When you're planning your disseration, you need to review existing dissertations, as well as the disciplinary literature, to find out what's been researched on your topic. It's also helpful to see examples of dissertations as you begin to write your own. Here are a few sources to consult:
Writing your dissertation can be a long and at times difficult process. You can search PittCat for books and materials to help you with your literature review and writing your thesis. Here are a few titles:
Destination Dissertation: A Traveler's Guide to a Done Dissertation by 
The Dissertation Desk Reference: The Doctoral Student's Manual to Writing the Dissertation by 
Guide to the Successful Thesis and Dissertation by 
How to Prepare a Dissertation Proposal: Suggestions for Students in Education and the Social and Behavioral Sciences by 
The Qualitative Dissertation: A Guide for Students and Faculty by This guide will help you find books on writing your dissertation, locate dissertations and theses here at Pitt and Worldwide.
Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) are theses or dissertations prepared as text-based PDF files. Over 2,400 ETD's have been published by the University of Pittsburgh since summer 2008. ETD's are required for all doctoral, masters, and baccalaureate degree programs with a thesis requirement at the University of Pittsburgh.
All Pitt ETD's are available through PittCat; use the Keyword search to search by Dissertation Subject Area. Over one million ETDs are now available online worldwide via the collaborative NDLTD Union Catalog.
Training and support for students preparing ETD's are provided by the University Library System and by Computing Services and Systems Development.
