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In 2019, I graduated with a PhD. (I am no academic so that was a massive achievement for me). I had started writing an article on the research however, due to personal circumstances, this was delayed. And then along came Covid. The discipline I did my PhD in was challenging under Covid as it was dependent on international travel. This necessitated having to re-focus my career in-country. One consequence was the article received less attention. I have recently thought about whether I can still submit the article for publishing or is it too late now. Is there an accepted time limit to publish PhD research?

And to add to the mix, during this time, I have had some further post-PhD insight/refinements that I would like to include in the article which wasn't part of the PhD. Are these okay to include in a delayed article?

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    Related: academia.stackexchange.com/questions/150441/…
    – Snijderfrey
    Mar 20, 2022 at 9:39
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    I'm having difficulties to understand what you mean by "I graduated with a PhD. (I am no academic so that was a massive achievement for me)."
    – Jochen Glueck
    Mar 20, 2022 at 13:23
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    There is, generally, no separate category of "PhD research" which would be governed by special rules when it comes to publishing in a journal. There is just research. It might be publishable or not, but that has nothing to do with how many years have passed since you have received your PhD.
    – Adam Přenosil
    Mar 20, 2022 at 13:51
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    My mum, now in her 70s, has been putting together papers from her PhD that she did over 40 years ago.
    – Jack Aidley
    Mar 20, 2022 at 17:56
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    Not the same but related... phys.org/news/2008-07-brian-guitarist-band-queen-phd.html
    – user2705196
    Mar 20, 2022 at 18:25

2 Answers 2

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There is no general time limit. Reputable journals will however only accept new results in the sense that they are not published elsewhere. So as long as nobody else has published the same results you are going to publish, there is no problem.

And of course you can include additional findings that are not in your thesis. The journal publication is a document on its own (standard citation rules apply).

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    You should include additional findings. After all, you're supposed to present your very best work!
    – user21820
    Mar 21, 2022 at 15:57
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    It is generally true that if no one has published the same results, you can publish. However, the field may have sufficiently advanced in the time since the original work to the point where the publication is largely irrelevant, even if it remains novel work. That would certainly make acceptance more difficult.
    – Michael Mior
    Mar 22, 2022 at 15:13
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You can publish work in a journal whenever you want, as long as it's not be published before. One thing to think about us whether there are now new papers that should be cited or discussed in your work. It's only been a few years but you might need to reframe your introduction if your field has moved forward alot and thus place your work in the current context of the field rather than what the field was several years ago when you wrote the article.

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    Rob, thanks for your answer. I would have awarded a green tick as well...but only can give one. I note your advice to check current literature given the time difference between research and publication.
    – Mari153
    Mar 21, 2022 at 6:05
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    @Mari153 If you had co-authors, it might also be more difficult to get their consent to publish if some time has passed.
    – user3067860
    Mar 21, 2022 at 12:41
  • @user3067860 - there are no co-authors involved
    – Mari153
    Mar 22, 2022 at 0:20

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