Begin searching Digital Dissertations
Downloading and Printing Dissertations
ProQuest Digital Dissertations database provides the full-text of dissertations written in the social sciences from 1997 to the present. Getting a copy of a dissertation selected from the ProQuest database is a two-step process:
Step one -- selection. Using your browser, search the Digital Dissertations database at http://wwwlib.umi.com/dissertations, select the documents that you would like to retrieve, and initiate the online document request. This step can be completed from any networked machine on the AU campus. Off-campus users can access the database using a special username and password (see a librarian for details).
Step two -- download. This system is not configured to support the direct downloading of documents from the database interface itself. Instead, when you request the document the system asks you for an email address and then sends you a message containing a link to a web page that will allow you to complete the download process. It may take several minutes or longer before the message arrives, depending on system load.
Here are are your options after you have submitted your order:
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From your personal computer or from one of computer labs, watch your email for the delivery notice from ProQuest. The subject line will be "Your Digital Dissertation order is ready for download" and the sender's name will be listed as "ProQuest PQDD." Open this message in your email reader.
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From most networked computers you will be able to click the link included with the message and go directly to the webpage containing your selected dissertation ready for downloading. If your workstation does not support direct linking, make a note of the address and use it with any browser to access the download page. There are further instructions on that page for completing the download process.
You must select a destination for the download. Note that the capacity of floppy disks is too small to accommodate most of these large PDF files. Your choices will vary with the configuration and location of your computer but will usually include one or more of the following:
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Your personal directory on the Novell server (the K: drive). This is only available from campus workstations. Note that there is a storage limit on his directory and you will not be able to archive a large number of dissertations in your personal storage space.
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The local hard drive (C:). This option is available only on personal or office machines. In the computer labs use your K: drive directory instead.
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If available on your local machine, a high-density removable disk such as a Zip disk or CD-R disk. The new machines in the labs will contain CD burners for this purpose, and a few lab machines are equipped with Zip drives.
VIEWING THE DISSERTATION
Most of the dissertations in the ProQuest Dissertation Database are PDF files and can be opened, read, and printed using Adobe Acrobat reader or equivalent software. This software will already be loaded on most machines with current browsers. If your computer does not have the necessary software you can download a free copy from the web page at http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html.
NOTES ON PRINTING
Because of the large size of most dissertations, printing can take a very long time, over an hour in some cases. For this reason AU does not support the printing of large documents from the library workstations or computer labs. Here are your options:
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Consider NOT printing the entire dissertation. You can browse through the document in your Acrobat reader, and then print selected pages that you want to read more closely.
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Copy the dissertation to a flash drive device for later printing or reference.
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Burn the dissertation to a CD-R disk and take the document to another workstation that permits printing (your home machine, for example).
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Burn the dissertation to a CD-R disk and take it to the photocopy center in the basement of Davis Hall, which offers a fee-based copying service for students.
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Copy the dissertation to a CD-R disk and take it to a commercial copy center. Most of these businesses will be able to print your document from the disk.
Rev. 10 May 2005
