Appendix 2 - Submission of Higher Degree Theses for Examination in Temporary Binding: Guidelines for Members of the Examining Board

1.    (a) Candidates may submit their thesis for examination in permanent hardback binding, in paperback binding with plastic overlay, or in temporary secure binding.

(b) The University requires external examiners to return temporarily bound theses directly to the Chair/Convener of the Examining Board after the examination is complete. Where the candidate has passed, but the work requires minor or typographical corrections, the Chair/Convener should arrange with the candidate for the necessary corrections to be made and for both copies of the thesis to be permanently bound in the form required for deposit in the libraries. Once this has been done to the Chair/Convener’s satisfaction, he/she should send the completed Report and Result form to the Registry. The form must not be sent to the Registry until the work has been permanently bound.

(c) Candidates' results must not be released to the University by Chairs/Conveners of Examining Boards until any minor or typographical corrections required have been carried out and the thesis bound in the permanent form required by regulation for deposit and use in libraries. It is the responsibility of candidates to make the required corrections and to have their work bound. Conveners should check that these tasks have been performed satisfactorily.

2.  Types of Temporary Binding

Temporary binding should not be confused with no binding. Loose sheets placed in a wallet file are not acceptable. Candidates are issued with guidance by the Registry on the acceptability of various types of temporary binding.

(a) The following types of temporary binding are recommended:

    • perfect binding (as used in this document)
    • spring-back binding (provided that the binders are not over-filled)
    • slide-in plastic binders (of the type used to hang posters on walls)

(b) The following types of temporary binding are NOT suitable, since conversion to permanent binding will be more time-consuming (and therefore expensive) and either the holes in the pages will be considerably less than full A4 width:

    • spiral binding
    • ring-folder or lever-arch folder

(c) Candidates (and those advising them) are asked to bear in mind that temporarily-bound theses must be able to withstand handling, transit to and from examiners and the examining process itself. Care must be taken to ensure that the form of any temporary binding used is sufficiently secure not to burst or fall apart.

(d) Whatever form of acceptable temporary binding is chosen, it is absolutely essential that the spine bears the information required by University Regulations (as detailed in Appendix A). Theses cannot be processed efficiently if this information is not given clearly on the spine in a form which cannot easily be erased or detached. Space may be saved by using shortened versions of the University's name as follows: Aberystwyth

(e)   A copy of the regulations governing the presentation of theses and dissertations is given at Appendix A.

4. Other requirements regarding the submission of theses for examination remain 'unaltered. Whether permanently or temporarily bound, submission deadlines must be met and the theses themselves must conform to the requirements of the regulations regarding size of characters, size of paper, space between lines etc. All pages should be appropriately numbered. In short, the facility -with the department's approval -to submit a thesis for examination in temporary binding is not an invitation to candidates to submit work in draft form for examination.

(a) Submission in temporary binding has no effect on the regulations which state that -except in order that minor/typographical errors in a successful thesis may be carried out prior to its deposit in the libraries -a candidate may not amend, add to or delete from the thesis after it has been submitted for examination. Submitted theses may not, therefore, be returned to candidates for improvement prior to the completion of the Examining Board's deliberations and formal recommendation. A work which cannot be passed as submitted, should be failed and subsequently resubmitted formally in modified form for re-examination.

(b) The Convener/Secretary disposes of the bound copies of successful theses as follows:

    • 1 copy direct to the National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, SY23 3BU
    • 1 copy to the University library

Any notes or marginal comments made by examiners in theses must be erased prior to their deposit in Libraries.

In addition to the permanent bound volumes deposited in libraries, candidates must deposit an electronic copy of the final version of the thesis in the University's Institutional Research Repository.

Theses so deposited will be made available by the University to external repositories and search tools including the digital collection of the National Library of Wales and the British Library's UK database of theses.

The candidate will be expected to sign a declaration that the electronic copy as deposited in the electronic repository is identical in content to that deposited in the Library, and that the candidate has obtained the appropriate copyright permission for the inclusion of any third party content within the thesis so that the work can legally be made available in an open access repository.

Material accepted for the institutional repository should conform to guidelines issued from time to time by Information Services.

When a thesis is subject to a bar on access, it will be deposited in the open access electronic repository until the expiry of that bar.

  • External Examiners are requested to (a) notify the Registry immediately if they receive draft theses for comment and return prior to commencement of the formal examining process and (b) decline firmly any suggestion that a thesis should be returned to a candidate for improvement and re-consideration prior to completion of the Examining Board's formal deliberations.