CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom, October 21, 2004 - ProQuest Digital Dissertations ( PQDD ), a key part of the ProQuest line of research databases since 1997, will soon be renamed ProQuest Dissertations & Theses ( PQDT ). It will also migrate to the ProQuest online information service, merging all the innovative PQDD features and content that have made this product so popular with the ever-expanding innovations of the award-winning ProQuest platform.

PQDT will start its phased migration to the ProQuest platform during December. The new platform will permit an institution's entire ProQuest user community to access its PQDT content. The new name of the database, ProQuest Dissertations & Theses, better reflects its long-standing inclusion of both Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations. Master's Theses contain important research and writing in many disciplines which are often overlooked.

Among the new features available in Phase 1 of the migration:

• Multi-language interface
• Online usage reports
• Support for citation downloads into RefWorks and EndNote
• Email alerting service when new dissertations are added in a specified subject area
• Interface support for text-only functionality and other ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) recommendations
• School branding and direct links back to the school library
• Username access using Athens Access Management
• PDFs may be downloaded directly without waiting for an email and pin number.

In 2005, two more phases will be released, culminating in a world-class system that not only maintains the current functionality of PQDD, but adds a variety of enhancements and content for additional value. Please note that the current PQDD interface will be fully operational through the first two phases, and PQDD customers may choose either the current or the new interface during this interim period.

For more information this migration please click here.

For all media enquiries contact Gina Ghensi, Communications Manager, gina.ghensi@proquest.co.uk

About ProQuest
ProQuest creates specialized information resources and technologies that propel successful research, discovery, and lifelong learning. A global leader in serving libraries of all types, ProQuest offers the expertise of such respected brands as Chadwyck-Healey™, UMI®, SIRS®, and eLibrary®. With Serials Solutions®, Ulrich's™, RefWorks®, COS™, Dialog® and now Bowker® part of the ProQuest brand family, the company supports the breadth of the information community with innovative discovery solutions that power the business of books and the best in research experience.

More than a content provider or aggregator, ProQuest is an information partner, creating indispensable research solutions that connect people and information. Through innovative, user-centered discovery technology, ProQuest offers billions of pages of global content that includes historical newspapers, dissertations, and uniquely relevant resources for researchers of any age and sophistication—including content not likely to be digitized by others. Inspired by its customers and their end users, ProQuest is working toward a future that blends information accessibility with community to further enhance learning and encourage lifelong enrichment.

For more information, visit www.proquest.com or the ProQuest parent company website, www.cig.com.