Question: How should a compilation thesis or dissertation be structured?

The WVU Libraries have no official policy on the structure of a compilation thesis or dissertation, which is also known as a three-paper dissertation, as this is not part of the ETD requirements for the Research Repository. However, it is recommended that students begin the thesis with an introduction, followed by each of the articles forming the main body of the document, and ending with a conclusion/summary/further research chapter that, together with the introduction, shows a unified body of work connecting the independent but related articles. 

There can be some additional complications with a three-paper dissertation. For example, a student plans to include a published article that cannot be shared according to the publisher’s policies. In that case, the student will have to use a previous version (the accepted manuscript or preprint version) of the article in their ETD submission. 

For additional assistance, please visit the WVU ETD Website or contact us at ETDreview@mail.wvu.edu.