THESIS/REPORT FORMAT SPECIFICATIONS

The finished thesis must be a professional effort; typographical or grammatical errors

are not acceptable. The paper type should be international A4 standard (297x210mm).
Detailed instructions for the formatting of the thesis are given below. The first deposit
copies should not be subjected to paper or print format, but must be legible and should
follow all formatting specifications and are to be spiral-bound. If your thesis has
special requirements, which prevent you from utilizing major elements of this format,
please contact the research & post-graduate coordinator for advice
(eappiah.art@knust.edu.gh) before you submit your final thesis.

Overall organization of the thesis

The following list gives the contents in the proper order of presentation. All sections
in bold must be included in the thesis. The non-bold sections are optional.
Preliminary Pages
TITLE PAGE
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT
DEDICATION
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Body Text
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION
CHAPTERS II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
CHAPTER III
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
CHAPTER IV
ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSIONS
CHAPTER V CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
References and Supplemental Sections
REFERENCES (Literature cited)
APPENDIX

Font
Font must be Times New Roman.
Twelve-point (12 pt.) font is used throughout the text. Major Headings are 14 point.
The type on preliminary pages, narrative text, subheadings, equations, and the
reference section cannot be reduced or enlarged.
Tables, figures, captions, and appendix material are not considered text and can
vary in point size if desired. Footnotes and Endnotes can be in a smaller point size.
The minimum size for numbers and upper-case letters in tables, figures, footnotes,
and appendices is 6 pt. Keep fonts consistent throughout the thesis.
Use boldface for major headings and first order subheadings. Bold or italics may
be used for emphasis in the text. Do not use underlining and boldface together.
When creating the PDF, make certain all fonts and symbols are readable. Carefully
proofread any sections with exotic fonts in the PDF. Broken or faint print is not
acceptable.

Line Spacing
The text of the thesis must be double-spaced. Exceptions are made only for Title
page, Table of Contents, and References section.
Single spacing can be used for long, blocked and inset quotations, itemized lists and
tables, or figure and table titles. Spacing may also vary in appendix material.
Footnotes must be single-spaced.

Margins
Set margins at 2.5 cm on top, right and bottom sides; 4.0 cm on the left side
All writing (text, tables, figures, appendices, etc.) must be placed within these
margins with the exception of the page numbers. Check the PDF to make sure that
the converted file contains these margins.

Page Numbers
All pages must be numbered consecutively. Each chapter/section should begin on a
separate page. The Title Page should not be paged even though it is considered as
page i.
Preliminary pages are numbered with lower case roman numerals, beginning with
ii following the title page.
Use Arabic numerals for the Main body of the text, including references, and
appendices, beginning with 1.
Page numbers must be centered at the bottom of each page.

Paragraphs

Do not indent.
Leave an extra double-spaced line between paragraphs.
Turn off the default spacing before and after paragraphs
Text should be fully justified.

Table of Contents
The Table of Contents follows a specific format (see example below)

Major Headings
Major headings in the thesis include the following:
TITLE of the thesis on the Title Page
TABLE OF CONTENTS, ABSTRACT, DEDICATION,
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS headings on the preliminary pages
CHAPTER designations and titles
REFERENCES (or LITERATURE CITED, etc.) on the first page of the
references section
APPENDIX designations and titles
The rules for Major Headings are:
All must be centered at the top of a new page and in ALL CAPITAL letters. Font
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sizes should be 14-point type face.

Major headings are in bold, but they may not be in italics. No punctuation after a
major heading.
Major headings are double-spaced (even when they extend to two lines).
Chapter Major Headings have the words CHAPTER I on the first line and the
chapter title, such as "INTRODUCTION", on a second line.
Chapter Major Headings are followed by an empty, 12-point, double-spaced line.

Subheadings
Subheadings are used throughout the thesis to organize chapters into different sections
or parts. The formatting rules for Subheadings are:
All subheadings are on a line by themselves with no punctuation.
All subheadings are flush left with sentence capitalization.
Use 12 pt. size font for all subheadings.
Use bold for first-order subheadings. Second-order subheadings use italicized font.
Third-order subheadings use regular font.
A blank line should separate all subheadings from previous paragraphs. Do not
insert any additional space after the subheading.
Subheadings do not have to begin on a new page; text continues within a chapter. A
subheading at the bottom of a page must have at least one line of text under it.
Subheadings cannot be centered and all capital letters (as this defines major
headings).

Color, Size, and Legibility in Figures/Tables

Color is acceptable in figures, as long as the color differences are clear in the final
PDF. However, color variations used to illustrate differences in tables may be
rendered incomprehensible when printed on black and white printers. Proofread
your final PDF to assure that proper colors are being represented.
The minimum size for capital letters and numbers on figures and tables is 6 pt.
All lettering must be of publishable quality; this includes scanned images. Images
must be clear, no blurred or containing dark areas.

