BEYOND PUBLICATION: BUILDING COHERENT ARTICLE-BASED DISSERTATIONS FOR DOCTORAL RESEARCH

DOI: https://doi.org/10.33650/pjp.v13i2.13396
Authors

(1) * Pelham Lessing   (Nelson Mandela University)  
        South Africa
(*) Corresponding Author

Abstract


The growing emphasis on research publication has encouraged the adoption of the Article-Based Dissertation (ABD) or Thesis by Publication (TBP) as an alternative model in doctoral education. However, concerns remain regarding whether multiple publications can form a coherent doctoral contribution, particularly in terms of research integration, originality, and academic rigor. This study aims to explore how article-based dissertations can be developed as coherent doctoral research contributions beyond publication outcomes. A qualitative conceptual approach was employed through a critical analysis of scholarly literature and institutional policies related to article-based doctoral education. The findings indicate that the quality of ABD is not determined by the number of published articles, but by the coherence of research objectives, theoretical foundations, methodologies, and cumulative scholarly contributions. This study contributes a conceptual perspective that positions ABD as an integrated doctoral research framework rather than a collection of separate publications. The proposed perspective provides insights for doctoral institutions and supervisors in developing article-based dissertation models that maintain academic standards while supporting publication-oriented research practices.

Keywords

Article-Based Dissertation; Thesis by Publication; Doctoral Education.



Full Text: PDF



References


Aitchison, C. (2010). Learning together to publish. Publishing pedagogies for the doctorate and beyond, 83-100.

Asante, L. A., & Abubakari, Z. (2021). Pursuing PhD by publication in geography: A collaborative autoethnography of two African doctoral researchers. Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 45(1), 87-107. https://doi.org/10.1080/03098265.2020.1803817

Connoway, I. J. L., & Malherbe, J. (2024). Time to Tame the Tome: Motivating the Thesis by Publication as a Mode of Study for a PhD in the Humanities. South African Journal of Higher Education, 38(2), 63-80. https://hdl.handle.net/10520/ejc-high_v38_n2_a4

Davies, R. E., & Rolfe, G. (2009). PhD by publication: A prospective as well as retrospective award? Some subversive thoughts. Nurse Education Today, 29(6), 590-594.

Fajriyah, N., Munawwaroh, I., & Sain, S. H. (2026). Beyond Inclusion: Uncovering The Role Of Inclusive Learning In Shaping Students'perspective-Taking. PEDAGOGIK: Jurnal Pendidikan, 13(1), 81-98. https://doi.org/10.33650/pjp.v13i1.13871

Healey, M., & Healey, R. L. (2026). Writing collaboratively in groups: Reflections on 25 years' experiences of international collaborative writing groups. In Writing Partnerships in Higher Education (pp. 53-66). Routledge.

Jarrahi, M. H., Li, L., Robinson, A. P., & Meng, S. (2025). Generative AI and the augmentation of information practices in knowledge work. Behaviour & Information Technology, 1-22. https://doi.org/10.1080/0144929X.2025.2551570

Kearney, C. A., Fensken, M., & Dupont, R. (2025, April). Implementing multi-tiered systems of support in rural schools: A practice perspective for improving mental health care for underserved youths. In Frontiers in Education (Vol. 10, p. 1553528). Frontiers Media SA.

Kostusiak, N., Hromyk, L., Hrytsevych, Y., Kryskiv, M., Sydorenko, O., & Shumenko, O. (2025). Culture of Ukrainian Scientific Language: Oral and Written Forms of Professional Communication. Journal of Cultural Analysis and Social Change, 4779-4788.

Krumsvik, R. J. (2025). Chatbots and academic writing for doctoral students. education and information technologies, 30(7), 9427-9461.

Lee, T., & McPhaden, M. J. (2010). Increasing intensity of El Niño in the central‐equatorial Pacific. Geophysical Research Letters, 37(14).

Manshur, U., & Rozi, F. (2025). The Transformation of Learning Model Based on Critical Digital Literacy in Higher Education. PEDAGOGIK: Jurnal Pendidikan, 12(2), 272-286.

