formatting a thesis or dissertation. introduction in this seminar, we will review the guidelines for...
TRANSCRIPT
Formatting a Thesis or Dissertation
Introduction
In this seminar, we will review the Guidelines for Preparing a Thesis or Dissertation, go over common mistakes and offer suggestions to help in formatting.
This presentation is intended as a supplement to the Guidelines for Preparing a Thesis or Dissertation, not a substitute.
Be sure to read the entire Guidelines for Preparing a Thesis or Dissertation before uploading your manuscript to OhioLINK.
Agenda
Briefly outline the Guidelines for Preparing a Thesis or Dissertation.
Highlight common formatting mistakes
Give tips on how to make formatting easier
Notify of the thesis & dissertation deadline for the upcoming semester
Advise on submission procedures for electronic copy
Answer any remaining formatting and submission questions
Overview
The purpose of the guidelines is to ensure that every thesis or dissertation that will carry the name of The University of Akron meets the same high standards of presentation.
The standards are the Graduate School standards and are applied consistently to all departments and programs.
Just as the research must be precise and complete, the presentation of that research must be equally precise and complete.
It is important that students read and understand the guidelines before preparing and submitting the final manuscript.
Vocabulary
manuscript your thesis or dissertation
style form for such items as source citations and
bibliographic entries. APA, MLA, Turabian, etc. formatting
form for such items as page number location, page margins, spacing, etc. Guidelines for Preparing a Thesis or Dissertation
etd Electronic Thesis or Dissertation
final copy the final copy submitted electronically to
OhioLINK and a hard copy of the signed signature page
Page Format/Margins
Correct margins are: Left side 1.5 inches
no exceptions Right side 1.0 inch
no exceptions Top 1.0 inch
exception: pages that carry major headings, such as preliminary pages and chapter titles, must have a 2.0-inch top margin
Bottom 1.0 inch exception 1: When a 1-inch margin would leave a
single line of print on a page, then a margin of no more than 2-inches may be left and text continued on the following page
exception 2: where a page is followed by a figure or table on the next page, or when the last page of a chapter
Figures and tables must fit within the margins. Oversized material may be reduced to fit.
Formatting Tip to Change Page Margins Within a Word File
Set top page margin to 2”. Place cursor after the last word on the chapter
title page. Go to
Insert Break Section Break Types Click on “Next Page”
Place cursor on the next page in the chapter. Set top page margin to 1”.
Select option “This Point Forward” on the drop box under Page Margins panel
Recommendation: Save each chapter as a separate Word document. This will allow you to make corrections without
affecting the entire manuscript.
Widow/Orphan Protection
Pages should be spaced so that no page ends or begins with a single line of text. At least two lines of a paragraph must appear
together at the top & bottom of every page.
Each subheading must be followed by at least two lines of text.
Microsoft Word programs have automatic widow/orphan protection located under
Format Paragraph Line and Page Breaks Widow/Orphan Control (check box) OK
Spacing
Text material is double spaced.
Single spacing may be used in : notes long quotations statement of hypothesis figure/table titles and the bibliography.
Chapter Title Pages double space between chapter heading and title triple space (leave 2 blank lines) between
chapter title and subheading/beginning of text
Subheadings Double space before and after subheadings to
set them apart from regular text. Additional spacing before or after subheadings
can create widow/orphan problems.
Typeface, Justification, Centering, & Paragraphing
Font size must be 10 or 12 point. Nearly all types of font face are acceptable. Unusual or scripted fonts are not acceptable. Do not use bold font for major titles or
figure/table titles.
The left margin must be justified. Right margins may be justified if the
department/college approves. right-justified margins may result in unsightly
white spaces between words that are not acceptable.
Materials must be centered between the text margins rather than the paper edges.
Indent the first line of every paragraph consistently, so that each paragraph is indented the same number of spaces.
Page Numbering & Page Number Placement
Preliminary pages are in Roman numerals (i,ii,iii, etc.) The title page is page i. It is counted but not
numbered on the actual page. The signature page is page ii. It is counted and
numbered on the page.
