7 Places Where You Can Find Sociology Dissertation Examples

Writing a dissertation is the most difficult task that most students will undertake during their time in school. Not only will it be much longer than any paper they’ve written before, but it requires that they do their own primary research, not just summarize someone else’s. Having an example to work off of can be very helpful.

Look for sociology dissertation examples in these 7 places:

  • Your advisor
  • Your advisor should have examples from past students that they can share with you. Getting one from your advisor is a good idea because it will be sure to meet their standards and be what they’re looking for.

  • Your department
  • Your department should also keep an archive of past graduate papers. Try asking the chair or the department or even the administrative assistant for help locating them.

  • Your university’s library
  • Practically all university libraries keep either a bound copy or electronic copy of all graduate papers produced at the university. Try searching your library’s card catalogue to locate them, or ask a librarian. In this case you should try to find ones from your same department and try to find the most recent ones possible.

  • Online dissertation databases
  • A simple online search will uncover online databases of graduate papers from students all around the world on practically any subject imaginable. Some of these databases are free, some you can access through your university’s library, and some you have to pay for.

  • The website of other universities’ departments
  • If you can’t find the kind of paper you are looking for from your own department, try looking on the websites of other universities’ sociology departments. Many times they post graduate work and papers.

  • Online searches
  • When all else fails, sometimes a simple online search can turn up just what you are looking for. Just be careful to only use papers from credible sources such as .edu websites.

  • Professional or industry groups
  • If you are in a field or industry where the majority of people have a PhD, you might try asking a professional or industry group if they keep graduate papers from their members, particularly those presented at conferences, on hand. Similarly, many graduate papers go on to be published in the journals that are often times run by these professional groups. Even if they don't have papers on hand, chances are they can point you in the direction of someone who would have papers relevant to your research.