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EBSCO Open Dissertations

EBSCO Open Dissertations makes electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs) more accessible to researchers worldwide. The free portal is designed to benefit universities and their students and make ETDs more discoverable. 

Increasing Discovery & Usage of ETD Research

With EBSCO Open Dissertations, institutions are offered an innovative approach to driving additional traffic to ETDs in institutional repositories. Our goal is to help make their students’ theses and dissertations as widely visible and cited as possible.

EBSCO Open Dissertations extends the work started in 2014, when EBSCO and the H.W. Wilson Foundation created American Doctoral Dissertations which contained indexing from the H.W. Wilson print publication, Doctoral Dissertations Accepted by American Universities, 1933-1955. In 2015, the H.W. Wilson Foundation agreed to support the expansion of the scope of the American Doctoral Dissertations database to include records for dissertations and theses from 1955 to the present.

How Does EBSCO Open Dissertations Work?

Libraries can add theses and dissertations to the database, making them freely available to researchers everywhere while increasing traffic to their institutional repository.  ETD metadata is harvested via OAI and integrated into EBSCO’s platform, where pointers send traffic to the institution's IR.

EBSCO integrates this data into their current subscriber environments and makes the data available on the open web via opendissertations.org .

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How to find resources by format

Why use a dissertation or a thesis.

A dissertation is the final large research paper, based on original research, for many disciplines to be able to complete a PhD degree. The thesis is the same idea but for a masters degree.

They are often considered scholarly sources since they are closely supervised by a committee, are directed at an academic audience, are extensively researched, follow research methodology, and are cited in other scholarly work. Often the research is newer or answering questions that are more recent, and can help push scholarship in new directions. 

Search for dissertations and theses

Locating dissertations and theses.

The Proquest Dissertations and Theses Global database includes doctoral dissertations and selected masters theses from major universities worldwide.

  • Searchable by subject, author, advisor, title, school, date, etc.
  • More information about full text access and requesting through Interlibrary Loan

NDLTD – Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations provides free online access to a over a million theses and dissertations from all over the world.

WorldCat Dissertations and Theses searches library catalogs from across the U.S. and worldwide.

Locating University of Minnesota Dissertations and Theses

Use  Libraries search  and search by title or author and add the word "thesis" in the search box. Write down the library and call number and find it on the shelf. They can be checked out.

Check the  University Digital Conservancy  for online access to dissertations and theses from 2007 to present as well as historic, scanned theses from 1887-1923.

Other Sources for Dissertations and Theses

  • Center for Research Libraries
  • DART-Europe E-Thesis Portal
  • Theses Canada
  • Ethos (Great Britain)
  • Australasian Digital Theses in Trove
  • DiVA (Sweden)
  • E-Thesis at the University of Helsinki
  • DissOnline (Germany)
  • List of libraries worldwide - to search for a thesis when you know the institution and cannot find in the larger collections
  • ProQuest Dissertations Express  - to search for a digitized thesis (not a free resource but open to our guest users)

University of Minnesota Dissertations and Theses FAQs

What dissertations and theses are available.

With minor exceptions, all doctoral dissertations and all "Plan A" master's theses accepted by the University of Minnesota are available in the University Libraries system. In some cases (see below) only a non-circulating copy in University Archives exists, but for doctoral dissertations from 1940 to date, and for master's theses from 1925 to date, a circulating copy should almost always be available.

"Plan B" papers, accepted in the place of a thesis in many master's degree programs, are not received by the University Libraries and are generally not available. (The only real exceptions are a number of old library school Plan B papers on publishing history, which have been separately cataloged.) In a few cases individual departments may have maintained files of such papers.

In what libraries are U of M dissertations and theses located?

Circulating copies of doctoral dissertations:.

  • Use Libraries Search to look for the author or title of the work desired to determine location and call number of a specific dissertation. Circulating copies of U of M doctoral dissertations can be in one of several locations in the library system, depending upon the date and the department for which the dissertation was done. The following are the general rules:
  • Dissertations prior to 1940 Circulating copies of U of M dissertations prior to 1940 do not exist (with rare exceptions): for these, only the archival copy (see below) is available. Also, most dissertations prior to 1940 are not cataloged in MNCAT and can only be identified by the departmental listings described below.  
  • Dissertations from 1940-1979 Circulating copies of U of M dissertations from 1940 to 1979 will in most cases be held within the Elmer L. Andersen Library, with three major classes of exceptions: dissertations accepted by biological, medical, and related departments are housed in the Health Science Library; science/engineering dissertations from 1970 to date will be located in the Science and Engineering Library (in Walter); and dissertations accepted by agricultural and related departments are available at the Magrath Library or one of the other libraries on the St. Paul campus (the Magrath Library maintains records of locations for such dissertations).  
  • Dissertations from 1980-date Circulating copies of U of M dissertations from 1980 to date at present may be located either in Wilson Library (see below) or in storage; consult Libraries Search for location of specific items. Again, exceptions noted above apply here also; dissertations in their respective departments will instead be in Health Science Library or in one of the St. Paul campus libraries.

Circulating copies of master's theses:

  • Theses prior to 1925 Circulating copies of U of M master's theses prior to 1925 do not exist (with rare exceptions); for these, only the archival copy (see below) is available.  
  • Theses from 1925-1996 Circulating copies of U of M master's theses from 1925 to 1996 may be held in storage; consult Libraries search in specific instances. Once again, there are exceptions and theses in their respective departments will be housed in the Health Science Library or in one of the St. Paul campus libraries.  
  • Theses from 1997-date Circulating copies of U of M master's theses from 1997 to date will be located in Wilson Library (see below), except for the same exceptions for Health Science  and St. Paul theses. There is also an exception to the exception: MHA (Masters in Health Administration) theses through 1998 are in the Health Science Library, but those from 1999 on are in Wilson Library.

Archival copies (non-circulating)

Archival (non-circulating) copies of virtually all U of M doctoral dissertations from 1888-1952, and of U of M master's theses from all years up to the present, are maintained by University Archives (located in the Elmer L. Andersen Library). These copies must be consulted on the premises, and it is highly recommended for the present that users make an appointment in advance to ensure that the desired works can be retrieved for them from storage. For dissertations accepted prior to 1940 and for master's theses accepted prior to 1925, University Archives is generally the only option (e.g., there usually will be no circulating copy). Archival copies of U of M doctoral dissertations from 1953 to the present are maintained by Bell and Howell Corporation (formerly University Microfilms Inc.), which produces print or filmed copies from our originals upon request. (There are a very few post-1952 U of M dissertations not available from Bell and Howell; these include such things as music manuscripts and works with color illustrations or extremely large pages that will not photocopy well; in these few cases, our archival copy is retained in University Archives.)

Where is a specific dissertation of thesis located?

To locate a specific dissertation or thesis it is necessary to have its call number. Use Libraries Search for the author or title of the item, just as you would for any other book. Depending on date of acceptance and cataloging, a typical call number for such materials should look something like one of the following:

Dissertations: Plan"A" Theses MnU-D or 378.7M66 MnU-M or 378.7M66 78-342 ODR7617 83-67 OL6156 Libraries Search will also tell the library location (MLAC, Health Science Library, Magrath or another St. Paul campus library, Science and Engineering, Business Reference, Wilson Annex or Wilson Library). Those doctoral dissertations still in Wilson Library (which in all cases should be 1980 or later and will have "MnU-D" numbers) are located in the central section of the third floor. Those master's theses in Wilson (which in all cases will be 1997 or later and will have "MnU-M" numbers) are also located in the central section of the third floor. Both dissertations and theses circulate and can be checked out, like any other books, at the Wilson Circulation desk on the first floor.

How can dissertations and theses accepted by a specific department be located?

Wilson Library contains a series of bound and loose-leaf notebooks, arranged by department and within each department by date, listing dissertations and theses. Information given for each entry includes name of author, title, and date (but not call number, which must be looked up individually). These notebooks are no longer current, but they do cover listings by department from the nineteenth century up to approximately 1992. Many pre-1940 U of M dissertations and pre-1925 U of M master's theses are not cataloged (and exist only as archival copies). Such dissertations can be identified only with these volumes. The books and notebooks are shelved in the general collection under these call numbers: Wilson Ref LD3337 .A5 and Wilson Ref quarto LD3337 .U9x. Major departments of individual degree candidates are also listed under their names in the GRADUATE SCHOOL COMMENCEMENT programs of the U of M, available in University Archives and (for recent years) also in Wilson stacks (LD3361 .U55x).

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This page provides links to databases and websites to find dissertations. This includes links to general databases to find dissertations, databases focused on the humanities, foreign dissertations, dissertations on religion, and dissertations hosted by other universities.

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Open Access Theses and Dissertations

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About OATD.org

OATD.org aims to be the best possible resource for finding open access graduate theses and dissertations published around the world. Metadata (information about the theses) comes from over 1100 colleges, universities, and research institutions . OATD currently indexes 7,210,812 theses and dissertations.

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You may also want to consult these sites to search for other theses:

  • Google Scholar
  • NDLTD , the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations. NDLTD provides information and a search engine for electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs), whether they are open access or not.
  • Proquest Theses and Dissertations (PQDT), a database of dissertations and theses, whether they were published electronically or in print, and mostly available for purchase. Access to PQDT may be limited; consult your local library for access information.
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How to search for Harvard dissertations

  • DASH , Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard, is the university's central, open-access repository for the scholarly output of faculty and the broader research community at Harvard.  Most Ph.D. dissertations submitted from  March 2012 forward  are available online in DASH.
  • Check HOLLIS, the Library Catalog, and refine your results by using the   Advanced Search   and limiting Resource  Type   to Dissertations
  • Search the database  ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global Don't hesitate to  Ask a Librarian  for assistance.

How to search for Non-Harvard dissertations

Library Database:

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  • Many  universities  provide full-text access to their dissertations via a digital repository.  If you know the title of a particular dissertation or thesis, try doing a Google search.  

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Have you ever wondered which dissertations and theses are accessed most by researchers?

ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global™ database is the world's most comprehensive curated collection of multi-disciplinary dissertations and theses from thousands of universities around the world.  Each month ProQuest posts the top 25 Most-Accessed Dissertations and Theses across all subjects, based upon total document views. Check out the current list of top titles (where a number is listed more than once, this indicates a tie in usage). View the Archives to see lists from previous months.

Dissertations    Theses

Dissertations - July 2024

Mentor and candidate attributes that promote doctoral persistence and postgraduation scholarship in limited residency and online doctoral programs.

