The Field Study, Thesis and
Dissertation Guidelines
GRADUATE SCHOOL
UPDATED JULY 2015
Submission Procedures for Pre-Approval
Copy for Review
 The student must obtain and follow the chosen style manual or
journal standard. Do not use another field study, thesis or
dissertation as a model for your work.
 The comprehensive examination report must be on file to have your
manuscript reviewed.
 The student must defend his or her field study, thesis or dissertation
(ETD) before it will be reviewed by the graduate school.
 All field studies, theses and dissertations (ETD’s) are to be delivered
to ULM Graduate School ETD administrator as PDF files. It is up to
the student to create and verify the PDF file before submission. It is
very important to embed all fonts. However, please do not encrypt
the file as encrypted PDF files are not accepted.
Submission Procedures for Pre-Approval
Copy for Review
 Follow these guidelines when creating PDF files to be
submitted to ProQuest/UMI, and check your results:
a. open the file in adobe acrobat
b. choose file>Document Info>Fonts
c. in the window that opens, choose List All Fonts and you should see a
table of fonts
d. verify that all entries in the Type column are either Type 1 or TrueType
fonts
e. in the Used Font column, you should see Embedded Subset for all fonts
with the possible exception of "Times", "Arial/Helvetica", and
"Courier")
f. select OK to close the Font window
g. from the View menu, choose Use Local Fonts to turn this option off
(the check mark should disappear). Select OK to close the Font window
h. page through your PDF file to visually inspect each page as it would
appear on another computer without the same fonts as yours
i. print a copy of your file and verify that everything prints as expected.
Submission Procedures for Pre-Approval
Copy for Review
 Submit official, electronic pre-approval copy of field
study, thesis or dissertation (ETD) by deadline
posted in the university calendar to ProQuest ETD
website: http://www.etdadmin.com.
Must be complete work that has been formally reviewed and approved
for content and formatting by your committee
 The electronic version must have committee members’ names typed
on the title page. You must submit a paper copy of the title page that
all committee members have signed in black ink.

 The Graduate School will review this copy and
return it with notations of required corrections to the
student so that final corrections can be submitted.
Submission Procedures for Final Copies
 Once any necessary corrections have been made, the
student will re-submit the electronic version through
ProQuest to be reviewed by ETD Compliance
Coordinator.

If the document continues to be replete with errors, the
manuscript may be rejected and graduation delayed.
Binding Fees
 When you submit your pre-approval copy to ULM
link through ProQuest, you will be given the
opportunity to order bound copies. Ordering bound
copies is not required by Graduate School, but may
be required by the department. Please check with
your major professor for any requirements.
 Please do NOT pay binding fees at LaCapitol. All
fees must be paid through ProQuest at the time of
submitting pre-approval ETD.
Style: Page Order
 All ETDs must have pages in the following order:
One blank sheet of paper
 Title page
 Copyright*
 Dedication*
 Acknowledgement or Preface
 Foreword*
 Abstract**
 Table of contents
 List of tables, with titles and page references*
 List of figures, with titles/abbreviated captions and page
references*

Style: Page Order
List of illustrations, with titles and page references*
 List of abbreviations*
 List of symbols*
 Text of manuscript
 Appendixes*
 Bibliography or references
 Vita
 One blank sheet of paper
 Art work, maps, or other material for pockets*
*may not be relevant in all cases and may be omitted
**Students submitting the “creative thesis” for Master’s of
English submit a preface in place of the abstract

Style: Typeface
 Typefaces comparable to those used in scholarly journals
are acceptable:
Courier
 Times-Roman
 Helvetica
 Aerial

 Font size is 12 point
 Superscripts and subscripts must not be more than two
points smaller than font size of body.
 Heading or emphasis:
Bold face may be used sparingly for emphasis
 Use italics in place of underlining

Style: Margins
 Left Margin:

All left-hand margins must be at least 1 ” .
1
2
 Right Margin:

All right-hand margins must be 1” throughout.
 Bottom Margin:

All bottom margins must be 1” throughout (except for page numbers).
 Top Margin:
All top margins must be 1” throughout (except for page numbers).
 Exceptions: title page, abstract, dedication, first page of
acknowledgements or preface, first page of table of contents, first page
of each chapter (including any introduction if present).
Top margin should be 2”

Style: Printing, Spacing, and Indentation
 The entire ETD should be double-spaced.

Exceptions: blocked quotations, notes, captions, legends, long
headings
 The spacing of the ETD should be uniform
throughout.
 Paragraphs must be indented 5 spaces consistently.
 Blocked quotations:
Indented 5 spaces from left and right margins
 First line should be indented 5 additional spaces

Style: Pagination
 Each page should be counted, but not all pages should
have the page number appear on it.
 Counting begins with title page, but page numbers
should first appear on acknowledgment or preface.
 No page number (but still counted):

Title page, copyright, dedication, vita, first page of body of text, first
page of a new chapter
 Small roman numerals (i, ii, iii, iv, etc.):

Table of contents, list of figures, etc.
 Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, etc.):
The rest of the document beginning with introduction or Chapter I.
 Do not use page numbers that use letters, hyphens, periods, or
parenthesis.

Style: Pagination
 Two acceptable positions of page numbers:
1.
In the upper right corner of the page, 1 2 " (3 lines) from top
of the paper and 1” from right edge.
2.
Centered between the right and left margins at the bottom of
the paper, 1 2 " (3 lines) from bottom edge of the paper.
Note: All page numbers must be located consistently even if
pages are turned for tables or figures.
Style: Widows and Orphans
 Widow: single line of text at the bottom of a page, with
the rest of the paragraph continuing on the next page.
 Orphan: a single line of text at the top of a page, with
the rest of the paragraph left behind on the previous
page.
These should be avoided and can be corrected using widow/orphan
settings that control page breaks in your word processing software.
 Subheadings at the end of a page are unacceptable.
Subheading should have 2 lines of text under it at minimum
These are unacceptable and must be corrected.
Style: References
 A reference page is required and all references must




