inSupportOf

inSupportOf · Not mentioned by Google

Appears in

• Thesis

What is it?

inSupportOf names the academic degree, qualification, or candidature that a thesis supports. It answers the question "What degree is this thesis written for?" with a plain text value like "Ph.D. in Conservation Biology" or "Master of Science."

Why this matters for AEO

When a researcher asks an AI engine "What theses have been written for a Ph.D. in [field]?", the AI needs structured data to match degree programs to thesis records. inSupportOf provides that direct link. Academic repositories that mark up thesis records with this property make their content discoverable in AI-powered academic search and citation tools.

What the specs say

Schema.org: Text. Qualification, candidature, degree, application that Thesis supports. schema.org/inSupportOf

Google: Not mentioned. No dedicated Google structured data page exists for the Thesis type.

How to find your value

• Thesis title page — The degree statement ("in partial fulfillment of...")
• University catalog — The program name associated with the thesis requirement
• Institutional repository — Degree metadata in the thesis record
• Common values — "Ph.D. in Conservation Biology", "Master of Science", "Doctor of Philosophy"

Format and code

inSupportOf takes a plain Text value. Include the degree level and field of study.

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Thesis",
  "name": "Asian elephants are essential as seed dispersers in a disturbed tropical forest",
  "author": "Sekar, Nitin, Ph.D.",
  "inSupportOf": "Conservation Biology",
  "sourceOrganization": "Princeton University"
}

With full degree title

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Thesis",
  "name": "Machine Learning Approaches to Climate Modeling",
  "author": {
    "@type": "Person",
    "name": "Jane Smith"
  },
  "inSupportOf": "Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science",
  "sourceOrganization": {
    "@type": "CollegeOrUniversity",
    "name": "MIT"
  },
  "datePublished": "2025-05-15"
}

Webflow implementation

Static pages

Add JSON-LD in Page Settings > Custom Code (before </head>):

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Thesis",
  "name": "Your Thesis Title",
  "inSupportOf": "Master of Science in Data Science",
  "sourceOrganization": "University Name"
}

CMS template pages

For institutional repositories built on Webflow CMS, create a collection with fields for thesis name, author, degree (plain text), and institution. Reference the degree field in the JSON-LD embed for inSupportOf.

In Schema HQ

Support is available for Thesis schema generation. When configuring a thesis page, enter the degree or qualification in the inSupportOf field and Schema HQ outputs the complete JSON-LD block.

Real examples

Schema.org provides the canonical example from a Princeton University thesis:

{
  "@type": "Thesis",
  "name": "Asian elephants are essential as seed dispersers in a disturbed tropical forest",
  "author": "Sekar, Nitin, Ph.D.",
  "inSupportOf": "Conservation Biology",
  "sourceOrganization": "Princeton University"
}

Source: schema.org/inSupportOf

No second live example was found in public-facing websites.

{
  "@type": "Thesis",
  "name": "Distributed Systems for Real-Time Genomic Analysis",
  "inSupportOf": "Doctor of Philosophy in Bioinformatics",
  "sourceOrganization": "Stanford University"
}

Related fields

• sourceOrganization
• author
• genre
• about

FAQ

Should inSupportOf include just the field or the full degree title?

Either works. "Conservation Biology" and "Ph.D. in Conservation Biology" are both valid. Including the degree level (Ph.D., M.S., etc.) adds useful context for AI systems that need to distinguish between doctoral and master's theses.

Is inSupportOf used outside of the Thesis type?

No. Schema.org defines inSupportOf exclusively for the Thesis type. It does not appear on any other schema type.