Guidelines for the submission of monographs derived from theses

Current Press policy and rationale

·       Cardiff University Press (CardiffUP) does not accept unrevised doctoral theses for publication. The purpose of a doctoral thesis is to obtain an academic qualification, and it must often follow strict rules relating to format, structure and content. CardiffUP’s monographs (academic books and certain other types of single scholarly volume) follow different rules, to achieve a different purpose.

·       Furthermore, CardiffUP will not accept for publication any monograph derived from or based on a thesis where no serious attempt has been made to revise the work thoroughly, or where the monograph manuscript closely resembles the thesis manuscript with only a few minor changes.  In effect this is still a thesis, even if it is described as a monograph.

·       Nevertheless, some monographs derived from theses will be suitable for CardiffUP publication.  If the author has used the thesis as a starting point in the creation of an original, separate academic monograph, which has the distinctive characteristics of a monograph as opposed to those of a thesis, that volume is likely to be suitable for consideration by CardiffUP.

Creating a monograph derived from a thesis

This process involves a thorough, comprehensive revision and re-purposing of the thesis content, which takes time and effort.  The following kinds of revisions will usually be needed before the manuscript is submitted to CardiffUP:

• ·       Re-structuring of the manuscript so that it concentrates more on original research and less on literature review and methodology. Updated content can also be incorporated, relating to further research done after completion of the thesis. Chapter divisions within the monograph will often differ from those of the thesis: some chapters (or sections within chapters) will need to be removed, new ones added and others rewritten or shortened.

• ·       Demonstration of more extensive development of the ideas contained in the thesis, broadening the scope to make the monograph and the author's research relevant to a wider audience.  CardiffUP monographs are aimed primarily at academic staff and students in one or more disciplines, but wherever possible they appeal to some general (non-academic) readers as well. The potential readership is therefore larger and more diverse than for a PhD thesis, which means that the focus may need to be very different.

• ·       Use of an appropriate writing style for the monograph’s wider audience: for example, the avoidance of very long and complex sentences, and explanations of specialised terminology and jargon where appropriate.  The author’s in-depth knowledge of the subjects and topics of the monograph may not be at the same level as the reader’s knowledge. 

• ·       Thorough contextualisation of the research, linking the author's own ideas with current international and interdisciplinary debates wherever possible.
  
  

Having completed these revisions, the author is required to provide us with a link to an online copy of the thesis when the monograph is submitted, so that the differences between the two works can be ascertained.

Further guidance

For general guidance on manuscript submissions, please go to the Publish With Us page. For specific queries please contact us.