ETD Implementation: The Two Virginias and Their Strategies for Successfully Requiring the Electronic Submission of Theses and Dissertations
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ETD Implementation: The Two Virginias and Their Strategies for Successfully Requiring the Electronic Submission of Theses and Dissertations
Virginia Tech and West Virginia University are the first academic institutions in the world to have required the electronic submission of theses and dissertations. Much of their success has been due to the belief in the NDLTD vision of creating academic digital libraries; to empower a true revolution in scholarly research. At these pioneering schools, ETD implementation was nurtured through the support and encouragement of university administrators, the education of graduate faculty, staff and students, and a collaborative spirit between various diverse groups on campus. The merits of adopting a mandatory ETD program will be emphasized in terms of positive exposure for the student and institution, facilitation of research via Web distribution, and cost efficiency. Discussion will include the successes of the Va Tech and WVU programs and the realities of digital publishing within the academic community. Case studies of the two models will be analyzed to reveal the benefits of developing digital libraries; a discussion of various strategies of organizing support for ETD programs will follow. This presentation will be of great interest to graduate school administrators and faculty, information technology specialists, and librarians. A wealth of information, technical and logistical support, and advice on ETD implementation will be presented and will provide encouragement and support to other university officials who are considering the development of ETD programs of their own. Va Tech and WVU have both agreed to freely share their program information, submission software, etc. with interested institutions.
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