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Dissertation Formatting

Have questions on how to format your thesis or dissertation?

We’ll help you align your document to fit Rackham Graduate School requirements. 

Use our formatting guide

Our Guide to Microsoft Word for Dissertations includes a template you can modify, along with links to the Rackham Dissertation Handbook and formatting checklist. It also covers how to:

  • Apply styles to maintain consistency
  • Create a table of contents that keeps itself up to date 
  • Include properly formatted landscape pages
  • Insert page numbers, footnotes, images, figures, and more

LaTeX guidance

Most of our support is based on using Microsoft Word. If you plan to use LaTeX for your thesis or dissertation we recommend starting with  a LaTeX template designed to meet Rackham’s requirements.

We also have  a workshop recording on using LaTeX to format your U-M dissertation .

Make an appointment

We’re happy to discuss your document or help you solve a problem.

Make an appointment .

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  • Formatting Requirements

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (ETDs)

  • Submission Checklist
  • Submission Deadlines

Required formatting for submission to be completed.

Elements of an Electronic Thesis or Dissertation

The most important page to get right.

  • What to include
  • How to format it

Download Example (PDF)

Front Matter

  • Table of contents, abstract, lists, etc
  • Guidelines for deciding what to include and in which order

General Formatting

  • Order of required content
  • Spacing and type
  • PDF/A export

Annotated Title Page Example

annotated title page

Download Annotated Front Matter (PDF)

Pdf/a export.

PDF/A is an ISO-standardized version of the Portable Document Format (PDF) specialized for the digital preservation of electronic documents. You need to save your dissertation as a PDF/A file and upload it as your official submission. For more information, see the Wikpedia article on the format.

Note for Mac users: that while you can save a Word for Windows document as a PDF/A (see below for instructions) you cannot do so directly from Word for Mac. If you are a Mac user, consider saving your Word document as a PDF/A using a Windows computer, such as at the library, or use Adobe Acrobat Pro.

Notes about PDF/A format

  • you cannot include audio and video content; still images are fine
  • you cannot include JavaScript or executable files
  • fonts must be embedded

If you need to include audio, video, or other files, you can submit them as supplementary files. Contact us at [email protected] for more help with PDF/A or supplementary files.

Adobe Acrobat Pro

  • Select “PDF Standards” in the Tools menu
  • Select “Preflight” in the right hand column
  • Select “PDF/A Compliance”
  • Double-click “Convert to PDF/A-1b” then “Save”
  • Review your document to ensure it appears as you expect it to

Word for Windows

  • Select “File” then “Save as Adobe PDF”
  • Make sure file type is “pdf files”
  • Select “Options” and a box with “PDF Options” will open
  • Check the “Create PDF/A” box, then select “OK” and “Save”
  • Follow the instructions for using a LaTeX template
  • The Library does not provide support for LaTeX. Access a student-created template on GitHub

Contact ETD Office

Milton S. Eisenhower Library [email protected]

ETDs on JScholarship

Electronic theses and dissertations from JHU students. Go to ETDs

JScholarship Home

Open access publications from JHU faculty and students. Visit JScholarship

Please start by reviewing the formatting requirements and submission checklist .

If you have additional questions, email [email protected] for the fastest response.

If we are unable to resolve your inquiry via email, you may request an in-person meeting. Due to the volume of ETDs, we cannot meet on deadline days, or the two days before deadlines.

Please note we do not provide formatting reviews by email, only via the submission system .

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Thesis / dissertation formatting manual (2024).

  • Filing Fees and Student Status
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  • FAQ This link opens in a new window

UCI Libraries maintains the following  templates to assist in formatting your graduate manuscript. If you are formatting your manuscript in Microsoft Word, feel free to download and use the template. If you would like to see what your manuscript should look like, PDFs have been provided. If you are formatting your manuscript using LaTex, UCI maintains a template on OverLeaf.

  • Annotated Template (Dissertation) 2024 PDF of a template with annotations of what to look out for
  • Word: Thesis Template 2024 Editable template of the Master's thesis formatting.
  • PDF Thesis Template 2024
  • Word: Dissertation Template 2024 Editable template of the PhD Dissertation formatting.
  • PDF: Dissertation Template 2024
  • Overleaf (LaTex) Template
  • << Previous: Tutorials and Assistance
  • Next: FAQ >>
  • Last Updated: Feb 20, 2024 2:09 PM
  • URL: https://guides.lib.uci.edu/gradmanual

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  • Dissertation

How to Write a Dissertation | A Guide to Structure & Content

A dissertation or thesis is a long piece of academic writing based on original research, submitted as part of an undergraduate or postgraduate degree.

The structure of a dissertation depends on your field, but it is usually divided into at least four or five chapters (including an introduction and conclusion chapter).

The most common dissertation structure in the sciences and social sciences includes:

  • An introduction to your topic
  • A literature review that surveys relevant sources
  • An explanation of your methodology
  • An overview of the results of your research
  • A discussion of the results and their implications
  • A conclusion that shows what your research has contributed

Dissertations in the humanities are often structured more like a long essay , building an argument by analysing primary and secondary sources . Instead of the standard structure outlined here, you might organise your chapters around different themes or case studies.

Other important elements of the dissertation include the title page , abstract , and reference list . If in doubt about how your dissertation should be structured, always check your department’s guidelines and consult with your supervisor.

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Table of contents

Acknowledgements, table of contents, list of figures and tables, list of abbreviations, introduction, literature review / theoretical framework, methodology, reference list.

The very first page of your document contains your dissertation’s title, your name, department, institution, degree program, and submission date. Sometimes it also includes your student number, your supervisor’s name, and the university’s logo. Many programs have strict requirements for formatting the dissertation title page .

The title page is often used as cover when printing and binding your dissertation .

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The acknowledgements section is usually optional, and gives space for you to thank everyone who helped you in writing your dissertation. This might include your supervisors, participants in your research, and friends or family who supported you.

The abstract is a short summary of your dissertation, usually about 150-300 words long. You should write it at the very end, when you’ve completed the rest of the dissertation. In the abstract, make sure to:

  • State the main topic and aims of your research
  • Describe the methods you used
  • Summarise the main results
  • State your conclusions

Although the abstract is very short, it’s the first part (and sometimes the only part) of your dissertation that people will read, so it’s important that you get it right. If you’re struggling to write a strong abstract, read our guide on how to write an abstract .

In the table of contents, list all of your chapters and subheadings and their page numbers. The dissertation contents page gives the reader an overview of your structure and helps easily navigate the document.

All parts of your dissertation should be included in the table of contents, including the appendices. You can generate a table of contents automatically in Word.

If you have used a lot of tables and figures in your dissertation, you should itemise them in a numbered list . You can automatically generate this list using the Insert Caption feature in Word.

If you have used a lot of abbreviations in your dissertation, you can include them in an alphabetised list of abbreviations so that the reader can easily look up their meanings.

If you have used a lot of highly specialised terms that will not be familiar to your reader, it might be a good idea to include a glossary . List the terms alphabetically and explain each term with a brief description or definition.

In the introduction, you set up your dissertation’s topic, purpose, and relevance, and tell the reader what to expect in the rest of the dissertation. The introduction should:

  • Establish your research topic , giving necessary background information to contextualise your work
  • Narrow down the focus and define the scope of the research
  • Discuss the state of existing research on the topic, showing your work’s relevance to a broader problem or debate
  • Clearly state your objectives and research questions , and indicate how you will answer them
  • Give an overview of your dissertation’s structure

Everything in the introduction should be clear, engaging, and relevant to your research. By the end, the reader should understand the what , why and how of your research. Not sure how? Read our guide on how to write a dissertation introduction .

Before you start on your research, you should have conducted a literature review to gain a thorough understanding of the academic work that already exists on your topic. This means:

  • Collecting sources (e.g. books and journal articles) and selecting the most relevant ones
  • Critically evaluating and analysing each source
  • Drawing connections between them (e.g. themes, patterns, conflicts, gaps) to make an overall point

In the dissertation literature review chapter or section, you shouldn’t just summarise existing studies, but develop a coherent structure and argument that leads to a clear basis or justification for your own research. For example, it might aim to show how your research:

  • Addresses a gap in the literature
  • Takes a new theoretical or methodological approach to the topic
  • Proposes a solution to an unresolved problem
  • Advances a theoretical debate
  • Builds on and strengthens existing knowledge with new data

The literature review often becomes the basis for a theoretical framework , in which you define and analyse the key theories, concepts and models that frame your research. In this section you can answer descriptive research questions about the relationship between concepts or variables.

The methodology chapter or section describes how you conducted your research, allowing your reader to assess its validity. You should generally include:

  • The overall approach and type of research (e.g. qualitative, quantitative, experimental, ethnographic)
  • Your methods of collecting data (e.g. interviews, surveys, archives)
  • Details of where, when, and with whom the research took place
  • Your methods of analysing data (e.g. statistical analysis, discourse analysis)
  • Tools and materials you used (e.g. computer programs, lab equipment)
  • A discussion of any obstacles you faced in conducting the research and how you overcame them
  • An evaluation or justification of your methods

Your aim in the methodology is to accurately report what you did, as well as convincing the reader that this was the best approach to answering your research questions or objectives.

Next, you report the results of your research . You can structure this section around sub-questions, hypotheses, or topics. Only report results that are relevant to your objectives and research questions. In some disciplines, the results section is strictly separated from the discussion, while in others the two are combined.

For example, for qualitative methods like in-depth interviews, the presentation of the data will often be woven together with discussion and analysis, while in quantitative and experimental research, the results should be presented separately before you discuss their meaning. If you’re unsure, consult with your supervisor and look at sample dissertations to find out the best structure for your research.

In the results section it can often be helpful to include tables, graphs and charts. Think carefully about how best to present your data, and don’t include tables or figures that just repeat what you have written  –  they should provide extra information or usefully visualise the results in a way that adds value to your text.

Full versions of your data (such as interview transcripts) can be included as an appendix .

The discussion  is where you explore the meaning and implications of your results in relation to your research questions. Here you should interpret the results in detail, discussing whether they met your expectations and how well they fit with the framework that you built in earlier chapters. If any of the results were unexpected, offer explanations for why this might be. It’s a good idea to consider alternative interpretations of your data and discuss any limitations that might have influenced the results.

The discussion should reference other scholarly work to show how your results fit with existing knowledge. You can also make recommendations for future research or practical action.

