TECHNICAL COMPONENTS of the THESIS

Preface: Research is indeed an amply challenging task. Yet, the amazing opportunity to discern
novel ideas begets an overwhelming feeling of satisfaction. This however can be achieved only if
one is familiar with the logical procedures this particular endeavor encompasses. Hence, may
this handouts render its readers the requisite and indispensable knowledge for a task which
eventually proves valuable and productive in all domains.

GENERAL GUIDELINES
1. TYPING
 Use short bond paper (height: 11”; width: 8.5”)
 The manuscript must be double-spaced throughout.
 Use one inch margins on the right, top and bottom of the page, and 1 ½ “on the left side.
 Use normal paragraphs with the first line indented using the DEFAULT TAB. This is
applied EXCPET for the Abstract, block quotes, titles and headings, references, table
titles, notes and figure captions.
 The font to be used is Courier New (12 point).
 Leave two character spaces after terminators (?,.,!)
 Make sure that the text is left aligned and not justified except for the ABSTRACT which is
in full-block format.

2. STYLE DETAILS in GENERAL

 Always use the third person point of view in referring to one’s self in the write-up.
 Use the PAST TENSE in the Abstract, Design and Methodology, and in the Presentation,
Analysis and Interpretation of Data; and INDICATIVE MOOD in the first chapter and in
the Conclusions and Recommendations.
 Use the simple present tense for citations or quotes from books, journals, website, etc.
 When using direct quotations, use the present tense followed by the passage enclosed in
quotation marks.
For example:
Bugtong and Moyano (2004) state “gender does not
affect academic performance.”

 When paraphrasing a quote, use the conjunction THAT.

For example:
Mamaat (2000) asserts that jealousy is prevalent
in work areas where…

3. ACRONYMS
 When stating an acronym, spell them out the first time it is introduced. Enclose the
acronym in parentheses.
For example:
The Local Councils for the Protection of Children
(LCPC) shall be established in all locals of
government. Membership in the LCPC shall be
chosen…
  When the acronym has been spelled out earlier, use the acronym of the word/s in your
subsequent paragraphs.

4. NUMBERS
 Spell out the numbers if it begins a sentence.
 All measurement reporting is done in Metric units (meters, centimeters, etc.).
 The numbers zero to nine are spelled out except when it is in a table, figure number, or a
metric measurement.
 The numbers 10 and above are written as numerals except when they are situated at the
beginning of the sentence.
 In the Abstract, use digits for all numerals except when they begin a sentence. Be
consistent with number formats. For descriptive statistical presentations, use two (2)
decimal places. But for inferential statistical presentations, use four (4) decimal places.

5. CITATIONS in the TEXT/BODY

 The first time the reference is cited in the text, spell out all of the authors’ last names.
For example:
Agoncillo, Constantino, and Tendero (1990)
suggest…

 With articles that have three or more authors, cite all the authors the first time the
reference occurs. In subsequent citations of the same authors, use first author’s surname
followed by “et.al.”
For example:
Agoncillo, Constantino, and Tendero (1990)
suggest……some fact (Agoncillo et al., 1990).

 If the references is in a parenthetical format, use the ampersand (&). However, if the
reference is in the body of the manuscript, use the conjunction “and”.
For example:
Behaviorism is… (Pavlov & Skinner, 1943)
Pavlov and Skinner (1943) state that Behaviorism…

 Multiple references in parentheses are laced alphabetically, and are separated by a

semicolon and a single character space.
For example:
The research culture in the University is… (de
Guzman, 2004; Llanes, 2004; Orduna, 1999).

6. QUOTATIONS
 Cite the page numbers for direct quotes.
For example:
Wayway (2002) asserts “genuine appreciation of the
beauty and majesty of Sunnyside would not be
possible without one…” (92)

 Each citation should always be preceded and succeeded by an interpretation to avoid

succession of unexplained quotations.
 Display an excerpt of more than 40 words as set-off quotation in a single-spaced full
block section, and indented (DEFAULT TAB) from the left margin. Omit the quotation
marks and include the page number in parentheses after the last period.

