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AssessmentFaculty Response

A Happy Marriage: Masters’ Theses and ProquestJane Bambrick, Cheng Library – William Paterson University

Yes, Digitization

Our Decision: Partner with Proquest

To submit our theses electronically

Offer free online access to the full text of

these theses to the WPUNJ community via

theses&dissertations@williampaterson.edu

Include theses in the Proquest Dissertations

and Theses Database

Provide full text of theses to scholars outside

the WP community through Proquest for a Fee

Receive a MARC record for the Library’s online

catalog

To Preserve copies in microfilm for perpetuity

Option for no charges for students

________________________________________

___________________________________

Development of Department Manuals

procedures that should be followed by

students for the completion of their theses.

The document should be approved by all

department members and approved by the

Library.

All theses must meet the requirements set

forth by Proquest for the inclusion into the

database Departments can specify citation

style, APA, MLA, etc. All manuals must include

the contact information for the Library.

The Library sends

departments the

necessary documents

that explain the

Proquest procedures for

electronic submission

Why Digitize….?Students

Offers incentives for the highest quality of research

Provides flexibility in the way research findings are presented

Enhances professional development and career profiles

Leads to professional networking

Affords browsing the theses collection offsite

Faculty/Researchers

Provides quick and easy access to research not available

elsewhere

Increases scholarly debate and inquiry

Shares the intellectual content within the scholarship of the

digital world

Preserves primary literature in perpetuity

The Universities

Offers “state of the art” access to theses

Attracts quality graduate students

Strengthens and promotes high standards within Graduate

Departments Necessitates collaboration within the University

Increases the number of “cited authors” of the University

Enables theses to become part of the assets and history of the

University

Disseminates research to scholars throughout the world

Results in sharing of intellectual production

Results in a positive profile of the University in the academic

world

Librarians

Offsets printing costs

Frees up much needed shelf space

Eliminates the need for microfilm storage, readers, printers, etc.

Provides the MARC record for cataloging

Implements the capability to monitor the frequency University

The Beginning

There is currently a trend in the growth and

development of masters’ programs offered by

colleges and universities in New Jersey. Many require

theses, yet the policies and procedures of the schools

vary in terms of the acquisition and storage of these

documents. The Internet has provided an avenue to

digitize theses with relative ease. This is an excellent

venue for graduate students to research their topics

and later share with fellow scholars. After

considerable study and deliberation, William Paterson

University decided to partner

with Proquest to insure the

accessibility and preservation

of students’ theses.________________________________________

How we began in 2004: Formed a Theses Committee composed of Librariansto explore the best avenues to access and preserve the University Masters’ Theses Reviewed the Literature to determine the state of the art of accessing and preserving theses Conducted Survey on how college and university libraries in New Jersey address their theses. Explored the possibilities of digitization

Collaboration between the Library and Departments

Gain University Support from Deans and Provost - Reach out to Departments to get “on board” - Contact the Graduate Studies from each Department - Identify the most enthusiastic departments to begin

Students’ Responsibility Read the Handbook and note the

Department and Library requirements.

Meet with the Librarian and go over the options of Traditional Publishing (No Charge) or Open Access.($).

Bring Advisor’s sign off.

Select optional copyright and/or bound copies, assign subject headings and keywords.

This constitutes the electronic submission of your thesis and it will be included in the ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Database.

________________________________________

ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Database

This database that is a result of the

marriage of ProQuest and the masters’

theses of the Cheng Library. It is a collection

of over 150 digitized master’s theses from

2008 to the present.

The majority of titles in the collection are

from the departments of Communication

Disorders and Music. Other departments

are now participating and these include

Sociology, Political Science, Kinesiology and

education.

The Graduate Studies

Coordinator must work

with the members in

their departments to

develop Manuals or

Handbooks that explain

the policies and

6/19/13