Postgraduate Research Education

MALMÖ UNIVERSITY Postgraduate Research Education at The Faculty of Odontology Malmö University Study Handbook Malmö 2013 Approved by the Dean of t...
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MALMÖ UNIVERSITY

Postgraduate Research Education at The Faculty of Odontology Malmö University

Study Handbook

Malmö 2013

Approved by the Dean of the Faculty of Odontology on 12th September 2013 Dnr: OD68-2013/251

Forward The purpose of this handbook is to provide research students and their supervisors with information about the regulations and practical applications which are in operation at the Faculty of Odontology. The handbook also provides prospective students considering applying for admission to the postgraduate research programme with an insight into how the programme is organized. The Student Handbook is based upon regulations that were in effect on 1 July 2013 under the Swedish Code of Statutes for the Educational System 2012/13 (UFB 03), as well as Malmö University’s Policy for Doctoral programmes (approved 2013-04-12) (Inventory number Mahr 15-2013/156 ). http://www.mah.se/upload/Forskning/Marias%20Dokument/Policy%20f%c3%b6r%20utbildning%20 p%c3%a5%20forskarniv%c3%a5%20-%20eng.pdf

Further information on postgraduate research education can be found in the Ph.D. Student Handbook, on the website of the Swedish Council for Higher Education, www.uhr.se

Björn Klinge Dean of the Faculty of Odontology

Julia Davies Associate Dean for Postgraduate Education

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Table of contents Research at the Faculty of Odontology……………………………………………...…. 5 Goals for postgraduate research education………………………………………..…... 7 The Higher Education Ordinance's goals for the Doctor of Philosophy degree…………. 7 The Higher Education Ordinance's goal's for the Licentiate degree……………………... 7

Admission to postgraduate research education……………………………………..… 9 Personal qualities required for postgraduate research education………………………… 9 Prerequisite knowledge for admission to postgraduate research education………………9 Application…………………………………………………………………………………… 10 Admission to advertised postgraduate education positions……………………………… 10 Admission to non-advertised postgraduate education positions…………………………... 11 Regulations for doctoral student employment……………………………………………….12 Introduction of doctoral students……………………………………………………………..13 Doctoral students’ association……………………………………………………………….. 13

Implementation of postgraduate research education………………………………….14 The general syllabus………………………………………………………………………….. 14 The individual study plan……………………………………………………………………. 14 The project plan……………………………………………………………………………….15 Postgraduate research courses………………………………………………………………. 15 Transfer of ECTS (credits) in postgraduate research education………………………….. 16 Examiner……………………………………………………………………………………… 17 Supervision……………………………………………………………………………………. 17 Requirements and expectations……………………………………………………………... 19

Progression of Postgraduate Research Education……………………………………. 21 Annual review of the individual study plans………………………………………………...21 Half-time seminar…………………………………………………………………………….. 21 Review at the 75% stage of completion……………………………………………………... 21

The Research Environment………………………………………………………………. 22 Doctoral Students’ Day………………………………………………………………………. 22 Internationalisation…………………………………………………………………………... 22 Teaching and other work at the Faculty……………………………………………………. 23

Research Ethics……………………………………………………………………………... 24 Doctoral and Licentiate Theses…………………………………………………………... 25 The format for doctoral theses………………………………………………………………. 25 The format for licentiate theses……………………………………………………………… 26 Printing the thesis…………………………………………………………………………….. 27 Public notification of the defence……………………………………………………………. 28

Public defence of doctoral thesis…………………………………………………………. 29 Date of the defence…………………………………………………………………………… 29 3

Request for the public defence………………………………………………………………. 29 Faculty opponent, examining committee and chairman at the defence………………….. 30 Other practical arrangements……………………………………………………………….. 31 The public defence…………………………………………………………………………… 31 The examining committee meeting………………………………………………………….. 31

Licentiate seminar………………………………………………………………………….. 32 Degrees and degree certificates…………………………………………………………... 33 Conferral of doctorate……………………………………………………………………... 33 Career after the degree……………………………………………………………………. 34 Appendix 1 Checklist – the Public Defence Process……………………………….. 35

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Research at the Faculty of Odontology Odontology is a multidisciplinary subject in which clinical problems related to dental healthcare are studied on the biological, individual and society levels. Research is conducted in close co-operation with medicine and other disciplines. In order to promote collaboration and to create a meeting place for postgraduate students and other researchers with similar research interests and methodological needs, most of the research at the Faculty is organized into “focus groups”. At Malmö University, research and postgraduate education within Odontology is arranged under the profile “Oral Health”. The overall vision is that the results of our research will improve the oral health of the population and raise the quality of dental care by improving preventive, diagnostic and therapeutic methods. Our research is inspired by issues arising within clinical healthcare and there is a continual exchange of ideas and information between academia and the healthcare sector. Collaboration with the local community is a central theme within the profile and our researchers also have strong international collaborations. The aim of research at the Faculty is to increase our knowledge within Odontology and to provide a solid basis for evidence-based dental healthcare.

The Faculty’s focus groups conduct research in the following areas: • Interfaces and the oral ecosystem (the activity of microbial biofilms on teeth and mucosal surfaces in health and disease) • Diagnosis and prevention (methods for diagnosis and prediction of health and disease in the oral cavity and craniofacial skeleton in order to find those which are most effective with regard to reliability and cost) • Functional impairment and pain in the oro-facial region (mechanisms, as well as biological and psychosocial factors, which affect patient’s experiences, recovery and quality-of-life with respect to malfunctions and pain). • Biomaterials and reconstructive dental healthcare (different aspects of biomaterials, reconstruction and oral rehabilitation) • Public dental health, professionalism and attitudes in oral healthcare (dental care as a professional organisation, oral health in the elderly and vulnerable groups as well as the clinical consultation with emphasis on the requirements for a professional attitude) • Research on professions (evaluation of methods used in dental care and clinical decision-making)

Students are admitted to postgraduate research education in the main subject of area Odontology within the fields of:

Cariology (restorative dentistry) Endodontics Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Oral Medicine Oral and Maxillofacial radiology Odontological Technology Oral Biology

Oral Diagnostics Oral Pathology Prosthodontics Orofacial Pain and Jaw Function Orthodontics Periodontology and Public Dental Health Pedodontics

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The host department (field in which a student is accepted to postgraduate education) has responsibility for ensuring that the student receives all the support necessary to complete their studies including, for example, continuity of supervision and administrative support.

The Dean of the Faculty of Odontology has overall responsibility for decisions regarding research and research education. The Faculty board for Research and Research Education (FUN) prepares items for the agenda on behalf of the Dean. FUN has 6 delegates (5 university teachers and 1 postgraduate student) as well as 1 representative from the employee organisations. The Dean acts as the chair of FUN and the Associate Dean for Postgraduate Education has the right to attend and participate, but not to vote, at the meetings. The Faculty’s Associate Dean for Postgraduate Education advises the Dean and FUN on issues regarding research education. The Associate Dean for Postgraduate Education is also available to assist postgraduate students and their supervisors with information and other forms of help regarding issues related to postgraduate education that are not dealt with by the Department. An administrator with responsibility for research also assists with issues regarding administration of postgraduate research education.

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Goals for postgraduate research education The general goals which must be fulfilled for doctoral and licentiate degrees are set out in the Higher Education Ordinance, appendix 2

The Higher Education Ordinance's goals for the Doctor of Philosophy degree Knowledge and understanding For the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, postgraduate students should: - demonstrate a broad knowledge within and a systematic understanding of the research area as well as an in-depth and up-to-date specialist knowledge within a specific part of the research area, and - show a familiarity with scientific methodology in general and the methods of the specific research area in particular Skills and ability For the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, postgraduate students should: - demonstrate the ability to carry out scientific analysis and synthesis as well as independent critical examination and evaluation of new and complex phenomena, problem formulation and situations - demonstrate the ability to critically, independently, creatively and with scientific rigour identify and formulate problems as well as planning and using adequate methods for pursuing research and other advanced tasks within the given time frame and to scrutinize and evaluate such work - through the submission of a thesis demonstrate their ability to make a significant contribution to the development of knowledge through their own research -demonstrate their ability both in national and international contexts, orally and in writing to authoritatively present and discuss research and research results in dialogue with the scientific community and with society at large. - demonstrate the ability to identify needs for further knowledge - demonstrate the prerequisites both in research, teaching and other advanced professional contexts to contribute to the development of society and to support the learning of others Judgment and approach For the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, doctoral students should: - demonstrate intellectual independence and scientific probity as well as the ability to make ethical judgments with regards to research, and - demonstrate an extended insight into the opportunities and limitations presented by science; its role in society and the responsibility which human begins have for its use.

