Frequently asked questions on submitting dissertations

Answers to the frequently asked questions on submitting dissertations.

Do you only need the text of my thesis?

No, we also want the Propositions and the Cover; they are an essential part of the dissertation and will also be included in the Repository.

Form V asks for keywords; how do I answer this?

If there is a generally accepted thesaurus of keywords within your discipline, please choose the keywords from that thesaurus. If not, it is probably a good idea to discuss the choice with your supervisor. Please avoid words that occur in the title, very general terms, or words that have multiple meanings.

What format should the files be in?

The supported formats at present are: PDF, JPG (JPEG), TIFF, MPEG and Quicktime.
Preferably PDF for texts containing photographs, PDF or JPEG for the cover, MPEG or Quicktime for videos etc.

I have Word files: will that do?

No, Microsoft Word is not a supported format.

How can I transfer my Word files into PDF files?

To print your thesis a pdf file will probably have been made, possibly by the printers. Ask them for the file. If that is not possible, you can transfer your Word files into PDF files on your institute’s PCs. The ICT-staff at your institute can surely advise you about this, as can the Grafimedia department of the UFB.

Can I submit my Dissertation as separate chapters?

If you have requested embargos for individual chapters, please do.

The way we will present a dissertation, which has embargoes on individual chapters, in the Leiden Repository is as follows (each of the following is uploaded as an individual document): Files of the cover, the title pages, the introduction, the table of contents, the individual chapters, the conclusion, summaries in the languages supplied, Acknowledgements and Curriculum Vitae, Propositions, AND the entire dissertation in one file. The embargoes can then be set per chapter and for the entire dissertation. Articles which have to be under embargo can sometimes be reached on the publisher's site. Therefore we ask you to supply the doi's of the chapters which have already been published.

What is a doi?

Information on doi's and how you can find a specific doi is given in the manual: How do you find the doi for your article?

What specifications does my computer need for uploading my dissertation?

You need a PC, internet access, an e-mail address and a web browser. The following web browsers are supported by the Leiden Repository:

  • Internet Explorer v5.0 and later
  • Netscape Navigator v4.0 and later
Other browsers cannot be guaranteed, but Firefox v. 1.0.6 and Opera v. 7.54 are also known to work.

Further questions?

Web Editors - University Libraries
Last Modified: 15-06-2010