OTHER REQUIREMENTS AND SPECIAL CASES
Use of Human or Animal Subjects in Research
Any use of human subjects, animals, biohazardous materials, or radioisotopes for research purposes must be reviewed and approved by the Office for Research Protections before the research is conducted. This approval cannot be obtained retroactively and cannot be granted by thesis advisers or doctoral committees.
This requirement is part of the University's policy on ethics in research. It provides legal assurance for the commitment that the University has made to the federal government regarding the protection of human and animal subjects. Violations of the University's policies on these matters are a serious breach of the trust placed in researchers by the scholarly community and society.
In the event that the research is performed without prior approval: (1) it will not be possible to have the work published; (2) it is possible that the thesis will not be approved by the Graduate School; and (3) under certain circumstances, conferral of the graduate degree may be compromised.
If you have questions regarding this requirement or how to obtain the necessary approvals, please contact the Office for Research Protections, 212 Kern Building, University Park, PA 16802 (phone 814-865-1775 or e-mail ORProtections@psu.edu).
Thesis in a Foreign Language
With the approval of the student's department and committee, a thesis may be written in a foreign language. English translations of the title page and abstract are required and must be placed before corresponding pages in the foreign language. These are not numbered or counted in the pagination of the thesis.
Journal or Alternative Format
In academic areas where research is published in the form of journal articles, the author may wish to have the format of the thesis approximate that of a manuscript to be submitted for journal publication. With minor exceptions, this purpose can generally be accomplished within the bounds of the requirements set forth in this guide. The main body of the thesis, for example, may be relatively brief, with such sections as the review of literature placed in an appendix. Tables and figures whose importance to the text is tangential may also be handled as appendix material, or the thesis may consist of chapters that are essentially separate journal articles.