Do you wonder how a thesis is cited in apa? Here we explain it to you
An accurate source of information that you can use in your scientific project or research is the thesis of a third party. It is very unlikely (but not impossible) that you will be the first person interested in wielding on the topic you have chosen, so, for sure, you will find other dissertations or scientific projects on the same, so you should need to know how to cite a thesis in apa.
Obviously, all this information you can use. In fact, the fact that someone else has researched the same topic greatly facilitates your work on your own research since, for sure, you will find in that thesis information that you did not know and you will be able to access it, as long as it has been cited and placed in the references appropriately.
Two types of thesis
Making citations and references for theses and doctoral dissertations is very simple because you will easily find each of the data required for their formation.
But there is something you have to know about how to cite a thesis in apa, and it will depend on the type of thesis it is. In this range you will find two types of theses: published and unpublished.
Although the ideal of each researcher is that their thesis be published, the truth is that many of them are not. They are usually part of the library of the university in which the person who made it studied and can serve as a theoretical basis. Just because it hasn't been published doesn't mean it hasn't been good.
How to cite a thesis in apa if it is unpublished
In this case, you must write down the following data:
- Author: Your last name is written, followed by a comma and your first name initial in capital letters.
- Year: When was the thesis published? It is written in parentheses.
- Thesis title: What is the dissertation called? It is written in italics.
- Type of thesis: They are not all the same. Why was this thesis written? To opt for what title? You write this in square brackets.
- Name of the Institution: What is the name of the university or academic campus that awarded that degree?
Taking these data into account, the bibliographical reference would be as follows:
Lara, J & Rodríguez, J. (1985) The Weinstein File: A Look at Sexual Harassment in Hollywood. [Unpublished doctoral thesis]. University of the Snows.
Theses published and retrieved in an online database
many univerities have online databases where, in addition, they publish theses and scientific dissertations in PDF format. Of course, the entire thesis is not shown so that it is not plagiarized.
This type of thesis can also be cited, taking into account the following data:
- The first thing we should mention is that a blog is one of the easiest tools to cite because they clearly show each of its elements. Following the basic format of Su apellido seguido de una coma y la inicial de su nombre en mayúscula. Si son dos o más autores, los nombres se separan con una “&”.
- Year of publication: It is written in parentheses.
- Thesis title: The name of the dissertation in italics.
- Type of thesis and name of the institution that awards the degree: All this in square brackets, separating each item with a comma.
- Database name.
In this case, the reference would be done like this:
Lastra, C. (2014) Hormonal factors that increase the incidence of breast cancer in twenty-year-old women. [Doctoral thesis, University of Buenos Aires]. Institutional Repository – University of Buenos Aires.
Thesis published and retrieved via online
Many researchers publish their theses on their personal web pages, or on other internet pages. These theses may be cited in the following format:
- The first thing we should mention is that a blog is one of the easiest tools to cite because they clearly show each of its elements. Following the basic format of As always, the surname followed by a comma and the initial of the first name of the person who wrote the thesis.
- Year of publication: In brackets.
- Thesis title: It is written in italics.
- Type of thesis: Between brackets.
- Name of the Institution: The name of the body that awarded the degree is written within the same brackets as above.
- Website where it was retrieved: The full URL is entered.
In this case, the bibliographic reference would be written as follows:
González, L. (1990) Christmas food: a look at gastronomic traditionsicas of Latin America. [Master's thesis, Complutense University of Madrid]. http://lino-gonzalez.thisisjustanexample.com
This same format is used for the theses published and recovered in the personal file of the university where the title was awarded to the researcher.
Citing the work of others
We do not doubt that, among so many data and rules, you wonder why you need to know how to cite a thesis in apa, or any other text. The truth is that today you are just another researcher; someone who reads, collects information, contrasts, thinks, ideas, collates… someone who is reflecting on each page his hypothesis on a subject and who, surely, intends to make a difference.
Once your thesis is published, you will become the reference of a third person: another researcher interested in the same or a similar topic who will use your dissertation as part of his.
After so much work, we are sure that you do not want your work to be taken without receiving any recognition. You want to talk about what you wrote, emphasizing that it was you who wrote those ideas.
That is the importance of citations and references. Among many other reasons, the APA rules were created to emphasize the importance of copyright: what came out of your head belongs to you, you left it printed on paper, and the next researcher must recognize your work and effort.
Now, from the point of view of the writer, it is up to you to honor the hours of work that other people invested writing their degree papers, books or scientific articles. Once you understand the importance of this, you will see the use of APA standards in another way. It will no longer be those "annoying" and "outdated" rules created for no reason. They will be the best way to respect your work and everyone's.
Take the job of writing your thesis with the seriousness it deserves. Remember that it is a fundamental work to advance an educational step in your life. It's well worth giving it the care it deserves.