dissertation thesis pdf

• Harvard Library
• Research Guides
• Harvard Graduate School of Design - Frances Loeb Library

Write and Cite

• Theses and Dissertations
• Academic Integrity
• Using Sources and AI
• Academic Writing
• From Research to Writing
• GSD Writing Services
• Grants and Fellowships
• Reading, Notetaking, and Time Management

What is a thesis?

What is a dissertation, getting started, staying on track.

A thesis is a long-term project that you work on over the course of a semester or a year. Theses have a very wide variety of styles and content, so we encourage you to look at prior examples and work closely with faculty to develop yours. 

Before you begin, make sure that you are familiar with the dissertation genre—what it is for and what it looks like.

Generally speaking, a dissertation’s purpose is to prove that you have the expertise necessary to fulfill your doctoral-degree requirements by showing depth of knowledge and independent thinking.

The form of a dissertation may vary by discipline. Be sure to follow the specific guidelines of your department.

• PhD This site directs candidates to the GSAS website about dissertations , with links to checklists,  planning, formatting, acknowledgments, submission, and publishing options. There is also a link to guidelines for the prospectus . Consult with your committee chair about specific requirements and standards for your dissertation.
• DDES This document covers planning, patent filing, submission guidelines, publishing options, formatting guidelines, sample pages, citation guidelines, and a list of common errors to avoid. There is also a link to guidelines for the prospectus .
• Scholarly Pursuits (GSAS) This searchable booklet from Harvard GSAS is a comprehensive guide to writing dissertations, dissertation-fellowship applications, academic journal articles, and academic job documents.

Finding an original topic can be a daunting and overwhelming task. These key concepts can help you focus and save time.

Finding a topic for your thesis or dissertation should start with a research question that excites or at least interests you. A rigorous, engaging, and original project will require continuous curiosity about your topic, about your own thoughts on the topic, and about what other scholars have said on your topic. Avoid getting boxed in by thinking you know what you want to say from the beginning; let your research and your writing evolve as you explore and fine-tune your focus through constant questioning and exploration.

Get a sense of the broader picture before you narrow your focus and attempt to frame an argument. Read, skim, and otherwise familiarize yourself with what other scholars have done in areas related to your proposed topic. Briefly explore topics tangentially related to yours to broaden your perspective and increase your chance of finding a unique angle to pursue.

Critical Reading

Critical reading is the opposite of passive reading. Instead of merely reading for information to absorb, critical reading also involves careful, sustained thinking about what you are reading. This process may include analyzing the author’s motives and assumptions, asking what might be left out of the discussion, considering what you agree with or disagree with in the author’s statements and why you agree or disagree, and exploring connections or contradictions between scholarly arguments. Here is a resource to help hone your critical-reading skills:

http://writing.umn.edu/sws/assets/pdf/quicktips/criticalread.pdf

Conversation

Your thesis or dissertation will incorporate some ideas from other scholars whose work you researched. By reading critically and following your curiosity, you will develop your own ideas and claims, and these contributions are the core of your project. You will also acknowledge the work of scholars who came before you, and you must accurately and fairly attribute this work and define your place within the larger discussion. Make sure that you know how to quote, summarize, paraphrase ,  integrate , and cite secondary sources to avoid plagiarism and to show the depth and breadth of your knowledge.

A thesis is a long-term, large project that involves both research and writing; it is easy to lose focus, motivation, and momentum. Here are suggestions for achieving the result you want in the time you have.

The dissertation is probably the largest project you have undertaken, and a lot of the work is self-directed. The project can feel daunting or even overwhelming unless you break it down into manageable pieces and create a timeline for completing each smaller task. Be realistic but also challenge yourself, and be forgiving of yourself if you miss a self-imposed deadline here and there.

Your program will also have specific deadlines for different requirements, including establishing a committee, submitting a prospectus, completing the dissertation, defending the dissertation, and submitting your work. Consult your department’s website for these dates and incorporate them into the timeline for your work.

Accountability

Sometimes self-imposed deadlines do not feel urgent unless there is accountability to someone beyond yourself. To increase your motivation to complete tasks on schedule, set dates with your committee chair to submit pre-determined pieces of a chapter. You can also arrange with a fellow doctoral student to check on each other’s progress. Research and writing can be lonely, so it is also nice to share that journey with someone and support each other through the process.

Common Pitfalls

The most common challenges for students writing a dissertation are writer’s block, information-overload, and the compulsion to keep researching forever.

There are many strategies for avoiding writer’s block, such as freewriting, outlining, taking a walk, starting in the middle, and creating an ideal work environment for your particular learning style. Pay attention to what helps you and try different things until you find what works.

Efficient researching techniques are essential to avoiding information-overload. Here are a couple of resources about strategies for finding sources and quickly obtaining essential information from them.

https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/subject_specific_writing/writing_in_literature/writing_in_literature_detailed_discussion/reading_criticism.html

https://students.dartmouth.edu/academic-skills/learning-resources/learning-strategies/reading-techniques

Finally, remember that there is always more to learn and your dissertation cannot incorporate everything. Follow your curiosity but also set limits on the scope of your work. It helps to create a folder entitled “future projects” for topics and sources that interest you but that do not fit neatly into the dissertation. Also remember that future scholars will build off of your work, so leave something for them to do.

Browsing through theses and dissertations of the past can help to get a sense of your options and gain inspiration but be careful to use current guidelines and refer to your committee instead of relying on these examples for form or formatting.

DASH Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard.

HOLLIS Harvard Library’s catalog provides access to ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global .

MIT Architecture has a list of their graduates’ dissertations and theses.

Rhode Island School of Design has a list of their graduates’ dissertations and theses.

University of South Florida has a list of their graduates’ dissertations and theses.

Harvard GSD has a list of projects, including theses and professors’ research.

