Home / Guides / Citation Guides / APA Format / How to Cite a Thesis or Dissertation in APA

How to Cite a Thesis or Dissertation in APA

In this citation guide, you will learn how to reference and cite an undergraduate thesis, master’s thesis, or doctoral dissertation. This guide will also review the differences between a thesis or dissertation that is published and one that has remained unpublished. The guidelines below come from the 7th edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (2020a), pages 333 and 334. Please note that the association is not affiliated with this guide.

Alternatively, you can visit EasyBib.com for helpful citation tools to cite your thesis or dissertation .

Guide Overview

Citing an unpublished thesis or dissertation, citing a published dissertation or thesis from a database, citing a thesis or dissertation published online but not from a database, citing a thesis or dissertation: reference overview, what you need.

Since unpublished theses can usually only be sourced in print form from a university library, the correct citation structure includes the university name where the publisher element usually goes.

Author’s last name, F. M. (Year published). Title in sentence case [Unpublished degree type thesis or dissertation]. Name of institution.

Ames, J. H., & Doughty, L. H. (1911). The proposed plans for the Iowa State College athletic field including the design of a reinforced concrete grandstand and wall [Unpublished bachelor’s thesis]. Iowa State University.

In-text citation example:

  • Parenthetical :  (Ames & Doughty, 1911)
  • Narrative :  Ames & Doughty (1911)

If a thesis or dissertation has been published and is found on a database, then follow the structure below. It’s similar to the format for an unpublished dissertation/thesis, but with a few differences:

  • The institution is presented in brackets after the title
  • The archive or database name is included

Author’s last name, F. M. (Year published). Title in sentence case (Publication or Document No.) [Degree type thesis or dissertation, Name of institution]. Database name.

Examples 1:

Knight, K. A. (2011). Media epidemics: Viral structures in literature and new media (Accession No. 2013420395) [Doctoral dissertation, University of California, Santa Barbara]. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing.

Example dissertation-thesis

Trotman, J.B. (2018). New insights into the biochemistry and cell biology of RNA recapping (Document No. osu1523896565730483) [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses & Dissertations Center.

In the example given above, the dissertation is presented with a Document Number (Document No.). Sometimes called a database number or publication number, this is the identifier that is used by the database’s indexing system. If the database you are using provides you with such a number, then include it directly after the work’s title in parentheses.

If you are interested in learning more about how to handle works that were accessed via academic research databases, see Section 9.3 of the Publication Manual.

In-text citation examples :

  • Parenthetical citation : (Trotman, 2018)
  • Narrative citation : Trotman (2018)

Author’s last name, F. M. (Year Published). Title in sentence case [Degree type thesis or dissertation, Name of institution]. Name of archive or collection. URL

Kim, O. (2019). Soviet tableau: cinema and history under late socialism [Doctoral dissertation, University of Pittsburgh]. Institutional Repository at the University of Pittsburgh. https://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/37669/7/Olga%20Kim%20Final%20ETD.pdf

Stiles, T. W. (2001). Doing science: Teachers’ authentic experiences at the Lone Star Dinosaur Field Institute [Master’s thesis, Texas A&M University]. OAKTrust. https://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/ETD-TAMU-2001-THESIS-S745

It is important to note that not every thesis or dissertation published online will be associated with a specific archive or collection. If the work is published on a private website, provide only the URL as the source element.

In-text citation examples:

  • Parenthetical citation : (Kim, 2019)
  • Narrative citation : Kim (2019)
  • Parenthetical citation : (Stiles, 2001)
  • Narrative citation : Stiles (2001)

dissertation and thesis Citations for APA 7

We hope that the information provided here will serve as an effective guide for your research. If you’re looking for even more citation info, visit EasyBib.com for a comprehensive collection of educational materials covering multiple source types.

If you’re citing a variety of different sources, consider taking the EasyBib citation generator for a spin. It can help you cite easily and offers citation forms for several different kinds of sources.

To start things off, let’s take a look at the different types of literature that are classified under Chapter 10.6 of the Publication Manual :

  • Undergraduate thesis
  • Master’s thesis
  • Doctoral dissertation

You will need to know which type you are citing. You’ll also need to know if it is published or unpublished .

When you decide to cite a dissertation or thesis, you’ll need to look for the following information to use in your citation:

  • Author’s last name, and first and middle initials
  • Year published
  • Title of thesis or dissertation
  • If it is unpublished
  • Publication or document number (if applicable; for published work)
  • Degree type (bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral)
  • Thesis or dissertation
  • Name of institution awarding degree
  • DOI (https://doi.org/xxxxx) or URL (if applicable)

Since theses and dissertations are directly linked to educational degrees, it is necessary to list the name of the associated institution; i.e., the college, university, or school that is awarding the associated degree.

To get an idea of the proper form, take a look at the examples below. There are three outlined scenarios:

  • Unpublished thesis or dissertation
  • Published thesis or dissertation from a database
  • Thesis or dissertation published online but not from a database

American Psychological Association. (2020a). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1037/0000165-000

American Psychological Association. (2020b). Style-Grammar-Guidelines. https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/citations/basic-principles/parenthetical-versus-narrative

Published August 10, 2012. Updated March 24, 2020.

Written and edited by Michele Kirschenbaum and Elise Barbeau. Michele Kirschenbaum is a school library media specialist and the in-house librarian at EasyBib.com. Elise Barbeau is the Citation Specialist at Chegg. She has worked in digital marketing, libraries, and publishing.

APA Formatting Guide

APA Formatting

  • Annotated Bibliography
  • Block Quotes
  • et al Usage
  • In-text Citations
  • Multiple Authors
  • Paraphrasing
  • Page Numbers
  • Parenthetical Citations
  • Reference Page
  • Sample Paper
  • APA 7 Updates
  • View APA Guide

Citation Examples

  • Book Chapter
  • Journal Article
  • Magazine Article
  • Newspaper Article
  • Website (no author)
  • View all APA Examples

How useful was this post?

Click on a star to rate it!

We are sorry that this post was not useful for you!

Let us improve this post!

Tell us how we can improve this post?

To cite a published thesis in APA style, it is important that you know some basic information such as the author, publication year, title of the thesis, institute name, archive name, and URL (uniform resource locator). The templates for an in-text citation and reference list entry of a thesis, along with examples, are given below:

In-text citation template and example:

Use the author surname and the publication year in the in-text citation.

Author Surname (Publication Year)

Cartmel (2007)

Parenthetical:

(Author Surname, Publication Year)

(Cartmel, 2007)

Reference list entry template and example:

The title of the thesis is set in sentence case and italicized. Enclose the thesis and the institute awarding the degree inside brackets following the publication year. Then add the name of the database followed by the URL.

Author Surname, F. M. (Publication Year). Title of the thesis [Master’s thesis, Institute Name]. Name of the Database. URL

Cartmel, J. (2007). Outside school hours care and schools [Master’s thesis, Queensland University of Technology]. EPrints. http://eprints.qut.edu.au/17810/1/Jennifer_Cartmel_Thesis.pdf

To cite an unpublished dissertation in APA style, it is important that you know some basic information such as the author, year, title of the dissertation, and institute name. The templates for in-text citation and reference list entry of an online thesis, along with examples, are given below:

Author Surname (Year)

Averill (2009)

(Author Surname, Year)

(Averill, 2009)

The title of the dissertation is set in sentence case and italicized. Enclose “Unpublished doctoral dissertation” inside brackets following the year. Then add the name of the institution awarding the degree.

Author Surname, F. M. (Publication Year). Title of the dissertation [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Name of the Institute.

Averill, R. (2009). Teacher–student relationships in diverse New Zealand year 10 mathematics classrooms: Teacher care [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Victoria University of Wellington.

APA Citation Examples

Writing Tools

Citation Generators

Other Citation Styles

Plagiarism Checker

Upload a paper to check for plagiarism against billions of sources and get advanced writing suggestions for clarity and style.

Get Started

APA Style 7th Edition: Citing Your Sources

  • Basics of APA Formatting
  • In Text Quick View
  • Block Quotes
  • Books & eBooks
  • Thesis/Dissertation

Standard Format

Formatting rules, various examples.

  • Audiovisual
  • Conference Presentations
  • Social Media
  • Legal References
  • Reports and Gray Literature
  • Academic Integrity and Plagiarism
  • Additional Resources
  • Reference Page

Adapted from American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed).  https://doi.org/10.1037/0000165-000

Formatting:

  • Italicize the title
  • Identify whether source is doctoral dissertation or master’s thesis in parentheses after the title

See Ch. 10 pp. 313-352 of APA Manual for more examples and formatting rules

  • << Previous: Articles
  • Next: Websites >>
  • Last Updated: Apr 22, 2024 9:37 AM
  • URL: https://libguides.usc.edu/APA7th

APA 7th referencing style

  • About APA 7th
  • Printing this guide
  • In-text references
  • Direct quotations
  • Reference list
  • Author information
  • Additional referencing information
  • Using headings
  • Book chapter
  • Brochure and pamphlets
  • ChatGPT and other generative AI tools
  • Conferences
  • Dictionary or encyclopaedia
  • Government legislation
  • Journal article
  • Lecture notes and slides
  • Legal sources
  • Newspaper or magazine article
  • Other web sources
  • Patents and standards
  • Personal communication
  • Press (media) release
  • Secondary source (indirect citation)
  • Social media
  • Software and mobile apps
  • Specialised health information
  • Television program

Thesis - from website

Thesis - from database.

  • Works in non-English languages
  • Works in non-English scripts, such as Arabic or Chinese
  • << Previous: Television program
  • Next: Video >>
  • Last Updated: May 1, 2024 11:01 AM
  • URL: https://guides.library.uq.edu.au/referencing/apa7

East Carolina University Libraries

  • Joyner Library
  • Laupus Health Sciences Library
  • Music Library
  • Digital Collections
  • Special Collections
  • North Carolina Collection
  • Teaching Resources
  • The ScholarShip Institutional Repository
  • Country Doctor Museum

APA Citation Style, 7th Edition: Dissertations & Thesis

  • APA 6/7 Comparison Guide
  • New & Notable Changes
  • Student Paper Layout
  • Journal Article with One Author
  • Journal Article with Two Authors
  • Journal Article with Three or more Authors
  • Help?! I can't find the DOI
  • One Author/Editor
  • Two Authors/Editors
  • Chapter in a Book
  • Electronic Books
  • Social Media Posts
  • YouTube or other streaming video
  • Podcast or other audio works
  • Infographic, Powerpoint, or other visual works
  • Government Websites & Publications, & Gray Literature
  • Legislative (US & State House & Senate) Bills
  • StatPearls, UpToDate, DynaMedex
  • Dissertations & Thesis
  • Interviews & Emails
  • Magazine Articles
  • Newspaper Articles
  • Datasets, Software, & Tests
  • Posters & Conference Sessions
  • Photographs, Tables, & PDF's
  • Canvas Posts & Class Discussion Boards
  • In-Text Citations & Paraphrasing
  • References Page
  • Free APA 7th edition Resources, Handouts, & Tutorials

Citing Dissertations & Theses in APA Format

Dissertations & Theses

Dissertations and theses are formatted the same way in APA 7th edition. Theses are generally the culminating work for a master's or undergraduate degree and dissertations are often original research completed by doctoral students. Here are examples of a dissertation & a thesis, and how they would be formatted: 

Examples: 

Dissertation found in Proquest Dissertations and Theses Global: 

Reference:  

Banks, B. (2020). Addressing institutional racism in healthcare: A case study (Publication No. 28154307) [Doctoral dissertation, University of Minnesota]. Proquest Dissertations and Theses Global. 

In-Text Citation (Paraphrase):  

(Banks, 2020).

In-Text Citation (Direct Quote):

(Banks, 2020, p. 157).

Master's thesis from a University scholarship database: 

Sears, L. B. (2017). The public voice and sustainable food systems: Community engagement in food action plans [Unpublished master's thesis]. University of Kansas.  https://kuscholarworks.ku.edu/handle/1808/26899  

In-Text Citation (Paraphrase):

(Sears, 2017). 

(Sears, 2017, p. 24). 

Carrie Forbes, MLS

Profile Photo

Pages Referenced

Citation information has been adapted from the APA Manual (7th Edition). Please refer to page 333 of the APA Manual (7th Edition) for more information.

Chat with a Librarian

undefined

Chat with a librarian is available during Laupus Library's open hours . 

Need to contact a specific librarian? Find your liaison.

Call us: 1-888-820-0522 (toll free)

252-744-2230

Text us: 252-303-2343

  • << Previous: Other Sources
  • Next: Interviews & Emails >>
  • Last Updated: Jan 12, 2024 10:05 AM
  • URL: https://libguides.ecu.edu/APA7

Banner

APA (7th Edition) Referencing Guide

  • Information for EndNote Users
  • Authors - Numbers, Rules and Formatting
  • In-Text Citations
  • Reference List
  • Books & eBooks
  • Book chapters
  • Journal Articles
  • Conference Papers
  • Newspaper Articles
  • Web Pages & Documents
  • Specialised Health Databases
  • Using Visual Works in Assignments & Class Presentations
  • Using Visual Works in Theses and Publications
  • Using Tables in Assignments & Class Presentations
  • Custom Textbooks & Books of Readings
  • ABS AND AIHW
  • Videos (YouTube), Podcasts & Webinars
  • Blog Posts and Social Media
  • First Nations Works
  • Dictionary and Encyclopedia Entries
  • Personal Communication
  • Theses and Dissertations

Theses and dissertations

  • Film / TV / DVD
  • Miscellaneous (Generic Reference)
  • AI software
  • APA Format for Assignments
  • What If...?
  • Other Guides

A thesis is an unpublished document produced by student as part of the requirements for the degree. They come at various levels (e.g. Honours, Masters, PhD, etc). Check with your lecturer before using a thesis for your assignment.

  • << Previous: Personal Communication
  • Next: Film / TV / DVD >>
  • Last Updated: May 2, 2024 9:43 AM
  • URL: https://libguides.jcu.edu.au/apa

Acknowledgement of Country

You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience.

  • Exhibitions
  • Visit and Contact
  • UCD Library
  • Current Students
  • News & Opinion
  • Staff Directory
  • UCD Connect

Academic Integrity - Referencing, Citation & Avoiding Plagiarism: Writing Dissertations or Theses

  • Introduction
  • Academic Integrity Tutorials
  • Plagiarism Examples
  • Common Knowledge
  • Paraphrasing Explained
  • Plagiarism and the Internet
  • What is in-text citation?
  • School Citing Styles
  • APA Style Guide
  • Harvard Style Guide
  • Chicago Style Guide
  • Vancouver Style Guide
  • MLA Style Guide
  • MHRA Style Guide
  • OSCOLA Style Guide
  • UCD Writing Centre
  • International Students Study Skills
  • Critical Thinking
  • Taking lecture notes
  • Active reading and note-taking
  • Time management
  • Writing Strategies
  • Open Book Exams and Referencing
  • Exams and Revision
  • Writing Dissertations or Theses

Writing Dissertations or Theses banner

Dissertations or Theses

planning

A dissertation or thesis is a research project that asks a question(s) and sets out to answer that question(s) through research and inquiry. It is completed in an structured, critical and academically rigorous fashion ( GradCoach , 2021).

This eight step guide is designed to help you get started when undertaking an undergraduate or masters dissertation or thesis. It also includes a wealth of links to other resources where further help can be found.

Eight Step Dissertation or Thesis Guide

  1. make a plan.

planning

Breaking down a large task, such as a dissertation, will make your project seem more manageable and allow you to better take control of your time. Make a list of all the task you have to do from beginning to submission. Working backwards can sometimes help with this. Then, order these by date for when they should be completed. Print out the planning template in the 'Further Reading' section below to make a start.

Print out your dissertation action plan and put it somewhere prominent so you can actively check your progress and make any changes necessary. Regularly spend time tracking your process and thinking ahead. In your action plan, you do not need to do each section of the dissertation in sequence. Different parts such as methodology, results, literature review can be worked on and drafted at the same time to get a head start on the writing process. These can then be revised and completed for their deadline.

Begin to set up a filling system for research you have found, your notes, sections of your thesis, course materials. This filing system should be for both print and online materials. Review this throughout your project. Make back-ups of your thesis/dissertation and all necessary files as you go and save to the cloud or somewhere else safe. Accidents can happen, so this can avoid unnecessary pain.

  2. Pick a Topic

planning

Read, read, and read more. Choosing a topic will require dedicated reading time. As you read, create a list of possible topics that you can narrow down.  Your research will need to advance the research knowledge in some way. This maybe small, such as applying a new theory or looking at a slightly different population.

