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Regent University
October
2004
 
Dissertation Finished? What's Next?
Dissertation Finished? What's Next? The library's role in processing dissertations is to facilitate a binding service, collect and distribute bound copies to the designated offices on campus, and send the manuscripts to UMI for listing and copyright registration. Each school has a designated representative working together with Circulation Supervisors to handle all dissertation questions and correspondence for that particular school. The library supervisors maintain a good working relationship with these representatives to help students have a smooth experience when submitting their dissertation. Following are steps taken to process the dissertation after receipt at the Circulation Desk.
The Digital
Dissertations Database Theses and dissertations provide a wealth of information for research in the humanities and social sciences. Digital Dissertations database, available on the web from the Regent University Library "Databases & Article Searching" homepage, is an excellent source of information about theses and dissertations available through University Microfilms. Coverage is from 1861 to the present and works from hundreds of schools and universities are listed, including Regent University. Full-text digital copies of all Regent University theses (but not all portfolios and projects) from 1996 on are available to all authorized Regent University users. To open the program, click on Digital Dissertations on the "Databases & Article Searching" homepage. Click on the "Enter" button and start a search by typing in an author's name, title, school name, advisor, or degree program. Click on the blue box down arrows to select the desired field index(es). Click on the "Search" button and the program will display a screen that tells you the total number of citations found with an opportunity to refine your search if you wish. Click on the blue hyperlink number of citations to see the results of your search. Be patient at this point as the program may take a few moments to load in your search results. The brief citations that first display include author, title, school, date, and number of pages. Regent University theses and dissertations from 1996 on can be viewed in three different ways: 1. a citation and abstract display; 2. a 24-page preview display (starting from the title page); and, 3. a free PDF file download. Click on the "FREE DOWNLOAD" button on the left-hand margin and type an e-mail address in the yellow text box. Click on the "Download Now" button and the program informs you that you will shortly receive an e-mail message with instructions for downloading the PDF file document, along with an Order ID and Tracking PIN number. Your order remains active for 72 hours, meaning that you must download your order within this length of time. For more detailed help about the program click on "HELP" at the top right, under the black menu bar. Watch for changes to the Digital Dissertations database as early as this coming December. It will be re-named "ProQuest Dissertations & Theses" and its functionality will become similar to other ProQuest databases such as ABI/Inform, Education Complete, and Religious Periodicals. We hope you find your use of Digital Dissertations database to be productive and enjoyable.Where
Can I Find...Periodical Articles?
Because periodicals are issued frequently, the information they contain is usually more current than that provided by books. Especially in disciplines where access to current information is very important, periodicals are the most important medium for the publication of new research and new ideas. Periodical articles tend to focus on a particular aspect of a subject, rather than trying to cover a topic broadly as a book might do. Periodical articles often provide concise, in depth information on a narrow topic. There are two steps to finding articles in periodicals: • Find out what has been published. • Find out what is available and in what format -- print or online. To find out what has been published, choose a database from the listing on the library home page. Databases may be subject specific or cover multiple subjects. Search the database by subject or keyword to find articles pertaining to your subject. If the full-text of the article is not available in the database that you are searching check the "Full-Text Journal Title List" to locate the availability of a source. (For a workshop schedule on this topic and others, see the Library Instruction page.) When you find the title, make sure that the particular issue cited in the database is available and in what format. Is it a current periodical, bound periodical, microfilm, microfiche, or an e-journal? Check the Library Catalog. The illustration below indicates how to read a periodical record in the library catalog.
If an article is in a periodical to which Regent University Library does not have access, you can order it through Interlibrary Loan. You must complete and submit an interlibrary loan request form in order to obtain a copy of the article. This process could take up to two weeks or more, and there may be a small fee involved. The library remains current with cutting edge information technology. From the journal databases to which the library subscribes, there are a total of 31,438 aggregated journal titles in full-text format available to our faculty and students. Included in the 31,438 journal titles, 1,769 full-text journal titles are accessible and available issue by issue and cover-to-cover for every journal title. In addition, we now have some 50,000 e-books that are accessible to Regent faculty and students anytime anywhere. We believe the electronic resources are a significant factor in the success of our distance education programs. ...The Regent community enjoys borrowing privileges at Virginia Tidewater Consortium Libraries? This benefit is free to all University faculty, staff, and students whose Regent Library accounts are in good standing. In order to borrow materials from member libraries, you must first go to the Regent University Library Circulation Desk to get a Consortium Borrower's Card. This card must be presented with a photo ID when checking-out items at Consortium libraries. Borrowing limits and check-out periods are set by each member library and may be viewed at the Consortium's Circulation Policy page. For the convenience of area researchers, the Consortium also maintains a Library Catalogs page with links to all member online catalogs as well as those of other area and Virginia libraries. Contest Question: How many campuses are in the Virginia Tidewater Consortium? Please send your comments and suggestions . Your opinion matters! |
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