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Dissertations (Drama)

Music/Drama Library > Drama Research Guide > Research a Play > Dissertations

Dissertations are book-length studies that doctoral students write as part of their degree requirements. They often contain original research and extensive bibliographies. For example, you might not find many books about playwright Beth Henley, but you can find several dissertations about her and her work. (Theses are shorter and written to fulfill degree requirements for masters programs, and also contain useful information.)

How to Find a Dissertation

Step 1. Use the following electronic resources to look up citations to dissertations.

MLA	1963-current. Indexes literary scholarship (including theater) published worldwide, including dissertations. Look for the words "dissertation" or "thesis" in the full description for items that you find. Does not link to full text of dissertations.
ProQuest Dissertations	1861-present; U.S. only. Has abstracts for 1980-present (older abstracts are in print volumes in Babbidge Library). Includes the full text of some dissertations.

Step 2. After you find a citation, get a copy of the dissertation/thesis by using one of these methods.

Option 1. See if ProQuest Dissertations has the dissertation in downloadable full text.

Option 2. Search HOMER to see if UConn owns the dissertation. (Search it as you would a book.) You can also check the Boston Library Consortium's Virtual Catalog (if so, the catalog has a request button).

Option 3. Use InterLibrary Loan to borrow the dissertation from another library. Find the dissertation in WorldCat, then use the "ILL" button to make a request, or fill in an online request form at Document Delivery / InterLibrary Loan (DD/ILL).

Option 4. Order your own copy at Online Dissertation Services (ProQuest, formerly UMI) or ProQuest Dissertations.

Option 5. If you think the library should own the dissertation, speak with the music/drama librarian. Use DD/ILL in the meantime.

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UConn's Dissertations

• Locating UConn Theses and Dissertations (shelving locations, electronic access, binding, etc.)

• ProQuest Dissertations or Current Research @ University of Connecticut
  Download the PDF full text of UConn dissertations published after 1996. See database descriptions below for more information.

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