who reads dissertations

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What's the point of PhD theses if nobody reads them?

At best, the PhD thesis is read by:

The examiners
The supervisor
The author's parents
The author's roommate / spouse / fellow students in research group

Or less than 10 people in total. What, then, is the point of writing it? Writing a complete PhD thesis is a time-consuming process, and that time could easily have gone into taking more courses, doing more research, supervising more students, and so on. Of course the PhD student has no choice but to write one, because the programme typically requires it. However that still begs the question as to why the programme requires it in the first place. if the thesis is so useless that so few people read it, what's the point of demanding a thesis as a prerequisite for graduation?

Somewhat related: What is the point of a PhD thesis whose content already exists in published papers? Still, even if there are more readers because a thesis provides a gentle introduction to the field, it seems more sensible to me to just write a monograph and leave out the thesis.

88 "less than 10 people" is already generous... I am quite sure my parents will never read more than 200 pages about IT security. Same is true for most friends who will have a look but might not go into detail. I sometimes say: You are in trouble if more than two people read your dissertation. The first two are your examiners, the third one is some unfriendly guy searching for flaws in your thesis... ;-) – J-Kun Commented Feb 10, 2019 at 10:35
86 I question the premise of this question. I have several PhD Theses on my harddrive, all of which I have read, most several times, some of them I re-read regularly. And I am none of the things the OP listed, I am not even an academic. And I have good reasons to believe that e.g. Gilad Bracha's thesis has been read by dozens and Roy Fielding's by hundreds, just to name two. – Jörg W Mittag Commented Feb 10, 2019 at 11:47
78 First, you say "at best", but those words should be "at minimum." There are plenty of world-shaking Ph.D. theses out there. Second, well, heck, you could say the same about almost all published research. I'd bet 90% of scholarly papers could easily be filed under "doesn't matter." – B. Goddard Commented Feb 10, 2019 at 14:25
2 Comments are not for extended discussion; this conversation has been moved to chat . – eykanal Commented Feb 12, 2019 at 14:06
3 You're assuming the research in the thesis is only found in the thesis. In the sciences, it's common for the thesis to be an aggregation of previously published papers. – chepner Commented Feb 12, 2019 at 14:19

17 Answers 17

For simplicity, I am going to let your premise that (virtually) nobody reads a PhD thesis stand, even though that's debatable and also a bit field-dependent. There are still a number of reasons for it to exist:

It's arguably more of a "writing to learn" task anyway. Students don't produce theses for the sake of the thesis, but to learn how to do research and write it up properly in a long, coherent book. Even if no single person outside the committee reads the thesis ever, it was still a good learning experience for the student.
There is a lot of history around the concept of a doctoral program requiring developing in new thesis (in the original meaning of the word), writing it down in a book (the dissertation), and defending this new thesis against the local learned community. Even though nowadays many fields don't communicate new research ideas through long books anymore, there is still enough historical appeal to the idea that few programs want to get out of it entirely. The entire process of writing and defending the dissertation also has some appeal as a significant milestone event, which nicely demarks the end of an era for the student - he is no longer a student, but a complete member of the academic community.
In many countries there is a legal angle to this. At least in Europe, a PhD program is usually legally defined to conclude with the production of a doctoral dissertation of some kind.
In the age of "stapler theses" (which consist of a synopsis and a collection of previously published papers in verbatim), the entire affair is fairly low-cost anyway. My last students rarely spent longer than 2 or 3 months on the actual "thesis writing".

22 +1 but I will add that there are places where stapler theses are not allowed, and on the other hand there are places where if you publish papers you don't need to write a separate thesis. – Kimball Commented Feb 10, 2019 at 14:34
5 @xLeitix you are right but the last point is not true, at least in many countries in Europe. In addition to that, it is quite common that the write-up period is unpaid in many universities, as you are not doing research any more. – DimP Commented Feb 10, 2019 at 14:47
12 @Nox a professor who does not encourage publications What?! That sounds almost like an oxymoron to me. – Thomas Commented Feb 10, 2019 at 21:32
13 @Nox You're overgeneralising when referring to "Europe". There are big differences between different European countries as to whether sandwich theses are encouraged, discouraged, or disallowed. – gerrit Commented Feb 11, 2019 at 7:59
8 "2 or 3 months" for a stapler thesis? Those I have seen take less than a week, as they consist of merely writing a 5-10 page blurb in front, and copy-pasting already accepted/appeared papers as chapters. – Boris Bukh Commented Feb 11, 2019 at 14:42

"No-one ever reads a PhD thesis" is a big assumption, one that I would think says more about what you think a PhD thesis is about, and less about what it actually is about.

I have read many PhD theses in my time. I find them to be a very different resource to papers. Often a PhD thesis is a very good read if you want to get a good overview of a particular field, explained in relatively simple language, and introducing and building up a complex subject relatively from scratch in easily digestible logical blocks, rather than assuming most knowledge is known to the reader.

Similarly, a PhD thesis is also more likely to go into some depth / proofs / exhaustive experiments that are typically omitted from journal publications on account of space and conciseness.

As a bonus, a PhD thesis is far more likely to be accessible to the general public than its respective papers, as the latter typically tend to be behind paywalls, whereas the former is typically accessible on-demand for free from their respective universities.

Finally, if you are lucky, your PhD thesis may form the cornerstone for an entire field, far more than a single paper might.

Having said all that, one factor that skews one's impression of how often theses tend to be read, is that it is still more likely that subsequent authors reading the thesis will cite the relevant papers generated from it instead, since they are more relevant in the context of a citation , therefore giving a wrong impression about how useful PhD theses are when one is exploring the literature in the first place.

5 I too question the assumption. I have had two different researchers at two different institutions come to me to confirm that the these they had in hand was actually mine. The reason for the confusion is that the these is in one field and I am working in another field. – doneal24 Commented Feb 10, 2019 at 18:46
5 +1 Also, potential employers may ask to see an electronic copy of the thesis to get an idea of the technical and writing skills of the applicant. This is especially useful when hiring a recent PhD (who may have not yet published extensively from their doctoral research) for a post-doctoral position. ;-) – Luca Citi Commented Feb 10, 2019 at 21:28
37 Can't upvote this enough. Reading a paper on an unfamiliar topic is often horrible -- "this result is proved in [A,B,C]" (which all use different notations and formalism, and are difficult to unify); "the proof is simple and left to the reader" (only simple when you already know how it works); "an introduction can be found in book [X]" (which covers it in passing, in a very different way from the paper). No. A thesis can provide an incredible introduction to a specific subject, if well written, in a way that a paper simply can't or won't. – Richard Rast Commented Feb 11, 2019 at 2:55
5 @RichardRast I can’t help but think you are unfairly comparing well-written theses with poorly written papers. – JeffE Commented Feb 11, 2019 at 5:43
5 It might have been true that very few people read theses when they only existed as a single copy held in the degree-granting institution's library, and were only indexed in that library's card catalog, but they're becoming more and more accessible in our electronic era. I've even had researchers request undergraduate senior theses that they discovered through WorldCat. My social science undergraduates often love dissertations, because as the product of very young researchers they are much more likely to be about topics of interest than the product of more established researchers. – 1006a Commented Feb 11, 2019 at 15:31

The main skill that students should learn during their PhD and demonstrate to graduate is producing, describing, and defending scientific results. Thus, when a PhD student wishes to graduate, they have to present some work that justifies this degree. This work is, broadly speaking, the thesis. Technically speaking, this can just be a bunch of peer-reviewed papers, and cumulative theses (a.k.a. stapler theses) are more or less exactly this, but the student is usually required to write an introduction and conclusion as a framework for their papers.

However, there are many reasons why a student cannot provide these or published papers do not reflect the entire work of the PhD student in question:

The field may have very long peer-review times, e.g., pure mathematics.
The field’s publishing and hiring culture favours one big paper in a highly ranked journal comprising everything, e.g., biology.
Scientific communication in the field mostly happens in form of large monographs (which a thesis can be).
The PhD work is only a piece in a huge project and is not suitable for being published on its own.
Some parts of the PhD work have not (yet) been published when the student wishes to graduate.

