ProQuest is a global information services company that operates several major research databases. Its flagship products include ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global (the world's largest database of graduate dissertations and theses, with over 5 million records), ProQuest Central (a multidisciplinary full-text database), and numerous discipline-specific databases. ProQuest is accessed via university library subscriptions. Some dissertations from major universities are freely available without subscription.

How do I download a dissertation PDF from ProQuest?

Access ProQuest via your university library's database list (search 'ProQuest Dissertations' in your library portal). Search by author, title, keyword, or institution. On the record page, look for the 'PDF' download button — for dissertations your library subscribes to, this downloads the full text immediately. Some dissertations are available open-access and downloadable without a library subscription. If access is restricted, check if the dissertation is also available in your institutional repository or via interlibrary loan.

Are ProQuest dissertations good candidates for EPUB conversion?

Excellent candidates. Dissertations are long, text-heavy, single-column documents with clear chapter structure. They're among the best PDF types for EPUB conversion: toolkit.bot detects chapter headings and builds a navigable table of contents, the text reflows cleanly to any font size, and the resulting EPUB is comfortable for the extended reading sessions that literature-review work requires.

Can I access ProQuest without a university subscription?

Limited free access is available. ProQuest offers 24 free dissertation preview pages. Some dissertations are published open-access by their authors or institutions. Many dissertations are also deposited in institutional repositories (search '[university name] institutional repository' or use BASE — base-search.net). If you need a specific dissertation, interlibrary loan is the standard route from a public library.

What other content does ProQuest contain beyond dissertations?

ProQuest Central includes newspapers (historical and current), magazines, trade journals, academic journals, and ebook chapters across all disciplines. ProQuest Historical Newspapers provides digitised archives of major newspapers back to their first issues. ProQuest Ebook Central provides institutional ebook access. For EPUB conversion, the most useful content is dissertations (ProQuest D&T Global) and long-form journal articles from ProQuest Central.

How to Convert ProQuest Dissertations and Research PDFs to EPUB for E-Reader Reading (2026)

Updated June 2026 · Research

ProQuest hosts the world's largest database of dissertations and theses — over 5 million records — alongside multidisciplinary journal content, historical newspapers, and ebook chapters. Most content is available as PDF. Dissertations in particular are excellent candidates for EPUB conversion: they're long, text-heavy, single-column, and often 200–400 pages long — exactly the kind of document that benefits most from e-reader reading with adjustable font size and chapter navigation.

ProQuest content types for EPUB conversion

Content type	ProQuest database	EPUB conversion quality	Typical length
Dissertations & theses	ProQuest D&T Global	Excellent — single column, clear chapters	100–400 pages
Journal articles	ProQuest Central	Good — two-column handled automatically	10–40 pages
Historical newspaper articles	ProQuest Historical Newspapers	Variable — column detection needed	1–5 pages
Ebook chapters	ProQuest Ebook Central	Good — single column	20–60 pages

How to download and convert a ProQuest dissertation to EPUB

Go to your university library portal and search for 'ProQuest Dissertations' in the database list
Search by topic, author, institution, or keyword
On a record page, click the PDF button to download the full dissertation
Go to toolkit.bot/pdf2epub and upload the PDF
Download the EPUB — it will have a chapter-level table of contents built from dissertation chapter headings
Send to Kindle via email, or transfer to Kobo by USB

Frequently asked questions

What is ProQuest?: ProQuest is a global information services company that operates several major research databases. Its flagship products include ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global (the world's largest database of graduate dissertations and theses, with over 5 million records), ProQuest Central (a multidisciplinary full-text database), and numerous discipline-specific databases. ProQuest is accessed via university library subscriptions. Some dissertations from major universities are freely available without subscription.
How do I download a dissertation PDF from ProQuest?: Access ProQuest via your university library's database list (search 'ProQuest Dissertations' in your library portal). Search by author, title, keyword, or institution. On the record page, look for the 'PDF' download button — for dissertations your library subscribes to, this downloads the full text immediately. Some dissertations are available open-access and downloadable without a library subscription. If access is restricted, check if the dissertation is also available in your institutional repository or via interlibrary loan.
Are ProQuest dissertations good candidates for EPUB conversion?: Excellent candidates. Dissertations are long, text-heavy, single-column documents with clear chapter structure. They're among the best PDF types for EPUB conversion: toolkit.bot detects chapter headings and builds a navigable table of contents, the text reflows cleanly to any font size, and the resulting EPUB is comfortable for the extended reading sessions that literature-review work requires.
Can I access ProQuest without a university subscription?: Limited free access is available. ProQuest offers 24 free dissertation preview pages. Some dissertations are published open-access by their authors or institutions. Many dissertations are also deposited in institutional repositories (search '[university name] institutional repository' or use BASE — base-search.net). If you need a specific dissertation, interlibrary loan is the standard route from a public library.
What other content does ProQuest contain beyond dissertations?: ProQuest Central includes newspapers (historical and current), magazines, trade journals, academic journals, and ebook chapters across all disciplines. ProQuest Historical Newspapers provides digitised archives of major newspapers back to their first issues. ProQuest Ebook Central provides institutional ebook access. For EPUB conversion, the most useful content is dissertations (ProQuest D&T Global) and long-form journal articles from ProQuest Central.