KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Master’s theses or doctoral dissertations of 15 University of Tennessee-Knoxville students will be posted on the Internet this fall as part of a national project to archive graduate research.
Dr. Linda Painter, associate dean of the Graduate School, said UT is one of 12 schools exploring potential benefits of on-line access to graduate theses and dissertations.
The project is funded by the U.S. Department of Education and headed by Virginia Tech.
“This project could help improve education in all graduate programs by making recent graduate research results instantly accessible, and launching a large, self-sustaining, digital library of graduate research,” Painter said.
Painter said having electronic theses and dissertations can cut paper, binding and shelving costs, save library space and make it easier for students to distribute their work to faculty reviewers.
Students also will be able to include sound and video in their research papers link them to other Internet sites.
A UT project committee of faculty to choose about 15 participants from a group of students who volunteer to have their work posted on the Internet.
“The students who are calling us are most encouraged and want to be a part of this,” Painter said. “There has been positive enthusiasm on their part.”
This year, Virginia Tech became the first school to require all graduate students to post a thesis or dissertation on the Internet.
Painter said the UT project is a pilot with only a small number of students. A committee will assess the program and determine if it should be continued, expanded or dropped at UT.
Other universities in the national project include Auburn, Clemson, N.C. State, Georgia, Virginia, and West Virginia.
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Contact: Dr. Linda Painter (423-974-2475)