Chose an area that will interest you for the duration of the dissertation or even beyond. Review lectures and previous assignments from every year of your course. Review current journals from the Library in your area. Go to UCD Connect  and select eJournals. Try to identify a gap in the literature. This will require dedicated reading time to become familiar with the area.

Look at the research interests of your possible supervisors. Go to UCD Research to do this. Review any previous dissertations available from your school. Note the Library does not hold undergraduate or masters dissertations. Include choosing a topic in the first draft of your project plan, otherwise you may spend too long on this part.

Questions to ask of potential topics

  • Life experience – do you have any personal connection or life experience with the topic, to make it interesting and easy to relate to?
  • Can this topic be researched in the allowed timeframe?
  • Is there adequate research literature to draw on? Spend some time on OneSearch and Library Databases for your subject area.
  • Will the supervisor for that topic be someone you can work with?
  • Do you have the adequate skills and resources to carry out research in this area?
  • Scope of topic - is the topic too broad? Make sure it is focused clearly so that you can frame a specific research question or thesis statement. Alternatively, if it is too narrow, there may not be enough literature for you to draw from. Think Goldilocks and her perfect bowl of porridge.
  • Ethics approval – will this topic require ethics approval? This can take time and may make the dissertation unmanageable in the time frame. Discuss this with your supervisor before any choice on such a topic.

Research Question, Thesis Statement, Hypothesis

Depending on the guidelines provided by your school you will need to go on to develop a research question, a thesis statement and perhaps a hypothesis.

A research question (s) needs to clearly capture what gap in the research you want to answer. It needs to be broad enough to sustain your dissertation and specific enough that you can answer it clearly and within the timeframe. Once decided, you may find our "Approaching your Research Question" of use. 

A thesis statement serves as the main argument that drives your paper forward. It shows the emphasis of your argument and indicates its methodology. It focuses your ideas into one or two sentences. It should present the topic of your paper and also make a comment about your position in relation to the topic. Your thesis statement should tell your reader what the paper is about and also help guide your writing and keep your argument focused ( UCD Writing Centre , 2021).

The hypothesis is formulated before you start. It states what you expect to happen. Your research then tests this hypothesis to see if there is evidence to support it or not ( Cottrell , 2019, p.355).

  3. Structure

planning

Each discipline and perhaps topic will have a particular structure. Ensure you check your dissertation or thesis guidelines for this. If not present, discuss with your supervisor. It is very important to get advice on this before you start. Some headings that appear in many disciplines would be the following

  • Literature Review
  • Themed Chapters
  • Methodology
  • References and Bibliography

For detailed examples of dissertation structures in different disciplines go to the University of Leeds ' Final Chapter '.

  4. Literature Review

planning

A literature review is an overview of the research relating to your research topic. It allows you to demonstrate what has been written on the topic and where your research fits in to that area. You can use it to acquaint yourself fully with the research area, theories, methodologies, key researchers, and anything else of note. It will provide a framework for your research and the evidence needed to support your research question and methodology.

  • Use UCD Library’s OneSearch and Databases from UCD Connect  to search the literature. Consult the Library’s Subject Guides  for Databases in your subject area.
  • Make an appointment for help searching the literature with your liaison librarian .
  • Use the Library’s video tutorials on how best to search library resources.
  • Collect your references as you search (see below). This is essential.
  • Begin by searching and reading abstracts to identify a set of articles of interest. Gather a number of these, then identify which ones you want to read in detail.
  • Follow up on any citations or references in those articles to track the beginnings of the research idea.
  • Read literature review articles in your subject area to see the writing style and to find out who the main researchers are on your topic.
  • Read actively and critically . Take organized and attractive notes you can easily consult.
  • Use your notes for the basis of your literature review. As you take notes, practice capturing the content of the researcher’s work or themes of interest in two or three lines, that could be included in your literature review. Make sure that you are not simply describing or summarising the literature; you should analyse, compare, synthesise, and critically evaluate what you read. Avoid just highlighting text in articles or books, as this is not memorable after the first reading. Date every set of notes you make, and file for easy retrieval.
  • Visit UCD Writing Centre for help. They can work with you to get the best out of your writing.

UCD Writing Centre has an excellent video on writing a Literature Review. UCD Library also has a guide dedicated to Literature Review .

  5. Referencing and Citation

planning

Begin your Reference List or Bibliography as soon as you begin your research.

If you do this using EndNote or another reference management software, this is easy and can be done as you search. See our EndNote guide for details.

If you are manually creating your references, create a References Master List as you begin searching. Copy full reference details of each source, formatted in the required reference style. Use the Academic Integrity Guide for different style formats such as Harvard, APA, MLA etc.

In your notes, ensure you cite each source you are referring to with an author and page number. This will save an enormous amount of time and agony at the end of your dissertation. See our guide on Note Taking .

  6. Writing Up

planning

  • Have a clear naming system for versions of your thesis so that you do not over-write any work. For example ‘Methodology Draft 1’ or ‘Methodology 210201’.
  • Start multiple sections at the same time. This will allow flexibility in your work in case of writers block, and better distribute your writing time across sections. 
  • Try to avoid perfectionism. Do not spend a long time perfecting one element, such as the literature review, at the expense of other elements such as your results, discussion or conclusion.
  • Getting parts of sections down on paper in some form is good writing practice. You can start with headings and fill in notes underneath. It is better to have written multiple drafts of your thesis to give you time to formulate your ideas and stand back from your writing while not against a deadline.
  • Date every piece of writing you draft, whether notes or thesis content. Never delete something you have written, just file it for possible re-use.
  • If you are carrying out quantitative or qualitative research, write up the results as you get them. Write up the methodology also, while it is fresh in your mind. This can be redrafted and polished off at a later stage. Remember to include all necessary references and citations.
  • Write the introduction last. This ensures you have covered everything in the body of your dissertation that has been set out in the introduction.
  • Leave enough time for the conclusion so that you are not under time pressure, and cannot give your dissertation the finish it deserves. You can even start drafting this before you have all your results, just to get a format created that can be worked on.
  • Keep reading. Do not stop reading once your literature review is completed. Continue to look for new articles on your subject area, that you might need to acknowledge in your dissertation.
  • Talk to other students, friends and family members about your thesis. Explain the ideas and methodology. This will help you clarify the content and address weaknesses.

UCD Writing Centre offers one-to-one sessions, workshops, and resources to help with writing. Use this excellent service as much as you can.    

  7. Editing and Proofing

planning

Ensure you have included editing and proofing in your dissertation action plan. Taking a break of a day or two from your piece can be helpful to allow you see it with fresh eyes.

Ask fellow students, friends and family to review your work for spelling, grammar or other mistakes. Return the favour if possible. Asking anyone else to write your work is not acceptable and would be plagiarism. See our advice on avoiding plagiarism .

Do not just work on screen. If you can, print out draft versions rather than working onscreen completely. This can really help with editing.

Read your work out loud. This has been proven as one of the best methods in editing - for spotting lack of punctuation, overly long sentences, grammatical mistakes, repetitive words, and much more.

  8. Submission

planning

Before submission, return to the requirements for the dissertation provided by your programme or school. Check off every aspect of the requirements to ensure you have included all elements requested. Double check the submission date.

If you are required to submit a printed and bound version of your dissertation or thesis, ensure you have left adequate time to get this completed.

Further Reading

Allison, B. and Race, P. (2004) The student's guide to preparing dissertations and theses. London: Routledge Falmer. Available at: https://tinyurl.com/ygr634tv .

Cottrell, S. (2019) The study skills handbook . 5th edn. London: Macmillan International Higher Education.  https://tinyurl.com/yhumjxgc .

Gradcoach, Jansan, D. (2021) What exactly is a dissertation (or thesis)? Available at: https://gradcoach.com/what-is-a-dissertation/ .

Greetham, B. (2019) How to write your undergraduate dissertation. 3rd edn. London: Red Globe Press.  https://tinyurl.com/yk6y5kt3 .

Joyner, R. L., Rouse, W. A. J. D. and Glatthorn, A. A. (2018) Writing the winning thesis or dissertation: A step-by-step guide. Thousand Oaks: Corwin. Available at: https://tinyurl.com/yhkldw85 .

McMillan, K. and Weyers, J. D. B. (2012) The study skills book. Harlow: Pearson. Available at: https://tinyurl.com/ygk8a9ps .

The University Library, University of Leeds (2021) Final chapter . Available at: https://resources.library.leeds.ac.uk/final-chapter/index.html .

Thomas, G. (2017) Doing research. London: Palgrave. Available at: https://tinyurl.com/yfwkxjty .

UCD Library, University College Dublin (2021a) Academic integrity guide . Available at: https://libguides.ucd.ie/academicintegrity .

UCD Library, University College Dublin (2021b) Active reading and note-taking . Available at: https://libguides.ucd.ie/academicintegrity/activereadingandnotetaking .

UCD Library, University College Dublin (2021c) Critical thinking . Available at: https://libguides.ucd.ie/academicintegrity/criticalthinking .

UCD Library, University College Dublin (2021d) Library contacts for Colleges and Schools . Available at: https://www.ucd.ie/library/contact/clls/ .

UCD Library, University College Dublin (2021e)  Literature Review . Available at: https://libguides.ucd.ie/litreview/intro .

UCD Library, University College Dublin (2021f) Subject Guides . Available at: https://www.ucd.ie/library/students/ .

UCD Research (2021). UCD Research: People . Available at: https://people.ucd.ie/ .

UCD Writing Centre (2021) UCD Writing Centre . Available at: https://www.ucd.ie/writingcentre/ .

  • Dissertation or Thesis Plan Planning Template for a dissertation or thesis

Creative Commons License

  • << Previous: Exams and Revision
  • Last Updated: Apr 24, 2024 3:02 PM
  • URL: https://libguides.ucd.ie/academicintegrity
  • Library Guides

writing thesis referencing

APA 7th Referencing

Apa 7th referencing: theses.

Banner

  • In-text referencing
  • Compiling a Reference list
  • Citing tables and figures
  • DOIs and Live hyperlinks
  • Secondary sources
  • Journal Articles
  • Reports & Grey Literature
  • Conference Materials
  • Datasets, Software & Tests
  • Social Media
  • Images, tables & figures
  • Sound & video
  • Legislation & Cases
  • Personal Communications
  • Standards & Patents
  • Course Notes or Course Presentations
  • Generative AI
  • Sample Reference List

On this page

Basic format to reference a thesis or dissertation.

  • Referencing theses: Examples

The basics of a reference list entry for a thesis or dissertation:

  • Author. The surname is followed by first initials.
  • Year (in round brackets).
  • Title (in italics ).
  • Level of Thesis or Dissertation [in square brackets].
  • University, also in [square brackets] following directly after the Level of Thesis, for e.g. [Doctoral dissertation, Victoria University]
  • Database or Archive Name
  • The first line of each citation is left adjusted. Every subsequent line is indented 5-7 spaces.

Mosek, E. (2017). Team flow: The missing piece in performance [Doctoral dissertation, Victoria University]. Victoria University Research Repository. http://vuir.vu.edu.au/35038/

writing thesis referencing

  • << Previous: Standards & Patents
  • Next: Course Notes or Course Presentations >>
  • Last Updated: Apr 10, 2024 11:36 AM
  • URL: https://libraryguides.vu.edu.au/apa-referencing

Citation guides

All you need to know about citations

How to cite a master's thesis in APA

APA masters thesis citation

  • Google Docs

To cite a master's thesis in a reference entry in APA style 6th edition include the following elements:

  • Author(s) of the thesis: Give the last name and initials (e. g. Watson, J. D.) of up to seven authors with the last name preceded by an ampersand (&). For eight or more authors include the first six names followed by an ellipsis (…) and add the last author's name.
  • Year of publication: Give the year in brackets followed by a full stop.
  • Title of the master's thesis: Only the first letter of the first word and proper nouns are capitalized.
  • URL: Give the full URL where the document can be retrieved from.

Here is the basic format for a reference list entry of a master's thesis in APA style 6th edition:

Author(s) of the thesis . ( Year of publication ). Title of the master's thesis (Master's thesis). Retrieved from URL

If the thesis is available from a database, archive or any online platform use the following template:

  • Author(s) of the thesis: Give the last name and initials (e. g. Watson, J. D.) of up to 20 authors with the last name preceded by an ampersand (&). For 21 or more authors include the first 19 names followed by an ellipsis (…) and add the last author's name.
  • Title of the Master's thesis: Only the first letter of the first word and proper nouns are capitalized.
  • Publication number: Give the identification number of the thesis, if available.
  • Name of the degree awarding institution: Give the name of the institution.
  • Name of Platform: Give the name of the database, archive or any platform that holds the thesis.
  • URL: If the thesis was found on a database, omit this element.

Here is the basic format for a reference list entry of a master's thesis in APA style 7th edition:

Author(s) of the thesis . ( Year of publication ). Title of the Master's thesis ( Publication number ) [Master's thesis, Name of the degree awarding institution ]. Name of Platform . URL

If the thesis has not been published or is available from a database use the following template:

  • Location: Give the location of the institution. If outside the United States also include the country name.

Author(s) of the thesis . ( Year of publication ). Title of the master's thesis (Unpublished master's thesis). Name of the degree awarding institution , Location .

If the thesis is not published, use the following template:

Author(s) of the thesis . ( Year of publication ). Title of the master's thesis [Unpublished master's thesis]. Name of the degree awarding institution .

APA reference list examples

Take a look at our reference list examples that demonstrate the APA style guidelines for a master's thesis citation in action:

A master's thesis found in an online platform

Bauger, L . ( 2011 ). Personality, passion, self-esteem and psychological well-being among junior elite athletes in Norway ( Master's Thesis ). Retrieved from https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/29a9/ef96c34e577211246b83b11813a2585033c5.pdf
Bauger, L . ( 2011 ). Personality, passion, self-esteem and psychological well-being among junior elite athletes in Norway [ Master's Thesis , University of Tromsø ]. Semantic Scholar . https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/29a9/ef96c34e577211246b83b11813a2585033c5.pdf

An unpublished master's thesis

Aube, K. E . ( 2019 ). A comparison of water main failure prediction models in San Luis Obispo, CA ( Unpublished master's thesis ). Cal Poly , San Luis Obispo, CA .
Aube, K. E . ( 2019 ). A comparison of water main failure prediction models in San Luis Obispo, CA [ Unpublished master's thesis ]. Cal Poly .

apa cover page

This citation style guide is based on the official Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association ( 6 th edition).

More useful guides

  • APA Referencing: Theses
  • Citation Help for APA: Master's Thesis or Project
  • APA Thesis, dissertation or exegesis?

More great BibGuru guides

  • MLA: how to cite a photo
  • AMA: how to cite a film
  • Chicago: how to cite a song

Automatic citations in seconds

Citation generators

Alternative to.

  • NoodleTools
  • Getting started

From our blog

  • 📚 How to write a book report
  • 📝 APA Running Head
  • 📑 How to study for a test

Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

APA Formatting and Style Guide (7th Edition)

OWL logo

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

In-Text Citations

Resources on using in-text citations in APA style

Reference List

Resources on writing an APA style reference list, including citation formats

Other APA Resources

  • Subject guides
  • Citing and referencing

Theses / Dissertations

Citing and referencing: theses / dissertations.

  • In-text citations
  • Reference list
  • Books and book chapters
  • Journals/Periodicals
  • Newspapers/Magazines
  • Government and other reports
  • Legal sources
  • Websites and social media
  • Audio, music and visual media
  • Conferences
  • Dictionaries/Encyclopedias/Guides
  • Theses/Dissertations
  • University course materials
  • Company and Industry reports
  • Patents and Standards
  • Tables and Figures
  • Abbreviations used in referencing
  • Medicine and Health sources
  • Foreign language sources
  • Music scores
  • Journals and periodicals
  • Government sources
  • News sources
  • Web and social media
  • Games and apps
  • Ancient and sacred sources
  • Primary sources
  • Audiovisual media and music scores
  • Images and captions
  • University lectures, theses and dissertations
  • Interviews and personal communication
  • Archival material
  • In-Text Citations: Further Information
  • Reference List: Standard Abbreviations
  • Data Sheets (inc. Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS))
  • Figures & Tables (inc. Images)
  • Lecture Materials (inc. PowerPoint Presentations)
  • Reports & Technical Reports
  • Theses and Dissertations
  • Reference list guidelines
  • Journal articles
  • Government and industry publications
  • Websites, newspaper and social media
  • Conference papers, theses and university material
  • Video and audio
  • Images, graphs, tables, data sets
  • Personal communications
  • In-text Citations
  • Journals / Periodicals
  • Encyclopedias and Dictionaries
  • Interviews and lectures
  • Music Scores / Recordings
  • Film / Video Recording
  • Television / Radio Broadcast
  • Online Communication / Social Media
  • Live Performances
  • Government and Organisation Publications
  • Medicine & health sources
  • Government/organisational/technical reports
  • Images, graphs, tables, figures & data sets
  • Websites newspaper & magazine articles, socia media
  • Conferences, theses & university materials
  • Personal communication & confidential unpublished material
  • Video, audio & other media
  • Generative AI
  • Indigenous knowledges

Vancouver Contents

  • Introduction to Vancouver style
  • Audio and visual media
  • Dictionaries / Encyclopedias
  • Drug information sources
  • Evidence summaries
  • Government / Technical reports
  • Standards and Pharmacopoeias
  • Tables and figures

Before using this guide check with your faculty, school or department for their specific referencing guidelines

Follow these examples closely for all layout, punctuation, spacing and capitalisation.

