How are responsibilities for thesis and dissertation publishing distributed at RIT?
The RIT Graduate School is responsible for intake of theses and dissertations to the ProQuest ETD Admin system and for communicating completion of submission to the Registrar. The RIT Libraries are responsible for publishing open access theses and dissertations in the Digital Institutional Repository, creating descriptive records for theses and dissertations in the Digital Institutional Repository, and creating descriptive records for theses and dissertations in the RIT Libraries Catalog.
Why do I need to provide an abstract of my work?
An abstract provides those reading your work with a brief overview of your research topic, findings and conclusions. This is a standard practice in academia, and mandated for publishing in scholarly journals and conference proceedings. RIT requires that you follow this practice.
Why can’t I single-space my text?
Standard scholarly publishing practices require 1.5 or double-spacing of text in order to accommodate peer review and editing processes, and for ease in reproducing the text.
Why is an electronic version of my thesis/dissertation placed in the Digital Institutional Repository?
RIT supports open access to all RIT scholarship, including graduate theses and dissertations. Your work will be preserved permanently in digital form. Each thesis/dissertation is assigned a persistent URL for consistent citation purposes, and is searchable via the Web, making it easily accessible to other scholars, students and future employers.
How do I submit my thesis/dissertation to the RIT Digital Institutional Repository?
Once you have submitted your electronic version of your thesis/dissertation to ProQuest, a library staff member retrieves your work from ProQuest, and submits it to the Repository for you, at no additional cost.
Should I file for copyright?
Your work is automatically copyrighted once written. If you wish to add another layer of protection, you may register your work with the U.S. Copyright Office directly. There are fees associated with this service. You also have the option for ProQuest to file for copyright with the U.S. Copyright Office on your behalf for a $75 fee. More information on copyrights can be found here.
My address has changed since I had the copyright of my thesis/dissertation registered with the U.S. Copyright Office (either directly or through ProQuest.) What do I need to do to have my information updated with the U.S. Copyright Office?
Contact the U.S. Copyright Office directly by phone 202-707-6787, fax 202-252-3519 or email copycerts@loc.gov .
RIT Libraries made the difficult decision to permanently cease accepting print copies of thesis/dissertations for binding as of March 20th, 2020. Please refer to the Binding Information page for information regarding our preferred alternative.