• << Previous: Reading, Notetaking, and Time Management
• Next: Publishing >>
• Last Updated: Sep 23, 2024 8:45 AM
• URL: https://guides.library.harvard.edu/gsd/write

Harvard University Digital Accessibility Policy

Dissertation & Thesis Examples 📖

Real-world examples and samples from leading universities

Need some inspiration for your study? You’ve come to the right place. Here we showcase a collection of dissertation and thesis   examples to help you get started. All of these are real-world studies from actual degrees (typically PhD and Master’s-level).

PS – If you’re looking for examples of specific dissertation chapters (e.g., literature review or methodology), you can also check out our collection of free templates .

Discipline-Specific Examples

• Business & management
• Political science

Stage-Specific Examples

• Proposal/pitch
• Literature review
• Methodology

Examples: Business & Management

Below you’ll find a sample of business and management-related dissertations and theses covering a range of topics.

Title: Interaction Among Supply Chains: Consumers, Firms and Policymakers Author: Yuanchen Li Year: 2020

This PhD thesis examines the dynamics of supply chain relationships across three levels: the interactions between firms and consumers, suppliers and buyers, and firms and governments. The research aims to provide insights into the complexities of supply chain dynamics and their implications for various stakeholders.

Title: Essays in Firm-Level Patenting Activities and Financial Outcomes Author: Michael J Woeppel Year: 2020

This doctoral dissertation explores financial dynamics in two key areas: investment valuation and the performance of small innovative firms. The first chapter introduces a new metric, PI q, which incorporates the replacement cost of patent capital into the traditional Tobin’s q calculation. The second chapter examines small innovative firms, finding that they achieve higher returns for up to five years compared to non-innovators.

Title: Analysis of Design Artifacts in Platform-Based Markets Author: Vandith Pamuru Subramanya Rama Year: 2020

This dissertation investigates design issues within digital platform-based markets through three essays. The first essay explores the economic impact of augmented-reality games like Pokémon Go on local businesses, specifically restaurants. The second essay delves into the sponsored search ad-market, examining the effects of market frictions on bidding behaviors in auctions. The third essay examines user-generated content platforms, focusing on how the loss of elite status affects user contributions.

Title: Gaming the IRS’s Third-Party Reporting System: Evidence From Pari-Mutuel Wagering Author: Victor Charles Ferguson Year: 2020

This dissertation investigates if taxpayers deliberately avoid IRS third-party reporting mechanisms, focusing on an IRS amendment in 2017 that changed how gambling winnings are reported. Specifically, it looks at the impact on thoroughbred racing wagers in the US, using Canadian tracks as a control.

Title: Essays on Product Innovation and Failures Author: Moonsik Shin Year: 2020

This dissertation delves into how strategic decisions made by firms can lead to innovation failures, a relatively underexplored area compared to studies on successful innovations. The research is structured into three essays. The first explores how inter-organisational relationships, specifically investments from venture capitalists, can influence innovation failures due to pressures such as time constraints imposed on portfolio companies. The second essay examines the role of acquisitions in innovation failures, suggesting that challenges like adverse selection and integration issues post-acquisition can significantly hinder a firm’s innovation outcomes. The third essay looks at how incremental product development can lead to failures if new products are too dependent on existing technologies, which may themselves be flawed.

Need a helping hand?

Examples: Psychology Dissertations

Title: Development and Validation of the Instrumental Support Inventory for Spouses Author: Ryan P. Egan Year: 2020

This research develops and validates the Instrumental Support Inventory for Spouses (ISI-s), a new tool to measure the practical support received from a romantic partner. The study involved two phases: initially, 372 married individuals helped refine the 39-item inventory across five categories through exploratory factor analysis, assessing reliability and validity. The second phase tested the inventory with 298 parents and their partners, using a longitudinal design, confirming its reliability and validity further.

Title: Dysfunctional Individuation, Spiritual Struggle and Identity in Emerging Adults: A Developmental Approach Author: Katheryn J. Klukow Kelley Year: 2020

This study investigates why emerging adults are participating less in organised religion, yet showing increased spirituality, attributing this shift to the process of religious identity development. The research involved a longitudinal survey of 788 students at a religious university, using structural equation models to analyse data collected at four points over an academic year.

Title: Depression Dynamics across a Decade: Density in Daily Depressive Affect and Yearly Depressive Symptoms Author: Raquael J. Joiner Year: 2020

This thesis investigates depression through a dynamic systems perspective, which views changes in depressive symptoms as part of an interconnected network of emotions and states, rather than isolated events. The research focuses on how the density of depressive affect—essentially the compactness and intensity of depressive symptoms—varies within individuals over a decade. By examining data at five different timepoints, the study aims to understand how these symptoms cluster daily and how this clustering influences transitions into or out of depressive states year by year.

Title: Maternal and Adolescent ADHD, Aggression, and Dysfunctional Discipline: Mediating Roles of Maternal Emotion Dysregulation and Stress Author: Natalie M. Ehret Year: 2020

This dissertation explores the challenges that parents face when both they and their children exhibit symptoms of ADHD, as well as oppositional defiant and aggressive behaviours. It investigates how these symptoms in mothers and adolescents may influence parenting discipline, focusing specifically on the roles of maternal emotion dysregulation and stress in shaping disciplinary practices. The study employs a process-oriented approach to better understand these complex dynamics.

Title: Linguistic Markers of Maternal Focus within Emotional Conversations: The Role of Depressive Symptoms and Maltreatment Author: Brigid Behrens Year: 2020

This study explores the relationship between maternal well-being and the language used during parent-child conversations about past emotional events. It specifically examines the use of first-person singular (“I”) and first-person plural (“we”) pronouns during a reminiscing task, to determine how maternal language might reflect cognitive biases. The research includes 229 mother-child dyads, both maltreating and non-maltreating, who are part of a larger clinical trial focused on Reminiscing and Emotion Training.

