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ProQuest Dissertations and Theses

ProQuest Dissertations & Theses

Search ProQuest Dissertations & Theses

Guide for ProQuest Dissertations and Theses

ProQuest Platform Guides and Search Tips

ProQuest Guides

ProQuest Search Tips

  • Sort by Date (Most recent first) or Relevance
  • Truncation character (*) asterisk - retrieves variations of the search term. Use the truncation character at the end (right-hand truncation, such as simulat*) or in the middle of search terms. Each truncated word can return up to 500 word variations.
  • Standard truncation (*) retrieves variations on the search term, replacing up to 5 characters.
  • Wildcard character (?) used to replace any single character, either inside or at the right end of a word.
  • Quotation marks ("signal processing") for exact phrases. Enclose stop words in brackets or quotation marks "near infrared"
  • Use "Recent Searches" to combine previous search statements, using Boolean operators.
    • Combine previous search statements. Examples: (1 AND 3) OR (1 AND 2)
                  3 AND detect*                 (1 OR 2) AND (3 OR model*)
  • Use nested (with parenthesis) Boolean operators to combine terms
    • OR -- To broaden a search; allow for variant spellings; results include any specified term
      • simulat* OR model* OR mathemat* OR algorithm* [every record contains at least one of these four terms]
    • AND -- To narrow the scope of a search; results contain all specified terms
      • radar AND countermeasure* [both terms must be contained in every record]  
    • NOT -- To eliminate terms (or search statements) from a search
  • Proximity operators
    • near/# (within # words, in any order)
    • pre/# (within # words, in this exact order)
  • Field qualifiers: limit to a specific field, such as author -- AU(Smith), or to multiple fields at one time, such as TI,SU,AB(robot* and wireless*) for restricting keywords to title, subject and abstract fields. Can limit to fields using Advanced Search drop down menus.
  • "Anywhere except full text -- NOFT" (drop down menu) or use NOFT as a field code, such as NOFT(laser pre/3 diode). NOFT - does not search the full text field.
  • Change "Display" -- "results per page" to 100
  • My Research"  free registration. Set up automatic email Alerts. Save search statements (save search queries). One search statement line is saved. Save records. Save search preferences, and more.
  • Multiple ProQuest databases can be searched simultaneously.  Top row "Change databases" ; check the boxes of relevant databases; "Use selected databases"
  • Email, Print, Download marked records. Can download to EndNote, text, RTF, etc.

Dissertations and theses. Library subscription databases

  • This database is the world’s most comprehensive collection of dissertations and theses from around the world, spanning from 1743 to the present day and offering full text for graduate works added since 1997, along with selected full text for works written prior to 1997.
  • More than 70,000 new full-text dissertations and theses are added to the database each year through dissertations publishing partnerships with 700 leading academic institutions worldwide, and collaborative retrospective digitization of dissertations.
  • Each dissertation published since July, 1980 includes a 350-word abstract written by the author. Master's theses published since 1988 include 150-word abstracts.
  • Advanced Search, drop down menu "Anywhere except full text - NOFT" or limit to fields such as ti,ab,su(engineer* and model*)
  • Search hints, comparison chart.
  • Electronic full-text of Georgia Tech-authored dissertations is available from 1997 to 2012, as well as for some 1950-1997 dissertations; Georgia Tech doctoral students may elect to submit their dissertations to ProQuest Dissertation Abstracts for processing and distribution.
  • NTIS indexes selected theses and dissertations published as government sponsored technical reports.
  • Many NTIS records link to full text PDFs (included in the Library's NTIS subscription; "Full text" icon then NTRL PDF upper left).
  • Search hints, comparison chart.

This database provides fast and convenient access to the dissertations and theses available in OCLC member libraries. Recent years of Georgia Tech theses and dissertations may be missing from the WorldCat databases. Selected theses and dissertations may be available electronically, at no charge, directly from the publishing institution. Selected WorldCat records may have URLs for full text repository records. The larger WorldCat (OCLC) database ("Advanced Search") has a "Subtype limits" - - "Content" (drop-down menu), then "Thesis/dissertation;" can "Limit to:" "Language" "English." 

  • OATD Selected open access theses and dissertations
  • UK doctoral theses. EThOS
  • Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (NDLTD)
  • OpenAIRE  ;  BASE
  • Interlibrary loan. Selected theses and dissertations not available electronically for free or full text through our Library subscription databases, may be available for loan to Georgia Tech faculty/staff and students through interlibrary loan (ILLiad FAQ).

Dissertations and theses by Georgia Tech authors

  • The Georgia Tech Library Catalog
    • The GT Library Catalog includes links to full text Georgia Tech student theses and dissertations located in the Georgia Tech repository.
    • The GT Library Catalog "Advanced Search" menu choice "Search for:" "GT Theses & Dissertations" limits GT Library Catalog records to Georgia Tech student dissertations and theses. GT Library Catalog searches [keywords AND "Georgia Institute"] can be filtered by choosing "Tweak your results" "Resource Type"-- Dissertations / etd (right column).
  • Theses and dissertations published prior to 2003 are available to the Georgia Tech community only (GT ID and password required), unless permission to make a document available worldwide has been received from the author.
  • All Georgia Tech theses and dissertations are available electronically through this collection, which also contains dissertations from the former Institute of Paper Science and Technology.
  • Theses and dissertations published 2004 to the present are openly accessible.
  • Georgia Tech Library Catalog records link to full text repository records.
  • Theses by Georgia Tech authors

Electronic full-text of Georgia Tech-authored dissertations is available from 1997 to 2012, as well as for some 1950-1997 dissertations. GT doctoral students may elect to submit their dissertations to ProQuest Dissertation Abstracts for processing and distribution. Authors choosing this option may access the ProQuest Dissertation Publishing – Authors  site for more information or to obtain the appropriate agreement form. Authors can also reach ProQuest Dissertation Publishing at disspub@proquest.comProQuest: Contact us