university of guelph thesis guidelines

College of Social and Applied Human Sciences

The MRP & Thesis Process

Proposal stage.

All students in the major research paper (MRP) or thesis stream are required to write a research proposal that is approximately 10-20 double-spaced pages (about 250 words per page), depending upon whether they are pursuing the thesis or MRP option.

Before beginning your proposal, it is important to sit down with your advisor to discuss particular content and length requirements and to discuss more detailed specifics about the proposal. It is strongly encouraged that students have a draft of their proposal submitted to their advisory committee before the start of the spring semester.

The student should discuss appropriate timelines with their supervisor to ensure that this occurs. After that, you will meet with your committee to discuss ways to strengthen your proposal.

When your committee has approved your proposal, they will sign a proposal approval form (available from the graduate program assistant). The graduate coordinator will also review this research proposal and sign the approval form. At this time, you are ready to proceed with your research.

A copy of your proposal and the signed approval form should be given to the graduate program assistant for your file.

Developing, Submitting & Defending Your MRP or Thesis

It is very important to remain in close contact with your supervisor (and committee member as appropriate) when working on your MRP or thesis. It is also important to be disciplined in managing your time and working on researching and writing your project.

You should anticipate having to submit multiple revisions of material, so it is important not to underestimate the amount of time it will take you to produce a finished product. Your advisory committee (which includes your advisor) determines whether your thesis is ready for oral defense or, in the case of MRP students, your paper is ready for a final submission.

Your MRP advisors will determine whether your paper is ready for a final submission. Based on the Graduate Calendar , your advisory committee is required to thoroughly review and comment on drafts of written material and to provide feedback to guide the student in satisfactory completion of the work.

Students should expect to submit at least two drafts of their MRP or thesis to their entire advisory committee. When students have successfully completed their thesis proposals or MRP proposals, the graduate coordinator must approve them.

Advisory committee members are required to inform the student of the approximate time it will take for submitted written material to be returned with comments. If the expected time exceeds the normal two-week turnaround (e.g. due to an absence from campus, an unusually heavy workload, or other reasons), advisory committee members must provide the student and the advisor with an estimate of the time required.

Students are responsible for learning about all appropriate deadlines, dates and regulations associated with registration and graduation requirements and are strongly encouraged to establish, as a goal, the completion of their MRP or thesis well in advance of the deadline date for submission of their thesis or the grade for the MRP.

The procedures for submitting your completed thesis and for the oral defence examination are in the graduate calendar. In addition, the thesis submission procedures can be found on the Graduate Studies website.

Students should thoroughly read the University’s policy on responsibilities of advisors, advisory committees and graduate students .

The Finishing Touches

If you have written a thesis, a set of forms provided by the Office of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies at the time of the final defense must be completed and filed with that office. In the case of an MRP, only a Recommendation for Graduation form needs to be filed.

The Recommendation for Graduation form is prepared by the Office of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies upon receiving a memorandum from the department indicating that your work has been completed. The form is then signed by the department chair and returned to the Office of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies. Students do not submit this form.

Once a student has successfully defended their thesis, an e-copy is uploaded to the Office of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies Atrium .

The CCJP program does not require a hard copy of your thesis (or MRP), but please email a digital copy to the graduate program assistant. The Office of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies does not require a digital copy of a student MRP, just a thesis.

When students are ready to graduate, they submit the Application to Graduate form and, if eligible, an Early Completion Rebate form .

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College of Social & Applied Human Sciences

Undergraduate Honours Thesis Guidelines (IDEV*4100/IDEV*4150)

Undergraduate honours thesis in international development studies guidelines.

The undergraduate thesis courses, IDEV*4100 and IDEV*4150,  provide an opportunity for undergraduate students in the IDS Honours Major to complete an undergraduate thesis on a topic related to international development. The thesis is an independent research project that takes place across two successive semesters, supervised by a faculty member. In IDEV*4100 students are required to undertake a literature review as well as plan develop and write a research proposal. In IDEV*4150, students will conduct research, write a thesis and defend their thesis in an oral presentation. The topic of the thesis will be selected in consultation with the student's faculty supervisor (see more below on finding a research topic and faculty supervisor). Read through the thesis course guidelines and registration information outlined below and contact the  IDS Academic Advisor  if you have questions.