Examples: Education Theses

Title: Functions and Purposes of Outdoor Education in Singaporean Education and Society: An Instrumental Case Study Author: Susanna Ho Year: 2011

This research aims to explore the roles outdoor education can play in Singapore, by conducting a case study of one school’s programme. Employing interviews, participant observations, and document analysis with tools like NVivo software, the study uses a grounded theory framework to interpret findings. It also incorporates Gert Biesta’s educational functions to assess outdoor education within Singapore’s specific context.

Title: The Impact of Internationalisation of Higher Education on Nursing Education in an Australian University: A Case Study Author: Elizabeth Alexandra Lavender Year: 2014

This study examines the impact of the rapid internationalisation of higher education on the School of Nursing and Midwifery at La Trobe University, Australia. It explores how global trends and policies, particularly the shift from ‘Aid to Trade’, have influenced educational practices within the school. The research uses a case study approach, incorporating document analysis and interviews with 15 university staff experienced in international education.

Title: Diabetes Education from the Podiatrist Perspective Author: Julia Yungken Year: 2020

This thesis investigates how diabetes education is delivered by podiatrists to patients, and the retention of this education over time. Through a series of four articles, the research first conducts a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine current educational practices. It then follows a study with three podiatrists and 24 patients over six months to observe educational retention. Additionally, a survey among Australian podiatrists assesses various educational methods and experiences. The study utilises diverse methodologies including observational studies, cognitive assessments, and surveys to understand and enhance the educational practices in diabetes care provided by podiatrists.

Title: Empowering Saudi Arabian Primary Teachers Through Participatory Action Research to Improve Their Professional Knowledge and Practices Regarding Gifted Learners Author: Faisal Yahya Alamiri Year: 2013

Title: Developing a National Assessment Model to Inform Educational Policy in Bhutan Author: Gembo Tshering Year: 2012

Examples: Healthcare-Related Dissertations

Title: Impact of the Increased Use of Telehealth on Health Care Management and Administration: The Case of New Care Management Practices Author: Immacula Pierre Year: 2024

This qualitative study explored the perceptions of healthcare managers on telehealth’s role and its influence on healthcare practices during the pandemic, focusing on aspects like provision and quality control. Through video-conferenced semi-structured interviews with 10 healthcare managers across various U.S. settings, the research aimed to understand the benefits, challenges, and the future role of telehealth.

Title: Healthcare Facilities Management Leadership Style Compared to Traditional Healthcare Business and Clinical Leaders Author: Joshua Ashlock Year: 2020

This dissertation explores leadership style differences between two groups within healthcare: traditional business and clinical leaders (represented by members of the American College of Healthcare Executives, ACHE) and healthcare facilities management leaders (represented by members of the American Society of Healthcare Engineers, ASHE). The research focuses on comparing transformational, transactional, and passive-avoidant leadership traits between these groups.

Title: Leadership Support as an Influence on Frontline Healthcare Employee Retention in the Washington Metropolitan Area (DMV) Author: Tamika Fair Year: 2023

This qualitative case study addresses the significant issue of high turnover rates among frontline healthcare employees in the DMV area, examining how the lack of support from healthcare leadership contributes to this problem. Through semi-structured interviews with 11 primary healthcare administrators in the DMV region, the research investigates how leaders engage with frontline workers and assesses their preparedness to tackle high staff turnover.

Title: Electronic Patient Portals: Promotion of Access by Healthcare Workers Increases Patient Engagement Author: Dena Todd Year: 2022

This integrative literature review examines strategies for promoting electronic patient portal (EPP) access in healthcare settings, a requirement highlighted by the Health Information for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act of 2010. The review underscores the importance of EPP systems in providing patients with access to their personal health information, including medications, lab results, diagnostics, and appointments. It discusses the potential risks for healthcare organisations that fail to offer such access, notably the loss of federal funding.

Title: Understanding Workplace Conditions Contributing to Physician Burnout Prevalence in Maryland State Author: Fatima Adefunke Queen Year: 2023

This dissertation utilises a qualitative multiple-case study to examine the workplace conditions that contribute to physician burnout in Maryland, particularly among primary care providers who show burnout rates of up to 50%. The study involved interviews with 21 physicians, including Medical Doctors (M.D.s), Doctors of Nursing Practice (DNPs), and Nurse Practitioners (NPs). Using Shanafelt’s well-being framework, the research aimed to understand the factors leading to burnout and its subsequent impact on physician attrition.

Examples: Political Science Theses

Title: The Influence of Peer Relationships on Political Socialisation Among College Students Author: Zachary Thomas Isaacs Year: 2021

This thesis investigates the role of peer relationships in the political socialisation of college students. This is an area not extensively covered by existing research, which primarily focuses on parental influence and often excludes the post-18 age group. A survey was conducted among college students aged 18 to 24, to explore how they communicate with their peers regarding politics and the effects of these interactions on their political socialisation.

Title: The Impact of Political Culture on Political Reactions: A Case Study of EU Sanctions on Russia Author: Kenzie Robin De Keyser Year: 2020

This dissertation examines the complex political impacts of European Union (EU) sanctions on Russia, taking into account the nuanced interplay between Russia’s political culture and the economic interdependencies between the EU and Russia. The research utilises the Cross-Cultural Competency (3Cs) Theorem to analyse key elements of Russian political culture—Russian Orthodox Christianity, geography, autocracy, and economic development— which are crucial in shaping the country’s political responses and governmental structure.

Title: Biased Representation: How Compulsory Voting and Campaign Finance Interact to Influence Government Responsiveness Author: Sarah Steinberg Year: 2016

This thesis investigates the interaction between compulsory voting and campaign finance, focusing on how they influence government responsiveness. It argues that the significant financial influence in political campaigns can lead to an elite bias, where government policies favour wealthier interests. The study uses statistical analysis and case studies from two countries to explore whether compulsory voting, which typically results in nearly universal voter turnout, can mitigate this bias.

Example: Dissertation Proposal

Example: literature review chapter, example: methodology chapter.

Psst... there’s more!

This post was based on one of our popular Research Bootcamps . If you're working on a research project, you'll definitely want to check this out ...

