• Public Resources
  • Publishing Your Dissertation in a…

Publishing Your Dissertation in a Scholarly Journal

So you’ve decided you want to earn a PhD. You have read about the road blocks , you’ve selected your committee, and you’ve started writing your dissertation. But why start thinking about a publication? What does that have to do with earning the ultimate degree?

Writing a dissertation without a publication is like going to the trouble of making a cake but not baking it. No one can taste your cake, no one can benefit from your hard work—of course, no one can criticize your work either. But without a publication, or two or three, the dissertation is not technically a total success. You’d be amazed at how many people don’t get a publication out of their dissertation. Without advanced planning, a publication likely won’t happen, because, once again, there are often unanticipated roadblocks.

1. Publication will be completely driven by you and no one else. A publication will not be on the priority list of your dissertation committee. And you will likely be the only one to understand where to publish.

2. Planning is the most important step and the only way to be successful. If you wait until after you go through the dissertation process, you will be too exhausted to publish, and it won’t happen for a year or two. You must plan.

3. Configure your dissertation for three separate publications. This may be three separate chapters, or it may be three different data sets or arms of your data. Link this to the selection of your committee. In my previous articles, I recommended choosing a committee wisely, with different members being associated with different jobs. Committee members should not have similar areas of expertise. Their “jobs” should not overlap. There should be a content expert or literature review expert, a methods person, a results person and a “whip.” Ideally, the “whip” (think politics, as in majority whip or minority whip in Congress) is your dissertation chair. The jobs of each member should be distinct to avoid having members fighting or making conflicting suggestions. Each article should be aligned with a separate expert. So there can be a Review article, a Methods article, and a Results article.

4. You get to decide who is listed as an author on your articles. You will be first author, and your mentor should be last author (a position of honor). If a committee member does not contribute, they ethically should not be included in the list of authors. Many journals now ask you to list the authors along with their meaningful contributions.

5. Decide ahead of time the journals in which you wish to publish. Full disclosure — I am on the board of the Journal of the American Academy of PAs (JAAPA), and I’m a reviewer for the Journal of Physician Assistant Education (JPAE). I’m going to recommend these PA journals for one of your publications. Here is my pitch (although biased): We are THE scholarly journals for the profession. If your data is completely focused on PA education, then select JPAE. Think about JAAPA for any research on PAs themselves or PA analogues. Select a PA journal for a personal touch and some really important feedback. Your article will be on a stage with your peers. This gives you the home crowd advantage.

6. Lose ownership. Remember how I said your dissertation is like your baby? Well, your baby now has gone through elementary school and the tumultuous teenage years and currently is entering college. Your publication needs you to back off and give it some space. It will leave home for a while (often for the long review process). When it comes back, it might need to do some laundry, but it should essentially not look at all like the baby you once knew. A publication should look like a publication, not a dissertation. It should be neat and mature and all grown up.

7. Try for the highest level journal you can realistically get published in. Here is the main problem: time. You cannot ethically submit the same article to multiple journals. You will need to make sure you have three completely separate articles in order to submit to multiple journals. There are many people who believe you should publish in the most prestigious journal you can make it into. I do not disagree with this philosophy; however, the alternative is that your work might not get read in a higher scholarly journal because PAs and PA educators don’t tend to read these other journals. This is for you to decide. There are websites that can help you determine where to publish. But be careful and check out Beall’s List, a list of potentially predatory “scholarly” open-access publishers.

8. Best of luck — and don’t fail to publish. Don’t bake your cake and not put it in the oven. Remember to reach out to your peers within the profession to aid in your success. Ultimately, your committee will be pleased to add a publication to their CVs. They will remember this as their reward for all the hard work that they (and you) put into your PhD.

A publication is the lasting legacy for all of your tough efforts and sacrifice. It is the “so what” of all you have put into this academic Mt. Everest. Consider the impact that your work will have on the profession. Don’t run the marathon (or climb the mountain) and not cross the finish line!

Jennifer Coombs, PhD, MPAS, PA-C

Related news & alerts.

can i publish my dissertation in a journal

Broaden Your Research Capacity and Professional Networks with AAPA-PAEA Research Fellowship 

can i publish my dissertation in a journal

The Numbers Are In:  PAEA Announces the Release of Program Report 36 

can i publish my dissertation in a journal

Don Pedersen Awardees Address Student Performance and Well-Being

can i publish my dissertation in a journal

Fellows Share Research at Forum

  • Link to facebook
  • Link to linkedin
  • Link to twitter
  • Link to youtube
  • Writing Tips

The Ultimate Guide to Getting Your Thesis Published in a Journal

The Ultimate Guide to Getting Your Thesis Published in a Journal

  • 7-minute read
  • 25th February 2023

Writing your thesis and getting it published are huge accomplishments. However, publishing your thesis in an academic journal is another journey for scholars. Beyond how much hard work, time, and research you invest, having your findings published in a scholarly journal is vital for your reputation as a scholar and also advances research findings within your field.

This guide will walk you through how to make sure your thesis is ready for publication in a journal. We’ll go over how to prepare for pre-publication, how to submit your research, and what to do after acceptance.

Pre-Publication Preparations

Understanding the publishing process.

Ideally, you have already considered what type of publication outlet you want your thesis research to appear in. If not, it’s best to do this so you can tailor your writing and overall presentation to fit that publication outlet’s expectations. When selecting an outlet for your research, consider the following:

●  How well will my research fit the journal?

