6.7 Submission of the Final Paper Copies of the Dissertation
6.7.1 Editing and Approval of Final Draft
The final copy of the dissertation is in essence equivalent to a printed and bound book. It must be the highest quality work, free of spelling errors and grammatical errors. It is a professional document that demonstrates the highest caliber of academic achievement and skill. As such, it also reflects the quality of the faculty and the institution granting the doctoral degree. Therefore, students must take care to produce a highly professional, error-free final product.
Once the dissertation has been successfully defended by the student and any required revisions have been approved by the Dissertation Committee, the student will work with the dissertation editor to prepare the dissertation for printing. The editor will provide a close review of the dissertation on matters of grammar, syntax, sentence structure, punctuation, spelling, and style. The student will revise the dissertation and make any necessary changes as directed by the dissertation editor. This process may take two months to three months. Once the editor has approved the final version and verified its completion with the Program Director, the student may have the dissertation printed.
The final hard copies of the dissertation are due no later than May 1st for spring graduation or December 1st for fall graduation. For more details on this process, see Appendix D.
6.7.2 Requirements for Printing and Submitting the Final Draft
Due to library archival needs, all copies of the final version of the dissertation must be printed on 20 to 24 pound acid-free paper, or 20 to 24 pound 100% cotton bond paper.
The required minimum number of paper copies of the completed dissertation and their distribution after binding is five, distributed as follows:
One copy for the Dissertation Committee Chair
Two copies for the student
One copy for library circulation
One copy for the library archives
If the student desires more than two personal copies, the additional copies must be submitted at the same time as the original and the other copies. Additional personal copies must also be on the required archive-quality paper. It usually takes 3-6 months for dissertation copies to be bound.
Inkjet copies of the dissertation are prohibited. Students must submit laser quality final documents.
Photocopies can be made of a single master copy of the dissertation, but all photocopies must appear as clear and clean as the original, and must be photocopied onto the requisite archival paper.
Students must separate the approval pages from each dissertation and insert a clearly marked placeholder sheet where the approval pages should appear. The approval pages must be placed in a folder at the top of the stack of dissertations to be bound. LBC|Capital will arrange for the requisite signatures and re-insert the pages.
6.7.3 Submission of the Final Electronic Copy of the Dissertation
In addition to the hard copies of the dissertation, students must submit an electronic copy of the dissertation as an Acrobat PDF file. An Acrobat PDF file can be created using Acrobat, the full software version of the freeware Adobe Reader available online. The full version of Acrobat allows for the printing of a word processing document with all formatting intact. The resulting Acrobat PDF file is readable by both PC and Macintosh platforms.
The electronic copy of the dissertation as an Acrobat PDF file is made available through the LBC|Capital Library. Students may not submit the completed dissertation in any other electronic format. Failure to submit the PDF version will delay graduation.
6.7.4 Dissertation Submission Forms and Filing for Copyright
Doctoral students must submit the proper forms permitting copyrighting and microfilming at the time the final copies are submitted. These forms are available through LBC|Capital. Students retain copyright of the completed dissertation. Information about copyright law can be found at the copyright.gov website at https://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-general.html#what.
The student's account will be charged the requisite and current fees for filing the copyright, microfilming the dissertation by ProQuest, publishing the abstract in Dissertation Abstracts International, binding the original plus the minimum requisite copies of the dissertation, and binding of any additional copies of the dissertation.
Please Note: Students do not submit a check with the submission forms even though the ProQuest form says to do so.
As part of the copyright process, Lancaster Bible College retains the right to reproduce and disseminate the dissertation in any form and by any means for any purposes chosen by the college. This includes use in the classroom as a model for instructional purposes.
6.7.5 Dissertation Copyright Page
The copyright page of the dissertation must contain the information in the example below and appear at the bottom of the copyright page in the dissertation.
Student, Joe E. 2014. Dissertation Title Sentence Style: Follow the SBL Handbook of Style. PhD dissertation, Lancaster Bible College | Capital Seminary and Graduate School.
Copyright © 2020. Joe E. Student.
All Rights Reserved. Lancaster Bible College has permission to reproduce and disseminate this document in any form by any means for purposes chosen by Capital, including without limitation, preservation, or instruction.