List of theses
in the form of HZB reports with links to full texts
Cumulative PhD thesis and copyright
Should your PhD thesis contain own, previous published work you need to make sure that the copyright of the publishers of such previously published works is respected. That is, you can cite your own work and re-use smaller parts of its wording but you cannot easily re-use the full text or the publication's layout.
Most publishers have made special provisions for cumulative PhD theses as they are quite common in many countries. Please consult the respective pages of the publishers. You find some general hints by changing to the German version of this page.
Theses (PhD, diploma, master) published as HZB reports
new rules apply from 2010 on, see the minutes of an GfS session on 13 July, 2010, as cited on the German edition of this page. See also the notes of a presentation to the PhD seminar on 5 August, 2010. The following sections apply to PhD theses and also to other (diploma, master) theses.
"PhD theses from work at HZB should be published as HZB reports"
This ruling by the HZB governing bodies is being reflected in increasing numbers of submissions. Here we offer some information for those at the end of their PhD or indeed their other (diploma, master) thesis, all of which should be published under the same regulations. For more details please look up the German version of this page or talk to your supervisor or to us in the library.
What is a HZB report?
HZB reports (formerly HMI reports) exist from the foundations on of the institute. Annual Reports have been published in this series but also conference reports as well as reports about work that seemed less appropriate, e.g. too detailed or too bulky, for an article in a refereed journal.
Can a HZB report be considered a publication proper?
Certainly, it can be found by libraries and their clients wordwide and it can be cited.
Can HZB reports be read online?
In line with developements in the publication market, HZB reports in these days should be online only. This applys also to theses as HZB reports.
Can I take a look at available theses as HZB reports?
But I need paper copies of my PhD thesis for my university!
You actually need very few of those. If you come in time, HZB will have those necessary paper copies printed for you from the electronic version.
Now, be specific: what do I need to do?
There are only two things that you need to do. You need to apply for the publication of your thesis like one needs to do for any publication. Your PhD adviser can tell you how such application is handled in your department or institute. Once your request has been granted you need to provide the library with the pdf file of your thesis. The library adds the cover page to your file with the HZB report number on it and puts the file on the institute's repository. Everything is done, your thesis is published
