A higher doctoral degree is a recognition of the fact that you possess considerable scientific insight and maturity, and that you, with your higher doctoral dissertation, have made a substantial contribution to the advancement of science in relation to your previous qualifying works and the existing research in the area.

The higher doctoral dissertation may be written as a monograph, or it may comprise a collection of articles and a compressed account.

Articles and compressed account 

The following guidelines are applicable for a higher doctoral dissertation which is submitted as a collection of articles and a compressed account:

Articles: 

• The articles must have been accepted for publication before you can submit the dissertation.
• The dissertation is assessed based on articles which have not previously been used as the basis for a previously awarded academic degree.
• If articles are included in other people's PhD dissertations or higher doctoral dissertations, you must enclose the original co-author statements together with the new co-author statements, and this must state what your contribution has been. There must be agreement between the original and the new co-author statements, so that the authors' total contribution to each sub-element does not exceed 100%.
• If your higher doctoral dissertation includes articles or research results that have previously formed the basis for awarding an academic degree, or a positively assessed prize essay, then you must state this. Since these articles are not to be assessed, it is not recommended to attach them or allowed to include them in the list of articles. The articles must be submitted separately and not as material for assessment.

The compressed account: 

The compressed account carries crucial weight in the assessment of the higher doctoral dissertation. This is where you demonstrate your considerable and independent scientific insight and maturity, and where you outline your own contribution to the substantial advancement of science (Section 3(2) of the ministerial order).

In general terms, the compressed account must:

• Summarise and critically discuss the results achieved
• Critically discuss strengths and weaknesses in the methodology
• Position the results and methodology in relation to relevant international literature in the area. 

You should structure the compressed account in the following way:

• Preface
• The articles in the dissertation (dissertation studies): This is where you list the articles that have been submitted for assessment and which have not previously formed the basis for the awarding of an academic degree.
• Introduction: General introduction to the topic
• Presentation and critical discussion of the methodologies used
• Presentation and critical discussion of the results achieved
• ‘My contribution to my dissertation to the substantial advancement of science’: Here you summarise how your personal contribution to the scientific work that forms the basis for your higher doctoral dissertation has made a substantial contribution to the advancement of science. The section should be 1 – 1.5 A4 pages under the heading: Overview of my contribution to this thesis and the impact of my research on the advancement of science
• Discussion of future perspectives of your research
• Conclusion
• Summary in English and Danish. 

Other requirements regarding content     

The dissertation should be written in English with a Danish summary.

Health has determined the following specific requirements regarding content:

• If the higher doctoral dissertation consists of a collection of articles, you must be the sole author of the compressed account. The compressed account may take the form of a published summary article, but you must use a separate paragraph to state how you believe you have contributed to the advancement of science with your dissertation.
• Generally, review articles are not included in a higher doctoral dissertation. This requires specific acceptance from the Higher Doctoral Dissertation Committee.
• Patents are not part of the higher doctoral dissertation, as they are neither peer-reviewed nor subject to an academic, scientific assessment.
• A higher doctoral dissertation must take into account and comply with Aarhus University’s policy for responsible conduct of research, the Danish Code of Conduct for Research Integrity and the standards of responsible research practice at Health (PDF in Danish). Please refer to Rules and documentation.