Course Descriptions

Idev*4100    thesis in international development studies i   .

Supervised by a faculty member, students will undertake a literature review and plan, develop and write a research proposal. The topic of thesis will be selected in consultation with the supervisory faculty member prior to registration for the course. Students are advised to contact the IDS Academic Advisor for further information.

Restriction(s): Registration in BA.IDS with a minimum average of 80% in all IDS major course attempts. 

Prerequisite(s) :  14.00 credits including  IDEV*3000 ,  IDEV*3100  

Offered: Summer, Fall and Winter

Credits: 0.50

IDEV*4150    Thesis in International Development Studies II  

Students conduct, write and present an undergraduate thesis under the supervision of a faculty member.

Restriction(s):   Restricted to students in BAH.IDS

Prerequisite(s) :  IDEV*4100  

Use of these Courses

• IDEV*4100 and IDEV*4150 must be completed in sequence over two consecutive semesters. A different sequence is only possible if it is approved by the faculty supervisor.
• IDEV*4100 (0.50 credits) and IDEV*4150 (0.50 credits) are restricted electives in the IDS program's Areas of Emphasis, and the courses together will count towards 1.0 credits in a student's Area of Emphasis.

Finding a faculty supervisor and research topic

• It’s important to begin discussions with potential supervisors at least one semester before your registering in IDEV*4100. You are responsible for finding a supervisor.
• Your supervisor must be a faculty member at the University of Guelph.
• Before contacting potential supervisors, you should think carefully about what it is you want learn and research for the Honours thesis.
• Start with the GIDS faculty page for information on associated/affiliated GIDS faculty and their research interests. Determine which faculty have research interests that are similar to the topic you’re interested in researching for your project.
• Familiarize yourself with the faculty member’s work before you contact them so that you understand their research interests, their research and their published work.
• Contact potential supervisors to set up a time during to discuss the possibility of supervision and research topics.
• Once you've conformed a faculty supervisor, you will decide on a specific research topic for the research project, deadlines and method of evaluation.  You will use this information to complete the IDS Honours Thesis Agreement  for both IDEV*4100 and IDEV*4150.

IDEV*4100 and IDEV*4150 Course Registration

Submit a copy of the signed IDS Honours Thesis Agreement to the IDS Academic Advisor  for both IDEV*4100 and IDEV*4150 prior to course selection for the semester in which you plan to register in each of the courses. Once the agreement has been submitted, the IDS Academic Advisor will provide a signed course waiver that will enable you to register in the course through Enrolment Services.

Course Outlines and Regulations

IDEV*4100/IDEV*4150 are intended to be an independent research project. Once accepted into IDEV*4100, students should meet with their faculty supervisor early in the first semester to develop the research topic and scope of the research. It's expected that students will meet with their advisor at least bi-weekly to discuss and get feedback on the continuing progress of their research. The agreed-upon meeting schedule should be formalized in the IDS Honours Thesis Agreement (use Word document below). Students and faculty supervisors will need to complete the Honours Thesis Agreement before both IDEV*4100 and IDEV*4150. Students submit the Honours Thesis agreement to the IDS Academic Advisor for approval.

IDEV*4100: Thesis in International Development Studies I Course Outline

Literature review (idev*4100).

Students will complete a literature review, and develop and write research proposal. Early on in the research process, students will read widely and extensively around the topic of their proposed research. As part of this stage of the thesis development, students will be required to prepare a 3,000 word literature review identifying and summarizing key issues and questions in the existing academic literature related to their chosen topic area. This secondary analysis of what has already been written is not concerned about discovering new knowledge or information, but sets the foundation for further research. The literature review should focus primarily on the relevant academic literature, not the "popular press" or other non-academic sources. The draft literature review will be returned to the student with feedback from the faculty supervisor to allow for refinement and preparation of the research proposal.

