What is ProQuest/UMI and why do Doctoral candidates have to submit to it?
ProQuest/UMI is a corporation in Ann Arbor, Michigan that maintains a microform archive of about 1.5 million dissertations, as well as an online service called Dissertation Abstracts. Most dissertations written in the US are submitted to UMI for archiving on microfilm, from which microform or paper copies can be produced. In the U.S. all dissertations must be filed with the Libarary of Congress and ProQuest/UMI fulfills that role while providing permanent digital off-site backups of all dissertations. Doctoral candidates are required to file under the Traditional Publishing option with ProQuest/UMI. The cost to the student is $65. Open access options are available through ProQuest/UMI, but at a greater cost. Masters candidates are not required to submit to ProQuest/UMI, but may do so on their own.
