how to cite with phd

How to Reference a Person With a PhD

How to sign your name when you have a bachelor of science in criminal ....

As you have probably noticed, many authors of books and articles are learned individuals who have received doctorates. Therefore, you may sometimes find that you need to cite authors who have the suffix "Ph.D." listed after their names. However, if you listed "Ph.D." after the name of every author who had one, your term paper would quickly devolve into alphabet soup. Both American Psychological Association (APA) and Modern Language Association (MLA) styles agree on this point: never include the suffix "Ph.D." after an author's name when you are citing sources.

Omit the suffix "Ph.D." from the author's name when citing sources in your reference list. For example, a book authored by Jordan Jones, Ph.D. would be listed as being authored by Jordan Jones. In MLA style this would appear as: Jones, Jordan. In APA style, this would appear as: Jones, J.

Omit as well any titles such as "Ph.D." from the names of translators, editors, or any other names that might appear in your reference list entries.

Omit titles such as "Ph.D." from your in-text citations as well. Use only the last names of authors, editors and other persons in parenthetical citations. In MLA style, an in-text citation for the work of Jordan Jones, Ph.D. should appear as follows: (Jones 86). In APA, the same citation should appear as follows: (Jones, 2009, p. 86).

Related Articles

How to Correctly Use the Titles Dr. & PhD With a Name

Proper Way to Notate College Degrees

How to Write a Source Card for an Internet Source

How to Locate PhD Dissertations

How to do citations for paradise lost.

How to Address a DVM

How to Do a Handout in APA Style

The History of the Doctoral Degree

• Purdue OWL: MLA Works Cited Page Basic Format

• RRU Writing Centre
• WriteAnswers

Q. How do I reference a PhD dissertation or MA thesis in APA style?

• 3 Academic Integrity
• 48 Academic writing
• 42 APA Style
• 33 APA Style: Formatting
• 109 APA Style: In-text citations
• 107 APA Style: References
• 3 Generative AI
• 19 Legal citations
• 16 Paraphrasing
• 10 Punctuation
• 25 Quotations
• 17 Writing Centre information
• 65 Writing Centre resources

Answered By: Theresa Bell (she/her/hers) Last Updated: Nov 04, 2021     Views: 65322

APA Style (7th ed.)

Unpublished print dissertations/theses retrieved from university

Author, A. (year). Title of dissertation [Unpublished doctoral dissertation OR master's thesis]. Name of Institution.

• In-text citation: (Author, year, p. X)
• See pages 333-334 in the APA Style manual for information and examples.

Published dissertation/thesis retrieved from online database

Dissertation

Author, A. (year). Title of dissertation [Doctoral dissertation, Name of Institution Granting Award]. Database Name.

Myers, S. (2018). In British Columbia's nature programs where hearts are rooted: A multiple case study of nature education in early childhood education [Doctoral dissertation, Royal Roads University]. Proquest Dissertations and Theses Global.

• In-text citation: (Myers, 2018, p. 45)

Author, A. (year). Title of thesis [Master's thesis, Name of Institution Granting Award]. Database Name.

Dawson, N. M. (2019). ła w eyasens gayułas: Ancestral teachings to reclaim the roles of Kwakwaka'wakw women in governance and leadership [Master's thesis, Royal Roads University]. Proquest Dissertations and Theses Global.

• In-text citation: (Dawson, 2019, p. 60)

Published dissertation/thesis retrieved from university archive or personal website

Author, A. (year). Title of thesis [Master's thesis, Name of Institution Granting Award]. URL of university archive or personal website

M a nuel, R. (2017). Like semaphore in the dark: There must be a better way to communicate [Master's thesis, Royal Roads University]. VIURRSpace. https://viurrspace.ca/bitstream/handle/10613/17238/Manuel_royalroads_1313O_10623.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

• In-text citation: (Manuel, 2017, p. 39)

American Psychological Association. (2020).  Publication manual of the American Psychological Association  (7th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1037/0000165-000

• Share on Facebook

Was this helpful? Yes 0 No 0

• Collections
• Research Help
• Teaching & Learning
• Library Home

APA 7th Edition Citation Style Guide

• Basics & Help
• Journal Articles
• Web Sources
• Magazine & News Articles
• Audiovisual Media
• Data & Reports
• Legal Documents

From a Database

From the web, unpublished (in print from a university library).

• References Page
• In-text Citations
• Author Variations (more than 1, or group)
• Citing Business Resources

General Rule:

Author, A. A. (year). Title of doctoral dissertation or master’s thesis  (Publication No. #) [Doctoral dissertation or master’s thesis, Name of Institution Awarding the Degree]. Name of Database.

Davis, P. M. (2010). Access, readership, citations: A randomized controlled trial of scientific journal publishing . (Publication No.   3429815 )  [Doctoral dissertation, Cornell University].  ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global.  

Author, A. A. (year). Title of doctoral dissertation or master’s thesis  [Doctoral dissertation or master’s thesis, Name of Institution]. Name of Website. URL

Buckman, A. (1997). MOOSE Crossing: Construction, community, and learning in a networked virtual world for kids [Doctoral dissertation, Massachusetts Institute of Technology]. DSpace@MIT.  https://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/33821

Author, A. A. (year). Title of doctoral dissertation or master’s thesis  [Unpublished doctoral dissertation or master’s thesis]. Name of Institution.

Long, R.P. (1972). A study of instructional objectives and methods for interpersonal communication. [Unpublished master’s thesis]. West Virginia University.

• << Previous: Legal Documents
• Next: References Page >>
• Last Updated: Feb 29, 2024 4:13 PM
• URL: https://libguides.wvu.edu/apa

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

How to Cite a Thesis or Dissertation in APA

In this citation guide, you will learn how to reference and cite an undergraduate thesis, master’s thesis, or doctoral dissertation. This guide will also review the differences between a thesis or dissertation that is published and one that has remained unpublished. The guidelines below come from the 7th edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (2020a), pages 333 and 334. Please note that the association is not affiliated with this guide.

Alternatively, you can visit EasyBib.com for helpful citation tools to cite your thesis or dissertation .

Guide Overview

Citing an unpublished thesis or dissertation, citing a published dissertation or thesis from a database, citing a thesis or dissertation published online but not from a database, citing a thesis or dissertation: reference overview, what you need.

Since unpublished theses can usually only be sourced in print form from a university library, the correct citation structure includes the university name where the publisher element usually goes.

Author’s last name, F. M. (Year published). Title in sentence case [Unpublished degree type thesis or dissertation]. Name of institution.

Ames, J. H., & Doughty, L. H. (1911). The proposed plans for the Iowa State College athletic field including the design of a reinforced concrete grandstand and wall [Unpublished bachelor’s thesis]. Iowa State University.

In-text citation example:

• Parenthetical :  (Ames & Doughty, 1911)
• Narrative :  Ames & Doughty (1911)

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:

• The institution is presented in brackets after the title
• The archive or database name is included

Author’s last name, F. M. (Year published). Title in sentence case (Publication or Document No.) [Degree type thesis or dissertation, Name of institution]. Database name.

Examples 1:

Knight, K. A. (2011). Media epidemics: Viral structures in literature and new media (Accession No. 2013420395) [Doctoral dissertation, University of California, Santa Barbara]. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing.

Trotman, J.B. (2018). New insights into the biochemistry and cell biology of RNA recapping (Document No. osu1523896565730483) [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses & Dissertations Center.

In the example given above, the dissertation is presented with a Document Number (Document No.). Sometimes called a database number or publication number, this is the identifier that is used by the database’s indexing system. If the database you are using provides you with such a number, then include it directly after the work’s title in parentheses.

If you are interested in learning more about how to handle works that were accessed via academic research databases, see Section 9.3 of the Publication Manual.

