Theses and dissertations are documents that present an author's research findings, which are submitted to a university in support of their academic degree. They are very useful to consult when carrying out your own research because they:
On this page you will find guidance on how to search for and access theses and dissertations available online.
If you have the citation for a specific thesis that you would like to consult the first place to look would be online collections of theses such as:
However, if you have no luck with these it is a good idea to get in touch with the institution that the researcher was affiliated with when the thesis was written, as many will keep collections of theses dissertations written by their academics.
For example, at Oxford most theses can be found on SOLO. For more information on how to access specific theses, see:
If instead you wish to search more broadly for any theses relevant to your subject you may first want to look at larger indexes, these are often separated by geographical area. For example:
Terms you may encounter in your research
Thesis:
In the UK, a thesis is normally a document that presents an author's research findings as part of a doctoral or research programme.
Dissertation:
In the UK, a dissertation is normally a document that presents an author's research findings as part of an undergraduate or master's programme.
(note that in the US the definitions of thesis and dissertation are reversed)
PhD/DPhil:
An abbreviation for Doctor of Philosophy, which is an advanced research qualification.