Cite a thesis or dissertation in Harvard
Theses and dissertations change shape depending on degree level, publication status, and where the copy is hosted. In Harvard (Cite Them Right 12), distinguish Master's theses from doctoral dissertations, then note whether the work is unpublished, in a commercial database, or in an institutional repository. The university name stays central because it identifies the awarding body.
Harvard rules for a thesis or dissertation
- Author is the student who submitted the thesis or dissertation.
- Year is the award or publication year shown in the repository record.
- Title is italicized in the reference list.
- Label the work as [Doctoral dissertation] or [Master's thesis].
- Include the university name, then the database, repository, or URL.
- Include the qualification type and awarding institution after the title.
Worked example
Harvard · thesis or dissertationA real thesis or dissertation formatted using the Harvard rules above.
Howell, Jane M. (2021) Machine reading strategies for historical archives [Doctoral dissertation]. [Online] Stanford Digital Repository. Available at: https://purl.stanford.edu/example-howell-2021 (accessed January 15, 2025).
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