The Higher Education Ordinance's goal's for the Licentiate degree Knowledge and understanding For the licentiate degree, postgraduate research students should: 7

-demonstrate knowledge and understanding within the research area, involving current specialist knowledge within a limited part of this and in-depth knowledge in scientific method in general and in the specific research area in particular. Skills and ability For the licentiate degree, postgraduate research students should: -demonstrate the ability to critically, independently and creatively and with scientific rigour identify and formulate problems, to plan and using adequate methods carry out well-defined research project and other advanced tasks within the given time frames and thereby contribute to the development of knowledge as well as evaluating their work. -demonstrate their ability both in national and international contexts, orally and in writing to present and discuss research and research results in dialogue with the scientific community and with society at large. -demonstrate the skills required to independently participate in research and development work and independently work with other advanced tasks. Judgment and approach For the licentiate degree, the doctoral research student should: - demonstrate the ability not only in a national but also international context to orally and in writing clearly present and discuss research and research results in a dialogue with the scientific community and society at large, and - demonstrate such skills which are required to independently participate in research and development work and to independently work in other advanced tasks.

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Admission to postgraduate research education Personal qualities required for postgraduate research education Good prerequisites for success in postgraduate research education are curiosity and a strong desire to advance ones knowledge within a specialised area. Students beginning their research training courses should have a realistic attitude to the task ahead of them and place reasonable demands on themselves, colleagues and their supervisors. The most important factor for successful postgraduate studies is a good relationship between the student and the supervisor. Therefore, in the initial phase of this cooperative process, it is essential to clarify for one another what is expected in terms of both parties' roles and tasks. Open communication between supervisor and the postgraduate student is the best way of solving problems. Finally a generous attitude and a willingness to share ones knowledge and expertise and help others within the research group contribute to a good working environment for everyone within the group.

Prerequisite knowledge for admission to postgraduate research education Admission to postgraduate research education is regulated in chapter 7 of the Higher Education Ordinance.

Section 34: The number of doctoral students admitted to third-cycle courses and study programmes may not exceed the number that can be offered supervision and otherwise acceptable conditions for study and whose studies are funded pursuant to section 36. Ordinance (2006:1053). Section 35: The requirements for admission to third-cycle courses and study programmes are that the applicant: 1. meets the general and specific entry requirements that the higher education institution may have laid down, and 2. is considered in other respects to have the ability required to benefit from the course or study programme. Ordinance (2010:1064). Section 39: A person meets the general entry requirements for third-cycle courses and study programmes if he or she: 1. has been awarded a second-cycle (Master’s degree) qualification 2. has satisfied the requirements for courses comprising at least 240 credits of which at least 60 credits were awarded in the second-cycle (Masters degree), or 3. has acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way in Sweden or abroad. This means that, for example, a student who has successfully completed 4 years of study within the undergraduate dental education programme or has completed the 3-year dental technician programme and subsequently been awarded a masters qualification of a least 60 ECTS is eligible. Students with a 2-year dental hygienist education are required to complete a Bachelor's degree (1 additional year) as well as a second-cycle higher educational qualification of at least 60 ECTS (Master's degree) in order to apply for postgraduate research education. The higher education institution may permit an exemption from the general entry requirements for an individual applicant, if there are special grounds. Ordinance (2010:1064).

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The specific entry requirements are defined as requirements essential for students to be able to benefit from the course or study programme. These may comprise: 1. knowledge from one or more higher education courses and study programmes or corresponding courses and study programmes and/or specific professional or vocational experience, and 2. adequate knowledge of English. Persons who prior to 1st July 2007 fulfilled the eligibility requirements below for postgraduate research education will also be regarded as being eligible for admission up until, but not beyond, June 2015: 1. Undergraduate courses in higher education comprising at least 120 ECTS (180 ECTS in the post Bologna system) or equivalent knowledge acquired in the country or abroad (transition regulations SFS 2006:1053 p 11). 2. Specific entry requirements comprise at least 90 ECTS, of which 30 ECTS should be at second cycle level, in a subject which is of relevance for the research domain in question or in some other way involving broadly equivalent knowledge. In addition adequate knowledge of English is required. .

Application Individuals who are interested in postgraduate research education may either consult the Head of Department or another researcher in a Department in order to receive information on different ongoing research projects, and the possibilities of supervision. Potential students can also consult the Associate Dean for Postgraduate Education or the Chairman of the Research Programmes Board in order to receive advice on issues regarding third-cycle education. Section 36

Section 36: A higher education institution may only admit applicants to third-cycle courses and study programmes who have been appointed to doctoral studentships or awarded doctoral grants. The higher education institution may, however, admit applicants who have some other form of funding for their studies if it considers that the funding can be guaranteed during the entire period of study and that the applicants can devote enough time to their studies to enable their completion within four years in the case of a licentiate degree or a licentiate degree in the fine, applied and performing arts or eight years in the case of a PhD or a doctorate in the fine, applied and performing arts. Ordinance (2010:1064). A student cannot be admitted to postgraduate research education if he or she lacks financing for the studies. This means in principle that if no other financing exists, he or she must apply for a doctoral scholarship at the same time as applying to be admitted as a research student. The Faculty of Odontology has a limited number of scholarships which are assigned in open competition.

Admission to advertised postgraduate education positions Doctoral scholarships financed by the Faculty or with external funding are advertised on, for example, the Malmö University website (www.mah.se/medarbetare/Personalfragor/Platsannonser/). The advertisement is required to be available for at least two weeks, but as a rule will be visible for a longer period. 10

All applications are scrutinized by two expert referees appointed by the Dean. The referees present their recommendation after all the applicants' qualifications and formal merits have been evaluated. If selection of applicants to the vacancy is required, the main evaluative criteria should be the ability of the applicant to successfully complete and benefit from postgraduate research education, attitude to research, research qualifications, research plan, availability of supervisors and, results from the current project and expected contribution as an active researcher after graduation. Interviews may be used during the selection procedure. After evaluation the referee’s report will be sent to the applicants. At the same time, work will commence to formulate the application for admission (a special form can be found on the Faculty’s website, under “utbildning på forskarnivå”) and the individual study plan (ISP) (a special form can be found on the Faculty’s website, under “utbildning på forskarnivå”) for the applicant(s) who have been proposed for admission. The referees report as well as the proposed candidate's application for admission will then be evaluated by the Dean who will decide on admission. All applicants will be informed of the decision on appointment within 7 working days. In line with chapter 12, section 2 of the Higher Education Ordinance, appeals may not be made against a decision on appointment to a doctoral position. Once the appointment has been confirmed, the administrative head will contact the doctoral student to discuss their employment as doctoral student and the date of commencement. Details regarding employment will then be passed from the head of administration to the relevant human resources administrator. The Faculty secretary with responsibility for research and research education is responsible for registering the new postgraduate student in LADOK (the National Swedish student database). The equal opportunities aspect must always be observed and therefore, factors such as age, gender and ethnic background should not influence the decision on appointment. For research students with externally-funded doctoral scholarships from a government research funding body, EU council or another research foundation totalling at least two years, the Faculty of Odontology will prioritize financing for studies of up to a total of two years of full-time studies (Licentiate) or four years of full-time studies (Doctoral degree) in the event that the external support is not extended. The supervisor and the doctoral student are obliged to make an application for the continuation of the funding where an extension the doctoral studentship has the highest priority.

Admission to non-advertised postgraduate education positions Employers and people active outside the university system may also have an interest in participating in the Faculty’s postgraduate research programme. These contacts are important for the University's socalled 'third mission’ which is to interact with Society. At the same time, this initiative should not reduce the possibilities of admitting postgraduate students following advertisement of vacancies. Postgraduate research education positions which are employer-financed (salary received for employment outside the Faculty), partly or wholly financed by an external employer or self-financed (for example, through leave of absence) are not usually advertised. In this case, applications from candidates are prepared by the supervisor in collaboration with the Associate Dean for Postgraduate Education at the Faculty and submitted to the Dean for approval. If the student has employer-financed external financing, a written guarantee of financial provision from the employer for the whole study period must accompany the application (a standard form can be found on the Faculty website under ‘utbildning på forskarnivå’). The Dean must ensure that the applicant will be able to devote a sufficiently large part of their time to their studies that the financing will cover the entire period of postgraduate research education equivalent to 2 years full-time for a Licentiate and 4 years full-time for a Doctorate.

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For more information regarding the employment of students with external funding at Malmö University see http://www.mah.se/upload/Forskning/Marias%20Dokument/Riktlinjer_f%c3%b6r_stipendiefinansieri ng_av_studier_p%c3%a5_forskarniv%c3%a5%20-%20final%20version.pdf

Regulations for doctoral student employment Doctoral employment is regulated in chapter 5 of the Higher Education Ordinance.

