Gabel, Gernot U., and Gisela R. Gabel. Catalogue of Austrian and Swiss Dissertations (1875–1995) on English and American Literature. Hürth: Gemini, 1997. 222 pp. Z2011.G24 [PR83] 016.8209.
A bibliography of doctoral-level theses compiled from the standard national dissertation bibliographies (and university lists in the case of Austria) of the two countries. The earlier versions—Dissertations in English and American Literature: Theses Accepted by Austrian, French, and Swiss Universities, 1875–1970 (Hamburg: Gabel, 1977; 198 pp.) and Dissertations in English and American Literature: A Bibliography of Theses Accepted by Austrian, French, and Swiss Universities: Supplement, 1971–1975, and Additions (Köln: Gemini, 1982; 56 pp.)—include French dissertations. Dissertations are listed chronologically in nine classified divisions: general literary history and criticism, Old and Middle English literature, then by century for English literature, American literature to 1900, and twentieth-century American literature. The period divisions have sections for general studies or individual authors. Two indexes: scholars; literary authors and anonymous works. A time-saving compilation that offers the single fullest list of dissertations on English and American literature accepted by universities in the two countries.
McNamee, Lawrence F. Dissertations in English and American Literature: Theses Accepted by American, British, and German Universities, 1865–1964. New York: Bowker, 1968. 1,124 pp. Supplement One, 1964–1968. 1969. 450 pp. Supplement Two: Theses Accepted by American, British, British Commonwealth, and German Universities, 1969–1973. 1974. 690 pp. Z5053.M32 016.82.
A subject bibliography of dissertations written in English departments of institutions in the United States, Great Britain, East and West Germany, Canada (beginning in the first supplement and including retrospective coverage), Australia (beginning in the first supplement), and New Zealand (in the second supplement). Derived from lists supplied or checked by the institutions, the 25,953 entries are organized by date of acceptance in 35 classified divisions: Anglo-Saxon; English language and linguistics; Chaucer; Middle English; Renaissance; Shakespeare; seventeenth century; Milton; eighteenth century; Romantic period; Victorian period; twentieth century; drama and theater; English novel; poetry; comparative literature; literary criticism, rhetoric, and genre studies; creative dissertations; teaching of English; Empire literature; magazines, newspapers, and publishing; religion and literature; colonial American; National period; post–Civil War period; twentieth-century American literature; American novel and fiction; American drama and theater; literary criticism in the United States; language in the United States; regional literature; African American literature; American poetry; American literary relationships; miscellaneous topics in American literature. Most divisions are extensively classified by subjects, groups, genres, movements, or individual authors. An entry consists of author, title, date of acceptance, a code number that identifies the institution, and, in the 1969–73 supplement, number of pages. Two indexes in each volume: a cross-index of literary authors in the titles of multiple-author studies; dissertation writers. McNamee must be used with due regard for its numerous limitations and deficiencies:
The work falls far short of the complete list it claims to be. Restricted to studies written in English departments, it ignores numerous dissertations on English and American literature produced in history, comparative literature, and (especially) theater or drama departments. And there are many omissions of dissertations accepted by English departments.
Dissertations are frequently difficult to locate because titles determine placement in divisions and classified sections, many of which are insufficiently exclusive. Particularly vexing are the numerous classified sections that are frequently imprecise in heading, inconsistent across divisions, and organized in no discernible manner (e.g., related topics are rarely grouped together). Because a dissertation is listed in only one section and multiple-author studies are placed under the first author mentioned, users searching for dissertations on specific writers must be certain to check the cross-index of authors, which is unhelpfully keyed to the numbered sections rather than to pages. The vagueness and inconsistencies in subject classifications and inadequate indexing mean that researchers must exercise considerable ingenuity to locate dissertations.
There are numerous typographical errors, and the combination of uppercase computer print and poor layout makes for inefficient scanning.
Because of these serious limitations and deficiencies, McNamee is now principally useful for identifying the occasional dissertation overlooked in a search of the more thorough and easily accessible ProQuest Dissertations and Theses: Full Text (H465), ProQuest Dissertations and Theses: UK and Ireland (H475), and the other bibliographies and abstracts in this section.
Mummendey, Richard. Language and Literature of the Anglo-Saxon Nations as Presented in German Doctoral Dissertations, 1885–1950 / Die Sprache und Literatur der Angelsachsen im Spiegel der deutschen Universitätsschriften, 1885–1950. Bonn: Bouvier; Charlottesville: Bibliog. Soc. of the U of Virginia, 1954. 200 pp. Z2011.M8 016.82.
A classified list of doctoral dissertations on the English language and literature in English accepted by German universities between 1885 and 1950, by the University of Strassburg up to 1918, and by Austrian universities from 1938 to 1945. The approximately 3,000 entries are organized in three divisions: linguistics, with dissertations listed by year of acceptance within sections for general studies, phonetics, orthography, morphology, etymology, syntax, dialect and slang, stylistics, and prosody; literature, with sections for Great Britain (including subsections for genres, motifs and topics, influences, and individual periods), the Commonwealth, and the United States (including subsections for general studies and individual periods); theater. In the literature and theater divisions, dissertations are organized alphabetically by a title keyword, which is set in spaced type. An entry cites author, title, number of pages, publication information for dissertations published in a series or periodical, an indication of manuscript (“HS”) or typescript (“MS”) for those not printed, institution, and year of acceptance. Indexed by dissertation authors and title keywords.
The subject indexing by title keyword is frequently imprecise or misleading (and the spaced type is not immediately recognizable), but the poor subject indexing is a minor deficiency in comparison to the frequent errors in citations and numerous omissions. (In Guide to Doctoral Dissertations in Victorian Literature [M2510], Richard Altick reports that he discovered about 130 dissertations overlooked by Mummendey.) While useful for compiling a preliminary list of German dissertations on a topic, Mummendey must be supplemented by a laborious search through Jahresverzeichnis der Hochschulschriften der DDR, der BRD und Westberlins, [1885–1987] (Leipzig: VEB Bibliographisches Institut, 1887–90; title varies). Die Deutsche Bibliothek receives a deposit copy of German dissertations, which can be identified through the library’s OPAC (https://portal.dnb.de; in Erweiterte Suche click the Standorte/Kataloge tab, then select Hochschulschriften).
Dundes, Folklore Theses and Dissertations in the United States (U5885).
Fielding, Bibliography of Theses and Dissertations on the Subject of Film, 1916–1979 (U5795).
Gilbert and Tatla, Women’s Studies: A Bibliography of Dissertations, 1870–1982 (U6615).