7. PAGE NUMBERS
  There are variations with regard to the placing of page numbers. In most cases, page
numbers are placed on the UPPER RIGHT corner of the page.
 The page number must be situated 0.5 inch from the top of the page.
 The font for the pagination is Courier New point 12.
 The title page and approval sheet carry a page number but it is not indicated on the page
itself.
 The displayed pagination for the preliminary pages of the paper will start in the Abstract
to the List of Tables and Figures. The pagination for these should be in small Roman
numerals (e.g. I, ii, and iii) situated at the bottom-center of the page. The Bibliography,
Appendices portion, and Curriculum Vitae have no page numbers.
 The first page of each chapter carries a page number but it is not indicated on the page
itself.

8. TABLES
 Introduce the table prior to its presentation.
 Tables should not be situated within a paragraph.
 The APA style tables do not contain any vertical lines.
 The table caption must be placed above the table. Type the table number followed by a
period. Leave two (2) character spaces, and type the table heading/caption, with the
second line left aligned.
 When using columns with numbers, align them according to place value.
 When using columns with decimal numbers, align the decimal points.
For example:

Table 1. Population of the Study According to Gender and Socio-

economic Status

SES MALE FEMALE TOTAL

Upper Class 1 0 1
Upper Middle 4 7 11
Middle Class 6 15 21
Lower Middle 4 9 13
Lower Class 0 0 0

TOTAL 15 31 46

9. FIGURES
 Figures should not be situated within a paragraph.
 Center each figure on the page vertically as well as horizontally.
 If the figure is a chart or graph, verbally label the axes (do not use “X” and “Y”).
 Figure captions must be located at the bottom center of the figure.
 Type the figure number followed by a period. Leave two (2) character spaces and type
the figure heading/ caption.
For example:

INDEPENDENT VARIABLES DEPENDENT VARIABLE

Level of Performance… Teaching Performance…

MODERATOR VARIABLES

 Gender
 Education
 Figure 1. Paradigm of the Study

10. BIBLIOGRAPHY
 The bibliographic entries must be organized and written according to category.
 Center the categories of the bibliographic entries. The categories must be bold and in title
case.
 After typing the categories, type the specific reference material employing APA format.
 Main titles of books, magazines, etc. are italicized.
 Sources are listed in alphabetical order by the author’s last name.
 Leave one (1) character space after each period.

WRITING the REFERENCE/ BIBLIOGRAPHIES

1. Books with One Author
Poyaoan, C.C. (1993). Interpersonal communication. Phils:

University of Baguio Press.

Purificacion, S. (1990). Historical perspectives on

tribal wars. Phils: Omegan Publishing House.

2. Books by Two Authors

Duckitt, J. & Renchon, S. (2000). Political psychology:

cultural and crosscultural foundations. USA: New

York University Press.

3. Books by Three or More Authors

Montoya, J., Oliveros, J., & Torres, J. (1997).

Philosophical foundations of behavior modification.

Phils: Rex Bookstore.

4. Chapter from a Book

Musolini, F. (1993). Repeated measures designs. In A

Field (Ed.), Discovering Statistics Using SPSS

 for Windows (pp. 323 – 3374). Great Britain: The

Cromwell Press, Ltd.

5. Books with Edition other than the First (Republished Book)

Nolledo, J. (2000). The revised administrative code of

1987 with related laws and administrative

issuances. Phils: Philippine Graphic Arts, Inc.

(Original work published 1996).

6. An Edited Book
Espino, E. R. (Ed.). (1991). Fundamentals of structural

engineering. Cambodia: Angkhor Wat, Inc.

7. Book by a Corporate Author

Committee of Recreations and Development. (1993). Human

behavior in organizations. Philippines: Rex Bookstore.

8. Reference Book Article (encyclopedia)

Machiavelli, N. (1993). The prince. In the World book

encyclopedia (Vol 15, pp. 421-436). USA: World

Book.

9. Dictionary
The American heritage dictionary of the English language

(4th ed.). (2000). USA: Houghton Mifflin Company.

10. Weekly Magazine Article

Poniewezik, J. (2005, February 21). The tragic kingdom.

Time, 165, 33-34.

11. Monthly Magazine Article

Quinones, D. (1994, November). Natural vs. human

resources. Nation’s business, 88, 12-14.

