RELATED DOCUMENTS

Research Integrity Policy; Authorship and Publication of Results Policy; Naming Convention Directive; Plagiarism Policy; Thesis Defense Application Guidelines.

SECTION 1 POLICY STATEMENT

1.1. University Mohammed VI Polytechnic (UM6P) is committed to making the theses and dissertations produced by its students accessible, with provisions for restricted access when necessary.

SECTION 2 SCOPE AND APPLICABILITY

2.2. This policy applies to all students enrolled in a graduate program (master’s degree or Doctoral degree) at UM6P who are required to submit a thesis or dissertation as part of their degree requirements.

SECTION 3 PURPOSE

3.1. This policy aims to ensure that all theses and dissertations meet the university’s standards for academic excellence.

3.2. This policy tends to promote the dissemination of scholarly research produced by UM6P students.

SECTION 4 DEFINITIONS

4.1. Article-based thesis or dissertation contains chapters that contain complete manuscripts which may be in preparation for publication, in press, or published.

4.2. Dissertation: A written document prepared as part of the requirements for a doctoral program. A dissertation demonstrates a contribution to new knowledge, theories or practices to the field or discipline.

4.3. Embargo Period: An optional designated period (6 months to 2 years) during which a thesis or dissertation is not publicly available. The student may choose to apply an embargo or not.

4.4. Research: Any systematic investigation, including research development, testing, reporting, publishing, study, evaluation, demonstration, or survey designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge or specific knowledge by establishing, discovering, developing, elucidating, or confirming information about, or the underlying mechanism relating to the matters to be studied. The term encompasses basic research, applied research, and research training activities.

4.5. Thesis: A written document prepared as part of the requirements for a master’s degree program. It is a compilation of personal research that proves a student is knowledgeable about the information learned throughout the master’s degree program.

SECTION 5 PROVISIONS AND GUIDELINES

General Provisions

5.1. The thesis or dissertation must be an original contribution to scholarship or scientific knowledge and must meet the highest standards of the discipline.

5.2. After the successful defense and approval of their thesis or dissertation, students must submit the final version of their document to the Learning Center.

5.3. For doctoral theses, the defense must follow the authorization process, including referee reports, jury appointment, and CEDoc approval (see Thesis Defense Application Guidelines)

Formatting Guidelines

5.4. Thesis and dissertation research should align with each department formatting guidelines.

5.5. Before submission, the author should ensure that page numbering, font type and size, margins, and spacing are consistent with the department’s requirements.

5.6. The thesis or dissertation must be written in English or French, as approved by the department and the supervisor. If the work is in French, it must include an abstract in English.

5.7. The doctoral thesis must be written in English, include a one-page abstract in English, Arabic, and French, and meet formatting guidelines established jointly by the department and the CEDoc.

5.8. The document must include a title page with the title, author’s name, degree sought, department, university name, and submission date.

5.9. The document must include an abstract that provides a concise summary of the research.

5.10. The document should follow a consistent naming convention (see Naming Convention Directive).

5.11. The document must include citations and references adhering to the citation style approved by the department (e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago).

5.12. The document should include appendices labeled and titled properly, placed in the order they are referenced in the text.

Academic Integrity and Plagiarism

5.13. The published version must adhere to the university’s Plagiarism Policy.

5.14. A report of conformity of the thesis manuscript from an anti-plagiarism platform approved by the Ministry of Higher Education must accompany all doctoral thesis.

5.15. Any instances of academic or research misconduct discovered post-publication will be addressed according to university procedures.

Digital Repository Submission

5.16. The final approved thesis or dissertation must be submitted electronically to the university’s digital repository through the Learning Center.

5.17. The submission must include an abstract, keywords, and any supplementary materials (e.g., data sets, appendices).

5.18. For doctoral theses, final submission is required after the jury’s deliberations and must include referee reports, conformity reports, and defense outcomes.

Article based thesis

An article-based thesis or dissertation must meet the same academic standards as the traditional format and must also comply with the following requirements:

5.19. The candidate must be the primary author of all included articles, evidence of primary authorship must be provided, which may include co-author contribution statements, a supervisor’s certification, or documentation from the publication process.

5.20. At least two included articles must be published in an indexed, peer-reviewed journal prior to the submission of the thesis or dissertation.

5.21. he article-based thesis or dissertation must include:

• The complete text of all articles, along with links to published versions, where applicable.
• Details of publication status, including journal names, issue numbers, and publication stages (e.g., published, accepted, or under review).

5.22. Articles that are under embargo or in review may be included, with only their meta data and abstracts.

Embargo Option

5.23. The option to request an embargo is available to all students but is not mandatory.

5.24. For confidential theses, a signed confidentiality agreement (Form F7) must be submitted to CEDoc along with the defense application.

5.25. Students may request an embargo period, which must comply with the terms outlined in research agreements if their thesis or dissertation is linked to a funded research project.

5.26. Students may request an embargo period of up to one year to delay the public release of their thesis or dissertation.

5.27. Embargo requests must be approved by the Head of Department and coordinated with the Learning Center ensuring alignment with contractual obligations when applicable.

5.28. Reasons for an embargo may include pending patents, sensitive data, or plans for future publication in academic journals.

5.29. Embargo requests must be approved by the Head of Department and coordinated with the Learning Center.

5.30. Once the embargo period has expired, theses and dissertations will be made publicly accessible in the university’s digital repository and the Learning Center unless otherwise restricted by contractual agreements.

Indexing and Discovery

5.31. Theses and dissertations published in the digital repository will be indexed in UM6P databases and search engines to enhance discoverability.

5.32. The Learning Center will assist in ensuring proper metadata tagging and compliance with indexing standards.

Contact Information

5.33. For questions regarding this policy, please contact the University Learning Center at LC@um6p.ma.

SECTION 6 REVIEW AND MONITORING STATEMENT

6.1. This policy document is reviewed once every four (4) years, or more frequently when requested by the President or subsequent changes in regulations or accreditation requirements.