Researching a Dissertation/Thesis Topic
Marie desJardins suggests, "When you first start reading up on a new field, ask your advisor or a fellow student what the most useful journals and conference proceedings are in your field, and ask for a list of seminal or 'classic' papers that you should definitely read."
In addition to discussions with your advisor and strategies such as following your interests and searching the important article databases in your discipline as well as the UCLA Library Catalog, other suggestions include:
- Read a review article, which you can find by using the "article type" field in an article database. Look at the "future research" section at the end to find possible topics.
- Use the auto-alert feature that many article databases have, which runs a search you set up periodically and emails you the results.
- Explore Databases by Subject; sometimes work on a topic is being done in another field or research from another discipline may enhance your work.
- Search ProQuest Dissertations & Theses to see if anyone has already written on the topic you are interested in. The object is to find nothing—which would indicate that you have an original idea to pursue.
- Another place to search for dissertations is OATD.org (Open Access Theses and Dissertations),
DesJardins also suggests that you start a journal of your research activities and ideas, keep files of the papers you read, and create an an online bibliography.
- Use bibliographic management software such as EndNote, Zotero, Mendeley or Reference Manager to create and manage a working bibliography of references; many article databases can format citations. Find out more at an upcoming Library workshop.
- Cite sources accurately and ethically; find guidelines on the Library's Avoiding Plagiarism guide.
- Schedule a consultation with a librarian; a list of subject specialists is available online.
Dissertations Beyond UCLA
Researching a dissertation topic includes checking to see of someone has already written on the topic you are considering. These sources can be consulted as part of your search. Dissertations not owned by UCLA may be requested on interlibrary loan from other institutions.
- ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global This link opens in a new window
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Index to doctoral dissertations from 1637 to the present, with abstracts since 1980. A number of master's theses are also indexed, with abstracts since 1988. Many are available for download in pdf format. UCLA has access to all full text dissertations in the database. Non-UCLA users may use Dissertations Express to purchase digital or print copies of individual dissertations. - eScholarship, University of California This link opens in a new window
UC's open access repository. Contains books, journals, working papers, conference publications, postprints, theses, and dissertations.
- WorldCat Dissertations and Theses This link opens in a new window
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Over 5 million dissertations and theses available in OCLC member libraries. Many theses are available electronically, at no charge, directly from the publishing institution. UCLA students, faculty, and staff can request non-UCLA dissertations via interlibrary loan.
- Center for Research Libraries (CRL) Foreign DissertationsSearch the CRL Catalog for dissertations already held at the Center. If a foreign dissertation is not at CRL, UCLA's Interlibrary Loan Service will request that CRL acquire it for your use. This special issue of Focus on Global Resources describes CRL's extensive collection of foreign dissertations.
- Networked Digital Library of Theses and DissertationsThis international organization promotes the adoption, creation, use, dissemination, and preservation of electronic analogues to traditional paper-based theses and dissertations in order to more effectively share knowledge.