NDLTD
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The Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (NDLTD) is a website created by an organization of the same name that promotes "the adoption, creation, use, dissemination and preservation of electronic theses and dissertations."[1] The website includes options for users to find, submit, and manage electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs). Under the section of the website to "Find ETDs", the user can access a variety of tools to search the NDLTD Union Catalog. The site describes the NDLTD Union Catalog as:[2]
A collaborative effort of the NDLTD, OCLC, VTLS, and Scirus, the NDLTD Union Catalog contains more than one million records of electronic theses and dissertations. For students and researchers, the Union Catalog makes individual collections of NDLTD member institutions and consortia appear as one seamless digital library of ETDs.
The site provides links to two tools to search the NDLTD Union Catalog:[2]
- Scirus ETD Search - This tool "is provided courtesy of Scirus, based on data harvested from the Union Archive hosted by OCLC."[3] The tool includes a basic search option (a simple keyword search form) and an advanced search form, which allows users to search for "all of these words," "any of these words", or "exact phrase" within specific fields (selected via drop-down menu). In the advanced search, the user can combine up to three text boxes (each corresponding with a selected field) with Boolean operators. Under the advanced search form, users can also limit results based on a publication date range (selected via drop-down menu) and subject matter (by selecting desired subjects via check box). Finally, users can select to search within the collection of ETDs or within the Scholarly Web collection. 10 results are displayed per page, and result include the title, author, publication date, and an excerpt with query keywords bolded. Users can sort results by relevance or date, and they may also choose to refine the results using a list of relevant keywords. Select a result title to view the full document record on the website of the institution where the document was originally published.
- VTLS Visualizer - The VTLS Visualizer also includes both a quick keyword search form and a fielded advanced search form, which allows users to enter text in up to four forms corresponding to a selected field (selected via drop-down menu) that contains "all of these words", "exact phrase", "at least one of these words", or "none of these words." Under the advanced search option, the user can also filter the query by language and document format. Results can be sorted by a range of criteria (relevance, recently added items first, title, author, publishing date, call number, or creation date). Results are displayed 30 to a page and include the title, author, and a link to the source record on the website of an outside institution (the full record opens in a new window). On the results, page, users can further refine the search through a side menu by addition additional terms or filtering results by "set", language, format, publication year, author, or subject. Above the results list, users can also delete specific search terms from the query, or turn the query into an RSS feed. Finally, users can select results via check box to add to a cart. Under the "cart" section, users may email or export the list of selected documents (in CSV or EndNote format), and users who are registered through the portal can request or save selected items in the "cart" section.
Besides the two search tools for the NDLTD Union Catalog, the "Find" section of the NDLTD website also lists a number of other ETD search tools. See the full list here.
Sources
- ↑ "Mission and Goals." NDLTD website, http://www.ndltd.org/about/mission-and-goals. Accessed May 30, 2012.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Find ETDs." NDLTD website, http://www.ndltd.org/find. Accessed May 30, 2012.
- ↑ "SCIRUS ETD Search." NDLTD website, http://www.ndltd.org/serviceproviders/scirus-etd-search. Accessed May 30, 2012.
