Format Standards

These format standards below ensure a degree of consistency in the written presentation of this research across academic disciplines and allow for binding and digitization requirements. The format standards presented here take precedence over the paper formatting guidelines of your discipline’s style manual (e.g., APA, Chicago, MLA, etc.). The student has the primary responsibility for both the content and the format of the thesis. For assistance with formatting your thesis, contact your advisor or a librarian. Also, see website for examples.

Spacing

The spacing of your thesis should be consistent. Double-space throughout your thesis, with the exception of the following:

Title page;
Entries in the Table of Contents, List of Tables, List of Figures, and List of Abbreviations, Symbols, or Nomenclature;
Tables and figures and their titles and captions;
Extensive quotations;
Footnotes or end notes;
Entries in the References section; and
Appendices (you may single- or double-space, depending on content and your style guide).

To ensure that you do not have extra space before or after paragraphs, check your paragraph settings under the Paragraphs tab and verify the Spacing Before and Spacing After is 0.

Additionally, do not put a heading or subheading at the end of pages. After a heading, you should have at least two lines of text on the same page. Similarly, do not have a single line of text from the end of a paragraph at the top of a new page. Do not leave large gaps at the bottom of pages, except at the end of chapters. If a table or figure is causing a gap, use text from after it to fill in the space.

Tables, figures, and the appendices can be single- or double-spaced. For footnotes, endnotes, and references, follow your discipline’s style guide.

Font

Times New Roman, Calibri, Garamond, Arial, Cambria, and Bodoni MT are university approved fonts. Consistently use one of the following fonts: 12-point Times New Roman; 11-point Calibri; 11-point Garamond; 11-point Arial; 11-point Cambria; or 11-point Bodoni MT. You must use the same font for the body text; page numbers; all preliminary pages, except the thesis title page; tables and figures, and their titles and captions; footnotes, endnotes, and references; and appendices.

You may use different sizes, placement, and bolding for text that is not part of the narrative. Chapter titles are first order headings, so they should be centered at the top of the page and be the largest sized text--no more than 20-points. Like chapter titles or first order headings, second, third, and fourth order headings should be visually distinguished by a larger sized font; unlike first order headings, second, third, and fourth order heading must be left-justified.

Use fonts and font sizes consistently throughout your thesis. For example, if you use 12-point Times New Roman, you may choose to have all first order headings a bolded, 16-point font; all secondary headings a bolded, 14-point font; and all tertiary headings a bolded 12-point font. For page numbers, tables and figures (including their titles and captions), and footnotes and endnotes, use the same font as your body text, but decrease the size while retaining legibility—but no smaller than 9-points.

The use of italics is restricted to foreign words, book or periodical titles, taxonomic names, letters used as statistical symbols or algebraic variables, test scores and scales, and judiciously placed special emphasis.

Margins

For all pages, except for the title page, use a 1.5-inch left margin to allow for binding and a 1-inch top, bottom, and right margin. For the title page, use a 2-inch top margin, 1.5-inch left margin, and a 1-inch right and bottom margin. To change or verify your margins, under the Layout tab, click the Margins button. Choose Custom Margins and change the inputs to the correct size.

Page Numbering

Your thesis is comprised of several different sections which require distinct numbering formats. The first section of preliminary pages, which includes the title page, copyright page, and dedication are counted but no page numbers are printed on them. The second set of preliminary pages are the abstract, table of contents, list of tables, list of figures, and list of abbreviations. This second set of pages use lowercase Roman numerals (i.e., iii, iv, etc.). The third section is the main body of your thesis, your references, and appendices. Use Arabic numbers (1, 2, 3, etc.) for this section of your thesis. The first page of the main text is page 1. All subsequent pages are numbered throughout the thesis, including references, appendices, and pages only containing tables and figures.

Although there are different sections, all page numbers should include the following. Page numbers should be the same font style as your body text. The font size should be no less than 9-points or more than 11-points. Page numbers should be centered at the bottom of the page, with the bottom of the number at least 0.5-inches from the edge.