●  Are the reputation and quality of this journal high?

●  Who is this journal’s readership/audience?

●  How long does it take the journal to respond to a submission?

●  What’s the journal’s rejection rate?

Once you finish writing, revising, editing, and proofreading your work (which can take months or years), expect the publication process to be an additional three months or so.

Revising Your Thesis

Your thesis will need to be thoroughly revised, reworked, reorganized, and edited before a journal will accept it. Journals have specific requirements for all submissions, so read everything on a journal’s submission requirements page before you submit. Make a checklist of all the requirements to be sure you don’t overlook anything. Failing to meet the submission requirements could result in your paper being rejected.

Areas for Improvement

No doubt, the biggest challenge academics face in this journey is reducing the word count of their thesis to meet journal publication requirements. Remember that the average thesis is between 60,000 and 80,000 words, not including footnotes, appendices, and references. On the other hand, the average academic journal article is 4,000 to 7,000 words. Reducing the number of words this much may seem impossible when you are staring at the year or more of research your thesis required, but remember, many have done this before, and many will do it again. You can do it too. Be patient with the process.

Additional areas of improvement include>

·   having to reorganize your thesis to meet the section requirements of the journal you submit to ( abstract, intro , methods, results, and discussion).

·   Possibly changing your reference system to match the journal requirements or reducing the number of references.

·   Reformatting tables and figures.

·   Going through an extensive editing process to make sure everything is in place and ready.

Identifying Potential Publishers

Many options exist for publishing your academic research in a journal. However, along with the many credible and legitimate publishers available online, just as many predatory publishers are out there looking to take advantage of academics. Be sure to always check unfamiliar publishers’ credentials before commencing the process. If in doubt, ask your mentor or peer whether they think the publisher is legitimate, or you can use Think. Check. Submit .

If you need help identifying which journals your research is best suited to, there are many tools to help. Here’s a short list:

○  Elsevier JournalFinder

○  EndNote Matcher

○  Journal/Author Name Estimator (JANE)

○  Publish & Flourish Open Access

·   The topics the journal publishes and whether your research will be a good fit.

Find this useful?

Subscribe to our newsletter and get writing tips from our editors straight to your inbox.

·   The journal’s audience (whom you want to read your research).

·   The types of articles the journal publishes (e.g., reviews, case studies).

·   Your personal requirements (e.g., whether you’re willing to wait a long time to see your research published).

Submitting Your Thesis

Now that you have thoroughly prepared, it’s time to submit your thesis for publication. This can also be a long process, depending on peer review feedback.

Preparing Your Submission

Many publishers require you to write and submit a cover letter along with your research. The cover letter is your sales pitch to the journal’s editor. In the letter, you should not only introduce your work but also emphasize why it’s new, important, and worth the journal’s time to publish. Be sure to check the journal’s website to see whether submission requires you to include specific information in your cover letter, such as a list of reviewers.

Whenever you submit your thesis for publication in a journal article, it should be in its “final form” – that is, completely ready for publication. Do not submit your thesis if it has not been thoroughly edited, formatted, and proofread. Specifically, check that you’ve met all the journal-specific requirements to avoid rejection.

Navigating the Peer Review Process

Once you submit your thesis to the journal, it will undergo the peer review process. This process may vary among journals, but in general, peer reviews all address the same points. Once submitted, your paper will go through the relevant editors and offices at the journal, then one or more scholars will peer-review it. They will submit their reviews to the journal, which will use the information in its final decision (to accept or reject your submission).

While many academics wait for an acceptance letter that says “no revisions necessary,” this verdict does not appear very often. Instead, the publisher will likely give you a list of necessary revisions based on peer review feedback (these revisions could be major, minor, or a combination of the two). The purpose of the feedback is to verify and strengthen your research. When you respond to the feedback , keep these tips in mind:

●  Always be respectful and polite in your responses, even if you disagree.

●  If you do disagree, be prepared to provide supporting evidence.

●  Respond to all the comments, questions, and feedback in a clear and organized manner.

●  Make sure you have sufficient time to make any changes (e.g., whether you will need to conduct additional experiments).

After Publication

Once the journal accepts your article officially, with no further revisions needed, take a moment to enjoy the fruits of your hard work. After all, having your work appear in a distinguished journal is not an easy feat. Once you’ve finished celebrating, it’s time to promote your work. Here’s how you can do that:

●  Connect with other experts online (like their posts, follow them, and comment on their work).

●  Email your academic mentors.

●  Share your article on social media so others in your field may see your work.

●  Add the article to your LinkedIn publications.

●  Respond to any comments with a “Thank you.”

Getting your thesis research published in a journal is a long process that goes from reworking your thesis to promoting your article online. Be sure you take your time in the pre-publication process so you don’t have to make lots of revisions. You can do this by thoroughly revising, editing, formatting, and proofreading your article.

During this process, make sure you and your co-authors (if any) are going over one another’s work and having outsiders read it to make sure no comma is out of place.

What are the benefits of getting your thesis published?

Having your thesis published builds your reputation as a scholar in your field. It also means you are contributing to the body of work in your field by promoting research and communication with other scholars.

How long does it typically take to get a thesis published?

Once you have finished writing, revising, editing, formatting, and proofreading your thesis – processes that can add up to months or years of work – publication can take around three months. The exact length of time will depend on the journal you submit your work to and the peer review feedback timeline.