Text pages (beginning with Chapter 1) are in Arabic numerals (1,2,3, etc.) Beginning with page 1 of Chapter 1, all following
pages are numbered sequentially through the end of the manuscript.
Copyright page (if added) is placed as the very first page (before the title
page) is neither counted nor numbered
Page Numbering & Page Number Placement
Page number embellishments are not permitted (1a, 1b, etc.)
All pages have the page number placed at the bottom of the page, centered under the text.
In Microsoft Word programs you can set the page number placement under
Step 1 File Page Setup Layout
Set Footer to 1.0-inch OKStep 2 View Header/Footer Click on centering icon on tool bar Insert page number Close
Manuscript Organization
Preliminary Pages (lower-case Roman numerals) Copyright Notice (not counted or numbered) Title Page (counted, not numbered) Signature Page (page ii) Abstract (mandatory for dissertations) Dedication (optional) Acknowledgements (optional) Table of Contents List of Tables (as needed) List of Figures (as needed) List of Illustrations (as needed) List of Schemes (as needed)
Chapters of Text Material (begin Arabic page numbering)
Summary/Conclusions Bibliography/References/Literature Cited (select
most appropriate) Appendices (including Human Subjects Approval and/or
other approvals as required) Index (if required)
Formatting Specific Pages
The following slides will explain how to format specific pages in your manuscript.
Examples will be included.
Copyright Notice
Copyright notice appears in front of the title page.
It is not numbered or counted.
You should check with your advisor to see if copyright is recommended.
Copyright must be secured from the Registrar of Copyright in Washington, D.C. with the fee paid directly to that office.
Additional Information can be obtained from the Copyright Office. (202) 707-3000 www.loc.gov/copyright
© YearAUTHOR'S NAME
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Title Page
All text on this page is centered. Double space the entire page. The top margin is two-inches. Title
Must be in all capital letters. Must be centered immediately below the two-
inch top margin. Graduation date
Must be month, year of graduation. Must be centered immediately above the on-
inch bottom margin. Other text should follow example in wording
and capitalization. Title page is counted as page i.
Page number is not shown.
TITLE
MAY TAKE TWO OR MORE LINES
A Thesis or A Dissertation
Presented to
The Graduate Faculty of The University of Akron
In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
Master of ________ or Doctor of ________
Author’s Name
Month, Year
Signature Page
Title Must be in all capital letters. Must be centered immediately below the two-
inch top margin. Must be double spaced if two or more lines.
Author’s name Must be case sensitive. Must be centered below title.
Signature page is counted as page ii. Page number is centered above bottom margin.
The names of those signing must be typed a single space below their titles.
Should it be necessary to have someone other than the appropriate individual sign The signer should write the name listed on the
signature page The signature should be followed by a slash /
and the initials of the person signing.
COMPLETE TITLE
THAT MAY REQUIRE
THREE LINES
Author's Name
Thesis
Approved: Accepted:
______________________________ ______________________________Advisor Dean of the CollegeName Name
______________________________ ______________________________Co-Advisor or Faculty Reader Interim Dean of the Graduate SchoolName Name
______________________________ ______________________________Department Chair or School Director DateName
ii
COMPLETE TITLE
THAT MAY REQUIRE
THREE LINES
Author's Name
Dissertation
Approved: Accepted:
______________________________ ______________________________Advisor Department Chair Name Name
______________________________ ______________________________Co-Advisor or Committee Member Dean of the CollegeName Name
______________________________ ______________________________Committee Member Interim Dean of the Graduate SchoolName Name
______________________________ ______________________________Committee Member DateName
______________________________Committee Member Name
ii
Table of Contents
All entries in the Table of Contents (TOC) must match exactly as they appear in the text, including: wording, numbering, punctuation, capitalization and spelling and page number on which they appear.
Chapter titles and major headings are typed in all capital letters. Subheadings are case-specific.
