Dissertations and theses are an often overlooked source of research. They are valuable because:

• They provide access to early ideas that may not yet be published in journals or books.
• They provide extensive bibliographies on narrow topics.
• They let you know if a similar work on the topic already exists, which is useful if you’re writing a dissertation or thesis. This gives you sources of authority to refer to and allows you to situate your work in a broader research agenda showing how your approach is different from related works.
• They serve as inspiration for how charts, graphs or tables might be used to communicate ideas in your dissertation or thesis.
• They can help you identify scholars working in your field that may collaborate with you in the future.

Digital Dissertation and Theses Research Guide
This guide was created to connect researchers to databases and repositories of dissertations and theses, since these materials are not usually included in general databases. This guide will help you find dissertations and theses written at UNT and other universities, and supportive resources for graduate students who are writing a dissertation or thesis.
*Librarian Robbie Sittel was the original creator and author of this guide.