How can I ensure the quality of my thesis when attempting to get it published?

If you want to make sure your thesis is of the highest quality, consider having professionals proofread it before submission (some journals even require submissions to be professionally proofread). Proofed has helped thousands of researchers proofread their theses. Check out our free trial today.

Share this article:

Post A New Comment

Got content that needs a quick turnaround? Let us polish your work. Explore our editorial business services.

2-minute read

How to Cite the CDC in APA

If you’re writing about health issues, you might need to reference the Centers for Disease...

5-minute read

Six Product Description Generator Tools for Your Product Copy

Introduction If you’re involved with ecommerce, you’re likely familiar with the often painstaking process of...

3-minute read

What Is a Content Editor?

Are you interested in learning more about the role of a content editor and the...

4-minute read

The Benefits of Using an Online Proofreading Service

Proofreading is important to ensure your writing is clear and concise for your readers. Whether...

6 Online AI Presentation Maker Tools

Creating presentations can be time-consuming and frustrating. Trying to construct a visually appealing and informative...

What Is Market Research?

No matter your industry, conducting market research helps you keep up to date with shifting...

Logo Harvard University

Make sure your writing is the best it can be with our expert English proofreading and editing.

Elsevier QRcode Wechat

  • Publication Process

How to Write a Journal Article from a Thesis

  • 3 minute read
  • 204.8K views

Table of Contents

You are almost done with your PhD thesis and want to convert it into a journal article. Or, you’re initiating a career as a journal writer and intend to use your thesis as a starting point for an article. Whatever your situation, turning a thesis into a journal article is a logical step and a process that eventually every researcher completes. But…how to start?

The first thing to know about converting a thesis into a journal article is how different they are:

Thesis Characteristics:

  • Meets academic requirements
  • Reviewed by select committee members
  • Contains chapters
  • Lengthy, no word limits
  • Table of contents
  • Lengthy research of literature
  • IRB approval described in detail
  • Description and copies of tools used
  • All findings presented
  • Verb tenses may vary

Journal Article Characteristics:

  • Meets journalistic standards
  • Reviewed by a panel of “blind” reviewers
  • Word limits
  • Manuscript format
  • Succinct research of literature
  • IRB described in 1 to 3 sentences
  • Essential and succinct tool information
  • Selected findings presented
  • Verb tenses are fairly consistent

Converting your thesis to a journal article may be complex, but it’s not impossible.

A thesis is a document of academic nature, so it’s more detailed in content. A journal article, however, is shorter, highlighting key points in a more succinct format. Adapting a thesis for conversion into a journal article is a time-consuming and intricate process that can take you away from other important work. In that case, Elsevier’s Language Editing services may help you focus on important matters and provide a high-quality text for submission in no time at all.

If you are going to convert a thesis into a journal article, with or without professional help, here is a list of some of the steps you will likely have to go through:

1. Identify the best journal for your work

  • Ensure that your article is within the journal’s aim and scope. How to find the right journal? Find out more .
  • Check the journal’s recommended structure and reference style

2. Shorten the length of your thesis

  • Treat your thesis as a separate work
  • Paraphrase but do not distort meaning
  • Select and repurpose parts of your thesis

3. Reformat the introduction as an abstract

  • Shorten the introduction to 100-150 words, but maintain key topics to hold the reader’s attention.
  • Use the introduction and discussion as basis for the abstract

4. Modify the introduction

  • If your thesis has more than one research question or hypothesis, which are not all relevant for your paper, consider combining your research questions or focusing on just one for the article
  • Use previously published papers (at least three) from the target journal as examples

5. Tighten the methods section

  • Keep the discussion about your research approach short

6. Report main findings in the results

  • Expose your main findings in the results section in concise statements

7. Discussion must be clear and concise

  • Begin by providing an interpretation of your results: “What is it that we have learned from your research?”
  • Situate the findings to the literature
  • Discuss how your findings expand known or previous perspectives
  • Briefly present ways in which future studies can build upon your work and address limitations in your study

8. Limit the number of references

  • To choose the most relevant and recent
  • To format them correctly
  • Consider using a reference manager system (e.g. Mendeley ) to make your life easier

If you are not a proficient English speaker, the task of converting a thesis into a journal article might make it even more difficult. At Elsevier’s Language Editing services we ensure that your manuscript is written in correct scientific English before submission. Our professional proofers and editors check your manuscript in detail, taking your text as our own and with the guarantee of maximum text quality.

Language editing services by Elsevier Author Services:

How-to-choose-a-Journal-to-submit-an-article

  • Research Process

How to Choose a Journal to Submit an Article

How to submit a paper

  • Publication Recognition

How to Submit a Paper for Publication in a Journal

You may also like.

Publishing Biomedical Research

Publishing Biomedical Research: What Rules Should You Follow?

Writing an Effective Cover Letter for Manuscript Resubmission

Writing an Effective Cover Letter for Manuscript Resubmission

Journal Acceptance Rates

Journal Acceptance Rates: Everything You Need to Know

Research Data Storage and Retention

Research Data Storage and Retention

How to Find and Select Reviewers for Journal Articles

How to Find and Select Reviewers for Journal Articles

How to request the addition of an extra author before publication

How to Request the Addition of an Extra Author Before Publication

Paper Rejection Common Reasons

Paper Rejection: Common Reasons

Input your search keywords and press Enter.

