For anyone thinking about embarking on a PhD, or has recently started the journey, a common question that arises is what format will you choose to publish your thesis? Do you go down the "traditional" route, writing a monolithic piece of text, or opt for the "thesis by publication" route (also known as alternative format, or article thesis), where you publish journal articles "as you go".
What option you choose may ultimately result from what question you trying to answer, the subject you are doing, or by the options offered by your university. Your future career choice may also dictate the type of thesis you write. Thinking of an academic career? then "publish or perish" may sound familiar to you!
Having recently completed my PhD thesis by publication, I wanted to share my thoughts and experiences on this format. Admittedly, before I started my PhD, I hadn't even thought about the different options for the thesis, but it seemed like a no brainer to do it via publications. After all, no one will ever read it, right?