RIGA TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY
Study Department
THESIS FORMATTING GUIDELINES
Riga Technical University
Riga – 2001
The Thesis Formatting Guidelines comprise general requirements set
for the formatting of a graduate paper – Bachelor Thesis, Master
Thesis, Diploma Paper, Engineering Project, Diploma Project –
elaborated on the completion of any RTU study programme. The
present guidelines are an auxiliary teaching aid for students, which is
aimed at unifying thesis formatting requirements in those cases, when
the binding guidelines are not provided by the regulation of
respective faculties (institutes).
Guidelines are designed by Dr.sc.ing. H. Guļevskis
 Riga Technical University, 2001.
1. GENERAL PROVISIONS
 The layout of the Thesis has to comply with the general
formatting regulations set for scientific manuscripts and project
documentation.
 The Thesis must be either typewritten or printed on one side of
A4 format white paper sheets.
 All pages must be numbered with Arabic numerals placed in the
bottom centre of the page. It is not recommended to use any
lines before and after the number. There is no page number
written on the first page, but it is considered to be page one (1).
 The items are provided in the following order: the title page,
assignment of the Thesis, performance and assessment sheet,
abstract (in Latvian and one foreign language), table of contents,
introduction, main body, appendix (-ces), bibliography.
 The title page, Thesis assignment, performance and assessment
sheet, and abstract are formatted in compliance with the
patterns provided in the appendix. The template for Bachelor
Thesis title page is provided in Appendix 1, for the Master
Thesis – in Appendix 2, for the Engineering Project – in
Appendix 3. The template designed for Thesis assignment and
Thesis performance and assessment sheet are provided in
Appendix 4. The template for abstract development is provided
in Appendix 5. The template for formatting the table of contents
is given in Appendix 6.
 The Thesis is submitted in paperback or hardback format. It is
recommended that an envelope is attached to the inner back
cover of the Thesis to place a reference, review and other Thesis
related documentation.
2. TEXT
 The following margins are imposed: top and right margin– 30
mm; bottom and left margin– 20 mm.
 The typewritten text should have a double space between the
lines and the height of the letters should not be less than 2.5
mm.
 For the printed text a 12-point “Times New Roman font” is
preferred with the 1.5 spacing between the lines.
 Each chapter of the Thesis starts on the new page. Chapter titles
are written in title case, section sub-headings – with first capital
letters. Tiles and headings are placed in the centre of the page.
The titles and headings should clearly stand from the previous
and following text by 10-12 mm. Syllabification, letter
underlining and full stops are not applied in the titles and
headings. Chapter titles and section subheadings are printed in
14-point “Bold” font.
 The main parts of the Thesis are numbered in sequence, and the
numbers are placed before the title. The chapters are numbered
applying Arabic numerals, e.g., 1, 2, etc. The sub-chapters are
numbered in sequence with the chapter number applying two
Arabic numerals, e.g., the numbers for the sub-chapters within
the first chapter shall be 1.1., 1.2., etc. If the sub-chapter
comprises multiple sections, then they are numbered within the
particular sub-chapter applying three Arabic numerals, e.g.,
2.2.1., 2.2.2., etc. For indicating sub-sections Arabic numerals or
small letters with a round bracket are used, e.g., 1), 2) or a), b),
etc. The text after the number is written with a capital letter, but
after the letter – with a small letter. The abstract, introduction,
conclusions and proposals, summary, bibliography and table of
contents are not numbered.
 A new paragraph is indicated by indenting the first line. No
spaces between the paragraphs are required.
3. ILLUSTRATIONS
 The term “figure” is applied to denote all types of illustrations –
pictures, sketches, schemes, graphs, diagrams, etc. used in the
Thesis. The figures are numbered within the corresponding
chapter. Each figure should be given a title. The number and
title of the figure are placed symmetrically below the
illustration. The title is written with first capital letter and the
lower case letters without full stop at the end. For example, the
title and number below the third figure in the first chapter
should be organized in the following way:
Figure
1.3. Fig. The title of the figure
 If some explanatory notes are required for the figure, they can
be placed below the title (for the printed text, explanatory notes
can be given in a smaller size letters).
 A reference to a figure should be given in the text, e.g., …the
process is illustrated in the scheme provided in 1.3. Figure…
 If the Thesis (chapter) contains only one illustration, it is not
numbered, but it is given a title.
4. TABLES
 The tables provided in the Thesis should be numbered and they
should have titles. The title of the table is placed symmetrically
above the table. The title is written with first capital letter and
the lower case letters without full stop at the end. Tables are
numbered within the corresponding chapter with Arabic
numerals. The number of the table is placed in the top right
corner above the title of the table. For example, the title and
number above the third table in the first chapter should be
organized in the following way:
Table 1.3
Title of the Table
 A reference to the table should be given in the text, e.g., …as it
can be concluded from the data provided in Table 1.3 …
 If the Thesis (chapter) contains only one table, it is not
numbered, but it is given a title.
