Alumni newsletter item template

The following suggested text is provided for any HEIs who would like to publicise EThOS among their alumni. It outlines the service and invites authors to contact the HEI if they would like to supply an e-version of their thesis, or if they would prefer to opt out of the service. HEIs are welcome to use and adapt the text with appropriate local information. [HEI ALUMNI MAGAZINE HEADLINE] PhD and other Doctoral graduates amongst our alumni may well remember the feeling of relief when they finally handed in the bound copies of their thesis. However, destined for closed access library stacks, the majority of theses sit gathering dust, rarely used and rarely read. A vast quantity of significant research is held within the thousands of theses stored by university libraries in the UK. All this is about to change, however, with the launch of EThOS, the Electronic Theses Online Service. EThOS is a national initiative covering theses from institutions throughout the UK. It is anticipated that once launched it will be the first point of call for anyone seeking to access a UK thesis. This major UK Project, funded by the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) and involving the British Library and a number of UK universities, is working to make this important strand of the research literature available electronically online. The EThOSnet Project, which is responsible for the implementation of the service, is to undertake a major programme of digitisation of up to 20,000 PhD theses during 2008, including theses from [insert name of University]. Once theses have been digitised they will be made available in EThOS. The full text will be free at the point of use for anyone who wants to read them. [For local use: If University has an institutional repository and also intends to include digitised theses in the IR, it may be appropriate to insert information about this here]. Usage statistics for existing theses repositories in other parts of the world have demonstrated that there is a great deal of interest in this type of material. The major advantage of making your thesis available online is that it will be accessible worldwide to anyone with an interest in your area of research. Wider availability of research material such as theses is supported by UK universities and funding bodies, and the EThOS Service will be an important step towards this goal. If you already have an electronic copy of your thesis that you wish to be included in the new service please contact [insert local contact details or instructions]. Do not send theses directly to the British Library. If for any reason you do not wish your thesis to be digitised you should contact [insert local contact details].