Preparing your PhD thesis

●        The font for the PhD thesis is Verdana 9pt.

●        Format of the PhD thesis: 17 x 24 cm

●        The PhD thesis should always be printed recto-verso. Even-numbered pages should appear on the left, and odd-numbered pages on the right. Important: All chapters must begin on an odd-numbered page.

●        More information about the layout can be found at ‘Tekstblok-formaat’.

You are required to use the provided templates for the cover and title page of your PhD thesis. The specific template you should use depends on your situation. Please choose the template that applies to you. If you are unsure which template to use, please contact phd@uhasselt.be.

a) You prepare an UHasselt / tUL PhD

• In one of the following UHasselt disciplines:
  • Architecture, Audiovisual and Visual Arts, Engineering Technology, Medical Sciences, Nursing Science, Rehabilitation Sciences, Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Business Economics, Transportation Sciences, Social Sciences, Tourism, Sciences, Sciences: Biology, Sciences: Chemistry, Sciences: Physics, Sciences: Materiomics, Sciences: Mathematics Sciences: Statistics
    • cover: use this template
    • title page: use this template
• In one of the following tUL disciplines:
  • Biomedical Sciences, Educational Sciences, Law, Sciences: Information Technology
    • cover: use this template
    • title page: use this template

b) You prepare a joint PhD (Hasselt University is the main institution)

• In one of the following UHasselt disciplines:
  • Architecture, Audiovisual and Visual Arts, Engineering Technology, Medical Sciences, Nursing Science, Rehabilitation Sciences, Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Business Economics, Transportation Sciences, Social Sciences, Tourism, Sciences, Sciences: Biology, Sciences: Chemistry, Sciences: Physics, Sciences: Materiomics, Sciences: Mathematics or Sciences: Statistics
    • cover: use this template
    • title page: use this template
• In one of the following tUL disciplines:
  • Biomedical Sciences, Educational Sciences, Law, Sciences: Information Technology
    • cover: use this template
    • title page: use this template

c) You prepare a joint PhD (Hasselt University is the partner institution)

You are required to follow the print procedure of the main institution. In order to receive the UHasselt bonus and conform to the Doctoral regulations of tUL/UHasselt, the following items must be provided on the cover (created by your main institution) of the doctoral thesis:

• Logo of UHasselt (or if applicable the logo of tUL);
• The following phrase: “Doctoral dissertation submitted to obtain the degrees of ‘insert doctoral discipline’ at ‘name main institution’ and
  ‘insert doctoral discipline’ at ‘tUL or UHasselt’
• Your last name and first name;
• The title of the PhD thesis;
• Title, last name, first name and affiliation(s) of the UHasselt supervisor and (if applicable) the co-supervisor(s);

How to complete the template?

Please fill in the following information in the template. 

Important: All information you include must correspond with the details available in your approved end phase in My Doctoral File. You are responsible for the correct layout of your PhD thesis cover. You need to ask your supervisor for approval. If the cover is not prepared according to these guidelines, the payment of your doctoral bonus may be cancelled.

●        Title of your PhD Thesis (in the language in which the thesis is written)

●        Your last name and first name

●        Title, last name, first name, and affiliation(s) of your supervisor (for a joint PhD: of your two supervisors)

●        Title, last name, first name, and affiliation(s) of your co-supervisor(s)

●        Calendar year of your doctoral defence

●        Discipline in which the doctorate is prepared (as mentioned in your doctoral file - PhD enrollments)

●        Logo’s on the cover:

o   For joint PhDs (there should be a joint PhD agreement): Add the logo of the partner university

o   No other logos are allowed on the cover of your PhD thesis. One exception: In case you prepare your PhD in collaboration with another institution: check the joint supervision agreement to know if it is allowed to add the logo to the cover of your PhD thesis.

●        Logo’s on the title page:

o   If applicable, the logo of an UHasselt research institute or center (BIOMED, CMK, DSI, DFL, IMOB, IMO-IMOMEC, LCRC) can be included on the title page (which is otherwise an exact copy of the cover).

●        Logo’s on the back of the title page:

o   If applicable, the logo of another involved institution can be included on the back of the title page. Examples of other involved institutions are: funders, strategic research centers (e.g. VITO, IMEC, VIB,…), hospital, …. For PhD’s who prepare a PhD in Business Economics: mandatory inclusion of the AACSB Accreditation logo (this logo can be requested via the secretary of the faculty of Business Economics).