Section 1. Higher education institutions may have specific posts for third-cycle (doctoral) students to enable them to pursue their third-cycle studies. Ordinance (2006:1053). . Section 2. Those appointed to doctoral studentships shall primarily devote themselves to their studies. Those appointed to doctoral studentships may, however, work to a limited extent with educational tasks, research, artistic development and administration. Before a PhD or a doctorate in the fine, applied and performing arts has been awarded, however, duties of this kind may not comprise more than 20 per cent of a full time post. Ordinance (2009:933). Section 7. Appointment to a doctoral studentship shall apply for an indefinite period, however for no longer than until a specified date and never for a period extending more than one year after the award of a PhD of a doctorate in the fine, applied and performing art. The initial appointment may apply for no longer than one year. An appointment may be renewed for no more than two years at a time. A person may be appointed to a doctoral studentship for a total of eight years. The total employment period may, however, not exceed the time corresponding to fulltime third-cycle study for four years. For courses or study programmes to be concluded with the award of a licentiate degree or a licentiate degree in the fine, applied and performing art the total employment period may not exceed the time corresponding to full-time third-cycle study for two years. The time spent studying by the third-cycle student, while not appointed to a doctoral studentship, shall be deducted from these periods.

A doctoral scholarship is awarded on a full-time basis. The clinical nature of Odontology as a discipline may, however, require a doctoral student to take periodic leave of absence in order to maintain their clinical competence or undertake specialist training. The Dean can approve leave of absence on an individual basis as long as the total employment period does not exceed the time corresponding to full-time third-cycle study of eight years for a doctorate and two years for a licentiate degree.

The total period of employment may, however, exceed that stated in the third paragraph if special grounds exist. Such grounds may comprise leave of absence because of illness, leave of absence for service in the defence forces or an elected position in a trade union or student organization, or parental leave. Ordinance (2009:933). Regulations regarding the extension of an employment period for doctoral students with commissions of trust within the student organization at Malmö University can be found on the Faculty’s website 12

(www.mah.se/PageFiles/9301/Forskarstuderande/Riktlinjer%20f%c3%b6r%20f%c3%b6rl%c3%a4ng ning.pdf ).

Introduction of doctoral students During the process of application and acceptance to postgraduate research education, contact will mostly be between the doctoral candidate and the supervisor. Potential postgraduate students are welcome to contact the Associate Dean for Postgraduate Education at the Faculty for help and advice. Newly accepted students should contact the Associate Dean for Postgraduate Education for a short introduction to the practices at the Faculty. New students are encouraged to attend the course ‘Introduction for doctoral candidates at Malmö University’ which gives a lot of practical information as well as clarifying the rules governing postgraduate research education in Sweden It is also a good idea to make contact with other active postgraduate students or those who have recently defended their theses. Attendance at seminars is another good way to get started. As for all employees at Malmö University, doctoral students should have a statutory annual appraisal with the Head of the Department at which they are employed. The Head of Department also has responsibility for the working environment for all employees at the department, including doctoral students.

Doctoral students’ association As a postgraduate research student at the Faculty of Odontology, you will be enrolled as a student at Malmö University. At the Faculty of Odontology there is a doctoral students’ association (non-profit making and free of charge) which deals with issues concerning postgraduate research education. The doctoral students’ association monitors postgraduate research education and invites the research students to discussions at periodic intervals. The doctoral students’ association nominates the student representative to the Faculty board for Research and Research Education (FUN), Board of the Faculty and Academic Appointments Board. The association also collaborates with the Associate Dean for Postgraduate Education in arranging the Faculty's ”Doctoral Student Day” where the research students are given the opportunity to present their research to the personnel and other students. All doctoral students at the Faculty of Odontology are encouraged to participate actively in the activities of the doctoral students’ association as a way of having input into their education.

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Implementation of postgraduate research education The majority of your time will be devoted to your own research project. In addition, you will be required to attend and pass a number of postgraduate research education courses. For a doctoral The requirements for a doctoral examination are: • Approved courses of at least 40 ECTS • A scientific thesis (doctoral thesis) equivalent to studies where the goals for Doctor of Philosophy have been attained. The requirements for a Licentiate examination are: • Approved courses of at least 20 ECTS • A scientific essay equivalent to studies where the goals for Licentiate have been attained. The implementation of postgraduate research education is governed by a number of documents: the general syllabus, the individual study plan and the research plan for each postgraduate.

The general syllabus The general syllabus for postgraduate research education in Odontology has been approved by the Dean of the Faculty. The syllabus encompasses areas such as how the various goals of the course will be fulfilled.

The individual study plan An individual study plan (ISP) is formulated for each doctoral student at the time of acceptance to postgraduate research education using a specific form http://www.mah.se/english/research/Postgraduate-studies/Individual-study-plan/ . The form should outline the responsibilities of the University and the student as well as describing the general outline of the thesis, plans for supervision, a financial plan, courses and any other resources which are essential for the completion of the education within the stipulated time. The ISP is also a formal document describing the undertakings of the University and the postgraduate student (Higher Education Ordinance chapter 6, section 29). The plan should be agreed upon and signed by the doctoral student and all supervisors as well as the examiner. Updating of the ISP is important since this document serves as a basis for evaluation of progression within the programme with respect to the national and local examination goals (knowledge and understanding, skills and ability, and judgment and approach). The ISP should be reviewed regularly and amended by the University as required after consultation with the doctoral student and the supervisors. If a doctoral student substantially neglects his or her undertakings in the individual study plan, the vice-chancellor has the right to decide that the doctoral student is no longer entitled to supervision and other study resources.

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The project plan The presumptive research student should formulate a project plan together with the intended supervisors. The programme should be as detailed as possible in terms of its description of the research project including sub-component projects, which will lead up to the thesis itself. It goes without saying that a project plan written for a research education programme will be changed during the course of the programme but it is nevertheless important that the initial plan is documented prior to admission and that the supervisors and doctoral students have planned how the research part of the research education programme will be pursued. The plan should be formulated with suitable headings in accordance with the Swedish Research Council's instructions: • Specific goals (statement of purpose with the proposed research project) • Overview of area (a summary of the doctoral student’s own research and that of others as well as previous results in the research field) • Project description (theory, method and implementation)

Specific headings which in relevant cases should be presented /commented upon: • • • • • • • •

Equipment (a short description of relevant equipment available for the project) Preliminary results (a description of the student's own experiments/pilot studies within the project Significance (a short statement of the project's importance) Personnel within the research group/project International and national collaboration (a short description of collaboration with Swedish and foreign research groups) Ethical aspects Gender aspects Literature

The various sub-component projects which will be part of the final thesis should be presented under the headings of ‘Specific goals’ and ‘Project description’. The research plan should be signed by the doctoral student and the supervisors.

Postgraduate research courses Some of the goals for research education at postgraduate level are best fulfilled through participation in courses. The courses which a doctoral student should attend as part of their postgraduate research education are set out in the ISP which is formulated for each doctoral student at the time of acceptance to postgraduate research education. In the event of changes being made, the plan should be updated. For a doctoral examination the course part should comprise at least 40 ECTS distributed as follows: • General theory and method courses (15-20 ECTS) • Project specific courses (at least 12 ECTS) • Subject specific courses (at most 8 ECTS)

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Doctoral students at the Faculty of Odontology who are involved in teaching must take one course in pedagogics for higher education (3-5 ECTS). For the licentiate degree, a total of 20 ECTS is required distributed as follows: • General theory and method courses (8-10 ECTS) • Project specific courses (at least 8 ECTS) • Subject specific courses (at most 4 ECTS) Malmö University has developed a number of joint courses which cover general research knowledge which all doctoral students should possess. There is also a joint range of courses which are directed towards postgraduate research students in different research areas. Newly registered doctoral students are invited to attend the University’s induction course ‘Introduction for Doctorate candidates at Malmö University’ which is arranged in the autumn term every year.