Spaulding, Maria T., Regent University, 2019, Ph.D. Subject: Higher education

Content Analysis of the Theory Base Used in the Conference Proceedings of the Association of Educational Communications and Technologies

Flynt, Peggy R., Nova Southeastern University, 2014, Ed.D. Subject: Education

Administrator and teacher perceptions of the qualities of effective teachers

Williams, Robert Eugene, The College of William and Mary, 2010, Ph.D. Subject: Educational leadership

Identifying as Husbands, Fathers, and School Leaders: A Phenomenology of Doctoral Persistence Among Limited Residency Students

Patterson, John, Liberty University, 2017, Ed.D. Subject: Educational leadership

Servant leadership: A theoretical model

Patterson, Kathleen Ann, Regent University, 2003, Ph.D. Subject: Management

Cultural and religious factors in the acceptance or resistance to mental health treatment in three subgroups of the Orthodox community

Bronstein, Morris, Union Institute and University, 2007, Ph.D. Subject: Clinical psychology

Hypothalamic regulation in relation to maladaptive, obsessive-compulsive, affiliative, and satiety behaviors in Prader-Willi syndrome

Bialik, Mayim Chaya, University of California, Los Angeles, 2007, Ph.D. Subject: Neurosciences

Evaluating organizational effectiveness

Martz, Wesley A., Western Michigan University, 2008, Ph.D. Subject: Organizational behavior

Music in medieval and Renaissance astrological imagery

Blazekovic, Zdravko, City University of New York, 1997, Ph.D. Subject: Music

Pragmatic aspect of the Brhat Sam&acute;hita of Varahamihira

Shukla, Dipak Dayasankar, Sardar Patel University (India), 1998, Ph.D. Subject: South Asian studies

Social Media and Self-Evaluation: The Examination of Social Media Use on Identity, Social Comparison, and Self-Esteem in Young Female Adults

Solomon, Michelle, William James College, 2016, Psy.D. Subject: Clinical psychology

Elementary school counselors' perceptions of the implementation of reality play therapy in student relationship building and problem-solving skills

Davis, Eric, University of Florida, 2010, Ph.D. Subject: School counseling

A study of the use of a social media learning tool in a face-to-face college biology class

Grasso, SandraJean M., Boston University, 2015, Ed.D. Subject: Educational technology

El lider educativo: Caracteristicas y practicas para desarrollar comunidades de aprendizaje

Ruiz Ramos, Luz E., University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras (Puerto Rico), 2010, Ed.D. Subject: Educational leadership

Childhood Trauma, BDSM, and Self-Esteem: An Exploration of the Impact of Childhood Trauma on Sexual Behavior and the Effects to Self-Esteem

Polepally Ashok, Gautami, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, 2018, Psy.D. Subject: Clinical psychology

Nothing Left Unfinished: A Transcendental Phenomenology on the Persistence of Black Women in Distance Education Doctoral Programs

Rogers, Sherrita Yolande, Liberty University, 2018, Ed.D. Subject: Higher education

Student retention at the community college: Meeting students' needs

Jacobs-Biden, Jill, University of Delaware, 2007, Ed.D. Subject: Community college education

Professional accountability: Intellectual curiosity, self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and subjective norms of novice nurses and advanced beginner nurses

Burns, Colleen, Widener University, 2016, Ph.D. Subject: Nursing

Healing America's health care education system: An early intervention program for future health care workers

Marfuggi, Richard Anthony, Drew University, 2003, D.M.H. Subject: Health Sciences, Education

Men's discipleship using the Gospel of John and the effect on spiritual well-being

Warren, Linda D., Nyack College, Alliance Theological Seminary, 2015, D.Min. Subject: Theology

Healing trauma in the psyche-soma: Somatic experiencing(RTM) in psychodynamic psychotherapy

Hays, Johanna T., Pacifica Graduate Institute, 2014, Psy.D. Subject: Clinical psychology

AN ANALYSIS OF CONDITIONS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF AN EDUCATIONAL REFORM PROGRAM: THE EXEMPLARY SCHOOLS PROJECT (1960-1969) (PUERTO RICO, PUBLIC ORGANIZATIONS, PLANNING, CHANGE, INNOVATIONS)

FELICIANO-VALERA, JUAN GUILLERMO, Harvard University, 1985, Educat.D. Subject: Education

A comparative analysis of leadership development models in post-baccalaureate theological education

Kiedis, Thomas Lee, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2009, Ph.D. Subject: Educational leadership

Improving decision making in healthcare operations

Dean, Matthew D., University of Connecticut, 2010, Ph.D. Subject: Management

Attractional Church: The Impact of the Inner Life of a Local Church on Corporate Mission in North America

Sliger, Joseph Matthew, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2017, Ph.D. Subject: Theology

THE TEAROOM TRADE: IMPERSONAL SEX IN PUBLIC PLACES

HUMPHREYS, ROBERT ALLAN LAUD, Washington University in St. Louis, 1968, Ph.D. Subject: Individual & family studies

Factors Influencing Customer Satisfaction at a Fast Food Hamburger Chain: The Relationship Between Customer Satisfaction and Customer Loyalty

Kabir, Jahangir M., Wilmington University (Delaware), 2016, D.B.A. Subject: Business administration

Estudio de caso de las concepciones de estudiantes universitarios sobre mutacion, seleccion natural y adaptacion

Marrero-Delgado, Glory Ann, University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras (Puerto Rico), 2017, Ed.D. Subject: Curriculum development

Bibliotherapy: An examination of school counselors' attitudes and use

Townsend, Karen S. Moore, The University of Alabama, 2009, Ph.D. Subject: School counseling

A Tale of Two Schools: Principal Practices That Support the Achievement of Low-Income Students in Demographically Diverse Schools

Brown, Goldy, III, The University of Wisconsin - Madison, 2012, Ph.D. Subject: Educational administration

INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES IN EMPATHY: A MULTIDIMENSIONAL APPROACH.

DAVIS, MARK HOLDEN, The University of Texas at Austin, 1979, Ph.D. Subject: Social psychology

Mental Health Outcomes for Adult Children of Narcissistic Parents

Leggio, John Nicholas, Adler University, 2018, Psy.D. Subject: Clinical psychology

On Developing a Deeper Understanding of Authentic Leadership: Interpreting Matthew 3:11 - 5:48 Using Intertexture Analysis and Social and Cultural Texture Analysis

Kalaluhi, Stephen L., Regent University, 2015, Ph.D. Subject: Organizational behavior

College student suicide: Prevention and intervention

Christensen, Annie Nebeker, The University of Utah, 2010, Ph.D. Subject: Social work

Congressional oversight of intelligence: 9/11 and the Iraq war

McCarthy, Gregory C., The Catholic University of America, 2009, Ph.D. Subject: Political science

One-party dominant systems and constitutional democracy in africa: a comparative study of nigeria and south africa

Oseni, Babatunde Adetayo, University of Exeter (United Kingdom), 2012, Ph.D. Subject: Political science

Anxiety and Test Anxiety: General and Test Anxiety Among College Students with Learning Disabilities

Custodero, Jeri Lyn, University of California, Santa Barbara, 2013, Ph.D. Subject: Special education

Financial statement analysis, growth expectations, and equity valuation

Li, Siyi, Columbia University, 2003, Ph.D. Subject: Accounting

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Quick Links

  • ProQuest Dissertations & Theses This link opens in a new window Subscription database. Single access point for North American dissertations and theses with significant and growing international coverage. & more less... Includes citations for materials from the first U.S. dissertation (1861) to those accepted as recently as last semester. Starting in 1997 full-text is often available. If full-text is not available information about ordering the document is provided.
  • PQDT Open Open access dissertations from the ProQuest database. ( North America .)
  • CRL Guide to Dissertations Center for Research Libraries guide to foreign dissertations.
  • EThOS This link opens in a new window & more less... EThOS is the UK’s national thesis service which aims to maximise the visibility and availability of the UK’s doctoral research theses. Register for free to download theses and dissertations.
  • Database of African Theses and Dissertations (DATAD) Contains brief citations for theses and dissertations completed in African universities.
  • Biblioteca Digital de Teses e Dissertações (BDTD) IBICT ETD initiative for Brazilian theses and dissertations.
  • Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (NDLTD) This link opens in a new window & more less... International organization for ETDs.
  • Theses Canada Portal Central access point for Canadian theses. See ProQuest database also.
  • SUDOC: Système Universitaire de Documentation This link opens in a new window Union catalog for over 3000 French universities & more less... The combined catalogs of French academic libraries. See also the Bibliothèque Nationale de France .
  • Digitaler Dissertationen in Deutschland This link opens in a new window A gateway to online dissertation sites of many German universities. & more less... A gateway to online dissertation sites of many German universities.
  • Tesionline This link opens in a new window Italian service from the Corriere della sera. & more less... Provides bibliographic and full text access to over 8,000 Italian theses and dissertations, from the bachelors level to doctoral dissertations.
  • DART-Europe This link opens in a new window Portal for European ETDs. & more less... Portal for European Electronic Theses and Dissertations.
  • Base de datos de tesis doctorales (TESEO) Covers theses completed at Spanish universities.
  • Theses en ligne This link opens in a new window & more less... Llimited in content, but provides access to the full text of some French dissertations.

Obtaining Dissertations the Library Does Not Hold

Current University of Chicago faculty, students, and staff may borrow dissertations and theses by placing an interlibrary loan request .

Dissertations from U.S. or Canadian Institutions

ProQuest Dissertations and Theses contains records for most North American doctoral dissertations. To locate dissertations of interest, search by keyword.  Select More Search Options or use the Advanced search interface to search for terms in specific fields (Author, School, etc.).  Note that some fields (Abstract, Advisor, Committee Member, Department) will not work for dissertations produced before a certain date.  Most titles submitted since 1997 are available online.

The Theses Canada Portal provides additional information about Canadian theses.

Dissertations from Academic Institutions Outside the U.S.

Dissertations and theses from institutions outside the United States and Canada can sometimes be challenging to obtain. The Center for Research Libraries has a large collection of foreign dissertations. We borrow material from them, and in many cases interlibrary loan staff will ask CRL to acquire material they do not hold. See the CRL guide to dissertations for additional information.

Other Sources for Identifying Dissertations

While ProQuest Dissertations & Theses and the CRL Guide to Dissertations are good starting points, many of the Library's subscription databases contain records for dissertations. Along with the records for books and other material, WorldCat contains records for dissertations or theses held by member libraries. Most of the major subject-specific indexes (such as PsycINFO, SciFinder Scholar, or Sociological Abstracts) will also include citations for dissertations. Some of the Library's research guides mention additional sources.

The Library also has some print sources and bibliographies which you may use to locate dissertations. Locate these sources by searching the Library Catalog using the subject term Dissertations, Academic in either the subject keyword search or the Begins with subject search option. If you are looking for dissertations from a specific country, you can add the country into your search terms (i.e. Dissertations, Academic -- Mexico ).

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For Harvard theses, dissertations, and prize winning essays, see our How can I find a Harvard thesis or dissertation ? FAQ entry.

Beyond Harvard, ProQuest  Dissertations and Theses G lobal database (this link requires HarvardKey login) i s a good place to start:

  • lists dissertations and theses from most North American graduate schools (including Harvard) and many from universities in Great Britain and Ireland, 1716-present
  •  You can get full text from Proquest Dissertations and Theses through your own institutional library or you can often purchase directly from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Express.  

Other sources:

Databases beyond ProQuest Dissertations & Theses:

Some out of copyright works (pre-1924) are available via large digital libraries. Search online for the title.

Networked Digital Library of Electronic Theses and Dissertations ' Global Search scans participating international libraries

The Center for Research Libraries ' Dissertations database includes many non-US theses.

WorldCat  describes many masters' & PhD theses. Use "Advanced Search" and limit to subtype "thesis/dissertation." No full text; it just tells you what libraries have reported having copies.

There are several excellent guides out there with international search recommendations like  University College London's Institute of Education Theses and Dissertations LibGuide .

