LM 07/06/19.  Query received 23 Jan2020: I am not sure if I should ask you, but I have a quick request. I noticed that only by searching my name(Sakineh Sadeghipour), the pdf file of my full thesis is available to everyone. This is quite strange as it should only be available to VU staff and students. It is now easy for everyone to use the data and figures and I still need to publish the results of my thesis in journals. Could you please check and resolve the issue?
Thanks very much for your help in advance.  Kind regards, Parvaneh.  I responded: I’m not sure why you believe the thesis should only be available to VU’s staff and students.

When you submitted your thesis you also signed a Victoria University’s Research Repository submission and permission form.  I have attached a copy of your signed form.

In the guidelines the form states:
 

There is nothing in the form to suggest that it will only be available to staff and students.
In addition, under the section ‘release of thesis’, in response to the question “ do you require an embargo to be placed on the thesis?” you have ticked ‘no’.

If you want your thesis restricted (that is, the fulltext not added to the Repository for a period of time), you should have completed the Restricted access to a thesis form, and submitted it with your thesis.

If you now want it removed, you need to complete that form. .  The form can be found at https://www.vu.edu.au/sites/default/files/research/pdfs/Restricted-access-to-a-thesis.pdf 
It has to be signed by your principle supervisor.  Your supervisor and the Chair of examiners must attach supporting statements.  That form then needs to be sent to Office for Researcher Training and Integrity at researchclassifications@vu.edu.au.  The Office for Researcher Training and Integrity will consider your request, and if they approve the restriction the form will be forwarded to my Team which is in the Library.  We will only remove the full-text of your thesis when we get that approved form from ORTQI.
Please note that the metadata for your thesis (the information about it) will remain in the Repository even when the full-text is removed.Regards  Lyn  23/1/2020
No form received as at 7 December 2020 Lyn