Writing a Dissertation or Thesis

Before you begin the final stages of writing your dissertation or thesis, you may want to see some examples of completed works. Information on where to locate dissertations and theses from your school at Rutgers is below. Additional information about Rutgers dissertations can be found on the separate Research Guide for Rutgers Dissertations and Theses. A more general Guide for Dissertations and Theses is also available.

To use QuickSearch to look for a Rutgers dissertation or thesis:

• by a known AUTHOR - Use the Browse option. Change the pull-down menu to the left of the search box to Author. Enter the author's name, last name first, without punctuation, then click on the magnifying glass button.
• with a known TITLE - Use the Browse option. Change the pull-down menu to the left of the search box to Title. Enter the exact title omitting any initial articles such as a or the, then click on the magnifying glass button.
• on a particular SUBJECT - Use the main search or New Search option. Enter the keyword THESIS combined with the keyword RUTGERS and a subject keyword (e.g., thesis AND rutgers AND government, or thesis AND rutgers AND crime). Make sure that the connectors (i.e., AND, OR, or NOT) are in all capital letters, then click on the magnifying glass button.
• from a particular DEPARTMENT - Use the main search or New Search option. Enter the keyword THESIS combined with the keyword RUTGERS and a keyword from the name of the department (e.g., thesis AND rutgers AND education, or thesis AND rutgers AND management). Make sure that the connectors (i.e., AND, OR, or NOT) are in all capital letters, then click on the magnifying glass button.
• from the HENRY RUTGERS SCHOLARS PROGRAM - Use the main search or New Search option. Enter the phrase HENRY RUTGERS combined with the keyword THESIS (i.e., henry rutgers AND thesis). Add a subject keyword if desired (e.g., henry rutgers AND thesis AND war). Make sure that the connectors (i.e., AND, OR, or NOT) are in all capital letters, then click on the magnifying glass button.
• from the DOUGLASS SCHOLARS PROGRAM - Use the main search or New Search option. Enter the keyword DOUGLASS combined with the keyword THESIS (i.e., douglass AND thesis). Add a subject keyword if desired (e.g., douglass AND thesis AND jersey). Make sure that the connectors (i.e., AND, OR, or NOT) are in all capital letters, then click on the magnifying glass button.
• from other HONORS PROGRAMS - Use the main search or New Search option. Enter the keyword THESIS combined with the keyword RUTGERS, the keyword HONORS, and a subject keyword (e.g., thesis AND rutgers AND honors AND history). Make sure that the connectors (i.e., AND, OR, or NOT) are in all capital letters, then click on the magnifying glass button.

"How do I find the electronic dissertations from a specific department?" is one of the most common questions for those searching the Rutgers Electronic Theses & Dissertations (RUetds) site. Program names are included in dissertation records, so all those from a single program can be found by following three simple steps.

1. Start at the RUetd Advanced Search page.
2. Change the pull-down menu next to the first search box from "Full Record" to "Graduate Program"
3. Enter the exact name of the program in the search box in quotation marks (e.g., "computer science").

That's it. You should find all of the items from the department you want while eliminating the extraneous material you'd get with a subject search.

If you want to find dissertations from a school rather than just a program, change the pull-down menu from "Full Record" to "School."