DIAL.mem FAQ

No. If the thesis is co-authored and the files are identical, it only needs to be submitted once. The co-authors must agree on who will carry out the submission. 

• Before submission, they must also agree on the type of access to be granted for each file.
• During submission, the name of each author must be included in the thesis description. 
• After submission, each co-author will receive a submission certificate (indicating, among other things, the access type chosen for each file), which must be signed and submitted to their respective faculty administration.

The deadline is set by each faculty and for each session. Please refer to the instructions provided by your faculty.

Click the “Log in” button at the top right of the screen, then click “UCLouvain SSO.” If you are not automatically recognized, enter your @student.uclouvain.be email address and your UCLouvain password.

Yes. You can select the language from the menu bar on the right: click “EN” or “FR” and choose your preferred language from the dropdown menu.

You can pause and resume your submission at any time. Click the “Save for later” button at the bottom of the form. Your data will be saved, and you can continue the process later from your personal space in MYDIAL.MEM.

You must upload at least one PDF file containing the thesis text. 

Annexes can be included in the PDF or uploaded separately as one or more files.

No. The thesis text must be in PDF format, preferably PDF/A (archival format). Annexes can be uploaded in most common formats.

• With Word: Save As > File Type = PDF > Options… check “ISO 19005-1 compliant (PDF/A)”.
• With LibreOffice Writer: Export As > Export as PDF… > Under “General” options, check “Archive PDF/A (ISO 19005)” (PDF/A-2b or 3b). 
• With LaTeX: PDF/A guide

No, but larger files take longer to upload and open. 

As a guideline, a 100-page thesis with illustrations should not exceed 1–2 MB. If your file exceeds 2 MB, consider reducing its size. 

Also, try to minimize the size of annexes, especially if they are images or videos.

Yes. 

If your thesis is approved, its descriptive record will always be publicly visible in the UCLouvain thesis directory. However, the content of the files will only be made public if both the author(s) and the university give their consent. 

During submission, you can choose one of four access options for each file: 

• Open Access (default): Anyone can view the document once it is published in DIAL.mem (after faculty validation and graduation). 
• Embargoed Access: Access is restricted until a specified date, after which it becomes open. 
• Restricted Access: Only users connected to UCLouvain’s internal network (and partner institutions for joint degrees) can view the document. 
• No Access: No one can view the document, but it will be archived, and the descriptive record will remain visible. 

The access level you choose defines the maximum openness allowed. The institution may impose stricter access but cannot grant broader access than what you selected.

Yes, but only after submission. You must be identified as the author in DIAL.mem until deliberations are complete. You can then request anonymization through your faculty administration. See also DIAL.mem’s privacy policy.

Each thesis undergoes several validation steps before being published. Typically, a successful thesis is published between the end of the defense session and the start of the next session. If your thesis is still not visible after six months, contact your faculty office.

You can restrict access further after submission. 

However, you cannot broaden access, as the license you signed and submitted to your faculty defines the maximum access level and cannot be modified afterward. 

DIAL.mem lists all UCLouvain theses that received a minimum grade of 10/20 and were submitted electronically by students since June 2009, or that were retrospectively imported.

Only files for which both the author(s) and the institution have granted permission are accessible. Permissions may differ between the main thesis text and the annexes: sometimes only the thesis is open access, sometimes only the annexes, or only certain annexes.

The repository displays references for all stored theses, but the content may not be accessible. There are four access levels: 

• Open Access: Anyone worldwide can view the document. 
• Embargoed Access: Access is restricted until a specified date, after which it becomes open. 
• Restricted Access: Only users connected to UCLouvain’s internal network (and partner institutions for joint degrees) can view the document. 
• No Access: No one can view the document. In some cases, the author may choose different access levels for the thesis and annexes. 

The detailed record will specify the access level for each file, while the summary in the search results will display the most open access level (e.g., if the thesis is open access but annexes are restricted, “Open Access” will be shown).

When a file is placed under restricted access, it means that the author and the institution have decided that only individuals connected to UCLouvain’s internal network (and the internal networks of partner institutions, in the case of a joint master's programme) are permitted to view its contents.

Currently, access to a file with restricted access is only possible from a terminal connected to UCLouvain’s internal IT network, located within the university buildings (e.g., in a library, using a consultation workstation).

Remote access is planned and currently being implemented (but only for UCLouvain staff and students).

DIAL.mem does not display any evaluation-related information. However, all listed theses have received a minimum grade of 10/20.

Reproduction (printing or saving) is permitted provided that: 

1. It is for private use, educational illustration, or scientific research. 
2. It is not for commercial purposes. 

Modification, transformation, or adaptation is prohibited without the explicit consent of the author. For more details, refer to the End user agreement on the DIAL.mem website.

Yes, provided that: 

1. Exact copies are placed in quotation marks and followed by the thesis reference and page number. 
2. Paraphrased content is followed by the thesis reference and page number. 

Failing to cite the source of a quote or paraphrase constitutes plagiarism and a copyright violation. Incomplete or incorrect reproduction (e.g., omitting words without indication or altering wording) infringes the author's moral rights.

Each thesis has a permanent link (permalink), shown in the detailed record (top right column), starting with: https://hdl.handle.net/2078.2. 

Do not use the URL from your browser’s address bar, as it is longer and not permanent.

No, direct export from DIAL.mem is not possible. However, it is possible via the library catalog. Note: the catalog only includes theses with at least one accessible file; it does not list theses with no access permissions. 

By default, DIAL.mem searches for results containing all the terms in your query, in any order. 

For example, dog cat returns theses containing both terms. This is equivalent to an “AND” search (dog AND cat). 

To search for theses containing either term, use OR: dog OR cat. 

To exclude a term, use NOT: dog NOT cat. 

To search for an exact phrase, use quotation marks: "like cats and dogs".

To search for the characters *, ?, or : themselves, enclose them in quotation marks.

Yes. You can combine multiple filters (e.g., theses supervised by a specific professor AND defended in a specific year). 

Filters are cumulative and reduce the number of results progressively. 

Selected filters appear above the filter list and can be removed individually. 

However, filters cannot be used to exclude values (e.g., exclude a year or supervisor).

The “simple search” bar searches all metadata AND file content. This may yield many results, even if the search terms are not visible in the displayed record. 

To narrow results:

• Use quotation marks for exact phrases, especially for common terms (e.g., "emotional intelligence"). 
• Use advanced search to target specific fields (title, subject, etc.). 

If you get too few results: 

• Check for typos. 
• Try different lexical forms (singular/plural, noun/adjective) or use wildcards. 
• Use synonyms.

It can be frustrating to find a reference without access to the content. 

However, the DIAL.mem serves both as a consultation platform and an archive. 

It may be useful to know whether a topic has already been addressed in a thesis. 

If access is not granted by the author and/or institution, the content cannot be viewed via DIAL.mem. You may try contacting the author directly to request a private copy.