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Working flow of searching thesis
Planning the Search Strategy
- Define your research topic and break it down into key concepts or themes. https://libguides.aber.ac.uk/c.php?g=691336&p=4952476
- Identify relevant keywords and synonyms for each concept. Use brainstorming or mind-mapping techniques to generate keyword lists. https://libguides.exeter.ac.uk/c.php?g=670967&p=4764281
- Consult with your supervisor or a librarian to refine your search strategy and keywords. https://betterthesis.dk/literature-search/1-1-introduktion/keep-track-of-your-search-strategies
Executing the Search
- Start with general searches in library catalogs and databases using your keywords combined with Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT). https://libguides.exeter.ac.uk/c.php?g=670967&p=4764281
- Use search techniques like phrase searching, truncation, and wildcards to expand or narrow your results as needed. https://libguides.aber.ac.uk/c.php?g=691336&p=4952476 https://libguides.exeter.ac.uk/c.php?g=670967&p=4764281
- Utilize field searching in databases to target specific fields like title, author, subject, etc. https://libguides.exeter.ac.uk/c.php?g=670967&p=4764281
- Examine the references of relevant sources to find additional useful citations.
Documenting the Search Process
- Keep a detailed log of all your search strategies, databases searched, date ranges, and the number of results found. Use a search worksheet or template.
- Save your search histories and strategies within database accounts when possible.
- Ask a colleague to replicate your searches to verify reproducibility.
Screening and Managing Results
- Review titles and abstracts to exclude irrelevant results from your list.
- Read the full texts of potentially relevant papers to further screen for inclusion.
- Use reference management software to organize and deduplicate your final list of sources.
- Continually re-evaluate and modify your search strategy as needed throughout the process.
The key is to plan a comprehensive yet focused search strategy upfront, document your process thoroughly, and iteratively refine your searches based on the results.
Websites to search for and access theses and dissertations
ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global
This is one of the most comprehensive databases for finding dissertations and theses from around the world. It includes over 5 million citations and 2.5 million full-text works from thousands of universities. https://infoguides.rit.edu/dissertationsandtheses https://answers.library.american.edu/faq/174252
NDLTD (Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations)
NDLTD provides access to citations and full-text PDFs of theses and dissertations from over 1,100 universities and research institutions globally. Many works are freely available. https://library.indianastate.edu/LibraryServices/Theses
Open Access Theses and Dissertations (OATD)
OATD indexes over 6.7 million open access theses and dissertations from colleges and universities worldwide. It allows searching by keyword, author, institution, and other fields. https://library.indianastate.edu/LibraryServices/Theses https://answers.library.american.edu/faq/174252
EThOS (British Library’s E-Theses Online Service)
EThOS is a national database providing access to over 500,000 doctoral theses from British universities, with some full-text availability. https://infoguides.rit.edu/dissertationsandtheses
Shodhganga (Indian ETD Repository)
Shodhganga is a platform for research students in India to deposit their theses and dissertations. It contains over 300,000 works from Indian universities. https://infoguides.rit.edu/dissertationsandtheses
Individual University Repositories
Many universities maintain their own online repositories of theses and dissertations produced by their students, which can be searched directly on their websites.The key is to search multiple databases and repositories, as no single source is comprehensive. ProQuest and NDLTD are good starting points for a broad search, supplemented by subject-specific and regional databases like EThOS and Shodhganga. Additionally, documenting your search strategies is crucial for reproducibility.