Publish and graduate?: earning a PhD by published papers in Australia

In the field of film and television studies there are numerous ways one can obtain a PhD. An alternative to the traditional PhD consisting of an 80–100,000 word thesis is the PhD by Publications. From the unearned honorary doctorate in film and television purchased on the Internet, to honorary doctorates bestowed according to film and television celebrity, to PhDs by Publications given to candidates who package together a number of films produced before enrolment to PhDs by Publications in which the submitted papers must be generated during candidacy, the range in requirements for this type of degree is huge. This paper argues for recognition of their varying status