A dissertation database is a collection of academic dissertations housed on the internet by an academic publisher, research organization, or university library. A doctoral dissertation is a multi-chapter academic paper written by a candidate for a doctorate degree. Dissertations often represent years of research in a specialized aspect of an academic field, and collections of dissertations are used by university students at all levels for research. Many dissertations are also published by academic publishers, and some are even edited and published as books for a general audience.
Some dissertation databases are online, but some are also physical collections of published dissertations and theses. Many university libraries keep collections of doctoral dissertations and graduate theses written at the university, but there are many other types of dissertation databases.
Academic publishers may have a dissertation database of published works. Some academic writing databases contain only the abstracts or executive summaries for dissertations, and some contain the full paper. There are many databases that are specific to an academic field, such as collections of medical dissertations or literature dissertations. Many academic search engines that provide academic papers to universities include dissertations and theses as well. These types of databases can be very useful to university students and publishers alike.
A dissertation database can be a good thing to search when you are writing a dissertation and need to see what work others in your field have done. In fact, before you begin work on your graduate thesis or dissertation, it is a good idea to search for academic writing such as theses or dissertations to see if someone has covered your specific topic. Dissertation databases can also be useful for both undergraduate and graduate students seeking sources for papers. Even if a professor will not approve of a dissertation as a source itself, you can look at the bibliography to find other academic sources to use in an undergraduate level paper.
If you have finished your graduate thesis or dissertation, you may be looking at getting it published by an academic publisher. Many publishers have a dissertation database where they publish academic writing online, while some academic publishers search databases looking for new works to publish. By putting your dissertation up on an online database, you can generate interest in your work, meet with other academics in your field, and possibly earn royalties if your dissertation is published.
