thesis university of toronto

School of Graduate Studies

Overall, it is important to submit an Electronic Thesis/Dissertation (ETD) that has a consistent and readable appearance. Here is useful information about ETD format and style, including templates for Word and LaTeX.

Styles & Templates

Consistency in style and formatting of a thesis is essential. Tools for creating styles, footnotes, a table of contents, and other features, including the recommended order of thesis sections, have been formatted by SGS into a thesis template. It is available in  Microsoft Word​ and  LaTeX  formats. 

We strongly recommended that authors use an SGS thesis template. The template can be applied at any stage of the writing process, but using one at an early stage will simplify formatting and PDF conversion. 

Tip: Open the Word template in a new tab or window. Then save a copy with the name of your thesis. If you’re using a version of Word prior to 2007, save it as a .dot file.   

These templates assist you with the formatting and production of your thesis, but you must ensure that your thesis meets SGS formatting requirements. If you choose not to use an SGS template you may use the tools provided for indexing, page numbering, etc. provided by your word processing software.

Specific Requirements

Language of doctoral theses.

In Division I (Humanities), permission may be given for a thesis to be written in a language other than English or French when the language has been approved for use in a thesis by the graduate unit concerned. Before such permission is granted, the graduate unit chair must certify to SGS in writing that the candidate has passed a supervised essay-type examination, written in English, that demonstrates the student’s proficiency in writing correct and idiomatic English prose.

A supplementary abstract of about 5,000 words in English or French must form part of a thesis that is written in a language other than English or French. No language other than English or French may be used for the conduct of the doctoral final oral examination.

Technical Requirements

The thesis must be in PDF format. It may also include supplementary files for multimedia, sound, video, or HTML pages with embedded files. Please note that the following guidelines are the minimum technical requirements. Differing disciplines may have their own conventions. Check with your supervisor for discipline-specific formatting.

The following guidelines apply to the main text-based thesis file:

Must be a minimum of 10 points. You may use a smaller font size for graphs, formulas, footnotes, and appendices; avoid italics.

Line Spacing

Must be at least one-and-a-half spaces, except for the thesis abstract, which should be double-spaced. Single spacing may be used for long quoted passages and footnotes.

Footnotes, References, Bibliography and Heading Styles

Different disciplines and graduate units will have their own preferred practices. Please follow the styles that are preferred in your discipline and graduate unit. If you are unsure, consult your supervisory committee. Generally the preferred location for footnotes is either at the bottom of the page or at the end of the chapters to which they refer. Consistency is important.

Page & Margin Sizes

Page size should be 8 1/2″ x 11″ (21.5 cm x 28 cm) with the text reading across the 8 1/2″ (21.5 cm) dimension. If you are planning on having the thesis printed and bound (for a unit requirement, or your supervisor), the left margin should be at least 1 1/4″ (32 mm), and the remaining three margins should be at least 3/4″ (20 mm) to the main text. Margin sizes are not as critical in digital formats.

Page Numbering

Each and every page in the thesis must be numbered with the exception of the title page. The preliminary portion of the thesis should be numbered with small Roman numerals placed in the centre of the page, about half an inch from the bottom. Numbering begins with the Abstract as page ii. The Title Page is considered as page i, but must not show a page number.

The accepted order of pages within the preliminary section of the thesis follows:

• Acknowledgments (where applicable)
• Table of Contents
• List of Tables (where applicable)
• List of Plates (where applicable)
• List of Figures (where applicable)
• List of Appendices (where applicable)

See Sample of Title Page below. The title page should show:

• the words “A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of (state full name of degree), Graduate Department of (state name of graduate department), in the University of Toronto”
• the thesis title (capitalize the content words)
• student’s name (consistent with ACORN)
• the universal copyright notice (the date should be the year the degree is conferred); the universal copyright notice must appear on one line

Sample of Title Page

(NOTE: Spacing is approximate on 8 1/2″ x 11″ or 21.5cm x 28cm page)(2″ or 5 cm from top of page) This Area is Recommended for the Thesis Title Only (1 1/2″or approx 4cm) by (1 1/2″ or approx 4cm) Jane Ann Doe (2″or approx 5cm) A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of (state degree) (state full name of Graduate Department) University of Toronto (1 1/4″or approx 3cm) © Copyright by Jane Ann Doe (state year of graduation) (1 1/4″or approx 3cm from Bottom of page)

All theses must include an abstract.

• Font size must be a minimum of 10 points.
• Lines of text must be double-spaced.
• Abstract must not exceed 350 words for a doctoral thesis or 150 words for a master’s thesis.
• Left margin should be at least 1 1/4″ (32 mm); the remaining three margins should be at least 3/4″ (20 mm) to the main text.
• The student’s thesis title, degree and year of convocation, full name, name of graduate department, and name of university must appear on the top of the abstract’s first page. This information is not included in the 350-/150-word count.
• Symbols, as well as foreign words and phrases, must be clearly and accurately displayed.
• Graphs, charts, tables, and illustrations are not included.