12. Journal Article

Esguerra, J. S. (2003). Poetry and verse in the college
 classroom: some insights and teaching tips. UB research

journal, 26, 62-68.

13. Newspaper Article

Calinao, N. P. (2005, April 17). An AFP recipe for

dictatorship. Zigzag weekly. P. 7.

14. Thesis or Dissertation

Danguilan, Z. C. (1987). Music reading made easy.

Unpublished doctorate dissertation, University of Baguio,

Philippines.

15. Newsprint Reference (i.e. film, recording, video, television, or radio program)
FILM:

Moore, M. (Director). (1980). Fahrenheit 9/11 (Film).

Hollywood: Miramax Films.

FILM WITH LIMITED CIRCULATION:

Spielberg, S. (Director). (1993). Schindler’s List

[Film]. (Available from Paramount Pictures, USA).

CASSETTE:

Maicle, E. M. (Author and speaker). (1995). Successful

living, successful life. [cassette]. Phils:

Inspirations, Inc.

TELEVISION PROGRAM:

Petersen, W. (Actor). (2004). Crime scene investigation

[Television program]. NV: BBC.

MUSICAL RECORDING:

Groban, J. (2002). The prayer. Josh Groban [CD]. USA:

Warner Brothers.
16. Personal Interview, Phone Conversation, Letter, Non-archived E-mail, Lecture
Because these materials are not recoverable, it should NOT be listed in the list of references. It
can, however, be cited parenthetically within the text. It is extremely important that what is cited in
this way be legitimate and have scholarly integrity.

INTERVIEW:

Bowles finds herself appalled by the claims of gender

insensitivity by her contemporaries (Personal letter, March

28, 1977).

PHONE CONVERSATION:

According to Dan Brown, the sources for his novel Da Vinci

Code were reputable art connoisseurs (Personal phone

conversation, July 22, 2003).

17. Hand-outs given in a Lecture

Orduna, L. (2004, December). A step towards change:

introduction of the APA format. Outline presented in a

lecture at the University of Baguio, Philippines.

18. Governmental Documents

Ministry of Transportation and Communications. (1983).

Baguio city transportation project (Publication No. 82-

1195). Phils: Baguio City Local Government.

19. Computer Software

SPSS. USA. (2004). Statistical packages for social

sciences [Computer Software]. USA: Conduit.

20. Worldwide Website

Darling, L. (No date). Parenting style and its

correlates [Online]. Available at

http://www.atheath.com?
 practitioner/ceduc.parentingstyles.htm [2004, November

3].

21. Material from an Online Information Service

Batar, H. & Leano, J. (1992). Cultural nationalism and

beyond: crosscultural political psychology in Indonesia

[Online]. Political culture, 20, 715-726, Abstract

from: dialog File: POLSCIINFO Item: 96-2004.

22. References without Authors

________. (1996) Animal instinct. France: Le louvre,

Ltd.

PARENTHETICAL CITATION
A. A typical citation of an entire work consists of the author’s name and year of publication.
Education as an investment is true only if it is used as a

potent tool to eradicate poverty, and it is for sustainable

and equitable development (Segnaben, 1999).

B. If the author is named in the text, only the year is cited.

According to Wi (1996), infection with Hepatitis B virus is

a widespread problem.

C. If the name of the author and the date are used in the text, parenthetical reference is not
necessary.
In a 2004 study, Galangco states that the College has

obtained its objectives despite some shortcomings in several

co-curricular...

D. Specific reference to the page of a particular resource material:

 No break in the citation of specific author/s
In this case, type only the specific page where the excerpt is taken from
Apropos the sex/gender, males are more inclined with

the exhibition of negative attitudes and coping mechanisms

(de Guzman, 2004). Xxxxxxx xxxx xx x xxx…

 On the contrary, females are predominantly emotional,

and are more expressive of their feelings and thoughts (69).

 A break in the citation of a specific author’s work

Dangatan (2005) focused on the variables year level

course, and the scope of work as factors influencing the

overall performance of student assistants in the University.

