Title: How to write and supervise the article-format master and doctorate (4): Part 2
Gabriel P Louw
iD orcid.org/0000-0002-6190-8093
Extraordinary Professor, Focus Area Social Transformation, Faculty of Humanities, Potchefstroom Campus, North-West University, South Africa (Author and Researcher: Healthcare, Higher Education, History and Politics).
Corresponding Author:
Prof. Dr GP Louw; MA (UNISA), PhD (PU for CHE), DPhil (PU for CHE), PhD (NWU)
Email: profgplouw@gmail.com
Keywords: Article-format-thesis, doctorate, journal-article, masters, proposal, supervise, write.
Ensovoort, volume 42 (2021), number 4: 2

1. Background

No-one involved in serious research doubted that the article-thesis and -dissertation have the potential to dramatically increase the overall research output of theses and dissertations, as well as to benefit the universities’ research profiles in terms of local and world accreditation, and to generate  enormous extra revenue via the publishing of accredited articles for the article-theses and -dissertations if this process is properly utilised inside the greater research system of the Circle of Research Completeness.
In perspective, when comparing the article-thesis and -dissertation with the traditional thesis and dissertation – notwithstanding the many pros and cons associated with both and the inclination to see the two types in absolute opposition to each other — many similar elements stand out. Both research formats today reflect a model of well-planned, specialist-focused and concrete research approaches, stripped of data overload, traditionalism and unnecessary theoretical argumentation and superficial reasoning. Both are intensively applied and practical, research-orientated, addressing contemporary and future social, economic, political, cultural and professional problems and the solving of those with a positive financial impact on the student, university and society. Indeed, the various approaches that are followed by universities on the compiling of the article-format thesis my often be seen as a combination/mixture of the traditional thesis and the article thesis, and although many universities referred to this outcome in general terms just as an article-format thesis — essentially because every university follows its own policy in the offering and executing of finer detail — the end product is indeed the traditional thesis.^8-11
It is thus no surprise that the article-format thesis is not seen by some serious researchers as a dramatic break-away from the traditional academic research culture as is so much argued and propagated in the literature. In short: both types are for these so-called moderate researchers equal in quality, as well as equal in constitution.
This outcome has brought to the foreground the allegation by the proponents of the article-format thesis as to the presence of a so-called “old-age” academic sector that is essentially still beset by Middle-Age remnants that are steering and running the traditional thesis and dissertation. It is alleged that these traditionalist or reactionary academics are clouded by a noble conception which seeks only knowledge in terms of “age-old” philosophical and theoretical reasoning, wherein the traditional PhD occupies a central place as the only correct one. In this way, so the antagonists argue, the age-old sector is largely ignoring the modern-day unprofitable and antiquated impact of the traditional thesis on the student, university and taxpayer. But realities and facts contradict these arguments and cognitions of the proponents of the article-thesis. It holds no water whatsoever to say and write in public that “the days are gone that universities can offer senior research programmes like the traditional or standard thesis which are not generating income for society nor universities themselves”. This is false and misleading, and is contradicted outright by the mass incomes that the traditional or standard dissertations and theses still generate today. Indeed, looking  at the income generated recently by universities through the article-thesis and -dissertation, it is clear that in itself it is ostensibly not a money-generating product above all else, notwithstanding that its model makes it well suited for this task.^1-12
There is positive evidence that the article-thesis is in the process of gaining ground in many North-American, European and African universities. But it is far-fetched and an improper stratagem by the proponents of the article-thesis model to propagate that the traditional thesis should be phased out in South Africa or that students must not be encouraged to present their theses in this format. This kind of attack not only damages the integrity of the traditional thesis, but also that of the article-thesis and our research integrity in general: strength does not lie in division, but in unity, not in obstruction, but in cooperation. It is in this “healthy research context” that the article-thesis must be nurtured and promoted contribute and play its part in the greater research community and not as an antagonist of the established research environment.^9-11
The proper launching of the article-format thesis as a research vehicle will surely only happen when the present-day South African academics and researchers in general change their mindsets and become truly part of a modern advanced-research culture wherein the traditional thesis and article-thesis stand as equals, mutually supportive and cooperative, depending of course on how they are correctly and effectively used in the research cycle. The difficulty for many of the experienced and seasoned (traditional) academics and researchers is not so much the practical change in their research style from the standard thesis to that of the article-thesis, but the difficulty for them to make a cognitive change in their mindset that is freed from remnants of the past which makes them consider (and label) the article-thesis at times with good reason, but also at other times falsely, as inferior and substandard (especially around the issue of the length of the article-thesis, as reflected by page and word counts, etc.).
On the other hand stands we sometimes find resistance to modern research challenges and responsibilities by some hard-line proponents and supporters of the traditional thesis. Prominent features here are their misuse of the so-called benefits of the traditional thesis and its age-old academic and research culture as both an attack and a defensive weapon against the academic and research integrity of the article-thesis. It must be noted that within this hostile attitude research bias may be a pertinent underlying reason, but also negative internalised cognitions and purely personal elements, which are often totally unrelated to the research focus of the article-thesis or -dissertation.^8-15
On the positive side, the opportunities lie there in waiting for a new generation of young academics and researchers, hungry for research challenges and unaffected and uninfluenced by either the research culture of the traditional or the article-thesis, to take on research in its broadest sense. However, in confronting these challenges this new generation needs the assistance and support of their universities to develop their skills and knowhow to overcome their research inexperience and insecurity. Herein they may easily be helped by their universities by offering them yearly four to five workshops on journal-article writing, as well as on the training of the supervision and the examination of the article-format dissertation and thesis. Courses in financial management and money-generation offered by the universities to academic and research staff to develop them to optimise income for universities through the various agents of research – such as the output of a mass of accredited journal articles and article-theses — will surely supplement the syllabus of these workshops positively.

1.1. Introduction (Continues from Article 3)

This article, titled: “How to write and supervise the Article-Masters and –Doctorate: Part 2”, is a continuation of the previous article (Number 3), titled: “How to write and supervise the Article-Masters and –Doctorate: Part 1”. It must be read as a unity.

1.2. Aims of the article (Continues from Article 3)

The purpose of this article, titled: “How to write and supervise the Article-Masters and –Doctorate: Part 2”, as part two of two intertwined articles, is to provide a framework or guideline to assist aspirant students (as well as supervisors and aspirant examiners) in their preparation of the writing of the article-thesis and –dissertation.^{8-11,13,16-50}
In the previous intertwined article, entitled: “How to write and supervise the Article-Masters and -Doctorate: Part 1”, a framework or guideline was provided to assist aspirant students (as well as supervisors and aspirant examiners) in their planning, compiling and writing of the research proposal and journal article as prerequisites to write the article-thesis and -dissertation.^{8-11,13,16-50}
1.2.1. Scope of article (Continues from Article 3) 
The information applies to students and supervisors of the article-master’s and article-doctorate, presented as a collection of essays or articles.

2. Method (Continues from Article 3)

The research has been done by means of a literature review. This method aims to construct a viewpoint from the available evidence as the research develops. This approach is being used in modern research where there is often not an established body of research, as is the case of the writing and publishing of the article-format dissertation and thesis. By this method the focus is to be informative regarding the various local and global approaches to the delivery of article-format theses or dissertations. The sources include the guidelines of universities and other institutions on the writing of the article-thesis for the period 2017 to 2021.
The research findings are presented in narrative format.

