Business

Theses and dissertations are pieces of academic writing which present the findings of research and are normally submitted at the end of the students' studies as a requirement for a degree.

In the UK, a theses is submitted by a PhD student, and their research is typically carried out over a period of 3-4 years (if full-time).  A dissertation is a shorter piece of research undertaken by an undergraduate or masters student (normally 3 months).  

Doctoral theses are valuable because they contain original research and you can included this in a literature review.  They also contain a literature review which can help you identify other research on the topic.