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Cumulative dissertation

A cumulative thesis comprises a collection of scientific publications and manuscripts that have been published or are to be published in the foreseeable future in recognised peer-reviewed journals. The minimum requirements for such a dissertation are:

• At least one of the included manuscripts that lists the doctoral candidate as first author must have already been published or accepted for publication when the dissertation is submitted.
• At least one other manuscript must have been submitted for review. A shared first authorship is considered a first authorship, regardless of the position of the name in the list of authors.
• The collected manuscripts must be preceded by a detailed and well-founded introduction that places the work in an overall context, explains its relevance and clearly formulates the aims of the work.
• The collected manuscripts, which represent different chapters of the cumulative dissertation, are followed by a comprehensive discussion that places the most important results of the dissertation in a larger context (synopsis) and provides an outlook on research perspectives arising from the work.

Please note that your cumulative dissertation must include an abstract that precisely states your own contribution to the publications/manuscripts submitted (template). This statement must be signed by both you and your first supervisor.

As there are always ambiguities and errors with regard to publications, please contact the doctoral examination office at an early stage.