ETD Guide/Technical Issues/Dissemination of ETDs

Ultimately, ETDs are designed to be disseminated, to at least some audience. Aspects of this activity are considered in the next subsections.

First, each ETD must have an ID, and there must be a link between the ID and the actual work. Second, each ETD must have a metadata record attached, that can be used for resource discovery and other purposes. Third, there must be a link between the ID, the metadata, and the actual body of the ETD. Fourth, the works must be made available, typically through a Web server. Sixth, there may be summaries or full works that are provided for discovery, or for indexing that is designed to lead to discovery. For example, summary pages may be indexed by Web search engines so that they may be found as a result of a Web search.

Note that it is encouraged for all NDLTD sites to keep a log regarding dissemination of the local ETDs, as well as other related information, so statistical and other reports can be prepared both for individual sites and for sites that have aggregate information (such as NDLTD).

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