Publication

1. What are the options regarding electronic access?
2. Why should I make my eTD freely available?
3. What if I want to write a book related to my dissertation?
4. What do I need to know about signing agreements with publishers?

1. What are the options regarding electronic access?

   The first option is to make your eTD available worldwide (Open Access). This option may be viewed by some as publishing the work, so that book or journal publishers may see a conflict with their publishing a portion or your entire dissertation.

   The second option is to make your eTD available only to holders of an active Penn State Access Account (Penn State Only). This option addresses situations such as when a book is planned and the book publisher is concerned that prior publishing through a digital library may hurt sales. This option is for 2 years. Afterward the eTD automatically reverts to open access.

   The third option is to disallow access to the eTD, with the exception of the abstract (Restricted). This option addresses situations such as when a patent application is planned or when proprietary interests are at stake. In such cases, Penn State may have some rights to related intellectual property and so does not want you to release the work without its permission. This option is for 2 years. Afterward the eTD automatically reverts to open access.

   You should consider these options carefully. Discuss this with your advisor, and feel free to ask Penn State's Intellectual Property Office or Legal Counsel for advice. If you intend to work with a publisher regarding journal or book publications, be sure you understand their policies and agreements before you sign anything.

2. Why should I make my eTD freely available?

   The basic aim of the NDLTD project is to increase the availability of theses and dissertations to students and scholars worldwide for the purpose of enhancing the growth of knowledge. If you have no concerns about how this wide circulation might affect your ability to republish parts of your work later, as journal articles or in a book, then we encourage you to share what you have learned with others who may be interested in the subject. The easy accessibility of your work may even lead to invitations to speak and write about it later and bring you other kinds of recognition and reward.

3. What if I want to write a book related to my dissertation?

   If you are pursuing a career in higher education and hope to gain tenure, it may prove advantageous for you to use your dissertation as the basis for your first book. But you should be careful to check with several publishers that you consider the most prestigious in your field about their policies regarding submission of books based on Internet-accessible eTDs before you choose the option of open access.

4. What do I need to know about signing agreements with publishers?

   Typically, an academic publisher will ask you to sign an agreement transferring "all rights" in your article or book that are derived from your dissertation, including electronic rights. Unless you receive specific permission from the publisher to have your dissertation remain freely available over the Internet, such an agreement once signed will require you to take action to make it electronically inaccessible outside of Penn State. Read your publishing contract carefully, consult your advisor if you have any questions about it, and seek answers from the publisher on any matters that remain unclear to you. This is a legal document that, once signed by both parties, imposes certain liabilities and responsibilities on you that are fully enforceable in a court of law, and it behooves you to understand what action or inaction of yours could lead to a violation of the contract and the legal consequences ensuing therefrom.

This page was last updated on Wednesday, January 30, 2008.