For doctoral students at the Faculty of Odontology, the following general theory and method courses or their equivalent are mandatory: • • • • •

The search for academic information (3 ECTS) Science in Society (6 ECTS) Research Methodology (5 ECTS) Academic Publishing (3 ECTS) Presenting research for different groups (3 ECTS)

The mandatory courses or their equivalent should ideally be completed as early as possible in postgraduate research education, preferably during the first two years. The mandatory courses at Malmö University can, after approval by the examiner, be replaced by similar courses at other higher education institutions. Supervisors and research students should therefore keep an eye out for postgraduate courses offered by other institutions for which, space permitting, doctoral students from Malmö University can apply. The Faculty of Odontology has an agreement with the Faculty of Medicine at Lund University for access to a number of places in their postgraduate courses. Doctoral students who have been accepted to e.g. National graduate schools where they participate in a structured education package can be exempted from the obligatory courses after approval by the Associate Dean for Postgraduate Research. In addition to the mandatory courses, the doctoral student must complete both project-specific courses and subject-specific studies. These courses are chosen by the doctoral student together with the supervisors. Certain project-specific research education courses may be replaced by active participation in seminars. The principal supervisor and the examiner decide precisely which courses may be completed in this manner. Education within the student’s own subject (diversifying and specialising beyond the student’s project area) may be provided in the form of courses on methods used in the laboratory or clinic, active participation at conferences, literature studies or relevant seminars. The Faculty of Odontology has some funding to provide research students with the possibility to participate in external graduate courses. Applications for such funds should be made to FUN in good time before the course. In the application, the student must specify the significance of the course for postgraduate research education and more specifically to the work in his/her doctoral dissertation.

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Transfer of ECTS (credits) in postgraduate research education The research courses that a doctoral student can count as a postgraduate research education course in their examination, is decided by the examiner. Therefore a certificate from a course which has been passed is not necessarily a guarantee that it can be included in the total credits for postgraduate research education. For this resaon before the doctoral student embarks upon a course, they should consult with the principal supervisor and the examiner to ensure that it can be counted towards their total credits. Postgraduate research education courses pursued at Malmö University are registered directly in the LADOK register. The examiner approves courses which can be included in the degree. The formal decision is taken in connection with the issuing of the degree certificate but doctoral students should continually ensure that their course participation has been approved. The credit transfer of research training courses from other higher education institutions as well as the number of credits awarded for other activities is decided by the examiner. A form for ‘transfer of credits within postgraduate research education’ can be found on the Faculty’s website (www.mah.se/PageFiles/12662/Dokument/Foruml%c3%a4r%202013-02-13.pdf ). For each course, the examiner must have access to a certificate showing that the course has been passed and a syllabus (including the extent of the course) as well as a reading list to judge the number of credits to be assigned. The completed form should be sent to the Faculty secretary with responsibility for research and research education for entry to the LADOK database. This should be done directly after the completion of each course. If in doubt please contact the Associate Dean for Postgraduate Education. In accordance with the Higher Education Ordinance, a student who has passed a course at advanced level (masters) has the right to transfer these credits to postgraduate level if approved by the examiner. Transfer of such credits is assessed by the Associate Dean for Postgraduate Research on an individual basis following a request by the doctoral student.

Examiner As a part of quality assurance in the course part of the postgraduate research education, an examiner is appointed for each doctoral student. The examiners role is to ensure that all the goals for the degree have been achieved. Guidelines for examiners can be found on the Faculty website at (http://www.mah.se/upload/FAKULTETER/OD/Forskning/Utbildning%20p%c3%a5%20forskarniv% c3%a5/Guideleines%20f%c3%b6r%20examinator.pdf ). For a doctoral degree, the credit requirement is a minimum of 40 ECTS while for licentiate, the minimum requirement is 20 ECTS. These should be distributed between general, project-specific and subject-specific courses according to the syllabus. The courses should be chosen to ensure that the doctoral student meets the goals for postgraduate research education. Therefore the examiner must consider the whole package of courses that the doctoral student has attended. In order to ensure that the student will be able to count the credits from all the courses they have attended in their degree, the examiner should be appointed at the start of postgraduate studies, preferably at the same time as admission to the programme. The examiner should preferably be chosen from amongst the Faculty’s professors, but a minimum requirement is Associate professor (docent). The examiner should decide on transfer of credits from advanced level and from courses at other higher education institutions. This should be done as necessary throughout the postgraduate research education. The student should also consult with the examiner about courses at Malmö University.

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Supervision The Faculty of Odontology is responsible for ensuring that all doctoral students receive good supervision. Chapter 6 in the Higher Education Ordinance regulates supervision of postgraduate research education. For doctoral students beginning their courses after June 2007, the following rules apply: Section 31. For each doctoral student, the faculty board should appoint at least two supervisors. One of these supervisors should be appointed as the principal supervisor. The doctoral student has the right to supervision during their course, provided that the faculty board on the basis of section30 does not decide otherwise.

Supervisors must possess a doctorate. The principal supervisor has the formal responsibility for the postgraduate research education and should be the primary source of support for the doctoral student. The principal supervisor should be an associate professor or professor and should normally be employed by the Faculty. On the rare occasions where this is not the case, at least one of the supervisors must belong to the Faculty. Professors emeritus may be appointed as a supervisor but not principal supervisor. One person can act as principal supervisor for no more than six full-time doctoral students. The other supervisors can, for example, be research assistants, lecturers or researchers outside the Faculty who contribute to the project with specialist knowledge. If the principal supervisor is not available for a longer period of time due to, for example, illness or a residency in another location, a substitute supervisor should be appointed. A decision concerning a substitute supervisor is made by the Dean in accordance with a proposal from the principal supervisor after discussion with the doctoral student. At least one of the supervisors should have completed such a training course or alternatively may be judged to have an equivalent expertise by the faculty board (SFS 2006:1053). Training in postdoctoral research supervision is provided on a regular basis by Malmö University as a joint course for the whole university. Each full-time doctoral student had the right to 40 hours of supervision per term. This allocation is distributed between all the supervisors involved and is documented in the individual study plan. The supervision time includes all the work that the supervisors do such as preparation prior to supervisory meetings. The principal supervisor is responsible for ensuring that supervision is carried out in accordance with this regulation. According to the Higher Education Ordinance, a doctoral student has the right to request a change of principal supervisor if, for example, serious problems arise. A doctoral student who so requests shall be allowed to change supervisor. Ordinance (2010:1064). Decisions concerning change of principal supervisor are made by the Dean in accordance with a proposal from the principal supervisor after discussion with the doctoral student. In accordance with chapter 6 in the Higher Education Ordinance, the entitlement to supervision can be removed by the University if the student neglects their undertakings outlined in the ISP. Section 30. If a doctoral student substantially neglects his or her undertakings in the individual study plan, the vice-chancellor shall decide that the doctoral student is no longer entitled to supervision and other study resources. Before such a decision is made, the doctoral student and the supervisors shall be given an opportunity to make 18

representations. The case shall be considered on the basis of their reports and any other records available. The assessment shall take into account whether the higher education institution has fulfilled its own undertakings in the individual study plan. A written record of the decision shall be made, which is to include reasons for the decision. However, the financing for doctoral scholarships may not be withdrawn as long as the student is employed (SFS 2010:1064). Section 31. If study resources have been withdrawn pursuant to Section 30, the doctoral student may, on application to the vice-chancellor, recover his or her entitlement to supervision and other resources. The doctoral student must then demonstrate convincingly, by presenting prospective study results of considerable quality and scope or in some other way, that he or she can fulfil his or her remaining undertakings in the individual study plan. Ordinance (2010:1064).

Requirements and expectations The doctoral student and supervisor should at an early stage make it clear to each other what the requirements and expectations they have of each other are. In the individual study plan, guidelines for cooperation and respective commitments should be included. If one of the parties does not fulfill their obligations, the situation can be raised at the annual review of the individual study plan. It cannot be emphasized strongly enough that serious problems should be identified and brought out into the open as soon as possible so that valuable time is not wasted. It is a good idea to contact the Associate Dean for Postgraduate Education or someone else in a position of authority in whom one can confide. The supervisor should: • • • • • • •

Assist with the choice of thesis subject and ensure that it is realistic and feasible Review manuscripts and other material Recommend courses together with interesting and relevant literature Assist in the establishment of contacts with other departments in Sweden and abroad Enable the PhD student to attend and participate in international conferences and meetings. Recommend sources of research funding Ensure that the project is funded, including the costs of printing the thesis (over and above the stipend from the Faculty which covers the cost of proofreading and 100 theses).

If the supervision is not working: • • • • •

Talk to the supervisors Contact the Associate Dean for Postgraduate Education Contact the dean of the faculty Talk to the student union and/or the union Contact the student health centre

The research student and supervisors should enter into discussions to arrive at an agreement relating to what is appropriate and document what has been agreed upon in terms of supervisor and supervision in the individual study plan. The following points can serve as a guide: Distribution of responsibility and work tasks: • encouragement and feedback in the work • literature searches 19

• • • • • • • •

establishment of a literature database application for research funding and travel scholarships planning of meetings courses in the postgraduate research education conferences presentation of ongoing projects in various forums continual updating of the project plan continual updating of the individual study plan

The relationship between supervisor and doctoral student: • • • • •

rights and responsibilities expectations motivation availability regular performance reviews

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Progression of Postgraduate Research Education Annual review of the individual study plans Once a year, the Associate Dean for Postgraduate Education, on behalf of the Dean, requests a report on the progression of the doctoral studies from each student. This report is made in the form of an updated ISP and progression is reviewed in relation to previous ISPs.

Half-time seminar When approximately half the work for the doctoral degree is judged to be finished i.e when 1-2 publications/manuscripts have been completed, the doctoral student should hold a half-time seminar. In this seminar, the doctoral students should demonstrate the ability to present and discuss their research at an advanced level. The seminar also provides an excellent opportunity to obtain feedback from the research community on the continued work. The milestone is achieved either through the presentation of a seminar or through examination for a Licentiate degree. In the case of a seminar, a reviewer is appointed by the principal supervisor to examine the work. The reviewer must be an Associate professor or a Professor and an expert on the work presented. The principal supervisor should inform the Associate Dean for Postgraduate Education of the proposed date and the name of the expert reviewer in good time before the seminar. The principal supervisor is responsible for advertisement of the seminar within the Faculty and for informing the Faculty webmaster so that it can be advertised on the Faculty’s website. The principal supervisor is responsible for ensuring that the reviewer receives the research plan, published articles and any manuscripts which are to be included in the thesis. The expert reviewer must not be involved with the research in question and should not be from the Faculty of Odontology at Malmö University. The expert reviewer at the half-time seminar cannot later be appointed as the Faculty opponent at the defence of the doctoral thesis but can be appointed as a member of the examining committee. The seminar starts with a 20-30 minute presentation of their results by the doctoral student. This is followed by a discussion. Advice about changes and additions as well as the continuation of the studies is given both at the seminar and either orally or in writing to both the student and the supervisor after the seminar. The principal supervisor is responsible for reporting to the Associate Dean for Postgraduate Education that the seminar has taken place. This is documented in LADOK and doctoral students with doctoral scholarships will then receive the appropriate salary increase in line with the next step on the increment ladder. The Faculty is responsible for the honorarium, travel costs within Sweden and any board and lodging costs incurred for the seminar.

Review at the 75% stage of completion When the principal supervisor judges that 75% of the studies have been completed, a report should be sent to the Associate Dean for Postgraduate Education to enable the doctoral student to receive the stipulated salary increase in accordance with the doctoral research students' salary increment ladder. The progress will also documented in LADOK. It is important that the principal supervisor closely follows and assesses the work of the doctoral student and therefore salary increases will not be approved retroactively.

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The Research Environment It is important that all doctoral students feel a strong allegiance to one of the Faculty's research groups. The Faculty’s focus groups represent a forum in which doctoral students and researchers from different groups can get together. How the groups work can differ between the different focus groups but it is important that doctoral students participate in them as a way of training their scientific communication skills. Doctoral students play an important role in the research at the Faculty. In many cases the research is the result of teamwork and good results can pave the way for new research funding in turn leading to further development of research activity. Responsibility for pursuing and publishing high qualitative research falls upon the supervisors and exchange of experience within the research group is a necessary stimulus for this. The doctoral student should develop the habit of accurately recording all experiments, trials and results so that they can be presented in detail at a later date. In addition, the doctoral student should also discuss their plans for continued experiments/studies with their supervisor and the members of the group. When a major investigation has been completed, the doctoral student should have the opportunity to present the results at a research seminar where researchers outside the immediate research group can review the work, provide new insights and propose new ways of tacking any problems. As the research progresses, the results will be published as scientific articles which serve as the basis for the doctoral thesis. Each manuscript will probably need to be revised several times before it can be submitted to a scientific journal. After submission, the journal appoints a number of referees who peer-review the manuscript and can then recommend that the editor publishes or rejects the article. Articles are generally written in English. One of the requirements for postgraduate research education is that the doctoral student is familiar with current knowledge within their research area. Therefore, in parallel with their own research, it is important that doctoral students keep up with the literature. At the beginning the supervisor should be able to provide tips about the relevant journals in the research area.

Doctoral Students’ Day Every year, the Doctoral Students’ Association and the Associate Dean for Postgraduate Education arrange the so-called Doctoral Student Day where doctoral student are given the opportunity to present their research results and hear the viewpoints of the Faculty's other researchers.

Internationalisation Research is an international endeavour and the research community is, in its nature, international. It is therefore important that doctoral students, aided by their supervisors, acquire their own international experiences and contacts. Participation in international symposia and congresses allows exchange of information and new ideas and the discussions and personal contacts that result from a seminar or a poster presentation are often very stimulating for the development of student’s own research. Generally, if it is considered beneficial to the work, part of the postdoctoral research education can take place abroad, provided that it does not involve an extension of the length of the education. Trips to conferences and stays at foreign institutions may well require greater resources than the doctoral student themselves or the department are able to afford and, it is therefore important that the student applies for grants. Information concerning grants can be found on the Malmö University website. The Associate Dean for Postgraduate Education can 22

provide information about where and how to apply for grants. The University also subscribes to the ‘Research Professional’ database which lists international calls for research funding.

Teaching and other work at the Faculty Doctoral students may spend a maximum of 20% of a full-time position on teaching and administration. Doctoral studies at the faculty of Odontology usually participate in teaching of dental, dental hygiene and dental technology students by acting a tutor for study group work. The assignment of teaching is carried out at the beginning of each term by the Head of Department after consultation with the principal supervisor. Such work should be documented by the doctoral student when the individual study plan is revised and should be reflected in the registration of the scope of the studies in LADOK. Where it is deemed necessary to extend a doctoral student's period of employment beyond the 4 year period, compensation will be made for teaching and other work done on behalf of the department.

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Research Ethics Research ethics concern problems and issues associated with how research is conducted and is intimately linked with individual researcher’s sense of responsibility and honesty with respect to attitude to results, cooperation with colleagues and the society at large. Researchers are personally responsible for ensuring that their research is of good quality and ethically acceptable. More information about research ethics is available at http://www.codex.vr.se. Malmö University’s guidelines for management of suspected research misconduct can be found on the Faculty website at http://www.mah.se/upload/Forskning/Marias%20Dokument/Vetenskaplig%20oredlighet_hantering.pd f All biomedical research projects in Sweden involving human subjects must be reviewed and approved by an ethical committee. The regional ethical board covering Malmö University is in Lund. The board is an autonomous public authority which is divided into three divisions. Two of the divisions cover medicine (medicine, pharmacy, odontology, nursing science and clinical psychology)while the third deals with applications from other areas. Reviews are performed in accordance with the principles laid down in the Helsinki Declaration's revised edition. The use of animals for scientific purposes must be reviewed by the Swedish Ethical Committee on Animal Research. A research project involving experiments on animals must be approved before the experiments are commenced. Regulations for ethical review of animal experiments can be found in the Animal Welfare Act and the Animal Welfare Ordinance. It is the responsibility of the principal supervisor, where appropriate, to apply for and/or ensure that the appropriate approval is in place for studies that are a part of the doctoral students work on their dissertation. It is important that all documents concerning ethical approval are available at the thesis defence since this may become a topic of discussion. Most of the scientific journals require an ethical review. If uncertain whether the research is affected by the Ethical Review Act, supervisors and doctoral students can find more information on the Ethical Committee website (http://www.epn.se/sv/lund/om-naemnden/). Tissue samples which have been collected from patients for a specific purpose should be preserved in a so-called ‘biobank’. A biobank is all material which has been saved after the primary analysis has been completed. The purpose of a biobank is to preserve the integrity of the individual in relation to collection and storage of tissue samples which have been collected primarily for care and treatment, for research and other purposes. The National Board of Health and Welfare’s regulations and general information about biobanks in healthcare can be found at (http://www.socialstyrelsen.se/sosfs/200211). In order to undertake statistical research, a researcher is required to obtain consent for the use of personal information for research purposes. In line with the Personal Data Act (PUL), the Data Inspection Board or the local personal data Ombudsman must be informed of all use of personal information. A form for notification of use of personal data can be found on the Malmö University website. More information can be found at (www.datainspektion.se/lagar-och-regler /personuppgiftslagen).

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Doctoral and Licentiate Theses The format for doctoral theses A doctoral thesis can either be written as one continuous piece of work in the form of a monograph or a so-called compilation thesis. At the Faculty of Odontology, a compilation thesis is the most common alternative. This is comprised of a number (usually 4-5) of scientific articles together with a summary, bound together in the form of a book. A doctoral thesis is usually written in English. If the thesis is not written in English, it should contain a short English summary. The summary should provide an introduction to the thesis and an overview of the research. It should also include a section where the results presented in the thesis are summarized, analyzed and discussed. New results which are relevant to the thesis but not presented in the articles can also be included in the summary. However, it is essential that such results are presented in a way which allows them to be analysed in the same way as the results present in the articles. The summary is usually 3070 pages long and should also include a short summary in Swedish for the layman. The summary is written independently by the doctoral student. Normally, at least two of the articles to be included should have been published or accepted for publication in peer-reviewed academic journals for the thesis to be approved for the public defence. The remaining articles can be included in the form of 'submitted for publication' or alternatively in the form of a complete manuscripts which have been proofread. Some of the articles which are included may have been written by several authors; but the doctoral student should be the main author of a significant part of the thesis. However, there is no requirement that the doctoral student should be the main author of all the articles included in the thesis. For articles involving more than one author, the doctoral student's contribution should be described in the list of articles included in the thesis in the summary. For compilation theses, the University’s template for the cover and summary must be used. This does not affect the format of the articles. The template can be found on the Malmö University website under ‘utbildning på forskarnivå’, ‘blanketter’. The articles should be scanned into PDF format. Figures and tables must also be transformed to PDF. To avoid legal problems with copyright, the doctoral student is responsible for obtaining permission to reproduce the articles from the respective journals. The doctoral student must also ensure that electronic copies of the published articles are available. If this is not possible, the printers should be contacted in good time to allow them to scan the articles in good enough quality to allow inclusion in the thesis.

The supervisor and doctoral student may decide that the thesis should be published in the form of a monograph. In a monograph, the whole research material is presented in one continuous publication, without being sub-divided into smaller parts and published as articles in scientific journals. In this case, the whole document should be included in the template found on the Malmö University website under ‘utbildning på forskarnivå’, ‘blanketter’. The format of the thesis should be that stipulated in the guidelines issued by Malmö University (240mm x 160mm). Both the Faculty of Odontology and the Mamö University logo must be present on the cover of the thesis. Each thesis must have an ISBN number which can be obtained from the Associate Dean for Postgraduate Education. If the thesis is to be issued as a supplement to a journal e.g. The Swedish Dental Journal, then it must also have an ISSN number which is obtained from the journal in question. The doctoral student is responsible for all contact with the journal. The thesis must also have a loose sheet (‘spiktitelblad’) with a notification of the thesis defence. This sheet states the date on which the thesis will be defended and since this may have to be changed after printing, it should not be bound into the main body of the thesis. A template for this sheet either with,

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or without an ISSN number, can be found on the Faculty website under ‘utbildning på forskarnivå’, ‘blanketter’. The short summary in Swedish for laymen should be placed before the ‘Acknowledgements’ and ‘References’ sections in the main summary. It should be written as an informative text which is completely independent from the thesis itself and it should be possible to publish this short stand-alone summary without making any changes. Therefore use of the first person singular as well as references to literature, diagrams or tables in the thesis itself should be avoided.

The format for licentiate theses A licentiate thesis can either be written as one continuous piece of work in the form of a monograph or a so-called compilation thesis. At the Faculty of Odontology, a compilation thesis is the most common alternative. This is comprised of a number (usually 2-3) of scientific articles together with a summary, bound together in the form of a book. A licentiate thesis is usually written in English. If the thesis is not written in English, it should contain a short English summary. The summary should provide an introduction to the thesis and an overview of the research. It should also include a section where the results presented in the thesis are summarized, analyzed and discussed. New results which are relevant to the thesis but not presented in the articles can also be included in the summary. However, it is essential that such results are presented in a way which allows them to be analyzed in the same way as the results present in the articles. The summary should include a short summary in Swedish for the layman. The summary is written independently by the licentiate student. At least one of the articles to be included should have been published or accepted for publication in peer-reviewed academic journals for the thesis to be approved for the defence. The remaining articles can be included in the form of 'submitted for publication' or alternatively in the form of a complete manuscripts which have been proofread. Some of the articles which are included may have been written by several authors; but the licentiate student should be the main author of a significant part of the thesis. However, there is no requirement that the licentiate student should be the main author of all the articles included in the thesis. For articles involving more than one author, the licentiate student's contribution should be described in the list of articles included in the thesis in the summary. For compilation theses, the University’s template for the cover and summary must be used. This does not affect the format of the articles. The template can be found on the Malmö University website under ‘utbildning på forskarnivå’, ‘blanketter’. The articles should be scanned into PDF format. Figures and tables must also be transformed to PDF. To avoid legal problems with copyright, the licentiate student is responsible for obtaining permission to reproduce the articles from the respective journals. The licentiate student must also ensure that electronic copies of the published articles are available. If this is not possible, the printers should be contacted in good time to allow them to scan the articles in good enough quality to allow inclusion in the thesis. The supervisor and licentiate student may decide that the thesis should be published in the form of a monograph. In a monograph, the whole research material is presented in one continuous publication, without being sub-divided into smaller parts and published as articles in scientific journals. In this case, the whole document should be included in the template found on the Malmö University website under ‘utbildning på forskarnivå’, ‘blanketter’. The format of the thesis should be that stipulated in the guidelines issued by Malmö University (240mm x 160mm). Both the Faculty of Odontology and the Mamö University logo must be present on the cover of the thesis. For licentiate thesis, the text ‘LICENTIATE THESIS’ should be entered into the grey box at the top and ‘LICENTIATE THESIS IN ODONTOLOGY’ should be typed in the red box on the front cover.

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Licentiate theses are published in the Faculty of Odontology series: Malmö University Odontological Dissertations which has ISSN number1650-6065. If the licentiate student choses to have an ISBN number, it should be placed beneath the ISSN number. ISBN numbers can be obtained from the Associate Dean for Postgraduate Education. The short summary in Swedish for laymen should be placed before the ‘Acknowledgements’ and ‘References’ sections in the main summary. It should be written as an informative text which is completely independent from the thesis itself and it should be possible to publish this short stand-alone summary without making any changes. Therefore use of the first person singular as well as references to literature, diagrams or tables in the thesis itself should be avoided.

Printing the thesis The student is responsible for contacting the printers in good time before the public defence or seminar. Malmö University currently has a contract with Holmbergs AB. A request for a quote is made using a special form (www.holmbergs.com/sv/Mina-sidor/Offertforfragan/). On the form, the student is asked for a handle-number. This is generated automatically when the thesis is registered in MUEP (see below). After receiving the form, Holmbergs will return a written quote and a schedule for printing the thesis. The student should accept the quote by sending an email with a final order to Holmbergs. When this is done, the printers and the student work together to produce the thesis in its final form. During this time they will have continual contact until the thesis is ready. The student is encouraged to make use of the opportunity for a trial print run. Holmbergs must have the material at least 4 weeks before printing (prior to ‘spikning’) in order to guarantee delivery on time. After the student has approved the trial print copy, the printers need 5 working days for printing, binding and delivery of the thesis. At the same time as the student approves the thesis for printing, they are given the opportunity to sanction sales of the thesis in Holmbergs webshop. This is possible even if the thesis is to be issued as a supplement to the Swedish Dental Journal. The Associate Dean for Postgraduate Education processes applications for a grant from the faculty to cover the costs of printing. The grant covers 100 copies (the obligatory copies) as well as the cost of proofreading. Quotations should be submitted to the Associate Dean for Postgraduate Education together with a grant application form which can be found on the Faculty’s website. Note that in addition to the total, the cost of printing the 100 copies must be specified on the quote. The obligatory copies are distributed direct from the printers to libraries in Sweden and abroad as well as the ViceChancellors office at Malmö University, BIT (the library and IT department at Malmö University) and all the Departments at the Faculty of Odontology. One copy is sent to the Associate Dean for Postgraduate Education to ensure that the thesis has been distributed. A distribution list for theses can be found on the Faculty website. The student may keep any copies of the thesis which are left over after the obligatory copies have been sent out. The principal supervisor should ensure that the Faculty opponent, examining committee (including the reserve), the chairman at the thesis defence and other researchers with an interest in the area receive a copy of the thesis well before the defence. The grant from the Faculty also covers the costs of proofreading up to a maximum total sum. Contact the Associate Dean for Postgraduate Education for details of the current maximum sum. If the grant application covers proofreading of the main summary in the thesis, two quotes should be attached. Normal rules for procurement apply i.e. the lowest quote should be accepted unless there are special reasons for not doing so.

