How to Find Theses and Dissertations

Theses and dissertations written and produced by Loma Linda University students are accessible through the Library’s catalog. Use standard search options of author, title, and subject to search these in the catalog. Additional access points are by the name of the school, and the program. LLU dissertations and theses are also accessible by searching the PROQuest database from the link: Dissertations & Theses @ Loma Linda in our list of databases.

LLU belongs to a cooperative international bibliographic utility called OCLC. Some ten thousand libraries around the world share records of their holdings in this common database and have access to this database through the OCLC FirstSearch. A link to this resource is available from the LLU Libraries Web site. Ask a reference librarian at the desk for authorization and password to this resource.

For all other theses and dissertations, the best source is the Dissertation Abstracts from the University Microfilms International (UMI) which publishes and archives dissertations and theses submitted by approximately 500 universities. Dissertation Abstracts contains more than 1.4 million citations to dissertations and theses published since 1861. Some time ago, a change in policy at the UMI began to limit its database to include only dissertations from accredited universities.

For nursing theses and dissertations, CINAHL is the next best source. Besides indexing nursing journals, CINAHL also indexes theses and dissertations, conference proceedings and media. Most subject databases like ERIC and PsycINFO, often include theses and dissertations as well.

Once you find the citations of dissertations you need from other institutions, you can obtain them through the Libraries’ Interlibrary Loan service. However, most dissertations are either not available or too costly for loan. It is more advisable to purchase dissertations from the publisher. Dissertations found in Dissertation Abstracts may be ordered from UMI at Dissertation Express, UMI's dissertation ordering service.

Dissertation.com is the other dissertation publisher and is associated with major on-line bookstores such as Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com. It maintains a searchable dissertation library on the Web. Since it only contains titles submitted by individuals to be published by Dissertation.com, not all disciplines and interests are covered.

Other questions or assistance in locating dissertations, please contact Nelia Caan, at extension 47535.

Last updated: August 11, 2006