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Copyright Basics

ProQuest ETD system

When you submit your dissertation or thesis, the Grad School in turn submits it to ProQuest for processing. This process can take from 3-6 months. Once everything is complete, your dissertation or thesis will become available in ProQuest Dissertations and These, and in UDSpace, the University's institutional repository. If necessary, embargos can be put in place.

Dissertations & Theses @ University of Delaware (ProQuest)

Graduate College Collections (UDSpace)

ProQuest Publishing Options

Traditional publishing:

  • Free
  • ProQuest may sell your work and generate royalties
  • Your work is available through institutions with subscriptions to PQ Dissertations & Theses database

ProQuest Open Access publishing:

  • $95 fee
  •  No royalties
  • Your work is openly available (no subscription necessary)

NOTE: Since your dissertation is going into UDSpace, it will be openly available anyway!

ProQuest and Copyright

ProQuest has copyright guidelines that you need to follow in order for your work to appear on their dissertation and theses database.

You must use materials that:

  • are licensed for use, OR
  • are lawful under fair use, OR
  • you have explicit permission to use, OR
  • are in the public domain

For their complete guidelines, please see Copyright and Your Dissertation or Thesis (opens as a PDF). Please contact your subject librarian if you have questions about materials you want to include in your dissertation or thesis.

UD Links

The University of Delaware's manual for formatting dissertations and theses can be accessed here: https://www.udel.edu/content/dam/udelImages/grad-college/graduate-college-pdfs/UD-Thesis-Manual-7-19.pdf

UD's ProQuest ETD submission portal

UD's steps to graduation information for graduate students: https://www.udel.edu/academics/colleges/grad/current-students/academic-support/steps-to-graduation/