how to collect references for thesis

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Organizing Papers and References without Losing your Mind

In January, Ulrike Träger wrote a great PLOS ECR post describing how to stay on top of reading during graduate school. If you haven’t read it yet, go take a look, as it’s relevant for people at all career stages. As a follow up, here are a few tips on how to keep track of the papers you want to read without losing your mind.

Choose a reference manager. Sure, you can get by creating a poster or two without a reference manager, but it’s incredibly risky to cite references by hand for manuscripts and grant proposals. Choosing and using a reference manager is also a great way to track papers as you collect them, particularly because reference managers often have powerful search functions. There are many to choose from. Some are free, like Zotero and some versions of Mendeley . Others, like Papers and EndNote , are not, though some paid programs may be free through your institution. Spend some time researching which manager fits your needs, but don’t get bogged down, you can always switch later. Personally, I have transferred references from RefWorks to Zotero to Mendeley to EndNote over the past several years without much trouble.

Choose a place to keep unread papers. Whether it’s a physical folder on your desk or a virtual folder on your desktop, it’s important to have a designated place for unread papers. This folder is more than just a storage space, it should also be a reminder for you to review unread papers. It’s tempting to download papers and forget about them, falling prey to PDF alibi syndrome , wherein you fool yourself into thinking that by downloading a paper you’ve somehow read it. So, set aside some time every few weeks (on your calendar if you need to) to review papers. You won’t necessarily read each paper in detail, but you should complete a quick skim and take a few notes. Try to resist the urge to leave notes like “finish reading later.” However, if needed, consider using notes like “need to read again before citing” for papers that were skimmed particularly quickly.

Choose how to keep track of your notes. It’s a great idea to create a summary of each paper as you read it, but where do you keep this information? Some people write separate documents for each paper (e.g., using the Rhetorical Précis Format ), others write nothing at all, but tag papers (virtually or physically) with key words. The exact components of your system matter less than having a system. Right now, I keep a running document with a few sentences about each paper I read. I also note whether I read it on paper or as a PDF so that I can find notes taken on the paper itself later. If I’m doing a deep read on a specific topic, I might also start another document that has in-depth summaries. I usually keep notes in Word documents, but it’s also possible to store these notes in many reference managers.

Choose how to file read papers. Again, having a system probably matters more than which system you choose. Given the interdisciplinary nature of science, it can be complex to file by topic. Therefore, I find it easiest to file papers by last name of the first author and the publication year. It’s also useful to include a few words in the file name that summarize its content. This will help you differentiate between articles written by authors with similar last names. So, for example, using this method, you might label this blog post as Breland_2017_tracking refs. I keep articles I’ve read in a folder labeled “Articles” that includes a folder for each letter of the alphabet. Therefore, I’d file this blog post in the “B” folder for Breland.

TL;DR. The goal of creating a system to organize papers and references is to be able to easily access them later. If you follow the steps above, it’s relatively easy to keep track of and use what you’ve read – if you want to find a paper, you can search for a key word in your reference manager and/or in your running document of article summaries and then find a copy of the paper in the appropriate alphabetized folder. That said, there is no right way to organize references and I’m curious about how others manage their files. Chime in through the comments and we’ll update the post with any interesting answers!

Pat Thomson (2015) PDF alibi syndrome , Patter blog. Accessed 2/27/17.

Ulrike Träger (2017) Ten tips to stay on top of your reading during grad school , PLoS ECR Community Blog.

Sample Rhetorical Précis: http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/phl201/modules/rhetorical-precis/sample/peirce_sample_precis_click.html

Featured image available through CC0 license.

[…] Organizing Papers And References Without Losing Your Mind – Jessica Breland […]

You have a great organizing skills! I appreciate your tips!

Fantastic tips! Thank you for sharing.

Great tips! It helps me a lot while I’m doing my final diploma project. Thank you.

This is great, very helpful. Nicely written and clearly organized [like your ref lib 😉 ] C

im at the start of my phd and already feeling that i have a lot of literature. i am taking your notes onboard and going to spend some time to organise my files asap. thanks

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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.

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)

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

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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.

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Researching Your Thesis: Managing References For Your Thesis

• Introduction
• Writing Your Thesis
• Finding Sample Theses
• Managing References For Your Thesis

Reference Management Tools

Reference Management Tools can help you to easily organise, store and manage your citations. Choose the citation tool most applicable to your needs and easily cite as you write, with add-ons for MS Word and Google Docs. Endnote is the main reference management tool supported by IT Carlow Library,  with a licensing agreement in place. However, there are many free open source tools which you may find suitable for your research. Take a look through the citation tools listed below and click on the icons to link out to the portal. 

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• Last Updated: May 30, 2023 11:04 AM
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Citation guides

All you need to know about citations

How to cite an undergraduate thesis in APA

• Google Docs

To cite an undergraduate 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 undergraduate 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 an undergraduate thesis in APA style 6th edition:

Author(s) of the thesis . ( Year of publication ). Title of the undergraduate thesis (Bachelor'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.
• 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 an undergraduate thesis in APA style 7th edition:

Author(s) of the thesis . ( Year of publication ). Title of the undergraduate thesis ( Publication number ) [Bachelor'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 undergraduate thesis (Unpublished bachelor'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 undergraduate thesis [Unpublished bachelor'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 an undergraduate thesis citation in action:

A bachelor's thesis from an online platform

Parekh, P., & Pishchenko, V . ( 2013 ). Factors influencing the choice of bank – An international student perspective ( Bachelor's thesis ). Retrieved from https://www.divaportal.org/smash/get/diva2:653388/FULLTEXT02.pdf

Parekh, P., & Pishchenko, V . ( 2013 ). Factors influencing the choice of bank – An international student perspective [ Bachelor's thesis , Dalarna University ]. Diva Portal . https://www.divaportal.org/smash/get/diva2:653388/FULLTEXT02.pdf

An unpublished undergraduate thesis

Baslow, W . ( 2015 ). The applicability of the qualitative system analysis as decision-making tool in public administration by the example of the municipality Ludwigsburg ( Unpublished undergraduate thesis ). Leuphana University of Lüneburg , Lüneburg, Germany .