​PDF Creation

Create the PDF version of your thesis using Adobe Acrobat or other PDF-creation software. Use the conversion tool available on the digital library repository  or use computers equipped with this software ​in the Information Commons at Robarts Library.

​File Management

The main thesis text-based file must be in PDF format.

Multiple file formats are an option when attaching supplementary file submissions for multimedia, sound, video, including HTML pages with embedded files. If the system does not automatically recognize the format of the file you have uploaded, you will be asked to select the appropriate format from the list offered. If the format is not in the list, click on ‘Format Not in List’ and describe the format in the text box appearing lower on the page. Be sure to give the name of the application you used to create the file and the version of that application, e.g., ‘Autodesk AutoCAD R20 for UNIX.’

​​​File Naming Convention

The main thesis file must be in PDF format. Create a PDF of the final approved version of your thesis before you start the submission process.

You must use the following file naming convention:

lastname_firstname_middleinitial(s)_graduationyearmonth_degreedesignator_thesis.pdf

e.g., Smith_Lorie_L_202011_PhD_thesis.pdf

Supplementary files should follow the same naming convention:

e.g., Smith_Lorie_L_202011_PhD_datatables.exl

Please note that if you converted your file within the digital library repository , you will need to rename the file once you receive and check your pdf.

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PhD Dissertations by Date

On this page, PhD dissertations completed at the Faculty between 1974–present are listed, in order of the year of dissertation completion. Alternatively, please view PhD Dissertations by Author Last Name .

Links to electronic and print copies of theses are provided where available. Up until 2009, the Inforum / Learning Hub collected print archival copies of completed theses.

Theses Directory (by Year of Completion)

To use the directory below, please select the year of dissertation completion:

2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020

2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010

2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000

1999 | 1998 | 1997 | 1996 | 1995 | 1994 | 1993 | 1992 | 1991 | 1990

1988 | 1984 | 1982 | 1981 | 1980

Hewa, Nelanthi. (2024). “You have to feed the beast”: Sexual violence news coverage in the Digital Age . (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Karim, Mariam. (2024). Arab feminist resistant media from the 20th century (1900-1940) . (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Ross, Alex. (2024). The contingent casino: An institutional political economy of the social casino industry . (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Sanchez Núñez de Villavicencio, Paula Catalina. (2024). Optical media from the Middle Ages to AI: Integrating humans, sight, and information . (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Walker, Hilary. (2024).  Expressive interiors and Queer histories: Beauport, the Sleeper-McCann House, historic New England, and how to read the room (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Batist, Zachary. (2023). Archaeological data work as continuous and collaborative practice (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Cybulski, Alexander. (2023).   Sim-Cyberpunk: Serious play, hackers and capture the flag competitions (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Guzman, Carina. (2023). Stor(y)ing Mi Desmadre: Trans-Feminist and queer community archival and digital custodial praxes in Latin America (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Hook, Sheril. (2023). The political economy of information literacy:  A corpus-assisted critical discourse analysis of UNESCO’s media and information literacy: Policy & strategy guidelines (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Kwan, Amy. (2023). The role of information seeking and use in management accounting: Exploring the process of creating a budget for complex projects (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Lim, Elisha. (2023). Pious: Why Meta’s business model drives intolerance (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Muchemwa, Chido. (2023). Nation, narrative and archive: In search of queer histories in Zimbabwe (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Sin, Jaisie. (2023). Socially conscious design: Methods towards designing inclusive voice user interfaces for older adults (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Sutherland, Brian. (2023). Energy harvesting information systems and design in the energy transition (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Trusolino, Madison. (2023). Punching up: Women and LGBTQ+ comedians’ experience of work and resistance in the comedy industry   (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Adamson, Patricia. (2022). Power of Attorney in Ontario:  A Study of the information behaviours of attorneys in the contexts of the Substitute Decisions Act, 1992, Capacity, and an Aging Population (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Chah, Neil. (2022). Data profiling, machine learning, and data visualizations for a multilingual crowdsourced knowledge graph: The case of Wikidata (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Kempton, Allen. (2022). Crossroads in digital gaming: Metaplay, communication, interaction (PhD dissertation). University to Toronto.