Hi Grad Coach team, Thank you for your very awesome information. I am an Urban Planning student and I am doing my MSc Spatial Planning at the University of Dundee. My methodology is “Research by Design”. It means I will use design outcomes for a project for my dissertation in urban design.

I am writing to see if you can add a template in Architecture and Urban Planning field in your lists of dissertation.

Thank you very much for your consideration.

Thanks for the info! I too was looking for a template related to the architecture and construction industry, just like Mohadese.

But apart from that, it’s all very helpful so thank you!

Thank you for providing such useful templates and examples for dissertations and theses. I would like to ask if you could also include Cybersecurity thesis templates and examples for both Ph.D. and Master’s programs.

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

• Print Friendly

Open Access Theses and Dissertations

Direct Link

• Langson Library
• Science Library
• Grunigen Medical Library
• Law Library
• Connect From Off-Campus
• Accessibility
• Gateway Study Center

Email this link

Graduate student research support.

• Citation Management
• Literature Reviews
• Graduate-level Writing Help
• Research Ethics & Integrity
• Collaborative Project Management
• Managing Research Data
• Data Storage and Backup
• Data Collection
• Qualitative Data
• Quantitative Data
• Sharing and Archiving Data
• Digital Humanities
• Mapping your Data (GIS)
• Data Visualization
• Systematic Reviews and Other Evidence Synthesis Methods
• Developing a Scholarly Identity
• Author Rights & Copyright
• Open Access & the Publishing Landscape
• Understanding Peer Review
• Publishing Ethics & Retractions
• Preparing your Thesis / Dissertations

Submitting your thesis / dissertation

Before you submit your thesis or dissertation, you must ensure it meets UC Irvine's formatting requirements. The formatting requirements are in place to ensure a uniform presentation of UC Irvine theses and dissertations in ProQuest's Dissertations & Theses Global database and the UC's institutional repository, eScholarship . You are responsible for submitting a manuscript that is free of errors and that complies with the formatting requirements of this manual.

• Thesis / Dissertation Formatting Manual

Check out a recording of a workshop hosted in Spring 2023.

2023 Thesis/Dissertation Workshop from UCI Libraries Education+Outreach on Vimeo .

• << Previous: Publishing Ethics & Retractions
• Last Updated: Sep 20, 2024 8:28 AM
• URL: https://guides.lib.uci.edu/graduate-student-support

Off-campus? Please use the Software VPN and choose the group UCIFull to access licensed content. For more information, please Click here

Software VPN is not available for guests, so they may not have access to some content when connecting from off-campus.

Have a language expert improve your writing

Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, generate accurate citations for free.

• Knowledge Base
• Dissertation

How to Write a Dissertation or Thesis Proposal

Published on September 21, 2022 by Tegan George . Revised on July 18, 2023.

When starting your thesis or dissertation process, one of the first requirements is a research proposal or a prospectus. It describes what or who you want to examine, delving into why, when, where, and how you will do so, stemming from your research question and a relevant topic .

The proposal or prospectus stage is crucial for the development of your research. It helps you choose a type of research to pursue, as well as whether to pursue qualitative or quantitative methods and what your research design will look like.

You can download our templates in the format of your choice below.

Download Word template Download Google Docs template

Instantly correct all language mistakes in your text

Upload your document to correct all your mistakes in minutes

Table of contents

What should your proposal contain, dissertation question examples, what should your proposal look like, dissertation prospectus examples, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about proposals.

Prior to jumping into the research for your thesis or dissertation, you first need to develop your research proposal and have it approved by your supervisor. It should outline all of the decisions you have taken about your project, from your dissertation topic to your hypotheses and research objectives .

Depending on your department’s requirements, there may be a defense component involved, where you present your research plan in prospectus format to your committee for their approval.

Your proposal should answer the following questions:

• Why is your research necessary?
• What is already known about your topic?
• Where and when will your research be conducted?
• Who should be studied?
• How can the research best be done?

Ultimately, your proposal should persuade your supervisor or committee that your proposed project is worth pursuing.

Here's why students love Scribbr's proofreading services

Discover proofreading & editing

Strong research kicks off with a solid research question , and dissertations are no exception to this.

Dissertation research questions should be:

• Focused on a single problem or issue
• Researchable using primary and/or secondary sources
• Feasible to answer within the timeframe and practical constraints
• Specific enough to answer thoroughly
• Complex enough to develop the answer over the space of a paper or thesis
• Relevant to your field of study and/or society more broadly
• What are the main factors enticing people under 30 in suburban areas to engage in the gig economy?
• Which techniques prove most effective for 1st-grade teachers at local elementary schools in engaging students with special needs?
• Which communication streams are the most effective for getting those aged 18-30 to the polls on Election Day?

An easy rule of thumb is that your proposal will usually resemble a (much) shorter version of your thesis or dissertation. While of course it won’t include the results section , discussion section , or conclusion , it serves as a “mini” version or roadmap for what you eventually seek to write.

Be sure to include:

• A succinct introduction to your topic and problem statement
• A brief literature review situating your topic within existing research
• A basic outline of the research methods you think will best answer your research question
• The perceived implications for future research
• A reference list in the citation style of your choice

The length of your proposal varies quite a bit depending on your discipline and type of work you’re conducting. While a thesis proposal is often only 3-7 pages long, a prospectus for your dissertation is usually much longer, with more detailed analysis. Dissertation proposals can be up to 25-30 pages in length.

Writing a proposal or prospectus can be a challenge, but we’ve compiled some examples for you to get your started.