Mason, S., & Merga, M. (2018). Integrating publications in the social science doctoral thesis by publication. Higher Education Research & Development, 37(7), 1454-1471. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2018.1498461

Merga, L. B., Redondo-Hasselerharm, P. E., Van den Brink, P. J., & Koelmans, A. A. (2020). Distribution of microplastic and small macroplastic particles across four fish species and sediment in an African lake. Science of the Total Environment, 741, 140527.

Miles, M. L., Brockman, A. J., & Naphan‐Kingery, D. E. (2020). Invalidated identities: The disconfirming effects of racial microaggressions on Black doctoral students in STEM. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 57(10), 1608-1631.

Mundiri, A., Sain, Z. H., & Khomairohtusshiyamah, U. (2025). Reconstructing Transformational Leadership through Islamic Values: A Model for Improving Institutional Performance in Islamic Education. Mozaic: Islam Nusantara, 11(2), 125-136. https://doi.org/10.47776/mozaic.v11i2.1829

Ncanywa, T., & Dyantyi, N. (2022). The role of entrepreneurship education in higher education institutions. E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, 3(11), 75-89.

Niven, P., & Grant, C. (2012). PhDs by publications: an ‘easy way out’?. Teaching in Higher Education, 17(1), 105-111.

Nygaard, L. P., & Solli, K. (2020). Strategies for writing a thesis by publication in the social sciences and humanities. Routledge.

Owens, E. (2026). ‘It speaks to me in brain rot’: Theorising ‘brain rot’as a genre of participation among teenagers. New Media & Society, 28(8), 3803-3821. https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448251351527

Possaghi, I., Vesin, B., Zhang, F., Sharma, K., Knudsen, C., Bjørkum, H., & Papavlasopoulou, S. (2025). Integrating multi-modal learning analytics dashboard in K-12 education: insights for enhancing orchestration and teacher decision-making. Smart Learning Environments, 12(1), 53. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40561-025-00410-4

Ramlall, Y., Andrion, J. J. D., Cameron, H. U., & Sawhney, M. (2019). Examining pain before and after primary total knee replacement (TKR): a retrospective chart review. International Journal of Orthopaedic and Trauma Nursing, 34, 43-47.

Sale, J. E., & Carlin, L. (2025). The reliance on conceptual frameworks in qualitative research–a way forward. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 25(1), 36.

Sammon, D., McCarthy, S., Thummadi, V., & Wibisono, A. (2024). Special issue editorial: doing the literature review. Journal of Decision Systems, 33(4), 531-536.

Sensing, T. (2022). Qualitative Research: A Multi-Methods Approach to Projects for Doctor of Ministry Dissertations. Wipf and Stock Publishers.

Solli, K., & Nygaard, L. P. (2023). The doctorate in pieces: A scoping review of research on the PhD thesis by publication. Higher Education Research & Development, 42(4), 984-999. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2022.2110575

Veginadu, P., Calache, H., Gussy, M., Pandian, A., & Masood, M. (2022). An overview of methodological approaches in systematic reviews. Journal of Evidence‐Based Medicine, 15(1), 39-54.

Wadee, M. A., Yiatros, S., & Theofanous, M. (2010). Comparative studies of localized buckling in sandwich struts with different core bending models. International Journal of Non-Linear Mechanics, 45(2), 111-120.

Wolcott, H. F. (2008). Writing up qualitative research. Sage publications.

Xu, J., Yu, C., Xu, J., Torvik, V. I., Kang, J., Sung, M., ... & Ding, Y. (2025). Pubmed knowledge graph 2.0: Connecting papers, patents, and clinical trials in biomedical science. Scientific Data, 12(1), 1018. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-025-05343-8


Dimensions, PlumX, and Google Scholar Metrics

10.33650/pjp.v13i2.13396


Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2026 Pelham Lessing


This work is licensed under a CC BY-SA

Published by Institute for Publication, Research, and Community Service of Nurul Jadid University, Probolinggo, East Java, Indonesia.