Research Proposal (IDEV*4100)

A formal research proposal of 5,000 words (excluding title page and references) will be prepared and will consist of an abbreviated literature review, a summary of the proposed research project and associated research questions, the planned methods and time frame of the analysis to answer the questions, and a list of references. Students must submit their research proposal to their supervisor by the end of week 11 of the first semester. An approved research proposal/plan, as signed by the supervisor, is then submitted and logged with the IDS Academic Advisor by the end of week 12 of the semester.

Ethics Application

The faculty member supervising the student thesis assumes responsibility for ensuring the research project complies with university regulations, policies and procedures.

If the research will involve human participants, or the use of live animals, the research project must include approval from either the Research Ethics Board (REB) (https://www.uoguelph.ca/research/services-divisions/ethics ), or the Animal Care Committee (ACC) ( https://www.uoguelph.ca/research/services-divisions/animal-care-services) , as appropriate. The preparation of the documentation required for REB or ACC approval can take several weeks. In accordance with the Canadian Council on Animal Care, anyone handling animals for purposes of teaching or research must have appropriate training which is provided by the University of Guelph. When a project involves risk—including handling dangerous materials—the advisor (and student, as appropriate) should consult with Occupational Health and Safety to ensure compliance with standards of health and safety.

A student whose thesis research involves international travel must contact the Centre for International Programs ( https://www.uoguelph.ca/cip/safe-travel-information ) and ensure that they have completed the University’s mandatory pre-departure orientation (DepartSmart) in order to be prepared appropriately to travel outside Canada.

IDEV*4150: Thesis in International Development Studies II Course Outline

Draft and final thesis (idev*4150).

The final thesis should be in the order of 12,000 words (excluding abstract, references and appendices) and consist of an abstract, introduction, methods, results, discussion, conclusion, references and appendices. An electronic copy of the thesis is submitted to the Faculty Supervisor and a Second Reader. The thesis is evaluated and graded by the Supervisor and a Second Reader. The name of the Second Reader should be provided to the IDS Academic Advisor by the 6th week of classes.

A draft of the full thesis is due by the end of week 9 of the second semester.  The Supervisor will review and provide feedback to the student within one week of the draft submission, to enable the student to revise the draft and prepare the final thesis document for the thesis defence. The final written thesis presents the major findings of the project and is due by the last day of exams. See the detailed timeline below.

Oral Presentation/ Thesis Defense (IDEV*4150)

The student will present and defend the major findings of their thesis through a public presentation.

Students will be required to prepare and deliver a 15 minute presentation covering their research questions, methods and findings. The examining panel, consisting of the Faculty Supervisor, Second Reader and the IDS Academic Advisor, will then ask two rounds of questions. Following this, the panel will deliberate and determine the final grade for the presentation.  The public presentation must be completed by the final week of classes.

Thesis Copies

Following the thesis defense and final edits, an electronic copy of the thesis, is to be submitted to the Faculty Supervisor, Second Reader and the IDS Academic Advisor, to be retained by GIDS.

Timeline for IDEV*4150 (2nd semester):

• 6th week of classes: Second Reader (faculty) name provided to IDS Academic Advisor.
• 9th week of classes: Thesis draft due to faculty advisor.
• 10th week of classes: Faculty advisor to provide feedback to the thesis draft.
• 11th week of classes: Thesis provided to Second Reader and IDS Academic Advisor.
• 12th week of classes: Thesis Defence.
• The final electronic copy of the thesis is due by the last day of exams.

File attachments

MSc Program

Information for new students, ses graduate policy document.

• Program requirements

Common Policies and Procedures

• MSc defense

Graduate courses

Contact information.

Welcome to the School of Environmental Sciences!  Here are a few notes that will help you with getting started in the MSc program at Guelph:  MSc Welcome Package

All SES graduate policies can be found here:  SES Graduate Student Policies (2022/10/28)

The Graduate Calendar is the foremost source for information concerning university-level regulations of  graduate studies  in general and  SES academic programs  in particular.