Revising Your Dissertation for Publication

While a dissertation’s in-depth research and analysis can provide a strong foundation for a book, the dissertation itself is not a book and will not be published by an academic press without substantial revisions. Some acquisitions editors are interested first books, especially if they bring new perspectives and fresh ideas to a field, while others do not often publish first books. If you are considering submitting your dissertation for publication, we recommend that you contact editors at university presses that publish in your subject area for guidance on revising your work. Many editors prefer to be involved in the early stages of this process so they can advise you on how to structure the book and your arguments to create a publishable book. Editors generally require changes in the length, content, tone, and style of a dissertation in order to produce a book that will appeal to buyers in the academic market. Read more about submitting a proposal in our Scholarly Publishing Guide .

Below are selected resources to help you revise your dissertation for publication as a book or journal article(s).

Advice from publishers

  • Harvard University Press
  • Palgrave Macmillan
  • Rowman & Littlefield
  • Taylor & Francis
  • University of North Carolina Press
  • Yale University Press
  • Publisher Policies on using content in both a thesis or dissertation and an article (from MIT Libraries)
  • From Dissertation to Book by William Germano (Lauinger Library, 4th Floor, PN162 .G37 2013)
  • Revising Your Dissertation, Updated Edition : Advice from Leading Editors (updated edition, 2008) edited by Beth Luey (online; GU NetID and password required)
  • From Dissertation to Book , Duke University (February 27, 2018)
  • From Dissertation to Book ( full transcript ), Harvard University (December 17, 2010)
  • How To Turn Your Dissertation into a Book , Yale University (April 6, 2016)
  • From Dissertation to Book by Leonard Cassuto (Chronicle of Higher Education, May 30, 2011)
  • From Dissertation to Published Book (lanugageandphilosophy.com report on an American Comparative Literature Association workshop)
  • Give It a Rest by Laura Portwood-Stacer (Inside Higher Ed, August 6, 2019)
  • The Stages of Revising a Dissertation into a Book by Amy Benson Brown (Journal of Scholarly Publishing, vol. 52 no. 2, 2021, p. 127-140) (GU NetID and password required)
  • Turning Your Dissertation into a Book (University of Washington)
  • Publishing your Dissertation (American Psychological Association)

Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford

Turning your MSc dissertation into an academic paper

Anne-Marie Boylan

Anne-Marie Boylan

23 May 2019

Tips for students

Students who complete the MSc in Evidence Based Health Care at the University of Oxford often produce high quality research for their dissertation, which we encourage them to publish in academic journals. Dr Anne-Marie Boylan is the Dissertation Coordinator for the MSc in EBHC. She spoke to Mark Howe, a dentist who recently completed his MSc about his experiences of writing up his MSc thesis for publication in the Journal of Dentistry.

What challenges did you face in getting your thesis published?

I found condensing the dissertation down to meet the word count required for the journal whilst maintaining all the important points was a big challenge. This took a substantial amount of time and quite a lot of editing. I also faced lots of challenges because of what was required in the submission process. The formatting the journal required for tables and figures was different to what I had created for my thesis. They didn’t always convert cleanly when uploaded, which took some time to identify and correct. Despite all my efforts to ensure I followed the guidelines for authors, the manuscript was returned immediately due to issues with format changes and missing entries. But I got there in the end.

What did you think about the reviewers’ feedback?

The initial comments ranged from just basic proof-reading corrections to what felt like quite extensive criticism. So you need to be prepared for frustration and rejection. The publication process assumes you work in a close-knit experienced team where there is access to people who have published before, which isn’t always the case for MSc students.

The reviewers asked for amendments to what I thought were very important aspects of the research. I saw this an opportunity to argue that these data should not be changed.

How did you feel when your article was accepted?

I felt relief rather than joy as the profession now had to accept there were some weaknesses in their previous robust results. Getting the dissertation published was for me the true endpoint of the MSc in evidence-based healthcare as my research was now going into the public domain. I was surprised to see how expensive it was to make my paper ‘Open Access’. I had no funding for this so it’s behind a pay wall.

What would you say to other students who are preparing their thesis for publication?

Choose your journal carefully.

Be patient – the submission process is more experiential than intuitive. Try and get some advice from colleagues who have published more papers in your field.

Be prepared to defend your research against the reviewer’s comment where necessary. Try not to take the reviewers comments personally. Maintain a calm perspective, and possibly leave the manuscript for a few days before working through the corrections.

Mark’s paper can be accessed using the following reference : Howe, M.-S., Keys, W. and Richards, D. (2019) ‘Long-term (10-year) dental implant survival: A systematic review and sensitivity meta-analysis’, Journal of Dentistry. Elsevier B.V., 84(March), pp. 9–21. doi: 10.1016/j.jdent.2019.03.008.

Read Mark’s blog summarising his research findings here.

What to read next

'rejection is part of the process'.

22 July 2019

EBHC programmes Students

Rejection is part of the process: Turning your dissertation into an academic paper

utl home

Research Guides

Submit and publish your thesis.

  • The Graduate Thesis: What is it?
  • Thesis Defences
  • Deadlines and Fees
  • Formatting in MS Word
  • Formatting in LaTeX
  • Making Thesis Accessible
  • Thesis Embargo
  • Review and Release
  • Your Rights as an Author
  • Re-using Third Party Materials
  • Creative Commons Licenses for Theses
  • Turning Thesis into an Article
  • Turning Thesis into a Book
  • Other Venues of Publication

Publishing from your thesis before or after graduation

"Will repository submission affect my publishing plans?"