MacKinnon, Katie. (2022). Databound: Histories of growing up on the World Wide Web (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

McCord, Curtis. (2022). Civic participation and democratic experience: Civic Tech in Toronto (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Posada, Julian. (2022). The Coloniality of data work: Power and inequality in outsourced data production for machine learning (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Sharp, Camille-Mary. (2022). Decolonize and divest: The Changing landscape of oil-sponsored museums in Canada (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Walker, Dawn. (2022). Values and social transformation in the design of the decentralized Web (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Ghaddar, Jamila. (2021). Provenance in place: Archives, settler colonialism & the making of a global order (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Oh, Christie. (2021). The information behaviour of humanitarian logisticians during international disaster response operations (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Raymond, Sandrena. (2021). Intermaterial collaboration: The spatiotemporal nexus of nonhuman agency in cultural heritage knowledge production (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Babar, Zia. (2020). A modeling framework for analyzing process architecture transformations in the software-enabled enterprise (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Griffin, Brian L. (2020). Information practices in amateur classical musicianship (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Jamieson, Jack. (2020). Independent together: Building and maintaining values in a distributed Web infrastructure (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Lapp, Jessica Margaret. (2020). The provenance of protest: Conceptualizing records creation in archives of feminist materials (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

McEwen, Karen Dewart. (2020). Actuarial bodies: Data, value, and fairness in insurance and workplace wellness programs (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Noone, Rebecca. (2020). From here to…: Everyday wayfinding in the Age of Digital Maps (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Pant, Vikram Aditya. (2020). Strategic Coopetition – A Conceptual Modeling Framework for Analysis and Design .  (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Pugen, Adam. (2020). The intellective touch: A phenomenology of digital modernism (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Singh, Rianka. (2020). Platform feminism: Feminist protest space and the politics of spatial organization (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Lavie, Amir. (2019). The past is not a foreign country: Archival mentalities and the development of the Canadian-Jewish community’s archival landscape during the nineteen seventies (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Lubelski, Sarah. (2019). A gentlewoman’s profession: The emergence of feminized publishing at Richard Bentley and Son, 1858-1898 (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Moles, Nathan. (2019). Inside open government data curation: Exploring challenges to the concept of a ‘designated community’ through a case study of the City of Toronto (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Resch, Gabriel. (2019). Denaturalizing information visualization (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Southwick, Daniel. (2019). Expertise in the age of digital fabrication (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Costantino, Terry. (2018). Issues of participation: Exploring ideals of participation through a digital design project with a public library (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Danilovic, Sandra. (2018). Game design therapoetics: Computer game authorship as self-care, self-understanding and therapy (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Ivanov, Asen O. (2018). The digital curation of broadcasting archives at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation: Curation culture and evaluative practice (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Ali, Natasha. (2017). Information behaviour of sell-side and other analysts in financial institutions in Toronto, Canada (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Bari, Antonio Gamba. (2017). Encounters with sociotechnical encapsulation: Exploring diagnostic and pedagogical interventions for the study of literacy practices in DIY and maker initiatives (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Farrelly, Glen. (2017). Claiming places: An exploration of people’s use of locative media and the relationship to sense of place (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Guzik, Elysia. (2017). Informing identities: Conversion experiences of Muslims in the Toronto area (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Hourihan, Eva. (2017). Let’s talk about the NOC: An ethnography of classification (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Jacobson, Jenna. (2017). “I work in social”: Community managers and personal branding in social media (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Jones, Michael. (2017). Information behavior and knowledge management in project-based learning (PBL*) engineering teams: A cultural-historical activity theory approach (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Perrin, Stephanie. (2017). The struggle for WHOIS privacy: Understanding the standoff between ICANN and the world’s data protection (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Rodenburg, Dirk. (2017). Towards an integrated model of athletic cognition: The representational shift hypothesis (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Saint-Louis, Hervé. (2017). User perceptions of security risks in multiple authentications (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Wells, Matthew. (2017). Cold war games: Operational gaming and interactive programming in historical and contemporary contexts (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Young, Christopher. (2017). Game changers: Everyday gamemakers and the development of the video game industry (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

coons, ginger. (2016). Something for everyone: Using digital methods to make physical goods (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Dupont, Quinn. (2016). An archeology of cryptography: Rewriting plaintext, encryption, ciphertext (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Scarlett, Ashley. (2016). On the matter of the digital in contemporary media art (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Smith, Harrison. (2016). The Mobile distinction: Economies of intimacy in the field of location based marketing (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Stevenson, John Harris. (2016). Hacking the master switch? The role of infrastructure in Google’s network neutrality strategy in the 2000s (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Allard, Danielle. (2015). Living ‘Here’ and ‘There’: Exploring the transnational information practices of newcomers from the Phillippines to Winnipeg (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Sheffield, Rebecka Taves. (2015). The emergence, development and survival of four lesbian and gay archives (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Dechief, Diane. (2014). Designing names: Requisite identity labour for migrants’ be(long)ing in Ontario (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Hayat, Itzchak (Zack). (2014). Sent of the usetructure, Change over Time, and Outcomes of Research Collaboration Networks: The Case of GRAND (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Magowan, Candice. (2014). Pound seizure: Legislation and policy debate in American newspapers, 1994-2005 (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Quirke, Lisa. (2014). A Study of the information practices of Afghan newcomer youth in the contexts of leisure and settlement (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Coppin, Peter. (2013). Perceptual cognitive properties of pictures, diagrams, and sentences: Toward a science of visual information design (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Lessard, Lysanne. (2013). Co-creating value in knowledge-intensive business services: An empirically-grounded design framework and a modeling technique (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

