Managing Intellectual Properties of Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) of University Libraries in Bangladesh: Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract

Researchers often face difficulties accessing printed theses and dissertations, but electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs) have broken the access barriers. ETDs have increased the visibility, accessibility, and reliability of scholarly work at university libraries. The research problem in managing ETDs at university libraries in Bangladesh remains underexplored. There is a significant absence of comprehensive surveys to identify the challenges (i.e. technological, legal, and administrative challenges), and to propose targeted recommendations, and also explore the opportunities for managing ETDs in these libraries. The research objectives were to assess the existing status, identify technological, legal, and administrative challenges, highlight opportunities, and propose recommendations for the adaptation of ETDs management at university libraries in Bangladesh. This is a descriptive research; the research designed using a mixed-method approach combining qualitative and quantitative techniques. The research data were collected from 20 out of 55 public university libraries using a semi-structured questionnaire. Cronbach’s Coefficient Alpha has been employed for the reliability and validity tests of the questionnaire, and descriptive statistics were employed for data analysis. The study assessed the challenges and opportunities of ETDs management at university libraries in Bangladesh. The findings revealed that the ETDs preservation efforts commenced in public university libraries in Bangladesh as early as 2012. Currently, 55% of libraries utilize ETDs management systems, while 45% remain without such systems, for which universities are providing MPhil and PhD degrees. Notably, Engineering University Libraries exhibit a high adoption rate of ETDs management systems at 45.5%, surpassing other university libraries. The repository offers both open (91%) and restricted (9%) access, primarily employing the user friendly open-source software DSpace (91%). ETDs are preserved in PDF format, encompassing both born-digital and digitized materials (100%). A significant majority of ETDs repositories (81.8%) facilitate downloads, allowing users to easily access and save desired search results on personal devices. Examining the sources of ETDs, the study found that 72.7% originate from the Controller of P a ge | xi Examinations section of the university, while 27.3% are voluntarily submitted by students. English remains the preferred language for ETDs (81.8%), with 18.2% preserving multi-language documents. Insights into ETDs program management reveal that 72.7% of university libraries handle resources internally, while the remaining 27.3% are managed by the university IT cell. Agriculture university libraries hold the largest ETDs collections (40.3%), followed by engineering (26.6%), medical (19.3%), and general university libraries (13.7%). In terms of professional manpower of individual universities, Engineering University libraries lead with 51.5%, followed closely by Agricultural University libraries at 45.68%. General university libraries show a distribution of 44% professional manpower, while the Medical University Library has the lowest percentage at 17.24%. The study assessed the challenges and opportunities associated with the adaptation of ETDs in university libraries in Bangladesh. It found that Technological Challenges, with a mean score of (M= 3.89, SD=0.40) and t(19)=9.89, p<0.01, Legal Challenges, with a mean score of (M=4.21, SD=0.36), and t(19)=15.23, p<0.01, Administrative Challenges, with a mean score of (M=4.22, SD=0.36) and t(19)=14.90, p<0.01 were all significantly higher than the neutral point of M=3, indicating that these challenges are experienced to a considerable extent. In contrast, the Opportunities for ETDs adaptation had an even higher mean score of (M=4.252, SD=0.22), and t(19)= 30.65, p<0.01 also significantly above M=3, suggesting a strong perception of positive opportunities. This study will provide a baseline for future research and policymaking, offering insights into improving ETDs management and facilitating a successful repository in Bangladeshi university libraries. The study has some limitations, such as a narrow participant scope and resource constraints. This is the first time attempt in Bangladesh that will trigger future study. Future research could explore ETDs adoption factors, preservation technologies, and ethical concerns in digitization. The study concluded with some recommendations based on the findings.