 In this seminar, we will review the Guidelines for Preparing a Thesis or Dissertation , go over common mistakes and offer suggestions to help in formatting.
 This presentation is intended as a supplement to the Guidelines for Preparing a Thesis or
Dissertation , not a substitute.
 Be sure to read the entire Guidelines for
Preparing a Thesis or Dissertation before uploading your manuscript to OhioLINK.

 Briefly outline the Guidelines for Preparing a
Thesis or Dissertation .
 Highlight common formatting mistakes
 Give tips on how to make formatting easier
 Notify of the thesis & dissertation deadline for the upcoming semester
 Advise on submission procedures for electronic copy
 Answer any remaining formatting and submission questions

 The purpose of the guidelines is to ensure that every thesis or dissertation that will carry the name of The University of Akron meets the same high standards of presentation.
 The standards are the Graduate School standards and are applied consistently to all departments and programs.
 Just as the research must be precise and complete, the presentation of that research must be equally precise and complete.
 It is important that students read and understand the guidelines before preparing and submitting the final manuscript.

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 manuscript
 your thesis or dissertation style
 form for such items as source citations and bibliographic entries. APA, MLA, Turabian , etc. formatting
 form for such items as page number location, page margins, spacing, etc. Guidelines for
Preparing a Thesis or Dissertation etd
 Electronic Thesis or Dissertation final copy
 the final copy submitted electronically to
OhioLINK and a hard copy of the signed signature page

 Correct margins are:
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Left side 1.5 inches
 no exceptions
Right side 1.0 inch
 no exceptions
Top 1.0 inch
 exception: pages that carry major headings, such as preliminary pages and chapter titles, must have a 2.0-inch top margin
Bottom 1.0 inch
 exception 1: When a 1-inch margin would leave a single line of print on a page, then a margin of no more than 2-inches may be left and text continued on the following page
 exception 2: where a page is followed by a figure or table on the next page, or when the last page of a chapter
 Figures and tables must fit within the margins.
 Oversized material may be reduced to fit.

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Set top page margin to 2”.
Place cursor after the last word on the chapter title page.
Go to
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Insert
Break
Section Break Types
Click on “Next Page”
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Place cursor on the next page in the chapter.
Set top page margin to 1”.
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Select option “This Point Forward” on the drop box under Page Margins panel
 Recommendation
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Save each chapter as a separate Word document.
This will allow you to make corrections without affecting the entire manuscript.

 Pages should be spaced so that no page ends or begins with a single line of text.
 At least two lines of a paragraph must appear together at the top & bottom of every page.
 Each subheading must be followed by at least two lines of text.
 Microsoft Word programs have automatic widow/orphan protection located under
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Format
Paragraph
Line and Page Breaks
Widow/Orphan Control (check box)
OK

 Text material is double spaced.
 Single spacing may be used in :
 notes
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 long quotations statement of hypothesis figure/table titles and the bibliography.
 Chapter Title Pages
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 double space between chapter heading and title triple space (leave 2 blank lines) between chapter title and subheading/beginning of text
 Subheadings
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Double space before and after subheadings to set them apart from regular text.
Additional spacing before or after subheadings can create widow/orphan problems.

 Font size must be 10 or 12 point.
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Nearly all types of font face are acceptable.
Unusual or scripted fonts are not acceptable.
Do not use bold font for major titles or figure/table titles.
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The left margin must be justified.
Right margins may be justified if the department/college approves.
 right-justified margins may result in unsightly white spaces between words that are not acceptable.
 Materials must be centered between the text margins rather than the paper edges.
 Indent the first line of every paragraph consistently, so that each paragraph is indented the same number of spaces.

 Preliminary pages are in Roman numerals
(i,ii,iii, etc.)
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The title page is page i. It is counted but not numbered on the actual page.
The signature page is page ii. It is counted and numbered on the page.
 Text pages (beginning with Chapter 1) are in
Arabic numerals (1,2,3, etc.)
 Beginning with page 1 of Chapter 1, all following pages are numbered sequentially through the end of the manuscript.
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 is placed as the very first page (before the title page) is neither counted nor numbered

 Page number embellishments are not permitted
(1a, 1b, etc.)
 All pages have the page number placed at the bottom of the page, centered under the text.
 In Microsoft Word programs you can set the page number placement under
Step 1
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File
Page Setup
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Layout

Set Footer to 1.0-inch
OK
Step 2
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View
Header/Footer
Click on centering icon on tool bar
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Insert page number
Close

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Preliminary Pages (lower-case Roman numerals)
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Copyright Notice (not counted or numbered)
Title Page (counted, not numbered)
Signature Page (page ii)
Abstract (mandatory for dissertations)
Dedication (optional)
Acknowledgements (optional)
Table of Contents
List of Tables (as needed)
List of Figures (as needed)
List of Illustrations (as needed)
List of Schemes (as needed)
Chapters of Text Material (begin Arabic page numbering)
Summary/Conclusions
Bibliography/References/Literature Cited (select most appropriate)
Appendices (including Human Subjects Approval and/or other approvals as required)
Index (if required)

 The following slides will explain how to format specific pages in your manuscript.
 Examples will be included.

