| NOTE: | This online manual includes all of the text in the paper manual but does not include the forms and sample pages. You can review the forms and sample pages in the copies on reserve at the Reference Services Desk (second floor) in the UCF Library. For your convenience, the online manual is stored as one web page so you can print all of it at one time (a total of about 10 printed pages). |
While students' academic departments and advisory committees are responsible for the subject matter and content of theses and dissertations, Graduate Studies (AD 243) establishes standards and criteria for format. Many of the formatting requirements, suc h as placement of page numbers and treatment of margins, exist to facilitate publication of final documents by the bindery and by University Microfilms Inc.
In general, students should follow the most recent edition of either the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA) or the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. You can buy these manuals in the UCF Bookstore, find them in most libraries, or use the online sources on the Internet.
Liberal arts students may find the MLA handbook most useful. Students in the sciences should use the APA manual as it includes instructions for formulas and scientific abbreviations.
Approved style manuals include the following:
If such copyright permissions are required, the student is responsible for contacting the copyright holder and obtaining the necessary written releases. Copies of written permissions should be included in an appendix of the thesis/dissertation.
Because all UCF doctoral dissertations are microfilmed by University Microfilms Inc. (UMI), written releases should include permission for microfilming.
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Any smooth, flat-surface paper that will produce a clear copy may be used for the original typed manuscript. A letter-quality printer or laser printer produces the best original from which to reproduce copies. Dot matrix printing is unacceptable. Copie s may be reproduced by offset printing or professional photocopying.
Responsibility for obtaining acceptable copies rests with the student. Do not make final copies until the manuscript is reviewed by the thesis/dissertation editor.
It is sometimes necessary to reduce the point size to fit a table or figure onto a page. In these cases, the smallest point size allowed is 10.
Words or phrases normally underlined to show emphasis may be set in italics. Do not use bolding for emphasis.
Items of unique format, such as previously issued questionnaires or surveys, may be included in an appendix.
Items that may be single-spaced include references, lengthy quotations (40 words or more), and long tables. Other items that may be single-spaced are identified throughout this manual.
The first line of a paragraph should never be the last line on a page; the last line of a paragraph should never be the first line on a page. Most word processors have a widow/orphan protect feature that prevents this from happening.
The first line of each new paragraph should be indented using the Tab key. Most word processors already have the paragraph tab set at 1/2 inch (.5), which is acceptable.
All textual material, including page numbers, tables, and figures must meet margin requirements.
An uneven, or ragged, right margin is suggested, but some colleges prefer a justified right margin.
Each chapter begins on a new page. A chapter heading begins two inches from the top of the page and is typed in all capitals and centered (without punctuation at the end). It is not underlined.
Begin the text two double-spaces below the heading (titles in all capitals). (Since the document is double-spaced, simply press Enter, or Return, twice.)
Within each chapter or major section, up to three subheading levels are allowed:
A subheading that falls at the top of a new page should begin at the 1-inch top margin; it should not be preceded by any spaces. A subheading should never appear as the last line of text on a page; it should be moved to the top of the following page.
If chapters or sections are numbered, subheadings may also be numbered (1.1, 1.2, 1.21, etc.) consistently. Place each number on the same line as the subheading, with a constant space between the number and the subheading.
No punctuation is used with page numbers.
Page numbers must follow margin requirements; numbers must be 1 inch from the bottom edge of the page.
Some word processors, such as WordPerfect, place the page number at the margin specified and leave adequate space between the text and the number.
However, if the word processor used requires that page numbers be part of a footer, as Microsoft Word does, the bottom page margin should be set at 11/2 inches. The footer margin can then be set at 1 inch, and a few spaces will exist between the text and the page numbers.
Table 1. Numbering Your Manuscript Pages
| MANUSCRIPT PAGES (in order) | PAGE NUMBERING PLACEMENT |
| Roman Numerals | |
| Thesis/Dissertation Approval Form | |
| Title Page | Considered page i - not numbered |
| Copyright Page (optional) | Considered page ii if present - not numbered |
| Abstract | Considered page ii or iii - not numbered |
| Dedication (optional) | Begin lower-case Roman numerals - page number depends on previous pages |
| Acknowledgments (optional) | Begin numbering here if no Dedication page |
| Table of Contents | Continue numbering with Roman numerals |
| List of Tables (if necessary) | Continue numbering with Roman numerals |
| List of Figures (if necessary) | Continue numbering with Roman numerals |
| List of Symbols or Abbreviations | Continue numbering with Roman numerals (if necessary) |
| Arabic Numbering | |
| Introduction (optional) | Begin Arabic numbering on page 1 |
| Body | Begin numbering here if no Introduction |
| Appendixes | Continue Arabic numbering |
| Endnotes (if necessary) | Continue Arabic numbering |
| List of References | Continue Arabic numbering |
| Index (optional) | Continue Arabic numbering |
Tables and figures (photographs, charts, diagrams, graphs, maps, and other illustrative material) must be placed within the manuscript as close as possible to the parts of text they supplement. If possible, place them directly following the first referen ce to them in the text.