... this is a common question for someone looking to publish from their thesis before or after graduation.

Most journals welcome submissions based on a thesis or dissertation. Some may have additional requirements, such as to:

  • Let them know about the university’s requirement to make your thesis publicly available
  • Submit a manuscript that is substantially different than the thesis content
  • Embargo the thesis until after publication, etc.

Your steps will depend on the following scenarios:

Scenario 1 - you ARE NOT planning on publishing your thesis before or after graduation

In this case:

  • You can submit your thesis without an embargo
  • Your thesis will become publicly available in TSpace  and Library and Archives Canada after your convocation and will be widely indexed via search engines and indexes
  • Use the TSpace-generated permanent URL to share and cite your thesis - see example of such citation below
Tajdaran, K. (2015). Enhancement of Peripheral Nerve Regeneration with Controlled Release of Glial Cell Line-derived Neurotrophic Factor (GDNF) (Master’s Thesis, University of Toronto). Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/1807/74747

Scenario 2 - You ARE planning on publishing your thesis AFTER graduation

Most journals are interested in “original, previously unpublished” research. Some journals consider theses as a form of “prior publications”, others do not, and the majority does not have a clear definition. It will be best to check journal policy before you submit your thesis.

Nature Research will consider submissions containing material that has previously formed part of a PhD or other academic thesis which has been published according to the requirements of the institution awarding the qualification.

►►►How to check journal policies:

  • MIT Libraries' list of policy excerpts from major publishers
  • Journal’s website - usually under Information for Authors or Copyright / Permissions or Editorial Policy; or in the publication agreement if available online
  • If such information cannot be located online, contact the editors directly
  • If the journal requires that you place an embargo on your thesis until after publication, see the SGS instructions on how to request an embargo on your thesis .

Scenario 3 - You ARE planning on publishing (or have already published) from your thesis BEFORE graduation

You may want or be expected to publish parts of your thesis before your thesis is submitted, such as with an integrated/publication-based/sandwich thesis. The most important thing to keep in mind here is copyright. You own copyright of your written materials, and a publisher may require copyright transfer of your manuscript.

You need to ensure you retain certain rights or obtain permission in order to satisfy the university’s requirement of making your thesis openly accessible via TSpace, ProQuest and Library and Archives Canada (LAC). For more details on these repositories, see the  Review and Release  section of this guide.

Check whether the journal requires prior notification about U of T’s open access requirement for theses. Some journals want to be notified of this mandate whether or not they restrict the re-use of articles in theses.

Check whether the publisher requires copyright transfer . This should be stated on their website, in the publication agreement, or you can inquire directly with the journal.

If the publisher does not require copyright transfer , i.e. author retains copyright, then you can reuse your article/chapter in your thesis; no permission needed.

If the publisher requires copyright transfer , follow these steps:

Check if the publisher has special provisions for reusing your published work in your thesis. They may permit the inclusion of a non-final version, such as your submitted or accepted manuscript. See more below on understanding different article versions for sharing .

►►►How to check journal policies:  See MIT Libraries' list of policy excerpts from major publishers or the journal/publisher website.

For example, Taylor and Francis policy allows to:

Include your article Author’s Original Manuscript (AOM) or Accepted Manuscript(AM) , depending on the embargo period in your thesis or dissertation. The Version of Record cannot be used. https://authorservices.taylorandfrancis.com/copyright-and-you/

Check if the article is distributed under a Creative Commons license. This may allow re-use.

►►►How to check journal's CC license:  See the journal/publisher website or contact the journal directly.

If the publisher requires copyright transfer, has no special provisions and does not publish under a CC license, you will need to contact them to request permission to include your article in your thesis. You can:

  • Negotiate making the article available as part of the thesis in TSpace, ProQuest, and LAC Theses Portal; 
  • Request an embargo [link to Lisa’ section on embargo] if the publisher only permits open sharing after some time post-publication;
  • If permission is denied you may include in place of the chapter an abstract and a link to the article on the journal website.

If you have specific questions about your situation, publisher policy or author rights, contact the Scholarly Communications and Copyright Office at [email protected] for a consultation (best before you publish!)

Understanding different versions of a published article

A publisher may distinguish between the versions of an article that you may be allowed to include in your thesis:

  • Submitted manuscript / pre-print - version you initially send in (often permitted)
  • Accepted manuscript / post-print - version after peer review but before copyediting, layout editing, formatting, etc. (sometimes permitted; publisher may require an embargo/access restriction for a period of time)
  • Version of record / final publisher’s PDF - version that appears in the journal (many publishers do not permit sharing this version)

►►►How to check article versions permitted for sharing:

  • MIT Libraries’s list of policy excerpts from major publishers
  • Sherpa/RoMEO database of publisher policies
  • Journal’s website - usually under Information for Authors or Copyright/Permissions or Editorial Policy; or in the publication agreement if available online
  • << Previous: Creative Commons Licenses for Theses
  • Next: Turning Thesis into an Article >>
  • Last Updated: Sep 15, 2023 3:23 PM
  • URL: https://guides.library.utoronto.ca/thesis

Library links

  • Library Home
  • Renew items and pay fines
  • Library hours
  • Engineering
  • UT Mississauga Library
  • UT Scarborough Library
  • Information Commons
  • All libraries

University of Toronto Libraries 130 St. George St.,Toronto, ON, M5S 1A5 [email protected] 416-978-8450 Map About web accessibility . Tell us about a web accessibility problem . About online privacy and data collection .