The dissertation conclusion should concisely answer the main research question, leaving the reader with a clear understanding of your central argument. Wrap up your dissertation with a final reflection on what you did and how you did it. The conclusion often also includes recommendations for research or practice.

In this section, it’s important to show how your findings contribute to knowledge in the field and why your research matters. What have you added to what was already known?

You must include full details of all sources that you have cited in a reference list (sometimes also called a works cited list or bibliography). It’s important to follow a consistent reference style . Each style has strict and specific requirements for how to format your sources in the reference list.

The most common styles used in UK universities are Harvard referencing and Vancouver referencing . Your department will often specify which referencing style you should use – for example, psychology students tend to use APA style , humanities students often use MHRA , and law students always use OSCOLA . M ake sure to check the requirements, and ask your supervisor if you’re unsure.

To save time creating the reference list and make sure your citations are correctly and consistently formatted, you can use our free APA Citation Generator .

Your dissertation itself should contain only essential information that directly contributes to answering your research question. Documents you have used that do not fit into the main body of your dissertation (such as interview transcripts, survey questions or tables with full figures) can be added as appendices .

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  • Boston University Libraries
  • Guide for Writers of Theses & Dissertations

Library Submission – Steps for Submitting Your Thesis or Dissertation to the Library

Tools to assist you in preparing and submitting your thesis/dissertation, adobe reader.

All Boston University theses and dissertations are submitted to the library electronically. Submitting your thesis or dissertation to Boston University Libraries is the last step to fulfill at the University before you graduate and are awarded your degree.

  • Prepare the manuscript : the Guide for Writers of Theses & Dissertations [PDF] covers formatting and submission requirements in detail.
  • GRS: Tyler Wasson, [email protected]
  • GMS: Millie Agosto,  [email protected]
  • GSDM: A'Llyn Ettien, [email protected]
  • STH: Stacey Duran, [email protected]
  • All others, contact  [email protected]
  • Consult the ETD Administrator Walk-Through for help.
  • Separately, submit your Dissertation/Thesis processing fee online  (requires BU Login).
  • Thesis prep videos : We have several thesis and dissertation prep videos that cover the ETD administrator process and formatting the document.
  • Microsoft Word template : You are welcome to use this Microsoft Word Dissertations template or Thesis template prepared by the library at your own risk.  Contact us with questions about templates.
  • LaTeX : The Electrical & Computer Engineering Department has a  LaTeX template  that conforms with proper formatting for library submission that you are welcome to use.  Thanks to Professor Janusz Konrad for his help providing this template.
  • Sample formats : A set of samples  illustrates proper submission formats.
  • Open access : Boston University’s policy is that scholarship, including BU theses and dissertations, should be made openly accessible as soon as possible so that the benefits of research can be widely shared. This  FAQ  discusses factors to think about for those of you considering an embargo.

The PDF format (Adobe Portable Document Format) requires use of Adobe Reader software. If you do not have this installed, it may be  downloaded  at no charge.

Please visit the Research Guide:   Theses & Dissertations – Resources for Locating  for information on databases that can be used to identify theses and dissertations written in North America and elsewhere.

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  • Last Updated: Apr 10, 2024 10:08 AM
  • URL: https://library.bu.edu/theses

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Master's Thesis/Project Formatting Library Guidelines

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  • Formatting Checklist We have updated the new checklist.
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Upcoming workshops

Upcoming workshops are as follow:

Please select and click on a date and register to obtain the zoom link. 

Thesis & Project Formatting Electronic Submission Library Workshop

Please check with Graduate studies office for Summer Workshop

  • Library Calendar

Hello, and welcome GRAD STUDENTS!

This guide is designed to help you understand the process of Library formatting review.

A key part of completing your thesis, project, or dissertation focuses on ensuring it is compliant with the standards of your academic department, college, and the University.  

The review team will be certifying that the following steps are completed before signing off on your thesis, project or dissertation, so before coming to your review appointment, make sure that you’ve completed the following:

  • All content is aligned to the correct margins.
  • All content uses the same font style and font-size throughout.
  • A ll content should be double-spaced throughout.
  • If your document includes images, and you are not the original owner of those images, make sure they are all correctly cited (you may need to ask your advisor on which citation style is preferred in your discipline).
  • Yo ur document includes the following required preliminary pages: title & committee membership page, abstract page, table of contents, list of tables and figures (if you have them), and references.
  • Title and Committee Membership page should be formatted according to the guidelines listed in the sample guide located in the  Graduate Studies checklist on step #5.
  • Verify that the table of contents, list of tables, and list of figures are accurate.

It is expected that prior to your meeting with the format review team, you have reviewed the Grad Studies Checklist . A meeting with the format review team will not be scheduled until it is evident that you have done so.

Tips : How to make sure your paper is meeting the requirements? In MS Word Doc. please have your final paper and the sample guide side-by-side and compare them page by page. This will help you on how your paper formatting should look. In addition , take a look at the Sequence of Parts for the order of your preliminary  pages.  

Don't know what to expect when you make an appointment with a library reviewer?  

The steps/timeline tab includes a guide that will help Graduate Students who are working on their thesis or project with their submissions. Guideline includes:  A Checklist step by step to complete your submission, formatting rules, and what to do next to submit to graduate studies.

All the information on this guide is provided by graduate studies office website.

NEW Please Read!

Please make sure you follow the sample guide and instructions in this guide. Reminder Library reviewers are only doing Final Reviews . Please take a look at the Steps/Timeline tab for the steps to take to submit your paper. In addition, DocuSign has been replaced with Adobe Sign . Please follow the guides for committee members and Library reviewers on the Graduate checklist step #7 and #8. 

In other new news, there are two new updates on the formatting sample guide. Margins are now 1" inch all around throughout the entire paper. In addition, the signature page has been renamed to committee membership and there are some few changes that has been made please see the sample guide for instructions. 

Appointments are required and should be scheduled with:

Library format reviewers   [email protected] university library, building 15, library reviewers.

Marilu Salcedo   909-869-3076 [email protected] University Library, Building 15, Room 2334

Gustavo Acevedo (Assisting Spring 2024 for the month of May only) 909-869-3126 gustavoa @cpp.edu University Library, Building 15, Room 2810

Electronic Submissions Contact:

[email protected]

University Library, Building 15, Room 2810

Graduate Studies Office submission

For questions on the project/thesis submission process, or to schedule an appointment with Graduate Studies, please contact:

Graduate Studies Office 909-869-3331 or (909) 869-5137 [email protected] Student Services Bldg., 1st Floor, Orange Counter

GRC - Graduate Resource Center

Academic Support, financial Aid, mentoring and tutoring. Please swing by located in building 15 the University Library 2nd floor, Room 2424. For more information, please check out their website  Graduate Resource Center (GRC) (cpp.edu)

Need Help in Citation?

The University Library has a Subject Librarian that can help you if you have any questions.

  • Next: Steps/Timeline >>
  • Last Updated: Apr 26, 2024 3:34 PM
  • URL: https://libguides.library.cpp.edu/Libraryformatreview

Theses and Dissertations Guide: Preparing Your Manuscript

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[email protected]

937-229-2345 (phone)

Attention Authors!

Remember to proofread your manuscript! Doublecheck spelling, page numbers, table of contents, etc.

Preparing Your Manuscript

The following guidelines should be used to prepare all UD theses and dissertations. Please note beginning January 2023 all theses and dissertations must meet OhioLINK's Digital Accessibility Standards. Visit "Digital Accessibility for ETDs" tab for more information and instructions.

A primary purpose of these guidelines is to ensure that all UD theses and dissertations present a consistent appearance.  Do not rely on previously accepted theses and dissertations.  While they may have met the guidelines at the time of their submission, they may not meet current guidelines.

Some departments have additional guidelines for preparing manuscripts.  I t is your responsibility to follow department-specific guidelines together with those found in this guide when preparing your manuscript.   When a discrepancy is found, defer to the department guidelines.   The final responsibility for the format of your thesis or dissertation rests with you as the author.   Correct s pelling, punctuation, and grammar should be used.   The Graduate Academic Affairs  reserves the right to reject any manuscript that does not observe these fundamentals and that does not follow accepted format guidelines.

Keywords for ETDs

One benefit of the OhioLINK ETD Center is the inclusion of author-supplied keywords. Please be prepared to supply several subject keywords to describe your thesis or dissertation during the online submittal process. Adding your name as a keyword is not useful.

Style Manuals

The Graduate Academic Affairs will accept theses and dissertations prepared in the format recommended by the style manual published by your discipline’s professional society as long as it falls within the general format and content guidelines described in this document. The most recent style manuals should be used. 

Roll over the Preparing Your Manuscript tab above then click on "Citing Images" pages for more information.

This section discusses requirements for the general layout of your manuscript, the order of front and back matter, and page numbering.  See the Sample Pages  for additional information. Guidelines are similar for both theses and dissertations; instructions specific to theses or dissertations will be marked accordingly.   

General Layout   

The Graduate  Academic Affairs  recommends that you use your word processor’s global page settings or create a template adhering to the following guidelines:   

Margins:   1 inch on top, bottom and right sides and 1 ½ inches on the left.

Line spacing:   Double-spaced; long quotations and footnotes may be single-spaced. Spacing on preliminary pages should follow the examples in the Sample Pages .

Fonts:   Text font and text size should be chosen for ease in reading. Font size 12 is recommended. Use consistent font styles for section headings.   

Footnotes or Endnotes:   Follow the accepted practice of your discipline or the chosen style manual. The format selected should be consistent throughout the manuscript.   

Spell check: Change the word processor spelling setting to include words in ALL CAPS.   

Pagination:   

Arabic numbers (1, 2, 3, etc.) are placed at the bottom center of the page on all pages, beginning with the number 1 on the Approval page.

