The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the use and importance of examining dissertations listed in scholarly journals, while focusing on a critical period of French doctoral education in historical studies. French dissertations in history were bibliometrically examined from "Revue historique," a mainstream history journal published in France. Prior to 1984, there existed three separate doctoral degrees in France for the social sciences and the humanities. Data from 1976 to 1990 were profiled reflecting critical changes to the French doctoral process as it underwent a period of doctoral reform. The period 1983-1990 is examined critically for its significance with respect to transformation and changes in degree structure, subdisciplinary evolution and periodization. Journals listing dissertations can be examined for their disciplinary indicators. Understanding these changes in gray literature is critical for researchers using French doctoral dissertations in historical studies. (Contains 8 tables and 17 notes.)