© University of Toronto . All rights reserved. Terms and conditions.

Connect with us

Follow us on twitter

  • more social media
  • WashU Libraries

Q. I have an article pending publication with a journal. Do I need permission to include that article within my dissertation?

It depends on the publishing contract. There might be an embargo in which the publisher wants you to hold access to the dissertation until the article is officially published. The specific embargo period (often 6 months to a year) would be indicated on the publishing contract or Sherpa/Romeo. Please refer to this FAQ for more information.

  • 4 Art & Architecture Library
  • 8 Audiovisual
  • 54 Brown School Library
  • 17 Circulation
  • 2 Citation Management
  • 9 Copyright
  • 6 data repository
  • 8 Data Services
  • 18 Databases
  • 2 Digital Gateway
  • 23 Dissertations & theses
  • 2 East Asian Library
  • 19 eJournals
  • 7 Film & Media Archive
  • 18 General info
  • 3 Instruction
  • 21 Interlibrary Loan (ILL)
  • 1 Kopolow Business Library
  • 4 Medical Library
  • 8 Music Library
  • 11 Newspapers
  • 7 Off-campus Login / Passwords
  • 13 Olin Library
  • 8 Open Scholarship
  • 12 popular periodicals
  • 14 Research Help
  • 2 Research Studio
  • 25 Special Collections
  • 3 St. Louis History
  • 12 technology
  • 40 University Archives
  • 11 Washington University in St. Louis
  • 5 West Campus Library
  • 12 Where is...

Answered By: Treasa Bane Last Updated: Apr 17, 2024     Views: 3

  • Share on Facebook

Was this helpful? Yes 0 No 0

Comments (0)

Submit a question.

Our goal is to respond within a day, but it could take longer during weekends and holiday-related reduced service hours.

Click the clock icon at upper right of the homepage to see our hours of operation. Or, see if we are on  chat . If your question requires extensive research, consider contacting your  subject librarian . Thanks!

Related Topics

  • Dissertations & theses

Ask Us! 24/7 Chat with a Librarian

Library Hours

If you would like to email a question to us, please use the form on this page.  Thanks!

Academic Publishing

logo_lap

How to Get Your Dissertation Published in the UK

How to publish your dissertation uk

Congratulations on completing your dissertation! It is a great achievement, and now it is time to share your research with the rest of the world by publishing it. Publishing your dissertation in the UK can be a significant step in your academic career.  

It can also be a daunting task if you are not familiar with the process. In this article, we will guide you through the 8 steps and at the end of it, you will master how to get your dissertation published in the UK.

Choose a Publisher When Publishing Dissertation

The first step in publishing your dissertation is to choose a publisher. You can consider publishing with an academic publisher or a university press. Make sure to choose a reputable publisher with experience in your field of study.

Lambert Academic Publishing is a reputable publisher that specializes in publishing dissertations and scholarly books. We offer a wide range of services to help you publish your dissertation, including marketing. All you need is to check the steps on  how to publish with us . 

Check the Publisher’s Submission Guidelines

 Once you have chosen a publisher, check their submission guidelines carefully. This will help you understand what the publisher is looking for and how to format your manuscript accordingly. Some publishers have specific formatting requirements, so make sure you follow them closely.

can i publish my dissertation in a journal

Prepare your Manuscript

Before submitting your manuscript, you need to prepare it for publication. This involves proofreading and editing your work, making sure that it adheres to the submission guidelines, and creating an abstract and a table of contents. You may also need to format your references and citations in a specific style.

 Submit your Manuscript

Once your manuscript is ready, you can submit it to the publisher. Most publishers have an online submission system , so make sure you follow the instructions carefully. You may also need to submit a cover letter and a CV.

 Wait for the Peer-Review Process

After you submit your manuscript, it will go through a peer-review process. This is where experts in your field of study review your work and provide feedback. The review process can take several weeks to several months, depending on the publisher.

Revise Your Manuscript

If your manuscript is accepted for publication, you will need to revise it based on the feedback you received during the peer-review process. 

This may involve:

  •  rewriting certain sections;
  •  adding more data or references;
  •  making other necessary changes.

Publish now!

can i publish my dissertation in a journal

Sign a Publishing Contract

Once your manuscript is revised and accepted, you will need to sign a publishing contract with the publisher. This contract will outline the terms of your agreement, including the publication timeline, royalties, and copyright.

can i publish my dissertation in a journal

Publish Your Dissertation

Finally, your dissertation will be published! Depending on the publisher, your dissertation may be published as a book , an e-book, or an article in a journal. Make sure to celebrate this accomplishment and share your work with your colleagues and peers.

In conclusion, publishing your dissertation in the UK can be a rewarding and challenging experience. Make sure to choose a reputable publisher, follow the submission guidelines closely, and prepare your manuscript carefully. 

Remember that the peer-review process can take time, so be patient and be prepared to make revisions. With perseverance and hard work, you can successfully publish your dissertation and contribute to your field of study.  

