Worked citation example
How to Cite a Thesis or Dissertation in IEEE, APA, BibTeX, and LaTeX
Cite a thesis or dissertation in IEEE, APA, BibTeX, and LaTeX with degree, institution, repository, and entry-type guidance.
A thesis or dissertation reference needs the author, title, degree type, institution, location when required, and year. Add a repository or database URL when it gives readers stable access to the work.
The example uses a historically published doctoral dissertation. For a current institutional-repository item, preserve the title and degree exactly as the repository record reports them.
One verified record
See how the source changes by format.
Each output below uses the same metadata.
Source metadata
- Author
- Alan M. Turing
- Title
- Systems of Logic Based on Ordinals
- Degree
- Doctor of Philosophy dissertation
- Institution
- Princeton University
- Location
- Princeton, New Jersey, USA
- Year
- 1938
IEEE
A. M. Turing, "Systems of logic based on ordinals," Ph.D. dissertation, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA, 1938.IEEE identifies the degree document, institution, location, and year after the title.
APA 7
Turing, A. M. (1938). Systems of logic based on ordinals [Doctoral dissertation, Princeton University].APA places the degree and institution in square brackets after the title.
BibTeX
@phdthesis{turing1938systems,
author = {Alan M. Turing},
title = {Systems of Logic Based on Ordinals},
school = {Princeton University},
address = {Princeton, NJ, USA},
year = {1938}
}Use @phdthesis for a doctoral dissertation and @mastersthesis for a master's thesis in traditional BibTeX.
LaTeX citation
The ordinal-logic construction is developed in Turing's dissertation \cite{turing1938systems}.The citation command is the same; the BibTeX entry type controls how the bibliography formats the work.
Practical workflow
Check the record before formatting it.
Use the institutional repository or title page to confirm the exact degree and institution.
Record the completion year from the dissertation record rather than a later digitization date.
Choose @phdthesis or @mastersthesis to match the degree type.
Add a stable repository URL or identifier when the selected style calls for one.
Check the final title capitalization and institution name after bibliography processing.
Questions students ask
Frequently asked questions
Is a master's thesis cited differently from a doctoral dissertation?
Yes. Identify the correct degree type in the formatted reference and use @mastersthesis rather than @phdthesis in traditional BibTeX.
Should I include the university repository URL?
Include a stable URL when it helps readers retrieve the work and the selected style permits or requires it. Avoid temporary download links.
Which year should I use?
Use the thesis or dissertation completion or publication year shown in the authoritative institutional record, not the date it was later scanned or uploaded.
Reference standards