Dissertation Search

I know this has been posted before, but my search is coming up empty. Does anybody have useful links to dissertations (Management area).

Thanks,

 

You can find a random dissertation here and there through a general internet search, but it is not worth the effort for so little return.

In my opinion, the only way to get exactly what you are looking for is to use UMI. The link is:

http://wwwlib.umi.com/dissertations/


You can search on every imaginable property to find just what you are looking for and download the dissertation for a fee. I bought 7 or 8 this way and it was, for me, the best and most definitive way to go.

 

Are these any good? Looks like you have to jump through a hoop or two to get a free copy though:

http://www.phddissertations.com/

 

I strongly recommend you access Dissertation Abstracts. The most recent two years are available to the public from Proquest HERE.

To search farther back, you'll need to connect via a subscription library. Most university libraries will let you search at their location, but won't give you access from your home or office unless you're enrolled there. (They pay fees based upon their enrollment size.)

Otherwise, you're stuck with the usual web search engines. This might turn up some dissertations, but it will not be very thorough.

 

I'm curious. Do they still publish Dissertation Abstracts in paper form, or have they gone the way of library card catalogs? The last time I had occasion to use them (going on ten years ago), I used the physical bound copies that were then in the CSU Hayward library.

Have these been completely replaced by the on-line version? If not, then you could just walk into the reference section of the Sac State library and use them. You don't need to be granted no stinkin' access.

Course, if they are only available on-line these days (it's the 21'st century!) and if you need a student ID to access them, you will need to talk to the librarians and explain what you need. Tell them that you are studying by DL (librarians think that's cool, without exception) and tell them that you are a Sac State alum (SF State offers library privileges to members of its alumni association, and I'd guess that Sac State does that too.) Worst comes to worst, as a last resort you could enroll in a Sac State class through Open University or extension and get library privileges that way.

You could try this stuff with Davis too. Better research library, but my impression is that UC is more reluctant than the CSUs to grant outsiders access to their libraries.

If you enroll in a DL doctoral program, library access is going to be an ongoing issue for you.

 

Along with UMI, you may also visit www.dissertation.com to preview various dissertation abstracts before you choose to buy a particular dissertation.

 

Don't forget that as an alumna of the University of Whatever you typically have access to that school's library, including their UMI subscription. If that's not going to work, find a co-worker who graduated from some good school and 1) take them out to dinner and, 2) ply them with wine (if necessary) and, 3) take advantage of their alumni card (get them to submit the request for you)
Jack

 

Interesting resource. Just remember that it is not comprehensive; it seems to be a source limited to those dissertations submitted to them for publication. That would also limit your search. It is not clear how many dissertations they have available.

 

Not all schools extend access to their online search engines to alumni. I found this out when I asked National University a couple of years ago. They said that, again, it was due to how large a license they'd purchased. They couldn't include alumni.

Most university libraries will allow visitors to search using their on-campus computers, however. Before I got access to Union's search services, I accessed them by going to George Mason University's libraries.

 

I was looking at the CSUS alumni association site. Here's their policy on alumni use of the library.

For a modest fee, you are entitled to check out books from any library of any campus in the California State University system. Privileges and fees vary according to campus. At CSUS, an Association member may check out as many as five books at any one time. For this privilege, the library charges annual members $5 annually, while 5-year and Life members are charged $5 every two years. To initiate library privileges at any CSU library, simply present your Association membership card at the library's circulation desk and pay the required fee. For more information about library privileges at CSUS, call (916) 278-6706.

http://www.csus.edu/alum/benefits.html

I wasn't able to find details on alumni use of online reference materials at CSUS on their library's website.

But I imagine that is would be included, though as Rich points out, they will probably deny you remote access from home and require that you use terminals in the library. Here's the policy at my own SF State, taken from a library FAQ:

I am a graduate of San Francisco State University. I pay $45 a year for services, including use of the Library and the ability to check out books. My question is how do I set up an e-mail account with SFSU as I would like to do research from home.

Although the $45/yr you pay the Friends of the J. Paul Leonard Library (or the fee you pay to the SFSU Alumni Association) entitles you to: borrowing privileges; use of the listening and viewing stations in the Media Access Center; and use of online and CD-ROM databases while IN the Library; it does not include remote access to those same databases, and does not entitle you to an SFSU e-mail account. This is University policy, not Library policy.