Xxxx xxx xxx…

Further, student assistants manifested a satisfactory

level in carrying out their duties and responsibilities in

their respective departments (Azarcon Jr., 1999). Xxxxxxx

xxxx x xxxxxx xxx…

The findings implied that the aforementioned variables

had no influence in their job as student assistants xxxxx xx

xxxx xxx (Dangatan, 2005: 26).

E. For quotations with less than forty (40) words and at the same time not exceeding four (4)
lines, use quotation marks.
Albeit establishing this mode of acceptance reduces

student failure, rejection of students who were unable to

make the cut- off mark is high on being deprived of pursuing

further studies hence increase illiteracy and unemployment

pervading the country. Notwithstanding, “the option of

administering entrance tests still rests on the

institution’s discretion, dependent on their precedence and

the risks they are willing to assume” (Llanes, 2004: 13).

F. Citing a quotation in case any material is left out

  If any material is left out, use three ellipsis points (…) within the sentence
According to Cantor and Bungaoen (2004), “a treatment

and preventive program should be formulated... to address

the moderate level of caries of the children” (15).

 Use four ellipsis points (….) when material is left out between two sentences.
The research also raised the “intriguing questions

about how political values are linked.... in pooling

resources and rationing by queues” (69).

 If inserting explanations in direct quotation, use brackets, not parenthesis. If any

incorrect spelling, grammar, or punctuation in the source might confuse readers,
insert the word sic, in brackets and underlined (i.e., [sic]), immediately after the
error in the quotation (APA, 1994, pp 95-96).
Walitang (2004) states that the schlastc [sic] status

of students, especially those who fail their subjects,

should be monitored by respective colleges.

G. Paraphrasing someone else’s work

 When paraphrasing a passage, you need to cite the source of material.
Yago (1996) posits that graft and corruption is an

indispensable activity in Philippine bureaucracy for it is

already ingrained in the culture of the people. Further, he

asserts that this political issue can be resolved through

the process of enculturation xxx xxxxx xx xx xxxxxx.

H. For quotations which exceed four lines, type the excerpt in a single-spaced full block
section.
The measure calls for the curtailment xx xxxxx xxxxxx

xxx. As a political analyst asserts:

Terrorism is a major concern that needs to be addressed

by the most direct, effective, or innovative measures
possible in order to protect the citizenry from
despicable acts of terrorists which threaten their lives,
security, and freedom. After all, these ideals are the
 very same things which are engraved in the constitution.
(Calinao, 2005:7)

I. When the reference is a work of two (2) authors, cite both names each time the reference
appears.
Sri Lanka and Thailand are about to launch international
advertising campaigns that highlight the many attractions
that were untouched or have already reopened, in hopes of
dispelling the gruesome images of paradise lost (Adiga &
Estulin, 2004).

J. When the reference is a work of 3-5 authors, cite all the authors the first time the reference
appears. In a subsequent reference, use the first author’s last name followed by et al.
Neither the north nor south sees the rapprochement as a
speedy road to reunifying the peninsula sundered for half a
century (Calabresi et al., 2001)

K. When the reference is to a work by six or more authors, use only the first author’s name
followed et al. in the first and all subsequent reference. The only exception to this rule is
when confusion might arise because of similar names or the same author being cited. In
that case, cite enough authors so that the distinction is clear.

L. When the reference is to a work by a corporate author, use the name of the organization as
the author.
To establish a diverse cross-cultural understanding at the
regional level is a natural extension of Fukouka’s long held
traditional role as a historic focal point for exchange in
Asia (Kyushu University, 2003: 7).

M. Personal letters, telephone calls and other materials that cannot be retrieved are not listed
in the Bibliography but are cited in the text.
Ashley Lauren (telephone conversation, November 7, 1983)
confirmed that the propositions…

N. Parenthetical references may mention more than one work, particularly when the ideas
have been summarized after drawing from several sources. Multiple citations should be
arranged as follows:
 List of two or more works by the same author in order of the date of publication
(Gomez, 1995, 2000)
 Differentiate works by the same author and with the same publication date by
adding an identifying letter to each date
(Bautista, 1999a, 1999b)
 List works by different authors in alphabetical order by the last name, and use a
semicolon to separate the references
(Bennett, 1998; Prill, 1994; Smith, 2002)