[Doctoral dissertation, Name of Institution Awarding the Degree].
[Master's thesis, Name of Institution Awarding the Degree].
Database Name.
Archive Name.
Hutcheson, V. (2012). Dealing with dual differences: Social coping strategies of gifted and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer adolescents [Master's thesis, The College of William & Mary]. William & Mary Digital Archive. https://digitalarchive.wm.edu/handle/10288/16594
Parenthetical citations:
Narrative citation: Hutcheson (2012)
Dissertations and theses database.
Author last name, first initial. (Year). Title of dissertation/thesis (Publication No.) [Doctoral dissertation/Master's thesis, University]. Database. URL
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.
All you need to know about citations
To cite a dissertation in a reference entry in APA style 6th edition include the following elements:
Here is the basic format for a reference list entry of a dissertation in APA style 6th edition:
Author(s) of the dissertation . ( Year of publication ). Title of the dissertation (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from URL
If the dissertation is available from a database, archive or any online platform use the following template:
Here is the basic format for a reference list entry of a dissertation in APA style 7th edition:
Author(s) of the dissertation . ( Year of publication ). Title of the dissertation ( Publication number ) [Doctoral dissertation, Name of the degree awarding institution ]. Name of platform . URL
If the dissertation has not been published or is available from a database use the following template:
Author(s) of the dissertation . ( Year of publication ). Title of the dissertation (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Name of the degree awarding institution , Location .
If the dissertation is not published, use the following template:
Author(s) of the dissertation . ( Year of publication ). Title of the dissertation [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Name of the degree awarding institution .
Take a look at our reference list examples that demonstrate the APA style guidelines for a dissertation citation in action:
A dissertation found in an online platform
Guo, J . ( 2018 ). Trust-based service management of internet of things systems and its applications ( Doctoral dissertation ). Retrieved from https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/handle/10919/82854
Guo, J . ( 2018 ). Trust-based service management of internet of things systems and its applications [ Doctoral dissertation , Virginia Tech ]. ETDs: Virginia Tech Electronic Theses and Dissertations . https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/handle/10919/82854
An unpublished doctoral dissertation
Neel, B. L . ( 2017 ). Three flute chamber works by Alberto Ginastera: Intertwining elements of art and folk music ( Unpublished doctoral dissertation ). University of Nebraska-Lincoln , NE .
Neel, B. L . ( 2017 ). Three flute chamber works by Alberto Ginastera: Intertwining elements of art and folk music [ Unpublished doctoral dissertation ]. University of Nebraska-Lincoln .
This citation style guide is based on the official Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association ( 6 th edition).
Automatic citations in seconds
Alternative to.
In-text citation: (Ponte, 2022) Reference list: Ponte, B. (2022). Sexual assault prevention: The impact of public health messages on rape related attitudes, knowledge, self-efficacy, and behavioral intention (Publication No. 29394204) [Doctoral dissertation, Palo Alto University]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global. For more reference examples of published dissertations, please visit the APA Style website . Section 10.6 of the Publication Manual covers published dissertations and theses.
In-text citation: (Keogh, 2022) Reference list: Keogh, S. (2022). Within the liminal [Undergraduate thesis, Ball State University]. Cardinal Scholar. https://cardinalscholar.bsu.edu/handle/123456789/203203
In-text citation: (Azcarraga, 2019) Reference list: Azcarraga, A.W. (2019). The role of self-esteem and shame in single parenting [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. For more examples of an unpublished dissertation or thesis, please see the APA Style website . Section 10.6 of the Publication Manual covers unpublished dissertations and theses.
Citing a Dissertation Found in the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Database:
Author last name, Author initial. (Year). Title of dissertation/thesis (Publication No.) [Doctoral dissertation/Master's thesis, Name of Institution Awarding the Degree]. Database or Archive Name.
Olds, J. L. (2018). An investigation of district promotion, retention, and intervention policies and practices for elementary students in four Southern California counties (Publication No. 3544644) [Doctoral dissertation, Azusa Pacific University]. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing.
Note: You may have to look carefully at the record in ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global to determine the publication number.
Citing a Print Dissertation Found in a Library and not Available Through ProQuest Dissertations and Theses:
Author last name, Author initial. (Year). Title of dissertation/thesis [Unpublished doctoral dissertation/Master's thesis], Name of Institution Awarding the Degree.