●        Depot number/ISBN number on the title page

o   Only in case you decide to create a public/commercial version of your thesis manuscript (see part ‘PhD thesis submission and printing regulations at UHasselt’, point 2). 

On the first page following the title page of every PhD thesis, a declaration of integrity and a disclaimer related to the embargo must be included. Which disclaimer depends on the type of embargo. More information is available below. 

1. Declaration of integrity

The following declaration of integrity must be included on the first page after the title page of each thesis:

The PhD researcher and the UHasselt supervisor hereby formally declare that the research conducted for the purpose of this PhD thesis was executed in accordance with the principles of good scientific conduct, as stipulated in the UHasselt Integrity charter, the UHasselt charter supervisor – PhD Researcher, the UHasselt Integrity Policy and the UHasselt guidelines for the use of (generative) AI in research.

2. Access and embargo options

Hasselt University applies a default 5-year standard access embargo to every PhD thesis. This protects your future publication plans. After 5 years, the thesis becomes Open Access, unless you and your supervisor choose a different option.

You may adjust both the duration and the type of embargo.

2.1. Embargo types and durations

a) Standard access embargo (default – recommended)

• Full text is accessible to UHasselt staff and students only, not to the general public
• Intended as a temporary measure to safeguard publishing
• Duration: always temporary (default 5 years, or shorter/longer).

b) Restricted access embargo (for sensitive or confidential content)

• Full text is not accessible to anyone, except authorised library staff
• Others may only request access via a request-a-copy procedure, which the author may approve or deny
• Use only when required for patent applications, contractual restrictions, confidentiality obligations, etc.
• Duration: temporary or permanent.

c)  No embargo (Open Access)

• Full text is immediately and publicly available.

2.2. What remains visible during an embargo?

The bibliographical information (title, author, supervisors, abstract, year, …) remains publicly visible. Only the full text is restricted.

2.3. Mandatory disclaimer inside your thesis

On the first page after the title page, you must include one of the following disclaimers, depending on the embargo option you have chosen.
The start date of any embargo is always the date of your thesis defence. If an end date is required, calculate it based on that starting point.

a) Standard access embargo

Include the text below and fill in the start and end dates.
If you choose the default option, make sure the period covers 5 full years.

The author asserts that this PhD thesis is placed under a standard access embargo from [defence date] to [defence date + x-years of embargo]. During this period, the full text is accessible to UHasselt staff and students but not to the public. After the embargo expires, the thesis will become Open Access.

b) Restricted access embargo (temporary)

Include the text below and fill in the start and end dates.

The author asserts that this PhD thesis is placed under a restricted access embargo from [defence date] to [defence date + x-years of embargo]. During this period, the full text is not accessible to the public or to UHasselt users. Access may only be granted with the author’s explicit permission. After the embargo expires, the thesis will become Open Access.

c) Restricted access embargo (permanent)

The author asserts that this PhD thesis is permanently under restricted access. The full text is not publicly available. Any copying, distribution, or sharing requires the explicit permission of the author.

d) No embargo (immediate Open Access)

The author asserts that this PhD thesis is made Open Access immediately upon submission. The full text is publicly available without restrictions.

For questions related to the embargo, please contact documentserver.bib@uhasselt.be. 

3. AI and your PhD thesis

Hasselt University supports the responsible use of (Generative) Artificial Intelligence (AI) in research. As a researcher, you must at all times be aware of the following fundamental principles, taking into account relevant legal provisions:

• Responsibility: Researchers are ultimately responsible for the integrity and accuracy of the output generated by AI tools. The work submitted must reflect your knowledge and skills.
• Transparency/Honesty: Where AI is used in the research process (e.g., development, data analysis, or communication/writing), this must be disclosed. The use of AI tools for developing a publication, thesis, etc., must always be acknowledged in the methodology section, indicating its role, name, and version.
• Critical Perspective: Critically analyse and verify the generated output and always use correct citation and referencing rules for AI-generated content (to avoid plagiarism).
  For more information, please consult the official UHasselt guidelines for the use of (generative) AI in Research.

For more information, please consult the official UHasselt guidelines for the use of (generative) AI in Research.

