JISC

Two-year project will lead to open access to the more than 14,000 theses published in the UK each year

A fully integrated national electronic theses service moved a step closer with the announcement today that a two-year project - EThOSnet - is to be funded to establish a live service run by the British Library in two years’ time. 

JISC and CURL (Consortium of Research Libraries), with the support of participating libraries, are funding the project to widen access to what is a rich and vast but up to now almost invisible and untapped resource for researchers. By contrast EThOS, the service that will be established by the project, will make UK theses openly available for global use, providing an international showcase for some of the best of UK research.

The project builds on earlier exploratory work, also funded by JISC and CURL, which between 2004 and 2006 develo'It provides an excellent example of investment in development activity leading to services which make a vital contribution to education and research nationally'ped a prototype for the service. Independent evaluation has since given the prototype strong backing and suggested further developments, while a recent consultation resulted in expressions of interest from over 70 HE institutions to participate in the emerging e-theses service.  

EThOSnet builds on these firm foundations and through collaboration with the British Library and the HE community will transform access to theses in the UK by providing the full text of theses through a single point of entry. In addition, in tandem with the emerging network of institutional repositories in the UK, it promises to become a central element of the national infrastructure for research.

Rachel Bruce, JISC programme director, said: ‘This is an important development and, judging by the enthusiasm expressed in the recent consultation, one whose time has come. It provides an excellent example of investment in development activity leading to services which make a vital contribution to education and research nationally. JISC is delighted to be continuing its support of what will undoubtedly be a rich resource for researchers both in the UK and worldwide.’ 

Robin Green, Executive Director of CURL, said: ‘Evidence shows that use of electronic theses and dissertations is dramatically higher than that of print, and that accesses are worldwide. A national e-theses service will greatly improve availability of resources for researchers as well as emphasise the quality and range of research undertaken in the UK. It is good news that the work of the initial EThOS project has been so well received, and CURL is very pleased to continue to support this collaborative initiative.’

Jan Wilkinson, Head of Higher Education British Library, said: ‘Research in the US has shown that the use of theses increases spectacularly with electronic access. Building on the British Library’s experience of collecting and supplying theses in print, EThOS will extend access to this rich and comparatively untapped resource to a wider audience of researchers than ever.’ 

For further information, please go to: EThOSnet

Contact details: Philip Pothen (JISC) on 07887 564 006 or p.pothen@jisc.ac.uk

Lawrence Christensen (British Library) on 020 7412 7114 or lawrence.christensen@bl.uk