What are the Benefits of Publishing Your Dissertation in the UK?

can i publish my dissertation in a journal

The Significance of Publishing Your Dissertation

You’ve invested countless hours into your dissertation, and completing it is a remarkable achievement. However, what’s next? Have you ever considered publishing your dissertation in the UK? In this article, we’ll explore the numerous benefits of taking this step.

 Enhancing Your Academic Visibility

Publishing your dissertation is more than just a formality, it’s a significant accomplishment. It demonstrates that you’ve conducted original research and contributed new knowledge to your field. Sharing your findings allows you to take pride in your hard work and benefit others who can learn from your research.

Establishing Expertise and Reputation

Publishing your dissertation can significantly boost your visibility in the academic community. It helps you establish yourself as an authority in your field, a valuable asset when applying for academic positions or research grants. Moreover, publishing increases the likelihood of being cited in future research, further elevating your academic reputation.

can i publish my dissertation in a journal

Unlocking New Research Opportunities

Another compelling advantage of publishing your dissertation is the potential for new research opportunities. Sharing your work enables you to connect with fellow researchers who may be interested in collaborating with you or expanding upon your findings. 

This can lead to exciting research projects and opportunities for further knowledge and expertise development.

Honing Crucial Skills

Publishing your dissertation is a learning journey that hones essential skills. It involves receiving feedback and revising your work accordingly. This iterative process enhances your writing skills and your ability to articulate ideas effectively. Furthermore, it continues to develop your critical thinking skills, which are vital in navigating the publishing process.

 Achieving Academic Closure

Lastly, publishing your dissertation offers a sense of closure to your academic journey. After years of dedicated effort, seeing your research in print and knowing it contributes to your field can be incredibly rewarding.

In conclusion, publishing your dissertation in the UK offers a host of valuable benefits, including increased visibility, research opportunities, skill development, and a sense of accomplishment. Most importantly, it enables you to share your hard-earned research with the broader academic community. 

Don’t hesitate to consider taking the next step and sharing your valuable research with the world.

can i publish my dissertation in a journal

Exploring Publishing Opportunities with Lambert Academic Publishing

Are you a researcher or author wondering how to publish your undergraduate dissertation or master’s dissertation ? Lambert Academic Publishing is your solution! Our streamlined, cost-effective publishing process allows you to share your research with a global audience.

With no publishing contract required and comprehensive editing and formatting services included, publishing your thesis with us has never been easier. Plus, our extensive worldwide distribution network ensures that your work reaches a broader audience. 

Don’t let your research go unnoticed.

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

IMAGES

  1. How to Successfully Publish a Paper From Your Dissertation in an

    can i publish my dissertation in a journal

  2. How to Publish Research Papers in High Impact Factor Journals

    can i publish my dissertation in a journal

  3. How to publish research paper?

    can i publish my dissertation in a journal

  4. How to Find a Suitable Journal to Publish My Research Papers?

    can i publish my dissertation in a journal

  5. How to Publish a Research Paper in Reputed Journals?

    can i publish my dissertation in a journal

  6. How To Write A Dissertation Or Thesis (+ Examples)

    can i publish my dissertation in a journal

VIDEO

  1. Publish your journal article in 6 steps

  2. Join the Academic Revolution

  3. How to get published in academic journals

  4. Academic Writing

  5. Publishing from your Masters or Doctoral thesis

  6. How to Pick a Journal to Publish Your Research Article 📗

COMMENTS

  1. Adapting a Dissertation or Thesis Into a Journal Article

    When deciding whether to publish the work in your dissertation or thesis, first consider whether the findings tell a compelling story or answer important questions. ... The original research reported in a dissertation and thesis can then be reformatted for journal submission following one of two general strategies: the multiple-paper strategy ...

  2. Publishing Your Dissertation in a Scholarly Journal

    1. Publication will be completely driven by you and no one else. A publication will not be on the priority list of your dissertation committee. And you will likely be the only one to understand where to publish. 2. Planning is the most important step and the only way to be successful.

  3. how-to-turn-your-dissertation-into-journal-articles

    Regardless of the time constraints, it's still extremely valuable to take the step of turning your dissertation into journal papers. Two years past my thesis defense, I'm reaching the end of this process (with a number of papers published, a number in review and a few more to write). Below are some of my observations on the process.

  4. How Do I Publish My Dissertation?

    Publishing in a Journal. Academic journals are the most common choice for publishing a dissertation, so it is the most important process to understand. It is important to know which journal best fits your dissertation, become familiar with the journal's guidelines and to carefully interpret feedback on your work.

  5. The Ultimate Guide to Getting Your Thesis Published in a Journal

    Getting your thesis research published in a journal is a long process that goes from reworking your thesis to promoting your article online. Be sure you take your time in the pre-publication process so you don't have to make lots of revisions. You can do this by thoroughly revising, editing, formatting, and proofreading your article. ...

  6. How to Write a Journal Article from a Thesis

    2. Shorten the length of your thesis. Treat your thesis as a separate work. Paraphrase but do not distort meaning. Select and repurpose parts of your thesis. 3. Reformat the introduction as an abstract. Shorten the introduction to 100-150 words, but maintain key topics to hold the reader's attention.

  7. How to adapt your dissertation so it works as a published article (opinion)

    A first step, as noted above, is to identify the presuppositions or ideas from other chapters you and your committee members bring to this one. A second is to identify the elements of the chapter that tie it to the rest of the dissertation. These elements may be extended passages or allusions to what comes before or after, or, indeed, things ...

