STUDENTS

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

1. Allow sufficient time and attention to this process and remember that your published work is both permanent here as posted and can be found by anyone with an internet connection. 
2. The instructions both here and in the online submission form will walk you through one step at a time.  Read the instructions before entering information into the fields.
3. Reading carefully and following these steps will ensure that your work is published correctly, preserved and catalogued accurately, and available online at the appropriate time. 
4. Once it is published, changes are rarely possible.
5. It is suggested that you open these instructions on a separate tab/window or on a second device in order to have them handy as you proceed.
6. If you encounter technical glitches with the platform, and/or you are revisiting pages, refresh your browser and the issue may correct itself.  Help is available, usually within 12 hours and often much sooner. Email UKnowledge.uky.edu, including a screenshot or two if possible.  

PREPARATION

1. Have your completed and signed ETD submission form ready .  If you have not already done so, open the form (column 1) and the signature instructions (column 1)
2. Have the committee-approved final version of your manuscript ready.
3. If you have not seen a thesis or dissertation published to UKnowledge, take a look at how your work will be presented online.  Here are a couple of examples:♦ Published dissertation♦ Published thesis
4. The PDF file (full-text of your manuscript) is embedded in a landing page where you will enter your metadata, so be prepared with keywords.  You may enter HTML formatting, if needed, for your abstract.​​​​​​​ Take this opportunity to make sure your contribution to UKnowledge is ready for public view in perpetuity.  Changes will not be possible at a later time.

PLATFORM HINTS AND TIPS

1. UKnowledge is best accessed with the Firefox browser. 
2. When creating an account, please use your permanent email address (an address you can still use after graduation).  Use that same email address when you enter your author information when submitting.  
3. The UKnowledge platform will recognize you by that address (ONLY) and send you monthly usage metrics for your thesis/dissertation by email.

 

Begin your submission

 

► Open the spreadsheet in the left column called ETD Alphabetical Program List with Submission Links (third box down) to find the submission link for your theses and dissertations in your department/program. These are listed in alphabetical order.   Paste the correct link in your browser and it will take you to your submission page.

         If you do not see your department/program listed, please contact the Graduate School at 859 257-1946.  

       

 

► Go to the selected program.  You'll arrive at the log-in page and log in to your account.

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Your metadata is what will appear on your landing page where the PDF download option is placed.  It must correspond exactly to what is contained in your submission, however your abstract can be modified for public view. Note that this landing page is published regardless of whether you have an embargo.  See the sidebar for metadata and embargo expectations.

 

► Title must match exactly what is on your title page.  If there is formatting (e.g., italics, superscript, etc.) for some words in the title, you can keep the formatting by adding HTML tags around the words. (basic HTML) 

 

► When adding author, the field will populate using the name you used to set up your UKnowledge account.  You may easily edit that field if needed to make it match what is on your accepted manuscript.  Also, click on the far right of the box so it will expand and you will see 'institution'.  Add University of Kentucky. Please verify that:

♦ the email address is one you can still use after graduation; and

♦ your name is entered identically to the one on your thesis/dissertation.

 

► If you have an ORCID identifier, add it, formatted like this: 

https://orcid.org/1234-5678-0009

This should match your manuscript. Test the link to make sure it works.  

 

► Year of publication will always be the year your submission is published, NOT the year that the full-text is available to the public.

 

► Indicate whether you would like a permanent embargo.  (Note that a permanent embargo is one that lasts forever; these are requested very rarely and are restricted to creative writing manuscripts.) Then indicate the date your work will be publicly available based on the embargo you chose on the submission form. For example, if you have a two year embargo, use the date two years from today.  If you have not requested embargo, use today’s date.

 

► Using the dropdowns, select your degree name, document type, college, and department/program.

 

► As applicable, enter your advisors.  Do not add anyone here that you have not mentioned in the document. This information is used by catalogers to create the electronic record.  All faculty that advise you and are listed on your title page should be added, in any order.

 

► Select up to 6 keywords that best describe your work, separated by commas.  

 

► Select at least one subject category that best fits your thesis/dissertation. Subject categories will improve the indexing and retrieval of your thesis/dissertation. Click here to view the complete list of disciplines.

 

► Enter your abstract. The editor above the abstract box provides shortcuts to formatting such as creating a numbered list, embedding links, enabling superscript, etc. If there are special characters and/or specific formatting in your abstract, the best way to enter them is to click the HTML button and paste the text in the pop-up text box. From there, you can use HTML tags to format the text as needed. Click the Update button on the pop-up box to add the formatted text to the abstract box. For more information about special characters and formatting, please see the UKnowledge FAQ page.

 

► If there is a less than (<) sign in the abstract, make sure there is a space between the less than sign and the following character, e.g., < 16 instead of <16. If the space is missing, part of the text following the less than sign will disappear when you submit.  Please go over the abstract to make sure it is complete with the required formatting before making a submission.

 

► Enter any funding information, if applicable.  For each of the funds you include, please list:

♦ internal or external source (University of Kentucky or outside organization)

♦ source of funds, spelled out completely (example: National Science Foundation)

♦ fund title and number, spelled out completely (example: grant, #8A9488)

If you have more than 3 funders to list, it is best to create a bulleted list.

 

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► Upload your manuscript file from your computer.

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► Check the box to add additional files.  Add your ETD Submission Form.  If you have a Certificate of Completion or additional supporting documents, add them here as well.  If you have a dataset it may be added as a supplementary file or it may be uploaded separately in the Undergraduate Data collection for possible re-use.  There are more details about this in the sidebar.

 

 

► For each additional file, you will need to specify after uploading, whether the document should be visible to the public.  "SHOW" means the document will be visible.  The only documents that should be shown are those that contain your research documents.  Do not 'show' your ETD form, your supporting permissions forms, or certificates.

 

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► Submit once.  It may take some time for your work to upload, so feel free to walk away.  You will receive a system-generated e-mail to let you know that your submission was received.  Please allow an hour or so for this to take place.  If you have not received the e-mail confirmation, you can try again. 

 

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► If you have any question about whether your submission was successfully received, you may contact the repository.  Please do not re-submit unless you are told that it is necessary.

 

► If you have any questions about your formatting review and/or timetable, you may contact the Graduate School.