EXPLORE THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD'S WORLD-CLASS RESEARCH
Members of the University of Oxford can deposit a wide range of research to ORA including articles, conference papers, theses and data.
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Introduction
Theses and dissertations are documents that present an author's research findings, which are submitted to the University in support of their academic degree. They are very useful to consult when carrying out your own research because they:
- provide a springboard to scope existing literature
- provide inspiration for the finished product
- show you the evolution of an author's ideas over time
- provide relevant and up-to-date research (for recent theses and dissertations)
On this page you will find guidance on how to search for and access theses and dissertations in the Bodleian Libraries and beyond.
Theses and dissertations
- Reading theses and dissertations in the Bodleian Libraries
- Theses and dissertations in the Social Science Library
The Bodleian Libraries collection holds DPhil, MLitt and MPhil theses deposited at the University of Oxford. You can also search for theses and dissertations associated with other universities online, or request them via inter-library loan.
Help with theses and dissertations
To find out more about how to find and access theses and dissertations in the Bodleian Libraries and beyond, we recommend the following:
- Bodleian Libraries theses and dissertations Links to information on accessing the Bodleian Libraries collections of Oxford, UK, US and other international theses.
- Oxford University Research Archive [ORA] guide For searching, depositing and disseminating Oxford University research publications.
- Submitting your thesis to ORA Information on copyright, how to deposit your thesis in ORA and other important matters
- Guide to copyright The Bodleian Libraries' Quick guide to copyright and digital sources.
The Social Science Library holds hard copies of dissertations (usually MPhil and MSc) that departments have sent in according to their own selection criteria.
The library holds dissertations from the following departments: Criminology, Economics, Geography and the Environment, International Development, Politics and International Relations (note that MPhil Politics and International Relations dissertations are held in the Bodleian Library), Socio-Legal Studies and Social Policy and Intervention.
These dissertations are on the shelves opposite the Print and Copy Room, arranged by department, course and year. They are all indexed on SOLO, and they are for consultation in the library only. They cannot be borrowed.
Depositing your thesis
It is mandatory for students completing a research degree at the University of Oxford (registered to a programme of study on or after 1st October 2007) to deposit an electronic copy of their theses with the Oxford University Research Archive (ORA) in order to meet the requirements of their award. To find out more, visit the Oxford University Research Archive guide.
- Oxford University Research Archive guide
Definitions
Terms you may encounter in your research.
Thesis: In the UK, a thesis is normally a document that presents an author's research findings as part of a doctoral or research programme.
Dissertation: In the UK, a dissertation is normally a document that presents an author's research findings as part of an undergraduate or master's programme.
DPhil: An abbreviation for Doctor of Philosophy, which is an advanced research qualification. You may also see it referred to as PhD.
ORA: The Oxford University Research Archive , an institutional repository for the University of Oxford's research output including digital theses.
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Finding UK theses
The Bodleian Libraries hold copies of some UK theses. These are listed on SOLO and may be ordered for delivery to a reading room.
These theses are not all catalogued in a uniform way. Adding the word 'thesis' as a keyword in SOLO may help, but this is unlikely to find all theses, and may find published works based upon theses as well as unpublished theses.
Card catalogue
Some early theses accepted for higher degrees and published before 1973 are held in the Bodleian Libraries but are not yet catalogued on SOLO. These holdings can be found in the Foreign Dissertations Catalogue card index.
To request access to material in the catalogue, speak to library staff at the Main Enquiry Desk in the Lower Reading Room of the Bodleian Old Library, or contact us via [email protected] or phone (01865 277162).
Other finding aids
Proquest dissertations & theses.
You can use ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global to locate theses accepted for higher degrees at universities in the UK and Ireland since 1716. The service also provides abstracts of these theses.
Library Hub Discover
You can use Library Hub Discover to search the online catalogues of some of the UK’s largest university research libraries to see if a thesis is held by another UK library.
The British Library
The British Library online catalogue provides access to digital doctoral theses held in UK institutional repositories. To access these documents, search for a thesis and then click on the link "View Online - External Resource Available" (in green) just above the "I want this" section.
UTREES - University Theses in Russian, Soviet, and East European Studies 1907–
UTREES is a bibliographical database of research in the British Isles. The database has been continuously extended from the printed volume, most recently with 202 recent theses added in 2021. The database lists details of over 6,000 doctoral and selected masters’ theses from British and Irish universities. It covers research relating to Eastern and Central Europe, Russia and the area of the former USSR, including Central Asia, the Caucasus and Siberia.
Individual universities
You can also go to individual UK universities' sites for their online theses repositories.
You can purchase copies of Cambridge University theses through the Cambridge University Library's online order form . There is a standard charge of £75 (plus VAT and postage). White Rose ETheses Online is an online repository of doctoral theses from the Universities of Leeds, Sheffield and York. It is part of a national and international network of open access online databases which promote access to research outputs.
Ordering UK theses
You can request theses from other UK universities as an inter-library request .
Please note that it may not be possible to obtain some theses due to restrictions on lending placed by the author of the thesis or the institution at which it is held.
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Where are physical Oxford theses held? The Bodleian Libraries hold all doctoral theses and most postgraduate (non-doctoral) theses for which a deposit requirement is stipulated by the University: DPhil (doctoral) theses (1922 – 2021) Bachelor of Divinity (BD) theses; BLitt/MLitt theses (Michaelmas Term 1953 – 2021)
Read our guidance for finding and accessing theses and dissertations held by the Bodleian Libraries and other institutions.
The ORA Oxford Thesis Collection presents the theses available within ORA. For many of these works ORA is the only space in which the content is made available, making it a valuable resource for accessing the research being undertaken by the University of Oxford students and early career researchers.
Exploring cardiovascular involvement in IgG4-related disease: a case series approach with cardiovascular magnetic resonance. Major alteration of lung microbiome and the host responses in critically ill COVID-19 patients with high viral load.
The Bodleian Libraries collection holds DPhil, MLitt and MPhil theses deposited at the University of Oxford. You can also search for theses and dissertations associated with other universities online, or request them via inter-library loan.
The database lists details of over 6,000 doctoral and selected masters’ theses from British and Irish universities. It covers research relating to Eastern and Central Europe, Russia and the area of the former USSR, including Central Asia, the Caucasus and Siberia.