Submitting your PhD dissertation
Practical information on submitting your dissertation
PhD Regulations
In 2006 the Doctorate Board of Leiden University has decided that every PhD candidate is obliged to make their dissertation available via the Institutional Repository of the university.
For relevant changes see PhD Regulations Leiden University.
Making your dissertation available
To meet the requirements of the PhD Regulations, the PhD candidate has to deliver the following at least three weeks before the defense date:
- two physical copies of the dissertation to the library’s acquisition department
Postal address:
Universitary Libraries Leiden - MDA
Van Steenis Building
Einsteinweg 2
2333 CC Leiden
- two physical copies of the dissertation to the Beadle
Postal address:
Bureau van de Pedel
Rapenburg 73
2311 GJ Leiden
Appendix B (license agreement, to be filled out and signed digitally or printed). By signing the licence you grant Leiden University the non-exclusive right to post your dissertation in the digital archive, making it available Open Access worldwide. The university will clearly indicate the author or owner of the publication, and will not make any changes other than allowed by this licence. On this appendix you can also indicate which parts of your thesis should be put under embargo.
- Digital dissertation (pdf) and metadata
Files have to be delivered in PDF format, preferably the dissertation is delivered in a single PDF. Cover and propositions may be handed in in separate files.
- PhD candidates affiliated to Leiden University and external PhD candidates may upload their metadata and digital copy directly via the Graduate School Managementmodule Lucris GSM.
To do so, go to the ‘Graduation formalities’, click the tab ‘more’ and choose ‘Dissertation’. At the bottom of the page you will find a blue button. Follow the instructions in the Researcher's manual.
- PhD candiates affiliated to the LUMC may upload their metadata and digital dissertation as PDF via the form Dissertation Description & Upload. If your dissertation consists of articles, please enter the DOIs of the articles per chapter?
In the form you are asked for keywords. If there exists a generally accepted keyword list within your subject it's best to choose keywords from that list. If there's no such list, consult your promotor or mentor. Avoid words that are used in your title, are very generic or that can have multiple meanings.
- PhD candidates affiliated to Leiden University and external PhD candidates may upload their metadata and digital copy directly via the Graduate School Managementmodule Lucris GSM.
When you would like to store your research data please contact the data management experts at the Centre for Digital Scholarship.
Embargoes
It is possible to request an embargo of 6, 12, 18, or 24 months for parts of the thesis in those cases where this is necessary because of arrangements with a publisher or for future publications. This embargo period can be stated in the licence. Doctoral candidates are required to check for themselves if and for how long the embargoes need to be set. In case the embargo period is insufficient, this can be extended within reason by the library as stated in the Ph.D. Regulations. Please contact the library in case you need an extension.
Have you used articles that have already been published and do you want to make these an integral part of your thesis in the layout of the published PDF? Please be aware that not all publishers will allow the use of their layout and that it therefore may need to be reworked into the layout used for the dissertation itself.
Compensation for printing costs
If the dissertation is defended in 2025, PhD candidates receive a financial compensation of €500,- for the printing costs of the dissertation. This compensation is paid by the UBL after receiving two printed copies of the dissertation, a digital copy of the dissertation and the signed license for the non-exclusive publication of the dissertation in digital form (Appendix B). The compensation regulation expires on January 1, 2026 due to the imposed budget cuts in higher education.
Contact
If you have any questions on the procedure please contact us by e-mail, or call us at (071) 527 1525.
Publishing at your own website
It is allowed to use the PDF from the repository on your own website. This does not have to be approved by the library. However, it is easier to use our handle URL instead of a PDF of the dissertation (for example https://hdl.handle.net/1887/4550). This URL is persistent and will always point to the dissertation itself.