Order of Preliminary Pages

The preliminary pages consist of the following pages in this order:

Title page (Required)

Approval page (Required)

Copyright page (Optional)

Abstract (Required)

Dedication (Optional)

Acknowledgements (Optional)

Preface (Optional)

Table of Contents (Required)

List of Illustrations (As needed)

List of Tables (As needed)

List of Symbols (As needed)

Title Page (Required)  

The title of the thesis or dissertation begins one inch from the top of the page and should be a meaningful description of the substance of the document.   It is recommended that word substitutes be used for formulas, symbols, superscripts, subscripts, Greek letters, and other similar material. The title page should also contain the following:   

Title of the thesis/dissertation IN ALL CAPS   

The word “Thesis” or “Dissertation”  

Statement of submission  

School or College  

Degree being sought  

Full legal name of degree candidate or name according to university records

Name of university granting the degree or the small UD logo located at http://logo.udayton.edu/basic.asp       

City and state in which the university is located  

Month and year degree is to be conferred  

Approval Page (Required)  

The approval page for the electronic submission will contain the names, but not the signatures of all committee members. However, the signed, original signature page must be submitted to the Graduate Academic Affairs before final approval is granted. If you are submitting paper copies to be bound, please make sure a copy of the Graduate Academic Affairs-approved signature page is included.

  The Title of the thesis/dissertation IN ALL CAPS   is centered and placed one inch from the top of the page. The name of the student is left-justified and added two lines below the title: Last, First Middle. Format the rest of the page according to the Sample Pages .  

Copyright Page (Optional)  

Your manuscript is automatically protected by copyright even if you do not include a copyright page. You may choose the additional protection of registering your copyright for a fee at   www.copyright.gov/eco .  For further copyright information, please see the U.S. Copyright Office Frequently Asked Questions at ( http://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/ ).

Format this page according to the Sample Pages .

  Abstract (Required)  

The abstract should briefly state the problem, describe the procedure or methods used, and summarize the conclusions reached in the thesis or dissertation. The length of the abstract should not exceed 500 words.  

The heading ABSTRACT is centered and placed one inch from the top of the page followed by the title of the thesis/dissertation in ALL CAPS, centered four lines below the heading. Author’s name and name of university are left-justified and single-spaced, two lines below the title.  The advisor’s name is left-justified and two lines below the university name.   The text of the abstract begins two lines below the advisor’s name.  

Dedication (Optional)  

The dedication is an optional page that gives the author the opportunity to dedicate the manuscript to an individual or group. The Sample Pages  show one option for formatting.  

Acknowledgements (Optional)  

The acknowledgements (or acknowledgments) page is an optional page that gives the author the opportunity to thank those who have provided help during the research and writing of a thesis or dissertation.  

The heading ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS is centered and placed one inch from the top of the page. The text begins four lines below the heading.  

  Preface (Optional)  

A preface is included in instances where the genesis of the research is important for the understanding of it, or when the method or procedure of investigation is so unusual as to require prefatory explanation.  

The heading PREFACE is centered and placed one inch from the top of the page.   The text begins four lines below the heading.  

Table of Contents (Required)  

The table of contents includes chapter headings, subdivisions of chapters, and all other parts of the thesis or dissertation listed exactly as they appear in the text along with the starting page number.  

The heading TABLE OF CONTENTS is centered and placed one inch from the top of the page.   The text begins four lines below the heading.  

Note: When using the automatic option in preparing a table of contents, remember to click "update" before submitting for review.

List of Figures or Illustrations (As needed)  

The figures page includes illustration or figure titles and page numbers.  

The heading LIST OF FIGURES or LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS is centered and placed one inch from the top of the page. The list begins four lines below the heading.  

Note: When using the automatic option in preparing a list of illustrations or figures, remember to click "update" before submitting for review.

List of Tables (As needed)  

The tables page includes table titles and page numbers.  

The heading LIST OF TABLES is centered and placed one inch from the top of the page. The list begins four lines below the heading.  

Note: When using the automatic option in preparing a list of tables, remember to click "update" before submitting for review.

List of Symbols, Abbreviations or Special Nomenclature (As needed)  

The list of symbols, abbreviations or special nomenclature is provided to acquaint the reader with symbols, abbreviations or special nomenclature that are essential to the work. When used, these lists can take any form acceptable to the discipline.  

The heading LIST OF SYMBOLS or LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS is centered and placed one inch from the top of the page. The list begins four lines below the heading.  

The Text (Required)  

The nature of the thesis or dissertation determines the organization of the body or main text into chapters, groups of   chapters, or other pertinent schemes of exposition.   These divisions are dictated by the nature of the discipline.   Punctuation, spelling, and general form should be consistent throughout the text. The text begins four lines below the heading.  

Quotation of Copyrighted Material (Required)  

The author of a thesis or dissertation is fully responsible for the use of any copyrighted material in the manuscript.   Generally, permission to use copyrighted material should be sought when a direct quotation of more than 150 words or an illustration is used.   Permission is sought from the author or publisher holding the copyright.   Generally, permission is granted on condition that proper acknowledgement is made.   In some cases, copyright holders require payment.   Necessary clearance for copyrighted material must be obtained before final submission of the thesis or dissertation.

FYI-- The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI, BDI-II)   and the  Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI)   are examples of copyrighted materials that may not be included in an electronic thesis or dissertation. 

For more information:  

UMI Copyright Guide  

Copyright Law and Graduate Research  

Bibliography (As needed)  

The bibliography or reference list of sources used is required if applicable.   Pages should be formatted according to the style manual or discipline-specific guidelines used.  

The heading BIBLIOGRAPHY is centered and placed one inch from the top of the page.   The text begins four lines below the heading.  

Appendices (As needed)  

The appendix or appendices include reference materials such as tables, figures, charts, illustrations, abbreviations, and other addenda not placed in the text.  

When there are multiple appendices, the heading APPENDIX is followed by a capital letter or Arabic number.   The heading APPENDIX and capital letter is centered and placed one inch from the top of the page. Double space after this heading to insert the Appendix titles which should appear in lowercase letters with only major words capitalized.  The text begins four lines below the appendix title.   

Formatting Sequence

  • Formatting Sequence for a Dissertation or Thesis 5/2022
  • Sample Pages 7/23

These sample pages are designed to assist you in preparing your thesis or dissertation by giving you a visual representation of a variety of common pages along with guidelines for margins and appropriate information to include on the page. Some departments may have slightly different requirements and you should follow those as directed.

The closer your paper follows these guidelines, the fewer corrections you will

have during format checking.

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  • URL: https://libguides.udayton.edu/etd

Outside view of Roesch Library

How to find resources by format

Why use a dissertation or a thesis.

A dissertation is the final large research paper, based on original research, for many disciplines to be able to complete a PhD degree. The thesis is the same idea but for a masters degree.

They are often considered scholarly sources since they are closely supervised by a committee, are directed at an academic audience, are extensively researched, follow research methodology, and are cited in other scholarly work. Often the research is newer or answering questions that are more recent, and can help push scholarship in new directions. 

Search for dissertations and theses

Locating dissertations and theses.

The Proquest Dissertations and Theses Global database includes doctoral dissertations and selected masters theses from major universities worldwide.

  • Searchable by subject, author, advisor, title, school, date, etc.
  • More information about full text access and requesting through Interlibrary Loan

NDLTD – Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations provides free online access to a over a million theses and dissertations from all over the world.

WorldCat Dissertations and Theses searches library catalogs from across the U.S. and worldwide.

Locating University of Minnesota Dissertations and Theses

Use  Libraries search  and search by title or author and add the word "thesis" in the search box. Write down the library and call number and find it on the shelf. They can be checked out.

Check the  University Digital Conservancy  for online access to dissertations and theses from 2007 to present as well as historic, scanned theses from 1887-1923.

Other Sources for Dissertations and Theses

  • Center for Research Libraries
  • DART-Europe E-Thesis Portal
  • Theses Canada
  • Ethos (Great Britain)
  • Australasian Digital Theses in Trove
  • DiVA (Sweden)
  • E-Thesis at the University of Helsinki
  • DissOnline (Germany)
  • List of libraries worldwide - to search for a thesis when you know the institution and cannot find in the larger collections

University of Minnesota Dissertations and Theses FAQs

What dissertations and theses are available.

With minor exceptions, all doctoral dissertations and all "Plan A" master's theses accepted by the University of Minnesota are available in the University Libraries system. In some cases (see below) only a non-circulating copy in University Archives exists, but for doctoral dissertations from 1940 to date, and for master's theses from 1925 to date, a circulating copy should almost always be available.

"Plan B" papers, accepted in the place of a thesis in many master's degree programs, are not received by the University Libraries and are generally not available. (The only real exceptions are a number of old library school Plan B papers on publishing history, which have been separately cataloged.) In a few cases individual departments may have maintained files of such papers.

In what libraries are U of M dissertations and theses located?

Circulating copies of doctoral dissertations:.

  • Use Libraries Search to look for the author or title of the work desired to determine location and call number of a specific dissertation. Circulating copies of U of M doctoral dissertations can be in one of several locations in the library system, depending upon the date and the department for which the dissertation was done. The following are the general rules:
  • Dissertations prior to 1940 Circulating copies of U of M dissertations prior to 1940 do not exist (with rare exceptions): for these, only the archival copy (see below) is available. Also, most dissertations prior to 1940 are not cataloged in MNCAT and can only be identified by the departmental listings described below.  
  • Dissertations from 1940-1979 Circulating copies of U of M dissertations from 1940 to 1979 will in most cases be held within the Elmer L. Andersen Library, with three major classes of exceptions: dissertations accepted by biological, medical, and related departments are housed in the Health Science Library; science/engineering dissertations from 1970 to date will be located in the Science and Engineering Library (in Walter); and dissertations accepted by agricultural and related departments are available at the Magrath Library or one of the other libraries on the St. Paul campus (the Magrath Library maintains records of locations for such dissertations).  
  • Dissertations from 1980-date Circulating copies of U of M dissertations from 1980 to date at present may be located either in Wilson Library (see below) or in storage; consult Libraries Search for location of specific items. Again, exceptions noted above apply here also; dissertations in their respective departments will instead be in Health Science Library or in one of the St. Paul campus libraries.

Circulating copies of master's theses:

  • Theses prior to 1925 Circulating copies of U of M master's theses prior to 1925 do not exist (with rare exceptions); for these, only the archival copy (see below) is available.  
  • Theses from 1925-1996 Circulating copies of U of M master's theses from 1925 to 1996 may be held in storage; consult Libraries search in specific instances. Once again, there are exceptions and theses in their respective departments will be housed in the Health Science Library or in one of the St. Paul campus libraries.  
  • Theses from 1997-date Circulating copies of U of M master's theses from 1997 to date will be located in Wilson Library (see below), except for the same exceptions for Health Science  and St. Paul theses. There is also an exception to the exception: MHA (Masters in Health Administration) theses through 1998 are in the Health Science Library, but those from 1999 on are in Wilson Library.