In-text citation examples :

• Parenthetical citation : (Trotman, 2018)
• Narrative citation : Trotman (2018)

Author’s last name, F. M. (Year Published). Title in sentence case [Degree type thesis or dissertation, Name of institution]. Name of archive or collection. URL

Kim, O. (2019). Soviet tableau: cinema and history under late socialism [Doctoral dissertation, University of Pittsburgh]. Institutional Repository at the University of Pittsburgh. https://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/37669/7/Olga%20Kim%20Final%20ETD.pdf

Stiles, T. W. (2001). Doing science: Teachers’ authentic experiences at the Lone Star Dinosaur Field Institute [Master’s thesis, Texas A&M University]. OAKTrust. https://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/ETD-TAMU-2001-THESIS-S745

It is important to note that not every thesis or dissertation published online will be associated with a specific archive or collection. If the work is published on a private website, provide only the URL as the source element.

In-text citation examples:

• Parenthetical citation : (Kim, 2019)
• Narrative citation : Kim (2019)
• Parenthetical citation : (Stiles, 2001)
• Narrative citation : Stiles (2001)

We hope that the information provided here will serve as an effective guide for your research. If you’re looking for even more citation info, visit EasyBib.com for a comprehensive collection of educational materials covering multiple source types.

If you’re citing a variety of different sources, consider taking the EasyBib citation generator for a spin. It can help you cite easily and offers citation forms for several different kinds of sources.

To start things off, let’s take a look at the different types of literature that are classified under Chapter 10.6 of the Publication Manual :

• Undergraduate thesis
• Master’s thesis
• Doctoral dissertation

You will need to know which type you are citing. You’ll also need to know if it is published or unpublished .

When you decide to cite a dissertation or thesis, you’ll need to look for the following information to use in your citation:

• Author’s last name, and first and middle initials
• Year published
• Title of thesis or dissertation
• If it is unpublished
• Publication or document number (if applicable; for published work)
• Degree type (bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral)
• Thesis or dissertation
• Name of institution awarding degree
• DOI (https://doi.org/xxxxx) or URL (if applicable)

Since theses and dissertations are directly linked to educational degrees, it is necessary to list the name of the associated institution; i.e., the college, university, or school that is awarding the associated degree.

To get an idea of the proper form, take a look at the examples below. There are three outlined scenarios:

• Unpublished thesis or dissertation
• Published thesis or dissertation from a database
• Thesis or dissertation published online but not from a database

American Psychological Association. (2020a). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1037/0000165-000

American Psychological Association. (2020b). Style-Grammar-Guidelines. https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/citations/basic-principles/parenthetical-versus-narrative

Published August 10, 2012. Updated March 24, 2020.

Written and edited by Michele Kirschenbaum and Elise Barbeau. Michele Kirschenbaum is a school library media specialist and the in-house librarian at EasyBib.com. Elise Barbeau is the Citation Specialist at Chegg. She has worked in digital marketing, libraries, and publishing.

APA Formatting Guide

APA Formatting

• Annotated Bibliography
• Block Quotes
• et al Usage
• In-text Citations
• Multiple Authors
• Paraphrasing
• Page Numbers
• Parenthetical Citations
• Reference Page
• Sample Paper
• APA 7 Updates
• View APA Guide

Citation Examples

• Book Chapter
• Journal Article
• Magazine Article
• Newspaper Article
• Website (no author)
• View all APA Examples

How useful was this post?

Click on a star to rate it!

We are sorry that this post was not useful for you!

Let us improve this post!

Tell us how we can improve this post?

To cite a published thesis in APA style, it is important that you know some basic information such as the author, publication year, title of the thesis, institute name, archive name, and URL (uniform resource locator). The templates for an in-text citation and reference list entry of a thesis, along with examples, are given below:

In-text citation template and example:

Use the author surname and the publication year in the in-text citation.

Author Surname (Publication Year)

Cartmel (2007)

Parenthetical:

(Author Surname, Publication Year)

(Cartmel, 2007)

Reference list entry template and example:

The title of the thesis is set in sentence case and italicized. Enclose the thesis and the institute awarding the degree inside brackets following the publication year. Then add the name of the database followed by the URL.

Author Surname, F. M. (Publication Year). Title of the thesis [Master’s thesis, Institute Name]. Name of the Database. URL

Cartmel, J. (2007). Outside school hours care and schools [Master’s thesis, Queensland University of Technology]. EPrints. http://eprints.qut.edu.au/17810/1/Jennifer_Cartmel_Thesis.pdf

To cite an unpublished dissertation in APA style, it is important that you know some basic information such as the author, year, title of the dissertation, and institute name. The templates for in-text citation and reference list entry of an online thesis, along with examples, are given below:

Author Surname (Year)

Averill (2009)

(Author Surname, Year)

(Averill, 2009)

The title of the dissertation is set in sentence case and italicized. Enclose “Unpublished doctoral dissertation” inside brackets following the year. Then add the name of the institution awarding the degree.

Author Surname, F. M. (Publication Year). Title of the dissertation [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Name of the Institute.

Averill, R. (2009). Teacher–student relationships in diverse New Zealand year 10 mathematics classrooms: Teacher care [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Victoria University of Wellington.

APA Citation Examples

Writing Tools

Citation Generators

Other Citation Styles

Plagiarism Checker

Upload a paper to check for plagiarism against billions of sources and get advanced writing suggestions for clarity and style.

Get Started

APA 7th Edition Citation Examples

• Volume and Issue Numbers
• Page Numbers
• Undated Sources
• Citing a Source Within a Source
• In-Text Citations
• Academic Journals
• Encyclopedia Articles
• Book, Film, and Product Reviews
• Online Classroom Materials
• Conference Papers
• Technical + Research Reports
• Court Decisions
• Treaties and Other International Agreements
• Federal Regulations: I. The Code of Federal Regulations
• Federal Regulations: II. The Federal Register
• Executive Orders
• Charter of the United Nations
• Federal Statutes

Format for dissertations and theses

Dissertations and theses database.

• Interviews, E-mail Messages + Other Personal Communications
• Social Media
• Business Sources
• PowerPoints
• AI: ChatGPT, etc.

Author last name, first initial. (Year).  Title of dissertation/thesis  (Publication No.) [Doctoral dissertation/Master's thesis, University]. Database. URL

• Author:  List the last name, followed by the first initial (and second initial). See  Authors  for more information.
• Year:  List the year between parentheses, followed by a period.
• Title of dissertation/thesis:  In italics. Capitalize the first word of the title, subtitle, and proper nouns.
• Publication number: Can be found in Dissertations and Theses database, listed in the item record as “Dissertation/thesis number.”
• Doctoral dissertation/Master's thesis:  List whether it is a dissertation or a thesis.
• University:  List the university associated with the dissertation/thesis.
• Database:  List database the dissertation/thesis was found in, if found in a database.
• URL:  List URL if found on the free Web rather than in a database.

See specific examples below.

Dissertations:

Pecore, J. T. (2004). Sounding the spirit of Cambodia: The living tradition of Khmer music and dance-drama in a Washington, DC community  (Publication No. 3114720) [Doctoral dissertation, University of Maryland]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global. 

Master's Theses:

Hollander, M. M. (2017). Resitance to authority: Methodological innovations and new lessons from the Milgram experiment   (Publication No. 10289373) [Master's thesis, University of Wisconsin - Madison]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global.

APA calls for the citation to include a unique identifying number for the dissertation, labeling it “Publication No.” That number can be found in Dissertations and Theses database, listed in the item record as “Dissertation/thesis number.”

Karamanos, X. (2020). The influence of professional development models on student mathematics performance in New Jersey public elementary schools [Doctoral dissertation, Seton Hall University]. Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs). https://scholarship.shu.edu/dissertations/2732

Bordo, V. C. (2011). Making a case for the use of foreign language in the educational activities of nonprofit arts organizations [Master's thesis, University of Akron]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses & Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1311135640

Caprette, C. L. (2005). Conquering the cold shudder: The origin and evolution of snake eyes  [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University].