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Additional copies over and above the obligatory 100 copies must be paid for by the student or the department at which the student is registered. A separate quote for additional copies should be ordered from the printers. The print run should include copies for: • the public at the thesis defence • the department, for distribution to other interested researchers • the students own needs

In conjunction with printing, the thesis should be documented in Malmö University’s open archive MUEP (www.mah.se/muep) where all published work from Malmö University is registered. The student decides how much of the text from the thesis should be available in MUEP. The Faculty of Odontology recommends that at least the main summary is published in full-text in MUEP unless this is to be published as a supplement to the Swedish Dental Journal. Prior to printing, the student is responsible for registration of information about the thesis. When the details have been entered, a handle number will be generated automatically. This number should be given in the request for a quote to Holmbergs. The handle number generates a link between the thesis in MUEP and the sales of the thesis by Holmbergs. When printing of the thesis is complete, a file containing the main summary will be uploaded to MUEP. This is done by the printers in collaboration with the library. For help with registration and interpretation of the copyright and other rules, see the instructions for publication of research in MUEP, or contact the library.

Public notification of the defence The formal notification of a doctoral defence involves the library receiving an agreed number of copies of thesis three weeks prior to the defence. This procedure is normally dealt with by the printers but the doctoral student is responsible for ensuring that it has been done. At the Faculty of Odontology it is traditional that the doctoral student makes their thesis public by nailing it to the noticeboard in the Aula foyer. A notice giving the time of the thesis publication should be sent to the Faculty secretary with responsibility for research and research education. The copy which is nailed up should be inscribed with the words ‘må spikas' (in English, ‘may be published’) by the Dean to confirm that the Faculty supports the publication. The doctoral student should make an appointment with the Dean in good time by contacting the Faculty secretary to obtain this signature. A chain, a nail and a hammer can be obtained from the Faculty workshop. Traditionally, the doctoral student’s colleagues and friends are invited to the public notification of the thesis where the principal supervisor or department head wish the student good luck with the defence and hand over the hammer. The type of reception which is held after the notification varies and is completely up to the student. However, it should be noted that alcoholic drinks may not be served in the University buildings during working hours. The doctoral student should contact the faculty webmaster for advertisement of the notification on the website.

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Public defence of doctoral thesis In accordance with the Higher Education Ordinance, a doctoral thesis must be defended orally at a public hearing. Section

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Chapter 6, section 33. The doctoral thesis shall be presented and defended orally in public. A faculty examiner (opponent) shall be appointed for this presentation. Ordinance (2010:1064). There are many components which go into the planning and carrying out of a public defence. Therefore it is important that supervisors and the doctoral student find out about the regulations as well as what documents are required at an early stage. The Associate Dean for Postgraduate Education can give help with various aspects of the defence. A guide can be found in appendix 1.

Date of the defence The Vice-chancellor of Malmö University has delegated responsibility to the Dean to decide the time and place for a public defence. Unless special circumstances exist, the defence should take place during term time and the supervisor should consult with the Dean before the request is sent to the examining committee and Faculty opponent. The Dean will then appoint the Faculty opponent and examining committee for the public defence.

Request for the public defence In plenty of time prior to the public defence (at least five months prior to the proposed date), the principal supervisor should make a request to the Dean that the doctoral student may defend their thesis. The request should include the following details: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

name of the doctoral student title of the thesis a list of articles to be included (compilation thesis) description of the doctoral student's own work list of contents (monograph) short summary of the doctoral thesis (maximum 200 words e.g. abstract in the public notification of defence sheet) name of supervisor(s) completed courses supported by a transcript from LADOK review of how the goals for the award of the doctorate have been fulfilled proposed Faculty opponent (consulted) proposal for 3 members together with one reserve for the examining committee (consulted) contact information (address, telephone number and email address of examining committee members) comments regarding to any possible reasons for disqualification for the above persons date and time for the public defence (with the approval of the Dean) proposal for the time for public notification of the defence in the foyer (with the approval of the Dean)

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If the Dean approves a thesis for a defence, he/she will contact the Faculty opponent and examining committee formally. The doctoral student should not have any independent contact with the opponent or the examining committee prior to the defence. At least 4 months prior to the defence, the Faculty secretary with responsibility for research and research education will send the articles/manuscripts which are to be part of the thesis together with a form for prior evaluation to the members of the examining committee. Their job is to ensure that the articles are of sufficiently high number and quality to meet the criteria laid down by the Faculty of Odontology and to be defended at a public defence. The members of the examining committee return their judgement to the Dean at least 3 months before the defence. If a defence is not recommended, this must be motivated in writing by the committee. If a defence is not recommended, the doctoral student has the right to an additional 6 months of supervision and resources over and above the original commitment in order to address the issues which prevented the original defence.

Faculty opponent, examining committee and chairman at the defence The Dean or a person appointed by the Dean as his/her deputy acts as the chairperson at the public defence. The chairperson usually assembles the examining committee, Faculty opponent and supervisors shortly before the defence. The Faculty opponent at a thesis defence must be an Associate professor or a Professor, hold a doctorate and have good knowledge of the research area in question. The examining committee is usually comprised of 3 members whose combined competence covers the whole subject area of the thesis. Members of the examining committee must be associate professor or have an equivalent level of expertise. One of the members of the examining committee can very well be the examiner at the half-time seminar. A maximum of one of the proposed members of the examining committee may come from the Faculty of Odontology and a maximum of two from Malmö University. The principal supervisor, supervisors and examiner for the doctoral student may not be chosen as members of the examining committee. In addition to the 3 ordinary members of the examining committee, a reserve who can be called upon in case of illness should be included in the proposal submitted to the Dean with the request for a defence. The genus perspective should be considered in choosing members of the examining committee. If there are special reasons, such as the thesis being of pronounced interdisciplinary character, the number of members in the examining committee can be increased to five. The Faculty opponent and all members of the examining committee must not have any ties to the doctoral student, supervisor and the Department from which the thesis originates. Reasons for disqualification can include collaboration or joint publications within the past 5 years. One joint article is enough to be considered as joint publication. Grounds for disqualification can exist further back than the past five years if the collaboration has been as very close one. A previous doctoral studentsupervisor relationship is always a ground for disqualification. An exception to the 5-year rule can be made for collaboration in the form of multi-centre studies or the drafting of SBU reports or national guidelines for The Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare. The right to this exception is judged from case to case. The Faculty opponent will receive a fee from the Faculty as well as the costs of travel/hotel (at most two overnight stays). Please contact the Faculty secretary with responsibility for research and research education for details of the current fee. For a Faculty opponent or committee members from abroad (outside the Nordic countries) the Faculty will pay half of the travel costs and the host department will be responsible for the remainder. Travel and hotel should be arranged by the principal supervisor's department.

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Other practical arrangements As soon as the date for the defence has been agreed upon, the principal supervisor should book the main lecture theatre for the public defence and the conference room for the examining Committee’s meeting. This can be done by contacting Marie Rosberg (040-6658436). The Associate Dean for Postgraduate Education is responsible for ensuring that a notice concerning the defence appears in the Dental Magazine (Tandläkartidningen). The Faculty secretary with responsibility for research and research education is responsible for issuing a notice about the defence to the Heads of Department and departmental administrators, 1 week before the thesis is made public (‘spikning’). The webmaster at the Faculty of Odontology is responsible for placing a notice on the Faculty website and contacting the press and other interested parties outside the University. The Faculty secretary is responsible for ensuring that the tables and chairs in the main lecture theatre are correctly placed and that mineral water is put on the tables. The host department should ensure that microphones are collected from, and returned to, the photocopying room as well as placing copies of the thesis for the public in the lecture hall. The department is also responsible for providing any decorations required for the lecture hall. It is a good idea to test the electronics in the room the evening before the defence. Practical arrangements associated with the examining committee meeting immediately after the public defence are the responsibility of the Faculty secretary. This includes the provision of a light snack for the examining committee, Faculty opponent and principal supervisor. It is a tradition at the Faculty of Odontology that the host department invites the Faculty opponent, members of the examining committee, doctoral student and the supervisors to share breakfast before the public defence. Directly after the defence, the host department usually organizes a simple reception. When the examining committee’s meeting is over, the committee members usually join the reception and the chairperson announces the results of their deliberations.

The public defence The public defence itself is opened by the chairperson (either the Dean or a person appointed by the Dean). First the doctoral student is first given the opportunity to make any possible clarifications regarding, for example, printing errors. Then the Faculty opponent usually presents the research field and thereby puts the thesis work into a wider context. After this, the doctoral student presents how the studies were carried out, the results obtained and the conclusions. Alternatively, the thesis can be presented by the Faculty opponent alone (approx 30 minutes). Following the presentation there is a discussion between Faculty opponent and the doctoral student. The Faculty opponent’s role is to critically analyze all parts of the thesis and discuss the thesis in depth with the doctoral student. This discussion can touch upon technical and practical details as well as how the results obtained can be interpreted in a wider context. The Faculty opponent should highlight both the strong and weaker parts of the thesis in a discussion which allows the doctoral student to show their knowledge. After this, the examining committee and members of the audience then have the opportunity to ask questions and express opinions. The examining committee meets immediately after the defence.

