Engineering Research Guide : COAST
An academic thesis or dissertation is a large research paper written by students in order to complete their master's or doctoral degrees (Phd). Generally thesis refers to a Master's degree and dissertation refers to a Doctoral degree. (learn more)
Theses and dissertations can be good sources of information, especially for student's working on their own theses/dissertations. The bibliography (i.e. list of sources) of these documents can be particularly useful.
Tip: Academic thesis should not be confused with thesis statement which is, "a basic argument advanced by a writer or speaker, who then attempts to prove it using research or opinion." (learn more about thesis statements)
1.) COAST (print copy of CSULB thesis)
Search for Theses
Search COAST by keyword, type in the words long beach and thesis and your keywords. Click Submit Search. Write down the call number and go find your thesis. Theses are located on the 2nd floor (map). Theses can be checked out like a book.
For example:
OR
Tip: If you know the author's name, use a Author Search. If you know the title, use a Title Search.
Tip: Use an asterisk (*) to search for different word endings. (learn more)
Tip: Make sure your words are spelled correctly. Use AND and OR to build your search. Do not use little words (if, in, it, is, of, a, etc.) in your search, you will get 0 results.
You can also browse the Masters' Thesis Collection. Browse by college or department.
Tip: An additional copy of all CSULB theses are located in 5th floor Special Collections on microfilm.
2.) Dissertations and Theses Database (electronic copy of CSULB thesis, 1996 to present)
a.) Searching
b.) Getting/Downloading
Note: We have electronic access to CSULB theses from 1996 to present. We have pre-1996 theses in print (use COAST).
Tip: See instructions for more information.
Tip: If you are asked for payment, we do NOT have access to this title. Use Illiad to request non-CSULB theses. Search COAST for CSULB theses.
There are many ways to search for theses and dissertations from other universities. Many theses and dissertations are not yet available for free. If you find a theses/dissertation and it is not available for free, use Illiad to request.
Illiad: InterLibrary Services (need Library Password to use)
Use Illiad to request dissertations we do not have. Fill out our online form with the author's name, title, school name, and year. You will generally receive it in about 7 to 20 days. Note: Theses and dissertations can be difficult to obtain through Illiad due to other institutions' strict lending policies.
A PDF is a electronic picture of the printed page. You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access the article. This format works well when you are printing or want to see graphs or images.
Truncation expands your search by searching for different word endings like -s, -es, -ed, -ing. The truncation symbol is usually an asterisk (*), but check the database instructions or search tips.
Example: teen* searches teen, teens, teenager, teenagers.
Example: comput* searches computer, computers, computing, computation, etc.
A database indexes journals, newspapers, magazines, books, book chapters, and other documents by organizing parts of a citation such as title, author, subject, etc. This indexing lets you search and find only the items you are interested in.