As an alternative for remote access to electronic databases, may we suggest that you try the San Francisco Public Library at: http://sfpl.lib.ca.us/. You will need an SFPL library card to access their remote databases, but you can get an SFPL library card at any San Francisco branch library for free.

There's another idea. A large urban public library is apt to have its own online reference materials, which might include remote access to Dissertation Abstracts. So check out the Sacramento public library.

 

I was looking at the CSUS alumni association site. Here's their policy on alumni use of the library.

For a modest fee, you are entitled to check out books from any library of any campus in the California State University system. Privileges and fees vary according to campus. At CSUS, an Association member may check out as many as five books at any one time. For this privilege, the library charges annual members $5 annually, while 5-year and Life members are charged $5 every two years. To initiate library privileges at any CSU library, simply present your Association membership card at the library's circulation desk and pay the required fee. For more information about library privileges at CSUS, call (916) 278-6706.

http://www.csus.edu/alum/benefits.html

I wasn't able to find details on alumni use of online reference materials at CSUS on their library's website.

I imagine that is would be included, though as Rich points out, they will probably deny you remote access from home and require that you come in and use the terminals in the library. Here's the policy at my own SF State, taken from a library FAQ:

I am a graduate of San Francisco State University. I pay $45 a year for services, including use of the Library and the ability to check out books. My question is how do I set up an e-mail account with SFSU as I would like to do research from home.

Although the $45/yr you pay the Friends of the J. Paul Leonard Library (or the fee you pay to the SFSU Alumni Association) entitles you to: borrowing privileges; use of the listening and viewing stations in the Media Access Center; and use of online and CD-ROM databases while IN the Library; it does not include remote access to those same databases, and does not entitle you to an SFSU e-mail account. This is University policy, not Library policy.

As an alternative for remote access to electronic databases, may we suggest that you try the San Francisco Public Library at: http://sfpl.lib.ca.us/. You will need an SFPL library card to access their remote databases, but you can get an SFPL library card at any San Francisco branch library for free.

There's another idea. A large urban public library is apt to have its own online reference materials, which might include remote access to Dissertation Abstracts. So check out the Sacramento public library.

 

Thanks for all the information. I have used the sights for abstracts, and have contacted CSUS. I donate to them, so they should not have any problem, but I will need to go down tot he campus.

I have also contacted my graduate professor, who I am hoping for some help, which she has already replied with information.

I guess you just have to ask and hope for open arms, which seems to be the case.... thanks to all.

 

There are any number of possibilities. However, with a single point of contact for definitive and comprehensive dissertations, why bother with the “possibilities”? Abstracts can be viewed for free and all dissertations can be purchased for a minimal fee online with UMI/Proquest.

Library privileges do not guarantee access to dissertations. Since abstracts can be viewed online with UMI, why bother with the guesswork of the other “potential” options?

 

According to their website, the dissertation abstracts available are only for those in 2002 and 2003:

Welcome to ProQuest Digital Dissertations! As a visitor, you will be able to freely access the most current two years of citations and abstracts in the Dissertation Abstracts database. To search the entire database of more than 1.6 million titles, you will need to connect from a subscription institution.

Their website is HERE. (I posted this information once earlier in this thread. I think it's right.)

 

Just one other question. I have found two dissertations through searches for purchase, just about $10.00 for each. I have also found their contact information and was thinking of e-mailing them directly and asking for a copy, is that out of line? Not sure of the rules and trying to learn as I go.

 

You can ask if you like. That is a personal decision. As for me, I would purchase it. The dissertations are copyrighted and for sale. The level of effort that went into them was significant. If I received an email requesting a copy of my dissertation at no cost, I would refer them to how a copy could be procured.

 

In case that link doesn't work, I posted the literal URL in my response to the original inquiry above.

 

This was not the policy was a couple of years ago when I was in the midst of my dissertation research. They must have changed their allowable search criteria.

 

Yeah, I think it was a couple of years ago when they changed it.

 

Ditto. (I've already been asked, and I haven't even published it yet.)