Library research support

Theses & research papers

Victoria University theses

Copies of VU Honours and Higher Degree Coursework (minor) theses are kept by the College in which the student was enrolled. Access to these theses is dependent on conditions imposed by the relevant College. Contact should be made directly to the College concerned.

VU Library has copies of theses for loan. Most are in book format, some of the older ones are available only on microfiche.

To locate a VU thesis, use Library Search to carry out a keyword search and combine terms such as 'thesis' and 'Victoria University' with broad subject categories, for example, 'marketing'. Older theses from the former Footscray Institute of Technology can be located by substituting 'Footscray Institute' for 'Victoria University'.

If you cannot find a thesis in the Library or the College, contact the University Archivist at [email protected]. If the thesis is held by the Archives, arrangements can be made to view the archive copy under supervision.

VU theses may also be available electronically in the Victoria University Institutional Repository (VUIR).

Australian theses

Some theses from other Australian institutions may be held by Victoria University Library. These can be located by doing a keyword, author or title search in Library Search.

Locate Australian theses by searching:

• Victoria University Institutional Repository
• Trove – combined catalogue for searching Australian libraries
• Subject databases and some specialist databases index theses.

International theses

VU Library may have some international theses in the main collection that are available to borrow, however most international theses will not be held.

Locate international theses by searching:

• OpenDOAR: an international directory of academic open access repositories that assists you to locate institutional repositories on any subject area, from any country (including Australia).
• Digital Dissertations: a database of citations and abstracts describing Masters and PhD theses and dissertations. The emphasis is on theses from universities and graduate schools in the US with some coverage of Northern European, Australian and Asian universities.
• Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETD): a site that provides access to mainly dissertations and theses from America but includes other countries.
• Libraries Australia: this searches Australian libraries, which may have some international theses in their collections.
• Subject databases and some specialist databases index theses: these can be located through Google or Google Scholar, or other internet search engines and directories.

Australian and international theses that have been located but are not held by VU Library can be obtained by:

• Document request system: a service that is only available to staff and Higher Degree students. Not all institutions will lend theses.
• Suggestion for purchase: some theses may be purchased for the VU Library collection. Purchase depends on available funds and collection selection criteria. Selection is approved by the appropriate Liaison Librarian for the College and Campus.
• Making personal arrangements to visit the holding institution: VU staff and students can borrow at other universities by enrolling in the CAVAL or National Borrowing Scheme.