The Final Draft

The Graduate College will no longer accept printed copies of theses and dissertations beginning with the December 2005 graduating class (with the exception of Creative Writing MFA theses). All manuscripts are to be submitted to the Graduate College electronically via OhioLINK (see ETD web page). The manuscript must conform to the format and style requirements of this Handbook and your style manual, have no errors in spelling or grammar, and be clearly printed throughout to facilitate microfilming and photocopying.

It is recommended that you use an 11- or 12-point standard font (the same size and typeface throughout), and leave the right margin ragged. Be sure to check the entire manuscript for quality before submitting it to OhioLINK,

Professional Assistance in Preparing the Manuscript

Because the stylistic and grammatical requirements of a thesis or dissertation are so exact, you may find it helpful to hire a professional word processor and/or copy editor. The Graduate College can provide you with a list of local contract workers. Before signing any work agreement, ask the word processor or editor about his or her past experience with theses and dissertations, contact a few of his/her references, and make sure that you understand all charges, deadlines, etc. (Who, for example, is responsible for making any changes to the manuscript in case of error? Is the charge per page, or is there a set fee per manuscript?) Be sure to provide the word processor or copy editor with copies of your style manual and the Thesis and Dissertation Handbook.

Submission to the Graduate College

Students preparing theses and dissertations must submit them electronically via OhioLINK. Please refer to the Graduate College ETD web page for information on converting your document to PDF format and submitting the final document to OhioLINK.

The final, error free manuscript must be electronically submitted by the date/time specified prior to the commencement at which you expect to graduate. No extensions to this deadline are granted: if you submit your manuscript after the deadline, you will not graduate until the following semester.

Microfilming and Binding

Since all doctoral dissertations and master’s theses will be available on the web through OhioLINK, the BGSU Library will no longer microfilm and bind electronically submitted manuscripts. The only exception to this is Creative Writing MFA theses. Since these documents will continue to be submitted as paper copies, the manuscripts will still be microfilmed and bound by the BGSU Library for archival purposes. The fee for this service is $20.

Please note that all doctoral dissertations are forwarded to ProQuest/UMI for microfilming by OhioLINK. The abstract is published in Dissertation Abstracts International and its database, and the dissertation is made available for purchase by scholars throughout the world. Doctoral students may arrange for publication by other means, provided this does not interfere with ProQuest's process. Master's theses are not forwarded to ProQuest. The fee for this is set by ProQuest and is currently $55. However, effective September 1, 2008, the microfilming fee will be increasing to $65.

The Graduate College is now required to process these fees using the BG1 Card. Therefore, you must ensure that your BG1 Card has a positive balance to cover the charge. Funds can be deposited 24/7 by clicking the BG1 Card tab at MyBGSU. Visa, Discover or MasterCard debit or credit cards are accepted. Transactions are processed in real time allowing for immediate access to deposited funds. If funds are not available by the date of graduation, a HOLD will be placed on your record and your final transcript and diploma will not be mailed to you until the issue has been resolved.

If you have any questions regarding the BG1 Card or how to add funds to your account, please review the BG1 Card web site or contact the BG1 Card staff at 419-372-4127 or via email at bg1card@bgsu.edu.

Stampers in the Bowen-Thompson Student Union is now offering thesis and dissertation book binding. This is a high-quality hardback bind, with a variety of color covers from which to choose. Cover printing can be done in either gold or black. Please stop by Stampers on the second floor of the BTSU if you have any questions or want to view color cover samples. Stampers can be reached by phone at 419-372-9633.

Another bindery that has an online service is H-F Group-Indiana. You can arrange everything online at http://www.thesisondemand.com/, and they do offer rush service.

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