Instructions on how to deposit ane-Thesis

The following instructions are for students to follow:

  1. Download the Permission to Deposit Thesis form.
  1. Make an appointment with your supervisor(s) to complete and sign the form. This is to ensure that deposits are not made contrary to agreements with industrial sponsors or other partners. You will also need to discuss and agree with them whether your thesis will be made immediately accessible or subject to an embargo period. If you have any concerns about the confidentiality of the abstract or bibliographic information, this is the time to discuss this with your supervisor.
  1. Ensure that your e-thesis contains the copyright statement (details found on the Permission to Deposit Thesisform).
  1. Submit your thesis to your Faculty Student Office/Graduate School Office. Make sure that you obtain a deposit receipt. The package you submit must include:

•One soft-bound copy of your final thesis.

•One unencrypted copy of your thesis in PDF format on a CD/DVD disk.

•A completed Permission to Deposit Thesis form

•One additional copy each of the title page and abstract for the British Library

  1. The paper copy will be catalogued and stored by the University Library.
  1. Research group administrators will deposit your thesis file into the institutional repository:

•The depositor will check the signed permission form before they upload your thesis.

•Full bibliographic details of your thesis, including the abstract, will always be

Immediately made openly available on the Web and can be located and viewed via a standard web search, using Google for example.

•The electronic copy of your thesis will also be immediately made openly available on the Web unless the permission form specifies that it should be embargoed, in which case it will only be available after the embargo period expires (e.g. after 3 years from the date of deposition).

File Formats for Electronic Theses: Frequently Asked Questions

Note that detailed advice and resources about electronic theses are available via the Academic Skills website at

What is a PDF file – and why use this format?

Most people use a word processor such as Microsoft Word or OpenOffice to write their thesis. Scientists and engineers often use TeX or LaTeX because they are better at handling equations and symbols. The problem is that you need to have Microsoft Word (for example) to be able to open and read a Word document, and that cannot be assumed. Do you have LaTeX installed on your PC? What is needed is a file format that is readable by anyone using any type of computer (Windows, Apple Mac, Linux) that preserves the look of the original: the fonts, the line and page breaks, the tables, footnotes, pictures and equations. In other words, we need something like a print-out of the document, but viewable on screen. This is what PDF files are.

PDF stands for Portable Document Format and was created by Adobe. Unlike other electronic file formats such as HTML, a PDF preserves the exact layout, font attributes, and formatting of the document from which it was created, ensuring that the electronic version of a document appears just like the original. The Adobe PDF Reader software is free, is available for Windows, Mac and Linux and is already installed on most computers.

PDF offers other advantages, for example they can be configured to prevent printing, alteration and copying of text or graphics in a document. PDF files can be viewed within web browsers and are served efficiently over the Web so you can start reading the document while it downloads – like you can with streaming video.

What type of content can I include in my e-thesis?

Research students are encouraged to use a variety of content and media to express themselves. There are no limitations imposed on content other than issues of copyright/IPR and of course individual departmental regulations. It is possible to create a PDF Portfolio file that includes your thesis plus any related image, audio, video and data files.

Is there a maximum file size I should adhere to?

The average e-thesis is generally only a few megabytes in size. It is possible for e-theses that are rich in multimedia content to have a far greater file size, up to several hundred megabytes. At present there is no upper limit on the file size as the aim is to encourage students to take advantage of the new medium and formats available.