font size and line spacing for thesis

Thesis and Dissertation Guide

• « Thesis & Dissertation Resources
• The Graduate School Home

• Introduction
• Copyright Page
• Dedication, Acknowledgements, Preface (optional)
• Table of Contents
• List of Tables, Figures, and Illustrations
• List of Abbreviations
• List of Symbols

Non-Traditional Formats

Font type and size, spacing and indentation, tables, figures, and illustrations, formatting previously published work.

• Internet Distribution
• Open Access
• Registering Copyright
• Using Copyrighted Materials
• Use of Your Own Previously Published Materials
• Submission Steps
• Submission Checklist
• Sample Pages

II. Formatting Guidelines

All copies of a thesis or dissertation must have the following uniform margins throughout the entire document:

• Left: 1″ (or 1 1/4" to ensure sufficient room for binding the work if desired)
• Right: 1″
• Bottom: 1″ (with allowances for page numbers; see section on Pagination )
• Top: 1″

Exceptions : The first page of each chapter (including the introduction, if any) begins 2″ from the top of the page. Also, the headings on the title page, abstract, first page of the dedication/ acknowledgements/preface (if any), and first page of the table of contents begin 2″ from the top of the page.

Non-traditional theses or dissertations such as whole works comprised of digital, artistic, video, or performance materials (i.e., no written text, chapters, or articles) are acceptable if approved by your committee and graduate program. A PDF document with a title page, copyright page, and abstract at minimum are required to be submitted along with any relevant supplemental files.

Fonts must be 10, 11, or 12 points in size. Superscripts and subscripts (e.g., formulas, or footnote or endnote numbers) should be no more than 2 points smaller than the font size used for the body of the text.

Space and indent your thesis or dissertation following these guidelines:

• The text must appear in a single column on each page and be double-spaced throughout the document. Do not arrange chapter text in multiple columns.
• New paragraphs must be indicated by a consistent tab indentation throughout the entire document.
• The document text must be left-justified, not centered or right-justified.
• For blocked quotations, indent the entire text of the quotation consistently from the left margin.
• Ensure headings are not left hanging alone on the bottom of a prior page. The text following should be moved up or the heading should be moved down. This is something to check near the end of formatting, as other adjustments to text and spacing may change where headings appear on the page.

Exceptions : Blocked quotations, notes, captions, legends, and long headings must be single-spaced throughout the document and double-spaced between items.

Paginate your thesis or dissertation following these guidelines:

• Use lower case Roman numerals (ii, iii, iv, etc.) on all pages preceding the first page of chapter one. The title page counts as page i, but the number does not appear. Therefore, the first page showing a number will be the copyright page with ii at the bottom.
• Arabic numerals (beginning with 1, 2, 3, 4, etc.) start at chapter one or the introduction, if applicable. Arabic numbers must be included on all pages of the text, illustrations, notes, and any other materials that follow. Thus, the first page of chapter one will show an Arabic numeral 1, and numbering of all subsequent pages will follow in order.
• Do not use page numbers accompanied by letters, hyphens, periods, or parentheses (e.g., 1., 1-2, -1-, (1), or 1a).
• Center all page numbers at the bottom of the page, 1/2″ from the bottom edge.
• Pages must not contain running headers or footers, aside from page numbers.
• If your document contains landscape pages (pages in which the top of the page is the long side of a sheet of paper), make sure that your page numbers still appear in the same position and direction as they do on pages with standard portrait orientation for consistency. This likely means the page number will be centered on the short side of the paper and the number will be sideways relative to the landscape page text. See these additional instructions for assistance with pagination on landscape pages in Microsoft Word .

Format footnotes for your thesis or dissertation following these guidelines:

• Footnotes must be placed at the bottom of the page separated from the text by a solid line one to two inches long.
• Begin at the left page margin, directly below the solid line.
• Single-space footnotes that are more than one line long.
• Include one double-spaced line between each note.
• Most software packages automatically space footnotes at the bottom of the page depending on their length. It is acceptable if the note breaks within a sentence and carries the remainder into the footnote area of the next page. Do not indicate the continuation of a footnote.
• Number all footnotes with Arabic numerals. You may number notes consecutively within each chapter starting over with number 1 for the first note in each chapter, or you may number notes consecutively throughout the entire document.
• Footnote numbers must precede the note and be placed slightly above the line (superscripted). Leave no space between the number and the note.
• While footnotes should be located at the bottom of the page, do not place footnotes in a running page footer, as they must remain within the page margins.

Endnotes are an acceptable alternative to footnotes. Format endnotes for your thesis or dissertation following these guidelines:

• Always begin endnotes on a separate page either immediately following the end of each chapter, or at the end of your entire document. If you place all endnotes at the end of the entire document, they must appear after the appendices and before the references.
• Include the heading “ENDNOTES” in all capital letters, and center it 1″ below the top of the first page of your endnotes section(s).
• Single-space endnotes that are more than one line long.
• Number all endnotes with Arabic numerals. You may number notes consecutively within each chapter starting over with number 1 for the first note in each chapter, or you may number notes consecutively throughout the entire document.
• Endnote numbers must precede the note and be placed slightly above the line (superscripted). Leave no space between the number and the note.

Tables, figures, and illustrations vary widely by discipline. Therefore, formatting of these components is largely at the discretion of the author.

For example, headings and captions may appear above or below each of these components.

These components may each be placed within the main text of the document or grouped together in a separate section.

Space permitting, headings and captions for the associated table, figure, or illustration must be on the same page.

The use of color is permitted as long as it is consistently applied as part of the finished component (e.g., a color-coded pie chart) and not extraneous or unprofessional (e.g., highlighting intended solely to draw a reader's attention to a key phrase). The use of color should be reserved primarily for tables, figures, illustrations, and active website or document links throughout your thesis or dissertation.

The format you choose for these components must be consistent throughout the thesis or dissertation.

Ensure each component complies with margin and pagination requirements.

Refer to the List of Tables, Figures, and Illustrations section for additional information.

If your thesis or dissertation has appendices, they must be prepared following these guidelines:

• Appendices must appear at the end of the document (before references) and not the chapter to which they pertain.
• When there is more than one appendix, assign each appendix a number or a letter heading (e.g., “APPENDIX 1” or “APPENDIX A”) and a descriptive title. You may number consecutively throughout the entire work (e.g., 1, 2 or A, B), or you may assign a two-part Arabic numeral with the first number designating the chapter in which it appears, separated by a period, followed by a second number or letter to indicate its consecutive placement (e.g., “APPENDIX 3.2” is the second appendix referred to in Chapter Three).
• Include the chosen headings in all capital letters, and center them 1″ below the top of the page.
• All appendix headings and titles must be included in the table of contents.
• Page numbering must continue throughout your appendix or appendices. Ensure each appendix complies with margin and pagination requirements.

You are required to list all the references you consulted. For specific details on formatting your references, consult and follow a style manual or professional journal that is used for formatting publications and citations in your discipline.

Your reference pages must be prepared following these guidelines:

• If you place references after each chapter, the references for the last chapter must be placed immediately following the chapter and before the appendices.
• If you place all references at the end of the thesis or dissertation, they must appear after the appendices as the final component in the document.
• Select an appropriate heading for this section based on the style manual you are using (e.g., “REFERENCES”, “BIBLIOGRAPHY”, or “WORKS CITED”).
• Include the chosen heading in all capital letters, and center it 1″ below the top of the page.
• References must be single-spaced within each entry.
• Include one double-spaced line between each reference.
• Page numbering must continue throughout your references section. Ensure references comply with margin and pagination requirements.

In some cases, students gain approval from their academic program to include in their thesis or dissertation previously published (or submitted, in press, or under review) journal articles or similar materials that they have authored. For more information about including previously published works in your thesis or dissertation, see the section on Use of Your Own Previously Published Materials and the section on Copyrighting.

If your academic program has approved inclusion of such materials, please note that these materials must match the formatting guidelines set forth in this Guide regardless of how the material was formatted for publication.

Some specific formatting guidelines to consider include:

• Fonts, margins, chapter headings, citations, and references must all match the formatting and placement used within the rest of the thesis or dissertation.
• If appropriate, published articles can be included as separate individual chapters within the thesis or dissertation.
• A separate abstract to each chapter should not be included.
• The citation for previously published work must be included as the first footnote (or endnote) on the first page of the chapter.
• Do not include typesetting notations often used when submitting manuscripts to a publisher (i.e., insert table x here).
• The date on the title page should be the year in which your committee approves the thesis or dissertation, regardless of the date of completion or publication of individual chapters.
• If you would like to include additional details about the previously published work, this information can be included in the preface for the thesis or dissertation.

Previous: Order and Components

Next: Distribution

Have a language expert improve your writing

Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, generate accurate citations for free.

• Knowledge Base

Dissertation layout and formatting

Published on October 21, 2015 by Koen Driessen . Revised on February 20, 2019.

The layout requirements for a dissertation are often determined by your supervisor or department. However, there are certain guidelines that are common to almost every program, such as including page numbers and a table of contents.

If you are writing a paper in the MLA citation style , you can use our  MLA format guide .

Table of contents

Font, font size, and line spacing, tables and figures, referencing, paragraph marks, headers and footers, page numbering, dissertation printing.

Use a clear and professional font. Some examples include Verdana, Times New Roman, and Calibri (which is the default font in Microsoft Word). Font size is best set to 10 or 11.

In scientific articles and theses, a line spacing of 1.15 or 1.5 is generally preferred, as it makes the document more readable and enables your supervisor to post comments between the lines of text.

Receive feedback on language, structure, and formatting

Professional editors proofread and edit your paper by focusing on:

• Academic style
• Vague sentences
• Style consistency

See an example

With tables, the number and title should be placed above; with figures and all other illustrations, the number and title should be placed below.

Microsoft Word has a feature that can help you to automatically place these numbers and titles in the correct position. Select the graphic, right-click, and choose “Insert Caption…” In the dialogue box that appears, specify whether it is a table or figure and enter a title. Once you click “Okay,” the number and the title will be generated in the right place.

Another advantage of using this Word feature to label your graphics is that you will later be able to generate lists of tables and figures with a push of a button.

Different heading styles are frequently used to help the reader differentiate between chapters, sections, and subsections of your dissertation. For instance, you may choose to bold all chapter headings but to italicize all lower-level headings.

Once you decide on the scheme you will use, it is important that you apply it consistently throughout your entire dissertation. Using the “Styles” feature of Microsoft Word can be very helpful in this regard. After you have created a heading, just highlight it and select a style (such as Heading 1 or Heading 2) from the home tool bar. Keeping a list may help you keep track of what style to use when.

Citing sources in a correct and appropriate manner is crucial in a dissertation, as failing to do so can make you guilty of plagiarism . It is important that these references follow certain standards.

The APA standard is most commonly used. After realizing how difficult it is to create correctly formatted citations manually, we developed the APA Citation Generator  to assist you. You can use this free and simple tool to easily generate citations that follow the official APA style.

We also recommend that you use a plagiarism scanner to check for unintended plagiarism.

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

Using the “Show paragraph marks” feature can help you to avoid this scenario. To turn it on, click on the paragraph symbol in your home tool bar (as shown in the above illustration). A black paragraph symbol will then be shown after every paragraph and “hard return” in your document, which allows you to see how the layout is constructed.

This can be very helpful when you are trying to determine the cause of mysterious jumps and other problems.

Headers and footers can give your dissertation a very professional look. They also make it immediately clear to readers what document is before them.

A header or footer can be added by double-clicking respectively at the top or bottom of a page in your document. There are generally no firm rules about what you must include; the following are common choices:

• The name/logo of your home educational institution
• The name/logo of the company or organization where you completed a placement
• The title of your dissertation (which may be shortened if necessary)
• Page numbers

Page numbers are commonly placed in the lower right-hand corner of the page. They can easily be added by simply creating a footer. Bear in mind that a page number is usually not included on the title page of a dissertation.

• To ensure that the page numbering doesn’t start on the cover page, but the numbering begins on page 1, place the cursor on the bottom of the page where you want to start with page numbering (if you want to start on page 2, click at the bottom of the first page).
• Next go to “Page layout” and then “Breaks”. Next, choose the submenu “Next page”.
• Switch to the side, where the numbering should begin (in this case, page 2). In the edit mode of the header or footer, choose “link to previous”, after that click on “Move to footer” and click on the “Link to previous” again.
• Now, to add a page number, click on the “Insert” tab, then on the “Header and footer” group, and then click “Page number”. Now you can also choose where the page number should be (top of the page, bottom of the page or page margins) and you can choose a design.
• Finally select the option “format page number” and enter the page numbers, in what page you want the numbering to begin. After you have pressed “ok”, the page number then begins with the number from the previously selected break.

A clear and well-presented title page is a nice finishing touch for your dissertation. Certain information should be included here by default. We have prepared a separate article on title pages that includes a handy checklist you can use to make sure you don’t forget anything.

Always make sure that everything in your dissertation is in the correct order and placed in the appropriate chapter. More information on how to put your document together can be found in our article on structure a dissertation .

If you are interested in seeing how other students have tackled preparing their theses, you may find it useful to check out these dissertation examples .

The last step is usually to prepare a hardcopy of your final document. There are many issues to think about, such as whether you will make it single- or double-sided.

Before you print, however, we recommend that you check one last time that your document meets all of the below requirements!

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

Driessen, K. (2019, February 20). Dissertation layout and formatting. Scribbr. Retrieved April 15, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/tips/dissertation-layout-and-formatting/

Is this article helpful?

Koen Driessen

What is your plagiarism score.

• Library Catalogue

Formatting your thesis: Overall layout and specifications

On this page

Formatting requirements, parts of a thesis, file format, file size, and page size, line spacing, citation style, cumulative theses, extended essays, personal information, blank pages.

The Library's Theses Office assists with formatting theses, projects and extended essays for submission to the Library. You are encouraged to use the Library's thesis template to help format your thesis. The requirements stated on this page are default settings for the thesis template

Optional pages in the thesis template may be removed if not used.

The final copy of the thesis must be converted to .pdf (PDF/A format) for submission to the Library (maximum 400 mb). See the guide  Saving your thesis in PDF/A format for instructions.

Theses must be formatted for US Letter (8.5X11) pages. Landscape 8.5X11 and 11X17 pages are permitted. Legal, A4, or other paper sizes are not permitted.

Arial is the preferred font for SFU thesis submissions. See the Thesis Template Instructions for directions to change the default template font.

Please contact the Theses Office at [email protected] if you would like to use any fonts in your thesis other than the ones recommended.

​The default template line spacing is 1.5 for text, with single-spaced block quotations.

Margins should be set to:

• 1.25" left/right
• 1" top/bottom

All pages must be numbered sequentially as outlined below, with the exception of the title page. Page numbers should appear at the bottom centre of each page, at a minimum of 0.5” from the edge of the page.

Preliminary pages of the thesis must be numbered with Roman numerals. On the first page of the main body, page numbers must restart with 1. The thesis template is preset with this numbering style.

SFU Library does not require a specific citation style. Consult your supervisor, your department’s graduate handbook, or a liaison librarian for help with determining which style is appropriate for your research.

The default formatting in the library’s thesis template may differ from some requirements of your citation style, but it is acceptable for SFU library submission.

Cumulative, or paper-based, theses must use the same general format as other submissions. Consult your supervisor or your department's graduate handbook for more information. If including published papers in a thesis, please consult the Copyright and your thesis FAQ .

Extended essays should be combined into a single document and single submission. For an example of an extended essays title page, see the Title page formatting information .

For theses written in a language other than English, the Library requires a second complete English title page and abstract. Supporting documentation must be in English.

Individual personal information must be removed from the thesis before publication, including signatures, email addresses, and phone numbers. For example, if you are including a survey instrument or consent form, your own contact information must be removed.

Blank pages in the thesis must be removed before publication.

Graduate School

• Resources to Prepare for Graduate School
• Adonara Mucek, Ph.D. Geology '17
• Adriana Mendoza, Ph.D. Mathematics '14
• Andrew Olsen
• Becca Maher ('21, Ph.D.)
• Bryan Lynn, Ph.D. Integrative Biology
• Celeste Frazier Barthel, Ph.D. Education '21
• Diane Brandt
• Francesca Germano, Toxicology, M.S.
• Garrett Rogers
• Jafra Thomas
• Jen Hayes, Horticulture, PhD
• Jordan Jimmie
• Jordan Spradlin, Public Health, MPH
• Kalina Fahey, Psychology, Ph.D.
• Katie Stelling, Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Ph.D.
• Kelsey Contreras
• Layla Ghazi
• Marie Tosa, Ph.D. Wildlife Sciences
• Sara Letton
• Tiara Walz, Ph.D. Public Health
• Glossary of Terms
• Master's Students
• Doctoral Students
• Certificate Students
• Graduate School Orientation 2023
• Graduate Teaching Orientation 2023
• Do I Qualify to Attend Graduate Summer Step?
• Orientation for Winter, Spring and Summer Terms
• Co-sponsorships
• Your Graduate Committee
• Student Resources
• Grad Research Photo Competition
• Tips for Scheduling Committee Meetings
• Program of Study

Formatting a Thesis or Dissertation

• Pretext Pages Templates
• Commencement
• Grad Inspire
• Grievance Procedures
• Request a Workshop
• Earning Concurrent Degrees or Pursuing a Dual Major
• Career Preparation
• Grad Writing Group Challenge
• Graduate Writing Center Online
• Changing or Adding a Degree, Major or Certificate
• GRAD 420 - Graduate School Preparation
• GRAD 512 - Current Issues in Higher Education
• GRAD 513 - Professional Development in College and University Teaching
• GRAD 516 - Graduate Teaching Seminar
• GRAD 520 - Responsible Conduct of Research
• GRAD 521 - Research Data Management
• GRAD 542 - The Inclusive College Classroom
• GRAD 543 - Dialogue Facilitation in Professional Contexts: Skills and Practice for Graduate Students
• GRAD 550 - Introduction to Online Course Development and Facilitation
• GRAD 560 - Theories of Teaching and Learning
• GRAD 561 - Course Design and Methods
• GRAD 599 - Creating Happiness
• GRAD 599 - Interdisciplinary Teams
• WR 599 - Graduate Writing for English Language Learners
• WR 599 - Scientific and Technical Research Writing
• WR 599 - Writing Workshop for Thesis and Dissertation Writers
• OSU Grad Advantage
• Graduate Faculty Membership
• Graduate Council Representatives
• Policy updates
• Holistic Admissions
• Defining the Graduate Mentor
• The Importance of Mentors
• Apprenticeship and Mentoring
• Mentor and Mentee Pairing
• Maintaining and Evaluating Mentoring
• Suggestions for Mentoring Programs
• Handbooks, Manuals, and Guides
• Mentoring Bibliography
• Communication Items
• Detailed Considerations for a Joint Degree Program
• MOU Outline for Creating a Joint Program
• College and Program Recruitment Representatives
• Graduate Recruitment Tips
• Helpful Recruitment Links
• Shared Graduate Recruitment Schedule
• Leave of Absence and Family Medical Leave Eligibility
• Mentor Training for Faculty
• Student Funding
• Student Progress
• Student Progress Information for Programs
• Student Registration Information
• August 2023 Newsletter
• Sept 2023 Newsletter
• October 2023 Newsletter
• November 2023 Newsletter
• April 2024 Newsletter
• Dec 2023 Newsletter
• Feb 2024 Newsletter
• Jan 2024 Newsletter
• March 2024 Newsletter
• Strategic Plan
• Request Info
• Current Students
• Faculty Resources

You are here

On this page:

Congratulations! You have arrived at an important step in the pursuit of your graduate degree—the writing of your thesis or dissertation. Your scholarly publication reflects the results of your research and academic pursuits at Oregon State University.

Student Responsibility

Students are responsible for:

• Meeting the deadlines associated with its preparation. Visit the master's deadlines and the doctoral deadlines.
• Submitting the necessary forms.
• Ensuring that your document conforms to all requirements in this Thesis Guide.

Your document must clearly state your objectives and conclusions, and present your results in a lucid and succinct manner. It must have a professional appearance and be user-friendly.

Ethical research practice requires you to avoid the following:

• Plagiarism: failure to acknowledge the work of others by using proper citations and obtaining written permission to use copyrighted material.
• Fabrication: the creation of fictitious research results.
• Falsification: alteration of research results by misrepresentation or selective reporting of findings.

General Format

Standard Document Format refers to one thesis document that addresses a single theme. The Pretext Pages, Introduction, Conclusion, and Bibliography are mandatory. Your committee determines the additional chapters; you choose the chapter titles. The following parts comprise the Standard Document Format:

• Pretext Pages (see model pages illustrated in Figures 2-11)
• Chapter 1 – Introduction
• Chapter 2 – Literature Review
• Chapter 3 – Materials and Methods
• Chapter 4 – Results
• Chapter 5 – Discussion
• Chapter 6 – Conclusion

Bibliography

• Appendices (optional)

Manuscript Document Format is a single thesis document made up of several scholarly manuscripts or journal articles addressing a common theme. All manuscripts/articles must be related or address a single, common theme. You must be the primary author of each manuscript. Co-authors other than your major professor must be mentioned in a Contribution of Authors page (see Figure 9) in the pretext section of the document. Formatting should be consistent for each journal article and must follow the thesis guide formatting not the separate journal formats. The following parts comprise the Manuscript Document Format:

• Chapter 1 – General Introduction (common introduction linking all manuscripts thematically)
• Chapter 2 – First Manuscript
• Chapter 3 – Second Manuscript
• Chapter 4 – General Conclusion (common conclusion linking all manuscripts thematically)
• Bibliography (common bibliography covering all manuscripts, although each manuscript may have its own reference section)
• Appendices – (optional)

Note: Within the larger Manuscript Format thesis document, Chapter Heading Pages (see Figure 1 below) precede individual manuscripts that have already been published. If not published, page is not required. Manuscripts must uniformly conform to these thesis guidelines.

MANUSCRIPT TITLE CENTERED AND ALL CAPS

Your name and other authors

Journal name Address of journal Issue manuscript appears in

Figure 1. Chapter Heading Page for Manuscript Document Format

Page Layout

Margin requirements.

The left margin must be 1 inch unless printing and binding a personal or departmental copy then change to 1.5 inch. All other margins must be at least 1 inch, preferably 1.2 for top margin. Nothing may invade a margin. Every page must meet margin requirements. Margin requirements are especially important if binding a copy of your thesis.

Page Numbering

Pretext pages: Do not add page numbers to pretext pages.

Body: The body of the text begins with page 1 and all successive pages are numbered consecutively with Arabic Numbers (e.g. 2, 3, etc.) including Appendix/Appendices and Bibliography. Page numbers should be the same size and font as the body of the text. Page numbers must appear at the top right corner of pages, approximately 1 inch from the top edge of the page and at least 1 inch from the right edge of the page. Page numbers must not invade any margins. There should be at least one space between the page number and the first line of text.

Your title must be worded exactly the same throughout the document as it appears on the Abstract page, Title page and centered on page one (optional). Titles longer than one line should be single-spaced. The document's title does not count as a heading level.

Text Requirements

Text spacing.

Line spacing must be 1.5 or double, consistent throughout the document and matching which one you choose for the body of the thesis. Use single spacing only in the following situations:

• Headings longer than one line
• Figure and table titles and associated legends
• Bibliographical and reference citations
• Direct quoted material
• Items listed within the body of the text (optional)
• Where indicated in the pretext section

Use regular, unadorned print, 10- to 12-point size for text (headings may be 14-point only if all headings are 14-point). Font size within figures and tables can be smaller but must be readable. Use the same font style and font size throughout.

Chapter names are Level 1 headings. Subheadings of a chapter are Level 2 headings. Subheadings of chapter subheadings are Level 3 headings, and so forth. Each level must look different from the other levels. Headings of the same level must look the same throughout the document. All headings, regardless of level, must be the same font size. Either number all headings or number none (See figures 10a and 10b). Single space headings that are more than one line. Use adequate and consistent spacing between the headings and the text. A minimum of two subheadings may be used within a given level. Each level 1 heading begins a new page.

Appendix Heading Page

A numbered, counted page should be inserted in front of your document's appendix/appendices. The word APPENDIX (or APPENDICES) should be centered about 1/3 down this page. This heading page and its page number should appear in the Table of Contents.

Blocked Quotes

Use Blocked Quotes for quoted material longer than three lines. Use the same font size as within the text. Single-space the quotation, and indent it evenly on both sides. Left justify the quotations.

Use the same font size as within the text. Choose a reference style with the guidance of your major professor and your committee and be consistent. Single-space each citation and use adequate and consistent spacing between citations.

Footnotes collected at the end of a chapter are called endnotes. Use the same font size as within the text. Single-space each endnote, and use adequate and consistent spacing between endnotes.

Orphan Lines, Headers, Footnotes

No orphan lines may appear at the top or bottom of a page. No headers or footers may be used. Footnotes are acceptable.

Figures and Tables

Figures and tables may be located in one of two places in your document. You must choose one system and use it consistently throughout your work.

• Insert the figure within the text, as close as possible after the first reference is made to it.
• Place your figures at the end of the chapter in which it is first discussed or referenced.

Figure Definition

The definition of a figure is quite broad. “Figures” include charts, diagrams, drawings, examples, graphs, illustrations, maps, photographs, etc. In the majority of cases, if it's not a table, it is a figure. All figures must be listed in the pretext pages' List of Figures.

Table Definition

A table is broadly defined as a compact, systematic list of data (facts, figures, values, etc.), generally arranged in columns and/or rows. All tables must be listed in the pretext pages' List of Tables.

Figure and Table Labels and Captions

A figure's or table's label denote the type of figure or table and its number, and a figure's or table's caption is its title and description. Every figure or table must have a label and caption unless there is only one of its type in the document. Use consecutive label numbers by order of appearance within the text. Each figure or table must have a unique number, i.e., Table 1.1 for the first table in Chapter 1, Table 2.1 for the first table in Chapter 2, or start with 1 and number consecutively. As always, pick one method and use it consistently throughout your document. Label and caption font size is the same as body text size. Add one space between the figure or table and its label and caption, and between the figure or table and text. The label and caption should be placed outside its boundaries, commonly above a table and below a figure.

Oversized Figures and Tables

Illustrations that take up more than one page should have the label followed by “(Continued)” on the second page. If both a figure/table and its label and caption do not fit on one page, place only the label on the page with the figure or table, and place the label and caption on a separate page that precedes the figure or table (called a legend page). Single-space the label and caption and center it 1/3 of the way down the page. Include no other text on this page. List the page number of the legend page in the pretext list.

There are two ways of managing the inclusion of oversized figures if printing personal copies:

• Reduction: Photographically reduce the size of figures to meet margin requirements.Page numbers and figure captions must remain the same font size as the text.
• Accordion Fold: If you are printing a personal or departmental copy. The final folded page must be 11 inches in height and no more than 8 inches wide. Fold the page from right to left, making the final folded width 8 inches. Fold the page a second time from left to right so the page number appears in the same position as all other pages in the text.

Landscaping

Because of their shape, some figures/tables may need to be placed crosswise on a page. If so, the top of the figure/table should be at the left margin as viewed normally (i.e. portrait orientation), and the caption should be parallel to the right margin. Reformatting pages numbers to match location of portrait oriented page numbers is not required. Margin requirements apply.

Choose high-contrast colors to differentiate lines, bars, or segments or use symbols with or without the color.

Parts of the Document (in Order of Appearance)

Regardless of general format, the thesis includes particular parts in an established order as listed below. Model pages are provided for most pretext pages. In all cases, margin requirements apply (see above) and the same font style/size must be used in the body of the text and elsewhere. All titles of pretext pages should be formatted identically with respect to font size and style.

I. Pretext Pages

Download templates for pretext pages.

An abstract is a summary of the document's purpose, methods, major findings, and conclusions. Your name (designated “Student Name”) must appear exactly the same throughout the document. In all cases, use the official name of the major as found in the OSU Catalog on the Graduate School's website under Programs. Please add underlines where indicated in the examples. (See figs. 2, 3, and 4)

AN ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OF

Thomas A. Edison for the degree of Master of Science in Physics presented on January 30, 2024 A .

Title: Upon Recording Telegraph Messages Automatically.

Abstract approved: _______________________________________

Major I. Professor B

Begin text here, using the same line spacing (either double space or 1.5), font style and font size as within the body of the text in your document.

• Use official major name, not area of concentration
• Your name must appear exactly the same throughout the document
• For defense date use month spelled out, date, and year: January 30, 2022
• Title must be the same throughout the document

Figure 2. Abstract Page for Master's Degree. A The line breaks in these four lines are single space with a space after the defense date. B Include major professor's middle initial unless there is none. Do not include their title. Co-major Professors may share the same signature line; put both names below the line.

Student Name for the degree of Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies in First Concentration A . , Second Concentration , and Third Concentration presented on Defense Date B .

Title: Underlined Title Here

Major I. Professor C

• Use official major or minor name, not area of concentration

Figure 3. Abstract Page for Master's Degree. A The line breaks in these four lines are single space with a space after the defense date. B The line breaks in these six are single-spaced with a space between the defense date and title. C Include major professor's middle initial unless there is none. Do not include their title. Co-major Professors may share the same signature line; put both names below the line.

AN ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION OF

Student Name for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Official Name of Major presented on Defense Date A .

Title: Underline Title here.

Figure 4. Abstract Page for Doctoral Degree. A The line breaks in these four lines are single-spaced with a space between the defense date and title. B Include major professor's middle initial unless there is none. Do not include his/her title. Co-major Professors share the same signature line; put both names below the line with several spaces between names.

Copyright Page

Copyright by Thomas A. Edison January 30, 2022 All Rights Reserved or Creative Commons License

Figure 5. Copyright Page. Please choose either All Rights Reserved or Creative Commons License but not both. The copyright page is required. Inclusion of this page does not obligate you to go through a formal copyright process. Name must appear exactly the same throughout the document. Second line is the final defense date. Wording should begin one third down from the top and is centered.

Upon Recording Telegraph Messages Automatically

Title must match Abstract and page one title exactly. Do not boldface the title.

by Thomas A. Edison

Add two spaces after the title.  

A THESIS submitted to Oregon State University

Doctoral students may use “A DISSERTATION” instead of “A THESIS” on Title Page, Abstract, and Approval Pages.

in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of

Follow division of this sentence ( in partial fulfillment of... ) exactly.

Master of Science

Spacing should be the same after your name, “Oregon State University,” and your degree.

Presented January 30, 2023 Commencement June 2023 A

Defense date.

Figure 6. Title Page. A Commencement date is the June following the defense date, so if defense is after the commencement ceremony it would be for the following year. Only month & year, no date or it will be rejected.

