Publishing Dissertations and Theses: Publishing a Dissertation

Once you have successfully completed your defense and your work has been accepted by your Dissertation Committee members, your dissertation is ready to be bound and uploaded to Proquest ETD Administator.  Proquest is the primary repository for dissertations in the United States.  Lawrence Tech, as well thousands of universities world-wide, requires that you deposit a copy of your work for discovery by other researchers.  Proquest indexes your dissertation so that it will be discoverable by other researchers.  The formal copyright request (fee) will also be filed through Proquest. You may chose from two models:  

1. Traditional Model - no fee -  Proquest makes the dissertation available for sale (you receive royalties for any sale), or
2. Open-Access Model - author fee - to offset lost revenue to Proquest. In this model, the complete dissertation is available in the Proquest database.

More information about the models is available within your Proquest account.

Every doctoral student will need to set up an account at LTU's Proquest Dissertation site (link below). However, the library recommends not submitting the dissertation PDF etc. until after making an appointment to drop off copies of the dissertations for binding.  The library representative will provide more detailed instructions at that time.

Remember, Lawrence Tech Library will handle the copyright registration of your work on your behalf through Proquest. It is the student's responsibility to upload the dissertation PDF to Proquest.

If there are any questions about the binding or uploading of your dissertation, contact the library at 248-204-3000 or email the reference desk at library@ltu.edu.

1. Go to http://www.etdadmin.com and choose "Submit my dissertation/thesis".
2. Select your school from the list provided.
3. Create an account or login using an existing account.
4. Once you create an account, the ETD Administrator will walk you through a simple process that involves accepting the publishing agreement and uploading the relevant files and information about your submission.
5. After you complete your submission, your graduate school administrator will review the submission before sending it to ProQuest Dissertation Publishing.
   
   Note: the SIGNED signature acceptance page must be scanned and inserted before creating the PDF for uploading and all dissertations and theses must be submitted as a PDF document.
   
   You should select "Yes" to allow Search Engine Access. This refers to indexing your dissertation. For the broadest exposure of your work, you want it indexed by major search engines.  If you have chosen the Traditional Publishing model, researchers will find the citation and abstract but will not have immediate access to the full-text of the dissertation.

Complete information is in the Brochure below. The last 3 pages are printable forms to bring to the library with the print copies.

Answers to Some Common Questions:

How many copies will I need?

• 2 copies for the library
• plus copies for your department & committee -this number will vary - check with your advisor
• personal copies

What type of paper should I use?

• Acid free or archival quality -- most printer paper is acid free;
• 20# - 28# weight;
• 20# is the same as most printer paper; a heavier paper is often used for a dissertation

If you have questions regarding paper quality, binding, library requirements, etc., please contact the library prior to printing your copies. Once the copies are printed you may make an appointment to bring them in by calling 248.204.3000 or emailing library@ltu.edu. To ensure binding in a particular month, please deliver the printed copies to the library the Thursday BEFORE the scheduled pick-up date. The turn-around time for binding has been 4-5 weeks, but is subject to change. The bindery pick-up dates for 2024 are all on Wednesday: