Sibelius Academy Guide for Doctoral Studies in Music: Completion and Publication of a Written Work

The written parts of the demonstration of proficiency (dissertation, thesis) are published electronically, and in addition they can also be published in printed form. Publication platforms are Uniarts Helsinki´s Taju Repository (link), and in addition Uniarts Helsinki´s  Research Catalogue portal (link). Sibelius Academy requires a signed publication agreement with the doctoral student before publishing of the thesis/dissertation. Doctoral student is responsible for obtaining  publication permissions for the articles included in the demonstration of proficiency. For more information see the Uniarts Helsinki Publishing Guide maintained by the Library (link). 

Read published doctoral theses/dissertations (EST and Studia Musica) in Taju Publication Archive (link).

Permission for the public examination/defence granted by the Academy Board also constitutes permission to publish a thesis prepared in the Arts Study Programme in the EST Publication Series [ISSN 1237-4229 (printed); ISSN 2489-7981 (PDF)] and a dissertation of the Research Study Programme in the Studia Musica publication series [ISSN 0788-3757 (printed), ISSN 2489-8155 (pdf)]. N.B. the ISSN numbers indicate the series and the publication format; thus all the different books of one specific series have the same ISSN numbers for the printed and the pdf format each, those of the series.

A written work in the Arts Study Programme or in the Applied Study Programme with artistic orientation started before 2011, is usually published in the EST Publication Series as well. However, in order to publish in EST Publication Series, an advance statement (before the Public Examination Event) of approval of the written work by evaluators is called for. In case the time schedule allows, the evaluators may also be asked to give their feedback in advance, so that the writer is able to improve his/her work.  Note that in this case there will be extra haste in publication, and anticipatory actions should be taken. So, please, contact the staff well in advance.

Apart from the cover the student is responsible for the layout of thesis after permission to publish has been granted.

The publication production is co-operation between the writer, the graphic designer (the cover), the layout maker (yourself, or someone hired by you), coordinator of the doctoral schools, and the printing house. The book cover is designed by the graphic designer of the printer and it is accepted also by the Sibelius Academy´s graphic designer. Order the cover and the necessary ISBN and the serial number issued by the Library well in advance from the coordinator. The thickness of the back of the book is determined by the exact number of pages in the book.

It is important that the graphic designer has ample time to design the cover; therefore it is possible to order it even before you have obtained the ISBN and series numbers or know the final number of pages.

If you expect haste, find out in advance the availability of necessary persons (especially the graphic designer, DocMus office): in addition to weekends and general holidays (especially July in Finland) they might have other days off from work.

General guidelines for a timetable:

• The thesis will be publicly displayed 10 days prior to the defense/examination event in Taju electronic repository. The printed version will also be displayed in the Library.
• The Cover Order form (and the Communications form) should be filled as early as possible but 1,5 month prior to the public display.
• The thesis should be ready for the printer minimum of 3 weeks prior to the public display.

A publication in a series has 3-5 publication identifiers:

1. ISBN  numbers (two ISBN numbers which indicate the particular book in a particular format, hence you will have separate ISBN numbers for printed and electronic publications) are displayed on the back cover and the bibliography page = back of the title page,
2. ISSN numbers (ISSN indicates the publication series as well as the publication format, one number for each format) on the back cover and on the bibliography page, and
3. the serial number of the series (the serial number indicates the order number of the book in a particular series) on the spine, on the title page and on the bibliography page.

Send the finished version with final lay-out as a PDF file to Henri Wegelius (@uniarts.fi), who will check the typography as the publisher's representative and send the book to the printers. If you are in a hurry, send the draft beforehand, to avoid unpleasant surprises. Please be very careful in preparing the information on the bibliography page. Now at the latest a publication agreement is prepared, which will give the rights to publish for the Sibelius Academy. If you are publishing exclusively electronically, please note that you still need archive copies of the publication so that it can be processed by the Academic Council and archived as per law (cf. the section entitled Public Display).

The student is responsible for checking the electronic proofs received from the printer and granting the permission to print. The cover will also be checked by the graphic designer of the Sibelius Academy. If the student wishes to have a print proof of the cover or the content he/she is responsible for the expense. The books shall be sent from the printer to the office of the Doctoral School (S-2106), and to the Sibelius Academy Library (M Building, public display).

The print run is 50; the book will be sold later on demand in Ostinato and Unigrafia online shop, which guarantees the availability of the publication. If the student/faculty estimates with good reason the print run to be greater the matter will be discussed in good time with the II Vice-dean.

The student will dispense the book in the following manner:

• 10 copies to be dispensed by personal preference
• One (1) copy for each of the following individuals (depending on the type of degree):
  • opponent(s)
  • examiner(s) of the thesis/written work
  • members of the supervisory board
  • custos (presiding official/chair of the public examination event)
  • Three (3) copies are dispensed by the staff to the Sibalius Academy Library in the M-house for public display at least 10 days before the examination/defence event

The book will be sold to the audience of the defence event by the caretakers. The price of the book is determined according to the print expenses by the doctoral schools.

Public display in electronic form

The library ensures that the electronically published material is on public display in the Taju electronic repository of the Uniarts Helsinki at least 10 days prior to the defense/examination of the doctorate (so-called “riiputus” in Finnish). If the thesis is published on some other platform the student has a responsibility of ensuring from Library the correct format for archiving, and submitting the abstract and links to Research Catalogue etc. to the Library.

The printing house prepares a PDF with cover once the thesis is sent for printing. The student is responsible for submitting material well in advance prior to the public display.

If the thesis is published only electronically: The student submits ten (10) printed copies of a thesis or other written material that is published only electrically to the office of the Doctoral School for the archives. (The Arts Study Programme, The Applied Study Programme.)

Public display in printed form

The student has responsibility of ensuring that the printed books may arrive from the printer 10 days prior to the defense/examination event. Three (3) copies of the book will be delivered to the Library 10 days prior the defense/examination event.

Public display in printed form outside Sibelius Academy series

A student in the Arts Study Programme must submit 25 copies of the printed written thesis to the university free of charge. In the Research and Applied Study Programmes, the corresponding number of copies is 35. The student submits the printed written material to the office of the Doctoral School and agrees that the thesis is placed on public display in the University Library at least 10 days prior to the public examination event of the doctorate (“riiputus” in Finnish).