• Example #1: “Geographic Representations of the Planet Mars, 1867-1907” by Maria Lane
• Example #2: “Individuals and the State in Late Bronze Age Greece: Messenian Perspectives on Mycenaean Society” by Dimitri Nakassis
• Example #3: “Manhood Up in the Air: A Study of Male Flight Attendants, Queerness, and Corporate Capitalism during the Cold War Era” by Phil Tiemeyer

Receive feedback on language, structure, and formatting

Professional editors proofread and edit your paper by focusing on:

• Academic style
• Vague sentences
• Style consistency

See an example

If you want to know more about AI for academic writing, AI tools, or research bias, make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

Research bias

• Survivorship bias
• Self-serving bias
• Availability heuristic
• Halo effect
• Hindsight bias
• Deep learning
• Generative AI
• Machine learning
• Reinforcement learning
• Supervised vs. unsupervised learning

 (AI) Tools

• Grammar Checker
• Paraphrasing Tool
• Text Summarizer
• AI Detector
• Plagiarism Checker
• Citation Generator

The research methods you use depend on the type of data you need to answer your research question .

• If you want to measure something or test a hypothesis , use quantitative methods . If you want to explore ideas, thoughts and meanings, use qualitative methods .
• If you want to analyze a large amount of readily-available data, use secondary data. If you want data specific to your purposes with control over how it is generated, collect primary data.
• If you want to establish cause-and-effect relationships between variables , use experimental methods. If you want to understand the characteristics of a research subject, use descriptive methods.

A thesis or dissertation outline is one of the most critical first steps in your writing process. It helps you to lay out and organize your ideas and can provide you with a roadmap for deciding what kind of research you’d like to undertake.

Generally, an outline contains information on the different sections included in your thesis or dissertation , such as:

• Your anticipated title
• Your abstract
• Your chapters (sometimes subdivided into further topics like literature review , research methods , avenues for future research, etc.)

A well-planned research design helps ensure that your methods match your research aims, that you collect high-quality data, and that you use the right kind of analysis to answer your questions, utilizing credible sources . This allows you to draw valid , trustworthy conclusions.

The priorities of a research design can vary depending on the field, but you usually have to specify:

• Your research questions and/or hypotheses
• Your overall approach (e.g., qualitative or quantitative )
• The type of design you’re using (e.g., a survey , experiment , or case study )
• Your sampling methods or criteria for selecting subjects
• Your data collection methods (e.g., questionnaires , observations)
• Your data collection procedures (e.g., operationalization , timing and data management)
• Your data analysis methods (e.g., statistical tests  or thematic analysis )

A dissertation prospectus or proposal describes what or who you plan to research for your dissertation. It delves into why, when, where, and how you will do your research, as well as helps you choose a type of research to pursue. You should also determine whether you plan to pursue qualitative or quantitative methods and what your research design will look like.

It should outline all of the decisions you have taken about your project, from your dissertation topic to your hypotheses and research objectives , ready to be approved by your supervisor or committee.

Note that some departments require a defense component, where you present your prospectus to your committee orally.

Formulating a main research question can be a difficult task. Overall, your question should contribute to solving the problem that you have defined in your problem statement .

However, it should also fulfill criteria in three main areas:

• Researchability
• Feasibility and specificity
• Relevance and originality

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

George, T. (2023, July 18). How to Write a Dissertation or Thesis Proposal. Scribbr. Retrieved September 23, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/dissertation/thesis-dissertation-proposal/

Is this article helpful?

Tegan George

Other students also liked, a step-by-step guide to the writing process, 10 research question examples to guide your research project, dissertation & thesis outline | example & free templates, get unlimited documents corrected.

✔ Free APA citation check included ✔ Unlimited document corrections ✔ Specialized in correcting academic texts

• Enroll & Pay
• Jayhawk GPS

Open Access Theses and Dissertations (OATD)

OATD.org provides open access graduate theses and dissertations published around the world. Metadata (information about the theses) comes from over 1100 colleges, universities, and research institutions. OATD currently indexes 6,654,285 theses and dissertations.

Theses and Dissertations

Cornell theses.

Check Cornell’s library catalog , which lists the dissertations available in our library collection.

The print thesis collection in Uris Library is currently shelved on Level 3B before the Q to QA regular-sized volumes. Check with the library staff for the thesis shelving locations in other libraries (Mann, Catherwood, Fine Arts, etc.).

Non-Cornell Theses

Proquest dissertations and theses.

According to ProQuest, coverage begins with 1637. With more than 2.4 million entries,  ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global  is the starting point for finding citations to doctoral dissertations and master’s theses. Dissertations published from 1980 forward include 350-word abstracts written by the author. Master’s theses published from 1988 forward include 150-word abstracts. UMI also offers over 1.8 million titles for purchase in microfilm or paper formats. The full text of more than 930,000 are available in PDF format for immediate free download. Use  Interlibrary Loan  for the titles not available as full text online.

Foreign Dissertations at the Center for Research Libraries

To search for titles and verify holdings of dissertations at the Center for Research Libraries (CRL), use the CRL catalog . CRL seeks to provide comprehensive access to doctoral dissertations submitted to institutions outside the U. S. and Canada (currently more than 750,000 titles). One hundred European universities maintain exchange or deposit agreements with CRL. Russian dissertation abstracts in the social sciences are obtained on microfiche from INION.  More detailed information about CRL’s dissertation holdings .

Additional Resources

Please see our resource guide on dissertations and theses for additional resources and support.

Open Access Theses and Dissertations

Thursday, April 18, 8:20am (EDT): Searching is temporarily offline. We apologize for the inconvenience and are working to bring searching back up as quickly as possible.

Advanced research and scholarship. Theses and dissertations, free to find, free to use.

Advanced search options

Browse by author name (“Author name starts with…”).

Find ETDs with:

Written in any language English Portuguese French German Spanish Swedish Lithuanian Dutch Italian Chinese Finnish Greek Published in any country US or Canada Argentina Australia Austria Belgium Bolivia Brazil Canada Chile China Colombia Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Ireland Italy Japan Latvia Lithuania Malaysia Mexico Netherlands New Zealand Norway Peru Portugal Russia Singapore South Africa South Korea Spain Sweden Switzerland Taiwan Thailand UK US Earliest date Latest date

Sorted by Relevance Author University Date

Only ETDs with Creative Commons licenses

Results per page: 30 60 100

October 3, 2022. OATD is dealing with a number of misbehaved crawlers and robots, and is currently taking some steps to minimize their impact on the system. This may require you to click through some security screen. Our apologies for any inconvenience.