Heil, J. A. (2016). Authors, audiences, and Elizabethan prologics [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Texas A&M University.
Note: Most APU dissertations should also appear in ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global . If you are going to cite an APU dissertation, you should check ProQuest to see if a publication number is available, then follow the guidelines for citing dissertations found in ProQuest . This is the most consistent way to ensure that readers of your paper will be able to retrieve the original source.
The APA citation format for government documents is similar to the APA format for citing eBooks.
Citing a U.S. government report available on government agency Web site:
Government Agency. (Year of publication). Title of report (Report No. xxx, if given) . Retrieved from http://xxxxxxxxxx
United States Environmental Protection Agency. (n.d.). America's children and the environment (ACE). Retrieved from http://www.epa.gov/envirohealth/children/
Baldi, S. (2007). Highlights from PISA 2006: Performance of U.S. 15-year-old students in science and mathematics literacy in an international context (NCES Report No. 2008016). Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/PUBSEARCH/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2008016
White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans. (2005). Pathways to Hispanic family learning: Highlighting public and private efforts to meet the education needs of the Hispanic family. Retrieved from http://www.yesican.gov/publications/pdf/pathways.pdf
Note: Not every government document will have a report number. If you’re unable to find one, just leave that part out of the citation. Always use the personal name of an author, if it is given. If a corporate author is listed instead of a personal author, use the agency/department name instead of a personal name.
Published on December 16, 2020 by Koen Driessen .
You can use other theses as a source for your own dissertation. Take into account that theses often still contain mistakes and are not always a reliable source. So don’t base your dissertation too much on other theses. According to the APA Style you also have to add to your reference that it is a dissertation of another student.
APA-format | AuthorLastName, Initials. (Year). (Thesis or Master’s dissertation). Retrieved from http://WebAddress |
In reference list | Huijg, N. T. (2015). (Master’s dissertation). Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/2105/30207 |
In the text | |
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.
Driessen, K. (2020, December 16). Dissertation Citations in APA (6th Edition) | Format & Example. Scribbr. Retrieved June 24, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/apa-style/6th-edition/archived-dissertation/
Scribbr apa citation checker.
An innovative new tool that checks your APA citations with AI software. Say goodbye to inaccurate citations!
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Resources on using in-text citations in APA style
Resources on writing an APA style reference list, including citation formats
Reference list.
(Author's surname, Year)
This was seen in an Australian study (Couch, 2017).
Couch (2017) suggests that…
Author, A. A. (Year). Title of thesis [Type of thesis, Name of institution awarding degree]. Name of archive or site. https://xxxxxx
Author, A. A. (Year). Title of thesis (Database Publication number, if assigned) [Type of thesis, Name of institution awarding degree]. Database Name.
Taffe, S. (2017). The Federal Council for the Advancement of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders: The politics of inter-racial coalition in Australia, 1958–1973 [Doctoral thesis, Monash University]. Bridges. https://doi.org/10.4225/03/59d4482289ea4
Bozeman, A. Jr. (2007). Age of onset as predictor of cognitive performance in children with seizure disorders (Publication No. 3259752) [Doctoral dissertation, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global.
Author, A. A. (Year). Title of thesis or dissertation [Unpublished Doctoral dissertation or Master's thesis]. Name of Institution.
Imber, A. (2003). Applicant reactions to graduate recruitment and selection [Unpublished Doctoral dissertation]. Monash University.
For further guidance, see the APA Style website- Published Dissertation or Thesis , Unpublished Dissertation or Theses .
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A dissertation or thesis is considered published when it is available from a database such as ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global or PDQT Open, an institutional repository, or an archive. If the database assigns publication numbers to dissertations and theses, include the publication number in parentheses after the title of the ...
To cite an unpublished dissertation (one you got directly from the author or university in print form), add "Unpublished" to the bracketed description, and list the university at the end of the reference, outside the square brackets. APA format. Author last name, Initials. ( Year ).
Citing a published dissertation or thesis from a database. 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: Structure: Author's last name, F. M. (Year published).
