No kidding. I wouldn't write this if this weren't TRUE!
Whether you're hunting for a couple of facts--on something on the obscure side--or an overview on something big, looking at dissertions can be both quick and highly reliable. Consider:
- Dissertations are nearly all full-text through PQDFT (Duke-only database)
- Dissertations are highly specific
- Dissertations are the academic "gold standard" of scholarship
- Bibliiographies are exhaustive on the topic
- Chapters are generically titled: YOU DON'T HAVE TO READ THE WHOLE DISS!
- The introduction usually scopes out the topic and presents ideas.
[ProQuest] Dissertations and Theses Full Text
