How to Cite a Dissertation: A Comprehensive Guide with Examples

In academic writing, citing references is more than just a formality. It is an essential practice that upholds the integrity of research.

Mostly, you find material from books, journal articles, and research papers. But what if you find some valuable information in a dissertation?

A dissertation is a comprehensive research document that is required for a doctoral degree. It represents an original contribution to the field of study and demonstrates a student's ability to conduct independent research.

This guide will explain how you can cite a dissertation in various citation styles. So let’s dive in!

Citing a Dissertation in Different Styles 

Different citation styles have their own specific rules and formats for citing a dissertation. So when writing any academic paper, you should know which citation format you are using.

The most commonly used citation styles include:

• APA (American Psychological Association)
• MLA (Modern Language Association)
• Chicago citation style
• Harvard citation style

There are several other citation styles as well, such as IEEE, APSA, and AMA. However, these styles are used in very specific disciplines and courses. 

Let’s see how to cite a dissertation in APA, MLA, Chicago, and Harvard formats.

How to Cite a Dissertation in APA 

APA style is one of the most popular citation styles. It is used by students across natural sciences, social sciences, management sciences, and sometimes even humanities. 

Citing a dissertation in APA style changes based on whether it is published or unpublished.

Published Dissertation or Thesis 

If you find a published thesis or dissertation on a research database, follow this structure:

Format:

Author’s Last, F. M. (Year published). Title in sentence case (Publication or Document No.) [Degree type thesis or dissertation, Name of institution]. Database name.

Example:

MCNiel, D.S. (2004). A personal narrative discussing growing up with an alcoholic father (Publication No, 14596887) [Doctoral dissertation, University of California]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database.

Intext Citation:

(Author, Year)

Intext Citation Example: 

(MCNiel, 2004)

Unpublished Dissertation or Thesis 

The correct citation structure for an unpublished thesis is as follows:

Format:

Author’s Last, F. M. (Year published). Title in sentence case [Unpublished Degree type thesis or dissertation]. Name of institution.

Example:

Ames, J. H., & Doughty, L. H. (1911). The proposed plans for the Iowa State College athletic field including the design of a reinforced concrete grandstand and wall [Unpublished bachelor’s thesis]. Iowa State University.

Intext Citation Example:

(Ames & Doughty, 1911)

Online Published Dissertation or Thesis - H3

In the APA format, a citation for a published thesis or dissertation that you found online is different. The basic format of an unpublished dissertation or thesis is:

Format: 

Author’s Last, F. M. (Year Published). Title in sentence case [Degree type thesis or dissertation, Name of institution]. Name of archive or collection. URL

Example:

Stiles, T. W. (2001). Doing science: Teachers’ authentic experiences at the Lone Star Dinosaur Field Institute [Master’s thesis, Texas A&M University]. OAKTrust. https://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/ETD-TAMU-2001-THESIS-S745

Intext Citation: 

(Stiles, 2001)

The document below explains the elements of citations in APA style in-depth. Check it out if you want to learn more about APA 7th edition.

How to Cite a Dissertation in MLA 

MLA is a citation style that is often used in arts, cultural studies, literature, and humanities. 

Here’s how you cite published and unpublished dissertations in MLA 9th Edition.

Published Dissertation MLA 

Format 

Last name, First Name. Title of the dissertation. Year Published. Name of University, Degree

Example 

Daniel, Marcus Alexander. Challenges of Software Reuse. 2010. University of California, MA thesis. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses. Web. 21 June 2005.

Intext Citation (Last Name, Page #):

(Daniel 29)

Online Published Dissertation MLA from Database 

Format 

Last name, First Name. Title of the Dissertation. Name of University, type of degree. Website name, URL.

Example 

Daniel, Marcus Alexander. Challenges of Software Reuse. 2010. University of California, MA thesis. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, https://www.proquest.com/docview/1143267768

Unpublished Dissertation MLA 

Format 

Last name, First name. “Title of Dissertation.” University Name, type of dissertation. 

Example

Joseph, Harry. “How to take care of diabetic patients.” Miskatonic University, PhD dissertation.