Baslow, W . ( 2015 ). The applicability of the qualitative system analysis as decision-making tool in public administration by the example of the municipality Ludwigsburg [ Unpublished undergraduate thesis ]. Leuphana University of Lüneburg .

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
• APA 6th referencing style: Theses
• APA 6th Edition Citation Style-Dissertation/Thesis

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In full text databases such as Project Muse and JStor search for an author or a specific work by putting parentheses around the name or title. Examples: "Karl Marx" or "Critique of Pure Reason"

Using parentheses around titles of works will also give you better results when searching for references in other databases.

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• Cited Reference Searching allows you to " go forward in time" from a book or article you know to newer books or articels which have cited your original source since it has been published.

Normally you look at the end of a book or article for the references cited, all of which have been published earlier than the piece you are reading.

For example, when I read Keith Basso's " Portraits of "The Whiteman " which was published in 1979, all works cited are dated earlier than 1979.  

However, if I want to know who has cited Basso's work since it has been published, I will use the "Cited Reference" searching approach.

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For example in " Portraits. .." Basso explores joking in intercultural encounters. By finding out who has cited this work, I can find more recent works on this subject.

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Research Methodology and Scientific Writing pp 361–400 Cite as

References: How to Cite and List Correctly

• C. George Thomas 2  
• First Online: 25 February 2021

4286 Accesses

When we write an essay, research paper, thesis, or book, it is normal to include information from the work of others or support our arguments by reference to other published works. All such academic documents draw heavily on the ideas and findings of previous and current researchers available through various sources such as books, journals, theses, newspapers, magazines, government reports, or Internet sources. In all these cases, proper referencing is essential in order to ensure easy retrieval of information. Referencing is the name given to the method of showing and acknowledging the sources from which the author has obtained ideas or information.

Everything deep is also simple and can be reproduced simply as long as its reference to the whole truth is maintained. But what matters is not what is witty but what is true. Albert Schweitzer (1875–1965)

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Cite your sources and manage your documents: reference management.

• Reference Management

Reference Managers

Reference managers such as: Endnote, Refworks, Zotero, & Mendeley allow you to download, collect, & share references, PDFs, data, and documents. Some work with word processing to format citations and footnotes in papers and create bibliographies in a variety of styles. This list contains commonly used tools and apps in the sciences.

Citation Management Tools

Citation management software helps you to collect and organize papers, cite sources, and create bibliographies in a variety of citation styles.

Popular citation management tools in the sciences and engineering include:

• ​ Zotero guide
• Mendeley guide
• JabRef is a free tool for more effectively organizing and viewing your .bib libraries and formatting references and bibliographies.
• EndNote guide
• RefWorks guide
• Papers is low-cost software that allows you to search, retrieve, organize, and annotate article PDFs. It can be integrated with Google Docs and Word for easily formatting citations.
• Paperpile is a low-cost web tool for collecting and organizing papers and easily formatting citations and bibliographies in Google Docs.

Other Tools

Explore other available tools and apps for reference management.

Software for Science Reference Management : a web-list of many bibliographic management programs for the PC or Mac, some are free.

Reference Management Apps at alternativeTo.

Comparison Charts

Not sure which ones will work best for you? Wikipedia offers an extensive Comparison of Reference Management Software .

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• URL: https://guides.lib.berkeley.edu/cite-your-sources

Reference management. Clean and simple.

How to collect data for your thesis

Collecting theoretical data

Search for theses on your topic, use content-sharing platforms, collecting empirical data, qualitative vs. quantitative data, frequently asked questions about gathering data for your thesis, related articles.

After choosing a topic for your thesis , you’ll need to start gathering data. In this article, we focus on how to effectively collect theoretical and empirical data.

Empirical data : unique research that may be quantitative, qualitative, or mixed.

Theoretical data : secondary, scholarly sources like books and journal articles that provide theoretical context for your research.

Thesis : the culminating, multi-chapter project for a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree.

Qualitative data : info that cannot be measured, like observations and interviews .

Quantitative data : info that can be measured and written with numbers.

At this point in your academic life, you are already acquainted with the ways of finding potential references. Some obvious sources of theoretical material are:

• edited volumes
• conference proceedings
• online databases like Google Scholar , ERIC , or Scopus

You can also take a look at the top list of academic search engines .

Looking at other theses on your topic can help you see what approaches have been taken and what aspects other writers have focused on. Pay close attention to the list of references and follow the bread-crumbs back to the original theories and specialized authors.

Another method for gathering theoretical data is to read through content-sharing platforms. Many people share their papers and writings on these sites. You can either hunt sources, get some inspiration for your own work or even learn new angles of your topic. 

Some popular content sharing sites are:

With these sites, you have to check the credibility of the sources. You can usually rely on the content, but we recommend double-checking just to be sure. Take a look at our guide on what are credible sources?

The more you know, the better. The guide, " How to undertake a literature search and review for dissertations and final year projects ," will give you all the tools needed for finding literature .

In order to successfully collect empirical data, you have to choose first what type of data you want as an outcome. There are essentially two options, qualitative or quantitative data. Many people mistake one term with the other, so it’s important to understand the differences between qualitative and quantitative research .