A thesis gives PhD candidates the opportunity to graduate in these cases. Note that in most of these cases, the writing work spent on the thesis is not wasted on a few readers, because the material will be reused in peer-reviewed papers later¹ or the thesis itself will actually be read by more people. So from a certain point of view, your premise is wrong: The thesis will be read by more people; it’s just not in form of the thesis itself.

This still leaves the point of why PhD students are forced to write an introduction and conclusion to a cumulative thesis, but then:

This is not a lot of work (I did this in a few weeks).
It may spur the student to see their work in a broader picture.
It is the most useful information for the thesis committee. (Depending on how the committee is formed, they clichéically only read the introduction and conclusion.)
It does train scientific writing on a level not seen in regular papers.

¹ though these are usually not read by that many people either

6 "Depending on how the committee is formed, they clichéically only read the introduction and conclusion" . While this is true, every place I've known holds this as a poorly keep secret, rather than an official fact. The committee members are always expected to read the entirety of the work. During a pre-thesis exam, I was told by a committee member that I should leave to annexes a few developments that were only introductory and known in the literature. He complained about having to read them all even though I suggested by email that those parts could be skipped. – Mefitico Commented Feb 11, 2019 at 11:05

The purpose of a PhD thesis is to demonstrate that the author can do all of the following:

Organize a large project
that makes an original contribution to scientific knowledge;
have the persistence to carry out such a large project;
know the state-of-the-art in the field well enough to recognize an original contribution;
have good enough communication skills to explain, diagram, and present the results;
have the scientific rigor to present the results honestly, without "lying with statistics"; and
provide valid citations for how the project builds upon existing work in the field.

A typical organization looking to hire a PhD is looking to fill an Associate Professor position or a senior scientific researcher position. The position typically is responsible for organizing a line of scientific research, obtaining funding, and presenting results that are worth the funders' investment.

Several posters on this thread have suggested "stapler theses" be used instead. Such theses do not demonstrate the ability to organize a large project, nor the persistence to carry it out.

1 [Stapler theses] theses do not demonstrate the ability to organize a large project, nor the persistence to carry it out. – The format of the thesis has little to do with this. A well-done PhD project having all the aspects you champion should produce a series of coherent papers. This is what demonstrates what you want. Whether they are stapled together (with a proper frame of introduction and conclusion) or rearranged into a monograph makes little difference. Of course there are stapler theses that do not do this and are an incoherent mess, but that also applies to monographs. – Wrzlprmft ♦ Commented Mar 12, 2020 at 10:44

This question is based on a false premise, namely that nobody ever reads theses. This is a bit of a meme among grad students, but it's just that: A fashionable whinge. It's not actually true.

I've read plenty of theses, occasionally they will have some data that I need, I've even cited them. The biggest reason that I don't do it more is that usually the content of theses in my field is also published in papers, and it's better to use the original report.

In humanities theses are expected to be original works, and often people publish them as books. I've actually read many such books, often without realizing it was a thesis - the topic was just interesting to me. I found the book in a library, where it was bound with a professional cover, so presumably it was published by a real publisher. Not necessarily a best seller, but I'm sure more than 10 people read it. Some people must have even paid for it.

Similarly, many people stick to the topic of their thesis and keep reworking it into books and papers along the same line. In that case people may not have read the thesis, but the writing they did consume has its foundation in the work that went into the thesis.

There are plenty of people who graduate without publishing much. If such a person were applying for a job, certainly being able to look at their thesis would be valuable.

But to ask about readership is to miss the point. The thesis is an exam. Do you complain that writing papers for a class is pointless because only the instructor will read them? The thesis is exactly like an exam. It's your final exam of PhD school. You need to pass to show that you have learned enough to graduate. It might seem absurd to have an exam hundreds of pages long, but then again, big degree, big exam. You're not really required to make it hundreds of pages long, in any case.

2 In the humanities, your thesis is basically the draft for your first book. Presumably the book will benefit from a bit of professional editing, and maybe a bit of polishing from a less stressed-out-grad-student point of view. . The theses however will be read by everyone who contemplates hiring you, especially for that important first job, and it will be evaluated in how much work will be necessary to lead to that first book. Remember the publish or perish trope? The theses gives a good hint as to whether you can publish. – user104070 Commented Feb 15, 2019 at 18:21

Until about 100 years ago, the PhD degree did not exist in many advanced academic environments. It postdates, by far, rigorous academic research in any subject. It has become the entry-level qualification for an academic career, I suggest, as a crude mechanism to weed out people who like the idea of an academic career but who lack the basic abilities to prosper in such a career.

Likewise, to be licensed to drive a car one has to take a test. The test does not really relate to generalised ability to drive, but it signals that you can't just sit in a car and drive it.

Some people can drive well, even if they have never taken a test, and some people can be brilliant academics without ever having to write a PhD thesis.

The answer to the question "what is the point of the PhD thesis..." is that writing it is the test you have to pass if you want an academic career. It is a different question to ask why is the PhD a basic requirement for an academic career.

For some research students, those who are not interested in an academic career but who are very interested in their subject, however, the requirement to write a thesis is a kind of realty check on their research. Without the need to write a thesis I could flatter myself that my work is ground-breaking; writing a thesis sets a bar, maybe not very high, that distinguishes reality from vanity.

Please think of the mathematician John Tate's 1950 Princeton thesis on harmonic anaylsis. This single thesis made him world-famous. Thesis is an intellectual start for many academics,a sort of ladder to the higher world of thought and approach.

Much of the point of the dissertation is to demonstrate that you really understand something, which isn't really a function of journal articles or conference papers. In mathematics, anyway, the best thing about doctoral dissertations (and some master's theses) is that the good ones have thorough reviews of the literature and complete expositions of foundational material. In many cases, it's the only place to find details that are too basic for journals and too specialized for textbooks. So even a dissertation that isn't great from a research standpoint can be extremely useful for its exposition and bibliography.

Riemann, Gauss, Grothendieck, Serre, Scholze, and various other mathematicians throughout history produced absolutely fantastic doctor thesis that shaped entire fields. Riemann's, for example, marked the beginning of the study of Riemannian Geometry and of Riemann surfaces. In his master's thesis, William Karush delineated the KKT conditions.

4 Nowadays, such achievements are far better placed in journal articles than theses. – Orion Commented Feb 10, 2019 at 22:11
3 @orion: why? Journal articles are forced to be too short for some things. A thesis gives the author a lot more flexibility. – Neil G Commented Feb 15, 2019 at 7:16

I would like to offer a different perspective in my field i.e.meteorology and earth sciences. I actually find Ph.d theses very useful. Majority of the theses that I have looked at do contain the software (numerical Fortran routines) that solve a particular problem in atmospheric sciences usually in the appendices. In some universities the thesis is then digitized and placed in a online repository where can it be downloaded. In some cases one can actually search for these Fortran routines and then obtain the searches in a google search. In my field(and related fields) the thesis committee and the thesis advisor make it mandatory to include the software in the appendix. I have seen this in theses originating from the USA as well as from Europe and Asia.

So the cumbersome issue of contacting the author of a peer reviewed research paper and asking him/her for their software is completely eliminated.

This is very field-dependent. In some fields, theses are read.

However, my experience in computer science is that the thesis is pointless, aside from being a degree requirement.

Your premise is optimistic. I am confident that, apart from myself and my advisor, no one has read more than 5% of my PhD thesis. And my advisor probably only read about 15% of it and skimmed the rest (based on the feedback he gave). I remember that, during my defense, one of the committee members had printed out the first ten or so pages of my thesis and was quickly reading the abstract before I started speaking.

My thesis has accrued precisely zero citations in three years, while the papers that went into it have gotten hundreds.

This is a bit disappointing, given that I put some effort into my thesis. I improved and simplified some results and included more detail and exposition than in the corresponding papers. That was a waste of my time.

My experience seems typical for computer science. The culture is that no one reads theses and they are a waste of time. But, again, this may be different in other fields or even in other countries.

The premise is not valid. I have read hundreds of theses and dissertations when conducting research and regularly cite them in my work. One issue is that many theses and dissertations are collected behind various digital walls (Proquest, University repositories, etc) and are not easily viewable in a free and open way on the internet. It surprisingly still takes a library visit or special request to get a hold of them. I personally posted my 2012 dissertation on the web myself and now have a reasonable number of citations to it. I get questions and comments on a regular basis about the document and its contents to this day. Maybe we just need simply make the documents accessible.

