THESIS & DISSERTATION FORMATTING
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Formatting Guidelines
Entire Document
Spacing
1. Double space throughout the document
 Exceptions:
 Abstract
 Table of contents
 Captions, table, or figure headings
 Extensive quotations
 Footnotes or endnotes
 Entries in reference section
Font
Any standard font is acceptable
 This is in Arial; Microsoft Word default is Calibri
1. Use the same font throughout
2. Most commonly used font size is 12 point
3. Captions (not smaller than 9 point)
4. Headings (not larger than 20 point)
5. Use sans serif for online work
 (like this) abcdef
(not this) abcdef
Margins
 All pages must have at least:
1. Left margin = 1.5 inches
2. Top, bottom, and right margins = 1 inch
 The only exception: page numbers
(they are ½ inch from the proper edge)
Formatting Guidelines
Preliminary Pages
Preliminary Pages
 Numbering
1. Lower case Roman numerals ( i, ii, iii, iv, v…)
2. Centered at the bottom of the page
3. Numbers at least ½ inch from bottom edge
4. Title page counted, but not numbered
Preliminary Pages
Type and Sequence
 Title Page Required
1. Counted, but not numbered
2. Name of degree must be accurate
3. Use Month & Year of the degree conferral date
 (May, August, or December)
Preliminary Pages
Type and Sequence
 Abstract
Required
1. Notice the required abstract heading
 Single-spaced Title
2. No Word Limit
3. Double Space the Abstract Text
4. This will be page “ii”
5. DO NOT place a “SIGNATURE LINE” on this page
Preliminary Pages
Type and Sequence
 Copyright page Optional
1. You may include this page even if you will not
be formally registering for copyright with the
Library of Congress.
2. Single space the text
3. Center the text both vertically and horizontally
Preliminary Pages
Type and Sequence
 Dedication Optional
1. No required heading
2.
May be combined with acknowledgments.
 If combined with acknowledgments,
dedication should be located on
acknowledgments page
 Acknowledgments page(s) = last
page(s) before main body starts
Preliminary Pages
Type and Sequence
 Table of Contents
Centered, in ALL CAPS at the top of the page
 Required for all except creative work
1. List sections with page numbers
2. Double space between entries
3. Single space within entries
Preliminary Pages
Type and Sequence
 List of Figures
Centered, in ALL CAPS at the top of the page
 Required if figures appear in thesis
1. Non-text items
2. Numbered consecutively throughout
Preliminary Pages
Type and Sequence
 List of Tables
Centered, in ALL CAPS at the top of the page
 Required if tables appear in the thesis
1. Tables should be numbered
consecutively throughout
Preliminary Pages
Type and Sequence
 List of Abbreviations Optional
 or List of Symbols
 or List of Nomenclature
 No matter what the name of the list,
each would be centered, in ALL
CAPS at the top of the page.
Preliminary Pages
Type and Sequence
 Acknowledgments
Centered, in ALL CAPS at the top of the page
 Required if permission to reproduce copyrighted
material is necessary
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thank you, UWM Libraries, for
letting us use pictures from the UWM Photo
Collection on our slides for this presentation
Formatting Guidelines
Main Body
Main Body
 Page Numbering
1. Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, etc..)
2. Upper, right-hand corner
3. At least ½ inch from edge
How to Change Page Numbering
Double click in the footer of your Title Page.
Make sure that ‘Different First Page’ is checked.
The Title Page is assumed to be
page ‘i’ but no page number should
be displayed on this page only.
*Please note- this page
numbering sample is
shown using Microsoft
Word 2010. If you have a
different version, you
might find the selections
in different tabs or menu
areas. You could try using
the ‘help’ button if you
are unsure where to look.
Double click in the footer of the
Abstract Page and then go to the
page numbering menu and select lower case
Roman numerals to be placed at the
bottom center of the page. This should
place continuous page numbers on the
rest of your preliminary pages.
On the last of your Preliminary Pages,
click a spot on the page after the last of
your text. Go to the ‘Breaks 'selection in the menu
and select to ‘insert a section break and start
the new section on the next page’.
This will make your preliminary pages one
section, and your main body a separate section.
On the first page of your new section,
Click on both the header and
the footer and uncheck the
‘Link to Previous’ button. This will
allow your new section to have
its own page numbering separate from your
Preliminary pages.
When you are in the header, also uncheck
the ‘Different First Page’ box.
The main body will have page numbers on
every page, so there is no need for the
first page to be different.
To insert the main body page numbers,
double click in the header
and go to the menu and insert page number
in the upper right-hand corner.
Change the page numbering to be
Arabic numeral format and select to
start numbering at 1.
Tables and Figures
 Landscape format
1. Top is on the left, and has 1 ½ inch margin
2. Page number must still appear in the upper
right-hand corner as though the page was in
portrait format
References
 Use any standard style manual
1. May be placed at the end of the main
text, or at the end of each chapter
2. If you are not using a style manual,
single space within each entry and
double space between the entries
Appendices
 Not required for every thesis or dissertation
1. Material that supports the research but is not
essential to an understanding of the text
2. Must be labeled as appendix
only one 
Appendix: Raw Data
 Appendix A: Raw Data
Appendix B: Survey
 Appendix C: Visual Analog Scale
more
than one 
3. Placed AFTER references
Curriculum Vitae
 Required for doctoral dissertation
1. It is the last page(s) of your dissertation
2. Insert page number in upper right corner
3. DO NOT PLACE A SIGNATURE LINE ON THIS PAGE
THESIS & DISSERTATION FORMATTING
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Thank You!