Digital Dissertations

Finding CGU Dissertations

If you wish to browse the titles and subjects of recent Claremont dissertations, and don't have a specific one in mind, follow these steps:

• In Blais, click LC Subject Heading and type Claremont Graduate University dissertations. This search will retrieve lists of all dissertations completed since 1995. 
• If this is too many items, use the Limit This Search option to cut down your results by year or by word in subject or title. Keep in mind that dissertations are very specific and a subject such as "psychology," "education," or "business" won't work as a limit since it is too general. You cannot limit by the CGU program in Blais; see next section on how to do that in Digital Dissertations.
• For dissertations prior to 1995, use subject Claremont Graduate School dissertations.

• Select Digital Dissertations from the list of Databases by Title. (Begin on the Libraries home page: in the eResearch Tools section select Databases, then select D in the list of databases by title and find Digital Dissertations.)
• Use one pull-down menu to select School, then type in Claremont Graduate University. (Older Claremont Graduate School dissertations have been updated as Claremont Graduate University in this database.)
• Use a second pull-down menu to select Subject. Use a program subject area, such as "business," "management," "psychology," "education," "music," "art," "religion," "economics," or "politics." You can reduce the size of the list by selecting a specific year or years.
• You can also search by Adviser. Note: not all records have this field, and some have the department chair's name instead of the adviser's. Use with caution, and use subject instead (as shown above) if you get a zero result.
• When you have identified the dissertations you are interested in examining, if it is 1997 or later, you can download most of them free. If it is earlier than 1997, go to Blais and search by title. Usually the dissertation will be the only result of the search.
• Make a note of the HON call number (rather than the HON SPCL ARCHIVE call number). Staff can direct you to the appropriate location for your call number. If you have borrowing privileges, you can check out this copy.
• If the only copy has HON SPCL ARCHIVE as the location, or the stacks copy is checked out, you will need to use this archives copy in the Special Collections Reading Room during the hours that department is open. Check the Special Collections web page for information on access and hours.

• Select LC Call No. from the main menu.
• Type XC 10.22 to see Ph.D. dissertations.
• Type XC 10.2 to see Master's theses and Ph.D. dissertations.

(These are the call numbers for archives copies, but most records also include the call number for a copy you can check out.) 

Finding Dissertations from Other Universities

• Select Digital Dissertations from the list of Databases by Title. (Begin on the Libraries home page: in the eResearch Tools section select Databases, then select D in the list of databases by title and find Digital Dissertations.)
• Use the pull-down menus to combine searches for multiple subject terms, institution, year, author, etc.

Borrowing a Dissertation Through Interlibrary Loan

• On the Libraries' home page, in Getting Materials, select Request materials not at Claremont (InterLibrary Loan).
• Click on Request a book or a photocopy of a journal article, and fill in your personal information.
• Verify your personal information by clicking Continue. Then click on Book.
• Fill in the author and title of the dissertation as for a book, put the degree-granting institution (e.g., University of Hawaii) as the publisher, and the degree date as the date of publication. 
• Add "PhD dissertation" in the Special Instructions box.
• Click on Continue and your request will be submitted.

Buying a Dissertation

OTHERWISE: Most U.S. dissertations are available for purchase in paper from UMI (University Microfilms International). To buy a copy online by credit card use Digital Dissertations (click on ORDER NOW button) or UMI's Dissertation Express. You can also create an order form to fax, or order by phone at 1-800-521-3042.

Price (2005) for an unbound, priority mail copy to students, faculty, or staff of colleges and universities in the U.S. is $38.00 plus tax. Delivery is usually within 4-5 days. Check the UMI Dissertation Express web site for more details.

British Dissertations

The British universities refer to these as "doctoral theses." The British Library has a thesis service. "The British Thesis Service gives you access to the full text (by purchase) of more than 170,000 doctoral theses, mainly from the 1970s to the present day. Almost all UK universities make their theses available through the Service."

"Microfilm copies or bound paper enlargements of most theses are available for sale." They have an online order form and you may make the purchases with a credit card.

See their site for more information, including which universities participate and how to use the BL Intregrated Catalog to find a thesis.

Except for those held by the Center for Research Libraries, British theses can not be requested through ILL For those held by CRL, a Thesis Declaration Form (TDF) must be filled out by the requestor. ILL has the form and they will fax it to CRL with your request.

Help! I can't find it.

• NAMES: You know Bill Smith, but his dissertation would be under his full legal name, Ferdinand William Smith, which he never uses now. Try using just the last name in your search, and combine it with one or more words from the title.

Married names change, and the professor you know now as Maxine Wellington-Smythe might have her dissertation under Maxine Wellington. If a precise name search doesn't yield results, make the search fuzzier.
 
• TITLES: The title you heard somewhere might have been misremembered or misquoted. If an exact search doesn't work, try one or two meaningful words only.

 
• YEARS: A student may have turned in the dissertation in December 1997, but the degree date might be 1998, when one degree-granting ceremony was held. Try searching a span of two to three years, or limit to a decade, if the exact year doesn't yield results.

When you need help finding information, stop by the Reference Desk at one of the Libraries or make an appointment to talk with a Reference Librarian.