Most disciplinary indexing tools index conference papers, as do the two databases, PapersFirst and ProceedingsFirst . Often only the abstract appears in print. Papers that are bound and published as proceedings are more likely to be indexed. Sometimes the full-text can only be obtained from the author. Dissertations and Theses Theses are research papers required for some Master's degrees.
Dissertations are presentations of original research written by a candidate for a doctoral degree.
Theses and Dissertations serve as a source of data that has been carefully researched by the candidate, and reviewed by a faculty committee. Doctoral dissertations written in the US since 1861, as well as selected Master's theses and British, Canadian and European dissertations are indexed in ProQuest Digital Dissertations . Full-text of these documents is sometimes available via Interlibrary Loan. Technical Reports Technical reports are prepared to describe the progress of research and development projects. This research is usually conducted by government agencies or supported by government grants or contracts.