Numbering of Figures and Tables

Each table and figure in the text must have a separate number and unique title.
Number figures consecutively with chapters (e.g. Figure 1-1, 2-1, 3-1, etc) and
tables consecutively (Table 1-1, 2-1, 3-1).
Each table or figure must be referenced by number in the text. The first text
mention of each table or figure must be within one page of the location of the
referenced table or figure.

Placement of Figures and Tables

Tables and figures may be included on a page with text or appear on separate pages.
If a table or figure is placed on a page with other material, the table or figure
should be separated from the text (or other material) by at least one empty, 12-

point, double-spaced line above and below.

If the table or figure is placed in landscape orientation, the top of the table or figure
must be at the left binding side of the page. The title must be placed in the same
direction as the figure or table.

Figure and Table Titles

Every figure and table should have a unique, consecutively-numbered title placed
on the same page as the figure or table.
Tables titles appear above tables. Figure titles appear in figure captions.
Be consistent in the formatting of table/figure titles: capitalization, boldface, italics,
placement, spacing, use of period at end.
Tables or figures longer than one page have the complete title and the number on
the first page only. Subsequent pages have the table or figure number and the word
"Continued," plus (for tables) the necessary column headings for ease of reading.
The end line of the completed table appears only on the last page of the table.

Figure Captions
Figures require captions; tables do not. Any caption information required for a table
should be included in its title or its footnotes.
Figure captions should be placed at the bottom of a figure on the same page
whenever possible. The last line of each caption should be double-spaced.
When there is not enough space for a long caption on the page with the figure (even
if the type size is reduced) the caption must go on a separate page. Place it on the
page preceding the figure, facing in the same direction as the figure. The pages are
consecutively numbered, with the page numbers in the standard position.

Appendix Figures and Tables

These may be numbered consecutively following the text or they may be numbered
with an appendix designation (A-1, for example).

References
Each thesis must contain a formal reference section. A note section is not a
substitute for a formal reference section.
Title this section REFERENCES. (bold, 14 pt. font)
Format the References (capitalization, punctuation, and ordering of information;
alphabetized, alphabetized and numbered, or non-alphabetized and numbered; use
of italics, quotation marks, and bold type) according to the conventions of a
common format in publications in your area of research. All references must use
the same formatting.
Use double spacing between references and single spacing within a reference.
All References must be cited in the text.
All text citations must be included in the References. All text citations must be from
sources the Scholar has actually used.
References are to be strictly APA. Each citation must include

Date, volume number, and page range for journal articles

Publisher and city for books; city for universities, labs, or corporations
Unpublished material must contain sufficient information for retrieval.
Internet material should include author or entity, title, date or date accessed, and the
specific web address.
Every citation must include a year.
Consistent use of journal name or abbreviation is expected.
Scholars are strongly encouraged to use bibliographic software tools (Mendeley) to
format your references. They are available free to current students.

Appendices
Appendices are optional and only used for supplementary material.
Place the appendices after the Reference section in the same document. Appendices
should not be a separate document.
All Appendix pages need to be numbered. Page numbers are continued from the last
page of references.
All appendix material must be within prescribed margins.
Appendix headings (Appendix designations and titles) should be bold. Titles more
than one line in length must be double spaced as chapter titles.
Appendix designations (APPENDIX A, for example) are centered as major
headings. Appendix titles are centered, all capital letters, and at least one double
space below the designation.
Appendix Figures and Tables are numbered consecutively following the text.
Material may be reduced but must conform to minimum size (6 pt.) and legibility
requirements. Material may have mixed fonts and point sizes and may be singlespaced.
Appendix material that is very large (over 10 MB) is discouraged. If you have large
audio, movie, graphics, or animated files, contact HUR for assistance.