The examining committee meeting In addition to members of the examining committee (not the reserve), the Faculty opponent, supervisor and chairperson may be present at the meeting but may not participate in the decision. The chairperson 31

at the defence begins the meeting by initiating the selection of a chairperson for the examining committee, often a member of the Faculty of Odontology. Only members of the examining committee participate in the decision while the other people present may answer questions and make clarifications. The protocol from the examining committee meeting is printed and distributed from the Fcaulty office and the newly qualified doctor will receive a copy. After the defence, the supervisor has the option of inviting the doctoral student, examining committee, Faculty opponent, all supervisors and the chairperson out for a meal.

Licentiate seminar The licentiate thesis must also be orally defended at a public seminar. There are many components which go into the planning and carrying out of a public defence. Therefore it is important that supervisors and the licentiate student find out about the regulations as well as what documents are required at an early stage. The Associate Dean for Postgraduate Education can give help with various aspects of the defence. A guide can be found in appendix 1. In good time before the licentiate seminar, the principal supervisor should make a formal request to the Dean that the student may have the opportunity to defend their licentiate thesis. The request should include the following information: • • • • • • • • • •

name of doctoral student title of thesis list articles to be included (compilation thesis) description of the licentiate student's own work table of contents (monograph) short summary of the thesis (max 200 words) name of supervisor(s) completed courses supported by a transcript from LADOK review of how the goals for the award of the licentiate have been fulfilled proposal for 3 members together with one reserve for the examining committee (consulted) • contact information (address, telephone number and email address of examining committee members) • comments regarding to any possible reasons for disqualification for the above persons • date and time for the seminar

The Dean appoints the examining committee as well as chairman at the seminar. At least one member of the examining committee must come from another higher education institution. It is the responsibility of the licentiate student to ensure that copies of the thesis are sent to the chairman and members of the examining committee at least three weeks prior to the seminar and that the Faculty secretary with responsibility for research and research education is informed so that information about the seminar can be sent out in plenty of time. The licentiate student is responsible for ensuring that a sufficient number of copies are available at the Faculty both before and at the seminar. The seminar starts with a presentation (30-45 minutes) of the thesis by the licentiate student after which the examining committee's members ask questions and express their opinions. Even though no official Faculty opponent has been appointed it is usual that the chairman of the examining committee has the main responsibility for the public discussion and examination. Members of the audience may also ask questions after the examining committee.

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After the seminar, the examining committee meets to evaluate the contents of the thesis and the licentiate student's ability to present and discuss their results. The supervisors and chairman of the seminar will be co-opted for this committee. The licentiate is given a grade of ‘pass’ or ‘fail’. As soon as the date for the seminar has been agreed upon, the principal supervisor should book a lecture theatre and a conference room for the examining Committee’s meeting. This can be done by contacting Marie Rosberg (040-6658436). If necessary, contact the technical staff for help with the electronic equipment before the seminar.

Degrees and degree certificates Degree certificates for the doctorate and licentiate degrees are issued by the Chancellery of Malmö University. An application for the degree certificate should be made by the student following approval at the defence or seminar. All courses included in the programme must be completed before the certificate can be issued. The Vice-chancellor has approved the following degree titles for the Faculty of Odontology .

• Degree of Licentiate in Dental Science- Odontologie licentiate examen i odontology (odont. lic.) • Degree of Doctor in Dental Science – Odontologie doctor examen i odontology (odont. dr)

For research students who have a relevant undergraduate degree other than a dental degree, the following degrees can be awarded upon specific request following approval by the Dean: • Licentiate of Philosophy in Dental Science- Filosofie licentiate i odontologisk vetenskap (lic. odont. vet.) • Doctor of Philosophy in Dental Science - Filosofie doktor i odontologisk vetenskap (dr. odont. vet.) • Doctor of Philosophy in Dental Science - Medicine doktor i odontologisk vetenskap (dr. odont. vet.) • Doctor of Philosophy in Dental Science - Teknologie doktor i odontologisk vetenskap (dr. odont. vet.)

Conferral of doctorate Everyone who has successfully completed their doctoral degree over the previous academic year is offered the opportunity to participate in the doctoral degree conferral ceremony (part of the annual Malmö University academic ceremony) which is normally organized in the autumn term. At this ceremony, the doctoral insignia (doctoral ring, doctor's hat and diploma) are conferred as the outward signs of doctoral achievement, the highest award which the Swedish academic world can make. The doctor's hat is obligatory for the conferral ceremony. One can either buy or borrow a doctor's hat. The Faculty of Odontology has a special doctoral ring but there is no special requirement to wear a ring. The ring is only given symbolically at the conferral ceremony. However doctors who have decided to buy a ring can take the opportunity to order a ring at the time of the conferral ceremony. The diploma is printed with the Malmö University insignia and is also awarded at the conferral ceremony.

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Career after the degree Following the successful completion of the doctoral degree it is possible to continue with an academic career or, alternatively if postgraduate education was combined with specialist training in a clinical subject, to go into dental care outside the University. Postgraduate research education in Odontology can also be valuable in industry. Of the researchers who have defended their thesis at the Faculty of Odontology in recent years, at least half have remained within academia while the remainder are fulfilling various functions outside the University system. Continuation within academia normally requires competition with other researchers for positions and research grants. At the Faculty there are a small number of ‘post-doc’ positions in the form of postdoctoral research fellowships. These positions are of limited length and are advertised as they become vacant. It is also deemed to be important that an academic career be preceded by a shorter or longer post-doc residency at a foreign institution. After a period of time during which a researcher acquires further qualifications, he/she may apply for the title of docent. This title confirms that the person concerned is an independent researcher who can supervise doctoral students, but involves no special benefits in the form of an appointment to a position or increased salary.

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Appendix 1

Time before public defence At least 6 months before

5 months before

Checklist – the Public Defence Process

Doctoral student

Principal supervisor

Examiner

Set the date for public defence Contact Faculty Examiner and examining committee Lecture hall booked for public defence Application for public defence to the Dean

Faculty

The work is sent to the Faculty Examiner

Upon applying for a public defence to the Dean, the examiner guarantees that the goals for postgraduate research education have been fulfilled and that the research student has taken the courses that are specified in the individual study plan

The Dean decides on the public defence with the proposed Faculty Examiner and examining committee. The decision is sent to all parties involved. The work is sent to the examining committee for an advance review

4 months before

The meeting room is booked for the examining committee's meeting after the public defence. The members of the examining committee send back the results of the advance review to the Dean

3 months before

The Associate Dean for Postgraduate Education contacts ‘Tandläkartidningen’ and notifies them of the public defence The journalist at Malmö University 35

(Seth Matsson) is contacted and a thesis is sent to the journalist 3 months before

Approx. 7 weeks before

Application for ISBN number from the Associate Dean for Postgraduate Education Contact printer(s) concerning quotations for printing of 100 copies Contact 2 proofreaders for quotations on proof-reading of thesis Application for printing grant to Associate Dean for Postgraduate Education

Associate Dean for Postgraduate Education decides on printing grant, which is sent to the doctoral student

Material is sent to the printers Notification/nailing date and title are established and sent to the Faculty secretary with responsibility for research and research education and to the information officer

Approx. 4 weeks before

3 weeks before

The copy for “spikning” must be endorsed with the text ”Må spikas” signed by the Dean. Repro is contacted for hammer and nail for the specified date. Nailing up of thesis

Notification of ‘spikning’ is announced on the website.

Announcement of defence is sent out to the Departments.

Opening nailing ceremony in Aula Entrance Hall. Mingle

The 100 copies 36

Announcement posted on notice board in Aula Entrance Hall

of the thesis are distributed by the printers as per the list.

1 week before

Thesis is sent to the Faculty Examiner and examining committee. Contact by the journalist at Malmö University for an interview (Web site) The thesis is uploaded into MUEP.

Food ordered for the examining committee's meeting

If the thesis is a supplement to the Swedish Dental Journal, only an abstract in Swedish and English are uploaded into MUEP

Date of public defence

Defence of thesis

Minutes presented for the examining committee's meeting. Completed minutes presented to the central office. Degree certificate and Diploma Supplement issued. Both certificates are sent to the student

Approx. 2 weeks afterwards

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