According to the Doctoral Regulations of tUL/Hasselt University, the doctoral thesis must be written in accordance with the house style rules as determined by the University Board. This implies that no image(s), photo(s), or drawings are allowed on the cover of the doctoral thesis. As a PhD student you may, if you wish, – on your own initiative and at your own expense – design/print a detachable outer cover by an external printing office. The internal Hasselt University services/faculties cannot offer support in this regard. The layout of the official cover must still follow the Hasselt University guidelines. If the faculty/school request printed version(s) of your PhD thesis, these must be presented without detachable outer. A detachable outer cover may however be placed around the other printed copies of the doctoral thesis. You may use this template, or develop your own. The proposed template is tailored to a doctoral thesis and can be exported to a PDF file for printing by an external printer. If you wish to use a detachable outer cover, Hasselt University recommends to still include the following:

●    The logo of Hasselt University (or, if applicable, the tUL logo, or the logo of the second university in case of a joint PhD/joint supervision);
●    The phrase “Doctoral dissertation submitted to obtain the degree of ‘insert doctoral discipline’’;
●    Your last name and first name;
●    The title of the PhD thesis;
●    The names of the supervisor(s) and, if applicable, the co-supervisor(s) with affiliations;

According to the tUL/UHasselt doctoral regulations, you ensure that the jury members have a copy of the final doctoral thesis
(digital or physical) in their possession at least 7 calendar days before the planned defence. You do not need to hand in a printed version of your PhD thesis to the UHasselt library. However, you are required to submit your PhD thesis to the Document Server before the defence takes place. After submitting, you must notify documentserver.bib@uhasselt.be by e-mail. Important: Your  PhD thesis should contain a disclaimer related to the embargo option you and your supervisor have chosen (see step 2, first page after the title page). 

Each faculty has the authority to decide whether to print a select number of PhD theses and whether a budget is available for this printing. This decision will be outlined in a faculty addendum. If there is no faculty addendum, you can decide, together with your supervisor, if and how many PhD theses you want to print. Also, check with each of the members of your doctoral jury if they would like to receive a hard copy of your PhD thesis. For more information, contact the responsible person of your Faculty:

●    Faculty of Architecture and Arts: Sara Omid Shafiei
●    Faculty of Business Economics: Marleen Cupers
●    Faculty of Engineering Technology: Diana Olislagers
●    Faculty of Law: An Vrancken
●    Faculty of Medicine & Life Sciences: Véronique Pousset
●    Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences: Ellen Plessers
●    Faculty of Sciences: Lize Moors
●    School of Educational Studies: Jannick Geuens
●    School of Transportation Sciences: Kristel Hertogs
●    School of Social Sciences: Vicky Vanhille

More information about the legal deposit to the Royal Library of Belgium is available here. 

You can choose any printing company you'd like to print your doctoral thesis. If your faculty pays for a select number of PhD theses, please contact them to check whether or not printing via XOD is mandatory. XOD has a collaboration with UHasselt and has experience with the printing of PhD theses.

Printing the PhD thesis @ XOD

• The PhD thesis should always be printed recto-verso. Please ensure that all chapters begin on odd pages. The pagination and layout is your responsibility.
• The inner material of your PhD thesis: black and white, or colour?
  • Following three colour options are possible:
    • Print in “Black and White”
    • Print in “Full Colour” (The entire content is printed in full color, which results in a much more expensive final price).
    • Print in “Mixed”. Here you should specify the "PDF pages" (*) to be printed in full colour. Example: "21,22,31-38,50"(= Print pages in color are "21", "22", from "31 to 38" and finally "50". It’s important that you only use commas (,) and hyphens (-) and no spaces or other punctuation marks. 
      
      • "PDF-Page number” is the number from the current page in the ‘page navigation window’ and not the self-created pages on the document pages!
      • For your information: The page numbers on the document pages don’t always match the page numbers displayed below the page thumbnails and on the “page navigation” toolbar. Because certain PDFs contain front pages, such as a table of contents, it’s possible that the numbers of the pages don’t match with the numbering on the “page navigation” toolbar.
  • Prices per unit: Price A4
    • Black-white
      • Recto: € 0.0633
      • Recto-verso: € 0.0893
    • Full-color
      • Recto: € 0.2289
      • Recto-verso: € 0,4362
• Proof print: You can request a proof at least eight working days before you need to send your final thesis to the jury members. Take into account the opening hours, closing days and holidays of Xod Campusshop. You can find the up-to-date opening hours of Xod Campusshop at www.xod.be/openingsuren. 
  • To start this process, upload your files (cover, title page and interior) including your name in the title of each file via xod.wetransfer.com and sending an email to print@xod.be with all the details of the order. You will receive a confirmation when the printing has been started.
  • If the upload takes place in the morning (before 10 am), you can collect the proof the next day at Xod Campusshop Diepenbeek at 11 am. Both cover and contents will be delivered loose-leaf.
  • Required information:
    • print color (b/w, color, or mixed)
    • invoice details
      
