EThOS platform restored
We are pleased to share that EThOS (E-Theses Online Service) is now available again following restoration work.
8 July 2026How to use EThOS
EThOS provides access to over 650,000 metadata records of UK PhD theses. Almost 65% of these records provide links to the institutional repositories, where the full text theses can be consulted, if available.
Following restoration work, all metadata records previously available on EThOS have now been restored, along with an additional 14,000 records added since the service was taken offline. We will continue to add records as part of our rolling programme of updates.
While the new platform does not hold full-text theses files, in many cases, the institution’s repository will provide access to the full-text thesis. Where a link does not provide access to the full-text thesis, you should contact the awarding university. If a record does not include a repository link, a digital full-text version of the thesis may not currently be available.
Further information
You can read more about the updated EThOS service and find answers to frequently asked questions below.
What is EThOS?
EThOS (E-Theses Online Service) is an open access discovery platform for UK doctoral theses, managed by the British Library. It includes metadata records of over 650,000 theses from UK universities from the 1700s onwards. Where possible, the records on the platform link to theses held in UK university repositories. Over 400,000 theses are openly available for download from university repositories.
Why has EThOS been unavailable for a period?
EThOS was badly damaged by a cyber-attack on the British Library in 2023 and has been unavailable since. A new EThOS platform needed to be procured, via a public tender process. The metadata records of over 650,000 theses from UK universities have been loaded onto the new platform. This includes around 14,000 additional theses that have been added to the service since the cyber-attack.
What is available on EThOS?
The new platform does not hold full-text theses files to download directly but, where individual theses are available on a university repository, a link is provided to access the file. In many metadata records in EThOS you will find an ‘Access thesis from university’ button. This links to the metadata record of the thesis in the university repository, where it is possible to download the theses, if the university has made it available.
There are other records where this button will not be on the page. This means that only the metadata record is available. This could be for a number of reasons: a) the metadata record is for a thesis written in the pre-digital era (historical theses) and is only available as a paper copy in a university library, b) the full text file and link is not available in the university repository, or c) the full text file and link were not available in the university repository at the time it was last updated in EThOS. In such cases, it is recommended that you contact the university library about accessing the thesis.
Will I be able to download thesis files?
You can download the thesis files if there is a link to the university repository to access the full text file. This will depend on if the university has made this available.
How do I login?
The new platform does not require users to login. All functionality is openly available to all users.
How often will EThOS be updated?
The metadata records of over 14,000 additional theses have been added to EThOS since the cyber-attack. We will continue to update the platform regularly as part of our rolling programme of updates. This process may initially be slower than before as we implement new workflows and work through the backlog of content.
Can I request a thesis for digitisation?
You can request digitisation of some print-only theses by emailing the relevant university library. At this stage, universities can still request digitisation of theses and the files will be returned to the university for upload to their own repository. The links to these files will be added to EThOS when the university repository is next harvested and updated. As not all universities make use of the EThOS digitisation service, you should contact the university in the first instance to request any digitisation and it is their decision whether to proceed with this request.
How can I submit my thesis for inclusion in EThOS?
You cannot submit your thesis directly to EThOS. If you know of a thesis that is not listed in EThOS, please contact the university in the first instance. Once the thesis is available in the university’s repository, the metadata record related to that thesis will be added to EThOS as part of our rolling programme of updates.
Is the EThOS metadata available for download?
The full bibliographic dataset in csv format is available for download from the British Library Research Repository. For further details see: UK Doctoral Thesis Metadata from EThOS.
What should I do if I notice an error in EThOS?
If you notice an error in an EThOS record (e.g. a typographic error, missing or inaccurate data), please contact the university repository so that the source record can be amended. These corrections will be added to EThOS the next time we update the data from the university as part of our rolling programme of updates.
I've tried to follow a link to a university repository but it's not loading
If the page does not load or you see an error message when you follow the ‘Access thesis from university’ link, this may be due to an issue or change on the awarding institution’s repository site. Please get in touch with the university who may be able to direct you to the thesis file.
What will happen next?
Later in 2026, we will begin the next phase of work to assess how the restored version of EThOS is being received by our users. We will be consulting with participating universities and EThOS users to ensure that we are meeting the community’s needs.