Preprint: Do Open Access Electronic Theses and Dissertations Diminish Publishing Opportunities in the Social Sciences and Humanities?

Title

Do Open Access Electronic Theses and Dissertations Diminish Publishing Opportunities in the Social Sciences and Humanities?

Authors/Affiliations

Marisa L. Ramirez
Digital Repository Librarian, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Joan T. Dalton
Associate University Librarian, University of Windsor
Gail McMillan
Director, Digital Library and Archives, Virginia Tech
Max Read
Associate Director of Student Academic Services, Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of British Columbia
Nancy H. Seamans
Dean of University Libraries, Georgia State University

Source

College and Research Libraries
Article accepted: March 31, 2012
Scheduled for publication: May, 2013

Abstract

An increasing number of higher education institutions worldwide are requiring submission of electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs) by graduate students and are subsequently providing open access to these works in online repositories. Faculty advisors and graduate students are concerned that such unfiltered access to their work could diminish future publishing opportunities. This study investigated social sciences, arts and humanities journal editors’ and university press directors’ attitudes toward ETDs. The findings indicate that manuscripts which are revisions of openly accessible ETDs are always welcome for submission or considered on a case by case basis by 82.8% of journal editors and 53.7% of university press directors polled.

Direct to Full Text (22 pages; PDF)

Filed under: Academic Libraries, Archives and Special Collections, Digital Collections, Interactive Tools, Libraries, Open Access, Publishing