be displayed in this section of the EDT.
Entries must be alphabetized by authors, editors,
agencies, or institutions.
Hanging indentation is required.
Entries must be single spaced and separated by a
double space.
All entries listed in Reference Section must be cited
in the text, and all citations must be listed in the
Reference Section.
Sample Dissertation
A LOOK AT THE PROPER FORMATTING AND
ORGANIZATION OF ETD’S
The Checklist: Fees and Forms
UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA AT MONROE
Thesis and Dissertation Checklist
Use this form to review your Field Study, Thesis, or Dissertation as you
prepare it for submission to the Graduate School. It must be completed
and returned to the Graduate School to accompany the initial
submission of your manuscript.
NAME: _____________________________________________
For Graduate School Use Only
Date Reviewed: ___________________
Corrections Checked: _______________
Ready for Final Copies: ______________
CWID#: ____________________
Major Professor Signature: _____________________________
FEES AND FORMS: (required)
_____ 1. Have you paid the binding fee for each copy required by the department and, if applicable, the
copyrighting fee?
_____ 2. If a doctoral candidate, have you completed the Doctoral Dissertation Agreement Form and the Survey
of Earned Doctorates?
2”
The Title Page
•
Inverted
Pyramid
1”
Committee signature
lines must be
aligned as shown.
•
Bottom margin must
be at least 1”.
•
Committee
members’ name
must be typed above
the line on the
electronic version.
Full Name
Of Degree
1 1 2”
All
signatures
required.
Must be in
black ink.
The Checklist: Title Page
TITLE PAGE: (required)
_____ 1. Does the format of the title page match the example on page 14 and Appendix A?
_____ 2. Does the title page show a 2-inch top margin?
_____ 3. Is the title worded exactly as it is on the abstract/preface?
_____ 4. Is the title in inverted pyramid format?
_____ 5. Does your name appear exactly as it does on the copyright, abstract, vita pages?
_____ 6. Is the month and year correct with a comma after the month? {Month, year of degree}
_____ 7. Does the statement specify correctly the department, curriculum, or school granting your degree?
_____ 8. Is the statement in inverted pyramid format?
_____ 9. Is the paper copy of the Title page signed by the committee in black ink?
The Copyright
Page
(Optional)
•
Copyrighting is
optional.
•
Should be centered
at the bottom of one
page with single
spacing.
•
Bottom margin must
be 1”
Current Year
1”
The Checklist: The Copyright Page (Optional)
Acknowledgment
or Preface
•
•
First page with page
numbers at the
bottom (lowercase
roman numerals)
but not the first
counted page.
2”
Title (all caps)
1 1 2”
1”
Subsequent pages
should have 1” top
margin.
1”
Page Number
The Checklist: Acknowledgment/Preface
2”
Abstract
•
Inverted Pyramid
Title and Name need
to match Title Page
exactly
•
Not listed in the
table of contents
•
Major professor:
Should be name
with degree after,
NOT Dr. Professor
•
Abstract, title, your
name, major
professor must be
centered and single
spaced
1”
1 1 2”
1”
Page Number
The Checklist: Abstract
Table of
Contents
•
Appears after abstract
•
Use the function for
leaders, do not use
periods
•
Wording,
punctuation, and
capitalization of
entries must match
those in the text
•
Entries must be single
spaced and entries
must be separated by
double space
•
Subsequent pages
must have 1” top
margin
2”
“Page”
heading
must
appear
here
All caps, centered
1 1 2”
1”
Hanging indent
1”
Page Number
The Checklist: Table of Contents
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
_____ 1. Does the first page show a 2-inch top margin?
_____ 2. Does the second and subsequent pages of the Table of Contents return to the 1-inch top margin?
_____ 3. Does the format of your Table of Contents match one of the samples on page 15 and Appendix D?
_____ 4. Do the wording, capitalization, and punctuation of all entries match those used in the text of your field
study, thesis, or dissertation?
_____ 5. Is each entry single-spaced, with a double space between entries?
_____ 6. Are the page numbers accurate?
_____ 7. Does the Table of Contents appear after the Abstract?
_____ 8. Does every page show at least a 1.5 inch left margin, and at least a 1-inch margin at the bottom and
right?
_____ 9. Have you used leaders (not periods) that are even and consistent to fill the space between each entry
with a space between the leader and its corresponding page number as shown in Appendix D?
_____ 10. Did you break up the entry ¾ of the way across and place remaining words on a second line (singlespaced, hanging indent) so that the words do not exceed the leaders?
_____ 11. Do all the headings and subheadings appear in the Table of Contents except preliminary pages?
List of
Tables/Figures
•
•
•
Use function for
leaders, do not use
periods
Entries must be
single spaced and
entries must be
separated by double
space
1”
All caps, centered
“Table”
heading
must
appear here
Page
heading
must
appear
here
1 1 2”
1”
Table number must
appear on left
margin followed by
two spaces and then
the title of the table
1”
Page Number
The Checklist: List of Tables/Figures
LIST OF TABLES, FIGURES, ILLUSTRATIONS:
_____ 1. Does the format of your lists match the samples in Appendix E, F, and G?
_____ 2. Does every page show at least a 1.5 inch left margin, and at least a 1-inch margin at the bottom and
right?
