The word thesis derives its etymological meaning from Latin and Greek origins. In intellectual discourse, the word refers to a central argument or proposition that a scholar advances and defends through research. Many universities in Uganda have not taken it upon themselves to help students publish their theses.
An unpublished thesis is technically not worthy of the ink used to write it. I therefore encourage those pursuing advanced studies to consider universities with the potential to help learners publish their Master’s and PhD theses, including undergraduate research, so that employers can identify their intellectual potential and academic relevance.
Realist philosophers such as Aristotle considered an academic thesis an intellectual proposition or supposition put forward by a scholar to either challenge or support a particular view. A scholar identifies a research topic or proposal and demonstrates before a panel of academics how they intend to investigate a particular problem or fill an identified research gap.
A thesis is, therefore, a central argument in a scholar’s entire investigation, which must be presented and defended before a panel of experts assembled by an academic institution such as a university.
Research is broadly grouped into doctrinal and non-doctrinal research. Non-doctrinal research is commonly undertaken by students pursuing courses such as Business Administration, Public Administration and Medical Sciences, which largely involve statistics and often use SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences). Lawyers, on the other hand, commonly use doctrinal research, which mainly involves the examination of statutory laws and decided cases.
However, academic efforts are increasingly being made to encourage learners to adopt a mixed-methods approach, combining both doctrinal and non-doctrinal research methods to arrive at a more comprehensive position. For example, how can one examine the effectiveness of a statute without incorporating statistical evidence and other relevant figures?
Whereas several universities in Uganda require their students, especially at postgraduate level, to undertake research as an exit requirement before they can be considered academically fit to graduate, there is little or no publicly available data on how many of these universities actually publish or help students get their dissertations published (Stevenmasiga, 2026).
It is an established academic and scholarly practice that, to advance knowledge, scholars ought to publish their research so that it can be subjected to peer review by other academics. Any university that does not promote this long-held academic principle should be ignored by anyone interested in achieving scholarly advancement.
There are several universities, such as Kampala International University (KIU), that have taken it upon themselves to promote a culture of scholarly publication by encouraging Master’s and PhD students to publish in reputable journals before graduation.
Let us publish or perish as scholars. Other institutions, including cultural institutions and government agencies, should also consider scholarly publication in academic journals as a practice worth emulating.
The National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) in Uganda should develop an education policy framework that encourages the publication of research findings in academic journals, beginning at certificate level and progressing to higher levels of education. This would help learners develop the intellectual capacity to communicate their knowledge and demonstrate their academic value to potential employers.
Whereas an ordinary man in my village in Bukalasi, Bududa, may tell you how many beers he has drunk or how many women he has slept with, academicians should be telling us how many publications they have to their names before reaching the age of 50 or 60.
Any scholarly research that is not published should be ignored. Equally, research that does not contribute to solving societal problems should be pulled off the shelf.
The writer is an interdisciplinary scholar from Mbale and Cultural Spokesperson of the Bamasaba people.