Thesis, from a commercial database. Lope, M. D. (2014). Perceptions of global mindedness in the international baccalaureate middle years programme: The relationship to student academic performance and teacher characteristics (Order No. 3682837) [Doctoral dissertation, University of Maryland].ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global.
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.
To cite a dissertation in APA, you need to include the author, year, title, publication number, thesis or dissertation, university, publisher, and URL. Depending on whether you use a published or unpublished dissertation, the order of the location information in your citation varies. Author, A. A. (Year).
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. Pattern: Author, A. A. (year).
Title of dissertation or thesis (Doctoral dissertation or master's thesis). Retrieved from Name of database. (Accession or Order No.) For an unpublished dissertation or thesis: Author Surname, First Initial. Second Initial. (year of creation). Title of dissertation or thesis (Unpublished doctoral dissertation or master's thesis). Name of ...
APA 7th Edition Citation Guide Dissertations and Theses. Thesis or Dissertation from a Library Database. Reference Page Format: Author, A. A. (Year of Publication). Title of dissertation/thesis [Master's thesis/Doctoral dissertation, Name of institution awarding degree]. Database name.
A quick guide to using APA citation style. 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.
ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. Nicosia, M. (2016). Performing the female superhero: An analysis of identity acquisition, violence, and hypersexuality in DC comics [Doctoral dissertation, Bowling Green State University]. Electronic Theses and Dissertation Center. https://etd.ohiolink.edu/ In-Text Citations. Parenthetical citations:
APA Style is widely used by students, researchers, and professionals in the social and behavioral sciences. Scribbr's APA Citation Generator automatically generates accurate references and in-text citations for free.. This citation guide outlines the most important citation guidelines from the 7th edition APA Publication Manual (2020). Scribbr also offers free guides for the older APA 6th ...
Doctoral dissertation/Master's thesis: List whether it is a dissertation or a thesis. University: List the university associated with the dissertation/thesis. ... 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 ...
For 21 or more authors include the first 19 names followed by an ellipsis (…) and add the last author's name. Year of publication: Give the year in brackets followed by a full stop. Title of the dissertation: Only the first letter of the first word and proper nouns are capitalized. Publication number: Give the identification number of the ...
Throughout your paper, you need to apply the following APA format guidelines: Set page margins to 1 inch on all sides. Double-space all text, including headings. Indent the first line of every paragraph 0.5 inches. Use an accessible font (e.g., Times New Roman 12pt., Arial 11pt., or Georgia 11pt.).
your dissertation in APA Style, 7th Edition. rmatting Your DissertationPage and Text RequirementsPage SizeIt is recommended that Standard Letter. (8.5 x 11 inches) is used, unless otherwise specified.Margins1 inch for all ma. p, bottom, left, right) throughou. the entire document.SpacingAll text should b.
In-text citation: (Azcarraga, 2019) Reference list: Azcarraga, A.W. (2019).The role of self-esteem and shame in single parenting [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. For more examples of an unpublished dissertation or thesis, please see the APA Style website.Section 10.6 of the Publication Manual covers unpublished dissertations and theses.
Citing a Print Dissertation Found in a Library and not Available Through ProQuest Dissertations and Theses: Format: Author last name, Author initial. (Year). Title of dissertation/thesis [Unpublished doctoral dissertation/Master's thesis], Name of Institution Awarding the Degree. Example: Heil, J. A. (2016).
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. Driessen, K. (2020, December 16). Dissertation Citations in APA (6th Edition) | Format & Example. Scribbr.
Basic guidelines for formatting the reference list at the end of a standard APA research paper Author/Authors Rules for handling works by a single author or multiple authors that apply to all APA-style references in your reference list, regardless of the type of work (book, article, electronic resource, etc.)
Go to Getting started > In-text citation to view other examples such as multiple authors. ... Format Online. Author, A. A. (Year). Title of thesis [Type of thesis, Name of institution awarding degree]. Name of archive or site. https://xxxxxx. Stored in a database. ... see the APA Style website- Published Dissertation or Thesis, ...
College-level and post-graduate students are most likely to use an APA citation generator, because APA style is the most favored style at these learning levels. Before college, in middle and high school, MLA style is more likely to be used. In other parts of the world styles such as Harvard (UK and Australia) and DIN 1505 (Europe) are used more ...