Institutions:

At the institution where the work originated or the national library of the country (if outside the US):

Online institutional repositories (like Harvard's DASH ): If the work was produced after the  school's repository was established, it may well be found here in full text. 

Libraries: Check the library catalog. There's often a reproductions service ($) for material that hasn't been digitized, but each school has its own policies. Most schools have some kind of "ask a librarian" service where you can ask what to do next.

At your own institution (where applicable) or public library: While many institutions will not lend theses and dissertations or send copies through Interlibrary loan, your Interlibrary Loan department may be able to help you acquire or pay for reproductions. 

  • Current Harvard faculty, staff and students: Once you identify a reproduction source you can place a request with Harvard Library ILL  (in the notes field, ask for help with funding).

For Harvard theses and dissertations, see " How can I find a Harvard thesis or dissertation? "

If you're having trouble locating or acquiring a copy of/access to a dissertation, try " Why can't I find this thesis or dissertation?" 

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Dissertation Repositories, Open Access

How to find dissertations, open access repositories, selected university affiliated, open access repositories.

Use the websites listed below to find freely accessible (open access) dissertations from the United States and other countries.  While all repositories listed here include doctoral dissertations, Master's theses may be available in some cases as well.

Regis College maintains print copies of Regis student theses and dissertations in the Regis Library.  They are not digitized although individual students may have submitted their dissertation to a digital repository.

  • American Doctoral Dissertations (EBSCO) A free resource, hosted by EBSCO, this database includes more than 172,000 theses and dissertations in total from 1902 to the present.
  • British Library: EThOS, E-theses Online Service EThOS is the UK’s national thesis service. EThOS aims to hold a record for all doctoral theses awarded by all UK universities (institutions). Also available when using Regis Library discovery tool, PowerSearch.
  • Digital Commons Network Free, full-text scholarly articles from hundreds of universities and colleges worldwide. Curated by university librarians and their supporting institutions, the Network includes a growing collection of peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, dissertations, working papers, conference proceedings, and other original scholarly work.
  • Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (NDLTD) The Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (NDLTD) is an international organization dedicated to promoting the adoption, creation, use, dissemination, and preservation of electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs). We support electronic publishing and open access to scholarship in order to enhance the sharing of knowledge worldwide.
  • Open Access Theses and Dissertations OATD.org aims to be the best possible resource for finding open access graduate theses and dissertations published around the world. Metadata (information about the theses) comes from over 1100 colleges, universities, and research institutions. OATD currently indexes 4,264,663 theses and dissertations.
  • PQDT Open PQDT Open provides the full text of open access dissertations and theses free of charge. The authors of these dissertations and theses have opted to publish as open access.
  • Theses Canada Theses Canada is a collaborative program between Library and Archives Canada (LAC) and nearly 70 universities accredited by Universities Canada. It strives to: acquire and preserve theses and dissertations from participating universities; provide free access to Canadian electronic theses and dissertations in the collection.

These digital repositories maintained by various universities enable public access to theses and dissertations.  These are just a select sample; there are many other repositories associated with universities.

  • Duke University: Duke Space, Theses and Dissertations
  • Harvard University: Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard (DASH) Also available when using Regis Library discovery tool, PowerSearch.
  • Johns Hopkins University: DSpace Repository
  • Northeastern University: Digital Reposity Service: Theses and Dissertations
  • University of Washington: ResearchWorks
  • Walden University Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
  • Last Updated: Jul 12, 2023 8:18 AM
  • URL: https://libguides.regiscollege.edu/open_access_dissertations

Help

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Physical & Digital Collections

Theses & dissertations: home, access to theses and dissertations from other institutions and from the university of cambridge.

theses

This guide provides information on searching for theses of Cambridge PhDs and for theses of UK universities and universities abroad. 

For information and guidance on depositing your thesis as a cambridge phd, visit the cambridge office of scholarly communication pages on theses here ., this guide gives essential information on how to obtain theses using the british library's ethos service. .

On the last weekend of October, the British Library became the victim of a major cyber-attack. Essential digital services including the BL catalogue, website and online learning resources went dark, with research services like the EThOS collection of more than 600,000 doctoral theses suddenly unavailable. The BL state that they anticipate restoring more services in the next few weeks, but disruption to certain services is now expected to persist for several months. For the latest news on the attack and information on the restoration of services, please follow the BL blog here:  Knowledge Matters blog  and access the LibGuide page here:  British Library Outage Update - Electronic Legal Deposit - LibGuides at University of Cambridge Subject Libraries

A full list of resources for searching theses online is provided by the Cambridge A-Z, available here .

University of Cambridge theses

Finding a cambridge phd thesis online via the institutional repository.

The University's institutional repository, Apollo , holds full-text digital versions of over 11,000 Cambridge PhD theses and is a rapidly growing collection deposited by Cambridge Ph.D. graduates. Theses in Apollo can be browsed via this link . More information on how to access theses by University of Cambridge students can be found on the access to Cambridge theses webpage.   The requirement for impending PhD graduates to deposit a digital version in order to graduate means the repository will be increasing at a rate of approximately 1,000 per year from this source.   About 200 theses are added annually through requests to make theses Open Access or via requests to digitize a thesis in printed format.

Locating and obtaining a copy of a Cambridge PhD thesis (not yet available via the repository)

Theses can be searched in iDiscover .  Guidance on searching for theses in iDiscover can be found here .   Requests for consultation of printed theses, not available online, should be made at the Manuscripts Reading Room (Email:  [email protected] Telephone: +44 (0)1223 333143).   Further information on the University Library's theses, dissertations and prize essays collections can be consulted at this link .

Researchers can order a copy of an unpublished thesis which was deposited in print form either through the Library’s  Digital Content Unit via the image request form , or, if the thesis has been digitised, it may be available in the Apollo repository. Copies of theses may be provided to researchers in accordance with the  law  and in a manner that is common across UK libraries.  The law allows us to provide whole copies of unpublished theses to individuals as long as they sign a declaration saying that it is for non-commercial research or private study.

How to make your thesis available online through Cambridge's institutional repository

Are you a Cambridge alumni and wish to make your Ph.D. thesis available online? You can do this by depositing it in Apollo the University's institutional repository. Click here for further information on how to proceed.    Current Ph.D students at the University of Cambridge can find further information about the requirements to deposit theses on the Office of Scholarly Communication theses webpages.

how to find the dissertation

UK Theses and Dissertations

Electronic copies of Ph.D. theses submitted at over 100 UK universities are obtainable from EThOS , a service set up to provide access to all theses from participating institutions. It achieves this by harvesting e-theses from Institutional Repositories and by digitising print theses as they are ordered by researchers using the system. Over 250,000 theses are already available in this way. Please note that it does not supply theses submitted at the universities of Cambridge or Oxford although they are listed on EThOS.

Registration with EThOS is not required to search for a thesis but is necessary to download or order one unless it is stored in the university repository rather than the British Library (in which case a link to the repository will be displayed). Many theses are available without charge on an Open Access basis but in all other cases, if you are requesting a thesis that has not yet been digitised you will be asked to meet the cost. Once a thesis has been digitised it is available for free download thereafter.

When you order a thesis it will either be immediately available for download or writing to hard copy or it will need to be digitised. If you order a thesis for digitisation, the system will manage the process and you will be informed when the thesis is available for download/preparation to hard copy.

how to find the dissertation

See the Search results section of the  help page for full information on interpreting search results in EThOS.

EThOS is managed by the British Library and can be found at http://ethos.bl.uk . For more information see About EThOS .

World-wide (incl. UK) theses and dissertations

Electronic versions of non-UK theses may be available from the institution at which they were submitted, sometimes on an open access basis from the institutional repository. A good starting point for discovering freely available electronic theses and dissertations beyond the UK is the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (NDLTD) , which facilitates searching across institutions. Information can also usually be found on the library web pages of the relevant institution.

The DART Europe etheses portal lists several thousand full-text theses from a group of European universities.

The University Library subscribes to the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses  (PQDT) database which from August 31 2023 is accessed on the Web of Science platform.  To search this index select it from the Web of Science "Search in" drop-down list of databases (available on the Documents tab on WoS home page)

PQDT includes 2.4 million dissertation and theses citations, representing 700 leading academic institutions worldwide from 1861 to the present day. The database offers full text for most of the dissertations added since 1997 and strong retrospective full text coverage for older graduate works. Each dissertation published since July 1980 includes a 350-word abstract written by the author. Master's theses published since 1988 include 150-word abstracts.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The University Library only subscribes to the abstracting & indexing version of the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database and NOT the full text version.  A fee is payable for ordering a dissertation from this source.   To obtain the full text of a dissertation as a downloadable PDF you can submit your request via the University Library Inter-Library Loans department (see contact details below). NB this service is only available to full and current members of the University of Cambridge.

Alternatively you can pay yourself for the dissertation PDF on the PQDT platform. Link from Web of Science record display of any thesis to PQDT by clicking on "View Details on ProQuest".  On the "Preview" page you will see an option "Order a copy" top right.  This will allow you to order your own copy from ProQuest directly.

Dissertations and theses submitted at non-UK universities may also be requested on Inter-Library Loan through the Inter-Library Loans department (01223 333039 or 333080, [email protected] )

  • Last Updated: Dec 20, 2023 9:47 AM
  • URL: https://libguides.cam.ac.uk/theses

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  • Knowledge Base
  • Dissertation

What Is a Dissertation? | Guide, Examples, & Template

Structure of a Dissertation

A dissertation is a long-form piece of academic writing based on original research conducted by you. It is usually submitted as the final step in order to finish a PhD program.

Your dissertation is probably the longest piece of writing you’ve ever completed. It requires solid research, writing, and analysis skills, and it can be intimidating to know where to begin.

Your department likely has guidelines related to how your dissertation should be structured. When in doubt, consult with your supervisor.

You can also download our full dissertation template in the format of your choice below. The template includes a ready-made table of contents with notes on what to include in each chapter, easily adaptable to your department’s requirements.

Download Word template Download Google Docs template

  • In the US, a dissertation generally refers to the collection of research you conducted to obtain a PhD.
  • In other countries (such as the UK), a dissertation often refers to the research you conduct to obtain your bachelor’s or master’s degree.

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Table of contents

Dissertation committee and prospectus process, how to write and structure a dissertation, acknowledgements or preface, list of figures and tables, list of abbreviations, introduction, literature review, methodology, reference list, proofreading and editing, defending your dissertation, free checklist and lecture slides.

When you’ve finished your coursework, as well as any comprehensive exams or other requirements, you advance to “ABD” (All But Dissertation) status. This means you’ve completed everything except your dissertation.

Prior to starting to write, you must form your committee and write your prospectus or proposal . Your committee comprises your adviser and a few other faculty members. They can be from your own department, or, if your work is more interdisciplinary, from other departments. Your committee will guide you through the dissertation process, and ultimately decide whether you pass your dissertation defense and receive your PhD.

Your prospectus is a formal document presented to your committee, usually orally in a defense, outlining your research aims and objectives and showing why your topic is relevant . After passing your prospectus defense, you’re ready to start your research and writing.

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how to find the dissertation

The structure of your dissertation depends on a variety of factors, such as your discipline, topic, and approach. Dissertations in the humanities are often structured more like a long essay , building an overall argument to support a central thesis , with chapters organized around different themes or case studies.

