FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

• What are the benefits of publishing my thesis online?
• When do I have to submit a digital copy of my thesis?
• I already have finished my PhD: can I still submit my thesis to UvA Dissertations Online?
• What do I have to do to get my thesis in UvA Dissertations Online?
• Archiving or Publishing online? What about copyright?
• How do I get a PDF of my thesis?
• What are the costs?
• What are the benefits of printing-on-demand by the Amsterdam University Press?

What are the benefits of publishing my thesis online?

Everyone using popular search engines like Yahoo and Google Scholar will easily find your thesis. This will enhance your own visibility, the visibility of your thesis, and also of your research institute. More benefits of publishing your thesis online can be found on the Open Access site of the UvA.

When do I have to submit a digital copy of my thesis?

As of January 1, 2005, it is obligatory for all PhD students of the Universiteit van Amsterdam to hand in their thesis four weeks before the PhD ceremony. Besides the 16 printed copies that must be delivered at the "pedel", the digital file(s) must be sent to the Library of the Universiteit van Amsterdam.

I already have finished my PhD: can I still submit my thesis to UvA Dissertations Online?

When your UvA thesis is not full-text available in UvA Dissertations Online, and you have a digital file, you can still submit your thesis to UvA Dissertations Online.

What do I have to do to get my thesis in UvA Dissertations Online?

If you submit your dissertation to UvA Dissertations Online, the following is required:

• Complete the
  License agreement for non-exclusive publication of dissertation in digital form
   Word /  PDF
  Print, sign and send it in twofold to:
  UvA Universiteitsbibliotheek
  Afdeling Metadata Diensten/Dissertaties
  Postbus 19185, 1000 GD Amsterdam
  Singel 425, 1012 WP Amsterdam
• By signing the license agreement, you grant permission to the Universiteitsbibliotheek to publish the electronic version of your dissertation via the Internet. If you have transferred the copyright to another party, then you must also enclose a letter of consent from the copyright holder.
• The electronic and printed versions must have identical content. All images (photos, tables etc.) from the printed version must be integrally available in the electronic version.

The file must be in PDF format. If the file is 5 MB or smaller you can mail it directly to dissertaties@uva.nl. If bigger then 5 MB please send the file via YouSendIt (files up to 100 MB each) or on cd-rom/dvd to the following address:

UvA Universiteitsbibliotheek
Afdeling Metadata Diensten/Dissertaties
Postbus 19185, 1000 GD Amsterdam
Singel 425, 1012 WP Amsterdam

For more information, please download the handout Submission of an electronic version of your thesis:

Archiving or Publishing online? What about copyright?

Making the electronic version available via Dissertations Online does not entail a transfer of copyright to the Universiteit van Amsterdam. The PhD graduate is copyright holder, unless the copyright has been transferred. Nor does making the thesis available via Dissertations Online imply that the Amsterdam University Press will be the publisher of a possible trade edition. The PhD graduate is free to choose a publisher.

In brief, the following situations may occur:

• The doctoral graduate has complete copyright
  Via the License agreement for non-exclusive publication of dissertation in digital form the graduate grants us permission to make the dissertation electronically available.
• The dissertation consists (partly) of articles that have already been published or are still to appear.
  The doctoral graduate checks if the publisher(s) allow(s) its being made available via an institutional repository and in which form (SHERPA publisher copyright policies & self-archiving, Academic Journal Policy Database).
  If yes: the doctoral graduate completes the License agreement for non-exclusive publication of dissertation in digital form, thus granting us permission to make the dissertation electronically available.
  If no: the doctoral graduate requests permission from the publisher to make the article electronically available. The graduate can use this
  sample text.
  In case of a positive reaction from the publisher, the doctoral graduate can then grant permission for electronic availability. In case of a negative response, the doctoral graduate must note on the License agreement for non-exclusive publication of dissertation in digital form for which article(s) permission has not been granted.
• There is a time period embargo for 6 months or 1 year on (part of) the dissertation
  The doctoral graduate notes on the License agreement for non-exclusive publication of dissertation in digital form the time period of the embargo. The dissertation, or the relevant part, will be made available electronically in UvA Dissertations Online after this time period has elapsed.
• The publisher does not grant permission to make (part of) the dissertation electronically available via an institutional repository or has a time period embargo of more than 1 year
  The doctoral graduate does submit an electronic version, but it will not be released directly via UvA Dissertations Online. The embargo may be extended once, one year after the date of presentation, for a maximum period of one year. A written request, addressed to the Librarian of the Universiteit van Amsterdam, must be attached to the license agreement. Should agreements render it desirable to place these materials under embargo for a period exceeding two years after the presentation date, the Doctorate Board of the Universiteit van Amsterdam shall establish a reasonable length for the embargo, in consideration of the agreements that have been made with the publisher (a copy of which is attached) and in consideration of any further information from the PhD candidate in this regard. A written request, must be submitted to the Secretariat of the Doctorate Board. Details can be found in the
  License agreement for non-exclusive publication of dissertation in digital form
   Word /  PDF

For more information and help or in case of doubt about granting permission, please contact:

UvA Universiteitsbibliotheek
Afdeling Metadata Diensten/Dissertaties
Postbus 19185, 1000 GD Amsterdam
Singel 425, 1012 WP Amsterdam
e-mail: dissertaties@uva.nl
tel.: (020) 525 2333 / 2412

How do I get a PDF of my thesis?

Your printing office will probably have generated a PDF file of your thesis in order to print it; you can ask them for a copy of the file. If that is not possible, you can send your original (Word) files to the Library of the Universiteit van Amsterdam.

What are the costs?

The service is free. Just send us the license agreement, the dissertation in PDF format and its metadata.

More information can be found in the section What do I have to do to get my thesis in UvA Dissertations Online?

If you have decided to publish the printed version of your dissertation via the AUP printing-on-demand service, you will only be charged for your own copies. For AUP, the PDF format has to meet certain additional requirements, which may take some extra time. Full details are available on the AUP website

Information for the PhD student on the AUP website.

What are the benefits of printing-on-demand by the Amsterdam University Press?

The Library of the Universiteit van Amsterdam (UBA) and Amsterdam University Press (AUP) offer a service for publishing your thesis in print and online.

The benefits are:

• You can order any number of copies of your thesis in print (for instance only the 16 required for the PhD ceremony)
• The online thesis will be made freely available via UvA Dissertations Online (a part of the Digital Academic Repository of the UvA: UvA-DARE).
• Printed copies of the thesis can be ordered all over the world, for instance through Amazon.com
• The PDF-file that is created during the POD-process can be added to the UvA Dissertations Online without any (copyright) restrictions.
• The PDF-file is technically optimized for presentation on the Internet.

Please note that it is necessary to contact Amsterdam University Press at an early stage (approximately three months before the PhD ceremony).

For more information on the printing-on-demand service of the Amsterdam University Press, please refer to the AUP website:
Information for the PhD student.

• A service provided by the Library of the Universiteit van Amsterdam