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How to Cite a Dissertation in APA Style | Format & Examples

Published on December 16, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on December 27, 2023.

The format for citing someone else’s dissertation or thesis in APA Style depends on whether the thesis is available from a database, published somewhere else (e.g. on a university archive or personal website), or unpublished (only available in print form directly from the author or university).

To cite a dissertation or thesis from a database, use the following format. In the square brackets, specify the type of dissertation or thesis and the university. As with other database sources, no URL or DOI is included.

Table of contents

Citing a dissertation published elsewhere, citing an unpublished dissertation in apa style.

To cite a dissertation or thesis published in a university archive (often in PDF form ) or on a personal website, the format differs in that no publication number is included, and you do list a URL.

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To cite an unpublished dissertation (one you got directly from the author or university in print form), add “Unpublished” to the bracketed description, and list the university at the end of the reference, outside the square brackets.

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Caulfield, J. (2023, December 27). How to Cite a Dissertation in APA Style | Format & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved April 2, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/apa-examples/dissertation/

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how to write a thesis reference

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Citing Dissertations & Theses in APA Format

Dissertations & Theses

Dissertations and theses are formatted the same way in APA 7th edition. Theses are generally the culminating work for a master's or undergraduate degree and dissertations are often original research completed by doctoral students. Here are examples of a dissertation & a thesis, and how they would be formatted: 

Examples: 

Dissertation found in Proquest Dissertations and Theses Global: 

Reference:  

Banks, B. (2020). Addressing institutional racism in healthcare: A case study (Publication No. 28154307) [Doctoral dissertation, University of Minnesota]. Proquest Dissertations and Theses Global. 

In-Text Citation (Paraphrase):  

(Banks, 2020).

In-Text Citation (Direct Quote):

(Banks, 2020, p. 157).

Master's thesis from a University scholarship database: 

Sears, L. B. (2017). The public voice and sustainable food systems: Community engagement in food action plans [Unpublished master's thesis]. University of Kansas.  https://kuscholarworks.ku.edu/handle/1808/26899  

In-Text Citation (Paraphrase):

(Sears, 2017). 

(Sears, 2017, p. 24). 

Carrie Forbes, MLS

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Pages Referenced

Citation information has been adapted from the APA Manual (7th Edition). Please refer to page 333 of the APA Manual (7th Edition) for more information.

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Basic format to reference a thesis or dissertation.

  • Referencing theses: Examples

The basics of a reference list entry for a thesis or dissertation:

  • Author. The surname is followed by first initials.
  • Year (in round brackets).
  • Title (in italics ).
  • Level of Thesis or Dissertation [in square brackets].
  • University, also in [square brackets] following directly after the Level of Thesis, for e.g. [Doctoral dissertation, Victoria University]
  • Database or Archive Name
  • The first line of each citation is left adjusted. Every subsequent line is indented 5-7 spaces.

Mosek, E. (2017). Team flow: The missing piece in performance [Doctoral dissertation, Victoria University]. Victoria University Research Repository. http://vuir.vu.edu.au/35038/

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how to write a thesis reference

Referencing a thesis or dissertation  (from an institution's online archive/repository)

When referencing a thesis or dissertation, include the type and the awarding institution in brackets after the title—e.g., (Master's thesis, The University of Waikato). Give the name of the institution's repository and link directly to the thesis document. For example:

Author, A. (Date).  Title of thesis or dissertation: Subtitle in italic sentence case  [Type and awarding institution]. Name of Institution's Repository. URL

Stewart, A. S. (2017).   C ritical thinking in nursing: A critical discourse analysis of a perpetual paradox [Doctoral thesis, Auckland University of Technology]. Auckland University of Technology Open Theses & Dissertations. https://openrepository.aut.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/10292/10838/StewartA.pdf?sequence=3&isAllowed=y

Reference list entry

Stewart, A. S. (2017).  Critical thinking in nursing: A critical discourse analysis of a perpetual paradox  [Doctoral thesis, Auckland University of Technology]. Auckland University of Technology Open Theses & Dissertations. https://openrepository.aut.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/10292/10838/StewartA.pdf?sequence=3&isAllowed=y

Page/paragraph numbers are optional for paraphrased information.

