UNIVERSITY OF MALTA
INSTITUTE OF MALTESE STUDIES
STYLE SHEET –M.A. / Ph.D.
All dissertations submitted are to follow strictly the norms detailed in this style sheet.
Adherence to the Institute’s ‘house style’ is mandatory and is taken into consideration
when assessing the work submitted. Students are urged to familiarize themselves with this
style early in the course and to adopt it whenever possible when writing essays and other
assignments. No style sheet can answer every query that might arise when writing a
dissertation. Where the style sheet fails to offer guidance, consult the supervisor. The most
fundamental rule to keep in mind is consistency of style.
1. LENGTH.
M.A.: (taught): 20,000-25,000 words, exclusive of Notes, Bibliography, and Appendices.
Ph.D.: not more than 100,000 words, inclusive of Notes, Bibliography, but not Appendices.
2. TYPESCRIPT.
(a) Fonts. Times new roman 12 for text and 14 for titles
(b) Margins. 1.5 - 2cm. left margin
(c) Spacing. Use one-and-a-half spacing in the text.
(d) Quotations. Quotations of more than thirty words should be single-spaced and form a
distinct paragraph without indentation. Do not use quotation marks in such cases.
(e) Quotation Marks. Use single quotation marks throughout, but doubles for a quote
within a quote.
(f) Dates. Use day, month, year without commas, abbreviating the months (except May,
June, and July): E.g.: 25 Dec. 1930. For decades, use 1650s, or fifties if the century is
clearly identifiable.
(g) Textual Reference Numbers (for footnotes). Continuous for each chapter. Use
superscript, without brackets.
(h) Italics. Use italics for: (i) book, journal, newspaper titles; (ii) words in a language that
is different from the rest of the text; (iii) to emphasize a word or phrase if it all
necessary.
(i) Spelling. As a rule of thumb you should abide by the Oxford English Dictionary.
1
(j) Abbreviations and acronyms. Consult supervisor.
3. FOOTNOTES AND REFERENCES.
These should be continuous for each chapter, and should be set at the foot of every page
(NOT at the end of a chapter).
(a) For Books. Name of the author (name and surname) of the book, the title (in italics),
place of publication, publisher, date of publication, and page numbers—in that order.
E.g., Catherine Merridale, Night of Stone: Death and Memory in Russia (London,
Granta Books, 2000), 116-19. (If you use initials instead of Christian name, leave a
space after each initial, e.g., J. W. Konwitz). Note that all words in the title except
prepositions and conjunctions should start with capital letters.
(b) For Articles in a Journal. Name and surname of the author of the article, the title of
the article (within single quotes), the title of the Journal (italics), volume (in small
Roman figures), number, year of publication (within brackets), and page
number/numbers. E.g., Allison Hoppen, ‘The Finances of the Order of St John of
Jerusalem in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries’, Europe Studies Review, iii, 2
(1973), 103-119.
(c) Chapter in a collective work. Name of the author (initials first) of the chapter, the title
of the chapter (within single quotes), the title of the collective work (italics), name of
the editor/s followed by (ed.) or (eds.), publisher, place and date of publication, the
page number/numbers. E.g., F. Romano, ‘Between the Sixteenth and Seventeenth
Centuries: The Economic Crisis of 1619-22’, in The General Crisis of the Seventeenth
Century, G. Parker and L.M. Smith (eds.) Routledge, London 1978, 173-6.
(d) Newspapers. Simply cite the name of the newspaper (italics), and the date of the issue.
E.g. The Times of Malta, 4 December 1950. If citing a feature article, letter, or other
contribution of some importance give the title of the item and where possible of the
author and the relevant page number.
(e) Manuscripts. The style may vary according to the collection or the nature of individual
manuscripts. However, a standard form would be to give the name of the archive, the
paper series, and volume number, followed either by folio number/s, authorship, names
of correspondents and date, etc., according to the nature of the manuscript. After a
document has been cited once, use the abbreviated form for subsequent references. As a
rule, the footnote must make it possible for the reader to trace the document. Consult
supervisor.
