| 1. Where can the public find and read dissertations?
1a. Most dissertations have a copy stored at UMI, the North American repository for scholarly writing. You can PURCHASE a copy of a UMI dissertation for a fee ($25 and up).
1b. Usually, another copy can be found in the library of the university where the author did their degree work. If that university library will lend dissertations (some will not because they are too difficult to replace), you can BORROW a copy of a library-held dissertation, via interlibrary loan. You pay only the shipping cost to return the borrowed dissertation to the UAH library, roughly $6 -$9 per dissertation.
Many times these two locations have the only existing copies available to the public.
2. How do I access the Dissertation Abstracts database to find listings of dissertations?
2a. Free Online Search of Dissertation Abstracts database.
What you will find: Abstracts (short descriptions) of dissertations. Many also include a 24 page preview of the dissertation.
What you will NOT find: complete dissertations
Time period covered: Previous two years only.
To SEARCH online:
Go to http://www.umi.com
- Click on Dissertation Services (on the right of the screen)
- Click on ProQuest Digital Dissertations
- Follow on-screen instructions. (Beginning here allows you to exhaust the free resources available online. This will also help you hone your searching skills, and acquaint you with current dissertations.)
2b. After searching for free online, if you need to search for dissertations earlier than the previous two years, email the search terms (as narrowed-down as possible) to Kaplan and we will do the search for you. We will send the search results (abstracts) to you via email.
3. How do I obtain a copy of a dissertation?
3a. To BORROW a copy of a dissertation, send us the information (author/title/year/etc) via email (Kaplan) and we will try to obtain a copy via interlibrary loan. You pay only the shipping cost to return the borrowed dissertation to the UAH library, roughly $6 -$9 per dissertation.
3b. To PURCHASE a copy of a dissertation:
- Go to http://www.umi.com
- Click on Dissertation Services (on the right of the screen) .
- Click on Dissertation Express .
- Follow on-screen instructions.
- The library can NOT purchase dissertations for you. You must purchase them yourself online ($25 and up).
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