Approval Page

On the Approval Page the Major Professor represents the major. The Approval Page considers your advisor as your major professor, regardless of his/ her official rank or tenure home. Official major names and department names can be found in the OSU Catalog. Some majors and departments have the same name while others differ. Your signature constitutes consent to have your document available for public reference in Valley Library, but the signatures on this page have been replaced with the ETD Submission Approval form.

Master of Science thesis of Thomas A. Edison presented on January 30, 2023.

_______________________________________ Major Professor representing Physics

_______________________________________ Head of the Department of Physics A

_______________________________________ Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School

I understand that my thesis will become part of the permanent collection of Oregon State University libraries. My signature below authorizes release of my thesis to any reader upon request.

_______________________________________ Thomas A. Edison, Author

Figure 7. Standard Approval Page. A If not part of a department, please list the head/chair/dean of the school or college.

Alternate wordings for signature lines:

Wording with two major professors:

Co-Major Professor, representing Name of Major

Head/Chair of the Name of Department, School or College

Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School

Wording with dual majors:

Co-Major Professor, representing Name of 1st Major

Co-Major Professor, representing Name of 2nd Major

Wording for MAIS:

Major Professor, representing Name of Major Area of Concentration

Director of the Interdisciplinary Studies Program

Acknowledgements

The acknowledgements page is optional but recommended. The exact content of the page is up to the student. Use same text spacing: 1.5 or double-space.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The author expresses sincere appreciation...

Figure 8. Acknowledgements Page.

Contributions

Manuscript document format only. If no contributions remove this page. Use same text spacing either 1.5 or double space.

CONTRIBUTIONS

Dr. So-and-so assisted with data collection. Such-and- such was involved with the design and writing of Chapter 2. Dr. Whoisit assisted in the interpretation of the data.

Figure 9. Contributions (manuscript format only).

Table of Contents

Ensure that the page numbers accurately reflect where the headings appear in the text. Listing the chapter headings in the Table of Contents is required; listing the subheadings is optional, and you may list some levels but not others. Levels are denoted by indention in the Table of Contents. Wording, spelling, and capitalization of headings in the Table of Contents must match the heading in the body of the text exactly. If headings are numbered in the Table of Contents, they must be numbered correspondingly in the text.

List appendix or appendices (if applicable) in the Table of Contents, if more than five then create a separate List of Appendices. In either case, list the Appendices Heading Page (see page 3) in the Table of Contents. When listing an individual appendix, include its title.

If the Table of Contents is more than one page, subsequent pages should have the heading “TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued)” and additionally "PAGE" underlined above the page numbers.

Return twice between the TABLE OF CONTENTS heading and the first item in the table.

Do not underline, bold, or italicize in the Table of Contents (unless scientific species name)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 Chapter Title

1.1 Level 2 Heading

1.2 Level 2 Heading

1.2.1 Level 3 Heading

1.2.2 Level 3 Heading

1.2.3 Level 3 Heading

1.3 Level 2 Heading

2 Chapter Title

2.1 Level 2 Heading

2.2 Level 2 Heading

2.2.1 Level 3 Heading

2.2.2 Level 3 Heading

3 Chapter Title

3.1 Level 2 Heading

3.2 Level 2 Heading

Appendix A Title

Appendix B Title

Figure 10a. Table of Contents with Numbering.

Chapter Title

Level 2 Heading

Level 3 Heading

Figure 10b. Table of Contents without Numbering.

List of Figures

Lists are required if two or more figures appear within the text. (Reference figures 11a and 11b.)

List of Tables

Lists are required if two or more tables appear within the text. (Reference figures 11a and 11b.)

Choose one of the two methods of numbering in the model pages illustrated in Figures 11a and 11b and use it for both Lists of Figures and Lists of Tables. If a list is longer than one page, subsequent pages should be headed “LIST OF FIGURES (Continued)” or “LIST OF TABLES (Continued)" along with "Figure" or "Page" underlined above the figure names and page numbers. The first sentence of the figure or table caption must be listed, and the wording must match the text exactly. List only one page number per figure or table. When there is a legend page in front of a figure (see information on FIGURES below), list the legend page only. Figures in the appendices are listed on a separate List of Appendix Figures list.

Add two spaces between the LIST OF FIGURES/TABLES heading and the first listing.

LIST OF FIGURES

Name of the figure

First sentence of the legend matches the text exactly

List only one page number

Keep numbers and words in separate columns

Figure 11a. List of Figures/Tables with Consecutive Numbering.

LIST OF TABLES

Name of the table

Spacing requirements are the same as for the List of Figures

A List of Appendix Tables would look the same

All pretext headings should look the same

Figure 11b. List of Figures/Tables with Numbering by Chapter.

List of Appendices (optional)

If list of appendices is short, it may be attached to the Table of Contents. For more than 5 appendices, or list different heading levels are listed in the appendices, a separate List of Appendices is required. If two or more figures appear in the appendices, a List of Appendix Figures and/or a List of Appendix Tables are required.

List of Appendix Figures

For two or more figures in the appendices.

List of Appendix Tables

For two or more tables in the appendices.

Other Lists

If you are including other lists, such as lists of abbreviations, nomenclature, symbols, and so forth, each list must have its own page. The elements of these lists do not need numbering or page numbers.

Dedication (optional)

If desired, you may dedicate your document to the honor of someone. Dedications are usually short. Margin requirements apply. Use the same font/font size as text body. Arrangement of page is at your discretion.

Preface (optional)

You may include a preface.

II. Body of Text

Follow standard or manuscript document format.

III. Bibliography

Iv. appendix or appendices (optional), final requirements, printing specifications.

The Graduate School no longer requires you to submit a paper copy of your thesis/dissertation.

Formatting Template

A formatting template for thesis and dissertation pretext pages can be found on our website.

Electronic Submission

Submit one PDF copy of your thesis/dissertation, without signatures, electronically to ScholarsArchive. Ensure accessibility with Adobe Acrobat Pro. For uploading and accessibility instructions refer to the library's website.

Creative Commons License

DO NOT SELECT PUBLIC DOMAIN OR CCO. You may add a Creative Commons License to your item that allows copyrighted works to be shared and re- used. Either select License Type: Creative Commons or License Type: No Creative Commons License. DO NOT assign a Creative Commons license if you plan to place an embargo on your thesis or dissertation that allows only the OSU community access to your work.

Final Documents Submitted to the Graduate School

One signed Electronic Thesis and Dissertation (ETD) Submission Approval form by your Major Professor, Head/Chair/Director/Dean of your major, and yourself. The Graduate School Dean's signature will be added after the submissions of the form.

You can request an embargo in ScholarsArchive so your work will be accessible only to Oregon State University faculty, staff and students for up to two years.

Contact Info

Graduate School Heckart Lodge 2900 SW Jefferson Way Oregon State University Corvallis, OR 97331-1102

Phone: 541-737-4881 Fax: 541-737-3313

• Programs - Majors, minors and certificates
• Academic Progress
• Student Success
• Faculty Support
• Staff Directory
• Graduate Catalog

Format Requirements for Your Dissertation or Thesis

Main navigation.

The final dissertation or thesis manuscript must have a ready-for-publication appearance and standard features.

The Office of the University Registrar does not endorse or verify the accuracy of any dissertation or thesis formatting templates that may be available to you.

It is your student responsibility to make sure that the formatting meets these requirements. Introductory material, text, and appendices must all be clearly and consistently prepared and must meet all of the specifications outlined below.

Once you upload and submit your dissertation or thesis in Axess, and it has been approved by the university, the submission is considered final and no further changes are permitted.

The digital file of the dissertation or thesis, which is sent to Stanford Libraries for cataloging, must meet certain technical requirements to ensure that it can be easily accessed by readers now and into the future. 

Follow the specifications outlined below.

Style and Format

Word and text divisions, style guides, content and layout, special instructions for d.m.a. students, order and content, page orientation, embedded links, supplementary material and publishing, supplementary material, scholarly reference, published papers and multiple authorship, use of copyrighted material, copyrighting your dissertation, file security and file name, stanford university thesis & dissertation publication license.

Pages should be standard U.S. letter size (8.5 x 11 inches).

In order to ensure the future ability to render the document, standard fonts must be used. 

For the main text body, type size should be 10, 11, or 12 point. Smaller font sizes may be used in tables, captions, etc. 

The font color must be black. 

Font Families

Acceptable font styles include:

• Times New Roman (preferred)
• Courier, Courier Bold, Courier Oblique, Courier Bold-Oblique;
• Helvetica, Helvetica Bold, Helvetica Oblique, Helvetica Bold-Oblique;
• Times, Times Bold, Times Italic, Times Bold-Italic;
• Computer Modern (or Computer Modern Roman).

Note: Do not use script or ornamental fonts. Do not use proprietary fonts.

If you use mathematical or other scientific notation in your dissertation or thesis using a font other than Symbol, you must embed the font into the PDF that is submitted to the university. 

Inner margins (left edge if single-sided; right edge for even-numbered pages, and left edge for odd-numbered pages if double-sided) must be 1.5 inches. All other margins must be one inch.

Pagination, headers, and/or footers may be placed within the margin, but no closer than one-half inch from the edge of the page.

For double-sided copies, 1.5 inches must be maintained as the inner margin. Margin requirements should apply to the entire document, including the title page.

The main text of the manuscript should be one-and-a-half or double-spaced lines, except where conventional usage calls for single spacing, such as footnotes, indented quotations, tables, etc.

Words should be divided correctly at the end of a line and may not be divided from one page to the next. Use a standard dictionary to determine word division. 

Avoid short lines that end a paragraph at the top of a page, and any heading or subheading at the bottom of a page that is not followed by text.

The dissertation and thesis must be in English. 

Language Exceptions for Dissertations Only

Approval for writing the dissertation in another language is normally granted only in cases where the other language or literature in that language is also the subject of the discipline. 

Exceptions are granted by the school dean upon submission of a written request from the chair of your major department. Approval is routinely granted for dissertations in the Division of Literature, Cultures, and Languages within department specifications.

Prior to submitting in Axess, you must send a copy of the approval letter (or email message chain) from the department dean to [email protected]    

Dissertations written in another language must include an extended summary in English (usually 15 to 20 pages in length). In this case, you should upload your English summary as a supplemental file, during Step 4 of the online submission process.

Select a standard style approved by your department and use it consistently. 

Some reliable style guides are:

• K.A. Turabian’s A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, 
• Theses and Dissertations (University of Chicago Press), and 
• the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations (Modern Language Association).

If you are a student in the Doctor of Musical Arts program, you may submit musical scores formatted at 11 x 17 inches in size. 

If you are submitting a performance as your dissertation, submit the audio file in WAV format as a supplemental file. 

Note: The maximum file size accepted for submission is 100 MB. If a performance recording exceeds the maximum file size, break the file into multiple files and submit the parts individually as supplemental files.

Your dissertation or thesis must contain the following sections. All sections must be included in a single digital file for upload.

• Title Page — The format must be followed exactly. View these title page examples for Ph.D. Dissertation and this title page sample for an Engineer Thesis . Use uppercase letters. The title of the dissertation or thesis should be a meaningful description of the content of the manuscript. Use word substitutes for formulas, symbols, superscripts, subscripts, Greek letters, etc. The month and year must be the actual month and year in which you submit your dissertation or thesis electronically to the university. (Note: A student who submits in Autumn quarter is conferred his/her degree in the following calendar year.)
• Copyright Page — The dissertation or thesis PDF uploaded in Axess should not contain a copyright page. The copyright page will be created automatically by the online submission system and inserted into the file stored by Stanford Libraries.
• Signature Page — The dissertation or thesis PDF uploaded in Axess should also not contain a signature page. The submission process has moved away from ink-signatures, so a digital facsimile of the signature page will be created automatically by the online submission system and inserted into the dissertation or thesis in its final format stored by Stanford Libraries.
• Abstract — An abstract may be included in the preliminary section of the dissertation or thesis. The abstract in the body of the dissertation or thesis follows the style used for the rest of the manuscript and should be placed following the signature page. There is no maximum permissible length for the abstract in the dissertation or thesis.    Dissertation authors must enter an abstract using the online submission form for uploading the digital dissertation or thesis file to the library. This abstract, which will be indexed for online searching, must be formatted in plain text (no HTML or special formatting). It should be a pithy and succinct version of the abstract included in the dissertation or thesis itself.
• Preface, an Acknowledgment, or a Dedication
• Table of Contents – Include page references.
• List of Tables –  Include titles and page references. This list is optional.
• List of Illustrations – Include titles and page references. This list is optional
• Introduction  
• Main body – Include suitable, consistent headings for the larger divisions and more important sub-divisions.
• Appendices.
• Bibliography or List of References.

Except for the title page, which counts as 'i' but is not physically numbered, each page of the manuscript, including all blank pages, pages between chapters, pages with text, photographs, tables, figures, maps, or computer code must be assigned a number. 

Consistent placement of pagination, at least one-half inch from the paper’s edge, should be used throughout the manuscript.

Follow these pagination instructions exactly:

• For the preliminary pages, use small Roman numerals (e.g., iv, v, vi).
• The title page is not physically numbered, but counts as page i.
• Keep in mind that a copyright page ii and augmented signature page iii (based off your student record) will automatically be inserted to your manuscript during submission.  This means you must ensure to remove pages ii and iii from your dissertation or thesis.
• Failing to remove pages ii and iii is most common formatting mistake: you must remove your copyright page ii and signature page iii from the pdf file before you submit your dissertation or thesis, and begin pagination on your abstract with page number "iv". If the document is formatted for double-sided printing with each section starting on the right page, then pagination will begin on a blank page (page"iv") and the Abstract should be numbered as page "v", and so forth.
• For the remainder of the manuscript, starting with the Introduction or Chapter 1 of the Main Body, use continuous pagination (1, 2, 3, etc) for text, illustrations, images, appendices, and the bibliography. Remember to start with Arabic numbered page 1, as this is not a continuation of the Roman numeral numbering from the preliminary pages.
• The placement of page numbers should be consistent throughout the document.

For text, illustrations, charts, graphs, etc., printed in landscape form, the orientation should be facing away from the bound edge of the paper.

Images (color, grayscale, and monochrome) included in the dissertation or thesis should be clearly discernible both on screen and when printed. The dimensions should not exceed the size of the standard letter-size page (8.5” x 11”).

Image resolution should be 150 dots per inch (dpi), though resolutions as low as 72 dpi (and no lower) are acceptable. 

The format of images embedded in the PDF should be JPEG or EPS (the format JPEG2000 is also acceptable when it is supported in future versions of the PDF format). GIF and PNG are not preferred image file formats.

Large images, including maps and charts or other graphics that require high resolution, should not be included in the main dissertation or thesis file. Instead, they can be submitted separately as supplemental files and formatted in other formats as appropriate. 

Multimedia, such as audio, video, animation, etc., must not be embedded in the body of the dissertation or thesis. These media types add size and complexity to the digital file, introducing obstacles to users of the dissertation or thesis who wish to download and read (and “play back”) the content, and making it more difficult to preserve over time.

If you wish to include multimedia with your submission, upload the media separately as a stand-alone file in an appropriate media format. See Supplementary Material section below.

It is acceptable to include “live” (i.e., clickable) web URLs that link to online resources within the dissertation or thesis file. Spell out each URL in its entirety (e.g., http://www.stanford.edu ) rather than embedding the link in text (e.g., Stanford homepage ). By spelling out the URL, you improve a reader’s ability to understand and access the link reference.

