The dot on the i : reflections of a postgraduate student and repository manager on the ETD process at the University of Pretoria

Abstract

This paper shares the personal reflections of a postgraduate student and a repository manager on the life cycle of an electronic thesis and dissertation at the University of Pretoria in South Africa. The postgraduate student will reflect on her involvement with UPeTD, the University of Pretoria’s electronic theses and dissertations (ETD) repository – at first to obtain electronic information during her studies, but later in becoming a knowledge creator for other students as well. The life cycle of the dissertation and the thesis for the postgraduate student will be discussed as well as the other benefits as a professional, of having her research available in electronic format in the repository. The repository manager will discuss the life cycle of the thesis and dissertation at this institution from a manager’s perspective for the past decade. This process involves the Postgraduate officers of the nine faculties and although students may self-archive their ETDs, the manager mainly focuses on mediated submission by two library staff members. The availability of a thesis or a dissertation in a repository is only the dot on the i – it entails an intricate work process for the postgraduate student and repository manager, but they both reap the benefits in the end. The manager will also touch on the future developments for the UPeTD repository and reflect on the envisioned changes to the workflow processes.