Data Management Approach to simplify the retrievability of theses

Abstract

The first library network in Switzerland was established about three decades ago. Since then, a diversified network has developed within the domain of academic libraries. The relevance and long-term viability of this situation have been widely discussed in recent years. In 2015, academic libraries initiated the national project Swiss Library Service Platform (SLSP), which merged individual library catalogues into a nationwide network zone catalogue, and offer a broad package of information services to the academic library community.Despite the merging, each library maintains its own catalogues. In addition to the network data, university-owned publications and theses are listed in their own catalogues as print versions. However, electronic versions of theses are difficult to find. PhD theses are made openly accessible depending on the year of publication. Under- and graduate theses are based on the publication intentions of the individual universities and are thus only made available to registered researchers and in university internal platforms. This study shows a data management approach, that merges university-internal data bases into a single point of access to facilitate the retrievability of theses....