Knowledge Transfer: the UNESCO guide for developing countries on electronic theses and dissertations

Abstract

The UNESCO guide on electronic theses and dissertations aims to develop standards and best practices for the creation/enhancement of Electronic theses and dissertations (ETD) projects all over the world, but particularly in developing countries. The aim ist to provide an online and a CD-ROM version in English, Frenchand Spanish by April 30th, 2001.ETDs initiatives are operating all over the world, e.g. NDLTD (http://www.ndltd.org), the project Cyberthéses (http://www.cybertheses.org), Dissertation Online(http://www.dissonline.de). Those projects have been recognized as a cost-effective and self-sustainable mechanism for modernizing IT in higher education institutions. To collect all the experiences and to derive internationally applicable standards and best practices the UNESCO funds the preparation of a guide presenting these standards and best practices.The following partners are working on the guide:Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virgina Tech) (USA), University of Montreal (Canada),Université de Lyon 2 (France),Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (Germany),Universidad de Chilé (Santiago de Chilé) (Chile),Australian Digital Theses Project (Australia),ISTEC: Ibero-American Science Technology Education Consortium, VIDYANIDHI: Digital Library of Indian Electronic Theses (India), Universiy of South Florida (USA)The Guide covers the following aspects:Hard and software requirements, Network requirements, Legal requirements, Data formats, Metadata, Archiving, Access tools, Model workflow, Establishment of budget, Proposals for funding for projects.