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Citation Help: Dissertations & Theses

APA Citation Help: Dissertation and Theses

Dissertations and Theses

Dissertations and theses can be divided by whether they are published or unpublished. 

Note: Citations with more than one line of text should have a hanging indent of 1/2 inch or 5 spaces.

Important Elements:

  • Author (last name, initials only for first and middle names)
  • Date of publication
  • Title
  • Database or source
  • URL if available
  • Institution 

Published Dissertations and Theses

Author, A. A. (2020). Title of dissertation [Doctoral dissertation, Name of Institution Awarding the Degree]. Database Name. URL

Hollander, M. M. (2017). Resistance to authority: Methodological innovations and new lessons from the Milgram experiment (Publication No. 10289373) [Doctoral dissertation, University of Wisconsin-Madison]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global.

Unpublished Dissertations & Theses

Author, A. A. (2020). Title of dissertation [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Name of Institution Awarding the Degree.

Harris, L. (2014). Instructional leadership perceptions and practices of elementary school leaders [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. University of Virginia. 

Some examples courtesy of APA Publication Manual

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