Narrative Stewart (2017) suggests ... (p. 143). Parenthetical ... (Stewart, 2017, p. 143).

Referencing a previous assignment

If you are required to reference work you have submitted for a previous assignment, it is considered unpublished work. 

Author, A. (Date).  Title of assignment: Subtitle in italic sentence case  [Unpublished assignment submitted for Paper code]. Name of Department, Name of Institution.

Mahana, J.   (2021).   Outside the box thinking in business practice: A creative approach [Unpublished assignment submitted for BIZM540]. Centre for Business and Enterprise, Waikato Institute of Technology.

Mahana, J. (2017).  Outside the box thinking in business practice: A creative approach  [Unpublished assignment submitted for BIZ540]. Centre for Business and Enterprise, Waikato Institute of Technology.

Narrative Mahana (2021) suggests ... (p. 143). Parenthetical ... (Mahana, 2021, p. 143).

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Dissertation or thesis available from a database service:

Author Surname, First Initial. Second Initial. (year of publication).  Title of dissertation or thesis (Doctoral dissertation or master’s thesis).  Retrieved from Name of database.  (Accession or Order No.)

For an unpublished dissertation or thesis:

Author Surname, First Initial. Second Initial. (year of creation).  Title of dissertation or thesis (Unpublished doctoral dissertation or master’s thesis).  Name of Institution, Location.

See Ch 7 pp. 207-208 APA Manual for more examples and formatting rules

Formatting:

  • Italicize the title
  • Identify whether source is doctoral dissertation or master’s thesis in parentheses after the title
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Theses and dissertations from online sources, theses and dissertations in hardcopy format.

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Terminology

Thesis and dissertation can mean different things, depending on which institution the work is from.  For study purposes and for your APA reference you need to know the level of the work.

  • Always check the title page, or subsequent pages, to determine exactly what the work is
  • Use the information there for your APA reference

At Auckland University of Technology (and other NZ universities)

Thesis is either for a doctoral or a master's degree.

Dissertation is either for a master's or a bachelor's degree with honours.

Exegesis is the written component of a practice-based thesis where the major output is a creative work;  e.g. a film, artwork, novel.

In some other parts of the world such as North America, a dissertation may be for a doctoral degree and a thesis for a master's degree.  

See Section 7.05  in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 6th edition .

Reference format for a thesis from a commercial database:

Reference format for a thesis from an institutional repository:

A Doctoral dissertation (USA) from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database

Reference list entry:

  • Include the name of the database and the order number of the document
  • Use this style for theses retrieved from a commercial database

Thesis from a NZ institutional repository :

  • Include the full URL for the thesis/dissertation and the full name of the degree-granting institution/university
  • Also include the location of the university, if outside the United States.

In-text citations guide  

Reference format for unpublished thesis/dissertation:

  • Give the correct full name of the university, not its abbreviation or brand name.
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How to cite a master's thesis in APA

APA masters thesis citation

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To cite a master's thesis in a reference entry in APA style 6th edition include the following elements:

  • Author(s) of the thesis: Give the last name and initials (e. g. Watson, J. D.) of up to seven authors with the last name preceded by an ampersand (&). For eight or more authors include the first six names followed by an ellipsis (…) and add the last author's name.
  • Year of publication: Give the year in brackets followed by a full stop.
  • Title of the master's thesis: Only the first letter of the first word and proper nouns are capitalized.
  • URL: Give the full URL where the document can be retrieved from.

Here is the basic format for a reference list entry of a master's thesis in APA style 6th edition:

Author(s) of the thesis . ( Year of publication ). Title of the master's thesis (Master's thesis). Retrieved from URL

If the thesis is available from a database, archive or any online platform use the following template:

  • Author(s) of the thesis: Give the last name and initials (e. g. Watson, J. D.) of up to 20 authors with the last name preceded by an ampersand (&). For 21 or more authors include the first 19 names followed by an ellipsis (…) and add the last author's name.
  • Title of the Master's thesis: Only the first letter of the first word and proper nouns are capitalized.
  • Publication number: Give the identification number of the thesis, if available.
  • Name of the degree awarding institution: Give the name of the institution.
  • Name of Platform: Give the name of the database, archive or any platform that holds the thesis.
  • URL: If the thesis was found on a database, omit this element.