Double Space between entries. Single space within an entry if it falls on two or more
lines. Typical indentation in the TOC is on a 2-space
basis. However, you may adjust this number provided that all indentations are consistent. Under CHAPTER, the numbers are indented 2
spaces. Subheadings are indented 2 more spaces.
Chapter numbers Must use Roman numerals. Must be left-aligned.
Table of Contents, Cont.Tips for the TOC
It may be easier to manually generate the TOC rather than link it to the manuscript.
It is usually easier to copy and paste the headings from the document into the TOC, List of Tables (LOT), List of Figures (LOF) etc. than to type them. Copy/paste will reduce the occurrence of
discrepancies between the LOT and the text.
Common Mistake: Do not let entries in TOC, LOT, LOF, etc.
invade the page number column. The entry should stop several spaces
before the page number column. If the entry comes close, you may want to
break the entry into an additional line. See example on next slide.
Right Aligning Page Numbers
in TOC, LOF, LOT, etc. Either
Before beginning your TOC. After entering all information.
Select text to be formatted. i.e. the entire TOC
In MS Word, go to Format Tabs
Tab stop position enter 6.0”
Alignment click on “Right”
Leader click on “2…..:
Click on “Set” OK
After typing entry Hit tab key (until you see it on the right margin). Enter page number.
TABLE OF CONTENTS Page
LIST OF TABLES (if any) ……………………………………………………………... ix LIST OF FIGURES (if any) …………………………………………………………….. x CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION (IF MORE THAN ONE LINE IS REQUIRED, SINGLE SPACE AND INDENT TWO SPACES) …………………………………………… 1
Statement of the Problem ………………………………………………………... 3
Importance of the Study …………………………………………………………. 5 II. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY ……………………………………………….. 7
Historical Survey of Previous Work in the Area ………………………………... 9 Second-level Subheading ………………………………………………. 11
III. DESCRIPTION OF WORK OF THE WRITER ………………………………… 13
First-level Subheading …………………………………………………………. 13
Second-level Subheading ………………………………………………. 15 IV. SUMMARY ……………………………………………………………………… 25
First-level Subheading …………………………………………………………. 27 END NOTES (if any) …………………………………………………………………... 35 BIBLIOGRAPHY (if any) ……………………………………………………………... 37 APPENDIX (if any) ……………………………………………………………………. 39 INDEX (if any) ………………………………………………………………………… 50
iv
List of Tables,List of Figures, etc. “Figure,” “Table, ” or the appropriate heading
must be typed above the number designation column (left side). Do not type it before every entry. Do not type it on following pages if LOF exceeds
1 page.
“Page” must be typed above the page number
column (right side). Do not type it before every entry. Do not type it on following pages if LOF exceeds
1 page.
All entries in LOT, LOF, etc must match exactly as they appear in the text, including: wording, numbering, punctuation, capitalization and spelling and page number on which they
List of Tables,List of Figures, etc. It is recommended, but not required, that you
include tables, figures etc. that appear in the Appendices.
Do not use combinations of letters and number for your table/figure designations. Subtitles are acceptable
E.g. Do not use 4A, 4B, 4C for figures 1,2 and 3 in chapter 4.
Do use 4.2a and 4.2b if the second figure in Chapter 4 has 2 parts.
Except in Apppendices. Then you may use A.1, A.2, etc.
Entries with subtitles must have a main/common title. See example on following slide.
LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1.1 Regression analysis …………………………………………………………….. 12 1.2 Comparison of the family therapy data to the individual
therapy data …………………………………………………………………….. 18 4.1 IR spectra (top) during the Step switch from He to 1%NO in
He at 538 K. MS Response of effluents from the IR Cell, on (a) 4 wt% Pt/Al2 O3 …………………………………………………………… 50 (b) 4 wt% Tb-Pt/Al2 O3 ……………………………………………………….. 51
4.2 Infrared spectra depicting the band growth during the pulse
and flow chemisorption of NO at 323 K following reduction at 673 K on (a) TbOx (b) 2 wt% Tb-Pt ……………………………………………… 64
x
Tables, Figures, etc.Within the Text Landscaped entries must be typed with the
title along the 1.5” left margin so the title is read from the left to right of the bound side of the manuscript. The page number must still appear in the
bottom center of the portrait view.