Angelova, A. N. (2004). Data pruning  [Master's thesis, California Institute of Technology].

See  Publication Manual , 10.6.

• << Previous: Federal Statutes
• Next: Images >>
• Last Updated: Mar 18, 2024 12:55 PM
• URL: https://libguides.umgc.edu/apa-examples

How do I cite a dissertation in MLA style?

Note: This post relates to content in the eighth edition of the MLA Handbook . For up-to-date guidance, see the ninth edition of the MLA Handbook .

A dissertation is a unique type of source. It is a finished, stand-alone work written under the auspices of an institution. In a change from the previous edition of the MLA Handbook ,    we do not distinguish between published and unpublished dissertations. To cite a dissertation, include in the entry the author, title, and date of publication as core elements. As an optional element, list the institution granting the degree and a description of the work.

Njus, Jesse. Performing the Passion: A Study on the Nature of Medieval Acting . 2010. Northwestern U, PhD dissertation.

If you accessed the dissertation through an online repository, include this fact as the title of the second container:

Njus, Jesse. Performing the Passion: A Study on the Nature of Medieval Acting . 2010. Northwestern U, PhD dissertation.  ProQuest , search.proquest.com/docview/305212264?accountid=7432.

Unpublished Dissertation or Thesis References

This page contains a reference example for an unpublished dissertation or thesis.

Harris, L. (2014). Instructional leadership perceptions and practices of elementary school leaders [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. University of Virginia.

• Parenthetical citation : (Harris, 2014)
• Narrative citation : Harris (2014)
• When a dissertation or thesis is unpublished, include the description “[Unpublished doctoral dissertation]” or “[Unpublished master’s thesis]” in square brackets after the dissertation or thesis title.
• In the source element of the reference, provide the name of the institution that awarded the degree.
• The same format can be adapted for other unpublished theses, including undergraduate theses, by changing the wording of the bracketed description as appropriate.
• If you find the dissertation or thesis in a database or in a repository or archive, follow the published dissertation or thesis reference examples .

Unpublished dissertation or thesis references are covered in the seventh edition APA Style manuals in the Publication Manual Section 10.6 and the Concise Guide Section 10.5

• How to Cite
• Language & Lit
• Rhyme & Rhythm
• The Rewrite
• Search Glass

How to Cite a Ph.D. Title at the End of a Name

According to the sixth edition of the "Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association" and the seventh edition of the "MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers," writers using either the APA or MLA documentation format should avoid using titles such as "Ph.D." by authors' names in the citations or references pages. However, these style guides, along with the 16th edition of "The Chicago Manual of Style" and AP style, do allow the use of such titles at the end of names in the text, when needed.

In Chicago and MLA style, a Ph.D. title is not included in the references, but it can be included in the text. In that case, the doctoral degree title at the end of a name appears after a comma but with no punctuation within the letters in the degree and both the "P" and the "D" should be capitalized.

For example: Steven Hammersmith, PhD.

AP style also does not cite the degree in the references, and it prefers a phrase instead of an abbreviation in the text, when possible.

For example: Jane Doe, who has a doctorate in chemistry.

When the preferred style is too cumbersome, such as when several people and their titles need to be identified, AP style requires a period between the two portions of the abbreviation: Ph.D.

The capitalization remains the same as in Chicago, however, as does the requirement for the comma between the name and the title.

APA is similar to AP style, with a period between the two portions of the abbreviation, and it also does not include the academic degree in the references.

Need help with a citation? Try our citation generator .

• Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th edition); American Psychological Association
• MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (7th edition); Modern Language Association
• Purdue Online Writing Lab: General Format
• Purdue Online Writing Lab: MLA Works Cited Page: General Format
• The Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition); University of Chicago Press Staff
• The Chicago Manual of Style Online: Abbreviations

Kristie Sweet has been writing professionally since 1982, most recently publishing for various websites on topics like health and wellness, and education. She holds a Master of Arts in English from the University of Northern Colorado.

• Link to facebook
• Link to linkedin
• Link to twitter
• Link to youtube
• Writing Tips

How to Cite a Thesis or Dissertation in Chicago Footnote Referencing

• 2-minute read
• 6th May 2020

Have you found useful ideas or data in someone else’s dissertation or thesis to support an argument in your own work? Our guide below explains how to cite a thesis or dissertation correctly in the Chicago footnote style.

Footnote Citation for a Thesis or Dissertation

The Chicago Manual of Style ’s footnote referencing system uses superscript numbers to point to citations. For instance:

Usually at the end of a sentence, like this. 1

The footnote format for a thesis or dissertation in Chicago referencing is similar to the one used for a book . The main difference is that you should use quote marks instead of italics for the title:

n. Author name, “Title of paper” (type of paper, academic institution, year of completion), page number, URL/database name (document ID).

Of course, you only need to give a URL or database name and ID if you accessed the paper online! To cite page 42 of John Smith’s printed PhD thesis, then, your footnote would look like this:

1. John Smith, “Useful Ideas for Research” (PhD diss., University of Learning, 2006), 42.

If you’re citing only an abstract, simply add the word “abstract” after the title:

2. Tom Persson, “Great Thoughts and Stuff,” abstract, (master’s thesis, Educational Establishment of City Name Here, 2012), 81, https://CityNameUniversity.edu/1901.11/39144.

Find this useful?

Subscribe to our newsletter and get writing tips from our editors straight to your inbox.

For repeat citations, use the standard shortened footnote format .

The Bibliography Entry

The bibliography entry for a thesis or dissertation will be similar to the first footnote citation. However, there are a few differences in the format:

• You will need to use a period between each element, not a comma.
• The first author’s name should be inverted (i.e., “Surname, First Name”)
• You do not need parentheses for the additional paper information (i.e., the paper type, institution, and year of completion).
• No page number is required.

So, bibliography entries for these sources should look like this:

Author Surname, Author First Name. “Title of paper.” Type of paper, academic institution, year of completion. URL/database ID.

Thus, you would present your bibliography entries as follows:

Persson, Tom. “Great Thoughts and Stuff.” Abstract. Master’s thesis, Educational Establishment of City Name Here, 2012. https://CityNameUniversity.edu/1901.11/39144.

Smith, John. “Useful Ideas for Research.” PhD diss., University of Learning, 2006.

The points above will help you cite a dissertation or thesis in Chicago footnote referencing. Want further help checking your references and writing are error free? Our team of expert proofreaders is available 24/7.

Share this article:

Post A New Comment

Got content that needs a quick turnaround? Let us polish your work. Explore our editorial business services.

9-minute read

How to Use Infographics to Boost Your Presentation

Is your content getting noticed? Capturing and maintaining an audience’s attention is a challenge when...

8-minute read

Why Interactive PDFs Are Better for Engagement

Are you looking to enhance engagement and captivate your audience through your professional documents? Interactive...

7-minute read

Seven Key Strategies for Voice Search Optimization

Voice search optimization is rapidly shaping the digital landscape, requiring content professionals to adapt their...

4-minute read

Five Creative Ways to Showcase Your Digital Portfolio

Are you a creative freelancer looking to make a lasting impression on potential clients or...

How to Ace Slack Messaging for Contractors and Freelancers

Effective professional communication is an important skill for contractors and freelancers navigating remote work environments....

3-minute read

How to Insert a Text Box in a Google Doc

Google Docs is a powerful collaborative tool, and mastering its features can significantly enhance your...

Make sure your writing is the best it can be with our expert English proofreading and editing.

Plagiarism Checker

Compare your paper to billions of pages and articles with Scribbr’s Turnitin-powered plagiarism checker.

Run a free check

AI Detector

Detect AI-generated content like ChatGPT3.5, GPT4 and Gemini in seconds

Try for free

Paraphraser

Rewrite and paraphrase texts instantly with our AI-powered paraphrasing tool.

Check your Citations

Improve your in-text citations and references for errors and inconsistencies using Scribbr's AI technology or human experts.

