Resources for Locating and Writing Theses and Dissertations

• Locating Theses/Dissertations at: CityU Library | Other Local University Libraries
• Tools for finding Theses/Dissertations from Universities worldwide: Library-subscribed Databases | Internet Resources | Printed Bibliographies
• Resources on Research Methodologies and Writing Theses/Dissertations: Writing Guides held in the Library | Other useful sources

Locating Theses / Dissertations at CityU Library

Finding theses/dissertations written by CityU students

• Browsing the City University of Hong Kong Theses Online (CityUTO)
  CityUTO provides online access to the abstracts and tables of contents of CityU research postgraduate theses and taught postgraduate dissertations available in the Library, dating back to 1990. The full text of all research postgraduate theses and some taught postgraduate dissertations is also available online to CityU staff and students.

• Searching the CityU Library Catalogue
  Search by Subject: City University of Hong Kong -- Dissertations | City Polytechnic of Hong Kong -- Dissertations. You can further limit the results to a particular topic by using the "Limit this Search" button.

Finding other theses/dissertations at CityU Library

• To find all theses/dissertations (including CityU's) available in the Library, do a Keyword/Phrase search in the Library Catalogue, e.g.:
  • enter electronic commerce and limit the Material Type to "THESIS/MNSCRPT".
  • enter electronic commerce and limit the Material Type to "THESIS/MNSCRPT" and the Location to "World Wide Web" to find all theses/dissertations in electronic format.
  • select "Any Field" and enter electronic commerce; then select "And" operator; in next row, select "Subject" field and enter thesis to find all theses/dissertations in print format.
    
    
• Lists of e-theses available to CityU staff and students are also available (path: Library Home -- Electronic Resources -- E-Theses).

Locating Theses/Dissertations at Other Local University Libraries

• Dissertations and Theses Collection (DTC) - search for Hong Kong postgraduate students' doctoral and master dissertations and theses indexed in the online catalogues of seven university libraries in Hong Kong.
  
  
• In the CityU Library Catalogue, select "Other Library Catalogues". Click on a Catalogue link of your choice, then do a Keyword/Phrase search, e.g., electronic commerce and limit the Material Type to "Thesis/Theses/Manuscript" (except for Chinese University of Hong Kong Library Catalogue where you need to limit the search to "CUHK Theses" Subset instead).
  
  
• Specific University Collections:
  • HKBU Theses & Dissertations
  • CUHK Theses
  • Hong Kong University Theses Online
  • HKUST Electronic Theses
  • PolyU Electronic Theses
  • Theses and Dissertations at Lingnan University

Tools for finding Theses/Dissertations from Universities worldwide

Library-subscribed Databases

• Digital Dissertation Consortium 數位化論文典藏聯盟
  The Digital Dissertation Consortium provides access to the combined collection of digital dissertations purchased by member institutions in Taiwan and Hong Kong from ProQuest and covered by the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database. The combined collection currently provides full-text access to over 62,100 theses and dissertations.
  
  
• ProQuest Dissertations and Theses
  The database includes citations of dissertations from universities worldwide accepted since 1637. Abstracts are included for doctoral dissertations published from July 1980 forward and for master's theses from 1988 forward. Some titles also allow a 24-page preview.
  
  
• Other Library-subscribed databases for finding theses/dissertations from universities worldwide can be accessed at Electronic Databases - Dissertations.
  
  
• Ordering and Recommending Theses/Dissertations
  Some of the above mentioned resources allow you to order theses/dissertations online. However, before placing order to purchase the publication yourself, you may first check our Library Catalouge and other local university library catalogues to see if the publication is available locally.

Internet Resources

• CALIS 學位論文庫
  This database allows bibliographic access to a collection of theses and dissertations held at some academic libraries in mainland China.
  
  
• 全國博碩士論文資訊網
  This database indexes, with abstracts, the doctoral and master's theses from universities in Taiwan from 1956.
  
  
• Australian Digital Theses Program
  ADT is a national collaborative distributed database of digitised PhD and MPhil theses produced at Australian Universities, in full text.
  
  
• Digital Library of MIT Theses
  A collection of selected MIT master's and doctoral theses. Full text theses can be viewed online. Users can also order whole documents from MIT Libraries.
  
  
• Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (NDLTD)
  NDLTD is a digital initiative to make the contents of theses and dissertations available electronically. Select a service under Search and Browse ETDs - Production Services to search data of electronic theses and dissertations from member institutions. Full text of some dissertations can be viewed online.

Printed Bibliographies

• Conduct subject searches in the Library Catalogue to find bibliographies on theses and dissertations. Here are some examples of the subject headings:
  
  
  • Dissertations, Academic -- Abstracts
  • Dissertations, Academic -- Bibliography
  • Dissertations, Academic -- Country -- Abstracts
    • e.g. Dissertations, Academic -- China -- Abstracts
  • Dissertations, Academic -- Country -- Bibliography
  • e.g. Dissertations, Academic -- China -- Bibliography

Guides on Research Methodologies and Writing Theses/Dissertations

Writing Guides held in the Library

The action research dissertation : a guide for students and faculty
(H62.H447 2005)

Assignment and thesis writing
(LB2369 .A63)

Authoring a PhD : how to plan, draft, write and finish a doctoral thesis or dissertation
(LB2369 .D85 2003)

The dissertation journey : a practical and comprehensive guide to planning, writing, and defending your dissertation
(LB1742 .R63 2004)

Dissertation writing in practice : turning ideas into text
(LB2369.C636 2003)

The essential guide : research writing across the disciplines
(LB2369 .L47)

Excellent dissertations!
(LB2369 .L48 2005)

Guide to the successful thesis and dissertation : a handbook for students and faculty
(LB2369 .M377)

Guide to writing empirical papers, theses, and dissertations
(LB2369 .G27 2002)

How to write a successful science thesis : the concise guide for students
(LB2369 .R87 2006)

How to write a thesis
(LB2369 .T36)

The portable dissertation advisor
(LB1742 .B79 2004)

Researching and writing dissertations in business and management
(LB2369 .R475 2000)

Successful dissertations and theses : a guide to graduate student research from proposal to completion
(LB2369 .M32 1992)

Theses and dissertations : a guide to planning, research, and writing
(LB2369 .T458 2000)

Writing the qualitative dissertation : understanding by doing
(LB2369.M38)

Writing your MBA dissertation
(LB2369 .W45 2002)

Writing your thesis
(LB2369 .O45 2004)

• For more writing guides, look in the Library Catalogue under the following subjects:
  
  • Academic writing -- Handbooks, manuals, etc.
  • Dissertations, Academic
  • Dissertations, Academic -- Handbooks, manuals, etc.
  • Report writing -- Handbooks, manuals, etc.
  • Research -- Methodology -- Handbooks, manuals, etc.
  • Research -- Methodology
  • Scientific surveys
  • Statistical methods - retrieving a list of statistical methods by subject
  • Questionnaires
  • Discipline -- Research Methodology
    (e.g. Social sciences -- Research -- Methodology)

Other Useful Sources

• Regulations for the Form of Theses [Login and password are required]
  Prepared by School of Graduate Studies, City University of Hong Kong
  
  
• Writing and Presenting Your Thesis or Dissertation (An Award-winning Site)
  Authored by S. Joseph Levine, Michigan State University