Filename Standard

To facilitate access to ADT theses it is important that the following filename standards are followed for naming the PDF files prior to uploading them through the Deposit form:

Please note - ADT filenames should contain:
  • letters from the alphabet (upper or lower case). Example: 05appendix.pdf; 05APPENDIX.pdf; 05Appendix.pdf
  • or numbers (0-9)
  • or any appropriate alphanumeric combination. 02Chapter1.pdf; 09Chapter10.pdf
  • the only symbols permitted are - (hyphen) or _ (underscore). Example: 06Appendix-Images.pdf; 06Appendix_Images.pdf
  • spaces are not permitted in the filename or path to the file.
Please note - The above naming conventions also apply to the folders containing your PDF files. For example these pathnames are not permitted as they contain spaces;
  • C:\Documents and Settings\username\Desktop\01front.pdf
  • C:\My Thesis\01front.pdf
  • C:\thesis\01 front.pdf

  1. Create one PDF file containing title/author information; abstract; acknowledgments; table of contents; introduction; preface and any other introductory text that is not part of the main body of the thesis. Call this file - 01front.pdf

  2. Create another file containing the whole of the thesis (including what is contained in the front.pdf file) and call this 02whole.pdf

    3. alternatively

    Break the thesis up into smaller files maintaining a relevant filename structure such as 02chapter1.pdf; 03chapter2.pdf; 04appendix1.pdf; 05bibliography.pdf; etc...

  3. In order to maintain the desired file sequence the file need to be numbered using the standard 01-99 (or 001-999 if individual files exceed more than 99 for an individual thesis). Numbering theses is required no matter which filename standard is adopted.
Example 1
01front.pdf
02whole.pdf 		Example 2
01front.pdf
02chapter1.pdf
03chapter2.pdf
04appendix.pdf
05bibliography.pdf


The 01front.pdf file is compulsory. The software will create an empty front file automatically if a real one is not uploaded during the deposit/submission process. This is to serve as a memory prompt for administrators.

While it is difficult to recommend exact file sizes the project team suggests that the whole.pdf file should be within the 2-4MB range. The larger, and hence multiple file theses (necessary for scanned ones) it is suggested that the file size should be in the 4-10MB range.

This standard will allow viewers to easily identify the relevant parts of the ADT theses via a common filename structure. It will also allow viewers to quickly look at the table of contents and other introductory information without having to wait for the whole thesis to download, or to better determine if they want to see the whole thesis in the first place. The standard is also an effective and simple way to present an introductory view of a thesis at the outset. This is similar in a way to the 20-25 page view that UMI/Bell&Howell have introduced for the DAI database.