3. Results and discussion (Continues from Article 3)

3.1. Background to Article 3
When addressing the writing of the article-masters and -doctorate, the presence of two related, pre-established research entities become prominent, namely a) the writing of the research proposal of the article-thesis and -dissertation; and b) the writing of the journal article. A critical analysis of the literature shows it is mostly ignored in the guidelines on the writing of the article-thesis and -dissertation of most universities. The hard reality is that the article-thesis and -dissertation can in no way be realised without the prerequisite research proposal to plan and to guide the aspirant student on the best path to follow to start the article-thesis or -dissertation. It was essential that these two research outcomes were firstly addressed in the previous article (Three) before the start-up of the writing of the article-thesis and -dissertation could commence. ^{8-11,13,16-50}
3.2. Position of the article-thesis and-dissertation in the present-day research environment
The position of the article-thesis and -dissertation in today’s academy and research is more complex than its proponents themselves seem to observe and understand. The proponents of the article-thesis need to do introspection to eliminate the model’s many times self-inflicted academic and research wounds, its research immaturity, and to find ways to recruit the hard-core of research traditionalists into its inner circle by a less radical insistence on the methodology of the article-thesis ideology. The polarisation between the article-thesis and traditional thesis by radicals in the research community is unwise and indeed an unhappy outcome. We need to move away from radical academic politics inside the research community. Most of these kinds of disturbances contributed to the lack of excellent guidelines to aid in the writing of the article-thesis and -dissertations at most universities.
3.3. Introduction
3.3.1. The Open-guide Approach (Continues from Article 3)
The Open-guide Approach, as described in Article One, offers the aspirant student who is planning to enrol for the article-thesis and dissertation, a broad understanding of the many rules that guide such enrolment. These rules, as were seen in the guidelines of fourteen universities and other institutions, often reflect an immense diversity, as well as conflicting requirements and limitations on how to write the article-thesis or-dissertation, adding to the  confusion of the aspirant student on how to address his/her approach in relation to the article-thesis or -dissertation. The first question that arises is: how is it possible to write the article-thesis or dissertation within such a hodgepodge of divergent rules? Some comparison of the manifold rules and thus the selection of appropriate rules from them, is needed to offer the aspirant student a well-considered, combined guideline (but still based on the many rules of the fourteen universities and other learning institutions) to enable him to write the article-thesis or -dissertation with confidence.^{8-11,13,16-25}
3.3.2. The Closed-guide Approach (Continues from Article 3)
In this section the main intention is thus to condense the mass of information of Article One (previously published) as reflected and described by the guidelines of various universities into one descriptive guideline.^{8-11,13,16-25} In this way, through the development of a condensed framework that is based on the prerequisites, rules, discretions and traditions obtained and described in the Open-guide Approach, the aspirant student  will be formally introduced through the Closed-guide Approach to focussed and guiding pathways that he/she may follow to compile and to write an article-format thesis successfully and to obtain the master or PhD degree at the end. Although this combined guideline excluded unnecessary and inapplicable rules, it must be noted already at this stage that the Closed-guide Approach^–can at most put an excellent working guide together to steer the aspirant candidate in his/her decision-making on how to write the article-thesis or -dissertation, but it is not able to compile a single framework/guideline to fit each one of the exclusive rules and requirements of all fourteen the universities and other institutions: there are just to many universities with unique rules and prescriptions on how the article-thesis and -dissertation should be written. Indeed, some of these institutions are very rigid and prescriptive (and their academics and researchers  many times besotted with their own research ideas and beliefs). On the other hand, there are many so-called “liberal” universities that allow the student much freedom in his/her way of writing the article-thesis. In this context the choice of the most suitable university should not only be the first priority of the aspirant student, but also his/her right to decide on.^{8-11,13,16-25}
3.3.3. The student as responsible researcher
Notwithstanding the pros and cons around the troublesome guidelines of some institutions,  in-depth knowledge of the many rules, regulations and stipulations guiding the writing of the article-thesis is a must for all aspirant students of the article-thesis and -dissertation. It does not matter where the student enrols, it stays his/her duty and problem, firstly to master the abilities to write the article-thesis, and secondly to write it him/herself personally. Although the final copy of the draft thesis or dissertation is often automatically rewritten and restyled through a template at universities, while professional author services and language editors do a thorough upgrade of even the substandard thesis and dissertation that is awaiting assessment, the total research process and the compiling and writing of the thesis stay the primary task of the aspirant student: for that outcome he/she needs the basic knowhow as reflected in this section: how to write an article-thesis or -dissertation.^{8-11,13,16-25}
3.3.4. The writing of the article-thesis and –dissertation (Continues from Article3) ^{8-11,13,16-25}
3.3.4.1. The structure description of article-thesis
This structure description cannot and must not be seen as an absolute guideline on the classification of the content, or as a minimum- or a maximum-rule guideline in the compiling and writing of the article-format thesis. It serves at most to inform the aspirant student, who is planning to enrol for the article-format masters and doctorate, on the many prerequisites to fulfil and how the student, in line with his/her chosen university, should address his/her research to start and complete the article-format thesis successfully).^{8-11,13,16-25}
3.3.4.2. Structure^{8-11,13,16-25}
The article-thesis’s writing and execution is determined and steered by its Structure which describes precisely how the article-format dissertation’s information must be compiled, set out and placed: a consecutive path that starts with Chapter 1 and runs until the final (closing) chapter of the article-thesis. The compiling of the Structure varies from university to university, as the descriptions for instance on the contents of the thesis and the order of the elements to format the article-format thesis have already been discussed earlier in the prerequisites, rules, discretions and traditions of the Open-guide Approach which broadly guides the writing of the article-format thesis. With reference to the prescribed Structure, it is contained within the article-thesis’s chapters (representing the various journal articles) and in the following subsections: Introduction, Review of Literature, Method, Results, Conclusions.^{8-11,13,16-25}
For the compiling of the Structure of the Article-thesis the rules of the guidelines of fourteen universities and other learning institutions on “how to write the article-format thesis and -dissertation”, were integrated to reflect the formatting requirements mostly prescribed. These fourteen resources formed throughout section 3.3.4. The writing of the article-thesis and -dissertation the basis of the information.^{8-11,13,16-25}
The Structure’s contents are usually reflected in the following order: 1. Preliminary Section or Front Matter; 2. Body or Main Text Section; and 3. Concluding Section or Back Matter.^{8-11,13,16-25}
The choice to include or not to include some of the Structure’s various sections and subsections in the text by aspirant students when planning their article-theses, is indicated underneath by descriptions such as required, optional, relevant/irrelevant and applicable/inapplicable next to it.^{8-11,13,16-25}
 For an example to demonstrate the compiling and the description of the article-thesis in this article, the traditional three-article-thesis–model was used underneath. The outlining and structuring of the three-article-thesis here is based on the guideline Alternative Dissertation Structure: Individual Studies of the Stellenbosch University (SU).⁵¹The guideline of SU^51:10, the SU-Alternative Dissertation Structure: Individual Studies – meant to make the process understandable for the aspirant candidate of the three-article-thesis on the compiling and writing of it — gives a step-by-step description and illustration of how articles 1, 2 and 3 should be placed, reflected and written in the three-article-thesis. This illustration was done by the repetition of the same article contents as an example for all three the articles by the SU-guideline⁵¹; this means that the presentation of the structuring of the contents of article 1, article 2 and article 3 are exactly the same to as to illustrate the compilation process. [This Structure offered by the SU^51:10 was previously fully illustrated and described in Article One of the Series under the subheading: 3.2.3.1.10.1. SU-Alternative Dissertation Structure: Individual Studies (See Reference number 43 in Article One previously published). The mentioned example of the SU guideline^51:10 to reflect (repeat) the same structure of the contents for Individual Study 1 (Article 1), Individual Study 3 (Article 2) and Individual Study 3 (Article 3) may be read in the under-mentioned similar structure of the contents^51:10:

• Major section: Specific research hypothesis, delineations, etc.
• Major section: Specific literature review
• Major section: Method
• Major section: Findings
• Major section: Analysis
• Major section: Sub-conclusion.

For this article’s description and guidance on how to write the article-thesis and -dissertation, the description of the structuring (repetition) of the contents of each one of the articles of the three-article-thesis was done in the same way as the SU guideline’s^51:10 description of the structuring of the contents of each article constituting the three-article-thesis.
3.3.4.2.1. Preliminary Section (Front Matter-section which contains the Prefatory Material) ^{8-11,13,16-25}

1. Front Cover and Title Page (Required)

The cover-page (unnumbered) sets out the name of the institution, the officially approved title of the thesis in the fewest words that adequately describe the contents of the thesis/dissertation (15 or fewer words at the top). This is followed by the candidate’s name in a new line (some universities require the mentioning of other degrees and qualifications, including the names of the awarding institutions). Hereafter follows the thesis statement like: “Thesis submitted for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in History at the Orient University”, or “Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the School of Political Sciences, University of the Orient, Eastern-Cape.  (In the case of a directed-master’s dissertation, it should be stated as: “Submitted as the dissertation component in partial fulfilment (for instance the percentage of 50 % is to be stated) for the degree of Master of Education in the Faculty of Education, University of the Orient). After this, in new lines, follow respectively the name of the supervisor(s), the month and year in which the student will graduate and the student’s number.

2. Abstract (Required)

The Abstract should synthesize the three articles and the research work as a whole: it mainly states the purpose of the study, showing the highlights of the three chapters and the new knowledge contributed by the thesis. The Abstract is mostly seen as a brief description with the maximum of two pages (350 words) of the objectives and the results of the research and the acknowledgements that are due. The Abstract page should be double-spaced and is typically numbered in Roman numerals. It introduces the pages (page two here) as follows: ii).

3. Keywords (Required)

Three to ten keywords, preferable not more than five, should be listed below the Abstract.

4. Copyright Information (Optional)

The inclusion of any articles that were previously published or were accepted for publication, requires permission from the copyright holder to submit such material as part-fulfilment for the particular formal qualification. The sections not copyrighted by another party may be covered under the publication of the new manuscript. Where essays or articles are submitted for publication prior to examination of the dissertation or thesis, the student and supervisor should obtain consent from the particular journal for the particular article to be submitted as part-fulfilment of the dissertation or thesis. It is also suggested that the student obtain permission from the appropriate journal’s editor informing him/her that the dissertation will be made available online if it is uploaded for instance on ProQuest.

5. Dedication (Optional)

If the Dedication subsection is included it must be very brief: merely indicating to whom the work is dedicated and avoid anything too emotional.

6. Acknowledgments (Optional)

The same approach regarding the layout and format is followed as with the regular/traditional dissertation: Acknowledgements are done to all individuals, groups of people or institutions that the candidate feels indebted to for the support they rendered as well as any sponsor(s) of the research obtained in the articles, along with grants number(s) and eventual disclaimer.

7. Preface (Optional)

The preface merely states the motivating factors why the study was conducted without getting into details of what was investigated.