EDIT: Just wanted to add that having a goal to write a theses that people do want to read, can also help. Writing with the expectation that no one reads it will likely diminish the quality and attractiveness to readers.

5 I agree with much of this. If a PhD student isn't reading theses in their field - and I don't mean just those of their immediate department, their supervisor and so on - then they should ! Why? To learn how to communicate clearly and engagingly in print - and how not to ! External examiners may be excused being tetchy with a thesis that is badly written or disorganized. A PhD award should be proof of one's competence to teach in the overall area of one's research as well as conduct further research in that area. Teaching is about good written communication as well as oral communication. – Trunk Commented Feb 13, 2019 at 21:13

One aspect of this being overlooked is that often times broader issues in a particular field of study - issues perhaps years down the road - will drive retrospective research into what others have thought or written about in the same field. A research work in one decade might prove to be a foundational, essential work in another. Think of it as a loose analog to lawyers and judges seeking legal precedents, but in a more academic context.

Granted, this may be an exceptional case, and surely there are many PhD dissertations sitting on shelves, untouched since their completion, but I think most dissertation efforts were undertaken with a sincere effort to research something of value; there's really no way of knowing at the time it's written of its relative future worth.

As an example, many years ago, I read a good portion of a PhD dissertation on "tri-state" or "indeterminant-state" computing - but it was written about 40 years ago. Right now, quantum computing explores variations on almost precisely this very concept. That makes the dissertation I read borderline prophetic, as it was literally decades before any notion of quantum computing existed.

At least in my field (physics), the PhD thesis is a pointless ritual that deserves to die. It continues to exist only for historical reasons.

A bunch of answers have quibbled with the statement that nobody reads a PhD thesis. Although I have sometimes read people's theses in my field, I would have preferred it if the relevant work had just been posted on arxiv.org as a series of preprints of papers (as has been the custom in my field since ca. 1998 for anyone who wants their work to actually get read).

Basically what should happen IMO is that all schools should allow a "stapler thesis," i.e., PhD candidates who have published 1 to 3 papers in a field should be allowed to get the degree. One paper would be for the case of a groundbreaking result. Three papers would be more normal.

Usually a thesis contains one or more introductory chapters laying out the theory for a nonspecialist. These are handy if there are one or two members of committee who are not familiar with the candidate's subfield. But it's absurd to go to the trouble of writing all that material just for the benefit of one or two people. If it's really a good intro, better than anything else out there in textbooks or review articles, then it should be publishable as a stand-alone paper in a journal that publishes that sort of thing. In my field, that would be Am J Phys for a short paper, or Rev Mod Phys for something longer. But in most cases the same material has already been covered in a publication such as a textbook, and the thing to do would just be to walk over to the relevant committee member's office and hand them that textbook to browse before they dive into the thesis.

It's possible that the thesis still makes sense in some fields. For instance, a sociology thesis might in effect be a long monograph, and I believe it's still customary for people in sociology to publish monographs (maybe even expected for tenure at some schools?).

12 Your opening statement is just false, but it sounds like you had a bad experience with your particular department. IME, most physics PhDs spent time on side projects, developing software, models, techniques, etc. that wouldn't make it into a stapler thesis (which are allowed by departments I've been in). The thesis is an essential resource to future students and faculty as documentation of unpublished, incomplete, or defunct research projects; it's also good to stock with useful figures that didn't fit into final drafts of published work. – Sam Commented Feb 10, 2019 at 20:03
10 I know at least one physics PhD thesis for which one chapter contained a calculation that was not found anywhere else (and which was probably unpublishable by itself, since it simplified known results) and another chapter was an excellent survey of a rather specialized subfield, not duplicating anything in the literature. The other chapters contain results in published papers. This thesis has been cited 27 times, according to Google scholar, more than many papers. – Peter Shor Commented Feb 10, 2019 at 21:27
1 @Sam: "Just false" isn't the same as "something you disagree with." it sounds like you had a bad experience with your particular department. Not true. The thesis is an essential resource to future students and faculty as documentation of unpublished, incomplete, or defunct research projects; it's also good to stock with useful figures that didn't fit into final drafts of published work. This is what internal reports are for. A PhD thesis is supposed to be an original contribution to human knowledge, not documentation of someone's java code. – user1482 Commented Feb 11, 2019 at 21:53
5 @BenCrowell I wasn't sharing an opinion; it is a fact: there are departments for which the thesis is not a "pointless ritual that deserves to die", and it exists for more than "historical reasons". Unpublished research can still be "an original contribution to human knowledge". You may have your own definition of what a PhD thesis is (or should be ), and that's fine, but your statement is false as it applies to academia, the subject of this site. – Sam Commented Feb 11, 2019 at 22:09

Back up a bit. A PhD thesis is meant to describe research that was explicitly conducted to advance the state knowledge in some relevant manner.

The extent to which it is not read is a failure of some sort to reach that ideal:

The state of knowledge was not sufficiently advanced.
The advance is not sufficiently relevant (yet).
The advance has not been adequately disseminated (yet).

To be clear, failure above refers specifically to the readership size question. There can be other measures of achievement that contribute to the "success" of the PhD thesis: Candidates may have gained

research skills
credentials

that will serve them well throughout their career. But make no mistake: A PhD student should strive to make contributions beyond the benefits received. Ideally, the thesis will be read by more than those with only a personal interest in the candidate, whether by cover-to-cover reading or selective consultation for details elaborating on earlier publications of preliminary/intermediate results.

3 I think this misses the point of the question. There are ways to contribute to the field other than through a thesis, namely publications. So a thesis not being read does not mean the author didn’t contribute to the field. – Thomas Commented Feb 10, 2019 at 21:39
1 @Thomas, you're welcome to commiserate with OP about the futility of writing PhD dissertations. I, on the other hand, disagree with the premise. I also disagree with both your objection here and your answer , including where you state without evidence that in computer science, no one reads theses and they are a waste of time. Contrary to your objection here, I maintain that successful PhD research will lead to readership beyond the inner circles of the candidate, your unfortunate personal, anecdotal experience notwithstanding. – kjhughes Commented Feb 10, 2019 at 22:20
3 I maintain that successful PhD research will lead to readership beyond the inner circles of the candidate. That is true, but that doesn't mean the thesis will be read. Many theses are redundant in the sense that most of their content also appears in published journal/conference papers. Thus readers have the choice between reading the thesis and reading the paper. I maintain that they almost always opt for the paper, at least in computer science. – Thomas Commented Feb 11, 2019 at 0:53

The point of hard work is to get good (at something).

People will usually by nature be lazy.

Therefore it is (usually) necessary to find a way to trigger this hard work somehow.

Course requirements and theses and (ultimately) using the fear of "dropping out" are some ways to try and make this hard work happen.

In the hard sciences, I really don't see the value of the exercise. Seems like more benefit from learning to publish and publishing real papers. If anything, it can be the opposite of value as there are people who write a thesis and don't have independent papers. Although maybe sweating the thesis is away to put the weaker students through something (some exercise) before you give them the union card. In some European countries it's actually even explicit that the thesis is just 3 published papers (without even an effort to synthesize them).

However instead of worrying about changing society, my advice is to just deal with the situation. Do your best on papers. And for the thesis just get by (it is pass fail after all). Note that does NOT mean to let obvious errors or typos or poor writing get by. It should still be good professional work product, like a technical reort in government or industry.

Don't kill yourself on the lit search.
Don't go learning LATEX if you don't already use it.
Don't use some super complicated Word template that is hard to manipulate.
Don't use some complicated drafting or graphing program if not familiar with it already.
Do fit in unpublished work so it is "somewhere" but don't kill yourself to finish up every thread by doing more experiments. Assuming yu have enough in the main material, the point is just to somewhere put down stuff so not lost to lab group. But don't kill yourself on this...it's a nice to do.
Same as last bullet but also use opportunity to document any little tricks of methods or apparatus that might help the group. But again...this is a niceness you are doing...not the main point.
Do get it done fast and get out of there. Try to avoid a lot of editorial criticism.