Here is the basic format for a reference list entry of a master's thesis in APA style 7th edition:

Author(s) of the thesis . ( Year of publication ). Title of the Master's thesis ( Publication number ) [Master's thesis, Name of the degree awarding institution ]. Name of Platform . URL

If the thesis has not been published or is available from a database use the following template:

  • Location: Give the location of the institution. If outside the United States also include the country name.

Author(s) of the thesis . ( Year of publication ). Title of the master's thesis (Unpublished master's thesis). Name of the degree awarding institution , Location .

If the thesis is not published, use the following template:

Author(s) of the thesis . ( Year of publication ). Title of the master's thesis [Unpublished master's thesis]. Name of the degree awarding institution .

APA reference list examples

Take a look at our reference list examples that demonstrate the APA style guidelines for a master's thesis citation in action:

A master's thesis found in an online platform

Bauger, L . ( 2011 ). Personality, passion, self-esteem and psychological well-being among junior elite athletes in Norway ( Master's Thesis ). Retrieved from https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/29a9/ef96c34e577211246b83b11813a2585033c5.pdf
Bauger, L . ( 2011 ). Personality, passion, self-esteem and psychological well-being among junior elite athletes in Norway [ Master's Thesis , University of Tromsø ]. Semantic Scholar . https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/29a9/ef96c34e577211246b83b11813a2585033c5.pdf

An unpublished master's thesis

Aube, K. E . ( 2019 ). A comparison of water main failure prediction models in San Luis Obispo, CA ( Unpublished master's thesis ). Cal Poly , San Luis Obispo, CA .
Aube, K. E . ( 2019 ). A comparison of water main failure prediction models in San Luis Obispo, CA [ Unpublished master's thesis ]. Cal Poly .

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This citation style guide is based on the official Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association ( 6 th edition).

More useful guides

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  • Citation Help for APA: Master's Thesis or Project
  • APA Thesis, dissertation or exegesis?

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Thesis/dissertation – apa reference list, capitalization.

  • The document title is in sentence case – Only the first word and proper nouns in the title are capitalized. Always capitalize the first word, the first word after a colon or a dash.
  • The title of the thesis or dissertation is in title case – Each word in the name is capitalized, except for articles (a, an, the), prepositions (against, between, in, of, to), conjunctions (and, but, for, nor, or, so, yet), and the infinitive 'to'.

Thesis/Dissertation – Unpublished/Print version

For papers written in United States list City and State. For countries outside United States list City and Country.

Author , A . A . ( Year ). Title of dissertation/thesis  (Unpublished doctoral dissertation [OR] Unpublished master's thesis). Academic Institution , City , State [OR] Country .

  • Considine, M. (1986). Australian insurance politics in the 1970s: Two case studies . (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
  • Kassover,A. (1987). Treatment of abusive males: Voluntary vs. court-mandated referrals (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Nova University, Fort Lauderdale, FL. 

Thesis/Dissertation – From a commercial database (e.g., ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database)

Author , A ( Year ). Title of dissertation/thesis (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from Name of database . ( Accession or Order Number )

Cooley, T. (2009).  Design, development, and implementation of a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN): The Hartford Job Corps Academy case study (Doctoral dissertation). Available from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database. (UMI No. 3344745)

Thesis/Dissertation – Institutional Database (i.e. University website)

For U.S. thesis do not include university or locations. Include the university and location (City and Country) for a non-U.S. online thesis.

