The good, the bad and the ugly of completing a Thesis by publication

Doctoral students face increasing pressure to publish from their research during candidature. These publications can be separate from the thesis itself or embedded within the thesis. Completing a thesis by publication requires a range of additional skills beyond traditional thesis writing, including writing for multiple audiences, co-authorship with supervisors and peer review processes. The opportunity to write for publication and to navigate publication processes affords incredibly useful skills for candidates seeking a future career in academia and allows timely dissemination of doctoral findings. These benefits, however, are often counterbalanced by challenges inherent to the process. This chapter explores these benefits and challenges of incorporating publications into a doctoral thesis, by drawing on the personal experience of completing a thesis by publication in an Australian university.