To cite a thesis or dissertation chapter, you generally format it similarly to a chapter in an edited book, including the author, chapter title, overall thesis title, degree type, university, and the specific page numbers.
However, because most theses are written by a single author, standard practice in many fields is to cite the entire dissertation in your reference list and simply point to the specific chapter or page numbers in your in-text citation. If you must cite a specific chapter in your bibliography—or if you are dealing with a "thesis by publication" where chapters are distinct papers—here is how to format it across the major style guides.
APA Style (7th Edition)
In APA format, you will need to specify the degree type and include the database or archive where you found the document.
- Format: Author Last Name, Initials. (Year). Title of chapter. In Title of dissertation (Degree type, pp. xx–xx). University Name. Database Name.
- Example: Smith, J. (2023). Data collection methods. In The impact of machine learning on academic search (Doctoral dissertation, pp. 45–70). Stanford University. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global.
MLA Style (9th Edition)
MLA style emphasizes the core elements of the container. The chapter title goes in quotation marks, while the dissertation title is italicized.
- Format: Author Last Name, First Name. "Title of Chapter." Title of Dissertation, Degree type, University Name, Year, pp. xx–xx. Database Name.
- Example: Smith, John. "Data Collection Methods." The Impact of Machine Learning on Academic Search, PhD dissertation, Stanford University, 2023, pp. 45-70. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global.
Chicago Style (17th Edition)
For Chicago style, unpublished thesis titles are placed in quotation marks rather than italicized. If the thesis was published by a database, treat it similarly to a book.
- Format: Author Last Name, First Name. "Title of Chapter." In "Title of Dissertation," xx–xx. PhD diss., University Name, Year. Database Name.
- Example: Smith, John. "Data Collection Methods." In "The Impact of Machine Learning on Academic Search," 45–70. PhD diss., Stanford University, 2023. ProQuest.
Key Tips for Citing Thesis Chapters
- Published vs. Unpublished: Pay attention to whether the manuscript is published (available via a database like ProQuest or a university repository) or unpublished (a print copy sitting in a university library). This changes whether the title is italicized or put in quotation marks in styles like Chicago.
- Thesis by Publication: If the chapter you are citing has already been published as a standalone journal article, you should cite the published journal article instead of the thesis chapter.
- Automate your workflow: Navigating the exact punctuation for different style guides can be tedious, but using WisPaper's TrueCite automatically finds and verifies citations for you, eliminating hallucinated references and ensuring your bibliography is perfectly formatted.
Always check with your professor or target journal to confirm if they prefer you to cite the specific chapter or the dissertation as a whole.