Enter author's surname, followed by no more than 2 initials.

Only the first word of the Thesis / Dissertation title and words that normally begin with a capital letter are capitalised.

The place of publication is the city in which the conferring institution is located. For US and Canadian cities follow with the two letter state code in Appendix E , for all other cities us the two letter country code in Appendix D .

In cases where the place of publication is not stated, source the location via alternative methods, e.g. location of University and place this in square brackets [ ].

Abbreviate months to their first 3 letters.

Insert Dissertation for a PhD or master's thesis for a master's degree in square brackets [ ] following the title.

If you are estimating the number of pages include the p. after the page number, if you know how many pages that are in the thesis / dissertation, include the p. before the page number.

For further details on citing Theses / Dissertations refer to Chapter 5 - Dissertations and Theses in Citing Medicine.

For electronic Theses / Dissertations include in the citation "on the Internet" inside the square brackets, after the title. Also include the date viewed / cited.

For electronic Theses / Dissertations include in the citation "on microfiche" inside the square brackets, after the title.

  • Privacy Policy

Research Method

Home » References in Research – Types, Examples and Writing Guide

References in Research – Types, Examples and Writing Guide

Table of Contents

References in Research

References in Research

Definition:

References in research are a list of sources that a researcher has consulted or cited while conducting their study. They are an essential component of any academic work, including research papers, theses, dissertations, and other scholarly publications.

Types of References

There are several types of references used in research, and the type of reference depends on the source of information being cited. The most common types of references include:

References to books typically include the author’s name, title of the book, publisher, publication date, and place of publication.

Example: Smith, J. (2018). The Art of Writing. Penguin Books.

Journal Articles

References to journal articles usually include the author’s name, title of the article, name of the journal, volume and issue number, page numbers, and publication date.

Example: Johnson, T. (2021). The Impact of Social Media on Mental Health. Journal of Psychology, 32(4), 87-94.

Web sources

References to web sources should include the author or organization responsible for the content, the title of the page, the URL, and the date accessed.

Example: World Health Organization. (2020). Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) advice for the public. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public

Conference Proceedings

References to conference proceedings should include the author’s name, title of the paper, name of the conference, location of the conference, date of the conference, and page numbers.

Example: Chen, S., & Li, J. (2019). The Future of AI in Education. Proceedings of the International Conference on Educational Technology, Beijing, China, July 15-17, pp. 67-78.

References to reports typically include the author or organization responsible for the report, title of the report, publication date, and publisher.

Example: United Nations. (2020). The Sustainable Development Goals Report. United Nations.

Formats of References

Some common Formates of References with their examples are as follows:

APA (American Psychological Association) Style

The APA (American Psychological Association) Style has specific guidelines for formatting references used in academic papers, articles, and books. Here are the different reference formats in APA style with examples:

Author, A. A. (Year of publication). Title of book. Publisher.

Example : Smith, J. K. (2005). The psychology of social interaction. Wiley-Blackwell.

Journal Article

Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (Year of publication). Title of article. Title of Journal, volume number(issue number), page numbers.

Example : Brown, L. M., Keating, J. G., & Jones, S. M. (2012). The role of social support in coping with stress among African American adolescents. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 22(1), 218-233.

Author, A. A. (Year of publication or last update). Title of page. Website name. URL.

Example : Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020, December 11). COVID-19: How to protect yourself and others. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html

Magazine article

Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day of publication). Title of article. Title of Magazine, volume number(issue number), page numbers.

Example : Smith, M. (2019, March 11). The power of positive thinking. Psychology Today, 52(3), 60-65.

Newspaper article:

Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day of publication). Title of article. Title of Newspaper, page numbers.

Example: Johnson, B. (2021, February 15). New study shows benefits of exercise on mental health. The New York Times, A8.

Edited book

Editor, E. E. (Ed.). (Year of publication). Title of book. Publisher.

Example : Thompson, J. P. (Ed.). (2014). Social work in the 21st century. Sage Publications.

Chapter in an edited book:

Author, A. A. (Year of publication). Title of chapter. In E. E. Editor (Ed.), Title of book (pp. page numbers). Publisher.

Example : Johnson, K. S. (2018). The future of social work: Challenges and opportunities. In J. P. Thompson (Ed.), Social work in the 21st century (pp. 105-118). Sage Publications.

MLA (Modern Language Association) Style

The MLA (Modern Language Association) Style is a widely used style for writing academic papers and essays in the humanities. Here are the different reference formats in MLA style:

Author’s Last name, First name. Title of Book. Publisher, Publication year.

Example : Smith, John. The Psychology of Social Interaction. Wiley-Blackwell, 2005.

Journal article

Author’s Last name, First name. “Title of Article.” Title of Journal, volume number, issue number, Publication year, page numbers.

Example : Brown, Laura M., et al. “The Role of Social Support in Coping with Stress among African American Adolescents.” Journal of Research on Adolescence, vol. 22, no. 1, 2012, pp. 218-233.

Author’s Last name, First name. “Title of Webpage.” Website Name, Publication date, URL.

Example : Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “COVID-19: How to Protect Yourself and Others.” CDC, 11 Dec. 2020, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html.

Author’s Last name, First name. “Title of Article.” Title of Magazine, Publication date, page numbers.

Example : Smith, Mary. “The Power of Positive Thinking.” Psychology Today, Mar. 2019, pp. 60-65.

Newspaper article

Author’s Last name, First name. “Title of Article.” Title of Newspaper, Publication date, page numbers.

Example : Johnson, Bob. “New Study Shows Benefits of Exercise on Mental Health.” The New York Times, 15 Feb. 2021, p. A8.

Editor’s Last name, First name, editor. Title of Book. Publisher, Publication year.

Example : Thompson, John P., editor. Social Work in the 21st Century. Sage Publications, 2014.

Chapter in an edited book

Author’s Last name, First name. “Title of Chapter.” Title of Book, edited by Editor’s First Name Last name, Publisher, Publication year, page numbers.

Example : Johnson, Karen S. “The Future of Social Work: Challenges and Opportunities.” Social Work in the 21st Century, edited by John P. Thompson, Sage Publications, 2014, pp. 105-118.

Chicago Manual of Style

The Chicago Manual of Style is a widely used style for writing academic papers, dissertations, and books in the humanities and social sciences. Here are the different reference formats in Chicago style:

Example : Smith, John K. The Psychology of Social Interaction. Wiley-Blackwell, 2005.

Author’s Last name, First name. “Title of Article.” Title of Journal volume number, no. issue number (Publication year): page numbers.

Example : Brown, Laura M., John G. Keating, and Sarah M. Jones. “The Role of Social Support in Coping with Stress among African American Adolescents.” Journal of Research on Adolescence 22, no. 1 (2012): 218-233.

Author’s Last name, First name. “Title of Webpage.” Website Name. Publication date. URL.

Example : Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “COVID-19: How to Protect Yourself and Others.” CDC. December 11, 2020. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html.

Author’s Last name, First name. “Title of Article.” Title of Magazine, Publication date.

Example : Smith, Mary. “The Power of Positive Thinking.” Psychology Today, March 2019.

Author’s Last name, First name. “Title of Article.” Title of Newspaper, Publication date.

Example : Johnson, Bob. “New Study Shows Benefits of Exercise on Mental Health.” The New York Times, February 15, 2021.

Example : Thompson, John P., ed. Social Work in the 21st Century. Sage Publications, 2014.

Author’s Last name, First name. “Title of Chapter.” In Title of Book, edited by Editor’s First Name Last Name, page numbers. Publisher, Publication year.

Example : Johnson, Karen S. “The Future of Social Work: Challenges and Opportunities.” In Social Work in the 21st Century, edited by John P. Thompson, 105-118. Sage Publications, 2014.

Harvard Style

The Harvard Style, also known as the Author-Date System, is a widely used style for writing academic papers and essays in the social sciences. Here are the different reference formats in Harvard Style:

Author’s Last name, First name. Year of publication. Title of Book. Place of publication: Publisher.

Example : Smith, John. 2005. The Psychology of Social Interaction. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.

Author’s Last name, First name. Year of publication. “Title of Article.” Title of Journal volume number (issue number): page numbers.

Example: Brown, Laura M., John G. Keating, and Sarah M. Jones. 2012. “The Role of Social Support in Coping with Stress among African American Adolescents.” Journal of Research on Adolescence 22 (1): 218-233.

Author’s Last name, First name. Year of publication. “Title of Webpage.” Website Name. URL. Accessed date.

Example : Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2020. “COVID-19: How to Protect Yourself and Others.” CDC. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html. Accessed April 1, 2023.

Author’s Last name, First name. Year of publication. “Title of Article.” Title of Magazine, month and date of publication.

Example : Smith, Mary. 2019. “The Power of Positive Thinking.” Psychology Today, March 2019.

Author’s Last name, First name. Year of publication. “Title of Article.” Title of Newspaper, month and date of publication.

Example : Johnson, Bob. 2021. “New Study Shows Benefits of Exercise on Mental Health.” The New York Times, February 15, 2021.

Editor’s Last name, First name, ed. Year of publication. Title of Book. Place of publication: Publisher.

Example : Thompson, John P., ed. 2014. Social Work in the 21st Century. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Author’s Last name, First name. Year of publication. “Title of Chapter.” In Title of Book, edited by Editor’s First Name Last Name, page numbers. Place of publication: Publisher.

Example : Johnson, Karen S. 2014. “The Future of Social Work: Challenges and Opportunities.” In Social Work in the 21st Century, edited by John P. Thompson, 105-118. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Vancouver Style

The Vancouver Style, also known as the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals, is a widely used style for writing academic papers in the biomedical sciences. Here are the different reference formats in Vancouver Style:

Author’s Last name, First name. Title of Book. Edition number. Place of publication: Publisher; Year of publication.

Example : Smith, John K. The Psychology of Social Interaction. 2nd ed. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell; 2005.

Author’s Last name, First name. Title of Article. Abbreviated Journal Title. Year of publication; volume number(issue number):page numbers.

Example : Brown LM, Keating JG, Jones SM. The Role of Social Support in Coping with Stress among African American Adolescents. J Res Adolesc. 2012;22(1):218-233.

Author’s Last name, First name. Title of Webpage. Website Name [Internet]. Publication date. [cited date]. Available from: URL.

Example : Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. COVID-19: How to Protect Yourself and Others [Internet]. 2020 Dec 11. [cited 2023 Apr 1]. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html.

Author’s Last name, First name. Title of Article. Title of Magazine. Year of publication; month and day of publication:page numbers.

Example : Smith M. The Power of Positive Thinking. Psychology Today. 2019 Mar 1:32-35.

Author’s Last name, First name. Title of Article. Title of Newspaper. Year of publication; month and day of publication:page numbers.

Example : Johnson B. New Study Shows Benefits of Exercise on Mental Health. The New York Times. 2021 Feb 15:A4.

Editor’s Last name, First name, editor. Title of Book. Edition number. Place of publication: Publisher; Year of publication.

Example: Thompson JP, editor. Social Work in the 21st Century. 1st ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications; 2014.

Author’s Last name, First name. Title of Chapter. In: Editor’s Last name, First name, editor. Title of Book. Edition number. Place of publication: Publisher; Year of publication. page numbers.

Example : Johnson KS. The Future of Social Work: Challenges and Opportunities. In: Thompson JP, editor. Social Work in the 21st Century. 1st ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications; 2014. p. 105-118.

Turabian Style

Turabian style is a variation of the Chicago style used in academic writing, particularly in the fields of history and humanities. Here are the different reference formats in Turabian style:

Author’s Last name, First name. Title of Book. Place of publication: Publisher, Year of publication.

Example : Smith, John K. The Psychology of Social Interaction. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, 2005.

Author’s Last name, First name. “Title of Article.” Title of Journal volume number, no. issue number (Year of publication): page numbers.

Example : Brown, LM, Keating, JG, Jones, SM. “The Role of Social Support in Coping with Stress among African American Adolescents.” J Res Adolesc 22, no. 1 (2012): 218-233.

Author’s Last name, First name. “Title of Webpage.” Name of Website. Publication date. Accessed date. URL.

Example : Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “COVID-19: How to Protect Yourself and Others.” CDC. December 11, 2020. Accessed April 1, 2023. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html.

Author’s Last name, First name. “Title of Article.” Title of Magazine, Month Day, Year of publication, page numbers.

Example : Smith, M. “The Power of Positive Thinking.” Psychology Today, March 1, 2019, 32-35.

Author’s Last name, First name. “Title of Article.” Title of Newspaper, Month Day, Year of publication.

Example : Johnson, B. “New Study Shows Benefits of Exercise on Mental Health.” The New York Times, February 15, 2021.

Editor’s Last name, First name, ed. Title of Book. Place of publication: Publisher, Year of publication.

Example : Thompson, JP, ed. Social Work in the 21st Century. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2014.

Author’s Last name, First name. “Title of Chapter.” In Title of Book, edited by Editor’s Last name, First name, page numbers. Place of publication: Publisher, Year of publication.

Example : Johnson, KS. “The Future of Social Work: Challenges and Opportunities.” In Social Work in the 21st Century, edited by Thompson, JP, 105-118. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2014.

IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) Style

IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) style is commonly used in engineering, computer science, and other technical fields. Here are the different reference formats in IEEE style:

Author’s Last name, First name. Book Title. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year of publication.

Example : Oppenheim, A. V., & Schafer, R. W. Discrete-Time Signal Processing. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2010.

Author’s Last name, First name. “Title of Article.” Abbreviated Journal Title, vol. number, no. issue number, pp. page numbers, Month year of publication.

Example: Shannon, C. E. “A Mathematical Theory of Communication.” Bell System Technical Journal, vol. 27, no. 3, pp. 379-423, July 1948.

Conference paper

Author’s Last name, First name. “Title of Paper.” In Title of Conference Proceedings, Place of Conference, Date of Conference, pp. page numbers, Year of publication.

Example: Gupta, S., & Kumar, P. “An Improved System of Linear Discriminant Analysis for Face Recognition.” In Proceedings of the 2011 International Conference on Computer Science and Network Technology, Harbin, China, Dec. 2011, pp. 144-147.

Author’s Last name, First name. “Title of Webpage.” Name of Website. Date of publication or last update. Accessed date. URL.

Example : National Aeronautics and Space Administration. “Apollo 11.” NASA. July 20, 1969. Accessed April 1, 2023. https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/apollo/apollo11.html.

Technical report

Author’s Last name, First name. “Title of Report.” Name of Institution or Organization, Report number, Year of publication.

Example : Smith, J. R. “Development of a New Solar Panel Technology.” National Renewable Energy Laboratory, NREL/TP-6A20-51645, 2011.

Author’s Last name, First name. “Title of Patent.” Patent number, Issue date.

Example : Suzuki, H. “Method of Producing Carbon Nanotubes.” US Patent 7,151,019, December 19, 2006.

Standard Title. Standard number, Publication date.

Example : IEEE Standard for Floating-Point Arithmetic. IEEE Std 754-2008, August 29, 2008

ACS (American Chemical Society) Style

ACS (American Chemical Society) style is commonly used in chemistry and related fields. Here are the different reference formats in ACS style:

Author’s Last name, First name; Author’s Last name, First name. Title of Article. Abbreviated Journal Title Year, Volume, Page Numbers.

Example : Wang, Y.; Zhao, X.; Cui, Y.; Ma, Y. Facile Preparation of Fe3O4/graphene Composites Using a Hydrothermal Method for High-Performance Lithium Ion Batteries. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2012, 4, 2715-2721.

Author’s Last name, First name. Book Title; Publisher: Place of Publication, Year of Publication.

Example : Carey, F. A. Organic Chemistry; McGraw-Hill: New York, 2008.

Author’s Last name, First name. Chapter Title. In Book Title; Editor’s Last name, First name, Ed.; Publisher: Place of Publication, Year of Publication; Volume number, Chapter number, Page Numbers.

