Finding Dissertations and Theses
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Guide to Finding Dissertations and Theses
Dissertations and master's theses can be great tools for uncovering research that has been done in a field. This guide contains links to help users locate disserations and theses, both national and international.
Obtaining the Full Text
If the dissertation or thesis needed is not available in ProQuest, you might be able to borrow it from a library using the steps below.
- WorldCatFirst, visit WorldCat to see which libraries own the dissertation or thesis. WorldCat is a catalog shared by most libraries in North America.
- Universal BorrowingIf the dissertation/thesis is available at UAB, Auburn, AUM or Jacksonville State, the UA Libraries can obtain it for you very quickly through the Universal Borrowing program. Follow the link above. Select the other universities' catalogs. Locate the dissertation or thesis. Click the "Hold/Recall/Request" link.
- Interlibrary LoanIf the dissertation/thesis is not available at UA or through Universal Borrowing, complete an Interlibrary Loan (ILL) request. The Libraries will borrow the dissertation/thesis from another library for you, free of charge. Borrowing periods will vary. For more information about ILL, visit this page.
University of Alabama
- Dissertations and Theses at University of Alabama This link opens in a new windowA companion database to ProQuest Dissertations & Theses, this database consists of current research at the University of Alabama and includes citations (and many abstracts) for dissertations and theses from the university. For the majority of titles published after 1996 (and in some cases prior to 1996), a preview of the first 24 pages is provided as well as the full text, which can be downloaded for free by authorized University of Alabama users.
ProQuest Dissertations & Theses
If you're looking for dissertations and theses from the United States, start with ProQuest.
- ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global This link opens in a new window
Searchable and browsable database of dissertations and theses from around the world, 1743 to present. Offers full text for works added since 1997, along with selected full text for works written before 1997. Contains a significant amount of new international dissertations and theses both in citations and in full text, ranging from 1861 to those accepted last semester. Dissertations from 1980 forward and master's theses from 1988 forward include abstracts.
Theses Canada
- Theses CanadaMost dissertations awarded by Canadian institutions are indexed in ProQuest. Theses Canada can provide additional information about obtaining a copy when no digitized copy is available.