The largest and most well-known dissertation database available is the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Database. This dissertation database includes nearly every dissertation written in the United States and in a variety of other nations as well. The ProQuest dissertation database is maintained by UMI Publishing.
Students who are conducting research for their own dissertations can search a dissertation database for the titles and abstracts of existing dissertations and theses on similar topics. It is crucial when working on a dissertation that a student be deeply knowledgeable about prior research in the field, and locating any relevant dissertation through a dissertation database is one key to accomplishing this.
Subscriptions to the dissertation database are available, but they are primarily held by institutions. Students wishing to search a dissertation database can do so through their university library. The dissertation database can be used first to locate titles and abstracts of any dissertations that may be closely related to the student's research. After reviewing abstracts and selecting those titles that seem most relevant to the student's project, the student can use the dissertation database to obtain copies of important dissertation research that the student will consult during his or her dissertation research process.
At first, searching the dissertation database can seem confusing. The student should feel free to consult the university's reference librarian for instructions on how to search the dissertation database effectively. Once the student has had some opportunity to practice, accessing the dissertation database should become simpler.
Some dissertations available through the ProQuest dissertation database are open access. This means that their authors have made them available for viewing free of charge and without requiring a subscription to the ProQuest dissertation database. Viewing open access dissertations from the dissertation database can be useful in any student's research. In addition, viewing dissertations through the open dissertation database can be a way of viewing dissertation examples for students who are looking for more information about how to format and structure their dissertations.