Intext Citation 

            (Joseph 25)

How to Cite a Dissertation in Chicago (Note-Bibliography) Format

Learn how you cite a dissertation in the Chicago (Note-Bibliography) format with examples. In the note-bibliography format, there is a difference in how you cite the dissertation in the note-entry and the bibliography entry.

Published Dissertation

Note Format

 First-name Last-name, "Title of Dissertation" (Publisher, Year).

Example

Alex Brown, “Advantages and disadvantages of reusing software” (University of Nebraska, 1995).

Bibliography Entry Format 

Last name, First name. "Title of Dissertation" Year.

Example

Brown, Alex “Advantages and disadvantages of reusing software” 1995.

Online Published Dissertation

Note Format 

Note #. First-name Last-name, "Title of Dissertation," Database Name, Year, URL.

Example

12. Smith Choi, “Pros and cons of genetically modified foods,” The University of Calabria, 2016, http://search.proquest.com/docview/897482642?accountid=55263

Bibliography Entry

Last name, First name. "Title of Thesis: Subtitle." Database Name, Year. URL.

Example

Choi, Smith. “Pros and cons of genetically modified foods.” The University of Calabria, 2016.  http://wwwlib.murdoch.edu.au/adt/browse/view/adt-MU20511243.112116.

Unpublished Dissertation

Note Format 

Note #. First-name Last-name, "Title of Dissertation," Dissertation type, University. Year.

Example

23. Alex Kerry, “The multimedia and newspaper importance” Ph.D. dissertation., University of California. 2015.

Bibliography Entry

Last-name, First-name. "Title of Dissertation." Dissertation type. University. Year.

Example

Kerry, Alex. “The multimedia and newspaper importance.” PhD dissertation. University of California. 2015. 

How to Cite a Dissertation in Chicago (Author-Date) Format 

Citations in the Chicago (Author-Date) format are very different from the (Note-Bibliography) format. Here’s how you cite dissertations in the author-date format.

Published Thesis 

Format

Last name, First name. Year. "Title of Dissertation"

Example

Kerry, Alex. 2015. “The multimedia and newspaper importance.”

Intext Citation

            (Kerry, 2015)

Online Published Thesis

Format

Last-name, First-name. Year. "Title of Dissertation." Database Name, URL.

Example

Kerry, Alex. 2015. “The multimedia and newspaper importance.” Australasian Digital Theses Program,  http://wwwlib.murdoch.edu.au/adt/browse/view/adt-MU20431245

Intext Citation

            (Kerry, 2015)

Unpublished Thesis 

Format

Last name, First name. Year. "Title of Dissertation." Dissertation type. University.

Example

Hosking, Barry C.  2010. "The Control of Gastro-intestinal Nematodes in Sheep with the Amino-acetonitrile Derivative, Monepantel with a Particular Focus on Australia and New Zealand." PhD diss., Ghent University.

Intext Citation

            (Kerry, 2015)

How to Cite a Dissertation in Harvard Format

Let’s explore the ways you can cite a dissertation in Harvard style with examples.

Published Harvard Dissertation 

Format 

First Name - Middle & Last name initials Year, Title of thesis, Institution issuing degree.

Example 

William, CW 2018, Using a model of emotional self-efficacy in predicting work outcomes, Alliant International University, San Diego.

Intext Citation 

(William, 2018)

Online Published Dissertation 

Format 

First Name - Middle & Last name initials Year, Title of thesis, Award, Institution issuing degree, Location of the institution, Database name

Example

Henry, S 2018, Developing of new technologies, Ph.D. thesis, University of California, California, Dissertation Database.

Intext Citation 

(Henry, 2018)

Unpublished Harvard Dissertation 

Format 

First Name - Middle & Last name initials Year, 'Title of thesis in single quotation marks,’ Award, Institution issuing degree, Location of the institution.

Example 

Harry, L 2017, ‘Managing the international weather update,’ Ph.D. thesis, Monash University, Melbourne.

Intext Citation 

(Harry, 2017)

To Sum Up,

By acknowledging the contributions of others through citations, you demonstrate your engagement with existing research. And sometimes, you have to cite dissertations as well.

This guide explained the accurate and correct way to cite a dissertation in your paper. Whether you are using APA, MLA, Chicago, or Harvard, you can cite a dissertation accurately by following the examples provided.

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