Although undergraduates rarely use dissertations, they are very useful resources. Dissertations and theses are the major research projects for PhD and masters students and contain extensive literature reviews and bibliographies. Graduate students must review and discuss the sources available on their topic and be sure that no one else has already done the research they propose. The quality of the writing and research will vary, but you may find the list of references used to be helpful in your research.

Most universities keep two physical copies--one in their archives and one that can be checked out. Now, many dissertations and theses are available electronically through the database Dissertations & Theses Full Text, available through the ODU Libraries Web site.