English: Dissertations

This guide recommends resources for research in English language studies, British and American literature, and other literatures written in English.

Dissertations: Electronic Resources

The following databases either index or provide full text to dissertations. If full text is not available, check the UW Libraries Search for library holdings. Those not listed in the catalog or available online may be requested through Interlibrary Loan.

ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global This link opens in a new window
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Full Text includes 2.4 million dissertation and theses citations from around the world from 1861 to the present day together with 1 million full text dissertations that are available for download in PDF format. The database offers full text for most of the dissertations added since 1997 and strong retrospective full text coverage for older graduate works. [UW restricted]
MLA International Bibliography This link opens in a new window
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Includes citations to dissertations on literature, language, film and folklore studies beginning in 1969. Provides better subject access than Dissertation Abstracts. Be sure to limit search to publication type "dissertation abstract." [UW restricted]

Research Works (UW)
More than 6600 dissertations produced at the University of Washington; full coverage from 1997-2008; sporadic coverage prior to 1997. [UW restricted]

WorldCat This link opens in a new window
Limit your search by the material type "Thesis/dissertation" in the advanced search screen. [UW restricted]

DART-Europe E-theses Portal
DART-Europe is a partnership of research libraries and library consortia working together to improve global access to European research theses.
Open Access Theses and Dissertations
OATD aims to be the best possible resource for finding open access graduate theses and dissertations published around the world. Metadata (information about the theses) comes from over 600 colleges, universities, and research institutions. OATD currently indexes over 1.5 million theses and dissertations.
American Doctoral Dissertations 1933-1955
American Doctoral Dissertations 1933-1955 includes nearly 100,000 dissertations from 1933 through 1955. This print index was compiled annually by the H.W. Wilson Company for the National Research Council and The American Council of Learned Societies by the Association of Research Libraries. The content in American Doctoral Dissertations 1933-1955 represents the only comprehensive record of dissertations accepted by U.S. universities during that period of time.

UW Dissertations

Electronic Thesis or Dissertation (ETD) Guide
A UW Libraries Guide that takes you through the processes of submitting and publishing your thesis or dissertation.

Dissertations: Print Indexes

The following sources are all located in the Suzzallo/Allen Stacks unless otherwise noted:

Index to Theses Accepted for Higher Degrees by the Universities of Great Britain and Ireland (1950-1985), Z5055.G69 I55
Retrospective Index to Theses of Great Britain and Ireland, 1716-1950, Z5055.G69 R48
Theses in English literature, 1894-1970, Z2011 .H58
Theses in American literature, 1896-1971, Z1225 .H68
Dissertations on Anglo-Irish Drama: a Bibliography of Studies, 1870-1970, Z2039.D7 M54
Dissertations in English and American Literature: Theses Accepted by Austrian, French and Swiss Universities, 1875-1970, Z5055 A9 G2
Critical Writings on Commonwealth Literatures: a Selective Bibliography to 1970, with a List of Theses and Dissertations, Z2000.9 .N48
Canadian Literature: an Index to Theses Accepted by Canadian Universities, 1925-1980, PR9184.3 .G32 1984
Southern Literary Culture: a Bibliography of Masters' and Doctors' Theses, Z1251.S7 C3 1979
An Annotated Bibliography of North American Doctoral Dissertations on Old English Language and Literature, Z2012 .P85 1988
Master's Theses in the Arts and Social Sciences (1976-1990), Z5055.U39 M32 (Baker Auxiliary Stacks - must request to access)