Recent Additions

See all of this week’s new additions.

About OATD.org

OATD.org aims to be the best possible resource for finding open access graduate theses and dissertations published around the world. Metadata (information about the theses) comes from over 1100 colleges, universities, and research institutions . OATD currently indexes 7,237,430 theses and dissertations.

About OATD (our FAQ) .

Visual OATD.org

We’re happy to present several data visualizations to give an overall sense of the OATD.org collection by county of publication, language, and field of study.

You may also want to consult these sites to search for other theses:

• Google Scholar
• NDLTD , the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations. NDLTD provides information and a search engine for electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs), whether they are open access or not.
• Proquest Theses and Dissertations (PQDT), a database of dissertations and theses, whether they were published electronically or in print, and mostly available for purchase. Access to PQDT may be limited; consult your local library for access information.

Home > ETDs > Doctoral Dissertations

Doctoral Dissertations

Dissertations from 2026 2026.

THE IMPACT OF A PLAY-BASED NATURE CAMP ON SELF-REGULATION IN SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN , Margaret Berkemeyer

The Relationship between Acculturative Stress, Body Dissatisfaction, and Disordered Eating Behavior among Latina Women in the United States , Emily Lillian Johnson

Clinician Perspectives on Fistula Mental Health , Victoria K. Leonard

Dissertations from 2025 2025

Navigating Insulin Access for Pediatric Type 1 Diabetes: Caregivers' Experiences and Challenges , Ella Anderson

Association Between Decisional Conflict and Quality of Life Among Parents with a Child Undergoing Hospital-based Treatment for a Recent Cancer Diagnosis , Augustine Provencio

Dissertations from 2024 2024

AN EXPLORATION OF ADULT CHILDREN’S ATTACHMENT TO THEIR PARENTS ACROSS TWO CULTURAL GROUPS: INDIANS IN INDIA AND INDIANS WHO IMMIGRATED TO THE UNITED STATES , Vilasini Meenakshi Arun

Understanding Mental Health Provider's Experiences of Burnout, Vicarious Trauma, and Vicarious Resilience from the provider perspective , Lauren Beheler-Romero

WOMEN STRENGTH: USING PHOTOVOICE TO EXPLORE FEMALE CHINESE INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS’ EXPERIENCES , Yue Cai

Evaluating the Client Base and Housing Outcomes of a Community Based Organization Serving Unhoused Adults , Emi Caprio

Emergent Themes In Identity Development For Transracial Adoptees: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis , Andrew G. Cecil

RESILIENT AF: UNDERSTANDING THE LIVED EXPERIENCES OF WOMEN OF COLOR PSYCHOLOGISTS IN FORENSIC MENTAL HEALTH SETTINGS , Carisse A. Cronquist

Exploring the Development of Intercultural Competence within EFL Teachers in Thailand , Chelsea Cullen-Tran

HELP SEEKING EXPERIENCES OF ASIAN AMERICAN PARENTS OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER , Mellanie Kristelle Roxas De Guzman

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF MIND MAPS AS AN INSTRUCTIONAL APPROACH FOR DEVELOPING CRITICAL-THINKING SKILLS AND DISPOSITIONS: A META-ANALYSIS , Carmen De Jesus

The Effects of Online Mind Mapping on the Cognitive Outcomes of Students and Their Perceptions in the Collaborative Prewriting Stage , Yen Thanh Hai Duong

Trauma-Informed Teaching With Adult English Language Learners: A Study In A Community-Based Organization , Elizabeth Eastman

Psychosocial and Spiritual Predictors of Mental Health Among Protestant Christian Latino Clergy , Ingrid M. Granados MS

The Impact of Compulsory Heterosexuality on the Sexual Identity Development of Plurisexual Cisgender Women , Elizabeth Holden

Creating whole inclusive worlds: The impact of social media usage on Black gender expansive millennials’ experiences of social support and identity development processes , Meredith J. Holmes

FOR THE LOVE OF BLACK CHILDREN: TOWARDS BLACK LIBERATORY EDUCATIONAL SUBVERSION , Tamra Gertrude Jenkins

The Transition from In Person Sessions to Telemental Health Sessions for College Counseling Center Counselors , Katherine L. Karimian

An Exploration of the Contributions of Parenting Styles and Peer Relationships on the Emotional Expression of Second-Generation Indian-Americans , Smitha M. Kashi

THE EXPERIENCE OF POSTTRAUMATIC GROWTH FOR ATHEISTS , Savannah Miller

FROM CREAMY CRACK TO LOCS: THE OPPRESSION AND LIBERATION OF BLACK WOMEN EDUCATORS THROUGH BLACK HAIR IDENTITY , Eghosa Obaizamomwan-Hamilton

Themes in Help-seeking of Female Military Sexual Assault Survivors , Priscilla Phan

THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN UNCERTAINTY, REPRODUCTIVE DISTRESS, AND AVOIDANCE IN ASSIGNED FEMALE AT BIRTH ADOLESCENT AND YOUNG ADULT (AYA-F) CANCER SURVIVORS , Devon Ann Pons

PARENT STRATEGIES FOR ANTIRACIST PARENTING IN FAMILIES OF MULTIRACIAL AND ASIAN DESCENT , Matlida Tavares

The Relationship Between Situated Reading Motivation and Perception of the Learning Environment for Adolescent Students , Travis VanderVelden

Examining Community-Based ESOL Teachers’ and Tutors’ Conceptualization of Culturally Responsive Teaching , Lynne S. Von Glahn

EXPLORING THE EXPERIENCES OF CHINESE HERITAGE LANGUAGE LEARNERS IN CALIFORNIA PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOLS: A MIXED METHODS STUDY , Min Chuan Jasmine Wang