Author , A . A . ( Year ). Title of dissertation/thesis (Doctoral dissertation/Master's thesis). Retrieved from http:// url.com

  • Adams, R. J. (1973). Building a foundation for evaluation of instruction in higher education and continuing education (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from http://www.ohiolink.edu/etd/
  • Barua, S. (2010). Drought assessment and forecasting using a nonlinear aggregated drought index  (Doctoral dissertation, Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia). Retrieved from http://vuir.vu.edu.au/1598

Thesis/Dissertation – Web

For U.S. thesis do not include locations. Include the location (City and Country) for a non-U.S. online thesis.

Author , A . A . ( Year ). Title of dissertation/thesis (Doctoral dissertation/Master's thesis, Institution issuing degree). Retrieved from http:// www.url.com

  • Bruckman, A. (1997). MOOSE Crossing: Construction, community, and learning in a networked virtual world for kids (Doctoral dissertation, Massachusetts Institute of Technology). Retrieved from http://www-static.cc.gatech.edu/~asb/thesis

how to write a thesis reference

Home / Guides / Citation Guides / MLA Format / How to Cite a Thesis or Dissertation in MLA

How to Cite a Thesis or Dissertation in MLA

Citing a thesis or dissertation.

Thesis – A document submitted to earn a degree at a university.

Dissertation – A document submitted to earn an advanced degree, such as a doctorate, at a university.

The formatting for thesis and dissertation citations is largely the same. However, you should be sure to include the type of degree after the publication year as supplemental information. For instance, state if the source you are citing is an undergraduate thesis or a PhD dissertation.

MLA Thesis and Dissertation Citation Structure (print)

Last, First M.  Title of the Thesis/Dissertation. Year Published. Name of University, type of degree.

MLA Thesis and Dissertation Citation Structure (online)

Last, First M.  Title of the Thesis/Dissertation. Year Published. Name of University, type of degree.  Website Name , URL.

ThesisDissertationImage

Wilson, Peggy Lynn. Pedagogical Practices in the Teaching of English Language in Secondary Public Schools in Parker County . 2011. University of Maryland, PhD dissertation.

In-text Citation Structure

(Author Last Name page #)

In-text Citation Example

(Wilson 14)

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To be made up of:

  • Year of submission (in round brackets).
  • Title of thesis (in italics).
  • Degree statement.
  • Degree-awarding body.
  • Available at: URL.
  • (Accessed: date).

In-text citation: 

(Smith, 2019)

Reference List:  

Smith, E. R. C. (2019). Conduits of invasive species into the UK: the angling route? Ph. D. Thesis. University College London. Available at: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10072700 (Accessed: 20 May 2021).

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Method of writing references in thesis writing

Method of writing references in thesis writing Focus on the learner

At the end of all pieces of academic writing, you need a list of materials that you have used or referred to. This usually has a heading: references but may be bibliography or works cited depending on the conventions of the system you use.

The object of your writing is for you to say something for yourself using the ideas of the subject, for you to present ideas you have learned in your own way. The emphasis should be on working with other people’s ideas, rather than reproducing their words. The ideas and people that you refer to need to be made explicit by a system of referencing. This consists of a list of materials that you have used at the end of the piece of writing and references to this list at various points throughout the essay. The purpose of this is to supply the information needed to allow a user to find a source.

Therefore, at the end of your assignment you need a list of the materials you have used – a bibliography or a reference list.

There are many ways of writing a list of references – check with your department for specific information.

  • The most common system is called the Harvard system. There is no definitive version of the Harvard system and most universities have their own. But the one used here – the American Psychological Association style – is well known and often used (American Psychological Association, 1983, 1994, 1999, 2001, 2010).
  • Click here or see Gibaldi (2003) and Modern Languages Association (1998, 2009) for another way.
  • Many scientists use a numerical system, often called the Vancouver style or BS 1629. Click here or see International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (1991) for more information.

