Dissertations and Theses Definitions

1. Dissertations and Theses Definitions Dissertations and theses are the written results of scholarly research results completed by someone in an academic institution’s Doctorate or Master’s Degree program. This publication begins as the property of the academic institution and the author. Though the size and format may vary, the word “Thesis” or “Dissertation” and the “Name of the Institution” appear in the title. The full title can include the name of the person, his/he topic, and the date of the degree granted. Theses and dissertations are identified by author, topic, or academic institution, the ease or difficulty identifying and obtaining a copy for use ownership depends on one’s search technique and the dissertation or thesis in question.

2. American Dissertations and Theses Dissertations and theses can be found though four sources: • 1) World CAT • 2) Dissertation Abstracts International(DAI) • 3) Foreign and American Libraries Card Catalogs • 4) NDLTD: National Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations

3. WORLD CAT • Some American and European Libraries catalog pre-1938 and possibly later d and t which were not included in the current commercial databases such as PROQUEST. These may be found in a search of WORLD CAT which is the world's most comprehensive bibliography, with more than 49 million bibliographic records representing 400 languages http://library.nku.edu/nkuire/db2/database4_reply.php?letter=W. A search of WORLD CAT by author, subject, or institutional name can identify the dissertation or thesis in question and the institution(s) which hold(s) a copy of that publication. Yet some dissertations or theses, both American and foreign, which are cataloged by the institution’s library may not be included, and thus not found in the WORLD CAT database. Identification and location of some dissertations and theses require a search of the Library card catalog of that foreign or American institution.

4. Dissertation Abstracts International (DAI) • Dissertations completed at American Universities were included in Dissertation Abstracts which began in 1938. In 1969, this publication split into two parts: Dissertation Abstracts International. A, Humanities and Social Sciences, and B Sciences and Engineering. This resource is currently available online from the online vendor PROQUEST. • PROQUEST “ProQuest UMI Dissertation Publishing has been publishing dissertations and theses since 1938. In that time, we have published over 2 million graduate works from graduate schools around the world. We have over 700 active university publishing partners, and publish more than 70,000 new graduate works each year.” • Proquest’s “Dissertations and Abstracts” is within the Steely Databases at http://library.nku.edu/nkuire/db2/database4_reply.php?letter=D • The Basic Search option allows date and general topics searching. • The Advanced Search allows 3-way combination searching by author, title, subject, keyword, school, advisor, committee member, (16 options). • Browsing is also available by Subject, Language, and Geographic area. • This database provides a PDF version of the dissertation which may be viewed, printed, or downloaded.

5. Foreign Libraries & Dissertations • European/International Libraries Catalog identify completed d and t which are not included any other sources. A search for this information is through a Ohio State University Library link http://lists.webjunction.org/libweb/to all the countries and the libraries in those countries. Some libraries have specific titles cataloged which are not found else where or through union catalogs such as WORLD CAT. • At The European Library http://www.theeuropeanlibrary.org/portal/index.html, you search 47 National Libraries all at once or selectively.

6. Katalog der Deutschen Nationalbibliothek(http://www.d-nb.de/)German Psychotherapy Dissertation

7. Steely Library Card Catalogs: NKUIRESearch: “Asthma medications”

8. Search result: Nursing thesis

9. Thesis: Subject(s) & Online (any theses not online?)

10. SEARCHING VIA SUBJECT HEADINGSX1 Northern Kentucky University Nursing Department . X2 ProQuest Information and Learning Company X3 Northern Kentucky University -- Dissertations X4 Dissertations, Academic – Kentucky

11. X1 Northern Kentucky University Nursing (and other) Department(s) Theses

12. X2 PROQUEST Database (http://library.nku.edu/data/db6.html#p)for other Nursing Theses Not in NKUIRE

13. X3 Northern Kentucky University – Dissertations (ALL NKU Dissertations in NKUIRE)

14. X4 Dissertations, Academic – Kentucky (ALL Kentucky Dissertations in NKUIRE)

15. NDLTD: National Digital Library of Theses and Dissertationshttp://www.ndltd.org/

16. SCIRUSETD[Electronic Theses and Dissertations]SEARCH

17. SCIRUS SEARCH OPTIONShttp://www.ndltd.org/serviceproviders/scirus-etd-search