Program Requirements

The M.Sc. thesis program requires candidates to complete:

• At least 1.5 graduate course credits, including one mandatory 0.50 credit course (Research Seminar in Environmental Sciences), and
• The completion and defense of a thesis detailing research carried out under the direct supervision of a core faculty member.

The required Research Seminar in Environmental Sciences (ENVS 6900) focuses on developing writing and communication skills by having the students develop a research proposal that is both written and presented to the class. 

For the remainder of your course requirements as determined in consultation with your advisory committee, you will be able to choose from a number of disciplinary specific seminar courses, independent study courses and lab or field courses spanning the following broad areas of expertise within the school: Earth and atmospheric science, soil sciences, and environmental biology.  Students may also select related courses from other departments on campus.  

For more information see the full program requirements in the  graduate calendar .

Advisory committee

The Advisor is responsible for forming the Advisory Committee in consultation with the student. The Committee for MSc students shall consist of the Advisor or Co‐Advisors (who usually serves as Chair of the Committee) and at least one additional member of the Graduate Faculty, Associate Graduate Faculty, or Special Graduate Faculty. The majority of MSc Advisory Committees have three members. Preferably, the Advisory Committee should be established and should meet before the end of the student's first semester. The Advisory Committee must be formed and the advisory committee appointment form submitted to the Graduate Program Assistant  no later than the tenth week of the student's second semester. 

Scholarship search tool

Students may receive external scholarships (e.g NSERC, OGS) and/or internal scholarships.  For more information, please consult the graduate studies  Scholarships and Awards  website.  You may also use the  Graduate Award Search Tool  to find internal scholarships.

Other useful links:

NSERC:  Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Scholarships information

OGS:  Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) information

Awards for SES students:  List of SES Awards     Application/Letter of Interest  for 2016

Research/writing course enrolment

For each semester that you will be registered, you must choose one of the following: UNIV*7510*01 Active Full-time Registration or UNIV*7520*01 Active Part-time Registration. Registering for one of these courses serves only to activate your registration.

In addition to this basic selection, you must be registered in at least one other course: UNIV*7500*01 Research/Writing or any real course for which an active section exists. Failure to do this will result in the term simply not appearing on any official transcript of record.

Commonly used forms

• Course waiver/Request forms  need to be filled out if the course you are signing up for requires instructor consent or if you need to have some restriction waived.  Required for Special Topics courses (obtain the course instructor's signature first, sign it yourself, then submit to Graduate Program Assistant).
• Late drop/add form  needs to be filled out if you are trying to add or drop a course after the course selection period has closed for the semester (sign and submit to Graduate Program Assistant).
• Advisory Committee Appointment and Graduate Degree Program form .  This form identifies your advisory committee as well as the list of courses that you plan to complete as part of your graduate degree.  This is due early in your second semester. 
• Graduate Faculty Nomination Form : Your advisor needs to complete this form if you wish to nominate someone for Graduate Faculty status to serve on an advisory committee. Submit the completed form along with a current copy of the nominee's CV to the Graduate Program Assistant. The Graduate Program Assistant can also confirm an individual's current Graduate Faculty status if you are unsure whether a nomination is necessary.
• Graduate student Progress Report    The Advisory Committee should meet with the MSc student at least once per semester to review course work and research progress.  The progress report (initiated by the student) should be filled out using the electronic gryphform.  The form will make its way from the student to each advisory committee member before final submission to the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.  
• Special Topics Courses Learning Contract  (ENVS*6242, ENVS*6452, ENVS*6582, ENVS*6730, ENVS*6882)
• Leave of Absence and Withdrawal Application Form
• Part-time and Full-time Transfer Form
• Full-Time Distant Fee Status Application  (apply for exemption from extra student fees if living at least 200km away from Guelph)
• Plan of Study  for those over  Maximum Program Duration
• Appeal for Extension of Maximum Program Duration  (MSc semester 9)
• Departing Graduate Student Checklist  (must be completed by student and advisor before leaving SES)

MSc Defense

Planning for your defense.

