All PVAMU dissertations and theses are cataloged in J B Coleman Library.
What is an Embargo?
In academia, an "embargo" is a restriction placed on a thesis or dissertation that allows only the title, abstract, and citation information to be released to the public, while the full text of the work is kept hidden for a limited period of time. Embargoes typically last from one to five years following publication of a thesis or dissertation via the college or university's Institutional Repository or some other publishing service (e.g., ProQuest). Colleges and universities have different rules about whether and how theses and dissertations can be embargoed; however, most embargos can be extended under certain circumstances.
Why Embargo a Thesis or Dissertation?
Most theses and dissertations are not embargoed, but are made publicly available following their formal defense as part of completing a masters or doctoral degree. Some reasons to embargo a thesis or dissertation include:
The author wants to patent something described in the work.
The author wants to publish the work in whole or in part in the future and is concerned that making the work public will interfere with this.
The author has previously published the work in whole or in part, and the publisher is restricting public release of the work in some way.
The dissertation includes data covered by a nondisclosure agreement for a specified period of time, including personal information, company secrets, or intellectual property.
Some colleges and universities encourage all authors to embargo their work, while others discourage embargoes except when they are absolutely needed.
Should I Embargo My Thesis or Dissertation?
Always discuss the pros and cons of embargoing your thesis or dissertation with your graduate committee prior to submitting your work . In addition, to help you with this decision, here are some recent articles that address this question:
If you see Embargoed until [date] or Full text available after [date], the author chose to delay the public release of their dissertation until that date. Your best option here might be to contact the author directly, or their advisor, or check the appropriate database to find related journal articles and other works by the author.
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