Archival copies (non-circulating)

Archival (non-circulating) copies of virtually all U of M doctoral dissertations from 1888-1952, and of U of M master's theses from all years up to the present, are maintained by University Archives (located in the Elmer L. Andersen Library). These copies must be consulted on the premises, and it is highly recommended for the present that users make an appointment in advance to ensure that the desired works can be retrieved for them from storage. For dissertations accepted prior to 1940 and for master's theses accepted prior to 1925, University Archives is generally the only option (e.g., there usually will be no circulating copy). Archival copies of U of M doctoral dissertations from 1953 to the present are maintained by Bell and Howell Corporation (formerly University Microfilms Inc.), which produces print or filmed copies from our originals upon request. (There are a very few post-1952 U of M dissertations not available from Bell and Howell; these include such things as music manuscripts and works with color illustrations or extremely large pages that will not photocopy well; in these few cases, our archival copy is retained in University Archives.)

Where is a specific dissertation of thesis located?

To locate a specific dissertation or thesis it is necessary to have its call number. Use Libraries Search for the author or title of the item, just as you would for any other book. Depending on date of acceptance and cataloging, a typical call number for such materials should look something like one of the following:

Dissertations: Plan"A" Theses MnU-D or 378.7M66 MnU-M or 378.7M66 78-342 ODR7617 83-67 OL6156 Libraries Search will also tell the library location (MLAC, Health Science Library, Magrath or another St. Paul campus library, Science and Engineering, Business Reference, Wilson Annex or Wilson Library). Those doctoral dissertations still in Wilson Library (which in all cases should be 1980 or later and will have "MnU-D" numbers) are located in the central section of the third floor. Those master's theses in Wilson (which in all cases will be 1997 or later and will have "MnU-M" numbers) are also located in the central section of the third floor. Both dissertations and theses circulate and can be checked out, like any other books, at the Wilson Circulation desk on the first floor.

How can dissertations and theses accepted by a specific department be located?

Wilson Library contains a series of bound and loose-leaf notebooks, arranged by department and within each department by date, listing dissertations and theses. Information given for each entry includes name of author, title, and date (but not call number, which must be looked up individually). These notebooks are no longer current, but they do cover listings by department from the nineteenth century up to approximately 1992. Many pre-1940 U of M dissertations and pre-1925 U of M master's theses are not cataloged (and exist only as archival copies). Such dissertations can be identified only with these volumes. The books and notebooks are shelved in the general collection under these call numbers: Wilson Ref LD3337 .A5 and Wilson Ref quarto LD3337 .U9x. Major departments of individual degree candidates are also listed under their names in the GRADUATE SCHOOL COMMENCEMENT programs of the U of M, available in University Archives and (for recent years) also in Wilson stacks (LD3361 .U55x).

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Grad Coach

Dissertation Structure & Layout 101: How to structure your dissertation, thesis or research project.

By: Derek Jansen (MBA) Reviewed By: David Phair (PhD) | July 2019

So, you’ve got a decent understanding of what a dissertation is , you’ve chosen your topic and hopefully you’ve received approval for your research proposal . Awesome! Now its time to start the actual dissertation or thesis writing journey.

To craft a high-quality document, the very first thing you need to understand is dissertation structure . In this post, we’ll walk you through the generic dissertation structure and layout, step by step. We’ll start with the big picture, and then zoom into each chapter to briefly discuss the core contents. If you’re just starting out on your research journey, you should start with this post, which covers the big-picture process of how to write a dissertation or thesis .

Dissertation structure and layout - the basics

*The Caveat *

In this post, we’ll be discussing a traditional dissertation/thesis structure and layout, which is generally used for social science research across universities, whether in the US, UK, Europe or Australia. However, some universities may have small variations on this structure (extra chapters, merged chapters, slightly different ordering, etc).

So, always check with your university if they have a prescribed structure or layout that they expect you to work with. If not, it’s safe to assume the structure we’ll discuss here is suitable. And even if they do have a prescribed structure, you’ll still get value from this post as we’ll explain the core contents of each section.  

Overview: S tructuring a dissertation or thesis

  • Acknowledgements page
  • Abstract (or executive summary)
  • Table of contents , list of figures and tables
  • Chapter 1: Introduction
  • Chapter 2: Literature review
  • Chapter 3: Methodology
  • Chapter 4: Results
  • Chapter 5: Discussion
  • Chapter 6: Conclusion
  • Reference list

As I mentioned, some universities will have slight variations on this structure. For example, they want an additional “personal reflection chapter”, or they might prefer the results and discussion chapter to be merged into one. Regardless, the overarching flow will always be the same, as this flow reflects the research process , which we discussed here – i.e.:

  • The introduction chapter presents the core research question and aims .
  • The literature review chapter assesses what the current research says about this question.
  • The methodology, results and discussion chapters go about undertaking new research about this question.
  • The conclusion chapter (attempts to) answer the core research question .

In other words, the dissertation structure and layout reflect the research process of asking a well-defined question(s), investigating, and then answering the question – see below.

A dissertation's structure reflect the research process

To restate that – the structure and layout of a dissertation reflect the flow of the overall research process . This is essential to understand, as each chapter will make a lot more sense if you “get” this concept. If you’re not familiar with the research process, read this post before going further.

Right. Now that we’ve covered the big picture, let’s dive a little deeper into the details of each section and chapter. Oh and by the way, you can also grab our free dissertation/thesis template here to help speed things up.

The title page of your dissertation is the very first impression the marker will get of your work, so it pays to invest some time thinking about your title. But what makes for a good title? A strong title needs to be 3 things:

  • Succinct (not overly lengthy or verbose)
  • Specific (not vague or ambiguous)
  • Representative of the research you’re undertaking (clearly linked to your research questions)

Typically, a good title includes mention of the following:

  • The broader area of the research (i.e. the overarching topic)
  • The specific focus of your research (i.e. your specific context)
  • Indication of research design (e.g. quantitative , qualitative , or  mixed methods ).

For example:

A quantitative investigation [research design] into the antecedents of organisational trust [broader area] in the UK retail forex trading market [specific context/area of focus].

Again, some universities may have specific requirements regarding the format and structure of the title, so it’s worth double-checking expectations with your institution (if there’s no mention in the brief or study material).

Dissertations stacked up

Acknowledgements

This page provides you with an opportunity to say thank you to those who helped you along your research journey. Generally, it’s optional (and won’t count towards your marks), but it is academic best practice to include this.

So, who do you say thanks to? Well, there’s no prescribed requirements, but it’s common to mention the following people:

  • Your dissertation supervisor or committee.
  • Any professors, lecturers or academics that helped you understand the topic or methodologies.
  • Any tutors, mentors or advisors.
  • Your family and friends, especially spouse (for adult learners studying part-time).

There’s no need for lengthy rambling. Just state who you’re thankful to and for what (e.g. thank you to my supervisor, John Doe, for his endless patience and attentiveness) – be sincere. In terms of length, you should keep this to a page or less.

Abstract or executive summary

The dissertation abstract (or executive summary for some degrees) serves to provide the first-time reader (and marker or moderator) with a big-picture view of your research project. It should give them an understanding of the key insights and findings from the research, without them needing to read the rest of the report – in other words, it should be able to stand alone .

For it to stand alone, your abstract should cover the following key points (at a minimum):

  • Your research questions and aims – what key question(s) did your research aim to answer?
  • Your methodology – how did you go about investigating the topic and finding answers to your research question(s)?
  • Your findings – following your own research, what did do you discover?
  • Your conclusions – based on your findings, what conclusions did you draw? What answers did you find to your research question(s)?

So, in much the same way the dissertation structure mimics the research process, your abstract or executive summary should reflect the research process, from the initial stage of asking the original question to the final stage of answering that question.

In practical terms, it’s a good idea to write this section up last , once all your core chapters are complete. Otherwise, you’ll end up writing and rewriting this section multiple times (just wasting time). For a step by step guide on how to write a strong executive summary, check out this post .

Need a helping hand?

library dissertation format

Table of contents

This section is straightforward. You’ll typically present your table of contents (TOC) first, followed by the two lists – figures and tables. I recommend that you use Microsoft Word’s automatic table of contents generator to generate your TOC. If you’re not familiar with this functionality, the video below explains it simply:

If you find that your table of contents is overly lengthy, consider removing one level of depth. Oftentimes, this can be done without detracting from the usefulness of the TOC.

Right, now that the “admin” sections are out of the way, its time to move on to your core chapters. These chapters are the heart of your dissertation and are where you’ll earn the marks. The first chapter is the introduction chapter – as you would expect, this is the time to introduce your research…

It’s important to understand that even though you’ve provided an overview of your research in your abstract, your introduction needs to be written as if the reader has not read that (remember, the abstract is essentially a standalone document). So, your introduction chapter needs to start from the very beginning, and should address the following questions:

  • What will you be investigating (in plain-language, big picture-level)?
  • Why is that worth investigating? How is it important to academia or business? How is it sufficiently original?
  • What are your research aims and research question(s)? Note that the research questions can sometimes be presented at the end of the literature review (next chapter).
  • What is the scope of your study? In other words, what will and won’t you cover ?
  • How will you approach your research? In other words, what methodology will you adopt?
  • How will you structure your dissertation? What are the core chapters and what will you do in each of them?

These are just the bare basic requirements for your intro chapter. Some universities will want additional bells and whistles in the intro chapter, so be sure to carefully read your brief or consult your research supervisor.

If done right, your introduction chapter will set a clear direction for the rest of your dissertation. Specifically, it will make it clear to the reader (and marker) exactly what you’ll be investigating, why that’s important, and how you’ll be going about the investigation. Conversely, if your introduction chapter leaves a first-time reader wondering what exactly you’ll be researching, you’ve still got some work to do.

Now that you’ve set a clear direction with your introduction chapter, the next step is the literature review . In this section, you will analyse the existing research (typically academic journal articles and high-quality industry publications), with a view to understanding the following questions:

  • What does the literature currently say about the topic you’re investigating?
  • Is the literature lacking or well established? Is it divided or in disagreement?
  • How does your research fit into the bigger picture?
  • How does your research contribute something original?
  • How does the methodology of previous studies help you develop your own?

