One of the most useful tools that will help you complete your dissertation successfully is your university database. It can provide you with plenty of information. It’s important to know how to use a database and what benefits it can provide you with. If you don’t use your university database during your research, the results of your work aren’t likely to be of any real value.

How to Use a Dissertation Database

A university database is needed to find academic papers written by other students over the years. If you want to find a particular paper, you don’t need to know its exact title. You may just type in the main key terms in the search engine of a database and press the “search” button. After this, titles that contain these keywords will appear on the screen and you’ll be able to find the needed paper among them.

Advantages of Using a Database

1. Downloading examples.

If you’re asked to compose a thesis for the first time, it’s advisable to read a good example before you start working on your own project. Using a database, you can find many useful samples. Search for papers written in your field and download several academic works for examination.

2. Selecting original topics.

To make sure that you’ve come up with a unique topic for your own project, you may type in the keywords of your working title into the database search engine. If somebody has already written a paper on this topic, you’ll find it. In such a situation, you’ll need to generate another idea for your study.

3. Finding sources for your research.

You may use not only books written by famous scholars as sources for your study. Academic papers written by students can also be useful for you. A university database can help you find different projects that you may base your own work upon.

You may use not only your university database. There are many online databases that store huge amounts of dissertations and other academic papers. Some of them might require payment for downloading documents from them, however.

Using Advanced Search Methods

Many types of databases allow you to use special methods in order to make your search results more accurate and specific. Learn about the type of a database used by your university and go online to find information about advanced search methods for this particular type. If you’re on good terms with your university librarian, you may also consult them on this matter.