There are many steps to getting your thesis ready for defense.  Please check the following checklist for suggested timelines.  It is also important to factor in time for your advisor and the advisory committee to review your thesis chapters ahead of the deadline to submit the Exam request form (4 weeks before your defense date).

  MSc Defense Checklist/Timeline

Please refer to the Office of Graduate Studies  link on thesis completion  for important information.

SES specific policies related to the defense and thesis completion can be found in the  SES policies and guidelines document.

General guidelines

The thesis results are defended in a process that includes a presentation of the work and defense of the thesis results through oral questioning. Both are open to the public.

The MSc examination committee normally consists of three or four members appointed by the Associate Director (Graduate Studies), as follows:

• Examination chair
• A member of the Candidate’s Advisory Committee (normally, the Advisor);
• A member of the graduate faculty or the associate graduate faculty or special graduate faculty who may be a member of the Advisory Committee;
• A fourth member may be appointed from among graduate faculty from another Department, from SES, but not from the Advisory Committee (the “internal external”).

The Defense consists of a 30-40 minute presentation by the student, followed by questions from the public.  Following a short break, the examining committee members have two rounds of questions for the student.  The first round is 15-20 minutes per examiner, whereas the second round of questions is usually 5-10 minutes per examiner.  At the end of the examination, the student and public are asked to leave and the committee deliberates the results of the examination.  The chair will then inform the student of the outcome as well as give an overview of any corrections or revisions required.  

Forms that need to be filled out in consultation with your advisor prior to defense

• SES Examination Information Form  to be submitted to the Graduate Program Assistant ([email protected]) at least 6 weeks before your defense.
• Examination Request Form  to be submitted to the Graduate Program Assistant ([email protected]) at least 4 weeks before you defense.

Forms and information needed after defense

• Thesis Submission Control Sheet
• Thesis Non-Exclusive License
• Request to Restrict Circulation of Thesis
• Information about  formatting  and  submitting  your thesis to the Atrium
• Final Thesis Submission Checklist
• SES Departing Graduate Student Checklist

Please refer to the  SES Graduate Courses  page for information on SES courses and current semester offerings. You may also wish to refer to the University Graduate Calendar  course listing  for information about all SES Graduate courses.

Students must register for courses through WebAdvisor ( see Tutorial ). You may also  search for course availability  by semester through WebAdvisor.

NOTE : Students may need to fill out a  course waiver/request form  with instructor consent to register in some of our courses.  For Special Topics courses (section 01) where the graduate coordinator is listed as Instructor: please be advised that students will need to identify a faculty advisor who will work with them on a one-on-one basis to complete the course BEFORE the form is signed by the graduate coordinator. When submitting the form for signature, please state the name of faculty advisor you have identified.  All forms need to be complete, filled out in full and in one .pdf file to be accepted. This includes collecting the signature from instructors that are not the Graduate Coordinator.  Students should send completed forms to the Graduate Secretary [email protected] ;  she will ensure that the forms are signed and returned to students in a timely manner.

If you require more information or assistance, please contact:

SES Graduate Program Assistant

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Thesis-Based Masters Programs

College of engineering and physical sciences (ceps).

The College of Engineering and Physical Sciences offers 7 thesis-based master's-level programs. You will have access to some of the world's most respected research scientists and educators, as well as outstanding research and teaching facilities, in Canada's fastest-growing STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields. The U of G has a long history of teaching STEM dating back to 1874.

Choose to learn at the University of Guelph and you will be joining a supportive community, where we are committed to delivering an academic and student experience second to none. Explore our many programs, experiential learning opportunities and graduate research opportunities to gain hands on skills in your field of study. Select one of the disciplines below to learn more about programs offered, admission requirements, career opportunities and more.

• COMPUTER SCIENCE
• ENGINEERING

Chemistry (M.Sc.)

The Guelph-Waterloo Centre for Graduate Work in Chemistry and Biochemistry, (GWC)2 , is one of Canada’s largest and most successful graduate schools. The Centre is housed in the Chemistry Departments at the University of Guelph and Waterloo, two of Canada’s leading Universities. A diverse team of world-class faculty from both Departments provide research opportunities in a myriad of chemical research areas. Learn more about  how to apply .

