Ph.D. dissertation standards

As part of its collection development policy and to advance scholarship, JKM Library collects one hard-copy of the dissertation written by each Ph.D. degree candidate of the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. Your dissertation will be bound, and placed in the non-circulating dissertation collection.

In addition, you will submit an identical copy in .pdf format to ProQuest, which provides the only comprehensive service in the world for publishing, archiving and disseminating graduate research.

Please note: the electronic copy must be submitted to ProQuest before the hard-copy is submitted to JKM.

Guidelines for formatting your dissertation
 
The dissertation should conform to the scholarly conventions set forth in Kate L. Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations: Chicago Style for Students and Researchers, 9th ed. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2018), and, where applicable, The SBL Handbook of Style for Ancient Near Eastern, Biblical, and Early Christian Studies, 2nd ed. (Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., 2014). The dissertation must incorporate all editorial and formatting suggestions made by the dissertation editor.

Paper and printing

As your dissertation will become a permanent part of the library’s collection, the minimum standards for the paper it will be printed on are:

• Quality: archival or acid-free paper
• Size: 8 ½ x 11 inches
• Weight: 20-25 lb. bond

Your dissertation should be printed on a laser or inkjet printer in black ink, and may be printed on both sides. As the hard-copy of the dissertation that is submitted to the library will be bound, the left margin must measure 1 ½  inches.

Under no conditions will exceptions be granted to these standards. This size, weight and quality of paper may be purchased from Amazon.com.

Submitting an electronic copy of your dissertation to ProQuest

The ProQuest UMI ETD Administrator is a tool that allows Ph.D. candidates of the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago to upload their approved dissertations to ProQuest electronically. Participating in the program:

• significantly reduces publication turnaround time
• eliminates the basic publishing fee for authors.

Participation in the ProQuest UMI ETD program is mandatory for all graduating Ph.D. candidates as is the submission of a hard-copy of your dissertation to the JKM Library.

The ProQuest UMI ETD website answers many of the questions that you may have in submitting your dissertation to ProQuest. If you have any questions for which you cannot find the answer, you have the option of either contacting ProQuest using an online form (under the Support & Training tab) or calling 1.877.408.5027 (toll-free). The Associate Librarian for Public Services at the JKM Library can also answer some questions and is willing to work one-on-one with you in person. You can contact him at bhopkins@jkmlibrary.org.

Important: The electronic copy submitted to ProQuest must incorporate all editorial and formatting suggestions made by the dissertation editor.

Before submitting your dissertation electronically to the ProQuest UMI ETD Administrator website you should:

• Read, mark and inwardly digest the Resources & Guidelines section of the website, especially the following sections:
  • Copyright and your dissertation/thesis (note that you, the author, hold the copyright to your dissertation, not ProQuest)
  • Preparing your manuscript for submission (including supplemental files)
  • Subject categories (for the ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Database)
  • Delayed release and other publishing options.
• Decide whether you wish ProQuest to file a copyright application for you with the Library of Congress.
• Embed all fonts in the Word file. Instructions on embedding fonts is available under the Preparing your manuscript for submission portion of the website (p. iii).
• Write an abstract for inclusion in the ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Database.
• Decide whether you wish to order personal copies of your dissertation from ProQuest.

When you begin the process of submitting your dissertation (using the Submitting Your Dissertation/Thesis page), you will create a password-protected account. As you submit your dissertation, the ProQuest UMI ETD will guide you through a step-by-step process to completion. Anytime during the submission process you can save your work and exit.  After you've completed the process, the Associate Librarian for Public Services will review your submission and submit it to ProQuest/UMI Dissertation Publishing.

Submitting a hard-copy of your dissertation to the JKM Library
 
One original copy of your dissertation must be submitted to the JKM Library by a date to be determined by the Advanced Studies Office and communicated to the JKM Library Director and the Associate Librarian for Public Services and all candidates for graduation.

With the hard-copy of your dissertation you must include a check or money order for the amount of $30.00 (the fee for binding, processing and cataloging JKM's copy) made out to the JKM Library. Payment in cash is acceptable as well.
 
Upon your submission of the hard-copy dissertation to JKM Library and the electronic copy to ProQuest, the Associate Librarian for Public Services will sign and date the form notifying the Advanced Studies Office that the hard-copy dissertation has been received by the JKM Library and the electronic copy has been submitted to ProQuest.

It is your responsibility to see that your submitted dissertation is complete and in correct order.  Neither JKM nor your advisor nor the Advanced Studies Office will check for completeness.
 
If you have additional questions, please contact Barry C. Hopkins, Associate Librarian for Public Services,  in the JKM Library at 773.256.0734 or at bhopkins@jkmlibrary.org.

Binding your dissertation

You can purchase bound personal copies of your dissertation through ProQuest. Or, as an alternative, Wallaceburg Bookbinding offers on-demand printing and binding for dissertations.