Elsevier Announces Winners of the NDLTD-ETD Awards: Powered by Scirus

Amsterdam, June 2008 - Elsevier, world-leading publisher of scientific, technical and medical information products and services, is proud to announce the winners of the first awards for Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETD) with the NDLTD-ETD Awards: Powered by Scirus. Elsevier Journals Publishing and Scirus, the most comprehensive science-specific search engine, conducted the awards competition in partnership with the NDLTD (Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations), the international organization dedicated to promoting the dissemination and preservation of electronic theses and dissertations, to sponsor this year’s first-ever NDLTD-ETD Awards, which seek to recognize outstanding contributions to the body of electronically available ETD research.

With the advent of the ETDs, and optimized subject-specific search tools like Scirus, it is now easier than ever to access materials that have not been available through traditional publishing alternatives. Once difficult to discover because they consist largely of masters theses and doctoral dissertations stored in print versions at university libraries, vertical search platforms like Scirus have revolutionized access to these valuable, often overlooked materials.

“Elsevier is proud to be working with the NDLTD and recognizing these important additions to the body of scientific knowledge,” said Stephen Cawley, Product Marketing Solutions Manager, Elsevier. “With tools like Scirus, we can now easily access ETDs and other important but often neglected research materials that are hastening the speed of discovery in science and the humanities.”

This year’s winners of the NDLTD-ETD Awards: Powered by Scirus are:

Physical & Life Sciences


Lawretta Chineze Leaticia Ononye, “The Effect of Implantation Temperature and Ionizing Radiation on the Microstructure of Ion Implanted Sapphire”
Mohan N. Thakare, “Pharmacological Screening of Some Medicinal Plants as Antimicrobial and Feed Additives”
Benedikt T. Huber, “Microprocessor Systems Data Transfer Interface Design: An Expert System Approach Using Signal Timing Behavior Patterns”
Anders Ek, “Ultrasonic Treatment of Sewage Sludge in order to Increase Biogas Yields”

Louis Lesage, “Écologie Estivale Du Cerf De Virginie A La Limite Nord De Son Aire De Distribution : De La Étapopulation A L’individu”
Nathan Crane McClintock, “Production and Use of Compost and Vermicompost in Sustainable Farming Systems”
Danny J.Y.S. Pagé, “Neutron And Gamma Radiation Effects On The Viscoelastic Behaviour Of Poly”
Gerald W. Ferris, “An Elastic Plastic Approach: Modeling Deformation Of Dense Sand”

Business, Social Sciences & Humanities

Simon A. Nuttgens, “Bereavement Following Suicide: A Narrative Study”
Mmakgomo Roseline Laka-Mathebula, “Modeling the Relationship Between Organizational Commitment, Leadership Style, Human Resources Management Practices and Organizational Trust”

The 10 winning ETDs were selected through a rigorous selection process which combined a shortlisting of the most downloaded ETDs per subject area through Scirus, and adjudication by scientific editors from Elsevier Journals Publishing unit.

“Elsevier’s recognition of the scientific minds of the future further enhances their position as a forward-thinking company,” said John Hagen, director of the NDLTD. “The NDLTD congratulates all of the winners, who are most certainly going to be the drivers of scientific discovery in the years to come.”

“We’re happy to participate in these awards and play a key role in helping to recognize the future published researchers,” said Rose Olthof, Business Development Manager, Elsevier Journals Publishing. “The ETDs that were chosen were of the highest quality and we’re delighted to see such a high caliber of research at the graduate-level.”

The awards will be presented at the ETD 2008 Symposium, to be held June 4-7 at Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, Scotland. Award winners will each receive a $500 cash prize, an NDLTD-ETD Awards: Powered by Scirus medallion and honorary recognition on the Scirus homepage.