Correctly citing a thesis or dissertation is a fundamental skill in academic writing. These documents, often the culmination of years of focused research, are treasure troves of original ideas and detailed findings. Giving proper credit not only honors the author’s work but also strengthens your own arguments by showing the foundation upon which you build your knowledge. It’s a signal to your reader that you’ve engaged with the deep, specific scholarship in your field.
- Identify the Type: Is it a master’s thesis or a doctoral dissertation? Is it published (in a database like ProQuest Dissertations or an online archive) or unpublished (available only from the university)?
- Gather Key Info: You’ll need the author’s name, title, year of publication, the institution awarding the degree, and if published, the database name or URL.
- Follow the Style Guide: Apply the specific format for APA, MLA, or Chicago style. Pay close attention to details like capitalization and punctuation. For instance, APA uses sentence case for the title, while MLA uses title case.
- Use a Tool: When in doubt, a free citation generator can help you structure the reference correctly and save you a ton of time. Just double-check the output.
Why Citing a Thesis or Dissertation Matters
Why should you bother citing these lengthy, sometimes obscure, academic papers? A thesis or a dissertation represents a significant, original contribution to a field of study. Unlike many journal articles, which are often condensed for brevity, a dissertation provides an exhaustive look at a topic, including extensive literature reviews, detailed methodologies, and raw data that you won’t find anywhere else. Using them as a reference shows you are digging deeper than the most commonly cited sources. I remember the first time I cited a dissertation; it felt like I had found a secret key, unlocking a perspective that wasn’t part of the mainstream academic conversation. The satisfying heft of the printed copy from the library was a tangible connection to that scholar’s hard work.
Published vs. Unpublished: What Is the Difference?
The path to correctly citing a thesis or dissertation forks depending on its publication status. The distinction is a bit of a terminological fossil but remains important for citation.
A published dissertation or thesis is one that has been made available through a commercial database (like ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global), an institutional repository, or another online collection. These are generally easy to access.
An unpublished thesis or dissertation typically refers to a work that is not in a major database. You might only be able to get it in print form directly from the library of the institution awarding the degree. The line has blurred with the rise of university-run digital archives, but the citation formats still reflect this difference.
Locating Theses and Dissertations
Finding the right thesis can feel like a quest. Your first stop should be a dedicated database. Services like ProQuest Dissertations Publishing are the gold standard, containing millions of dissertations from thousands of universities worldwide. Many university libraries provide free access to this invaluable resource.
Your next best bet is the institutional repository of the author’s university. Most institutions now have digital archives where they showcase the scholarly output of their students and faculty. For example, searching the digital archive at a place like Victoria University can yield unique, region-specific research. Don’t forget a simple Google Scholar search; it often links directly to a PDF of the document stored in a repository.
A pro tip: If you find a reference to a dissertation but can’t locate the full text, try emailing the author directly. Many academics are happy to share a copy of their work with interested students.
How to Cite a Thesis in APA Style (7th Edition)
APA style is common in the social sciences. Its format for a thesis or dissertation is straightforward, focusing on the author, date, and title. A key feature is the description of the work in brackets.
For more examples, check out the official APA Style guide on Published Dissertation or Thesis References.
Published Doctoral Dissertation or Master’s Thesis
When a dissertation is available from a database, the database name is the final element of the reference.
Format: Author, A. A. (Year). Title of the doctoral dissertation or master’s thesis (Publication No. XXX) [Doctoral dissertation / Master’s thesis, Name of Institution]. Database Name.
Example (Doctoral Dissertation): Knight, K. A. (2011). Media epidemics: Viral structures in literature and new media (Publication No. 2013420395) [Doctoral dissertation, University of California, Santa Barbara]. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing.
Example (Master’s Thesis): Stiles, T. W. (2001). Doing science: Teachers’ authentic experiences at the Lone Star Dinosaur Field Institute [Master’s thesis, Texas A&M University]. OAKTrust. https://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/ETD-TAMU-2001-THESIS-S745
Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation or Master’s Thesis
For unpublished theses, the format is simpler. You just list the university name at the end. This format is for a document you might find in a university’s physical library.
Format: Author, A. A. (Year). Title of the unpublished doctoral dissertation or master’s thesis [Unpublished doctoral dissertation / Unpublished master’s thesis]. Name of Institution.