Boiled down, qualitative data means words and quantitative means numbers. Both types are considered primary sources . Whichever one adapts best to your research will define the type of methodology to carry out, so choose wisely.

In the end, having in mind what type of outcome you intend and how much time you count on will lead you to choose the best type of empirical data for your research. For a detailed description of each methodology type mentioned above, read more about collecting data .

Once you gather enough theoretical and empirical data, you will need to start writing. But before the actual writing part, you have to structure your thesis to avoid getting lost in the sea of information. Take a look at our guide on how to structure your thesis for some tips and tricks.

The key to knowing what type of data you should collect for your thesis is knowing in advance the type of outcome you intend to have, and the amount of time you count with.

Some obvious sources of theoretical material are journals, libraries and online databases like Google Scholar , ERIC or Scopus , or take a look at the top list of academic search engines . You can also search for theses on your topic or read content sharing platforms, like Medium , Issuu , or Slideshare .

To gather empirical data, you have to choose first what type of data you want. There are two options, qualitative or quantitative data. You can gather data through observations, interviews, focus groups, or with surveys, tests, and existing databases.

Qualitative data means words, information that cannot be measured. It may involve multimedia material or non-textual data. This type of data claims to be detailed, nuanced and contextual.

Quantitative data means numbers, information that can be measured and written with numbers. This type of data claims to be credible, scientific and exact.

Author's Toolkit: A Guide to Manuscript Preparation and more

• Getting Started
• Finding Resources
• Tools for Writers
• Proper Citing & Attribution

Citation Management Basics

Citation manager tips & tricks, 10 tips for avoiding accidental plagiarism, endnote basics and resources, full text configuration, refworks basics and resources, mendeley basics and resources, zotero basics and resources.

• iThenticate

Bibliographic management software makes it easy to collect and organize references to any type of information, from journal articles to multimedia files. The software also allows students and researchers to insert their citations into papers and format them for publication painlessly.

These suggestions can be applied to most citation management programs.

• Keep one big database for all of your projects. It will make references easier to find later on.   
• Use Groups or Folders to organize you references.
• Add references to your database as soon as you come across them.  This is easy to do with web-based citation managers.  EndNote users can create free EndNote Web accounts, log on  and add references from any computer with Internet access.  Later, synchronize references between EndNote Web and EndNote desktop.
• Do not limit your database to journal articles only .  Include many material types: websites, meeting abstracts, patents, theses, unpublished works, correspondence, tables and charts, etc.  Might have to type these in by hand (if no Direct Export available), but it will be well worth the effort.)
• Link full-text PDFs on your hard drive to the corresponding references in your database.  Some programs will let you import PDFs directly in a batch or one by one.
• Annotate PDFs as a reminder of sections you plan on quoting, paraphrasing, or summarizing.
• Every citation manager has a Notes field, Research Notes field or several User Defined fields. Copy text from sources you plan to use into these fields.  This will be a good reminder of what you are quoting.
• As you write, use your citation manager's "insert citation" tool (e.g. Cite-While-You-Write or Write-N-Cite ). Keep the citations unformatted or use astyle that includes authors and dates.  When you are finished you can change to your department or publisher's style.
• Us MS Word's Track Changes and Notes functions to help keep track of article's you are citing.
• Make sure your references are correct!

Example of Custom Fields for quotes and paraphrasing in EndNote

Highlighting and annotating a PDF.

• Keep all of your references in one Library .  It will be easier to find them when you need them.
• Add references as soon as you come across them.  Don't wait until you are starting to write.
• Check for duplicates early & often.  2.5. Update your references.  Check to see if epubs or in-process citations have been published.
• Import publisher-supplied PDFs directly into your Library.
• Use Find Full Text or Attach Files to get PDFs for references already in your Library.  
• Annotate PDFs .  Many programs (including EN, Preview for Macs and Adobe Acrobat Pro) will let you highlight text and add notes.  6.5. Annotate references in you Library, using the Notes, Research Notes, or User-Defined fields.
• Organize with Groups.   References can belong to more than one Group.  It might be helpful to create a separate Group for each section of your manuscript. EndNote creates a temporary, system-generated Group of references being added to a document.  These references can be copied into a regular Group.
• Insert citations as you write.   Make it easier to see who you are citing by using an Author/Date style or unformatted citatations while you write. Change to department- or journal-specified style when you are finished writing.
• Use your word processor's Comments feature as reminders of passages that must be cited.
• Make sure the references you cite are correct!

EndNote is available from the D. Samuel Gottesman Library.

The EndNote Guide will help you

• Add references to EndNote from Ovid, PubMed, PsycNET, SciFinder, Web of Science, and Google Scholar .
• Incorporate full-text PDFs into your Library .
• Create formatted bibliographies using Cite While You Write .
• Integrate EndNote and EndNote Web .
• Learn about alternatives to EndNote .

EndNote Resources

• EndNote Video Tutorials -- Learn how to use EndNote's features from this collection of training videos.
• EndNote Support and Services --  Call EndNote Technical Support at 1.800.336.4474.

OpenURL/Link Resolver: https://zc6sj2ch8l.search.serialssolutions.com/

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RefWorks allows students and researchers to insert their citations into papers and format them for publication painlessly. Access to RefWorks is provided by the D. Samuel Gottesman Library.

The RefWorks Guide will help you

• Add references from Ovid, PubMed, PsycNET, SciFinder, Web of Science and Google Scholar .
• Incorporate full-text PDFs .
• Create formatted bibliographies using Write-N-Cite .

If you experience problems with your RefWorks account, contact

• The Reference department at 1.718.430.3104 or [email protected]
• RefWorks technical support at 1.775.327.4105 or [email protected]
• RefWorks Help Online help from RefWorks.
• Learn to use RefWorks in 20 Minutes Step by step guide to RefWorks.

Mendeley is a free reference manager and academic social network that can help you organize your research, collaborate with others online, and discover the latest research in your field. Mendeley is a great organization tool for those who have accumulated a large number of PDF files during the research process.

The Mendeley guide will help you

• Add references and PDFs to your Mendeley library
• Create formatted bibliographies
• Share your work and resources with other users

Zotero is a free bibliographic management tool that allows you to store and organize your references. You can add references from library databases, add books with websites like Amazon.com and WorldCat.org, and manually add any references, such as websites.

The Zotero guide will help you

• Add references to your Zotero library
• Add pdf's to your Zotero library
• Use Groups to collaborate
• Zotero Quick Start Guide
• Video Tutorials
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• URL: https://library.einsteinmed.edu/thesis

D. Samuel Gottesman Library Albert Einstein College of Medicine Jack and Pearl Resnick Campus Forchheimer Building, 1st Floor 1300 Morris Park Avenue Bronx, NY 10461-1924 Phone: 718.430.3108 - Fax: 718.430.8795 © Albert Einstein College of Medicine

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Theses and Dissertations: Referencing a thesis

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• Referencing a thesis
• Help with thesis writing
• Submit your Thesis This link opens in a new window

Referencing a thesis in your work

It is important to correctly reference any part of a thesis that you have used in your research.

Referencing is an essential part of university writing and  academic integrity .  Using any work, data or ideas of someone without correct referencing will put you at risk of a serious academic misconduct also know as plagiarism.

To reference properly you must follow the referencing style required by your discipline and include all the elements of a reference required for each source.

The Library has created a range of referencing guides that provide examples of how to correctly reference a thesis using your particular referencing style.

Help and Information

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• Last Updated: Mar 6, 2024 11:32 AM
• URL: https://libguides.newcastle.edu.au/theses

Centria Guide for Thesis and Academic Writing 2022

• Thesis contract
• Implementation plan
• Data management plan
• Master´s thesis
• Checklist for the thesis supervisor
• Research-based thesis
• Practice-based thesis
• Diary-based thesis
• Research-based development project, MASTER
• Starting points for writing the theoretical framework
• Concept definitions
• Introduction
• Conclusions and discussion
• 5 LANGUAGE AND LAYOUT

6 REFERENCES

• 7 COMPILING THE LIST OF REFERENCES
• 8 UPLOADING THESIS TO THESEUS
• 9 ETHICAL GUIDELINES FOR WRITING A THESIS
• 10 ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
• ASSESSMENT OF A MASTER'S THESIS
• 12 MATURITY TEST
• 13 LITERATURE

The choice of source materials needs to be carefully considered taking a critical approach. In a thesis the sources should primarily be reliable and recent printed or electronic sources; like books, research reports and articles providing the latest information on one’s own field of study.

Moreover, other theses, patents, standards, product brochures, expert interviews and information given by authorities can be used as sources in a thesis. Sources that are vague and rapidly regenerated, such as opinions presented in online discussion forums or chatrooms, are not to be used. In addition, if one cannot reliably assess the expertise and qualifications of the author, one should not use the source in the thesis. It is advisable to search for information using several different databases or sources of information in order to find the best possible sources on the thesis topic.

In the thesis the sources used are referred to using the Harvard referencing style and its name-year system. Through this referencing system the reader can immediately see whose text is referred to, from what year the text is and the page number of the information. An in-text reference is a short reference to the detailed source information found in the list of references.

                             Examples of in-text references:

                             Torkki (2007, 106) discusses how the speaker can affect the audience.

                             A speaker with good rhetorical skills is able to consider the audience (Torkki 2007, 35).

Whenever one refers to a text written by someone else, one must include a reference . The in-text reference written in brackets consists of the author’s last name and the year of publication , followed by a comma and the page number or the pages where the information is taken from. If the entire work is referred to, page numbers are not included. All electronic sources do not have page numbers and in that case, page numbers also are not included in the reference. Usually the source text is paraphrased in the thesis, i.e. the writer of the thesis rewrites the information in his/ her own words and the in-text reference follows immediately. It must be evident for the reader exactly which part of the text is based on a source. The placement of the full stop in the in-text reference indicates which part of the text is based on a source.

If the in-text reference concerns more than one sentence, the in-text reference is marked in brackets after the last full stop of these sentences, almost as if the in-text reference is a sentence of its own. In this case a full stop is also included last inside the brackets. An example of a case where the in-text reference concerns more than one sentence:

The student knows how to refer to sources. He or she is careful and follows the instructions. This ensures that the reader knows which information is based on what source and which part of the text represents the student’s own opinion. (Aro 2015, 21-23.)

If the in-text reference concerns only one sentence, the reference is included within that sentence. Thus, the full stop is marked outside of the brackets. An example of a case where the in-text reference concerns only one sentence:

                             This is easy (Aro 2015, 18).

If the source has two authors, the last names of both authors are mentioned when referring to the source. The names are joined using the symbol &.

(Lumijärvi & Kela 2014, 5)

If the reference has three or more authors, the last names of all authors are given in the first in-text reference to that source (Lumijärvi, Kiiskinen & Särkilahti 2014, 21–22). However, in later references to the same source, only the last name of the first author is given, followed by the abbreviation et al. meaning “and others”. (Lumijärvi et al. 2014, 23–24).

If the information used comes from several sources, all source references are placed inside one set of brackets, separated by a semicolon (Kiuru 2012; Perälä & Perälä 2010).

When referring to more than one publication by the same author, the publications are differentiated by the year of publication and are indicated in the chronological order of publication (Black 2013, 2015). If two works have been published in the same year, they are differentiated with letters of the alphabet (Black 2001a, 2001b). The same applies to electronic sources such as websites published in the same year by the same organization (BBC 2020a; BBC 2020b).

When the name of the author is unknown, the title of the publication and the year of publication are cited, and in some cases also the publishing organization. This method is also used with journal articles when the author’s name is unknown.

(Wall Street Journal 31 January 2020)

Moreover, laws and acts as well as committee reports etc. are cited using this method. (Universities of Applied Sciences Act 932/2014, § 3) (Committee for corporate analysis 2015)

In-text references to electronic sources, for example websites and electronic books, are given as above, depending on the source. The references normally include the author’s name and the year of publication. If the source has page numbers, they are marked out as well. The Internet address of the source is included only in the list of references, never in the in-text reference. Page numbers are marked out always when they exist in the source.

Internet site: (Greene 2019)

Electronic book: (Luopa, Karvonen & Jokela 2014, 13)

In case page numbering is not used in the electronic book, the chapter or paragraph that the reference is based on is mentioned in the in-text reference. Either the chapter number or title can be used when referencing, for example:

If the chapters of the book are numbered:

 (Varhela & Virtanen, chapter 5).

If the chapters are not numbered, the chapter title is included in the in-text reference:

 (Varhela & Virtanen, chapter "Tuotemerkinnät").

An in-text reference can be made even more exact by referring to a specific paragraph in the source material. In this case the first words of the source paragraph are included in the in-text reference:

 (Varhela & Virtanen, chapter 5, paragraph "Ostajaa ei saa johtaa harhaan").

(Varhela & Virtanen, chapter "Tuotemerkinnät", paragraph "Ostajaa ei saa johtaa harhaan").

In case the author of an Internet site cannot be identified, and only the organization responsible for the site maintenance is known, this organization is used in the in-text reference as the author.

(Finnish Library Association, 2019.)

In case the responsible organization of a site is not identifiable, the in-text reference includes the name of the work/ article or the title of the web page. However, if the responsible person or organization behind a web page cannot be identified, it is worth questioning if that source can be used in a thesis at all.

 (Ihmissuhdeympyrä 2017.)

The title of a web page can be used in the in-text reference also if referring to the web page title is more exact than referring to the organization behind it. The reason can be, for example, the organization having very extensive web pages.

(Kestävä kehitys 2017.)    vs. (Metso 2017)

(Opintolainoissa huima nousu -taustalla elokuinen uudistus 29.9.2017.)   vs. (Yle 29.9.2017).

Other examples of cases when references often use the title of the electronic document are texts in social media. The more exact information on availability and form of publication is then provided in the list of references.

YouTube video: (How it’s made: Aluminium cans 2015.)

Facebook-pages: (K-Supermarket 2014.)

Direct quotations

One should avoid using direct quotations, and if used, these should be as short as possible. Primarily direct quotes are used when referring to laws or quoting definitions. When a direct quotation is needed, it should be separated from the rest of the text by using a 2.3 cm indentation on the left-hand side. The spacing in the direct quotation is 1. In this case, the direct quote does not need quotation marks. If the direct quotation is longer than three lines it is always indented.

An example of an indented quotation:

In the Guide for Thesis and Academic Writing the following is stated on the use of verb tense in abstracts:

The abstract is best written in the past tense, if possible, especially when describing the author’s own research work. The abstract should give a full understanding of the thesis even without reading the whole thesis. (Guide for Thesis and Academic Writing, 2020.)

If the direct quotation is short, on the other hand, for example one sentence of a part of it, this can be quoted inside the text using quotation marks.

An example of a short direct quotation:

A diary-based thesis is also often a practice-based work. Diary-based theses have been written for example when a student is already in working-life and the thesis topic is connected to their work. The topic and the problem or the development task is connected to the student’s own work. “The aim of a diary-based thesis is to enhance the student’s preparedness for independent professional development also after graduating” (Lagerstedt & Kotila 2015).

Often it is wise to leave out unnecessary parts of direct quotations. Two hyphens are added instead of the words left out.

Direct quotations from the research material can also be necessary for the thesis. For example, part of an interview done for the research can be included as a direct quotation. This quotation is done in the same way as the quotations from sources above, but the quoted text is written in italics.

 I had been without medicines for about a week or so, but then my hip, my right hip, started aching so much that I just had to take meds again. There wasn’t anything else to do but to go on sick leave again. (Interviewee 11.)

Secondary sources

It is considered responsible conduct of research to always use primary sources. Sometimes, however, this is not possible due to practical reasons. When the original source is referred to in another text and one still wishes to refer to the original source, we talk about using a so-called secondary source. It must always be made clear to the reader if secondary sources are used. The secondary source is written in square brackets. Both the primary and the secondary source must be listed in the list of references.

Lewin’s [1951; 1958] well-known change management model consists of three stages (Hitt, Miller & Colella 2009, 493).

The change process of an organization can be divided into three stages (Hitt, Miller & Colella 2009, 493 [Lewin 1951; Lewin 1958]).

In the list of references secondary sources are listed in the same way as primary sources:

Hitt, M.A., Miller, C.C. & Colella A. 2009. Organizational Behavior: A Strategic Approach , 2nd Edition. Jefferson City: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Lewin, K. 1951. Field theory in social science . New York: Harper & Row.

Lewin, K. 1958. Group decisions and social change. In E.E. Maccobby, T.M. Newcomb & E.L. Hartley (eds.) Readings in social psychology , 3rd Edition. Austin, TX: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 201 – 216.

Checking the thesis for plagiarism

All finished theses are checked for plagiarism, i.e. unauthorized copying, to make sure that the thesis does not violate copy rights. Turnitin-system is also used for detecting potential plagiarism.

Use of pictures

Pictures can be used in theses according to the right of quotation. Check if the instructions are met in the clear guide from Aalto University . Screenshots or screen captures from the user interface are not pictures that exceed the prerequisites of originality for pictures, and can be used, but if text or other pictures are shown in them, guidelines and laws regarding copy rights and personal data have to be considered. In this case you can for example blur one part of the picture.

Pictures taken or made by oneself can of course be used freely according to copyright laws, as long as legislation on personal data is followed.

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• Last Updated: Mar 28, 2024 2:07 PM
• URL: https://libguides.centria.fi/centriaguideforthesis

• Boston University Libraries

Create Bibliographies

• Bibliographic Management Tools

What Is a Citation Manager?

Choosing a citation manager, using citation managers for collaboration and teaching, citation managers for teaching and learning, best practices.

• EndNote Basic
• Quick Citation Generators
• Training Sessions

Citation managers (also called reference managers) are tools you can use to do the following:

• Save your references to books, articles, movies, and other sources information
• Organize those references
• Format bibliographies/works cited lists in multiple citation styles
• Insert in-text citations into the body of a document
• Share references with others

If you're looking for help with citing and citations styles, you might find the Citing Your Sources guide helpful.

There are a number of options available to the BU community for free or via our subscriptions to databases.  Here are some key points to consider when choosing what will work best for you:

You should choose RefWorks if...

• You want to directly export many references from scholarly databases
• You would like to easily insert in-text citations and bibliographies into MS Word or Google Docs
• You prefer a web-based manager (i.e. the data lives on a server)

You should choose Zotero if...

• You want to easily "grab" information from a document, web page, or search results list
• You want to use a citation manager that works in conjunction with Firefox, Chrome, or Safari
• You prefer an app-based manager (i.e. the data lives on your hard drive, but you can sync it to a Zotero server)

You should choose Mendeley if...

• You want to organize and upload documents already on your hard drive
• You want to connect with peers and showcase your publications and scholarly impact
• You prefer an app-based manager (i.e. the data lives on your hard drive, but you can sync it to a Mendeley server)

You should choose EndNote Basic* if...

• You are already comfortable working with EndNote's desktop app
• You want to share references with other EndNote users
• You prefer a web-based manager (i.e. the data lives on a server, but you can sync it to the EndNote library on your hard drive)

If you want more information, the University of Toronto has created an extensive comparison table with even more options.

*The BU Libraries do not provide licenses for the full version of EndNote.  If you are interested in purchasing it, please see this page from BU Information Services and Technology .

Citation managers are ideal platforms for sharing references among members of a research group, students working on a group assignment, or colleagues that have formed a reading circle.  You can find instructions for sharing with RefWorks , Zotero , and Mendeley in this guide.

Benefits of Citation Managers for Collaboration...

• You can decide which editing powers to grant to other group members
• References can be annotated and files can be attached, allowing for a stable online workspace
• Users can participate regardless of institutional affiliation
• Users can link to items in their own institution's online collection from a bibliography
• References can be easily inserted into writing projects using word processor plug-ins for Word and Google Docs
• Bibliographies can be made public via a unique URL

...and a Few Limitations

• All group members must be using the same citation manager
• When using Mendeley and/or Zotero, your online storage space is limited unless you pay for more space, which may limit the number of documents you can attach to references
• If using a citation manager in conjunction with Word, the plug-in must be installed locally; it does not work with Office 365 (though it does work with Google Docs)
• Take caution when attaching documents to a public bibliography; you may be violating copyright law if you distribute copyrighted materials in this way

With the ability to host documents, facilitate collaboration, and standardize citing, citation managers are useful for instruction.  Below are some success stories from higher education instructors who have incorporated citation managers into their curricula.

Andrea Davis, "From Learning to Write to Learning to Cite: Using Zotero in the Classroom" from Perspectives on History (Oct, 2018).

Davis used Zotero as a learning management system for her history course, hosting readings on Zotero. Her students learned how to use the system for their own research and engaged in peer review during the research process.

Chad Iwertz, "Teaching with Zotero: Citation Management for Feedback and Peer Review " from the Oregon State University Teaching with Writing newsletter (Fall 2013).

In his freshman composition course, Iwertz uses Zotero's Note feature to get students to provide feedback on sources they've collected in a shared group library.  Iwertz was able to monitor the process and add feedback of his own to students' work.

Thomas Kim, "Building Student Proficiency with Scientific Literature Using the Zotero Reference Manager Platform" from Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education volume 39, issue 6, p. 412-415 (2011).

Kim used Zotero in a chemical literature seminar to introduce students to scholarly research and encourage them to attribute sources properly.  The bibliography-building functionality helped students build manageable reading lists in an information-rich field.

Tehmina Khwaja and Pamela L. Eddy, " Using Mendeley to Support Collaborative Learning in the Classroom " from Journal of Educational Technology , volume 12, number 2, p. 19-28 (2015).

Khwaja and Eddy used Mendeley as a platform for collaboration and annotation in graduate teacher education courses, facilitating students' research efforts as they collected and evaluated references for a policy-writing assignment.

Amanda Makula and Anne Earel, " Enhancing Pedagogy Through Technology: Using Beyond Question and RefWorks to Engage Students in Information Literacy Across the Curriculum" , poster presented at the Association of College & Research Libraries’ 2009 Conference.

Makula and Earel utilized the collaborative capabilities of RefWorks for their information literacy course, allowing students to easily gather their own references and assist in their classmates' research.

While bibliographic managers make citing, storing, and organizing references easy, they are not foolproof.  Keep the following things in mind when using them:

• Choose Wisely : If you need a manager that works offline, you should pick a software-based tool like Zotero rather than a web-based tool like RefWorks.  If you often do group research, it's wise for all group members to use the same bibliographic manager.
• Check Your References : The various libraries and databases you use index information differently, with varying degrees of accuracy.  Necessary information might be missing or incorrect (e.g. book chapters categorized as journal articles).  Check the information in each reference in your bibliographic manager before you start citing them in your work.
• Research First, Then Write : Many bibliographic managers include a component that works with word processing software.  Though you can usually alter your bibliography by inserting or removing a citation, it's easier to collect all your references before you start writing.
• Use One Document Per Project : If you're working on a long piece of writing, like a book or dissertation, it may be tempting to save your chapters as several files.  Unless you're using end notes that are numbered anew with each chapter, resist this temptation.  Combining citations from different files can be tricky when you're using a citation feature from your bibliographic manager.
• Know the Rules : It helps to know the basic citation format of the style you're using, whether that's APA style, MLA style, or something else altogether.  This will help you to spot irregularities in your citations.  Use the Cite Your Sources guide to find information about citation styles.

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• Last Updated: Oct 11, 2023 1:30 PM
• URL: https://library.bu.edu/create_bibliographies

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• Combining search terms – Boolean operators
• Keep track of your search strategies
• Problems finding your search terms?
• Different sources, different evaluations
• Extract by relevance
• Lesson 4: Obtaining literature
• Literature search: summary
• Research methods
• Combining qualitative and quantitative methods
• Collecting data
• Analysing data
• Strengths and limitations
• Explanatory, analytical and experimental studies
• The Nature of Secondary Data
• How to Conduct a Systematic Review
• Directional Policy Research
• Strategic Policy Research
• Operational Policy Research
• Conducting Research Evaluation
• Research Methods: Summary
• Project management
• Project budgeting
• Data management plan
• Quality Control
• Project control
• Project management: Summary
• Writing process
• Title page, abstract, foreword, abbreviations, table of contents
• Introduction, methods, results
• Discussion, conclusions, recomendations, references, appendices, layout
• Use citations correctly

Use references correctly

• Bibliographic software
• Writing process – summary
• Writing process /
• Lesson 2: Avoid plagiarism /

Within the genre of “independent academic writing” you are participating in an academic research tradition, where you – as a co-creater of knowledge – are obligated to make your work available for reproduction. I.e. your reader needs to have access to the cited sources, through which they can verify the authenticity and validity of the information used in your research.

A reference is a referral to anothers text or information and can refer to written sources (books, reports, articles), computer programmes, videos, cd’s, internet sites, images, etc. It can also refer to personal communication in the form of letters, e-mails or interviews. A reference is synonymous with a literary citation or citing a source.

If you forget to use references, or your references are incomplete, your work can seem like an empty postulation or create suspicions of plagiarism. As described earlier, plagiarism is looked upon with gravity, and can in extreme cases lead to expulsion.

General knowledge does not require a reference References are not required when the applied knowledge is part of a common professional base, and can be termed as “general knowledge”, e.g.:

“Eating fruits, vegetables, little fat and being physically active promote health”.

But if one wants to write more detailed concrete information on: how does fruit and vegetable consumption, decreased consumption of fat and increased physical activity influence health, numerical relations, or explain mechanisms then references need to be provided, e.g.:

A series of meta-analyses have reviewed the overall effects of the multiple –micronutrient supplements on maternal anemia and micronutrient status (Allen & Peerson, 2009), size of birth and length gestation (Fall, Fisher, Osmond, Margetts, 2009), and neonatal mortality (Ronsmans et al., 2009).

Source:  Merson MH, Black RE, Mills AJ, 2012,  Global health; diseases, programs, systems and policies , Third edition, Jones & Bartlett Learning, Burlington, USA.

What exactly does a reference contain? Learn how to write references in the following.

Different schools / types of referencing At the Faculty of Health the most common schools are Vancouver and Harvard, but this can vary from institute to institute. Consult your course guidelines and contact your supervisor for information about the preferred standard for referencing.

Overall, a book reference should always include the following information:

• Year of Publication
• Title: possibly subtitle (always in italics)
• Place of Publication

Done by the Harvard standard, e.g.: Kjøller, M & Rasmussen, NK (red.) 2002, Sundhed og sygelighed i Danmark 2000 og udviklingen siden 1987, Statens Institut for Folkesundhed, København.

A reference to a journal article should always include the following:

• Title of the article
• Title of the journal (always in italics)
• Vol. / #, pagenumber.

Done by the Harvard standard, e.g.:

Waldorff, FB et al. 2002, ‘Strategier for demensdiagnostik: erfaringer fra samarbejdet mellem praktiserende læger og hjemmesygeplejersker’, Ugeskrift for læger , årg. 164, nr. 32, pp 3767-3770.

References to oral sources (e.g. interviews) should include the following:

• The person or focus group
• The place (or institution)

E.g.: Conversation with Head Doctor NN, Rigshospitalet, 27.11.2012.

Where does one insert a reference?

References should be written in-text (as parantheses), at the bottom of the page (as footnotes) or as endnotes in a seperate notes section at the end of a chapter or at the end of the thesis.

References in parantheses need to be short, so they don’t disrupt the reading, and can for instance be used as page references (see also page 45), as references to an appendix (see appendix 2) or as a reference to literature (Moss, 2013, p 195). Used to reference literature, the reference must refer to the bibliography.

