1. Implementing ETDs @ UConn
Eastern Digital Commons Users Group Meeting
College of the Holy Cross
Worcester, MA
May 17, 2012
Michael J. Bennett
Digital Projects Librarian & IR Coordinator
University of Connecticut Libraries

2. The Nature of Dissertations
They reflect the intellectual heritage of an institution
They document the type and quality of research that has been done at the university over time
The availability of dissertations in electronic form increases their accessibility and is consistent with the general academic assumption that doctoral scholarship should be published and shared.
Hirtle, Peter, Emily Hudson, and Andrew Kenyon. Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums.”

3. Existing Policy on Dissertation Preparation Confirms This
As a condition of graduation…
“No restrictions that limit or delay the accessibility, use, or distribution of the results of any student’s research are acceptable, if such delays interfere with the timely completion of a student’s academic program.”
“Graduate Catalog, University of Connecticut.” (retrieved 3/14/11)

4. Students and the Community of Scholars
Such policy, in essence…
Calls upon the tradition that students have an obligation to make their research available to other scholars. And also that the public University and its stakeholders are part-investor in said research.

5. The Current Workflow…

6. Proposed ProQuest/DigitalCommons Alternative…

7. Proposed DigitalCommons-only Alternative…

8. Points of Contrast
ProQuest receives student/university content for free… then charges back the student/university for the right to have access to their own material. DigitalCommons is “the electronic repository of the intellectual output of the University of Connecticut community” and is a service that the library provides and supports

9. Points of Contrast (OA, Embargos, etc.)
ProQuest charges students $160 to allow open access to the student’s dissertation. Otherwise access is only through the ProQuest licensed db. DigitalCommons’ open access is free if the student so chooses. Optionally, embargos can be chosen and automatically mediated and/or access be limited to UConn campus network i.p. ranges only.

10. So, Why Not Do Both? (from 2/14/11 & 9/30/09 proposals)
Vs.
Proven collaborative track record with Master Theses,
Complex & difficult logistics

12. So, Why Not Just Deposit Dissertations as well Straight into an Institutional Repository (like DigitalCommons)?
In fact, others already have…
“Stanford Dissertations Moving from ProQuest to Google - An interview with Mimi Calter.”

13. So, Why Not Just Deposit Straight into Institutional Repository (like DigitalCommons)?
…some are considering it…
From CalTech
“No Deposit, No Diploma: How Graduate Schools and Libraries Restrict Access to Dissertations and Theses « The Scholarly Kitchen.”

14. Where We Are Today
Masters Theses in full production mode in Digital Commons since October 2010
A proposal for mandatory electronic submission of student dissertations into the UConn institutional repository, was passed through voted resolutions by the Graduate Faculty Council, and the Graduate Student Senate over the course of Spring 2011 after months of discussion.  Included in the final options for student submissions once the system is up and running will be possible embargo periods of six months, one, two, three, four, five, and six years if the student so chooses. These particular selections were decided upon after the Graduate School canvassed 10 sister institutions on their embargo policies. (NOTE: the embargo option ranges have been extended to 10 years by recent GFC vote).
Students can also individually “opt in” to ProQuest publishing if they wish.

15. Contact
Michael J. Bennett Digital Projects Librarian & Institutional Repository Coordinator University of Connecticut Libraries