A monograph has traditionally been regarded as one of the most serious forms of academic work. It makes it possible to examine a research problem comprehensively, substantiate the author’s position, and present the results of the work in an integrated form. But what role does a monograph actually play in the award of an academic degree in Kazakhstan?
All the key requirements relevant to the award of an academic degree in the Republic of Kazakhstan are set out in official documents, in particular in the Order of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan No. 127 dated 31 March 2011 “On the Approval of the Rules for Awarding Degrees”.
The role of a monograph in the award of an academic degree
A monograph is regarded as one of the most authoritative outcomes of academic activity. It makes it possible not only to present individual conclusions, but also to demonstrate a coherent research concept, methodology, argumentation, and the author’s personal contribution.
According to the Order of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan “On the Approval of the Rules for Awarding Degrees”, when fulfilling the publication requirements for defending a dissertation, not only an article or review in an international peer-reviewed journal may be taken into account, but also a section in a monograph published by a trusted international publisher or by a university press belonging to one of the world’s top 100 universities in recognised rankings. Therefore, in Kazakhstan, a monograph has practical significance in the procedure for awarding an academic degree.
What is important to consider when preparing a monograph in Kazakhstan?
In Kazakhstan, a monograph may have not only scholarly but also practical significance for an applicant for a PhD degree or a professional doctorate. According to the Order of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan “On the Approval of the Rules for Awarding Degrees”, within the framework of the publication requirements, a chapter in a monograph may be taken into account as an alternative to journal articles if the following conditions are met:
- The doctoral candidate must have authored at least one printed sheet of text.
- The monograph must be published by one of the trusted international academic publishers, including Elsevier, Brill, CRC Press, De Gruyter, Edward Elgar Publishing, John Wiley & Sons, McGraw-Hill, Palgrave Macmillan, Peter Lang, Prentice Hall, Routledge, SAGE Publications, Springer Nature, Taylor & Francis, or Wolters Kluwer, or by a university press belonging to an institution ranked in the top 100 of the US News Best Global Universities Rankings, Academic Ranking of World Universities, or Times Higher Education World University Rankings.
- The monograph must be related to the dissertation topic and reflect the applicant’s research results.
- The monograph is not counted on its own, but as part of the overall publication package required for a PhD defence.
You can learn more about the requirements for academic publications for dissertation defence in Kazakhstan in our article.
Therefore, when preparing a monograph, an applicant should take into account not only the content of the research, but also whether the publication complies with the established requirements.
The importance of a monograph for a scholar
In practice, the significance of a monograph is determined not only by its academic quality, but also by whether it was prepared from the outset with attestation requirements in mind. At the same time, a monograph is important in itself as one of the most substantial and authoritative formats of academic work. It allows the author to:
- consistently develop a research problem
- demonstrate the logic of scholarly enquiry
- substantiate the author’s concept
- present the results in an integrated form
That is why a monograph is regarded as an indicator of a scholar’s academic maturity and the seriousness of their academic training. This is because, when a section in a monograph is taken into account, the format of the publication, the doctoral candidate’s contribution, and the status of the publisher all matter.
Thus, in Kazakhstan, a monograph does play a role in dissertation defence. However, its value depends on the extent to which it complies with the established requirements and genuinely reflects the results of the dissertation research. For this reason, the preparation of a monograph should be approached as an important part of the overall defence strategy.
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