Example : Grossman, R. B. Analytical Chemistry of Aerosols. In Aerosol Measurement: Principles, Techniques, and Applications; Baron, P. A.; Willeke, K., Eds.; Wiley-Interscience: New York, 2001; Chapter 10, pp 395-424.

Author’s Last name, First name. Title of Webpage. Website Name, URL (accessed date).

Example : National Institute of Standards and Technology. Atomic Spectra Database. https://www.nist.gov/pml/atomic-spectra-database (accessed April 1, 2023).

Author’s Last name, First name. Patent Number. Patent Date.

Example : Liu, Y.; Huang, H.; Chen, H.; Zhang, W. US Patent 9,999,999, December 31, 2022.

Author’s Last name, First name; Author’s Last name, First name. Title of Article. In Title of Conference Proceedings, Publisher: Place of Publication, Year of Publication; Volume Number, Page Numbers.

Example : Jia, H.; Xu, S.; Wu, Y.; Wu, Z.; Tang, Y.; Huang, X. Fast Adsorption of Organic Pollutants by Graphene Oxide. In Proceedings of the 15th International Conference on Environmental Science and Technology, American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2017; Volume 1, pp 223-228.

AMA (American Medical Association) Style

AMA (American Medical Association) style is commonly used in medical and scientific fields. Here are the different reference formats in AMA style:

Author’s Last name, First name. Article Title. Journal Abbreviation. Year; Volume(Issue):Page Numbers.

Example : Jones, R. A.; Smith, B. C. The Role of Vitamin D in Maintaining Bone Health. JAMA. 2019;321(17):1765-1773.

Author’s Last name, First name. Book Title. Edition number. Place of Publication: Publisher; Year.

Example : Guyton, A. C.; Hall, J. E. Textbook of Medical Physiology. 13th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders; 2015.

Author’s Last name, First name. Chapter Title. In: Editor’s Last name, First name, ed. Book Title. Edition number. Place of Publication: Publisher; Year: Page Numbers.

Example: Rajakumar, K. Vitamin D and Bone Health. In: Holick, M. F., ed. Vitamin D: Physiology, Molecular Biology, and Clinical Applications. 2nd ed. New York, NY: Springer; 2010:211-222.

Author’s Last name, First name. Webpage Title. Website Name. URL. Published date. Updated date. Accessed date.

Example : National Cancer Institute. Breast Cancer Prevention (PDQ®)–Patient Version. National Cancer Institute. https://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/patient/breast-prevention-pdq. Published October 11, 2022. Accessed April 1, 2023.

Author’s Last name, First name. Conference presentation title. In: Conference Title; Conference Date; Place of Conference.

Example : Smith, J. R. Vitamin D and Bone Health: A Meta-Analysis. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research; September 20-23, 2022; San Diego, CA.

Thesis or dissertation

Author’s Last name, First name. Title of Thesis or Dissertation. Degree level [Doctoral dissertation or Master’s thesis]. University Name; Year.

Example : Wilson, S. A. The Effects of Vitamin D Supplementation on Bone Health in Postmenopausal Women [Doctoral dissertation]. University of California, Los Angeles; 2018.

ASCE (American Society of Civil Engineers) Style

The ASCE (American Society of Civil Engineers) style is commonly used in civil engineering fields. Here are the different reference formats in ASCE style:

Author’s Last name, First name. “Article Title.” Journal Title, volume number, issue number (year): page numbers. DOI or URL (if available).

Example : Smith, J. R. “Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Sustainable Drainage Systems in Urban Areas.” Journal of Environmental Engineering, vol. 146, no. 3 (2020): 04020010. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)EE.1943-7870.0001668.

Example : McCuen, R. H. Hydrologic Analysis and Design. 4th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education; 2013.

Author’s Last name, First name. “Chapter Title.” In: Editor’s Last name, First name, ed. Book Title. Edition number. Place of Publication: Publisher; Year: page numbers.

Example : Maidment, D. R. “Floodplain Management in the United States.” In: Shroder, J. F., ed. Treatise on Geomorphology. San Diego, CA: Academic Press; 2013: 447-460.

Author’s Last name, First name. “Paper Title.” In: Conference Title; Conference Date; Location. Place of Publication: Publisher; Year: page numbers.

Example: Smith, J. R. “Sustainable Drainage Systems for Urban Areas.” In: Proceedings of the ASCE International Conference on Sustainable Infrastructure; November 6-9, 2019; Los Angeles, CA. Reston, VA: American Society of Civil Engineers; 2019: 156-163.

Author’s Last name, First name. “Report Title.” Report number. Place of Publication: Publisher; Year.

Example : U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. “Hurricane Sandy Coastal Risk Reduction Program, New York and New Jersey.” Report No. P-15-001. Washington, DC: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; 2015.

CSE (Council of Science Editors) Style

The CSE (Council of Science Editors) style is commonly used in the scientific and medical fields. Here are the different reference formats in CSE style:

Author’s Last name, First Initial. Middle Initial. “Article Title.” Journal Title. Year;Volume(Issue):Page numbers.

Example : Smith, J.R. “Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Sustainable Drainage Systems in Urban Areas.” Journal of Environmental Engineering. 2020;146(3):04020010.

Author’s Last name, First Initial. Middle Initial. Book Title. Edition number. Place of Publication: Publisher; Year.

Author’s Last name, First Initial. Middle Initial. “Chapter Title.” In: Editor’s Last name, First Initial. Middle Initial., ed. Book Title. Edition number. Place of Publication: Publisher; Year:Page numbers.

Author’s Last name, First Initial. Middle Initial. “Paper Title.” In: Conference Title; Conference Date; Location. Place of Publication: Publisher; Year.

Example : Smith, J.R. “Sustainable Drainage Systems for Urban Areas.” In: Proceedings of the ASCE International Conference on Sustainable Infrastructure; November 6-9, 2019; Los Angeles, CA. Reston, VA: American Society of Civil Engineers; 2019.

Author’s Last name, First Initial. Middle Initial. “Report Title.” Report number. Place of Publication: Publisher; Year.

Bluebook Style

The Bluebook style is commonly used in the legal field for citing legal documents and sources. Here are the different reference formats in Bluebook style:

Case citation

Case name, volume source page (Court year).

Example : Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483 (1954).

Statute citation

Name of Act, volume source § section number (year).

Example : Clean Air Act, 42 U.S.C. § 7401 (1963).

Regulation citation

Name of regulation, volume source § section number (year).

Example: Clean Air Act, 40 C.F.R. § 52.01 (2019).

Book citation

Author’s Last name, First Initial. Middle Initial. Book Title. Edition number (if applicable). Place of Publication: Publisher; Year.

Example: Smith, J.R. Legal Writing and Analysis. 3rd ed. New York, NY: Aspen Publishers; 2015.

Journal article citation

Author’s Last name, First Initial. Middle Initial. “Article Title.” Journal Title. Volume number (year): first page-last page.

Example: Garcia, C. “The Right to Counsel: An International Comparison.” International Journal of Legal Information. 43 (2015): 63-94.

Website citation

Author’s Last name, First Initial. Middle Initial. “Page Title.” Website Title. URL (accessed month day, year).

Example : United Nations. “Universal Declaration of Human Rights.” United Nations. https://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights/ (accessed January 3, 2023).

Oxford Style

The Oxford style, also known as the Oxford referencing system or the documentary-note citation system, is commonly used in the humanities, including literature, history, and philosophy. Here are the different reference formats in Oxford style:

Author’s Last name, First name. Book Title. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication.

Example : Smith, John. The Art of Writing. New York: Penguin, 2020.

Author’s Last name, First name. “Article Title.” Journal Title volume, no. issue (year): page range.

Example: Garcia, Carlos. “The Role of Ethics in Philosophy.” Philosophy Today 67, no. 3 (2019): 53-68.

Chapter in an edited book citation

Author’s Last name, First name. “Chapter Title.” In Book Title, edited by Editor’s Name, page range. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication.

Example : Lee, Mary. “Feminism in the 21st Century.” In The Oxford Handbook of Feminism, edited by Jane Smith, 51-69. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2018.

Author’s Last name, First name. “Page Title.” Website Title. URL (accessed day month year).

Example : Jones, David. “The Importance of Learning Languages.” Oxford Language Center. https://www.oxfordlanguagecenter.com/importance-of-learning-languages/ (accessed 3 January 2023).

Dissertation or thesis citation

Author’s Last name, First name. “Title of Dissertation/Thesis.” PhD diss., University Name, Year of Publication.

Example : Brown, Susan. “The Art of Storytelling in American Literature.” PhD diss., University of Oxford, 2020.

Newspaper article citation

Author’s Last name, First name. “Article Title.” Newspaper Title, Month Day, Year.

Example : Robinson, Andrew. “New Developments in Climate Change Research.” The Guardian, September 15, 2022.

AAA (American Anthropological Association) Style

The American Anthropological Association (AAA) style is commonly used in anthropology research papers and journals. Here are the different reference formats in AAA style:

Author’s Last name, First name. Year of Publication. Book Title. Place of Publication: Publisher.

Example : Smith, John. 2019. The Anthropology of Food. New York: Routledge.

Author’s Last name, First name. Year of Publication. “Article Title.” Journal Title volume, no. issue: page range.

Example : Garcia, Carlos. 2021. “The Role of Ethics in Anthropology.” American Anthropologist 123, no. 2: 237-251.

Author’s Last name, First name. Year of Publication. “Chapter Title.” In Book Title, edited by Editor’s Name, page range. Place of Publication: Publisher.

Example: Lee, Mary. 2018. “Feminism in Anthropology.” In The Oxford Handbook of Feminism, edited by Jane Smith, 51-69. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Author’s Last name, First name. Year of Publication. “Page Title.” Website Title. URL (accessed day month year).

Example : Jones, David. 2020. “The Importance of Learning Languages.” Oxford Language Center. https://www.oxfordlanguagecenter.com/importance-of-learning-languages/ (accessed January 3, 2023).

Author’s Last name, First name. Year of Publication. “Title of Dissertation/Thesis.” PhD diss., University Name.

Example : Brown, Susan. 2022. “The Art of Storytelling in Anthropology.” PhD diss., University of California, Berkeley.

Author’s Last name, First name. Year of Publication. “Article Title.” Newspaper Title, Month Day.

Example : Robinson, Andrew. 2021. “New Developments in Anthropology Research.” The Guardian, September 15.

AIP (American Institute of Physics) Style

The American Institute of Physics (AIP) style is commonly used in physics research papers and journals. Here are the different reference formats in AIP style:

Example : Johnson, S. D. 2021. “Quantum Computing and Information.” Journal of Applied Physics 129, no. 4: 043102.

Example : Feynman, Richard. 2018. The Feynman Lectures on Physics. New York: Basic Books.

Example : Jones, David. 2020. “The Future of Quantum Computing.” In The Handbook of Physics, edited by John Smith, 125-136. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Conference proceedings citation

Author’s Last name, First name. Year of Publication. “Title of Paper.” Proceedings of Conference Name, date and location: page range. Place of Publication: Publisher.

Example : Chen, Wei. 2019. “The Applications of Nanotechnology in Solar Cells.” Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Nanotechnology, July 15-17, Tokyo, Japan: 224-229. New York: AIP Publishing.

Example : American Institute of Physics. 2022. “About AIP Publishing.” AIP Publishing. https://publishing.aip.org/about-aip-publishing/ (accessed January 3, 2023).

Patent citation

Author’s Last name, First name. Year of Publication. Patent Number.

Example : Smith, John. 2018. US Patent 9,873,644.

References Writing Guide

Here are some general guidelines for writing references:

  • Follow the citation style guidelines: Different disciplines and journals may require different citation styles (e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago). It is important to follow the specific guidelines for the citation style required.
  • Include all necessary information : Each citation should include enough information for readers to locate the source. For example, a journal article citation should include the author(s), title of the article, journal title, volume number, issue number, page numbers, and publication year.
  • Use proper formatting: Citation styles typically have specific formatting requirements for different types of sources. Make sure to follow the proper formatting for each citation.
  • Order citations alphabetically: If listing multiple sources, they should be listed alphabetically by the author’s last name.
  • Be consistent: Use the same citation style throughout the entire paper or project.
  • Check for accuracy: Double-check all citations to ensure accuracy, including correct spelling of author names and publication information.
  • Use reputable sources: When selecting sources to cite, choose reputable and authoritative sources. Avoid sources that are biased or unreliable.
  • Include all sources: Make sure to include all sources used in the research, including those that were not directly quoted but still informed the work.
  • Use online tools : There are online tools available (e.g., citation generators) that can help with formatting and organizing references.

Purpose of References in Research

References in research serve several purposes:

  • To give credit to the original authors or sources of information used in the research. It is important to acknowledge the work of others and avoid plagiarism.
  • To provide evidence for the claims made in the research. References can support the arguments, hypotheses, or conclusions presented in the research by citing relevant studies, data, or theories.
  • To allow readers to find and verify the sources used in the research. References provide the necessary information for readers to locate and access the sources cited in the research, which allows them to evaluate the quality and reliability of the information presented.
  • To situate the research within the broader context of the field. References can show how the research builds on or contributes to the existing body of knowledge, and can help readers to identify gaps in the literature that the research seeks to address.

Importance of References in Research

References play an important role in research for several reasons:

  • Credibility : By citing authoritative sources, references lend credibility to the research and its claims. They provide evidence that the research is based on a sound foundation of knowledge and has been carefully researched.
  • Avoidance of Plagiarism : References help researchers avoid plagiarism by giving credit to the original authors or sources of information. This is important for ethical reasons and also to avoid legal repercussions.
  • Reproducibility : References allow others to reproduce the research by providing detailed information on the sources used. This is important for verification of the research and for others to build on the work.
  • Context : References provide context for the research by situating it within the broader body of knowledge in the field. They help researchers to understand where their work fits in and how it builds on or contributes to existing knowledge.
  • Evaluation : References provide a means for others to evaluate the research by allowing them to assess the quality and reliability of the sources used.

Advantages of References in Research

There are several advantages of including references in research:

  • Acknowledgment of Sources: Including references gives credit to the authors or sources of information used in the research. This is important to acknowledge the original work and avoid plagiarism.
  • Evidence and Support : References can provide evidence to support the arguments, hypotheses, or conclusions presented in the research. This can add credibility and strength to the research.
  • Reproducibility : References provide the necessary information for others to reproduce the research. This is important for the verification of the research and for others to build on the work.
  • Context : References can help to situate the research within the broader body of knowledge in the field. This helps researchers to understand where their work fits in and how it builds on or contributes to existing knowledge.
  • Evaluation : Including references allows others to evaluate the research by providing a means to assess the quality and reliability of the sources used.
  • Ongoing Conversation: References allow researchers to engage in ongoing conversations and debates within their fields. They can show how the research builds on or contributes to the existing body of knowledge.

About the author

' src=

Muhammad Hassan

Researcher, Academic Writer, Web developer

You may also like

Data collection

Data Collection – Methods Types and Examples

Delimitations

Delimitations in Research – Types, Examples and...

Research Process

Research Process – Steps, Examples and Tips

Research Design

Research Design – Types, Methods and Examples

Institutional Review Board (IRB)

Institutional Review Board – Application Sample...

Evaluating Research

Evaluating Research – Process, Examples and...

On Karolinska institutets websites, we use cookies in order for the websites to work well for you. Cookies on the website

Karolinska Institutet

Student blogs

Thesis writing 101: essential tools and apps to make your life easier.

Writing a thesis requires careful planning, organization, and execution. Fortunately, there are numerous tools and apps available to help streamline the writing process, increase productivity, and ensure that your thesis is well-crafted. As a student wrapping up the experiments and writing the master’s thesis, today I will write about the tools that I’ve been using that helped and supported me a lot during the last few months.

Reference management

Keeping track of references and citations is an essential aspect of thesis writing. Reference management software like Zotero, Mendeley, or EndNote can help you efficiently organize your sources, create bibliographies, and cite references in your thesis according to your preferred citation style. I use Zotero which is free, easy to use and has an add-on for Microsoft Word. Personally, the add-on has been a life-saver, as I don’t need to keep track of the citation numbers or style and can change all these things with a click. All of these tools also offer features such as PDF annotation, and collaboration options (if you want to share the articles you have found with your supervisor).

Writing and editing

Most KI students are international and most of us use English as our second language, so it is normal to make grammar or spelling mistakes. However, writing a thesis requires clarity, coherence, and precision. Writing and editing tools such as Grammarly, Hemingway Editor, and ProWritingAid can help you with these kinds of mistakes. I use Grammarly to catch these mistakes early on. However, all these tools offer suggestions for sentence structure, grammar errors, and word choice, allowing you to refine your writing and convey your ideas more effectively.