8. Declaration (Required)

It must be declared that the research is new and that it was not presented for another degree by the candidate or other persons. It must offer a clear, precise description of the candidate’s as well as other persons’ contributions to the research outcome.

9. Table of Contents (Required)

Each one of the articles that forms part of the thesis, should be identified in this Table as a separate section by giving the complete title as it appears on each manuscript. The contents of the thesis must be divided and reflected in chapters and paragraphs (and if necessary, into subparagraphs) with corresponding page numbers, all of which must be enumerated in the following sequential: 1.1, 1.1.1, 1.1.2,1.2, 1.2.1, 1.2.3, 2.2.1, etc. Although the guidelines of some universities advise that the subheadings which occur within the individual article’s manuscript are not to be listed, and that only the subheadings from the introductory and summary sections are  listed in the Contents, other universities require that the Table of Contents must capture all major sections of the thesis at the various levels (primary, secondary, tertiary subheadings) and that it should be electronically generated and should be able to take the reader to specific headings in the thesis.

10. List of Tables (if applicable/relevant)

The student must list all tables that appear within the entire document. The numbering of tables will be dependent upon the chosen style (for example APA, MLA, etc.) and the formatting guide for the document as a whole. (This list is optional and only considered if there is one or more Tables in the thesis or dissertation).

11. List of Figures (if applicable/relevant)

All figures that appear within the entire document must be listed. The numbering of figures will be dependent upon the chosen style (for example APA, MLA, etc.) and the formatting guide for the document as a whole. (This list is optional and only considered if there is one or more Figures in the thesis or dissertation).

12. List of Abbreviations, Symbols, and Nomenclature (if applicable/relevant)

All the abbreviations, symbols and nomenclature must be listed as one complete list in the preliminary section of the dissertation and should not be included with the individual articles of the three-article-thesis. (Listing is optional and only considered if there is one or more  Abbreviations in the thesis or dissertation).
3.3.4.2.2. Body or Main Text Section^{8-11,13,16-25}

1. Chapter 1 or Introduction^{8-11,13,16-25}

The introductory chapter for the traditional thesis and the article-thesis is similar. This Section should include the literature review and have the following^11:5:

1. a) Background and the context of the study;
2. b) Description of the core research problem and its significance;
3. c) A comprehensive, critical, coherent overview of the relevant literature leading to clearly defined knowledge gaps;
4. d) A coherent problem statement highlighting the nature and magnitude of the problem, the discrepancy, knowledge gaps therein and possible factors influencing the problem;
5. e) Clear and SMART research questions, objectives and hypothesis and/or theoretical framework;
6. f) A conceptual framework (optional);
7. g) Description of the study area and general methodology (in a standard thesis this should be a stand-alone section);
8. h) Layout of the thesis (thesis structure) indicating what chapters are presented in the thesis and how they address the objectives.

1.1. Statement of the study’s purpose or singular research hypothesis to be tested
This part is also referred to as the general discussion or the Synthesis Chapter and demonstrates the logical thread that runs across the various manuscripts/publications (synthesis). There should be no doubt that the manuscripts/publications forming the article-thesis complement each other and address the original objectives stated in the general introduction of the thesis. The general discussion/synthesis chapter should end with a conclusion and recommendations where necessary.
The Introduction or Introductory Chapter should include a clear statement of the study’s purpose or singular research hypothesis to be tested. It must contain a description of the problem and an explanation of how the articles/papers included in the document address this problem.  It provides necessary background information and a broad statement summarizing the findings of the study. This section will also include a statement of the relationship between and among the various articles and other parts of the research: This Introductory Chapter should be a clear description and enlightening as to the articles and should form a cohesive body of work that supports a theme or themes. It should explain clearly why the previously published or publishable papers were chosen. It may reflect a deeper and more intensive review of prior work related to the problem and should be more comprehensive than publishers allow in journal articles: many of the points of discussion that are contained in the literature reviews of the individual articles, often need to be included in this chapter.

• [Note: When there reflects a lack of a sufficient or comprehensive literature review on the total submission — meaning thus the various articles’ literature on the whole does not meet the requirements of a dissertation or thesis and fail to describe and illumine in-depth the topic under study, it is advised that in such a case it may be necessary to draft a separate chapter that constitutes a literature review, or in the case of a collection of articles, a body of literature that is common to all the articles, that could be reviewed and located in the overall introduction].

The word count of the Literature Review, subsumed in the Introduction, must be within the stipulated word count for a thesis or dissertation. A stand-alone Methodology section is not
needed, seeing that the methods are adequately described later on in each manuscript/publication.
1.2. Footnotes, references and bibliography
The Introductory Chapter’s own footnotes, references and bibliography can be presented as a final subsection or as separate subsections at the end of the Chapter. Preferably they should not begin on a new page if they can be continued naturally on the last page immediately after the closing of the Discussions and Conclusions of Chapter 1.
Alternatively, the footnotes, references and bibliography can be collected and reflected after Chapter 5 (traditionally the Final Chapter of the three-article thesis), as a subsection, or as subsections titled: General Discussion, Conclusions and Recommendations and Future Advisory as the separate footnotes, references and bibliography of the Concluding Material or Back Matter.
1.3. Intention of the Introductory Chapter
The intention of the Introductory Chapter is to provide coherence by explaining the line of argument to be elaborated in the following chapters representing the various articles. This chapter of a thesis by published works should be written independently by the student.
1.4. The numbering of the Introductory/Chapter 1
Place in Arabic Numerals Chapter 1 immediately above the title description, identified as Introductory, at the top centre of the page. This title page must be placed on a new page. Begin the page numbering with an Arabic numeral: 1 and number each page consecutively (for instance 2, 3, 4, etc.) until the end of the thesis or dissertation.
1.5. Number of articles prescribed for article-thesis
Most guidelines of universities require a minimum of three separate or independent-standing chapters (representing each an article) in the three-article-format thesis. Of these three articles, at least one must be an already published work. There is no ruling limiting the former publication of all three articles at the time of examination and in many cases all the articles have already been published in accredited journals at the time of examination.
Regarding the minimum/maximum number of articles that may make up an article-format thesis, there is not a so-called “minimum/maximum clause”, seeing that every article-format thesis is unique and thus requires its own approach in formatting and style in the offering of data on the research topic. (Note: Article-format theses consisting of up to nineteen already-accredited published articles, have been offered in the past).

