ADT@UOW

Do I need to submit a copy of my digital thesis files for deposit to ADT?

Yes, all University of Wollongong Masters by Research and PhD/Doctor of Philosophy students need to supply the Office of Research with a final version copy of their digital thesis files. These files must be the same as the hard copy thesis approved as fulfilling the requirements for the degree.

Do I need to organise and name my files in a particular way?

Yes, ADT recommends two methods for organising and naming your files.

Either way is acceptable and if you follow these methods you will ensure your thesis is loaded to the ADT database as soon as possible.

How do I know which method to use?

Method 1 is recommended for smaller thesis, whilst Method 2 is more suitable for larger thesis that would benefit from being broken up into smaller chunks such as chapter files.

If using Method 2 please note 01Front is always the first file and all other files are numbered sequentially. This applies to multiple appendices files too where the files have been too large to merge together. The numbering system would look similar to this 06Appendix1, 07Appendix2 etc.

What information is contained in the 01Front file?

The 01Front file should contain the title page, contents page, list of tables, acknowledgements and abstract.

What information is contained in the 02Whole file?

The 02Whole file consists of all the information you would include in the 01Front file, in addition to the entire contents of the thesis.

What if I have multiple appendices files?

Where possible it is recommended you merge these files into one and name sequentially eg. 06Appendices. If the files are too large to do this it is suggested you try to minimise the number of appendices you do have into as few files as possible, for example 06Appendix1, 07Appendix2 or 06Appendices1-3, 07Appendices4-7 etc.

What type of files and file formats can I supply to the Office of Research?

The Office of Research, acting on behalf of the Library, will accept Microsoft Word (.doc or .rtf), Portable Document Format (.pdf) or Postscript files (.ps or .prn). These files may be delivered on floppy disk, ZIP disk or CD-ROM.

Do I need to place any security settings on my files so they will be read only?

No. It is recommended that you do not place any security settings on the files you submit to the Office of Research. The Library will do this themselves when they PDF your files to the required ADT security settings. Your thesis will be read and print only.

Do I need to supply a separate abstract file?

Yes. While your abstract will be included in the 01Front file, you will still need to supply a separate abstract file. This is to help the Library in the deposit of your thesis to the ADT database. Remember, this file must be in Word or plain text format.

What if I have used mathematical or scientific symbols in my abstract?

If you have used mathematical or scientific symbols in your abstract, they may not convert to the plain text required for the metadata that will be attached to your thesis deposit form. You may need to write these out in full or simplify the text of the abstract.

An example of this required change is available by looking at the UNSW thesis for Mortiss, Genevieve Catherine.

Remember, any changes you make will only be for this additional abstract file. The abstract included in your 01Front file should be exactly the same as your printed copy.

Do I need to insert the copyright disclaimer form into each of my files?

This is optional. If you do, it will help the Library in depositing your thesis to the ADT database as quickly as possible. If you don't, the library will try to insert this copyright disclaimer into each of your files upon receipt.

• Download the Copyright Disclaimer form [PDF 48KB]

Should I PDF my files myself?

This is up to you. If you do, once again it will help the Library in depositing your thesis to the ADT database as quickly as possible. However, to do this you must have access to the full version of Adobe Acrobat.

Note: All fonts must be embedded and subset, magnification should be set at 100% and NO security should be applied.

If you have multiple Microsoft Word files that need to be joined, it is easier to convert each to PDF first before combining them. PDF files are nearly always smaller than Word files.

Submitting your thesis

1. Check files are organised and named according to one of the methods described above
2. Check you have included a separate Abstract file
3. Submit disk with the bound copies of your thesis to the Office of Research