(f) Electronically-retrieved information like documentary sources, papers, ebooks
and other materials which may be accessed online. Same as with printed material,
but followed by date of retrieval and full webpage address. (see Appendix A)
2
(g) When referring to a work already cited, use the shortest abbreviated form. The
author’s surname followed by page numbers is normally sufficient. E.g. Merridale, 21222, or Hoppen, 116. If there is more than one author with the same surname, include
initials to distinguish between them. If you are using more than one work by the same
author, put the date of publication in brackets to distinguish between works. E.g.,
Merridale (2000), 162. If citing from the same author in succession, use ibid. and give
the page number if different.
(h) An anonymous work. Works with no acknowledged authors should be indicated by
ANON, followed by the title, place, and date of publication.
4. PRELIMS.
The following order should be followed:
i. Half-title.
ii. Title-page, naming the full title of the thesis, the candidate’s name, and year of
submission.
iii. Declaration of authenticity (See Appendix B)
iv. Dedication (if any).
v. Preface, introducing the thesis and stating its purpose, ending with a list of
acknowledgements.
vi. Table of Contents.
vii. List of illustrations/maps/tables/graphs/figures/ appendices, including transcripts or
part transcripts of any interviews, etc.
5. BIBLIOGRAPHY.
Classified according to the nature of the sources, in the following order:
i. Primary documents, sub-classified as Manuscripts, Printed Documents (such as
government reports, statistics, etc.), Newspapers, Oral Testimonies.
ii. Secondary Works, (books, and journal or other articles) in alphabetical order according
to Author’s Surname. Note that here the Surname precedes the Christian name (E.g.,
Merridale, Catherine). In the case of articles in journals or chapters in collective works,
list by author of the article or chapter. Published books in the list should be
distinguished from articles. Title of unpublished dissertations are to be listed here, but
the title and subtitle, should be placed within single inverted commas, and followed by
the degree for which the work was presented, the name of the institute or department of
the university, and the year of submission.
3
6. SUBMISSION OF THESIS FOR EXAMINATION
Four soft-bound copies of the thesis are to be submitted to the Director of the Institute of
Maltese Studies, as well as an electronic copy in PDF format on compact disc. It is normal
practice that students give a copy of their dissertation to their respective supervisor.
The supervisory role ceases when the dissertation is submitted for examination. The
supervisor will signify formally in writing (Appendix C) that she/he knows that the student
is submitting the work for examination by the Board of Examiners. A supervisory role may
be re-assumed on the advice of the Board of Examiners in order to provide guidance to a
student whose dissertation is referred back for significant correction pending final
acceptance.
HF
November 2010
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Appendix A
Listing electronic sources in the MLA "Works Cited" format1
Electronic source materials are available to writers in a variety of delivery systems; the
Modern Language Association (MLA) documentation style varies slightly, depending on
whether the material is delivered via the Internet or a CD-ROM (or diskette). The
guidelines here are based on the 1998 MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly
Publishing and the 1999 MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 5th ed. As
electronic media evolve, conventions for listing digital sources in a "Works Cited" list will
also change. Whatever formats may emerge, researchers will always need to give clear,
consistent, and specific directions for locating every source used in a paper.
Online sources
The MLA offers some general notes regarding publication dates, uniform resource locators
(URLs), and page numbering:
•
Publication dates: Because the content of Web-based sources may change from one
user's access to another's, provide readers with at least two dates in your citation, if
possible—the date the Web document was created or last modified (often located at the
bottom of the Web page) and your date of access. If the Web document is a digitized
version of an earlier print edition, you can cite that date as well.
•
Uniform Resource Locators: The MLA recommends including URLs when citing
Web-based sources. When fitting a lengthy URL into a citation, break the URL at the
end of a line only after forward slash. Do not add a hyphen at the line break (as reader
could mistake the hyphen for part of the electronic address). Enclose the URL in angle
brackets, as in this example: <http://www. studentadvantage. com>.
•
Page numbering: Web pages (or paragraphs within Web pages) may or may not be
numbered. When they are provided, record paragraph or page numbering in order to
help readers locate information. Use the following models as a guide in creating
citations for online sources. Cite as much of the requested information as is available.
A scholarly project
Underlined Title of Project. Database editor. Specifics on
electronic publication, including date of creation or
revision, versions, organizations. Date of access <URL>.
1
Leonard J. Rosen., and Laurence Beherns The Allyn and Bacon Handbook (New York, Longman, 2003),
646-651.