Supplementary material may be submitted electronically with the dissertation or thesis. This material includes any supporting content that is useful for understanding the dissertation or thesis, but is not essential to the argument. It also covers core content in a form that can not be adequately represented or embedded in the PDF format, such as an audio recording of a musical performance.

Supplementary materials are submitted separately than the dissertation or thesis file, and are referred to as supplemental files.

A maximum of twenty supplemental files can be submitted. There are no restrictions on the file formats. The maximum file size is 1 GB.

You are encouraged to be judicious about the volume and quality of the supplemental files, and to employ file formats that are widely used by researchers generally, if not also by scholars of the discipline.

The following table outlines recommended file formats for different content types. By following these recommendations, the author is helping to ensure ongoing access to the material.

After uploading each supplemental file, it is important to enter a short description or label (maximum 120 characters for file name and the description). This label will be displayed to readers in a list of the contents for the entire submission.

If copyrighted material is part of the supplementary material, permission to reuse and distribute the content must be obtained from the owner of the copyright. Stanford Libraries requires copies of permission letters (in PDF format) to be uploaded electronically when submitting the files, and assumes no liability for copyright violations. View this sample permission letter .

System restrictions allow for a maximum of 10 individually uploaded permission files. If you have more than 10 permission files we recommend combining all permission letters into a single PDF file for upload.

In choosing an annotation or reference system, you should be guided by the practice of your discipline and the recommendations of your departments. In addition to the general style guides listed in the Style section above, there are specific style guides for some fields. When a reference system has been selected, it should be used consistently throughout the dissertation or thesis. The placement of footnotes is at your discretion with reading committee approval.

An important aspect of modern scholarship is the proper attribution of authorship for joint or group research. If the manuscript includes joint or group research, you must clearly identify your contribution to the enterprise in an introduction.

The inclusion of published papers in a dissertation or thesis is the prerogative of the major department. Where published papers or ready-for-publication papers are included, the following criteria must be met:

• There must be an introductory chapter that integrates the general theme of the research and the relationship between the chapters. The introduction may also include a review of the literature relevant to the dissertation or thesis topic that does not appear in the chapters.
• Multiple authorship of a published paper should be addressed by clearly designating, in an introduction, the role that the dissertation or thesis author had in the research and production of the published paper. The student must have a major contribution to the research and writing of papers included in the dissertation or thesis.
• There must be adequate referencing of where individual papers have been published.
• Written permission must be obtained for all copyrighted materials. Letters of permission must be uploaded electronically in PDF form when submitting the dissertation or thesis. 
• The submitted material must be in a form that is legible and reproducible as required by these specifications. The Office of the University Registrar will approve a dissertation or thesis if there are no deviations from the normal specifications that would prevent proper dissemination and utilization of the dissertation or thesis. If the published material does not correspond to these standards, it will be necessary for you to reformat that portion of the dissertation or thesis.
• Multiple authorship has implications with respect to copyright and public release of the material. Be sure to discuss copyright clearance and embargo options with your co-authors and your advisor well in advance of preparing your thesis for submission.

If copyrighted material belonging to others is used in your dissertation or thesis or is part of your supplementary materials, you must give full credit to the author and publisher of the work in all cases, and obtain permission from the copyright owner for reuse of the material unless you have determined that your use of the work is clearly fair use under US copyright law (17 USC §107). 

The statute sets out four factors that must be considered when assessing Fair Use:

• the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purpose;
• the nature of the copyrighted work;
• the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and
• the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.

The Association of American University Presses requires permission for any quotations that are reproduced as complete units (poems, letters, short stories, essays, journal articles, complete chapters or sections of books, maps, charts, graphs, tables, drawings, or other illustrative materials). You can find this guideline and other detailed information on Fair Use at http://fairuse.stanford.edu . 

If you are in doubt, it is safest to obtain permission. Permission to use copyrighted material must be obtained from the owner of the copyright. Stanford Libraries requires copies of permission letters (in PDF format) to be uploaded electronically when submitting the dissertation or thesis, and assumes no liability for copyright violations. For reference, view this sample permission letter .

Copyright protection is automatically in effect from the time the work is in fixed form. A proper copyright statement consisting of the copyright symbol, the author’s name, year of degree conferral, and the phrase “All Rights Reserved” will be added automatically to the dissertation or thesis in its final form.

Registration of copyright is not required, but it establishes a public record of your copyright claim and enables copyright owners to litigate against infringement. You need not register your copyright with the U.S. Copyright Office at the outset, although registration must be made before the copyright may be enforced by litigation in case of infringement. 

Early registration does have certain advantages: it establishes a public record of your copyright claim, and if registration has been made prior to the infringement of your work, or within three months after its publication, qualifies you to be awarded statutory damages and attorney fees in addition to the actual damages and profits available to you as the copyright owner (should you ever have to sue because of infringement).

For more information about copyright, see the Stanford Libraries' resource on Copyright Considerations .

For further information on Registration of Copyright, see https://www.copyright.gov/registration/ .

Do not require a password to make changes to your submitted PDF file, or apply other encryption or security measures. Password-protected files will be rejected.

The file name and description will be printed on a page added to your dissertation or thesis, so choose a file name accordingly.

Important note: File names may only consist of alphanumeric characters, hyphen, underscore, at sign, space, ampersand, and comma – before the ending period and file extension.  Specifically,

• A file name cannot start with a space, period (nor contain a period), underscore, or hyphen.
• Files names must be 120 characters or less.

Here is an example of a filename that is allowed, including all of the possible characters:

• A Study of Social Media with a Focus on @Twitter Accounts, Leland Student_30AUG2023.pdf

In submitting a thesis or dissertation to Stanford, the author grants The Trustees of Leland Stanford Junior University (Stanford) the non-exclusive, worldwide, perpetual, irrevocable right to reproduce, distribute, display and transmit author's thesis or dissertation, including any supplemental materials (the Work), in whole or in part in such print and electronic formats as may be in existence now or developed in the future, to sub-license others to do the same, and to preserve and protect the Work, subject to any third-party release or display restrictions specified by Author on submission of the Work to Stanford.

Author further represents and warrants that Author is the copyright holder of the Work, and has obtained all necessary rights to permit Stanford to reproduce and distribute third-party materials contained in any part of the Work, including use of third-party images, text, or music, as well as all necessary licenses relating to any non-public, third-party software necessary to access, display, and run or print the Work. Author is solely responsible and will indemnify Stanford for any third party claims related to the Work as submitted for publication.

Author warrants that the Work does not contain information protected by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), confidentiality agreements, or contain Stanford Prohibited, Restricted or Confidential data described on the University IT website , or other data of a private nature.

Stanford is under no obligation to use, display or host the work in any way and may elect not to use the work for any reason including copyright or other legal concerns, financial resources, or programmatic need.

Formatting your Thesis and Dissertation:Tools,Tips and Troubleshooting

• I am a new Graduate Student at Florida Tech!
• Thesis and Dissertation Templates
• Learn About Zotero
• Formatting Landscape Pages
• Line Spacing
• Page Numbers
• Page Break and Section Breaks
• Table of Contents or Figures
• Figures Turning Black
• Margin issues with Tables
• Page numbers not appearing
• PDF to PDF/A
• Section Breaks
• Landscape Page Numbers
• Troubleshoot LaTeX formatting issues
• Copyright and Creative Commons Licenses Primer
• Do I need to embargo my thesis or dissertation?
• I'm ready to submit my electronic copy - now what do I do?
• What is the process for obtaining print copies of my thesis or dissertation?

Adjust Spacing Between Lines

Spacing Issues on Signature Page

Highlight the text you are wanting to change then on the Home Ribbon, choose the line spacing symbol, select the desired spacing typically 1.5 for Thesis and 2.0 for Dissertations. Using the Add Space or Remove Space options as needed.

For the Signature page copying and pasting one of the signature lines is usually the easiest method.

 Then removing any excess lines so the pages stays single paged.

If issues persist there are some alternative layouts in the Thesis Manual and Style Guide

 Page 79 (OGP Manual)

• << Previous: Formatting Landscape Pages
• Next: Page Numbers >>
• Last Updated: Mar 25, 2024 10:53 AM
• URL: https://libguides.lib.fit.edu/formattingyourthesisanddissertationtoolstipstroubleshooting

• KU Libraries
• Subject & Course Guides
• KU Thesis and Dissertation Formatting
• Fonts and Spacing

KU Thesis and Dissertation Formatting: Fonts and Spacing

• Formatting Specifics
• Title and Acceptance Pages
• Page Numbering
• Table of Contents
• List of Figures
• Rotating Charts or Tables
• Working with Footnotes
• Converting to PDF
• Embedding Fonts
• Completed KU Dissertations & Theses
• About: Survey of Earned Doctorates
• Copyright and ETD Release Form
• Resources for KUMC Students
• Thesis/Dissertation Filenames
• LaTeX/BibTeX Support

Office of Graduate Studies Thesis and Dissertation Formatting Guidelines

These rules are taken from the KU Office of Graduate Studies Thesis or Dissertation Formatting Guidelines. To see the full thesis or dissertation formatting requirements, visit https://graduate.ku.edu/submitting

• Students should use the same font size (11- or 12-point) and style (typically Times New Roman) through the thesis, including labels and references.
• Tables, captions, and footnotes should use the same font style but may be smaller in size (usually 10-point).
• Chapter and section headings may be bold and no more than 2 points larger than the text size.
• Non-standard typefaces, such as script, are generally not acceptable except for commonly used symbols.
• The Office of Graduate Studies recommends that students get their font choice approved by their department and their graduate division before the thesis defense.
• Lettering and symbols in tables and figures should be no less than 10 points.
• Normally theses and dissertations use double-spaced formatting.
• Single-spaced formatting is acceptable in the table of contents, footnotes, end notes, charts, graphs, tables, block quotations, captions, glossary, appendices and bibliography.
• Students may use singe- or one-and-a-half-spacing for the body of the text with prior written approval of their thesis committee and graduate division.

Subject Guide

• << Previous: Title and Acceptance Pages
• Next: Page Numbering >>
• Last Updated: Apr 12, 2024 11:31 AM
• URL: https://guides.lib.ku.edu/etd

Format your thesis

When submitting thesis work for assessment, there are several sets of requirements that must be met.

All submissions must meet the specifications listed within the ‘ Nature of the thesis ’ section in the Policy on Research Degrees . These include the requirement to present your thesis for examination, and for deposit after examination.

In addition, your work must also meet the different University requirements set out below - those listed for ' all theses ' and any style specific requirements. Where relevant, you may also need to meet additional subject or programme-specific requirements - these will be set out in your departmental Postgraduate Researcher (PGR) handbook.

[email protected] +44 (0)1904 325962 Student Hub, Information Centre Basement, Market Square

Related links

Requirements for:

• Monograph (traditional) theses
• Journal-style theses
• Hardcopy versions

Types of thesis

There are two main types of thesis.

• A monograph or traditional thesis : a unified, single author document comprising a number of chapters with an introduction and conclusion.
• A journal-style thesis : a document that incorporates one or more chapters that are in a format suitable for publication in a peer-reviewed title alongside a supporting commentary.

Most postgraduate researchers (PGRs) will likely submit a monograph thesis, however journal-style theses are becoming increasingly common in certain disciplines. If you are interested in submitting a journal-style thesis you should check that your school/department/centre permits this and read the University guidance .

Practice-based PGR programmes

If you are doing a practice-based programme, you may be required (or permitted) to submit an alternative assessment format instead of, or in addition to, a thesis (eg a portfolio of work).

Requirements for all theses

All thesis types must adhere to the following requirements:

To meet electronic thesis (e-thesis) guidelines, your main thesis text must be submitted as a PDF document.

If your thesis will include any other file formats in addition to PDF (eg audio files, data spreadsheets), you should refer to our e-thesis file format guidance .

Once deposited, your e-thesis will be publicly available via the White Rose eTheses Online (WREO) unless you have arranged an embargo.

Printing and e-theses

While theses are submitted and deposited electronically, they need to be presented in such a way that they can be easily read in electronic form and printed without issue (eg if this is required by the examiners or by your funder). For more information on preparing a printable copy of your thesis, see our hardcopy thesis guidance .

Your e-thesis needs to be an accessible document , meaning that it should be easy for anyone to read or reformat, and can be accessed by people using assistive technology (such as screen readers).

There are some simple steps you will need to take to ensure that your e-thesis meets accessibility standards.

• Use the headings function within your chosen software package to produce a structured document.
• Add alternative text to images/videos/graphs/tables etc.
• Always use the number/bullet point function within your software package when creating a list.
• Use meaningful hyperlinks.
• Use tables sparingly and format them with a header row and, where appropriate, a header column.

For further details, please see the section on legibility below, as well as guidance on making your e-thesis accessible .

The title page of every volume should only include the following information in the order listed, and on separate lines:

• the full title of the thesis and any subtitle
• the total number of volumes, if more than one, and the number of the particular volume
• the full name of the author, followed, if desired, by any qualifications and distinctions
• the qualification for which the thesis is being deposited (for example PhD or MA by Research)
• the name of the University
• the name of the School, Department or Centre in which the research was conducted. You must refer to the list of approved names on the submit your thesis web page
• the month and year the thesis was first submitted for examination.

If there is a cover page included in advance of, and in addition, to the title page, this may be a single colour with clearly visible text in a contrasting colour. The cover should have the same information as the title page, as listed above.

The abstract should follow the title page. It should provide a synopsis of the thesis, stating the nature and scope of work undertaken and the contribution made to knowledge in the subject area. It should appear on its own on a single page and should not exceed 300 words in length. The abstract of the thesis may, after the award of the degree, be published by the University in any manner approved by the Senate, and for this purpose, the copyright of the abstract shall be deemed to be vested in the University.

In this section you must confirm that your thesis meets the requirements of the 'Nature of the Thesis' section Policy on Research Degrees , and in particular that it:

• is your own original work (or if work has been done in collaboration with others, full disclosure of the names of your colleagues and the contribution they have made)
• has not been previously submitted for any degree or other qualification at this University or elsewhere (unless an internal resubmission).

You must also state whether any material in the thesis has been presented for publication (including if under review) with full references. The minimum required is as follows:

I declare that this thesis is a presentation of original work and I am the sole author. This work has not previously been presented for a degree or other qualification at this University or elsewhere. All sources are acknowledged as references. For further guidance on the inclusion of published material and authorship, see the University requirements on journal-style theses .

The text and, wherever possible, all the material of the thesis (including illustrations), should be based on A4 page size (297mm x 210mm).

Typographic design

Text and its setting (font, size, line spacing, margins) must be chosen to ensure legibility.

Text, in general, should be black, sans serif and should not be embellished (ie no general use of coloured text or fancy fonts, no section separators, etc).

For ease of reading, the size of character used in the main text should be no less than 11pt.

Text should normally be set with even or proportionate spacing between words. Word division at the ends of lines should be avoided, if possible.

It is recommended that 1.5 line spacing or equivalent is used, although lines that contain mathematical formulae, diacritical marks or strings of capital letters may need additional space.

It should be clear when a new paragraph is starting and where matter in the text is being quoted.

A bibliographical reference must be given for every work, published or unpublished, cited in your thesis.

Citations should be in a consistent and approved format as specified by your school, department or centre. References should be collated in a reference list or a combined reference list/bibliography. 

Please refer to referencing guidance issued by your school, department or centre and the University's guidelines for further information.

