Graduate School of Social and Behavioural Sciences

Final steps to the defence

When you have finished your dissertation, it is time to prepare for the defence procedure.

When you are ready to proceed to the defence procedure, you have to initiate the graduation formalities in LUCRIS (Converis) and submit the manuscript of the dissertation to your (co-)supervisors for approval.

Plagiarism check

You are responsible for ensuring that the dissertation does not contain any form of plagiarism and that it meets the applicable code of conduct on academic practice in every other respect. The Netherlands Code of Conduct for Research Integrity is considered the frame of reference.

When you have finished your dissertation, your supervisor sends the manuscript to the Graduate School that scans the manuscript via the plagiarism detection software iThenticate. Subsequently, your supervisor checks the outcome of the plagiarism report and declares (by placing a check mark in LUCRIS (Converis)) that “the dissertation has successfully passed a plagiarism detector and in every other respect meets the applicable code of conduct on academic practice”.

Doctorate Committee and Examining Committee

For details on the composition of the committees, please see the FSW checklist PhD committees. The Graduate School Office distributes digital copies of the dissertation to the members of the Examining Committee as soon as it is appointed. At the Institute of Education and Child Studies, Esther Peelen carries out this task.

Propositions and non-scientific part of the dissertation

Your propositions and the non-scientific part need to be approved by the Dean, before they are printed and distributed. In addition, the title page of the dissertation needs to be approved by the Beadle. For details, please check the checklist non-scientific part.
Check the Leiden University Libaries website for practical information on submitting your dissertation.
If you want to have your manuscript printed by the University Services Department (UFB), please contact UFB Graphic Products for detailed information.

PhD graduation ceremony

The PhD trajectory is completed with a public ceremony, the promotie. For detailed information visit the PhD ceremony website.

Distribution of printed copies and digital version of the dissertation

You are required to provide the following copies of your dissertation:

2 printed copies to the Leiden University Libraries (UBL)
a digital version to the University Library (UBL)
2 printed copies (including the propositions) to the beadle’s office (Bureau Pedel, Rapenburg 73, 2311 GJ Leiden), no later than three weeks before the date of the defence.
1 printed copy to the Graduate School Office FSW (Faculteit der Sociale Wetenschappen, Pieter de la Court Building, to Anita Nieuwenhuizen/postbox Bestuurssecretariaat, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK Leiden).
As many printed copies as required to the Examining Committee

If you do so you will receive a financial compensation of €500,- for the printing costs of the dissertation. This compensation is paid by the UBL after receipt of the obligatory copies. In addition, you have to license the University for non-exclusive publication in digital form.
For additional details, please see The Leiden University PhD Regulations (Article 21).