Requirements | ETD Tutorial | Help Converting to PDF | Resources

Overview

Before you can submit your ETD, you must first convert your document to PDF format. The PDF must conform to all of the requirements listed below. Help is available in the "How to" section below.

Requirements

• Single PDF Document
  Submit a single PDF document without any external multimedia files. For most ETDs, the PDF document should be created for viewing with later versions of Adobe Acrobat or Acrobat Reader, at least versions 6 & 7.
• Bookmarks
  The PDF document must have bookmarks to all chapters, sections and subsections, including preliminary pages that duplicate the Table of Contents. Bookmarks to sections and subsections of chapters should be nested (indented). Also, when the PDF document opens, the bookmarks panel should open to the left of the document pages.
• No Signatures
  The PDF document signature pages should not contain actual signatures because of privacy issues. That is, do not scan the signed paper copy and insert the page images into the PDF document of the ETD.
• Rotate Landscape Pages
  All landscape pages in PDF documents should be rotated 90 degrees for the benefit of users viewing the pages on their computer screen.
• Internal Links
  When tables, figures or multimedia objects/elements are placed at the end of the ETD document and not on or near the page where referenced, bookmarks or hyperlinks should be used to refer the user to the specific tables, figures or multimedia elements.
• No External Links
  It is recommended that links to external websites should not be included in ETDs because, over time, most URLs will change. The URL text may be included but should not be included as a link.
• Embedded Multimedia Objects
  Any multimedia objects/elements (sound, video, simulations, etc.) must be embedded in the PDF document using Adobe Acrobat Professional Edition.

Help Converting to PDF

The links below are provided to help you prepare your ETD for submission. For access to the professional version of Adobe Acrobat, you can go to the Information Commons located on the 3rd floor of the Harold B. Lee Libary.

How to convert to PDF

• Using Microsoft Word
• Using LaTex
• Using Corel WordPerfect

Using Adobe Acrobat to

• Combine Multiple PDF documents
• Create bookmarks
• Create page commands
• Edit text in PDF documents
• Add internal links & multimedia elements

Resources

The Lee Library has the professional version of Adobe Acrobat available on 28 computers in Information Commons of the General Reference area. To reserve a computer for converting your thesis or dissertation document to PDF, click on "Collaborative Learning Station Reservations" on the Information Commons web page.

The Information Commons also offers help to students who are preparing their writing for publication. Information Commons is located on the third level of the HBLL. For more information stop by or call the General Reference/Information Commons desk at 422-2927.

There is training available in room 1001 JKB offered by OIT. This training covers Word and the computers do have the professional version of Adobe installed. To sign up for a class, go to http://it.byu.edu/ and click on the Training tab.