ETDs

ETDs, or Electronic Theses and Dissertations, are digital versions of graduate theses and dissertations that replace or accompany traditional print copies. They are submitted by students at the conclusion of degree programs and are stored in institutional repositories or national databases to facilitate preservation and public access.

A typical ETD includes elements such as a title page, abstract, acknowledgments, table of contents, chapters, bibliography, and appendices. The work is usually submitted as a PDF with embedded fonts, and metadata fields such as author, degree, institution, year, department, committee chair, keywords, and embargo status are recorded. Many institutions allow or require an embargo to restrict access for a defined period, and licensing or usage terms may be specified, including open licenses like Creative Commons in some cases.

ETDs are commonly deposited in institutional repositories that use digital library platforms such as DSpace or are managed within a larger university library system. National and international initiatives, including the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (NDLTD), promote ETDs and interoperability. Metadata for ETDs often follows standards such as ETD-MS or Dublin Core, with emphasis on fields that support discovery, rights, and preservation. Open access policies and persistent identifiers help ensure long-term accessibility and citation impact.

The ETD movement gained momentum in the late 1990s and 2000s as universities shifted from print to digital formats. The approach supports broad dissemination of graduate research, improves searchability, and aids archival preservation, while enabling institutions to manage access restrictions in line with authors' or funders' requirements.