)
Appendix 1
Biomonitoring of Cadmium – Relationship between Cadmium in Kidney, Blood and Urine, Interpretation of
Urinary Cadmium, and Implications for Study Design
Akademisk avhandling
som för avläggande av medicine doktorsexamen vid Sahlgrenska akademin, Göteborgs universitet, kommer att offentligen försvaras i sal Hamberger,
Medicinaregatan 16, fredagen den 25 april 2014 kl. 9:00
av Magnus Åkerström
Fakultetsopponent: Professor Marie Vahter
Institutet för miljömedicin, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm
Avhandlingen baseras på följande arbeten:
I. Akerstrom M, Barregard L, Lundh T, Sallsten G. The relationship between cadmium in kidney and cadmium in urine and blood in an environmentally exposed population. Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology. 2013 May 1;268(3):286-93
II. Akerstrom M, Sallsten G, Lundh T, Barregard L. Associations between Urinary Excretion of Cadmium and Proteins in a Nonsmoking Population: Renal Toxicity or Normal Physiology? Environmental Health Perspectives. 2013 Feb;121(2):187-91.
III. Akerstrom M, Lundh T, Barregard L, Sallsten G. Effect of molybdenum oxide interference on urinary cadmium analyses. International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health. 2013 Jul;86(5):615-7
IV. Akerstrom M, Barregard L, Lundh T, Sallsten G. Variability of urinary cadmium excretion in spot urine samples, first morning voids, and 24 h urine in a healthy non-smoking population: Implications for study design. Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology. 2014 Mar;24(2):171-9
Göteborg 2014
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EXAMPLE OF THESIS SUMMARY IN ENGLISH
Appendix 2
Biomonitoring of Cadmium – Relationship between Cadmium in Kidney, Blood and Urine, Interpretation of
Urinary Cadmium, and Implications for Study Design
Magnus Åkerström Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine,
Institute of Medicine Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg
ABSTRACT Cadmium is an environmental contaminant which accumulates in the kidney and can potentially affect human health at relatively low concentrations. Biomarkers such as cadmium in urine or blood are normally used to assess the body burden of cadmium. We studied the relationship between cadmium in urine, blood, and kidney by using 109 healthy environmentally exposed kidney donors. The variability in urinary cadmium excretion, its interpretation, and effects on the study design were further examined using repeated urinary samples from 30 non-smoking healthy men and women. The results showed a strong association between cadmium in urine and kidney (rp=0.7), with an excretion corresponding to a biological half-time of about 30 years. A kidney cadmium of 25 µg/g corresponded to a urinary cadmium of 0.42 µg/g creatinine (i.e. a urine to kidney ratio of 1:60). Previous estimates of the urine to kidney cadmium ratio (1:20) may thus underestimate the kidney cadmium at low urinary cadmium excretion. On average, 70% of the urinary cadmium excretion could be explained by kidney cadmium. Urinary cadmium excretion was also affected by cadmium in blood and urinary albumin excretion. There was a circadian rhythm in the urinary cadmium excretion over 24h, affecting both the interpretation of urinary cadmium measures and the appropriate study design. There was an association between urinary cadmium and urinary proteins within individuals. Hence, when urinary cadmium is used as a biomarker for cadmium body burden, normal short-term variability in renal function may result in an overestimation of the nephrotoxicity of cadmium. Keywords: Cadmium, urine, blood, kidney, biological half-time, variability, biomarkers, determinants, study design
ISBN: 978-91-628-8923-4 (tryckt) ISBN: 978-91-628-8972-2 (e-pub) http://hdl.handle.net/2077/34823
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REGULATIONS REGARDING ABSTRACT IN ENGLISH TO BE ATTACHED TO DOCTORAL THESESThe abstract in English to be attached to doctoral thesis:
1. should be no more than 500 words
The limit of 500 words is the maximum number of words. The abstract can be shorter, but is not usually shorter than 250 words.
2. should state the title of the thesis, the language in which it is written, the author or authors and the university division and institute
Regulations regarding language information only relate to cases where the thesis is not written in English.
If the thesis contains a summary in a language other than either
English or the language of the thesis, this must be specified, for example “Swedish text with a summary in German”.
3. should express the content of the thesis according to the disposition; problem, methods, results
See additional instructions below.
4. should include a list of key words and other details that will assist information retrieval in automated information systems
Key words, which like the abstract should be in English, do not need to be restricted to words that appear in the title. The number of key words should not normally exceed ten.
Other details that will assist information retrieval in the ADB system include, for example, ISBN numbers (International Standard Book Number), where applicable.
5. should be presented in accordance with international norms
If points 1–4 in the regulations above, as well as the additional instructions below are applied, then this requirement has been satisfied.
Appendix 3
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Additional instructionsThe abstract is produced at the beginning of the thesis, for example on the reverse side of the title page, or on the following right-hand page.
In addition, the abstract should be reproduced on the loose title page (spiktitelblad) or its reverse side.
For compilation theses, the loose title page should indicate which articles are included in the thesis.
The abstract on the reverse of the loose title page should include ISBN numbers both for the printed version and electronically published thesis as well as number of pages.