  8. PDF PUBLISHING YOUR THESIS OR DISSERTATION

    dissertation. Declare that your original thesis or dissertation was not peer reviewed and has only been published in an archive or repository for theses or dissertations. In the Cover Letter, provide the editors a reference (APA format) to your thesis or dissertation. 4. Log on to Language Testing ScholarOne ManuscriptsTM Central to submit your ...

  9. PDF Written Dissemination: Turning Your Dissertation into a Journal Article

    both dissertations and articles published in scientific journals are very different in terms of format. Since converting your dissertation into a journal article requires effort, time and following certain steps, we have ideas you can consider making this process as effective and enjoyable as possible.

  10. Publishing your dissertation

    That doesn't mean it's going to be easy to winnow a traditional dissertation-averaging upward of 200 pages-to the lean 40 pages or less required by most journals. Editing your dissertation means more than cutting out enough words to fit a journal's page-count. "I can remember when I first thought about publishing my own dissertation," says Gary ...

  11. Revising Your Dissertation for Publication

    Publishing your Dissertation (American Psychological Association) While a dissertation's in-depth research and analysis can provide a strong foundation for a book, the dissertation itself is not a book and will not be published by an academic press without substantial revisions. Some acquisitions editors are interested first books, especially ...

  12. The basics of converting your PhD thesis into journal articles

    To convert a thesis/dissertation into a journal article, it has to be rewritten and refined. More often, a journal article is crafted based on an excerpt or a chapter of a thesis, and sometimes, multiple articles can be published based on different thesis chapters. The journal article undergoes further revisions during peer review, which makes ...

  13. PDF PUBLISHING YOUR GRADUATE WORK

    STEP 3: Read and understand the Licensing and Rights sections of the publishing agreement. This agreement grants ProQuest/UMI the right to reproduce and disseminate your work according to the choices you make. This is a non-exclusive right; you may grant others the right to use your dissertation or thesis as well.

  14. Can I publish parts of the Ph.D thesis as a paper in a journal?

    18. In general, this is allowed, even encouraged. The answer depends on what kind of book you are publishing. If it is the regular dissertation, then you can publish in journals. If it is a properly published book by Springer or equivalent, then I doubt that you can publish again. Share. Improve this answer.

  15. If I publish a journal article based on my dissertation, will it be

    Hi, I am thinking about revising my doctoral dissertation into a journal article to have a broader readership. But I am concerned about any potential problems of self-plagiarism.My doctoral dissertation was electronically published by the university in 2014. In that case, can I still submit an article the content of which is based on most parts of my doctoral dissertation?

  16. Publish with Elsevier: Step by step

    4. Track your paper. 5. Share and promote. 1. Find a journal. Find out the journals that could be best suited for publishing your research. For a comprehensive list of Elsevier journals check our Journal Catalog. You can also match your manuscript using the JournalFinder tool, then learn more about each journal.

  17. How can I publish my thesis?

    Publishing the thesis "as is" Your first option to to publish the thesis as it is now, without any modifications. This is usually the easier thing to do. ... If you are not sure which journal to publish to, I suggest that you look on the citation list of your own thesis and see which journals published articles similar to yours. One of the ...

  18. Turning your MSc dissertation into an academic paper

    Students who complete the MSc in Evidence Based Health Care at the University of Oxford often produce high quality research for their dissertation, which we encourage them to publish in academic journals. Dr Anne-Marie Boylan is the Dissertation Coordinator for the MSc in EBHC. She spoke to Mark Howe, a dentist who recently completed his MSc about his experiences of writing up his MSc thesis ...

  19. Turning Your Dissertation into a Book: A Step-by ...

    Be prepared to receive feedback and make revisions based on their comments. In conclusion, publishing your dissertation in a journal requires careful research, attention to detail, and a willingness to revise and edit your work. By following these steps, you can increase your chances of success and share your research with a wider audience.

  20. Author Dissertations FAQs

    ProQuest aggregates content from thousands of publishers that are used every day in every major research library in the world. ProQuest's acclaimed research platform cross-searches journal databases with dissertations content, enabling your dissertation to be viewed along with other major works on the topic.

  21. Publish your dissertation or thesis

    Even if your dissertation or thesis was written in publication format and with a journal in mind, you will likely have to do a lot of tweaking and re-writing before it is ready to submit.

  22. Submit and Publish Your Thesis

    You can submit your thesis without an embargo. Your thesis will become publicly available in TSpace and Library and Archives Canada after your convocation and will be widely indexed via search engines and indexes. Use the TSpace-generated permanent URL to share and cite your thesis - see example of such citation below. Tajdaran, K. (2015).

  23. I have an article pending publication with a journal. Do I need

    It depends on the publishing contract. There might be an embargo in which the publisher wants you to hold access to the dissertation until the article is officially published. The specific embargo period (often 6 months to a year) would be indicated on the publishing contract or Sherpa/Romeo. Please refer to this FAQ for more information.

  24. How to Get Your Dissertation Published in the UK?

    Finally, your dissertation will be published! Depending on the publisher, your dissertation may be published as a book, an e-book, or an article in a journal. Make sure to celebrate this accomplishment and share your work with your colleagues and peers. In conclusion, publishing your dissertation in the UK can be a rewarding and challenging ...