Grammar Checker

Eliminate grammar errors and improve your writing with our free AI-powered grammar checker.

AI Proofreader

Correct your document in minutes.

Upload my document

Proofreading & Editing

Have a human editor polish your writing to ensure your arguments are judged on merit, not grammar errors.

Get expert writing help

universalSourceForm.defaults.intro.title

universalSourceForm.overwrites.thesis.intro.text,universalSourceForm.defaults.intro.text

• Plagiarism and grammar
• Citation guides
• Cite This For Me™ Premium

Reference a Dissertation

- powered by chegg.

Cite smarter, worry less with Cite This For Me Premium

Upgrade to save your work, check with plagiarism, and more, is your source credible don't forget to consider these factors:, purpose : reason the source exists.

• Is the point of the information to inform, persuade, teach, or sell?
• Do the authors/publishers make their intentions clear?
• Does the information appear to be fact or opinion?
• Does the point of view seem impartial? Do they identify counter-arguments?

Authority - Author:Source of the information

• Who is the author? What are their credentials or qualifications?
• What makes the author qualified to write on this topic?
• Are there clearly defined contact information for the author?

Authority - Publisher:Source of the information

• Who is the publisher? Is it a non-profit, government agency, or organisation? How might this affect their point of view?
• What makes the publisher qualified to generate works on this subject?
• What can the URL tell you about the publisher? For instance, .gov may signify that it is a government agency.

Accuracy : Reliability and truthfulness of the content

• Where does the information come from?
• Can the information presented be verified? Is it supported by evidence that is clearly cited?
• Does the language used seem free of emotion, and does the work seem impartial and objective?
• Are there any spelling or grammatical errors? If an online source, are all links working?
• If it was reproduced, who edited/reproduced it? Where was the information originally published?
• How original are the ideas presented in the work? Do they seem to be common knowledge?

Relevance : Importance of the information to your topic

• Does the information relate to your topic, or answer the question you have presented?
• Who is the intended audience of the work? Does that audience match with yours?
• Have you looked at other sources related to this one? Does it seem there are many others on the topic?
• Are you utilizing the entire source, or just a part of it?

Currency : Timeliness of the information

• When was the information published? When was it last updated? Does it reflect the most current information available?
• How does your topic fit in with this source’s publication date? Do you need current information to make your point or do older sources work better?

Comprehensiveness

• Does the source present one or multiple viewpoints on your topic?
• Does the source present a large amount of information on the topic? Or is it short and focused?
• Are there any points you feel may have been left out, on purpose or accidentally, that affect its comprehensiveness?
• Style Guides
• Chrome Extension
• Terms of Use
• Global Privacy Policy
• Cookie Notice
• Cookie Settings

• How it works

How to Cite a Dissertation in Harvard Style

Published by Alaxendra Bets at August 27th, 2021 , Revised On September 25, 2023

What is a Dissertation?

In the UK, countries of Western Europe, as well as New Zealand and Australia, the term ‘ dissertation ’ is used instead of a ‘thesis.’ The majority of the remaining countries in the world prefer to use ‘thesis’ instead of ‘dissertation.’

Both represent the same thing, though: a full-length, academic piece of writing that students must submit after their undergraduate, post-graduate (Master), or PhD studies.

More specifically, a dissertation can refer to:

• Large-scale research as part of a degree.
• An article based on a small-scale study as part of a degree.
• A review of another study, research or an accumulation of both.
• Other full-length body texts are a requirement of the student’s degree program, no matter which level it is.

1.    Basic Format

In Harvard, the following in-text citation format is used for the dissertation:

(Author Surname, Year Published)

For example, ‘Occasionally the talent for drawing passes beyond mere picture-copying and shows the presence of a real artistic capacity of no mean order. (Darius, 2014)’

In Harvard, the following reference list entry format is used for the dissertation:

Author Surname, Author Initials. (Year Published). Title of the dissertation in italics. Level. Institution Name.

For example, reference list entry for the above source would be:

Darius, H. (2014). Running head: SAVANT SYNDROME – THEORIES AND EMPIRICAL FINDINGS . University of Skövde, University of Turku.

However, a slightly different format is also used in some institutions. According to that, in-text citations are done in the following way:

Author surname Year, p.#

For instance, Exelby (1997, p. 3) described the process … OR … processing gold (Exelby 1997, p. 3).

But in the case of reference list entries, these ‘other’ institutions recommend naming the dissertation title not in italics but in single quotation marks. The format would then be:

Author Surname, Initials Year of Publication, ‘Title of thesis in single quotation marks’, Award, Institution issuing degree, Location of the institution.

So, according to this format, the above example’s reference list entry would be:

Exelby, HRA 1997, ‘Aspects of Gold and Mineral Liberation’, PhD thesis, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld.

Whichever format is followed largely depends on one’s institutional guidelines. The format specified by the university is the one that should be followed. Furthermore, it should be followed consistently throughout a manuscript.

2.    Citing a Dissertation Published Online

The format for both in-text and reference list entries is the same for online and print dissertations. For example:

• In-text citation: (Ram 2012) OR (Ram 2011, p. 130)
• Reference list entry: Ram, R 2012, ‘Development of the International Financial Reporting Standard for Small and Medium-sized Entities’, PhD thesis, The University of Sydney, viewed 23 May 2014, <http://hdl.handle.net/2123/8208>.

An important point to note: While referencing dissertations published online, the URL may or may not be enclosed within < > symbols. Whichever format is chosen, it should be used consistently throughout the text.

3.    Citing an Unpublished Dissertation

This type of dissertation also uses the same formatting for in-text and reference list entries in Harvard style. For example:

• In-text citation: (Sakunasingha 2006) OR (Sakunasingha 2006, p. 36)
• Reference list entry: Sakunasingha, B 2006, ‘An empirical study into factors influencing the use of value-based management tools’, DBA thesis, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW.

Hire an Expert Writer

Orders completed by our expert writers are

• Formally drafted in an academic style
• Free Amendments and 100% Plagiarism Free – or your money back!
• 100% Confidential and Timely Delivery!
• Free anti-plagiarism report
• Appreciated by thousands of clients. Check client reviews

Frequently Asked Questions

How do i cite my dissertation.

To cite your dissertation, follow your chosen citation style (e.g., APA, MLA). Generally, include author name, year, title, and source details. For APA: Author. (Year). Title. Source. For MLA: Author. “Title.” Degree, University, Year.

You May Also Like

You must cite any tables, maps, or figures that you use in your work in the text. Such citation is usually given at the end of the source

The basic format to a report reference in Harvard Style: Author (Year of Publication) Title of Report. Place of publication: publisher.

Surname, (or Newspaper/Magazine Title,) Year. Title of article. Newspaper/Magazine Title [online], Day Month Year or Volume (Issue), URL [Accessed date].

USEFUL LINKS

LEARNING RESOURCES

COMPANY DETAILS

• How It Works

Stack Exchange Network

Stack Exchange network consists of 183 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow , the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers.

Q&A for work

Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search.

Make PhD citations say "dissertation" rather than thesis

At my school, PhD works are generally referred to as dissertations rather than theses.

My bibtex file has this entry:

And it gets rendered as:

Is there any way to make it say "PhD dissertation" rather than "PhD thesis"?

On another note, why is this the default in LaTeX? Would it be unusual or poor form to change it?

Edit: I'm using the plain bibliography style. I could probably use ieeetr as well:

• This depends on your bibliography style, not your .bib file. So you need to show the LaTeX code you are using to produce the bibliography for us to help you. –  Alan Munn Commented May 4, 2014 at 2:28
• @AlanMunn Thanks, see edit. Using plain style. –  jtpereyda Commented May 4, 2014 at 2:37

2 Answers 2

The text used in plain.bst is hard coded into the file itself, and so isn't customizable from within your document.