 Copyright notice appears in front of the title page.
 It is not numbered or counted.
 You should check with your advisor to see if copyright is recommended.
 Copyright must be secured from the Registrar of Copyright in Washington, D.C. with the fee paid directly to that office.
 Additional Information can be obtained from the Copyright Office.
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(202) 707-3000 www.loc.gov/copyright

© Year
AUTHOR'S NAME
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

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All text on this page is centered.
Double space the entire page.
The top margin is two-inches.
Title
 Must be in all capital letters.
 Must be centered immediately below the twoinch top margin.
Graduation date
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
Must be month, year of graduation.
Must be centered immediately above the oninch bottom margin.
Other text should follow example in wording and capitalization.
Title page is counted as page i.
 Page number is not shown.

TITLE
MAY TAKE TWO OR MORE LINES
A Thesis or A Dissertation
Presented to
The Graduate Faculty of The University of Akron
In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree
Master of ________ or Doctor of ________
Author’s Name
Month, Year

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Title
 Must be in all capital letters.
 Must be centered immediately below the twoinch top margin.
 Must be double spaced if two or more lines.
Author’s name
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Must be case sensitive.
Must be centered below title.
Signature page is counted as page ii.
 Page number is centered above bottom margin.
The names of those signing must be typed a single space below their titles.
Should it be necessary to have someone other than the appropriate individual sign
 The signer should write the name listed on the signature page
 The signature should be followed by a slash / and the initials of the person signing.

COMPLETE TITLE
THAT MAY REQUIRE
THREE LINES
Author's Name
Thesis
Approved:
______________________________
Advisor
Name
______________________________
Co-Advisor or Faculty Reader
Name
______________________________
Department Chair or School Director
Name
Accepted:
______________________________
Dean of the College
Name
______________________________
Interim Dean of the Graduate School
Name
______________________________
Date ii

COMPLETE TITLE
THAT MAY REQUIRE
THREE LINES
Author's Name
Dissertation
Accepted: Approved:
______________________________
Advisor
Name
______________________________
Department Chair
Name
______________________________
Co-Advisor or Committee Member
Name
______________________________
Committee Member
Name
______________________________
Committee Member
Name
______________________________
Committee Member
Name ii
______________________________
Dean of the College
Name
______________________________
Interim Dean of the Graduate School
Name
______________________________
Date

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All entries in the Table of Contents (TOC) must match exactly as they appear in the text, including: wording, numbering, punctuation, capitalization and spelling and page number on which they appear.
Chapter titles and major headings are typed in all capital letters.
 Subheadings are case-specific.
Double Space between entries.
 Single space within an entry if it falls on two or more lines.
Typical indentation in the TOC is on a 2-space basis. However, you may adjust this number provided that all indentations are consistent.
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Under CHAPTER, the numbers are indented 2 spaces.
Subheadings are indented 2 more spaces.
Chapter numbers
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Must use Roman numerals.
Must be left-aligned.

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 Copy/paste will reduce the occurrence of discrepancies between the LOT and the text.
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Do not let entries in TOC, LOT, LOF, etc. invade the page number column.
The entry should stop several spaces before the page number column.
If the entry comes close, you may want to break the entry into an additional line.
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See example on next slide.

 Either
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Before beginning your TOC.
After entering all information.
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Select text to be formatted.
 i.e. the entire TOC
 In MS Word, go to
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
Format
Tabs

Tab stop position
 enter 6.0”
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Alignment
 click on “Right”
Leader
 click on “2…..:
Click on “Set”
OK
 After typing entry
 Hit tab key (until you see it on the right margin).
 Enter page number.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
LIST OF TABLES (if any) ……………………………………………………………... ix
LIST OF FIGURES (if any) …………………………………………………………….. x
CHAPTER
I. INTRODUCTION (IF MORE THAN ONE LINE IS REQUIRED, SINGLE
SPACE AND INDENT TWO SPACES) …………………………………………… 1
Statement of the Problem ………………………………………………………... 3
Importance of the Study …………………………………………………………. 5
II. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY ……………………………………………….. 7
Historical Survey of Previous Work in the Area ………………………………... 9
Second-level Subheading ………………………………………………. 11
III. DESCRIPTION OF WORK OF THE WRITER ………………………………… 13
First-level Subheading …………………………………………………………. 13
Second-level Subheading ………………………………………………. 15
IV. SUMMARY ……………………………………………………………………… 25
First-level Subheading …………………………………………………………. 27
END NOTES (if any) …………………………………………………………………... 35
BIBLIOGRAPHY (if any) ……………………………………………………………... 37
APPENDIX (if any) ……………………………………………………………………. 39
INDEX (if any) ………………………………………………………………………… 50 iv

 “Figure,” “Table, ” or the appropriate heading must be typed above the number designation column (left side).

