Transcript ELECTRONIC THESES / DISSERTATIONS AT GW Website: www.gwu.edu/~etds Email: [email protected] Electronic Theses/Dissertations at GW What, Why, How, and When.

ELECTRONIC THESES /
DISSERTATIONS AT GW
Website: www.gwu.edu/~etds
Email: [email protected]
Electronic Theses/Dissertations
at GW
What, Why, How,
and When
What is an ETD?
An ETD is a thesis/dissertation created as an
electronic document or as a document plus
supplemental files.
All GW dissertations and theses are now submitted
as ETDs to Proquest/UMI, the major archiving and
distribution agent for U. S. dissertations.
Archival copies of ETDs are also held in GW’s
Institutional Repository hosted on the Washington
Research Library Consortium (WRLC) servers.
Why do an ETD?
Because it is
MANDATORY.
Why do an ETD?
1. Improved presentation of your ideas and
increased opportunity for creativity.
2. Faster and wider access (particularly if set up as
“open access”), providing greater visibility and
increasing its impact on your field of study.
3. Greater control over release dates and
dissemination.
4. Lower printing and copying costs.
5. More efficient interaction with faculty.
6. Develop skills in electronic publishing.
How do you do an ETD?
1. Become familiar with the ETD websites:
http://www.gwu.edu/~etds
(GW’s site)
http://www.etdadmin.com/gwu/
(Proquest’s submission site)
2. Write your dissertation as an electronic document
in Word (or the word processing software of your
choice).
3. Follow formatting requirements described in the
GW ETD guidelines.
4. Defend the dissertation and make revisions as
required.
How do you do an ETD?
5. Get final signoffs.
After all final changes are made, submit the Electronic
Theses / Dissertations Approval Form to your school to
testify that you:
 are submitting the final, approved document file;
 have gotten any needed research approvals and
copyright permissions; and
 have indicated desired access to the dissertation
(immediate or delayed/embargoed).
6. Convert the absolutely final, finished, correct,
approved dissertation file and any supplementary
files into PDF files. (A conversion program is
provided at www.etdadmin.com/gwu.
How do you do an ETD?
7. Check the pdf file carefully.
If formatting is wrong, go back to website for
instructions on how to make sure fonts are embedded,
use tabs correctly to indent, etc.
8. Submit the file. Go to www.etdadmin.com/gwu:
 Complete the information form by providing
contact information, title, keywords, and abstract
 Upload the pdf.
 Pay by credit card.
9. Respond promptly if you receive e-mail notification
that additional formatting or other changes are
required before the University can submit it to
Proquest. Provide an email address you check
regularly!
Embellishments
 Besides the main ETD document file, you can
include supplementary pdf files (e.g., with
graphics, charts, scales, photographs).
 If you want to get fancier, or if you have a
dissertation file greater than 250 MBs in size,
you must submit the entire dissertation and
supplementary files to Proquest on a CD after
approval by your school and completion of ETD
submission forms.
 On a CD, you can include multimedia simulations,
sounds, audio/video …almost anything.
 Please consult with Proquest/UMI for more
information ([email protected]).
When do you submit an ETD?
Dissertation deadline for SPRING graduation:
April 1
Dissertation deadline for FALL graduation:
January 15
Dissertation deadline for SUMMER graduation:
April 1
Master’s thesis deadlines are the same, except the
Spring deadline is May 15.
When do you submit an ETD?
Everything
(forms, pdf of your dissertation)
must be reviewed, approved, and
submitted at least 1-2 weeks
before the deadline
to leave time to resolve any
problems.
After You Submit
 The Gelman Library ETD Administrator and school
ETD administrator will check your submission and
contact you if they spot any problems.
 If there are no problems, it will be transmitted with
other dissertations from the same semester to
Proquest/UMI.
 You’ll get an email acknowledging receipt after the
ETD is reviewed at GW.
 In a couple of months, it will be accessible on line
Proquest’s dissertation database site, through the
Gelman Library site (http://metalib.wrlc.org), under
General Interest and Reference, Dissertation.
Issues to decide BEFORE
you submit the ETD
 Seeking permission to use copyrighted material in
your dissertation.
 Seeking an embargo of your dissertation to pursue
a patent or book contract
 Open Access vs. traditional publishing.
 Filing the copyright with the U. S. government.
Permissions
 Be sure to get permission from author or publisher
to use material by other authors (extended quotes,
tables or figures, scales used in the research, etc.).
 See www.gwu.edu/~etds , Copyright and Publisher
Issues.
Immediate Release vs. Embargo
 Can be embargoed for 6 months, 1 year, 2 years
or, through school administrator, longer (even
permanently).
 Withhold only if you
1. are likely to pursue a book contract immediately
for a book that will be very much like the
dissertation;
2. have developed a scale, instrument, etc. that
would have commercial value; or
3. have a patentable discovery.
 If (2) or (3), GW copyright and patent policies may
apply.
Open Access vs.
Traditional Publishing
 Open Access = available to the public for free
worldwide, via Proquest UMI; traditional publishing =
must be purchased through Proquest or acquired
through GW interlibrary loan.
 In the interest of broader dissemination of information,
the University encourages open access.
 Publishers are usually okay if the dissertation on which
a book or article is based is Open Access; if in doubt,
check.
 Open Access calls attention to your work and increases
the number of times it may be cited by other
researchers – strengthening your reputation,
applications for funding, and job searches.
Copyright Protection
 You have the copyright by virtue of authoring the
work.
 You can call attention to that by including a
copyright page in the work.
 If you have reasons to fear infringement of
copyright, you can pay through Proquest to file
copyright with US government (or later if an issue
arises).
Important Tips
1. Carefully review the ETD website.
Follow the checklist, steps to submission, and best
practices.
2. Don’t submit drafts.
The file you upload to the ETD website should be your
final, fully revised and approved document.
3. Check the details.
Make sure titles and dissertation committee names are
correct and consistent.
4. Don’t wait until the last-minute.
5. If you have any questions, ASK.
Contact your school ETD administrator or the Gelman
ETD administrator.