The following databases are good places to start when searching for dissertations. Once you find the information for the dissertation you need, check the Library Catalog to see if there is a copy on campus. If not, contact library staff, who can help you obtain a paper or, in some instances, an electronic copy of the work
| Library Catalog | The Library Catalog is the main resource for locating UW-Madison dissertations and masters theses. The Schwerdtfeger Library holds masters theses and dissertations for the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences in addition to those at Memorial Library. | |
| Proquest Dissertations & Theses Global | 1861 - to date | Proquest Dissertations and Theses includes doctoral dissertations in all subject areas completed at North American accredited institutions. Some masters theses and foreign language dissertations are also included. Orders for complete dissertations may be placed online, but check the Library Catalog first to see if they are owned on campus. Free interlibrary loan may also be a possibility. |
| Current Research @ UW-Madison | 1892 - to date | Current Research indexes all dissertations completed at UW-Madison that are in the ProQuest Digital Dissertations database. Dissertations produced after 1996 have 24-page previews, and one can download the full text of those dissertations. Masters theses are not included. |
| Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations | 1997 - to date | "An international organization dedicated to promoting the adoption, creation, use, dissemination and preservation of electronic analogues to traditional paper-based theses and dissertations." Search the entire catalog or go to individual member sites. |
| Theses Canada | 1965 - to date | Locate a thesis in Library and Archives Canada, with full-text available for the period 1998-2002. |
| Index to Theses with Abstracts Accepted for Higher Degrees by the Universities of Great Britain and Ireland | 1970 - to date (updated bimonthly) | This is the primary index to dissertations submitted a for higher degree in United Kingdom and Irish universities. Abstracts are included. |
| CRL Foreign Doctoral Dissertations | 1890 - | This database contains records for over 20,000 doctoral dissertations in the Center for Research Libraries collection, from institutions in countries other than the United States and Canada. Records consist of basic bibliographic information (author, title, institution, country, etc.); no abstracts are included. Most titles available through interlibrary loan. |
