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Thesis Submission

Thesis Submission Guide​

This guide outlines the essential steps and requirements for submitting your thesis at IIITH.

1. Contributions That Count Towards Your Thesis​

Your thesis is the culmination of your research efforts. The following contributions are typically considered valid:

  1. Development of New Theory, Concept, or Algorithm: Must demonstrate a significant impact on the field.
  2. Experimental Work: Should have a significant impact on existing theory or practice.
  3. Building a System or Part of a System: Must include substantial functionality or enhancements in performance or functionality.
  4. Enhancement or Modification of Known Theory or Concept: Should provide meaningful improvements or insights.
  5. Experiments to Validate Concepts: Supporting experiments that validate theoretical concepts or proposals.
  6. Enhancements to Existing Systems: Improvements to parts of an existing system, leading to better performance or functionality.

1., and 2. could be full-fledged papers in reputed conferences or journals.
3., could be written up as a paper, showcasing differences (e.g., architectural differences), or it could stand alone as a project.
The remaining contributions are significant and do not necessarily need to be published as papers. All of these are officially accepted as contributions towards your thesis (source: IMS).

Please note that not all advisors may agree to a thesis without a paper. It's important to discuss your expectations with your professors well in advance. Don’t hesitate to bring up the possibility of submitting a thesis based on contributions other than multiple papers, as some professors might not be fully aware that the institute allows these alternatives as well.

2. First Step: Plagiarism Check​

Before proceeding with the submission, your thesis must undergo a plagiarism check. This ensures the originality of your work and compliance with academic standards. It is a mandatory step without which the further step will not show up. Follow these steps:

  • Go to IMS > Thesis > Thesis Submission Request
  • Fill in details and upload your thesis.
  • Await the report, which will indicate any areas that require revision. Usually takes about 2-3 days (In case if you are submitting towards the end you should be prepared for it to take up to a week)
  • Make necessary changes to reduce similarity and resubmit if required.

3. Thesis Tracks: Normal vs. Fast Track​

Before I move forward to actual submission steps I would now like to highlight upon two tracks that we have for thesis submission. Usually thesis submission (for MS) has two important steps: A public presentation and a public defense (details will be given in respective pages)

  • Normal Track: This is the standard submission process, where you submit your thesis and it can take anytime between 4-12 weeks for it to process.
    • 4 weeks: Best case scenario where you have multiple papers, and your examiner gets assigned quickly
    • 12 weeks: Where you have no paper and heavy scrutiny is done and multiple examiners are often assigned to validate the work.
  • Fast Track: This is for students who have published a paper in an A* conference or in a reputed journal. This track significantly speeds up the submission process. The major advantages of this:
    • Significantly faster turn around times (as less as 10 days)
    • Only 1 examiner is assigned, as work has been peer reviewed by highly acclaimed academicians.
    • You will not have to go through the public presentation.

For detailed information on how to proceed in each track, please refer to the respective pages:

Although there isn't much difference in the process, I felt it would be worthwhile to have scope for normal and fast track so questions could be better answered.

Note: Examiners are typically nominated by your advisor. In case of any delays, it's best to first approach the examiner through your advisor, and if necessary, escalate the matter through the PG Cell.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)​

Q1: Is a paper publication necessary for the thesis? A1: No, a paper publication is not strictly necessary. You can write a thesis based on the research and project contributions you have made during your time under your advisor. However, it is highly recommended to have a paper publication, as it significantly smooths the process. Without a publication, your thesis will undergo more intense scrutiny, and the process may take longer due to the need for thorough verification in the absence of a published paper supporting your work.

Q2: What if my paper is under review?
A2: Only accepted papers count. In case you want to include the under review paper, you can do so, but you have to ensure that you mention that paper is under review.

Q3: Can collaborative work be submitted for a thesis?
A3: Yes, as long as your individual contribution is clearly documented and significant and the paper itself hasn't been used by the primary contributor for their respective thesis work. In which case you will have to clealrly mention your contribution.

Q4: What is the maximum similarity allowed in the plagiarism check?
A4: The maximum allowed similarity is typically 15%.

Q5: How much content from my paper can I include in my thesis? A5: You can include your entire paper verbatim in your thesis. Self-plagiarism does not apply, meaning plagiarism checks will not flag content from your own papers that you are using as contributions to your thesis. Even if flagged, such instances can be removed upon appeal. Each of your papers can form a separate chapter of your thesis.

Q6: Will I get to know who my examiners are A6: Yes, once examiners are assigned and they accept, you will receive a mail with the details and necessary further steps.