The spikning is an academic ritual in Swedish universities, and a part of the publication of PhD theses. Researchers and doctoral students at the University of Borås spikar their theses at the birch trunk in the library.
In Sweden, a dissertation, or doctoral thesis, is a publication submitted by doctoral students when they finish their four-year doctoral studies. A licentiate thesis is submitted after two years of doctoral education. A doctoral thesis may be published as a book (monograph thesis), or as a compendium consisting of a number of shorter scientific papers (compilation thesis).
ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Citation Index is the world's largest database for doctoral dissertations and master's theses, many of which are available in full text.
The database is interdisciplinary, including doctoral dissertations from art and design schools such as the University of the Arts and the Royal College of Art.
You can access it through the Web of Science platform. Choose Search in: ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Citation Index.
Dissertations within textile and fashion design in UB's publication repository, DiVA: