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Trove - Australian Theses  

Search the National Library of Australia's discovery service Trove for print and digital theses held in collecting institutions across Australia.

• Tip: Choose Advanced Search.  Select Research & Reports from the the drop down menu. Enter search terms then refine the results by selecting Thesis under the Format heading.

Union list of higher degree theses in Australian university libraries: cumulative edition to 1965  

Find theses submitted for a higher degree at Australian universities between 1959 and 1978 by searching this text.

• Tip: The link goes to the catalogue record for the cumulative edition to 1965 but there are also supplements at the same location.

New Zealand Libraries (Te Puna)  

Use this web-based search service to search for theses in New Zealand libraries and/or worldwide.

• Tip: Select Thesis/Dissertation under the Format filter to narrow your results.

nzresearch.org.nz  

Search open-access research documents produced at universities, polytechnics, and other institutions in New Zealand at this site.

• Tip: Select Thesis from the Browse by Type menu on the search page.

British Library - EThOS Electronic Thesis Online Service  

Search this site for doctoral theses from the United Kingdom, including many with free full text access.

DART - Europe E-theses Portal  

Search this extensive collection to locate research theses from European countries.

Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations

Find an extensive list of international sites for locating free, electronic theses and dissertations at this site.

OpenDOAR  

Search and browse this authoritative directory of open-access repositories worldwide.

Theses Canada  

Find theses and dissertations from universities across Canada, covering the 1960s to the present, via this searchable collection.

WorldCat  

Search the world's most comprehensive database of information about library collections by performing a search then selecting  the Thesis/Dissertation option from the format list.

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Find UNSW theses

UNSW theses can be found using the institutional repository  UNSWorks.

Some Australian and international theses/dissertations can be found using the Academy Library collection .

• Carry out a search on your topic, author, or thesis title. 
• Refine your results by selecting the tick box next to Dissertations under the Resource Types heading. 

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• Last Updated: Jun 26, 2024 1:31 PM
• URL: https://guides.lib.unsw.adfa.edu.au/theses

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Recent submissions.

• To eat or not to eat: the role of autophagy in Helicobacter pylori-related gastric carcinogenesis ( 2024 ) Simovic, Isidora Thesis Autophagy, an intracellular degradative pathway, has dynamic roles including mediating inflammation and tumour suppression. Autophagy can also be directed against invasive pathogens, such as Helicobacter pylori, the leading cause of gastric cancer (GC). The germline variant ATG16L1 rs2241880 (A > G; Thr300Ala) leads to a loss of function-like phenotype and has the potential to be a biomarker for H. pylori-related GC, which we investigated through employing three different models. Firstly, our case-control study populations aimed to examine the association between the variant and risk of infection and GC in Australian Caucasians, Han Chinese, and Colombian populations. All subjects (GC, gastric precancerous lesions, and controls) were genotyped using MALDI-TOF and H. pylori infection status determined serologically. Individuals carrying the risk G allele were more susceptible to both infection and GC, where the greatest risk was conferred with concomitant carriage of the variant and positive H. pylori infection. Our in vitro model involved using CRISPR/Cas9 to generate knock-in AGS cell lines reflecting all three rs2241880 genotypes (AA, AG, GG). Cells were challenged with H. pylori GC26 (vacA+ s1m1, cagA+) where inflammatory, autophagic and migratory cell responses were evaluated. GG-carrying gastric epithelial cells demonstrated an exacerbated IL-8 inflammatory response, with reduced TNF-α and IFN-β expression. Autophagic function and lysosomal activity, intracellular survival of H. pylori and wound healing were all demonstrated to be disrupted in G-allele carrying cells. Our last model used clinical samples to investigate the impact of ATG16L1 rs2241880 on GC pathophysiology, gastric microbiota composition, and clinical outcomes. Host transcriptomic analysis in gastric tissue revealed that rs2241880 could modulate the expression of key tumour suppressor genes (TRIM31, PLAAT2, EYA4) and oncogenes (HMGB3, USP2). Gastric microbiota surveying using 16S rRNA indicated a sex specific rs2241880 influence on gastric microbial composition, suggesting enrichment of Prevotella and a decrease in Stomatobaculum. The systemic immune protein profile was also influenced by rs2241880 carriage, including a potentially anti-metastatic signature during late carcinogenesis. The prognostic value of rs2241880 was assessed where GG-carrying GC patients were associated with superior overall survival. Overall, we provide here mechanistic insight into how ATG16L1 rs2241880 influences H. pylori-mediated gastric carcinogenesis, with strong evidence suggesting a translational potential in the clinical setting.
• Wildfire Impacts on Estuaries ( 2024 ) Lima Barros, Thayanne Thesis This thesis investigates the impact of fires on sedimentary habitats in estuaries and explores the implications for management. Estuaries are one of the most valuable ecosystems on earth and although humans are highly dependent on estuaries, human activities have been extensively impacting them worldwide. In addition to these pressures, climate change is exacerbating extreme fire events and creating a new threat to estuaries. Rainfall after an extreme fire and runoff from burnt areas can introduce large quantities of harmful post-fire materials such as sediment, ash, nutrients, and metals into estuaries, affecting their health and functioning. However, little is known about wildfire impacts and recovery in estuarine systems. Through empirical assessments, I examined the immediate effects of wildfires on estuarine benthic habitats, identifying changes in habitat characteristics and the presence of post-fire materials. By sampling estuaries before and after megafires, I describe impacts of wildfires on estuarine benthic habitats and show that wildfires change the fundamental characteristics of estuarine benthic habitat. In the first empirical assessment of the impact of wildfires on estuarine condition, my results identify indicators that may assist waterway managers to empirically detect wildfire impacts in estuaries and factors that should be included in fire risk assessments for estuaries. Furthermore, my research investigated the dynamics of post-fire materials in estuaries through time, revealing patterns of potential recovery and highlighting the potential role of pyrogenic carbon as a predictor of fire impacts. To inform future monitoring, I establish the first baseline values of pyrogenic carbon concentration in estuarine sediments along the eastern Australian coastline. Overall, this thesis demonstrates that wildfires have the potential to cause impacts that extend from terrestrial and freshwater systems all the way to coastal habitats. Wildfires can change estuarine sediment characteristics and increase the input of post-fire materials, such as pyrogenic carbon. In extreme cases, these changes may persist for >12 months with unknown implications for the health and functioning of these systems.
• A novel trading strategy for higher renewable generation utilization based on energy trading mechanism and multi-turbine wind power prediction ( 2024 ) Liu, Boxuan Thesis As the renewable energy generation advances, the installation capacity and the proportion of renewable energy within the distributed networks have increased. Due to the feature of the uncertainty of the renewable energy generation, and the instrumental influence that the economic regulation has over the electricity market. Hence, an urgent desire is requested for more accurate renewable power prediction and a demand for a market-oriented trading mechanism for renewable energy in the electricity market. This thesis focuses on building an energy trading framework, which first aims to create a model that can improve the prediction accuracy for multiple wind turbine power, the model consists of the long short-term memory (LSTM) algorithm for temporal correlation with long-term dependencies based on time-series SCADA data from wind turbines, and graph convolutional networks (GCN) that can extract spatial features in non-Euclidean space between target and adjacent turbines, then employ bare bones fireworks algorithm (BBFWA) to optimize the hyperparameter tuning which offers good global search ability that can escape local minimum and simple implementation. The forecasting model can be utilized to optimize the allocation of renewable energy before energy storage and trading. The thesis then proposed a novel trading strategy for renewable energy generation with battery energy storage system designed for the electricity market system and the trading mechanism in order to achieve an organic connection between sustainable energy production and the electricity market.
• The micropolitics of transformative sea-level rise adaptation in Brisbane Water and Wamberal Beach, Central Coast, Australia ( 2024 ) Kreller, Anne Maree Thesis This thesis challenges current coastal adaptation practices in Australia, which are preoccupied with technical approaches. The aim is to investigate how social movements can achieve fair and transformative sea-level rise (SLR) adaptation, in Brisbane Water and Wamberal Beach, in the Central Coast, NSW. I argue that fairness conflicts and knowledge politics are contextual and that a transformative approach to SLR adaptation must centre the micropolitics of place. Whilst social movements can facilitate transformation, few studies have evaluated whether their presence achieves fair or transformative SLR adaptation. This study brings a unique conceptual framework to two Central Coast communities, inclusive of transformative adaptation, fairness, and social movements. It explores how policymakers have sought to involve communities in SLR adaptation planning by analysing 26 coastal management policies in Australia, NSW, and the Central Coast. It asks how communities engage with SLR adaptation planning, observing Draft Climate Change Policy (DCCP) consultation in the Brisbane Water, discussion of a seawall Wamberal Beach, and interviewing 31 activists, coastal organisations, and adaptation planners. Policies demonstrate the unwillingness of governments to adopt novel approaches to decision-making. The Central Coast Council prioritised conflict avoidance over fair adaptation. During the consultation, scientific knowledge provided the authority and legitimacy for plans. Policymakers proposed novel approaches to communication; however, the Central Coast Council avoided contentious discussions about the science to approve plans. Fieldwork revealed diverse movements and organisations involved in coastal adaptation. In Brisbane Water, consultation about planned retreat became the catalyst for debate about what was unfair about the DCCP, framed as emotional appeals by property interests. Climate-aligned groups and planners perceived emotional framing to be self-interested and irrational. Knowledge politics in this area reflected an argument over whose authority counts in planning. In Wamberal Beach, limited community involvement during discussion of the seawall resulted from lobbying by property interests and contained participation by planners. The community disagreed on fair outcomes: planners shared information selectively with waterfront property owners to avoid conflict. Policy recommendations include an agonistic approach for Brisbane Water and fair participation for Wamberal Beach. Both areas need transparent communication which considers place and dynamic interrelationships between organisations.
• Design and synthesis of novel biologically active flavones and isoflavones ( 2024 ) Fu, Xiaoming Thesis The primary aim of this project was to develop different methodologies for the synthesis of novel 4-arylisoflavans and isoflavenes or analogues that structurally resemble isoflavonoids. In addition, the incorporation of fused-ring systems into the isoflavonoid scaffold to synthesize analogues of a bioactive natural product was also explored. The synthesized analogues were tested against cancer cells with results showing that a number of these compounds displayed promising anti-cancer effects. The construction of 4-arylisoflavan scaffold started with the preparation of phenyl propynyl ethers either by Williamson ether synthesis or Mitsunobu reaction, depending on the electronic nature of the propynyl aromatic systems which were introduced at the terminal alkyne via Sonogashira coupling. The intramolecular cyclization was carried out through an electrophilic borylative reaction followed by immediate esterification to furnish the benzopyran core with a boronic ester at 3-position. Subsequent Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reaction allowed for the attachment of various aromatic systems, giving access to 4-arylisoflavenes which were readily converted to cis 4-arylisoflavans by catalytic hydrogenation. The established methodology paved the way for flexible structural modification and possessed the advantage of preparing a large library of isoflavans in a short period of time. Attempts were also made to improve the bioactivities of 4-arylisoflavans by replacing the benzopyran core with 1,4-benzoxazine, which required the development of an alternative strategy. The synthesis of the benzoxazine ring was achieved by reduction of the nitro group and subsequent reductive amination of readily available precursors 2-(5-methoxy-2-nitrophenoxy)-1-arylethan-1-ones. An additional reduction step using NaCNBH3 was performed to increase amine conversion. The secondary amine present in the benzoxazine iv scaffold was substituted with either aromatic systems via Buchwald-Hartwig crosscoupling or different benzyl moieties. Subsequent functionalization such as amination and demethylation further expanded the substrate scope of 3,4-disubstituted benzoxazines. The synthesis of aza-analogues of 4-arylisoflavenes, or 3,4-disubstituted quinolines and their reduced analogues started with the construction of N-phenyl-2-propynylamines where the amine was protected with a tosyl group. Different aryl substituents were then introduced at the terminal alkyne through Sonogashira coupling reaction. Electrophilic iodocyclization furnished the quinoline scaffold for subsequent coupling at 3-position to afford the tosylated 3,4-diaryl-1,2-dihydroquinolines which were readily converted to desired 3,4-diarylquinolines by convenient deprotection. Furthermore, the catalytic reduction of the tosylated intermediates to generate the corresponding 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinolines was also explored.
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Submit Your Thesis Before Graduation

Are you a research student.

If you are a Research graduate, you must deposit 2 digital copies of the final, University-approved version of your thesis to UNSWorks before your graduation documents can be released.

If you have not successfully deposited your thesis to UNSWorks   at least 2 weeks prior  to your graduation ceremony, you may be handed a blank folder when you cross the stage.

See the Graduate Research School's preparing for graduation page for further information -  https://unsw.sharepoint.com/sites/unswhdr

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Managing references

Reference management software allows you to create a personal database or library of references and generate automatic bibliographies in a variety of referencing styles.

UNSW IT provides access to EndNote for current UNSW staff and students. Other free reference management software is also available.

EndNote software is available as a free download for PC and Mac from IT Services for UNSW staff and students (requires login).

Filters and connection files

Filters are used when importing saved records from a database search into EndNote when direct export is not available.

Connection files enable EndNote to open, search and import references from university and public library catalogues. The UNSW Library connection file is available on the EndNote website.

Other connection files and filters are also available on the EndNote website.

EndNote online

EndNote online (previously called EndNote web) is the web-based version of EndNote. You can sign up for an account with EndNote online .

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• Telephone support is available Monday to Friday from 9am to 7pm (AEST) on 1800 312 965

Zotero is a free and open source reference management tool. It has a web-based interface and free downloadable software available for Mac, Windows or Linux.

To get the most out of its features, register for a free Zotero account.

A list of the citation output styles is available on the Zotero website.

Note: The Zotero Connector browser extension can block access to some databases due to its proxy settings. To prevent this occurring, select the extension's Proxy settings and untick the Enable proxy redirection in your browser.

Zotero training and support

• Quick start guide
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Alternative bibliographic software management programs

Wikipedia has an article comparing reference management software .

Need help with referencing?

Students can contact Academic Skills UNSW for help with referencing. Schedule a consultation in person on campus, or online via Microsoft Teams.

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Copyright at UNSW

• Copyright and your thesis
• Moral rights
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• Managing copyright in your thesis
• Requesting permission
• Incorporating publications into your thesis
• Depositing your thesis in UNSWorks

UNSW students generally own copyright in their own works, including UNSW postgraduate students’ research theses.  There are exceptions to these rules, and they can be found in the UNSW intellectual property policy

When researching and writing your thesis, you may include third party copyright material such as quotes, tables, photographs, illustrations or diagrams. When using third party copyright material, you must ensure that you comply with copyright law. Under the fair dealing provision for research or study , within the Copyright Act, a reasonable portion of third party copyright material can be used in the version of your thesis submitted for examination. 

If third party copyright materials are reproduced in the public version of your thesis, you generally need permission from the copyright owner.  This permission is in addition to the normal academic practice of citing resources. 

UNSW requires a digital copy of theses to be deposited into the University's open access repository, UNSWorks. As part of the depositing process, you must declare that you obtained permission from any third party copyright materials within your thesis. More information about thesis submission can be found at Graduate Research . 

For this reason, it is important for students to carefully consider what third party copyright material they include in their thesis and allow time to obtain permission from copyright owners, if required.

For more information about thesis examination processes for all higher degree research programs at UNSW, see Thesis examination procedure .

Generally, substantial third party copyright material may be included without copyright owner's permission if:

• Copyright has expired
• A fair dealing exception covers the use 
• An insubstantial portion is used
• The material has a licence to allow for re-use

When researching and writing a thesis, it is likely that third party copyright material is used. 

Generally, research students can rely on the fair dealing for research or study when using copyright materials in the version of their thesis they turn in for examination as part of their degree program.  

Deciding whether a use is ‘fair’ is determined largely by how much of the work has been copied. 

A reasonable portion is generally considered to be:

• 10% or one chapter if the work is a published edition of 10 pages or more
• 10% of the words if the work is electronic
• one article in a single edition of a periodical publication (a journal or newspaper)
• more than one article in a single edition of a periodical publication if the same subject matter

Artistic works, unpublished material, films, and sound recordings do not have the same 10% provision. To be able to use these types of materials, you need to consider whether the use is fair and reasonable.    It is generally considered ‘reasonable’ under the fair dealing for research or study to reproduce a whole of an ‘artistic works’ (including maps, diagrams, graphs, etc.) that accompany and illustrate/explain a text for research or study purposes. If including a substantial amount of material that has been sourced from e-books or e-journals provided by the Library, best practice is to check the licence terms of these resources and request permission to include these resources in both your thesis for examination as well as the public version of your thesis. 

