Abstract
Introduction
The success and growth of electronic these and dissertations (ETDs) has been noted according to literature sources. A number of universities are encouraging and have in place work flow programmes for the submission of theses and dissertations in digital format. The University of Johannesburg (UJ), one of the largest, multi-campus, residential universities in South Africa, has set its goals to achieve the highest distinction in scholarship and research within the higher education context through the role out of its new generation of scholars. This is clearly defined within the the Postgraduate Centre (PGC)’s purpose and aims to:
• coordinate, extend and enhance the postgraduate support systems;
• assist the University in attracting, training and delivering quality postgraduate students; and
• increase the number of postgraduate students (masters and doctoral).
Aims and Objectives
This presentation explores the new University of Johannesburg’s ETDs submission work flow since the merger of the three legacy institutions, formerly Rand Afrikaans University (RAU), Technikon Witwatersrand (TWR) and Vista University. It also investigates the contribution to research by postgraduate students, past and current. The presentation will further examine the ETDs scholarly communication model being applied through the merger of the vocational, technical and research discourses of the new university as it re-invents itself as a masters and doctoral granting university. The role of stakeholders in the ETDs work-flow will also be explored and evaluated in order to explain the implementation and management of submissions of ETDs into UJDigispace, an open access repository, which was established in 2009.
The responsibility of managing and preserving ETDs at UJ sits with the University library and faculties. There are a number of issues that needs to be addressed before these research outputs are made visible through networks and the Internet. Therefore the paper will further argue that, a project plan which maps out objectives, outputs, processes, responsibilities, time frames and resource requirements for submission and management of ETDs be established.
Data Sources and Methodology
The study forms part of an investigation and strategy to establish a solid ETD submission manual at UJ. Data for this case study will be obtained through interviews of various stakeholders identified by the author. These include inter alia, the faculty research co-ordinators, theses and dissertation supervisors, library staff responsible for ETDs, information literacy, and computer literacy at the library and E-learning instructors at the Centre for Technology Assisted Learning. Desktop research will also form part of the data sources. The research will combine the qualitative and quantitative methods to capitalize strength on each approach and offset their different weaknesses.
Conclusion
The paper will address how UJ can go about with the implementation of its ETD workflow that would promote, stimulate and prepare postgraduate students for academic excellence, support thesis supervisory work and research writing that adhere to international standards of referencing. The overall outcomes are aimed at the university’s ETDs contributing to the global knowledge ecology, fostering its prestige and recognition. It is also high time all South African universities contribute to the International ‘Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations’ (NDLTD).
Intended audience
Postgraduate students, Faculties, Academics, Researchers and Librarians.