However, hard science and social science dissertations typically include a review of existing works, a methodology section, an analysis of your original research, and a presentation of your results , presented in different chapters.

Dissertation examples

We’ve compiled a list of dissertation examples to help you get started.

  • Example dissertation #1: Heat, Wildfire and Energy Demand: An Examination of Residential Buildings and Community Equity (a dissertation by C. A. Antonopoulos about the impact of extreme heat and wildfire on residential buildings and occupant exposure risks).
  • Example dissertation #2: Exploring Income Volatility and Financial Health Among Middle-Income Households (a dissertation by M. Addo about income volatility and declining economic security among middle-income households).
  • Example dissertation #3: The Use of Mindfulness Meditation to Increase the Efficacy of Mirror Visual Feedback for Reducing Phantom Limb Pain in Amputees (a dissertation by N. S. Mills about the effect of mindfulness-based interventions on the relationship between mirror visual feedback and the pain level in amputees with phantom limb pain).

The very first page of your document contains your dissertation title, your name, department, institution, degree program, and submission date. Sometimes it also includes your student number, your supervisor’s name, and the university’s logo.

Read more about title pages

The acknowledgements section is usually optional and gives space for you to thank everyone who helped you in writing your dissertation. This might include your supervisors, participants in your research, and friends or family who supported you. In some cases, your acknowledgements are part of a preface.

Read more about acknowledgements Read more about prefaces

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The abstract is a short summary of your dissertation, usually about 150 to 300 words long. Though this may seem very short, it’s one of the most important parts of your dissertation, because it introduces your work to your audience.

Your abstract should:

  • State your main topic and the aims of your research
  • Describe your methods
  • Summarize your main results
  • State your conclusions

Read more about abstracts

The table of contents lists all of your chapters, along with corresponding subheadings and page numbers. This gives your reader an overview of your structure and helps them easily navigate your document.

Remember to include all main parts of your dissertation in your table of contents, even the appendices. It’s easy to generate a table automatically in Word if you used heading styles. Generally speaking, you only include level 2 and level 3 headings, not every subheading you included in your finished work.

Read more about tables of contents

While not usually mandatory, it’s nice to include a list of figures and tables to help guide your reader if you have used a lot of these in your dissertation. It’s easy to generate one of these in Word using the Insert Caption feature.

Read more about lists of figures and tables

Similarly, if you have used a lot of abbreviations (especially industry-specific ones) in your dissertation, you can include them in an alphabetized list of abbreviations so that the reader can easily look up their meanings.

Read more about lists of abbreviations

In addition to the list of abbreviations, if you find yourself using a lot of highly specialized terms that you worry will not be familiar to your reader, consider including a glossary. Here, alphabetize the terms and include a brief description or definition.

Read more about glossaries

The introduction serves to set up your dissertation’s topic, purpose, and relevance. It tells the reader what to expect in the rest of your dissertation. The introduction should:

  • Establish your research topic , giving the background information needed to contextualize your work
  • Narrow down the focus and define the scope of your research
  • Discuss the state of existing research on the topic, showing your work’s relevance to a broader problem or debate
  • Clearly state your research questions and objectives
  • Outline the flow of the rest of your work

Everything in the introduction should be clear, engaging, and relevant. By the end, the reader should understand the what, why, and how of your research.

Read more about introductions

A formative part of your research is your literature review . This helps you gain a thorough understanding of the academic work that already exists on your topic.

Literature reviews encompass:

  • Finding relevant sources (e.g., books and journal articles)
  • Assessing the credibility of your sources
  • Critically analyzing and evaluating each source
  • Drawing connections between them (e.g., themes, patterns, conflicts, or gaps) to strengthen your overall point

A literature review is not merely a summary of existing sources. Your literature review should have a coherent structure and argument that leads to a clear justification for your own research. It may aim to:

  • Address a gap in the literature or build on existing knowledge
  • Take a new theoretical or methodological approach to your topic
  • Propose a solution to an unresolved problem or advance one side of a theoretical debate

Read more about literature reviews

Theoretical framework

Your literature review can often form the basis for your theoretical framework. Here, you define and analyze the key theories, concepts, and models that frame your research.

Read more about theoretical frameworks

Your methodology chapter describes how you conducted your research, allowing your reader to critically assess its credibility. Your methodology section should accurately report what you did, as well as convince your reader that this was the best way to answer your research question.

A methodology section should generally include:

  • The overall research approach ( quantitative vs. qualitative ) and research methods (e.g., a longitudinal study )
  • Your data collection methods (e.g., interviews or a controlled experiment )
  • Details of where, when, and with whom the research took place
  • Any tools and materials you used (e.g., computer programs, lab equipment)
  • Your data analysis methods (e.g., statistical analysis , discourse analysis )
  • An evaluation or justification of your methods

Read more about methodology sections

Your results section should highlight what your methodology discovered. You can structure this section around sub-questions, hypotheses , or themes, but avoid including any subjective or speculative interpretation here.

Your results section should:

  • Concisely state each relevant result together with relevant descriptive statistics (e.g., mean , standard deviation ) and inferential statistics (e.g., test statistics , p values )
  • Briefly state how the result relates to the question or whether the hypothesis was supported
  • Report all results that are relevant to your research questions , including any that did not meet your expectations.

Additional data (including raw numbers, full questionnaires, or interview transcripts) can be included as an appendix. You can include tables and figures, but only if they help the reader better understand your results. Read more about results sections

Your discussion section is your opportunity to explore the meaning and implications of your results in relation to your research question. Here, interpret your results in detail, discussing whether they met your expectations and how well they fit with the framework that you built in earlier chapters. Refer back to relevant source material to show how your results fit within existing research in your field.

Some guiding questions include:

  • What do your results mean?
  • Why do your results matter?
  • What limitations do the results have?

If any of the results were unexpected, offer explanations for why this might be. It’s a good idea to consider alternative interpretations of your data.

Read more about discussion sections

Your dissertation’s conclusion should concisely answer your main research question, leaving your reader with a clear understanding of your central argument and emphasizing what your research has contributed to the field.

In some disciplines, the conclusion is just a short section preceding the discussion section, but in other contexts, it is the final chapter of your work. Here, you wrap up your dissertation with a final reflection on what you found, with recommendations for future research and concluding remarks.

It’s important to leave the reader with a clear impression of why your research matters. What have you added to what was already known? Why is your research necessary for the future of your field?

Read more about conclusions

It is crucial to include a reference list or list of works cited with the full details of all the sources that you used, in order to avoid plagiarism. Be sure to choose one citation style and follow it consistently throughout your dissertation. Each style has strict and specific formatting requirements.

Common styles include MLA , Chicago , and APA , but which style you use is often set by your department or your field.

Create APA citations Create MLA citations

Your dissertation should contain only essential information that directly contributes to answering your research question. Documents such as interview transcripts or survey questions can be added as appendices, rather than adding them to the main body.

Read more about appendices

Making sure that all of your sections are in the right place is only the first step to a well-written dissertation. Don’t forget to leave plenty of time for editing and proofreading, as grammar mistakes and sloppy spelling errors can really negatively impact your work.

Dissertations can take up to five years to write, so you will definitely want to make sure that everything is perfect before submitting. You may want to consider using a professional dissertation editing service , AI proofreader or grammar checker to make sure your final project is perfect prior to submitting.

After your written dissertation is approved, your committee will schedule a defense. Similarly to defending your prospectus, dissertation defenses are oral presentations of your work. You’ll present your dissertation, and your committee will ask you questions. Many departments allow family members, friends, and other people who are interested to join as well.

After your defense, your committee will meet, and then inform you whether you have passed. Keep in mind that defenses are usually just a formality; most committees will have resolved any serious issues with your work with you far prior to your defense, giving you ample time to fix any problems.

As you write your dissertation, you can use this simple checklist to make sure you’ve included all the essentials.

Checklist: Dissertation

My title page includes all information required by my university.

I have included acknowledgements thanking those who helped me.

My abstract provides a concise summary of the dissertation, giving the reader a clear idea of my key results or arguments.

I have created a table of contents to help the reader navigate my dissertation. It includes all chapter titles, but excludes the title page, acknowledgements, and abstract.

My introduction leads into my topic in an engaging way and shows the relevance of my research.

My introduction clearly defines the focus of my research, stating my research questions and research objectives .

My introduction includes an overview of the dissertation’s structure (reading guide).

I have conducted a literature review in which I (1) critically engage with sources, evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of existing research, (2) discuss patterns, themes, and debates in the literature, and (3) address a gap or show how my research contributes to existing research.

I have clearly outlined the theoretical framework of my research, explaining the theories and models that support my approach.

I have thoroughly described my methodology , explaining how I collected data and analyzed data.

I have concisely and objectively reported all relevant results .

I have (1) evaluated and interpreted the meaning of the results and (2) acknowledged any important limitations of the results in my discussion .

I have clearly stated the answer to my main research question in the conclusion .

I have clearly explained the implications of my conclusion, emphasizing what new insight my research has contributed.

I have provided relevant recommendations for further research or practice.

If relevant, I have included appendices with supplemental information.

I have included an in-text citation every time I use words, ideas, or information from a source.

I have listed every source in a reference list at the end of my dissertation.

I have consistently followed the rules of my chosen citation style .

I have followed all formatting guidelines provided by my university.

Congratulations!

The end is in sight—your dissertation is nearly ready to submit! Make sure it's perfectly polished with the help of a Scribbr editor.

If you’re an educator, feel free to download and adapt these slides to teach your students about structuring a dissertation.

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/images/cornell/logo35pt_cornell_white.svg" alt="how to find the dissertation"> Cornell University --> Graduate School

Guide to writing your thesis/dissertation, definition of dissertation and thesis.

The dissertation or thesis is a scholarly treatise that substantiates a specific point of view as a result of original research that is conducted by students during their graduate study. At Cornell, the thesis is a requirement for the receipt of the M.A. and M.S. degrees and some professional master’s degrees. The dissertation is a requirement of the Ph.D. degree.

Formatting Requirement and Standards

The Graduate School sets the minimum format for your thesis or dissertation, while you, your special committee, and your advisor/chair decide upon the content and length. Grammar, punctuation, spelling, and other mechanical issues are your sole responsibility. Generally, the thesis and dissertation should conform to the standards of leading academic journals in your field. The Graduate School does not monitor the thesis or dissertation for mechanics, content, or style.

“Papers Option” Dissertation or Thesis

A “papers option” is available only to students in certain fields, which are listed on the Fields Permitting the Use of Papers Option page , or by approved petition. If you choose the papers option, your dissertation or thesis is organized as a series of relatively independent chapters or papers that you have submitted or will be submitting to journals in the field. You must be the only author or the first author of the papers to be used in the dissertation. The papers-option dissertation or thesis must meet all format and submission requirements, and a singular referencing convention must be used throughout.

ProQuest Electronic Submissions

The dissertation and thesis become permanent records of your original research, and in the case of doctoral research, the Graduate School requires publication of the dissertation and abstract in its original form. All Cornell master’s theses and doctoral dissertations require an electronic submission through ProQuest, which fills orders for paper or digital copies of the thesis and dissertation and makes a digital version available online via their subscription database, ProQuest Dissertations & Theses . For master’s theses, only the abstract is available. ProQuest provides worldwide distribution of your work from the master copy. You retain control over your dissertation and are free to grant publishing rights as you see fit. The formatting requirements contained in this guide meet all ProQuest specifications.

