Non-Traditional Theses - Examples, News and Research

Why Non-Traditional?

Towani Duchscher’s doctoral thesis, Imprinted Beneath Our Skin (2018), is a strong example of a non-traditional thesis that integrates dance, poetry, photography, and pedagogical documentation as part of an arts-based inquiry into the hidden curriculum.

While the thesis was archived as a PDF, it included embedded multimedia, specifically video components intended to be experienced alongside the written work. This raised important questions about how best to preserve and present this multimedia content for long-term access.

Preservation & Access Considerations

We originally used private video links, with the videos hosted in our AV repository, to provide access within the text while preventing indexing by search engines. These static links worked until a hosting platform upgrade broke them—highlighting the fragility of non-persistent URLs. When discovered, we minted DOIs for each video and embedded these into an updated version of the PDF. This allows video links to be maintained independently of the thesis file, reducing the burden of version tracking and future-proofing access.

This case highlighted two core strategies for handling video in PDF-based theses:

1. Embed videos directly in the PDF
   • Pros: Keeps everything together; immediate access for readers
   • Cons: Increases file size; complicates preservation of embedded formats
2. Link to externally hosted videos as separate preserved objects
   • Pros: Allows individual preservation and monitoring; can use DOIs for persistence
   • Cons: Users must leave the PDF; metadata must maintain relationships between components

We ultimately chose the second approach—embedding DOI links in the thesis—to improve sustainability and flexibility.

View the Thesis

Duchscher, T. M. (2018). Imprinted beneath our skin: An arts-based murmuration inquiry into the somatic lessons of the hidden curriculum. [Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary]. https://hdl.handle.net/1880/106933

Why Non-Traditional? 

Creative writing theses may be considered non-traditional because it includes original creative work like a novel or poetry along with a critical refection component, differing from regular monographs. 

Students often elect to request a withhold to have adequate time to publish their creative portion of their thesis in a suitable venue post completion. The critical reflection may come in different forms, like an "exegesis".

While this form may be more popular in some disciplines, like English, it may be less well-used in other disciplines.  

Suggestions for searching in The Vault: 

Try browsing English masters and doctoral theses. 

Examples

Delaney, T. (2020). Dispersal: A Novel (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/1880/111933.

Peters, S. (2014). 59 Glass Bridges: A Novel (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11023/1539. doi:10.11575/PRISM/24623