Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs): ETD Restrictions

Overview of ETD Restrictions

Graduate students whose program is associated with the Graduate School use an online form to submit their thesis or dissertation for acceptance by the university. During that application process, authors are offered options for restricting access to their work for a limited period. The available options are listed to the right. Because the University of Florida and the Libraries are strongly committed to open access scholarship, the default option is for immediate release.

For authors who do choose a restriction, extensions are available. If you already have a restriction and want to extend it, please send email to ETDextensions@uflib.ufl.edu. You can also ask us to immediately lift an existing restriction or add a new restriction to an item that is currently public.

Policy for ETD restrictions is established by the university's ETD Committee, a joint committee with members from the Libraries and the Graduate School. If you have questions or concerns about current policy, you can send email IRManager@uflib.ufl.edu and/or Trey Shelton.

Restrictions expire six times a year on:

• February 28-29 (summer term graduates with 6-month restrictions)
• May 31 (spring term graduates)
• June 30 (fall term graduates with 6-month restrictions)
• August 31 (summer term graduates)
• November 30 (spring term graduates with 6-month restrictions)
• December 31 (fall term graduates)

Restrictions are lifted by automation that the Libraries run as soon as possible after the expiration date. The graduate degree application process also offers you the choice of submitting your work to ProQuest. If you choose to submit to ProQuest and make a restriction choice on their form, that restriction begins after the restriction on the Libraries' copy of your work expires.