Depending on the nature of your study, you may also present a conceptual framework towards the end of your literature review, which you will then test in your actual research.

Again, some universities will want you to focus on some of these areas more than others, some will have additional or fewer requirements, and so on. Therefore, as always, its important to review your brief and/or discuss with your supervisor, so that you know exactly what’s expected of your literature review chapter.

Dissertation writing

Now that you’ve investigated the current state of knowledge in your literature review chapter and are familiar with the existing key theories, models and frameworks, its time to design your own research. Enter the methodology chapter – the most “science-ey” of the chapters…

In this chapter, you need to address two critical questions:

  • Exactly HOW will you carry out your research (i.e. what is your intended research design)?
  • Exactly WHY have you chosen to do things this way (i.e. how do you justify your design)?

Remember, the dissertation part of your degree is first and foremost about developing and demonstrating research skills . Therefore, the markers want to see that you know which methods to use, can clearly articulate why you’ve chosen then, and know how to deploy them effectively.

Importantly, this chapter requires detail – don’t hold back on the specifics. State exactly what you’ll be doing, with who, when, for how long, etc. Moreover, for every design choice you make, make sure you justify it.

In practice, you will likely end up coming back to this chapter once you’ve undertaken all your data collection and analysis, and revise it based on changes you made during the analysis phase. This is perfectly fine. Its natural for you to add an additional analysis technique, scrap an old one, etc based on where your data lead you. Of course, I’m talking about small changes here – not a fundamental switch from qualitative to quantitative, which will likely send your supervisor in a spin!

You’ve now collected your data and undertaken your analysis, whether qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods. In this chapter, you’ll present the raw results of your analysis . For example, in the case of a quant study, you’ll present the demographic data, descriptive statistics, inferential statistics , etc.

Typically, Chapter 4 is simply a presentation and description of the data, not a discussion of the meaning of the data. In other words, it’s descriptive, rather than analytical – the meaning is discussed in Chapter 5. However, some universities will want you to combine chapters 4 and 5, so that you both present and interpret the meaning of the data at the same time. Check with your institution what their preference is.

Now that you’ve presented the data analysis results, its time to interpret and analyse them. In other words, its time to discuss what they mean, especially in relation to your research question(s).

What you discuss here will depend largely on your chosen methodology. For example, if you’ve gone the quantitative route, you might discuss the relationships between variables . If you’ve gone the qualitative route, you might discuss key themes and the meanings thereof. It all depends on what your research design choices were.

Most importantly, you need to discuss your results in relation to your research questions and aims, as well as the existing literature. What do the results tell you about your research questions? Are they aligned with the existing research or at odds? If so, why might this be? Dig deep into your findings and explain what the findings suggest, in plain English.

The final chapter – you’ve made it! Now that you’ve discussed your interpretation of the results, its time to bring it back to the beginning with the conclusion chapter . In other words, its time to (attempt to) answer your original research question s (from way back in chapter 1). Clearly state what your conclusions are in terms of your research questions. This might feel a bit repetitive, as you would have touched on this in the previous chapter, but its important to bring the discussion full circle and explicitly state your answer(s) to the research question(s).

Dissertation and thesis prep

Next, you’ll typically discuss the implications of your findings? In other words, you’ve answered your research questions – but what does this mean for the real world (or even for academia)? What should now be done differently, given the new insight you’ve generated?

Lastly, you should discuss the limitations of your research, as well as what this means for future research in the area. No study is perfect, especially not a Masters-level. Discuss the shortcomings of your research. Perhaps your methodology was limited, perhaps your sample size was small or not representative, etc, etc. Don’t be afraid to critique your work – the markers want to see that you can identify the limitations of your work. This is a strength, not a weakness. Be brutal!

This marks the end of your core chapters – woohoo! From here on out, it’s pretty smooth sailing.

The reference list is straightforward. It should contain a list of all resources cited in your dissertation, in the required format, e.g. APA , Harvard, etc.

It’s essential that you use reference management software for your dissertation. Do NOT try handle your referencing manually – its far too error prone. On a reference list of multiple pages, you’re going to make mistake. To this end, I suggest considering either Mendeley or Zotero. Both are free and provide a very straightforward interface to ensure that your referencing is 100% on point. I’ve included a simple how-to video for the Mendeley software (my personal favourite) below:

Some universities may ask you to include a bibliography, as opposed to a reference list. These two things are not the same . A bibliography is similar to a reference list, except that it also includes resources which informed your thinking but were not directly cited in your dissertation. So, double-check your brief and make sure you use the right one.

The very last piece of the puzzle is the appendix or set of appendices. This is where you’ll include any supporting data and evidence. Importantly, supporting is the keyword here.

Your appendices should provide additional “nice to know”, depth-adding information, which is not critical to the core analysis. Appendices should not be used as a way to cut down word count (see this post which covers how to reduce word count ). In other words, don’t place content that is critical to the core analysis here, just to save word count. You will not earn marks on any content in the appendices, so don’t try to play the system!

Time to recap…

And there you have it – the traditional dissertation structure and layout, from A-Z. To recap, the core structure for a dissertation or thesis is (typically) as follows:

  • Acknowledgments page

Most importantly, the core chapters should reflect the research process (asking, investigating and answering your research question). Moreover, the research question(s) should form the golden thread throughout your dissertation structure. Everything should revolve around the research questions, and as you’ve seen, they should form both the start point (i.e. introduction chapter) and the endpoint (i.e. conclusion chapter).

I hope this post has provided you with clarity about the traditional dissertation/thesis structure and layout. If you have any questions or comments, please leave a comment below, or feel free to get in touch with us. Also, be sure to check out the rest of the  Grad Coach Blog .

library dissertation format

Psst... there’s more!

This post was based on one of our popular Research Bootcamps . If you're working on a research project, you'll definitely want to check this out ...

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36 Comments

ARUN kumar SHARMA

many thanks i found it very useful

Derek Jansen

Glad to hear that, Arun. Good luck writing your dissertation.

Sue

Such clear practical logical advice. I very much needed to read this to keep me focused in stead of fretting.. Perfect now ready to start my research!

hayder

what about scientific fields like computer or engineering thesis what is the difference in the structure? thank you very much

Tim

Thanks so much this helped me a lot!

Ade Adeniyi

Very helpful and accessible. What I like most is how practical the advice is along with helpful tools/ links.

Thanks Ade!

Aswathi

Thank you so much sir.. It was really helpful..

You’re welcome!

Jp Raimundo

Hi! How many words maximum should contain the abstract?

Karmelia Renatee

Thank you so much 😊 Find this at the right moment

You’re most welcome. Good luck with your dissertation.

moha

best ever benefit i got on right time thank you

Krishnan iyer

Many times Clarity and vision of destination of dissertation is what makes the difference between good ,average and great researchers the same way a great automobile driver is fast with clarity of address and Clear weather conditions .

I guess Great researcher = great ideas + knowledge + great and fast data collection and modeling + great writing + high clarity on all these

You have given immense clarity from start to end.

Alwyn Malan

Morning. Where will I write the definitions of what I’m referring to in my report?

Rose

Thank you so much Derek, I was almost lost! Thanks a tonnnn! Have a great day!

yemi Amos

Thanks ! so concise and valuable

Kgomotso Siwelane

This was very helpful. Clear and concise. I know exactly what to do now.

dauda sesay

Thank you for allowing me to go through briefly. I hope to find time to continue.

Patrick Mwathi

Really useful to me. Thanks a thousand times

Adao Bundi

Very interesting! It will definitely set me and many more for success. highly recommended.

SAIKUMAR NALUMASU

Thank you soo much sir, for the opportunity to express my skills

mwepu Ilunga

Usefull, thanks a lot. Really clear

Rami

Very nice and easy to understand. Thank you .

Chrisogonas Odhiambo

That was incredibly useful. Thanks Grad Coach Crew!

Luke

My stress level just dropped at least 15 points after watching this. Just starting my thesis for my grad program and I feel a lot more capable now! Thanks for such a clear and helpful video, Emma and the GradCoach team!

Judy

Do we need to mention the number of words the dissertation contains in the main document?

It depends on your university’s requirements, so it would be best to check with them 🙂

Christine

Such a helpful post to help me get started with structuring my masters dissertation, thank you!

Simon Le

Great video; I appreciate that helpful information

Brhane Kidane

It is so necessary or avital course

johnson

This blog is very informative for my research. Thank you

avc

Doctoral students are required to fill out the National Research Council’s Survey of Earned Doctorates

Emmanuel Manjolo

wow this is an amazing gain in my life

Paul I Thoronka

This is so good

Tesfay haftu

How can i arrange my specific objectives in my dissertation?

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ETD Guidelines: Formatting Requirements

  • Submitting Your ETD
  • Formatting Requirements
  • After Duquesne
  • Information about Your School
  • How to Tutorial
  • List of Resources

1. Review Process

The ETD Formatting Review process outlined below can only begin after you have completed all three items on the ETD Submission Checklist . Once the Scholarly Communications Librarian receives all three items, the following process begins:

  • The Scholarly Communications Librarian goes through your Word document to check for adherence to the formatting guidelines (found below).
  • The Scholarly Communications Librarian sends you notes and asks you to make changes , if necessary.
  • You return your edits to the Scholarly Communications Librarian. If there are no other changes needed, the Scholarly Communications Librarian makes a final version of your work and sends it to you for your approval .
  • You approve the final work (via email). The Scholarly Communications Librarian replaces your submissions (in ProQuest and the DSC) with the final, approved version.
  • The Scholarly Communications Librarian notifies the registrar that you have finished the ETD review process.

2. Guidelines for the Formatting Review

Front Matter Templates are available: Please use our template .  As it is already formatted correctly, you simply need to fill in your information.

Required Front Matter Pages

  • Copyright/Blank Page
  • Approval/Signature Page
  • Table of Contents
  • References/Bibliography

General Format

  • The font must be a 12 pt, serif font, such as Times New Roman (headers can be larger; footnotes and endnotes can be smaller)
  • The front matter must be filled out and correctly formatted
  • The work must be double spaced
  • The work must have 1” margins (1.25" allowed on the top and bottom), and all figures, tables, etc. must fit within these margins (wider tables or figures can be put on a landscape page)
  • Headers must be consistent throughout
  • Running heads are not allowed in the front matter, but are allowed in the main body of the text
  • Page numbers should be in the bottom margin, centered and half inch from the bottom of the page
  • Other formatting rules should be taken directly from the style guide you’re using (APA, Chicago, AMA, MLA, ACS, etc.)