Copies of Dissertation and Thesis

Copies of Ph.D. dissertations and master’s theses are also uploaded in PDF format to the Cornell Library Repository, eCommons . A print copy of each master’s thesis and doctoral dissertation is submitted to Cornell University Library by ProQuest.

how to find the dissertation

How To Find A High-Quality Research Topic

6 steps to find & evaluate high-quality dissertation/thesis topics.

By: Caroline Osella (PhD, BA)  and Derek Jansen (MBA) | July 2019

So, you’re finally nearing the end of your degree and it’s now time to find a suitable topic for your dissertation or thesis. Or perhaps you’re just starting out on your PhD research proposal and need to find a suitable area of research for your application proposal.

In this post, we’ll provide a straightforward 6-step process that you can follow to ensure you arrive at a high-quality research topic . Follow these steps and you will formulate a well-suited, well-defined core research question .

There’s a helpful clue already: your research ‘topic’ is best understood as a research question or a problem . Your aim is not to create an encyclopedia entry into your field, but rather to shed light on an acknowledged issue that’s being debated (or needs to be). Think research  questions , not research  topics  (we’ll come back to this later).

Overview: How To Find A Research Topic

  • Get an understanding of the research process
  • Review previous dissertations from your university
  • Review the academic literature to start the ideation process
  • Identify your potential research questions (topics) and shortlist
  • Narrow down, then evaluate your research topic shortlist
  • Make the decision (and stick with it!)

Step 1: Understand the research process

It may sound horribly obvious, but it’s an extremely common mistake – students skip past the fundamentals straight to the ideation phase (and then pay dearly for it).

Start by looking at whatever handouts and instructions you’ve been given regarding what your university/department expects of a dissertation. For example, the course handbook, online information and verbal in-class instructions. I know it’s tempting to just dive into the ideation process, but it’s essential to start with the prescribed material first.

There are two important reasons for this:

First , you need to have a basic understanding of the research process , research methodologies , fieldwork options and analysis methods before you start the ideation process, or you will simply not be equipped to think about your own research adequately. If you don’t understand the basics of  quantitative , qualitative and mixed methods BEFORE you start ideating, you’re wasting your time.

Second , your university/department will have specific requirements for your research – for example, requirements in terms of topic originality, word count, data requirements, ethical adherence , methodology, etc. If you are not aware of these from the outset, you will again end up wasting a lot of time on irrelevant ideas/topics.

So, the most important first step is to get your head around both the basics of research (especially methodologies), as well as your institution’s specific requirements . Don’t give in to the temptation to jump ahead before you do this. As a starting point, be sure to check out our free dissertation course.

Free Webinar: How To Find A Dissertation Research Topic

Step 2: Review past dissertations/theses

Unless you’re undertaking a completely new course, there will be many, many students who have gone through the research process before and have produced successful dissertations, which you can use to orient yourself. This is hugely beneficial – imagine being able to see previous students’ assignments and essays when you were doing your coursework!

Take a look at some well-graded (65% and above) past dissertations from your course (ideally more recent ones, as university requirements may change over time). These are usually available in the university’s online library. Past dissertations will act as a helpful model for all kinds of things, from how long a bibliography needs to be, to what a good literature review looks like, through to what kinds of methods you can use – and how to leverage them to support your argument.

As you peruse past dissertations, ask yourself the following questions:

  • What kinds of topics did these dissertations cover and how did they turn the topic into questions?
  • How broad or narrow were the topics?
  • How original were the topics? Were they truly groundbreaking or just a localised twist on well-established theory?
  • How well justified were the topics? Did they seem important or just nice to know?
  • How much literature did they draw on as a theoretical base? Was the literature more academic or applied in nature?
  • What kinds of research methods did they use and what data did they draw on?
  • How did they analyse that data and bring it into the discussion of the academic literature?
  • Which of the dissertations are most readable to you – why? How were they presented?
  • Can you see why these dissertations were successful? Can you relate what they’ve done back to the university’s instructions/brief?

Dissertations stacked up

Seeing a variety of dissertations (at least 5, ideally in your area of interest) will also help you understand whether your university has very rigid expectations in terms of structure and format , or whether they expect and allow variety in the number of chapters, chapter headings, order of content, style of presentation and so on.

Some departments accept graphic novels; some are willing to grade free-flow continental-philosophy style arguments; some want a highly rigid, standardised structure.  Many offer a dissertation template , with information on how marks are split between sections. Check right away whether you have been given one of those templates – and if you do, then use it and don’t try to deviate or reinvent the wheel.

Step 3: Review the academic literature

Now that you (1) understand the research process, (2) understand your university’s specific requirements for your dissertation or thesis, and (3) have a feel for what a good dissertation looks like, you can start the ideation process. This is done by reviewing the current literature and looking for opportunities to add something original to the academic conversation.

Kick start the ideation process

So, where should you start your literature hunt? The best starting point is to get back to your modules. Look at your coursework and the assignments you did. Using your coursework is the best theoretical base, as you are assured that (1) the literature is of a high enough calibre for your university and (2) the topics are relevant to your specific course.

Start by identifying the modules that interested you the most and that you understood well (i.e. earned good marks for). What were your strongest assignments, essays or reports? Which areas within these were particularly interesting to you? For example, within a marketing module, you may have found consumer decision making or organisation trust to be interesting. Create a shortlist of those areas that you were both interested in and academically strong at. It’s no use picking an area that does not genuinely interest you – you’ll run out of motivation if you’re not excited by a topic.

Understand the current state of knowledge

Once you’ve done that, you need to get an understanding of the current state of the literature for your chosen interest areas. What you’re aiming to understand is this: what is the academic conversation here and what critical questions are yet unanswered? These unanswered questions are prime opportunities for a unique, meaningful research topic . A quick review of the literature on your favourite topics will help you understand this.

Grab your reading list from the relevant section of the modules, or simply enter the topics into Google Scholar . Skim-read 3-5 journal articles from the past 5 years which have at least 5 citations each (Google Scholar or a citations index will show you how many citations any given article has – i.e., how many other people have referred to it in their own bibliography). Also, check to see if your discipline has an ‘annual review’ type of journal, which gathers together surveys of the state of knowledge on a chosen topic. This can be a great tool for fast-tracking your understanding of the current state of the knowledge in any given area.

Start from your course’s reading list and work outwards. At the end of every journal article, you’ll find a reference list. Scan this reference list for more relevant articles and read those. Then repeat the process (known as snowballing) until you’ve built up a base of 20-30 quality articles per area of interest.

Reference list

Absorb, don’t hunt

At this stage, your objective is to read and understand the current state of the theory for your area(s) of interest – you don’t need to be in topic-hunting mode yet. Don’t jump the gun and try to identify research topics before you are well familiarised with the literature.

As you read, try to understand what kinds of questions people are asking and how they are trying to answer them. What matters do the researchers agree on, and more importantly, what are they in disagreement about? Disagreements are prime research territory. Can you identify different ‘schools of thought’ or different ‘approaches’? Do you know what your own approach or slant is? What kinds of articles appeal to you and which ones bore you or leave you feeling like you’ve not really grasped them? Which ones interest you and point towards directions you’d like to research and know more about?

Once you understand the fundamental fact that academic knowledge is a conversation, things get easier.

Think of it like a party. There are groups of people in the room, enjoying conversations about various things. Which group do you want to join?  You don’t want to be that person in the corner, talking to themself. And you don’t want to be the hanger-on, laughing at the big-shot’s jokes and repeating everything they say.

Do you want to join a large group and try to make a small contribution to what’s going on, or are you drawn to a smaller group that’s having a more niche conversation, but where you feel you might more easily find something original to contribute? How many conversations can you identify? Which ones feel closer to you and more attractive? Which ones repel you or leave you cold? Are there some that, frankly, you just don’t understand?

Now, choose a couple of groups who are discussing something you feel interested in and where you feel like you might want to contribute. You want to make your entry into this group by asking a question – a question that will make the other people in the group turn around and look at you, listen to you, and think, “That’s interesting”.

Your dissertation will be the process of setting that question and then trying to find at least a partial answer to that question – but don’t worry about that now.  Right now, you need to work out what conversations are going on, whether any of them are related or overlapping, and which ones you might be able to walk into. I’ll explain how you find that question in the next step.

Need a helping hand?

how to find the dissertation

Step 4: Identify potential research questions

Now that you have a decent understanding of the state of the literature in your area(s) of interest, it’s time to start developing your list of possible research topics. There are (at least) three approaches you can follow here, and they are not mutually exclusive:

Approach 1: Leverage the FRIN

Towards the end of most quality journal articles, you will find a section labelled “ further research ” or something similar. Generally, researchers will clearly outline where they feel further research is needed (FRIN), following on from their own research. So, essentially, every journal article presents you with a list of potential research opportunities.

Of course, only a handful of these will be both practical and of interest to you, so it’s not a quick-fix solution to finding a research topic. However, the benefit of going this route is that you will be able to find a genuinely original and meaningful research topic (which is particularly important for PhD-level research).

The upside to this approach is originality, but the downside is that you might not find something that really interests you , or that you have the means to execute. If you do go this route, make sure that you pay attention to the journal article dates, as the FRIN may already have been “solved” by other researchers if the article is old.

Use the FRIN for dissertation topics ideas

Approach 2: Put a context-based spin on an existing topic

The second option is to consider whether a theory which is already well established is relevant within a local or industry-specific context. For example, a theory about the antecedents (drivers) of trust is very well established, but there may be unique or uniquely important drivers within a specific national context or industry (for example, within the financial services industry in an emerging market).

If that industry or national context has not yet been covered by researchers and there is a good reason to believe there may be meaningful differences within that context, then you have an opportunity to take a unique angle on well-established theory, which can make for a great piece of research. It is however imperative that you have a good reason to believe that the existing theory may not be wholly relevant within your chosen context, or your research will not be justified.

The upside to this approach is that you can potentially find a topic that is “closer to home” and more relevant and interesting to you , while still being able to draw on a well-established body of theory. However, the downside is that this approach will likely not produce the level of originality as approach #1.

Approach 3: Uncensored brainstorming

The third option is to skip the FRIN, as well as the local/industry-specific angle and simply engage in a freeform brainstorming or mind-mapping session, using your newfound knowledge of the theory to formulate potential research ideas. What’s important here is that you do not censor yourself . However crazy, unfeasible, or plain stupid your topic appears – write it down. All that matters right now is that you are interested in this thing.

Next, try to turn the topic(s) into a question or problem. For example:

  • What is the relationship between X, Y & Z?
  • What are the drivers/antecedents of X?
  • What are the outcomes of Y?
  • What are the key success factors for Z?

Re-word your list of topics or issues into a list of questions .  You might find at this stage that one research topic throws up three questions (which then become sub-topics and even new separate topics in their own right) and in so doing, the list grows. Let it. Don’t hold back or try to start evaluating your ideas yet – just let them flow onto paper.

