Reference Guides - Finding Dissertations

Finding dissertations in the field of music can be searched by subject or title using a number of resources in the Sibley Music Library. This guide lists the possible ways to find citations, followed by the ways to obtain the actual dissertations.

1. Dissertation Abstracts
   This comprehensive collection of citations with abstracts for dissertations in several fields, from many, but not all doctorate granting institutions, exists in several formats.

   The easiest and most efficient way to use it is through FirstSearch. This user-friendly, online computer system provides access to a variety of databases, one of which is Dissertation Abstracts. Eastman faculty, staff and students may access this service free of charge (subsidized by the Sibley Library), from the Sibley Reference Desk, or from home or office via personal computer.

   Once connected, citations and abstracts for dissertations from 1861 to the present, in any subject, may be searched by author, title, subject and keywords (among others). This database is also available on the River Campus via the Rush Rhees Library CD-ROM network.

   The Sibley Library received Dissertation Abstracts in hard copy until 1978. These bound volumes are located in the 3rd floor stacks at ML128.T41 D61 After January 1978, volumes were received on microfiche. These are found in the cabinets in the current periodicals reading area on the 3rd floor with call number Fiche 319.

2. Comprehensive Dissertation Index (CDI)
   Comprehensive dissertation index: ten-year cumulation, 1973-1982. Vol. 31. Fine arts, library & information science, mass communications, music. Ann Arbor: University Microfilms International, 1979. Ref. Z5053.C7372

   These volumes, shelved in the Reference stacks, give basic bibliographic information on dissertations from many, but not all doctorate-granting schools.

   Dissertations may be searched by keywords from the subject or title (n.b. an author's name cannot be searched as a keyword).

   Separate volumes exist for the periods 1861-1972, and 1973-1982, and annually from 1983 to the present. These volumes are not cumulative, so each volume needs to be checked for comprehensive searching.

3. Doctoral Dissertations in Musicology
   Adkins, Cecil and Alis Dickson. Doctoral dissertations in musicology. Philadelphia: American Musicology Society; International Musicological Society, 1984. Ref. ML128.M8 D63

   Includes finished dissertations, American and Canadian works in progress, and selected European dissertations since 1972. First volume covers 1972-1984. Second series, cumulative, includes 1984-1995. Superseded by DDM Online (below).

4. Other music reference sources
   
   • Gribenski, Jean. French Language Dissertations in Music: An Annotated Bibliography. NY: Pendragon Press, 1979. Ref. ML128.M8 .G846

     A classified inventory of 438 dissertations from 45 universities in Belgium, Canada, France and Switzerland, ranging in dates from 1883 to 1976. The annotations are all in French, but the index is in both French and English.

   • Schaal, Richard. Verzeichnis deutschsprachiger musickwissenschaftlicher Dissertationen 1861-1960. Kassel: Barenreiter, 1963. Ref. ML128.M987 S291 (also 1974 supplement).

     Alphabetical list (by author) of 2819 dissertations (plus 1270 in the supplement).

   • There are also numerous guides to dissertations and theses on specific topics, such as American Music, Canadian Music Education, Igor Stravinsky, etc.

5. Other online tools
   • Many dissertations and theses are catalogued by their home institution on OCLC, which is available for searching using FirstSearch (select WorldCat from the menu).

   • Doctoral Dissertations in Musicology Online (DDM Online) is sponsored by the American Musicological Society and the Center for the History of Music Theory and Literature at Indiana University. It is the electronic version of Adkins (above). Go here to search.

   • RILM online also contains many dissertations and theses, with abstracts often submitted by the authors themselves. This is also available via FirstSearch (select Arts & Humanities list).

   • A modest list, titled The Archive of Dissertation Abstracts in Music, is maintained by Geoffrey Chew and is supposed to be a list of dissertations both completed and in progress. Go here.

   • The Society for Music Theory Online maintains a database of of theory dissertations at their Music Theory Online site. It is also available as plain text from the MTO fileserver. Send a message to mto-serv@smt.ucsb.edu, and in the body of the message include the following two lines:

     path YourEmailAddress [replace with your full email address]
     send diss.index

Compiled by Phil Ponella, 12/95; Revised 7/97; Revised 3/99 by Jim Farrington