Title Page (required)

  • Title Page Example

library dissertation format

Copyright/Blank Page (required)

Approval/Signature Page (required) The signature page in the PDF file should NOT contain signatures. A hardcopy of the signed signature page should be filed with your individual School. The date on this page is the date of the final examination or defense. Roman numeral “iii” should be used to number this page. An alternate signature page format is used by some programs in the School of Education. Please check with the School of Education ETD representatives for more information.

  • Approval/Signature Page Example

library dissertation format

Abstract (required)

The page should be numbered “iv” and if necessary additional pages (v, vi, etc.) can be used. ProQuest has removed the traditional length restriction on abstracts; however, UMI continues to print indices that include citations and abstracts of all dissertations and theses published by ProQuest/UMI. These indices are limited to 350 words for dissertations and 150 words for theses. UMI will truncate your abstract if it exceeds these word limits and remove any non-text content. You may wish to limit the length of your abstract if this concerns you. The abstract will not be altered in your published manuscript or in the ProQuest online database.

library dissertation format

Table of Contents (required) The table of contents is NOT listed in the table of contents, even though it will have page numbers assigned to it. Number all table of contents pages with lower case Roman numerals.

Lists of Tables, Figures, Illustrations, Charts, or Graphs (optional) These lists should only be included in a dissertation or thesis that incorporates five or more tables, figures, illustrations, charts, or graphs. The page(s) should be numbered with lower case Roman numerals. Each list (List of Tables, List of Figures) should begin on a separate page.

List of Abbreviations or Symbols (optional) If a dissertation or thesis contains specialized symbols and/or abbreviations that have meanings outside of common knowledge, this list should be included in the preliminary pages.

library dissertation format

Main Body (required) Chapter 1 begins the main body of the thesis or dissertation. Pages are numbered consecutively beginning with Arabic numeral 1 and continue to the end of the document.

Note that an introduction, if included, is considered part of the preliminary material. Continue numbering with lower-case Roman numerals.

References/Bibliography (required) All dissertations and theses must include a list of works cited and/or referenced; format according to the style guide selected by the department or school.

Students are encouraged to choose one of the suggested manuals of style listed below. Resources about each of these styles are readily available at the Gumberg Library Reference Desk and online . It is up to the student and committee to decide which style will work best for a particular project and to adhere to that style. The following manuals of style are highly recommended:

• APA • Chicago Manual of Style • MLA • ACS • CSE • Vancouver / ICJME • AMA

Students are also encouraged to use a citation management tool, such as EndNote or Zotero, in order to generate and keep track of citations. 

Useful Documents

The following documents and templates may be of use as you prepare your thesis or dissertation for the formatting review.

Front Matter Template : This is the entirety of the required front matter. It is already formatted correctly. You simply need to fill in your information.

  • ETD Guidelines 4.3.3 This is the full set of ETD Guidelines for your reference. Last updated: May 3, 2022
  • Formatting Template with Fillable Functions 2023 Download this Formatting Template with built-in fillable fields. Easily input your information, ensuring your document adheres to formatting guidelines.
  • Front Matter Template 2023
  • Front Matter Template with Comments
  • LaTeX Template
  • ETD Approval Form-2023
  • Contact the   Systems and Scholarly Communications offices at Gumberg Library.
  • Schedule an appointment for a video meeting with one of our ETD coordinators.
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  • Last Updated: Mar 27, 2024 2:52 PM
  • URL: https://guides.library.duq.edu/etd
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  • MSU Directory

Graduate Student Center / Thesis and Dissertation Office

The Graduate Student Center / Thesis and Dissertation Office, located on the first floor of Mitchell Memorial Library, reviews theses and dissertations for formatting compliance based on the standards required by Mississippi State University. Our review process begins after your committee has approved all content within your document.

We offer workshops and consultations, both face-to-face and online, to help alleviate confusion and to make this process more bearable. You can find a list of our workshops below as well as contact information. Feel free to call or email to set up a consultation or to ask questions!

We look forward to helping you in the final stages of your thesis or dissertation process!

Related Links

  • Standards for preparing theses and dissertations
  • Survival Skills for Graduate Students
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • MSU English Department's Writing Center (662-325-1045)
  • Office of the Graduate School
  • Graduate Faculty
  • Office of the Registrar

Upcoming Workshops

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Dissertation & Doctoral Project Formatting & Clearance: Formatting Manual & Forms

  • Submitting to the Library
  • Formatting Manual & Forms
  • APA Style 7th Ed.
  • Submitting to ProQuest ETD

SPRING 2024 CHANGES TO THE DISSERTATION CLEARANCE PROCESS

In order to streamline the dissertation clearance process, the following changes have been made, effective 3-1-2024 .

1. The Dissertation Cataloging Form is no longer necessary.

2. The Dissertation Clearance Form is now initiated directly by the student, and only through Adobe Sign - Signed PDFs and scanned forms have been replaced by Adobe Sign.

3. Students completing dissertation clearance are no longer required to schedule a meeting with their DCR (Dissertation Clearance Representative). If they have questions about what to do, they are welcome to schedule a DCR appointment, but it is not required.

If you have questions about these changes or other aspects of the process, contact [email protected] and we will be happy to assist.

1. Alliant International University Dissertation/Doctoral Project Style and Format Manual

  • 2020 Dissertation/Doctoral Project Style & Format Manual

The APA Publication Manual is primarily for submitting papers for journal publication, so it lacks guidelines specific to dissertations and doctoral projects.  To fill this gap, Alliant has created systemwide guidelines for you to follow. This document provides details on those guidelines.  You will need to refer to both manuals to format your dissertation correctly.

The 2020 Alliant manual incorporates elements of the 7th edition of the APA Publication Manua l. When the Alliant manual differs from APA, follow the Alliant manual. If the Alliant manual is silent on an issue, then follow APA. The formatting requirements in the Alliant manual supersede program-specific dissertation manuals, but program manuals’  other content is not affected.

2. Library Clearance Form - Dissertations/Doctoral Projects

To launch your library dissertation clearance form using Adobe Sign, you will click on the link below that corresponds to the number of committee members you have. 

In order to see all of the places you need to enter information, you will need to click to expand different sections of the form, as shown in the image below.

library dissertation format

Near the bottom of this page, there is a link to a YouTube video showing a quick demonstration of how to use the Adobe Sign process.

NOTE: When entering the library signer information, if you attend the Fresno campus, use [email protected]. Otherwise, use [email protected].

Library Dissertation Clearance – 1 Committee Member

  • Student - signer
  • Dissertation Chair - signer
  • Committee Member1 - signer
  • Program Director - signer
  • Library - signer
  • copy:  [email protected]

Workflow instructions: Please complete & enter information for ALL participants by scrolling down & expanding each participant (Dissertation Chair, Committee Member1, Program Director, Library Staff) Dissertation Chair Dissertation Committee Member #1 Program Director Library Staff

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ CLICK HERE TO LAUNCH A CLEARANCE FORM WITH ONE COMMITTEE MEMBER +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Library Dissertation Clearance – 2 Committee Members Workflow:

  • Committee Member2 - signer

Please complete & enter information for ALL participants by scrolling down & expanding each participant (Dissertation Chair, Committee Member1, Committee Member2, Program Director, Library Staff) Dissertation Chair

Dissertation Committee Member #1 Dissertation Committee Member #2 Program Director Library Staff

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ CLICK HERE TO LAUNCH A CLEARANCE FORM WITH TWO COMMITTEE MEMBERS +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Library Dissertation Clearance – 3 Committee Members Workflow:

Please complete & enter information for ALL participants by scrolling down & expanding each participant (Dissertation Chair, Committee Member1, Committee Member2, Committee Member3, Program Director, Library Staff) Dissertation Chair

Dissertation Committee Member #1 Dissertation Committee Member #2 Dissertation Committee Member #3 Program Director Library Staff

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ CLICK HERE TO LAUNCH A CLEARANCE FORM WITH THREE COMMITTEE MEMBERS +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Library Dissertation Clearance – 4 Committee Members  Workflow:

  • Committee Member4 - signer

Please complete & enter information for ALL participants by scrolling down & expanding each participant  Dissertation Chair

Dissertation Committee Member #1 Dissertation Committee Member #2 Dissertation Committee Member #3 Dissertation Committee Member #4 Program Director Library Staff

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ CLICK HERE TO LAUNCH A CLEARANCE FORM WITH FOUR COMMITTEE MEMBERS +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  

3. Dissertation Manuscript Template

  • Dissertation Manuscript Template - APA 7th edition

In response to commonly asked questions, the library has provided the following Microsoft Word dissertation template for students to use if they find it helpful. DISCLAIMER : it is not official or required, nor is it fool-proof. All dissertations, regardless of whether they use the provided template or not, must follow the guidelines contained within the Formatting Manual. While library staff are not able to assist with using MS Word or the template, many helpful tutorials can be found at https://support.office.com/en-us/word

Who is my DCR (Dissertation Clearance Rep)?

EMERYVILLE Scott Zimmer 858-635-4553 [email protected]  

FRESNO Adan Ortega 559-253-2288 [email protected]

IRVINE Scott Zimmer 858-635-4553 [email protected]  

LOS ANGELES Scott Zimmer 858-635-4553 [email protected]  

ONLINE Scott Zimmer 858-635-4553 [email protected]  

SACRAMENTO Scott Zimmer 858-635-4553 [email protected] 

SAN DIEGO Scott Zimmer 858-635-4553 [email protected]  

Chat With Us!

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  • Last Updated: Apr 19, 2024 10:30 AM
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Scholars Junction

Home > ETD > ETD Standards & Templates

Theses and Dissertations

Standards and Templates for Thesis and Dissertation Formatting

Submissions from 2019 2019.

ETD Templates for Word Users

Instructions for using the 8th edition MSU thesis/dissertation Word automated templates , Mississippi State University Libraries and James Nail

Standards for preparing theses and dissertations , Office of Thesis and Dissertation Format Review

ETD Template for LaTeX Users , Office of Thesis and Dissertation Format Review, Edward B. Allen, and Jeffrey A. Winger

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Dissertations and Theses

About the dissertation office.