What you can do is make a copy of plain.bst and edit it, and then use the copy as your bibliography style.

On a TeX Live system, plain.bst is located in /usr/local/texlive/2013/texmf-dist/bibtex/bst/base/plain.bst . Make a copy of this file and call it plain-diss.bst (or some other name). Save this in the same folder as your document, or put it in your local texmf folder in texmf/bibtex/bst/ .

Edit the file and search for "thesis". You will find the following function:

Change "PhD thesis" to "PhD dissertation" and then save the file.

In your document, use \bibliographystyle{plain-diss} instead of {plain} .

The same general solution will also work for the ieeetr.bst .

A biblatex solution

Another way to do this would be to use biblatex , which provides easy customization of these sorts of things. Here's a schematic document that shows how to do this:

• Thanks! Worked perfectly. I had to search my system (Cygwin) for the file with find / -name plain.bst . My plain.bst was at /usr/share/texmf-dist/bibtex/bst/base/plain.bst . –  jtpereyda Commented May 15, 2014 at 16:35
• Somebody at my school also pointed out that my PhD titles were italicized while my master's titles were not. Comparing the entries, I changed format.btitle "title" output.check to format.title "title" output.check to make them not italic. –  jtpereyda Commented May 16, 2014 at 2:09

For a quick fix, you can use the type field, although it makes the file non portable.

• this seems perfect, but could you pls elaborate on the "non portable" part? –  davyjones Commented Aug 2, 2016 at 14:09
• @davyjones If you use the bib file for other purposes, you probably need to remove the type field. –  egreg Commented Aug 2, 2016 at 14:23
• that's nice. I thought the generated pdf file would be somehow self-contradictorily non-portable. Thanks~ –  davyjones Commented Aug 2, 2016 at 14:29

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for browse other questions tagged bibtex citing ..

• Featured on Meta
• Upcoming initiatives on Stack Overflow and across the Stack Exchange network...
• We spent a sprint addressing your requests — here’s how it went

Hot Network Questions

• What events between India and Myanmar relations happened in 1962 that led Myanmar to support separatism in India?
• Book about aliens coming back to Earth to recover a lost spaceship
• The meaning of "tarmac ticket"
• How to relocate an outlet forward into a new wall?
• Rescuing ZFS after Debian upgrade
• How should I deal with curves in new deck boards during installation?
• Of "ils" and "elles", which pronoun is, grammatically speaking, used to refer to a group with an overwhelming female majority?
• Does the oven temperature for a lasagna really matter?
• How can I fix this rust on spokes?
• Power pedals on a fully MTB (riding flat roads), later on road/gravel bike
• Did any other European leader praise China for its peace initiatives since the outbreak of the Ukraine war?
• Good postdoc position, but how to approach advisor about feelings of self-doubt?
• What's the grammatical structure after a comma?
• Was Tarski the first to discuss the logically of the truth predicate?
• Car stalls when coming to a stop except when in neutral
• Any philosophical works that explicitly address the heat death of the Universe and its philosophical implications?
• Can a festival or a celebration like Halloween be "invented"?
• Finding the violating bound of CHSH using the first level of NPA hierarchy on MATLAB
• GIMP keeps opening on the wrong monitor and can't be resized to fit on main monitor
• Mathematica LinearSolve with additional constraints
• Vilna Gaon - Torah can bring you up or bring you down
• Using grout that had hardened in the bag
• how to round numbers after comma everytime up
• Does there exist a nontrivial "good" set?

Stack Exchange Network

Stack Exchange network consists of 183 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow , the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers.

Q&A for work

Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search.

How do I cite my own PhD dissertation in a journal article?

I recently finished my PhD, and now I'm in the process of submitting a journal article on the work I did in the final few months of my degree. This work is an extension to some conference papers that I'd published earlier, and so I've cited them in my journal article stating how the submitted work differs from the published material. When I submitted the article to the journal, I mentioned in a cover letter that the same results/algorithms exist in my PhD dissertation.

After submission, I received a note from the journal to also cite my own PhD dissertation in the article, as there is a fair bit of similarity. The note said:

You can resubmit after you have referenced the original article, and explained in your new article how this new work builds on your previous publication(s).

Considering the work presented in the journal article is not really an extension, and is pretty much the same as in the dissertation, how do I properly reference it? In my experience, I have not seen papers where the authors cited their own dissertation in the text.

• paper-submission

• 1 Maybe a google scholar search for "my dissertation" will give an example, close to your situation, that you can follow. Include one or more general terms for your field if you want something more field-specific. –  Dave L Renfro Commented Feb 9, 2021 at 21:13
• Wording "the original article" may hint on some confusion. Are you sure you made it completely clear that the work in question is your dissertation and not a published paper? I think some clarification may be necessary –  Yuriy S Commented Feb 10, 2021 at 16:09

5 Answers 5

In my experience (Theoretical Computer Science/Mathematical Logic) this issue is typically handled by having the sentence "This article is based on Chapter X of the author's PhD thesis \cite{myThesis}." as a stand-alone paragraph at the end of the introduction section.

Having just the plain sentence is consistent with the article having been edited only minimally to turn a chapter into a stand-alone article. If there are substantial differences, these can be pointed out in addition. Eg "We refer the reader to \cite{myThesis} for a much more detailed exposition of the proof."

• 3 In my field this sentence is usually part of the acknowledgement section. Not sure exactly why that is! –  Dawn Commented Feb 9, 2021 at 23:45
• 5 In my experience, this sentence is often a footnote on the first page. It's also often slightly extended by appending "written under the supervision of [name of Ph.D adviser]." –  Andreas Blass Commented Feb 9, 2021 at 23:52
• 1 Here's an example from one of the top economics journals of using the footnote on the first page: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.3982/ECTA6248 –  Jeff Commented Feb 10, 2021 at 18:54

If the dissertation is "published" then cite it like any other work. Otherwise cite it by name and authors and mark the citation as (doctoral dissertation, U of the Universe, unpublished).

It might only take a note or a short paragraph somewhere to explain how the present paper is related to the dissertation. "Builds" was just boilerplate. In fact, the note you sent to the editors might be enough if it is incorporated in a "prior work" paragraph or two.

"Published" is a nebulous term for dissertations. It can mean other than "by a recognized publisher". For example, some dissertations are "published" by the university and available via the Library or by ProQuest/University Microfilms.

But, failure to cite the ideas is self plagiarism. When in doubt, cite, even if you think it is over-citation.

Some dissertations are nothing more than a collection of previously published work along with a description of how it fits together as a whole. In such a case, just cite the individual papers as you would those of any researcher. Such dissertations are common in some fields and are also sometimes known as "stapled" distributions.

• I disagree with the part about citing the dissertation as a published work. My dissertation was three working papers. I certainly was not expected to cite it when I published that work. I simply had a note in the acknowledgment. –  Dawn Commented Feb 9, 2021 at 21:24
• For a "cumulative" dissertation as you describe, @Dawn, it is enough to cite the individual papers as you suggest. The dissertation isn't really a new thing, taken in itself. The OP here didn't describe it as such. And I assume you mean three "published" working papers. Edited to clarify –  Buffy Commented Feb 9, 2021 at 21:50
• No, I am suggesting the reverse. The dissertation was working papers. When publishing, the convention is to write something in the acknowledgment like: “The present research was originally conducted as part of the author’s dissertation work at The University of Research.” –  Dawn Commented Feb 9, 2021 at 23:44
• @Buffy Out of curiosity, is it common in the US that PhD theses are not published? At least in Germany (and I think in many parts of Europe), in general they must be published. Of course, traditionally this just meant handing in 30 or so copies to be deposited at some main libraries, and nowadays it means publishing it at the university library's website + 5 or so copies handed in. –  user151413 Commented Feb 10, 2021 at 20:51
• @Buffy as an example: "PhD dissertations are published or otherwise made available for distribution as proof of the candidate’s achievement, echoing a traditional European idea that the candidate for a doctorate must make a contribution to knowledge and cannot have a degree for making a discovery that is kept secret. Because of this, restricting access to dissertations or delaying the release of the work (i.e. “embargoed”) only occurs in very exceptional cases ." gsas.harvard.edu/degree-requirements/dissertations/… –  user151413 Commented Feb 10, 2021 at 20:56

When I submitted the article to the journal, I mentioned in a cover letter that the same results/algorithms exist in my PhD dissertation.

