All University of Chicago dissertations must comply with the University-Wide Requirements for the Ph.D. Dissertation, with the following BSD-specific provisions:
Abstract Requirement
Every Biological Sciences Division (BSD) thesis be submitted to Knowledge@UChicago. Submission to ProQuest is optional. Every thesis must include a complete dissertation abstract not exceeding 500-words.
Document Structure
The thesis should maintain a standard organizational framework which typically is:
- Table of Contents
- List of Figures
- Acknowledgments
- Abstract
- Introduction
- Data Chapters
- Discussion (including overarching conclusions contextualizing the work's significance to the field, and future directions)
- Bibliography
- Appendices (as needed)
Detailed methodological content may appear either as a dedicated chapter or distributed within Data Chapters.
Collaborative Work Attribution
For chapters incorporating collaborative research, authors must include an attributions section in the chapter's abstract/summary that clearly delineates the individual’s contributions to the work. This is particularly important when incorporating published or submitted co-authored works, ensuring readers can distinguish which aspects of the research were performed by the author of the dissertation.
Published Content Guidelines
When published material is included, it must be adapted to meet the University's dissertation formatting guidelines. Published works must meet two conditions: sufficient contextual framing (through extended summaries or abstracts and/or chapter introductions) and complete citation of original publications. While most journals permit inclusion of published material in the author's thesis or dissertation, candidates should verify copyright permissions. Students should consult the University of Chicago Dissertation Office and attend preparatory workshops in advance of their defense quarter.