Required and Optional Elements

Title Page (required)

The title page elements are very specific and standardized. Follow the template [LINK TO DIRECTIONS] exactly. The title page has different margins than all other thesis pages: the top has a 2-inch margin, the left side has a 1.5-inch margin, and the right and bottom sides have a 1-inch margin. You must use Calibri as your font for this page, but different elements have different font sizes. All elements are centered and single-spaced.

For your title, capitalize the first letter of the first word, the last word, and each significant word. You may use up to 20-point font, but must not exceed two lines. If you need to split a long title, do so at a punctuation mark (i.e., comma or colon) without splitting proper names, clauses, or prepositions and adjectives from the nouns to which they refer.

The name of the degree that appears on the title page must be on the list of degrees [LINK] and spelled correctly. Similarly, double-check the spelling of the department and school, committee chair/advisor, and committee members, and their degree titles. The month and year of the awarding of your degree (not the defense or thesis submission) are used as the date. Finally, include 4-6 keywords that are not in the title which describe your thesis as a whole. See Title Page Example [LINK EXAMPLE] and Title Page Directions [LINK] for assistance.

Your thesis is protected by copyright law as soon as it is created and fixed in a tangible form, whether or not a copyright notice appears on it. Still, you need to include a Copyright Page [LINK TO EXAMPLE] with your thesis. It will have no page number, but it will be counted. Also, choose a Creative Commons license to display on this page; you will select this same Creative Commons license when you submit your thesis to Scholarly Commons. To learn more about copyright or Creative Commons licenses, see:

Dedication Page (optional)

The Dedication Page [LINK TO EXAMPLE] is a short (250-500 word) statement which honors those who inspired or encouraged the completion of your degree. It may include spouses, parents, siblings, professors, and other students. Use the same university approved font as your body text, double-space the text, and count the page, but do not use a page number.

Abstract (required)

The Abstract [LINK TO EXAMPLE] is a succinct and informative summary of your thesis; it is 500-1,000 words, double-spaced. In many social and natural sciences, the abstract contains a brief description of the problem, a brief statement about the methods or procedures used, and a concise account of the findings, your conclusions, and the significance and implications of the work to your discipline. An abstract in the humanities is a clear and concise summary of the work which uses the same type and style of language found in the thesis, and contains the thesis, background, and conclusion of the larger work.

Although the title, copyright, and dedication pages have been counted, they have not been numbered; start adding Roman numeral page numbers on the abstract. Thus, the abstract should be marked as page iii or iv, depending on whether or not there is a dedication page. See Page Numbering [LINK] for more information.

Table of Contents

The table of contents lists all sections that follow it. All chapter titles and section headings should be listed exactly as they appear in the text, along with page numbers. Chapter titles or first order headings are left-justified; second, third, or fourth order headings are indented in a cascade. See the Table of Contents Example [LINK TO EXAMPLE] and Table of Contents Directions [LINK TO DIRECTIONS] for assistance. Single space within entries, and double space in between entries. Roman numeral pagination is continued on this page. Figures and tables are listed separately.

List of Tables (required if tables appear in the thesis)

The List of Tables [LINK TO EXAMPLE] lists each table’s number/title, caption, and page number location. Tables in the body text should be numbered and titled either sequentially (e.g., Table 1, Table 2, etc.) or sequentially by chapter (e.g., Table 1.1, Table 1.2, Table 2.1, etc.). For tables in an appendix, restart table numbering and include an “A” in the title to indicate its placement in the appendices (e.g., Table A1, Table A2, etc.). Include only the first sentence of each table caption in the List of Tables; it must match verbatim (word-for-word) to those used in the body of the manuscript. Roman numeral pagination is continued on this page.