P.s. I actually do think theses can be useful looking at a field or a research group especially when coming up to speed (or for members of same lab group). Get a feel for what is going on. Some between the lines given. But my impression is still that most people don't know this trick or do it enough. Also, I have definitely seen people omit citing prior work from theses.

3 I disagree. One must always learn better Technical writing skills, formatting and grammar skills, graphic , schematic and block diagram skills and make easy to read. Not coincidental duplicates of 10k similar theses. – Tony Stewart EE75 Commented Feb 10, 2019 at 20:40
2 If you want to learn new typing skills do them along the way because it is worthwhile on its own. Not when you are in crunch time finishing up. Have seen a lot of students struggle because they added on new challenges like this, while they were in the midst of producing a big document under some time pressure. Also, despite the very computer bent of this website, there are a vast amount of fields/people who value writing ability (sentences and words and paragraphs and logic and organization) far above typesetting. Just look at the corporate world. LATEX is valued less than writing skill. – guest Commented Feb 10, 2019 at 20:57
2 The major plus of writing a thesis for me was latex practice... – drjpizzle Commented Feb 15, 2019 at 11:48

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4.8.1 Doctoral Degrees, Dissertations & Dissertation Reading Committees: Policy

Main navigation.

1. Doctoral Dissertation Reading Committee
2. Dissertation Preparation and Submission
3. Certificate of Final Reading
4. Deadlines

Authority:

Committee on Graduate Studies (policy)
Office of the Registrar via Stanford Services & Support (implementation)
Degree Program Office (implementation)
Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Education (exceptions)

Applicability:

PhD & JSD students and programs.

4.8.2 Doctoral Degrees, Dissertations & Dissertation Reading Committees: Implementation

1. Doctoral Dissertation Reading Committee

The doctoral dissertation reading committee consists of the principal dissertation advisor and, typically, two other readers. The doctoral dissertation reading committee must have three members and may not have more than five members. At least one member must be from the student’s degree program. Normally, all committee members are members of the Stanford University Academic Council or are emeritus Academic Council members; the principal dissertation advisor must be an Academic Council member. Professors who have recently become emeritus and have been recalled to active duty may serve as principal dissertation advisors, though they are no longer current members of the Academic Council.

A non-Academic Council member (including former Academic Council members) may replace only one of three required members of dissertation reading committees. However, emeritus faculty, whether recalled to active duty or not, count as an Academic Council member on dissertation reading and oral defense committees (clarified by the Committee on Graduate Studies in 2011; see SenD#6535).

The reading committee, as proposed by the student and agreed to by the prospective members, is endorsed by the chair of the major department on the Doctoral Dissertation Reading Committee form . This form must be submitted before approval of Terminal Graduate Registration (TGR) status or before scheduling a university oral examination that is a defense of the dissertation. The reading committee may be appointed earlier, according to the degree program timetable for doctoral programs. All subsequent changes to the reading committee must be approved by the chair of the major department. The reading committee must conform to university requirements at the time of degree conferral.

Principal Dissertation Advisors and Co-Advisors

Any member of the Academic Council may serve as the principal dissertation advisor. A non-Academic Council member, former Academic Council member, or emeritus Academic Council member may serve as co-advisor with the appointment of a principal dissertation advisor who is currently on the Academic Council. This is to ensure representation for the student in the degree program by someone playing a major advisor role in completion of the dissertation. Professors who became emeritus within two years of the student’s anticipated degree completion and who have been recalled to active duty may serve as principal dissertation advisors, though they are no longer current members of the Academic Council. The reading committee must conform to university requirements at the time of degree conferral.

Requests for further exceptions to the requirement that the principal dissertation advisor be a current member of the Academic Council, for example for recently retired emeritus professors who are still actively engaged on campus, but not recalled to active duty, will be reviewed by the Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Education.

At their discretion, students may request the appointment of co-advisors who are both members of the Academic Council.

Non-Academic Council Dissertation Reading Committee Membership

The student's department chair or faculty director of graduate studies may, in some cases, approve the appointment of a reader who is not a current or emeritus member of the Academic Council, if that person is particularly well qualified to consult on the dissertation topic and holds a PhD or equivalent foreign degree, via the Petition for Non-Academic Council Doctoral Committee Members . Former Stanford Academic Council members and non-Academic Council members may thus, on occasion, serve on a reading committee. However, the majority of the examiners must be current or emeritus Academic Council members. More specifically:

If the dissertation reading committee has three or four members, only one non-Academic Council member (including former Academic Council members) may be appointed to the dissertation reading committee.
If the reading committee has five members, up to two non-Academic Council members may be appointed to the dissertation reading committee.

Emeritus Stanford faculty, though no longer current members of the Academic Council, count as Academic Council members on dissertation reading committees (see SenD#6535, 2011).

Prospective committee members in the following categories may be approved without submission of a curriculum vitae: former Academic Council member, visiting professor, visiting associate professor, visiting assistant professor, and senior Stanford University officer who holds a PhD but does not have an academic appointment.

A curriculum vita is required for prospective committee members in the following categories: senior research associate, senior lecturer, consulting professor, consulting associate professor, consulting assistant professor, acting professor, acting associate professor, acting assistant professor, senior fellow of the Hoover Institution, members of the professoriate at other universities, and distinguished scholars who may currently hold no academic title. The curriculum vita should include a summary of education, professional experience, publications, and academic or other honors.

Exceptions for individuals whose terminal degree is not the PhD or equivalent foreign degree may be granted by the Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Education (VPGE). Requests for this exception must be approved and submitted to VPGE by the student’s department chair or faculty director of graduate studies. The prospective committee member’s curriculum vitae and a brief description of their contributions to the student's research should be submitted via email to the Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Education.

Changing Membership

Students may petition to add or remove members of the reading committee or change principal dissertation advisors. The resulting committee must conform to university requirements at the time of degree conferral.

In the rare case where a student’s dissertation research on an approved project is in an advanced stage and the principal dissertation advisor is no longer available, every reasonable effort must be made to appoint a new advisor, usually from the student’s reading committee. This may also require that a new member be added to the reading committee before the draft dissertation is evaluated, to keep the reconstituted committee in compliance with the university requirements for its composition. Advisor changes are made with the Change of Dissertation Adviser or Reading Committee Member form (see GAP 3.3 Academic Advising ).

In the event that a student’s principal dissertation advisor leaves Stanford University or becomes emeritus and has not been recalled to active duty, that advisor may continue to work with the graduate student as a co-advisor and serve on the oral and dissertation reading committees, with the appointment of a principal dissertation advisor who is currently a member of the Academic Council. Professors who have recently become emeritus and have been recalled to active duty may serve as principal dissertation advisor, though they are no longer members of the Academic Council. Requests for further exceptions to the requirement that the principal dissertation advisor be a current member of the Academic Council (for example for recently retired emeritus professors who are still actively engaged on campus) will be reviewed by the Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Education.

2. Dissertation Preparation and Submission

The doctoral dissertation must be an original contribution to scholarship or scientific knowledge and must exemplify the highest standards of the discipline. If it is judged to meet this standard, the dissertation is approved for the degree program by the doctoral dissertation reading committee. Information about dissertation format, references, use of published and co-authored work, as well as copyright is on the Registrar's Office website on Format Requirements for eDissertation .

Approvals should be obtained through the electronic signature process (students may submit email confirmations of dissertation approvals from each member of their committee).

Dissertations should be submitted electronically, following the guidelines in:

Directions for Preparing Doctoral Dissertations for Electronic Submission
Directions for Preparing Engineer Theses for Electronic Submission

Previously published dissertations should not be used as a guide for preparation of the manuscript. The signed dissertation copies and accompanying documents must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar on or before the quarterly deadline indicated in the university’s academic calendar. A fee is charged for the microfilming and binding of the dissertation copies.

Students are required to either be enrolled full-time or on Graduation Quarter in the term they submit the dissertation (see GAP 3.1 Registration, Enrollment, and Academic Progress ). The period between the last day of final exams of one term and the first day of the subsequent term is considered an extension of the earlier term. At the time the dissertation is submitted, an Application to Graduate must be on file (filed in Axess), all of the degree program requirements must be complete, and candidacy must be valid through the term of degree conferral.

