What’s a thesis or dissertation embargo, and when to use it?
As part of the degree requirements for theses and dissertations, students hold a public defense and will have their document published electronically in the ASU Digital Repository and with ProQuest. Publication in the ASU Digital Repository is required; however, students may elect to delay (known as “embargo”) publication of their thesis/dissertation for a period of two years with support from their committee.
Why embargo a thesis/dissertation?
Delayed publication can protect:
- information of commercial value
- patentable rights
- sensitive or classified information
- academic or commercial press from acquiring publishing rights
- other relevant scholarly issues related to the release of your work
How can a student establish an embargo?
- Consult with committee at the time of the defense (or earlier) to decide whether an embargo is necessary
- Complete the Delaying Publication of Thesis/Dissertation form and include the chair’s (or a co-chair’s) signature.
- Include the embargo form with the completed Pass/Fail form that will be submitted to the Graduate College.
If approved, an embargo allows for a temporary delay of the publication of your document for two years through the ASU Digital Repository, KEEP. Embargo requests made after publication cannot guarantee non-viewing or downloading.
Other considerations
In unique cases, students may be granted an embargo of their document for an additional two years by emailing gradformat@asu.edu before the original embargo expires. The maximum allowable embargo period for the ASU Digital Repository is four years, while ProQuest may allow for an indefinate embargo. Those requests are to be emailed to disspub@proquest.com.
These embargo guidelines apply to other culminating experience documents (such as bound documents and DMA research papers) that are required to go through format review and submission to ProQuest. Please check with your academic unit if unsure if this applies to your culminating experience.
Embargo questions can be directed to gradformat@asu.edu.