After the deposit of your examined thesis in WREO, and before you leave the University, you should ensure that your research data is retained and deposited in a suitable data repository or, more rarely, disposed of securely. Research data that supports the findings in your thesis should normally be retained, unless there are legal, ethical, funder or contractual requirements that would prohibit its retention.

For guidance see Sharing, preserving and depositing your data or contact the Library's Research Support Team for further information or advice.

Download a copy of these requirements (you will need to be logged into your University of York Google account) :

Format your thesis (Google doc)

Additional thesis-specific guidance

• Langson Library
• Science Library
• Grunigen Medical Library
• Law Library
• Connect From Off-Campus
• Accessibility
• Gateway Study Center

Email this link

Thesis / dissertation formatting manual (2024).

• Filing Fees and Student Status
• Submission Process Overview
• Electronic Thesis Submission
• Paper Thesis Submission
• Formatting Overview
• Fonts/Typeface
• Pagination, Margins, Spacing
• Paper Thesis Formatting
• Preliminary Pages Overview
• Copyright Page
• Dedication Page
• Table of Contents
• List of Figures (etc.)
• Acknowledgements
• Text and References Overview
• Figures and Illustrations
• Using Your Own Previously Published Materials
• Using Copyrighted Materials by Another Author
• Open Access and Embargoes
• Copyright and Creative Commons
• Ordering Print (Bound) Copies
• Tutorials and Assistance
• FAQ This link opens in a new window

Selecting a Font (Typeface)

Be consistent in the use of font/typeface throughout your manuscript. All text material must be in the same font/typeface; all headings and figure/table titles/captions must be in a consistent typeface.

Please select a font and size that is highly legible and will reproduce clearly. Ornate or decorative fonts such as script, calligraphy, gothic, italics, or specialized art fonts are not acceptable. For electronic submissions, embedded fonts are required.

Any symbols, equations, figures, drawings, diacritical marks, or lines that cannot be typed, and therefore are drawn, must be added in permanent black ink.

Below are suggested fonts and sizes.

Establish and follow a consistent pattern for layout of all headings.  All headings should use the same font size, font weight, typeface, etc.

For example: center all major headings; place secondary headings at least two lines below major headings.

Typeface/Printing Quality (Paper Submissions Only)

If you are submitting your manuscript on paper, printer quality is critical to produce a clean, clear image. You are strongly urged to use a laser printer, as ink jet and line printers generally do not produce fully clear, legible results. Dot matrix-type printers are not acceptable.

• << Previous: Formatting Overview
• Next: Pagination, Margins, Spacing >>
• Last Updated: Feb 20, 2024 2:09 PM
• URL: https://guides.lib.uci.edu/gradmanual

Off-campus? Please use the Software VPN and choose the group UCIFull to access licensed content. For more information, please Click here

Software VPN is not available for guests, so they may not have access to some content when connecting from off-campus.

• University News
• Academic Departments A-Z
• Map & Directions
• Careers at HKUST
• Faculty Profiles
• About HKUST
• HKUST Fok Ying Tung Graduate School
• Administration
• PG Facts and Figures
• Publications
• Postgrad Channel

About FYTGS

• Program Types
• Areas of Studies
• PG Prospectus and Booklets
• Continuing and Professional Education
• Programs and Courses
• HKUST College of LifeLong Learning
• Useful Links
• How to Apply
• Admission Requirements
• Admission Timeline
• Documents Required
• Scholarships & Fees
• Online Application
• Accepting an Offer
• Submitting Official Documents
• Applying for Student Visa
• Handy Resources for Preparing Your Studies
• Moving to Hong Kong (for Non-Local Students)
• PG Visiting Internship Students (Research Only)
• Visiting PG Students (Coursework Only)
• PG Exchange Students
• Associate Postgraduate Students
• Preparing your Short-Term Study @HKUST

• Aims and Objectives of Research Postgraduate Education
• Strategic Framework for Taught Postgraduate Education
• Programs & Courses
• Academic Standards
• Code of Practice for RPg Thesis Supervision
• Academic Requirements for RPg Students

Handbook for Research Postgraduate Studies

• Handbook for Taught Postgraduate Studies
• Scholarships for Admission
• Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme
• Targeted Taught Postgraduate Programmes Fellowships Scheme
• Other Funding & Scholarships

Scholarship

• Guidelines & Forms
• Online Systems
• Program/Course Guidelines and Proposals
• Introduction
• Meeting Schedules
• Meeting Documents
• Circulation
• Annual Reports
• Annual Reporting of Self-financing Programs
• Working Schedule
• Student Surveys and Statistics
• Training Series for HKUST(GZ)
• PG Outreach and Admissions
• Quick Access
• Download Prospectus
• University Governance
• Student Conduct and Academic Integrity
• Policies and Practices Governing Research Activities
• Scholarships, Awards and Financial Assistance
• Registration in Programs
• Study Commitment
• Curriculum Requirements (with guidelines on thesis research)
• Course Registration
• Course Substitution and Credit Transfer
• Course Grading
• Progression and Academic Standing
• Appeals and Grievance Channels
• Glossary of Terms

Guidelines on Thesis Preparation

A. introduction.

• The guidelines in this document seek to ensure that theses are presented in a form suitable for library cataloging, preserving and access by users. The thesis will take its place in the library as a product of original thinking, research, and writing; its form must be comparable to other published works.
• These guidelines cover the general rules of format and appearance. For content requirements, students should consult their Thesis Supervision Committee (TSC).
• It is the student’s responsibility to follow the requirements presented here. Thesis copies that do not meet these requirements will not be accepted.
• Because of changes in requirements over time, students should not use existing library or departmental copies of theses as examples of current proper format.

B. Originality

• Consist of the student’s own account of his/her investigations;
• Be either a record of original work or an ordered, critical and thorough exposition of existing knowledge,
• Be an integrated whole, presenting a coherent argument;
• Give a critical assessment of the relevant literature, describe the method of research and its findings, and discuss those findings; and
• Include a full bibliography.
• Consist of the student’s own account of his/her investigations
• Make original, distinct contribution(s) to our knowledge of the subject and afford evidence or originality by the discovery of new facts and/or by the exercise of independent critical power;
• Be an integrated whole with a coherent argument;
• Give a critical assessment of the relevant literature, describe the method of research and its findings, and discuss those findings, particularly with regard to how these findings appear to the candidate to have advanced the study of the subject;
• Include a full bibliography; and
• Be of a standard to merit publication in whole, in part or in a revised form (for example, as a monograph or as a number of articles in learned journals).

C. Components

• Thesis title
• Full name of the candidate
• Degree for which the thesis is submitted
• Name of the University, i.e. The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
• Month and year of submission
• Authorization page
• Signature page
• Acknowledgments
• Table of contents
• Lists of figures and tables
• Thesis body
• Bibliography
• Appendices and other addenda, if any.
• The copyright of the thesis as a literary work vests in its author (the student).
• The authorization gives HKUST Library a non-exclusive right to make it available for scholarly research.
• Signature page. This page provides signatures of the thesis supervisor(s) and Department Head confirming that the thesis is satisfactory.

The student is required to declare, in this section, the extent to which assistance has been given by his/her faculty and staff, fellow students, external bodies or others in the collection of materials and data, the design and construction of apparatus, the performance of experiments, the analysis of data, and the preparation of the thesis (including editorial help). In addition, it is appropriate to recognize the supervision and advice given by the thesis supervisor(s) and members of TSC.

Every copy of the thesis must have an English abstract, being a concise summary of the thesis, in 300 words or less .

The list of sources and references used should be presented in a standard format appropriate to the discipline; formatting should be consistent throughout.

• Sample pages of both MPhil and PhD theses are provided here ( MPhil / PhD ), with specific instructions for formatting page content (centering, spacing, etc.).

D. Language, Style and Format

Theses should be written in English.

Students in the School of Humanities and Social Science who are pursuing research work in the areas of Chinese Studies, and who can demonstrate a need to use Chinese to write their theses should seek prior approval from the School via their thesis supervisor and the divisional head. If approval is granted, students are also required to produce a translation of the title page, authorization page, signature page, table of contents and the abstract in English.

• All pages, starting with the Title page should be numbered.
• All page numbers should be centered, at the bottom of each page.
• Page numbers of materials preceding the body of the text should be in small Roman numerals.
• Page numbers of the text, beginning with the first page of the first chapter and continuing through the bibliography, including any pages with tables, maps, figures, photographs, etc., and any subsequent appendices, should be in Arabic numerals.
• Start a new page after each chapter or section but not after a sub-section.
• A conventional font, size 12-point, 10 to 12 characters per inch must be used.
• One-and-a-half line spacing should be used throughout the thesis, except for abstracts, indented quotations or footnotes where single line spacing may be used.
• All margins—top, bottom, sides—should be consistently 25mm (or no more than 30mm) in width. The same margin should be used throughout a thesis. Exceptionally, margins of a different size may be used when the nature of the thesis requires it.
• Footnotes may be placed at the bottom of the page, at the end of each chapter or after the end of the thesis body.
• Like references, footnotes should be presented in a standard format appropriate to the discipline.
• Both the position and format of footnotes should be consistent throughout the thesis.

The format of each appended item should be consistent with the nature of that item, whether text, diagram, figure, etc., and should follow the guidelines for that item as listed here.

Figures, tables, graphs, etc., should be positioned according to the scientific publication conventions of the discipline, e.g., interspersed in text or collected at the end of chapters. Charts, graphs, maps, and tables that are larger than a standard page should be provided as appendices.

• High contrast photos should be used because they reproduce well. Photographs with a glossy finish and those with dark backgrounds should be avoided.
• Images should be dense enough to provide 300 ppi for printing and 72 dpi for viewing.

Raw files, datasets, media files, and high resolution photographs/images of any format can be included. Note: Students should get approval from their Department Head before deviating from any of the above requirements concerning paper size, font, margins, etc.

E. Creating PDF files

• Theses must be submitted in PDF format. Providing a properly generated PDF file ensures the manuscript can be read using different platforms (Windows, Mac, etc.), that it displays as intended, and that it can be readily indexed.
• All fonts should be embedded.
• Image resolution should be dense enough to provide 300 ppi for printing and 72 dpi for viewing.
• The final thesis should be submitted as a single PDF file.
• PDF files should NOT be encrypted, as text cannot be extracted from encrypted PDFs for full text indexing or storage. Encrypted PDF files will NOT be accepted.

F. Thesis Submission Protocol

• The final thesis must be free from typographical, grammatical and other errors when submitted to the Thesis Submission System. In particular, the thesis supervisor and the Department Head/Program Director should not sign off on the final thesis that is not, to the best of their knowledge, free of errors.

For examination purpose, sufficient hard or electronic thesis copies are to be submitted to the Department at least four weeks before the thesis examination. The number of copies required will depend on the number of examiners.

Students should submit the draft thesis to the iThenticate platform for originality check. The draft thesis together with the iThenticate report should be submitted to the Department no less than four weeks before the thesis examination.

On successful completion of the thesis examination, and after any required corrections, students must submit a copy of the final thesis (either hard/electronic) to their Department, which will arrange for the appropriate signatures of approval to be obtained.

For final theses which have been graded “Passed subject to minor corrections” or “Passed subject to major corrections”, students are required to submit the thesis for originality check via iThenticate . The iThenticate report should be handed in to the thesis supervisor(s), and the Thesis Examination Committee if applicable, for review and endorsement via their Department.

The Department will then return the signed Signature Page to the candidate.

The candidate will upload and submit the Signature Page and the Authorization Page as a PDF file and the final thesis as another PDF file to the University’s Thesis Submission System. The candidate does not need to replace the two unsigned pages in the thesis PDF with the scanned signature pages. The final thesis will be forwarded to the thesis supervisor(s) for approval via the Thesis Submission System.

G. Copyright

According to the University’s Intellectual Property Policy, students shall own the copyright in respect of their written coursework, theses, papers and publications themselves as a whole as literary works. More details are available here .

H. Thesis Binding

Students may wish to keep personal copies of their thesis. They may arrange for such copies on their own and at their own expense. Service from MTPC of the University is one option (details below). Students may explore other binderies for the binding service. In any case, the binding of the thesis must correspond with the University regulations.

How To Choose The Thesis Font Type For Your Dissertation – Deatils Information

Writing a dissertation is one of the most significant academic achievements you will undertake. Choosing the right font type for your thesis is essential to presenting your research professionally and elegantly.

The type of font you choose can affect your research’s readability, clarity, and overall impression. With so many font options available, deciding which font type is best suited for your research can be challenging. We’ll guide you through choosing the perfect font type for your research.

We’ll discuss key factors to consider when choosing a font, such as legibility, readability, and aesthetics, and provide practical tips to help you make an informed decision. Additionally, we will explore different font types commonly used in academic writing, including serif, sans-serif, and monospace fonts, and highlight their unique characteristics and applications. Whether you are an experienced academic writer or a novice dissertation writer, this post will equip you with knowledge and skills.

Table of Contents

What Is A Thesis Font Type?

Choosing the right font type can be an important decision when writing a thesis. The most common font types used for academic writing, including theses, are Times New Roman and Arial. Both fonts are easily read and widely accepted as appropriate for academic writing.

However, some universities or departments may have specific requirements for font type, so it is important to check with your advisor or institution before making a final decision. Ultimately, the most important thing is to choose a font that is easy to read and does not distract from the content of your thesis.

Thesis Font Choosing The Right Typeface For Your Research

When choosing the right font for your thesis, it’s important to consider both readability and professionalism. While many options are available, some fonts may not be appropriate for academic work. Here are some tips for choosing the right typeface for your research:

• Stick with traditional fonts. Times New Roman, Arial, and Calibri are commonly used in academic papers and have a professional look.
• Avoid decorative or script fonts . While these may be aesthetically pleasing, they can be difficult to read and may not be taken seriously by your readers.
• Consider font size and spacing. Ensure that your chosen font is legible when printed at a small size and that there is enough spacing between lines to make reading comfortable.

Choosing the right font is an important part of presenting your research clearly and professionally. Take the time to choose a font that will enhance the readability of your work and reflect the level of professionalism expected in academic writing.

Factors To Consider When Choosing A Thesis Font

When choosing the perfect font for your thesis, there are various factors to consider. First and foremost, readability is a crucial aspect. Choosing a font that is easy on the eyes and doesn’t cause any strain is important. Additionally, professionalism is key in academic writing, so select a font that aligns with the formality required in your dissertation.

Consistency is also vital; use a single font throughout your thesis to maintain a cohesive look. Finally, accessibility should be considered to ensure that everyone can read and understand your work regardless of their visual abilities. Considering these factors, you can find the perfect thesis font type that complements your research topic and style while meeting academic requirements.

Readability

Ensuring that your dissertation is readable is crucial when selecting a font type for your thesis. A font that is too small or difficult to read can make your work less accessible and harder to understand, ultimately hindering its impact on readers.

Sans-serif fonts like Arial or Helvetica are often recommended for their clarity and legibility, while serif fonts like Times New Roman can add a more traditional touch. Additionally, it’s essential to consider the spacing between letters and lines and any special characters or symbols required in your thesis.

Legibility is a crucial factor to consider when selecting a font for your thesis. The last thing you want is to make your work less accessible and harder to comprehend by using a font that is illegible or too small in size. Stick with simple, clear fonts like Times New Roman or Arial, which are popular for academic writing due to their easy-to-read letters.