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Dissertation Research Librarian

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Reference Librarian - Dissertation Office

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Virtual Office Hours

Tuesdays, 2-4pm

The Dissertation Office holds virtual office hours for drop-in video consultations on most Tuesdays from 2-4pm. Advance registration is not required, but you must fill out the registration form to be connected. If another student is being assisted, you'll be kept in the "waiting room" until the librarian is available.

The Graduate Center Dissertation Office assists students with depositing a dissertation, thesis, or capstone project in the library. A dissertation or thesis constitutes an original contribution to a field of knowledge, and library deposit ensures that the work will be accessible to researchers. Some degree programs at The Graduate Center also require library deposit for capstone projects. Check with your program office for detailed graduation requirements.

Library deposit is the final degree requirement to be completed for graduation. Deadlines are officially listed in the Academic Calendar, and reproduced on these pages for convenience.

The Dissertation Office is located on the 2nd floor of the Mina Rees Library.

library dissertation format

Master's Degree Programs and Deposit

Library deposit is a degree requirement for all doctoral programs. Some master's programs at the Graduate Center do not require a library deposit in order to complete the degree. See detailed list below; direct questions to your degree program or the Office of the Registrar.

  • Next: Submit >>
  • Last Updated: Apr 10, 2024 12:38 PM
  • URL: https://libguides.gc.cuny.edu/dissertations

California State University, Long Beach

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UNIVERSITY LIBRARY PARTICIPATES IN NEW CSU-WIDE LIBRARY SYSTEM

Formatting Guide

2019 edition university format guidelines.

The 2019 CSULB Format Manual  covers all of the formatting rules in depth as well as details about electronic submission. 

Students who require an accessible screen read version will need to use Adobe Reader 9.0 or above. From the "View" menu in Adobe Reader, select the "Read Out Loud" option to have the PDF document read.

Along with the university guide, departmental style guides (e.g., APA, MLA, etc.) should be consulted for specific citation and reference style.

If you are using human and/or animal subjects in your research, contact the Office of University Research .

For more information regarding Graduate Programs, please visit the Graduate Studies Website .

Links to Formatting Resources

Click on any underlined item listed below to bring up a new web page with formatting information.

  • Departmental Style Guides
  • College Designee (Dean/Department Chair/Director on Signature Page)
  • How to Set Up Table of Contents
  • Copyright Permission Letter Sample (DOC)
  • Information about the electronic signature page option , is available.
  • Table of Contents
  • List of Tables and Figures
  • List of Abbreviations and Works
  • PowerPoints about Formatting Rules
  • The Mini Manuscript (PDF)  is set up as a page-by-page example of University Guidelines Manual formatting rules for all pages of your manuscript

California State University, Long Beach

Theses and Dissertations

Congrats on working towards your thesis or dissertation at UTA! The UTA Libraries Digital Publishing Librarian, Digital Publishing Specialist, and entire Open Partnerships & Services Department team are here to help you submit your documents, so they become part of the publicly accessible scholarly record. This important practice is part of the growing movement for open access scholarship around the world to ensure that EVERYONE has access to the results of scholarly research.

ETDs are openly published in UTA's institutional repository (formerly  UTA ResearchCommons ; new repository location soon to be announced) and will be searchable through internet search engines. The UTA institutional repository offers metrics about how many users are engaging with your ETD in a variety of ways! Make sure to check back after graduation to see what impact your thesis or dissertation is making in the world! For example, Amy Holmes’ dissertation from 2016 has nearly 6000 abstract views and almost 1000 downloads on our site alone!

Process and Deadlines to submit your approved Thesis or Dissertation to the ResearchCommons

We are currently migrating to a new and much improved platform for our institutional repository. For those submitting during the Spring 2024 semester , we have a different process than usual. Before any submission can be made, please send an email to  [email protected] identifying that you will be submitting a thesis or dissertation this semester and include your degree and department name . After that step, you will receive an email with instructions on when and how to submit to our new repository. 

As part of this process, all students must agree to the Intellectual Property Statement and Non-Exclusive Copyright Release. This Non-Exclusive Copyright Release ensures that YOU RETAIN YOUR COPYRIGHT as author of your thesis or dissertation. Doctoral students must also complete the  Survey of Earned Doctorates  and submit via email to  [email protected] .

When submitting your thesis or dissertation, the date on the title page of your document should match your graduation month and year. The month must be listed as either:  May, August, or December  (e.g. May 2024). 

Deadlines to submit your approved Thesis or Dissertation to the Libraries ***Submitting prior to these deadlines will ensure enough time to complete required revisions

After your initial submission, be sure to check your email to receive either an acceptance of your submission or a request for required changes and resubmission.

If an extension is required, please complete the online  extension request form . If you have further questions, contact your advisor or the  Graduate School at  [email protected] .

An  embargo  is   a delayed release or temporary access restriction to the full-text PDF of your work. Common reasons to request an embargo include:

  • If your thesis or dissertation material is to be published in a journal that requires no prior publication
  • If you plan to file for a provisional patent relevant to the work published in your thesis or dissertation

Please note that you RETAIN your copyright as author of your thesis or dissertation when you sign the Non-Exclusive Copyright Release. This means that you are free to publish your work anywhere else you see fit without permission from UTA. Most journals and publishers today are aware that theses and dissertations are already published by universities in their institutional repository and/or must abide by mandates for federally funded research to openly publish outcomes and data.

Embargoed works are still visible as an entry in the UTA institutional repository with title, author, date, and abstract details. For those requesting an embargo for patent-filling reasons, please ensure that your abstract is written without revealing patent-relevant information or trade secrets.

If you require an embargo, they are requested when you submit your ETD to the Digital Publishing Team. You can add an embargo period of 6 months, one year, or two years. Two years is the maximum embargo time unless there are extenuating legal circumstances.

To request an embargo extension, consult either the Graduate School or the Office of Innovation and Commercialization (for patent/legal needs) to provide clear rationale as to why your work should be embargoed for longer than 2 years. That information can be provided to [email protected] .

Additional Resources for thesis and dissertation writing

  • UTA Graduate School Dissertation Completion Resources
  • How to Format Landscape Page Numbers
  • Create a Table of Contents and Table of Figures
  • The Research Process: Step-by-Step

Please note these changes from previous policies and workflows

  • Strict adherence to the embargo maximum period and visibility of all but the full-text PDF for embargoed works changed as of March 2023 in consultation with the Graduate School. Refer to [email protected] with questions.
  • We are no longer supporting submission to ProQuest because it is a paywalled database.
  • The library does not provide templates. The Graduate School offers manuals linked below. We strongly encourage you to contact your committee chair to discover which manual is recommended by your academic unit.  For specific examples of previously published theses and dissertations, you can visit your department's community in the  UTA institutional repository .
  • Guides and Examples of Elements of Theses and Dissertations

Binding Personal Copies of Theses and Dissertations

**Effective January 1, 2024, UTA Libraries will no longer be providing bindery services for theses and dissertations. If your work has been deposited with ProQuest, you may order a print copy from them online . ProQuest may also be able to support printing of documents that have not been deposited with that service.

Still have questions? Check the FAQs!

FAQ: I just defended my thesis or dissertation. How do I submit my documents to fulfill the requirements of the Graduate School?

Answer: Please first review the information provided above. If you have not found information you seek, please contact [email protected] .

FAQ: How to access past theses and dissertations of UTA Students?

Answer: Older theses and dissertations are searchable in the library catalog here: https://uta.summon.serialssolutions.com . These are physically bound and available upon request.Newer theses and dissertations are only available in the UTA institutional repository. Browse to your department and refer to the theses and/or dissertations sections to find recent examples.

FAQ: I need to see examples of article-based dissertations.

Answer: For several years, all dissertations produced at UTA have been published openly in the UTA institutional repository . On the home page, use the search bar to search “article-based” or “article-based” AND a keyword from your discipline/topic to find an example closer to your field. For example, you could find “Smoking Cessation within the Federal Employee Population, an article-based dissertation by Brenda Ross Swilley from 2020 .

FAQ: Does the Library have a template for theses and dissertations?

Answer: The Library does not have any official templates for theses and dissertations. Each discipline has different requirements that they follow. Students need to contact their department for specific information about what their dissertations should and should not have. The Graduate School does have guidelines of elements that should be  included in its manuals . Please note: these are only to be used as a guide or starting point. As stated above, each department has specific guidelines that the student must follow. 

FAQ: Does the Library provide formatting and manual check services for theses and dissertations?

Answer: No, the Library does not provide these services. We encourage students to reach out the UTA Writing Center and/or the Graduate School for guidance on formatting and manual checks. There are Plagiarism Checkers freely available through services like Canvas, the Learning Management System used at UTA.

FAQ: I’m submitting my thesis or dissertation. Do I need to select an embargo?

Answer: Please refer to the information on embargoes offered above. Only select an embargo period if you want a delay in publication for your thesis or dissertation on the UTA institutional repository because you plan to publish in a venue that requires no prior publications or apply for a patent within two years. Most students select the “NONE” option to not request an embargo.

Please note that most academic publishers are now aware that high-level research institutions like UTA require all theses and dissertations to be made openly accessible via an institutional repository and therefore the stipulation that work cannot be published elsewhere does not apply if it was a thesis or dissertation in an institutional repository. If you would still like to embargo your work, please note that the embargo only applies to the PDF of your full text. The title, authorship, and abstract of your work will still be visible (per our policies with the Graduate School). You have the following embargo options:

Publication/Patent Hold 6 months  - The full text of this work will be held/restricted from worldwide access on the internet for six months from the semester/year of graduation to meet academic publisher restrictions or to allow time for publication.

Publication/Patent Hold 12 months  - The full text of this work will be held/restricted from worldwide access on the internet for twelve months from the semester/year of graduation to meet academic publisher restrictions or to allow time for publication.

Publication/Patent Hold 24 months  - The full text of this work will be held/restricted from worldwide access on the internet for twenty-four months from the semester/year of graduation to meet academic publisher restrictions or to allow time for publication.

FAQ: What is ORCID? Do I need an ORCID iD to submit my thesis or dissertation?

Answer: ORCID  is a “persistent digital identifier” that many researchers use to increase the visibility of their research across multiple platforms like Web of Science, publisher websites, and institutional websites. An ORCID is meant to serve as an overarching way to identify yourself as a researcher in the global scholarly community. When you create an ORCID, you receive a webpage listing all the publications you have published under your iD. It is free to sign up for one and add to your manuscript; however, it is  not required  to submit a thesis or dissertation.  