Method of writing references in thesis writing Unpublished doctoral dissertation, McGill

Abercrombie, D. (1968). Paralanguage. British Journal of Disorders of Communication, 3, 55-59. Barr, P. Clegg, J. Wallace, C. (1981). Advanced reading skills . London: Longman. Chomsky, N. (1973). Linguistic theory. In J. W. Oller J. C. Richards (Eds.), Focus on the learner (pp. 29-35). Rowley, Massachusetts: Newbury House. Fromkin, V. Rodman, R. (1983). An introduction to language. London: Holt-Saunders. Guiora, A. Z. Paluszny, M. Beit-Hallahmi, B. Catford, J. C. Cooley, R. E. Dull, C. Y. (1975). Language and person: Studies in language behaviour. Language Learning, 25 . 43-61. GVU’s 8th WWW user survey. (n.d.). Retrieved from cc.gatech.edu/gvu/usersurveys/survey1997-10/ Kinsella, V. (Ed.). (1978). Language teaching and linguistics: Surveys. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Lipinsky, E. Bender, R. (1980). Critical voices on the economy. Survey, 25, 38-42. Oller, J. W. Richards, J. C. (Eds.). (1973). Focus on the learner. Rowley, Massachusetts: Newbury House. Longman dictionary of contemporary English. (1978). London: Longman. Smith, F. (1978). Reading. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Stern, H. H. Weinrib, A. (1978). Foreign languages for younger children: Trends and assessment. In V. Kinsella (Ed.), Language teaching and linguistics: Surveys (pp. 152-172). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Use heading: References.

Method of writing references in thesis writing An abstract

Use italics (or underlining in handwriting) for titles of books, periodicals, newspapers etc.

Use alphabetical order. Alphabetise works with no author by the first significant word in the title.

All co-authors should be listed.

Indent second etc. lines

Use (n.d.) if no date is given.

If the author of a document is not given, begin the reference with the title of the document.

Smith, F. (1978). Reading . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Fromkin, V. Rodman, R. (1983). An introduction to language. London: Holt-Saunders.

Barr, P. Clegg, J. Wallace, C. (1981). Advanced reading skills . London: Longman.

Kinsella, V. (Ed.). (1978). Language teaching and linguistics: Surveys . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Oller, J. W. Richards, J. C. (Eds.). (1973). Focus on the learner . Rowley, Massachusetts: Newbury House.

British Council Teaching Information Centre. (1978). Pre-sessional courses for overseas students. London: British Council.

Longman dictionary of contemporary English. (1978). London: Longman. The Times atlas of the world (5th ed.). (1975). New York: New York Times.

Fromkin, V. Rodman, R. (1983). An introduction to language (3rd ed.). London: Holt-Saunders.

Cohen, J. (1977). Statistical power analysis for the behavioural sciences (rev. ed.). New York: Plenum Press.

Piaget, J. Inhelder, B. (1951). La genése de l’idée de hasard chez l’enfant [The origin of the idea of danger in the child]. Paris: Presses Universitaires de France.

Luria, A. R. (1969). The mind of a mnemonist (L. Solotaroff, Trans.). New York: Avon Books. (Original work published 1965)

Lyons, J. (1981a). Language and linguistics . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Lyons, J. (1981b). Language, meaning and context . London: Fontana.

3. Periodical articles

Abercrombie, D. (1968). Paralanguage. British Journal of Disorders of Communication, 3, 55-59.

Lipinsky, E. Bender, R. (1980). Critical voices on the economy. Survey, 25, 38-42.

Guiora, A. Z. Paluszny, M. Beit-Hallahmi, B. Catford, J. C. Cooley, R. E. Dull, C. Y. (1975). Language and person: Studies in language behaviour. Language Learning, 25 . 43-61.

Carmody, T. P. (1982). A new look at medicine from a social perspective [Review of the book Social contexts of health, illness and patient care . by E. G. Mishler, L. R. Amarasingham, S. D. Osherson, S. T. Hauser, N. E. Waxler R. Liem]. Contemporary Psychology, 27 . 208-209.

Maley, A. (1994). [Review of the book Critical language awareness . by N. Fairclough]. Applied Linguistics, 15 . 348-350.

Gardner, H. (1981, December). Do babies sing a universal song? Psychology Today . 70-76.