5. FORMULAS
 The mathematical formulas included in the Thesis are placed in
the text, however, each formula is written on a separate line.
The symbols used in the formula have to be explained below the
formula. The formulas are numbered with Arabic numerals,
which are placed in the brackets on the right of the formula,
within the corresponding chapter, e.g.:
Qg =q x Ng ,
(1.1)
where Qg – the required amount of material a year, kg;
q – material consumption norm, kg/unit;
Ng – annual production volume, units.
 If the formula comprises multiple lines, then the number of the
formula is given in the brackets on the right of the last line of
the formula.
 If a reference to a formula is provided in the text, its number is
provided in the same way – in the round brackets.
 If there is only one formula in the Thesis (chapter), it is not
numbered.
6. APPENDICES
 Some auxiliary materials, which cannot be placed into the main
body of the Thesis, are provided in the appendices, under the
umbrella title – APPENDICES, placed on the separate sheet.
 Each appendix should start on a separate page. In the top right
corner of the sheet the sequence number of the appendix is
provided, e.g., Appendix 1, Appendix 2, etc. In the center of the
next line the title of the appendix is given.
 If there is only one appendix in the Thesis, the umbrella title is
not required, and the appendix is not numbered.
 The reference to an appendix should be given in the text, e.g.,
The data is provided in the Appendix 1…
7. BIBLIOGRAPHY
 If the Thesis contains a reference or aquote from other sources,
or the author of the Thesis alludes to the books or other works
in some other way, a reference to the sources, where the
materials come from, should be provided. The reference is




placed in the square brackets in the text adjacent to the
corresponding information. The number of the source as listed
in the bibliography is given in the square brackets, while the full
details of the sources are provided in the bibliography.
The list of the sources used is placed at the end of the Thesis
under the heading Bibliography.
The reference sources are listed in compliance with the
requirements of the state standards – LVS ISO 690:2001, LVS
ISO 690:2010.
The reference sources are listed in the original language in the
alphabetical order by the authors’ surnames or title of the work.
It is recommended to start the list with the sources produced in
the languages using the letters of the Latin alphabet (Latvian,
English, German, French, etc.), then the sources written using
the Cyrillic letters (Russian and other languages).
The general provisions for organizing bibliography are the
following:
a) Books:
Surname of the author, Initials. Title of the Work in the Original
Language (italic). Edition. Volume (issue). Publishing place:
Publishing House, year. Number of pages. ISBN.
If there are more than four authors, then after the surname of the fourth
author the abbreviation “et al” is used.
For instance:
Šenfelde, M. Makroekonomika. 4. izd. Rīga: RTU izdevniecība, 2012.
244 lpp. ISBN 978-9934-10-264-6.
Djukendžijevs, J. Cilvē ka balsta-kustību un manipulā ciju aparā ta
protezē sana. 1.daļa, 2.sē j., 6.grā m. Rīga, 2000. 164 lpp. ISBN 9984681-30-0.
Platais, I., Graudiņ s, P. Gā zapgā de. 2. daļa. Dabasgā zes gā zapgā des
sistē mu izveide, ierīkosana un apkalpe. Rīga: RTU, 2008. 219 lpp. ISBN
978-9984-324-59-3.
Barkans, J., Zalostiba, D. On the Global Climate Change. Riga: RTU
Publishing House, 2010. 82 pp.. ISBN 9780-9934-10-042-0.
Маталин,
А.А.
Технология
машиностроения.
Ленинград:
Машиностроение, 1985. 512 с.
b) Papers in periodicals:
Surname of the author, Initials. Title of the Paper in the Original
Language. Title of the Periodicals (italic). Publishing year, volume
(issue), page numbers. eISSN. ISBN. Available in: DOI:
For instance:
Krē sliņ s, A., Borodiņ ecs, A. Dzīvojamo ē ku ventilā cijas sistē mas.
Latvijas Bū vniecība, 2010, Nr.1, 38.-39.lpp. ISSN 1691-4058.
Haritonovs, V., Smirnovs, J., Naudžuns, J. Prediction of Rutting
Formation in Asphalt Concrete Pavement. The Baltic Journal of Road
and Bridge Engineering, 2010, vol. 5, pp. 38-42. eISSN 1822-4288.
ISSN 1822-427X. Available in: doi: 10.3846/bjrbe.2010.05
c) Papers in the proceedings:
Surname of the author, Initials. Title of the Paper in the Original
Language. Title of the Proceedings (italic). Publishing place: Publishing
House, year, page numbers. ISBN.