Once you’ve got a few topics and questions on paper, check the literature again to see whether any of these have been covered by the existing research. Since you came up with these from scratch, there is a possibility that your original literature search did not cover them, so it’s important to revisit that phase to ensure that you’re familiar with the relevant literature for each idea. You may also then find that approach #1 and #2 can be used to build on these ideas.

Try use all three approaches

As mentioned earlier, the three approaches discussed here are not mutually exclusive. In fact, the more, the merrier. Hopefully, you manage to utilise all three, as this will give you the best odds of producing a rich list of ideas, which you can then narrow down and evaluate, which is the next step.

Mix different approaches to find a topic

Step 5: Narrow down, then evaluate

By this stage, you should have a healthy list of research topics. Step away from the ideation and thinking for a few days, clear your mind. The key is to get some distance from your ideas, so that you can sit down with your list and review it with a more objective view. The unbridled ideation phase is over and now it’s time to take a reality check .

Look at your list and see if any options can be crossed off right away .  Maybe you don’t want to do that topic anymore. Maybe the topic turned out to be too broad and threw up 20 hard to answer questions. Maybe all the literature you found about it was 30 years old and you suspect it might not be a very engaging contemporary issue . Maybe this topic is so over-researched that you’ll struggle to find anything fresh to say. Also, after stepping back, it’s quite common to notice that 2 or 3 of your topics are really the same one, the same question, which you’ve written down in slightly different ways. You can try to amalgamate these into one succinct topic.

Narrow down to the top 5, then evaluate

Now, take your streamlined list and narrow it down to the ‘top 5’ that interest you the most. Personal interest is your key evaluation criterion at this stage. Got your ‘top 5’?  Great!  Now, with a cool head and your best analytical mind engaged, go systematically through each option and evaluate them against the following criteria:

Research questions – what is the main research question, and what are the supporting sub-questions? It’s critically important that you can define these questions clearly and concisely. If you cannot do this, it means you haven’t thought the topic through sufficiently.

Originality – is the topic sufficiently original, as per your university’s originality requirements? Are you able to add something unique to the existing conversation? As mentioned earlier, originality can come in many forms, and it doesn’t mean that you need to find a completely new, cutting-edge topic. However, your university’s requirements should guide your decision-making here.

Importance – is the topic of real significance, or is it just a “nice to know”? If it’s significant, why? Who will benefit from finding the answer to your desired questions and how will they benefit? Justifying your research will be a key requirement for your research proposal , so it’s really important to develop a convincing argument here.

Literature – is there a contemporary (current) body of academic literature around this issue? Is there enough literature for you to base your investigation on, but not too much that the topic is “overdone”? Will you be able to navigate this literature or is it overwhelming?

Data requirements – What kind of data would you need access to in order to answer your key questions?  Would you need to adopt a qualitative, quantitative or mixed-methods approach to answer your questions? At this stage, you don’t need to be able to map out your exact research design, but you should be able to articulate how you would approach it in high-level terms. Will you use qual, quant or mixed methods? Why?

Feasibility – How feasible would it be to gather the data that would be needed in the time-frame that you have – and do you have the will power and the skills to do it? If you’re not confident with the theory, you don’t want something that’s going to draw you into a debate about the relative importance of epistemology and ontology. If you are shy, you won’t want to be doing ethnographic interviews. If you feel this question calls for a 100-person survey, do you have the time to plan, organise and conduct it and then analyse it? What will you do if you don’t get the response rate you expect? Be very realistic here and also ask advice from your supervisor and other experts – poor response rates are extremely common and can derail even the best research projects.

Personal attraction – On a scale of 1-10, how excited are you about this topic? Will addressing it add value to your life and/or career? Will undertaking the project help you build a skill you’ve previously wanted to work on (for example, interview skills, statistical analysis skills, software skills, etc.)?

The last point is particularly important. You will have to engage with your dissertation in a very sustained and deep way, face challenges and difficulties, and get it to completion. If you don’t start out enthusiastic about it, you’re setting yourself up for problems like ‘writer’s block’ or ‘burnout’ down the line. This is the reason personal interest was the sole evaluation criterion when we chose the top 5. So, don’t underestimate the importance of personal attraction to a topic – at the same time, don’t let personal attraction lead you to choose a topic that is not relevant to your course or feasible given your resources. 

A strong research topic must tick all three boxes – original, relevant and feasible. If not, you're going to run into problems sooner or later.

Narrow down to 3, then get human feedback

We’re almost at the finishing line. The next step is to narrow down to 2 or 3 shortlisted topics. No more!  Write a short paragraph about each topic, addressing the following:

Firstly,  WHAT will this study be about? Frame the topic as a question or a problem. Write it as a dissertation title. No more than two clauses and no more than 15 words. Less than 15 is better (go back to good journal articles for inspiration on appropriate title styles).

Secondly, WHY this is interesting (original) and important – as proven by existing academic literature? Are people talking about this and is there an acknowledged problem, debate or gap in the literature?

Lastly,  HOW do you plan to answer the question? What sub-questions will you use? What methods does this call for and how competent and confident are you in those methods? Do you have the time to gather the data this calls for?

Show the shortlist and accompanying paragraphs to a couple of your peers from your course and also to an expert or two if at all possible (you’re welcome to reach out to us ), explaining what you will investigate, why this is original and important and how you will go about investigating it. 

Once you’ve pitched your ideas, ask for the following thoughts :

  • Which is most interesting and appealing to them?
  • Why do they feel this way?
  • What problems do they foresee with the execution of the research?

Take advice and feedback and sit on it for another day. Let it simmer in your mind overnight before you make the final decision.  

Step 6: Make the decision (and stick with it!)

Then, make the commitment. Choose the one that you feel most confident about, having now considered both your opinion and the feedback from others.

Once you’ve made a decision, don’t doubt your judgement, don’t shift.  Don’t be tempted by the ones you left behind. You’ve planned and thought things through, checked feasibility and now you can start.  You have your research topic. Trust your own decision-making process and stick with it now. It’s time to get started on your research proposal!

Let’s recap…

In this post, I’ve proposed a straightforward 6-step plan to finding relevant research topic ideas and then narrowing them down to finally choose one winner. To recap:

  • Understand the basics of academic research, as well as your university’s specific requirements for a dissertation, thesis or research project.
  • Review previous dissertations for your course to get an idea of both topics and structure.
  • Start the ideation process by familiarising yourself with the literature.
  • Identify your potential research questions (topics).
  • Narrow down your options, then evaluate systematically.
  • Make your decision (and don’t look back!)

If you follow these steps, you’ll find that they also set you up for what’s coming next – both the proposal and the first three chapters of your dissertation. But that’s for future posts!

how to find the dissertation

Psst... there’s more!

This post was based on one of our popular Research Bootcamps . If you're working on a research project, you'll definitely want to check this out ...

23 Comments

Opio Joshua

I would love to get a topic under teachers performance. I am a student of MSC Monitoring and Evaluations and I need a topic in the line of monitoring and evaluations

Kafeero Martin

I just we put for some full notes that are payable

NWUNAPAFOR ALOTA LESLIE

Thank you very much Dr Caroline

oyewale

I need a project topics on transfer of learning

Fran Mothula

m a PhD Student I would like to be assisted inn formulating a title around: Internet of Things for online education in higher education – STEM (Science, technology, engineering and Mathematics, digital divide ) Thank you, would appreciate your guidance

Akintunde Raheem

Well structured guide on the topic… Good materials for beginners in research writing…

LUGOLOOBI EDRINE

Hello Iam kindly seeking for help in formulating a researchable topic for masters degree program in line with teaching GRAPHIC ART

Jea Alys Campbell

I read a thesis about a problem in a particular. Can I use the same topic just referring to my own country? Is that being original? The interview questions will mostly be the same as the other thesis.

Saneta

Hi, thanks I managed to listen to the video so helpful indeed. I am currently an MBA student looking for a specific topic and I have different ideas that not sure they can be turned to be a study.

Letkaija Chongloi

I am doing a Master of Theology in Pastoral Care and Counselling and I felt like doing research on Spiritual problem cause by substance abuse among Youth. Can I get help to formulate the Thesis Title in line with it…please

Razaq Abiodun

Hello, I am kindly seeking help in formulating a researchable topic for a National diploma program

kenani Mphakati

As a beginner in research, I am very grateful for this well-structured material on research writing.

GENEFEFA

Hello, I watched the video and its very helpful. I’m a student in Nursing (degree). May you please help me with any research problems (in Namibian society or Nursing) that need to be evaluate or solved?

Okwuchukwu

I have been greatly impacted. Thank you.

ZAID AL-ZUBAIDI

more than useful… there will be no justification if someone fails to get a topic for his thesis

Annv

I watched the video and its really helpful.

Anjali kashyap

How can i started discovery

Zimbabwe Mathiya Ndlovu

Analysing the significance of Integrated reporting in Zimbabwe. A case of institutional investors. this is my topic for PHD Accounting sciences need help with research questions

Rohit Bhowmick

Excellent session that cleared lots of doubts.

Excellent session that cleared lots of doubts

JOSHUA

It was a nice one thank you

Izhar Ul haq

Wow, This helped a lot not only with how to find a research topic but inspired me to kick it off from now, I am a final year student of environmental science. And have to complete my project in the coming six months.

I was really stressed and thinking about different topics that I don’t know nothing about and having more than a hundred topics in the baggage, couldn’t make the tradeoff among them, however, reading this scrubbed the fuzzy layer off my head and now it seems like really easy.

Thanks GRADCOACH, you saved me from getting into the rabbit hole.

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Penfield Library Home Page

  • SUNY Oswego, Penfield Library
  • Resource Guides

EDU 516 / LIT 530

  • Find & cite a thesis / dissertation
  • Develop a topic & keywords
  • Find articles
  • Cite articles

What's a thesis? What's a dissertation? What's the difference?

Finding theses and dissertations, citing theses & dissertations.

  • Find & cite websites
  • What is a literature review?
  • Finding literature for your review
  • Read, summarize & synthesize
  • Put it all together
  • Citing your sources

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In the United States, both theses and dissertations:

  • Are usually written about original research done by the author 
  • Tend to be lengthier than most scholarly articles
  • Must be completed to finish a graduate degree

A  thesis  is sometimes required for a master's degree, but not all master's programs require one. (I have two master's degrees and neither required a thesis.) 

A  dissertation  is almost always required for a doctoral degree. Since most doctoral degrees take several years, the research project for a doctoral degree may have a bigger scope than research done for a master's degree. Not surprisingly, then, a dissertation is likely to be much longer than a thesis. 

Theses & dissertations used to be harder to find

In the past, theses and dissertations were only been available at the college or university that granted the author's degree. (It's very different from books - most books can be found at several different libraries around the world.) Lucky for us, this model is changing! 

Nowadays, more and more schools are requiring their students to submit their theses or dissertations to something called an  institutional repository . Institutional repositories are online, and everything in them is freely available to anyone. That said, you don't have time to go to each and every college's institutional repository - and there are better ways you can search for theses and dissertations. 

There are two main ways you can find freely available theses and dissertations: 

1. Search online repositories

Most institutional repositories are hosted by individual colleges and universities. It would take way too much time for you to search every single school's repository, so I would recommend searching some of these "aggregator" sites below. They'll search any institutional repository they can find - so you'll be able to more easily find all the dissertations or theses on your topic.

  • Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (NDLTD)
  • ProQuest Digital Theses & Dissertations Open (PQDT Open)
  • Open Access Theses & Dissertations

2. Search ERIC

Although the library provides database access to ERIC, you can also search ERIC directly from their website. It's a bit easier to find theses and dissertations from the website instead of the library database:

Go to the ERIC website .

Enter your search terms and check the box that says Full text available on ERIC .

how to find the dissertation

Scroll down the results page until you see a box on the left that says Publication Type . You will likely have to click More  to see Dissertations/Theses  as an option.

how to find the dissertation

That's it! All your search results should be available as PDFs.

how to find the dissertation

Let's look at a few example citations, and then review their format.

Jackson, P.P. (2016). Teachers' perceptions of English language learners and reading instruction (Doctoral dissertation, Walden University). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/

Lezama, S.M. (2014). Equal education: School leaders support of English language learners' academic success (Doctoral dissertation, California State University, Fullerton). PQDT Open.

Mandell, E. (2018). Three art teaching strategies to support language acquisition and communication skill development in English language learners (Master's thesis, Moore College of Art & Design). ERIC.

Riddle, S.A. (2017). Orthographic skills in English language learners and stuents with learning disabilities (Doctoral dissertation, Temple University). Temple University Electronic Theses and Dissertations. https://digital.library.temple.edu/digital/collection/p245801coll10/

You can see all the citations have the following elements in common:

They begin with author's last name, followed by first initial and middle initial (if they use one).

The year of publication, in parentheses, followed by a period.

The dissertation or thesis title, in italics. As with articles, everything should be lowercase except:

  • The first letter of the first word
  • The first letter of the first word after a colon
  • Proper nouns

NOTE : Do not put a period right after the title - the period comes later.

In parentheses, and not in italics, either the phrase "Master's thesis" or "Doctoral dissertation", followed by a comma, and then the name of the school that granted the degree. After the parentheses, add a period.

What comes next depends on where you found the thesis or dissertation.

If you found it using OATD or NDLTD , you would follow the link in the description. For example, this is a search result from NDLTD, and you can see it includes a link to Walden University's website at the bottom.

how to find the dissertation

In this case, you'd link to Walden University's website. You'll also use the name of their site in your citation - see examples #1 and #4 above.

If you found the thesis or dissertation using ERIC or PQDT Open , you will put the site name, since you can access the PDFs directly from those sites.

See examples #2 & #3 above.

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  • Essay Editor

Thesis Format: Detailed Instructions and Tips

Thesis Format: Detailed Instructions and Tips

Gathering the necessary material for a large and saturated project is just half the battle, to set up everything and format the work properly is a real deed, challenging and exacting. There are a lot of specific requirements and rules to be born in mind. But don't take it so hard, we give you all the fundamental information concerning thesis paper format. You'll find out 

  • what parts a successful work should have;
  • what formatting requirements should be adhered to;
  • what tips occur to be helpful.

So, get ready to remember all the important principles in terms of paper finalization.

What is a Thesis Format?

In the process of thesis creation, everyone should set up the data in a specific way. The general structure and stylistic patterns are usually the same everywhere, though some minor issues may vary from one department to another.

Correct Thesis Format: Important or Not?

When working with the material it is crucial to stick to the thesis writing format in order to:

  • show your professional approach to this activity;
  • refine the readability of the text;
  • provide convenient navigation through the work;
  • bring the skills nearer to the academic standards;
  • help the audience focus on the investigation essence.

A Thesis and its Parts

The thesis structure format implies such parts, obligatory for a good consistent work.

Title Page

It is the first page, forming the impression of the whole work. There should be the title itself, the writer's name, academic information (institution, department, and others), and submission date. There may be some additional local requirements as well, just check the local guidelines.

Abstract

It is a summarized copy of the project, usually consisting of 170-300 words. A key target, chosen methods, results, and finalizing inference should be introduced here. 

Acknowledgments

It is a paragraph to express gratitude towards your tutor, professor – or any person – who helped you during the work.

Table of Contents

It is a significant part of a basic thesis format, reflecting the project structure. There is a recommendation to create it with the help of the automatic updating function, presented in the word-processing app.

Figures and Tables

If there is any visual material (tables, schemes, charts, and whatnot) in the work, make up a list of all issues. Index them and add relevant page numbers to it.

Introduction

Due to the introduction thesis format, here the author gives some background data, a hypothesis, and key points of the work.

Literature Review

This part is devoted to literary sources, a person took as the basis of the research. Here it is advisable to analyze existing investigations and point out what is explored insufficiently.

Methodology

It is a section where methods of work should be presented (including information about participants of the experiment, used instruments, and data collecting).

Results

It is a place for all the findings the author has got. The best way of presenting is visual (charts, schemes, etc.).The format of a thesis insists on adding them sufficiently.

Discussion

In the section the author should analyze the results of the researching activity, offer the way of their implication, and formulate ideas for future investigation.

Conclusion

This part is the summary of the writer's results and ideas, underlining the significance of the work and its benefit for the followers.

References

It is a list of all cited sources a person used while creating the project. Check the local format rules to avoid any mistakes while writing this section.

Appendices

Here the writer should add any supplementary he needs for supporting the project, especially if they are too overwhelming for the main body.

Having discussed the standard structure of the paper, it's high time to discuss useful rules and tips on how to complete the processing.

A General Guideline for Thesis Formatting

Well, how to format a thesis correctly? The most important points are presented in the table.

Font

Times New Roman, 12 pt

Margins

1 inch from every side of the page

Spacing

Double, throughout all the text

Citing

It depends on the formatting style (APA, MLA, or Chicago)

Headings and Subheadings

Format them in a consistent way throughout the whole work

Tables and Figures

Every issue should have its own number and a clear legend, and be included in the list mentioned above

Page numbers

Every page should have a sequential number, placed as it is described in the local guideline (upper right, center, etc.)

Page Break

It is used to divide all the material into sections and chapters.

These recommendations are general, and every writer must look through the local guidelines in all cases. Almost every department has a thesis format example, and by getting acquainted with it everyone is certain to get rid of potential mistakes. It doesn't take much time but accentuates your interest and thoroughness, so important for a perfect researcher.

Other Tips on how to Format the Thesis

Apart from answering the question 'What is the thesis format?', we'd like to present some additional recommendations and tips concerning the work. It is useful to remind that visual division helps to acquire information in a better way

  • Use single-spaced blocks for quotations or footnotes.
  • Add a special line for the committee signature on the relevant page.
  • Organize margins from all the sides of the sheet appropriately.
  • Check the numbers on page consequence.
  • Proofread all the text and check all the format details before submitting the paper.

Studying general rules of formatting is crucial for students, researchers, and other specialists of the sphere. But every time you are also to look into the guidelines offered by your local headmen. The correct paperwork is pleasant to read. Moreover, it underlines the author's professionalism and preciseness.

If you need to get acquainted with thesis format essay, try Aithor . It is a professional instrument, generating texts according to input parameters. You may choose the language, writing style, topic, outline, and other necessary options.

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Physics Dissertation Defense: Viraaj Jayaram, Yale University, "Normative and Empirical Investigation of the Role of Odor Timing in Drosophila Olfactory Navigation"

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Many organisms must navigate attractive odor signals to find food or mates. However, this is not a simple task; odor signals can be spatiotemporally complex and depend on the flow conditions and terrain. In this talk, I present computational studies that suggest normative strategies for this task, alongside an analysis of olfactory navigation decisions in walking Drosophila. Our simulations show that detecting two complementary temporal features of odor signals supports robust navigation across diverse environments. Furthermore, we find that models of the Drosophila olfactory circuit are sensitive to two features in a manner useful for navigation. Additionally, analysis of real behavioral data indicates that flies do use these features in navigation, as predicted. Finally, I present ongoing research employing deep reinforcement learning to optimize the integration of various directional cues into a goal heading for navigating complex odor plumes. These insights yield testable hypotheses regarding the navigation behavior of flies and other organisms. Thesis Committee: Thierry Emonet (advisor), Damon Clark, Benjamin Machta, Steven Zucker

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Freeport-McMoRan: Lowered FY2024 Guidance Implies Minimal Chance For Raised Dividends

Juxtaposed Ideas profile picture

  • FCX remains fully baked in, as copper prices pull back and inventory levels are elevated, implying further volatility in the near term.
  • At the same time, the management has lowered their FY2024 sales guidance and raised the capex guidance, with it suggesting minimal chances for raised variable dividends.
  • With the electrification trend now stuttering and things potentially changing post US election in November 2024, we may see more uncertainty for copper spot prices.
  • Combined with the ongoing copper wiring replacement with aluminium wiring, we believe that there may be a minimal margin of safety at current levels.

Hands reveal a Empty Wallet

KLH49/E+ via Getty Images

We previously discussed Freeport-McMoRan ( NYSE: FCX ) in June 2024, discussing why we had downgraded the stock to a Hold instead, with most of its upside potential and peak dividend payouts already baked in.

While the miner continued to report robust top/bottom lines as the copper spot prices remained elevated, we had also encouraged investors to moderately resize their portfolios given the stock's over-optimistic trading levels beyond the established pattern of between $35 and $43.

Since then, FCX has pulled back by -12.1% compared to the wider market at +4.1%. Even so, the commodity's futures contracts imply further sideways trading at current levels, if not moderation, with the Shanghai Futures Exchange's inventory levels still elevated compared to historical means.

Combined with the ongoing copper wiring replacement with aluminium wiring and the uncertain electrification cadence in the intermediate term, we believe that there may be a minimal margin of safety at current levels.

The Copper Investment Thesis Remains Expensive Here

Copper Spot Prices

Copper Futures Contract/ Spot Price

Trading Economics

Since the peak of $5.1 per lb recorded in May 2024, the copper spot prices have already moderated drastically - with it also triggering the moderation in FCX's stock prices, given that the commodity comprises over 60% of its FQ2'24 sales.

This despite the miner's double beat FQ2'24 earnings results, with revenues of $6.62B ( +4.7% QoQ /+15.5% YoY) and adj EPS of $0.42 (+31.2% QoQ/+82.6% YoY), thanks to copper's higher realized prices at $4.48 per lb (+13.7% QoQ/+16.6% YoY) and gold's prices at $2.29K (+7% QoQ/+18% YoY).

The higher realized prices well balance FCX's lower copper sales at 931M lbs (-15.9% QoQ/-9.5% YoY), attributed to the delay in " obtaining export license in Indonesia " - one which has been resolved by the time of the earnings call.

Unfortunately, the management has also moderately lowered their FY2024 copper sales outlook from the previous number of 4.15B lbs to 4.1B lbs and gold sales outlook from 2M ounces to 1.8M ounces, with it potentially contributing to the stock's retracement from recent highs.

This is on top of the raised FY2024 capex guidance from $3.6B to $3.7B, with it likely to impact its Free Cash Flow generation while capping the variable dividend payouts.

Correlation Between Copper Spot Prices & Inventory Build Up

Correlation Between Copper Spot Prices & Inventory Build Up

Macro Micro/Trading Economics

At the same time, as the Shanghai Futures Exchange's inventory levels moderated by -25.3% to 251,062 tonnes by August 23, 2024, it appears that our conjecture has turned out as expected, with the copper spot prices retracing since the May 2024 peak.

