Currently EThOS is still in beta version to gain feedback from users and allow stability and performance testing to be monitored. If you have used EThOS and have any comments to make please contact customer-services@bl.uk
30 days to digitise a thesis
With the launch of beta EThOS in January 2009, demand for theses from the service was hugely more popular than predicted. This demand led to a backlog of theses waiting for digitisation, where they were not already available in an electronic format. However we are pleased to announce this initial backlog is now cleared and it is currently taking us 30 days to digitise a thesis once it has been received from the relevant institution.
EThOS statistic’s since January 2009
- The EThOS website has received 100,000 thesis requests
- We now have 25,000 theses on the site available for immediate download
- Four million pages from over 14,000 theses have been scanned
- There are currently 27,679 registered users of the site
- 70% of registered users are based in the UK, with the next most popular country being the United States with 6% of registrations.
Monthly invoicing
Some institutions participating in EThOS have given us feedback that tracking demand for their theses and associated digitisation costs was difficult with our current accounting processes. In response to this feedback, invoices and statements for all institutions participating at associate level one will now be sent monthly. Open access sponsors will be invoiced in October each year and will receive monthly statements.
Please note, from 1 January 2010, VAT charged to all applicable EThOS orders will be at 17.5%.
EThOS developments – Coming soon
As you know, EThOS was developsed as a beta version. This means we are continually making developments to the site in response to customer feedback, with the aim of making it as user friendly as possible before a full launch. Here are few of the updates coming soon:
- We are introducing a Download Manager to the site. This function will make downloading a large thesis easier for end-users. Where a thesis consists of text and additional content, for instance video or audio files, the Download Manager gives customers the option of choosing which parts they wish to download. When items are chosen, it will give details of the total size and estimated download times. This will allow the user to download only the material they are interested in.
- We are updating the system to allow continued user access to a digitised thesis which belongs to an institution that has decided to no longer participate in the project.
- We are amending the system to allow us to change a thesis details in relation to the awarding institution and the details of which institution currently holds it. This will have a particular effect on institutions that fall under London University. Theses from these institutions will now sit under the relevant institutional name, rather than the London University umbrella.
- We have made improvements to the systems performance to enhance the users experience as they navigate around EThOS. Response times between pages are now much quicker than before
- From the 1 January 2010, VAT will be charged at 17.5%.
- We are building a new thesis export facility. This facility will enable a supplying institution to extract a digitised copy of a thesis they have provided for the service.
JISC DIGITAL ISLAM INITIATIVE
We have completed the Digital Islam project, delivering 967 digitised theses related to Islamic Studies.
The project was funded by JISC and included partners such as the British Library, the University of Exeter, the University of Birmingham, the University of Glasgow and Imperial College London.
Colleagues in UK Higher Education, led by the University of Exeter, identified the theses as a key information resource in their "Requirements for Digitised Resources in Islamic Studies" report of May 2008.
