Information on how your thesis will be examined can be found on the Research Programmes Administration Guide. The PGR Examination Guide explains the submission and examination process in more detail.

Before you deposit your final thesis in KAR, provide it in PDF format and follow these guidelines:

• The file size should be below 512MB; if this is a problem, you can:
  • split your thesis into separate pdfs; or
  • reduce the document size by shrinking the size of your images in your Word document or in the pdf version; shrinking images may reduce their quality, so keep a copy of your original document and check the quality of the shrunk version.
• If you have data, diagrams, maps, multimedia items or any other documents which can't be incorporated into the body of the pdf file, submit the thesis through Moodle and check how to prepare and deposit this additional material below.
  
• The filename of your thesis document should be short and meaningful: 
• use this format (made up of your surname, the year of your award, your degree, and the version of the document): surnameYYYYdegreeversion - for example smith2020phdfinal or jones2021mscresfinal.
• don't include punctuation or capital letters.
• if you have a redacted thesis as well as your final thesis, include these terms at the end of each filename, for example jones2021phdredacted and jones2021phdfull.
  
• if you've split your thesis into separate pdfs, include the volume number at the end of each pdf file name, for example smith2020phdfinal01, smith2020phdfinal02.  
  

If you have already published: see how to record a PhD based on published works on the Kent Academic Repository.

Make it accessible to maximise your audience

To make your document as accessible as possible:

• make sure key pictures, charts, and diagrams have alternative text descriptions where appropriate.
• use the Microsoft Office Accessibility Checker.
• when exporting documents to pdf, follow accessible pdf guidance.

If you have published journal articles, conference papers or book chapters during your PhD, there are some additional considerations before you deposit your thesis.

Whether you can include published material in your thesis depends on how it was published. If you published Open Access, you can usually include the final published version. If not, you may need to use a different version or remove the publisher PDF from the version of your thesis that will be made publicly available.

See Copyright or sensitive material in your thesis for guidance on using published work in your thesis.

Do you have data or supplemental material, such as:

• supporting data you must preserve and make available, for example because your funder requires it. 
• evidence of practice supporting a Practice as Research thesis.
• large files of relevant material in non-text formats, for example images, video or audio.
• material that illustrates, supports or adds value to your thesis?

You can't upload this through Moodle alongside your thesis. Instead, we will archive it for you, either in the Kent Academic Repository or the Kent Data Repository. We will link the material to your thesis in KAR.

Archiving the files doesn't have to mean making them publicly available; you can choose to apply restrictions.

1. Upload your thesis document and wait for it to be published in KAR.
2. Prepare your accompanying materials into files suitable for upload.
3. Keep back-up copies of any files in case of damage or loss.
4. Complete the KDR ReadMe Information Form to provide information about your accompanying material.
5. Email your files to researchsupport@kent.ac.uk.

Preparing your files

Before sending your accompanying material:

• use meaningful file names and a logical file structure
• use file formats suitable for long-term preservation
• if your material contains third party, sensitive or confidential information, or information that identifies other people, make sure you anonymise or remove it from the files you want to make available to others.

Are your files too large to email?

Choose one of these options:

• by Dropbox, sending the link/permission to researchsupport@kent.ac.uk
• on a CD/DVD/USB or other portable digital device:
  • arrange in advance to deliver by hand to one of the team
  • if you are posting them, make sure you use an encrypted USB device that needs a PIN, for example Aegis SecureKey ASK-3Z or iStorage Datashur.

Check your back-up copy.

Include in the email or on a label on the media:

• your name
• the date of submission
• the title of your award
• the KAR URL of your thesis.

• It will have unique and stable web address (digital object identifier = DOI); this means you can cite it and refer others to it.
• The materials will count as a separate output and enhance your scholarly profile.
• Your data and other digital materials will be secure in a managed environment.
• Other researchers can find and build on your materials while properly acknowledging your work.
• You will be able to return to the materials yourself and reuse them, wherever your career takes you.

• KAR and Open Access: email researchsupport@kent.ac.uk
• Copyright: email copyright@kent.ac.uk
• Choosing the best deposit option for your thesis: speak to your supervisor and the Submission Review Panel