- APA referencing style
- In-text citation
- Reference list
- Thesis, dissertation or exegesis?
- Theses and dissertations from online sources
- Theses and dissertations in hardcopy format
Thesis, dissertation or exegesis?
Terminology
Thesis and dissertation can mean different things, depending on which institution the work is from. For study purposes and for your APA reference you need to know the level of the work.
- Always check the title page, or subsequent pages, to determine exactly what the work is
- Use the information there for your APA reference
At Auckland University of Technology (and other NZ universities)
Thesis is either for a doctoral or a master's degree.
Dissertation is either for a master's or a bachelor's degree with honours.
Exegesis is the written component of a practice-based thesis where the major output is a creative work; e.g. a film, artwork, novel.
Elsewhere
In some other parts of the world such as North America, a dissertation may be for a doctoral degree and a thesis for a master's degree.
Theses and dissertations from online sources
Reference format for a thesis from a commercial database:
Author, A. A. (date). Title of doctoral dissertation or master's thesis (Doctoral dissertation or Master's thesis). Available from Name of database. (Accession or Order No.)
Reference format for a thesis from an institutional repository:
Author, A. A. (date). Title of doctoral dissertation or master's thesis (Doctoral dissertation or Master's thesis, the name of the University, city, country). Retrieved from http://xxxxx
A Doctoral dissertation (USA) from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database
Reference list entry:
Pflieger, J. C. (2009). Adolescents' parent and peer relations and romantic outcomes in young adulthood (Doctoral dissertation). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global database. (UMI No. 3371229)
- Include the name of the database and the order number of the document
- Use this style for theses retrieved from a commercial database
Thesis from a NZ institutional repository:
Reference list entry:
Thomas, R. (2009). The making of a journalist: The New Zealand way (Doctoral thesis, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand). Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10292/466
- Include the full URL for the thesis/dissertation and the full name of the degree-granting institution/university
- Also include the location of the university, if outside the United States.
