How to Find Theses & Dissertations

Finding Theses & Dissertations Written by Georgia State University Students

PRINT:
Print dissertations published until 2004 may be searched for in the GIL Online Catalog. Using a keyword search, search for "thesis" (in Keyword Anywhere) and "Georgia State University" (as a phrase, in Keyword Anywhere). A small minority of theses and dissertations published after 2004 are only available in print - these may also be searched for in the GIL Online Catalog.

ELECTRONIC:
The majority of Masters Theses, PhD dissertations, and undergraduate Honors Theses submitted after December, 2004 are available through the Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETD) Database as well as the GIL Online Catalog. In the ETD Database you can browse available ETDs, or search via author, title, advisor name, or keyword. Most of the ETDs are available to the worldwide community; some, however, are limited to the GSU community. If you are not affiliated with GSU, you may request a thesis or dissertation via the InterLibrary Loan Department of your home library.

GSU dissertations published after 1996 are available electronically via UMI's Current Research @ GSU database. At this site, you can:

• Search citations and abstracts of dissertations and theses submitted to UMI's Dissertation Abstracts database prior to 1996,
• View 24-page previews of dissertations and theses published after 1996, and
• Download the full text of dissertations and theses published after 1996 (if you are a valid Georgia State University student – if not, you may request the work through Interlibrary Loan at your home library).

Finding Theses & Dissertations Written at Other Academic Institutions

Dissertations & Theses: A&I at ProQuest contains abstracts of dissertations accepted at accredited U.S. institutions since 1861, as well as selected masters theses, Canadian dissertations, British and other international dissertations. Full-text PDF files of dissertations published since 1997 are available. There is a fee for these downloads (see below for information on how to order these items through Interlibrary Loan).

Worldcat: All university libraries catalog their own school's dissertations in their own catalog, and can be searched using Worldcat, a compendium of library catalogs. Using a keyword search, search for "thesis" and your topic.

Many universities are making their theses and dissertations available through databases similar to GSU's ETD database. These ETDs can be found through the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations, OAIster, the home institution's online catalog, or a standard search engine. 

Accessing & Borrowing GSU Theses & Dissertations

Theses & Dissertations located in the ETD database and made globally accessible can be downloaded and read by the user. For non-GSU students, ETDs with restricted availability can be requested through the Interlibrary Loan Department of your home library.
The University Library maintains two copies of most theses and dissertations that were submitted prior to the existence of the ETD database (in December, 2004). One is shelved in the General Collection and is available for checkout by the GSU community. The other is stored offsite but can be requested from Special Collections and made available for use in the Special Collections reading room. Non-GSU users should contact the Interlibrary Loan unit at their home library to borrow these items.

Borrowing & Ordering Non-GSU Theses & Dissertations

GSU students, faculty, and staff can request theses and dissertations from other institutions by placing an Interlibrary Loan request through ILLiad. Login with your GSU Panthercard ID to place a request. If the Interlibrary Loan unit is unable to obtain a loan, your GSU email account will receive a cancellation notice with more information about your options.
One of those options may be purchase of an unbound paper copy for $29. Many dissertations available through Dissertations Abstracts/Digital Dissertations at ProQuest can be purchased in unbound paper format for $29.00 through our institutional discount. Search Dissertation Abstracts to compare that with the price for an immediate download, and to view free abstracts and previews to help you decide whether the material is important enough to your research to be worth your investment. Reply to the ILLiad cancellation message or contact ILL directly at libill@langate.gsu.edu if you are interested in purchasing a paper copy.

 

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