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Do not type it before every entry.
Do not type it on following pages if LOF exceeds
1 page.
 “Page” must be typed above the page number column (right side).
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Do not type it before every entry.
Do not type it on following pages if LOF exceeds
1 page.
 All entries in LOT, LOF, etc must match exactly as they appear in the text, including: wording, numbering, punctuation, capitalization and spelling and page number on which they

 It is recommended, but not required, that you include tables, figures etc. that appear in the
Appendices.
 Do not use combinations of letters and number for your table/figure designations.
 Subtitles are acceptable
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E.g. Do not use 4A, 4B, 4C for figures 1,2 and 3 in chapter 4.
Do use 4.2a and 4.2b if the second figure in
Chapter 4 has 2 parts.
 Except in Apppendices. Then you may use A.1,
A.2, etc.
 Entries with subtitles must have a main/common title.
 See example on following slide.

LIST OF FIGURES
Figure Page
1.1
Regression analysis …………………………………………………………….. 12
1.2 Comparison of the family therapy data to the individual therapy data …………………………………………………………………….. 18
4.1 IR spectra (top) during the Step switch from He to 1%NO in
He at 538 K. MS Response of effluents from the IR Cell, on
(a) 4 wt% Pt/Al2 O3 …………………………………………………………… 50
(b) 4 wt% Tb-Pt/Al2 O3 ……………………………………………………….. 51
4.2 Infrared spectra depicting the band growth during the pulse and flow chemisorption of NO at 323 K following reduction at 673 K on
(a) TbOx (b) 2 wt% Tb-Pt ……………………………………………… 64 x

 Landscaped entries must be typed with the title along the 1.5” left margin so the title is read from the left to right of the bound side of the manuscript.
 The page number must still appear in the bottom center of the portrait view.
 Entries that continue on more than one page must have the title as on the first page it appears followed by “(continued)” or “(cont.)”
 Table 1.3 Comparison of the family therapy data
(cont.)

17

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Insert the item at the desired location.
You will need to select the item
In MS Word go to
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Format
Picture/or other (it will be the last item on the list)
Use various tabs to get item to fit, such as
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
Size, Rotation
Layout, Behind text
Work with this until you get the desired result.
For figure title go to
 Insert
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Text box
Enter your complete title
Select the text box
 Format
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Text Box (again this is the last item, just as above)
Use various tabs to get item to fit, such as
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Textbox, Resize AutoShape
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Colors and Lines, No Lines
Work with this until you get the desired result.

 The text begins with page one of Chapter I.
 This begins the Arabic numbering (1,2,3)
 page numbers are centered at the 1’ bottom margin.
 All text is double spaced except for long quotations.
 At least two lines of text must appear at the top and bottom of each page.
 No widows/orphans
 All subheading must be followed by at least two lines of text.
 Even if they are further subdivided.
 Page margins are
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
1” for top, right, bottom.
1.5” for left.
 except : top margin on chapter title pages.

Text
 All chapter titles pages have a 2” top margin.
 CHAPTER I is typed is all capital letters without punctuation, centered between the margins.
 The chapter title is typed in all capital letters two spaces below the heading, centered between the margins.
 Should the title be more than one line, it will be double spaced.
 Text of the chapter begins three spaces (1 ½ double spaces) below the chapter title.
 If a subheading follows a chapter title, it is placed three spaces below the chapter title.
 Text is then two spaces below the subheading.

 There is no single approved style for notes.
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Either footnotes or endnotes are acceptable.
Endnotes are preferred.
 Footnotes
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Placed at the bottom of each page.
Separated from the text by a line.
Same size, style, font as text.
Single spaced within a note.
Double spaced between notes.
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Placed at the end of each chapter or end of manuscript.
Separated from the text by a line and/or header of “Endnotes.”
Same size, style, font as text.
Single spaced within a note.
Double spaced between notes.

 First page is treated as a chapter title page.

2” top margin.
 BIBLIOGRPAHY in all caps & centered.
 Lists all sources used in the work.
 May be subdivided.
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Subdivisions should be labeled with only the first letter capitalized.

E.g. “Primary Sources,” “Manuscripts,” ”Articles,” etc.
Subdivisions should be separated consistently.

E.g. Each separation three single spaces.
 Subdivisions should be at the left margin.
 Page numbering continues in Arabic numerals.
 Single space within entries.
 Double space between entries.

