I agree with Jim that archiving is a significant issue that has not been
adequately addressed by many institutions moving ahead with ETD programs.
We are implementing ETDs at the University of Kentucky, with paper back-ups
for at least the first year.  During that time, we'll be investigating and
arguing about format to minimize possible loss in the future.  Right now, we
are accepting PDF documents, which I am arguing against because they are not
easily converted to other formats.  [PDF is a great deliverable format, but
it's not right for archiving.]  Archiving these documents will be an active
process - convertibility has to be considered.  Institutions that choose
migratable formats and provide adequate warnings to ETD authors will have
the best chance to avoid data loss or costly, labor-intensive recovery
efforts.  We'll always be balancing ease of production with ease of
migration.  Most institutions seem to put more weight on the former and I
think that's a mistake.  --Beth Kraemer

 -----Original Message-----
From:   Moxley, Joseph [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent:   Monday, January 22, 2001 3:39 PM
To:     [log in to unmask]
Subject:        Re: ETDs are we rushings?

Thanks for that language.  Interesting.  So could the account of (e.g, sound
recording, video recordings, motion picture films,
slides ects.) take say 5 or 10 pages at Purdue?


What good is it to have a program or something in the back of a thesis in
a CD or DVD format that in 10 years no one will be able to view.

If the CD has an impact now is that bettter than a dissertation that is
never read?



-----Original Message-----
From: Jim Beaven [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Monday, January 22, 2001 3:20 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: ETDs are we rushings?


On Mon, 22 Jan 2001, Moxley, Joseph wrote:

Joseph,


> What do you propose to do with a theses or dissertation that deviates from
a
> linear text, one that uses multimedia and so on.

"When the content of a thesis consist primarily of other than printed
material (e.g, sound recording, video recordings, motion picture films,
slides ects.), you should include a written account of the development,
location and use of such materials."

If a person writes a computer program, in the back he can have a CD with
the program on it, but the program must be written out in the Appendices.
What good is it to have a program or something in the back of a thesis in
a CD or DVD format that in 10 years no one will be able to view.

Yes it takes up more room and time.  It will help insure that information
that we do today will be here tomorrow.

>
> Would you prefer to have an animation rich, visual, nonlinear dissertation
> that is read by thousands or a linear document that is read by the
> dissertation chair and skimmed by other committee members?
>
> Your concerns are warranted.  I don't know the solution to archiving, but
> I'd rather see new dissertation genres that will be well read than what
> we've been doing
> ***********************************
> Joseph M. Moxley, Ph.D.
> Professor of English
> University of South Florida
> http://dmi.usf.edu/moxley
> v: 813 974 9522
> f: 813 974 2270


James Beaven
Library Assistant V
Special Collections, Archives, and Thesis Deposit
Purdue University