Avoid using overly intricate or decorative fonts that can detract from the legibility of your work. Be mindful of the font size and spacing between letters and lines as well, as these factors can also affect the legibility of your document.

Selecting the appropriate font size for your thesis is crucial to its readability and overall appearance. Most universities require a font size between 10 and 12 points, but it’s essential to check with your specific institution for their guidelines.

Choosing a font size that is too small can make your thesis difficult to read while selecting one that is too large can make it appear unprofessional. Consider the content of your thesis when deciding on a font size – if it contains detailed charts or diagrams, you may need a slightly larger font for optimal clarity.

Tips For Formatting Your Thesis Font

When formatting your thesis font, following a few tips can go a long way in creating a professional-looking and readable document. First, choose a font that is easy on the eyes and appropriate for academic writing. Stick to one or two fonts throughout your thesis to maintain consistency and avoid distracting your readers.

Additionally, attention to the font size, line spacing, margins, and indentation. Ensuring that these elements are consistent and properly formatted can make a significant difference in the overall appearance of your thesis. Finally, proofread your work before submission to ensure it meets all necessary guidelines and requirements.

Properly formatted margins can make or break the appearance of your thesis, so it’s essential to get them right. Margins are crucial in improving readability and ensuring that your thesis looks professional.

The standard margin size for academic papers is 1 inch on all sides, but it’s essential to check with your institution’s guidelines as some universities may require different sizes. Paying attention to the margins can help ensure that your thesis looks polished and well put together.

Line Spacing

Effective formatting of a thesis font includes appropriate line spacing to ensure readability. Line spacing is an essential factor that impacts your thesis’s overall appearance and readability. It is important to balance too much space or too little space between each line. Single-spacing can make the text appear cramped, while double-spacing creates too much white space, making reading challenging.

Most universities require a line spacing of 1.5 or 2.0 for academic papers, but it’s crucial to check with your department or advisor for specific guidelines in your academic discipline. Proper line spacing helps improve the document’s visual appeal and makes it easier for readers to engage with the content.

Indentation

Indentation is an essential factor to consider when formatting your thesis font. It helps create a clear and organized document by separating each paragraph from the previous one. The standard indentation for academic writing is 0.5 inches or five to seven spaces.

Consistent application of indentation throughout your document, including in block quotes and reference lists, can make your thesis look more professional and easier to read. Proper use of indentation gives your work a structured appearance, making it easy for readers to navigate your document easily.

The right font choice is essential when it comes to pagination in your thesis. You want to select a legible and distinguishable font for page numbers. Arial, Times New Roman, and Calibri are popular choices for pagination in academic documents.

Additionally, consider using bold or italic formatting for page numbers to make them stand out and avoid confusion. Remember that choosing the right pagination font is just one of many factors contributing to a professional-looking and well-organized thesis.

How To Change The Thesis Font Type In Adobe Indesign?

When it comes to changing the thesis font type in Adobe InDesign , there are a few things to consider. First and foremost, choosing a font that is easily readable and appropriate for academic writing is crucial. Consider the purpose of your thesis and the audience you are writing for when selecting a font.

Adobe InDesign offers a variety of font options, so take the time to explore different choices and find one that suits your needs. Once you’ve selected your font, test it on different devices and screen sizes to ensure readability. Following any specific guidelines or requirements set by your university or academic institution regarding font type and size is essential for achieving a professional-looking document.

Choosing the right font type for your dissertation can be a daunting task. However, there are some guidelines that you can follow to make the process easier. Choosing the right font for your thesis is an important aspect of your dissertation writing process. This can make or break the readability and clarity of your research paper.

Consider font size, readability, and legibility when choosing a typeface for your thesis. Ensure you maintain formatting consistency throughout the dissertation by following proper margins, line spacing, indentation, and page placement tips. Remember, the right font enhances the overall impact of your research paper.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best font for the thesis.

Regarding fonts for a thesis, serif fonts like Times New Roman, Georgia, and Garamond are typically the best choices as they tend to be more legible in print. It’s important to choose a font that is easy on the eyes and meets the guidelines of your academic institution. Ultimately, the font choice will depend on personal preference and the specific requirements of your thesis.

What Is The Standard Font Size For The Thesis?

The standard font size for a thesis is generally 12 points, but it’s always a good idea to check with your university or department for any specific requirements. It’s essential to maintain font size consistency throughout the document. However, selecting a legible and professional font that is easy to read is more important than the size of the font.

What Font Is Used For Phd Thesis?

No specific font is required for PhD thesis writing, but most universities have font size and style guidelines. Some popular fonts for academic writing include Times New Roman, Arial, and Calibri. It is important to choose a font that is easy to read and looks professional to ensure your thesis is well-received by readers.

Can I Use Calibri For My Thesis?

Yes, Calibri is an acceptable font for a thesis. However, it’s important to follow the guidelines provided by your academic institution or advisor regarding font type and size. Other popular fonts used in academic writing include Times New Roman and Arial. Regardless of the font you choose, proofread your thesis carefully to ensure the text is clear and legible.

How Can The Font Type Affect The Readability Of My Thesis?

The font type you choose can greatly impact the readability of your thesis. Traditional serif fonts like Times New Roman are often easier to read in printed documents. In contrast, sans-serif fonts like Arial or Calibri may be better suited for on-screen reading. Choosing a font that is easy to read and aesthetically pleasing is important, as this can make a big difference in the overall impression your thesis makes on readers.

David Egee, the visionary Founder of FontSaga, is renowned for his font expertise and mentorship in online communities. With over 12 years of formal font review experience and study of 400+ fonts, David blends reviews with educational content and scripting skills. Armed with a Bachelor’s Degree in Graphic Design and a Master’s in Typography and Type Design from California State University, David’s journey from freelance lettering artist to font Specialist and then the FontSaga’s inception reflects his commitment to typography excellence.

In the context of font reviews, David specializes in creative typography for logo design and lettering. He aims to provide a diverse range of content and resources to cater to a broad audience. His passion for typography shines through in every aspect of FontSaga, inspiring creativity and fostering a deeper appreciation for the art of lettering and calligraphy.

Related posts:

• How To Change Your iPhone Font: A Comprehensive Guide The iPhone’s default font is called San Francisco. It was designed by Apple and created by Apple’s in-house typography team, known as the Typeface team. The Typeface team is led by Jonathan Hoefler, a prominent type designer and the head...
• How To Change The Font In Latex – A Guide LaTeX is a popular document preparation system widely used in academic and scientific fields for its superior typesetting capabilities. While its default font is aesthetically pleasing and suitable for most applications, there are times when users may want to change...
• Mastering Latex Font Family With LATEX The Latex font family is a versatile tool that can create professional-looking documents with various font options. One of the key features of LaTex is the ability to use a wide range of fonts to create visually appealing documents. Here,...
• Creating A Memorable Birthday Experience With Customized Birthday Fonts Birthdays are special occasions that allow us to celebrate the life of our loved ones. From creating a perfect theme to selecting the right decor, every little detail matters when making a memorable birthday experience. One such small yet impactful...

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

The Graduate School Manual - Theses and Dissertations

Guidelines for preparing or submitting a thesis or dissertation.

Manual of Style

Sequence of Pages

Copyright Notice

Committee Page

Table of Contents

Spacing and Margins

Page Numbering

Corrections and Hand Lettering

Illustrative Materials

Tables and Figures

Bibliography or References

Print Quality

You should consult with your department to determine the preferred textual arrangement and manual of style, including the presentation of footnotes/endnotes and the manner in which references are to be cited. In the absence of a departmental preference, the recommended style manual is the Chicago Manual of Style , published by the University of Chicago Press.

All text should be black; font size should be no smaller than 10-point and no larger than 14-point.

• Copyright notice
• Committee page
• Acknowledgments
• Table of contents
• List of tables
• List of figures
• List of plates
• Body of manuscript
• Bibliography

The title page, copyright page, committee page, table of contents, and abstract page are mandatory. All students must include copyright notices in their theses and dissertations even if they do not pay the $55 fee through ProQuest/UMI to have the thesis or dissertation registered with the federal copyright office.

The title page consists of three main parts: title, author and degrees, and submission statement.

• Center all lines on the page.
• Type the title 2 inches from the top of the page.
• Use all capital letters in the title. Font size should be no smaller than 10-point and no larger than 16-point.
• Underline only words that would appear in italics.
• Single space if the title is two lines. Double space if the title is more than two lines.
• If the title is more than one line, use an inverted pyramid form, dividing lines by thought groups if possible.
• Type the author's name in all capital letters at the center of the page.
• Type the word BY in all capital letters two lines above the name.
• Type previous degree(s) earned two lines below the name using the format shown on the Thesis/Dissertation Sample .
• Make sure there is the same amount of space between the title and the word "by" as there is between the previous degrees and the submission statement .
• Type the word DISSERTATION or THESIS in all capital letters two lines above the submission statement.
• Type the submission statement as shown on the Thesis/Dissertation Sample , using single spacing and dividing the lines exactly as shown.
• Type the year your degree is to be awarded one line below the submission statement. This line should be 1 inch from the bottom of the page.

View the Thesis/Dissertation Sample with additional formatting tips.

To protect the right of authorship by copyright, it is only necessary under current law to affix a notice of copyright to the page following the title page. The copyright notice should give the full legal name of the author, centered at the bottom of the page as per this sample:

© Copyright by Suzette Van Brown 2012

All Rights Reserved

or centered, placed in the middle of the page, and double-spaced as per this sample:

copyright by Johnathan Agonistes 2012

Unless a thesis or dissertation is copyrighted in this way, it becomes part of the public domain as soon as it is accepted by the Graduate School and delivered to the ProQuest/UMI website.

The Graduate School also urges students to register their thesis and dissertations with the federal copyright office. The advantage of taking this step could be considerable. In the case of plagiarism, for example, the author may bring an action against the guilty party and recover damages. In the case of scholarly work, proving and recovering damages may be difficult, if not impossible. But if the work bears a notice of copyright and has also been registered with the copyright office, statutory damages may be awarded, and may include attorney's fees incurred in prosecuting the suit. Registration of the thesis or dissertation with the copyright office entails applying at the ProQuest/UMI website and payment of a $55 fee through that website. However, even without registering the dissertation with the copyright office, the copyright notice on the page following the title page is sufficient to effect a copyright for the author.

• The acceptance statement must end 1 inch from the bottom of the page. Therefore, the first line of text will start approximately more than halfway down the page. See sample committee page for proper vertical alignment.
• Acceptance statement is to be single-spaced, worded, and line divided as shown in sample.
• List date of final acceptance below acceptance statement.
• List committee members, department, outside examiner (if applicable), and affiliated university of each member.
• Signatures are not allowed in the electronic submission.

Since the shift to electronic filing of theses and dissertations in Fall 2005, it is no longer mandatory for the student to submit a committee page with signatures of its members. 

View the Thesis/Dissertation Sample.

Effective with the dissertation and theses submissions for Spring 2008 and forward, certain items ARE NOT to be included in the Table of Contents.

Do not include line entries for the title page, copyright page, committee page, or table of contents. Per the Chicago Manual of Style , only pages appearing AFTER the Table of Contents (e.g., List of Tables, List of Figures, chapters and subsections, etc.) should be included within the contents table.

The text of the manuscript is double-spaced. Footnotes, bibliography or list of references, tables and figure captions are single-spaced. Bibliographic entries are separated by double spacing. Margins should be 1 inch on the top, bottom and right side; and 1.5" on the left side. Each chapter starts on a new page, with a 2-inch top margin. Justifying the text at the right margin is optional. All textual material must be double-spaced. Long quotations may be indented and single-spaced, although some disciplines prefer them to be indented and double-spaced. Footnotes/endnotes should be single-spaced. Leave a double space between notes.

Abstract is mandatory.

The maximum acceptable length for an abstract to be published is 350 words for Dissertation Abstracts International (DAI) and 150 words for Masters Thesis Directories (MTD). However, an abstract within the dissertation or thesis need not be limited. The student may prepare a lengthy abstract for inclusion in the thesis or dissertation and a more concise summary for publication in DAI/MTD. The abstract is expected to give a succinct account of the student's work so that a reader can quickly learn the essential contents and results. A typical abstract includes a statement of the problem, an account of procedure or methods followed, and an account of main results and conclusions.

Abstracts must be prepared carefully, since they are published in DAI/MTD without editing or revision.

Each page must be numbered, with the exception of the title page and the copyright page. The number may be centered at the top or bottom of the page or may appear at the top right corner. For the preliminary pages, use lowercase Roman numerals (i, ii, iii, etc.), beginning with "iii". The title page and the copyright page count as "i" and "ii", but the numbers do not appear. For the remainder of the manuscript, including all text, illustrations, appendices and bibliography, use Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, etc.). The numbering begins with "1" on the first page of text and runs consecutively to the end of the manuscript. Page numbers may fall within the one-inch top or bottom margin, but at least a 0.5-inch margin should remain between the page number and the edge of the page.

No marks or corrections in pen or pencil are acceptable. Symbols, accent marks, and equations must all be typescript.

Static graphics (photographs, etc.) should be inserted into the body of the document. Supplementary files (images, sounds, etc.) should be submitted separately.

Tables and figures must conform to the same margins as the text. Oversized computer-generated tables can be reduced and included in the original. If a table or figure must be placed in landscape orientation (horizontally on the page), the margins and page number location must be the same as on a regular page. Captions for tables and figures and page numbers should be in the same type as the body of the text.

The style for references should follow the format used for journal publications in the student's field of study and must be consistent throughout the manuscript. The accepted placement of the bibliography or references is at the end of the manuscript.

The manuscript should be clearly readable throughout, for both electronic and printed documents. If there are questions regarding print quality, the student is encouraged to consult the Graduate School.

All of the following steps must take place by the thesis/dissertation deadline indicated on the degree completion calendar : register at the ProQuest/University Microfilms International (UMI) website, enter basic information about you and your work, complete the non-exclusive publishing agreement, attach your document, and click the final "Submit" button. No part of the submission is registered until you click the final "Submit" button. The Graduate School then reviews your submission and checks for formatting errors and makes sure that your academic record is complete and that all required fees are paid and forms are submitted. Once the Graduate School has accepted your paper and received all required items, the Graduate School delivers your work to ProQuest/UMI. You will be notified by email about the status of your submission. UMI will prepare archival digital copies and microfilm copies, both of which are maintained in perpetuity and migrated to new storage media as necessary, in accord with UMI's contract with the Library of Congress. UMI then disseminates your work to various bibliographic databases and indexes and publishes a full-text copy of your work on a website available to the Binghamton University community. Readers outside of Binghamton University may find your dissertation and purchase copies directly from UMI.

Before you begin, be sure that you have the following:

• A free virtual print spooler
• A free document conversion tool
• Adobe's free web-hosted service, available at http://www.adobe.com
• Adobe software
• ProQuest/UMI abstract for DAI or MTD (350-word limit for doctoral dissertations; 150-word limit for master's theses). The ProQuest/UMI abstract may be an edited version of the full abstract in the document.
• Optional supplementary files (images, sound, etc.) that are an integral part of the dissertation, but not part of the full text.

Thesis or dissertation formatting questions should be directed to the Degree Completion Team at [email protected] .

After submitting your thesis/dissertation electronically, submit the following materials:

• Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED) - mandatory for all doctoral students only
• Thesis/Dissertation Processing Fees - mandatory for all students

The processing fees cover electronic submission; indexing and abstract services; microfilming and archiving; and digital storage and access. The thesis processing fee is $85, and the dissertation processing fee is $100.

