Sigma Repository Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETD) Project

Importance of Dissemination

If you hold a master's or doctorate degree in nursing, your electronic thesis or dissertation is likely housed in the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database (ProQuest)¹. Your ETD is an important part of the nursing profession. It deserves to be showcased with other nursing-centered works in the Sigma Repository². As the author and copyright holder you deserve to see the benefits of dissemination^{3, 4}.

If your ETD is not located in ProQuest⁵, don't worry. Please feel free to attach the file where indicated in the online permission form (link below).

To assist you with making the decision, see the table below and note the important differences between static and dynamic dissemination.

Older ETDs

An ETD is never too old to post in the Sigma Repository. Past and present works need to be shared and preserved to provide a foundation and direction for future research and evidence-based practice.

Don't have a digital file? Have your printed/bound version digitized using Optimal Character Recognition (OCR). Upload the digital file when prompted in the permission form (link found below). Following are several scanning service options that should be available in your local area. Make sure that the scan includes the OCR option.

• Staples
• Kinkos FedEx
• Iron Mountain
• Minuteman Press

ETD Formatting Requirements

To qualify as an ETD submission the document must follow standard organization methods for theses and dissertations. It should be the same document submitted to your university in partial fulfillment of a graduate or doctoral degree and successfully defended.

• Title page
• Approval page (remove/redact faculty signatures)
• Abstract
• Table of contents
• Body of paper
• Bibliography/References
• Appendix/appendices containing tables, figures, approval letters, questionnaires, surveys, etc.

DNP and DNAP capstones that conform to the above standards are acceptable submissions.

DNP and DNAP capstones and other graduate/doctoral projects in different formats may be submitted to alternative collections within the Sigma Repository.

Questions About Copyright and Traditional Publication

Q. Can the same thesis/dissertation be in multiple databases and websites at the same time?
A. Yes, as long as each database allows the author to retain full copyright.

Q. Does ProQuest's thesis/dissertation database allow authors to retain full copyright?
A. Yes.

Q. Does the Sigma Repository allow authors to retain full copyright?
A. Yes.

Q. Can I extract articles from my thesis/dissertation for traditional publication in journals after it has been posted in the Sigma Repository?
A. Yes, but you should contact the repository staff to discuss embargo options. See email address directly below.

Q. Won't this situation be seen as prior/simultaneous publication?
A. In most cases the answer is no. If you have specific questions, please email repository staff at Repository@sigmanursing.org.

How to Submit or Participate

Option 1. Allow Sigma Repository Staff to do the work for you.

• Step 1. Complete this form to allow us to submit your work on your behalf: https://sigmanursing.formstack.com/forms/sr_etd_proxy_form

• Step 2. Respond to staff questions regarding descriptive details in your thesis/dissertations. This will allow staff to better describe your work, enhancing its discoverability and meaningfulness to others once its posted in the repository.

Option 2. Submit your own work.

• Step 1. Register with the Sigma Repository at https://sigma.nursingrepository.org/register, and

• Step 2. Send us an email at Repository@sigmanursing.org to request submission authorization to the ETD theses or dissertations collection, as applicable.

• Step 3. We will authorize your account to submit and send you instructions for submission.

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¹ ProQuest is a subscription-based service. It accepts final graduate works from many different graduate programs, physics, history, chemistry, journalism, to name but a few. The participating institution (e.g., university, college, hospital) subscribes to the database. The staff, students, and faculty of the subscribing institution may access the database while on campus or when using a VPN connection. Traditional citation data is made available to authors.

² Anyone with access to the Internet may view the items in the repository. The Sigma Repository is indexed in all of the major search engines in a way that pushes the repository records that match the user's search words/terms to the top of the list. Plus, it's full-text searchable. When someone enters a word or phrase into a search engine, every word of every item in the Sigma Repository is examined for a possible match.

³ The Sigma Repository features item level usage statistics that enable authors to view and track item record views and file downloads around the globe. This quantifiable data may be added to a tenure dossier and presented to administrators and funders as proof of impact and as evidence of a need for future funding.

⁴ The Sigma Repository offers Altmetric^© tracking which captures and collates digital conversations surrounding scholarly content from a range of online sources. Know what people are saying about your work. See if it is influencing policy or making news outlets. No more missed collaboration and funding opportunities. Address any misinterpretations about your work as they appear.

⁵ If your thesis/dissertation was written prior to 1997, or your university/college did not participate in the ProQuest database, there is a high probability that your work is not available in ProQuest.