Graduate Research: Theses & Dissertations: Writing a Thesis / Dissertation

A dissertation or thesis is a lengthy piece of academic writing that reports on original research conducted as part of a graduate degree program. Typically, it needs to follow specific formatting requirements for organization of content as well as reference citations. Here are some resources that can help you step through the process. Take advantage of tools that can increase the efficiency of your writing process, such as use of citation management software.

• Use a citation manager like Zotero, EndNote, or Mendeley to keep track of citations and format references in your document.
• Import citations from library databases whenever possible to obtain the best record details.
• Check and edit citation elements to meet style requirements (e.g., capitalization of titles; author listings).
• Keep careful notes (organized by theme; color-coded) so that you do not have to re-read too much of your literature sources.
• Some citation managers include a PDF viewer with notation features.
• Follow instructions for formatting and submitting your thesis or dissertation.
• Visit the Related Research Guides for more help.