FAQ: I found errors in the thesis or dissertation I submitted to the institutional repository and I need to resubmit. How do I do that?

Answer: Congratulations on completing your thesis or dissertation! Do not submit a new ETD. For revisions, please contact [email protected] for information about changes.

FAQ: Does the library offer a service for binding of UTA theses or dissertations?

Answer: No. Effective January 1, 2024, UTA Libraries no longer provides this service due to a lack of requests. 

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Any Questions?

If you have questions or need additional assistance, please submit this form:

Dissertations & projects: Formatting

  • Research questions
  • The process of reviewing
  • Project management
  • Literature-based projects

Jump to content on these pages:

You are not being examined on your ability to use Microsoft Word. The Skills Team have therefore provided you with a template that already has most of the formatting work done for you. This has been approved centrally by the university.

This page has links to the template, guidance document and videos to support you with using the official University of Hull MS Word templates for creating undergraduate dissertations or independent projects or taught masters dissertations. This is not a mandatory template, but using it will streamline the formatting of such a long document.

University templates

The University has created templates which can help take the stress out of formatting your dissertation or final year project.

Students studying any subject other than those listed below can use the general template provided:

Download the undergraduate final year project or dissertation template here

Download the taught masters dissertation template here

Modified versions

In some disciplines, the undergraduate template has been modified and is available via your dissertation or independent project module's Canvas site. Currently this is the case for the following subject areas:

  • Biomedical Sciences

Guidance document

Front cover of guidance document

Templates guidance document

It includes information on:

  • Working with template files
  • Working with text (styles, table of contents)
  • Working with images and tables (captions)
  • Adding landscape pages

Whilst this says it is for undergraduate dissertations, it is also relevant to the taught masters template.

Video support

We have created a set of videos to support you with using the template. These can be accessed below.

The videos below cover the following (click or tap to jump to video):

  • Downloading the template and filling in the title page.
  • Using styles and updating the table of contents.
  • Labelling your figures and tables.
  • Using the cross-referencing tool to refer to figures and tables.
  • Adding a landscape page to your document.

​​​​​​​ Please note that there is a separate playlist for using the History template: Using the UoH undergraduate dissertation template for History .

Video 1: Downloading the UG dissertation or independent project template and filling in front matter

Note that if you have downloaded the template already from the link above, you can skip to 1 min 30 sec.

Video 2: Using styles and updating the table of contents

Video 3: Labelling your figures and tables

Video 4: Using the cross-referencing tool to refer to figures and tables

This is an optional feature - if you don't have many tables or figures you may wish to do this manually.

Video 5: Adding a landscape page to your document

Not everyone will need this feature but it is useful for large tables or some figures.

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Dissertation Format and Submission

  • Format Guidelines
  • Dissertation Submission
  • Getting Survey Permissions
  • Help Videos

Required Training

The tutorial below must be completed prior to scheduling a format check.

library dissertation format

Quick Links

  • Academic Affairs Administration Calendar Includes all deadlines for Spring, Summer, and Fall, including Dean submission deadlines
  • Graduation Information (Registrar's Office) Instructions for how to apply and pay for graduation
  • Vireo Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Submission System Submit and check the status of your dissertation
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library dissertation format

We are currently offering both virtual and in-person appointments. To schedule an appointment for a format check, click the button below.

* please schedule only one appointment before meeting with us. .

  • Next: Templates >>
  • Last Updated: Feb 12, 2024 11:35 AM
  • URL: https://uhcl.libguides.com/dissertation

COMMENTS

  1. Dissertation Formatting

    Use our formatting guide. Our Guide to Microsoft Word for Dissertations includes a template you can modify, along with links to the Rackham Dissertation Handbook and formatting checklist. It also covers how to: Apply styles to maintain consistency. Create a table of contents that keeps itself up to date. Include properly formatted landscape pages.

  2. Formatting Requirements

    PDF/A is an ISO-standardized version of the Portable Document Format (PDF) specialized for the digital preservation of electronic documents. You need to save your dissertation as a PDF/A file and upload it as your official submission. For more information, see the Wikpedia article on the format.

  3. Templates

    UCI Libraries maintains the following templates to assist in formatting your graduate manuscript. If you are formatting your manuscript in Microsoft Word, feel free to download and use the template. If you would like to see what your manuscript should look like, PDFs have been provided.

  4. Format Requirements

    Library - room 2304 CUNY Graduate Center 365 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10016 [email protected]. 212.817.7069. ... templates that are compliant with the format requirements are available at the bottom of this page; ... Simply insert your thesis text at the end of this file and edit the details on the preliminary pages. Updated 12/12/2022

  5. Dissertation Office

    The Dissertation Office provides information on the University's dissertation policies.We help doctoral students understand dissertation formatting and publication requirements, and we assist with the submission process.We support graduate program administrators as they manage dissertation submissions and departmental approval, and we audit completed dissertation submissions to ensure they ...

  6. Formatting Manual

    Thesis and Dissertation Formatting; Research Consultation; How To. Connect From Off-Campus ... UCI Theses & Dissertations. Format, Submit, Discover. Site Search. Search. Articles, books, and more. Libraries Web. UC Search Library Search site . Close modal window. Chat. Available round-the-clock! Real-time, chat reference service is provided by ...

  7. How to Write a Dissertation

    The structure of a dissertation depends on your field, but it is usually divided into at least four or five chapters (including an introduction and conclusion chapter). The most common dissertation structure in the sciences and social sciences includes: An introduction to your topic. A literature review that surveys relevant sources.

  8. Research: Guide for Writers of Theses & Dissertations: Home

    Submitting your thesis or dissertation to Boston University Libraries is the last step to fulfill at the University before you graduate and are awarded your degree. Prepare the manuscript: the Guide for Writers of Theses & Dissertations [PDF] covers formatting and submission requirements in detail. Review the draft for library submission. Contact:

  9. Master's Thesis/Project Formatting Library Guidelines

    Thesis & Project Formatting Electronic Submission Library Workshop. Tuesday, March 12th at 4pm-5pm Wednesday, March 13th at 4pm-5pm ... Library Format Reviewers [email protected] University Library, Building 15 . Library Reviewers . Marilu Salcedo 909-869-3076 [email protected]

  10. Preparing Your Manuscript

    The Graduate Academic Affairs will accept theses and dissertations prepared in the format recommended by the style manual published by your discipline's professional society as long as it falls within the general format and content guidelines described in this document. The most recent style manuals should be used.

  11. Dissertations and theses

    Locating Dissertations and Theses. The Proquest Dissertations and Theses Global database includes doctoral dissertations and selected masters theses from major universities worldwide.. Searchable by subject, author, advisor, title, school, date, etc. More information about full text access and requesting through Interlibrary Loan; NDLTD - Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations ...

  12. Dissertation Structure & Layout 101 (+ Examples)

    Time to recap…. And there you have it - the traditional dissertation structure and layout, from A-Z. To recap, the core structure for a dissertation or thesis is (typically) as follows: Title page. Acknowledgments page. Abstract (or executive summary) Table of contents, list of figures and tables.

  13. What Is a Dissertation?

    A dissertation is a long-form piece of academic writing based on original research conducted by you. It is usually submitted as the final step in order to finish a PhD program. Your dissertation is probably the longest piece of writing you've ever completed. It requires solid research, writing, and analysis skills, and it can be intimidating ...

  14. ETD Guidelines: Formatting Requirements

    General Format. The font must be a 12 pt, serif font, such as Times New Roman (headers can be larger; footnotes and endnotes can be smaller) ... The dissertation or thesis title is centered horizontally on the page approximately three lines down in capitalized letters using 12 point font. "A Dissertation" or "A Thesis" should be ...

  15. Graduate Student Center / Thesis and Dissertation Office

    Mitchell Memorial Library, 1st Floor. The Graduate Student Center / Thesis and Dissertation Office, located on the first floor of Mitchell Memorial Library, reviews theses and dissertations for formatting compliance based on the standards required by Mississippi State University. Our review process begins after your committee has approved all ...

  16. Formatting Manual & Forms

    The APA Publication Manual is primarily for submitting papers for journal publication, so it lacks guidelines specific to dissertations and doctoral projects. To fill this gap, Alliant has created systemwide guidelines for you to follow. This document provides details on those guidelines. You will need to refer to both manuals to format your dissertation correctly.

  17. Standards and Templates for Thesis and Dissertation Formatting

    Instructions for using the 8th edition MSU thesis/dissertation Word automated templates, Mississippi State University Libraries and James Nail. PDF. Standards for preparing theses and dissertations, Office of Thesis and Dissertation Format Review. File

  18. About the Dissertation Office

    The Graduate Center Dissertation Office assists students with depositing a dissertation, thesis, or capstone project in the library. A dissertation or thesis constitutes an original contribution to a field of knowledge, and library deposit ensures that the work will be accessible to researchers.

  19. Formatting Guide

    2019 Edition University Format Guidelines The 2019 CSULB Format Manual covers all of the formatting rules in depth as well as details about electronic submission. ... Thesis and Dissertation Office. Utility Menu. Explore; Apply; Give; Students; Faculty & Staff; ... University Library 5th Floor, Room 501; Phone: (562) 985-4013;

  20. Theses and Dissertations

    Thesis and dissertation documents must be written in the format approved by your committee. The Libraries no longer does formatting or mechanical checks. Please speak with your advisor about formatting issues. The library does not provide templates. The Graduate School offers manuals linked below.

  21. Formatting

    The University has created templates which can help take the stress out of formatting your dissertation or final year project. Students studying any subject other than those listed below can use the general template provided: Download the undergraduate final year project or dissertation template here. Download the taught masters dissertation ...

  22. Research Guides: Dissertation Format and Submission: Home

    Dissertation formatting & submission requirements. We are currently offering both virtual and in-person appointments. To schedule an appointment for a format check, click the button below. * Please schedule only one appointment before meeting with us.

  23. University Dissertation & Thesis Services

    The Format Review deadline for the Spring 2024 Semester is 5:00 p.m. on Friday, April 19. All Master's students writing theses and all Doctoral students writing dissertations are required to submit their documents to UDTS via email ( [email protected]) for the Format Review. In order to be eligible to graduate under the Spring 2024 semester, you ...