Avoiding the Pitfalls of
the ETD Process
Matthew Cordner, M.A.
ETD Lead Reviewer & Process Manager,
Office of Graduate Studies
Know the Process
(or at least the website!)
• Students sometimes forget there’s a specific process for formatting &
submitting ETDs to Grad Studies.
• Be aware of what the process entails, what’s needed for submission, & that
there are specific formatting requirements.
• All of this is covered on the ETD Resource Center website:
http://www.grad.usf.edu/ETD-res-main.php
Certificate of Approval vs.
Successful Defense Form
• Students (and sometimes even faculty) sometimes think the Successful Defense
form is the same as the Certificate of Approval
• It’s not. Your college uses the Successful Defense form. We need the Certificate of
Approval – it has information and wording specific to the ETD process. Both need
signatures from your entire committee and look slightly similar.
• If the Successful Defense form is included in the ETD submission packet, we do
not hold onto them, since they are not required by the Office of Graduate Studies.
Certificate of Approval
Successful Defense Form
Use the Most Up-to-Date
Certificate of Approval
• Sometimes students submit older iterations of the Certificate of Approval.
Because we make changes as needed, it may be missing essential information.
• Download the form directly from our website – it can be found in
Requirements & Information > Submission Requirements and in the
Registration Quick Links (http://www.grad.usf.edu/ETD_RegistrationLinks.php)
Attend the ETD Workshop a Semester Before
You Intend to Defend
• Get a head start on the ETD process by attending the ETD Workshop a
semester before you defend and submit.
• We go over the entire process - deadlines, submission requirements,
submitting the PDF to ProQuest, copyright issues, IRB/IACUC approvals,
and even how to set up a basic document to meet the requirements.
• Online option: currently you can review the site and email when completed.
We are working on an online workshop module in Canvas (ETA: 2016)
Attend a 1-on-1 Help Session
• We set up 4-6 help sessions a semester. No appointments needed, just come
in and we will sit down with you. We can take a quick look at your document
to see if there are any major issues, show you how to do something in Word,
& answer any questions about the process or formatting.
• Arrive 30-60 minutes after the start time – it generally gets less crowded at
that point.
Check Your E-mails Regularly
• When you sign up for ProQuest, you enter an email address – make sure it’s
one you always check, preferably your USF email.
• We’ve had cases where we review and upload an annotated PDF and then
don’t hear from the student for days or weeks. I try to send reminders to
those students, but during peak times, I am not able to do this as frequently
as I’d like.
Use the Formatting Requirements
Pages & Examples
• We’ve set up pages for General Formatting Requirements and SectionSpecific Formatting.
• Each has the requirements, instructions for certain sections that may be
difficult, and even examples.
• General Formatting: http://www.grad.usf.edu/ETD_Format_00_GeneralFormatting.php
• Section-Specific: http://www.grad.usf.edu/ETD_Section_00_Formatting.php
Problematic Sections of the ETD
•
•
•
•
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Title Page
Table of Contents
List of Tables
List of Figures
Appendices
Problematic General Requirements
•
•
•
•
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Margins (1” on all sides)
1st-order Headings (2” from top edge of page)
Page Numbering (3-4 different sections – use section breaks)
Excessive Space (2” or less at the bottom of pages unless end of chapter)
Use Page Breaks at the end of each section chapter, so that no matter what
changes, the new section/chapter begins on a new page, 2” from top edge.
Fees
• We do unfortunately have to charge a manuscript processing fee – which
covers the workshops, help sessions, and review.
• We haven’t raised the fees in several years – $75 if more than 2 weeks before
deadline; $100 within 2 weeks of deadline.
• We do have a one-time additional $25 fee we charge only if the document
requires extensive notes and/or multiple revisions. So it pays to go to the
workshop, attend help sessions, and know the requirements!
We Want You to Succeed!
• We know you have worked hard on your dissertations. We aren’t trying to
make you jump through hoops. Our goal is to help you format your ETD so
that it’s as professional and consistent looking as possible.
Questions?
Thanks for inviting the Office of Graduate Studies!
Email: etd@grad.usf.edu