Thesis/Dissertation Technical Specifications

While your thesis/dissertation should be a completed work prior to your defense, plan enough time for
any necessary minor revisions to your thesis/dissertation after your oral defense. Do not assume that
you will be able to submit the thesis/dissertation immediately afterward.

Type

The thesis/dissertation should be double-spaced except for tables, headings, footnotes, quotations, and
title pages. The first sentence of a paragraph should be indented ten spaces. Use Times New Roman font;
be consistent throughout the main text. A 14-pt. font size should be used for all major headings
(Introduction, Methodology, etc.), and 12-pt. for the remainder of the document. Do not use bold, italics
or underlining in the Table of Contents. In the actual text, you may use bold, italics and underline,
except in chapter heading.

Title/Author/Degree

The title of the work, the author’s full name and the degree to be awarded must appear exactly the
same on the title page, signatory page, and abstract. In other words, this information must be identically
worded and punctuated in all three places. The title must appear in all capitals in all three locations.

Margins

Make certain that ALL MARGINS, including those for figures and tables, are a minimum of 1 ¼” on the
LEFT and RIGHT, and 1” on the TOP and BOTTOM. Nothing is to protrude beyond any margin of any page
of the thesis/dissertation (page numbers may be within the 1-in. bottom margin, but must be centered
on the page). This applies to subject matter, reference numbers and equation numbers, any part of a
graph or diagram, photographs, or anything else contained in the thesis/dissertation.

Two exceptions to the rule: CHAPTER HEADINGS - text must start two inches from top. TITLE PAGE - top
margin may be greater than 1 inch. The goal in spacing should be to make the page layout pleasing to
the eye, without crowding the text onto the page. More white space makes reading easier. Be
consistent!

Page Numbering

For the preliminary pages (Abstract Title Page, Abstract, Acknowledgment, Table of Contents, List of
Tables, and List of Illustrations), small Roman numerals are used centered at the bottom of the pages.
The numbering should begin with iv, on the first page of the Abstract. The abstract title page is not
numbered. For the remainder of the thesis/dissertation, Arabic numerals are used. Each page must be
numbered. Do not use letter suffixes such as 10a, 10b, etc. The Arabic numbering should begin with 1 on
the first page of the Introduction and run consecutively to the end of the thesis/dissertation and be
centered on the bottom of the page.

Tables and Figures

Follow the style for tables and figures that is standard for your discipline. The format and styles must
remain consistent throughout your thesis or dissertation.
Tables and figures should be numbered consecutively and consistently in Roman or Arabic numerals. The
numbering system must be consistent with what is listed in your List of Tables or List of Figures. The table
number should be centered and underlined. Margins for Tables and Figures must be the same as for the
rest of the manuscript.

Tables and figures that are too wide for the page may be placed on their sides on a portrait-oriented
page. The title should be at the top of the page, and the page number must remain centered on the
bottom of the page. No landscape-oriented pages are allowed.

Headings and Subheadings

All major headings (Introduction, Methodology, etc.) and their Roman numeral designations should be
capitalized, centered from left to right on the page, and underlined. Each major section should start a
new page.

Chapter headings and subheadings must be identical, including words you choose to capitalize, in the
Table of Contents and in the text.

Equations

All equations should be numbered consecutively by means of Arabic numerals placed within parentheses
at the right margin.

Footnotes and Quotations

Both footnotes and quotations should be single-spaced, using side margins 5 spaces narrower than
those used in the regular text. Footnotes which appear at the bottom of the page should be referenced
by a superscript small letter. Footnotes are inserted by double spacing after the last line of page type,
moving five spaces in from the left margin, then single-spaced below this for the beginning of the
footnote. There may NOT be any running headers or footers in a thesis or dissertation. Use of footnotes
(rather than endnotes) is acceptable, if approved by your program.

Bibliography

The bibliography should be single-spaced with double-spacing between entries. Follow the standard
citation format for major journals in your field and the style manual recommended by your department.

Divisions

Pages should not contain “widows” or “orphans,” which are single lines of text at the beginning or end of
a page. At least two lines are required before the next paragraph or division break. Set the
widow/orphan control in WORD to avoid this problem.

Justification

Do not justify the right hand margin of the page, because almost all word processors achieve this
justification by creating irregular spaces between words. This irregular spacing is not acceptable.

Split References/Captions
Do not split references in your bibliography from one page to another. Complete each entry on a single
page. Similarly, do not split captions in lists of tables/figures/illustrations from one page to another.
Captions for tables and figures must be on the same page whenever possible.

HELPFUL HINTS TO FORMAT YOUR DOCUMENT

These hints are designed to help you avoid common mistakes that will take you the most time to correct.
In particular, any mistakes that affect pagination can be time-consuming to fix because then you will
have to redo your Table of Contents as well. So make sure you follow the margin instructions exactly.
Please use the following tips to help you format your document.

