Posting, or "spikning", is another word for publishing or making public a thesis. In Sweden it is also traditional, but nowadays voluntary, to perform a ceremony connected to the posting: A spikningsceremoni.
Posting of Doctoral Theses
Before your public defence, you must make your thesis publically available through a process called posting. Publication in Umeå University publication database DiVA counts as the formal posting of your thesis. This is to make sure that the thesis is available for reading before the public defence. All relevant information regarding your thesis is assembled in DiVA, in a way that is easy to share.
Register your thesis
Doctoral theses must be posted at least three weeks before the public defence. When the decision of the public defence is made, you will be contacted by the library with more information about the posting.
The library are required to review your registration in DiVA before publication, therefore the registration should be carried out at least three working days before your posting date.
Your thesis will be published on your posting date, regardless to when you registered your thesis in DiVA. Please note that even if you register your thesis far in advance, it will not be published and visible in DiVA until your posting date.
15 August: First possible posting date 20 December: Last possible posting date
Spring semester 2025
7 January: First possible posting date 13 June: Last possible posting date
Mandatory delivery of printed thesis to the library
You are required to hand in three printed copies of your thesis to the library - each with posting sheet included - on your posting date, at the latest.
If you have a posting ceremony, you need another copy of your thesis for the ceremony. This means you will need to bring four copies in total.
Leave the three copies with library staff at your posting ceremony or at the library information desk. You may also deliver them in advance, ask someone to hand them in for you or send them by post:
Umeå University Library 901 74 Umeå
If you have written a licentiate thesis that is published in print, you are also required to submit a printed copy of the thesis to the library.
Posting ceremony
Posting one’s thesis used to mean that the doctoral student actually nailed it on a wall. Though this is no longer mandatory, most doctoral students still choose to hold a posting ceremony to celebrate. Library staff are in charge of the ceremony which is held in the Study Hall at the University Library.
The posting ceremony is usually held on the same day as your formal posting, that is the same day that the thesis is published in DiVA.
During weekends, summer holidays and the Christmas season you will not be able to do a posting ceremony. Please be in good time to book a ceremony if your public defence is in January or in the beginning of summer.
Book a posting ceremony
We need your booking request at least 1 week before your preferred date:
