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Ordering a British thesis via EThOS

You can now download some British PhD theses directly from the British Library EThOS service.

  • Any theses that have already been digitised or are available on the owning University's repository are available to download free of charge.
  • Any theses that are not yet available can be ordered via EThOS but payment may be required for these - see below for details.

Searching for your thesis

  1. Go to EThOS
  2. Click on the 'Login / Register' option. Once you have created an account you can log in at any time with the email address and password you registered. Registration is free.
  3. When you log in, you will be directed to a page headed 'Your basket'. Click on 'New Search' at the top of the page.
  4. Enter your search in the box and click 'Search'.
    Searching tips! You can limit your search to items which are available for immediate download by ticking the box under the search box. Use the Advanced Search for a wider range of search options, e.g. limiting results to a particular University.
  5. A list of theses which match your search term will appear. Click on the title of the thesis you require to see further details.

Is the thesis available?

Once you have clicked on the title of thesis you will see one of the following options in the Availability of Full Text box:

Access from institution

If the thesis is available via the owning University's institutional repository, there will be a link to take you to the full text.

Access from EThOS

If there is a digitised version available in Ethos you will see a Download button. To access the thesis;

  1. Click on 'Download'
  2. Tick the check box to confirm you agree to the terms and conditions
  3. Click on 'Select All' and then 'Download'

If there is no digitised version available you are offered the option to pay for the cost of digitising the thesis - the current price is £53.10;

  1. Click on 'Check scan fee and order a copy'
  2. Choose the delivery option you require and click 'Add to Basket' (the default is a digital copy for download, but you can order paper / CD and bound copies)
  3. Tick the check box and click on 'Confirm'
  4. You need to tick the check box to confirm you agree to the terms and conditions then click on 'Create Order' - you will be asked to enter your payment card details
  5. The British Library team will arrange to have the thesis digitised and will send you a link to download it as soon as it is available.

What if I can't find the thesis I want?

You can enquire about a thesis whose details are not already in Ethos by completing their speculative request form

Help

If you encounter any difficulties, please Contact inter-library loans

See also