| Judith Downie
Humanities Librarian KEL 3424
CSUSM Library
jdownie@csusm.edu
(760) 750-4374 |
|
Dissertations and Theses are book-length studies based on
original research and written in partial fulfillment of
requirements for the doctoral or master's degree. They
provide in-depth research on narrow topics, and are
primarily used by graduate students and faculty.
The purpose of this guide is to provide you with
discovery tools such as indexes to theses and dissertations,
and access to print and electronic theses
and dissertations (ETDs) from a variety of universities. Information specific to CSUSM thesis submission
is also provided.
Locating CSUSM Masters Theses
Browse Masters
Theses by Major
Browse theses completed by Cal State San Marcos graduate
students in our library catalog.
CSUSM Thesis
Submission Guidelines
|
CSUSM Graduate Studies |
The current deadlines, requirements,
and forms for your thesis are here. |
|
Thesis Submission Guidelines |
Theses are submitted to the Library for
binding and addition to the library archival and
circulating collection once they have been accepted by
the department. This link provides the guidelines for
printing and contact information for the library staff
involved. |
|
University
Catalog |
Individual disciplines have
requirements for your thesis project which are listed in
the University Catalog by discipline. Additional
information may also be found on the department's web
page (from the campus home page, select Current Students
and look under Academic Programs.) |
Electronic
Dissertations on the Web
Many graduate students are interested in dissertations as
examples of thorough research on a topic or to see examples
of academic standards for their advanced work. The trend by
universities to put the full text of their dissertations on
the Internet is very recent, so few substantial
collections exist. Here are some of the larger collections
with text available.
Multi-University Collections
Specific University Collections
Information on Dissertations
Local Dissertation
Collections
The text of locally-held theses and dissertations are not
yet available electronically. If the
dissertation you are looking for was submitted at UCSD, SDSU,
or USD, it is quickest to order it through the
Circuit (Use
"word" search with "dissertation" and your topic terms.) For
dissertations submitted at a University of California
campus, you can search Melvyl and order the item through
interlibrary loan.
Dissertations in
Databases
In order to
search for dissertations held at other universities, you
need to use a research database. None of these databases
(except for Dissertations & Theses Database) provide the full-text of the dissertation
but some will provide lengthy abstracts. Rather, once you
have all the information for a specific item (author, title,
institution, etc.), you can
request it through
interlibrary loan. Some databases also index Master's
Theses.
Tips for Searching the Databases
For the
most effective search strategy, use the Advanced Search
function of each database. Use KEYWORD search for your topic
and limit to dissertations through the PUBLICATION or DOCUMENT
TYPE search. You may find a pull-down list of types or have to
type the word ‘dissertation’ in the search box.
If you
are having difficulty, contact your
subject specialist librarian or the Research Help Desk at
760-750-4342.
Multi-disciplinary Collections
|
Dissertations and Theses Database |
Includes digitized
dissertations in a variety of subject areas
including Art, Communications, Education, History,
Linguistics, Literature, and Social Sciences. |
|
WorldCat |
In
advanced search, type your search terms
and select Material Type:
Dissertation, this database does not provide an
abstract to describe text. |
Subject-specific Collections
Ordering
Dissertations
Request to borrow dissertations through Interlibrary Loan
request or if local use San Diego Circuit. If you really
need the dissertation and want to add to your personal
library, you can usually purchase a copy
through UMI.
|
Interlibrary Loan |
We can ask a
university that owns a dissertation to lend us a copy.
Note that not all universities lend copies of
dissertations, while some lend only microfilm copies. |
|
Circuit |
If you find the dissertation in the
Circuit, you can request it online, and pick it up at
our Library, sometimes within 24 hours. Excludes
weekends and holidays. |
|
UMI
Dissertations Express |
Order your own unbound
copy from UMI's collection of over one million titles.
You do need to know the author and keywords from a
specific title to locate the desired item. |
|