Specialization available: Toxicology

Administrative Assistant (GWC)2 [email protected]   519-824-4120 x53848

Computer Science (M.Sc.)

The M.Sc. in Computer Science will enable you to develop and publish groundbreaking research while working alongside professors at the cutting edge of their field to prepare you for industry or further studies. There are four main fields you can study in; however, interaction with other disciplines is encouraged as many faculty work with industry partners and other departments at the University of Guelph.

Specializations Available: Artificial Intelligence , One Health

Graduate Program Assistant [email protected] 519-824-4120 x56402

Engineering (M.A.Sc.)

With strengths in some of the most globally impactful areas of study, U of G Engineering is actively educating engineers who will shape the world of tomorrow. Several graduate degree choices are offered. The M.A.Sc. program is research thesis-based and provides advanced training in the engineering sciences and research methodology through a combination of coursework, applied research, and thesis writing. This program takes approximately 5-6 semesters to complete.

Specializations Available: Artificial Intelligence , International Development Studies , One Health , Regenerative Medicine

Luisa Cazolla Graduate Program Assistant - Admissions [email protected] 519-824-4120 x58764

• MATHEMATICS & STATISTICS

Mathematics & Statistics (M.Sc.)

Graduate students in the Department of Mathematics & Statistics have the opportunity to make a substantive contribution to solving important scientific and societal problems in a wide variety of areas. The M.Sc. program can be completed as coursework with a major research project, or as a research thesis.

Patricia Townsend Graduate Program Assistant [email protected]   519-824-4120 x52705

Physics (M.Sc.)

The Department of Physics offers unique graduate opportunities in experimental and theoretical research. Master’s students can choose between a course work option (approximately three semesters) and research-based thesis option (approximately six semesters). 

Janice Ilic Graduate Program Assistant [email protected] 519-824-4120 x58176

Eric Poisson, Graduate Program Coordinator [email protected]

Interdisciplinary Programs

For students whose interests lie in multiple disciplines and are looking to perform research that combines unique approaches, explore our options below.

Biophysics (M.Sc.)

Biophysics Interdepartmental Group (BIG) at the University of Guelph is a unique program of masters and doctoral study that seeks to further our understanding of biological processes through the application of the concepts and techniques of the physical sciences. Unlike many biophysics graduate programs across Canada, BIG focusses on basic discovery research in the sciences, rather than medical and clinical applications. Experimental research conducted by students within BIG spans the entire breadth of the life sciences spectrum, including biochemistry, molecular biology, microbiology, and human biology. 

Collaborative Specializations in CEPS

Students may wish to pursue a collaborative specialization to complement their eligible master's degree program. Prospective students can apply at the time of their application to the University of Guelph. First, prospective students need to apply to their primary program of interest and identify that they are also interested in the collaborative specialization as a focus.

• ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Collaborative Specialization in Artificial Intelligence (M.Sc./M.A.Sc.)

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a paradigm for creating systems with capabilities that were traditionally reserved for humans. It enables unique insights that can be used to improve decision making in broad areas of application—from farming to finance. The Collaborative Specialization in AI provides students with a diverse and comprehensive knowledge base in fundamental AI while they pursue a thesis-based Master’s degree.

Eligible Master's programs: Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics and Statistics, or Bioinformatics.

Collaborative Specialization in Toxicology (M.Sc.)

Collaborative Specialization in Toxicology graduates have the knowledge and skills needed to carry out high quality scientific research. M.Sc. graduates are prepared for employment in positions such as instructors or technical staff in higher education, science-related roles in the broad biotechnology sector (e.g. pharmaceuticals, biomedical, and agriculture-related industries, food and beverage industries), or in government sector institutes and laboratories.

Other collaborative specialization options available to CEPS graduate students, depending on the eligibility of their primary program, may include:

• International Development Studies
• Regenerative Medicine

Interested in a course-based stream?

