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DBA BY PUBLICATION ROUTE

The thesis is the final outcome of the research. It requires a significant level of self-regulated learning and will be written in a style that meets the standards of internationally recognised peer-reviewed journal papers.

Thesis by publication

Thesis by publication situates a DBA candidate’s research on the world stage and validates its relevance to the international business community. The DBA by Publication option is designed according to QAA guidelines: ’A candidate can present a portfolio of interconnected, published research papers contextualised by a coherent narrative, demonstrating overall an original contribution to knowledge. Such publications may include papers, chapters, monographs, books, scholarly editions of a text, technical reports, creative work in relevant areas, or other artefacts’ (QAA, 2011).

Thus the final thesis by publication document, written in English, draws together a series of connected publications into a cohesive document. The final document will take the form of:

  • Introduction (1000 - 2000 words)
  • Literature review, published by the International Professional Managers Journal - IJPM journal (2000 - 3000 words)
  • Artefact 2 (paper, chapter, primer, monograph, book, scholarly edition of a text, technical report or creative work in relevant area) 5000 - 7000 words); accepted for publication, but not necessarily yet published
  • Artefact 3 (paper, chapter, primer, monograph, book, scholarly edition of a text, technical report or creative work in relevant area) (5000 - 7000 words); accepted for publication, but not necessarily yet published
  • Discussion (1000 - 2000 words)
  • References
  • Appendices

Total: 19000 - 28000 words, excluding references and appendices. There is some flexibility regarding the word limit for articles, according to the requirements of the relevant publication.

We recommend thesis by publication. This route sets you on the path to recognition immediately and enables you to disseminate your results to a global audience straight away. It splits your thesis up into manageable sections, and enables you to learn from the journal feedback process. Publication of your work is one of the most effective ways of securing scholarships, funding and jobs. It defines your worth as an academic and is the principal currency in academia.

If your articles have not been accepted into journals, then your thesis will be evaluated using the traditional method of submission for examination. Your articles will, in this case, form chapters within your thesis.

1.1. Submitting articles to the IJPM journal

You may choose to submit your articles to the IJPM journal. When submitting, you have one of two choices. It is important that you understand the implication of each choice:

  1. You can choose to have it editorially reviewed.
  2. You can opt for peer review.

Having your articles peer reviewed increases your chances of gaining Merit or Distinction in your degree. Thus the potential degree outcomes are a) DBA, b) DBA with Merit (1 peer reviewed article), or c) DBA with Distinction (2 peer reviewed articles).