Dissertation Format

Thesis, Thesis-Equivalent Project, EdS Field Project, and Dissertation (ETD) Formatting

After you have written your ETD, you must prepare the electronic version for submission. Overall, it is important to submit an ETD that has a consistent appearance throughout. All pages in your ETD should follow a general format regarding page numbering, margins, and line spacing.

Page numbering

• Except for the Title Page and Abstract, number all pages in your ETD. (Page numbers appear in page headers and are right-justified. Consult the help files of your software on how to set up "Page Headers.")
• For pages before the introductory text, use small Roman numerals (i. ii. iii. iv. etc.) placed in the upper right corner of the page. Exceptions are the Title Page and the Abstract on which the numbers should not appear.
• Number all pages through the remainder of the ETD using Arabic numbers (1,2,3 etc.). These numbers are to appear in the upper right corner and are to be placed so that, when printed, they are at least 1/2" from the top and 1" from the right margin. Do not include a running head.

Margins

All margins for your ETD should be as follows: Left: 1 1/2", Right 1"; Top and Bottom 1". This format applies to all materials in the document. The extra space along the left margin allows space for binding.

Spacing

Double-space all sections of the ETD except footnotes/endnotes, bibliographic entries, and lists in appendices. Single spacing may be used on tables and figures at the discretion of the student's supervisory committee.

Fonts

Times New Roman or a comparable appearing font, usually at 12 pt, is recommended for best readability. All fonts must be embedded fonts and used consistently throughout the text.

Color

Manuscripts will appear in color when viewed electronically. Microfilm and print reproductions of the manuscript, however, will occur only as shades of gray so consider this when deciding how or whether to use color in your ETD.

Section Summary listed in order of pagination

• Table of Contents
  • Include the section headings of your ETD as well as the page on which each begins.
• Lists of Multimedia Objects
  • On a separate page, list the number and title for each of multimedia used (e.g.table, figure, graph, diagram, equation, etc.) list the number and title of the object and the page on which it occurs.
• Main Body
  • In general, the following format is recommended although, specific formatting (e.g. Chapters, Sections, etc.) should be consistent with your discipline. See your Supervisory Committee for guidance.
  • Label the beginning of each Chapter or Section (e.g. Introduction, Methods, etc.) using a font larger than that used in the subsequent text. Follow a standard format of your discipline for sub-section formatting.
  • Chapters, Sections, etc. should be separated by an extra space.
  • Indent quotes on both left and right margin
  • Footnotes
    • You may use footnotes and/or endnotes. Lengthy footnotes are probably best formatted as endnotes.
    • Place footnotes on the same page as the statement to which they refer. Footnotes in the main body text should be numbered consecutively in Arabic numerals, starting with 1.
  • Multimedia Objects
    • Multimedia objects include tables, figures, complex equations, graphs, diagrams, digital pictures, digital video, digital audio, virtual reality, and even computer software that you have developed.
      • Simple Objects - Most simple objects (e.g. tables, figures, graphs, and diagrams) are embedded in your ETD using your word processor. Typically, they are embedded immediately after they are mentioned in the text.
        • Center the object between the left and right margins of the text or page.
        • Titles are placed directly below for figures, graphs, etc. and directly above for tables. Figures and tables are separately numbered consecutively (e.g. Figure 1, Figure 2, etc. and Table 1, Table 2, etc.). Numbering may be further divided into chapters (e.g., in Chapters 5 we may have Table 5.1, Table 5.2, and Figures 5.1, 5.2, and 5.3). Titles should be concise but sufficiently descriptive to explain all aspects of the object.
      • Complex Objects - Most complex multimedia objects, require special treatment since they may not fit naturally on the page or the file size may be too large to fit reasonably within a document. For complex objects, place the type and number of the object along with its concise, descriptive title, centered on a line by itself. In parentheses, include the media encoding (e.g., JPEG) and file size (e.g., 1.5 Megabytes). Then, connect each object title to a separate file containing the object. Many complex multimedia object types have a simple object version (often called "thumbnail") that is a reduction of the picture or one frame of the video. If possible, include this reduction in the main document along with a PDF link to the complex object. Be sure you submit the object file(s) with your ETD.
• References
  • Consult your departmental/school guidelines for the standard forms for citations.
• Appendices
  • A separate page with the word "Appendix" centered on it is recommended as an easily observed indication of the break between the main body and appendices.
  • The source code or output of computer programs may be included as an enumerated appendix. Place figures references with PDF links to multimedia objects in the Appendix as well.
  • Following the same format in the Appendix as you followed in the main body of your ETD, place the word "Appendix", the appendix letter or letters, and the appendix title in large type at the beginning of each appendix section. Appendices are enumerated alphabetically from A to Z, then AA, AB, and so on to ZZ, then AAA, AAB, etc.