For information about uploading your electronic thesis or dissertation, please see library.gwu.edu/etd
About GW ScholarSpace
As the George Washington University’s institutional repository, GW ScholarSpace provides free, public access, broad visibility, and long-term preservation for the research and scholarly works created by GW’s faculty, staff and students, including electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs).
What works may I contribute to GW ScholarSpace?
Works produced or sponsored by GW faculty, researchers and staff may be shared through GW ScholarSpace, as well as ETDs and student works sponsored by GW faculty or programs.
What types of works are appropriate for GW ScholarSpace?
Appropriate types of work may include, but are not limited to journal pre-prints and post-prints, datasets, working papers, technical reports, conference papers, student works, annual reports, newsletters, and Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs).
What are the advantages of submitting my works to GW ScholarSpace?
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Permanent links to each of your scholarly publications ensure long-term access.
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Enhanced exposure to Google and other search engines increases your works’ visibility.
Will my works be publicly discoverable?
Yes, GW ScholarSpace is intended for public access. However, if your publisher requires a temporary embargo, we can facilitate that (see Embargoes).
What kinds of materials should not be submitted to GW ScholarSpace?
GW ScholarSpace is not appropriate for works that include sensitive data such as personally identifiable information (PII) or protected health information (PHI).
What file formats are accepted in GW ScholarSpace?
GW ScholarSpace welcomes works in most digital formats; however, using recommended preservation formats will facilitate long-term preservation and usability.
What do I need to do before submitting my work to GW ScholarSpace?
You must read and agree to the Terms of Use and terms of the Deposit Agreement in order to submit your works.
What is a Creative Commons license?
GW ScholarSpace allows copyright holders to apply specific creative commons licenses to their works. For more information on Creative Commons, please see the Creative Commons official website.
GW ScholarSpace ETDs
As the George Washington University’s institutional repository for electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs), GW ScholarSpace provides free, public access, broad visibility, and long-term preservation for ETDs created by GW’s students.
The following information is specific to ETDs in GW ScholarSpace.
Will my thesis/dissertation be publicly discoverable?
Yes, GW ScholarSpace is intended for public access. However, if your publisher requires a temporary embargo, we can facilitate that (see Embargoes for general and ETD-specific information).
What kinds of ETD materials may not be in the GW ScholarSpace repository?
GW ScholarSpace is not appropriate for ETDs or supplementary files that include sensitive data such as personally identifiable information (PII) or protected health information (PHI).
What file formats are accepted in GW ScholarSpace?
GW ScholarSpace welcomes works in most digital formats; however, using recommended preservation formats will facilitate long-term preservation and usability. These recommendations apply to ETD and non-ETD works alike.
Using GW ScholarSpace to comply with GW's Open Access Resolution
The Open Access Resolution automatically gives GW a non-exclusive right to distribute the works, unless an opt-out waiver has been signed (see Opting Out). When signing publishing agreements for the publication of an article, the author(s) should let the publisher know that the agreement is subject to prior license agreement with The George Washington University. The Author's Addendum can be found at Open Access at GW.
As soon as an article is published, you will be able to upload a copy directly into the GW ScholarSpace repository. Currently, you may submit your work through our Deposit Form and the Library will notify you when the work has been uploaded.
Depositing your works
Where do I go to deposit my works to GW ScholarSpace?
To deposit your ETD, please start by visiting library.gwu.edu/etd.
To deposit any other type of work, please use the GW ScholarSpace Deposit Form.
What is the maximum size of files that can be uploaded to GW ScholarSpace?
For non-ETD works, GW ScholarSpace has an upload size limit of 25 MB. If you would like to upload multiple files or a file larger than 25 MB for a non-ETD work, please send an email to scholarspace@gwu.edu. For all information regarding ETD deposits, please start by visiting library.gwu.edu/etd.
Do I need to fill in all of the fields on the deposit form when submitting my work?
For non-ETD works, you, or a designated depositor, will need to fill in the required fields on the deposit form and accept the Deposit Agreement before being able to submit your work; however, if you can provide more information about your work in the optional fields provided, it will increase the discoverability of your work within GW ScholarSpace. For all information regarding ETD deposits, please start by visiting library.gwu.edu/etd.
Visibility and Sharing
Works deposited to GW ScholarSpace are publicly discoverable except where embargoed.
Embargoes
Works deposited to GW ScholarSpace may be embargoed for a limited period if required by the publisher (see Open Access Resolution).
If a work is embargoed, only the files will be embargoed and hidden from public view; the work's metadata such as title, abstract, author, advisor, etc. is public. Please visit library.gwu.edu/etd for more information on embargoes of ETDs.
Preservation
GWLAI is committed to providing long-term access to all works submitted to GW ScholarSpace. Informed by best practices, GW ScholarSpace and GW Libraries staff use digital preservation strategies that adapt to the changing technological environment.
For more detailed information about the levels of preservation offered by GW Libraries, please see the Digital Stewardship Service Catalog. GW ScholarSpace material receives Tier 1 support.
Certain file formats (such as openly-documented, non-proprietary, lossless) are more easily preserved than others. To better assist contributors, please refer to the table below that details recommended preservation file formats.
What are recommended preservation formats?
Recommended preservation formats have been accepted by information technology, archival, and records management professional communities due to multiple factors such as: format longevity, acceptance and use in professional communities, long term accessibility of most viewing software, and incorporated metadata. For more information about digital preservation best practices and standards, please see the Library of Congress Recommended Formats Statement.
| Type | Recommended Preservation Format | File Extension |
| Text | PDF/A or PDF | |
| Text | Plain Text | .txt |
| Text | XML | .xml |
| Text | CSV | .csv |
| Image | JPEG | .jpg |
| Image | TIFF | .tif |
| Audio | Broadcast Wave | .wav |
Withdrawal
Works submitted to GW ScholarSpace are permanent. Under certain circumstances a work in GW ScholarSpace may be removed from view (e.g. due to a violation of the GW ScholarSpace Deposit Agreement). To avoid loss of the historical record, all such instances will be documented via a statement attached to the record in PDF. The content of the document should be: “This work has been withdrawn from GW ScholarSpace. If you have questions, please contact __________.”
Related University Policies
GW Faculty Open Access Resolution
GW Public Access NIH Publications Policy