Submission Deadlines
Research Repository - Login & Submission
- Go to the Research Repository @ WVU.
- Choose "Submit Research" in the left panel
- Select "Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports"
- Click "Log in with your WVU ID"
- Please complete all sections online, paying attention to "Document Type," which will dictate your web distribution as outlined below, as well as "Embargo" options.
- Please contact us if you have questions regarding the submission process.
After completing the ETD approval process and having your graduation verified by the Office of the University Registrar, your thesis, dissertation, or problem/project report is deposited into the Research Repository@WVU. When submitting your ETD paperwork you choose how you would like your ETD to be made available.
To learn more about access and distribution options, please review the official West Virginia University ETD Access Policy.
Open Access
WVU recommends making your ETD freely available worldwide. The University’s land-grant mission emphasizes sharing scholarly work with scholars, students, and the public. Students are encouraged to recognize the value of open access and opt for the immediate release of their research.
During the ETD submission process, open-access options will be listed under 'Document Type.' Available selections include:
- Thesis
- Dissertation
- Problem/Project Report
- MFA Creative Writing Thesis
Historically, this option was perceived by some publishers as “publishing” the work, thus they may have seen a conflict with this level of distribution of the thesis or dissertation. However, today the vast majority of publishers support the archiving of a thesis or dissertation in an open access institutional repository such as the WVU ETD collection.
Campus Access
The campus-access option allows your ETD to be accessed only by the WVU community via the Research Repository @ WVU login and by external users through Interlibrary Loan (ILL) requests.
During the ETD submission process, campus-access options are listed under 'Document Type.' The available selections include:
- Thesis (Campus Access)
- Dissertation (Campus Access)
- Problem/Project Report (Campus Access)
- MFA Creative Writing Thesis (Campus Access)
In addition, the Campus-Only Access Form must be signed by your faculty advisor and uploaded in the 'Required Additional Files' section.
Limiting distribution to “campus only” is generally accepted to be the equivalent to the “paper copy on the shelf.”
Our best advice is for the student to contact prospective publishers to learn about their publishing policy. Many publishers have this information provided on their web sites; if not, usually a simple email query to the editor will resolve any questions.
While numbers vary significantly by discipline, there have been several studies that indicate that more than 90% of university presses will consider an open access dissertation for book publication. You will also find that most journal publishers do not count theses, dissertations, or preprints as prior publications. The University of Alberta also has a useful guide to publishers policies and you can also check, SHERPA/RoMEO . Most articles, and books vary substantially from a dissertation as explained, Transforming Your Dissertation Into a Published Article.
No Access
Embargoes are rarely used and are intended to secure the work, even restricting access within the WVU community. This option is designed for situations such as pending patent applications or when proprietary interests are involved. Embargoed status cannot be used as a substitute for obtaining proper copyright permissions, as theses and dissertations are intended to serve as public records of examination.
There are two options for embargoes: a one year embargo for patents and funder confidentiality agreements, and a permanent embargo for export control regulations.
During the ETD submission process with a funder or patent confidentiality embargo:
- Under 'Document Type,' you may select the campus-access option, which will be the status of your ETD once the embargo ends. If you choose a campus-access document type, your ETD will be available exclusively to WVU users and will be subject to the campus-access policy defined in the West Virginia University ETD Access Policy. Otherwise, it will be made open access and accessible to the public.
- Under 'Embargo - Embargo Length', select 1 Year Embargo
- Under 'Embargo - Embargo Reason', select Patent Confidentiality or Funder Confidentiality
- Upload the Patents or Funder Confidentiality 1-Year Embargo Form, signed by your faculty advisor, to the 'Required Additional Files' section.
- Under 'Document Type' choose the appropriate non-campus affiliated option.
- Under 'Embargo - Embargo Length', select Permanent Embargo: Sensitive Export Control
- Under 'Embargo - Embargo Reason', select Permanent Embargo: Sensitive Export Control
- Upload the Export Control Permanent Embargo Form, signed by your faculty advisor and an export control officer, to the 'Required Additional Files' section.