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Bibliography
 refers to all sources read for research, including material not cited.
References
 refers only to those sources cited in the manuscript.
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 Bibliography would appear first, then
References or Literature Cited.

 If there is only one appendix
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The material must be set up like a new chapter.
APPENDIX centered below the 2” top margin.
Text/material to follow three spaces below.
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Each appendix should be treated as a separate chapter with its own title page (see above).
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Labeled Appendix A, Appendix B, etc.
Be sure to add the individual appendices titles in the TOC .
A half title or division page is inserted before
Appendix A.
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The word APPENDICES will be centered between the margins, slightly above the center of the page.
Page number placement continues as in text.
This page will appear in the TOC as well.

APPENDICES
236

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
LIST OF TABLES (if any) ……………………………………………………………... ix
LIST OF FIGURES (if any) …………………………………………………………….. x
CHAPTER
I. INTRODUCTION (IF MORE THAN ONE LINE IS REQUIRED, SINGLE SPACE
AND INDENT TWO SPACES) ……………………………………………………… 1
Statement of the Problem ………………………………………………………... 3
II. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY ……………………………………………….. 7
Historical Survey of Previous Work in the Area ………………………………... 9
Second-level Subheading ………………………………………………. 11
III. DESCRIPTION OF WORK OF THE WRITER ………………………………… 13
First-level Subheading …………………………………………………………. 13
IV. SUMMARY ……………………………………………………………………… 25
END NOTES (if any) …………………………………………………………………... 35
BIBLIOGRAPHY (if any) ……………………………………………………………... 37
APPENDIX (if any) ……………………………………………………………………. 39
APPENDIX A. APPLES ………………………………………………………. 40
APPENDIX B. ORANGES ……………………………………………………. 43
INDEX (if any) ………………………………………………………………………… 50 iv

 Any project that uses human subjects or their by-products (E.g. tissue, blood samples)

 requires review and a letter of permission from the Institutional Review Board (IRB) for the
Protection of Human Subjects before research is conducted.
 The letter of permission must be included in the manuscript as an appendix.
 The letter should be scanned and inserted to fit within the proper margins.

 Projects involving animals, hazardous materials, radiation or affecting general campus safety may require review of the research design by, and a letter of permission from, one of the following committees:


Animal Welfare Committee, Biohazard
Committee, Radiation Committee, Safety
Committee
Letters of permission (if applicable) must be included as an appendix.
 Students who believe their projects may require such review should

 check with their advisors and with the Office of Research Services .


330-972-7666 http://www3.uakron.edu/orssp/

 Final Thesis/Dissertation Deadline
 Spring 2015 graduation: April 6

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Summer 2015 graduation: July 13
Fall 2015 graduation: November 16
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
Both the hard copy signature page and the uploaded, electronic copy manuscript are due by the final deadline.
Make sure the formatting is correct before submitting your final copy to OhioLINK or they will not be approved by The Graduate School.

 Original signature page with all signature except the Interim Dean of the Graduate
School and the date.

 on white paper more than one copy may be submitted
 A copy of the Letter of Approval from IRB, etc.
 as appendix
 if applicable
 Electronic submission via OhioLINK
 signature page will be unsigned
 Doctoral students must also complete the
Survey of Earned Doctorates.
 found online

 Before you can upload your etd
 You must convert the document(s) into one pdf file.
 Uploading your etd





Go to https://etdadmin.ohiolink.edu
Select to submit the full text
Complete all sections requested by OhioLINK
Preview your record to be sure it can be viewed and that all information is correct.
Click “SUBMIT MY PAPER NOW.”



 If there are corrections required.

You must make all corrections.



You will need to make the corrections to the original document.
Convert the corrected document to a pdf file.
 Email the corrected pdf to formatcheck@uakron.edu


Graduate School can replace the original pdf with the corrected one.
Milestone will be added to DARS once the document has received final approval.


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
University Rule 3359-42-01 prohibits plagiarism.
Definition & How to Avoid Plagiarism
 www.uakron.edu/ogc/PreventiveLaw/plagiari sm.php
 Site also covers

How to detect plagiarism


Why it is wrong.
What can result from it.

 All information can be found at the
Thesis/Dissertation web page.
 http://www.uakron.edu/gradsch/gdlnThesDiss.php
 Graduation applications can be found in your My
Akron account
 Late Graduation application can be found online and must be submitted to the Graduate School directly
 http://www.uakron.edu/gradsch/currentstudents/currforms.dot
or
 In the Graduate School office
 Deadlines can be found at
 http://www.uakron.edu/gradsch/deadline.php
 All students should complete the UA Graduate
School Exit Survey online at https://akron.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_eu1Uk32hC2uJnGQ