Checking University Requirements for Depositing Your Dissertation or Thesis for Open Access

To make your dissertation or thesis open access (OA), the first step is verifying your university's specific policies, as requirements vary widely by institution. These often cover mandatory vs. optional deposit, embargo options, copyright permissions, and formatting. I'll guide you on how to check this systematically. Note: I can't access your personal records or real-time data, so you'll need to perform the searches yourself. If you provide your university's name, I can suggest more tailored links or tips.

Step 1: Identify Your University and Official Repository

• Start with your institution's website: Search for "[Your University Name] thesis deposit" or "[Your University Name] open access repository" on Google or the university's site search.


• Most universities have an institutional repository (IR) like DSpace, EPrints, or a custom platform (e.g., Harvard's DASH, Oxford's ORA, or MIT's DSpace@MIT).


• Common departments: Library services, Graduate School, or Scholarly Communications office.


• Why this matters: Universities often require (or strongly encourage) depositing a copy in their IR for OA, which makes it freely available online while preserving your rights.

Step 2: Review the Deposit Guidelines

• Key sections to check:


• Mandatory requirements: Is deposit required for degree completion? (E.g., many UK universities under REF guidelines mandate OA for theses post-2012.)


• Embargo periods: Can you delay public access (e.g., 1-5 years) for commercial publication? Check if extensions are possible.


• Full vs. partial access: Some allow redacting sensitive sections (e.g., for patents).


• Licensing and rights: You'll likely retain copyright but grant the university a non-exclusive license to distribute. Review Creative Commons options (e.g., CC BY for broad reuse).


• Formatting and submission: File types (PDF/A recommended), metadata requirements, and submission portals (e.g., via ProQuest for US theses, which integrates with many IRs).


• Exceptions: Policies for classified research or collaborative work.


• Examples of university-specific resources (adapt to your school):


• US universities (e.g., via ProQuest/ETD system):


• University of California: Search "UC eScholarship thesis deposit" – requires OA deposit with embargoes up to 6 years.


• Stanford: Check "Stanford Digital Repository" guidelines – optional but encouraged.


• UK universities:


• University of London: Use "Senate Papers" or EThOS – mandatory OA after 1-year embargo.


• Cambridge: Apollo repository – requires deposit, with options for restricted access.


• Other regions:


• Australia (e.g., University of Sydney): Via their library's "Thesis Submission" page – OA encouraged via TROVE.


• Europe (e.g., via OpenAIRE): Check national guidelines if affiliated with an EU-funded program.

Step 3: Use External Databases for Broader Context

• ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global: If your thesis is already submitted here (common in the US), log in to check OA status and university overlays.


• EThOS (UK) or Trove (Australia): Search for similar theses from your university to see deposit norms.


• Registry of Open Access Repositories (ROAR): Search roarmap.eprints.org for your university's IR policies.


• Publisher policies: If publishing your work, cross-check with your target journal/book (e.g., via Sherpa/Romeo database) to avoid conflicts with OA deposit.

Step 4: Contact Support and Next Steps

• Reach out directly:


• Email your university's library thesis support team (find contacts via "[University] graduate thesis office").


• Schedule a consultation with your advisor or graduate coordinator – they often handle compliance.


• Timeline: Start early; deposit is usually required at or before degree conferral.


• Common pitfalls: Forgetting third-party copyright (e.g., images) or not selecting the right license, which can limit future reuse.

Once you've checked your university's rules, you can deposit via their portal (often automated). If it's not required, consider self-archiving on platforms like Zenodo, ResearchGate, or arXiv for broader OA reach, but confirm it won't violate any agreements.

If you share your university or more details (e.g., country), I can refine this advice or point to exact pages!