Digital Theses@UOW - Frequently asked questions

• Browse UOW digital theses
• Background & rules
• Procedures for deposit

Do I have to submit a copy of my thesis files for deposit to Research Online?

Yes. As of June 2003, the University's General Course Rules require all UOW higher degree research students (i.e. Masters by Research and Doctoral submissions) to provide two bound copies and one digital copy of their thesis. The bound copies will be retained by the Faculty and the University Library and the digital copy will be made available for worldwide access via Research Online.

Can I restrict access to my thesis?

Yes, however conditions apply. In general, the University is committed to making the outcomes of research publicly available.

Restrictions may be required due to contracts with industry partners, patent applications, or negotiations with publishers. Students intending to restrict access to their thesis should seek the advice of their supervisors. An application to have your thesis restricted should be submitted to the Research Student Centre and should include:

1. reasons for the restriction
2. signatures of the supervisor or Head of Postgraduate Studies
3. if the restriction is for the print, electronic and/or both formats of your thesis

Restrictions may be granted for a defined period of up to 24 months.

How do I extend the restriction timeframe on my thesis?

An application for a continuation of the restriction must be made in writing to the Library and is the responsibility of the author.

What if my thesis contains confidential information?

There may be instances when a thesis contains confidential information that cannot be made freely accessible. In most cases, confidentiality will apply to a part or parts of the thesis only.

Confidential information could include:

• Proprietary survey instruments
• Industry and company specific information
• Outlines for future patents

The Thesis Submission and Graduation information advises that where practical, confidential material should form a separate appendix within the printed thesis. This appendix of confidential information may be omitted from the digital version but its omission should be noted on the Thesis Declaration form.

Students wishing to omit confidential information from the digital version of their thesis should consider whether their needs may be alternatively met by seeking restriction of access for a defined time. Speak to your supervisor if you have any questions about confidential information in your thesis.

See the Thesis Submission and Graduation information.

Will I be able to publish my thesis commercially if a digital version is available via Research Online?

Theses that are published are often changed substantially, developed further or rewritten in a more readable style for general publication. See 'From Thesis to Journal Article'.

Some publishers regard web publication as genuine publication which conflicts with their business opportunities, others regard it as an entirely different genre that does not concern them. See 'Do ETDs Deter Publishers' and the 'Elsevier Letter'.

If at the time you are depositing your digital thesis files, you have a definite contract with a publisher, you should clarify with the publisher that web publication does not conflict with their contract.

You remain responsible for managing contractual obligations with publishers and for informing the Office of Research of any changes to access.

Who can access my thesis once it has been deposited to Research Online?

Once your thesis has been included in Research Online, it will be in the public domain and will be accessible worldwide through Research Online and search engines such as Google.

What type of files and file formats can I supply to the Research Student Centre?

The Research Student Centre, acting on behalf of the Library, will accept Microsoft Word (.doc or .rtf) or Portable Document Format (.pdf). If submitting PDF files, please ensure you have saved them WITHOUT security settings. For the submission of other file formats, please consult Library staff. These files may be delivered on CD-ROM.

Do I need to organise and name my files in a particular way?

Yes, there are two methods for organising and naming your files. 

Either way is acceptable and if you follow these methods you will ensure your thesis is loaded to Research Online as soon as possible.

METHOD 1	METHOD 2
01Front 02Whole	01Front 02Chapter1 03Chapter2 04Chapter3 05Bibliography 06Appendix

How do I know which method to use?

Method 1 is recommended for smaller theses, whilst Method 2 is more suitable for larger theses that would benefit from being broken up into smaller chunks such as chapter files.

If using Method 2 please note 01Front is always the first file and all other files are numbered sequentially. This applies to multiple appendices files too where the files have been too large to merge together. The numbering system would look similar to this 06Appendix1, 07Appendix2 etc.

What information is contained in the 01Front file?

The 01Front file should contain the title page, contents page, list of tables, acknowledgements and abstract.

What information is contained in the 02Whole file?

The 02Whole file consists of all the information you would include in the 01Front file, in addition to the entire contents of the thesis.

What do I do if I have multiple appendices files?

Where possible it is recommended you merge these files into one and name sequentially eg. 06Appendices. If the files are too large to do this it is suggested you try to minimise the number of appendices you do have into as few files as possible, for example 06Appendix1, 07Appendix2 or 06Appendices1-3, 07Appendices4-7 etc.