The editor made a mistake. Very probably an automated plagiarism check was performed without viewing the cover letter or examining the type of document the plagiarism check located. The editor thought your dissertation was an article, which it obviously is not.

Are you sure this is a good quality journal? How do I identify predatory and low quality journals? With Beall's List gone, how can I tell if a journal is spam?

It is perfectly normal to cite your own dissertation the same way you would cite someone else's.

Once you have cited your dissertation and determined this is a good journal, you can write in your response letter that the submission is a portion of your dissertation and it is not previously published in any journal (assuming that's true.)

• If the dissertation is published (which can mean many things - basically just that everyone can go and look it up in some library), then it should be cited. –  user151413 Commented Feb 10, 2021 at 20:52
• I agree that this is a mistake by the editor. Obviously you can use the text from your dissertation with a minor note or citation somewhere in the article. –  Dawn Commented Feb 10, 2021 at 21:33
• @Dawn But isn't that precisely the point, that it should be cited properly? –  user151413 Commented Feb 10, 2021 at 22:15
• @AnonymousPhysicist Hm, the editor might just have been sloppy or in a hurry. In the quote, it also says "build on previous publications " (not: articles). –  user151413 Commented Feb 11, 2021 at 0:55

Traditionally, PhD theses constitute a public proof of your abilities and therefore need to be published. (This is certainly true in the places in Europe I know, but a quick search revealed e.g. the same for Harvard , and I assume it is true for more US places as well).

The traditional way of this publication process would be to print a certain number of copies and hand them in at your library, which would then distribute it to some central libraries (national library etc.) which hold a copy of anything published in a country/region. There is no need to be able to order the thesis with a publisher, for it to have an ISBN number, etc.. (Semi-fun fact: When people started chasing German politician who plagiarized their PhD thesis, in some cases all copies were borrowed from those libraries and were never returned.)

These days, the publication process (at least in natural sciences) often consists in submitted an electronic version which is made available on the website of the university library. (It might be that a reduced number of printed copies still needs to be handed in.)

In either case, this constitutes a publication which can be cited. It should be cited like any other book, i.e.,

High Voltage, "On current and resistance", PhD thesis, Tesla University, Berlin, 2021,

or corresponding to the journal style. If it is published on the library website, it makes a lot of sense to add the URL or (if existent) DOI.

Of course, if the PhD thesis is not published, this is different, and it need not be cited. (In fact, one might argue it cannot be cited, as it is not a publication.) In any case, if you are unsure you should check with your university, most likely either the library or the graduation office.

• True for some US places, certainly. But there are no universal rules in the US. –  Buffy Commented Feb 10, 2021 at 21:11
• @Buffy There are no universal rules e.g. in Germany either, in the sense of centrally imposed rules. Typically, each university makes their own rules for awarding PhD, and possibly departments can modify the rules. But I'm rather sure that all of those rules say that a PhD thesis must be published. I think this is simply the traditional perspective on a PhD thesis, see also the Harvard quote - that it is a publication, publicly demonstrating your qualification. –  user151413 Commented Feb 10, 2021 at 21:46
• And, again, certainly true for Harvard. The US is not Germany. –  Buffy Commented Feb 10, 2021 at 22:01
• @Buffy No doubt about that! I guess in the US pretty much anything can call themselves a university and award degrees. –  user151413 Commented Feb 10, 2021 at 22:14
• So, chauvinism now? Please. The standards here are pretty high generally. –  Buffy Commented Feb 10, 2021 at 22:38

You could try pre-printing it and citing the preprint. Benefits are short time to `publication' (a couple of days, maximum, and only on a weekend) so very short delay to resubmission, moreover, the citation still counts for h-indices etc. I am sure that arXiv does theses as I have definitely read some there.

A proper citation could simply be a sentence like ``[type of result] [number or name if applicable] was developed in [citation], and is [restated/extended/some other word] here."

[citation] Your Name, Year, Your Dissertation Title, Dissertation from [your univ.]

This citation may be adapted if you do indeed arxiv it.

• 2 Putting the dissertation on the arXiv does not help with the OPs issue at all. –  Arno Commented Feb 10, 2021 at 19:49
• Not only was that not the sole content of my answer, but had you read more carefully, in combination with the rest of the answer it absolutely does aim to help -- here is a place to cite it from, and here is how to cite it, together following the conventions of normal self-citation practises in academic literature. –  rage_man Commented Feb 10, 2021 at 20:03

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for browse other questions tagged citations journals paper-submission ..

• Featured on Meta
• We spent a sprint addressing your requests — here’s how it went
• Upcoming initiatives on Stack Overflow and across the Stack Exchange network...

Hot Network Questions

• Can a MicroSD card help speed up my Mini PC?
• Futuristic show/film about an empire and rebels where the empire rigs a rebel to explode
• Are hot-air balloons regulated similar to jet aircraft?
• how to round numbers after comma everytime up
• Areas with anti-parallel gravity in classical physics
• Rescuing ZFS after Debian upgrade
• Why doesn't sed have a j command?
• Can a star be made of sun spots?
• With what tense I follow up "it's time"
• The use of Bio-weapons as a deterrent?
• What events between India and Myanmar relations happened in 1962 that led Myanmar to support separatism in India?
• What is the optimal security deposit amount and utilization pattern to build credit history with a secured credit card?
• Vilna Gaon - Torah can bring you up or bring you down
• How should I deal with curves in new deck boards during installation?
• o y u (or and or)
• Arms, hands and posture at the piano
• Book about aliens coming back to Earth to recover a lost spaceship
• Error concerning projectile motion in respected textbook?
• Accommodating whiteboard glare for low-vision student
• Why do "dual frequency" or low frequency switching regulators exist when higher frequency is better?
• How to stop followers from dissenting
• How to turn a sum into an integral?
• Car stalls when coming to a stop except when in neutral
• Mathematica LinearSolve with additional constraints

• Preparing to Apply
• How to Apply
• After Applying
• Why Penn State?
• Military and Veteran Students
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Degree Programs
• Academic Dates and Deadlines
• Policies for Students

Theses and Dissertations

• Integrated Undergraduate-Graduate Plans
• Commencement
• Planning Your Finances
• External Funding Opportunities
• Information for Graduate Assistants
• Student Recognition Awards
• Funding FAQ
• Professional Development
• New Students
• From the Dean
• Advising and Mentoring Tips
• Academic Support
• Student Support FAQs
• Addressing Concerns
• Well-Being Resources
• Office of Graduate Educational Equity Programs (OGEEP)
• Graduate School Open House
• Programs and Initiatives
• McNair Scholars Program
• Summer Research Opportunities Program (SROP)
• Resources and Partners
• Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Dean
• Vision, Mission, and Strategic Plan
• By the Numbers
• Contact the Graduate School
• Resource Library

This dialog contains the full navigation menu for gradschool.psu.edu.

The Graduate School

• Student Support

Information For

• Alumni and Friends
• Veterans and Military Service Members
• Corporate Connections & Partnerships

Helpful Links

• Graduate Education Policies
• Student Teaching Certificate
• Graduate Exhibition
• Three Minute Thesis
• Accelerate to Industry

For Faculty and Staff

• Graduate Council
• Graduate Education Resource Portal

Social Media

Sorry, there are no deadlines results.

• On this Page

As a graduate student, you may need to complete a thesis or dissertation as part of your program's graduation requirements. While theses are common among master’s students and dissertations among doctoral students, this may not apply universally across all programs. We encourage you to reach out to your program adviser to determine the specific requirements for your culminating project.