Entries that continue on more than one page must have the title as on the first page it appears followed by “(continued)” or “(cont.)” Table 1.3 Comparison of the family therapy data
(cont.)
Fig
ure
3.2
Tiv
oli C
liff
Hou
se
17
Formatting a landscaped figure, table etc. Insert the item at the desired location. You will need to select the item In MS Word go to
Format Picture/or other (it will be the last item on the list) Use various tabs to get item to fit, such as
Size, Rotation Layout, Behind text
Work with this until you get the desired result.
For figure title go to Insert Text box Enter your complete title
Select the text box Format Text Box (again this is the last item, just as above) Use various tabs to get item to fit, such as
Textbox, Resize AutoShape Colors and Lines, No Lines
Work with this until you get the desired result.
TextThe Body of the Manuscript
The text begins with page one of Chapter I.
This begins the Arabic numbering (1,2,3) page numbers are centered at the 1’ bottom margin.
All text is double spaced except for long quotations.
At least two lines of text must appear at the top and bottom of each page.
No widows/orphans
All subheading must be followed by at least two lines of text.
Even if they are further subdivided.
Page margins are 1” for top, right, bottom. 1.5” for left. except: top margin on chapter title pages.
TextChapter Title Pages All chapter titles pages have a 2” top margin.
CHAPTER I is typed is all capital letters without punctuation, centered between the margins.
The chapter title is typed in all capital letters two spaces below the heading, centered between the margins. Should the title be more than one line, it will be
double spaced.
Text of the chapter begins three spaces (1 ½ double spaces) below the chapter title.
If a subheading follows a chapter title, it is placed three spaces below the chapter title. Text is then two spaces below the subheading.
End Notes &Foot Notes There is no single approved style for notes.
Either footnotes or endnotes are acceptable. Endnotes are preferred.
Footnotes Placed at the bottom of each page. Separated from the text by a line. Same size, style, font as text. Single spaced within a note. Double spaced between notes.
Endnotes Placed at the end of each chapter or end of
manuscript. Separated from the text by a line and/or header
of “Endnotes.” Same size, style, font as text. Single spaced within a note. Double spaced between notes.
Bibliography, Referencesor Literature Cited First page is treated as a chapter title page.
2” top margin. BIBLIOGRPAHY in all caps & centered.
Lists all sources used in the work.
May be subdivided. Subdivisions should be labeled with only the first
letter capitalized. E.g. “Primary Sources,” “Manuscripts,” ”Articles,” etc.
Subdivisions should be separated consistently. E.g. Each separation three single spaces.
Subdivisions should be at the left margin.
Page numbering continues in Arabic numerals.
Single space within entries.
Double space between entries.
Bibliography, Referencesor Literature Cited, cont.
Note: Bibliography
refers to all sources read for research, including material not cited.
References refers only to those sources cited in the
manuscript.
Students should contact their department to see which they should use.
More than one can be used. Bibliography would appear first, then
References or Literature Cited.
Appendices
If there is only one appendix The material must be set up like a new chapter. APPENDIX centered below the 2” top margin. Text/material to follow three spaces below.
If there are two or more appendices Each appendix should be treated as a separate
chapter with its own title page (see above). Labeled Appendix A, Appendix B, etc. Be sure to add the individual appendices titles
in the TOC . A half title or division page is inserted before
Appendix A. The word APPENDICES will be centered
between the margins, slightly above the center of the page.
Page number placement continues as in text. This page will appear in the TOC as well.