Do I need to supply a separate abstract file?

Yes. Whilst your abstract will be included in the 01Front file you will still need to supply a separate abstract file. This is to help the Library in the deposit of your thesis to Research Online. This file must be in Word or plain text format.

What if I have used mathematical or scientific symbols in my abstract?

If you have used mathematical or scientific symbols in your abstract, they may not convert to the plain text required for the abstract page attached to your thesis in Research Online. You may need to write these out in full or simplify the text of the abstract.

Any changes you make will only be for this additional abstract file. The abstract included in your 01Front file should be exactly the same as your printed copy.

Should I PDF my files myself?

This is up to you. If you do, it will assist the Library in loading your thesis to Research Online as quickly as possible. 

Note: All fonts must be embedded and subset, magnification should be set at 100% and NO security should be applied.

If you have multiple Microsoft Word files that need to be joined, it is easier to convert each to PDF first before combining them. PDF files are nearly always smaller than word files.

How long will it take for my thesis to be deposited to Research Online?

Approximately 160 theses are completed at UOW each year. It is estimated it will take between six to eight weeks for the deposit process to Research Online. This allows for the Research Student Centre acceptance of the files and time for the Library to process them. Factors such as the time of year, number of theses recently submitted and the state of organization of the submitted files may affect processing times.

Will my work be more open to plagiarism if it is available electronically?

Plagiarism will always be a problem and of concern; however many authors feel that publishing on the Web for all to see (with appropriate document security) is more likely to be a foil against blatant plagiarism. These authors believe that if a thesis is lying in relative obscurity in a university library it is more likely to be susceptible.

What about document security?

The standard document security setting recommended for Research Online is read and print only. This is set by Library staff and means NO copying, pasting or changes can be made to your document. This is similar to the security of a printed thesis (i.e. a print thesis cannot be changed but can be read or photocopied).

If I have my thesis deposited to Research Online, do I still hold copyright?

Australian copyright law maintains that copyright remains with the author of the thesis, and a copyright warning is included as a cover page for each digital thesis file.

The University Course Rules-General Rules, Section 9, Point 3 states: 'A candidate retains copyright over a thesis submitted for assessment in a subject or, for an award…'

Do I need to insert the copyright disclaimer form into each of my files?

This is optional. If you do, it will assist the Library in making your thesis available via Research Online as quickly as possible. If you don't, the Library will endeavour to insert this copyright disclaimer into each of your files upon receipt.

• Download the Copyright Disclaimer form [Microsoft Word format 26KB].
• Download the Copyright Disclaimer form [PDF 48KB]

Do I need to seek copyright permission if I have included copyrighted material in my thesis?

Yes. Whilst it is acceptable to reproduce third party copyrighted material, such as illustrations, tables, maps or photographs with appropriate referencing in a print thesis of limited circulation, it is not acceptable to re-publish such material on the Web without gaining permission from the copyright holder. You will need to obtain written permission from the copyright owner to include it in your thesis and allow worldwide distribution in digital format. The permission statement you obtain should be attached to the Thesis Declaration form you submit to the Research Student Centre.

What if I can't obtain copyright permission for material used in my thesis?

If you cannot obtain copyright permission for material used in your thesis, continue to submit your complete thesis to the Research Student Centre. The Library will replace third-party copyright in the electronic version and insert the note, "Please see print copy for image".

What if I'm unsure whether I need to seek copyright permission for material used in thesis?

If you are unsure about whether you need to seek copyright permission for material used in your thesis, please consult Library staff before submitting your electronic files to the Research Student Centre.

I've noticed the page formatting and pagination in the digital version of my thesis differs from my print copy. Why?

Some differences in formatting and pagination may occur in the conversion of word documents to PDF or the assembly of multiple PDF files into one file. These are generally minor and do not affect the content of the thesis. To warn users of these potential differences, however, a note is inserted above the copyright warning on the front page of each file. The statement reads "this online version of the thesis may have different page formatting and pagination from the paper copy held in the University of Wollongong Library."

What if my thesis includes more than text?

Material in other formats, such as musical scores, computer programs, artistic works, videos etcetera, completed and submitted as part of a thesis will be kept with its printed version in the Library's Archives. Where possible, this material may also be digitally converted and loaded onto Research Online with the digital text files. However, there are technical limitations and this may not always be possible. In some cases, only the text files will be loaded. Please check with the Library or Research Student Centre.