Dissertations in a Language Other than English

Dissertations must be in English. Exceptions to permit dissertations in a language other than English are granted by the school dean upon a written request from the chair of the student’s major department. The student is required to submit directly to the Student Services Center a paper copy of the approval letter (or email message chain) from the school dean. Approval for writing a dissertation in another language is normally granted only in cases where the other language or literature in that language is also the subject of the discipline. Approval is routinely granted for dissertations in the Division of Literatures, Cultures, and Languages, within degree program specifications. Dissertations written in another language must include an extended summary in English (usually 15-20 pages in length).

When submitting electronically a dissertation in a language other than English, the student should upload the English summary as a supplemental file. When submitting such a dissertation on paper, the student is required to submit the abstract for ProQuest in English.

3. Certificate of Final Reading

One reading committee member, who must be a current member of the Academic Council, reads the dissertation in its final form and certifies on the Certificate of Final Reading that degree program and university specifications, described below, have been met. Typically, the principal dissertation advisor serves as final reader though another member of the committee who is a current Academic Council member may provide the final signature.

All suggested changes have been taken into account and incorporated into the manuscript where appropriate.
If the manuscript includes joint group research, the student's contribution is clearly explained in an introduction.
Format complies with university requirements.
If previously published materials are included in the dissertation, publication sources are indicated, written permission has been obtained for copyrighted materials, and all of the dissertation format requirements have been met.
The dissertation is ready-for-publication in appearance and ready for microfilming and binding.

4. Deadlines

The deadline for submission of dissertations for degree conferral in each term is specified by the university academic calendar . The final dissertation must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar on or before the quarterly deadlines if degree conferral is desired.

Some degree programs may set earlier deadlines for the submission of dissertations.

Dissertation deadlines are strictly enforced and no exceptions are made. Students are strongly encouraged to submit their dissertations at least two weeks prior to the deadline to ensure that all requirements can be met in time for the conferral of the degree.

Related Policies

GAP 3.1 Registration, Enrollment, and Academic Progress
GAP 3.3 Academic Advising
GAP 4.7 Doctoral Degrees, University Oral Examinations & Committees

Related Student Services Sections

Doctor of Philosophy: Dissertation

Related Information and Forms

Doctoral Dissertation Reading Committee form
Petition for Non-Academic Council Doctoral Committee Members
General Information on Dissertation and Thesis Submission
Directions for Preparing Engineer Theses for Electronic Submission
Certificate of Final Reading of Dissertation
Doctoral Dissertation Agreement Form - UMI/ProQuest
Change of Dissertation Adviser or Reading Committee Member
Application to Graduate (in Axess )
Request for Statement of Completion
Format Requirements for eDissertation

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Reading, Notetaking, and Time Management

What is a thesis?

What is a dissertation, getting started, staying on track.

A thesis is a long-term project that you work on over the course of a semester or a year. Theses have a very wide variety of styles and content, so we encourage you to look at prior examples and work closely with faculty to develop yours.

Before you begin, make sure that you are familiar with the dissertation genre—what it is for and what it looks like.

Generally speaking, a dissertation’s purpose is to prove that you have the expertise necessary to fulfill your doctoral-degree requirements by showing depth of knowledge and independent thinking.

The form of a dissertation may vary by discipline. Be sure to follow the specific guidelines of your department.

PhD This site directs candidates to the GSAS website about dissertations , with links to checklists, planning, formatting, acknowledgments, submission, and publishing options. There is also a link to guidelines for the prospectus . Consult with your committee chair about specific requirements and standards for your dissertation.
DDES This document covers planning, patent filing, submission guidelines, publishing options, formatting guidelines, sample pages, citation guidelines, and a list of common errors to avoid. There is also a link to guidelines for the prospectus .
Scholarly Pursuits (GSAS) This searchable booklet from Harvard GSAS is a comprehensive guide to writing dissertations, dissertation-fellowship applications, academic journal articles, and academic job documents.

Finding an original topic can be a daunting and overwhelming task. These key concepts can help you focus and save time.

Finding a topic for your thesis or dissertation should start with a research question that excites or at least interests you. A rigorous, engaging, and original project will require continuous curiosity about your topic, about your own thoughts on the topic, and about what other scholars have said on your topic. Avoid getting boxed in by thinking you know what you want to say from the beginning; let your research and your writing evolve as you explore and fine-tune your focus through constant questioning and exploration.

Get a sense of the broader picture before you narrow your focus and attempt to frame an argument. Read, skim, and otherwise familiarize yourself with what other scholars have done in areas related to your proposed topic. Briefly explore topics tangentially related to yours to broaden your perspective and increase your chance of finding a unique angle to pursue.

Critical Reading

Critical reading is the opposite of passive reading. Instead of merely reading for information to absorb, critical reading also involves careful, sustained thinking about what you are reading. This process may include analyzing the author’s motives and assumptions, asking what might be left out of the discussion, considering what you agree with or disagree with in the author’s statements and why you agree or disagree, and exploring connections or contradictions between scholarly arguments. Here is a resource to help hone your critical-reading skills:

http://writing.umn.edu/sws/assets/pdf/quicktips/criticalread.pdf

Conversation

Your thesis or dissertation will incorporate some ideas from other scholars whose work you researched. By reading critically and following your curiosity, you will develop your own ideas and claims, and these contributions are the core of your project. You will also acknowledge the work of scholars who came before you, and you must accurately and fairly attribute this work and define your place within the larger discussion. Make sure that you know how to quote, summarize, paraphrase , integrate , and cite secondary sources to avoid plagiarism and to show the depth and breadth of your knowledge.

A thesis is a long-term, large project that involves both research and writing; it is easy to lose focus, motivation, and momentum. Here are suggestions for achieving the result you want in the time you have.

The dissertation is probably the largest project you have undertaken, and a lot of the work is self-directed. The project can feel daunting or even overwhelming unless you break it down into manageable pieces and create a timeline for completing each smaller task. Be realistic but also challenge yourself, and be forgiving of yourself if you miss a self-imposed deadline here and there.

Your program will also have specific deadlines for different requirements, including establishing a committee, submitting a prospectus, completing the dissertation, defending the dissertation, and submitting your work. Consult your department’s website for these dates and incorporate them into the timeline for your work.

Accountability

Sometimes self-imposed deadlines do not feel urgent unless there is accountability to someone beyond yourself. To increase your motivation to complete tasks on schedule, set dates with your committee chair to submit pre-determined pieces of a chapter. You can also arrange with a fellow doctoral student to check on each other’s progress. Research and writing can be lonely, so it is also nice to share that journey with someone and support each other through the process.

Common Pitfalls

The most common challenges for students writing a dissertation are writer’s block, information-overload, and the compulsion to keep researching forever.

There are many strategies for avoiding writer’s block, such as freewriting, outlining, taking a walk, starting in the middle, and creating an ideal work environment for your particular learning style. Pay attention to what helps you and try different things until you find what works.

Efficient researching techniques are essential to avoiding information-overload. Here are a couple of resources about strategies for finding sources and quickly obtaining essential information from them.

https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/subject_specific_writing/writing_in_literature/writing_in_literature_detailed_discussion/reading_criticism.html

https://students.dartmouth.edu/academic-skills/learning-resources/learning-strategies/reading-techniques

Finally, remember that there is always more to learn and your dissertation cannot incorporate everything. Follow your curiosity but also set limits on the scope of your work. It helps to create a folder entitled “future projects” for topics and sources that interest you but that do not fit neatly into the dissertation. Also remember that future scholars will build off of your work, so leave something for them to do.

Browsing through theses and dissertations of the past can help to get a sense of your options and gain inspiration but be careful to use current guidelines and refer to your committee instead of relying on these examples for form or formatting.

DASH Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard.

HOLLIS Harvard Library’s catalog provides access to ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global .

MIT Architecture has a list of their graduates’ dissertations and theses.

Rhode Island School of Design has a list of their graduates’ dissertations and theses.

University of South Florida has a list of their graduates’ dissertations and theses.

Harvard GSD has a list of projects, including theses and professors’ research.

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OATD.org provides 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 6,654,285 theses and dissertations.

