ANSWER
Short answer.
Propositions are short statements that accompany your dissertation and can be part of the defence tradition. Treat them as a separate deliverable: your faculty decides the format and approval route, and the printer needs the approved version.
01 · WHAT PROPOSITIONS ARE
What propositions are.
Propositions are short statements that accompany the dissertation. Some are closely connected to your research; others can be broader, provocative or simply a little playful. They are part of a Dutch doctoral tradition.
Do not copy a count, format or approval sequence from a friend at another university. Your faculty and graduate school decide what applies to you.
02 · APPROVAL
When propositions need approval.
Propositions can have a formal approval step. At Leiden, for example, the central regulations say the non-scientific component and propositions may only be duplicated after Dean approval.
Before printing, confirm that you have the approved version in the required format.
03 · FORMAT
Where propositions appear in the printed thesis.
Keep a separate proposition document rather than leaving them in the manuscript until the last night. Ask whether they appear in the book, as an insert, or both; which language is expected; and whether the faculty supplies a model.
Your printer may need the final proposition page or insert for the proof. A late change can require another proof cycle.
04 · WRITING
How to test whether a proposition is clear.
Check that you can explain what the statement means and why you believe it. A proposition does not need to contain your whole argument, but it needs to say more than a slogan.
Draft more than you need, shorten each one, and read them aloud. Remove wording that requires several extra sentences before it makes sense.
05 · FINAL FILE
Which proposition version to send to the printer.
Keep the approved version named and dated beside the title page and final thesis PDF. Do not replace it in the printer folder after approval without checking the university process.
Use the same final version in every place your faculty requires it.
SOURCES
Official sources.
Your university’s current regulations, Beadle’s Office and graduate school make the final decision on requirements and ceremony details.
Leiden University PhD Regulations 2021 ↗UvA: From manuscript to doctoral thesis ↗