Digital Collections Project Coordinator
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What are the benefits of ETDs?
What are my options regarding electronic access? Can I delay or restrict the publication of my ETD?
Where can researchers find UCF's ETDs?
My thesis is only in print. How can I get it online?
Can I change my thesis or dissertations after it appears on the library server?
What are digital libraries of ETDs?
Can I get a bound copy of my thesis or dissertation?
An ETD (electronic thesis or dissertation) is an electronic version of a thesis or dissertation. An ETD is formatted just like a traditional thesis or dissertation (with pagination, tables, figures, references, etc.), but it is saved as a PDF file and submitted electronically to the University instead of printed on paper. Once approved, ETDs are made available online and preserved in a digital archive. This includes all graduate level theses and dissertations published in 2004.
Retrospective Theses and Dissertations (RTDs) are scanned copies of theses and dissertations previously published only in print, and these can be either Honors in the Major or Graduate level works.
For more information about the project or to learn about how to get your thesis or dissertation digitized, please visit the RTD or HIM 1990-2015 websites in STARS, read the FAQ, or contact the project coordinator.
The Honors Undergraduate Thesis program (HUT) provides students from all disciplines the opportunity to engage in original and independent research as principal investigators. Over the course of two to four semesters, students work closely with a faculty committee to research, write, defend and publish an Honors thesis that serves as the capstone product of their undergraduate career. This thesis is published in STARS and is available to researchers worldwide through electronic databases. Upon successful completion of the program, students earn the Honors distinction by selecting one of three thesis options.
What are the benefits of ETDs?
An ETD makes research immediately accessible to a broad audience, while reducing both printing/binding costs for the student and processing/storage costs for the University. In addition to the electronic format being more readily searchable than a print document, it can incorporate added features such as color, multimedia, and supplemental files and provides opportunities to use new forms of creative scholarship through use of interactive elements, multimedia, hyperlinks, etc.
Retrospectively scanning theses and dissertations makes historical research accessible to a wide audience. By digitizing older research, it becomes accessible to scholars all over the world, as well as being more readily searchable than a print document.
What are my options regarding electronic access? Can I delay or restrict the publication of my ETD?
Please refer to the Thesis and Dissertation Webcourse for the most up-to-date information.
Where can researchers find UCF's ETDs?
All UCF Theses and Dissertations are available in STARS, UCF's institutional repository, including print and electronic, and undergraduate and graduate works. Links to Theses and Dissertations are also available in the UCF Libraries' catalog.
My thesis is only in print. How can I get it online?
It's easy! If you are the author, just download the Internet Distribution Consent Agreement, then sign and email it to us. That's all you have to do--we take care of the rest. We will let you know when your work is available online to view. If you are not the author, feel free to contact Kerri Bottorff, RTD Project Coordinator, and she will try to help you.
Visit the RTD FAQ for more information.
Can I change my thesis or dissertations after it appears on the library server?
Once an ETD, RTD, or HUT is approved and submitted, that version is a matter of University record and will be archived as such. No corrections are allowed after submission. If you have questions or concerns about this, please contact the College of Graduate Studies Thesis Editor or Office of Honors Research.
What are digital libraries of ETDs?
The largest university-based collection of ETDs is maintained by the NDLTD (Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations), an international organization dedicated to promoting the adoption, creation, use, dissemination, and preservation of electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs). Presently, the NDLTD, an international consortium of research universities, hosts over 300,000 ETDs. The NDLTD presents the Innovative ETD Award and NDLTD Leadership Awards. Over 100 research universities and institutions have joined the NDLTD, including USF, MIT, and the University of Texas at Austin.
The largest for-profit collection is stored by UMI, University Microfilms International, a division of Bell and Howell. UMI, a private company that has been the established central repository and disseminator for print dissertations over the last 50 years, scans all the print dissertations it receives and converts them to PDF files which are now available to be downloaded via the internet for the same fee required for a print copy. In addition, authorized users from participating institutions can download the full text of dissertations and theses published after 1996 at no cost.
No. Previously, students were required to submit their works to ProQuest, but the University has dropped the mandatory requirement. Students are welcome to visit ProQuest's For Student Authors website if they wish to submit their work.
Can I get a bound copy of my thesis or dissertation?
UCF no longer requires a printed copy of your ETD or HUT. Any provision of bound copies to committee members or departments is a courtesy and not a part of graduation requirements. The Pegasus logo is no longer used on any unofficial printed copy--the presence of the Pegasus seal could imply that a bound version is an official copy, but the official copy of record is the ETD.
You are free to make your own bindery contacts and negotiate your own agreements, shipping arrangements, and methods of payment. Any paper copies produced by the student would be for personal use and not considered "official."