5
The Life and Works of Herman Melville. Ed. J. Madden. 10 Apr.
1997. Multiverse. 3 June
1998<http://www.melville.org/melville.htm>.
A short work within a scholarly project
Last name, First name. "Title of Short Work." Specifics on
print information if any. Underlined Title of Project.
Database editor. Specifics on electronic publication,
including date of creation or revision, versions, organizations. Date of access <URL>.
O'Brien, Fitz-James. "Our Young Authors--Melvi1le." Putnum's
Monthly Magazine Feb. 1853. The Life and Works of Herman Melville. Ed. J. Madden. 10 Apr. 1997. Multiverse. 3
June 1998 <http://www.melville.org/obrien.htm>.
An online book published independently
Last name, First name. Title of Work. Editor or translator if
any. Specifics on print information if any. Specifics on
electronic publication, including date of creation or
revision, versions, organizations. Date of access <URL>.
Twain, Mark. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Ed. Internet
Wiretap. 1993. 15 Jan. 1998 <http://www.cs.cmu.edu/
People/rgs/sawyr-table.html>.
An online book within a scholarly project
Last name, First name. Title of Work. Editor or translator if
any. Specifics on print information if any. Underlined
Title of Scholarly Project. Editor of Project. Specifics
on electronic publication, including date of creation or
revision, versions, organizatj Date of access <URL>.
DuBois, W. E. B. The Souls of Black Folk. Chicago: A. c
McClurg, 1903. Project Bartleby. Apr. 1995. Columb 12
May 1998
<http://www.columbia.edu/acis/bartleby/dubois/100.html>.
Personal or professional site
Last Name, First name of creator. Title of Site. nstitutional
affiliation of site. Date of access <URL>.2
Hylton, Jeremy. Shakespeare Resources on the Internet. MIT
2
If the personal or professional site has no title, write "Home page" (no underline or quotation marks).
6
14 Oct. 1998 <http://thetech.mit.edu/Shakespeare/other.html>.
Reuben, Paul P. Chapter 3: Early Nineteenth Century:
Romanticism: Herman Melville (1819-1891). PAL:
Perspectives in American Literature--A Research and
Reference Guide.3 June
1998<http://www.csustan.edu/english/reuben/ja/chap3/melv
ille.html>. Q-Corp. Home page. 5 Feb. 1998
<http://www.qcorp.com>.
An article in a scholarly journal
Last name, First name. "Title of Work." Name of Periodical
Print information such as volume and issue number (Year
of publication): Number of paragraphs or pages if given.
Date of access <URL>.3
Badt, Karin Luisa. "The Roots of the Body in Toni Morrison: A
Matter of 'Ancient Properties.'" African American Review
29.4 (1995): 11 pp. 5 Mar. 1998 <http://
thunder.northernlight.com/cgi-bin/ pdserv?cbrecid=
LW19970923040189466&cb=0>.
An article in a magazine
Connolly, Brian. "Puzzling Pastimes." IntellectualCapital.cor
28 May 1998. 2 Aug. 1998 <http://
www.intellectualcapital.com/issues/98/0528/iccyberrep.as
p>
Gray, Paul.” Paradise Found." Time 19 Jan. 1998. 5 Feb. 1998
<http://www.pathfinder.com/time/magazine/1998/dom/980ll9
/cover1.html>.
An article in a newspaper
Mayers, Laura. *Britain Backs U.S. on Iraq." Los Angeles
Times 3 June 1998. 17 June 1998 <http://
www.latimes.com/HOME/NEWS/AUTOAP/tCBOOV0294.1.html>.
A unsigned editorial
“Flirting with Disaster." Editorial. New York Times on the
Web 3 June 1998. 18 July 1998 <http://
www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/editorial/03wed3.html>.
3
Use the abbreviation "pp." for pages and "pars." for paragraphs. If no paragraph or page numbers are given
for the article, use a period instead of a colon after the year of publication and follow with the date of access.
7
A signed editorial
Klayman, Larry. "No Special Treatment." Editorial. USA Today
3 June 1998. 3 June 1998 <http://www.usatoday.com/news/
comment/ncoppf.htm>.
