Thesis Preparation Guidelines (FAQs)

General Statement

Olin Library catalogs and processes all theses written by Washington University graduate students. The Library typically catalogs 175 doctoral dissertations and 60 masters theses annually (based on 2001-2003 figures). There are records for all theses in the Library Catalog as well as in the OCLC WorldCat database. All doctoral dissertations are sent to UMI Dissertation Services, a part of the ProQuest Company. The company microfilms the dissertations and makes them available through their abstracting and publication services. Theses are physically bound and labeled at a bindery in Indiana before being shelved in the Library or forwarded to academic departments and students.

Where are theses stored?

All theses written by Washington University graduate students are housed in the West Campus Library at the corner of Forsyth and Jackson Streets in Clayton. Their call numbers begin with LD5791.8 and are subarranged by degree designation, then by year, then by the author’s surname. The Library also collects some theses written at other colleges and universities, but only when a specific request is made by a faculty member or student to obtain a copy. These theses are cataloged as regular items and classified in the general library collections.

General library policies on thesis processing and cataloging

The Library receives and binds three copies of each thesis:

• One personal copy for the graduating student.
• One copy for the West Campus Library.
• One copy for either the departmental library or for the academic department. Receiving departmental libraries are Art, Biology, Business, Chemistry, Earth and Planetary Sciences, Music, Physics, Social Work.

Although the Library normally receives only three copies of a thesis, the Library will bind one additional copy upon request, for a maximum of four. If a fourth copy is to be bound, it should accompany the regular three copies through the normal process; do not send it separately to the Library.

Time table for theses processing

The following dates are based on previous years and are given only as rough guidelines.

After the Library receives the bound copies from the bindery and completes sorting and paperwork, the Library mails theses to the departments. The departments forward the students’ copies to their current addresses.

How should I prepare my loose documents?

Please paper clip (do not staple) the following papers together and place them inside one of the copies.

Masters

* 2 copies of the short title page

Doctoral

* Survey of Earned Doctorates

* 2 copies of the short title page

* 2 extra copies of the title page

* 1 extra copy of the abstract

* UMI Microfilming agreement form

* Payment for copyright registration (optional)

* UMI Form requesting additional personal copies with payment (optional)

* Letters expressing permission to duplicate copyrighted material (if applicable)

How should I type my short title page?

The short title page is used for labeling the spine.

The short title page must contain only the following information:

• Do not include the words "short title:" on the page.
• Omit initial articles (The, A, Der, L', etc.) unless:
  • the article is part of a proper name
    

    ex.:   Los Angeles

  • the article belongs to the title of a creative (fictional) work
    

    ex.:   The good thorns (a thesis for the M.F.A.W. degree)

  • the article is an essential part of special phrasing

    ex.:   "A fatal drifting apart"

• Include two copies of the short title page with the loose documents.

Personal and other additional copies

Copies of doctoral dissertations may be ordered from ProQuest's UMI Dissertation Services. Graduating doctoral students may fill out the appropriate ordering section on their Dissertation Agreement form. These copies are produced and sent to students some time after microfilming is done. By the way, customers may order any theses held at ProQuest; for more information see http://www.il.proquest.com/hp/Support/DServices.

Can I see a list of all theses written under the direction of a certain professor?

The Library does not maintain this information in the Catalog, but you can search by "Advisor" for many dissertations in Dissertations & Theses @ Washington University in St. Louis. More info. Note: Advisor information may not be available for all WU dissertations in the database.

I have copyrighted documents accompanying my thesis (preprints and reprints of articles,photographs, etc.). What do I do?

Go ahead and include such items in your thesis. For doctoral theses, we will send these items along with the thesis to ProQuest. As stated in the UMI guidebook Publishing Your Dissertation, attach the letters permitting the microfilming of the items to the Agreement Form if you wish them to be reproduced for UMI customers.

I have loose papers or a non-print item accompanying my thesis. What do I do?

The bindery makes pockets or containers for accompanying maps, loose forms, diskettes, and compact discs.

Copyright questions:

• Is registration required?

No, it is entirely up to an author whether to pay for copyright registration. You do not even have to use ProQuest as the agent if you wish to handle the details yourself. It is always suggested, however, that upon completion of the text, the student add the copyright symbol with the year and personal name following the title page.

• Cost

The fee charged by ProQuest for copyright registration is $65.

• What about masters theses?

Neither the Library, the departments, nor ProQuest are involved in copyright registration of WU masters theses. If you wish to register for copyright on your own, you do not need to inform us of your intention. Forms for copyright registration may be downloaded from the Library of Congress web site at http://lcweb.loc.gov/copyright.

Still have more questions or comments?

The administrative assistant for your School will be able to help you prepare your thesis. For questions dealing with thesis cataloging and processing in the Library, you may contact Sarah Weller, Thesis Coordinator in Olin Library, at 935-7627 or by e-mail.