How prepared are libraries to support students in compiling, formatting and submitting their e-theses? Sam Kalb Queen’s University Library

 This presentation will look at ETD templates, learning resources, and other support services that the library can offer to help students deal with the challenges of ETD preparation and submission.

 ETD Queen’s  Background & staffing  Student Support  Thesis templates (styles & macros)  Instructional materials (guides, online tutorials, q & a knowledgebase)  Workshops  File conversion to pdf  Student submission

All theses and dissertations will have to be submitted to LAC electronically by 2014.

 Library initiative, based on Queen’s DSpace repository platform (QSpace); working closely with School of Graduate Studies & Research  Solicited project funding from VP Academic to customize DSpace for maximum ease of student authentication and submission  Mandatory e-thesis submission since July 2007  Continuous refinement of submission screens during 1 st year based on queries and feedback from students  Developed initial Word templates in theses & dissertations deposited annually

Deposits thesis in QSpace ETD Collection QSpaceQSpace Thesis Officer Reviews thesis format Thesis Officer Reviews thesis format Theses Canada Harvests metadata and thesis Theses Canada Harvests metadata and thesis Library Catalogue Metadata with link to thesis Library Catalogue Metadata with link to thesis ProQuest Metadata + thesis to Dissertations Online ProQuest Metadata + thesis to Dissertations Online Google Scholar & other search engines harvest metadata Google Scholar & other search engines harvest metadata Search for theses Student Downloads Templates + Guides Student Downloads Templates + Guides Prepares Thesis (optionally in QShare: web file sharing system) Converts to PDF System generates link from thesis in ETD collection to a corresponding dept. thesis collection Metadata export programs Asks student for format revisions Accepts thesis Deposit completed If student asked to restrict thesis, access to thesis blocked for up to 5 years but metadata is publicly available Student receives notice of deposit

Library:  Scholarly Communication Services Coordinator – time spent on E-thesis services =.3 fte (1st year:.75 fte) .5 fte programmer/analyst dedicated to the QSpace repository, incl. E-Thesis Service (1st year: 1.25 fte)  Additional support from liaison librarians, web development staff, etc. School of Graduate Studies  Thesis Coordinator  Additional support from the Dean, Associate Deans, etc.

 Library ETD web site (Wordpress) – templates & resources Library ETD web site  Library Instruction  Guides/manuals  Graduate Studies Expanding Horizons Workshop Series  Guest lecture in credit course on thesis writing (two classes annually)  Online tutorials  Copyright website & instruction offered by Copyright Office  School of Grad Studies web site

 Using thesis templates  QShare (optional thesis workspace)  Converting your file to PDF  Submitting your electronic thesis  Questions & Answers

 Answering the same questions and resolving the same recurring problems one-by-one was very time-consuming and frustrating for staff and students  Most people do not use styles and other advanced word processing features  Queen’s does not provide training for students on these advanced features  Templates conform with Grad Studies formatting requirements

 Preparing templates is initially time consuming – but a good investment  New versions of MS-Word may require minor or even major changes to the templates  Need to make realistic assessment of software you will support. Our site clearly states that our templates only support MS-Word (all versions) for Windows with some Mac support (2004 & 2011).  Will you include macros to help users with formatting & how many – macros are most affected by software and policy changes.

 Styles  Styles conform to the Queen’s School of Grad Studies thesis formatting requirements  Macros  Macros automatically format headings, etc.  Support only MS-Word  Support only MS-Word (Windows, 2003, 2007, 2010) & (Mac, 2004 & 2011)

 MS-Word Chapter Template:  MS-Word Chapter Template: intended to allow students to work on each chapter as a separate file (if they wish).  Benefit: simple template with editing macros; allows student to keep thesis construction flexible and in relatively small manageable files.  MS-Word Main Template:  MS-Word Main Template: contains all of the elements required for a Queen’s thesis in correct order and format. MS-Word Main Template MS-Word Main Template  Benefit: ensures that student includes all required thesis elements, correctly formatted; contains macros to help with final compilation.  LaTeX Template:  LaTeX Template: supplied and maintained by graduate students in the Queen’s School of Computing.  Benefit: provides sci-tech students with template in the system they use to compile their theses. Not supported by Library.