APPENDICES
236
TABLE OF CONTENTS Page
LIST OF TABLES (if any) ……………………………………………………………... ix LIST OF FIGURES (if any) …………………………………………………………….. x CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION (IF MORE THAN ONE LINE IS REQUIRED, SINGLE SPACE AND INDENT TWO SPACES) ……………………………………………………… 1
Statement of the Problem ………………………………………………………... 3 II. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY ……………………………………………….. 7
Historical Survey of Previous Work in the Area ………………………………... 9 Second-level Subheading ………………………………………………. 11
III. DESCRIPTION OF WORK OF THE WRITER ………………………………… 13
First-level Subheading …………………………………………………………. 13 IV. SUMMARY ……………………………………………………………………… 25 END NOTES (if any) …………………………………………………………………... 35 BIBLIOGRAPHY (if any) ……………………………………………………………... 37 APPENDIX (if any) ……………………………………………………………………. 39 APPENDIX A. APPLES ………………………………………………………. 40 APPENDIX B. ORANGES ……………………………………………………. 43 INDEX (if any) ………………………………………………………………………… 50
iv
ApprovalsHuman Subject Any project that uses human subjects or their
by-products (E.g. tissue, blood samples) requires review and a letter of permission from
the Institutional Review Board (IRB) for the Protection of Human Subjects
before research is conducted.
The letter of permission must be included in the manuscript as an appendix. The letter should be scanned and inserted to fit
within the proper margins.
ApprovalsOther Projects involving animals, hazardous
materials, radiation or affecting general campus safety may require review of the research design by, and a letter of permission from, one of the following committees: Animal Welfare Committee, Biohazard
Committee, Radiation Committee, Safety Committee
Letters of permission (if applicable) must be included as an appendix.
Students who believe their projects may require such review should check with their advisors and with the Office of Research Services.
330-972-7666 http://www3.uakron.edu/orssp/
Submitting your manuscript to the Graduate School
Final Thesis/Dissertation Deadline Spring 2015 graduation: April 6 Summer 2015 graduation: July 13 Fall 2015 graduation: November 16
Both the hard copy signature page and the uploaded, electronic copy manuscript are due by the final deadline.
Make sure the formatting is correct before submitting your final copy to OhioLINK or they will not be approved by The Graduate School.
What to SubmitThesis & Dissertation Original signature page with all signature
except the Interim Dean of the Graduate School and the date. on white paper more than one copy may be submitted
A copy of the Letter of Approval from IRB, etc. as appendix if applicable
Electronic submission via OhioLINK signature page will be unsigned
Doctoral students must also complete the Survey of Earned Doctorates. found online
Electronic Submission Procedures Before you can upload your etd
You must convert the document(s) into one pdf file.
Uploading your etd Go to https://etdadmin.ohiolink.edu Select to submit the full text Complete all sections requested by OhioLINK Preview your record to be sure it can be viewed
and that all information is correct. Click “SUBMIT MY PAPER NOW.”
After You Submit
The Graduate School will review the formatting prior to signing the signature page.
You will be notified (via email) If there are corrections required.
You must make all corrections.
If corrections are required You will need to make the corrections to the
original document. Convert the corrected document to a pdf file. Email the corrected pdf to
[email protected] Graduate School can replace the original pdf with
the corrected one. Milestone will be added to DARS once the
document has received final approval.
Additional Information
Plagiarism University Rule 3359-42-01 prohibits plagiarism. Definition & How to Avoid Plagiarism
www.uakron.edu/ogc/PreventiveLaw/plagiarism.php
Site also covers How to detect plagiarism Why it is wrong. What can result from it.
Where to Get More Information
All information can be found at the Thesis/Dissertation web page.
http://www.uakron.edu/gradsch/gdlnThesDiss.php
Graduation applications can be found in your My Akron account
Late Graduation application can be found online and must be submitted to the Graduate School directly
http://www.uakron.edu/gradsch/current-students/currforms.dot or
In the Graduate School office
Deadlines can be found at http://www.uakron.edu/gradsch/deadline.php
All students should complete the UA Graduate School Exit Survey online at https://akron.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_eu1Uk32hC2uJnGQ
Contacts
Graduate School
Polsky 469
Degree Completion Leanne McNicholas
(330) 972-5169