You do not need to provide the Graduate School with any paper copies of your dissertation/thesis. Your department may require a bound hard copy, which can be ordered through ProQuest/UMI or another binding company. Many departments do not require bound hard copies. Check with your department for details. Please view the list of departments/programs that have informed the Graduate School that they do not require bound hard copies below: 

• Biological Sciences
• Biomedical Engineering
• Community and Public Affairs
• Computer Science (Required for doctoral degree students, but not required for master's degree students)
• Electrical and Computer Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Higher Education and Student Affairs
• Teaching, Learning and Educational Leadership
• Theatre 

During the submission process, you will have the option to request that ProQuest/UMI file for copyright on your behalf. If you choose this option, there will be an additional $55 fee payable directly to ProQuest/UMI.

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Twitter
• Share on Pinterest
• Share on LinkedIn
• Share by Email

Last Updated: 2/5/24

Graduate Capstone Style Guide: Occupational Therapy

• Introduction
• Formatting Your Manuscript
• Formatting for Accessibility This link opens in a new window
• Copyright and Use of Images
• Intellectual Property
• Using Human Research Subjects
• Depositing Your Manuscript
• Go to Dominican Scholar
• Upcoming Webinars This link opens in a new window

Word Processing Applications

Microsoft word.

All students and faculty have access to Microsoft Word (along with the complete Office suite) through Office 365 in the Okta dashboard. Download and install Office onto your computer, you will need to use the desktop version.

Google Docs

If you opt to use Google Docs to write the bulk of your manuscript, you will at some point need to download it as a MS Word document and finish the formatting in Word. It’s recommended that you wait until you are finished with writing your manuscript.

Introduction to Formatting

Master’s theses, capstone projects, and culminating projects.

Because a manuscript or project is usually an objective, unbiased investigation based upon the author's scholarly work, it should be written in a formal scholarly manner appropriate to academic publications.  It is important to be consistent in matters of style, punctuation, headings, the use of capitalization, and the placement of figures and tables and their corresponding captions. The presentation of data should be clear and clutter-free, utilizing a legible font and size.

IMPORTANT! The Guidelines take precedence over other style guides or department handbooks and example theses provided to you by your instructor. If there seems to be a serious conflict, check with the Library and have your manuscript advisors do the same.

Manuscript front matter, margin, pagination, and document structure requirements are specified throughout this guide, and must be observed as stated, no matter what other guidelines dictate. Remaining format issues are governed by standard publication manuals and/or standards of publication in your discipline.

Required Order of Manuscript Pages

Formatting of your manuscript.

• General Formatting
• Copyright Statement
• Acknowledgements
• Table of Contents
• List of Tables
• List of Figures
• Body of your Paper
• Bibliography

Page Size and Margins

• The entire document is letter sized (8.5" x 11")
• Portrait orientation
• 1-inch margin on all sides (top, bottom, right, and left)
• Choose a font that is clear and business-like; avoid unusual or difficult to read fonts.  We recommend using standard fonts like Times New Roman, Calibri, or Arial.
• Use 12 point font size. 

Line Spacing

• Use double-spacing throughout your manuscript.
• Blockquotes and bibliographies may be single-spaced

Page Numbers

• Page numbers appear at the  top right corner  of each page
• Step by Step: Basic Set up of your paper in Google Docs
• Step by Step: Basic set up of your paper in MS Word Learn how to set up the basics for your manuscript including, paper size, margins, font style, font size, line spacing, and paragraph indentations.
• Step by Step: Page Number Basics in MS Word In this tutorial you'll learn how to:(1) insert page numbers and (2) start your page numbering on page 2.
• Step by Step: Advanced Page Numbers in MS Word

Running Heads

• Do not use running heads in the final version of your manuscript
• Left aligned
• Indent the first line of each paragraph 0.5”
• When dividing paragraphs across pages, at least two lines of text should appear at the bottom of the page and at least two lines of text on the next page.

Block quotes

• For quotations longer than 40 words in length (block quotes)
• inset 0.5” from the left and right margin
• The In-text citation follows the last punctuation mark of the paragraph
• Step by Step: Formatting blockquotes in Google Docs

Major Headings

• Sections starting with a Major heading (Heading 1) should begin on a new page. Do not place a major heading in the middle of the page.

Subheadings

• Subheadings within a chapter do not begin on a new page unless the preceding page is filled. 
• Subheadings at the bottom of a page require at least two lines of text following the heading, otherwise the heading should be pushed to the next page.
• Step by Step: Heading Styles in Google Docs
• Step by Step: Heading Styles in MS Word

Tables and Figures

• Tables and figures should follow their first reference in the text within a page or two at the most. If more clarity is provided by placing tables and figures in an appendix, this style is also acceptable. In this case, they should appear after the References.
• All tables and figures in your paper must include a caption located either above or below the table or figure. Be consistent in placement.
• Table and figure captions should appear in consecutive numerical order (e.g. Figure 1, Figure 2, Figure 3...) and in the order in which the tables and figures appear in the text
• Tables and figures must be referenced in your text (e.g. see Figure 1)
• Tables and figures must fit within the margins of your paper (see below for Large Tables and Figures)
• All tables and figures, even if there is only one, must be listed in a List of Tables and/or a List of Figures located on separate pages following the Table of Contents . The List of Tables and the List of Figures should include a Table/Figure number along with descriptive text (usually a portion of the caption) and the page number on which it occurs.
• Diagrams, drawings, graphs, charts, maps, photographs, or any other type of illustrations should be referred to in the manuscript as a Figure .
• Figures may not appear on the title page or other introductory pages.
• Figures should use word wrapping that is inline with the text.
• Figures should include Alt Text
• Tables are used for presenting sets of data. Tables should not be used to format text or images.
• The first row of a table should be a header row that describes the information presented in each column
• Do not use screenshots of tables from other sources in your work. If you have an image of a table from another source, recreate the table natively in your document using your word processor

Large Tables and Figures

• Large tables or figures can be placed on the page in landscape orientation
• The top and bottom margins should be the same as on a regular page
• Step by Step: Flipping a page into landscape orientation in Google Docs

Special Formatting

• Title is bold-faced
• Text is centered on the page

Additional Information

The title page has 3 sections:

• appears at the top of the page and has 3 lines (1 st  line) Title (2 nd  line) by (3 rd  line) author name(s)
• centered vertically and horizontally on the page 
• Use the following statement: A culminating [thesis or capstone project] submitted to the faculty of Dominican University of California in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of [degree name] in [major]
• has 3 lines (NOTE: do not include the numbers):
• Dominican University of California
• San Rafael, CA
• Your graduation year (e.g. 2022)
• Step by Step: Formatting Your Title Page in Google Docs
• Step by Step: Formatting your Title Page in MS Word

You automatically own the copyright to your work and no one may legally copy any part of it without your permission.   You also may choose to use a Creative Commons copyright to give readers more flexibility with what they can do with your manuscript or sections of your manuscript.  If you have questions about copyright options please contact The Scholarly Communications Librarian

• The copyright statement appears centered and at the top of the page
• Use the following statement, replacing the brackets with the appropriate information Copyright © [author's name] [year of publication]. All rights reserved
• The abstract states the purpose, design, and results of the research or a description of your project;
• written concisely, usually no more than 350 words
• not to exceed 1 page.

An acknowledgments page includes a short paragraph acknowledging those people who helped and supported you through the manuscript process. People have included instructors, advisors, parents, siblings, significant others, pets, etc.

Your manuscript must include a Table of Contents listing all major headings that appear including the Abstract, Acknowledgements, List of Tables, and List of Figures.

Page numbers listed in the table of contents correspond with the material presented in your manuscript. If you are asked to make revisions within your manuscript, make sure to check that the page numbers listed in the Table of Contents, List of Tables, and List of Figures are still correct.  Any headings, subheadings, or captions listed in the front matter must match exactly with those that appear within the manuscript.

• Step by Step: Table of Contents in Google Docs
• If you have any tables in your manuscript you must include a List of Tables on it's own page after the Table of Contents
• The List of Tables includes each table (even if there is only one) listed sequentially as they appear in your paper
• Each item in the List includes the table number and a short description (usually the whole or a portion of the table caption) and the page number on which the table appears.
• Step by Step: Creating a List of Tables or List of Figures in Google Docs
• Step by Step: Creating Captions for Tables and Figures in MS Word
• Step by Step: Creating a List of Tables or List of Figures in MS Word
• The List of Figures includes each figure (even if there is only one) listed sequentially as they appear in your paper.
• Each item in the List of Figures includes the figure number and a short description (usually the whole or a portion of the table caption) and the page number on which it appears.

The body of your thesis is the main portion of your manuscript. Follow the general formatting as described under the General Formatting tab

IMPORTANT!  The Guidelines take precedence over other style guides or department handbooks and example theses provided to you by your instructor. If there seems to be a serious conflict, check with the Library and have your manuscript advisors do the same.

• The References, Works Cited, or Bibliography heading is a major heading and the formatting should be the same as other major headings in the manuscript
• Use most appropriate citation style for your discipline (APA, Chicago, or MLA). Include hanging indents if that is indicated for your style
• If you are using a citation tool, such as RefWorks, it is the author's responsibility to make sure that citations are correct including fixing typos and capitalization when needed.

Online Tools

An online citation manager to organize your research and create bibliographies to help you avoid plagiarism. RefWorks can format in 900+ styles including APA, MLA, Chicago, AMA. Learn more about using RefWorks and what it can do for you .

To use RefWorks you will need to first create an account

• Follow the link to the RefWorks landing page
•   Look for and select the link at the bottom of the login box titled Create Account
• Use your Dominican email
• Create a password and follow any other instructions

Once you've created an account you can log in and start using RefWorks

• An appendix should be introduced with a cover page bearing only the title of the appendix centered and 1" from the top of the page. 
• The content of the appendix begins on the next page with the standard margins.
• Table and figures in appendices should be captioned and continue the numbering sequence used in the text
• If you applied for an IRB number include your IRB acceptance letter as your last appendix
• << Previous: Introduction
• Next: Formatting for Accessibility >>
• Last Updated: Oct 16, 2023 1:13 PM
• URL: https://libguides.dominican.edu/occupational-therapy-capstone-style-guide

Some Quarto PDF formatting tips, with particular reference to thesis writing

Cameron Patrick

17 July, 2023

I’ve just spent most of a day faffing around trying to get Quarto to produce a nice PDF file that I like the look of and which meets my university’s formatting requirements for a PhD thesis. Maybe my pain and suffering can help reduce yours.

I decided to write my PhD thesis in Quarto . Between my idiosyncratic standards for the PDF output and the university’s rigid requirements for what a PhD thesis ought to look like, I knew that some degree of tweaking the formatting settings would be required. I’ve never really used Quarto for PDF output before, but since I’m fairly confident using LaTeX, I figured “how hard could it possibly be”.

This post is a slightly elaborated version of the notes I made for myself during the process, shared in the hope that it may be useful for others who want to use Quarto to write reports or theses with idiosyncratic styling.

The one piece of this post that I haven’t seen spelled out anywhere else on the web is the section on additional front matter before and after the table of contents , which took a bit of LaTeX trickery to achieve. The solution I found is better than the other alternatives I’ve seen (for my purposes, anyway), because it allows you to write the front matter in Markdown instead of LaTeX and have it present in the HTML output as well as PDF.

Basic principles

• Start by creating a “Quarto book project” using your favourite IDE (RStudio)
• It’s probably a good idea to use git and periodically commit as you mess with stuff, but I just YOLO’ed it until I had something I was happy with
• You should probably set up renv so your package versions are tracked and reproducible. renv::init()
• Most of the configuration begins in editing the YAML file, _quarto.yml
• The most basic but also most important options are documented in the Quarto PDF Options section of the Quarto manual
• Achieving more complex goals requires writing chunks of LaTeX code which you reference in the YAML (or sometimes include inline in your chapter .qmd files)
• Some of what I’m explaining here wasn’t documented and required reading the Quarto source code. I am not to be held responsible for any voided warranty or code that stops working with the next release of Quarto
• I’m assuming you have some familiarity with YAML, Markdown, and LaTeX; but not necessarily with Quarto. In other words, I’m writing for me-last-week. Good luck

Bibliography workflow

Thanks to Brenton Wiernik and Matthijs Hollanders on Twitter for pointing me in the right direction here.

• Use Zotero and the Better BibTeX for Zotero plugin
• (Aside: the ZotFile plugin may also be useful if/when I exceed my free Zotero PDF storage limit, although I like Zotero enough I may well just give them cash for cloud storage.)
• Set a sensible schema for naming your reference keys in the Better BibTeX settings. I’m using auth.lower + year + shorttitle.lower which generates keys like @rubin1974estimatingcausaleffects
• Set Zotero “quick copy” format to Better BibTeX Citation Key and set it to use Markdown, so you can hit Command-Shift-C to copy the citation in Markdown format
• Export using the Better CSL YAML plugin (you can also set it to automatically update when your Zotero library changes), or use the R Better BibTeX package to get an automatically updated bibliography export every time you knit your document (I haven’t tried this yet)
• Grab a CSL file for your preferred bibliography and citation format and copy it into your Quarto project
• Add bibliography and csl top-level keys to your YAML:

I’ve also edited my references.qmd Markdown file which generates the bibliography so it has a ragged right margin (i.e. left justified, not full justified):

Yeeting the RStudio visual editor

If you’re like me, and can’t stand the RStudio visual Markdown editor but accidentally clicked the “Visual editor” check box when creating the project, change your YAML to say:

Instead of editor: visual . Or vice versa, if you prefer the visual editor.

Easy PDF tweaks (only YAML needed)

All of these go inside the format: → pdf: chunk of the YAML. They’re documented in the Quarto manual but that’s very long and sometimes unclear (partly because Quarto can produce PDF output both via LaTeX and via HTML, and different options apply to each). Here’s what I cared about enough to mess with:

• LaTeX document class: Quarto’s default templates will take advantage of the KOMA Script classes if you use those, and they seem to make some customisation nicer than the LaTeX packages I’ve used previously. So documentclass: scrbook for two-sided or documentclass: scrreprt for single-sided (note the lack of “o” in “scrreprt”)
• You can change the name of the PDF file produced, e.g.  output-file: "FirstnameLastname_thesis.pdf" (this one goes under the book: top-level YAML section, not under format: pdf: )
• Set keep-tex: true so you can take a squiz at the generated TeX file. I found this helped when figuring out what I needed to change to bend the output to my whims
• Enable Table of Contents, List of Figures, List of Tables; toc-depth of three means that the Table of Contents will show up to \subsection (or ### headings in Markdown):
• Section numbering: number-depth appears to count differently from toc-depth , so the below will have numbered \subsection ( ### ) but not \subsubsection ( #### ):
• Paper size: papersize: a4 or you’ll get US Letter
• Margins: you can either use the KOMA Script options (see below) which use some kind of fancy formula to derive margins, or you can specify options to the LaTeX geometry package in your YAML. Below is what I’m currently using, copied from my MSc thesis LaTeX preamble. I can’t remember what the header and footer bits do exactly. heightrounded helps prevent “underfull vbox” warnings by making sure the text height is a multiple of the line height
• Indented paragraphs vs space between paragraphs: indent: true or indent: false . You can use KOMA Script options for greater control over the indent or skip distances but the defaults look fine to me
• Spacing between lines: you can use e.g.  linestretch: 1.25 or linestretch: 1.5 to get increased line spacing
• As far as I can tell, you can’t choose between full justified and ragged right (left justified) in the YAML, you’ll need to add LaTeX commands to the preamble (see below)
• Font size: set the base font size used for body text, e.g.  fontsize: 11pt
• I prefer the XeLaTeX engine: pdfengine: xelatex because…
• If you’re using the XeLaTeX engine, you can specify any (Unicode, TrueType/OpenType) system font if you don’t like the standard Computer Modern Roman look that screams “my document was made with TeX”. The TeX Gyre Math font families provide OpenType math fonts compatible with XeLaTeX that fit well with Times and Palatino, amongst others. Here’s an example of using Times New Roman and other common Microsoft fonts, alongside TeX Gyre Termes Math which provides mathematical symbols which blend in nicely with these fonts:

KOMA Script options: fonts, headings, headers, and footers

The KOMA Script manual is comprehensive but inscrutable, and it takes a bit of messing around to find out where to put the options anyway.