Dissertations from 2023 2023

STUDENTS AS CO-RESEARCHERS: USING PARTICIPATORY ACTION RESEARCH TO ADDRESS COLLEGE FOOD INSECURITY , Rachel Brand

Power Dynamics of Sexual Assault on College Campuses , Jillian L. Chase

WE ARE STILL PLAYING: A META-ANALYSIS OF GAME-BASED LEARNING IN MATHEMATICS EDUCATION , Thomas Conmy

MOVING BETWEEN ENTITLEMENT AND CO-CONSPIRACY: A STUDY OF HOW SUPPORT, SKILLS, AND COMMUNITY CAN ADVANCE ANTI-RACISM EFFORTS OF WHITE PARENTS , Karin Marianne Cotterman

WHITE WOMANHOOD: FINDING OPPOSITIONAL EPISTEMOLOGIES AND COMMUNITY AT THE INTERSECTION OF WHITENESS AND WOMANHOOD , Hannah Joy Fischer

Understanding Filipino Wellness: Investigating the Effects of Colonial Mentality and Enculturation , Juliene Grace P. Fresnedi

A Qualitative Study of Ableism on the Postsecondary Campus , George Stuart Fuller

Alleviating Mathematics Anxiety For Middle School Students Using A Combined Intervention Approach Versus Only Using The Cognitive Intervention Approach For Increasing Mathematical Achievement: A Comparative Study , Patricia Anna Garcia

Parent-Child Conversations about Body Safety and Consent , Natasha Gerber

Experiences of Black American Millennials: A Qualitative Study of Internalized and Externalized Coping in the Face of Racial Trauma , Natalia Angelique Giles

The Mental Health of First-Generation College Students of Color , Devin Hallquist

Identity Formation and Role Expansion for Nurse Practitioner Residency Preceptors: A Qualitative Thematic Analysis , Angel Chen Kuo

Understanding the Lived Experiences of Ethnic-Racial Minority Former Foster Youth Who Identify as Queer , Cristian A. Lemus

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF INTERVENTIONS TO INCREASE ANTIRETROVIRAL THERAPY (ART) ADHERENCE AMONG LATINX MEN WHO HAVE SEX WITH MEN (MSM) WITH HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS (HIV) IN THE UNITED STATES: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW , Everardo Leon

Mental Health and Experiences of Pregnancy Among Black Women and Birthing People with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) , Madeleine E. Marcus

EARLY DIAGNOSIS METHODS FOR AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW , Megan Denise McCarthy

The Association between Psychotic Symptoms and Romantic Relationship Quality among Young Adult Ethnic Minorites , Tashagaye T. McKenzie

META-ANALYSIS OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PROJECT-BASED LEARNING APPROACH ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION WORLDWIDE , Ziyu Meng

A Case Study of a School-Supported Extracurricular Activity's Influence on STEM Identity and Interest for Females , Letta Meyer

African American Women Make Meaning of Historical Trauma , Deidre A. MILLER

THE GRINDR COMPLEX: THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH IMPACT OF SEXUAL RACISM ON LATINX MEN WHO HAVE SEX WITH MEN , Luisalfredo Plascencia

Working with Other Immigrants Brings the Parts That I Lost Back To Me: The Experiences of Latin American Immigrant Therapists Working with Latin American Immigrant Populations , Elizabeth P. Rivera

DECOLONIZING MENTAL HEALTH THROUGH HE/A/R/TOGRAPHY: CORAZONAR, SENTIPENSAR Y SENTISABER , Patricia Rojas-Zambrano

The Effects of Acculturation, Marianismo, and Religiosity on Pregnancy Related Anxiety in Latina Women , Jennifer M. Zanoli

Dissertations from 2022 2022

A Collaborative Autoethnography: Your Passport to Immigrant Women of Color Leader's Stories of Identity Exploration and Leadership Barriers and Possibilities , Fraylanie Adan Aglipay

RECLAIMING OUR HUMANITY: REDEMPTION, REIMAGINING, AND RESTORYING OF THE FOUNDATIONS FOR SUCCESS OF FORMERLY INCARCERATED AFRICAN AMERICAN MALES , Robert Mossi Alexander III

Fifty Years of Underrepresented Student Advocacy at One Jesuit Secondary School , Sonya Cotero Arriola

Voces of Little Michoacan: A Collective Narrative of Resistance and Preservation of Home , Ana Angel Avendaño

CLINICIANS' PERSPECTIVES ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF TRAUMA - FOCUSED COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY WITH AFRICAN AMERICAN CHILDREN: A QUALITATIVE STUDY , Jada Carter

The Use of Simulation with the School of Nursing and Health Professions (SONHP) Prelicensure Students to Support Affirming Practice with Transgender Communities , Genevieve Charbonneau

Understanding the perspectives, practices, and expectations of Korean American parents toward the heritage language education of their children , Yunhee Choi

The Association between Physical Pain, Depression, Anxiety, and Nervios among Latinx Agricultural Workers , Iveth Cuellar Celallos

Incorporating Andragogy and Cognitive Theory Of Multimedia Learning Into Self-Paced Training and Development Programs , Shanshan Gao

An Exploration of Learning-At-Home Experiences Among Families and Children of Color Labeled with Disabilities During COVID-19: A Narrative Inquiry , Nam Ju Han

"What’s Race Got To Do With It?”: A Virtual Participatory Action Research Study of Community College Students Exploring Intersectionality In Queer Studies , Breana Hansen

"MY BODY GOES NUMB A LOT OF THE TIME": EXAMINING HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT-ATHLETE EXPERIENCES USING YOUTH PARTICIPATORY ACTION RESEARCH AND EMBODIED CULTURALLY RELEVANT PEDAGOGY , Gabriela Elizabeth Holmes