James, R. (1991, December 15). Obesity affects economic social status. The Guardian, p. 18

Acid attack ‘;scarred girl for life’. (1986, October 21). The Guardian . p. 4. (In the essay use a short form of the title for citation: (“Acid Attack.” 1986))

Hain, P. (1986, October 21). The police protection that women want [Letter to the editor]. The Guardian, p. 4.

Johns, A. M. (in press) Written argumentation for real audiences. TESOL Quarterly.

4. Selections from edited collections

Chomsky, N. (1973). Linguistic theory. In J. W. Oller J. C. Richards (Eds.), Focus on the learner (pp. 29-35). Rowley, Massachusetts: Newbury House.

Stern, H. H. Weinrib, A. (1978). Foreign languages for younger children: Trends and assessment. In V. Kinsella (Ed.), Language teaching and linguistics: Surveys (pp. 152-172). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Wadeson, H. (2001). An eclectic approach to art therapy. In J. A. Rubin (Ed.), Approaches to art therapy: Theory and technique (2nd ed. pp. 306-318). New York, NY: Brunner-Routledge.

5. CD ROMs etc

Gardner, H. (1981, December). Do babies sing a universal song? Psychology Today [CD-ROM], pp. 70-76.

Meyer, A. S. Bock, K. (1992). The tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon: Blocking or partial activation? [CD-ROM]. Memory Cognition, 20, 715-726. Abstract from: SilverPlatter File: PsycLIT Item: 80-16351

Crime. (1996). In Microsoft Encarta 1996 Encyclopedia [CD-ROM]. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation.

Oxford English dictionary computer file: On compact disc (2nd ed.) [CD-ROM]. (1992). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

6. Documents obtained from the Internet

All references begin with the same information that would be provided for a printed source (or as much of that information as possible). The WWW information is then placed at the end of the reference in the same way as publishing information is given for books. It is not necessary to give the date of retrieval unless the document on the Web may change in content – e.g. a wiki – move, or be removed from a site altogether.

The object of this is the same as all referencing – to supply the information needed to allow a user to find a source. If you do not know the author or the date and it does not have a clear title, think carefully before using it. See Evaluating Sources .

Jacobson, J. W. Mulick, J. A. Schwartz, A. A. (1995). A history of facilitated communication: Science, pseudoscience, and antiscience: Science working group on facilitated communication. American Psychologist, 50, 750-765. Retrieved from apa.org/journals/jacobson.html

Sleek, S. (1996, January). Psychologists build a culture of peace. The New York Times, pp. 1, 33 Retrieved from nytimes.com

Li, X. Crane, N. (1996, May 20). Bibliographic formats for citing electronic information . Retrieved from uvm.edu/

World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). (1995, May 15). About the World Wide Web . Retrieved from w3.org/hypertext/WWW/

American Psychological Association (1996). How to cite information from the world wide web . Retrieved from apa.org/journals/webref.html

A field guide to sources on, about and on the Internet: Citation formats . (1995, Dec 18). Retrieved from cc.emory.edu/WHSCL/citation.formats.html

WWW user survey. (n.d.). Retrieved from wast.ac.uk/usersurveys/survey2000-10/

Rosenthal, R. (1995). State of New Jersey v. Margaret Kelly Michaels: An overview [Abstract]. Psychology, Public Policy, and Law, 1, 247271. Retrieved from apa.org/journals/ab1.html

Psychology. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved October 14, 2009, from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychology

Heuristic (n.d.) In Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary (11th ed.). Retrieved from m-w.com/dictionary/heuristic

National Institute of Mental Health. (1982). Television and behaviour: Ten years of scientific progress and implications for the eighties (DHHS Publication No. ADM82-1195). Washington DC: US Government Printing Office.

Malachi, Z. (Ed.). (n.d.) Proceedings of the International Conference on Literary and Linguistic Copmputing. Tel Aviv: Faculty of Humanities, Tel Aviv University.

Devins, G. M. (1981). Helplessness, depression, and mood in end-stage renal disease . Unpublished doctoral dissertation, McGill University, Montreal.

