Masters Abstracts International (MAI) Citations and abstracts for master's theses and other master's degree projects MAI is the source of the master's degree information in the Dissertation Abstracts database. Published every other month, this print index  provides 150-word, author-written abstracts of master's theses, educational specialist materials, and other projects accepted for degrees by accredited colleges and universities. More than 12,000 citations and abstracts are published each year.