All departments offer a course-based stream. Contact our Graduate Programs Manager for more information.

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Atrium Institutional Repository

What is the atrium, what are the benefits of depositing my work in the atrium, who can deposit in the atrium, can i deposit content on behalf of someone else, what types of content can be deposited in the atrium, can i deposit research data in the atrium, what do i need to consider prior to depositing content, are there any deposit requirements, how do i deposit my work, who can access content i deposit in the atrium, contact and support.

• Submitting Items to the Atrium
• Thesis & Dissertation Submission Guide
• Accessible Theses
• Linking ORCID to your Atrium Account

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The Atrium is the University of Guelph’s open access institutional repository for scholarly and creative works. It provides long-term stewardship of scholarly and creative works created by the U of G community through the collection, curation, long-term storage, and dissemination of these works.

Please read our Digital Repositories Policy .

Some of the benefits of depositing your work in the Atrium include:

• Compliance with open access funding requirements.
• Your research publications will be free to read and easily discoverable.
• Most subscription journals allow authors to deposit their accepted manuscript in a repository after an embargo period (usually 12 months) - this is a cost-free alternative for making your work open access and meeting funding agency requirements. You can deposit your accepted manuscript as soon as the paper is published – it will automatically be made available after the embargo is lifted (if there is one).
• Content in the Atrium is easily discoverable via major search engines including Google and Google Scholar. Content is described using metadata to enhance the ability of users to search for and discover materials.
• Deposited items receive permanent URLs ensuring long-lasting reliable links to your work.
• Content is safely and securely stored for long-term access.

The Atrium accepts submissions of scholarly or creative works created at or in collaboration with the University of Guelph. All University of Guelph community members including faculty, staff, students, and research collaborators are welcome to deposit in the Atrium.

Undergraduate student authors who wish to deposit non-thesis materials must have the approval of a departmental faculty member.

To deposit content in the Atrium you must be either the creator of the submission, a researcher collaborating with the creator(s), or an individual given permission by the creator to submit on their behalf.

If you are depositing content on behalf of your co-authors, you must seek permission from the other authors before submitting the work.

The Atrium primarily hosts research publications and open access versions of scholarly and creative work such as:

• Graduate theses and dissertations
• Journal articles and preprints
• Books / Book Chapters
• Conference Presentations / Papers
• Grey literature (including protocols, reports, policy briefings, plain language summaries, trade publications, community outreach materials)
• Openly licensed source files for OER created by, or in partnership with, McLaughlin Library.

The Atrium primarily hosts research publications and creative works. Research data should be deposited in the University of Guelph Research Data Repositories . Visit How to deposit research data in the University of Guelph Research Data Repositories for more details.

You are responsible for ensuring that the content you deposit in the Atrium does not infringe on the rights of publishers or any other entity or party. If your content has been commercially published, you must check your author agreement to see what rights you may have signed away during the publishing process and what rights you have retained. This will always be specific to each individual piece of work.

For more information, please refer to Copyright at the University of Guelph or book a Publishing and Author Support Appointment .

Funder and publisher requirements

Depositing your work in the Atrium complies with the Tri-Agency Open Access Policy requirements for publications. However, if your work has been commercially published, you are responsible for ensuring that your publishing agreement and/or your publisher’s open access policies allow you to deposit the work in an institutional repository. Additionally, your publisher may have specific requirements such as which version of your work can be deposited (e.g., preprint, accepted manuscript, publisher’s version of record) and under what conditions such as a temporary access embargo. For more information, please make a Publishing and Author Support Request .

Distribution rights

The University of Guelph will have the non-exclusive right to distribute your work freely and provide long-term access to it via the Atrium. You (or your publisher) will retain copyright to the work. Please see the Digital Repositories Policy (IV. Representations, Warranties, License) for more details.

End-user licensing

If you are the current copyright owner of the work, you can determine what others can do with it. During the deposit process, you will be able to apply a Creative Commons end-user license to your work to clearly indicate to others how they may use it. Please refer to Creative Commons' About CC Licenses  guide for more information.

