A thesis is a lengthy work written and presented in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification. It presents the author’s original research and findings on a specific topic. Some institutions use the term “thesis” for master’s level work and “dissertation” for doctoral work. The School of Graduate Studies at the University of Lethbridge uses "thesis" for both master's and doctoral work. Theses are considered to be a type of scholarly source.
Most theses and dissertations, especially those written recently, are available online. For this reason, the term ETDs (electronic theses and dissertations) has become increasingly common.