Mind mapping

If you are stuck in your writing process, mind mapping can be a valuable technique for this. I use it while brainstorming ideas with my supervisor, and structuring my thesis outline. There are numerous tools like XMind, or Freeform (free app on Mac). However, I usually use paper and a pen (not always have to be Gen-Z 😂) to sketch ideas and have a mind/road map. I definitely recommend this technique if you are struggling with how to structure your thesis or ideas in your head.

A good calendar is always needed to be time efficient. It is good to not forget your tasks, but also it is a good indicator of whether you are living a balanced life or not. I use my calendar daily and add everything I might forget immediately. There are lots of calendar apps out there, however, I got used to Google Calendar and now it is my lifesaver. I suggest trying out apps or writing down your daily schedule.

Backup and sync

Protecting your thesis work from loss is essential. Backup and sync tools like Dropbox, Google Drive, or Microsoft OneDrive (KI students have a subscription to this) provide reliable cloud storage solutions for backing up your thesis documents and ensuring that your work is securely stored and accessible from anywhere. These tools offer automatic syncing and version history, so if you accidentally delete something you always have a way to save it :). In addition, I use these tools to file share with my supervisor as some of the data that I produce are too big to store on my own computer.

Note-taking apps

Gathering and organizing research materials is an integral part of thesis writing. Note-taking tools like Evernote, OneNote, or Notion provide a centralized platform for capturing ideas, taking notes, and storing research findings. Notion app can get a bit complicated, so try to learn how to use it efficiently before the project starts :). For easy use, I use Google Docs to take notes since I’ve discovered some add-ons that are very helpful on that app and it is also directly synced to my accounts. It is very important to utilize note-taking tools as you don’t want to miss out on anything you did 3 months ago while writing your thesis.

Hope you will find some of these tools useful and write a great thesis! Good luck with your experiments/writing!

If you have any questions you can drop a comment below or send me an e-mail.

See you in the next blog!

Yagmur - Molecular Techniques in Life Science

My name is Yağmur, and I am from Turkey. I am a student on the Master’s Programme in Molecular Techniques in Life Science. Living in Sweden and studying at KI started as a dream, yet here I am (my life motto “everything is possible” still holds until further notice). In my free time, I like watching movies and listening to music from all around the world. I enjoy sharing my experiences in life. So, if everyone is ready, welcome to my blog and let’s begin the journey…

Related posts

Welcome aboard the master of health informatics at karolinska institutet.

Martin - Health Informatics

Hello, and a huge congratulations to each one of you who’ve been accepted into the Master of Health Informatics program at Karolinska Institutet (KI)! It’s an extraordinary accomplishment to secure […]

Grill-a-GH-student: the most common questions I’ve been asked about Global Health (Part 2)

Emily - Global Health

Hej and welcome back! Here’s a continuation of the most common questions I’ve been asked as the Digital Ambassador (DA) for the Global Health Masters programme. There may even be […]

Dial-a-DA: the most common questions I’ve been asked about Global Health (Part 1)

Hej all! Over the past couple of months, I’ve had the pleasure of answering questions from many prospective and incoming Global Health students. During this process, I’ve realised that many […]

  • Follow us on Instagram
  • Follow us on Youtube

Recent Posts

  • Ask-an-ambassador: the most common questions I’ve been asked about Global Health (Part 3) 2 May, 2024
  • Navigating residence permit application process 30 April, 2024
  • Thesis Writing 101: Essential tools and apps to make your life easier 30 April, 2024
  • Thriving in academic life: health and wellness tips for students 29 April, 2024
  • Meet the ToxMaster class of 2025! 23 April, 2024

You are using an outdated browser. Upgrading your browser gives you a better surf experience.

Either your browser does not support javascript, or javascript is disabled. This site works best if you enable javascript .

writing thesis referencing

  • Engaging With Sources Effectively

by acburton | Apr 30, 2024 | Resources for Students , Writing Resources

We’ve talked about the three ways to integrate sources effectively that allow writers to provide evidence and support for their argument, enter the scholarly conversation, and give credit to the original authors of the work that has helped and informed them. Sources also encourage writers to share their own knowledge and authority with others, help readers find additional sources related to the topic they are interested in, and protect you by giving credit where credit is due (thus avoiding plagiarism). In other words, sources are much more than just something we add on at the end of our writing!

When writing about a source or simply referencing it, we are positioning ourselves in response to, or in conversation with that source, with the goal of focusing our writing on our own argument/thesis. Sources do not stand on their own within a piece of writing and that is why, alongside finding strong and reputable sources worth responding to and making sure that we fully understand sources (even before writing about them), it is critical to engage with our sources in meaningful ways. But how exactly do we effectively engage with our sources in our writing?

Joseph Harris, in How To Do Things with Texts , presents four different ways of “rewriting the work of others”, three of which provide insight into the how of engaging sources. When a writer forwards the work of another writer, they are applying the concepts, topics, or terms from one reading, text, or situation to a different reading, text or situation. By countering the ideas found in source material, a writer argues “against the grain of a text” by underlining and countering ideas that a writer may be in disagreement with. Taking an approach is the adaptation of a theory or method from one writer to a new set of issues or texts. Harris’ book provides a thorough classification of methods to engage with a source. For something a little simpler, here are three basic ways you can get started effectively engaging with sources (Harris 5-7).

3 Basic Ways to Engage with Sources Effectively

  • Disagree and Explain Why. Persuade your reader that the argument or information in a source should be questioned or challenged.
  • Agree, But With Your Own Take. Add something new to the conversation. Expand a source’s insights or argument to a new situation or your own example. Provide new evidence and discuss new implications.
  • Agree and Disagree Simultaneously. This is a nuanced approach to complex sources or complex topics. You can, for example, agree with a source’s overall thesis, but disagree with some of its reasoning or evidence.

Remember that this is not an exhaustive list. When engaging with others’ sources as a way to support our own ideas and argument, it is crucial that we engage with critical thinking, nuance, and objectivity to ensure that we are constructing unbiased, thoughtful, and compelling arguments.

Some of the different areas throughout your essay that will benefit from effective engagement with source material include: your thesis statement, analysis, and conclusion.

  • Thesis Statement. The argument that you make in your thesis statement can challenge, weaken, support, or strengthen what is being argued by your source or sources.

Analysis. Thorough analysis in your body paragraphs emphasize the role of your argument in comparison to that found in your source material. Bring your analysis back to your thesis statement to reinforce the connection between the two.

  • Conclusion. Consider the “big picture” or “takeaways” to leave your reader with.

There are many other, sometimes optional, essay sections or writing styles that benefit from critical engagement with a source. These can include literature reviews, reflections, critiques, and so on.

Strategies for Engaging Critically From Start to Finish

  • Aim to dig deeper than surface level. Ask the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of a source, as well as ‘how’ and ‘why’ it is relevant to the topic at hand and the argument you are making.
  • Ask yourself if you’ve addressed every possible question, concern, critique, or “what if” that comes to mind; put yourself in the place of your readers.
  • Use TEAL body paragraph development as a template and guide for developing thorough analysis in your body paragraphs. Effectively engaging with your sources is essential to the analysis portion of the TEAL formula and to creating meaningful engagement with your sources.
  • Visit the Writing Center for additional support on crafting engaging analyses and for other ways to engage with your source material from thesis to conclusion.

Our Newest Resources!

  • Revision vs. Proofreading
  • The Dos and Don’ts of Using Tables and Figures in Your Writing
  • Synthesis and Making Connections for Strong Analysis
  • Writing Strong Titles

Additional Resources

  • Graduate Writing Consultants
  • Instructor Resources
  • Student Resources
  • Quick Guides and Handouts
  • Self-Guided and Directed Learning Activities
  • Link to facebook
  • Link to linkedin
  • Link to twitter
  • Link to youtube
  • Writing Tips

How to Cite a Thesis or Dissertation in IEEE Referencing

How to Cite a Thesis or Dissertation in IEEE Referencing

2-minute read

  • 24th March 2021

Did you know you can cite someone else’s thesis or dissertation in your own work? In this post, we’ll explain how this works in IEEE referencing .

Citing a Thesis or Dissertation in IEEE Referencing

In-text citations in IEEE referencing use numbers in square brackets:

Reactive forensics focuses on an incident after it has occurred [1].

These numbers point to sources in the reference list, with sources numbered in the order you cite them (i.e., the first source is always [1], the second is [2], and so on).

For more on citing sources IEEE style, see our blog post on the subject .

Adding a Thesis or Dissertation in an IEEE Reference List

In an IEEE reference list, the basic format for a thesis or dissertation is:

[#] INITIAL (S). Surname, “Title of thesis or dissertation,” Qualification Type, Department Name, University Name, City of University, State/Country, Year.

If possible, you should abbreviate any commonly used terms from this list in the entry (e.g., “University” is usually abbreviated to just “Univ.”).

You can see how this might look in practice below:

Find this useful?

Subscribe to our newsletter and get writing tips from our editors straight to your inbox.

[1] C. P. Clark, “A digital forensic management framework,” MSc Dissertation, Dept. of Comput. Sci., Univ. of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK, 2020.

Make sure to include the hanging indent in all references as well.

Theses and Dissertations Accessed Online

If you accessed a thesis or dissertation online, give either a URL or DOI at the end of the reference. The exact format depends on which you give:

  • For a URL (i.e., a regular web address), include “[Online]” and the URL itself with no final punctuation at the end of the reference.
  • For a DOI , add the DOI after a comma and end the reference with a period.

You can see examples of both styles below:

[1] C. P. Clark, “A digital forensic management framework,” MSc Dissertation, Dept. of Comput. Sci., Univ. of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK, 2020. [Online]. Available: http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/1923/

[2] B. S. Bello, “Reverse engineering the behaviour of Twitter bots,” PhD Thesis, School of Informatics, Univ. of Leicester, Leicester, UK, Year, doi: 10.25392/leicester.data.12662456.v1.

Otherwise, though, the reference format is the same as shown above.

Expert IEEE Proofreading

Hopefully, you now feel confident citing a thesis or a dissertation in IEEE style. If you’d like further help checking your references, why not submit a free sample document and select IEEE referencing on upload to see how our experts work?

Share this article:

Post A New Comment

Got content that needs a quick turnaround? Let us polish your work. Explore our editorial business services.

3-minute read

How to Insert a Text Box in a Google Doc

Google Docs is a powerful collaborative tool, and mastering its features can significantly enhance your...

How to Cite the CDC in APA

If you’re writing about health issues, you might need to reference the Centers for Disease...

5-minute read

Six Product Description Generator Tools for Your Product Copy

Introduction If you’re involved with ecommerce, you’re likely familiar with the often painstaking process of...

What Is a Content Editor?

Are you interested in learning more about the role of a content editor and the...

4-minute read

The Benefits of Using an Online Proofreading Service

Proofreading is important to ensure your writing is clear and concise for your readers. Whether...

6 Online AI Presentation Maker Tools

Creating presentations can be time-consuming and frustrating. Trying to construct a visually appealing and informative...

Logo Harvard University

Make sure your writing is the best it can be with our expert English proofreading and editing.

Start Preparation for UGC NET Exam 2024 at Just ₹2999

Scholarify.in

Thesis and Article Writing: Format & Styles of Referencing

Thesis and Article Writing

Thesis and Article writing: The thesis is a treatise that represents the fulfillment of the scholarly aspiration of the student. A good thesis should be clear and unambiguous and have a logical structure that should assist the reader’s understanding of the argument being presented and not obscure it. In order to achieve this objective, the layout and physical appearance of the thesis should conform to a set pattern.

Note: The following format of thesis writing is the general standard and accepted format. But, universities and institutions have their own prescribed formats with this core structure of thesis writing. Please consider the specific format suggested by your institutions, organisations, and universities.

Example: Guidelines for Thesis writing suggested by an Institution

Thesis and Article Writing

The generally accepted format of thesis or report writing tend to be produced in the following way:

  • Title of the Research Project,
  • Name of the researcher,
  • Purpose of the research project, e.g., “A research project submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of National Council for Hotel Management and Catering Technology, New Delhi for the degree of PhD in Hospitality and Hotel Administration”
  • Date of Publication

Table of Contents

This section consists of the contents of the report, either in chapters or in subheadings.

List of Tables

This section includes title and page number of all tables

List of Figures

This section contains the title and page number of all graphs, pie charts, etc.

Acknowledgements

Here, the researcher may acknowledge Institute Principal, Faculty Guide, both research guide and technical guide, research participants, friends etc.

Introduction

This section introduces the research setting out aims and objectives. It includes a rationale for the research.

Theoretical Framework and Review of Literature

This section is included all your background research, which may be obtained from the literature review. You must indicate where all the information has come, so remember to keep a complete record of everything you read. If you do not do this, you could be accused of plagiarism which is a form of intellectual theft. When you are referring to a particular book or journal article, use the Harvard system.

Research design

This section includes all practical details followed for research. After reading this, any interested party should be able to replicate the research study. The methods used for data collection, how many people took part, how they were chosen, what tool was used for data collection, how the data was analysed etc.

Data Analysis and Interpretation

If you have conducted a large quantitative survey, this section may contain tables, graphs, pie charts, and associated statistics. If you have conducted a qualitative piece of research, this section may be descriptive prose.

Summary and Conclusion

In this section, you sum up your findings and draw conclusions from them, perhaps in relation to other research or literature.

Recommendation

If you have conducted a piece of research for a hotel or any other client organization, this section could be the most important part of the report. A list of clear recommendations that have been developed from the research is included. Sometimes, this section is included at the beginning of the report.

Suggestion for Further Research

It is useful in both academic reports and work-related reports to include a section that shows how the research can be continued. Perhaps some results are inconclusive, or perhaps the research has thrown up many more research questions that need to be addressed. It is useful to include this section because it shows that you are aware of the wider picture and that you are not trying to cover up something which you feel may be lacking in your own work.

List of References/Bibliography

  • List of references contains details only of those works cited in the text.
  • A bibliography includes sources not cited in the text, but which are relevant to the subject. (larger dissertations or thesis)
  • Small research projects will need only a reference section. It includes all the literature to which you have referred in your report.

List of publications: List of publications obtained by the student from the PhD work should be included in the Thesis. Students are strongly encouraged to place the accepted versions of the manuscripts (maximum two), which were an integral part of thesis work.

Curriculum vitae (optional): Provide one-page giving academic qualifications, academic achievements and list of publications.

Appendices (optional): Appendices may include the formulas, diagrams, protocols, or any similar data that are not contained in the body of the thesis. The number can be given as A-1, A-2 and listed as such in the table of contents.

FORMAT OF CITATIONS/REFERENCES

Citations or in-text citations are similar to references but occur in the body of the text with direct quotes and paraphrases to identify the author/publication for the material you have used. Citations are used:

  • to show which reference supports a particular statement
  • for direct quotes – when you repeat a passage from a text (or speech, video, etc.) in your assignment without changing any words
  • when you paraphrase – this is when you use your own words to restate the meaning of a text in your assignment.

One of the most important things to remember is that every citation should also have a corresponding entry in your reference list.

A reference list is a list of the resources that you used when writing your assignment or doing your research.

These resources may include:

  • books, including electronic books, journals (online and paper-based)
  • online sources including websites, blogs, and forums
  • conference papers, proceedings, and theses
  • other sources of information such as film, television, video, etc.

Reference lists come at the end of an assignment and are arranged in alphabetical order, usually by author or editor. If there is not an author or an editor, the title is used.

Comparison Between Citation and Reference

(source: keydifferences.com)

Types of Citation/ References Styles (Thesis Article Writing)

The followings are a few important styles of citation or referencing during thesis and article writing:

MLA (Modern Language Associatio n) style:

It is most commonly used to write papers and cite sources within the liberal arts and humanities.

Book – Kothari, Chakravanti Rajagopalachari. Research methodology: Methods and techniques. New Age International, 2004.

Journal – Ghosh, Madhusudan. “Micro-Finance and Rural Poverty in India SHG-Bank Linkage Programme.” Journal of Rural Development 31.3 (2012): 347-363.

APA (American Psychological Association):

It is most commonly used to cite sources within the health sciences and social sciences fields.

Book – Kothari, C. R. (2004). Research methodology: Methods and techniques. New Age International.

Journal – Ghosh, M. (2012). Micro-Finance and Rural Poverty in India SHG-Bank Linkage Programme. Journal of Rural Development, 31(3), 347-363.

Chicago Manual of Style, are quite flexible and cover both parenthetical and note citation systems.

Journal – Ghosh, Madhusudan. “Micro-Finance and Rural Poverty in India SHG-Bank Linkage Programme.” Journal of Rural Development 31, no. 3 (2012): 347-363.

Parenthetical referencing, also known as Harvard referencing:

It is a citation style in which partial citations—for example, “(Smith 2010, p. 1)”—are enclosed within parentheses and embedded in the text, either within or after a sentence.

