John

Free Graduate Resources

Are you looking for new resources to help teach about the research and publication process? Check out these new #OER publications from the Iowa State University Digital Press, led by authors at the Graduate College at Iowa State University.

Preparing to Publish, 2nd Edition
by Elena Cotos, Sarah Huffman, and Kimberly Pace Becker
https://www.iastatedigitalpress.com/plugins/books/252/
This text provides graduate student writers with helpful information, strategies, and tips on navigating disciplinary writing in their fields and how to understand, dissect, and ultimately, construct their own research article.

Surviving Research Publication: A Guide for New Scholars
by Lily Compton, Ph.D., Megan O’Donnell, and Kristin Terrill, Ph.D.
https://www.iastatedigitalpress.com/plugins/books/216/
This book is an essential guide for graduate students and early career researchers, covering everything from the basics of a literature review through research ethics and the use of technology.

February Community Engagement Meeting

February 18, 2026 (2:00 – 3:00 PM EST) – Envisioning to Celebrating: Conscientious Goal Setting. Led by Drs. Kristin Terrill and Ruth Lu.

Anyone interested in signing up to participate in the group should complete this form to subscribe to the mailing list.

ETD 2025-USETDA 2025 Conference Highlights

Here are the highlights from the ETD 2025-USETDA 2025 Conference:

  • The Big Event: It was the 28th international ETD symposium (ETD 2025) and the 15th US national ETD conference (USETDA 2025), held together!
  • When & Where: This joint event was totally virtual via Zoom on September 25-26, 2025.
  • The Vibe: The theme was “Exploring Global Connections.”
  • What was included: The program packed a punch with two big panel discussions, two workshops, sixteen 50-minute deep-dive presentations (including user group meetings), and lots of chances to network.
  • Missed a session? No worries! Everything was streamed live and recorded on Zoom.
  • Thursday’s line-up: We held an intensive workshop (“ETDs for Beginners“), a panel on research ethics, and parallel sessions covering stuff like cataloging, accessibility, converting PDFs to HTML, using LLMs for library discovery, and Vireo updates. Plus, there was an opening reception and a virtual cocktail party!
  • Friday’s action: Highlights included a hands-on workshop on using AI (Elicit) for literature reviews, a panel comparing “Open Science” in India and the US, and parallel sessions on Digital Accessibility for LaTeX, dissertation structure, drafting AI-use policies, collection migration, AI copyright, ETD formatting, community talks, machine learning, national ETD repositories, and management in Canada.
  • Wrapping Up: Friday finished with a Closing session, recognizing Jannette Wright (UAEU Libraries) for the NDLTD Leadership Award, and sneak peeks at future conferences.
  • Keep the Party Going: We encouraged everyone to stick around the global ETD community, participate in group activities, and check out the NDLTD and USETDA member lists for colleagues.
  • Wanna see the videos? Videos are available to all USETDA members via login. There are free and paid membership options.
  • Heads up on videos: The 2025 conference video series will be posted on the USETDA YouTube channel in the coming months.
  • Resources for you: 
  • Conference Program (pdf)
  • Program Schedule (at-a-glance)
  • Presentations List (including abstracts)
  • Proceedings
  • Sponsors
  • Sponsor Exhibits
  • Videos
USETDA 2025 - ETD 2025 Conference Logo