2. Chapter 2 (Article 1) ^{8-11,13,16-25}

To compile Chapter 2, the following four steps (see subheadings: 2.1. to 2.4) are suggested by the literature:
2.1. Placing of the title Chapter 2
Place the naming Chapter 2 (reflecting Article 1) just above the title chosen for Article 1 at the top centre of this page. This placement must be on a new page. With the start of Chapter 2 the page numbering, coming from Chapter 1, continues again in Arabic numerals (as introduced by the page numbering coming from the beginning of Chapter 1: Introduction, as is reflected in subheading 1. above). The number of each page again ensues consecutively to the end of Chapter 2 (ending at either the Bibliography, Appendices, or the Bridging Section, depending on the structure of Chapter 2). None of the pages within Chapter 2, as an essential part of the Body of the thesis or dissertation, may be skipped.
2.2. Connecting text
On this first page (beginning) of Chapter 2 any connecting text or supplementary information that is necessary to link Chapter 2 (Article 1) to Chapter 3 (Article 2) and/or the following chapters, may be presented under headings such as “Background”, “Introductory Comments”, etc. Here, an introductory note, or footnote, indicating the publication status of the work, should be included. Note: Instead of the above “connecting or bridging page”, the “bridging section” can be offered separately as the last page of Chapter 2 (Article 1), the page just before the start of Chapter 3 (Article 2), as illustrated later in subheading 2.4.4. of this section. If the above-mentioned introductory or background text is not included at the start part of Chapter 2, the title page will be the first page of Chapter 2.
2.3. Scholarly citation
On the same page as the title page should be placed a full scholarly citation for the published work that must include the name of the author(s), a note that permission from the publisher to use the article(s) in the thesis or dissertation has been granted if the work(s) is in press or has been published, an introduction, review of literature, method, results and conclusions.
2.4.  Contents of Chapter 2
The contents of Chapter 2 (Article 1) itself are started up on a new page and follows immediately after the title page marked as Chapter 2.
2.4.1. Abstract
The contents of Chapter 2 must contain the Abstract in those cases where the initial published version contains one. This is in sequence with the main body of literature.
2.4.2. Footnotes, References, and Bibliography
Also, in sequence with the main body of literature are its Lists of Footnotes, References, and Bibliography. If footnotes, references and the bibliography are provided at the end of Chapter 2, they are presented as a subsection of the chapter, meaning that they do not begin on a new page if they can be continued naturally on the current page. The page numbering of the subsections’ footnotes, references and the bibliography of Chapter 2 must continue consecutively throughout Chapter 2 with Arabic numerals till the last page of the bibliography subsection. This can mean the closing of Chapter 2’s numbering if it does not have Appendices and/or a Bridging Section. If one or both of these two parts are included, the pages for Chapter 2 continue consecutively with Arabic numerals till the end of either the Appendices and/or the Bridging Section (See undermentioned subheadings 2.4.3. and 2.4.4. of this section).
2.4.3. Appendices (Optional)
In an article’s contents relevant material can especially be embedded, making the conclusions from it very coherent to the total study and forcing-in the use of an Appendix or Appendices. Some items that might be included here may be additional details on the background, methods, procedures, raw data, tables to detail for text presentation, computer programmes, technical notes on methods, schedules and forms used in the collecting of materials, copies of documents not generally available to the reader, case studies too long to put directly into the text, etc. Although this type of data reflection is not required for article chapters, it can be very effectively used, not only to present coherence between the various articles as well as the total thesis, but also to focus the attention prominently on research outcomes, conclusions and put the need for further research in perspective. This representation may be done at the end of Chapter 2 (Article 1) as an appendix or a set of appendices, and inserted as a subsection or as subsections of the chapter. A single subsection can be labelled in the case of Chapter 2 (Article 1) as “Chapter 2 Appendix” when only one appendix is reflected. If several appendices, like three, are included into Chapter 2, the labelling must be respectively shown as: “Chapter 2 Appendix 1”, “Chapter 2 Appendix 2” and “Chapter 2 Appendix 3”. This matter, other than the appendices that are placed in the Back Matter, does not require a new section that starts on a new page, but it should start where any other subsection in Chapter 2 would begin.  It is the choice of the author(s) of Article 1 to include appendices at the end of each of the article chapters of the article format thesis or to include it in the Back Matter. (It must be noted that the article’s subsection of appendix or appendices are not meant for reflecting large sizes of documents or supplement files. (This type of material must be placed in the Appendices of the Back Matter.)
The page numbering of the subsection Appendices of Chapter 2 (if included) must continue consecutively throughout Chapter 2 with Arabic numerals onwards to form the last page of Chapter 2 (if there is not a Bridging Section following). Note again that no pages within the Body of the thesis or dissertation must be skipped.
2.4.4. Bridging Section
A “Bridging Section” of more or less one-page length, can, if it is necessary to make the information of Chapter 2 (Article 1) more coherent to the incoming information of Chapter 3 (Article 2), as well as to make information of the total document or thesis coherent as a whole, be placed as the last page or separator page of Chapter 2, and continue consecutively from the last page of the Appendices where applicable: See 2.4.3. This text linking Chapter 2 with Chapter 3 and providing details of the Chapter 3’s manuscript/publication indicates publication status. This Bridging Section is not applicable if a connecting text was already included in subheading 2.2. in the chapter. It seems the placing of a single connecting page between the previous and the next Chapter is the most popular choice.
2.4.5. Text preparation
The requirements for the preparation of the text differs between universities. In some cases it is required that the inclusion of an article in the dissertation means that the text of it is retyped into the format as prescribed by the university. Requirements, for instance, can be double line spacing, 12-point Times or Times New Roman font, 4 cm left-hand margin, and all other margins as 2,5 cm. In other cases it is advised by universities that an article’s presentation must be offered in the manner in which the manuscript was offered for publication or was published. This means that chapters containing articles intended for or published already by different publishers may be presented in the format that meets the specific requirements of each individual publisher even if the publishers require different formats. As an alternative the author is allowed to choose his own style on the basis that the articles are reformatted into a single, common style.
In both forms of presentations as to the styles of articles, the pages must be renumbered so that all the pages in the thesis/dissertation are numbered consecutively. The pages in each article must follow the overall page numbering scheme of the dissertation, as was started by Chapter 1’s title as reflected on page 1.

3. Chapter 3 (Article 2)^{8-11,13,16-25}

To compile Chapter 3, the following four steps (subheadings 3.1. to 3.4.) the following guidance is provided by the literature:
3.1.  Placement of the title Chapter 3
Place the description Chapter 3 (reflecting Article 2) just above the title chosen for Article 2 at the top centre of this page. This placement must be on a new page. At the start of Chapter 3, the page numbering, coming from Chapter 2, continues again in Arabic numerals, as introduced by the page numbering coming from the beginning of Chapter 1: Introduction, as is reflected in subheading 1.). The number of each page again follows consecutively to the end of Chapter 3 (ending at either the Bibliography, Appendices or the Bridging Section depending on the structure of Chapter 3). No pages within Chapter 3 as an essential part of the Body of the thesis or dissertation, may be skipped.
3.2.  Connecting text
On this first page of Chapter 3 any connecting text or supplementary information that is necessary to link Chapter 3 (Article 2) to Chapter 4 (Article 3) and/or the following chapters, may be presented at the beginning of Chapter 3 under headings such as “Background”, “Introductory Comments”, etc. Here an introductory note, or footnote, indicating the publication status of the work, should be included. Instead of above “connecting or bridging page”, the “bridging section” can be offered separately as the last page of Chapter 3 (Article 2), the page just before the start of Chapter 4 (Article 3), as illustrated later in subheading 3.4.4.  Note: If the above-mentioned introductory or background text is not included at this starting section of Chapter 3, the title page will be the first page of Chapter 3.
3.3. Scholarly citation
On the same page as the title page should be placed a full scholarly citation for the published work that must include the name of the author(s), a note that permission from the publisher to use the article in the thesis or dissertation has been granted if the work is in press or has been published, an introduction, review of literature, method, results and conclusions.
3.4.  Contents of Chapter 3
The contents of Chapter 3 (Article 2) itself are started on a new page and follows immediately after the title page marked as Chapter 3.
3.4.1. Abstract
The contents of Chapter 3 must contain the Abstract in those cases where the initial published version contains one. This is in sequence with the main body of literature.
3.4.2. Footnotes, references, and bibliography
Also, in sequence with the main body of the literature, are its Lists of Footnotes, References, and Bibliography. If footnotes, references and the bibliography are provided at the end of Chapter 3, they are presented as a subsection of the chapter, meaning that they do not begin on a new page if they can be continued naturally on the current page. The page numbering of the subsections’ footnotes, references and the bibliography of Chapter 3 must continue consecutively throughout Chapter 3 with Arabic numerals until the last page of the Bibliography subsection. This can mean the closing of Chapter 3 numbering if it does not have Appendices and/or a Bridging Section. If one or both of these two parts are included, the pages for Chapter 3 continue consecutively with Arabic numerals until the end of either the Appendices and/or the Bridging Section. (See undermentioned subheadings 3.4.3. and 3.4.4. of this section.)
3.4.3. Appendices (Optional)
In an article’s contents relevant material can especially be embedded, making the conclusions from it very coherent with the total study and necessitating the use of an appendix or appendices. Some items that might be included here may be additional details on the background, methods, procedures, raw data, tables or detail for text presentation, computer programmes, technical notes on methods, schedules and forms used in the collecting of materials, copies of documents not generally available to the reader, case studies too long to put directly into the text, etc. Although this type of data reflection is not required for article chapters, it can be used very effectively, not only to present coherence between the various articles as well as the total thesis, but also to focus the attention on prominent research outcomes, conclusions and the need for further research. This representation may be inserted at the end of Chapter 3 (Article 2) as an appendix or a set of appendices, and added as a subsection or as subsections of the chapter. A single subsection may be labelled in the case of Chapter 3 (Article 2) as “Chapter 3 Appendix” when only one appendix is reflected. If several appendices, like three, are included in Chapter 3, the labelling must be respectively reflected as: “Chapter 3 Appendix 1”, “Chapter 3 Appendix 2” and “Chapter 3 Appendix 3”. This matter, other than the appendices that are placed in the Back Matter, does not require a new section that starts on a new page, but it should start where any other subsection in Chapter 3 would begin.  It is the choice of the author(s) of Article 2 to include appendices at the end of each of the article chapters of the article-format thesis or to include it in the Back Matter. (It must be noted that the article’s subsection of appendix or appendices are not meant for the inclusion of large sizes of documents or supplement files. This type of material must be placed in the Appendices of the Back Matter.)
The page numbering of the subsection Appendices of Chapter 3 (if included) must continue consecutively throughout Chapter 3 with Arabic numerals onwards to form the last page of Chapter 3 (if there is not a Bridging Section following). Note again that no pages within the Body of the thesis or dissertation must be skipped.
3.4.4. Bridging Section
A “Bridging Section” of more or less one page length can, if it is necessary to make the information of Chapter 3 (Article 2) more coherent with the incoming information of Chapter 4 (Article 3), as well as to make information of the total document or thesis coherent as a whole,  be placed as the last page of Chapter 3, and may continue consecutively from the last page of the Appendices where applicable: See subheading 3.4.3. This text links Chapter 3 with Chapter 4 and provides details of Chapter 4’s manuscript/publication indicating publication status. This Bridging Section is not applicable if a connecting text was already included in subheading 3.2. It seems that placing a single connecting page between the previous and the next Chapter is the most popular choice.
3.4.5. Text preparation
The requirements for the preparation of the text differs between universities. In some cases it is required that for the inclusion of an article in the dissertation the text of it is retyped into the format as prescribed by the university. Requirements, for instance, can be double line spacing, 12-point Times or Times New Roman font, 4 cm left-hand margin, and all other margins as 2,5 cm. In other of the cases it is prescribed by universities that an article’s presentation must be offered in the manner in which the manuscript was offered for publication or was published.
In both forms of presentations as to article style, the page numbering for the article must follow the overall page numbering scheme of the dissertation, as started by Chapter 1’s title on page 1.

