Theses and dissertations can be valuable sources for understanding a topic in depth, discovering recent research, and seeing how other scholars design and carry out projects. This page offers tips on when and how to use them, how to evaluate their quality, and how to cite them properly.
Theses and dissertations can be especially helpful because they:
Provide in-depth treatment of a topic.
Graduate projects often include detailed literature reviews, methods sections, and appendices that go beyond typical journal articles.
Highlight emerging or niche topics.
Students may write on new issues or specialized areas that have not yet appeared widely in the published literature.
Reveal research methods and instruments.
Many theses and dissertations include survey instruments, interview protocols, coding schemes, or detailed descriptions of data collection and analysis.
Point to additional sources.
Reference lists in theses and dissertations can help you find key articles, books, and reports on your topic.
You do not always need to read an entire thesis or dissertation from start to finish. Instead, focus on the sections most useful for your project:
Abstract.
Use the abstract to decide whether the work is relevant to your topic.
Literature review.
Look at how the author summarizes prior research, identifies gaps, and defines key concepts.
This can give you ideas for framing your own literature review.
Methods.
Pay attention to research design, sampling, data collection, and analysis.
These sections can be excellent models if you are designing your own study.
Findings and discussion.
Consider how the author links results back to the literature and to research questions.
References.
Use the reference list to discover additional sources you may want to track down.
Theses and dissertations are usually reviewed by a faculty committee and the degree-granting institution, but they are not always peer-reviewed in the same way as journal articles. When you use them as sources, consider:
Institution and degree level.
Note where the work was completed and whether it is a master’s thesis or doctoral dissertation.
Clarity of research questions.
Are the research questions or objectives clearly stated and logically connected to the methods?
Appropriateness of methods.
Does the design fit the questions? Are limitations acknowledged?
Use of literature.
Does the author engage with relevant scholarship and situate the project within the field?
Contribution to knowledge.
What does this work add? How might it inform or complement other sources you are using?
Your advisor or committee can help you decide how heavily to rely on a thesis or dissertation for your own project.
You should cite theses and dissertations when you:
Quote or closely paraphrase their ideas, data, or conclusions.
Use their research design or instruments as a model for your own work.
Refer to their findings as part of your literature review.
Citation formats vary by style (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.). Most styles have specific rules for citing theses and dissertations, including:
Author
Year
Title (often in italics)
Descriptor (for example, “Doctoral dissertation” or “Master’s thesis”)
Institution
Database or repository name and URL, if available
Check the appropriate style guide or ask a librarian if you are unsure how to format a citation.
If you are writing your own thesis, dissertation, or graduate project, looking at examples from your field can help you:
Understand expectations.
See how other students structure chapters, write literature reviews, and present data.
Explore different approaches.
Compare a few examples to see how methods, theoretical frameworks, and writing styles can vary.
Plan your timeline.
Reviewing the scope of similar projects can help you estimate how long tasks may take.
When using another student’s work as a model, remember that program requirements change over time. Always follow your current department and Graduate School guidelines.