Australian Digital Theses Program | Should you deposit a digital copy? | The deposit process | Acceptable file formats for deposit Publishers and the ADT Program | Reproduction of previously published material | Reproduction of copyright material | Intellectual property | Further Assistance
Since 1998 Griffith University has participated in a project with other Australian university libraries to build a distributed digital archive of Australian research higher degree theses (Master of Philosophy, Doctor of Philosophy and professional doctorate theses). Griffith was one of the seven foundation institutions in what is now called the Australian Digital Theses Program.
Under the Program, participating institutions publish digital versions of theses into local ADT archives. Metadata is regularly harvested from the records in these archives to progressively build a searchable central database of Australian higher degree theses.
The goal of the Program is to maximize the visibility of students' research, and of the postgraduate research output of Australian universities, by making full-text theses available as widely as possible via the World Wide Web. The Program is managed by the Council of Australian University Librarians (CAUL) and is supported by the Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations (CAPA) and the Deans and Directors of Graduate Studies group (DDOGS).
From 1 July 2002, graduating Griffith students have been required to deposit a digital copy of their thesis for inclusion in the local ADT archive. The lodgement of the digital copy is a condition of graduation.
If you are a Griffith University research higher degree student (MPhil, PhD, or professional doctorate) and have submitted your thesis for examination after 1 July 2002, you are required to deposit a digital copy of the final approved thesis.
*PhD-By-Publication candidates are exempt from this requirement. In certain other exceptional circumstances, an exemption from digital deposit may be granted by the office of Graduate Studies.
If you submitted your thesis for examination before 1 July 2002, the digital deposit is not mandatory for you. However, you are still able to give files to Information Services for inclusion in the archive, if desired. You can contact the ADT Program Coordinator (within Information Services) for information.
Once your thesis has been examined and approved as fulfilling the requirements for the degree, you must deposit three copies with the Research Higher Degree Office at Nathan Campus.
Specifically, these copies will be:
The hardbound print copy is retained by the student's Faculty. The Research Higher Degree Office will later send the unbound print copy and the digital copy to Information Services.
For more specific information on the preparation and lodgement of theses, go to the Thesis Examination site maintained by Griffith University Postgraduate Education.
The CD-ROM or diskettes deposited with the RHD Office should contain the word-processor files of the final approved thesis. Microsoft Word will be the commonest format, though others (e.g. WordPerfect) will be accepted.
The files must :
With regard to the 'completeness' requirement, the deposit may be accepted if small amounts are lacking, e.g. photocopied appendices that have never existed in digital form. However, please try to include as much as possible in your digital deposit, to expedite the publishing of your document.
If the other listed requirements are not met, you will be approached to make the deposit again.
You may deposit multiple word processor files. It is not necessary to combine separate files into a single file.
In some cases a thesis will not have been prepared using word-processing software (e.g. a document preparation system like LaTeX or Quark may have been used). In such cases, a PDF file should be generated from the original application.
PDF files should meet the criteria given for word processor files above:
Also, when creating PDF files, please ensure that conversion settings are such that all fonts are embedded and subset into the resulting PDFs. Fonts must be embedded and subset so that the documents will display identically on any PC on which they are opened. This is important, as we wish our digital theses to match the examined print versions as closely as possible, whenever and wherever they are accessed.
Finally, do not apply security of any kind to the PDF files.
PostScript files are acceptable if PDF files are not able to be produced.
Other file types: include in your deposit any other file types you may have that accompany the text of the thesis, for example spreadsheets, SPSS output files, image files, sets of HTML documents, etc.
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Some publishers regard Web publication of a thesis as genuine publication which conflicts with their business opportunities. Others regard it as an entirely different genre which does not concern them, or even support Web publication as having some promotional value for them.
If you are pursuing publication of material in the thesis, you should clarify with the targeted publisher(s) whether Web publication with ADT conflicts with their policies. Their response can determine whether you seek a period of restricted access or even an exemption from digital deposit.
You can apply to the Research Higher Degree Office for restricted access or a full digital exemption while you pursue your publication avenues. The restriction period is usually one year, but may be extended. Bear in mind that applying restricted access to a thesis removes it from public view completely for that period. Exemptions from digital deposit will sometimes be granted if, in particular, publication of the full thesis as a book is being pursued and there is a likelihood of an indefinitely ongoing market for the resulting book.
Ultimately, you are responsible for managing contractual obligations with publishers.
Note that restricted access periods or digital exemptions can also be granted on grounds of limiting access to confidential or sensitive information contained in a thesis.
Chapters or parts thereof of your thesis may be full reproductions of articles already published in journals or elsewhere. If so, it is your responsibility to obtain written permission from the publisher/copyright holder to include such material in your thesis, allowing worldwide distribution in digital format. Some of this material may otherwise by removed from the digital version by Information Services.
If you include third-party copyrighted material such as illustrations, photographs or maps in your thesis, it is your responsibility to obtain written permission from the copyright owner to include it in your digital thesis, allowing worldwide distribution in digital format. Some of this material may otherwise be removed from the digital version by Information Services. If you require advice as to what you may legitimately include in your thesis, please consult with your supervisor.
A brief discussion of the need to obtain written permission to include copyrighted material in new publications (including Web publication) can be found in the Griffith University Copyright Guide, under 'Writing for Publication' and 'The Internet, The Web, and Copyright'.
If any other persons or organisations have a claim to intellectual property developed during the course of your studies, and included in your thesis, it is your responsibility to obtain a written permission statement allowing its inclusion and worldwide distribution in digital format. Some of this material may otherwise be removed from the digital version by Information Services. If you require advice as to what you may legitimately include in your thesis, please consult with your supervisor.
The Griffith ADT Program Coordinator can be contacted for information and advice.
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