4. Chapter 4 (Article 3)^{8-11,13,16-25}

To compile Chapter 4, the following four steps (subheadings 4.1. to 4.4.) are recommended by the literature:
4.1. Placement of the title of Chapter 4
Place the inscription Chapter 4 (reflecting Article 3) just above the title chosen for Article 3 at the top centre of this page. This placement must be on a new page. At the start of Chapter 4 the page numbering, coming from Chapter 3, continues again in Arabic numerals, as introduced by the page numbering coming from the beginning of Chapter 1: Introduction, as is reflected in subheading 1. The number of each page again follows consecutively to the end of Chapter 4 (ending at either the Bibliography, Appendices or the Bridging Section depending on the structure of Chapter 4). No pages within Chapter 4, as an essential part of the Body of the thesis or dissertation, may be skipped.
4.2. Connecting text
On this first page of Chapter 4 any connecting text or supplementary information that is necessary to link Chapter 4 (Article 3) to the Chapter 5 (Conclusions), may be presented at the beginning of Chapter 4 under headings such as “Background”, “Introductory Comments”, etc. Here, an introductory note, or footnote, indicating the publication status of the work, should be included. Instead of the above “connecting or bridging page”, the “bridging section” can be offered separately as the last page of Chapter 4 (Article 3), the page just before the start of Chapter 5 (Conclusion), as illustrated later in subheading 4.4.4. Note: If the above-mentioned introductory or background text is not included at this initial stage of Chapter 4, the title page will be the first page of Chapter 4.
4.3. Scholarly citation
On the same page as the title page should be placed a full scholarly citation for the published work that must include the name of the author(s), a note that permission from the publisher to use the article in the thesis or dissertation has been granted if the work is in press or has been published, an introduction, review of literature, method, results and conclusions.
4.4. Contents of Chapter 4
The contents of Chapter 4 (Article 3) itself are started on a new page and follows immediately after the title page marked as Chapter 4.
4.4.1. Abstract
The contents of Chapter 4 must contain the Abstract in those cases where the initial published version contains one. This is in sequence with the main body of literature.
4.4.2. References and bibliography
Also, in sequence with the main body of literature are its Lists of Footnotes, References, and Bibliography. If footnotes, references and the bibliography are provided at the end of Chapter 4, they are presented as a subsection of the chapter, meaning that they do not begin on a new page if they can be continued naturally on the current page. The page numbering of the subsections’ footnotes, references and the bibliography of Chapter 4 must continue consecutively throughout Chapter 4 with Arabic numerals until the last page of the Bibliography subsection. This may mean the closing of Chapter 4 numbering if it does not have Appendices and/or a Bridging Section. If one or both of these two parts are included, the pages for Chapter 4 continue consecutively with Arabic numerals until the end of either the Appendices and/or the Bridging Section (see undermentioned subheadings 4.4.3. and 4.4.4. of this section).
4.4.3. Appendices (Optional)
Within the contents of an article, relevant material may especially be embedded, making the conclusions from it very coherent with the total study and necessitating the use of an appendix or appendices. Some items that might be included here may be additional details on the background, methods, procedures, raw data, tables with detail for text presentation, computer programmes, technical notes on methods, schedules and forms used in the collecting of materials, copies of documents not generally available to the reader, case studies too long to put directly into the text, etc. Although this type of data reflection is not required for article chapters, it can be used very effectively, not only to present coherence between the various articles as well as the total thesis, but also to focus the attention on prominent research outcomes, conclusions and the need for further research. This representation may be done at the end of Chapter 4 (Article 3) as an appendix or a set of appendices, and inserted as a subsection or as subsections of the chapter. A single subsection may be labelled in the case of Chapter 4 (Article 3) as “Chapter 4 Appendix” when only one appendix is reflected. If several appendices, like three, are included in Chapter 4, the labelling must be respectively reflected: “Chapter 4 Appendix 1”, “Chapter 4 Appendix 2” and “Chapter 4 Appendix 3”. This matter, other than the Appendices that are placed in the Back Matter, does not require a new section that starts on a new page, but it should start where any other subsection in Chapter 4 would begin.  It is the choice of the author(s) of Article 3 to include appendices at the end of each of the article chapters of the article-format thesis or to include it in the Back Matter. (It must be noted that the article’s subsection of appendix or appendices are not meant for the reflecting of large sizes of documents or supplement files. This type of material must be placed in the Appendices of the Back Matter.)
The page numbering of the subsection Appendices of Chapter 4 (if included) must continue consecutively throughout Chapter 4 with Arabic numerals onwards to form the last page of Chapter 4 (if there is not a Bridging Section following). Note again that no pages within the Body of the thesis or dissertation must be skipped.
4.4.4. Bridging Section
A “Bridging Section” of more or less one-page length may, if it is necessary to make the information of Chapter 4 (Article 3) more coherent with the total document or thesis coherent as a whole, be placed as the last page of Chapter 4, to continue consecutively from the last page of the Appendices where applicable: see subheading 4.4.3. This text would be linking Chapter 4 with Chapter 5 and providing details of Chapter 5’s manuscript/publication indicating publication status. This Bridging Section is not applicable if a connecting text was already included in subheading 4.2. in the chapter.
It seems the placing of a single connecting page between the previous and the next Chapter is the most popular choice.
4.4.5. Text preparation
The requirements for the preparing of the text differs between universities. In some cases it is required that for the inclusion of an article in the dissertation the text of it is retyped in the format as prescribed by the university. Requirements, for instance, may be double line spacing, 12-point Times or Times New Roman font, 4 cm left-hand margin, and all other margins as 2,5 cm. In other cases, it is prescribed by universities that an article’s presentation must be offered in the manner in which the manuscript was offered for publication or was published.
In both forms of presentation as to article style, the page numbering for the article must follow the overall page numbering scheme of the dissertation, as started by Chapter 1’s title on page 1.

5. Chapter 5^{8-11,13,16-25}

This chapter, the final one (Chapter 5) of the three-article-thesis, must reinforce the linkages between Chapters 2, 3 and 4 (Articles 1, 2 and 3), as well as to bring into perspective the connection of the three articles with the relevant discipline or field of the study. In practice it is in the first place a clarification or summary of how the articles are related to each other and contribute to the total study. The final chapter should be written independently by the student. In this chapter it should, if not already done separately in the articles that make up the Body of the research, be indicated what the specific contribution of the doctoral student to the thesis was if it were written by several authors: if the thesis mainly consists of articles, the candidate should normally be the main author or first author of at least half of the articles. If co-authored, the contributions of the candidate to the thesis or dissertation and each of the co-authors to the various papers must be described clearly. A written statement from each co-author should follow the thesis, detailing the candidate’s and the co-authors’ contributions: the candidate’s contribution should be identifiable.
5.1. Creation of title page for Chapter 5 and its naming
Create a title page named Chapter 5, which is placed on a new page. Place the title of General Discussion, Overall Conclusions, Recommendations and Future Advisory just beneath Chapter 5 at the top centre of this page. Here the page numbering continues again in Arabic numerals, as introduced by the page numbering coming from the end of Chapter 4 (Article 3). The number of each page again proceeds consecutively to the end of the Chapter 5 and no pages within Chapter 5, as an essential part of the Body of the thesis or dissertation, must be skipped.
The final Chapter (Number 5) consists mostly of 1. General Discussion, 2. Overall Conclusions, and 3. Recommendations and Future Advisory.
5.2. General Discussion
The General Discussion is indeed meant to be comprehensive, summarising and clarifying the various appended articles of the study. It should not necessarily provide new results but may provide a synthesis of new conclusions by combining results from the various articles. The summary’s information may offer an in-depth review of the various articles and may thus be supplementary. It may offer a motivation of the chosen scope, research problems, objectives and methods, as well as a strengthening of the theoretical framework, analysis and Overall Conclusions, since the extent of the separate articles in general does not allow longer kinds of discussion. The General Discussion should conform to the same style and format as that followed in the writing of the Discussion of the articles.
5.3. Overall Conclusions
The Overall Conclusions state only the conclusions for the manuscript as a whole. The Overall Conclusions should conform to the same style and format as that followed in the writing of the Conclusions of the articles.
5.4. Recommendations and future advisory
It should include applications and ideas for the discussion of future research directions that separately emerged from the three articles and from the dissertation as a whole.
3.3.3.4.1.3. Concluding Material or Back Matter^{8-11,13,16-25}

1. Bibliography (Required)

This Bibliography contains a complete list of works consulted and referred to in the general text, namely the Introduction, Overall Conclusion, and any supplementary sections, but excluding the Bibliographies of the three articles. The comprehensiveness and quality of the Bibliography of the summary chapter must place the scope and results of the study as a whole in the wider context of the current state of the national and /or international research of the undertaken study. The Bibliography should conform to the same style and format as that followed in the compiling of the Bibliographies of the articles. Note: It is permissible that, instead of presenting a separate bibliography list at the end of each chapter in the Main Text, to include just one list of all the sources cited in the thesis or dissertation in the section of the Back Matter. Authors may elect to do both if they wish.