McPhail, Brenda Jean. (2013). “Let me tell you who I am”: A qualitative study of identity and accountability in two electronically-measured call centres (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Smith, Karen Louise. (2013). Through the social Web: Citizen-led participation in Ontario policy-making (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Sugimoto, Sayaka. (2013). Support exchange on the Internet: A content analysis of an online support group for people living with depression (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Evans, Michael Max. (2012). Knowledge sharing behavior: An empirical study of the role of trust and other social-cognitive factors in an organizational setting (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Totanes, Vernon del Rosario. (2012). History of the Filipino history book (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Gross, Daniel. (2011). Software architecture decision-making in organizational settings (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Marton, Christine Francis. (2011). Understanding how women seek health information on the web (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Szigeti, Stephen James. (2011). The challenge of web design guidelines: Investigating issues of awareness, interpretation, and efficacy (PhD Dissertation). University of Toronto.

Chandrashekar, Sambhavi. (2010). Is hearing believing? Perception of online information credibility by screen reader users who are blind or visually impaired (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Dali, Keren. (2010). The psychosocial portrait of immigration through the medium of reading: Leisure reading and its role in the lives of Russian-speaking immigrants in Toronto (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Furness, Colin. (2010). Group information behavioural norms and the effective use of a collaborative information system: A case study (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Golick, Greta. (2010). Frank Nunan and the Guelph bookbindery: A documentary investigation (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Graham, Rumi Y. (2010). A multiple case study exploration of undergraduate subject searching (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

McLaren, Scott. (2010). Books for the instruction of the nations: Shared Methodist print culture in Upper Canada and the mid-Atlantic states, 1789-1851 (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Cavanagh, Mary Frances. (2009). Making the invisible visible: Public library reference service as epistemic practice (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Ferenbok, Joseph. (2009). The identity myth: Constructing the face in technologies of citizenship (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Fiser, Adam. (2009). The K-Net broadband governance model: How social enterprise integrated public, for-profit, and not-for-profit institutions to enable broadband community networking in Canadian aboriginal high cost serving areas (circa 1997 to 2007) (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

McEwen, Rhonda N. (2009). A world more intimate: Exploring the role of mobile phones in maintaining and extending social networks (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Dryden, Jean Elizabeth. (2008). Copyright in the real world: Making archival material available on the Internet (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Freund, Luanne Silvia. (2008). Exploiting task-document relations in support of information retrieval in the workplace (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Paquette, Scott. (2008). Knowledge management systems and customer knowledge use in organizations (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Van den Berg, Herman Anthony. (2008). Knowledge-based vertical integration: The nature of knowledge and economic firm boundary location (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Miller, Margaret Theodora. (2007). Work and agency in an autonomous women’s knowledge centre (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto. Alternatively, find it on ProQuest .

Morris, Jane. (2007). Readers’ perceptions of lexical cohesion and lexical semantic relations in text (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto. Alternatively, find it on ProQuest .

Gottlieb, Lisa. (2006). Applying Panofsky’s theories of iconographical analysis to graffiti art: Implications for access to images of non-representational/abstract art (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto. Alternatively, find it on ProQuest .

McGrath, Leslie Anne. (2005). Service to children in the Toronto Public Library: A case study, 1912-1949 (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto. Alternatively, find it on ProQuest .

Qayyum, Muhammad Asim. (2005). Analysing and making sense of the markings placed on electronic documents during private and shared readings (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto. Alternatively, find it on ProQuest .

Bartlett, Joan Catherine. (2004). Connecting bioinformatics analysis to scientific practice: An integrated information behaviour and task analysis approach (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto. Alternatively, find it on ProQuest .

Quan-Haase, Anabel. (2004). Information brokers and technology use: A case study of a high-tech company (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto. Alternatively, find it on ProQuest .

Sensuse, Dana Indra. (2004). A comparison of manual indexing and automatic indexing in the humanities (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto. Alternatively, find it on ProQuest .

Zuccala, Alesia Ann. (2004). Revisiting the invisible college: A case study of the intellectual structure and social process of singularity theory research in mathematics (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto. Alternatively, find it on ProQuest .

Johnson, Catherine A. (2003). Information networks: Investigating the information behaviour of Mongolia’s urban residents (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto. Alternatively, find it on ProQuest .

MacIntosh-Murray, Anu. (2003). Information behaviour of health care providers for improving patient safety (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto.

Chan, Donna Camille. (2002). Maintaining professional competence: Impact of organizational and individual factors on the updating activities of public reference librarians (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto. Alternatively, find it on ProQuest .

Dowding, Martin Ridley. (2002). National information infrastructure development in Canada and the U.S.: (Re)defining Universal Service and Universal Access in the Age of Techno-economic Convergence (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto. Alternatively, find it on ProQuest .

Stabile, Juliana M. (2002). Toronto newspapers, 1798-1845: A case study in print culture (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto. Alternatively, find it on ProQuest .

Turnbull, Don. (2002). Knowledge discovery in databases of Web use: Data mining for informetric and behavioral models of information seeking on the World Wide Web (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto. Alternatively, find it on ProQuest .

Stalder, Felix. (2001). Making money: Notes on technology as environment (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto. Alternatively, find it on ProQuest .

Taylor, Shauna. (2001). The impact of downsizing strategies and processes on Ontario academic research libraries (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto. Alternatively, find it on ProQuest .

Arsenault, Clement. (2000). Word division in the transcription of Chinese script in the titles fields of bibliographic records (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto. Alternatively, find it on ProQuest .

Detlor, Brian. (2000). Facilitating organizational knowledge work through Web information systems: An investigation of the information ecology and information behaviours of users in a telecommunications company (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto. Alternatively, find it on, ProQuest .

Kopak, William Richard. (2000). A taxonomy of link types for use in hypertext (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto. Alternatively, find it on ProQuest .

Buchwald, Cheryl Cowan. (1999). Canada’s Coalition for Public Information: A case study of a public interest group in the information highway policy-making process (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto. Alternatively, find it on ProQuest .

Dalbello, Marija. (1999). Croatian diaspora almanacs: A historical and cultural analysis (PhD dissertation), University of Toronto. Alternatively, find it on ProQuest .

Hudon, Michele. (1998). An assessment of the usefulness of standardized definitions in a thesaurus through interindexer terminological consistency measurements (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto. Alternatively, find it on ProQuest .

Zhang, Xiangmin. (1998). A study of the effects of user characteristics on mental models of information retrieval systems (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto. Alternatively, find it on ProQuest .

Nilsen, Kirsti. (1997). Social science research in Canada and federal government information policy: The case of Statistics Canada (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto. Alternatively, find it on ProQuest .

Robinson, Cherrell Victoria. (1997). The voluntary reading interests and habits of Jamaican sixth graders (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto. Alternatively, find it on ProQuest .

Haythornthwaite, Caroline Alison. (1996). Media use in support of communication networks in an academic research environment (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto. Alternatively, find it on ProQuest .

Shubert, Steven Blake. (1996). Subject access to museum objects: Applying the principles of the subject approach to Information from Library and Information Science to the Documentation of Humanities Museum Collections (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto. Alternatively, find it on ProQuest .

Spiteri, Louise Felicie. (1996). Design of an instrument to measure the structural quality of faceted thesauri (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto. 1996. Alternatively, find it on ProQuest .

Syed, Christopher. (1996). From CLANN to UNILINC: An automated library consortium from a soft systems perspective (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto. Alternatively, find it on ProQuest .

Bissell, Mary Eleanor. (1995). Women workers in the Toronto printing trades, 1880-1900 (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto. Alternatively, find it on ProQuest .

Bouthillier, France. (1995). The meaning of service: An ethnographic study of a public library in Quebec (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto. Alternatively, find it on ProQuest .

Yuan, Weijing. (1995). Longitudinal study of end-user searching behaviour of law students in information retrieval (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto. Alternatively, find it on ProQuest .

Turner, James. (1994). Determining the subject content of still and moving image documents for storage and retrieval: An experimental investigation (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto. Alternatively, find it on ProQuest .

Choo, Chun Wei. (1993). Environmental scanning: Acquisition and use of information by chief executive officers in the Canadian telecommunications industry (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto. Alternatively, find it on ProQuest .

Hebert, Francoise. (1993). The quality of interlibrary borrowing services in large urban public libraries in Canada (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto. Alternatively, find it on ProQuest .

Kyriaki-Manessi, Daphne. (1993). A subject analysis of Greek language books printed between 1474 and 1669 (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto. Alternatively, find it on ProQuest .

Wilson, Blake Fleming Michael. (1993). An empirical investigation of the semantic warrants exercised in thesaurus construction (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto. Alternatively, find it on ProQuest .

Olander, Anna Birgitta. (1992). Personal information management in computer science research (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto. Alternatively, find it on ProQuest .

Beghtol, Clare Lawton. (1991). The classification of fiction: The development of a system based on theoretical principles (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto. Alternatively, find it on ProQuest .

Cubero Venegas, Flor de Ma. (1991). A qualitative approach to the study of information needs of policy makers in Costa Rica (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto. Alternatively, find it on ProQuest .

Dick, Judith Patricia. (1991). A conceptual, case-relation representation of text for intelligent retrieval (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto. Alternatively, find it on ProQuest .

Howarth, Lynne. (1990). The impact of automation on operations and staffing configurations in cataloguing departments in public libraries: A study of four public library systems in the municipality of Metropolitan Toronto, Ontario, 1970-1986 (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto. Alternatively, find it on ProQuest .

Hopkins, Richard. (1988). The information seeking behaviour of literary scholars in Canadian universities (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto. Alternatively, find it on ProQuest .

Mittermeyer, Diane. (1984). The concept of bureaucracy in public library administration: A study of selected organizational variables in two different library settings (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto. Alternatively, find it on ProQuest .

Mudge, Charlotte. (1984). Bargaining unit composition and negotiation outcomes: A study of academic and public library personnel in Ontario (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto. Alternatively, find it on ProQuest .

Savard, Rejean. (1984). A study of the orientation towards the generic and field-specific models of professionalism among public library personnel in Quebec (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto. Alternatively, find it on ProQuest .

Foster, H. Marie. (1982). Philosophies, practices and policies of book selection in medium-sized libraries in two Canadian provinces, Alberta and Ontario (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto. Alternatively, find it on ProQuest .

Nauratil, Marcia Jeanne. (1982). An investigation into the congruence/incongruence between espoused theory and theory-in-use relating to public library service to older adults in Ontario and New York (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto. Alternatively, find it on ProQuest .

Amey, Lorne J. (1981). Information seeking activities of adolescents of different socio-economic classes in a Canadian urban centre (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto. Alternatively, find it on ProQuest .

Crouch, Richard Keith. (1981). Interpersonal communication in the reference interview (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto. Alternatively, find it on ProQuest .

Hambleton, Alixe. (1980). The elementary school librarian in Ontario: A study of role, role perception, role conflict and effectiveness (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto. Alternatively, find it on ProQuest .

Phillips, Delores. (1980). Factors in the accessibility of government publications: A study based on land use planning publications for the City of Toronto (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto. Alternatively, find it on ProQuest .

England, Claire. (1974). The climate of censorship in Ontario: An investigation into attitudes toward intellectual freedom and the perceptual factors affecting the practice of censorship in public libraries serving medium-sized populations (PhD dissertation). University of Toronto. Alternatively, find it on ProQuest .

• Writing Home
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Using Thesis Statements

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When you are asked to write an essay that creates an argument, your reader will probably expect a clear statement of your position. Typically, this summary statement comes in the first paragraph of the essay, though there is no rigid rule about position. Here are some characteristics of good thesis statements, with samples of good and poor ones. Note that the better examples substitute specific argumentative points for sweeping general statements; they indicate a theoretical basis and promise substantial support. (See Some Myths About Thesis Statements, below, for a discussion of times not to use a thesis statement. See also the file General Advice on Essay Writing .)

1. It makes a definite and limited assertion that needs to be explained and supported by further discussion:

2. It shows the emphasis and indicates the methodology of your argument:

3. It shows awareness of difficulties and disagreements:

Some Myths about Thesis Statements

• Every paper requires one . Assignments that ask you to write personal responses or to explore a subject don’t want you to seem to pre-judge the issues. Essays of literary interpretation often want you to be aware of many effects rather than seeming to box yourself into one view of the text.
• A thesis statement must come at the end of the first paragraph. This is a natural position for a statement of focus, but it’s not the only one. Some theses can be stated in the opening sentences of an essay; others need a paragraph or two of introduction; others can’t be fully formulated until the end.
• A thesis statement must be one sentence in length, no matter how many clauses it contains . Clear writing is more important than rules like these. Use two or three sentences if you need them. A complex argument may require a whole tightly-knit paragraph to make its initial statement of position.
• You can’t start writing an essay until you have a perfect thesis statement . It may be advisable to draft a hypothesis or tentative thesis statement near the start of a big project, but changing and refining a thesis is a main task of thinking your way through your ideas as you write a paper. And some essay projects need to explore the question in depth without being locked in before they can provide even a tentative answer.
• A thesis statement must give three points of support . It should indicate that the essay will explain and give evidence for its assertion, but points don’t need to come in any specific number.

Theses & dissertations

Why isn't a recent u of t thesis showing up in tspace, how can i find a university of toronto thesis, how can i find a thesis or dissertation from another university.

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Dissertations by our graduates are available through  Theses Canada  and the  University of Toronto library system . Most PhD Dissertations and Master’s theses completed since 2008 are also available on  T-Space .

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Thesis & Proposal

<—Back to Ph.D. program requirements.

Ph.D. Thesis

Each student will complete a dissertation based on original research conducted by the candidate on a topic in women and gender studies, approved by the Supervisory Committee. The dissertation must constitute a significant contribution to the knowledge of the field, and must be based on research conducted while registered for the Ph.D. Program. It will be submitted and evaluated according to the procedures specified by the School of Graduate Studies.

Ph.D. Proposal

A student’s research formally begins with the submission of a dissertation proposal to the Dissertation Committee. The Dissertation Committee consists of at least three faculty members including a supervisor from the WGSI graduate faculty. The dissertation proposal is normally about 20-30 pages (not including references); it should draw in significant part on the work done for the comprehensive exams. The proposal is expected to: state the issue that the doctoral project seeks to address; situate the research within the relevant literatures and debates; indicate the contribution that the research is anticipated to make; and describe the methods and approaches to be employed in the research.  It should include a bibliography and a tentative timeline for completion of different stages of the dissertation.

The student will submit the proposal to all Dissertation Committee Members who will review the proposal for approval after the student’s satisfactory completion of the written submission and oral exam.

The dissertation proposal will be accepted no later than  August 31 st   of the second year of Ph.D. studies  for students admitted with an M.A. degree; it will be accepted no later than  December 31 st   of the third year of Ph.D. studies  for direct-entry students.

Students whose projects involve the study of human subjects must submit an ethics protocol and have it approved before field work begins.  Ethics approvals should be submitted in time for review by the Research Ethics Boards and in any event no later than the deadline for the submission of the dissertation proposal.  The review process normally takes 6-8 weeks; students should review the following websites to obtain more details on this process:

• http://www.research.utoronto.ca/faculty-and-staff/research-ethics-and-protections/humans-in-research/
• http://www.research.utoronto.ca/forms/protocol-submission-for-supervised-and-sponsored-research/
• Meeting dates of REBs: http://www.research.utoronto.ca/about/boards-and-committees/research-ethics-boards-reb/

Centre for Graduate Professional Development

Three minute thesis (3mt), what is the three minute thesis (3mt).

Your graduate research. 3 minutes. 1 slide.

Every year the University of Toronto hosts the Three Minute Thesis Competition (3MT®), a competition in which graduate students present their work to a generalist audience in 3 minutes using only one static slide.

2024 3MT Winners and Finalists

Congratulations to the 2024 3MT winners and finalists!

First Place and People’s Choice Daniil Lisus Institute of Aerospace Studies, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering “Helping Autonomous Cars See What Our Eyes Can’t”

Second Place Emaad Paracha Department of Physics, Faculty of Arts & Science “Detecting Dark Matter in Galaxy Clusters from the Stratosphere”

Third Place Angel Badewole Department of Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering “Assessing the Environmental Impacts of an Innovative Chemical Production Pathway”

3MT Final Program

Watch / Listen to the 2024 3MT Winners

3MT in the News

2023 U of T 3MT winner Emily Majaesic wins first place at the Ontario Regional competition

Emily Majaesic with SGS Dean Joshua Barker at the Ontario Regional final held at Queen’s University

2025 3MT Competition Schedule: Coming Soon

Why You Should Participate in the 3MT

Improve your oral presentation skills, profile your research, and learn about our community’s cutting-edge ideas.

• Present your 3MT to generalist audiences at the University of Toronto.
• Winning the University of Toronto 3MT finals will allow you to compete at the provincial level.
• You can even advance to showcase your research at the national and international level.

In addition to the opportunity to improve your communication skills and showcase your research, there are prizes for 3MT winners: $1000 for first place, $500 for second place, $250 for third place, and $200 for the people’s choice winner, paid into your student account.

Ready to Apply?

Learn more about the 3MT competition.

Complete the registration form and take part in a preliminary heat.

Attend and cheer on your peers in the U of T 3MT Heats, Semi-Finals, and Finals.

Eligibility, Rules, and Judging Criteria

Eligibility.

• A single static PowerPoint slide is permitted (no slide transitions, animations or ‘movement’ of any description, the slide is to be presented from the beginning of the oration)
• No additional electronic media (e.g., sound and video files) are permitted
• No additional props (e.g., costumes, musical instruments, laboratory equipment) are permitted
• Presentations are limited to 3 minutes maximum and competitors exceeding 3 minutes are disqualified
• Presentations are to be spoken word (e.g., no poems, raps, or songs)
• Presentations are to commence from the stage
• Presentations are considered to have commenced when a presenter starts their presentation through movement or speech
• The decision of the adjudicating panel is final

Judging Criteria

Presentations will be assessed according to the criteria listed below. Please note that each criterion is equally weighted.