Example (Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation): Samson, J. M. (2016). Human trafficking and globalization [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
How to Cite a Thesis in MLA Style (9th Edition)
MLA, widely used in the humanities, treats dissertations and theses much like books. The title is italicized, and the description of the work is a key element.
The MLA Style Center provides more guidance on citing dissertations.
Published Doctoral Dissertation or Master’s Thesis
For a dissertation or thesis found in a database, you include the database name and the URL or other identifier.
Format: Author’s Last Name, First Name. Title of Thesis or Dissertation. Year of Publication. Name of Institution, PhD dissertation / MA thesis. Database Name, URL.
Example (Doctoral Dissertation): Bishop, Wendy. Ethnographic Writing Research: A Study of Written and Oral Communication in a University Community. 1988. Indiana U of Pennsylvania, PhD dissertation. ProQuest Dissertations, www.proquest.com/docview/303688422.
Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation or Master’s Thesis
For an unpublished work, the format is very clean. Just the essential information is needed. But, this is a rare bird these days.
Format: Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of Thesis or Dissertation.” Year of Completion. Name of Institution, unpublished PhD dissertation / MA thesis.
Example (Unpublished Master’s Thesis): Choi, Min-Jeong. “The Representation of Women in Contemporary Korean Cinema.” 2019. University of British Columbia, unpublished MA thesis.
How to Cite a Thesis in Chicago Style (17th Edition)
Chicago style, used often in history and the arts, offers two systems: notes-bibliography and author-date. The notes-bibliography style is shown below. It emphasizes the specifics of the document type and its location.
The Chicago Manual of Style’s Q&A is a great resource for tricky citations like an electronic thesis.
Published Doctoral Dissertation or Master’s Thesis
The Chicago format for a published thesis or dissertation includes the university and year, followed by the publication information or URL.
Reference List Entry Format: Last Name, First Name. “Title of Thesis.” PhD diss. / Master’s thesis, Name of University, Year. Database Name (Publication Number) or URL.
Reference List Entry Example: Murphy, Priscilla. “The Role of the Reader: A Study of Ten Bestselling Novels.” PhD diss., Northwestern University, 1987. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global (8723680).
First Note Example: 1. Priscilla Murphy, “The Role of the Reader: A Study of Ten Bestselling Novels” (PhD diss., Northwestern University, 1987), 45-47, ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global (8723680).
Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation or Master’s Thesis
For an unpublished doctoral dissertation or master’s thesis, the format is similar, but you omit the database and publication details. The source element is simply the institution.
Reference List Entry Format: Last Name, First Name. “Title of Thesis.” PhD diss. / Master’s thesis, Name of University, Year.
Reference List Entry Example: Smith, John. “An Analysis of Economic Policy in Post-War Britain.” Master’s thesis, University of London, 1992.
Thesis & Dissertation Formats
| Element | APA 7 | MLA 9 | Chicago 17 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Author | Last Name, F. M. | Last Name, First Name. | Last Name, First Name. |
| Title | Sentence case and italicized. | Title Case and Italicized. | “Title Case in Quotation Marks.” |
| Work Type | [Doctoral dissertation] | PhD dissertation. | PhD diss. |
| Publication Info | Database Name. | Database Name, URL. | Database Name (Publication Number). |
Citing Other Academic Works
Sometimes you’ll encounter research presented at a conference but not yet published in a journal. These are often available as conference proceedings. Citing them is similar to citing a chapter in an edited book. You’ll need the author of the paper, the paper’s title, the editors of the conference proceedings, the name of the conference, the year, and page numbers. The exact format for conference proceedings will vary by style guide, but the principle is the same: point your reader to the specific document within the larger collection. Always check your style manual for the correct format for conference proceedings.
Can I use a thesis as an academic source?
Absolutely. A thesis or doctoral dissertation is a credible, in-depth academic source. They are rigorously researched and reviewed by a committee of experts. Citing them demonstrates a deep engagement with your topic’s literature. However, be aware that they have not undergone the same peer-review process as a published journal article. They are excellent for finding detailed methodology and unique data, but you should always evaluate their arguments critically, just as you would with any source.
Can I cite my own thesis?
Yes, you can and should cite your own previous work when it is relevant to your current writing. This is called self-citation. It’s important for transparency and to show how your research builds on your past findings. If you are writing a journal article based on your master’s thesis, for example, you would include a full reference to the thesis in your reference list. Just format the reference list entry for your thesis or dissertation as you would for any other, following the appropriate style guide. There’s no special format for self-citation; you are simply the author.