When your thesis or dissertation is complete and revisions have been made to the document, you will need to convert your word processing document to Adobe’s Portable Document Format (PDF) in order to submit your file electronically to the University of Pittsburgh’s institutional repository, D-Scholarship@Pitt, at http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/. It is your responsibility as the author to completely review the PDF document for conversion accuracy, and to adhere to requirements for the electronic version. Refer to the ETD Format Guidelines Manual for details on PDF requirements.
PDF is the cross-platform standard for electronic document distribution. PDF is a universal file format that preserves fonts, formatting, graphics, and color of any source document, regardless of the application and platform used to create it. You can convert any document to PDF using Adobe Acrobat software or some other service or third party application that can generate PDF files. Adobe Acrobat will provide the best results and greatest capabilities for converting your documents. You can view and print PDF files using the Adobe Acrobat Reader or a Web Browser that has the Adobe Acrobat Reader plug-in. Please refer to Pitt IT's software for students for pricing and availability (https://www.technology.pitt.edu/software/student). It should be noted that the Mac versions of Word do not fully integrate the PDFMaker functionality and you may need to locate a PC to do the final conversion.
ETD Template v1.9 and later versions
If you are using the 1.9 or later version of the ETD Word Template, you may be able to easily save your ETD as a PDF in a few simple steps, even if you are on a Mac.
For Mac users:
For PC users:
Adobe PDFMaker Conversion Settings
Important Note: Users trying to convert using MS Word for Mac OS will not be able to automatically create bookmarks from the Word document during conversion. The Print to PDF tool featured there will not do this. Converting on a PC does automatically create bookmarks, even if you wrote the document on a Mac.
Checklist before converting to PDF:
You will need to review the Acrobat preference settings within Microsoft Word before converting documents to PDF. Select the Acrobat tab, and then click on the Preferences button (second option on the Acrobat ribbon). The Acrobat PDFMaker dialog window will appear. Review each tab; Settings, Security, Word, and Bookmarks. (If you do not see the Acrobat tab, do not simply convert to PDF using Microsoft Word conversion. You will need to download Acrobat.)
The Preference Settings dialog box opens with the Settings tab displaying. There are seven Conversion Settings to choose from. These settings are designed to balance file size with quality, depending on how the Adobe PDF file is to be used. Select Standard in the Conversion Settings window for your document. Setting explanations can be seen under selected Conversion Setting.
Review the options on the Security tab. ETD files do not require any security settings on the PDF copy (passwords should not be required to open the document).
The Word tab lists various Microsoft Office preference options. Many word processing elements, such as footnotes, endnotes, and hyperlinks should be retained when you convert to PDF as long as these options are selected on the Word tab.
The Bookmarks tab provides settings for converting text formatted with styles to bookmarks within the PDF file. The PDF version of your thesis or dissertation must include bookmarks for items such as the table of contents, list of figures, list of tables and appendix. Headings will convert to PDF bookmarks as long as Word Heading Styles have been used.
In the Bookmark Options section make sure Convert Word Headings to Bookmarks and Convert Word Styles to Bookmarks are selected. The Element Bookmark boxes selects Heading 1 thru 9 styles to be converted; you will need to select:
Once you have selected these styles check boxes under the Bookmark column, you will be able to have the Adobe PDFMaker generate the correct bookmarks in your PDF.
Running the Conversion
ETD File Names
Consideration should be given to the file name of the PDF version of your thesis or dissertation. An appropriate naming scheme for your PDF file should include your last name, or a combination of last name, first name and middle initial, date/year, and should not contain any spaces.
Example file names include smithja_final_etd.pdf, smithja_final_etd2018.pdf, and smithja__final_etdPitt2018.pdf. Please try not to use alphanumeric characters and try not to use spaces between the portions of the file name. It is better to use an underscore ( _ ) just in case there is an issue with the file system when uploading.
If you have multiple files that constitute your entire work, naming them with a numeric sequence (e.g., smithja_1.pdf, smithja_2.pdf) will allow you to link the files in the correct order and guide readers through the document in a concise manner. Electronic theses and dissertations can have multimedia objects linked to the ETD. Audio, video, or other types of files can accompany your text-based document, but will need to be linked to the PDF file. Any files that will be linked to the PDF file should have file names that identify the object as it is identified in the document (e.g., audio1.wav, figure1.jpg, video1.mpg). ProQuest’s Guide to Publishing states that if multimedia elements are used in the document, file formats should be identified in the dissertation/thesis abstract.
Graphic Objects
Graphics (i.e., photographic images, graphic objects, charts) can appear in either color or black and white in the ETD. However, black and white or crosshatched objects may render the best during the microfilming process for archiving dissertations. Crosshatching can be used to differentiate colors within an object (e.g., an Excel graph) if the object is not in full color. If black and white graphics are used, a link can be set up in the PDF file to a color copy if desired. Refer to the ETD Format Guidelines Manual for specific details on graphics within an ETD.
Bookmarks
The PDF version of your thesis or dissertation must include bookmarks for various items in the Word document.
Specifically, bookmarks must be made for:
• Every item listed in the document’s Table of Contents
• All figures listed in the document’s List of Figures
• All tables listed in the document’s List of Tables
• Any captioned items such as equations or media clips etc.
• And for the Title Page, Committee Page, Abstract, and Appendix
Bookmarks can be automatically created from your Word document if you’ve formatted it with the correct styles.
PDF Review and Settings
Once you convert your word processing document to PDF, it is your responsibility as the author to completely review the PDF document for conversion accuracy, and to make sure that the document adheres to requirements for electronic theses and dissertations. If the document contains links to web site addresses, test the links within Acrobat/Reader to confirm that they are still active. You should print or review the document on screen to make sure that all components of the document (e.g., text, formulas, and graphics) converted correctly. University of Pittsburgh ETDs must include bookmarks for the table of contents and lists of figures and tables.