The University of North Carolina at Greensboro requires thesis and dissertation students to submit an electronic thesis or dissertation (ETD) for publication that is formatted according to the appropriate template. The ETD is submitted and archived as a PDF instead of being printed and bound. This format allows students the option to include audio, video, animations, or simulations within the document and provides immediate world-wide access to UNCG students’ scholarship.
Publishing Requirement by UMI Dissertation Publishing/ProQuest Information and Learning
The Graduate School requires publication of the thesis/dissertation by UMI Dissertation Publishing/ProQuest Information and Learning. For more information about PQIL and your rights as the author, visit: ProQuest Dissertation and Thesis
DOCTORAL
Online Document Submission
Final Deadline
1. Original, signed title page, & approval page a) Verified digital signatures are required if submitting electronically b) Original paper copies must be turned into The Graduate School if signing in person
1. Final, corrected online document submission
Online document submission
2. ETD Release and Hold Harmless Agreement Form: This form will be sent to you with your formatting notes and can be returned to The Graduate School via email.
3. Survey of Earned Doctorates
Master’s
Online Document Submission
Final Deadline
1. Online document submission. The thesis defense may occur after this submission.
1. Original, signed title page, & approval page a) Verified digital signatures are required if submitting electronically b) Original paper copies must be turned into The Graduate School if signing in person.
2. Final, corrected online submission
3. ETD Release and Hold Harmless Agreement Form: This form will be sent to you with your formatting notes and can be returned to The Graduate School via email.
Title Page: Have your Committee Chair (and Co-Chair, if applicable) sign with a verified digital signature and turn into The Graduate School via email.
Approval Page: Have everyone on your committee sign with a verified digital signature and turn into The Graduate School via email.
If anyone signs the Title and/or Approval page(s) with an original/physical signature, we will need the original copy delivered to The Graduate School in person or mailed to our office.
ETD Release and Hold Harmless Agreement Form: This form will be sent to you with your formatting notes and can be returned to The Graduate School via email.
Embargo form: if you select an embargo option (delayed release), you will be sent the appropriate form during format review.
The Survey of Earned Doctorates: will be sent to doctoral students during format review.
Embargo form: if you select an embargo option (delayed release), you will be sent the appropriate form during format review.
Templates
This page contains templates for use in creating UNCG Theses or Dissertations in Microsoft Word and LaTeX, which must be used for all theses/dissertations beginning Fall 2021. Note that the templates will not work properly in Google Docs.
LaTeX users should download the .zip file containing all the necessary files for using LaTeX to typeset a UNCG Thesis or Dissertation.
Instructions for using the templates are embedded into the templates themselves.
The document should be set up to include two abstracts, one for each paper. These theses should have only one title page, listing both titles, separated by the word “AND.” The table of contents should include any preliminary introduction, the title of the first paper and its references, followed by the title of the second paper and its references. Each item should be left flush, in all capital letters, followed by dot leaders and the corresponding page number.
The thesis itself should begin with a brief introduction of the two papers, followed by the first paper, its references/bibliography, and subsequently the second paper and its references/bibliography.
Students should include images with their online thesis submission using any of the formats listed under the Including Multimedia Material heading on this page. Add these item as Supplemental Files.
Chapters that are published/pending publication must contain the publication information.
If applicable, students should solicit permission from the publisher to reproduce any material that is already published and include this permission in their document. This must also be detailed in the ETD Release and Hold Harmless form (see the Copyright tab for additional information).
In situations where dissertations have multiple authors, it is the responsibility of the advisory/dissertation committee chair to identify the percentage of proposed work to be developed by each of the contributors and submit it to the Graduate School for approval.
To be submitted as part of a student’s dissertation, the student must be primary author.
There are 3 things to consider before you submit your ETD
Do you need to copyright? For more information about copyright, visit the U.S. Copyright Office via the Library of Congress website at www.copyright.gov. You may also visit http://copyright.uncg.edu/. For information regarding the inclusion of a copyright page in your thesis/dissertation see. There is an additional charge for copyrighting.
Do you want to purchase personal copies of your manuscript? Keep in mind you can have the document bound on your own. This decision must be made prior to submitting your ETD. After you have completed this portion of the submission process, you cannot go back to change your decision.
Do you need to embargo or restrict access to this document? In most cases, embargoes are needed when a student has a patent pending or other technology transfer issue. Some publishers may note concerns about journal articles, creative works, or potential books made available online. In these cases, students may want to consider placing an embargo/restricting access to the ETD. Please discuss this issue carefully with potential publishers and with your committee.
**Please note that UNCG policy allows a one- or two-year embargo/restricted period for most students. The only exception is for M.F.A. in Creative Writing students, who may opt for a five-year embargo. Students selecting an embargo will be required to submit an additional form, the ETD Request to Restrict Access form, which must be signed by both the student and the student’s committee chair/co-chair. This form will be sent to you during format review if you select the delayed release option while setting up your ProQuest account. This form may be signed with digital signatures and returned via email to The Graduate School.
The approval copy of a thesis or dissertation must be submitted by the Approval Copy Deadline to The Graduate School via the online submission process. Please do not submit an email or paper copy of the document to The Graduate School. The online submission system is designed to allow multiple submissions (approval copy and revised/final). Only the final document will be published.
For master’s candidates, thesis defense does not need to occur prior to submission of the approval copy. Though your document will continue to change as you work toward the defense, the approval copy submission allows the thesis evaluator an opportunity to provide formatting comments early enough in the semester for these changes to be incorporated into the final product.