Office of Theses and Dissertations

The Office of Theses and Dissertations is the unit of the Graduate School responsible for certifying that theses and dissertations have been prepared in accordance with formatting requirements established by the Graduate School, the University Libraries, and the graduate faculty of Penn State. We are here to help you navigate the review and approval process to ensure you are able to graduate on time.

The Thesis and Dissertation Handbook explains Penn State formatting requirements for all master’s theses and doctoral dissertations. It covers the submission process and approval deadlines, the responsibilities of each student, and provides page examples. We highly recommend all students doing theses or dissertations to carefully review the handbook.

Deadlines Calendar

Submission procedure.

Thesis and Dissertation Templates

Tips & Support

Theses and dissertations faqs, thesis and dissertation payment portal.

Questions about theses, dissertations, or Graduate School commencement should be directed to the Graduate School Office of Theses and Dissertations (OTD) .

115 Kern Graduate Building University Park, PA 16802

[email protected]

814-865-1795

Among these resources, you can get help from the Graduate Writing Center and the Statistical Counseling Center, notify the University of your intent to graduate, and prepare for Commencement.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations for Graduate School (eTD)

Submit your own work or explore published submissions.

Graduate School Commencement

Learn how to register for commencement, when to order regalia, how to prepare, and more.

Graduate Writing Center

The Graduate Writing Center provides consultation to graduate students in all disciplines and locations.

LaTeX Document Preparation Software

A guide to using LaTeX document preparation software, from the University Libraries.

Multimedia & Printing Center Copying & Binding

Multimedia & Print Center will help you re-create and preserve your important work with professional copying and binding services.

Notifying the University of Your Intent to Graduate

To graduate, you must satisfy all the University, college, and major requirements that were in effect at the time of your most recent admission, or re-enrollment, as a degree candidate to the University.

Statistical Consulting Center

Gives advice on statistics to graduate students working on dissertation or thesis research.

Thesis and Dissertation Fees

Pay thesis fee ($10) or dissertation fee ($50).

Thesis and Dissertation Handbook

Requirements and guidelines for the preparation of Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations.

Thesis and Dissertation Submission Requirements and Deadlines

Find required thesis and dissertation submissions dates for all Penn State graduate students.

Download a template to make sure your thesis or dissertation meets required formatting requirements for all Penn State theses and dissertations.

Legal Statements

• Non-Discrimination
• Equal Opportunity
• Accessibility
• The Pennsylvania State University © 2024

Top 25+ Websites and Apps for PhD Students

Discover the top 25 websites and apps for PhD students in 2024. Enhance your research with the best free tools, datasets, and online learning platforms.

Jul 6, 2024

In 2024, PhD students have access to a plethora of user-friendly tools and platforms designed to facilitate academic research and learning. From reference management software to data analysis tools and online learning platforms, these resources streamline research work, enhance productivity, and support better learning outcomes. Here is an in-depth look at the top 25 websites and apps that every PhD student should consider integrating into their academic routine.

Top 25 Websites and Apps for PhD Students

1. listening.com.

Listening.com is a personalized learning platform that offers free audio, text-to-speech, and online learning resources aimed at enhancing listening skills. PhD students can benefit from its wide range of topics, including academic podcasts, lectures, and other audio materials, making it easier to absorb complex information through listening.

This platform is ideal for auditory learners and those looking to supplement their reading with audio content. The text-to-speech feature allows users to convert written text into spoken words, further expanding the platform's utility for diverse learning needs.

This version incorporates the text-to-speech feature while maintaining the overall flow and clarity of the description. It highlights this additional functionality as part of the platform's offerings, which can be particularly useful for PhD students dealing with extensive reading materials.

2. Google Scholar

Google Scholar is an indispensable tool for finding scholarly articles, research papers, and academic publications. It provides access to a vast database of academic research across various disciplines. This platform is user-friendly and allows students to search for information efficiently, making it one of the best free resources for conducting literature reviews and staying updated with the latest research trends.

Zotero is one of the best free reference management software solutions available to PhD students. It helps organize research sources, create citations, and manage bibliographies. Zotero's web-based interface and browser extension make it easy to save references directly from the web. Additionally, its collaboration features allow multiple users to work on shared projects, making it ideal for group research efforts.

4. Mendeley

Mendeley is a free and open reference  management tool that helps students organize their research materials and offers a free version with robust features. It combines reference management with social networking capabilities, allowing researchers to collaborate and share their work. Mendeley also provides access to a large repository of research papers, making it a comprehensive tool for managing and discovering academic content.

5. ResearchGate

ResearchGate is a professional network for researchers to share their work, collaborate, and access publications. This platform offers a community of users where researchers can discuss their findings, seek feedback, and find collaboration opportunities. ResearchGate also provides metrics and analytics to track the impact of your research, making it a valuable tool for academic networking and visibility.

6. Academia.edu

Academia.edu is a platform that provides access to a wide range of research papers and academic publications . It allows researchers to share their work with a global audience and connect with other academics. Academia.edu offers features such as paper recommendations based on your interests and metrics to measure the reach and impact of your research, making it an essential tool for academic networking and dissemination.

EndNote is a comprehensive reference management tool designed for managing citations and bibliographies. It offers various features such as citation templates, reference organization, and integration with word processors. EndNote is particularly useful for creating and managing large bibliographies for theses or dissertations, making it a vital tool for PhD students involved in extensive research projects.

8. Scrivener

Scrivener is a writing software designed for long documents, such as theses or dissertations. It offers robust tools for organizing and structuring your writing, making it easier to manage large projects. Scrivener's features include customizable templates, research material integration, and advanced formatting options, making it one of the best free software solutions for academic writing.

9. Evernote

Evernote is a versatile note-taking app that helps students organize their research notes , ideas, and documents. It allows users to create notes in various formats, including text, audio, and images, and synchronize them across multiple devices. Evernote's powerful search capabilities make it easy to find information quickly, making it an essential tool for managing research data and staying organized.

10. OneNote

OneNote is Microsoft's note-taking app that integrates seamlessly with other Office tools. It offers a user-friendly interface for creating and organizing notes, making it easy for teachers to create engaging and interactive content. OneNote supports multimedia notes and collaborative features, making it an excellent tool for group research projects and academic collaboration.

Trello is a project management tool that helps students stay on track with their research projects. It offers a visual interface for organizing tasks and deadlines using boards, lists, and cards. Trello's free plan includes features such as due dates, attachments, and team collaboration, making it a user-friendly and effective tool for managing academic research and ensuring timely project completion.

Slack is a communication tool that facilitates collaboration among research teams. It offers channels for organizing discussions, direct messaging, and integration with other productivity apps. Slack's features make it easier for users to communicate in real time, share documents, and manage project-related conversations, making it an essential tool for coordinating group research efforts.

Asana is another project management app that assists students in organizing their research work and tasks. It provides a comprehensive suite of tools for tracking project progress, setting deadlines, and assigning tasks. Asana's user-friendly interface and robust features make it ideal for managing complex research projects and ensuring that all team members stay aligned and productive.

Easily pronounces technical words in any field

Notion is an all-in-one workspace that offers a wide range of data types and customizable templates for research and teaching. It combines note-taking, task management, and database functionalities in a single platform. Notion's flexibility allows students to create personalized workflows and collaborate with others, making it a powerful tool for managing academic research and teaching activities.

15. Overleaf

Overleaf is a web-based LaTeX editor that simplifies the process of writing and formatting research papers . It offers real-time collaboration, a wide range of templates, and integration with reference management tools like Zotero and Mendeley. Overleaf's user-friendly interface and powerful features make it an essential tool for students writing academic papers, theses, or dissertations.