It is apparent from these developments that the correlation in copper spot prices and inventory build up remains reliable as per historical trends, with the current spot prices appearing to be well-supported by the recovering copper concentrates treatment and refining charges index from the June 2024 bottom.

Copper Futures Contract

Copper Futures Contract

Market Watch

Even so, anyone hoping for another great rally may be disappointed indeed, since the commodity's futures contracts have stabilized at current levels of $4.20 per lb - with the spot prices likely to trade sideways and FCX similarly doing so in the foreseeable future, barring any extenuating global events.

It is apparent from these developments that the miner operates in a highly cyclical market, with its prospects largely tied to the volatile spot prices, implying that the stock may not be suitable for those seeking steady quarterly incomes.

This is especially since FCX largely focuses on copper, a commodity tied to the now stuttering electrification trend, with it implying the stock's uncertain near-term prospects - one that we have observed in the impacted lithium spot prices and lithium miners as well.

Lastly, the elevated copper spot prices may also be a net negative as more replace copper wires for aluminium wires instead, which is expected to "cost and weight about half as much as copper," despite the +25% thicker diameter.

Consumer trends continue to highlight growing hybrid vehicle demand , as numerous legacy automakers increasingly delay their new EV projects.

With the electrification process likely to delayed, depending on the government policies/the US presidential election and the volatile consumer trends, we believe that there may be other near-term opportunities out there that yield higher dividends and/or capital appreciation prospects than FCX.

So, Is FCX Stock A Buy , Sell, Or Hold?

FCX 4Y Stock Price

FCX 4Y Stock Price

TradingView

For now, FCX has already retraced dramatically from the May 2024 top, though well-supported at the YTD support ranges of $37s and $39s.

Our projections have turned out as expected, with the management still reiterating their historical fixed dividend payout of $0.075 per share and variable payout of $0.075 per share by June 2024.

FCX's rally since the October 2023 bottom has naturally triggered the moderating forward dividend yields to 1.3%, compared to the average of 1.6% observed in 2023.

At the same time, it remains to be seen if the stock may sustain the recent gains, with it only tied to the supposed Fed pivot by the September 2024 FOMC meeting at a 25 basis point cut .

This is because the normalization in the global macroeconomic outlook is likely to be prolonged through Q4'26, if not Q1'27, depending on the movement of the inflation rate.

As a result of the uncertain risk/reward ratio at current levels, we are maintaining our Hold (Neutral) rating for the FCX stock here.

This article was written by

Juxtaposed Ideas profile picture

Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. The analysis is provided exclusively for informational purposes and should not be considered professional investment advice. Before investing, please conduct personal in-depth research and utmost due diligence, as there are many risks associated with the trade, including capital loss.

Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

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how to find the dissertation

IMAGES

  1. Finding a Thesis or Dissertation

    how to find the dissertation

  2. How to Write a Good Dissertation: Full Guide for Beginners

    how to find the dissertation

  3. How to Write a Thesis or Dissertation With Ease

    how to find the dissertation

  4. How to Write Methodologies for a Dissertation

    how to find the dissertation

  5. How to Write a Dissertation: Tips & Step-by-Step Guide

    how to find the dissertation

  6. How to Write a Thesis or Dissertation Proposal & Examples

    how to find the dissertation

COMMENTS

  1. Dissertations

    Over the last 80 years, ProQuest has built the world's most comprehensive and renowned dissertations program. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global (PQDT Global), continues to grow its repository of 5 million graduate works each year, thanks to the continued contribution from the world's universities, creating an ever-growing resource of emerging research to fuel innovation and new insights.

  2. EBSCO Open Dissertations

    EBSCO Open Dissertations makes electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs) more accessible to researchers worldwide. The free portal is designed to benefit universities and their students and make ETDs more discoverable. Content Includes: 1,500,000 electronic theses and dissertations. 320 worldwide universities that have loaded their ...

  3. Dissertations and theses

    Locating Dissertations and Theses. The Proquest Dissertations and Theses Global database includes doctoral dissertations and selected masters theses from major universities worldwide.. Searchable by subject, author, advisor, title, school, date, etc. More information about full text access and requesting through Interlibrary Loan; NDLTD - Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations ...

  4. ProQuest Dissertations Express

    Get your copy of a dissertation or thesis . Start your search by providing one or more of these: Author; Title; Key terms; Publication number

  5. Resources to Find Dissertations: Home

    Dissertation Express Online version of Dissertation Abstracts from UMI Proquest. Good for US theses. The fastest way to identify and validate a dissertation is to enter the ProQuest publication number. If you don't have this, enter a word or phrase into the search terms field or the author's last name and the first four words of the dissertation title.

  6. OATD

    You may also want to consult these sites to search for other theses: Google Scholar; NDLTD, the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations.NDLTD provides information and a search engine for electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs), whether they are open access or not. Proquest Theses and Dissertations (PQDT), a database of dissertations and theses, whether they were published ...

  7. Finding Dissertations and Theses

    Locate the dissertation or thesis. Click the "Hold/Recall/Request" link. If the dissertation/thesis is not available at UA or through Universal Borrowing, complete an Interlibrary Loan (ILL) request. The Libraries will borrow the dissertation/thesis from another library for you, free of charge. Borrowing periods will vary.

  8. Find Dissertations and Theses

    Find Dissertations and Theses. How to search for Harvard dissertations. DASH, Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard, is the university's central, open-access repository for the scholarly output of faculty and the broader research community at Harvard.

  9. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global

    ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global with the Web of Science™ enables researchers to seamlessly uncover early career, post-graduate research in the form of more than 5.5 million dissertations and theses from over 4,100 institutions from more than 60 countries, alongside journal articles, conference proceedings, research data, books, preprints and patents.

  10. Top Dissertations

    Each month ProQuest posts the top 25 Most-Accessed Dissertations and Theses across all subjects, based upon total document views. Check out the current list of top titles (where a number is listed more than once, this indicates a tie in usage). View the Archives to see lists from previous months.

  11. How do I find dissertations and theses?

    While ProQuest Dissertations & Theses and the CRL Guide to Dissertations are good starting points, many of the Library's subscription databases contain records for dissertations. Along with the records for books and other material, WorldCat contains records for dissertations or theses held by member libraries. Most of the major subject-specific indexes (such as PsycINFO, SciFinder Scholar, or ...

  12. How To Write A Dissertation Or Thesis

    Craft a convincing dissertation or thesis research proposal. Write a clear, compelling introduction chapter. Undertake a thorough review of the existing research and write up a literature review. Undertake your own research. Present and interpret your findings. Draw a conclusion and discuss the implications.

  13. How can I find theses and dissertations?

    The Center for Research Libraries ' Dissertations database includes many non-US theses. WorldCat describes many masters' & PhD theses. Use "Advanced Search" and limit to subtype "thesis/dissertation." No full text; it just tells you what libraries have reported having copies. There are several excellent guides out there with international ...

  14. Find Dissertations

    Use the websites listed below to find freely accessible (open access) dissertations from the United States and other countries. While all repositories listed here include doctoral dissertations, Master's theses may be available in some cases as well. Regis College maintains print copies of Regis student theses and dissertations in the Regis ...

  15. Find Dissertations

    The Center for Research Libraries reviews all Grad Center ILL requests for loan or demand purchase of UK dissertations. If CRL finds the title accessible through EThOS or that it can be digitized free of charge (in approx 30 days), CRL will notify the requesting institution of its availability via the EThOS online venue. CRL will also place orders via EThOS and alert requestors when a ...

  16. Theses & Dissertations: Home

    Finding a Cambridge PhD thesis online via the institutional repository. The University's institutional repository, Apollo, holds full-text digital versions of over 11,000 Cambridge PhD theses and is a rapidly growing collection deposited by Cambridge Ph.D. graduates.Theses in Apollo can be browsed via this link.More information on how to access theses by University of Cambridge students can be ...

  17. How to Choose a Dissertation Topic

    Step 3: Look for books and articles. Step 4: Find a niche. Step 5: Consider the type of research. Step 6: Determine the relevance. Step 7: Make sure it's plausible. Step 8: Get your topic approved. Other interesting articles. Frequently asked questions about dissertation topics.

  18. What Is a Dissertation?

    A dissertation is a long-form piece of academic writing based on original research conducted by you. It is usually submitted as the final step in order to finish a PhD program. Your dissertation is probably the longest piece of writing you've ever completed. It requires solid research, writing, and analysis skills, and it can be intimidating ...

  19. Guide to Writing Your Thesis/Dissertation : Graduate School

    Definition of Dissertation and Thesis. The dissertation or thesis is a scholarly treatise that substantiates a specific point of view as a result of original research that is conducted by students during their graduate study. At Cornell, the thesis is a requirement for the receipt of the M.A. and M.S. degrees and some professional master's ...

  20. How can I find my dissertation once it's published on ProQuest?

    Once your work has completed the publishing process, you can search for it a number of ways: Author name: For best results, use "Last+First", or "au (First Last)" The title: For best results, put quotations around your title: "This is the Title of My Dissertation". Your publication number / publisher number: This is different than your 5-digit ...

  21. How may I find my dissertation or thesis online?

    The 7-digit number is the UMI Publication Number. Simply substitute your own Number for the one in the example, and you have a permanent link to your online citation in the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses (PQDT) database. Once your dissertation or thesis has been published, there is an easy way to point your colleagues, friends, and family ...

  22. How To Choose A Research Topic For A Dissertation

    Step 5: Narrow down, then evaluate. By this stage, you should have a healthy list of research topics. Step away from the ideation and thinking for a few days, clear your mind. The key is to get some distance from your ideas, so that you can sit down with your list and review it with a more objective view.

  23. Find & cite a thesis / dissertation

    Theses & dissertations used to be harder to find. In the past, theses and dissertations were only been available at the college or university that granted the author's degree. (It's very different from books - most books can be found at several different libraries around the world.) Lucky for us, this model is changing!

  24. PDF Thesis Dissertation Handbook

    Your last name_thesis.pdf . Dissertations: Your last name_diss.pdf • Enter your name . as shown in university records. • Editors cannot spend time attempting to find you after reviewing your document. Please provide the correct email address and remain available until your document receives final approval.

  25. Thesis Format: Detailed Instructions and Tips

    Gathering the necessary material for a large and saturated project is just half the battle, to set up everything and format the work properly is a real deed, challenging and exacting. There are a lot of specific requirements and rules to be born in mind. But don't take it so hard, we give you all the fundamental information concerning thesis paper format. You'll find out * what parts a ...

  26. Library

    Our instructors are dedicated in providing feedback that will help you strengthen your skills and gain confidence in your writing, all in a supportive environment. We have a course for your every need, no matter where you are at in your scholarly journey. From undergraduate to masters, all the way through your capstone or dissertation.

  27. Physics Dissertation Defense: Viraaj Jayaram, Yale University

    Thesis Committee: Thierry Emonet (advisor), Damon Clark, Benjamin Machta, Steven Zucker, powered by Concept3D Event Calendar Software. Many organisms must navigate attractive odor signals to find food or mates. However, this is not a simple task; odor signals can be spatiotemporally complex and depend on the flow conditions and terrain. In this ...

  28. Freeport-McMoRan: Lowered FY2024 Guidance Implies Minimal Chance For

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