2. References (if applicable/relevant)

Included here should be only the general references from the Introduction and Synthesis chapters (like the Overall Conclusion), and any supplementary sections: all other references should be within the manuscripts presented under its data-chapters. The References should conform to the same style and format as that followed in the writing of the References of the articles. Note: It is permissible that instead of presenting a separate reference-list at the end of each chapter in the Main Text, to include just one list of all the sources cited in the thesis or dissertation in the section of the Back Matter. Authors may do both if they wish.

3. Works Cited (If applicable/relevant)

Included here should be only the works cited from the Introduction, Overall Conclusion, and any supplementary sections. The Works Cited should conform to the same style and format as that followed in the writing of the Works Cited of the articles. Note: It is permissible, that, instead of presenting a separate works cited list at the end of each chapter in the Main Text, to include just one list of all the sources cited in the thesis or dissertation in the section of the Back Matter. Authors may to do both if they wish.

4. Appendices (if applicable/relevant)

These documents contain detailed information of the various aspects of the research and how it was executed. Included can be for instance a copy of the instructions and explanations relating to the research participants, the material and/or the methodology of the experimental questionnaire or weighting method employed, tables with raw data, transcriptions of audio material and or video recordings, diagrams, ethics certificates, etc., considered important but not essential for inclusion in the actual thesis. Included here are thus only additional appendices that relate to the thesis as a whole, excluding specifically those reflected in the three articles. Also, additional papers that emanated from the work but not directly contributing to the thesis, may be included.  The Appendices should conform to the same style and format as that followed in the compiling of the Appendices of the articles.
The fully published paper or manuscript submitted for publication should be presented as published or submitted to the journal: the actual published paper should be scanned and inserted.

5. Back Cover^{8-11,13,16-25}
6. The article-thesis’s immediate challenges, dilemmas and potential in the South African research setting^{8-11,13,16-25}

In light of the primary aim of this article, namely to promote and to position the article-thesis as a dynamic research tool to the country’s academics and researchers, certain negative elements in our research environment that may obstruct the future development and functioning of the article-thesis need to be reflected on.  This will be done beneath in subsections 4.1 to 4.4.
4.1. The intertwining of the article-thesis with the traditional thesis
One of the obstructions to the Circle of Research Completeness is the unfounded opinion regarding the absolute difference and irreconcilability between the article-format thesis and the traditional thesis, making any united utilisation to benefit research impossible. This cognition, having been voiced in the literature so many times and strengthened by the oft-repeated opinion that the traditional thesis and the article-format thesis are two completely different sub-genres of academic writing, is a research myth. Also, opinions that the traditional thesis and the journal-article-thesis are meant for different audiences and written for different purposes, is another myth.^{8-11,13,16-25}
Notwithstanding such opinions meant to isolate for opportunistic reasons the traditional thesis because of its alleged “outdated academic and research culture” and that its presence is “contaminating” the Modern-day research culture, the evidence contradicts such negative labelling. The positioning of the “benefits” of the article-thesis because it is alleged to be much shorter, presenting a tighter framework and a more compact style, is gainsaid by the fact that the average traditional thesis in the USA seems to be between 100 and 200 pages and consists of more or less 20 000 to 40 000 words, which represents a very compact model.^{8-11,13,16-25}
There is very little difference today between the way the contents of article-theses and traditional theses are focussed: both are loaded with theoretical as well as practical ideas that are backed up with evidence, reporting is well-detailed with results and discussions relevant to the research, while comprehensive bibliographies are part of the structure of both entities. Both the article-thesis and the traditional thesis demonstrate interest in future research directions and the structure of the article-thesis reflects the same as that of the traditional thesis, like introduction, literature review, description of research approach, methodology, reporting, and results interpretation and conclusions.
From a critical viewpoint both the article-thesis and traditional thesis are intensively used and read by the so-called busy academics, researchers and scholars who surely do not want to pick up fast, superficial tips from short-styled, uninformative research instruments. The article-thesis has been optimised to the same level for educational purposes today as the traditional thesis, as evidenced by journal articles incorporating essential primary elements into the article-format thesis and the extraction of the traditional thesis’ contents into various journal articles.^{8-11,13,16-25}
A critical analysis of the research methodology for the two types (although sometimes in different intensities) reflects in both cases comprehension and primary intentions to anchor research in a conceptual or meta-scientific framework which is regarded as a paradigm that contains the worldview, as well as the epistemological, ontological and methodological approaches to studies. In both is to be found the belief that a theoretical or metatheoretical framework which contains the worldview and approaches of different theories to do research is applicable to all of contemporary research activity. Both thesis types have comprehensive elements in their information gathering which specifically relate to the journal articles of the article-thesis and focused elements which resonate with the initial data collection of the traditional thesis.^{8-11,13,16-25}
A critical retrospective shows that the research roadmap of both types of theses has undoubtedly led many times to an overload of unnecessary information, especially descriptive information captured in their Introduction and in the Literature Review, as well as in the model-building around its methodology. But, hereto one may at the same time observe an underload of necessary information for both types, making them prone to poor research outcomes. The rigid philosophical research inclination that is traditionally negatively associated with the traditional thesis, is not always excluded from the research culture of the article-format thesis where research is alleged to be focused intensively and solely on specific topics, methodologies and research argumentation. The modern needs of research have led thereto that the traditional thesis has also adopted condensed applied and practical research, totally free from inapplicable, inappropriate and unnecessary material. In this context it must be emphasised that applied and practical research is not the exclusive domain of the article-thesis, as some of its proponents try to propagate. There is an allegation of the incorporation of an overload of theoretical and philosophical material within most of the traditional theses that may be seen as simply the repetition of already published information that is constantly used over and over again to back up and perpetuate certain outdated research approaches and models. But this may be equally encountered in the article-thesis’s construction and outputs, sometimes. ^{8-11,13,16-25}
The inclination to profile the two types of thesis as two opposing, massive research drivers: descriptive conceptual theorising and theory building versus explanatory operationalised-theory testing, is today more of academic importance. It is part of a misused theoretical, inappropriate and inapplicable approach to offer outdated arguments and outlines on how the traditional thesis versus the article thesis should be structured, compiled and written. The models of the traditional thesis and the article-thesis are not two opposite research entities: an accommodating mixture of the two is in some way already in place. The antagonists against this mixture are blinded by what they see as the so-called “difference in structuring of the two’s implementation”, while they missed out on many similarities in the research approaches, as for instance: the research inclinations and intentions, the writing up and reporting of data and the making of conclusions,  the same methodology as to the design of an article, the collection and selection of data for an article, the writing of the article thesis, the writing of  the traditional thesis and the book, while in the two instances both quantity research and quality research are allowed to be practised. It is overlooked that both the article thesis and traditional thesis are in a survival mode and have adapted many of the elements of each other to be acceptable to the broad contingent of serious researchers ^{8-11,13,16-25}
How much the article-thesis and the traditional thesis are intertwined in construction and in daily use in our research practice is well-illustrated by the SU’s⁵¹ four permitted dissertation types wherein the combined-article-chapter-thesis is a prominent entity. The description of this permitted SU-type⁵¹ of thesis (See under Format 2), specifically based on the combination of articles and chapters, reads as follows^51:6:
FORMAT 2: ARTICLES, OR COMBINATION OF ARTICLES & CHAPTERS^51:6

• Introduction
• A number of published and/or unpublished articles

or

• A combination of chapters and published and/or unpublished articles
• Conclusion – a summary of the research results indicating the scientific contribution to the study.

