Release and publication of your research results

Where special circumstances warrant, you may request a delay in the release of your Master's or Doctoral thesis. The only type of restriction that is acceptable is an embargo on release for a period of one year after final submission. It may be granted solely on the following grounds:

• Compliance with a nondisclosure agreement
• A pending patent
• Forthcoming publication of a book based on the Master's or Doctoral thesis
• Any other justifiable reason

To qualify, complete and submit the Request to Restrict Release (PDF, 166 KB) form at the time of initial submission along with the appropriate justifications and relevant documents, including any agreements that restrict the release of the Master's or Doctoral thesis.

At the end of the embargo period, you may obtain a single additional 12-month extension by submitting a Request to Extend Restriction on Release (PDF in french only). Under no circumstances can the embargo exceed 24 months.

With the release of your Master's or Doctoral thesis comes the obligation to respect the copyrights and take into account assigned rights and licences for each protected document you have used. You must obtain written permission from all authors for uses beyond fair use (available in French only) if a chapter or appendix of your Master's or Doctoral thesis contains:

• One or more excerpts from a document that you have not written or have not exclusively written (published or unpublished paper, map, text, illustration, etc.)
• A paper or papers that you have produced in collaboration with one or more coauthors.

In addition, if a paper has been published or is subject to a publication agreement, permission from the publishing house may also be required for it to be used in the Master's or Doctoral thesis, unless such permission has already been provided for in the publication agreement.

Publication of your research content is, of course, permitted and encouraged. In most cases, publications take the form of journal papers corresponding to chapters or parts of the thesis or dissertation, or a book containing the full text.

Publication during your studies (before evaluation)

You’ll only be required to publish during your studies if this is one of your program goals.

Published papers must mention:

• The name of the university and the context in which your research was conducted
• The name of your research supervisor

Papers that you author or coauthor may be included in your thesis or dissertation later. Be sure to follow the presentation rules for included articles.

Publication following evaluation

Before you graduate

Publication of all or part of a thesis or dissertation cannot be a requirement for awarding a degree.

But it is to your advantage to publish the results of your research as soon as possible, especially if your supervisor or evaluation committee recommends it. You will usually receive assistance and advice from your supervisor or someone who has collaborated on your research.

After you graduate

You don’t need your supervisor’s permission to publish your thesis or dissertation, in whole or in part, after graduation. If you do, however, you are expected to:

• Indicate the context in which the research was conducted by mentioning:
  • The name of the University
  • The name of your research supervisor
  • The degree obtained

Respect copyright and not restrict the rights of Université Laval as set out in the Université Laval Intellectual Property Regulations (available in French only) and in the Policy on Research and Creation Integrity and Conflict of Interest (PDF available in French only)