List of Figures (required if figures appear in the thesis)

Figures may be any of the following: charts, graphs, illustrations, diagrams, maps, pictures, photographs, and other similar non-text items. Figures should be numbered consecutively and titled either sequentially (e.g., Figure 1, Figure 2, etc.) or sequentially by chapter (e.g., Figure 1.1, Figure 1.2, Figure 2.1, etc.). For figures in the appendices, restart numbering and include an “A” to indicate the figure’s placement in an appendix (e.g., Figure A1, Figure A2, etc.). For the List of Figures [LINK TO EXAMPLE], list each figure’s number/title, its caption, and its page number location. All figure captions must match verbatim (word-for-word) to those used in the body of the manuscript but should include only the first sentence of the caption. Roman numeral pagination is continued on this page.

List of Abbreviations, Symbols, or Nomenclature (optional)

Include a List of Abbreviations [LINK TO EXAMPLE] page as necessary. Roman numeral pagination is continued on this page.

Acknowledgments (required if permission to reproduce copyrighted material is necessary)

The Acknowledgments [LINK TO EXAMPLE] is a 500-word statement which gives credit, recognition, and appreciation for professional guidance and assistance throughout the writing process. It generally recognizes the contributions of committee members, other significant faculty, technical consultants, or family and friends. If you requested permission from an author or publisher to reproduce copyrighted material in your thesis, you must acknowledge that contribution here.

Body of Thesis (required)

The body of your thesis [LINK TO EXAMPLE] contains an introduction, narrative argument or evidence, and conclusions or analysis of your work. The text is divided into chapters, each presenting a main point in your argument. Usually, each chapter is further divided to aid the reader in understanding your arguments and evidence. Use the organization and style designated by your discipline and program (i.e., APA, Chicago, MLA, etc.), including for in-text citations, footnotes, endnotes, and references. Although there are no requirements for the number of chapters or chapter organization, the format standards presented here take precedence over formatting guidelines of your discipline’s style manual.

With few exceptions, double-space your body text. For a list of exceptions, see Spacing [LINK] above. Be sure to watch out for inconsistencies with spacing before and after paragraphs, headings, etc. If it looks inconsistent, check the Paragraph Settings window in the Paragraph tab. Verify that the Spacing Before and Spacing After are set to 0.

Use a university approved font and size for your body text. Headings or subheadings should be visually distinguished from your body text by font size and placement. Headings should never appear at the bottom of a page without at least two lines of text under it. See Font [LINK] above for more information about university approved fonts, font sizes, and headings.

For all body pages, use a 1.5-inch left margin to allow for binding and a 1-inch top, bottom, and right margin. Margins [LINK] gives more information on setting your margins.

Tables and Figures (optional) in the Body Thesis

Tables are typically a set of facts or figures systematically displayed as columns and rows. Figures can be a graph, histogram, pie chart, drawing, image, photograph, screenshot, etc. Both tables and figures can be called illustrative materials and have standard rules for their addition in your graduate thesis.

All illustrative materials must follow the Font [LINK], Margins [LINK], and Page Numbering [LINK] guidelines above. This means that the font used in your tables and figures, including titles and captions, must not be greater than 20-points nor less than 9-points; all illustrative material must be large enough to be read easily, including screenshots from statistical programs and spreadsheets. Additionally, tables and figures must maintain the same margins as the rest of the thesis (1.5-inch left margin and 1-inch top, bottom, and right margins). This may mean that you may need to place a table or figure on a page in landscape orientation, which would require you to change your margin settings to 1.5-inch top margin and 1-inch bottom, left, and right margins. See directions and examples of adding illustrative materials to your body text: Tables [LINK TO EXAMPLE], Figures [LINK TO EXAMPLE].

Titles for tables and figures must be numbered either sequentially (e.g., Table 1, Table 2,… and Figure 1, Figure 2,…) or sequentially by chapter (Table 1.1, Table 1.2, Table 2.1,… and Figure 3.1, Figure 3.2,…). Titles and captions for tables should be placed above the tables; notes for tables go below the table. Titles and captions for figures are placed below the figures; notes figures go directly below the figure title. Titles, captions, and notes for illustrative material must remain on the same page with the corresponding title/figure.