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Doctoral handbook

The Doctoral Dissertation Reading Committee consists of three faculty members (the principal dissertation advisor and two other readers) who agree to read a student’s dissertation and serve on the orals committee. All members of an approved reading committee are expected to sign the signature page of the completed dissertation. The reading committee normally serves on the oral exam committee, but not always. At the very least, the primary dissertation advisor and one reader from the reading committee serve on the oral exam committee. The student is responsible for obtaining signatures from advisor and readers before submitting the form to the Doctoral Programs Officer for final processing.

The rules governing the composition of the reading committee are as follows: at least one member of the committee must be from the GSE; the principal dissertation advisor must be on the Stanford Academic Council (AC); and any member of the committee that is not a member of the academic council must be approved by the Area Chair and the Associate Dean of Educational Affairs. In the last case, the Petition for Non-Academic Council Member to Serve on Doctoral Committee form (available from the Doctoral Programs Officer) and a current CV of the proposed member are required. This person must be particularly well qualified to consult on the dissertation topic and hold a PhD or an equivalent foreign degree. Non-AC members may not serve as dissertation advisors, but may serve as a co-advisor along with a member of the AC. Students may only have one non-AC member on the reading committee. The only exception to this rule is if you have more than the three members required for a reading committee. At least two members of the reading committee must be members of the Stanford AC. Reading Committee members must sign the Doctoral Reading Committee form (all forms located on the GSE website under current students>forms). Email confirmations or digital signatures will be accepted.

The reading committee formation, and any subsequent changes to the committee composition, are reviewed and approved by the Associate Dean of Educational Affairs. This signature is obtained by the Doctoral Programs Officer, not the student.

The University requires approval of the Doctoral Dissertation Reading Committee form prior to advancement to Terminal Graduate Registration (TGR) status, or before scheduling a University Oral Examination–whichever comes first in the student’s program. Further instructions for form completion are on the GSE Website.

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Dissertations and Theses

Finding dissertations and theses
Resources for writing & submitting a thesis or dissertation

Dissertations and theses as a research tool

Obtaining theses & dissertations written at other institutions, citing dissertations and theses, databases focused on dissertations and theses, sources indexing dissertations and theses, print dissertation indexes and bibliographies.

We can help locate sources, create multimedia components, manage your data, cite sources, answer questions about copyright, and more.

Theses and dissertations can be a valuable source of information for research. They can offer the following benefits:

Just like journal articles, conference proceedings, and other forms of literature, they present original research. Recently completed theses can provide "sneak previews" of ideas and findings that have yet to reach the public via other publication formats.
They may be the only publicly-available work by authors who do not otherwise publish for general audiences or through commercial publishers.
They contain extensive bibliographies.
They provide inspiration for the formatting and presentation of ideas, graphs, charts, and other components of a document.
They provide insight into the early work of a particular person and have value for historical and biographical purposes.

Want to borrow a thesis or dissertation written at another institution that isn't available in full text online ? Request it via ILLIAD , Tufts' interlibrary loan service. Choose the "Thesis" request form and provide as much descriptive information as you can. Not all theses or dissertations are available or loanable, but we'll try to find you a copy!

Some other ways you might be able to find a copy of an older dissertation:

If you can identify the author's institutional affiliation, visit that institution's webpage to see if they catalog or archive students' dissertations.

Contact the author. Some authors will post all or some of their dissertation on their website or have journal articles or other publications which draw heavily on this work.

Search the author's name and/or thesis title in full-text journal databases which include article references. These citations may provide clues as to how to locate the document.

Contact your subject librarian for assistance.

As with journal articles, books, and other sources, theses and dissertations must be properly cited in any document that references them. Most citation styles, including APA, Chicago, and MLA, provide specific instructions for formatting these citations. Citation Management tools, such as EndNote and Zotero, automatically format references for these sources in your selected citation style. More information is in the Citing Sources guide.

Although requirements for citing dissertations vary according by style, they generally seek to convey the following information: that the item is a dissertation (rather than an article or a book); the type of degree it resulted in (master's, PhD, etc); whether it was published; and which institution granted the degree. An example of a citation for a dissertation is presented here in four major citation styles:

APA: Miaoulis, I. N. (1987). Experimental investigation of turbulence spectra of charge density fluctuations in the equilibrium range. Unpublished Ph.D., Tufts University, United States -- Massachusetts.
Chicago: Miaoulis, Ioannis Nikolaos. "Experimental Investigation of Turbulence Spectra of Charge Density Fluctuations in the Equilibrium Range." Ph.D., Tufts University, 1987.
IEEE: [1] I. N. Miaoulis, "Experimental investigation of turbulence spectra of charge density fluctuations in the equilibrium range," United States -- Massachusetts: Tufts University, 1987, p. 98.
MLA: Miaoulis, Ioannis Nikolaos. "Experimental Investigation of Turbulence Spectra of Charge Density Fluctuations in the Equilibrium Range." Ph.D. Tufts University, 1987.

The following sources focus primarily or exclusively on theses and dissertations; some provide direct access to full-text.

DART-Europe E-theses Portal "A partnership of research libraries and library consortia who are working together to improve global access to European research theses."
Dissertations & Theses: Full Text Comprehensive collection of dissertations and theses worldwide. Of the over 2 million titles in the database, more than 930,000 are available in PDF format for free download. Those that aren't freely available can be ordered from within the database.
DSpace@MIT Over 25,000 theses and dissertations from all MIT departments completed as far back as the mid 1800's. Note that this is NOT a complete collection of MIT theses.
Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (NDLTD) Search engine for graduate papers completed at universities both in America and abroad.
Open Access Theses and Dissertations (OATD) Open access (OA) theses and dissertations from institutions worldwide.
Ethos Service from the British Library for reading and ordering theses produced by students in the United Kingdom.
Theses Canada Theses from over 60 Canadian universities, going back to 1965.
Shodhganga@INFLIBNET Centre Digital repository of theses and dissertations from universities in India.

In the following subject-specific databases, the Advance Search option enables filtering by dissertation as the document type.

American Bibliography of Slavic and East European Studies Sources on East-Central Europe and the former Soviet Union.
ARTbibliographies Modern Sources on all forms of modern and contemporary art.
EconLit Economic literature.
Engineering Village For literature on all engineering disciplines.
PsycInfo Sources on psychology and related disciplines.
Sociological Abstracts For the literature on sociology.
SPORTDiscus with Full Text Sources on sport, physical fitness, and physical education.
World Shakespeare Bibliography Sources on materials published since 1971 related to Shakespeare.

A number of indexes and bibliographies of dissertations have been published, primarily in print format. These often focus on specific historical eras, geographic regions, or topics.

Dissertation Indexes in the Tufts Catalog
Dissertation Indexes in WorldCat
Dissertation Indexes in Google Books
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Published: 06 July 2016

The past, present and future of the PhD thesis

Nature volume 535 , page 7 ( 2016 ) Cite this article

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Writing a PhD thesis is a personal and professional milestone for many researchers. But the process needs to change with the times.

According to one of those often-quoted statistics that should be true but probably isn’t, the average number of people who read a PhD thesis all the way through is 1.6. And that includes the author. More interesting might be the average number of PhD theses that the typical scientist — and reader of Nature — has read from start to finish. Would it reach even that (probably apocryphal) benchmark? What we know for sure is that the reading material keeps on coming, with tens of thousands of new theses typed up each year.

To what end? Reading back over a thesis can be like opening up a teenage diary: a painful reminder of a younger, more naive self. The prose is often rough and rambling, the analyses spotted with errors, the methods soundly eclipsed by modern ones. And students in the process of writing a thesis can find themselves in a very dark place indeed: lost in information, overwhelmed by literature, stuck for the next sentence, seduced by procrastination and wondering why on earth they signed up to this torture at all.

Two News Features this week reflect on that question. They examine the past, present and future of the PhD thesis and the oral examination that often accompanies it. In one, three leading scientists — including Francis Collins, director of the US National Institutes of Health — dig out and reread their theses for us, and talk about what they learned. Their musings (filmed and available in a series of videos ) show, reassuringly, that they are just the same as the rest of us. They made mistakes, had moments of self-doubt and considered quitting. (Collins actually did quit.) But their stories also reveal how it is important to have the long view in mind.