1) Make sure you use Times New Roman 12 point font. If you use the wrong font, your page numbers will
change when you correct this, and your Table of Contents will have to be redone.

2) Check your margins. They should be LEFT 1 1/4”, RIGHT 1 1/4”, TOP: 1”, BOTTOM: 1”. The left and right
margins must be 1.25” because any printed copies of your document need room for binding and a too
tight side margin will cause you to lose important data. This is a common mistake. If you need to correct
margins after submission, all the page numbers will change and you will need to create a new Table of
Contents.

3) Page numbers should be positioned at least 0.5” from the bottom of the page (measured from the
bottom of the page number to the bottom of the page) and be within the 1” bottom margin.

4) The title of each chapter must be 2” from the top of the page, and you should hit return a few times
to create some space between the title and the beginning of the text. Use the same spacing between the
chapter title and the text in every chapter.

5) Use the orphan/widow control found in most versions of Word. No page can begin or end with a
single line of text.

6) Page numbering - Page numbering begins with roman numerals on the Abstract page, which should be
page iv. There should be no page numbers on the title page, copyright page or signature page. Continue
roman numerals until the first page of your thesis or dissertation, which should be Arabic numeral 1.

7) Placement of Tables, Illustrations, and Charts can be tricky. If the table, illustration or chart fills more
than half the page, then it can remain alone on the page. If you have sequential small tables,
illustrations, and charts that can fit two to a page, then do so. No landscape pages are allowed. They will
not fit when the document is bound into an 8.5 x 11 volume. You may place a table or figure on its side
on a portrait-oriented page to make it fit. You may also shrink it to make it fit. But the title must be at the
top of the portrait-oriented page, and the page number must be at the bottom of the portrait-oriented
page.

8) Lists of Figures and Tables - for titles in the Lists, use only the text up to the first period of the title as
the title, even if the title on the table/figure is longer than that. Make sure the text you use for your title
in the List is identical, word for word, including the words you choose to capitalize, in the text and in the
List.
9) All subheadings in the Table of Contents must be identical, word for word, including the words you
choose to capitalize, to the subheadings in the text.

10) References - don’t split references. Keep the entire citation on the same page.

11) Subheadings - this is a common area of difficulty for students and can be time-consuming to correct.
This is how it should work. The first time the reader sees a subheading in chapter 1, that is the first level
subheading. However, you format that first level subheading in chapter 1 is how you must format every
first level subheading in the entire document. So for example, if the first level subheading in chapter 1 is
bold, centered, the first level subheadings in all chapters must be bold, centered. Also, in the Table of
Contents, the first level subheading is indented once. For second level subheadings, these must be
formatted differently from the first level subheadings, and every second level subheading must be
formatted the same way in very chapter. So for example, if the second level subheading in chapter 1 is
flush left, italics, then the second level subheading in every chapter must be flush left, italics. The second
level subheadings are indented twice in the Table of Contents. For subsequent levels, format each level
(3rd, 4th, etc.) in a unique way and use that format in every chapter as you did for the first and second
level subheadings above. Then indent the subheading one more time per level in the Table of Contents.
So the third level subheading is indented three times, the fourth level subheading is indented four times,
and so forth. This can be confusing, but it has to be done this way. One way to keep track is by listing Ch
1, first level subheading, second level, etc., and the format of each one on a separate piece of paper.
Then when you do chapter 2 and all other chapters, refer to that list to keep them straight.

Traditional Format Sequence

Please note that fonts, spacing, punctuation, and styles must be precisely as specified. Please follow the
directions and the sample pages exactly. The content of the traditional thesis/dissertation is to be
assembled in the following sequence:

Title Page - Required, not numbered

Copyright Page - Required, not numbered

Signature Page - Required, not numbered*

Abstract Title page and Abstract - Required. Begin page numbers, using lower-case Roman numerals,
starting with “iv.” (Continue lower-case Roman numeral page numbers until page 1 of your document.)

Dedication, Acknowledgments - Optional

Table of Contents - Required

List of Tables/Figures, etc.- If applicable

Text:

Introduction (begin Arabic numerals, starting with page 1)

Methodology
 Results

Discussions

Conclusions

Recommendations

Literature Cited

Appendices - If applicable; numbered sequentially.

Biographical Sketch of Author (optional)

*Remember: The original, signed signature page should be delivered to the University Registrar.

Multi-Monograph (Alternative) Format

The Multi-Monograph thesis/dissertation has at its core a set of monographs (commonly three, but this
might range from two to six) each judged by the thesis/dissertation committee to be of a quality and
form suitable for publication in the peer reviewed literature of a relevant field. In addition,
comprehensive introductory and concluding chapters are required and, when appropriate,
supplementary supporting materials are to be presented in appendices.