SPECIFIC PAGE FORMAT AND EXAMPLES

Title Page
General Format (Example Title Page)
Font is Times New Roman.
Point size of title is 14; point size for rest of the page is 12.
Vertical spacing must match sample page.
No bold on this page except for title.
No page number on this page.
Text is centered except for approval statement.
All major sections of the title page are separated by 2 double-spaced lines.
Title of Thesis
Double-spaced
Centered, all capital letters (exception: genus, species, and chemical element
symbols should be upper and lower case).
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 Use italics as needed to comply with the custom of the discipline (for example,
genus and species).
No period at the end of the title
Thesis Statement
Double-spaced.
Capitalize A and also the T in Thesis.
Scholar's name in all capital letters; name must be same as in official records of the
university. Should say An Undergraduate Research Scholars Thesis.
For teams, list the names of all participants.
Submittal Statement
Single-spaced
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology is on a line by itself.
Approval Statement
Single-spaced
There are no signatures on this page.
Date
Double-spaced
Put the month and year of the Program completion. (e.g., May 2014).
No comma between month and year.
Table of Contents
General Format
Do not use boldface type on this page except for the heading TABLE OF
CONTENTS.
Do not use italics on this page (except for Latin terms, titles of works, etc.). Place
the word Page above page number column.
All major headings must be double-spaced. Subheadings must be single-spaced.
The last subheading in each chapter must be double-spaced.
Repeat appropriate headings at the top of each page (the word Page above page
number column; the word CHAPTER if a new chapter is listed on the page), if
Table of Contents is more than one page.
Content
List the major headings and the first level subheadings; indicate subordination of
subheadings by appropriate indentation.
Use all capital letters for major headings.
Begin with the ABSTRACT and include all preliminary pages. Note that there are
two acceptable spellings for the word ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. Make sure
that you are consistent with whatever form you use.
Use the word INTRODUCTION as part of the first major heading of the text.
Use the word CONCLUSION as part of the last major heading of the text.
Choose chapter titles that are descriptive and appropriate for your thesis. List any
REFERENCE sections and the APPENDIX, if present.
Consistency
Check against text for agreement of page numbers, levels and styles of headings
and subheadings, and the wording of headings and subheadings (levels of
subheadings are shown by indentation).
Check for consistency in capitalization.
Check that wording of APPENDIX listing matches exactly what is in text;
Appendix titles are optional, but if listed, they must be in all capital letters.
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Abstract
This is the first numbered page. Use Arabic numerals and start with (1) (Example
Abstract page)
General Format
ABSTRACT is only boldface on the page.
Preliminary Lines
Center the heading ABSTRACT (in upper case letters) at the top of the page. Text
Insert an empty double-spaced line after the preliminary lines before you start the
text.
Limit the text of the abstract to no more than 500 words or maximum of 2 pages;
any term with a space on each side is counted as a word.
Use double-spaced lines for the abstract text.
This follows as a new page directly after the certification page.
Optional Preliminary Pages
Dedication
Follows the Abstract
The heading DEDICATION at the top of the page is optional.
Include Dedication in the Table of Contents.
Limit Dedication to one page.
Acknowledgments
Limit Acknowledgments to four pages.
Place after the Dedication Page (or Abstract, if there is no Dedication). Use a bold
type heading (i.e., ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS).
Use double spacing.
Note that there are two acceptable spellings for the word acknowledgments. Both
acknowledgments and acknowledgements are acceptable.
Nomenclature (if applicable)
Is placed at the end of the preliminary pages, after the Table of Contents.
THESIS CHAPTER CONTENT DESCRIPTIONS*
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
This section should tell the reader what the big question is that inspired you to do
your thesis (the who cares section). This should lead to a discussion of the
problem/question, and previous studies done on this topic (What is already known?
What is not? What ideas are out there? How well supported are they?). You should
then discuss how you are planning on answering the big question and in what
context (What is your experimental system? In general terms how will you go about
trying to answer the big question or a part of it in your thesis?). This could include
previous work done by the research group you are part of, or work you did yourself
earlier before starting the programme. If your proposal was crafted well and was
accepted, it should rather be converted as the chapter one for this thesis
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CHAPTER II
METHODS
This section should tell the reader how you sourced literature (for postgraduate
candidates, what keywords and journals) and how the literature has informed the
study. Focus should be on champions within the subject being study, literature that
propels the study and latest discussions on the subject being studied. Consult with
your supervisor if you are unsure as to the level of detail that needs to be included.
(For postgraduate studies, the literature search should dovetail to the theory and/or
concept for the study). This can be dealt with within this section as a prologue to the
review.
CHAPTER III
METHODS
This section should tell the reader how you acquired your data (but not actually what
your data are). You should describe sources of material, methodology and any
important instrumentation (including computer programs) in sufficient detail that
someone else could join your research group, and using this chapter as a resource,
could re-assemble everything they would need and be able to replicate your results.
Consult with your supervisor if you are unsure as to the level of detail that needs to be
included. For post-graduates, the theory and concept driving the study should also be
a remarkable feature in determining the methodology for the study.
CHAPTER IV
ANALYSIS AND RESULTS
This section is where you tell us what the results of your experiments were (but NOT
what you think they meanyet). This is where all your data goes, both the good and
the bad. This is where you explain where things went wrong, or what unexpectedly
happened. Did your methodology not have the sensitivity you expected? Did a
process not work as you had planned? Did a subject not do what you had hoped? Or
did everything go beautifully (if so congratulations you are in the minority!) and
produce exactly the type of data you had hoped for? This is the place for charts,
figures, graphs, tables and images.
CHAPTER IV or last chapter
DISCUSSION or CONCLUSION
This section is where you finally get to tell us what all of your hard work really
means! Go back and take a look at what you told us you were planning on doing in
Chapter I. Then tell us whether it turned out the way you expected. Did your results
support the theory or model you thought it would? Did your results point the way to a
new way of thinking about the bigger question? Did your results suggest that the
experimental system you tried or the methods you used are not the best way to
approach the question? This is also where you should integrate your results with the
work of everyone else on the same/similar problem. Do your conclusions agree with
theirs? Does your work extend an understanding of the problem that they set up?
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