How To Get By: Looking For PhD Dissertations Database


Congratulations! If you’re trying to find a PhD dissertation database, you’ve most likely conquered several layers of academic difficulties to arrive at the doctoral level. This will mean, however, that more is expected of you than you’ve ever had to accomplish before and to succeed, you would benefit from reviewing the type of work you’re expected to be producing. Here are some sources you can check when looking for PhD dissertation databases.

  • The professor
  • You are not the first nor are you likely to be the last person to take your course and need this information. Your professor should already have a list of the databases that previous batches of students found most useful and even a few warnings about sites or authors that you should avoid lest you adopt poor habits. If your professor is unapproachable or somewhat less competent than you would like, try asking the Teaching assistant. They have experience with the course as well and are a wealth of knowledge.

  • Ask the people doing the course
  • Where neither professors or other staff seem willing or able to provide you with the best dissertation databases, check around with people in your class. They will need the information just as much as you do and together you have access to more insider information than you do as individual students.

  • Go online and ask
  • The majority of search engines currently in use have an option to filter for academic results when you conduct a search. Try searching for “PhD or doctoral dissertations” with that specification and filter through the results you get. Add information about your particular field of study if you think that will make the results more relevant and usable to you.

  • Do your own search
  • You can become your own low-tech search engine by going to a library and seeking out papers that have been completed by people in pursuit of doctorates or other postgraduate qualifications. If your search seems fruitless, stop for a moment and ask the staff at the library to point you in the right direction. The libraries at most established colleges should have at least some dissertations available for viewing.

Many people have completed PhD's and you will too if you keep trying and find the best sources for any information you need.

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