📋 Detailed Submission Guidelines

The following guidelines for Electronic Theses are administered by the Library and may be revised or updated from time to time to reflect technological developments or the University’s requirements, without prior notice.

1. Submission Requirements

1.1 Thesis File Format
All doctoral theses must be submitted in the following format:

• • The thesis must comply with the Thesis Guidelines provided by the Schools/Departments/Programme office.
  • Thesis files should be clearly titled and include a cover page containing the title, the author’s name, the program, and the submission date.
  • Electronic submission in-text, embedded, searchable Adobe PDF (portable document format) files, which can support Web display and full text indexing.
  • The PDF document can accommodate various multimedia file formats. Acceptable image formats include GIF (.gif). JPEG (.jpeg) or PDF (.pdf) format using Type 1 PostScript fonts. For video, suitable formats are Apple QuickTime (.mov), Microsoft Audio Video Interleaved (avi), and MPEG (.mpg). For audio, acceptable formats include AIF (.aif), MIDI (.midi), MP3, SND, and Wav (.wav) formats.

1.2 Metadata
Along with the thesis, students must submit metadata to assist with indexing and searching. Required metadata includes:

• • Author’s full name.
  • Title of the thesis.
  • Abstract (in English and, if applicable, in another language).
  • Keywords relevant to the thesis’s content.
  • Year of submission.
  • School/ department and supervisor’s name.

2. Creating PDFs in the HSUHK Library

Students can convert their files to PDF format at various locations within the Library, which are equipped with several different software applications designed for creating PDFs. For details, please send enquiries to library@hsu.edu.hk.

3. Open Access Availability

3.1 Deposit in the HSUHK Theses Collection

Upon submission, the thesis will be deposited in the HSUHK Theses Collection and made publicly available via open access, unless the University imposes access restrictions or embargoes in accordance with its policies. The document will be available for download by researchers, scholars, and the public.

3.2 Open Access

The thesis will be available in full text and can be freely accessed, read, and downloaded by users worldwide. The thesis will be assigned a permanent link or Digital Object Identifier (DOI) to ensure permanent accessibility and citation.

4. Intellectual Property and Patents

If a thesis contains intellectual property, patentable material, or commercially sensitive information, this must be declared at the time of submission. Where such material is identified, the University may require the submission of a revised version of the thesis for public access in which the relevant content is excluded, redacted, or otherwise restricted.

5. Access and Usage

5.1 Long-Term Accessibility

The University ensures long-term digital preservation and accessibility of doctoral theses. The HSUHK Theses Collection is maintained to guarantee that documents would remain accessible for years to come.

5.2 Usage Statistics

The University may collect usage statistics on access and downloads of theses, which can be shared with the Schools/departments to track the impact of their research.

6. Operational Review

This Guideline, technical specifications, and associated submission forms will be periodically reviewed by the HSUHK Library, academic and relevant administrative and academic support offices to ensure alignment with best practices and technological advances in academic publishing and open access.

Last Update: 17 July 2026