By Rebecca Wyatt, OU Web Writer

An obligation of research is the dissemination of results through publication. In keeping with that, Oakland University Graduate Council has approved a policy requiring all doctoral dissertation students to publish their dissertations through University Microfilms International (UMI), the publisher of record for U.S. doctoral dissertations since 1938. The UMI publication requirement becomes effective in fall 2005.

A division of Proquest Company (Ann Arbor), UMI publishes dissertations for more than 99 percent of the accredited institutions of higher education in North America as well as a growing number of universities in Europe and Asia. Dissertation abstracts are published in Dissertation Abstract International, a major tool for academic and professional researchers.

“UMI publication is the chosen resource for most universities in the United States. Publishing doctoral dissertations with UMI expands access to the scholarly work of OU graduate students worldwide,” said Claire Rammel, executive director of Graduate Study and Lifelong Learning. 

The new policy will benefit the OU research community through the following resources: 

• Free 24-page previews (in PDF format) of dissertations and theses submitted from 1997 forward, for downloading and viewing.
• Free campus-wide online access to the full text (in PDF format) of dissertations submitted by Oakland University. Full text files can be downloaded to any IP address within the institution.
• A unique Web URL that links a listing of citations abstracts and 24-page previews of current dissertations submitted by Oakland University. Current Research will be updated monthly, providing OU with a Web presence that showcases doctoral research.
• A Web-based bulletin board that announces upcoming dissertation defenses will provide an announcement of recent research to scholars with similar interests and the opportunity for those about to graduate to reach prospective employers.

Of equal benefit to OU graduate students and faculty is the Graduate Study thesis and dissertation Web site that provides the new Guide to the Format of Theses and Dissertations, sample pages, and thesis and dissertation templates for various style manuals, as well as calendars and other information important for the student’s successful submission and approval process. 

For more information on dissertation and thesis guidelines, visit the Graduate Study and Lifelong Learning Web site.