- The Library

Submitting e-theses and hardback theses at the University of Bath

University of Bath theses requirements

From January 2008, students who have successfully fulfilled the requirements for the following research programmes will be asked to supply an electronic copy of their thesis to be placed in the University of Bath research archive, OPuS. Eligible programmes include:
 

Submission details are laid out in the University Regulations (Regulation 16). The appropriate copyright and restriction statements can be found in the Graduate Office Specifications for Higher Degree Theses document.
 

What happens to your e-thesis

An e-thesis is an electronic version of a thesis. Students who have successfully fulfilled the requirements for their research degree will be required to submit an electronic copy of their work to the library, along with the hard bound copy.

We will accept your thesis as a PDF file, and where possible we would ask you to also include the original document (MS Word, LaTeX, etc) for preservation purposes.

Initially we will accept the e-thesis on CD/DVD. There is a CD cover available for download, which should be completed and signed. It is very important to note the copyright and access (embargo) information.

The British Library will collect your thesis from OPuS, and then add it to EThOSNet, a searchable database of all UK higher education theses.

Caution: By storing a copy of your thesis in OPuS you will be making it publicly available on the internet. This offers both opportunities and challenges. On the positive side, your e-thesis will be available to a much wider audience than a print thesis. This exposure may enhance your prospects for collaboration or sponsorship and enhance the impact of your research on your field of study.

On the other hand, this exposure means that it is extremely important that you carefully consider the copyright of material from other sources in your thesis. This is called third party copyright. You should seek permission where possible to use material from other sources - if this is not possible, you should discuss this with your supervisor before submitting your electronic copy.

The Society of Authors has very good information for students and authors who require permission to use copyrighted materials. They provide suggestions on how to go about seeking permission, and they provide guidance on the use of quotations as 'fair dealing' under the Copyright Act. A good place to start when searching for copyright holders is the Watch File.

The Ethos Toolkit also contains very good information regarding third party copyrighted material in theses.

When you submit your e-thesis, we will ask that you sign a document (the CD cover) that allows us to store and distribute your work, but also confirms that you are the owner of the whole work and have fulfilled any contractual obligations (if your work was sponsored) and notes whether the item should be embargoed.
 

Issues for consideration when you are submitting your e-thesis

  1. Are you the owner of the copyright for the whole thesis? If not, do you have permission to use copyrighted material?
  2. If the thesis was sponsored by industry, do you have permission to make a copy of the item publicly available? Check with your supervisor or Research Support Unit to make sure you meet contractual obligations.
  3. Is the item in a file format that is readily recognisable (ie. PDF, LaTeX, Word)?
  4. If your Board of Studies has agreed to restrict access to your thesis, please make sure this is clearly stated when you submit your e-thesis. A release date should also be provided.
     

Finding other e-theses

There are a number of services available for locating theses, both in the UK and around the world. These include:
 

EThOS Electronic Thesis Online Service
UK theses searchable: regsiter and log in to download free full-text theses. If not available: can request via British Library. 
 
Index to Theses Comprehensive listing of higher degree theses with abstracts 
Coverage: universities in Great Britain & Ireland since 1716
ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Database Commercial solution for purchasing dissertations
Primarily US material.
ADT (Australasian Digital Theses Program) Digital versions of theses produced by the postgraduate research students at Australian universities

 

Information for Alumni 

PhD graduates amongst our alumni may well remember the feeling of relief when they finally handed in the bound copies of their thesis. However, the majority of UK theses sit gathering dust within closed access library stacks. As a result, a vast quantity of significant research is unread and unused. All this is about to change, however, with the launch of a national initiative, the EThOS Service. It is anticipated that once launched, EThOS will be the first point of call for anyone seeking to access theses from institutions across the UK. The EThoSNet project will set out to digitise up to 20,000 PhD theses during 2008, including 215 from the University of Bath.

Once theses have been digitised, they will be made available via the EThOS, an online database of UK theses which will be free at the point of use for anyone who wants to access them. Copies will also be available from the University of Bath research archive, Opus.

Usage statistics for existing e-theses repositories in other parts of the world have demonstrated that there is a great deal of interest in this type of material. The major advantage of making your thesis available online is that it will be accessible worldwide to anyone with an interest in your area of research. Wider availability of research material such as theses is supported by UK universities and funding bodies. EThOS represents an important step towards this goal.

If you already have an electronic copy of your thesis and you wish to be included in the new service, please contact the University of Bath Research Publications Librarian. Do not send theses directly to the British Library. If, for any reason, you do not wish your thesis to be digitised, you should contact the Deputy University Librarian, Mr Gavin Rea or telephone 01225 38 6083.
 

Further information

Doctoral students who are publishing journal articles, book sections, working or technical reports, or conference papers may also wish to deposit these in Opus. For more information, please contact your Subject Librarian, the Research Publications Librarian, Kara Jones or email opus-support@bath.ac.uk

February 2008 KLJ