Jarrow, Electronic Thesis, and Dissertation Software

Those of you interested in ETD workflow management systems may want to look at this article, in the Code4Lib Journal. Abstract is below:

Collecting and disseminating theses and dissertations electronically is not a new concept. Tools and platforms have emerged to handle various components of the submission and distribution process. However, there is not a tool that handles the entirety of the process from the moment the student begins work on their thesis to the dissemination of the final thesis. The authors have created such a tool which they have called Jarrow. After reviewing available open-source software for theses submission and open-source institutional repository software this paper discusses why and how Jarrow was created and how it works. Jarrow can be downloaded and the project followed at http://code.library.unbc.ca.

by James R.W. MacDonald and Daniel Yule

Lifecycle Management of ETDs

I’ve attended a number of ETD-related conferences over the past year and have had the privilege of listening to presentations by a group of individuals working on an MLIS grant project on the lifecycle management of ETDs. I’m truly excited about the work this group is doing to investigate and document issues from the creation to the preservation of ETDs. If you are interested in following their work, the see their Wiki, the Guidance Documents for Lifecycle Management of ETDs . I understand, once the project is complete, the outcome will be a series of documents and resources which can be used for workshops and other types of training.

TxETDA 2012 Presentations

Session and Poster presentations from the TxETDA 2012 conference are now available through the Online Conference System. Enjoy!

TxETDA 2012 Photos

TxETDA 2012, held February 23 and 24 in Denton, Texas, was a tremendous success. The conference proceedings will be available in the next few weeks. In the meantime check out our photos:

TxETDA 2012

USETDA 2011 Concludes

The USETDA 2011 conference, held in the Orlando area, concluded today at noon. It was a tremendous experience for me, as an organizer, and the feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive.  We had several representatives from Texas who were present and engaged at various levels: Ryan Steans (TDL), Gail Clement (TAMU), Ginger Dickens (UTA), Jill Kleister (UNT), and Daniel Alemneh (UNT).  The sessions were practical, informed and engaging. I was particularly pleased with the variety of presentations on issues of copyright and intellectual property, as well as the opportunity to learn about the various workflows, policies and approaches of other institutions.  The TxETDA members were also provided with an opportunity to hold a 45 minute session on Friday morning, where we discussed the Texas Digital Library, the upcoming conference, and other ETD issues.

If you were unable to attend, I encourage you to review the materials which have been posted online at the USETD 2011 conference proceedings page. The organization encouraged everyone to make plans in their budget to attend next year’s conference (location and date to be announced), and to be part of the new USETDA initiatives. They are seeking volunteers to assist with various committees: communications, resources, serving as a state representative, and conference planning. The USETDA board has a lot of great plans for USETDA in the coming years, but won’t be able to accomplish their goals without your involvement. If you want to learn more about USETDA, and/or become a member, visit their webpage at http://www.usetda.org/.

—Laura Hammons (Texas A&M University)

Texas A&M Thesis Office releases Spring 2011 Workshop Schedule

Each fall and spring semester, the Thesis Office at Texas A&M University partners with Texas A&M University Libraries and Graduate Studies to host a series of seminars and workshops to familiarize students, faculty, and staff with Thesis Office services, requirements, and their role. This spring the Thesis Office is hosting their Information Seminar on January 27 and 28. In addition,  they are offering 20 workshops covering topics such as formatting guidelines, submission and review through Vireo, using Microsoft Word templates (with and without styles), inserting figures/tables in portrait and landscaped pages, creative commons licensing, education fair use and copyright, Turnitin.com and academic integrity in the ETD, and a Thesis Office Round Table.

The office advertises programs broadly throughout the university using listservs, university calendars, and Facebook. For more information about these program visit the Thesis Office website and Facebook Page.  In addition, the archived video and other materials from the Fall 2010 Information Seminar can be viewed from the Thesis Office website.

Indiana University of Pennsylvania

The School of Graduate Studies and Research at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) has an ETD website worth checking out. See their deadlines, look through their writing resources, and especially visit their page for instructional videos and formatting instructions.

Electronic Thesis & Dissertations Embargo: The University of Kansas

The University of Kansas (KU) has an excellent page on ETD embargoes.  It provides faculty and students with a link to the embargo polilcy, considerations when selecting an embargo option, steps for getting approval, and a link to a printable pdf diagram. Those looking to enhance their procedures and policies or communication with constituents may find this information useful.

Availability of ETDs at Duke University

The Graduate School at Duke University has a detailed and clear webpage on the availability options available to students submitting ETDs. Students are informed specifically how their ETD will be made available following graduation: repository, university catalog, ProQuest/UMI and indexed through major search engines. In addition, they have taken time to guide students for informed decision making regarding the embargoing of their ETD. I encourage you to browse through this page and consider how this might be useful for your office.

The University of Georgia Graduate School Format Guidance

The Graduate School at the University of Georgia has useful formatting guidelines available from their webpage. Of most interest is a comparison chart of the advantages and disadvanges of several popular programs in which ETDs can be authored (Microsoft Word, LaTeX, etc.). Also interesting is a chart showing pros and cons of maintaining separate ETD files vs. an individual file during the writing stage. To see the guidelines visit the UGA Graduate School webpage.