After the pdf has been created, students should complete the following steps:
Submitting your Electronic Thesis/Dissertation is done through ProQuest ETD, visit this link to submit your ETD.
Review all instructions and guidelines for submission, and then click on “Sign up and get started today!”
Create an account by entering the requested contact information, including a valid email address, and selecting a personal username and password. A link to activate your account will emailed to you immediately.
Once you have activated your account, follow the submission instructions provided on the site.
The first step is to identify your institution. Navigate to the United States section and click on University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
You will be taken to an Instructions page that covers 1) Some items to have on hand, 2) the fees for publishing, and 3) the Submission Agreement. Read this entire page carefully and click Continue when you are ready to move forward. This takes you to Publishing Options.
Publishing Options
Two publishing options are available. Please consult the “Publishing Guides” available on the ETD site for detailed information prior to making your selection.
Restrictions (Embargo)
For most students, two publishing restriction (embargo) options are available: one- or two-year delays. M.F.A. in Creative Writing students have a five-year option. Please note that in most cases no restriction is needed. If an embargo is appropriate for your document, be certain to select the appropriate amount of time in one of these boxes.
Your selection here should match your selection on the ETD Release and Hold Harmless Agreement form.
Publishing Agreement
Please consult the “Publishing Guide” for detailed information.
Contact Information
Enter your current and future contact information.
Dissertation/Thesis Details
Enter the title of your thesis or dissertation, paying close attention to correct capitalization. Do not use all CAPS for your title, use title case whenever possible. Provide the requested information regarding your submission. You will need to insert your abstract into the box provided. Be sure to include the information at the top of your abstract (name, title, etc…).
PDF
Please carefully review your document after converting it to PDF to ensure all your content is visible and correctly formatted. After you have reviewed your PDF, upload it here.
SupplementalFiles(optional)
If you have any supplemental files upload and name/describe each one. These files may include images, sound, or video components of thesis or dissertation that are a critical part of the study but could not be incorporated into the pdf.
NotestoAdministrator(optional)
If you have any questions or information that should be shared with the Evaluator (other publishing arrangements, patents pending, etc.), you can include a message in the “Notes to the Administrator” box.
If you have previously filed for a copyright, please indicate this in item #1; you must also include the registration number and year. In item #2, select whether or not to copyright your thesis/dissertation. If you choose “File for a new copyright,” ProQuest will file the copyright with the U.S. Copyright Office on your behalf. You will not be able to change this decision after your initial ETD submission. A$75 feeis required forthis service.
The next screen will offer you the option to order personal, bound copies of your thesis/dissertation directly from ProQuest. Keep in mind that the printing of these copies will not begin until after the Evaluator uploads the batch of documents shortly after the close of the semester. From that point, you can expect to receive your copies in 8 to 12 weeks. If you choose to order, be sure to include a shipping address that will be appropriate after graduation.
You will not be able to return to this option after your initial ETD submission. Fees vary.
Verify the information shown is correct and continue with submission.
Publishing is required of all UNCG students. There is no fee for traditional publishing, but open access publishing has a $95 fee. This section will include the cost of any personal copies. If you have opted to copyright, the traditional $55 copyright fee will be added to the total.
Check all information for accuracy and enter payment information. ProQuest accepts MasterCard, Visa, and American Express. Your credit card will be charged immediately.
Lastly the “Order Summary” screen displays the information you have provided and the order placed. Within a few minutes, you will receive a confirmation email. Please print or save the email for your personal records.
Copyrights
The law permits the limited use of extracts and quotations for purposes of illustration and criticism covering most quotations in theses and dissertations. In many instances, it is not necessary for candidates preparing theses/dissertations to obtain permission to quote from professional journals in their fields or from copyrighted books; however, copyrighted items, such as copies of pictures, charts, tests, forms, and questionnaires, no matter how short, should never be reproduced without permission.
Students must receive permission from the author or publisher to quote any extensive information from copyrighted materials. In most cases, the author or publisher is willing to grant permission with the condition that acknowledgments are included in the document. For additional information see the UNCG Libraries’ copyright page or ProQuest’s FAQ. A copy of all permissions to use copyrighted materials must be attached to the ETD Release and Hold Harmless form.
The inclusion of papers that have already been published should be accompanied by a letter from the publisher providing written permission for the use of the material in block quote form under the chapter title of the corresponding section.
Students should consult with their committee chair and members concerning the benefits and usefulness of copyrighting their document. If the thesis/dissertation will be copyrighted, the student must complete an application and pay the additional copyright fee during the online submission process.
If copyrighting, the student must include a copyright page in the actual document.
Review Process & Additional Help
Submissions are reviewed in the order they are received.
Your document will be evaluated based on the template you use (MS Word or LaTeX)
You will receive an email notifying you of any needed revisions and outstanding paperwork, or of acceptance if your ETD is error-free and we have all your paperwork. The sender is ETD Administrator, be sure to check your Spam and other tabs/folders such as promotions and social to make sure you see it.
The email will contain a link to submit your revisions, if needed.
Turnaround time: note that every effort is made to provide feedback within five business days (this does not include weekends, holidays, or other times when the University is closed).
When you have completely passed format review AND we have all the required paperwork, you will receive a “Congratulations” message confirming you have passed all necessary checks. YOU ARE NOT DONE UNTIL YOU RECEIVE THIS MESSAGE.
Your document will be reviewed by a member of The Graduate School staff – this person is your administrator and will work with you during the format review process.
If you have questions about the formatting notes you receive, reply to the email to ask for clarification and your administrator will respond.
General formatting/ETD questions may be directed to Beverly Lucas: belucas@uncg.edu