      • OR: UHasselt with Purchase order number/cost place (If UHasselt agreed to pay for the printing). The printing process will start immediately.
      • OR: Private billing address (If you need to pay it yourself). A payment link will be provided to you and needs to be paid before the printing process starts
  • After checking the proof print you can inform Xod via print@xod.be whether the proof print was ok.
    • If no changes have to be made to the thesis after the proof, you can inform XOD by email (print@xod.be), mentioning how many copies of the final thesis you want to print. You will receive a confirmation when the printing has been started.
    • If changes have to be made, please upload the adapted files (cover, inner page and interior) including your name in the title of each file via xod.wetransfer.com again with the adapted printing details of the order emailed to print@xod.be. You will receive a confirmation when the printing has been started.
• Final print: It takes five working days to print your final thesis, so please upload your final thesis into the system no later than five working days before you have to send your final thesis to the jury. Take into account the opening hours, closing days and holidays of Xod Campusshop. You can find the up-to-date opening hours of Xod Campusshop at www.xod.be/openingsuren. The delivery takes place on the 5th day at the latest at Xod Campusshop Diepenbeek at 11 am. You will receive a confirmation by email when the delivery has taken place.

You can use the available template to create the invitations for your PhD defence. Download the template and complete all necessary information (name, title PhD thesis, date + hour of defence, location, online link if applicable, name promoter(s) and co-promoter(s), if applicable, e-mail address).

a) You prepare an UHasselt / tUL PhD

• In one of the following UHasselt disciplines:
  • Architecture, Audiovisual and Visual Arts, Engineering Technology, Medical Sciences, Nursing Science, Rehabilitation Sciences, Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Business Economics, Transportation Sciences, Social Sciences, Tourism, Sciences, Sciences: Biology, Sciences: Chemistry, Sciences: Physics, Sciences: Materiomics, Sciences: Mathematics Sciences: Statistics
    • Invitation Dutch: use this template
    • Invitation English: use this template
• In one of the following tUL disciplines:
  • Biomedical Sciences, Educational Sciences, Law, Sciences: Information Technology
    • Invitation Dutch: use this template
    • Invitation English: use this template

b) You prepare a joint PhD 

• In one of the following UHasselt disciplines:
  • Architecture, Audiovisual and Visual Arts, Engineering Technology, Medical Sciences, Nursing Science, Rehabilitation Sciences, Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Business Economics, Transportation Sciences, Social Sciences, Tourism, Sciences, Sciences: Biology, Sciences: Chemistry, Sciences: Physics, Sciences: Materiomics, Sciences: Mathematics or Sciences: Statistics
    • Invitation Dutch: use this template
    • Invitation English: use this template
• In one of the following tUL disciplines:
  • Biomedical Sciences, Educational Sciences, Law, Sciences: Information Technology
    • Invitation Dutch: use this template
    • Invitation English: use this template

You can also decide to design your own invitations. Please be aware that you cannot follow the standard instructions for printing invitations @XOD and that you need to contact the printing company yourself to discuss format and prices. 

If you used the provided templates to design the invitations and they are ready to print, you can order them on XOD on their ‘Drukwerkkiezer’ tool:

• Go to www.uh-campusshop.be and select ‘Drukwerkkiezer’ in the left-hand column.
• Log in at the bottom of the page using your UHasselt account
• Select ‘flyers/folders/kaarten’
• Choose ‘niet gevouwen’
• Select 210x100mm
• In the next four pop-up windows, there is only one option available in each. Please select:
  • 210 x 100 mm
  • ‘recto/verso full color’
  • ‘schoonsnijden’
  • ‘300g silk coated DigiGold’
• Choose the desired quantity (6, 12, 24, 36, 50 or 100)
• Enter a description (‘opdrachtomschrijving’) and any remarks if necessary (‘eventuele opmerkingen’)
• Upload your file by using the button: ‘bestand selecteren’
• Proceed to the next step by clicking: ‘Ga naar volgende stap’
• Review your order and, if everything is correct, add it to your cart by using: ‘Toevoegen aan winkelmandje’
• Click ‘Bestellen’ on the right-hand side to place the order
• Enter the invoicing details and choose the pickup location
• Click ‘Bestellen’ to finalise your request.

Your invitations will arrive at the pickup address within 3 working days, or they will be sent via transport service GLS to your chosen address.