The abstract should be presented as an informative unit, completely independent in relation to the document to which it refers.
Brief, complete sentences should be used. Short abstracts are written in a single para-graph; long abstracts can be divided up into an appropriate number of sections. It should be possible to publish the abstract in secondary publications without making changes to, or editing the content. The author should therefore refrain from using the first person pronoun.
The author should also refrain from any direct reference to literature, figures or tables in the thesis, since it must be possible to read the abstract without access to the thesis.
The abstract should not be confused with the obligatory summary. The obligatory summary can be written in English, German or French, and it can include several pages with references to tables and figures.
DistributionIn addition to the loose disputation title pages that are inserted into the thesis, further copies should be made available for dissemination, the quantity and distribution list for which is established by the faculty or section board.
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DISQUALIFICATION REGULATIONS APPLIED AT THE SAHLGRENSKA ACADEMYRegulations regarding disqualification are detailed in sections 11-12 of the Swedish Administrative Procedure Act (Förvaltningslagen) for state organisations. The provi-sions contained in the Act are divided up, so that section 11 covers the circumstances that should be treated as grounds for disqualification, while section 12 deals with the consequences of disqualification for a supervisor and how conflicts of interest should be handled.
Extract from the Act:DisqualificationSection 11 The person charged with handling a matter is disqualified1. if the matter concerns himself or his spouse, parents, children, brothers or sisters or someone else who is closely related to him, or if he or someone closely related to him can expect extraordinary advantage or detriment from the outcome of the matter,2. if he or anyone closely related to him is the legal representative of someone that the matter concerns or of anyone that can expect extraordinary advantage or detriment from the outcome of the matter,3. if the matter has been brought before the authority by an appeal against or the subordination of the decision of another authority or by reason of the supervision of another authority and he had taken part earlier under the auspices of the subordinate authority in the final handling of a matter concerning the same material issue,4. if he as regards the material issue has served someone as a representative or has assisted him for payment, or5. if there is some other special circumstance that is likely to undermine confidence in his impartiality in the matter.Disqualification shall be disregarded where the question of impartiality is obviously of no importance.
Section 12 A person who is disqualified may not handle the matter. He may, however, take those steps that cannot be made by someone else without an inconvenient delay.Anyone who knows of any circumstance that could constitute his disqualification is obliged to disclose it on his own motion.If an issue of disqualification has been raised and the person in question has not been replaced, the authority shall decide the issue of disqualification as soon as possible. The challenged person may not take part in the consideration of the issue of his disquali-fication, unless the authority is not competent to act without him and there is no one available to replace him without an inconvenient delay.A decision concerning an issue of disqualification may be appealed against only in conjunction with an appeal against the decision by which the authority determines the matter.The disqualification regulations are aimed at the person charged with handling a matter. It is first and foremost the challenged person who should disclose the conflict of interest. Often no one else is aware of the particular circumstance that justifies disqualification.
Appendix 4
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Clarification of legal text:
� the doctoral candidate – supervisor relationship means disqualification for life � co-authorship means disqualification for a period of five years � active collaboration constitutes disqualification � a person is not disqualified just for being an employee in the same institute,
clinic, or department.
See also disqualification regulations for the Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet): www.vr.se/huvudmeny/forskningsetik/jav.4.9232df81081e742f7e800042.html
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PRESENTATION OF DRAFT PRESS RELEASEOver the past few years the information office at the Sahlgrenska Academy has regularly sent press releases about most of our disputations to the mass media. This activity has helped to boost interest and understanding regarding the research being conducted here. We would therefore like you to send a draft press release to us no later than two weeks prior to the disputation.
When we have received the draft we will decide whether the results of the thesis will be of interest to the mass media. However, in our experience the mass media are usually interested in the results of our theses.
Presentation of the press releaseGive an account of your thesis results in a way that is comprehensible and appealing to the public, no longer than one side of A4. Write in Swedish. If possible, try to avoid using specialist medical vocabulary. The text should be comprehensible to readers who are not experts in the field. Please note that an abstract will not be sufficient. Many journalists find the text of an abstract far too difficult to understand!
The rule of thumb is to always start with the most interesting aspect, i.e. the results. If you start with the background or method there is a considerable risk that the information will end up in the bin before the journalist has read the actual piece of news. Exclude any irrelevant detail.
Try to answer the following questions in your text: � What is new? � What might this news lead to? � What is the significance of the results for research, healthcare or the patient? � Can you envisage any possible future applications, for example a new drug
or a new method of treatment?
Remember to include the following details: � Author and telephone/mobile numbers, e-mail address and institute � Supervisor’s name and his/her telephone/mobile numbers and e-mail address � Title of the thesis � Time and venue for public defence of doctoral thesis
After editing and any re-writing we will send our draft press release to you for approval. Having discussed a suitable date with you, we will send your press release to the press, radio and TV stations. Make sure you have a digital photograph of yourself.
SubmissionSend your text via e-mail to: [email protected] contact us in the event of any questions.
Appendix 5
www.sahlgrenska.gu.seTHE SAHLGRENSKA ACADEMY