Book – Kothari, C.R., 2004. Research methodology: Methods and techniques. New Age International.

Journal – Ghosh, M., 2012. Micro-Finance and Rural Poverty in India SHG-Bank Linkage Programme. Journal of Rural Development, 31(3), pp.347-363.

The Vancouver system:

It is also known as Vancouver reference style or the author–number system, is a citation style that uses numbers within the text that refer to numbered entries in the reference list.

Book – Kothari CR. Research methodology: Methods and techniques. New Age International; 2004.

Journal – Ghosh M. Micro-Finance and Rural Poverty in India SHG-Bank Linkage Programme. Journal of Rural Development. 2012 Sep 1;31(3):347-63.

Standard Format for Printing a report:

Note: The format of Thesis and Article writing, mentioned above, is a general and standard format. Please follow your universities or institutions guidelines for writing a thesis and articles.

Related Topics

UGC NET Syllabus (Updated): Paper 1 and 2 (Download) Solved Question Papers of UGC NET Paper 1 UGC NET Study Materials for Paper 1 (Download PDF) MPhil and PhD Fellowship

Related Posts

Professional, technical and skill based education | ugc net paper 1.

The Indian education system is based on (10+2+3) pattern under the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD). The MHRD was created on September 26, 1985,…

Read More »

Mass Media and Society | Communication | Paper 1

Mass Media and Society Mass media are the means of public communication reaching to the large, scattered, heterogeneous and anonymous audience at the same time.…

Research | Meaning, Types, Characteristics, Positivism

Research: Meaning, Types and Characteristics When you say that you are undertaking a research study to find answers to a question, you are implying that…

Mathematical Aptitude | Reasoning | UGC NET Paper 1

Mathematical Aptitude is a way to identify the basic mathematical skill of the candidates. We all aware of the fact that after clearing the UGC…

Start typing and press enter to search

  • Free Tools for Students
  • Harvard Referencing Generator

Free Harvard Referencing Generator

Generate accurate Harvard reference lists quickly and for FREE, with MyBib!

🤔 What is a Harvard Referencing Generator?

A Harvard Referencing Generator is a tool that automatically generates formatted academic references in the Harvard style.

It takes in relevant details about a source -- usually critical information like author names, article titles, publish dates, and URLs -- and adds the correct punctuation and formatting required by the Harvard referencing style.

The generated references can be copied into a reference list or bibliography, and then collectively appended to the end of an academic assignment. This is the standard way to give credit to sources used in the main body of an assignment.

👩‍🎓 Who uses a Harvard Referencing Generator?

Harvard is the main referencing style at colleges and universities in the United Kingdom and Australia. It is also very popular in other English-speaking countries such as South Africa, Hong Kong, and New Zealand. University-level students in these countries are most likely to use a Harvard generator to aid them with their undergraduate assignments (and often post-graduate too).

🙌 Why should I use a Harvard Referencing Generator?

A Harvard Referencing Generator solves two problems:

  • It provides a way to organise and keep track of the sources referenced in the content of an academic paper.
  • It ensures that references are formatted correctly -- inline with the Harvard referencing style -- and it does so considerably faster than writing them out manually.

A well-formatted and broad bibliography can account for up to 20% of the total grade for an undergraduate-level project, and using a generator tool can contribute significantly towards earning them.

⚙️ How do I use MyBib's Harvard Referencing Generator?

Here's how to use our reference generator:

  • If citing a book, website, journal, or video: enter the URL or title into the search bar at the top of the page and press the search button.
  • Choose the most relevant results from the list of search results.
  • Our generator will automatically locate the source details and format them in the correct Harvard format. You can make further changes if required.
  • Then either copy the formatted reference directly into your reference list by clicking the 'copy' button, or save it to your MyBib account for later.

MyBib supports the following for Harvard style:

🍏 What other versions of Harvard referencing exist?

There isn't "one true way" to do Harvard referencing, and many universities have their own slightly different guidelines for the style. Our generator can adapt to handle the following list of different Harvard styles:

  • Cite Them Right
  • Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU)
  • University of the West of England (UWE)

Image of daniel-elias

Daniel is a qualified librarian, former teacher, and citation expert. He has been contributing to MyBib since 2018.

Disclaimer: Early release articles are not considered as final versions. Any changes will be reflected in the online version in the month the article is officially released.

Volume 30, Number 7—July 2024

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1) Clade 2.3.4.4b Virus Infection in Domestic Dairy Cattle and Cats, United States, 2024

Suggested citation for this article

We report highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) virus in dairy cattle and cats in Kansas and Texas, United States, which reflects the continued spread of clade 2.3.4.4b viruses that entered the country in late 2021. Infected cattle experienced nonspecific illness, reduced feed intake and rumination, and an abrupt drop in milk production, but fatal systemic influenza infection developed in domestic cats fed raw (unpasteurized) colostrum and milk from affected cows. Cow-to-cow transmission appears to have occurred because infections were observed in cattle on Michigan, Idaho, and Ohio farms where avian influenza virus–infected cows were transported. Although the US Food and Drug Administration has indicated the commercial milk supply remains safe, the detection of influenza virus in unpasteurized bovine milk is a concern because of potential cross-species transmission. Continued surveillance of highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses in domestic production animals is needed to prevent cross-species and mammal-to-mammal transmission.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses pose a threat to wild birds and poultry globally, and HPAI H5N1 viruses are of even greater concern because of their frequent spillover into mammals. In late 2021, the Eurasian strain of H5N1 (clade 2.3.4.4b) was detected in North America ( 1 , 2 ) and initiated an outbreak that continued into 2024. Spillover detections and deaths from this clade have been reported in both terrestrial and marine mammals in the United States ( 3 , 4 ). The detection of HPAI H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b virus in severe cases of human disease in Ecuador ( 5 ) and Chile ( 6 ) raises further concerns regarding the pandemic potential of specific HPAI viruses.

In February 2024, veterinarians were alerted to a syndrome occurring in lactating dairy cattle in the panhandle region of northern Texas. Nonspecific illness accompanied by reduced feed intake and rumination and an abrupt drop in milk production developed in affected animals. The milk from most affected cows had a thickened, creamy yellow appearance similar to colostrum. On affected farms, incidence appeared to peak 4–6 days after the first animals were affected and then tapered off within 10–14 days; afterward, most animals were slowly returned to regular milking. Clinical signs were commonly reported in multiparous cows during middle to late lactation; ≈10%–15% illness and minimal death of cattle were observed on affected farms. Initial submissions of blood, urine, feces, milk, and nasal swab samples and postmortem tissues to regional diagnostic laboratories did not reveal a consistent, specific cause for reduced milk production. Milk cultures were often negative, and serum chemistry testing showed mildly increased aspartate aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyl transferase, creatinine kinase, and bilirubin values, whereas complete blood counts showed variable anemia and leukocytopenia.

In early March 2024, similar clinical cases were reported in dairy cattle in southwestern Kansas and northeastern New Mexico; deaths of wild birds and domestic cats were also observed within affected sites in the Texas panhandle. In > 1 dairy farms in Texas, deaths occurred in domestic cats fed raw colostrum and milk from sick cows that were in the hospital parlor. Antemortem clinical signs in affected cats were depressed mental state, stiff body movements, ataxia, blindness, circling, and copious oculonasal discharge. Neurologic exams of affected cats revealed the absence of menace reflexes and pupillary light responses with a weak blink response.

On March 21, 2024, milk, serum, and fresh and fixed tissue samples from cattle located in affected dairies in Texas and 2 deceased cats from an affected Texas dairy farm were received at the Iowa State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (ISUVDL; Ames, IA, USA). The next day, similar sets of samples were received from cattle located in affected dairies in Kansas. Milk and tissue samples from cattle and tissue samples from the cats tested positive for influenza A virus (IAV) by screening PCR, which was confirmed and characterized as HPAI H5N1 virus by the US Department of Agriculture National Veterinary Services Laboratory. Detection led to an initial press release by the US Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service on March 25, 2024, confirming HPAI virus in dairy cattle ( 7 ). We report the characterizations performed at the ISUVDL for HPAI H5N1 viruses infecting cattle and cats in Kansas and Texas.

Materials and Methods

Milk samples (cases 2–5) and fresh and formalin-fixed tissues (cases 1, 3–5) from dairy cattle were received at the ISUVDL from Texas on March 21 and from Kansas on March 22, 2024. The cattle exhibited nonspecific illness and reduced lactation, as described previously. The tissue samples for diagnostic testing came from 3 cows that were euthanized and 3 that died naturally; all postmortem examinations were performed on the premises of affected farms.

The bodies of 2 adult domestic shorthaired cats from a north Texas dairy farm were received at the ISUVDL for a complete postmortem examination on March 21, 2024. The cats were found dead with no apparent signs of injury and were from a resident population of ≈24 domestic cats that had been fed milk from sick cows. Clinical disease in cows on that farm was first noted on March 16; the cats became sick on March 17, and several cats died in a cluster during March 19–20. In total, >50% of the cats at that dairy became ill and died. We collected cerebrum, cerebellum, eye, lung, heart, spleen, liver, lymph node, and kidney tissue samples from the cats and placed them in 10% neutral-buffered formalin for histopathology.

At ISUVDL, we trimmed, embedded in paraffin, and processed formalin-fixed tissues from affected cattle and cats for hematoxylin/eosin staining and histologic evaluation. For immunohistochemistry (IHC), we prepared 4-µm–thick sections from paraffin-embedded tissues, placed them on Superfrost Plus slides (VWR, https://www.vwr.com ), and dried them for 20 minutes at 60°C. We used a Ventana Discovery Ultra IHC/ISH research platform (Roche, https://www.roche.com ) for deparaffinization until and including counterstaining. We obtained all products except the primary antibody from Roche. Automated deparaffination was followed by enzymatic digestion with protease 1 for 8 minutes at 37°C and endogenous peroxidase blocking. We obtained the primary influenza A virus antibody from the hybridoma cell line H16-L10–4R5 (ATCC, https://www.atcc.org ) and diluted at 1:100 in Discovery PSS diluent; we incubated sections with antibody for 32 minutes at room temperature. Next, we incubated the sections with a hapten-labeled conjugate, Discovery anti-mouse HQ, for 16 minutes at 37°C followed by a 16-minute incubation with the horse radish peroxidase conjugate, Discovery anti-HQ HRP. We used a ChromoMap DAB kit for antigen visualization, followed by counterstaining with hematoxylin and then bluing. Positive controls were sections of IAV-positive swine lung. Negative controls were sections of brain, lung, and eyes from cats not infected with IAV.

We diluted milk samples 1:3 vol/vol in phosphate buffered saline, pH 7.4 (Gibco/Thermo Fisher Scientific, https://www.thermofisher.com ) by mixing 1 unit volume of milk and 3 unit volumes of phosphate buffered saline. We prepared 10% homogenates of mammary glands, brains, lungs, spleens, and lymph nodes in Earle’s balanced salt solution (Sigma-Aldrich, https://www.sigmaaldrich.com ). Processing was not necessary for ocular fluid, rumen content, or serum samples. After processing, we extracted samples according to a National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN) protocol that had 2 NAHLN-approved deviations for ISUVDL consisting of the MagMax Viral RNA Isolation Kit for 100 µL sample volumes and a Kingfisher Flex instrument (both Thermo Fisher Scientific).

We performed real-time reverse transcription PCR (rRT-PCR) by using an NAHLN-approved assay with 1 deviation, which was the VetMAX-Gold SIV Detection kit (Thermo Fisher Scientific), to screen for the presence of IAV RNA. We tested samples along with the VetMAX XENO Internal Positive Control to monitor the possible presence of PCR inhibitors. Each rRT-PCR 96-well plate had 2 positive amplification controls, 2 negative amplification controls, 1 positive extraction control, and 1 negative extraction control. We ran the rRT-PCR on an ABI 7500 Fast thermocycler and analyzed data with Design and Analysis Software 2.7.0 (both Thermo Fisher Scientific). We considered samples with cycle threshold (Ct) values <40.0 to be positive for virus.

After the screening rRT-PCR, we analyzed IAV RNA–positive samples for the H5 subtype and H5 clade 2.3.4.4b by using the same RNA extraction and NAHLN-approved rRT-PCR protocols as described previously, according to standard operating procedures. We performed PCR on the ABI 7500 Fast thermocycler by using appropriate controls to detect H5-specific IAV. We considered samples with Ct values <40.0 to be positive for the IAV H5 subtype.

We conducted genomic sequencing of 2 milk samples from infected dairy cattle from Texas and 2 tissue samples (lung and brain) from cats that died at a different Texas dairy. We subjected the whole-genome sequencing data to bioinformatics analysis to assemble the 8 different IAV segment sequences according to previously described methods ( 8 ). We used the hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) sequences for phylogenetic analysis. We obtained reference sequences for the HA and NA segments of IAV H5 clade 2.3.4.4 from publicly available databases, including GISAID ( https://www.gisaid.org ) and GenBank. We aligned the sequences by using MAFFT version 7.520 software ( https://mafft.cbrc.jp/alignment/server/index.html ) to create multiple sequence alignments for subsequent phylogenetic analysis. We used IQTree2 ( https://github.com/iqtree/iqtree2 ) to construct the phylogenetic tree from the aligned sequences. The software was configured to automatically identify the optimal substitution model by using the ModelFinder Plus option, ensuring the selection of the most suitable model for the dataset and, thereby, improving the accuracy of the reconstructed tree. We visualized the resulting phylogenetic tree by using iTOL ( https://itol.embl.de ), a web-based platform for interactive tree exploration and annotation.

Gross Lesions in Cows and Cats

All cows were in good body condition with adequate rumen fill and no external indications of disease. Postmortem examinations of the affected dairy cows revealed firm mammary glands typical of mastitis; however, mammary gland lesions were not consistent. Two cows that were acutely ill before postmortem examination had grossly normal milk and no abnormal mammary gland lesions. The gastrointestinal tract of some cows had small abomasal ulcers and shallow linear erosions of the intestines, but those observations were also not consistent in all animals. The colon contents were brown and sticky, suggesting moderate dehydration. The feces contained feed particles that appeared to have undergone minimal ruminal fermentation. The rumen contents had normal color and appearance but appeared to have undergone minimal fermentation.

The 2 adult cats (1 intact male, 1 intact female) received at the ISUVDL were in adequate body and postmortem condition. External examination was unremarkable. Mild hemorrhages were observed in the subcutaneous tissues over the dorsal skull, and multifocal meningeal hemorrhages were observed in the cerebrums of both cats. The gastrointestinal tracts were empty, and no other gross lesions were observed.

Microscopic Lesions in Cows and Cats

Mammary gland lesions in cattle in study of highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) clade 2.3.4.4b virus infection in domestic dairy cattle and cats, United States, 2024. A, B) Mammary gland tissue sections stained with hematoxylin and eosin. A) Arrowheads indicate segmental loss within open secretory mammary alveoli. Original magnification ×40. B) Arrowheads indicate epithelial degeneration and necrosis lining alveoli with intraluminal sloughing. Asterisk indicates intraluminal neutrophilic inflammation. Original magnification ×400. C, D) Mammary gland tissue sections stained by using avian influenza A immunohistochemistry. C) Brown staining indicates lobular distribution of avian influenza A virus. Original magnification ×40. D) Brown staining indicates strong nuclear and intracytoplasmic immunoreactivity of intact and sloughed epithelial cells within mammary alveoli. Original magnification ×400.

Figure 1 . Mammary gland lesions in cattle in study of highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) clade 2.3.4.4b virus infection in domestic dairy cattle and cats, United States, 2024. A, B) Mammary gland...

The chief microscopic lesion observed in affected cows was moderate acute multifocal neutrophilic mastitis ( Figure 1 ); however, mammary glands were not received from every cow. Three cows had mild neutrophilic or lymphocytic hepatitis. Because they were adult cattle, other observed microscopic lesions (e.g., mild lymphoplasmacytic interstitial nephritis and mild to moderate lymphocytic abomasitis) were presumed to be nonspecific, age-related changes. We did not observe major lesions in the other evaluated tissues. We performed IHC for IAV antigen on all evaluated tissues; the only tissues with positive immunoreactivity were mastitic mammary glands from 2 cows that showed nuclear and cytoplasmic labeling of alveolar epithelial cells and cells within lumina ( Figure 1 ) and multifocal germinal centers within a lymph node from 1 cow ( Table 1 ).

