Scientific publications are among the indicators taken into account when a candidate is admitted to the defence of a dissertation for the degree “Doctor” in Bulgaria. An inaccurate schedule for their release may shift the deadlines of the entire procedure.
What should be considered when planning publications?
The procedure for awarding the educational and scientific degree “Doctor” is governed by the Development of Academic Staff in the Republic of Bulgaria Act and the “Rules for the Implementation of the Development of Academic Staff in the Republic of Bulgaria Act”. Doctoral studies last up to three years in the full-time and independent forms and up to four years in the part-time and distance forms.
A doctoral student is admitted to the defence if they have been discharged from doctoral studies with the right to defend and have met the minimum national requirements. For the degree “Doctor”, these include 50 points for the dissertation and 30 points in the group of indicators that includes publications.
Universities and scientific organisations may set their own rules, so it is advisable to clarify the requirements and deadlines in advance.
Late start as a reason for missed publication deadlines
If work on an article is postponed until the final period of doctoral studies, peer review and revision may extend beyond the period of study.
After the end of studies, the primary unit (department) proposes, within one month, that the faculty or scientific council discharge the doctoral student with or without the right to defend. The right to defend may be exercised within the period set by the rules of the university or scientific organisation, but no later than five years from the date of the council’s decision.
The individual study plan contains the stages and deadlines for preparing the dissertation, so it is advisable to include a publication schedule in it as well.
How does the peer review period affect publication planning?
The duration of peer review depends on the journal, the subject area and the editorial workload. It varies from several weeks to several months, after which one or more revisions may be required.
Deadlines may be extended for the following reasons:
- choosing a journal that does not match the subject of the work
- return of the manuscript at the technical check stage because of non-compliance with formatting requirements
- simultaneous submission of an article to several journals, which editors generally do not permit
- lack of time reserved for responding to reviewers
- overlaps with the dissertation or previously published materials detected by a plagiarism check
Under the notes to the annex to the rules, articles accepted for publication in journals with an ISSN or ISBN are counted as published if a certificate from the publisher is provided, so in some cases there is no need to wait for the issue to be released. It is advisable to check the conditions for counting with your own university.
Incorrect point calculation in publication planning
The minimum requirements are expressed in points rather than in the number of articles. The number of points depends on the scientific field, the type of publication and the number of co-authors.
For example, in the social, economic and legal sciences, an article in a scientific publication indexed in international databases is worth 30/n points, where n is the number of authors. With two authors, each is credited with 15 points. An article in a peer-reviewed journal without indexing is worth 10/n points. In some fields, the value also depends on the journal’s quartile.
The status of Bulgarian publications can be checked against the lists of the National Centre for Information and Documentation (NACID): the list of publications indexed in international databases and the National Reference List of peer-reviewed publications.
How does the defence procedure affect publication deadlines?
After the dissertation is completed, the regulations set maximum time limits for the stages, which together may take several months:
- The supervisor assesses the readiness of the dissertation within one month.
- The council of the primary unit holds a preliminary discussion and proposes the composition of the scientific jury.
- The faculty or scientific council appoints the jury within one month of the unit’s proposal, after which the rector approves it by order within seven days.
- The jury members submit reviews and opinions within three months of the jury’s election.
- The public defence is held within one month of the publication of the dissertation abstract, reviews and opinions on the website of the university or scientific organisation.
Since meeting the minimum requirements is a condition of admission to the defence, a shortage of points for publications may delay this procedure.
Missed deadlines may result from a late start, inaccurate calculation of points and underestimating the time needed for peer review and the defence. Planning from the expected defence date, with backup journals taken into account, helps to reduce the risk.
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