16. Grammarly

Grammarly is a writing assistant that helps improve grammar, style, and clarity. It offers real-time suggestions and corrections, making it easier for students to produce polished and professional academic writing. Grammarly's free version provides essential features, while the premium version offers advanced grammar and style checks, making it a valuable tool for enhancing the quality of research papers and other academic documents.

17. Hemingway Editor

Hemingway Editor is a tool that helps create clear and concise writing by highlighting complex sentences and common errors. It provides readability scores and suggestions for simplifying your text, making it ideal for students working on their theses or research papers. Hemingway Editor's focus on readability ensures that academic writing is accessible and engaging, which is crucial for effective communication of research findings.

18. RefWorks

RefWorks is a reference management tool that helps students organize and manage their citations. It offers features such as importing references from databases, generating bibliographies, and creating citation templates. RefWorks' web-based interface makes it easy to access and manage references from any device, making it a convenient and effective tool for academic research.

JSTOR is an online repository offering access to a wide range of academic journals, books, and primary sources. It provides a comprehensive collection of scholarly literature across various disciplines, making it an invaluable resource for PhD students conducting literature reviews and seeking high-quality research materials. JSTOR's user-friendly search and access features make it one of the best free online databases for academic research.

PubMed is a database that provides access to a wide range of biomedical literature. It is particularly useful for students in the life sciences, offering a vast repository of research articles, clinical studies, and reviews. PubMed's powerful search capabilities and extensive coverage make it an essential tool for finding high-quality, peer-reviewed biomedical research.

21. Wolfram Alpha

Wolfram Alpha is a computational engine that allows students to search for information and perform data analysis. It provides answers to complex queries across various fields, including mathematics, science, and engineering. Wolfram Alpha's powerful computational capabilities make it a valuable tool for data analysis and solving complex problems in academic research.

22. Mathway

Mathway is an app that offers solutions for mathematical problems, making it useful for data science and analytics. It supports a wide range of mathematical topics, including algebra, calculus, and statistics. Mathway's user-friendly interface and step-by-step solutions make it a helpful tool for students needing assistance with mathematical concepts and problem-solving.

NVivo is a qualitative data analysis software that enables students to explore and discover insights from their research data . It offers robust tools for coding, analyzing, and visualizing qualitative data, making it easier to identify patterns and themes. NVivo's powerful features and user-friendly interface make it an essential tool for conducting qualitative research and analyzing complex data sets.

SPSS is a statistical analysis software solution that can be used for data analysis in academic research. It provides a comprehensive suite of tools for analyzing quantitative data, including descriptive statistics, inferential statistics, and predictive modeling. SPSS's user-friendly interface and powerful analytical capabilities make it a valuable tool for students conducting statistical analysis in their research projects.

Python is a programming language widely used for data analysis, visualization tools , and research projects. It offers a wide range of libraries and frameworks for scientific computing, making it ideal for data-intensive research. Python's flexibility and extensive community support make it one of the best free software solutions for academic research and data analysis.

In 2024, PhD students have access to a wealth of tools and platforms designed to enhance their academic journey. From reference management and data analysis to project management and online learning, these resources offer a wide range of functionalities that streamline research work and improve productivity. Whether you are looking for the best free software solutions, online databases, or collaborative tools, the platforms listed here provide comprehensive support for every aspect of academic research and teaching. By integrating these user-friendly apps and websites into your daily workflow, you can stay organized, collaborate effectively, and achieve better learning outcomes. With these top 25 tools at your disposal, navigating the challenges of a PhD program becomes more manageable and rewarding.

Free Resources

Academic Apps

Research Tools

PhD Students

Recent articles

Best Business Schools in the US

Glice Martineau

Jul 10, 2024

Graduate School

United States of America

Business School

When Does College Start in the US?

Kate Windsor

College search tools

College admissions guide

College planning tips

College academic calendar

Summer term

Quarter system calendar

Spring semester start

Fall semester start

College start dates

When does college start

How to Apply to Graduate School? Practical and Helpful Tips

Derek Pankaew

Jul 11, 2024

#GradSchoolApplication

#GraduateSchool

#HigherEducation

#AdmissionTips

#PersonalStatement

9 Things I Wish I Knew Before Starting a PhD

#AcademicJourney

#GradSchoolTips

#PhDStudentLife

#ResearchAndMentorship

Citation guides

All you need to know about citations

How to cite a PhD thesis in Chicago

To cite a PhD thesis in a reference entry in Chicago style 17th edition include the following elements:

• Author(s) of the thesis: Give first the last name, then the name as presented in the source (e. g. Watson, John). For two authors, reverse only the first name, followed by ‘and’ and the second name in normal order (e. g. Watson, John, and John Watson). For more than seven authors, list the first seven names followed by et al.
• Title of the thesis: Give the title in quotation marks.
• Degree: Type of degree.
• University: Give the name of the institution.
• Year of publication: Give the year of publication as presented in the source.

Here is the basic format for a reference list entry of a PhD thesis in Chicago style 17th edition:

Author(s) of the thesis . " Title of the thesis ." Degree , University , Year of publication .

Take a look at our reference list examples that demonstrate the Chicago style guidelines in action:

A PhD thesis with one author

Confait, Marina Fatima . " Maximising the contributions of PHD graduates to national development: the case of the Seychelles ." PhD thesis , Edith Cowan University , 2018 .

Bowkett, David . " Investigating the ligandability of plant homeodomains ." PhD thesis , Oxford University , 2015 .

This citation style guide is based on the Chicago Manual of Style (17 th edition).

More useful guides

• Chicago Citation Quickguide
• How to Cite A Dissertation
• Citing and referencing: University theses and dissertations

More great BibGuru guides

• APA: how to cite a government report
• AMA: how to cite a 10-q report
• APA: how to cite a video game

Automatic citations in seconds

Citation generators

Alternative to.

• NoodleTools
• Getting started

From our blog

• 📚 How to write a book report
• 📝 APA Running Head
• 📑 How to study for a test

Help | Advanced Search

Computer Science > Computation and Language

Title: mmsci: a multimodal multi-discipline dataset for phd-level scientific comprehension.

Abstract: The rapid advancement of Large Language Models (LLMs) and Large Multimodal Models (LMMs) has heightened the demand for AI-based scientific assistants capable of understanding scientific articles and figures. Despite progress, there remains a significant gap in evaluating models' comprehension of professional, graduate-level, and even PhD-level scientific content. Current datasets and benchmarks primarily focus on relatively simple scientific tasks and figures, lacking comprehensive assessments across diverse advanced scientific disciplines. To bridge this gap, we collected a multimodal, multidisciplinary dataset from open-access scientific articles published in Nature Communications journals. This dataset spans 72 scientific disciplines, ensuring both diversity and quality. We created benchmarks with various tasks and settings to comprehensively evaluate LMMs' capabilities in understanding scientific figures and content. Our evaluation revealed that these tasks are highly challenging: many open-source models struggled significantly, and even GPT-4V and GPT-4o faced difficulties. We also explored using our dataset as training resources by constructing visual instruction-following data, enabling the 7B LLaVA model to achieve performance comparable to GPT-4V/o on our benchmark. Additionally, we investigated the use of our interleaved article texts and figure images for pre-training LMMs, resulting in improvements on the material generation task. The source dataset, including articles, figures, constructed benchmarks, and visual instruction-following data, is open-sourced.

Submission history

Access paper:.

• HTML (experimental)
• Other Formats

References & Citations

• Google Scholar
• Semantic Scholar

BibTeX formatted citation

Bibliographic and Citation Tools

Code, data and media associated with this article, recommenders and search tools.

• Institution

arXivLabs: experimental projects with community collaborators

arXivLabs is a framework that allows collaborators to develop and share new arXiv features directly on our website.

Both individuals and organizations that work with arXivLabs have embraced and accepted our values of openness, community, excellence, and user data privacy. arXiv is committed to these values and only works with partners that adhere to them.

Have an idea for a project that will add value for arXiv's community? Learn more about arXivLabs .