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How to cite a PhD thesis in APA
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To cite a PhD thesis in a reference entry in APA style 6th edition include the following elements:
- Author(s) of the thesis: 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 PhD thesis: 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 PhD thesis in APA style 6th edition:
Author(s) of the thesis . ( Year of publication ). Title of the PhD thesis (PhD thesis). Retrieved from URL
If the thesis is available from a database, archive or any online platform use the following template:
- Author(s) of the thesis: 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.
- Publication number: Give the identification number of the thesis, 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 thesis.
- URL: If the thesis was found on a database, omit this element.
Here is the basic format for a reference list entry of a PhD thesis in APA style 7th edition:
Author(s) of the thesis . ( Year of publication ). Title of the PhD thesis ( Publication number ) [PhD thesis, Name of the degree awarding institution ]. Name of Platform . URL
If the thesis has not been published or is available from a database use the following template:
- Location: Give the location of the institution. If outside the United States also include the country name.
Author(s) of the thesis . ( Year of publication ). Title of the PhD thesis (Unpublished PhD thesis). Name of the degree awarding institution , Location .
If the thesis is not published, use the following template:
Author(s) of the thesis . ( Year of publication ). Title of the PhD thesis [Unpublished PhD thesis]. 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 PhD thesis citation in action:
A PhD thesis found in an online platform
Confait, M. F . ( 2018 ). Maximising the contributions of PhD graduates to national development: The case of the Seychelles ( PhD thesis ). Retrieved from https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/2060
Confait, M. F . ( 2018 ). Maximising the contributions of PHD graduates to national development: The case of the Seychelles [ PhD thesis , Edith Cowan University ]. Edith Cowan Online Repository . Retrieved from https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/2060
An unpublished PhD thesis
Bowkett, D . ( 2015 ). Investigating the ligandability of plant homeodomains ( Unpublished PhD thesis ). University of Oxford , London, UK .
Bowkett, D . ( 2015 ). Investigating the ligandability of plant homeodomains [ Unpublished PhD thesis ]. University of Oxford .
This citation style guide is based on the official Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association ( 6 th edition).
More useful guides
- APA Referencing: Theses
- How do I reference a PhD dissertation or MA thesis in APA style?
- APA Citation Style: Theses and Dissertations
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General Rule:
Author, A. A. (year). Title of doctoral dissertation or master’s thesis (Publication No. #) [Doctoral dissertation or master’s thesis, Name of Institution Awarding the Degree]. Name of Database.
Davis, P. M. (2010). Access, readership, citations: A randomized controlled trial of scientific journal publishing . (Publication No. 3429815 ) [Doctoral dissertation, Cornell University]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global.
Author, A. A. (year). Title of doctoral dissertation or master’s thesis [Doctoral dissertation or master’s thesis, Name of Institution]. Name of Website. URL
Buckman, A. (1997). MOOSE Crossing: Construction, community, and learning in a networked virtual world for kids [Doctoral dissertation, Massachusetts Institute of Technology]. DSpace@MIT. https://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/33821
Author, A. A. (year). Title of doctoral dissertation or master’s thesis [Unpublished doctoral dissertation or master’s thesis]. Name of Institution.
Long, R.P. (1972). A study of instructional objectives and methods for interpersonal communication. [Unpublished master’s thesis]. West Virginia University.
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Use only the last names of authors, editors and other persons in parenthetical citations. In MLA style, an in-text citation for the work of Jordan Jones, Ph.D. should appear as follows: (Jones 86). In APA, the same citation should appear as follows: (Jones, 2009, p. 86).
How to Cite a Ph.D. Title at the End of a Name. According to the sixth edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association and the seventh edition of the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, writers using either the APA or MLA documentation format should avoid using titles such as Ph.D. ...
Typically APA Style reference list entries and in-text citations do not include the authors’ academic credentials or professional titles. For example, if a book is written by Samantha T. Smith, PhD, then the reference entry refers to Smith, S. T., and the in-text citation to Smith.
Get your APA PhD thesis citation 100% correct for both 6th & 7th edition! Here is how: • author • year of publication • title • degree statement • university • location Citation guides
Use an in-text citation. Introduce the quote with the doctor's name and credentials. For example, "According to Dr. Ezra Gomes of Institute X, 'insert quote here.'" Cite the author in parentheses following the quote. List the last name followed by the year published.
For up-to-date guidance, see the ninth edition of the MLA Handbook. As the MLA Handbook notes (1.2), a title like Dr. or Sir should not be included before a name mentioned in the text and is usually unnecessary to include in your works-cited-list entry.
In MLA style, up to two authors are included in a citation. For sources with more than two authors, the citation is shortened with “et al.” In the Works Cited list, the first author’s name is inverted (surname followed by first name). In an MLA in-text citation, only surnames are included.
The format for citing someone else’s dissertation or thesis in APA Style depends on whether the thesis is available from a database, published somewhere else (e.g. on a university archive or personal website), or unpublished (only available in print form directly from the author or university).
General Rule: Author, A. A. (year). Title of doctoral dissertation or master’s thesis (Publication No. #) [Doctoral dissertation or master’s thesis, Name of Institution Awarding the Degree]. Name of Database. Example: Davis, P. M. (2010). Access, readership, citations: A randomized controlled trial of scientific journal publishing.
Note that if you do want to mention an author’s academic credentials or professional title in the text because it is relevant to the discussion, you should use the format without periods (e.g., PhD, not Ph.D.; an exception is for abbreviations of a single word, such as Rev. for Reverend ). Exceptions for Religious Officials and Nobility.