This page explains how embargoes work for EMU theses and dissertations, what they mean for access in ProQuest and DigitalCommons@EMU, and what copyright and permissions issues you should consider before submitting your work.
An embargo is a temporary delay on public access to the full text of your thesis or dissertation. During the embargo period, your PDF is not publicly viewable in ProQuest or DigitalCommons@EMU.
Students may choose an embargo for several reasons, including:
Planning future publications such as journal articles or a book.
Working with sensitive data that requires restricted access.
Patents or commercialization that requires delaying release of results.
Publisher or funder requirements related to prior distribution or open access.
You select an embargo option during the ProQuest submission process. In many cases, the EMU Graduate School requires additional forms to confirm your choice, so be sure to follow their instructions carefully.
When completing your ProQuest submission you will choose:
Whether to apply an embargo
The embargo length (as permitted by Graduate School policy)
How the embargo applies across ProQuest and DigitalCommons@EMU
Your advisor can help you determine whether an embargo is appropriate for your project. If you have questions about how an embargo affects online access in DigitalCommons@EMU, contact the Scholarly Communications Librarian.
Most embargo options apply to both ProQuest and DigitalCommons@EMU. This means your full text will not be publicly available in either system until the embargo expires.
Standard embargo periods are determined by the EMU Graduate School. ProQuest and DigitalCommons@EMU follow the same timeline unless instructed otherwise.
After the embargo ends, the full text is released automatically in both systems unless the Graduate School specifies a different action.
Metadata remains public. Even when the PDF is embargoed, the title, author, department, and abstract are usually visible so your work can be discovered.
If you do not want your abstract visible during the embargo, discuss this with the Graduate School before you submit.
You automatically own the copyright to your thesis or dissertation as soon as you create it. Submitting your work to ProQuest or DigitalCommons@EMU does not transfer ownership.
When you submit, you grant these platforms a non-exclusive license to store and share your work. This means you still retain full rights to reuse your content in:
Journal articles
Book chapters or monographs
Conference presentations
Future research or teaching materials
If your thesis or dissertation includes substantial content that you did not create—such as images, long quotations, audio, video, or proprietary tools—you may need permission from the copyright holder to include those materials in the public online version.
Fair use may apply in some cases, but not all. Always review whether your use is minimal, transformative, or essential to your argument.
Permissions may be required for artwork, charts or images from copyrighted books or articles, photographs, or proprietary survey instruments.
If you cannot obtain permission, you may need to remove or redact the material in the online version and deposit a full copy with restricted access.
For help evaluating what you can include in your online document, contact the Scholarly Communications Librarian.