1. Dr Colin Macduff and Colin MacLean ETD 11th International Symposium
Evaluating the process and impact of active dissemination of an e-thesis: a new authorial model
Dr Colin Macduff and Colin MacLean
ETD 11th International Symposium
Spreading the Light
RGU June 2008
This presentation is based on work undertaken last year with an educational initiative to support nurses to implement clinical guidelines. This was undertaken with other CeNPRaD members and our RCN colleagues Katie Rae and Dr Lesley Duff.
We have attempted to draw out some of the key messages from this initiative in respect of working within organisations. Wherever possible we want to illustrate this with the particular cases from the initiative.
Over to Colin’s joke
Link:
Perhaps I could introduce some such individuals we had involved in the project to try and clear this question up?

2. Overview of presentation
Traditional PhD dissemination: forms and norms
My ETD case study reported via a four stage model
Strengths and weaknesses
Intrinsic and instrumental lessons
Final thoughts and personal reflections

3. The traditional PhD: forms and norms
Accessing a traditional thesis
Disseminating your thesis
PhD – RIP
********************
An alternative scenario

4. Stage 1: Conceptualisation/re-conceptualisation
PhD Viva in May 2007
Thesis traditional in structure, content and format
Thoughts of a book, but lack of time
Opportunity to directly inform national policy, but surely PhD a blunt instrument?
The ETD moment!
3 month preparation process helped greatly by team in library (Dr Susan Copeland; Colin McLean; Sheila Scott)
OpenAIR IR to house thesis and related output (Annexes and published papers)
Ongoing integral evaluation designed

5. Evaluation objectives
compare pre and post perceptions of ‘product’ content, quality and ‘market’ utility
identify and appraise the key process elements involved in preparing a recently completed thesis for an IR
articulate and undertake an integrated publicity strategy that would support the dissemination of the thesis
collate and analyse data that would indicate the nature and extent of engagement achieved through this dissemination activity
identify the relative strengths and weaknesses of the above processes, with reference to relevant evaluative literature

6. Evaluation methodology
Design informed by:
Robert Stake (1995) – case studies with intrinsic and instrumental value
Kolb (1984) – experiential learning – planning, acting, reflecting and concluding

7. Evaluation methods
Ongoing documenting of experience, collation of relevant documentation (e.g. s, notes of meetings)
Collation of data on website “hits”, website questionnaire and e mail feedback
Reflection and ongoing comparison with relevant evaluative literature about ETDs

8. Stage 2: Preparation Permissions Copyright Errata
“Framing”, my idea to bring reader in through own web pages with quick guide to thesis
Proactive, assertive dissemination strategy planned, with in-built evaluation research project
Gradual awareness of novelty value in field of nursing: e theses but no evaluation

9. Stage 3: Dissemination September 2007 “launch”
individual e mails to policy, education, practice and research contacts
Invitation to access and “snowball”
Distribution via professional/disciplinary ing lists (e bulletins) known to be received by total of at least 7,000 people
Internal publicity via RGU News
Professional and academic journal articles prepared

10. Stage 4: Evaluation (6 months post launch)
Own web page: new hits
Thesis views/downloads: 700+ times
Methodological annexes views: times
Hits on integral feedback form: 300
Actual feedback forms completed: 11 (mostly UK academics but one student and one practitioner)
Personal feedback via e mail: 70 (majority educationalists and researchers, but a few managers and practitioners)
Content of feedback highly affirmatory of process of access and product itself
Not all hits and feedback by me and family!

11. Related output by self and library team
2 conference papers (Royal College of Nursing International Research Conference April 2008 and Spreading the Light 2008)
1 “popular” journal paper on how to publish your thesis on-line (Nursing Standard 2008)
1 academic journal guest editorial imminent (The PhD thesis as a virtual guest house; Journal of Clinical Nursing 2008)
1 further academic journal paper in preparation
Accessibility of thesis content (new model and methods) useful in securing two very recent research grants (£150,000)

12. Strengths and weaknesses/questions
Thought through and integrated
Could have collated who was accessing it and where from
Clear evidence of engagement
Has it made any impact on policy or practice?
Ostensibly original within nursing
Will it be cited and will people seek permission to use any material?

13. Intrinsic and instrumental lessons
Particular/peculiar
More general
Fortuitous conjunction of thesis conclusion and policy development
Searching ETD databases should be standard practice now
Confidence of mature student with much research experience
Key process elements identified may be relevant to all ETD preparation
Motivation to actively disseminate
The 4 stage model may be relevant to all ETDs

14. Final thoughts on ETDs and their dissemination
The conceptualisation/re-conceptualisation stage seems the most important: who are you writing for? imagined audience when thesis becomes a publication?
Thesis as a living electronic entity: scope for innovative form and content
Sheer power of the internet as a medium to foster access and potential deeper engagement
A growing “e academy” of theses enables learning: exemplar theses

15. Personal impact and reflections
A fascinating learning journey in one year
The seemingly involuntary development of metaphors to make sense of the ETD journey
Gratitude to the pioneers of the ETD movement who have helped my work to take to the air
Gratitude for the Innovative Learning through ETD Award from NDLTD and Adobe Systems
ETD = Enrichment Through Dissemination!

16. References
My thesis link:
Macduff, C (2008) Think out loud: how to get your dissertation or thesis published online. Nursing Standard 22 (21) 62-63
Macduff, C (2008) The PhD thesis as a virtual guest house (guest editorial in press) Journal of Clinical Nursing