How to Reference a Dissertation Using APA Format

Dissertation Abstract

• 1

  Enter the author's last name followed by a comma, their first and middle initials and a period. Then type the year of publication in parentheses followed by a period: e.g. Smith, A. B. (2010).

• 2

  Type the full title of the dissertation and place a period at the end: e.g. My Dissertation.

• 3

  Add the publication title followed by the volume and pagination information separated by commas and ending with a period: e.g. Dissertation Abstracts, 20, 45. The title and volume number appear in italics but page numbers do not.

• 4

  Smith, A. B. (2010). My Dissertation. Dissertation Abstracts, 20, 45.

Published Dissertation

• 5

  Enter the author's last name followed by a comma, their first and middle initials and a period. Then type the year of publication in parentheses followed by a period: e.g. Smith, A. B. (2010).

• 6

  Type the full title of the dissertation and place a period at the end. Then type the phrase "Doctoral dissertation" in parentheses followed by a period after the title: e.g. My Dissertation. (Doctoral dissertation).

• 7

  Type "Retrieved from" and enter the name of the database followed by a period: e.g. Retrieved from ABC Online Database.

• 8

  Place the document accession, identification or order number, provided by the database, in parentheses after the name of the database, but do not put a period at the end: e.g. (123)

• 9

  Smith, A. B. (2010). My Dissertation. (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from ABC Online Database. (123)

Unpublished Dissertation

• 10

  Enter the author's last name followed by a comma, their first and middle initials and a period. Then type the year of publication in parentheses followed by a period: e.g. Smith, A. B. (2010).

• 11

  Type the full title of the dissertation and place a period at the end: e.g. My Dissertation.

• 12

  Place the phrase "Unpublished doctoral dissertation" in parentheses followed by a period after the title: e.g. (Unpublished doctoral dissertation).

• 13

  Add the name and location of the institution, separated by commas and ending with a period: e.g. Harvard University, Cambridge, MA.

• 14

  Smith, A. B. (2010). My Dissertation. (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Harvard University, Cambridge, MA. (123)