Electronic Theses, Project Reports, and Dissertations

Introduction

Michigan Tech’s Graduate School has initiated two document submission projects within the last couple of years.

1. DIGITAL BINDING COPIES - Dissertations and theses, as well as project reports that the author and/or advisor want to have professionally bound, must be submitted in simple pdf format on a CD. The files do not need to have links and bookmarks, for example, from table of contents listings to the chapters. These digital copies are forwarded to Heckman Bindery where they are printed and bound. Documents are not available to be read on line. For information: http://www.gradschool.mtu.edu/td/TDBindery.pdf

2. ETD PROJECT - Michigan Tech graduate students can secure global exposure of their work and master the skills needed to create substantive electronic documents by choosing to submit a wholly electronically formatted copy. ETD submission requires thorough linking and bookmarking so that the document can be easily read on line. If you choose to submit an ETD, the same file can be sent to Heckman for binding, but if you submit a simple pdf for binding, that file does not constitute an ETD.

What is an ETD?

An Electronic Thesis or Dissertation (ETD) is a document that explicates the research of a graduate student and is expressed in a form simultaneously suitable for machine archives and worldwide retrieval. An ETD must have the same content as the required paper version, such as text, figures, tables, footnotes, and references. However, being electronic, It may also include multi-media and interactive objects and links. An ETD can be displayed on the World Wide Web and can be retrieved and archived electronically. It is available to anyone who can browse the Web. An ETD can be very simple, such as a traditional text-only document converted into an electronic version with links and bookmarks. Or an ETD can be enriched with new electronic tools characteristic of emerging areas of scholarly communication. You prepare your ETD using nearly any word processor or document preparation system, but the electronic format provides you with a technologically advanced medium for expressing your ideas.

When considering whether to include an ETD copy of your work, however, you should consider all the implications. Here are some important things for you to consider…

Skills acquired with an ETD

Preparing an ETD will require some time and effort on your part, but will prove to be an invaluable experience in a world where electronic communication is increasingly important. In fact, many careers already assume you have mastered some of these skills:

  • Using word-processing software proficiently.
  • Using Adobe Acrobat software to create a substantial PDF document.
  • Preparing multimedia enhancements such as those you might wish to incorporate in your ETD.

Why submit an ETD?

There are many reasons to prepare and submit an ETD:

  • Richer document content. Multi-media components such as high-resolution images, video, and audio clips, as well as some databases and programs can be imbedded in an ETD.
  • Broader, faster exposure of your work. Your document will have worldwide 24/7 accessibility shortly after you submit and release your ETD.
  • Inclusion of Master’s theses and reports. Currently, only doctoral dissertations are available via UMI.
  • Enhanced full text searchability. Searches are no longer limited to just keywords and indexing data. Links allow easy access.
  • Experience preparing a large electronic document. These skills are a valuable asset for future employment.
  • More efficient submission to UMI. Digital information permits FTP submission to UMI Dissertations Publishing and is the most efficient means of submission.

Are there any concerns?

ETDs raise important issues about scholarly publishing:

  • Intellectual property rights to the work
  • Ability to publish a book or article derived from your research already “published” on the World Wide Web
  • Long-term availability. Electronic archival standards and software convertibility are still being developed
  • Fair-use and copyright standards.
  • Learn the facts about these concerns from resources on the website of the National Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (NDLTD) http://www.ndltd.org/copyright/index.en.html.

Facts about ETDs

About 50,000 doctoral dissertations and an even greater number of master’s theses are produced annually in the U.S. A typical dissertation is ordered no more than six times from University Microfilms; it is often checked out from a university library even fewer times. TDs change that. At one university more than 80% of the collection of 2500 TDs had been accessed at least 100 times each.

Steps in the ETD process

  • Start early to plan, organize, and develop needed skills.
  • Learn about ETDs and Michigan Tech’s program.
  • Read through “Instructions for the Preparation of Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs).
  • Learn about copyright & publication.
  • Discuss preparation of an ETD with your advisor, committee, and the Graduate School Office.
  • Convert the final version of your document to an ETD and submit the CD along with a second CD for binding to The Graduate School Office.

Preparation Guildelines here.

 
Last reviewed on 06/08/2007
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