Dear Ana and Luke,
While I agree with what Luke wrote, I think it’s worth providing two explicit lists that describe original contributions to the knowledge of the field — any field — that qualify a PhD thesis for the degree award.
Estelle Phillips and Derek Pugh (2000: 63-64) propose 15 different kinds of new knowledge that warrant the PhD award: “1) Setting down a major piece of new information in writing for the first time. 2) Continuing a previously original piece of work. 3) Carrying out original work designed by the supervisor. 4) Providing a single original technique, observation, or result in an otherwise unoriginal but competent piece of research. 5) Having many original ideas, methods, and interpretations, all performed by others under the direction of the postgraduate. 6) Showing originality on testing somebody else's ideas. 7) Carrying out empirical work that has not been done before. 8) Making a synthesis that has not been made before. 9) Using already known material but with a new interpretation. 10) Trying out something in [one] country that has previously only been done in other countries. 11) Taking a particular technique and applying it to a new area. 12) Bringing new evidence to bear on an old issue. 13) Being cross-disciplinary and using different [methods]. 14) Looking at areas that people in the discipline have not looked at before. 15) Adding to knowledge in a way that has not been done before.”
Rowena Murray (2002: 52) gives this list of thirteen criteria [numbers mine — KF] for an original contribution to the knowledge of the field — the kind of new knowledge that merits a PhD: “[1] You say something no one has said before; [2] You do empirical work that has not been done before; [3] You synthesize things that have not been put together before; [4] You make a new interpretation of someone else's material [or] ideas; [5] You do something in this country that has only been done elsewhere; [6] You take an existing technique and apply it to a new area; [7] You work across disciplines, using different methodologies; [8] You look at topics that people in your discipline have not looked at; [9] You test existing knowledge in an original way; [10] You add to knowledge in a way that has not been done before; [11] You write down a new piece of information for the first time; [12] You give a good exposition of someone else's idea; [13] You continue an original piece of work.”
Yours,
Ken
References
Murray, Rowena. 2002. How to Write a Thesis. Maidenhead, Berkshire: Open University Press.
Phillips, Estelle M., and Derek S. Pugh. 2000. How to Get a PhD. A Handbook for Students and their Supervisors. Third Edition. Buckingham, UK: Open University Press.
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Ken Friedman, Ph.D., D.Sc. (hc), FDRS | Editor-in-Chief | 设计 She Ji. The Journal of Design, Economics, and Innovation | Published by Tongji University in Cooperation with Elsevier | URL: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/she-ji-the-journal-of-design-economics-and-innovation/
Chair Professor of Design Innovation Studies | College of Design and Innovation | Tongji University | Shanghai, China ||| Visiting Professor | Faculty of Engineering | Lund University ||| Email [log in to unmask] | Academia https://tongji.academia.edu/KenFriedman | D&I http://tjdi.tongji.edu.cn
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