Lesions in cat tissues in study of highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) clade 2.3.4.4b virus infection in domestic dairy cattle and cats, United States, 2024. Tissue sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin; insets show brown staining of avian influenza A viruses via immunohistochemistry by using the chromogen 3,3′-diaminobenzidine tetrahydrochloride. Original magnification ×200 for all images and insets. A) Section from cerebral tissue. Arrowheads show perivascular lymphocytic encephalitis, gliosis, and neuronal necrosis. Inset shows neurons. B) Section of lung tissue showing lymphocytic and fibrinous interstitial pneumonia with septal necrosis and alveolar edema; arrowheads indicate lymphocytes. Inset shows bronchiolar epithelium, necrotic cells, and intraseptal mononuclear cells. C) Section of heart tissue. Arrowhead shows interstitial lymphocytic myocarditis and focal peracute myocardial coagulative necrosis. Inset shows cardiomyocytes. D) Section of retinal tissue. Arrowheads show perivascular lymphocytic retinitis with segmental neuronal loss and rarefaction in the ganglion cell layer. Asterisks indicate attenuation of the inner plexiform and nuclear layers with artifactual retinal detachment. Insets shows all layers of the retina segmentally within affected areas have strong cytoplasmic and nuclear immunoreactivity to influenza A virus.

Figure 2 . Lesions in cat tissues in study of highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) clade 2.3.4.4b virus infection in domestic dairy cattle and cats, United States, 2024. Tissue sections were stained with...

Both cats had microscopic lesions consistent with severe systemic virus infection, including severe subacute multifocal necrotizing and lymphocytic meningoencephalitis with vasculitis and neuronal necrosis, moderate subacute multifocal necrotizing and lymphocytic interstitial pneumonia, moderate to severe subacute multifocal necrotizing and lymphohistiocytic myocarditis, and moderate subacute multifocal lymphoplasmacytic chorioretinitis with ganglion cell necrosis and attenuation of the internal plexiform and nuclear layers ( Table 2 ; Figure 2 ). We performed IHC for IAV antigen on multiple tissues (brain, eye, lung, heart, spleen, liver, and kidney). We detected positive IAV immunoreactivity in brain (intracytoplasmic, intranuclear, and axonal immunolabeling of neurons), lung, and heart, and multifocal and segmental immunoreactivity within all layers of the retina ( Figure 2 ).

PCR Data from Cows and Cats

We tested various samples from 8 clinically affected mature dairy cows by IAV screening and H5 subtype-specific PCR ( Table 3 ). Milk and mammary gland homogenates consistently showed low Ct values: 12.3–16.9 by IAV screening PCR, 17.6–23.1 by H5 subtype PCR, and 14.7–20.0 by H5 2.3.4.4 clade PCR (case 1, cow 1; case 2, cows 1 and 2; case 3, cow 1; and case 4, cow 1). We forwarded the samples to the National Veterinary Services Laboratory, which confirmed the virus was an HPAI H5N1 virus strain.

When available, we also tested tissue homogenates (e.g., lung, spleen, and lymph nodes), ocular fluid, and rumen contents from 6 cows by IAV and H5 subtype-specific PCR ( Table 3 ). However, the PCR findings were not consistent. For example, the tissue homogenates and ocular fluid tested positive in some but not all cows. In case 5, cow 1, the milk sample tested negative by IAV screening PCR, but the spleen homogenate tested positive by IAV screening, H5 subtype, and H5 2.3.4.4 PCR. For 2 cows (case 3, cow 1; and case 4, cow 1) that had both milk and rumen contents available, both samples tested positive for IAV. Nevertheless, all IAV-positive nonmammary gland tissue homogenates, ocular fluid, and rumen contents had markedly elevated Ct values in contrast to the low Ct values for milk and mammary gland homogenate samples.

We tested brain and lung samples from the 2 cats (case 6, cats 1 and 2) by IAV screening and H5 subtype-specific PCR ( Table 3 ). Both sample types were positive by IAV screening PCR; Ct values were 9.9–13.5 for brain and 17.4–24.4 for lung samples, indicating high amounts of virus nucleic acid in those samples. The H5 subtype and H5 2.3.4.4 PCR results were also positive for the brain and lung samples; Ct values were consistent with the IAV screening PCR ( Table 3 ).

Phylogenetic Analyses

We assembled the sequences of all 8 segments of the HPAI viruses from both cow milk and cat tissue samples. We used the hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) sequences specifically for phylogenetic analysis to delineate the clade of the HA gene and subtype of the NA gene.

Phylogenetic analysis of hemagglutinin gene sequences in study of highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) clade 2.3.4.4b virus infection in domestic dairy cattle and cats, United States, 2024. Colors indicate different clades. Red text indicates the virus gene sequences from bovine milk and cats described in this report, confirming those viruses are highly similar and belong to H5 clade 2.3.4.4b. The hemagglutinin sequences from this report are most closely related to A/avian/Guanajuato/CENAPA-18539/2023|EPI_ISL_18755544|A_/_H5 (GISAID, https://www.gisaid.org) and have 99.66%–99.72% nucleotide identities.

Figure 3 . Phylogenetic analysis of hemagglutinin gene sequences in study of highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) clade 2.3.4.4b virus infection in domestic dairy cattle and cats, United States, 2024. Colors indicate different...

For HA gene analysis, both HA sequences derived from cow milk samples exhibited a high degree of similarity, sharing 99.88% nucleotide identity, whereas the 2 HA sequences from cat tissue samples showed complete identity at 100%. The HA sequences from the milk samples had 99.94% nucleotide identities with HA sequences from the cat tissues, resulting in a distinct subcluster comprising all 4 HA sequences, which clustered together with other H5N1 viruses belonging to clade 2.3.4.4b ( Figure 3 ). The HA sequences were deposited in GenBank (accession nos. PP599465 [case 2, cow 1], PP599473 [case 2, cow 2], PP692142 [case 6, cat 1], and PP692195 [case 6, cat 2]).

Phylogenetic analysis of neuraminidase gene sequences in study of highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) clade 2.3.4.4b virus infection in domestic dairy cattle and cats, United States, 2024. Colors indicate different subtypes. Red text indicates the virus gene sequences from bovine milk and cats described in this report, confirming those viruses belong to the N1 subtype. The neuraminidase sequences from this report had 99.52%–99.59% nucleotide identities to sequences from viruses isolated from a chicken and wild birds in 2023.

Figure 4 . Phylogenetic analysis of neuraminidase gene sequences in study of highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) clade 2.3.4.4b virus infection in domestic dairy cattle and cats, United States, 2024. Colors indicate different...

For NA gene analysis, the 2 NA sequences obtained from cow milk samples showed 99.93% nucleotide identity. Moreover, the NA sequences derived from the milk samples exhibited complete nucleotide identities (100%) with those from the cat tissues. The 4 NA sequences were grouped within the N1 subtype of HPAI viruses ( Figure 4 ). The NA sequences were deposited in GenBank (accession nos. PP599467 [case 2, cow 1], PP599475 [case 2, cow 2], PP692144 [case 6, cat 1], and PP692197 [case 6, cat 2]).

This case series differs from most previous reports of IAV infection in bovids, which indicated cattle were inapparently infected or resistant to infection ( 9 ). We describe an H5N1 strain of IAV in dairy cattle that resulted in apparent systemic illness, reduced milk production, and abundant virus shedding in milk. The magnitude of this finding is further emphasized by the high death rate (≈50%) of cats on farm premises that were fed raw colostrum and milk from affected cows; clinical disease and lesions developed that were consistent with previous reports of H5N1 infection in cats presumably derived from consuming infected wild birds ( 10 – 12 ). Although exposure to and consumption of dead wild birds cannot be completely ruled out for the cats described in this report, the known consumption of unpasteurized milk and colostrum from infected cows and the high amount of virus nucleic acid within the milk make milk and colostrum consumption a likely route of exposure. Therefore, our findings suggest cross-species mammal-to-mammal transmission of HPAI H5N1 virus and raise new concerns regarding the potential for virus spread within mammal populations. Horizontal transmission of HPAI H5N1 virus has been previously demonstrated in experimentally infected cats ( 13 ) and ferrets ( 14 ) and is suspected to account for large dieoffs observed during natural outbreaks in mink ( 15 ) and sea lions ( 16 ). Future experimental studies of HPAI H5N1 virus in dairy cattle should seek to confirm cross-species transmission to cats and potentially other mammals.

Clinical IAV infection in cattle has been infrequently reported in the published literature. The first report occurred in Japan in 1949, where a short course of disease with pyrexia, anorexia, nasal discharge, pneumonia, and decreased lactation developed in cattle ( 17 ). In 1997, a similar condition occurred in dairy cows in southwest England leading to a sporadic drop in milk production ( 18 ), and IAV seroconversion was later associated with reduced milk yield and respiratory disease ( 19 – 21 ). Rising antibody titers against human-origin influenza A viruses (H1N1 and H3N2) were later again reported in dairy cattle in England, which led to an acute fall in milk production during October 2005–March 2006 ( 22 ). Limited reports of IAV isolation from cattle exist; most reports occurred during the 1960s and 1970s in Hungary and in the former Soviet Union, where H3N2 was recovered from cattle experiencing respiratory disease ( 9 , 23 ). Direct detection of IAV in milk and the potential transmission from cattle to cats through feeding of unpasteurized milk has not been previously reported.

An IAV-associated drop in milk production in dairy cattle appears to have occurred during > 4 distinct periods and within 3 widely separated geographic areas: 1949 in Japan ( 17 ), 1997–1998 and 2005–2006 in Europe ( 19 , 21 ), and 2024 in the United States (this report). The sporadic occurrence of clinical disease in dairy cattle worldwide might be the result of changes in subclinical infection rates and the presence or absence of sufficient baseline IAV antibodies in cattle to prevent infection. Milk IgG, lactoferrin, and conglutinin have also been suggested as host factors that might reduce susceptibility of bovids to IAV infection ( 9 ). Contemporary estimates of the seroprevalence of IAV antibodies in US cattle are not well described in the published literature. One retrospective serologic survey in the United States in the late 1990s showed 27% of serum samples had positive antibody titers and 31% had low-positive titers for IAV H1 subtype-specific antigen in cattle with no evidence of clinical infections ( 24 ). Antibody titers for H5 subtype-specific antigen have not been reported in US cattle.

The susceptibility of domestic cats to HPAI H5N1 is well-documented globally ( 10 – 12 , 25 – 28 ), and infection often results in neurologic signs in affected felids and other terrestrial mammals ( 4 ). Most cases in cats result from consuming infected wild birds or contaminated poultry products ( 12 , 27 ). The incubation period in cats is short; clinical disease is often observed 2–3 days after infection ( 28 ). Brain tissue has been suggested as the best diagnostic sample to confirm HPAI virus infection in cats ( 10 ), and our results support that finding. One unique finding in the cats from this report is the presence of blindness and microscopic lesions of chorioretinitis. Those results suggest that further investigation into potential ocular manifestations of HPAI H5N1 virus infection in cats might be warranted.

The genomic sequencing and subsequent analysis of clinical samples from both bovine and feline sources provided considerable insights. The HA and NA sequences derived from both bovine milk and cat tissue samples from different Texas farms had a notable degree of similarity. Those findings strongly suggest a shared origin for the viruses detected in the dairy cattle and cat tissues. Further research, case series investigations, and surveillance data are needed to better understand and inform measures to curtail the clinical effects, shedding, and spread of HPAI viruses among mammals. Although pasteurization of commercial milk mitigates risks for transmission to humans, a 2019 US consumer study showed that 4.4% of adults consumed raw milk > 1 time during the previous year ( 29 ), indicating a need for public awareness of the potential presence of HPAI H5N1 viruses in raw milk.

Ingestion of feed contaminated with feces from wild birds infected with HPAI virus is presumed to be the most likely initial source of infection in the dairy farms. Although the exact source of the virus is unknown, migratory birds (Anseriformes and Charadriiformes) are likely sources because the Texas panhandle region lies in the Central Flyway, and those birds are the main natural reservoir for avian influenza viruses ( 30 ). HPAI H5N1 viruses are well adapted to domestic ducks and geese, and ducks appear to be a major reservoir ( 31 ); however, terns have also emerged as an important source of virus spread ( 32 ). The mode of transmission among infected cattle is also unknown; however, horizontal transmission has been suggested because disease developed in resident cattle herds in Michigan, Idaho, and Ohio farms that received infected cattle from the affected regions, and those cattle tested positive for HPAI H5N1 ( 33 ). Experimental studies are needed to decipher the transmission routes and pathogenesis (e.g., replication sites and movement) of the virus within infected cattle.

In conclusion, we showed that dairy cattle are susceptible to infection with HPAI H5N1 virus and can shed virus in milk and, therefore, might potentially transmit infection to other mammals via unpasteurized milk. A reduction in milk production and vague systemic illness were the most commonly reported clinical signs in affected cows, but neurologic signs and death rapidly developed in affected domestic cats. HPAI virus infection should be considered in dairy cattle when an unexpected and unexplained abrupt drop in feed intake and milk production occurs and for cats when rapid onset of neurologic signs and blindness develop. The recurring nature of global HPAI H5N1 virus outbreaks and detection of spillover events in a broad host range is concerning and suggests increasing virus adaptation in mammals. Surveillance of HPAI viruses in domestic production animals, including cattle, is needed to elucidate influenza virus evolution and ecology and prevent cross-species transmission.

Dr. Burrough is a professor and diagnostic pathologist at the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine and Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. His research focuses on infectious diseases of livestock with an emphasis on swine.

Acknowledgment

We thank the faculty and staff at the ISUVDL who contributed to the processing and analysis of clinical samples in this investigation, the veterinarians involved with clinical assessments at affected dairies and various conference calls in the days before diagnostic submissions that ultimately led to the detection of HPAI virus in the cattle, and the US Department of Agriculture National Veterinary Services Laboratory and NAHLN for their roles and assistance in providing their expertise, confirmatory diagnostic support, and communications surrounding the HPAI virus cases impacting lactating dairy cattle.

