Dissertations and theses
Find detailed information on specialist subjects with advice from Tarja Moles
Tarja Moles
RESEARCH TIPS
Dissertations and theses are sources that fall into the category of so-called grey literature. They are works that appear in print and electronic formats, but they haven’t been published by commercial publishers and therefore are not controlled by them. Some dissertations and theses are reworked into journal articles and/or monographs and become traditionally published, but the majority remain unpublished, especially in the fields of humanities and social sciences.
What exactly are they?
Dissertations and theses are substantial academic pieces of work based on extensive research. In the UK a dissertation commonly refers to a Masters-level work and is usually 8,000-15,000 words long; a thesis is a doctorate-level work, typically consisting of up to 100,000 words. In some other countries these two terms are used interchangeably or their meanings have been reversed, so bear this in mind when you’re searching for these resources.