Howarth, P. (1995, March). Phraseological standards in EAP. Paper presented at the meeting of the British Association of Lecturers in English for Academic Purposes, Nottingham.

Maas, J. B. (Producer), and Gluck, D. H. (Director). (1979). Deeper into hypnosis [Film]. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

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Last Updated: Apr 01, 2024 Views: 25

What is a thesis statement.

A thesis statement is a sentence that states the main idea of your paper. It is not just a statement of fact, but a statement of position. What argument are you making about your topic? Your thesis should answer that question.

How long should my thesis statement be?

Thesis statements are often just one sentence. Keep thesis statements concise, without extra words or information. If you are having trouble keeping your thesis statement to one sentence, consider the following:

  • Is your thesis is specific enough?
  • Does your thesis directly supports your paper?
  • Does your thesis accurately describes your purpose or argue your claim?

Can I see some example thesis statements?

The following websites have examples of thesis statements:

  • Thesis Statements This link opens in a new window (UNC)
  • Tips and Examples for Writing Thesis Statements This link opens in a new window (OWL at Purdue)
  • Writing an Effective Thesis Statement This link opens in a new window (Indiana River State College)

These web resources may be helpful if you are looking for examples. However, be sure to evaluate any sources you use! The Shapiro Library cannot vouch for the accuracy of information provided on external websites.

Where can I find more information?

Video tutorials.

  • The Persuasive Thesis: How to Write an Argument This link opens in a new window (SNHU Academic Support)
  • Research and Citation Playlist This link opens in a new window (SNHU Academic Support)
  • Planning a Paper series: Drafting a Thesis Statement This link opens in a new window ( Infobase Learning Cloud - SNHU Login Required)

More Information

  • Build a Critical Analysis Thesis This link opens in a new window (SNHU Academic Support)
  • Build a Compare & Contrast Thesis This link opens in a new window  (SNHU Academic Support)
  • Build a History Thesis This link opens in a new window  (SNHU Academic Support)
  • Build a Persuasive Thesis This link opens in a new window  (SNHU Academic Support)

Further Help

This information is intended to be a guideline, not expert advice. Please speak to your instructor about the appropriate way to craft thesis statements for your class assignments and projects.

Campus Students

To access Academic Support, visit your Brightspace course and select “Tutoring and Mentoring” from the Academic Support pulldown menu.

Online Students

To access help with citations and more, visit the Academic Support via modules in Brightspace:

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  1. APA Citations for a Thesis or Dissertation

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  3. APA Citations for a Thesis or Dissertation

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COMMENTS

  1. How to Cite a Dissertation in APA Style

    To cite an unpublished dissertation (one you got directly from the author or university in print form), add "Unpublished" to the bracketed description, and list the university at the end of the reference, outside the square brackets. APA format. Author last name, Initials. ( Year ).

  2. How to Cite a Thesis or Dissertation in APA

    Citing a published dissertation or thesis from a database. If a thesis or dissertation has been published and is found on a database, then follow the structure below. It's similar to the format for an unpublished dissertation/thesis, but with a few differences: Structure: Author's last name, F. M. (Year published).

  3. Thesis/Dissertation

    Thesis, from a commercial database. Lope, M. D. (2014). Perceptions of global mindedness in the international baccalaureate middle years programme: The relationship to student academic performance and teacher characteristics (Order No. 3682837) [Doctoral dissertation, University of Maryland].ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global.

  4. Published Dissertation or Thesis References

    The same format can be adapted for other published theses, including undergraduate theses, by changing the wording of the bracketed description as appropriate (e.g., "Undergraduate honors thesis"). Include a URL for the dissertation or thesis if the URL will resolve for readers (as shown in the Miranda and Zambrano-Vazquez examples).

  5. Library Guides: APA 7th referencing style: Thesis

    EndNote reference type: Thesis. Add Archive Name to Name of Database field. Thesis - from database. Elements of the reference: Author - last name, initials. (Year). Title of thesis - italicised (Publication No. - if available) [Doctoral dissertation or master's thesis, Institution]. Database Name. In-text reference

  6. APA Citation Style, 7th Edition: Dissertations & Thesis

    Theses are generally the culminating work for a master's or undergraduate degree and dissertations are often original research completed by doctoral students. Here are examples of a dissertation & a thesis, and how they would be formatted: Examples: Dissertation found in Proquest Dissertations and Theses Global: Reference: Banks, B. (2020).