The purpose of the introductory chapter is to explain the background or context in which the research is
set, and to lay out its significance for the field. This chapter serves as an overview to connect the
individual monographs together. It provides an argument justifying the choice of thesis/dissertation topic
and would typically include a literature review demonstrating that the research was needed, not yet
performed by others, and has a reasonable chance of achieving its stated objectives.

The monographs, which form the body of the thesis/dissertation, are of “publishable quality” but they
are often longer than the currently acceptable length of papers in most journals. This permits the
thesis/dissertation to serve its archival value, documenting the detailed research methods and results
more fully than journal publication will permit. The level of detail in the monographs will be agreed upon
by the candidate and the thesis/dissertation advisor and/or committee.

The thesis/dissertations concluding chapter provides the opportunity to present the broad conclusions
of the body of work because it focuses on implications for the field as a whole, rather than simply on the
next steps in the research process. In addition, this chapter presents the necessary opportunity to
discuss the interdependence of the individual monographs.

The following outline presents the format for the multi-monograph thesis/dissertation. The outline
illustrates its basic similarity to the traditional format. It differs in only minor ways, chiefly that methods,
results, references, etc. may be presented in smaller units relevant to the various aspects of the work,
rather than being collected together in single, large chapters.

Multi-Monograph Thesis/Dissertation Format Sequence

Title Page - Required, not numbered

Copyright Page - Required, not numbered

Signature Page - Required, not numbered**

Abstract Title page and Abstract - Required. Begin page numbers, using lower-case Roman numerals,
starting with “iv.” (Continue lower-case Roman numeral page numbers until page 1 of your document.)

Dedication, Acknowledgements - Optional

Table of Contents - Required

List of Tables, Figures etc. - If applicable

Text:

Introduction (Overall) (begin Arabic numerals, starting with page 1)

Body - Each monograph must contain the following

Methodology

Results

Discussions

Conclusions

Recommendations

Literature Cited

Conclusion (Overall)

Appendix

Biographical Sketch of Author (required)

**Remember the original signature page should be delivered to the University Registrar. A scanned
version is included in your PDF.

NOTE: Although formats for citations vary from journal to journal, literature cited in each monograph
must conform to that of the traditional format. Each reference must include complete authorship, title,
journal name, date of publication, volume, and inclusive page numbers.

In either format, traditional or multi-monograph, the work must be logically connected and integrated
into a thesis/dissertation in a coherent manner. Binding reprints or collections of manuscripts together is
not acceptable as a thesis/dissertation in either form or concept. The thesis/dissertation must also meet
the requirements of the department and the University; these include originality, creativity, and
demonstration of mastery of the subject area. When master’s/doctoral research is part of a larger
collaborative project, it is crucial that an individual student’s contribution be precisely delineated.
Candidates must demonstrate the uniqueness of their contributions and define what part of the larger
project represents their own ideas and individual efforts. The candidate should be the sole or first author
on the manuscripts included in the thesis/dissertation.
PARTS OF A THESIS/DISSERTATION
Title Page

The form and contents of the title page must follow the examples in this guide. Scientific formulas and
abbreviations should be avoided in titles whenever possible. The year listed on the title page is the year
in which one’s degree is conferred. It may or may not be the same as the year the manuscript is
submitted. Choose your title carefully as scholars and researchers will use keywords to search databases
for published works. The title should represent the content of your thesis/dissertation as accurately as
possible.

All text on the title page should be centered both horizontally and vertically, so that there is a reasonable
amount of space between written sections on the page. One good way to achieve the exact format is to
use the electronic version of the sample page as a template, replacing the information on it with your
own.

Copyright Page

The copyright notation should be single-spaced and centered, just below the middle of the page. Please
note capitalization on the sample page and the fact that there is no period after “All rights reserved….”
There should be NO page number on the copyright page.

Signature Page

Abstract Title Page

Abstract

The abstract should give a succinct account of the work so that readers can quickly decide if he/she
wants to read the complete thesis/dissertation. It should contain a clear statement of the problem/issue,
the procedure and/or method followed, the results, and the conclusions. Although 350 words is the
maximum length allowed for a master’s thesis and 500 words for the doctoral dissertation, all abstracts
should be shorter if possible. Diagrams and illustrations are not appropriate for the printed abstract.
Remember that the abstract is published for the convenience of potential readers who are doing
research in your field. Tell them what they can learn from reading your thesis/dissertation. Have a friend
not in your field read the abstract. If they can understand it, then all of your potential readers will
probably also be able to do so.

Acknowledgements

An acknowledgement page is optional. On this page you would note professional and personal thanks to
specific individuals for special assistance and/or permission to use previously copyrighted material. Use
care to express yourself professionally and to be consistent in your use of first or third person references.