You are responsible for ensuring the content you deposit in the Atrium aligns with preferred file formats, file naming conventions, and is accessible.

You will also be required to provide descriptive information (metadata) about each item you deposit using the Atrium’s online submission form whether you are entering the metadata into the form manually or using the ORCID integration to auto-populate the form. If you are using the Share Your Paper (SYP) tool ,  you do not need to complete the Atrium online submission form, as the SYP tool will do this work for you, including populating the required item metadata.

File format requirements

To promote reuse, interoperability, and long-term access, files should be deposited in open, non-proprietary file formats. Files should also be saved and stored in an uncompressed and unencrypted format.

For example, it is preferrable that text documents, such as Word (DOCX) or PowerPoint (PPTX), are saved as a tagged PDF format  prior to upload.

If you are unsure about the long-term accessibility and readability of your file format(s), please make a Publishing and Author Support Request for assistance.

File naming requirements

When naming your files, please:

• Keep the length of the file name short but descriptive (less than 25 characters).
• Use date format ISO 8601: YYYYMMDD.
• Use alphanumeric characters. Avoid special characters and accented characters.
• Include a version number if applicable.
• Use capitals and underscores instead of periods, hyphens, spaces, or slashes.

For example:

• grizzlyStomachContent20201215.pdf
• SmithJones_Sean_202012_MSc.pdf

File size limitations

Individual files must be equal to or less than five hundred megabytes (500 MB) in size for successful upload. There is no specific upper limit to the number of files or total overall storage size that can be added to a record or collection in the Atrium.

If individual files are larger than 500 MB or if you have a very large number of files to deposit, make a Publishing and Author Support Request for assistance.

Accessibility

Depositors are responsible for ensuring that all materials they deposit in the Atrium meet accessibility standards according to the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). Guidance and resources in support of creating accessible digital materials can be accessed through the Digital Accessibility Resource Centre .

You may also refer to the WebAim tutorials ( Word , PowerPoint , PDF , Multimedia ) or library tutorials ( Create an Accessible Word Document and Make your Digital Projects Accessible ) for guidance on how to make your work accessible. Note that for textual documents, it is easier to modify the original format (e.g., Word or PowerPoint) than the PDF version.

Please note that not all content housed in Atrium is fully accessible. If you would like to request an alternate version of any content in the Atrium, please use the Library Resource Alternate-Format Request Form .

Deposit your scholarly or creative works (faculty/staff/students)

• All users with a University of Guelph email account have immediate deposit access to the Atrium. Simply log in to the Atrium using your U of G central ID and password and follow the instructions outlined in the Submitting items to the Atrium  guide to submit your work for review and inclusion in the Atrium.

Deposit your thesis or dissertation (graduate students)

• Review the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies’ (OGPS) Thesis Completion Guide which provides information on the requirements, schedule of dates, and process for preparing and submitting a thesis/dissertation for approval by OGPS. Questions related to formatting requirements, deadlines, fees, and submission status should be directed to the OGPS .
• All users with a University of Guelph email account have immediate deposit access to the Atrium. Simply log in to the Atrium using your U of G central ID and password and follow the instructions outlined in the Thesis & Dissertation Submission guide to submit your thesis/dissertation for review and inclusion in the Atrium.

Content deposited in the Atrium is, by default, openly accessible to the world and is discoverable through major search engines such as Google and Google Scholar.

In certain cases, a temporary delay to public access (i.e., embargo) may be placed on an item. The item will automatically become publicly available upon the expiry of the embargo period.

The Atrium is available for depositing, browsing, and accessing content 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. User support is available during normal business hours.

The Office of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies is responsible for reviewing and approving submissions of theses and dissertations to the Atrium. For questions concerning the requirements, preparation, and approval process for theses and dissertations, please contact the Office of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies .

For all other inquires, including technical support, please make a Publishing and Author Support Request .

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• Last Updated: Sep 6, 2024 11:59 AM
• URL: https://guides.lib.uoguelph.ca/atrium

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