1. Purposes
VinUniversity advocates for unrestricted, open access to research literature for researchers globally and assumes accountability for disseminating its own research outputs. Given that theses and dissertations are not conventionally published, VinUniversity will facilitate free access to them. This document provides guidelines for the archiving and dissemination of theses and dissertations resulting from postgraduate work done by VinUniversity students and ensures that:
- Any students, researchers, or members of the public with a non-commercial need for the thesis/dissertation are granted access to it.
- VinUniversity’s theses and dissertations are in the system of the long-term preservation.
2. Procedural statement
Definition of Thesis
A thesis is a research document submitted for a master’s degree, involving in-depth exploration of a specific topic, presenting original research, analysis, and conclusions. It demonstrates the student’s ability to conduct independent research and contribute to their academic field.
Definition of Dissertation
A dissertation is an extensive academic document required for a doctoral degree (Ph.D.), presenting the author’s detailed research and findings. It contributes new knowledge or theories to the field and requires higher originality, critical analysis, and scholarly rigor than a thesis.
| Contents | Descriptions | Notes |
| Thesis/dissertation version to be submitted | Students must submit the final versions of their thesis/dissertations that passed by the thesis/dissertation examination committee in both physical and electronic forms. | The final thesis/dissertation must include students’ signature, confirmation of the supervisor(s) and confirmation of the chairperson of the thesis/dissertation examination committee after revision (if any).
Doctoral students are responsible for submitting themself their final dissertations with their signatures, confirmation of the supervisor(s) and confirmation of the Home College in summary and in full to National Library of Vietnam (in both physical and electronic forms). |
| Submission time | 15 working days (for thesis) or 30 working days (for dissertations) after the final approval of the thesis/dissertation examination committee. | |
| Number of copies to be submitted | – Electronic version: 01 PDF. file (without any password protection) for self-submission into VinUni Library Website.
– Print versions:
|
– The self-submission of the electronic copy should be done in advance of the submission of print version.
– The theses/dissertation submission form (Template 4) will be available online in VinUni Library Website and should be completed fully online first, then printed out, signed and submitted. |
| Availability of the electronic version after submission | After self – submission, students’ electronic theses/ dissertations will be opened worldwide in full on VinUni Library website within 03 months (for dissertations) or 30 working days (for thesis) after the final approval of the thesis/dissertation examination committee. The following exceptions for confidentially examined thesis/dissertation subjective to the approval of College Deans are permitted.
– Embargo for a certain period:
– Permanent restriction
|
– Students are required to submit the approval of College Deans for an embargo of 12 months maximum or permanent restriction.
– Once the embargo period has lapsed, the thesis/dissertation will be automatically accessible in open access.
|
| Copyright | When students submit their theses/dissertations and sign the submission form, they authorize VinUniversity to lend the work to users of the VinUniversity library and to create partial or single copies exclusively for such users in response to requests from the library or any other university, educational institution, or individual, either on its own behalf or for one of its users. It is understood that copying or publishing theses/dissertations for financial gain is prohibited without students’ written permission. | |
| Thesis/Dissertation Formatting | Follow the formatting guides in Appendix A |
Appendix A
3. Thesis/Dissertation Formatting Guide
I. Required parts
The following parts will be bounded in the order bellows:
- Title page (hard paper for print version only) – See Template 1
- Title page (soft paper) – See Template 1
- Thesis/dissertation Committee Approval page (See Template 2): All the signatures should be in wet ink for print version. The electronic version can include the scanned page.
- Acknowledgements (optional)
- Declaration (see Template 3)
- Table of Contents:
-
- All chapters and significant sections of the thesis/dissertation following the Table of Contents, including the Abstract, must be included.
- You have the discretion to determine the number of sub-heading levels you wish to include in the Table of Contents. However, it’s important to maintain consistency throughout the document. If you choose to include certain headings of a particular level, ensure that all headings of that level are included.
- Every heading listed in the Table of Contents should correspond exactly to the heading used in the body of the thesis and should be accompanied by its respective page number.
- We suggest using a dot leader (e.g., “……”) between each heading and its corresponding page number aligned to the far right, to facilitate readability for the reader.
- Lists of Figures (if applicable)
- Lists of Illustrations (if applicable)
- Lists of Tables (if applicable)
- Lists of abbreviations ( if applicable) : Only for abbreviations repeated multiple times in the work.
- Abstract (required)
- The main parts of the thesis/dissertation
- Appendices ( if any)
- References/Bibliography
- Thesis/dissertation submission form (See Template 4)
Notes:
- The print version is A4 (210mm x 297 mm), two-sided with blue hard cover, the spine on the left side in vertical format, not spiral bound, and without using glossy paper. The content printed on the book spine includes the following information: STUDENT’S NAME * YEAR OF DEFENSE
- The electronic version must be in PDF Format.
II. Formatting Principles
1. Fonts
- Using Times New Roman as it is a standard serif font known for its good reproduction quality.
- Font size: 12 point.
2. Headings
- Each level of heading should possess a unique and uniform appearance. Ideally, readers should be able to quickly discern the level of a particular heading based on its visual presentation.
- Heading formatting as below:
| Main Headings (Level 1) |
Subheadings (Level 2) |
Sub-subheadings (Level 3) |
Sub-sub-subheadings (Level 4) |
| Font: Times New Roman
Size: 16-point Style: Bold Alignment: Centered Case: Title Case |
Font: Times New Roman
Size: 14-point Style: Bold Alignment: Left-aligned Case: Title Case |
Font: Times New Roman
Size: 12-point Style: Bold Italic Alignment: Left-aligned Case: Title Case |
Font: Times New Roman
Size: 12-point Style: Italic Alignment: Left-aligned Case: Sentence case (only the first word and proper nouns capitalized) |
- Numbering: Use a consistent numbering scheme for headings and subheadings, such as 1, 1.1, 1.1.1, etc.
3. Margins and spacing
- Left margin: 3 cm
- Right margin: 2 cm
- Top margin: 2 cm
- Bottom margin: 2cm
Select the desired spacing typically 1.5 for Thesis and 2.0 for Dissertations
4. Page Numbers
- Page numbers should be present on all pages, with the exception of the title page, which does not need to display its page number, and they should be located consistently in the same position on every page.
- The title page is designated as page 1 of the thesis/dissertation, with subsequent pages numbered consecutively.
- In case you include scanned material with page numbers, ensure that the thesis page number is clearly identifiable on every page for the reader’s convenience.
5. Citations
- You should adhere to the citation style that is appropriate for your field of study, as directed by the guidance provided by your home college.
6. Footnotes/Endnotes
- Footnotes or endnotes may be utilized as necessary. There are no specific guidelines regarding the format of footnotes or endnotes.
7. Appendices
- You have the option to include material in appendices as deemed appropriate. Appendices are placed after the chapters of the thesis and before the final References section.
- Each appendix is assigned a letter designation along with a title (e.g., “APPENDIX A – SUPPLEMENTARY DATA”).
8. References/Bibliography
- The concluding section of the thesis/dissertation should consist of a thorough compilation of the works you have referenced or utilized.
- A comprehensive list of all sources and references cited in the thesis/dissertation, following a specific citation style as regulated by your home college.
4. List of templates
Link: VUNI.77 List of Templates
Template 1: Title page
Template 2: Thesis/Dissertation committee approval page
Template 3: Declaration
Template 4: Thesis/Dissertation submission form