論學位論文即時網路公開為畢業條件：現況與檢討

Immediate Online Public Access to Theses as a Graduation Requirement: Current State and Reflections

學位論文在臺灣仍是多數領域中大學授予碩博士學位的必要條件，其社會價值與公信力建立於「名實相符」之學術基礎，而基於學術傳播之普世價值與防止論文抄襲之附加效應，學位論文公開以供社會檢驗，應是學位成立之必要條件。本文首先從國家相關法律與各大學相關規定出發，檢視對於要求學位論文公開之現況，並且進一步從學理與法理提出論證，在網路無遠弗屆的時空下，大學若將學位論文網路公開作為畢業條件乃屬合理妥適。本文且以開放取用期刊論文為類比，建議大學循正當程序將此畢業條件明文列入學則，方無適法性之疑慮。本文最後闡明論文比對電子系統對論文公開之輔助角色，而學術倫理教育以及教師與學生的學術專業與道德涵養才是學術研究之根本。

In Taiwan, a thesis remains a necessary condition for universities to award master’s and doctoral degrees in most fields. It is a mutually beneficial outcome of collaboration between the university and the student. Its social value and credibility must be built upon the foundation of its substance that matches its reputation. Based on the universal value of academic dissemination and the added benefit of preventing plagiarism, the disclosure of theses for public scrutiny should be necessary for degree theses. In this study, we first examine the current state of requirements for public release of theses, based on relevant national laws and university regulations. We then present arguments from academic and legal perspectives, asserting that in the modern era of internet access, it is reasonable and appropriate for universities to make online access to degree theses a graduation requirement. Using open-access journal articles as an analogy, we suggest that universities explicitly incorporate this graduation requirement into their academic regulations through due process to avoid any legal challenges. Finally, we clarify the supporting role of electronic plagiarism detection systems, emphasizing that the real underpinnings of academic research are academic ethics education and the professionalism and morals of professors and students.