Although the traditional thesis stands undoubtedly stronger than the article-thesis in the present-day research culture and  environment, it is not and will never be the supreme entity inside the Circle of Research Completeness. The other parts of the Circle, such as the accredited article, the book and the article-thesis, have the power in the future to overtake the traditional thesis’s favoured position. On the other hand the Circle’s embedded empowerment has the strength to stall the assumption of superiority by any of the other entities in the Circle.
4.2. Shortcomings and problems of the article-thesis model^{8-11,13,16-25}
Prominent in the rejection by some antagonists of the article-thesis and -dissertation because of  its so-called status as an “illegitimate” research tool, one encounters the controversial “illegal” status of the article-thesis by manuscripts that is argued to have the potential to support the substandard  student. Firstly, this negative assumption derives from the attractive option offered by it to the student to graduate notwithstanding that there is no guarantee that the submitted papers for the thesis may eventually be rejected and the credits emanating from publications may stay permanently absent. Secondly, the less honourable inclination to opportunistically advantage the university’s interests in terms of credit and subsidy earnings of the awarded but essentially “failed PhD”, is looked upon negatively. Thirdly, the accompanying negative intention of the article thesis by manuscripts, namely not to put the under-performing PhD student’s graduation at risk by delayed graduation when some or all of his/her manuscripts are not published/accepted, has undoubtedly cast the academic and research integrity of the article-thesis model in a dubious light. Many of the traditionalists see in this research entity, as an exclusive part of the article-thesis-model, a delinquent tool to obtain fast and with less input, abilities and responsibilities, senior qualifications and other personal awards, as well as the cloak of academic eminence. The outcome is labelling the legality of  PhD qualifications of the thesis by manuscripts (but unfortunately also the thesis by article) as far lower than that of the traditional thesis in the worst-case scenario, making the supporting of the article-thesis a kind of no-go area for many of the traditionalists in advanced research.
Prominently included in the academic and research approach of the proponents of the article-thesis — that some of the propagandists of the traditional thesis already see as nothing else than research delinquency – has been the successful partition into fragments of lesser difficulty and easier challenges to the normal and standard academic and research tasks of the traditional thesis by the supporters of the article-thesis over the last decade or two. For many of the traditionalists it is nothing else than a focused plan to make “acceptable” a place for substandard academics and researchers. For the traditionalists it is specifically the three-article-thesis which is at fault, to them just another part of the article-thesis proponents’ approach to escape the comprehensive work and of the downscaling of quality research embedded in the traditional thesis by their shortcutting of the research contents. The investigation of this research reflects the objection and rejection of the three-article-thesis by the older traditionalists of the research community, specifically its lack of contents and the absence of associated/supportive information, bringing into a focussed perspective the “short length” of it. Reading some of the article-theses published, it becomes clear that the traditionalists’ objections hold water.  Some of the article-theses have absolutely failed the test of PhD quality and status.
But here the advice of the traditionalists is quite clear on how to correct the article-thesis: add contents of quality to it by enlarging it to five or six articles and add also some of the elements of the traditional thesis into its structure to give it integrity. Tables 1 and 2 of the previously published Article One (read it under Article One’s heading: 3.2.3.1.10. Minimum and maximum number of articles prescribed for the article-thesis) show that the minimum/ maximum word count specific to the three-article-thesis are respectively 29 000 and 41 000 words, while for the four-article-thesis the minimum/maximum word counts are respectively 37 000 and 53 000 words. The minimum/maximum word counts of the three-article-thesis is seen as “substandard” by some traditionalists, while the maximum word count of the four-article-thesis (53 000 words is seen as a border-line case for some traditionalists. It seems it is only the minimum/maximum word counts of respectively 45 000 and 65 000 words of the five-article-thesis that are acceptable to some traditionalists.
4.3. The not-so-innocent propagandists and supporters of the traditional thesis
Although the supporters and propagandists are fast to point out the many shortcomings of the article-thesis, they are not innocent themselves in the direct undermining of the established research culture, as well as the research integrity of the article-thesis. Here one often finds specifically their own lack of competence, skills and the understanding of the meaning of true scholarship, their immense inability to be academically and research-organised and to take on high-level academic and research tasks which should be normally part of any academic or researcher’s daily existence. This state of affairs needs to be reflected on.
Firstly, in retrospect regarding the present-day position of the traditional thesis in the greater research culture, it seems to a great extent still driven and strengthened by a large sector of propagandists and supporters who are still enthralled by “outdated traditional views and opinions” of research models. This nostalgic attitude centres around the rigid concept of the so-called “good age-old traditional and established research culture” that cannot and must not be changed.
Secondly, the avoidance and exclusion of the article-format thesis today from senior academic programmes and the pushing to the foreground of the traditional thesis by certain sectors at universities, also many times originates in the lack of abilities, skills and experience of present-day academics and researchers in the writing of distinct articles in accredited journals. This hostility is part of their failure to execute the Circle of Research Completeness wherein all the instruments of research — meaning the journal article, the traditional thesis, the article-thesis and academic/research book — can be dynamic role players without opposing and obstructing each contribution to the academic and research environment.  In South Africa many academics are not free from this “curse of non-publication and inexperience”. This unfortunate “academic and research contamination” has not only led to an under-production of publications, but also discouraged students to enrol for the article-format thesis because of a lack of experienced supervisors and a negative view of this so-called “new-age research model”. This shortcoming in skills and its internalised obstruction to change for the sake of tradition, or changes that ask extraordinary relearning (and even research rehabilitation), has contaminated not only the article-thesis status, but also the position of the traditional thesis, the journal article and the book that are all inherent parts of the Circle of Research Completeness, or at least should be.
My enquiries from research professors, academic staff and research unitis reflect a generally negative attitude towards the article-thesis and -dissertation. Many members of both the older group as well as a younger group seem not willing to get involved in the supervising or the examination of it. An evaluation of this negativism here reflects a lack of exposure to research in general, while their past and present involvement in article-publishing is minimal. It seems especially the younger group that is the least involved, quoting excuses such as a full teaching program, a lack of exposure to training in the compiling and writing of journal articles, and a low departmental and faculty interest as the main reasons. But this negativity seems to come many times from the staff’s ongoing absence from office and thus a lack of direct involvement with their faculty’s work activities and  responsibilities.
Some of the older academics (between 55 and 65 years) that I consulted in the research, openly opposed the production of article-theses in their research units, offering excuses such as the article-thesis not being a “real” PhD (wherein its “short length” and alleged lack of “sufficient research contents” stand out prominently as general arguments), that there is no demand for it, etc. Investigation hereto showed that most of these opponents of the article-thesis lacked themselves comprehensive supervisor’s and examiner’s experience of this type of thesis. More: most of them lacked a sound CV of published accredited articles. Furthermore, their understanding of the Circle of Research Completeness is many times poor and substandard, making their knowhow to generate money for their university through well- planned and -steered research — such as the publishing of accredited articles and books and the delivery of article-theses — minimal.
4.4. Impact of BAREE and cadre-deployment on present-day academic and research culture
The above conclusion regarding the presence of an established sector of substandard academics and researchers working in the present-day South African academic and research culture who directly and indirectly undermine outcomes such as the mastering of the writing of the research proposal, the journal article and the article-thesis, is undoubtedly further strengthened by the role of BAREE (B: Black, A: Academic, R: Research, E: Economic and E: Empowerment) in the South African university setup. This unfavourable academic and research environment – in addition to South Africa’s devastating political BBBEE– and cadre-deployment-policy that has led to an absolute culture of corruption, incompetence and indeed to the country’s near collapse after 26 years of ANC governance — is also in the process of offering support to substandard academics and researchers, spelling chaos to quality higher education and advanced research. The intention with BAREE is outright the same as that of BBBEE of which the main object is to accommodate substandard politicians, civil servants and cadres/comrades of the ANC in the public services, and to allow and to accept substandard work performance, etc. In this respect BAREE has undoubtedly since 1994 led to the decline of personal, social and leadership integrity inside the academic and research environment. Not only has this politics undermined the universities’ integrity, but it has promoted chaos and outright discrimination based on race-ratio appointments, lacking any merit or quality and integrity. It has demolished not only good research at the lower staff levels, but has also obstructed the reaching of the highest level of research outcomes that should be uniquely vested and practised in the Circle of Research Completeness, such as for instance the publishing of books based on published theses, journal articles, traditional theses, etc.^52-60

5. Suggestions on the writing of the article-thesis and -dissertation^{8-11,13,16-25}

The aim and strategy of this article was to offer information and guidance on how to write the article-thesis, based on the guidelines of various universities and other learning institutions. This outcome was obtained as a combined guideline from the data of the above three sections’ guidelines, namely 3.3.2. Writing of the research proposal, 3.3.3. Writing of the journal article and 3.3.4. Writing of the article-thesis.  It is thus suggested that all persons involved with the writing, supervising and examination of the article-thesis should study in-depth the above guidelines compiled in this article before enrolling for the thesis-program.
There are some suggestions to make at the close of the article on how the compiling and writing of the article-thesis — from the start to its final presentation to the supervisor — must be planned and executed.
Firstly, it is important that when the student decides on the study and is looking for an aspirant supervisor, to do his/her homework well. From day one he should only have contact with a supervisor showing a sound record of senior/advanced research: a supervisor whose CV includes the holding of an article-PhD in the same research field as the student’s planned article-PhD, while he/she reflects abilities, skills, experience and training such as the following:

1. a) the successful sole-author of at least five accredited journal articles; or
2. b) the successful co-author of at least seven accredited journal articles;
3. c) the successful sole-supervisor of at least two Phd-article-theses, and/or at least four masters-article-dissertations; or
4. d) the successful co-author of at least four PhD-article-theses, and/or at least six masters-article-dissertations;
5. e) if a selected university cannot deliver the required supervisor and/or accompanying infrastructure, move on. South Africa does have 26 universities active in some way in post-graduate training and surely in the delivery of the article-thesis and -dissertation. Try them out one-by-one: Most do now have a well-developed online offering of programmes (especially refined after the advent of Covid-19): a student living in Cape Town is free to enrol at a Johannesburg university, distance is not an impediment, as the University of South Africa’s country-wide enrolment of students confirms.

