Final Distribution of Electronic Theses & Dissertations

The final approved version of the electronic thesis or dissertation (ETD) is sent to two places: (1) the UNT Libraries and (2) ProQuest (formerly known as UMI).

Printable version of this document

1. UNT Libraries copy:

• UNT Libraries copy: All UNT ETDs are made available to the entire Internet through the online Libraries catalog.  If release needs to be delayed, a student’s major professor must make an appeal to the Graduate School dean.   ETDs are available in perpetuity – there are no restrictions regarding who can download the file, or how many times it can be downloaded.

2. ProQuest copy:

• ALL students must sign and submit a ProQuest publication agreement form, as part of their required paperwork for graduation.  All signed forms are sent with the files to ProQuest at the end of the semester.  UNT is not a party to this agreement and has no way of tracking what arrangements students make with ProQuest.
• ALL students must include their social security number on the ProQuest form.  As the copyright holder, students earn royalties on every copy of their thesis or dissertation – this is income that must be reported to the IRS. 

See also our UNT - ProQuest Comparison

• When seeking permission from copyright holders to reproduce protected material in ETDs, students must understand how final approved ETDs are published and made available.  Copyright holders may place restrictions on use of the material that cannot be followed, given the existing UNT policies; in such cases, students will need to remove the material, or ask for special permission from the copyright holder.
• Just because a copyright holder has given you permission to use, as in make copies to administer or distribute the item to your sample does not mean they have given you permission to use, as in place a copy of the instrument in the ETD which is available to anyone, on the Internet.  Permissions to “use” must explicitly state you are permitted to reproduce the item in the dissertation.

If you have questions about final distribution of ETDs, please contact us!