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How to cite a dissertation in APA

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To cite a dissertation in a reference entry in APA style 6th edition include the following elements:

Author(s) of the dissertation: Give the last name and initials (e. g. Watson, J. D.) of up to seven authors with the last name preceded by an ampersand (&). For eight or more authors include the first six names followed by an ellipsis (…) and add the last author's name.
Year of publication: Give the year in brackets followed by a full stop.
Title of the dissertation: Only the first letter of the first word and proper nouns are capitalized.
URL: Give the full URL where the document can be retrieved from.

Here is the basic format for a reference list entry of a dissertation in APA style 6th edition:

Author(s) of the dissertation. (Year of publication). Title of the dissertation (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from URL

If the dissertation is available from a database, archive or any online platform use the following template:

Author(s) of the dissertation: Give the last name and initials (e. g. Watson, J. D.) of up to 20 authors with the last name preceded by an ampersand (&). For 21 or more authors include the first 19 names followed by an ellipsis (…) and add the last author's name.
Year of publication: Give the year in brackets followed by a full stop.
Title of the dissertation: Only the first letter of the first word and proper nouns are capitalized.
Publication number: Give the identification number of the dissertation, if available.
Name of the degree awarding institution: Give the name of the institution.
Name of platform: Give the name of the database, archive or any platform that holds the dissertation.
URL: If the dissertation was found on a database, omit this element.

Here is the basic format for a reference list entry of a dissertation in APA style 7th edition:

Author(s) of the dissertation. (Year of publication). Title of the dissertation (Publication number) [Doctoral dissertation, Name of the degree awarding institution]. Name of platform. URL

If the dissertation has not been published or is available from a database use the following template:

Author(s) of the dissertation: Give the last name and initials (e. g. Watson, J. D.) of up to seven authors with the last name preceded by an ampersand (&). For eight or more authors include the first six names followed by an ellipsis (…) and add the last author's name.
Year of publication: Give the year in brackets followed by a full stop.
Title of the dissertation: Only the first letter of the first word and proper nouns are capitalized.
Name of the degree awarding institution: Give the name of the institution.
Location: Give the location of the institution. If outside the United States also include the country name.

Here is the basic format for a reference list entry of a dissertation in APA style 6th edition:

Author(s) of the dissertation. (Year of publication). Title of the dissertation (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Name of the degree awarding institution, Location.

If the dissertation is not published, use the following template:

Author(s) of the dissertation: Give the last name and initials (e. g. Watson, J. D.) of up to 20 authors with the last name preceded by an ampersand (&). For 21 or more authors include the first 19 names followed by an ellipsis (…) and add the last author's name.
Year of publication: Give the year in brackets followed by a full stop.
Title of the dissertation: Only the first letter of the first word and proper nouns are capitalized.
Name of the degree awarding institution: Give the name of the institution.

Here is the basic format for a reference list entry of a dissertation in APA style 7th edition:

Author(s) of the dissertation. (Year of publication). Title of the dissertation [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Name of the degree awarding institution.

APA reference list examples

Take a look at our reference list examples that demonstrate the APA style guidelines for a dissertation citation in action:

Examples

A dissertation found in an online platform

Guo, J. (2018). Trust-based service management of internet of things systems and its applications (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/handle/10919/82854

A dissertation found in an online platform

Guo, J. (2018). Trust-based service management of internet of things systems and its applications [Doctoral dissertation, Virginia Tech]. ETDs: Virginia Tech Electronic Theses and Dissertations. https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/handle/10919/82854

An unpublished doctoral dissertation

Neel, B. L. (2017). Three flute chamber works by Alberto Ginastera: Intertwining elements of art and folk music (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). University of Nebraska-Lincoln, NE.

An unpublished doctoral dissertation

Neel, B. L. (2017). Three flute chamber works by Alberto Ginastera: Intertwining elements of art and folk music [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

This citation style guide is based on the official Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6^th edition).

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