When referencing a table or figure in your text, never state: “the following table” or “the following figure.” Rather, refer to all tables and figures by their titles. Tables and figures should be placed close to their reference within the text, preferably on the same page. If the table will not fit on the page where it is referenced, place it on the next page and fill in the excess space on the previous page with text from after the table. When a table runs onto an additional page, a continued title and column headings must appear at the top of each additional page. (See the example [LINK] for more information.) However, if a table can fit onto a single page, it should be positioned so that it is not broken up. Breaking a table over two or more pages should only be done when there is no other option.

Tables and figures too wide to fit on a vertical page without shrinking beyond legibility may be placed on a landscape page. Because a page is in landscape, the margins should be 1.5-inch on the top and 1-inch on the right, left, and bottom. The page number should be centered at the left side at 0.5-inches from the bottom. For directions, see the Table Examples [LINK] or Figure Examples [LINK].

The use of color in tables and figures is discouraged, but not prohibited. For compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and accessibility standards, instead of color, use labels, patterns, or symbols as keys to tables, graphs, maps, etc.

Students must receive permission to use previously published (i.e. copyrighted) illustrative materials. (See “Using Copyrighted Material” [LINK].) Additionally, all illustrative material directly used from a previously published work must be cited in the caption. For citing photographs, you must include the name of the photographer in the figure caption along with the statement “used with permission,” unless the photo is taken by the thesis author. Your thesis director and a librarian are available to assist you with checking copyright permissions and seeking permission to use material. The Speer Writing Center assistants are also available to assist in using your style guide and creating appropriate citations

References and Bibliography (required)

References, bibliographies, or works cited provide detailed information on the published material (e.g., books, journal articles, websites, tables, images, datasets, surveys) cited within your manuscript. Your references should be a separate chapter placed at the end of the main text. Information sources that are not cited in the thesis, but provide additional background for the topic, may be listed separately. All references must follow the Font [LINK], Margins [LINK], and Page Numbering [LINK] guidelines above. This includes reference, bibliography, and work cited pages; reference, bibliography, or work cited entries; and footnotes and endnotes.

However, your reference style is specified by your discipline. Usually, it is APA, Chicago, MLA, or Turabian style manuals or guides; other manuals of style are acceptable. These style guides have specific guidelines for reference lists, bibliographies, works cited pages, footnotes, endnotes, etc. For example, to determine whether or not you will double space your entire reference list or just between entries, check the newest edition of your discipline’s style guide. Whichever style you use, be consistent throughout your thesis and use the newest edition of your discipline’s style manual. For assistance with creating these pages and appropriate citations, contact your advisor, a specialist at the Speer Writing Center, or a librarian.

Appendices (optional)

Supplemental material that supports your research but is not essential to an understanding of the text is placed in the appendices. Examples include raw data, extensive quotations, and surveys or test instruments. Additionally, any documents (i.e., email or letters) from publishers granting permissions to use copyrighted materials that fall outside of the Fair Use Exception should be in an appendix.

The Appendix [LINK] (or appendices) should be the final section(s) of your thesis. Each appendix chapter should be designated Appendix A, Appendix B, Appendix C, etc. If there is only one appendix, it is simply called Appendix, not Appendix A. Each appendix must have a title (for example, Appendix A: Raw Data) listed verbatim in the Table of Contents.

All material included in the appendices must follow the Font [LINK], Margins [LINK], and Page Numbering [LINK] guidelines above. However, you may choose to single- or double-space your appendices, depending on content and your style guide. For example, if you include a letter or email from a publisher granting permission to use a previously published table, include a copy of that letter without retyping or reformatting it.

More Thesis Information

General Information

Preparing the Thesis

Submitting Your Thesis