 Guides to the Templates  Online Tutorials  Questions & Answers  Questions & Answers (searchable database)

 Separate manuals for 2003 and 2007/2010 MS-Word templates  Step by step fully-illustrated guides to all the key template functions:  Step 1: Decide which Template you need  Step 2: Downloading the templates  Step 3: Read the Guidelines  Step 4: Styles & Macros  Step 5: What about saving my files?  Step 6: OK, I'm ready to write! (i.e. working with the chapter templates)  Step 7: Setting up the Front Matter  Step 8: Assembling Chapters with the Front Matter  Step 9: Creating Landscape Pages  Step 10: Update the Table of Contents, List of Figures & Illustrations, and List of Plates  Appendix 1. Editing, Navigation, Formatting and Selecting Shortcuts 2007/2010 Guide

 Guides to the Templates  Online Tutorials  Questions & Answers  Questions & Answers (searchable database)

 Created using Adobe Captivate  Follow the sequence of instructions in the Guide to the Templates  Demonstrate the functions / features described in the Guide  No tutorial is longer than 3 minutes; most are one minute or less Online Tutorials Online Tutorials

 Guides to the Templates  Online Tutorials  Questions & Answers  Questions & Answers (searchable knowledgebase)

 Contains all of the questions submitted by grad students and the answers supplied since the service began in 2007  Our Web Development Librarian recommended Wordpress for its functionality and easy to use Wordpress  Essentially a blogging program, Wordpress provided me with the tools to both design the desired knowledgebase and host the ETD web site. Web Page

 Page  Page function: used to prepare my basic ETD web page  Post  Post function: used to add each set of Q&As  Categories  Categories function: used to identify categories for each posting  Tag  Tag function: used to flag additional terms in postings for greater search granularity  Search  Search function: accommodates a full text search feature at the top of the web page as well as a query by Category (as drop down in sidebar and as a list at bottom of the page.

 Where to find the online resources?  Brief presentation on:  Save-guarding/sharing your files (QShare)  Conversion to PDF (Adobe Professional)  Depositing your thesis in QSpace  Why use thesis templates?  Styles & Macros  Writing a chapter with the template  Setting up the Front matter  Assembling your final thesis document

 As more instructional resources were added, attendance at ETD workshop diminished  Focus moved to making students aware of the resources and their importance by:  Liaison Librarians incorporating this information into the resources workshops they offer in the Grad Studies Expanding Horizons Workshop Series when they will be most receptive (after they have finished their course work)  staff in Grad Studies, providing this information to students when they will be most receptive (after they have finished their course work)

 There will always be a few students each year who will have problems preparing their theses with or without the templates and instructional materials.  These students will require individual support – in a few cases throughout the whole process of preparing their thesis.

 Using thesis templates  QShare  QShare (optional thesis workspace)  Converting your file to PDF  Submitting your electronic thesis  Questions & Answers

 QShare  QShare “is an on-line file storage, distribution and sharing solution for the Queen’s community. It provides a secure, web-based file space where your thesis can be securely stored and, if desired, shared with your thesis advisor and others – anywhere, anytime. QShare Personal accounts are available free of charge to all Faculty, Staff and Graduate Students of Queen’s University.”

 Using thesis templates  QShare (optional thesis workspace)  Converting your file to PDF  Submitting your electronic thesis  Questions & Answers

 “A single PDF file of the finalized thesis or dissertation is required for submission. Each student is responsible for converting their own document to PDF format and verifying the PDF version for accuracy. The thesis must be printable. So, do not password protect the submitted PDF. Supplementary multimedia files may also be submitted with your PDF file.”  “Adobe Acrobat Pro is mounted on all of the Queen’s Library computers. You can convert your thesis directly from within the workstation’s copy of MS Word. Queen’s only supplies and supports PDF conversion via Adobe Acrobat.”

 Using thesis templates  QShare (optional thesis workspace)  Converting your file to PDF  Submitting your electronic thesis  Questions & Answers

 The submission process is sufficiently simple that few students need more than the few line on the web page  Instructions on each screen have been refined based on past experience  There is also a step-by-step instruction sheet to walk the student through the whole submission process for those who need it. Guide to depositing your thesis in QSpace

Automatic authentication of registered Queen’s grad students via LDAP + student information system

 A student may restrict access to their thesis by simply ticking the box and indicating the reason on the 1 st submission screen. The embargo is automatically lifted after five years unless the student requests that it be lifted at an earlier date.

System supplied student name and file type cannot be changed by student

Queen’s ETD Resource Page: QSpace Repository: QSpace Coordinator Thesis Coordinator

Sam Kalb