A letter to the editor
Fletcher, Anthony Q. Letter. New York Times on the Web 3 June
1998. 3 June 1998 <http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/
letters/Ifletc.html>.
A review
Lipschutz, Neal. "Buchanan's Anti-Trade Tirade." Rev. of The
Great Betrayal, by Patrick Buchanan.
IntellectualCapital. com 3.21 (1998): 2 pp. 28 Aug. 1998
<http:// www.intellectualcapital.com/bibliotech/rev052898.asp>.
Electronic mail
Chadima, Steve. "Re: Business as Poker." E-mail to Leonard J.
Rosen. 14 Aug. 1998.
Online postings
You may want to cite a contribution to an e-mail discussion list or a posting to an online
news group or listserv. Generally, follow this format:
Last name, First name. "Title of Posting from Subject Line."
Online posting. Date of electronic posting. Name of
online group. Date of access <URL or, if none, e-mail
address of group's moderator>.
Nostroni, Eric. "Collaborative Learning in a Networked
Environment." Online posting. 8 Sept. 1997. Electronic
Forum. 9 Nov. 1997 <eforum@cgu.edu>.
Rand, Marc. "Watching the Humans Watching Whales." Online
posting. 26 May 1998. AnimalRights News. 29 May 1995
<news:rec.animals>.
Tuttle, AnneMarie. "Waltzing toward the Millennium." Online
posting.14 Sept. 1998. The Millennium Project
Conference. 4 Oct. 1998
http://www.ryu.org/mem~tuttle/waltz.html>.
Synchronous communications: MOOs, ML/Ds, IRC
Richardson, Lea. Online debate. "The Politics of Recycling."
8
16 Aug. 1997. EnviroMOO. 16 Aug. 1997
<telnet://enviro.moo.greenearth.org:42557 >.
Computer software
Q-Notes for Windows 95. Vers. 1.0.1A. 15 Nov. 1997.
Brookline: Q-Corp, Inc. 1997.
Online service
You may locate and use source materials from an online service such as America Online
(AOL), EBSCO, or Lexis-Nexis. If you do so and the service provides a URL for the
source, follow the format above for citing online sources. When you access a source
through a keyword or a path and no URL is provided, use the following format—recording
as much information as is provided:
Author's Last name, First name. "Name of article" Underlined
title of source in which the article appears. Version or
date of creation including page numbers. Name of Online
Service. Date of access. Keyword or Path (no italics,
followed by a colon): Write the keyword, followed by a
period, or the pathway (separating items with a
semicolon).
Fenwick, Ben. "Oklahoma Twister Survivors Face Long
Recovery." Reuters. 9 May 1999. America Online. 10 May
1999. Path: News; U.S. and World.
Hunter, James. "Odysseus." Encyclopedia Mythica. 1999.
America Online. 10 May 1999. Keyword: Mythica.
If you are citing material found on a premium search service such as UMFs ProQuest
Direct or Lexis-Nexis, present as much of the following information as is available: begin
with information from the print edition—author, title, publication date and page(s). Follow
with the name of the database, underlined; the name of the search service; the abbreviated
name of the library and its location (with state, if needed for clarification); date of access;
and URL of the service.
Targett, Simon "Oxford to Offer Degree Courses over
Internet." Financial Times 20 July 1998: 1. Proquest
Direct. Bentley Coll. Lib., Waltham, MA. 20 May 1999
<http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb>.
9
Appendix B
DECLARATION OF AUTHENTICITY
I, the undersigned, ____________________________ , declare that this dissertation is my
original work, gathered and utilized especially to fulfill the purposes and objectives of this
study, and has not been previously submitted to any other university for a higher degree. I
also declare that the publications cited in this work have been personally consulted.
_______________________
Signature
_______________
Date
______________________
Name in Block Letters
10
Appendix C
UNIVERSITY OF MALTA
INSTITUTE OF MALTESE STUDIES
SUBMISSION OF DISSERTATION FOR EXAMINATION
Student's Code______________________
Student's Name & Surname ________________________________________________
Course_________________________________________________________________
Title of Dissertation ______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
I am hereby submitting my dissertation/thesis for examination by the Board of
Examiners.
___________________
Signature of Student
________________
Date
___________________________
Submission noted.
________________________
Principal Supervisor (in caps)
________________
Signature
________________
Date
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