The University of North Texas (UNT) has a long history with electronic
theses and dissertations. Since 1999, the UNT Graduate School has
mandated the electronic submission of theses and dissertations as a
requirement for graduation from the masters and doctoral programs at the
university. Partnering with the Toulouse School of Graduate Studies, the
UNT Libraries provide long-term storage and preservation and provisions
access to these documents to interested users around the globe.
Since the UNT Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) project
inception, over 3,800 ETDs have transferred to the [UNT Libraries’
server][]. Libraries are well suited for supporting ETD users by
integrating ETDs into the existing digital resources. Among other tools
and functionalities, the UNT Libraries offer advanced search mechanisms
and a number of other added values to enhance ETD use.
[![ETD-Structure][file]{: .img-fluid .img-thumbnail .w-25 .float-start .me-2 }][full]
The number of ETDs at the University of North Texas has grown at a rapid
pace. As can be seen from tables 1 and 3, the number has grown to more
than 4,100 ETDs in 2012. Currently, about 52% of the UNT ETDs are
[Doctoral dissertations][], while the remaining (48%) are [Master’s
theses][] or Problems in Lieu of Theses.
Figure 1 shows the UNT ETDs by types and tables 1 and 2 show lists of
breakdowns for the current ETDs (as of August 2011) organized by
semester, year, and access level.
</tbody>
</table>
## Table-1: No. of ETDs by semester (For Pre-1999 see Table-2)
| Year |
Spring (May) |
Summer (August) |
Winter (December) |
Total |
| 2011 |
128 |
- |
-
|
128 |
| 2010 |
120 |
140 |
103 |
363 |
| 2009 |
103
|
100 |
108 |
311 |
| 2008 |
114
|
126
|
096
|
336
|
| 2007 |
122
|
119
|
108
|
349 |
| 2006 |
102
|
100
|
124
|
326 |
| 2005 |
086
|
111
|
087
|
284 |
| 2004 |
106
|
116
|
082
|
304 |
| 2003 |
116
|
111
|
101
|
328 |
| 2002 |
096
|
109
|
093
|
298 |
| 2001 |
102
|
109
|
079
|
290 |
| 2000 |
112
|
117
|
086
|
315 |
| 1999 |
019
|
036
|
065
|
120 |
| *Pre-1999 |
304
|
110
|
001 |
*415 |
| Total |
|
|
|
|
| Year |
Spring |
Summer |
Winter
|
Total |
1998
|
- |
- |
001 |
001
|
| ... |
... |
... |
... |
... |
| 1943 |
021 |
001 |
- |
022
|
| 1942 |
063 |
- |
- |
063 |
| 1941 |
020 |
- |
- |
020 |
| 1940 |
105
|
009 |
- |
114 |
| 1939 |
078 |
002 |
- |
080 |
| 1938 |
008 |
051 |
- |
059 |
| 1937 |
009 |
028 |
- |
037 |
1936
|
- |
019
|
- |
019 |
| Total |
|
|
|
|
## Table-2: No. of retrospectively digitized theses or dissertations (\*Pre-1999)
| Year |
Open
(Public) |
Permission
(UNT-Community) |
Restricted
(UNT-Strict) |
Total |
| 2011 |
123
|
005
|
-
|
128
|
| 2010 |
339
|
025 |
- |
363 |
| 2009 |
289 |
022 |
- |
311 |
| 2008 |
331 |
005
|
- |
336 |
| 2007 |
349 |
- |
-
|
349
|
| 2006 |
213 |
084 |
29 |
326 |
| 2005 |
200
|
061
|
23 |
284 |
| 2004 |
206
|
073 |
25 |
304
|
| 2003 |
236
|
072
|
20
|
328 |
| 2002 |
221
|
074 |
03
|
298 |
| 2001 |
189
|
097 |
04
|
290
|
| 2000 |
210
|
104
|
01 |
315
|
| 1999 |
071
|
047
|
02
|
120
|
| Pre-1998 |
415* |
-
|
-
|
415* |
|
|
|
|
|
| Total |
|
|
|
|
| % |
82%
|
16% |
2% |
100% |
## Table-3: Total No. of E/TDs by Access Level
**Keys to Access Level:**
- **Public:** - These ETDs are open or there are no restrictions on these
resources.
- **UNT-Community:-** Access to these ETDs are restricted to users associated
with the University of North Texas. Users are normally required to login
using their EUID, if they are located outside UNT campus. The restricted
ETDs after 2007 have a delay (2-5 years) and then they will be moved to
"Public" or open access after the embargo period has passed.
- **UNT-Strict:-** These ETDs are restricted to UNT Community. This will be
strictly enforced and users are always required to login using their EUIDs,
regardless of their location.
- **\*:-** Retrospectively digitized theses and dissertations
## Retrospective Theses and Dissertations Digitization
In summer 2010, the UNT Library started a digital retrospective conversion
(in-house) project for older (pre-1999) theses and dissertations (TDs)
previously available only in paper form. As can be seen from Table-2, 239
theses and dissertations already digitized and uploaded. It's going to take a
few years to work through them all (10,000+ analog TDs), but we will upload
them as they completed.
## Summary
Theses and dissertations represent a wealth of scholarly and artistic content
created by masters and doctoral students in the degree-seeking process. One of
the first three American universities to require ETDs for graduation, UNT
began accepting theses and dissertations in electronic format in 1999. More
than 83% of ETDs are available in open access and the other less than 17% have
some type of a delay (up to 5 years) and then they (the 2007 and later ETDs)
are moved to open access after this period has passed.
Digital Retrospective conversion of older (pre-1999) theses and dissertations
started as in-house project. The first phase of the projected started in
summer 2010 with the goal of digitizing all TDs in analog formats and make
them available online, open access.
To create shareable metadata and ensure interoperability with other
institutions and ETD aggregators such as the Networked Digital Library of
Theses and Dissertations (NDLTD), the UNT Libraries provide a [mapping
document][] for ETD metadata, which uses a qualified Dublin Core (DC) schema.
Furthermore, the UNT Libraries intend to identify innovative ways of providing
enhanced services to our ETD users worldwide. By doing so, we will continue
being instrumental in strengthening UNT's existing reputation and will make
progress toward the visions outlined in the global initiatives to bring
research works across the world to the public domain.
If you have questions or comments regarding the [ETDs project][UNT Libraries'
server] in general, please contact Daniel Gelaw Alemneh at
<Daniel.Alemneh@unt.edu> or Mark E. Phillips at <Mark.Phillips@unt.edu>.
[UNT Libraries' server]: https://digital.library.unt.edu/explore/collections/UNTETD/browse/
[file]: /assets/images/departments/division-content/digital-libraries/digital-curation-unit/etd-structure.jpg
[full]: /assets/images/departments/division-content/digital-libraries/digital-curation-unit/etd-structure.jpg
[Doctoral dissertations]: https://digital.library.unt.edu/explore/collections/UNTETD/browse/?fq=str_degree_level:Doctoral
[Master's theses]: https://digital.library.unt.edu/explore/collections/UNTETD/browse/?fq=str_degree_level:Master's
[mapping document]: /digital-curation-unit/etd/mapping/