  • Caliendo  V , Lewis  NS , Pohlmann  A , Baillie  SR , Banyard  AC , Beer  M , et al. Transatlantic spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 by wild birds from Europe to North America in 2021. Sci Rep . 2022 ; 12 : 11729 . DOI PubMed Google Scholar
  • Bevins  SN , Shriner  SA , Cumbee  JC Jr , Dilione  KE , Douglass  KE , Ellis  JW , et al. Intercontinental movement of highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) clade 2.3.4.4 virus to the United States, 2021. Emerg Infect Dis . 2022 ; 28 : 1006 – 11 . DOI PubMed Google Scholar
  • Puryear  W , Sawatzki  K , Hill  N , Foss  A , Stone  JJ , Doughty  L , et al. Highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) virus outbreak in New England seals, United States. Emerg Infect Dis . 2023 ; 29 : 786 – 91 . DOI PubMed Google Scholar
  • Elsmo  EJ , Wünschmann  A , Beckmen  KB , Broughton-Neiswanger  LE , Buckles  EL , Ellis  J , et al. Highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) virus clade 2.3.4.4b infections in wild terrestrial mammals, United States, 2022. Emerg Infect Dis . 2023 ; 29 : 2451 – 60 . DOI PubMed Google Scholar
  • Bruno  A , Alfaro-Núñez  A , de Mora  D , Armas  R , Olmedo  M , Garcés  J , et al. First case of human infection with highly pathogenic H5 avian influenza A virus in South America: a new zoonotic pandemic threat for 2023? J Travel Med. 2023 ;30:taad032.
  • Pulit-Penaloza  JA , Brock  N , Belser  JA , Sun  X , Pappas  C , Kieran  TJ , et al. Highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) virus of clade 2.3.4.4b isolated from a human case in Chile causes fatal disease and transmits between co-housed ferrets. Emerg Microbes Infect . 2024 ; 2332667 . DOI PubMed Google Scholar
  • United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service . Federal and state veterinary, public health agencies share update on HPAI detection in Kansas, Texas dairy herds. 2024 [ cited 2024 Mar 29 ]. https://www.aphis.usda.gov/news/agency-announcements/federal-state-veterinary-public-health-agencies-share-update-hpai
  • Sharma  A , Zeller  MA , Souza  CK , Anderson  TK , Vincent  AL , Harmon  K , et al. Characterization of a 2016–2017 human seasonal H3 influenza A virus spillover now endemic to U.S. swine. MSphere . 2022 ; 7 : e0080921 . DOI PubMed Google Scholar
  • Sreenivasan  CC , Thomas  M , Kaushik  RS , Wang  D , Li  F . Influenza A in bovine species: a narrative literature review. Viruses . 2019 ; 11 : 561 . DOI PubMed Google Scholar
  • Sillman  SJ , Drozd  M , Loy  D , Harris  SP . Naturally occurring highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b infection in three domestic cats in North America during 2023. J Comp Pathol . 2023 ; 205 : 17 – 23 . DOI PubMed Google Scholar
  • Klopfleisch  R , Wolf  PU , Uhl  W , Gerst  S , Harder  T , Starick  E , et al. Distribution of lesions and antigen of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus A/Swan/Germany/R65/06 (H5N1) in domestic cats after presumptive infection by wild birds. Vet Pathol . 2007 ; 44 : 261 – 8 . DOI PubMed Google Scholar
  • Keawcharoen  J , Oraveerakul  K , Kuiken  T , Fouchier  RAM , Amonsin  A , Payungporn  S , et al. Avian influenza H5N1 in tigers and leopards. Emerg Infect Dis . 2004 ; 10 : 2189 – 91 . DOI PubMed Google Scholar
  • Kuiken  T , Rimmelzwaan  G , van Riel  D , van Amerongen  G , Baars  M , Fouchier  R , et al. Avian H5N1 influenza in cats. Science . 2004 ; 306 : 241 . DOI PubMed Google Scholar
  • Herfst  S , Schrauwen  EJA , Linster  M , Chutinimitkul  S , de Wit  E , Munster  VJ , et al. Airborne transmission of influenza A/H5N1 virus between ferrets. Science . 2012 ; 336 : 1534 – 41 . DOI PubMed Google Scholar
  • Agüero  M , Monne  I , Sánchez  A , Zecchin  B , Fusaro  A , Ruano  MJ , et al. Highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) virus infection in farmed minks, Spain, October 2022. Euro Surveill . 2023 ; 28 : 2300001 . DOI PubMed Google Scholar
  • Leguia  M , Garcia-Glaessner  A , Muñoz-Saavedra  B , Juarez  D , Barrera  P , Calvo-Mac  C , et al. Highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5N1) in marine mammals and seabirds in Peru. Nat Commun . 2023 ; 14 : 5489 . DOI PubMed Google Scholar
  • Saito  K . An outbreak of cattle influenza in Japan in the fall of 1949. J Am Vet Med Assoc . 1951 ; 118 : 316 – 9 . PubMed Google Scholar
  • Gunning  RF , Pritchard  GC . Unexplained sporadic milk drop in dairy cows. Vet Rec . 1997 ; 140 : 488 . PubMed Google Scholar
  • Brown  IH , Crawshaw  TR , Harris  PA , Alexander  DJ . Detection of antibodies to influenza A virus in cattle in association with respiratory disease and reduced milk yield. Vet Rec . 1998 ; 143 : 637 – 8 . PubMed Google Scholar
  • Crawshaw  TR , Brown  I . Bovine influenza. Vet Rec . 1998 ; 143 : 372 . PubMed Google Scholar
  • Gunning  RF , Brown  IH , Crawshaw  TR . Evidence of influenza A virus infection in dairy cows with sporadic milk drop syndrome. Vet Rec . 1999 ; 145 : 556 – 7 . DOI PubMed Google Scholar
  • Crawshaw  TR , Brown  IH , Essen  SC , Young  SCL . Significant rising antibody titres to influenza A are associated with an acute reduction in milk yield in cattle. Vet J . 2008 ; 178 : 98 – 102 . DOI PubMed Google Scholar
  • Lopez  JW , Woods  GT . Influenza virus in ruminants: a review. Res Commun Chem Pathol Pharmacol . 1984 ; 45 : 445 – 62 . PubMed Google Scholar
  • Jones-Lang  K , Ernst-Larson  M , Lee  B , Goyal  SM , Bey  R . Prevalence of influenza A virus (H1N1) antibodies in bovine sera. New Microbiol . 1998 ; 21 : 153 – 60 . PubMed Google Scholar
  • Briand  FX , Souchaud  F , Pierre  I , Beven  V , Hirchaud  E , Hérault  F , et al. Highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) clade 2.3.4.4b virus in domestic cat, France, 2022. Emerg Infect Dis . 2023 ; 29 : 1696 – 8 . DOI PubMed Google Scholar
  • Frymus  T , Belák  S , Egberink  H , Hofmann-Lehmann  R , Marsilio  F , Addie  DD , et al. Influenza virus infections in cats. Viruses . 2021 ; 13 : 1435 . DOI PubMed Google Scholar
  • Songserm  T , Amonsin  A , Jam-on  R , Sae-Heng  N , Meemak  N , Pariyothorn  N , et al. Avian influenza H5N1 in naturally infected domestic cat. Emerg Infect Dis . 2006 ; 12 : 681 – 3 . DOI PubMed Google Scholar
  • Thiry  E , Zicola  A , Addie  D , Egberink  H , Hartmann  K , Lutz  H , et al. Highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 virus in cats and other carnivores. Vet Microbiol . 2007 ; 122 : 25 – 31 . DOI PubMed Google Scholar
  • Lando  AM , Bazaco  MC , Parker  CC , Ferguson  M . Characteristics of U.S. consumers reporting past year intake of raw (unpasteurized) milk: results from the 2016 Food Safety Survey and 2019 Food Safety and Nutrition Survey. J Food Prot . 2022 ; 85 : 1036 – 43 . DOI PubMed Google Scholar
  • Fourment  M , Darling  AE , Holmes  EC . The impact of migratory flyways on the spread of avian influenza virus in North America. BMC Evol Biol . 2017 ; 17 : 118 . DOI PubMed Google Scholar
  • Guan  Y , Smith  GJD . The emergence and diversification of panzootic H5N1 influenza viruses. Virus Res . 2013 ; 178 : 35 – 43 . DOI PubMed Google Scholar
  • de Araújo  AC , Silva  LMN , Cho  AY , Repenning  M , Amgarten  D , de Moraes  AP , et al. Incursion of highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) clade 2.3.4.4b virus, Brazil, 2023. Emerg Infect Dis . 2024 ; 30 : 619 – 21 . DOI PubMed Google Scholar
  • American Veterinary Medical Association . States with HPAI-infected dairy cows grows to six. USDA provides guidance for veterinarians, producers on protecting cattle from the virus. 2024 [ cited 2024 Apr 10 ]. https://www.avma.org/news/states-hpai-infected-dairy-cows-grows-six
  • Figure 1 . Mammary gland lesions in cattle in study of highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) clade 2.3.4.4b virus infection in domestic dairy cattle and cats, United States, 2024. A, B) Mammary...
  • Figure 2 . Lesions in cat tissues in study of highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) clade 2.3.4.4b virus infection in domestic dairy cattle and cats, United States, 2024. Tissue sections were stained...
  • Figure 3 . Phylogenetic analysis of hemagglutinin gene sequences in study of highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) clade 2.3.4.4b virus infection in domestic dairy cattle and cats, United States, 2024. Colors indicate...
  • Figure 4 . Phylogenetic analysis of neuraminidase gene sequences in study of highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) clade 2.3.4.4b virus infection in domestic dairy cattle and cats, United States, 2024. Colors indicate...
  • Table 1 . Microscopic lesions observed in cattle in study of highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) clade 2.3.4.4b virus infection in domestic dairy cattle and cats, United States, 2024
  • Table 2 . Microscopic lesions observed in cats in study of highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) clade 2.3.4.4b virus infection in domestic dairy cattle and cats, United States, 2024
  • Table 3 . PCR results from various specimens in study of highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) clade 2.3.4.4b virus infection in domestic dairy cattle and cats, United States, 2024

Suggested citation for this article : Burrough ER, Magstadt DR, Petersen B, Timmermans SJ, Gauger PC, Zhang J, et al. Highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) clade 2.3.4.4b virus infection in domestic dairy cattle and cats, United States, 2024. Emerg Infect Dis. 2024 Jul [ date cited ]. https://doi.org/10.3201/eid3007.240508

DOI: 10.3201/eid3007.240508

Original Publication Date: April 29, 2024

Table of Contents – Volume 30, Number 7—July 2024

Please use the form below to submit correspondence to the authors or contact them at the following address:

Eric R. Burrough, Iowa State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, 1937 Christensen Dr, Ames, IA 50011, USA

Comment submitted successfully, thank you for your feedback.

There was an unexpected error. Message not sent.

Exit Notification / Disclaimer Policy

  • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cannot attest to the accuracy of a non-federal website.
  • Linking to a non-federal website does not constitute an endorsement by CDC or any of its employees of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the website.
  • You will be subject to the destination website's privacy policy when you follow the link.
  • CDC is not responsible for Section 508 compliance (accessibility) on other federal or private website.

Metric Details

What is the altmetric attention score.

The Altmetric Attention Score for a research output provides an indicator of the amount of attention that it has received. The score is derived from an automated algorithm, and represents a weighted count of the amount of attention Altmetric picked up for a research output.

COMMENTS

  1. How to Cite a Thesis or Dissertation in APA

    Citing a published dissertation or thesis from a database. If a thesis or dissertation has been published and is found on a database, then follow the structure below. It's similar to the format for an unpublished dissertation/thesis, but with a few differences: Structure: Author's last name, F. M. (Year published).

  2. Thesis/Dissertation

    Thesis, from a commercial database. Lope, M. D. (2014). Perceptions of global mindedness in the international baccalaureate middle years programme: The relationship to student academic performance and teacher characteristics (Order No. 3682837) [Doctoral dissertation, University of Maryland].ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global.

  3. How to Cite a Dissertation in APA Style

    To cite an unpublished dissertation (one you got directly from the author or university in print form), add "Unpublished" to the bracketed description, and list the university at the end of the reference, outside the square brackets. APA format. Author last name, Initials. ( Year ).

  4. Published Dissertation or Thesis References

    The same format can be adapted for other published theses, including undergraduate theses, by changing the wording of the bracketed description as appropriate (e.g., "Undergraduate honors thesis"). Include a URL for the dissertation or thesis if the URL will resolve for readers (as shown in the Miranda and Zambrano-Vazquez examples).

  5. Thesis

    EndNote reference type: Thesis. Add Archive Name to Name of Database field. Thesis - from database. Elements of the reference: Author - last name, initials. (Year). Title of thesis - italicised (Publication No. - if available) [Doctoral dissertation or master's thesis, Institution]. Database Name.

  6. APA Citation Style, 7th Edition: Dissertations & Thesis

    In-Text Citation (Paraphrase): (Banks, 2020). In-Text Citation (Direct Quote): (Banks, 2020, p. 157). Master's thesis from a University scholarship database: Reference: Sears, L. B. (2017). The public voice and sustainable food systems: Community engagement in food action plans [Unpublished master's thesis]. University of Kansas.

  7. APA Formatting and Citation (7th Ed.)

    Throughout your paper, you need to apply the following APA format guidelines: Set page margins to 1 inch on all sides. Double-space all text, including headings. Indent the first line of every paragraph 0.5 inches. Use an accessible font (e.g., Times New Roman 12pt., Arial 11pt., or Georgia 11pt.).

  8. APA (7th Edition) Referencing Guide

    Effects of temperature and food availability on the antipredator behaviour of juvenile coral reef fishes [Doctoral thesis, James Cook University]. ResearchOnline@JCU. https://researchonline.jcu.edu.au/47533/ Hawkins, E. J. (1999). Artist and model: Shaping the creative process [Unpublished master's thesis]. James Cook University.

  9. Writing Dissertations or Theses

    A dissertation or thesis is a research project that asks a question(s) and sets out to answer that question(s) through research and inquiry. It is completed in an structured, critical and academically rigorous fashion (GradCoach, 2021).This eight step guide is designed to help you get started when undertaking an undergraduate or masters dissertation or thesis.

  10. Theses

    The basics of a reference list entry for a thesis or dissertation: Author. The surname is followed by first initials. Year (in round brackets). Title (in italics ). Level of Thesis or Dissertation [in square brackets]. The first line of each citation is left adjusted. Every subsequent line is indented 5-7 spaces.

  11. Citation Styles Guide

    Citation Styles Guide | Examples for All Major Styles. Published on June 24, 2022 by Jack Caulfield.Revised on November 7, 2022. A citation style is a set of guidelines on how to cite sources in your academic writing.You always need a citation whenever you quote, paraphrase, or summarize a source to avoid plagiarism.How you present these citations depends on the style you follow.

  12. How to cite a master's thesis in APA

    Title of the Master's thesis: Only the first letter of the first word and proper nouns are capitalized. Publication number: Give the identification number of the thesis, if available. Name of the degree awarding institution: Give the name of the institution. Name of Platform: Give the name of the database, archive or any platform that holds the ...

  13. APA Formatting and Style Guide (7th Edition)

    Basic guidelines for formatting the reference list at the end of a standard APA research paper Author/Authors Rules for handling works by a single author or multiple authors that apply to all APA-style references in your reference list, regardless of the type of work (book, article, electronic resource, etc.)

  14. How To Write References In A Thesis

    Format: To cite a reference in your thesis, make sure to provide all relevant details to keep it free from plagiarism. The author's name, the title of the work, the publication date, the publisher's name, and the location of the publication, among other details, depend on the citation style you are using. Consistency: One of the most ...

  15. PDF APA Style Dissertation Guidelines: Formatting Your Dissertation

    help with writing/formatting your dissertation, please email . [email protected] . or call (973)- 655-7442 for more information on how to schedule a writing consultation at the CWE. For doctoral students, the Center for Writing Excellence offers the following writing resources: • Writing Your Thesis, Prospectus, or Dissertation • APA 7 th

  16. Citing and referencing: Theses / Dissertations

    For electronic Theses / Dissertations include in the citation "on the Internet" inside the square brackets, after the title. Also include the date viewed / cited. Format. Author AA. Title of thesis [dissertation on the Internet]. Place of publication: Publisher; Year of publication. [cited YYYY Mon DD].

  17. References in Research

    Journal Articles. References to journal articles usually include the author's name, title of the article, name of the journal, volume and issue number, page numbers, and publication date. Example: Johnson, T. (2021). The Impact of Social Media on Mental Health. Journal of Psychology, 32 (4), 87-94.

  18. Thesis Writing 101: Essential tools and apps to make your life easier

    Keeping track of references and citations is an essential aspect of thesis writing. Reference management software like Zotero, Mendeley, or EndNote can help you efficiently organize your sources, create bibliographies, and cite references in your thesis according to your preferred citation style. I use Zotero which is free, easy to use and has ...

  19. How to Cite Sources

    How to Cite Sources | Citation Generator & Quick Guide. Citing your sources is essential in academic writing.Whenever you quote or paraphrase a source (such as a book, article, or webpage), you have to include a citation crediting the original author.. Failing to properly cite your sources counts as plagiarism, since you're presenting someone else's ideas as if they were your own.

  20. Engaging With Sources Effectively

    When writing about a source or simply referencing it, we are positioning ourselves in response to, or in conversation with that source, with the goal of focusing our writing on our own argument/thesis. Sources do not stand on their own within a piece of writing and that is why, alongside finding strong and reputable sources worth responding to and making sure that we fully understand sources ...

  21. How to Cite a Thesis or Dissertation in IEEE Referencing

    If you accessed a thesis or dissertation online, give either a URL or DOI at the end of the reference. The exact format depends on which you give: For a URL (i.e., a regular web address), include " [Online]" and the URL itself with no final punctuation at the end of the reference. For a DOI, add the DOI after a comma and end the reference ...

  22. Thesis and Article Writing: Format & Styles of Referencing

    The followings are a few important styles of citation or referencing during thesis and article writing: MLA (Modern Language Associatio n) style: It is most commonly used to write papers and cite sources within the liberal arts and humanities. Book - Kothari, Chakravanti Rajagopalachari. Research methodology: Methods and techniques.

  23. Free Harvard Referencing Generator [Updated for 2024]

    A Harvard Referencing Generator solves two problems: It provides a way to organise and keep track of the sources referenced in the content of an academic paper. It ensures that references are formatted correctly -- inline with the Harvard referencing style -- and it does so considerably faster than writing them out manually.

  24. Cite a Thesis / Dissertation

    Thesis Paper AI Proofreader Essay Checker PhD dissertation APA editing Academic editing College ... Improve your in-text citations and references for errors and inconsistencies using Scribbr's AI technology or human experts. Run a free check. Grammar Checker. Eliminate grammar errors and improve your writing with our free AI-powered grammar ...

  25. Write, and stick to, a thesis

    Write, and stick to, a thesis. Once you've decided on a side hustle, write down a mission statement — and make sure every aspect of your business ties back into it. Last year, Morgan Eckroth had ...

  26. Noem defends book excerpt where she describes killing dog and ...

    South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, who's been touted as a potential vice presidential pick, defended actions described in her upcoming book where she killed a dog and goat on her family farm.

  27. Volume 30, Number 7—July 2024

    Suggested citation for this article. Abstract. We report highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) virus in dairy cattle and cats in Kansas and Texas, United States, which reflects the continued spread of clade 2.3.4.4b viruses that entered the country in late 2021. Infected cattle experienced nonspecific illness, reduced feed intake and ...