About Dissertations and Theses
Theses and dissertations are often required for masters and doctoral degrees. They can be very useful for researchers.
In the past, dissertations and theses were often difficult to access. But in recent years, many universities have begun to make them available electronically. The resources on this page will help you locate the citations and/or abstracts of dissertations and theses. Use other tabs to either help find the full text online, borrow, or purchase a dissertation.
Best Bet -- WorldCat
WorldCat (also known as UNC Library Express)
WorldCat covers all subjects and includes records for over 95 million items held in thousands of libraries throughout the United States and Europe. Search by keyword, author, or title.
Look for on the left column of results. Click on that box to get a (usually) much smaller number of results. (Of course, for some searches, there might not be any theses or dissertations.)
Some authors publish their dissertations as books or articles, potentially changing the original title.
- UNC Library Express
- WorldCatWorldCat = UNC Library Express. They just have different interfaces.
Best Bet -- NDLTD
- NDLTDNetworked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations searches only electronic theses and dissertations.
Other Resources
Many specialized article databases index dissertations and theses and may provide abstracts; not full-text. These include (not an exhaustive list):
- CINAHL CompleteCovers nursing, allied health, biomedical and consumer health.
- Communication and Mass Media CompleteCovers communication, mass media, and related areas.
- ERICEducation journals and more.
- MLA International Bibliography (literature, language, linguistics, folklore, film)MLA covers folklore, languages, linguistics, and literature.
- PsycINFOCovers psychology and related disciplines,with 97 percent of the material peer-reviewed.
- Dissertation AbstractsWe no longer have direct access to Dissertation Abstracts, but contact John Wiswell (wiswellj@appstate.edu) to schedule a mediated search.
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