Thumbing through their theses now, they see how much they learned about the scientific process and how to conduct rigorous research. They realize how precious it was to be able to devote themselves to a single piece of original and creative work. And they feel a sense of accomplishment and pride — as everyone tends to after any difficult life challenge that they struggle with and eventually conquer.

Students could do themselves and their audience a favour by keeping it crisp and short.

Completing a thesis represents a coming of age not just scientifically, but also educationally and personally. It signals the passing of an intellectual milestone — from a student under the care of a supervisor to an individual who asks questions of their own. It marks the end of formal education, and graduation to a new phase in life. For many people, it also sees their departure from science altogether. Often, the PhD years coincide with significant personal events, as we mature emotionally and meet friends, partners and colleagues who will stay with us for life. All this can also turn thesis-writing into a more significant event than merely the writing up of a (usually) minor piece of science.

Still, it’s perhaps too easy to get sentimental over the thesis. For a start, the process has to keep up with the times. The PhD is already assessed in many different ways around the world (as the second News Feature describes ) and scientists should welcome ways to keep it relevant. The goal of PhD assessment everywhere remains, rightly, to demonstrate that a student has conducted, and can communicate, independent, original research. But the way in which that’s achieved can and should be improved.

For one thing, it doesn’t have to involve a vast printed volume. A lot of students could do themselves, their supervisors, their examiners and their wider audience a favour by keeping it crisp and short. Postgraduate supervisors should stress this at the beginning. And it’s important to make the work in the thesis available to future researchers by publishing or sharing the data in some form. To contribute to the world beyond the author’s immediate circle, a PhD thesis should be read and used, and not just serve as a shelf ornament or doorstop.

For those inspired to go back to their own thesis, and those who are examining a freshly written one, it’s best to be kind. As long as the fundamentals are there — the question is interesting and the approach and analysis rigorous — it’s fair to forgive the typos and the research paths that turned out to be dead ends. A PhD is, after all, training in research, and to try — and fail — is a valuable part of that course.

Do you know where your PhD thesis is? Dig it out and share with @NatureNews on Twitter using the hashtag #3wordthesis . You might even bump up that average readership.

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The past, present and future of the PhD thesis. Nature 535 , 7 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/535007a

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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 7,213,579 theses and dissertations.

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We’re happy to present several data visualizations to give an overall sense of the OATD.org collection by county of publication, language, and field of study.

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

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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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What is a Dissertation? Everything You Need to Know

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Grad student who completed her dissertation smiles at graduation

Your dissertation, the final piece of the puzzle that stands between you and the completion of your doctoral degree . Okay, so that’s not the actual definition of the word “dissertation,” but when you’re writing one, that can feel true at times! Keep reading to learn the academic definition and take a more in depth look at what a dissertation is and how to navigate writing one. So, let’s go!

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Dissertation vs. thesis

While dissertation and thesis are sometimes used interchangeably, they actually refer to two different pieces of writing. A thesis is traditionally completed at the end of a master’s program . It is based on pre-existing research and showcases your ability to understand the information you have been learning about in your program.

A dissertation is much longer than a thesis and is completed at the end of a PhD or doctorate program . It is the last thing you need to complete in order to earn your doctorate in your chosen field. It will be about a topic of your choosing that is within your field of study. Instead of using all pre-existing information though, you will conduct a portion of your own research and propose new ideas.

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What do you write about when completing a dissertation?

What you write about will depend on what field of study you are in. A dissertation is designed to be your own. Meaning that what you write about should be a new idea, a new topic, or question that is still unanswered in your field. Something that you will need to collect new data on, potentially interview people for and explore what information is already available.

Generally, an idea will need to be approved or at least discussed with whoever is overseeing your dissertation before you begin writing. It’s important to put time and effort into choosing a topic that you will be able to find either existing research for and add to, or a topic that you will be able to establish your own methods of data collection for. Again, the goal of your dissertation is to add to your field.

How long does a dissertation need to be?

Your dissertation length will vary, but you can generally count on it to be around 2-3 times the length of your thesis. A standard thesis is roughly 80 to 100 pages. So, on the short end you’re looking at a 200 pages dissertation, while the longer end can reach as high as 400 pages.

How long does it take to write?

The page count for a dissertation is enough to scare even the best writers away, but take a breath and rest easy knowing that this is not something you complete in just one semester or even two. On the short end you will have a year to write your dissertation, while the longer end can offer as much as two years to complete your dissertation. During this time, you will work with an advisor who can watch over you and help you along the way.

The parts of a dissertation

A dissertation is not just one long paper you must write. Thankfully, it is broken down into manageable pieces that you complete over time.

Choosing a topic

The first thing you will do is come up with your topic. Again, your topic will need to be approved by whoever is overseeing your dissertation. If they think that it may not be a strong topic, they will let you know. Even if a topic is approved though, you’ll need to do research around that topic first to make sure that it has not already been covered, or if it has that you take into consideration what has been done and add to the topic in a new way.

Research can mean looking at what already exists, as well as conducting your own research to add to a proposed idea of yours. Your research can take many different forms depending on what field you are in. Research can be costly at times, so be sure to check out what funding opportunities are available for doctoral research. There are even post PhD research grants you should be familiar with if you intend to continue researching.

Chapter break down

A dissertation generally consists of five chapters. We’ve written them out below with a brief description of each and what they include.

Introduction – Just as you would expect, this is where you will introduce your topic and what you plan to discuss

Literature review – This section will address the research you have found that has already been done, or found has not been done, that pertains to your topic

Methodology – How you go about collecting information for your dissertation, whether it be conducting your own research or delving deep into what has already been done, will be discussed in the methodology section

Results – Your results will analyze the information you gathered in regard to your topic

Discussion – Finally, your discussion section will assess the meaning of your results and it is also where you will add your own ideas, rooted in research, about what those results mean in a broader context in regard to your field

There will be more parts of your dissertation that are not included in the chapters, but the bulk of your dissertation will be made up by these five chapters. Things like title pages, references, appendices, and table of contents will also be included.

Defending your dissertation

Believe it or not, it’s not enough just to write your dissertation–you also have to defend your dissertation. This is another reason why taking a thorough amount of time to choose your topic is so important. You’ll likely need to propose your initial dissertation idea, but that will be much simpler and shorter. Your final defense will be much lengthier and in depth.

During your defense, you will present your dissertation to a committee. It’s likely that you’ll be at least somewhat familiar with those on the committee; they are not just randomly picked. They will ask you questions about your research, and you will need to respond to each question. A defense generally takes around two hours. The point of a defense is not to have people try to undermine your work, but for you to exemplify your expertise in your field.

Failing your dissertation

Nobody wants to think about failing, but unfortunately, you can fail your dissertation. However, let’s talk about a few things before we just leave it at that. First, if you are afraid of failing your dissertation, this is something that you should speak to your advisor about. They can help you determine if there should be legitimate concerns or if you are getting in your own head.

Second, even if you do fail your dissertation, you are usually allowed to resubmit one time. This of course is not ideal, but it does give you a little room to breathe. Your goal is to do great from the start, but remember this is not an easy task. You’ll likely have plenty of bumps along the way!

Again, if you have concerns about failing, address them sooner rather than later and seek help. There are bound to be plenty of people and services around you, as well as additional services that you can pay for which will help review your materials and guide you along.

Key Takeaways

Dissertations are completed as the last step of your PhD or doctorate degree
Your dissertation will be related to a topic or question in your field of study that you choose
Dissertations take anywhere from one to two years to complete and can be upwards of three hundred pages long
Your dissertation is designed to showcase your expertise in your field and your addition of new ideas to the field about a particular question or area

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Dissertations & theses: home, finding dissertations & theses.

The majority of print dissertations in the UC Berkeley Libraries are from UC Berkeley. The libraries have a nearly complete collection of Berkeley doctoral dissertations (wither online, in print, or both), and a large number of Berkeley master's theses.

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UC Berkeley PhD Dissertations

Dissertations and Theses (Dissertation Abstracts) UCB access only 1861-present

Index and full text of graduate dissertations and theses from North American and European schools and universities, including the University of California, with full text of most doctoral dissertations from UC Berkeley and elsewhere from 1996 forward. Dissertations published prior to 2009 may not include information about the department from which the degree was granted.