  7. Theses

    Basic format to reference a thesis or dissertation. The basics of a reference list entry for a thesis or dissertation: Author. The surname is followed by first initials. Year (in round brackets). Title (in italics ). Level of Thesis or Dissertation [in square brackets]. University, also in [square brackets] following directly after the Level of ...

  8. LibGuides: APA 7th Edition Referencing Guide1: Thesis/dissertation

    Referencing a thesis or dissertation (from an institution's online archive/repository) When referencing a thesis or dissertation, include the type and the awarding institution in brackets after the title—e.g., (Master's thesis, The University of Waikato). Give the name of the institution's repository and link directly to the thesis document.

  9. Theses and dissertations

    Auckland University of Technology (and other NZ universities) Thesis is either for a doctoral or a master's degree. Dissertation is either for a master's or a bachelor's degree with honours. Exegesis is the written component of a practice-based thesis where the major output is a creative work; e.g., a film, artwork, novel.

  10. Thesis/Dissertation

    Title of dissertation or thesis (Doctoral dissertation or master's thesis). Retrieved from Name of database. (Accession or Order No.) For an unpublished dissertation or thesis: Author Surname, First Initial. Second Initial. (year of creation). Title of dissertation or thesis (Unpublished doctoral dissertation or master's thesis). Name of ...

  11. Library Guides: APA 6th Referencing Style Guide: Theses

    For study purposes and for your APA reference you need to know the level of the work. At Auckland University of Technology (and other NZ universities) Thesis is either for a doctoral or a master's degree. Dissertation is either for a master's or a bachelor's degree with honours. Exegesis is the written component of a practice-based thesis where ...

  12. How to cite a master's thesis in APA

    Title of the Master's thesis: Only the first letter of the first word and proper nouns are capitalized. Publication number: Give the identification number of the thesis, if available. Name of the degree awarding institution: Give the name of the institution. Name of Platform: Give the name of the database, archive or any platform that holds the ...

  13. How To Write References In A Thesis

    Format: To cite a reference in your thesis, make sure to provide all relevant details to keep it free from plagiarism. The author's name, the title of the work, the publication date, the publisher's name, and the location of the publication, among other details, depend on the citation style you are using. Consistency: One of the most ...

  14. Dissertation/Thesis

    Thesis/Dissertation - APA Reference List Capitalization. The document title is in sentence case - Only the first word and proper nouns in the title are capitalized. Always capitalize the first word, the first word after a colon or a dash. The title of the thesis or dissertation is in title case - Each word in the name is capitalized, except for articles (a, an, the), prepositions ...

  15. How to Cite a Thesis or Dissertation in MLA

    Dissertation - A document submitted to earn an advanced degree, such as a doctorate, at a university. The formatting for thesis and dissertation citations is largely the same. However, you should be sure to include the type of degree after the publication year as supplemental information. For instance, state if the source you are citing is an ...

  16. Guides and databases: Harvard: Thesis or dissertation

    Thesis or dissertation. To be made up of: Author. Year of submission (in round brackets). Title of thesis (in italics). Degree statement. Degree-awarding body. Available at: URL. (Accessed: date).

  17. Method of writing references in thesis writing

    Use alphabetical order. Alphabetise works with no author by the first significant word in the title. All co-authors should be listed. Indent second etc. lines. Use (n.d.) if no date is given. If the author of a document is not given, begin the reference with the title of the document.

  18. FAQ: What is a thesis statement and how do I write one?

    Writing an Effective Thesis Statement This link opens in a new window (Indiana River State College) These web resources may be helpful if you are looking for examples. However, be sure to evaluate any sources you use! The Shapiro Library cannot vouch for the accuracy of information provided on external websites.