The theses and dissertations by Adler University Vancouver students can soon be discoverable and downloadable online through Theses Canada, an open access database facilitated by the Library and Archives Canada.
Adler University Vancouver Campus signed an agreement this month with Theses Canada, which would allow it to upload students’ theses and dissertations at no cost to graduates and the University.
“This is going to elevate the students’ work and our University by making the work our graduates are doing more accessible,” said Angela Doyle, Adler University Vancouver Campus librarian.
The agreement comes just three months after Doyle first looked into the possibility of adding Vancouver students’ work in an open access database for dissemination. She was attending a November 2022 faculty workshop on publishing when a faculty member mentioned students were seeking to publish their theses and dissertations.
Doyle quickly found that the best and most cost-effective option was Theses Canada, a collaborative program between Library and Archives and Canadian universities. The program launched in 1965 at the request of the deans of Canadian graduate schools. It strives to acquire and preserve theses and dissertations from participating universities; provide open access to Canadian digital theses and dissertations in the collection; and facilitate access to non-digital theses and dissertations in the collection.
The first set of theses and dissertations that Doyle plans to upload are the work and research from this year’s upcoming graduates. Students will need to provide her with a PDF of their completed theses and dissertations. In addition, Doyle plans to reach out to recent alums who may be interested in adding their work in the database.
“Adler Vancouver students’ research will now live alongside those of students from some of Canada’s biggest universities,” Doyle said. “Their excellent work can easily be disseminated around the world.”