UC Berkeley Master's Theses

UC Berkeley Digital Collections 2011-present

Selected UC Berkeley master's theses freely available online. For theses published prior to 2020, check UC Library Search for print availability (see "At the Library" below).

UC Berkeley dissertations may also be found in eScholarship , UC's online open access repository.

Please note that it may take time for a dissertation to appear in one of the above online resources. Embargoes and other issues affect the release timing.

At the Library:

Dissertations: From 2012 onwards, dissertations are only available online. See above links.

Master's theses : From 2020 onwards, theses are only available online. See above links.

To locate older dissertations, master's theses, and master's projects in print, search UC Library Search by keyword, title or author. For publications prior to 2009 you may also include a specific UC Berkeley department in your search: berkeley dissertations <department name> .

Examples: berkeley dissertations electrical engineering computer sciences berkeley dissertations mechanical engineering

University of California - all campuses

Index and full text of graduate dissertations and theses from North American and European schools and universities, including the University of California.

WorldCatDissertations UCB access only

Covers all dissertations and theses cataloged in WorldCat, a catalog of materials owned by libraries worldwide. UC Berkeley faculty, staff, and students may use the interlibrary loan request form for dissertations found in WorldCatDissertations.

Worldwide - Open Access

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).

Open Access Theses and Dissertations (OATD)

An index of over 3.5 million electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs). To the extent possible, the index is limited to records of graduate-level theses that are freely available online.

Last Updated: Mar 11, 2024 2:47 PM
URL: https://guides.lib.berkeley.edu/dissertations_theses

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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´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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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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ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global

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ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global is a wealth of unique global scholarship, which is a credible and quality source to Uncover the Undiscovered research insights and intelligence in easiest and most effective ways. The equitable discoverability of more than 5.8 million dissertations and theses with coverage from year 1637, allows researchers to amplify diverse voices and place their research in a global context. The database offers nearly 3.2 million full texts for most of the dissertations added since 1997.

By leveraging the rich citation data found in ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global and with new citation insight tool, researchers can benefit from focused pathways of discovery to build foundational knowledge on various research topics. Over 200,000 new dissertations and theses are added to the database each year to enrich the citation data continuously.

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Who is the target audience for a dissertation?

I'm currently writing my dissertation in a scientific field and I keep second guessing what to write. The research I'm covering is broad and interdisciplinary so there is significant background knowledge needed. My problem is I keep trying to include pieces of background knowledge so someone less familiar can understand what I'm doing, but the only people who'll probably even read the thing I can count on one hand.

So basically, who should I envision as my audience and how in depth should a dissertation be? Do I only include directly relevant info with little to no background, or is it better to include at least some background? Thanks for the help.

Edit: Thanks everyone for the responses, everyone has raised good points to keep in mind. So ultimately, it seems like kind of a balancing act between pleasing the committee, writing for at least moderately informed individuals in the field, and trying to make the whole work have scientific value. It's easy to see why there's so much variation in dissertation writing style's then. Some people may use the dissertation as a jumping board into academia, some may only need it to get a job.

I'll remind myself of these things while writing so thanks again for the advice.

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How can I find theses and dissertations?

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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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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 .

You might also be interested in:

COMMENTS

What's the point of PhD theses if nobody reads them?
The premise is not valid. I have read hundreds of theses and dissertations when conducting research and regularly cite them in my work. One issue is that many theses and dissertations are collected behind various digital walls (Proquest, University repositories, etc) and are not easily viewable in a free and open way on the internet. ...
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.
4.8.1 Doctoral Degrees, Dissertations & Dissertation Reading Committees
3. Certificate of Final Reading. One reading committee member, who must be a current member of the Academic Council, reads the dissertation in its final form and certifies on the Certificate of Final Reading that degree program and university specifications, described below, have been met. Typically, the principal dissertation advisor serves as final reader though another member of the ...
Research Guides: Write and Cite: Theses and Dissertations
Generally speaking, a dissertation's purpose is to prove that you have the expertise necessary to fulfill your doctoral-degree requirements by showing depth of knowledge and independent thinking. Form. The form of a dissertation may vary by discipline. Be sure to follow the specific guidelines of your department.
Open Access Theses and Dissertations (OATD)
Freely accessible to the public via the Internet. Subjects: Dissertations and Theses. Watson Library. 1425 Jayhawk Blvd. Lawrence, KS 66045. Contact Us. 785-864-8983. Libraries website feedback.
Dissertation Reading Committee
The Doctoral Dissertation Reading Committee consists of three faculty members (the principal dissertation advisor and two other readers) who agree to read a student's dissertation and serve on the orals committee. All members of an approved reading committee are expected to sign the signature page of the completed dissertation. The reading committee normally serves on the oral exam committee ...
Finding Dissertations and Theses
University of Alabama. This database is a companion to ProQuest Dissertations & Theses, featuring current research from the University of Alabama with citations and abstracts for dissertations and theses. Full text can be downloaded by authorized University of Alabama users.
Dissertations and theses as a research tool
Theses and dissertations can be a valuable source of information for research. They can offer the following benefits: Just like journal articles, conference proceedings, and other forms of literature, they present original research. ... Service from the British Library for reading and ordering theses produced by students in the United Kingdom ...
The past, present and future of the PhD thesis
According to one of those often-quoted statistics that should be true but probably isn't, the average number of people who read a PhD thesis all the way through is 1.6. And that includes the ...
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 ...
What is a Dissertation? Everything You Need to Know
A dissertation is designed to be your own. Meaning that what you write about should be a new idea, a new topic, or question that is still unanswered in your field. Something that you will need to collect new data on, potentially interview people for and explore what information is already available. Generally, an idea will need to be approved ...
Does Anyone Read PhD Dissertations? How Do You Get People To ...
Yes, people read your dissertation research but the audience is generally small. Mostly, your dissertation research will be read by about a dozen people or s...
Who has read your dissertation? : r/PhD
PhD students in our group frequently read dissertations of other, previous students. It's a good way to see how a thesis should look like. Also, since we are colabroating and working together a lot, and the projects overlap, it's useful to have an insight into what others are doing. Reply. EyeH8usernames29.
ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global
The ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global (PQDT) ™ database is the world's most comprehensive curated collection of multi-disciplinary dissertations and theses from around the world, offering over 5 million citations and 3 million full-text works from thousands of universities. Within dissertations and theses is a wealth of scholarship, yet ...
Home
At the Library: Dissertations: From 2012 onwards, dissertations are only available online. See above links. Master's theses: From 2020 onwards, theses are only available online.See above links. To locate older dissertations, master's theses, and master's projects in print, search UC Library Search by keyword, title or author. For publications prior to 2009 you may also include a specific UC ...
Writing a Dissertation: A Complete Guide
A dissertation is a lengthy research paper written as a requirement to earn an academic degree. Typically, students must write a dissertation toward the end of their program to both prove their knowledge and contribute new research to their field. The term dissertation is sometimes used interchangeably with thesis paper.
Top Dissertations
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.
Resources to Find Dissertations: Home
OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. A free, online database of Ohio's undergraduate, masters and doctoral theses and dissertations from participating OhioLINK member schools. It contains the abstract for all included theses and dissertations. The full-text is also available if it was submitted.
LibGuides: ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global: Home
ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global is a wealth of unique global scholarship, which is a credible and quality source to Uncover the Undiscovered research insights and intelligence in easiest and most effective ways. The equitable discoverability of more than 5.8 million dissertations and theses with coverage from year 1637, allows researchers to amplify diverse voices and place their ...
Dissertations & Theses
Find dissertations & theses. ScholarWorks makes publicly available the scholarly and creative output of the Walden University community. The searchable database includes Walden dissertations (2015 to present) and Walden's open access research journals. The database contains full text of dissertations and theses written by Walden students.
Who is the target audience for a dissertation? : r/GradSchool
Oh yes, you should absolutely put in enough detail that your work is reproducible! I was advised that you need to put more detail in a thesis than in a paper, because in a paper it's assumed that you understand the methods that you're using whereas in a thesis you need to demonstrate that you understand, and in a paper you only need to direct the reader to the relevant background research you ...
How can I find theses and dissertations?
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:
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 ...

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