Comment

ONE OF the most valuable but neglected aspects of local history librarianship is the study of thesis literature. The dictionary definition of thesis in unenlightening: ‘A dissertation to maintain and prove a thesis …’ (Shorter Oxford). Usually this type of literature is produced as part of a course in higher education, and has become prevalent outside strictly university circles because of the educational concept of project‐produced research. Personal examination, assessment and compilation of material has become a permanent part of contemporary study. The local history librarian is interested in the final end‐product and its place in the library. Most of the producers—and with a very few exceptions we must exclude child ‘projects’—are academic students of college or university age, but an increasing number of titles are produced by Open University students, WEA classes, and individuals working for their own interest. The key element to remember is that most of this material is unpublished in its final form, but by‐products in the form of lectures, papers, articles and much‐reduced book forms are common. This is simply because theses—often in excess of 100,000 words—are too verbose, convoluted and detailed for instant transmutation into print.