Electronic Theses and Dissertations in Tea Science and Technology – Proposal for a Networked Repository of Tea ETDs

Abstract

Theses and dissertations are important knowledge resource created by graduate students in universities or institutes of higher learning. Due to lack of bibliographic control, and restricted access, these grey literature collect dust on shelves of libraries. Hence these are lost to prospective researchers and students to further their studies etc. Although many national and international efforts are being made to collect, collate and distribute theses and dissertations in many forms, none is comprehensive. The present trend is to prepare the theses in electronic form to facilitate easy online access to metadata, abstract and table of content or full text , the theses become OAIPMH compliant and can be searched on internet from anywhere. Depending upon access restrictions the theses can be harvested and stored in any institutional repositories. Indian scenario of theses and dissertations as knowledge resources, and maiden efforts by Tocklai Library in creation of Institutional Repository [IR] of all theses and dissertations in tea science and technology including other aspects are discussed. Proposes for a networked repository of TeaETDs among possible stakeholders in the plan.