Copyright in the public version of your thesis

While the fair dealing for research or study allows for the use of copyright materials in the version submitted for examination, the research or study exception does not cover the use of copyright materials in the public version submitted to UNSWorks (UNSW’s institutional repository). If copyright materials are reproduced and communicated in the public version of their thesis, permission is generally required, unless an exception or licence applies. 

When can copyright material be used without seeking permission?

There are some circumstances where other people’s material can be used without permission. These include:

• when the copyright has expired or the copyright owner has waived their rights (Public Domain) 
• when a fair dealing exception covers the use 
• the amount used is insubstantial (i.e. brief quote / extract from a publication). See,  Quoting materials  
• materials with a Creative Commons licence attached
• materials copied from a website where the terms and conditions allow re-use for your intended purposes
• library subscribed resources where the publisher allows for the copyright material to be included in the public version of your thesis 

When using other people’s copyright material, remember to attribute the work and abide by any terms attached to licences.

What copyright materials requires permission for reuse?

Permission is generally required if a substantial portion of the third party material has been used.  Whether a portion is considered substantial or not is judged on both a qualitative and quantitative basis.

Examples of the type of materials that require permission for the public version of your thesis are as follows:

If the use of copyright material does not fall in one of the categories mentioned above, then student would either need to seek permission or redact the copyright material from the public facing version of their thesis that is deposited into UNSWorks. Find out more about requesting permission here .  

When writing your thesis, it is important to start the process of obtaining permission as soon as possible as it can take some time to gain the necessary permissions.  There are a number of ways to approach seeking permission:

• Use Rightslink for permissions for the use  images in books/journals; journal articles and book chapters Many commercial publishers direct permission requests to the Copyright Clearance Centre – RightsLink service.  It important that when requesting permission that the intended use is to post the thesis in an open institutional repository.
• If you are unable to gain permission via RightsLink then you need to locate the copyright owner/s. A guide to locating the copyright owner can be found on the Australia Copyright Council Information Sheet: Permission How to Get It
• If the copyright owner is a publisher, then they normally would have a ‘request copyright permission’ type link on their website. 

To request permission from a copyright owner you should: 

• check to see if the publisher has an online permission form on their website 
• if the publisher does not have a form, this Copyright permission request template  can be used as a guide to request permission
• include a detailed description of material to be used and the amount of the material you wish to use 
• state clearly that you are seeking permission to use the work for non-commercial purposes and that a copy of your thesis will be made publicly available online in UNSWorks (UNSW’s institutional repository).
• be conscious that the copyright owner has the right to say no 
• be aware that a copyright owner may charge a fee or ask you to sign a licence agreement 

Remember to allow plenty of time, as it may take months for the permission to be granted.  

It also important to retain copies of permissions you have received. Copyright permission granted by publishers and copyright owners can be included in the master copy of your thesis that is submitted to the Library, however they should be removed from the public version. Refer to Depositing Your Thesis for more information. 

Removing third party copyright material from the public version of your thesis

If it is not possible to obtain permission for the reuse of certain copyright material in the public facing version of a thesis, then those material should be removed. In the place of the redacted materials, you may include a short statement such as:

• “Figure (Text/Chart/Diagram etc.) has been removed due to copyright restrictions”. 
• “Content can be access via [insert name of publication, URL etc.]”  

If you plan to incorporate your own research publications into your research, it may be possible if the research and its publication occurred during the candidature of your degree. You will need the necessary permission from the publishers and any co-authors, and if you are using a publication/s in lieu of a chapter/s in your thesis, approval from your primary supervisor and School Postgraduate Research Coordinator is also required. Some faculties may also have discipline-specific guidelines that should be consulted. 

For more information about incorporating publications into your thesis, see Thesis Examination Procedure  and the UNSW Thesis Format Guide .

Publisher agreements often assign the publisher all rights to the work, although each publisher's policy differs. If you plan to incorporate articles in your thesis, the terms can be negotiated with the publisher prior to signing the agreement. For more information, see Publishing your research . 