The above recommended setup could be avoided if our country has an established category of prescribed registered qualifications that supervisors of the article-dissertation and -thesis must possess before they are allowed to supervise a masters or a doctorate. (This category of prescribed registered qualifications should be similarly applicable to the examiner of the article-masters and -doctorate). Some European universities have already solved in some way the problem of supervisor- and examiner-incompetence long ago by the issuing of recognised university qualifications/registrations to qualify as supervisors and examiners. The École Saint Thomas ďAcquin of the Université catholique de Louvain offers the professional degree Maȋtre Agrégé (M.AGG or Magister Aggregatus) or Professeur Agrégé (PRAG) as a kind of post-doctorate qualification for the supervisor and examiner. Other universities in Germany, Austria, France, Switzerland, Lichtenstein and Poland have the higher standing post-doctoral qualification of habilitation to teach at universities, namely the Dr. habil. In other cases, the title of habilitation is added to the existing doctorate, for instance: Dr. phil. Habil. Specifically, in the case of the supervisor and examiner of Masters and Doctorates, there is also a professional registration/qualification awarded which the PhD graduate academic and researcher can put behind his degree, namely the title: Privatdozent or ius docendi (the right to teach).^61-66
Secondly, the aspirant student must absolutely avoid the choice of doing an article-thesis with manuscripts. This article-thesis-model can become a terrorising ghost, equal to a substandard supervisor and a degree obtained at a poor-quality teaching university or an unaccredited university. It can contaminate the student’s career and integrity. In the same contexts stands the avoiding of the three-article-thesis: do at least an article-thesis consisting of five, but preferable six and more articles.
Furthermore, it is prescribed by some universities that the supervisor’s name must be put on the journal articles as a so-called co-author, notwithstanding the supervisor’s sometimes minimum input or even zero input. If this outcome is avoidable, stay away from recognising the supervisor, and apply co-authorship only in cases where the supervisor made an extraordinary contribution.  Allowing more than one co-author on an article is a no-go area and should absolutely be avoided.
Thirdly, myself a holder of a traditional PhD as well as an article-PhD and the sole author of multi-accredited articles and books, I like to advise the aspirant student not to deliver one-by-one his/her articles for the planned article-thesis — meaning first finishing one article before taking on the next one — but to do the basic research and writing of the thesis fully as a completed project (similar to the preparation of a traditional thesis and book). After the completion of this draft thesis/book, the total data can be separated into various articles that form a consecutive, concise unity and then publish the articles together as a project/series. In this way the roadmap is laid firstly for the production of the planned series of accredited articles, and secondly for the delivery of the planned article-thesis. In addition to these publications, try to get all the thesis’s articles published inside the first two years of enrolment for the study. What is clear and confirmed by facts, is that the basic data collection can take less than one year, while the delivery and publishing of the articles may take less than six months (at most one year). The final compiling of the already published (available) articles into the thesis, can be done between three and six months, making the delivery possible of a six-article-thesis for examination inside the prescribed maximum period of a three-year enrolment. This planned approach will not only have assured the awarding of the PhD and a bursary of R30 000 and more for the student (and much honour to the student as well as his supervisor!), but assured the university of the total income of R1 080 000 (R360 000 subsidies for the PhD, plus an extra R720 000 in subsidy for the six articles at R120 000 each).
Fourthly, this basic approach to the collecting of data and the writing down of it into a comprehensive manuscript/draft book, has three excellent outcomes. In the first place it opens the door for the student to enter the Circle of Research Completeness wherein he/she not only can go on to publish a book on the research for the PhD (which should be a prerequisite in allowing a student into the article-thesis programme), but steer the student to become a life-long an active publisher of accredited articles and books (other than the substandard profile of low and minimal publications currently reflected by many academics and researchers). This active publication output can even lead to the obtention of other PhDs by the active researcher. In the second place the comprehensive manuscript/concept book as a first stage makes it possible for the student to present it to interested editors of accredited journals as a pre-view to decide if the planned articles will be acceptable. This makes the later reviewing of the separate articles much easier and will facilitate and speed up their acceptance/publishing. In the third place it is important that the student already with the start-up of his research contact various accredited journals to enquire if they would be interested to publish the planned articles as a project/series.^64,65
Regarding the publishing of the articles as a series, it is recommended that it is done at one journal only. This outcome holds many benefits for the aspirant student. Certain tips, as reflected underneath, are here of great value:

1. If it was previously agreed with the editor of the journal to do it this way (and the draft manuscript of the total research was evaluated by the editor), the process to review is speeded up and acceptance/publication is mostly fast;
2. If the same reviewers or part of them, together with the editor of the journal, reviewed all the articles, a similarity in the quality and in the contents is assured;
3. In accordance with the advice of publishing the articles of the article-thesis, avoid to publish one, unattached article at a time, but focussed research in such a way that it always forms a project/series, consisting of not less than three articles, but preferably five and more. [The shortest of my projects was five articles while the longest was 20 (which was published inside of a year)]. Although some journals are not keen to do it this way because of a lack of able reviewers and an incomplete infrastructure to publish fast, most well-established journals, with a well-established infrastructure of reviewers and publishing space, are very keen to do the publishing of articles this way;
4. Avoid publishing in so-called “free page” journals: they mostly lack the infrastructure to deliver quickly on the publishing of articles and is mostly the reason why the compiling and writing of the article-thesis to be published inside the prescribed three years of study, is impeded. Do not hesitate after a so-called “pay” journal has accepted articles for publication, to ask for a discount on page fees. (This significantly benefits the university seeing that page fees are usually paid by the university where the student is doing the article-thesis, and in exchange receives up to R120 000 per published article from the DHET: this discount assures the “stretching” of the university’s research funds);
5. Avoid the use of co-authors like the plague generally in the writing and publishing of articles. (If a co-author is a must, stick to the supervisor as a single co-author);
6. do not get mesmerised by publishing in internationally listed journals. No-one doubts their importance, but the preference for international publishing as superior to national publishing has unfortunately overrun the mindsets of many South African academics and researchers over the years, deliberately moving their own and their students’ national publishing to the backroom, unjustifiably so. The only ones obtaining benefit from international publications are the universities that proudly reflect the international publishing on their data and at the same time receive R4 000 more for each international publication than a national publication (R124 000 for an international one against R120 000 for a national publication). The costs to publish in well-known international journals are many times twice and more those of the national one: varying many times from R4,00 per word internationally to R2,00 and less per word nationally. These high costs to publish internationally have led thereto that universities start to limit the page fee payable to publishing in accredited journals (with many times a maximum pay-out of R15 000 per article, forcing some academics to subsidise their own publishing costs from their Idea-funds or own pocket). The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) over many years has done its best to ensure both nationally and internationally, without discrimination against any journal of quality, the presence of a comprehensive list of accredited/listed journals from where the aspirant author may feely make a choice. In total six groups exist, of which the own list of the DEHT is equally a part. This own DHET list is very strictly compiled by the DHET selectors to assure that only South African journals of integrity are allowed onto it and thus qualify to publish articles that are subsidised by the DHET. There is not a single reason why South African academics and researchers cannot and should not publish in national journals;
7. The aspirant student of the article-thesis must not allow that he/she be enthralled by either the radicals of the article-thesis or the traditional thesis, but he/she must become a “moderate” researcher: Borrow from both and stay a supporter of the mixed-model of thesis writing. That is the only way to gain entrance into the Circle of Research Completeness and to taste what it means to be a true author/writer of many publications.

4. Conclusion^{8-11,13,16-25}

No-one doubted that the article-thesis as a research tool can be a winner and that it can be a wealth and status generator for the universities, but to be a winner in the research community, requires some adaptation in content growth, a more diverse structure, stricter assessment rules, etc. Its traditional three-article-thesis and thesis by manuscripts show just too many shortcomings and are seen by many as nothing else than shortcuts by less well-trained and experienced students and supervisors to obtain the “golden” PhD.
A central impediment to the article-thesis making inroads into the South African research environment, is its failure to claim and to assure the training of undergraduate and postgraduate students, academics and researchers in the art of the writing the research proposal, the writing of journal articles, the writing of the article-thesis. These research tools require a totally different approach to that of the traditional thesis. This specialist knowhow is mostly absent from the present-day academics’ and researchers’ mindset. It is one of the main reasons for the unnecessary conflict between modernists and traditionalists in our present-day research community and unasked-for negativity about the article-thesis model as a creative research tool. This negative setting goes further: it has led to aspirant students shying away from enrolling for and writing the article-thesis, simply out of a sense of fear.  A prominent fear in this respect is for ultimate failure in not obtaining the PhD; essentially because of students’ lack of training to do research and to write the article-thesis, as well as the lack of skilled supervisors to steer and guide them through their studies; forcing them to adopt instead the “safer” traditional thesis.
To be a winner requires from the article-thesis some adaptation in content growth, a more diverse structure, stricter assessment rules, the three-article-thesis should become the five-article-thesis, etc.
From the research of this article on how to write the article-masters and -doctorate, it is clear that it is not only the aspirant students, but also supervisors who are in great need of obtaining an in-depth understanding of the rules, regulations and stipulations on how to do the research, preparation and writing of the article-thesis and -dissertation. Hopefully the intertwined three guidelines compiled in this article, namely: “How to write the research proposal”, “How to write the journal article” and “How to write the article-thesis and -dissertation”, would motivate and assist aspirant students and aspirant supervisors to obtain the needed knowhow.
In the next two intertwined articles, entitled: “How to examine the article-format-masters and –doctorate: Part 1” and:  “How to examine the article-format-masters and –doctorate: Part 2”,  a summarised guideline will be presented on how to examine the article-thesis and –dissertation.

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