Table of Contents

The table of contents should list all parts of the manuscript other than the Title Page, Abstract, and
Acknowledgments, indicated in the preceding sections of the “sequence of the traditional and multi-
monograph formats” and should include the major divisions and first level of subdivisions of the thesis.
Page numbers for each heading are to be shown in a column at the right margin, headed “Page”. It is
therefore obviously not possible to prepare the Table of Contents until after the rest of the
thesis/dissertation has been typed. As with the rest of your manuscript, be consistent. Make sure the
numbering format, headings, and capitalization match exactly.

List of Tables

This should be a complete list of all tables and the respective page number on which they appear.

List of Illustrations

This should give a complete list of all figures and the respective page numbers of all illustrations,
including photographs, maps, and charts.

Text

Introduction

This should give a statement of the problem, the motivation for the research, and its importance and
relevance. The history and literature should be reviewed with appropriate comments. It is essential to
reference all material thoroughly to avoid plagiarism.

Methodology

This section should describe the work done in enough detail so that another person in the same
academic discipline could repeat the work by following the description. Any apparatus or equipment
specially designed for the thesis/dissertation work should be described in complete detail. All materials
should be described and identified carefully. Techniques should be described thoroughly.

Results

This section will normally contain all data collected, examples of any calculations required, and results
from the data and calculations. Wherever appropriate, graphical analysis is very beneficial.

Discussion

The material covered and the method of presentation in this section will vary with the nature of the
thesis/dissertation. In general, there should be an exhaustive explanation and interpretation of all results
presented which should be related to the previously published literature in the field.

Conclusions

This section should give a concise narrative of the significant conclusions drawn from the
thesis/dissertation.

Recommendations

This section should include suggestions for future work on the thesis/dissertation topic or analogous
problems.

Notes
The notes or footnotes may be at the bottom of pages, at the end of each chapter or at the end of the
main body of the text immediately preceding the literature cited. Use a consistent style throughout your
thesis/dissertation.

Literature Cited

Warning about PLAGIARISM

All ideas and concepts that do not represent your original thoughts must be referenced. Direct use of
someone else’s words must be set off with quotation marks and properly referenced. Use of another
person’s ideas, even if paraphrased, or word-for-word copying of all or part of the work of another
without due acknowledgment constitutes plagiarism and is strictly prohibited.

References

The format for references must include: complete authorship (last name and initial of first name), journal
abbreviation, full title of the article, beginning and ending page numbers, as well as the volume of the
journal and the year when the article was published. References to books must include the author
and/or editor, the name of the book, date of publication, publisher, city of publication, and inclusive
page numbers. References to unpublished technical reports should explain as fully as possible where the
document can be found. In all cases, use appropriate abbreviations for journal names consisting of
multiple words. Never abbreviate single title journals such as Science or Nature. It is essential that all
text references appear in the section titled “LITERATURE CITED” and that all references listed are cited in
the text.

The numerical referencing system is recommended for your thesis/dissertation. Cite the first reference
[1] or multiple references [1-4] at the end of sentence within parentheses. Abstracts do not contain
references. Subsequent references are listed as [2], [3], [4], etc. in numerical order throughout the
remainder of the text. Compile your references in numerical order at the end of your thesis/dissertation
under the heading “LITERATURE CITED.” Each reference should be single- spaced with a double-space
between references. Only materials actually cited in the text are to be listed under the, “Literature
Cited.” Additional sources used but not cited should be added under the heading “Additional References
Used But Not Cited.”

Examples of acceptable format for journal and book citations listed below.

JOURNAL:

1. Devenyi, P., Robinson, G.M. and Roncari, D.A.K. 1980.

Alcohol and high-density lipoproteins. J. Can. Med. Assoc.

123:981-984.

BOOK

2. Packard, C.J. and Shepard, J. 1983. Low density lipoprotein levels.

In: Gotto, A.M. and Paoletti, R., eds., Atherosclerosis reviews. Raven Press, New York, Vol. 11, pp.29-63
3. Jones, Janice. 1987. Thermodynamics. Raven Press, New York, pp.35-48

Appendix

Appendices are not always necessary in a thesis/dissertation. Its inclusion is largely a matter of judgment
on the part of the author and his or her advisor. It is generally used when there are materials such as
extensive data, involved derivations, and the like, which do not conveniently fit into the main body of the
thesis/dissertation. Each appendix should be a self-contained document.

Biographical Sketch of Author

The required brief biographical sketch should include the names of schools attended, the exact
designation of diplomas and degrees awarded, the title and nature of any post-collegiate employment,
together with the name and location of the employing organization, and a description of any previous
graduate study or related research, publications, or special professional interests.