References in footnotes should include more details, but should not span more than three lines, e.g.:

______________________________________

Moss, Michael, 2013, Salt, Sugar, Fat – how the Foot Giants Hooked us , House Publishing Group, New York

If one has many references for each page, it can be a good idea to unify these after a chapter. Done by the Harvard standard it could look like:

• Nielsen, JP 2001, ‘Smerter hos børn’ I: U Fasting & L Lundorff (red.), Smerter og smertebehandling i klinisk praksis . Munksgaard, København, s. 181-193.
• Steinhaug S, Ahlsen B & Malterud K 2001, ‘From exercise and education to movement and interaction: treatment groups in primary care for women with chronic muscular pain’, Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care , årg.19, nr. 4, s. 249-254.
• Benner, P & Wrubel, J 2001, Omsorgens betydning i sygepleje . Munksgaard, København.
• Waldorff, FB et al. 2002, ‘ Strategier for demensdiagnostik: erfaringer fra samarbejdet mellem praktiserende læger og hjemmesygeplejersker ‘, Ugeskrift for læger, årg. 164, nr. 32, s. 3767-3770.

No matter which referencial standard you use, you should use this type consistently. I.e. format all of your references the same, throughout your assignment. A good method of ensuring this is to use bibliographic software.

Learn how use bibliographic software in the following.

Your friend's e-mail

Message (Note: The link to the page is attached automtisk in the message to your friend)

An all-American Bible — with a cut of the sales going to Trump

Donald trump finds votes and profits at the intersection of politics and religion.

Donald Trump is not a particularly religious person, if he is one at all. Even Americans who view him favorably are a lot more likely to say he’s “not religious” than “very religious.” He goes to churches for political rallies far more often than he goes for services. He says the Bible is his favorite book, though he generally qualifies that by noting that he’s also a big fan of “The Art of the Deal.”

Makes sense that he’d like his own book, given how much money he’s made off it over the years. On Tuesday, though, he announced a promotion that might endear him even further to the central Christian text: a “God Bless the USA” Bible, some of the proceeds of which will flow back to him.

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Trump announced the book on his social media platform, Truth Social — itself a particularly lucrative venture at the moment, given that its just-listed stock price has jumped nearly 50 percent .

“Happy Holy Week!” Trump’s post said. “Let’s Make America Pray Again. As we lead into Good Friday and Easter, I encourage you to get a copy of the God Bless The USA Bible.” He tagged musician Lee Greenwood in the post because the “God Bless the USA” singer is also touted as an endorser on the product’s webpage .

The promoted Bible has not only the standard books, but also a few additions including the Constitution (“which I’m fighting for every single day very hard,” Trump says in a video attached to the post), the Pledge of Allegiance and, as the webpage touts, the “[h]andwritten chorus to ‘God Bless The USA’ by Lee Greenwood.” It was originally slated for release in 2021, but an outcry from a number of prominent Christians derailed the rollout.

That was then. The current website for the book includes an FAQ that addresses the question of how the former president benefits from the partnership. It assures visitors that no money from the sale of the Bibles will go to Trump’s political campaign. Instead, “ GodBlessTheUSABible.com uses Donald J. Trump’s name, likeness and image under paid license from CIC Ventures LLC, which license may be terminated or revoked according to its terms.”

CIC Ventures, though, is a conduit to Trump — personally, if not politically. In his financial disclosure released last year, he’s identified as the company’s “manager, president, secretary and treasurer” and the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust is identified as a 100 percent owner of the business. The same entity also receives royalties from his book “A MAGA Journey” and speaking engagements. A person familiar with the agreement confirmed to the New York Times that Trump earns royalties from purchases.

In retrospect, we might have predicted this particular business venture.

First, Trump has increasingly branched out on his endorsement gigs, slapping his name or likeness on sneakers and NFTs in addition to campaign merchandise. He is in a cash crunch — personally and politically — and has been unafraid throughout his career to put the Trump name on anything that might yield a stream of revenue.

But, second, Trump has mined right-wing religiosity consistently for political support and political contributions. Why not branch out into private-sector benefits?

“That’s why our country is going haywire: We’ve lost religion in our country,” Trump says in the video hyping his new partnership. “All Americans need a Bible in their home and I have many. It’s my favorite book.” At another point, he insists that Christians are “under siege” and that “we have to protect anything that is pro-God.”

This is familiar rhetoric. In each of his presidential campaigns , he’s presented similar warnings and promises: Christianity is under threat, and he will be its relentless defender. He’s been effective at building fervent support among White evangelical Protestants, thanks to his insistent efforts to deliver on their political desires. He has been as effective at leveraging the insecurities of evangelical Christians as he has of White conservatives overall.

That this was perhaps predictable doesn’t make it less cynical. The pairing of foundational documents like the Constitution with the Bible has appeal to the conservative Christians Trump embraces but would unquestionably be viewed skeptically by the Constitution’s writers. And, again, even his supporters understand that he’s not really religious. If religion is as essential to America as he claims, why doesn’t that apply to him and his family? (In 2015, his putative church released a statement noting that he wasn’t an “active member.”)

More to the point, why is he plugging this Bible now? The answers are obvious: now because he needs money and this Bible because he benefits financially to some extent.

Perhaps you think I am also being cynical. After all, Trump offers that he’s pitching the book now because Easter is Sunday. Perhaps he simply wants Americans to have a Bible in-hand on the most sacred of Christian holidays.

We turn again to that FAQ.

“The God Bless The USA Bible is printed in limited-edition quantities,” it reads. “Most orders ship within 4-6 weeks of the time ordered. Your order will ship as it becomes available, and we will make reasonable efforts to ship your order as quickly as possible.”

You pay the cost of the Bible, shipping and taxes up front, of course. First things first.