Citing is indeed one of the most complicated tasks of developing an academic paper. Moreover, when one chooses to cite a dissertation in APA format, it becomes more confusing. If you are unsure of how to cite a thesis or dissertation in APA format, go through this blog. Here we have shared the structures and examples of citing dissertations that are unpublished, published from databases, and published but not from any databases. Additionally, we have also detailed on the concept of a dissertation and how dissertations and thesis of undergraduate, master, and doctoral academic level differs. Read along to get more details.
What is A Thesis or Dissertation?
A dissertation, also known as a thesis in some countries, is a research paper completed as a part of undergraduate or postgraduate education. Writing a dissertation allows students to present their findings in response to an issue or proposition that they select themselves. Usually, a dissertation aims to examine the independent research skills that the learners have acquired during their tenure in college or university. The score received at the dissertation and the institution’s assessment together determine the final grade of the degree.
Students write dissertations thrice in their entire academic career. They develop it once in the following 3 phases:
- Undergraduate
- Masters
- Doctorate
It is usually the longest and the most difficult academic assignment students complete in a university. It requires almost a year of preparation and hard work to research and write a thesis paper. Additionally, citing a dissertation requires a lot of precision and focus.
What is the Difference between A Graduation, Master, And Doctoral Dissertation?
Following are the differences between an Undergraduate, Master, and Ph.D. dissertations.
- Research purposes: An Undergraduate and Masters’s dissertation proves knowledge of the established research or theories. In contrast, a Ph.D. dissertation adds new information, theories, and practices to the academic discipline.
- Time of completion: You conclude your undergraduate and master’s degree program with a dissertation. However, while pursuing a doctoral program, you dedicate the complete tenure of your PhD. program to developing the dissertation.
- Length of research paper: The length of an Undergraduate dissertation will be between 5000 and 8000 words while a Master’s dissertation lengths between 10,000 and 15,000 words. On the other hand, a Ph.D. dissertation lengths between 60,000 and 80,000 words.
Things to Look For While Citing a Thesis or Dissertation in APA Format
It is difficult to create a citation for your dissertation unless you have the following information:
- Last name and initial of the first and middle name of the author
- Year in which the dissertation was published
- Title of the dissertation
- Document number, for a published dissertation
- Type of degree, for example, undergraduate, postgraduate, or doctoral degree
- Name of the institution awarding the degree
- DOI or URL, if applicable
How to Cite an Unpublished Thesis or Dissertation in APA Format?
Unpublished dissertations are difficult to locate. They are usually available in printed format in the university library. If you want to know how to cite a thesis or dissertation in APA format that has not been published, then adhere to the following structure and examples.
· Reference Structure:
Last name of the author, Initial of the first name of the author. The middle name of the author. (Year of publishing). Title of the dissertation written in sentence case [Unpublished degree type thesis or dissertation]. Name of institution.
Example:
James, J. H., & David, L. H. (1991). The proposed plans for the Howa State College athletic field together with the design of a toughened concrete grandstand and wall [Unpublished bachelor’s thesis]. Howa State University.
In-text citation structure:
(Last name of the first author & last name of the second author, year of publishing)
Example:
Parenthetical: (James & David, 1911)
Narrative: Ames & David (1911)
Read More: Learn How To Cite A Brochure In APA Format
How to Cite a Thesis or Dissertation Published from a Database in APA Format?
If you are curious to know how to cite a thesis or dissertation in APA format that has been published from a database, then follow the structure mentioned below. The rules are quite similar to that of an unpublished dissertation/thesis. However, there are a few differences. For example:
- The name of the institution is mentioned after the title. Also, it should be put in parentheses.
- The name of the archive or database should be included in the reference.
Reference Structure:
Last name of the author, First name of the author. The middle name of the author. (Year of publishing). Title of the dissertation written in sentence case (Publication or Document No.) [Degree type thesis or dissertation, Name of the institution]. Name of the Database.
Examples 1:
Knight, M. A. (2021). Media epidemics: Viral arrangements in narrative and new media (Accession No. 2013420395) [Doctoral dissertation, University of New York, New York]. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing.
Example 2:
Truman, L.B. (2019). New insights into the biochemistry and cell biology of RNA recapping (Document No. osu1523896565730483) [Doctoral dissertation, California State University]. Barbarous LINK Electronic Theses & Dissertations Centre.
Note:
In the example given above, the dissertation is provided with a Document Number (Document No.). It isalso called a database number or publication number. Document Number also acts as an identifier utilized by the indexing system of the database. However, if you are sourcing the dissertation from a database that offers such a number, then include it directly after the title of the work and include it in a parenthesis.
In-text citation structure:
(Last name of the author, Year of publishing)
Examples:
Parenthetical citation: (Truman, 2018)
Narrative citation: Truman (2018)
Also Read: Learn How to Write a Personal Letter Format with Examples
How to Cite a Thesis or Dissertation in APA Format That Has Not Been Published From a Database?
If you know how to cite a thesis or dissertation in APA format that has been published from a database, you can easily understand the structure of citing a dissertation that has not been published from a database. There are only two differences:
- The publication or documentation number is not included after the title of the dissertation.
- The structure of the reference concludes with a URL in place of the name of the database.
Reference Structure:
Last name of the author, first name of the author, middle name of the author. (Year in which dissertation is published). Title of the dissertation in sentence case [Degree type thesis or dissertation, Name of academic institution]. Name of archive or collection. URL
Examples:
- Kim, O. (2019). Representation of Soviet Union: Cinema and History under late communism [Doctoral dissertation, Carnegie Mellon University]. Institutional Ordnance at the Carnegie Mellon University. https://d-scholarship.carnegie.edu/37669/7/Olga%20Kim%20Final%20ETD.pdf
- Sylvester, T. W. (2001). Action science: Teachers’ genuine experiences at the Solitary Star Dinosaur Pasture Institute [Master’s thesis, Texas M&M University]. OAKTrust. https://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/ETD-TMMU-2001-THESIS-S745
Note: Not every thesis or dissertation published online islinkedto a specific archive or collection. If the paper is published on a personal website, include only the URL as the source element.
In-text citation structure:
(Last name of the author, Year of publishing)
Example:
Parenthetical citation: (Kim, 2019)
Narrative citation: Kim (2019)
Parenthetical citation: (Sylvester, 2001)
Narrative citation: Sylvester (2001)
The Bottom Line
We hope that the information provided here solves all your queries on how to cite a thesis or dissertation in APA format. If you are looking for more information on citations, get in touch with our assignment helpers. Our experts have assisted multiple students with an exhaustive collection of academic materials that are gathered from multiple types of sources, they will help you too. Just share your issues with the experts of our citation help services by filling out the student assistance form. Don’t worry, our experts will take care of your requirements and mail you the solution in due time.