• Comprehension and content
• Engagement and communication
• Presentation provided clear background and significance to the research question
• Presentation clearly described the research strategy/design and the results/findings of the research
• Presentation clearly described the conclusions, outcomes, and impact of the research
• The oration was delivered clearly, and the language was appropriate for a non-specialist audience
• The PowerPoint slide was well-defined and enhanced the presentation
• The presenter conveyed enthusiasm for their research and captured and maintained the audience’s attention

How 3MT Works

Competitors progress from the preliminary heats to the semi-finals and then to the finals. The judges will award first, second, and third place, while the audience’s favourite presentation is awarded the people’s choice.

Competition Levels at a Glance

• This 3MT competition is hosted by the School of Graduate Studies. Competitors begin in the preliminary heats and may advance to the semi-finals and finals.
• The winner of the University of Toronto 3MT competes at the Ontario provincial competition, hosted by a different Ontario university each year.
• The Canadian Association for Graduate Studies (CAGS) hosts the top finalists from each of the provincial competitions (Western, Ontario, Eastern) to compete in an online format. The video recordings of the finalists’ presentations are played and judged.
• The winner of the University of Toronto 3MT competes internationally. The NAGS competition brings together the 3MT winners of universities across the provinces of New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island and Quebec, and the American states of Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington, D.C. Competitors present live in front of a panel of judges.
• The Council of Graduate Studies hosts a North America-wide 3MT showcase with the winners from the southern, western, midwestern, and northeastern regions presenting their 3MT orations and participating in a roundtable discussion. The audience is then given a chance to confer a People’s Choice Award.

Frequently Asked Questions

Other questions? Contact us at [email protected]

I’ve registered but don’t know which heat I’m in. How can I find out?

We will email you your heat date and a link to submit your slide. But you are encouraged to begin working on your slide and practicing your presentation before then. 

Can I change my slide and presentation between rounds (e.g., for the semi-finals or finals)?

Yes! We encourage you to make changes and incorporate judges’ feedback as you advance through the stages of the competition.

I participated in my department’s 3MT this year. Am I also allowed to participate in the University-wide 3MT?

Yes, all graduate students may participate in the preliminary heats subject to meeting the eligibility requirements.

I am a post-doc. Can I participate in 3MT?

Post-docs are not eligible to take part in the main 3MT competition. We are working on a new program that will allow post-docs to participate in a similar initiative. Stay tuned!

Training and Resources

• University of Toronto Resources
• External Resources
• Workshop: Preparing Your 3MT Presentation by Dr. Cristina D’Amico, 2016 U of T 3MT winner
• GCAC Oral Presentation Skills Courses – Courses are available in different formats and for different audiences
• U of T Libraries Workshop: Visual Literacy: Interpreting and Evaluating Images (Maps, Charts, Diagrams, Photographs) for Research and Publishing
• Making the Most of Your Three Minutes by Simon Clews, Director, Writing Centre, University of Melbourne
• How to Talk About Your Thesis in 3 Minutes by Inger Mewburn (RMIT)
• Communicating Your Research in Lay Language by Christian A Linte,  IEEE Engineering in Medicine & Biology Magazine , May / June 2009
• 3MT Presentation: Now You See It by Rosanna Stevens, ANU TV, 2014
• 3MT: Three Tips to Help You Prepare a Winning Presentation by Rosanna Stevens, ANU TV , 2015

Return to the CGPD homepage

Research Guides

Theses & dissertations.

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• Writing & Submitting Your Thesis

If you are unable to find the thesis you want from a database that enables downloading of the document use UofT's interlibrary loan service to request a copy. In most cases, theses from other institutions can be requested through interlibrary loan using RACER .

• The University of Toronto Library does not sell copies of dissertations or theses.
• Theses & dissertations in our open access repository, TSpace , are available freely to the public.
• Libraries outside the UofT system can contact UofT interlibrary loans to request items in our collections. For individuals, all requests must be initiated from a library to which you are affiliated.
• Interlibrary Loan Lending Charges, University of Toronto
• If the dissertation or thesis is available through ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global , you may purchase a copy directly through ProQuest .
• << Previous: Thesis from Other Institutions
• Next: Writing & Submitting Your Thesis >>
• Last Updated: May 30, 2023 9:44 AM
• URL: https://guides.library.utoronto.ca/theses

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ut-thesis – University of Toronto thesis style

This L a T e X document class implements the formatting requirements of the University of Toronto School of Graduate Studies (SGS), as of Fall 2020 ( https://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/academic-progress/program-completion/formatting ).

For example usage, see the GitHub repository .

Download the contents of this package in one zip archive (137.1k).

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