Dissertations & Theses

Dissertations and theses represent significant works of original research and scholarship, typically completed by candidates for advanced degrees (such as doctoral or master's degrees). These documents offer in-depth explorations of specific topics, often presenting new findings, theoretical analyses, or comprehensive reviews of existing literature. As primary sources, they can be invaluable for researchers seeking detailed information that may not yet be available in published books or journal articles. Properly citing dissertations and theses in MLA style is crucial for acknowledging the author's scholarly contribution, demonstrating the thoroughness of your own research, and enabling other scholars to locate and consult these important works.

This section provides detailed guidelines for citing dissertations and theses according to the conventions of MLA 9th Edition. The guidelines cover the core elements required for citation, including author names, titles, the degree-granting institution, the type of work (e.g., PhD dissertation, MA thesis), publication dates, and information for accessing them, whether through online databases, institutional repositories, or in print.

Basic Format:

Published Dissertation or Thesis (e.g., from a database or institutional repository):
Author Last Name, First Name. "Title of Dissertation or Thesis." Year of Completion, Name of Institution, Type of Work (e.g., PhD dissertation, MA thesis). Name of Database or Repository, DOI or URL. Accessed Date (recommended if using a URL).
Unpublished Dissertation or Thesis (e.g., print copy held by a university library):
Author Last Name, First Name. "Title of Dissertation or Thesis." Type of Work, Name of Institution, Year of Completion.

Detailed Explanation of Elements:

  • Author: List the author's Last Name, First Name.
  • "Title of Dissertation or Thesis":
    • Capitalize all major words (nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and some conjunctions).
    • Enclose the full title in double quotation marks.
    • If there's a subtitle, include it after a colon. Example: "The Unseen Labor: A Study of Domestic Work in Post-War America."
  • Year of Completion: This is the year the degree was awarded or the work was formally completed.
  • Name of Institution: Provide the full, official name of the degree-granting university or institution.
  • Type of Work: Clearly identify the work as a "PhD dissertation," "MA thesis," etc.
  • Name of Database or Repository: Italicize the name of the database or repository if accessed online.
  • DOI or URL: If a DOI is available, use it. Otherwise, provide a stable URL. Omit "http://" or "https://" unless necessary.
  • Accessed Date (Recommended for URLs): Precede the date with "Accessed" (e.g., Accessed 15 July 2024).

If you accessed a dissertation or thesis from a database or institutional repository, use this MLA format:

Author Last Name, First Name. "Title of Dissertation or Thesis." Year of Completion, Name of Institution, Type of Work (e.g., PhD dissertation, MA thesis). Name of Database or Repository, DOI or URL. Accessed Date (recommended if using a URL).
Example:
Smith, Anya. "The Semiotics of Social Media: Communication in the Digital Age." 2022, U of California, Berkeley, PhD dissertation. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global, doi:10.1234/pq.000056789.

Detailed Examples:

Dissertation from a Database (with DOI):
Smith, Anya. "The Semiotics of Social Media: Communication in the Digital Age." 2022, U of California, Berkeley, PhD dissertation. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global, doi:10.1234/pq.000056789.
Thesis from an Institutional Repository (with URL and Access Date):
Patel, Kenji. "Sustainable Urban Farming Practices in North America." 2021, McGill U, MA thesis. eScholarship@McGill, escholarship.mcgill.ca/concern/theses/abcdef123. Accessed 10 Feb. 2024.
Dissertation from a University Website (not a formal repository, with URL and Access Date):
Jones, Maria. "Investigating the Impact of Early Music Education on Cognitive Development." 2023, Stanford U, EdD dissertation. education.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/jones_dissertation_2023.pdf. Accessed 5 Mar. 2025.
Unpublished Dissertation (Print):
Williams, David R. "Agricultural Practices in Seventeenth-Century New England." PhD dissertation, Harvard U, 1985.

In-Text Citation (Detailed):

Basic Format: The in-text citation should include the author's last name and the page number(s) from which the information was taken, enclosed in parentheses.
(Smith 112)
Online Source with No Page Numbers: If the dissertation or thesis does not have stable page numbers, cite the author's last name only. If the source has other numbered divisions, use those for more precise location.
(Patel)
(Jones, ch. 3)
(Smith, para. 25)
Author's Name in Text: If you mention the author's name in your sentence, include only the page number (or other locator) in parentheses.
Anya Smith argues that "the evolution of digital vernaculars is rapid" (112).
Patel discusses various urban farming models.
Multiple Works by the Same Author: Include a shortened version of the title in your in-text citation.
(Smith, "Semiotics" 112) and (Smith, "Later Work" 45)

Important Notes:

  • Published as Book: If a dissertation or thesis is later published as a book, cite as a book.
  • Access: If available in both a database and an institutional repository, cite the repository version for open access.
  • Missing Information: If any information is missing, provide as much as possible. If the university name or year is unclear, consult the database or repository page.
  • "Retrieved from": Do not include "Retrieved from" before the database name or URL.
  • Page Numbers/Sections: Do not include page numbers or section info in the reference; cite as a whole work.