Thesis/Dissertation Guidelines
These guidelines specify directions for graduate students who are submitting a thesis or a dissertation in partial fulfillment of degree requirements. The guidelines herein take precedence over those in the style manuals required by departments as well as earlier versions of the "Directions." Students should consult their thesis/dissertation directors as to the required style manual. Students should avoid using another thesis/dissertation as a model. Because of the updating of style manuals and SHSU thesis/dissertation guidelines, what was accepted in the past may now be unacceptable. The thesis/dissertation will be evaluated according to the current declared style manual and the current SHSU thesis guidelines.
Copyright Compliance And Permission Letter
Extensive information about complying with the copyright law as you research and write your dissertation is provide in a booklet, Copyright Law & Graduate Research, by Kenneth D. Crews. Dr. Crews is the Director of the Copyright Advisory Office at Columbia University. An excellent sample permission letter is available for you use in Appendix A of this booklet (ProQuest provides an additional modified version of the sample permission letter in their Copyright Guide).
Securing Copyright Permission
"When U. S. Works Pass Into The Public Domain", is a chart that will help you determine if the material you want to place in your thesis/dissertation is in the public domain. If the material has not passed into public domain you must secure permission to reproduce the material in your thesis/dissertation. For more information about identifying the copyright owner and securing permission to reproduce copyrighted material in your thesis/dissertation, look at the website for Columbia University's Copyright Advisory Office.
Copyright And Related Laws
Additional information about the copyright law can be found on the Library's webpage on Copyright and Fair Use.