To set these options, you’ll need to add them to what Quarto calls the LaTeX header (which I’ve always known as the LaTeX preamble). That means you need to add a line like include-in-header: include-in-header.tex to the PDF format options in your YAML, and then add the code here to a file called include-in-header.tex .

Here are a few things I did here:

• Make the headings the same font as the rest of the document, instead of sans serif: \addtokomafont{disposition}{\rmfamily}
• Restore the classic LaTeX chapter headings that are two lines, the first saying e.g. “Chapter 2” on a line before the chapter title: \KOMAoptions{chapterprefix=true,appendixprefix=true}
• Smaller fonts for headings: \KOMAoptions{headings=small}
• If you’re fussy about the size of the indent or spacing between paragraphs, you would do that here too
• If you prefer left-justified (ragged right margin) instead of full-justified, you can do that here: \raggedright
• Header and footer fonts: normal upright font (instead of slanted, the KOMA Script default) and a smaller size. See this handy web site for more info on LaTeX relative font size commands like \footnotesize .
• Headers and footers! For this we’ll need the scrlayer-scrpage package, and commands like \lefoot[]{} where “l” starts for left (there’s also “c” and “r”), “e” starts for even page (there’s also “o”), “foot” for footer (there’s also “head”). Inside the square brackets you put what you want on “plain” pages (start of chapter) and inside the curly braces you put what want on pages with a running-head (inside chapters). Here’s an example that gives output similar to many technical books: (1) centred page numbers ( \pagemark ) in the footer on the first page of a chapter; (2) page numbers on the outside edge of the header inside chapters; (3) chapter and section titles (“running heads”, \leftmark and \rightmark ) on the inside margins:
• Headers and footers! If you’re using single-sided output, beware: all of your pages will be considered “odd”, for some odd reason.

My university has a specific requirement for the formatting of title pages, and even if it didn’t I’d still want to change the default Quarto title page because it’s kind of ugly.

To do this, we will once again need to write some LaTeX code. This time, rather than just adding extra code to the preamble, we’ll be replacing some of the built-in Quarto Pandoc templates . You can see what templates are available and what they contain by looking at the Quarto source code (!). Ignore the seductively-named title.tex because to edit the title page you will need to replace before-body.tex . Start by adding before-body.tex to the template-partials list under format: pdf: in your YAML (yeesh).

Then, in before-body.tex , we’ll add the code to create the title page. You’ll notice that this isn’t quite normal LaTeX, there’s some kind of crazy templating language going on, with directives inside pairs of $ signs. I’m not aware of any documentation on this, I just pieced it together from reading other Quarto templates.

The first few lines (copied from the standard Quarto template ) enable front matter mode in LaTeX, which causes pages to be numbered in roman numerals instead of normal (arabic) digits. Later on, \mainmatter will cause the page numbering to restart from 1. The remainder of the code is LaTeX code to generate the title page, with a bit of cleverness to pull the title and author information out of the YAML. Instead of just using \maketitle built into LaTeX, we’ll make our own title page from scratch.

To go along with this, you’ll also need to provide appropriate information in the book: section of the YAML:

Additional front matter before and after the table of contents

According to my university, a PhD thesis needs to contain the following items, in this order: title page, abstract, authorship declaration, preface, acknowledgements, table of contents, list of tables, list of figures, abbreviations; the body of the thesis; references; and finally appendices.

Unfortunately, the default Quarto template places the table of contents immediately after the title page. To change this, we’ll need to edit another “template partial”, this time toc.tex . In the YAML:

Then in toc.tex :

If you compare the above to the standard Quarto toc.tex template you’ll see that I’ve removed a heap of code. Some of that code was for presentations but most importantly I removed the \tableofcontents , \listoffigures and \listoftables commands which actually produce the table of contents and lists of figures and tables. (I’ve also added some bonus code to make the “List of figures” and “List of tables” headings in sentence case instead of title case, all modern-like.)

We’ll also need to stop Quarto from switching from \frontmatter to \mainmatter at around this point. I couldn’t find the partial template that was responsible for this, so instead I added these two lines of LaTeX to the end of before-body.tex :

The above code effectively neuters the \mainmatter command, until we’re ready to bring it back to life.

Now we can write the ‘chapters’ that make our extra front matter. These can be written just like normal Quarto chapters, though I added {.unnumbered .unlisted} to the end of the chapter headings so they don’t get chapter numbers and aren’t included in the table of contents.

At the end of the last section before the table of contents should appear — acknowledgements.qmd in my case — add the following LaTeX code to generate table of contents (and list of tables and list of figures, if desired):

Finally, at the end of the last front matter section — abbreviations.qmd in my case — add this code to return the \mainmatter command to life and run it, causing the main section of the document to have ordinary page numbers, starting from 1 again:

HTML output

One nice thing about Quarto is that it can produce multiple output formats from the same input. I find the HTML output particularly convenient for on-screen previewing. I haven’t messed with the appearance of the HTML output much, but here’s the YAML chunk I’m using at the moment:

I will probably end up writing a CSS stylesheet at some point as a form of procrastination.

Setting the output directory

You can change the directory that the HTML and other outputs are saved to. This may be useful if, for example, you want to use GitHub Pages to publish your document as a web site. GitHub Pages expects the HTML to either be in the repository root or a “docs” subdirectory:

• All about AI
• Google Bard
• Inflection AI Pi Chatbot
• Anthropic Claude
• Generative AI
• AI Image Generation
• AI Regulation
• AI Research
• Large Language Models (LLM)
• Surface Pro
• Surface Laptop
• Surface Book
• Surface Duo
• Surface Neo
• Surface Studio
• Surface Hub
• Surface Pen
• Surface Headphones
• Surface Earbuds
• About WinBuzzer
• Follow Us: PUSH, Feeds, Social
• Write for Us
• Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy
• Terms of Service

How to Change Default Font Style, Line Spacing, and Font Size in Google Docs

We show you how to change default font, line spacing, font size, and more in Google Docs so you don't have to manually tweak your settings each time.

Table of Contents:

When you create a document with Google Docs, it defaults to a 1.15-spaced, 11pt Calibri to try to appeal to the widest range of people. The first thing many people do is change this manually each time. In this guide, we show you how to change the Google Docs default font, font size, and line spacing so you don’t have to.   The Google Docs default font is called the “default style”, and though it isn’t especially intuitive, you can change it. If you tend to double-space in Google Docs, you can make sure new documents start with that setting. If you want your Google Docs default font to be a serif one, you can change that too.

How to Change Default Font, Font Size, and Line Spacing in Google Docs

Before you can modify the default font and formatting in Google Docs, you need to change some existing text to your liking. Create a new document and type anything, then follow the steps below:

Changing the Default Font Style in Google Docs

Adjusting the default font style can add a personal or professional touch to your documents, ensuring consistency across your work.

• Select Text and Open Font Style Dropdown   Highlight the text, then navigate to the font style dropdown menu, currently set to “ Calibri “, to explore the available fonts.

Adjusting the Default Font Size in Google Docs

Modifying the default font size can make your document more accessible and easier to read for your audience.

• Highlight Text and Open Font Size Dropdown   With your text highlighted, click on the font size indicator, usually set to “ 11 “, next to the font style dropdown to view and select from different size options.

Modifying Default Line Spacing in Google Docs

Adjusting the default line spacing can enhance the readability and appearance of your document, making it more professional or easier to annotate.

• Access Line Spacing Options   Click on the line spacing icon in the toolbar, represented by a double-sided arrow with three lines, to open the line spacing menu.

Updating the “Normal Text” Stylein Google Docs

Ensuring your “ Normal text ” style matches your new settings is crucial for maintaining consistency throughout your document.

• Match “Normal Text” to Your Selection   After adjusting your font, size, and spacing, highlight the text again, right-click, and select “ Update ‘Normal text ‘ to match”. This updates the default style for body text.

Saving Your Default Styles in Google Docs for Future Use 

Google Docs allows you to save your custom settings as the new default, simplifying the document creation process for future projects.

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions About Document Settings in Google Docs

Can i apply customized settings to existing documents.

To apply your customized settings to an existing document, open the document, select the entire text ( Ctrl+A for Windows, Cmd+A for Mac), and manually apply your preferred font style, size, and line spacing. Finally, to make these the default styles for future text, right-click on a paragraph, choose “Styles” from the dropdown menu, then “Update ‘Normal text’ to match” for font and size, and apply your preferred line spacing from the toolbar’s spacing options.

Is it possible to have multiple default styles for different types of documents in Google Docs?

Google Docs does not natively support multiple sets of default styles within the same account. A workaround is to create separate documents as templates with your desired styles for different purposes. Remember to open and make a copy of the relevant template before starting a new document to maintain your varying default styles.

How can I ensure that my customized font settings are maintained when exporting Google Docs to other formats?

When exporting a Google Doc to another format (e.g., PDF, Word), ensure that the application you’re importing into supports the customized fonts and formatting used. If a font isn’t supported, consider converting the text to images or embedding fonts into PDFs if the format allows, though the latter cannot be done directly through Google Docs. Additionally, check the export settings on Google Docs and the import settings on the target application to ensure compatibility.

Can I use my custom font that is not available in Google Docs?

While you cannot directly upload custom fonts to Google Docs, you can expand your font selections by clicking on “More fonts” at the bottom of the Fonts dropdown menu. This action opens the ‘Fonts’ dialog where you can browse or search Google’s extensive font library, potentially finding a suitable alternative to your custom font. For fonts not available in Google’s library, consider using a different application that supports font uploading for your document creation and then importing it into Google Docs if necessary.

How do I save my customized text styles for headings and subtitles beyond the normal text?

After adjusting the font style, size, color, and line spacing for a heading or subtitle, highlight the text of that heading or subtitle, right-click, and select “Update ‘Heading 1’ to match” for heading 1, for example. Repeat this process for each heading style or subtitle you’ve customized. This will ensure that whenever you apply a particular heading or subtitle style within your document, it will automatically have your customized settings.

What is the best line spacing for readability according to conventional standards?

The optimal line spacing for readability typically ranges from 1.5 to 2.0, as it improves text legibility and eases the reading process, especially for longer documents. Academic and professional documents often require double spacing (2.0) to accommodate comments and revisions. It’s important to consider your audience and the document’s purpose when choosing line spacing, as more dense documents might benefit from slightly tighter spacing to conserve space.

Is it possible to create a template in Google Docs with my custom settings?

Yes, after adjusting a Google Docs document to your preferred settings and styles, including fonts, sizes, and spacings, you can save it as a template for future use. Go to “File” > “Make a copy” to create a new document that retains all your customizations, which you can then rename and designate as your template. Although Google Docs does not have a specific ‘Save as template’ feature, this method effectively serves the same purpose. You can also store these template documents in a dedicated folder in Google Drive for easy access.

How does adjusting default settings impact the document’s accessibility?

Adjusting the default settings like font size, type, and line spacing can significantly enhance a document’s accessibility. Larger fonts (above 12pt) and wider line spacing (1.5 or 2.0) are easier for individuals with vision impairments to read. Use simple, legible fonts and ensure sufficient contrast between text and background colors. These adjustments aid in making documents more user-friendly for people with disabilities, aligning with best practices for digital accessibility.

Can I lock the formatting so others cannot change my set defaults in a shared document?

Google Docs does not currently offer a feature to lock formatting within a document. As a collaborative platform, it allows all users with editing permissions to change formatting as needed. A workaround is to communicate clearly with your collaborators about the importance of maintaining certain formatting standards. Alternatively, you could restrict their permissions to either “ viewing ” or “ commenting ” if preserving formatting is crucial.

How do I change the default font color in Google Docs?

To change the default font color, select the text, then click on the text color icon (a letter ‘A’ icon with a color bar beneath it) in the toolbar. Choose your desired color from the palette. To make this your default font color for future text, right-click on the text, go to “Styles” , then “Update ‘Normal text’ to match” . Note that while this sets a precedent for the document, Google Docs does not save this color change as a default for new documents.

Can line spacing be set to less than single space in Google Docs?

Yes, to set the line spacing to less than single space, highlight the text for which you want to adjust the spacing, click on the line spacing icon in the toolbar, and select “Custom spacing” . Here, you can enter a value less than 1.0 (e.g., 0.75) to achieve tighter line spacing. This feature allows for more flexible document formatting, though it’s less commonly used for conventional documents intended for readability and accessibility.

How do I ensure my custom defaults are applied when collaborating on a document?

While your custom default styles apply automatically to new documents you create, shared documents rely on the original creator’s settings. If you’re the document owner, apply your preferences as defaults. When collaborating, communicate and agree upon formatting preferences, then manually apply those settings within the document. Remember, collaborative editing may lead to changes in formatting, underscoring the importance of clear communication.

Why does Google Docs revert to the original defaults when I log in from a different device?

Your Google Docs settings, including default styles, should be consistent across devices as long as you’re logged into the same Google account. If you’re experiencing inconsistencies, ensure that you’re signed into the correct account and check if any browser or device-specific settings might override your preferences. Google Docs’ default styles are account-bound rather than device-specific, so this issue is often attributable to account mix-ups or syncing delays.

Will changing the default font affect the document’s loading time?

Changing the default font in a Google Docs document generally has a negligible impact on the document’s loading time. Google Docs is designed to handle a variety of fonts efficiently. However, excessively large documents or those with numerous special fonts, images, or embedded content might load more slowly, regardless of the default font used. Ensuring a stable internet connection and keeping documents reasonably streamlined can help optimize performance.

How do I reset to the original default settings in Google Docs after customizing them?

To revert to the original default settings in Google Docs, you must manually adjust each of the settings (font style, size, and line spacing) back to their original states (Calibri, 11pt, and 1.15 line spacing for instance). After making these adjustments, highlight the text with these settings, right-click, and choose “Update ‘Normal text’ to match” from the Styles menu for font and size. There is no one-click option to revert all settings to their defaults, so this process needs to be done for each element you’ve customized.

Related: How to Draw on Google Docs

Related: How to Add a Table of Contents in Google Docs and Update It for Changes

Related: How to Insert a Text Box in Google Docs or Sheets

Related: How to Add a Border in Google Docs

• Google Docs
• Google Docs default font
• Google docs double spacing
• how to change default font in google docs

Recent News

Microsoft Enhances Windows 11 with Latest “Moment 5” Feature Drop

April 2024 Patch Tuesday: Microsoft Fixes Zero-Day Vulnerabilities Exploited in the...

Subscribe to WinBuzzer on Google News