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Has Mike Israetel's doctoral dissertation or thesis been published or indexed (with year)?
Executive Summary — Quick Answer and Core Finding
Mike Israetel completed a doctoral dissertation titled "The Interrelationships of Fitness Characteristics in Division 1 Athletes" at East Tennessee State University in 2013; that dissertation is cataloged in ETsu’s Electronic Theses and Dissertations collection and appears in ProQuest indices but is restricted from public download at the author's request [1] [2]. A 2025 critique of the thesis questions its presentation and rigor, while bios and publication lists confirm Israetel’s PhD without repeating indexing details; the factual consensus is that the dissertation exists, was completed in 2013, and is indexed but access is limited [3] [4].
1. What the records show — The dissertation exists and is indexed
University and repository records identify a 2013 doctoral dissertation by Michael Alexandrovich Israetel titled "The Interrelationships of Fitness Characteristics in Division 1 Athletes," listed in East Tennessee State University’s Electronic Theses and Dissertations as paper 1194 and given a unique repository identifier, which constitutes formal indexing of the work [1]. ProQuest listings also include Israetel’s 2013 dissertation among top-accessed dissertations, indicating it has been entered into major academic discovery systems that scholars and libraries use for citation and retrieval, which meets standard definitions of being “published” or “indexed” in academic contexts. The repository metadata and ProQuest entry establish the dissertation’s bibliographic presence even though the full text is not openly downloadable [2].
2. Access limitations — Restricted availability rather than absence
Multiple sources report the dissertation file is restricted at the author’s request, meaning the university’s ETD entry displays metadata and an abstract while denying public download unless a user has institutional credentials or special permission [1]. This explains why some public profiles and bibliographies mention Israetel’s PhD but do not link to a full-text PDF: the dissertation is cataloged and citable, but not publicly accessible in full form through the repository. That restricted status is a concrete, verifiable condition distinct from nonexistence or lack of indexing; the work is discoverable in authoritative databases even while the content is gated [1] [2].
3. Contention over quality — A 2025 critique and the academic response gap
A 2025 commentary by Dr. Phil Price raises substantive critiques about the dissertation’s presentation, citing spelling errors, poorly presented figures, and concerns about whether the thesis meets expectations for doctoral research; the article notes Israetel’s claim that the written thesis is one portion of his PhD work, with coaching and modules making up other components [3]. That critique does not dispute that the dissertation is indexed or dated 2013, but it challenges the quality and oversight by supervisors and the institution. The academic record (index entries) and the public critique therefore occupy different tracks: one documents bibliographic existence and access status, the other debates scholarly standards and transparency [3] [1].
4. Corroborating bios and publication lists — PhD status affirmed but details vary
Professional biographies and publication lists for Michael A. Israetel confirm he holds a doctorate in sport physiology from ETSU and list multiple peer-reviewed works authored or coauthored between 2010 and 2020, yet those profiles often omit detailed ETD links or the access restrictions, resulting in apparent gaps when the public searches for the thesis full text [4] [5] [6]. Those bios corroborate the credential (PhD) and complement repository indexing, but they do not contradict the restricted-publication status. The combined record—ETD entry, ProQuest listing, and professional bios—forms a consistent picture: the PhD and dissertation exist and are indexed, while the full dissertation text remains gated [1] [4].
5. Conclusion — What can be stated with confidence and what remains disputed
In sum, the verifiable facts are that Mike (Michael Alexandrovich) Israetel completed a 2013 doctoral dissertation titled "The Interrelationships of Fitness Characteristics in Division 1 Athletes" at East Tennessee State University, and that the dissertation is indexed in the university ETD system and appears in ProQuest listings; access to the full document is restricted by the author [1] [2]. The main unresolved issues are qualitative: public critique published in 2025 questions the thesis’ presentation and supervisory oversight, and that debate concerns scholarly standards rather than the existence or indexing of the dissertation. For confirmation of full-text access or to request permission, the university’s ETD administrators or ProQuest access channels are the documented, practical next steps [1] [2].