_____ 3. Does each list have a heading in all caps? {LIST OF TABLES}?
_____ 4. Are all lists of tables, etc. properly numbered, given a title, and listed consecutively?
_____ 5. Is each entry in the list single-spaced, with a double space between entries?
_____ 6. Do the wording, capitalization, and punctuation of all entries match those used in the text of your field
study, thesis, or dissertation?
_____ 7. Have you used leaders (not periods) that are even and consistent to fill the space between each entry
with a space between the leader and its corresponding page number as shown in Appendix E and F?
_____ 8. Have you placed these pages immediately after the Table of Contents?
List of
Abbreviations
•
•
Abbreviations must
be arranged
alphabetically at left
margin
Entries must be
single spaced and
entries must be
separated by a
double space
1”
All caps, centered
Abbreviations
down left
margin
1”
1 1 2”
1”
Page Number
The Checklist: List of Abbreviations
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS:
_____ 1. Is the List of Abbreviations in alphabetical order?
_____ 2. Is each entry in the list single-spaced, with a double space between entries?
_____ 3. Are all the pages listed in the correct order as in the University of Louisiana at Monroe Guidelines?
2”
Chapters
•
All Caps, centered
Normal text, centered
First page of chapter
must not have page
number (still counted)
– subsequent pages
must be numbered
•
Subsequent pages of
chapter must have 1”
top margin
•
All text should be
double spaced except:
•
•
•
•
•
Block quotes
Notes
Captions
Legends
Long headings
1”
1 1 2”
1”
No Page Number
The Checklist: Chapters
CHAPTERS:
_____ 1. Does the first page of each new chapter show a 2-inch top margin?
_____ 2. Have you left the page number off the first page of each new chapter?
_____ 3. Does every page show at least a 1.5 inch left margin, and at least a 1-inch margin at the bottom and
right?
_____ 4. Are all chapters in the same font {12-point; Times New Roman, Helvetica, or Arial) and in a single
column of text?
_____ 5. Is the text double spaced {EXCEPT for blocked quotations, notes, captions, legends, and long
headings)?
_____ 6. Are blocked quotations indented five spaces from the left and right, singled-spaced?
_____ 7. Do page numbers appear in the same place (centered at bottom; or top right)? Have you left the page
number off the Title page and the first page of each chapter?
_____ 8. Have you made sure there are no widows (single lines at the bottom of a page) or orphans (single lines
at the top of the page)?
_____ 9. Have you made sure there are no headings at the bottom of a page without at least two lines of text?
_____ 10. Are paragraphs indented consistently throughout? (5 spaces consistently)
The Checklist: In-Text Citations/Appendices
IN-TEXT CITATIONS:
_____ 1. Are citations consistent with the style manual?
_____ 2. Have you checked in-text citations against the reference list to ensure that
name(s) are spelled correctly and that titles, journal citations, publisher, years,
numbers, volumes, and inclusive page numbers match?
_____ 3. Are all citations listed in References and all entries in References cited in the
text?
The Checklist: References/Vita
REFERENCES/BIBLIGRAPHY (Required)
_____ 1. Does every page show at least a 1.5 inch left margin, and at least a 1-inch margin at the bottom and
right?
_____ 2. Are all entries listed in alphabetical order?
_____ 3. Are all entries single-spaced, with a double space between entries?
_____ 4. Is the first line of each entry flush left, with subsequent lines indented (hanging indent)?
_____ 5. Are references formatted consistently with style manual specifications?
VITA: (Required)
_____ 1. Have you included a Vita after the References without a page number? The Vita must be in narrative
format (not formatted like a resume’).
_____ 2. Does every page show at least a 1.5 inch left margin, and at least a 1-inch margin at the bottom and
right?
_____ 3. Have you indented paragraphs 5 spaces consistently and double-spaced?
The Checklist: Miscellaneous/Footnotes
OTHER: (REQUIRED)
_____ Have you submitted your signed title page and signed Major Professor Review Form to Graduate School?
FOOTNOTES (if applicable):
_____ 1. Have you numbered footnotes (endnotes) consecutively either within each chapter or throughout the
work?
_____ 2. Are note numbers properly formatted as superscript Arabic numerals or as Arabic numerals placed on
the line and followed by a period?
_____ 3. Are abbreviations used in notes consistent with those used in the bibliography?
_____ 4. Is each note single spaced within an entry, and double spaced between notes?
Note
 As a graduate student, you should realize that your
accepted manuscript is a published document, and
ULM is the publisher. The quality of this institution,
to a great extent, will be measured by the scholarship
of its students and faculty. Significant scholarly
works by which ULM will be judged include the field
studies, theses, and dissertations of its students who
are supervised by its faculty.
Resources
 Editors:
If you wish to have someone assist you with editing your ETD
before you submit your official document to Graduate School
through ProQuest, the Graduate School has information that can
help you.
 Contact Melissa Thorpe (EDT Compliance Coordinator) for more
information
Email: thorpe@ulm.edu *preferred*
Phone: (318) 342-3036

 Graduate School Contact Information:
Phone: (318) 342-1036
 Email: gradadmissions@ulm.edu
 Fax: (318) 342-1042
