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  • 2020-04-08
The NCL Asks the Public to Authorize Open Access to Their Dissertations
The NCL Asks the Public to Authorize Open Access to Their Dissertations

Content Owners Open Up Their Resources tothe Public during the Viral Outbreak

The novel coronavirus epidemic continues to spread, causing a succession of universities, colleges, and public libraries at home and abroad to close or adopt measures to restrict admission. People are also visiting public spaces less frequently. During these stressful times, many overseas libraries, museums, and businesses are making their online resources freely accessible. The public can now enjoy the New York Public Library’s ebooks, a tour of the British Museum, Berlin Philharmonic performances, and even listen to audio books on the Amazon Bookstore for free. Such gestures would not be possible without the kind permission of content owners to allow people to enjoy the content and enrich their knowledge in the safety of their own homes.

 

The NCL Calls on the Public to Authorize Open Access to Their Dissertations

One of the National Central Library’s (NCL) most popular resources is its digital collection of theses and dissertations. Since its establishment, the National Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations has benefited countless students and scholars. Up to 1.6 million searches are performed on the website daily, averaging more than 50 million searches each year. As of March 2020, the system holds the titles and abstracts of over 1.18 million dissertations submitted at major universities and colleges across the country. Anyone registering on the system with their email address is able to freely access the full text of over 510,000 dissertations and theses whose authors have already granted open access. Readers must visit the library to view a print copy of the more than 310,000 papers on the system whose authors have yet to grant permission. Those coming into the library from other cities and counties by public transportation during the current viral epidemic increase their risk of exposure.

To make it easier for scholars and students to access these materials during the epidemic containment period, the NCL calls on those who have not done so to grant open access permission for the full text of their thesis or dissertation. This helps to ensure that graduate students can work from home uninterrupted during the epidemic.

 

Four Easy Steps to Authorization

Authors wishing to grant permission to allow open access to the full text of their thesis or dissertation should visit the webpage (https://ndltdcc.ncl.edu.tw/get_thesis_authorize.php), and then follow the following four simple steps: print out the authorization form, sign it, uploada photograph, and mail the form. Upon receiving your permission, the library will post a thank you on both the system’s homepage and Facebook page. With minimal effort you will benefit scholars and students at home and abroad, help promote the sharing of university and college theses and dissertations, and enable people to study and research safely at home during the epidemic prevention period.

NCL Director-General Tseng comments that dissertations represent the fruit of a person’s learning. Granting access gives future postgraduate students the advantage of being able to stand on their predecessor’s shoulders to forge ahead with their own work and ensures that the epidemic will not impede knowledge acquisition and research.

Last Update Time:2020-04-14
  • Poster for authorization
    Poster for authorization