TOWARDS CHARISM IDENTITY: A CATHOLIC IDENTITY CASE STUDY THROUGH THE LENS OF LAUDATO SI’ , Kristofer Ross Koller

Teaching Solidarity: Popular Education in Grassroots U.S. Social Movements , Tenaya Summers Lafore

The Effects of Curriculum-Integrated Explicit Learning Strategy Instruction on Reading Comprehension for English as a Second Language (ESL) Learners at the Community College , Sylvia Chaiyeon Lee

Genocide in East Turkestan: Exploring the Perspectives of Uyghurs in the Diaspora and their Resistance to Chinese State Violence , Lina Semyonovna Lenberg

Mediating Language Fluency Development: An Action Research Study In A High-School AP Chinese Second-or-Foreign-Language Task-Based Language Teaching Classroom , Jing Liang

EFFORTS TO CREATE A TRAUMA-INFORMED CLASSROOM IN HIGHER EDUCATION: INSIGHTS FROM MEMBERS OF A COMMUNITY COLLEGE TRAUMA-INFORMED TEACHING GROUP , Danyelle Marshall

Women in Senior Leadership Roles Career Mobility, Challenges, Success Stories and Need for Future Research , Giselle Flores Martin

Impact of COVID-19 on New Teacher Retention and Perceived Supports in a Northern California Public School District , Rebecka Maxkenzie

African American Female Identified Therapists' Experiences Working Culturally Similar and Dissimilar Populations , Kimiko J. May

EXPLORING LATINX PARENTS’ EXPERIENCES WITH SPECIAL EDUCATION: DEVELOPING A COMMUNITY-BASED WORKSHOP TO EMPOWER LATINX PARENTS OF CHILDREN IN SPECIAL EDUCATION , Gabriela Alejandra Perez

BLACK MOTHERING IN THE BAY AREA WHILE UNSEEN AND UNHEARD: NAVIGATING BLACK MOTHERING IN THE MIDST OF A PANDEMIC & SOCIAL UNREST , Kassie Michelle Phillips

Feminist Catholic Organizational Identity: A Phenomenological Study of Charism in the Lay Educator of a Notre Dame de Namur Learning Community , Kathleen Barrera Quiazon

Effects of Teaching Argument to First-Year Community-College Students Using a Structural and Dialectical Approach , Sharon Radcliff

¿TÚ QUÉ SABES?: LATINA DOCTORAL WOMEN DISRUPTING AND RESISTING DOMINANT KNOWLEDGE , Sendy Ramos Madsen

HEARING IMPAIRED AND LEADERSHIP: STRUGGLES OF INDIVIDUALS WITH HEARING LOSS IN THE WORKPLACE , John Cleese Relihan

Cuentos Criollos: Colombian Internally Displaced Families as Knowledge Producers , Liliana Salazar de Deck

An Exploration of Higher Educational Experiences For Mixed Blood American Indian Males in the Santa Clara Valley , Edward Salcedo

APPLICATION OF THE EPISTEMOLOGIES OF THE SOUTH TO ADDRESS THE ECOLOGICAL CRISIS: A NARRATIVE CASE STUDY OF BURKINA FASO AND THE LEADER YACOUBA SAWADOGO , Barwendé Médard Sané

The Relationship Between Metacognitive Strategies and Listening Comprehension Proficiency in Intensive-Korean-Foreign-Language Setting , Gumok Seo

The Collegiate Black Space: Black College Students’ Use of New Counter-Spaces for Support, Knowledge Production, and Organizing for Activism , Heather Streets

The Impact of #MeToo on Reasons for Sexual Assault Disclosure , Cheryl H. Tien

Developing Queer Faith: Exploring Experiences of Cognitive Dissonance and Identity Integration For LGBQ Catholics Individuals , Kendal M. Vaarwerk

Using Peer Review to Improve English as a Second Language College Students' Writing Scores , Mengjie Wei

Dissertations from 2021 2021

The Effect of Teaching and Learning Vocabulary in Lexical Chunks on the Listening Comprehension of Adult Learners of Arabic , Bassam Al-Maqtari

Exploring Student Engagement for Diverse Student Populations: A Case Study Examining Institutional Logics of Student Affairs Middle Management Leaders , Frangelo Rominque Ayran

Employment Discrimination: An Efficacy Study of African American Inequities in the California Utility Sector , Victor Baker

Mental Health Outcomes of Various Types of Fear Among University Students who have an Undocumented Legal Status During the Donald Trump Presidency , Liliana Campos

Experiences of UC Santa Barbara female alumni exposed to a gender-based mass shooting , Erin G. Carpenter

Majority to Minority Shift: Experiences for American Born Chinese College Students from Predominant Chinese American Communities to Predominantly White Institutions , Joseph C. Chung

The Role of Community Building in Second Language Acquisition in the Mainstream Classroom , Alejandro Clemente Fernandez

The Effectiveness of Using Multimedia for Teaching Phrasal Verbs in Community-College ESL Classes , Guohua Fu

Replanting a Wild Seed: Black Women School Leaders Subverting Ideological Lynching , Whitneé Louise Garrett-Walker

The Significance of Jesuit Educational Institution in the Reconstruction of Postcolonial and Post-Conflict East Timor , Plinio do Rosario Gusmao dosReis Martins

Effects of Static and Dynamic Visuals on the Learning of Science Concepts in the Secondary-School Classroom , Theodore Johnson

Advanced Search

• Notify me via email or RSS
• Collections
• Disciplines

Author Corner

• Submit Research
• Electronic Theses/Projects Submission Guide
• Nursing and Health Professions Submission Guide

Library Links

• Gleeson Library
• Zief Law Library

Home | About | FAQ | My Account | Accessibility Statement

Privacy Copyright

This repository serves as a digital archive for the preservation of research / scholarly output / publications from the University of the western Cape.

Communities in UWCScholar

Select a community to browse its collections.

• Faculty of Arts  
• Faculty of Community and Health Sciences  
• Faculty of Dentistry  
• Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences  
• Faculty of Education  
• 1 (current)

Recent Submissions