If you haven’t negotiated rights prior to publication and need to request permission from the publisher:

• check to see if the publisher has an online permission form on their website
• if the publisher does not have a form, this  UNSW copyright permission template  can be used to request permission
• tell them the amount of the work you wish to use (e.g. the whole work or a part/section)
• state clearly that you are seeking permission to use the work for non-commercial purposes
• consider asking permission for future use of the material (e.g. conference presentations)
• be conscious that the copyright owner has the right to say no
• be aware that a copyright owner may charge a fee or ask you to sign a licence agreement
• allow plenty of time, as it may take months for the permission to be granted

UNSWorks is the UNSW Open Access institutional repository which enables UNSW researchers to make their research outputs freely available and accessible. 

In accordance with UNSW’s Open Access Policy, when depositing your thesis into UNSWorks, you grant UNSW a licence to make the thesis freely available online under a Creative Commons licence. 

As of 1 December 2021, all deposited theses will have a Creative Commons Attribution ( CC BY ) licence applied. This licence allows users to copy, share and adapt the material provided appropriate attribution is given to the creator. The licence also allows for commercial use.

Theses submitted prior to 1 Dec 2021, will have a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives Licence ( CC BY-NC-ND ).

As the creator of the work, you retain copyright in the thesis as well as the right to use the thesis in future works (i.e. future articles, books, conference presentations).

As part of the depositing process, you must declare that you have obtained permission for any third party copyright materials within your thesis. If you have been unable to obtain permission, the third party copyright material must be removed from the public version of your thesis.

Find out more about requesting permissions for third party copyright materials within your thesis. 

UNSW staff and students can contact [email protected] for assistance with a copyright query or to arrange a copyright information session.

Related resources

Depositing your thesis

Copyright log (257KB DOCX)

Australian Copyright Council Information Sheet: Permission: How to Get It

• Last Updated: Jun 25, 2024 10:34 AM

Honours Research Thesis

6 units of credit.

Your Thesis

The goal of all higher degree research (HDR) programs is to write a thesis that demonstrates how you have made an original contribution to knowledge. While the task of writing a thesis can be daunting, there are several things you can do to stay on track and complete your thesis on time while producing your best work.  

The Graduate Research School (GRS) runs two seminars that will help you prepare for your thesis submission:

Thesis Submission Seminar   Outlines the submission and examination process

Using Publications in Your Thesis Seminar Examines how publications may be incorporated into your thesis, including how authorship is determined, and when to seek permission to use published work

The GRS also offers a weekly HDR writing group and a Thesis Writing Boot Camp to help you build a regular writing practice. For information on the seminars and events available, please visit this page .  

Can’t make it to a Seminar or event? Watch a recording of the last session and download a copy of the slides here . 

Additional Resources

UNSW Resources Thesis Submission and Examination Applying for Restricted Access   iThenticate  Thesis Format Guide Thesis Examination Procedure

Finding other HDR theses in your field UNSW digital thesis collection Trove – Australian print and digital theses ProQuest dissertations and theses global (UNSW sign in required for access) EThOS e-theses online service

Writing Your Thesis The Writing Center - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 10 Tips for writing a PhD thesis – Times Higher Education  How to write 10,000 words a day – The Thesis Whisperer

Thesis Plans Free Thesis Plan templates – iThinkwell Sample Thesis Plan - The University of Edinburgh

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Graduate Research School, Level 2, Rupert Myers Building (South Wing), UNSW Sydney NSW 2052 Australia Telephone +61 2 93855500 Dean of Graduate Research, Professor Jonathan Morris. UNSW CRICOS   Provider Code:  00098G  TEQSA Provider ID : PRV12055  ABN:  57 195 873 179

Final year students in Mechanical Engineering and Postgraduate coursework students are required to undertake a three-term, year long project. These projects are usually open-ended research or design projects, where the student works with an academic supervisor to find an answer to an engineering question. Students are required to manage and plan their projects over the three terms. The Thesis course can be started in any term and is generally completed in the final three terms of the degree.

For information on available projects and the enrolment process, please see our Sharepoint site , or contact Professor Tracie Barber .