Research Guides: Theses and Dissertations: The Basics

Definitions

A thesis or dissertation is:

"a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings."

"In some contexts, the word "thesis" is used for part of a bachelor's or master's course, while "dissertation" is normally applied to a doctorate, while in others, the reverse is true."

Thesis. (2016, September 29). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.

Interlibrary Loan

Is the dissertation you need not available online? Eligible researchers may request dissertations held by other libraries through Interlibrary Loan (ILL).

Keep in mind that libraries may only keep one copy of a dissertation or thesis. If an institution will not loan their theses/dissertations, ILL will notify you and cancel the request.

Researchers who are not affiliated with UNM and who wish to access UNM theses and dissertations are advised to first check UNM's institutional repository to see if the item is available online. If not, researchers may request copies of these works through their library's ILL office.

Finding UNM Theses & Dissertations

UNM Digital Repository
Look here first! The UNM digital repository hosts publications by UNM faculty, students, and staff as well as administrative records and more. The Academic and Scholarly Communication community includes digitized UNM dissertations and some theses. All dissertations completed since 2010 are available (unless embargoed) and older works are being added on a regular basis. Users may also use the Ask a Librarian service (the box on the right side of this guide) to ask that a specific title be digitized. In most cases, this can be accomplished within one week.

Circulating hard copies of UNM theses and dissertations are shelved by call number in the basement of Zimmerman Library.

UNM Print Dissertations/Theses Call Number Guide

Non-circulating hard copies are available in the Center for Southwest Research, including a few theses and dissertations that are only available there.
To find a particular thesis or dissertation, you can search for it using the University Libraries' QuickSearch. (Author or title searching works well but unfortunately, there is not an easy way to search for theses or dissertations as a material type as consistent labels were not used over the years.) Use the Request It button to request that a circulating copy be pulled and placed on hold for you at the Zimmerman Library Service Desk.
Remember that dissertations completed since 2010 are available online as part of UNM's institutional repository. They may also be available in the ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global Full-Text database (see Finding Other Theses & Dissertations box below).

Use QuickSearch to Find UNM & Other Theses/Dissertations

Search the library catalog (including e-books)

Other Ways to Find Theses & Dissertations (non-UNM)

Dissertations & Thesis Global Full Text (ProQuest)
More than 2.1 million full-text dissertations and theses, dating to 1861. It also contains indexing of 3.8 million graduate works. Primarily US, UK and Ireland but increasingly from other countries. Designated as an official offsite repository for the U.S. Library of Congress.

Center for Research Libraries Foreign Doctoral Dissertations Database
Holds and continues to acquire dissertations from universities outside the U.S. and Canada. Abstracts only.
Open Access Theses and Dissertations
Indexes over 2 million theses and dissertations. Focus is on graduate-level theses and dissertations that are freely available to download and read right now.

TIP: Many colleges and universities, including UNM, have set up institutional repositories to make their theses and dissertations available online. If you know the dissertation you are looking for, try searching for it using keywords (author's name, title words, university name). For information on finding UNM works, see the Finding UNM Theses and Dissertations box of this guide.