Topic: “Theses and Dissertations” under the category of Primary Information Sources (Print and Electronic), suitable for UGC NET, SET, KVS, NVS, PSC, and other librarian exams.
THESIS & DISSERTATION as PRIMARY INFORMATION SOURCES
Definition:
Theses and dissertations are unpublished or semi-published academic research works submitted by students to obtain postgraduate or doctoral degrees. They serve as original records of research and are considered primary sources of information because they present first-hand data, findings, methodologies, and interpretations.
Types of Theses & Dissertations
1. Master’s Theses – Submitted for M.A., M.Sc., M.Lib.I.Sc., etc.
2. Doctoral Dissertations (Ph.D.)
3. Post-Doctoral Theses – Less common, advanced research beyond Ph.D.
4. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) – Digitally submitted and accessed versions of theses.
Importance in Research
- Contain original research data not published elsewhere.
- Provide literature review, research methodology, and bibliographies useful to future researchers.
- Often contain local or region-specific studies.
- May include negative results or inconclusive data usually not published in journals.
Print Sources (India)
1. University Libraries
Almost every university maintains print archives of theses submitted by students.
Example: Delhi University Library System, Banaras Hindu University Library.
2. INFLIBNET's Shodhganga (initially supported print-based storage)
Started encouraging digitisation but collected theses in print earlier.
Electronic Sources (India & International)
1. Shodhganga
Launch: 2011
Organization: INFLIBNET Centre (UGC)
Website: https://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in
Content: Full-text theses and dissertations submitted by Indian universities
Language: English and regional Indian languages
Submission: Mandated by UGC for all universities (Regulations 2009, amended in 2016)
Searchable By: Subject, university, supervisor, language, keywords
Status: Most prominent ETD repository in India
Changes:
Mandatory submission made under UGC notification.
Supported by ShodhShuddhi (plagiarism detection initiative).
2. ShodhGangotri
Launch: 2013
Organization: INFLIBNET
Website: https://shodhgangotri.inflibnet.ac.in
Content: Research proposals/synopses of Ph.D. scholars registered in Indian universities
Purpose: Tracks ongoing Ph.D. research and avoids duplication
Language: Primarily English
3. OATD (Open Access Theses and Dissertations)
Launch: 2013
Organization: Hosted by HBCSE (HBCSE used to maintain it; current status maintained by collaborative institutions)
Website: https://oatd.org
Scope: Global coverage of open access graduate theses
Searchable By: Institution, subject, language, author
4. PQDT Global (ProQuest Dissertations and Theses)
Launch: 1938 (earliest entries); electronic since 1997
Organization: ProQuest (USA)
Access: Subscription-based
Scope: Over 5 million dissertations and theses from 4,000+ institutions
Languages: Mostly English
Website: https://www.proquest.com/products-services/dissertations/
Features: Abstracts freely available; full-text access via institutions
5. EThOS (Electronic Theses Online Service)
Launch: 2009
Organization: British Library, UK
Website: https://ethos.bl.uk
Scope: UK doctoral theses
Access: Free, registration required
Changes:
Now provides digitization-on-demand for older print theses
Funded by JISC initially
6. DART-Europe E-theses Portal
Launch: 2005
Organization: Consortium of European research libraries
Website: https://www.dart-europe.org
Scope: European universities
Access: Free
Languages: Multilingual
7. NDLTD (Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations)
Launch: 1996
Organization: International consortium
Website: http://www.ndltd.org
Scope: Worldwide ETDs
Features:
Promotes ETD standards
Offers resources for students and universities to digitize theses
Services Offered by ETD Repositories
- Search & Browse
- Abstract Viewing
- Full-text Access or PDF Download
- Citation Tools
- Multilingual Interface
- Usage Stats (e.g., downloads, views)
- Metadata Harvesting via OAI-PMH
Legal & Ethical Aspects
- Copyright usually retained by the author.
- Must follow plagiarism detection guidelines (e.g., ShodhShuddhi by INFLIBNET).
- ETDs may include creative commons licenses or specific embargo restrictions.
Trends in Theses & Dissertations
- Shift to Electronic-only submissions
- Use of Persistent Identifiers like DOI or Handle
- Linked data and citation indexes
- Integration with ORCID, Scopus Author ID
Notable Indian Initiatives
- Initiative Year Institution/Body Notes:
- Shodhganga 2011 INFLIBNET/UGC National ETD repository
- ShodhGangotri 2013 INFLIBNET/UGC Research in progress
- ShodhShuddhi 2020 INFLIBNET/UGC Plagiarism check
Thesis Abstract Indexing Services
- Indian Science Abstracts (ISA) – NISCAIR
- Index to Theses – UK & Ireland
- Dissertation Abstracts International (DAI) – ProQuest
Access in Indian University Libraries:
- OPAC (Online Public Access Catalogues): Most libraries catalog Ph.D./M.Phil theses
- Institutional Rep
- ositories: Like JNU-ETD, DU-ETD, IISc’s etd@IISc, etc.
- Digital Library Software Used: DSpace, Greenstone, EPrints