Doctoral Theses

When it comes to publishing, KIT Library supports doctoral researchers with two tried-and-true services.

The publication of a doctoral thesis is an integral part of the doctorate and is governed by the doctoral regulations of the KIT Departments. All KIT departments allow for purely electronic publication, which can be done either via the KITopen repository or KIT Scientific Publishing. Publication through an external publisher or through self-publishing (for printed publications) is also possible.

Additional publication options depend on the respective doctoral regulations. In the case of electronic publication, the requirement to submit printed copies to KIT Library does not apply. The prescribed number of copies and submission format for the department, institute, and supervisor remain unchanged. In addition, an electronic doctoral thesis can be marked with a non-disclosure notice .

Research data generated as part of the doctorate can be published and archived free of charge via KITopen. The data is automatically transferred to RADAR4KIT and published there.

We are happy to provide detailed information and support.
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KITopen Repository KIT Scientific Publishing (KSP)

KITopen

Electronic publication in the repository

The doctoral thesis is made available worldwide, freely, at no cost, and quickly via the KIT Library repository. This promotes the visibility and long-term availability of the work.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Available worldwide free of charge in compliance with open access
Publish doctoral research data from all disciplines and data types
Creative Commons license assigned directly in KITopen (before publication, be sure to insert the license text into the PDF file on the back of the title page).
Submission of printed copies to KIT Library is no longer required (the number and format of copies specified in the Doctoral Regulations remains unaffected and must be adhered to)

All services and information

KIT Scientific Publishing

Publication by the KIT publishing house

In addition to digital publication, KIT Scientific Publishing (KSP) offers the option of publishing the doctoral thesis as a printed book. Through the print-on-demand process, it is then also available through international bookstores. This approach thus combines the advantages of free digital availability with a professional print edition.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI) and International Standard Book Numbers (ISBN)
Electronic publication in the KITopen repository by default
Cover design and professional print management
Available worldwide free of charge in compliance with Open Access principles
Additional printed copies available for authors

More information and consultation

Printed Publication

Publication through an external publisher or self-published

Alternatively, you may choose an external publisher or have the thesis printed and bound yourself.

Please mail the number of printed copies specified in the regulations for the award of a doctoral degree to:
KIT-Bibliothek Süd
Abteilung Publikations- und Mediendienste
Straße am Forum 2
76131 Karlsruhe
Alternatively, the printed copies can be dropped off at the information desk on the ground floor of KIT Library South during service hours.
In this case, you must also submit the "Declaration for the Submission of a Dissertation, Doctoral Thesis" must be submitted via email to KITopen-Diss ∂does-not-exist.bibliothek kit edu.
Upon receipt of the copies, the submission confirmation is sent directly to the Dean’s Office of the relevant department and to the Students Office.
Printed doctoral theses are also cataloged in the KITopen repository and can be borrowed through KIT Library.

In a nutshell

Publication requirement: Part of the doctorate in accordance with the doctoral regulations for the award of a doctoral degree at the KIT departments
Electronic publication: Available via KITopen or the publishing house KIT Scientific Publishing
Printed publication: Available through an external publisher or in-house production
Research data: Free publication and archiving via KITopen, with automatic transfer to RADAR4KIT

Options and Standards

General information regarding publication

The doctoral thesis will be published after the submitted thesis has been accepted or approved.
According to KIT’s doctoral regulations, the doctoral thesis must include a title page or bibliographic information (if published by a publisher or in an academic journal) upon publication.
The title page of the submitted doctoral thesis must be amended or supplemented prior to publication. A template for this purpose can usually be found at the end of the respective doctoral regulations.
The following information is not required for publication:
- Affidavit of Independent Authorship and Originality Declaration
- Personal data such as address, date of birth, signatures, and resume (data protection)

Checklist for publishing the doctoral thesis

I have received approval for publication from the faculty.
I have created the title page in accordance with the guidelines in the doctoral regulations (see Mustertitelblatt).
If I have chosen an open license (e.g. a CC license), I have included it on the back of the title page (see Open Licenses).
When using materials that I did not create myself (e.g., images or tables), I have clarified or obtained the necessary usage rights.
I have identified all third-party materials and correctly cited the sources (e.g., in a caption or in the appendix).
If I wish to request a publication embargo, I have filled out and submitted the corresponding form (Application for Doctoral Thesis Publication Embargo). I am aware that in this case I must choose electronic publication.
I am aware that personal data such as address, date of birth, signatures, and resume (data protection) do not have to be published.
I have created the PDF file. This is the version approved for publication.
I have seen that I can publish research data (see Research Data).

Additionally, for cumulative/publication-based theses:

I have the right to use previously published material in my thesis because
- the previously published material is an open-access publication under a free license (CC license). (This license is compatible with the license chosen for the thesis) oder
- it is permitted under the license agreement signed or agreed to at the time of publication, oder
- the publisher has granted me this right in writing upon request.
I have obtained the consent of co-authors (if any) to use previously published sections in the thesis.

Cumulative / publication-based doctoral thesis

For doctoral theses consisting of articles that have already been published or submitted for publication, the following points should be clarified:

Do the co-authors consent to the publication of their work in the doctoral thesis?
Do the terms of use of the publishers to whom you submitted your articles allow for their reuse in your doctoral thesis?
Which version may be used (preprint, postprint, or publisher's version)?
Is there a lock-up period that needs to be observed?
Can an open license be used? (If you have assigned your rights of use to the publisher, this is generally only possible with the publisher’s consent.)
Can the right to open access publication be secured? (Ideally, this should be done in advance; alternatively, the right to secondary publication can also be obtained retroactively.)
If your doctoral thesis contains the signatures of co-authors, these should be removed before publication (data protection).

The Jisc Open policy finder provides an overview of the various publisher policies.

Legal information

Usage rights

As creators, authors generally hold all rights to their works. Through a publishing contract or a similar transfer of rights, so-called exploitation or usage rights are assigned to the publisher.
Typically, the publisher requires exclusive rights to your work, meaning that secondary publication via KITopen is only possible with the publisher’s consent.
To ensure that your own works can be published subsequently as part of your doctoral thesis, you should secure the necessary rights when transferring rights to the publisher. This is particularly important in the case of cumulative theses.

When a work is published via KITopen, KIT Library is granted a permanent, non-exclusive right of use, leaving other publication channels open.

More information on authors' rights, licenses, and copyright

Citation and image rights

Under German copyright law, protected materials (texts, graphics, images, illustrations, etc.) may be used under the right of quotation pursuant to Section 51 of the German Copyright Act (UrhG), provided that the conditions specified therein are met. Specifically, this means that the use of the protected material must be necessary to support the argument being made.

If you are unsure about this, you can request publication rights from the copyright holders of the protected material.

As a rule, quotations may not be altered (the so-called prohibition of modifications under Section 39 of the German Copyright Act, UrhG). If you wish to publish your own images and graphics, it is advisable to use open-content licenses in order to avoid legal uncertainties regarding their reuse. In the KITopen repository, you can publish your images and graphics under appropriate licenses.

Publishing with an embargo notice

If the doctoral thesis may only be published after a delay due to a patent application or publication in a journal, an application for an embargo can be submitted.

The thesis metadata will be published in KITopen immediately, while the associated full text will only be made available after the embargo period has expired. Despite the embargo, the doctoral certificate is generally issued immediately in accordance with the current doctoral regulations.

Important: An embargo notice is only possible for electronic doctoral theses.