1. Candidates must submit to the Clerk of the Examination Schools, High Street, Oxford, by the specified date, two copies of their dissertation and abstract. These must be securely and firmly bound in either hard or soft covers.
   One copy of an M.Phil. dissertation which is approved by the examiners must be deposited in the Bodleian Library. This finalized copy should incorporate any corrections or amendments which the examiners may have requested. It must be in a permanently fixed binding, drilled and sewn, in a stiff board case in library buckram, in a dark colour, and lettered on the spine with the candidate’s name and initials, the degree, and the year of submission, as prescribed for D.Phil. theses. Further information is available here on binding and depositing.
2. eTheses: M.Phil. students may choose to deposit an electronic copyof their approved thesis in the Oxford University Research Archive. 
3. The methodological introduction to the dissertation and its presentation at the beginning of Trinity Term are designed to provide an opportunity to explore the methodological aspects of the dissertation. Make use of this opportunity to discuss your approach with supervisor, course tutors, and colleagues.
4. All dissertations should have an historical dimension, i.e. they should follow a problem or issue as it unfolds dynamically through time, or should relate their problem clearly to some body of historical argument. Mere summaries of the secondary literature will not count as satisfying the requirement of the dissertation. The dissertation must have an element of originality. This can be provided by making use of fresh historical evidence, or by applying a new conceptual, analytical, or methodological approach to existing e-vidence, or a combination of these elements. For example, new archival evidence may be applied to an existing debate. The evidence may also be considered fresh even if it is readily available, but has not been applied so far to this particular problem. Alternatively, existing evidence may be applied to a novel hypothesis, or perhaps to a new way of formulating and testing an existing hypothesis, e.g. by the application of regression analysis, of game-theoretical, property-rights, collective action, or Marxist concepts. The application of a different disciplinary approach, e.g. linguistics or the History of Art, might be appropriate. These are all provided as examples and do not constitute a definitive list; originality is a quality that cannot be specified in advance.
5. Make sure to allocate sufficient time for research and writing. In making plans for the Easter and Summer vacations, give the completion of the dissertation and other academic assignments the first priority.
6. Please refer to the Faculty's guidance on the following: Conventions for the presentation of essays, dissertations, and theses, and associated links on plagiarism, to be found under Good practice in referencing and presentation.   Please note, these conventions and guidance, especially on submission, are aimed specifically at D.Phil. and M.Litt. students.  For course-specific information refer to the Instructions for Candidates for the M.Sc. and M.Phil. in Economic and Social History.

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