For instance:
Zigmunde, A., Ķ estere, I. Latvijas Universitā tes Pedagoģ ijas nodaļas
pirmsā kumi, studiju process, mā cībspē ki un studenti. No: Pedagoģ ijas
vē sture: 15 jautā jumi: zinā tnisko rakstu krā jums. Rīga: RaKa, 2010,
176.-203. lpp. ISBN 978-9984-46-120-5.
Pocs, R. Regulations and Requirements for Development of Promotion
Theses in Latvia. In: Overcoming the Hindrance in Writing Doctoral
Theses: Collection of Scientific Articles. Riga: RTU Publishing House,
2009, pp. 7-25. ISBN 978-9984-32-113-4.
d) Internet publications:
Surname of the author, Initials. Title in the Original Language (italic)
[online]. Publishing place: Publishing House, year [date of access].
Available: <URL>
Note: frequently it is impossible to determine the publishing place and
the publishing house, therefore, these elements are optional.
For instance:
Smirnovs, A., Dzelzītis, E. Enerģ ijas patē riņ a uzskaite un regulē sana
[online]. Rīga: Baltijas Vides forums, 2011 [accessed on 11 April
2012].
Available:
http://www.bef.lv/data/file/05_Paterina_uzskaite_Smirnovs.pdf
Augstā kā līmeņ a studiju programmas 2013./2014. studiju gadā . Rīgas
Tehniskā universitā te, 2013 [accessed on 17 May 2013]. Available:
http://www.rtu.lv/content/view/1198/1147/lang,lv/
Janusevskis, J., Le Riche, R. Simultaneous Kriging-Based Sampling for
Optimization and Uncertainty Propagation [online]. CCSd, 2010
[accessed on 11 April 2012]. Available from: http://hal.archivesouvertes.fr/hal-00506957
APPENDICES
Appendix 1
RIGA TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY
Faculty of Computer Science and Information
Technology
Institute of Information Technologies
Vilnis PRIEDĪTE
The student of the Bachelor Study Programme “Information
Technologies”
(Stud. ID number …….)
DATA SUPPORT OF COMPANY’S
ACTIVITIES IN THE SPREADSHEET
ENVIRONMENT
Bachelor Thesis
Scientific advisor:
Dr. habil. sc.ing., professor P. KALNIŅŠ
Riga, 2001
Appendix 2
RIGA TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY
Faculty of Computer Science and Information
Technology
Institute of Information Technologies
Vilnis PRIEDĪTE
The student of the Master Study Programme “Information
Technologies”
(Stud. ID number …….)
THE STRUCTURE OF THE DATA
CONTAINING TOPOLOGICAL
ELEMENTS
Master Thesis
Scientific advisor:
Dr. habil. sc.ing., professor P. KALNIŅŠ
Riga, 2001
Appendix 3
RIGA TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY
Faculty of Civil Engineering
Institute of Heat, Gas and Water Technology
Larisa SAVČUKA
The student of the study programme “Heat and Gas Technologies
Engineering”
(Stud. ID number …….)
HEAT SUPPLY SYSTEM
RECONSTRUCTION IN THE CENTRAL
DISTRICT OF KULDIGA CITY
Engineering Project
Diploma project advisor:
Dr. habil. sc.ing., professor P. KALNIŅŠ
Riga, 2001
Appendix 4
Bachelor Thesis developed at ………………………………………………………….
(branch/structural unit)
Author of the Thesis: student V. Priedīte ………………………………………….
(signature, date)
Scientific advisor: Dr.habil.sc.ing., prof. P.Kalniņš ……………………………
(signature, date)
Consultant(s): Dr.sc.ing., assoc. prof. J. Kundziņš ………………………………
(signature, date)
Bachelor Thesis is suggested for defence:
Head of the Institute: Dr.sc.ing., prof. Ģ. Vulfs …………………………………...
(signature, date)
Bachelor Thesis is defended at the meeting of the
…………………………………………………………………………………….. Commission
(name of the commission)
on…………………………… and is assessed with the grade ………………………
(date)
(numerical and verbal rating)
Secretary of Commission …………………………………………………………………
(signature)
Appendix 5
ABSTRACT
DEVICES, DESIGNING, METHODS
In the Thesis, the principles of metal working device
development and design methods are systematized. The comparison
of design methods is performed and the recommendations for their
application in the practical device design are provided.
The volume of the Thesis is 200 pages. It contains 32 figures, 3
tables, and 2 appendices. The Bibliography comprises 11 sources.
Appendix 6
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION ………………………………………………………..
1. CURRENT SITUATION AND DEVELOPMENT TENDENCIES IN THE
FIELD OF PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION …………………………
1.1. Educational Establishments …………………………
1.1.1. ………………………………………………..
1.1.2. ………………………………………………..
1.2.Number of Students ………………………………………….
2. PROVIDING PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION …………………………….
2.1.………………………………………………..
2.2.………………………………………………..
2.2.1. ………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………..
APPENDICES
BIBLIOGRAPHY