Thesis Publishing (ProQuest Contract)

This information is for:

• All PhD/DMA Dissertation Students (hard copy & ETD submitters)
• Master’s/DMA Essay (ETD submitters only)

ProQuest/University Microfilms International (UMI) has substantially revised and updated the publishing agreement that students must sign for all dissertations and theses submitted to UMI. These changes take effect beginning with the spring semester 2007.

For the time being, UMI will not print “Publishing Your Dissertation,” a booklet we distributed to all graduating doctoral dissertation students which included information about UMI requirements, suggestions for manuscript preparation, and the dissertation agreement form that students were required to sign. Instead, the revision, “Publishing Your Doctoral Dissertation with UMI Dissertation Publishing,” (see link below) is available only online, and you will need to print those pages of the microfilm agreement form that require signatures.

Beginning 6/4/07 the ETD Administrator will exhibit updates to match the revised publishing agreement.

As well as containing the dissertation agreement forms, the revised publication greatly expands on the guidance for making distribution and dissemination choices, format and submission requirements, and copyright issues. The Graduate College strongly recommends that these guidance sheets be carefully perused. Below is a review of the major changes regarding submission of manuscripts to UMI, and the University of Iowa Graduate College’s policies and procedures concerning these changes. If you have questions concerning Graduate College dissertation and thesis requirements, please contact Caren Cox, the Associate Director of Academic Affairs.
 

Major changes regarding submission of manuscripts to UMI

In cases where ProQuest/UMI regulations conflict with those of the University of Iowa, this institution’s policies and specifications will always take precedence.

Open Access Publishing
All PhD and DMA thesis option students, whether they are submitting an electronic or printed thesis, as well as DMA essay and master’s students who are submitting an ETD, may choose either Open Access or Traditional Publishing. If you elect Open Access Publishing, a one-time fee of $95 will be billed to your account at the time you make final deposit. This is in addition to the fees that are already billed to your account at the time you make first deposit: thesis fee ($100) and publication fee ($75, PhD and DMA thesis; $65, DMA essay and master’s thesis, ETD only).

Doctoral Abstracts
UMI has removed the 350-word limit on all doctoral abstracts. However, UMI’s print indices still require limits of 350 words, and they will truncate abstracts that exceed that limit. Therefore, the University of Iowa will continue to require that doctoral abstracts be limited to 350 words.

Signature Pages
The University of Iowa will continue to require the submission of signed external abstracts (PhD and DMA thesis students) and Certificates of Approval (all thesis/dissertation submitters) with the final deposit of the thesis/dissertation. However, all pages bearing signatures will be removed before the theses/dissertations are sent to UMI, and will be stored in the Graduate College. Doctoral students submitting hard-copy dissertations will need to attach a title page and unsigned abstract to the UMI dissertation agreement form. Doctoral students who are doing ETDs will need to include an unsigned external abstract and an
unsigned Certificate of Approval as part of the final electronic submission. (Master’s and DMA essay students submitting ETDs will include the unsigned Certificate of Approval as part of the final electronic submission.) ETD submitters must continue to deposit printed, signed external abstracts (doctoral students) and Certificates of Approval (all students) to the Graduate College at the time that they make final deposit.

Embargoes and Delayed Release
A University of Iowa embargo may be placed on the release of theses. To request an embargo or delayed release, your thesis supervisor should write a letter to the Graduate College requesting the release and outlining the circumstances. If the request is approved, the Graduate College will retain the thesis until the release option has expired. Once the embargo has expired, the thesis will be released to ProQuest/UMI and to UI Libraries.

NOTICE:  All thesis-related fees at the University of Iowa, with the exception of additional thesis copies ordered from ProQuest, will be billed directly to your student account.  These include the thesis fee, publication fee, open access publishing fee (optional), and copyright fee (optional).  You may not use any of the direct payment methods (check or credit card) offered through ProQuest for these fees.  However, if you wish to order additional thesis copies from ProQuest, you may use a money order or a credit card account.

Click here for ProQuest Publication Agreement, Form, and Guides