In the text, refer to tables and figures by their numbers (e.g., as shown in Table 7; Figure 4 contains).
Tables and figures small enough to appear on a page with text should be set apart from the text with two double-spaces.
All tables and figures must meet margin requirements. Wide tables and figures may be placed sideways (landscape) on the page with the table number and title or top of the figure at the left 11/2 inch margin. The page number must be in the usual upright position on the page. Printing the page number on a landscape table/figure requires you to feed the paper through your printer twice: once to print the table/figure (landscape orientation), and once to print the page number (portrait orientation).
Tables that are too wide to meet margin specifications may be reduced to no smaller than 10 points. Oversize figures that are not computer-generated may be photographically or xerographically reduced to meet margin specifications. Page numbers, table ti tles and numbers, and figure captions on these pages should remain 12 points.
Place table sources and/or notes at the left margin, immediately below the table to which they refer. Tables are usually double-spaced throughout (from the table number to the table notes). Extremely long tables may be single-spaced. Table titles and ta ble notes that exceed one line may be single-spaced.
Tables that are too long for a single page (sideways or upright) may be continued on the following right-hand page. Do not repeat the table title or number or use the word continued. Simply repeat the column headings and continue the table.
A degree of flexibility exists with table structure. Tables must have a "clean" format. Use horizontal lines to separate sections of a table, but limit the use of vertical lines. Tables must be consistent in size and style throughout the document.
Each figure must have a caption (title/description). Captions are placed at the left margin, immediately below the figure. Biology students following a journal format may place captions on the facing page (i.e., the back side of the previous page), if re quired. Captions must have the same typeface as the rest of the text in the manuscript. Captions exceeding one line may be single-spaced.
Colored ink is not permitted. For example, lines on a graph should be identified by labels or symbols rather than color. Use crosshatching instead of color to shade areas, such as regions on a map. Colored photographs should be reprinted in black and w hite unless otherwise approved by the student's adviser.
Photographs must be developed with a matte finish on 81/2 x 11 inch medium-weight paper, or dry-mounted on thesis paper.
Other items that cannot be computer-generated must be either xerographically reproduced or dry-mounted on thesis paper. Glue, tape, or paste are not permitted as these materials eventually deteriorate. All items must be perfectly aligned and positioned.
Symbols (square root signs, integral signs, Greek letters, etc.) should be computer-generated or mechanically drawn or typed. Press-on symbols may be used on original pages that are to be photocopied but may not be used in the final copies on thesis paper . Handwritten symbols are unacceptable.
Double-space twice before and twice after each equation or formula. Number each consecutively. Place the number in parentheses near the right margin of the page.
If notes are necessary, use endnotes rather than footnotes. Endnotes are notes gathered in a separate section and placed before the List of References. Footnotes are notes printed at the bottom of text pages.
If one chapter heading has been sized at 13 points, all chapter headings must be 13 points. All subheadings must be preceded by two double-spaces and followed by one double-space. If a table heading that spans two lines is single-spaced, all table headi ngs that span more than one line must be single-spaced.
It is highly recommended that students keep track of formatting decisions on a "style sheet." Using a style sheet eliminates frequent double-checking and ensures consistency throughout the manuscript.
Many word processors have a function called "Styles," which allows users to save formatting information and apply it to selected text whenever desired. For example, rather than formatting each first-level subheading (underlined, centered, two double-spac es before, one double-space after), you can create a style with the desired formatting and apply that style to each first-level subheading. If used correctly, the Styles feature can help you prepare a consistent manuscript and save time in formatting rev isions.
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We have provided sample pages for you to view. Keep in mind that different browsers may display these pages not as intended. Refer to the Thesis and Dissertation Manual for an accurate sample of these pages. Please select a page from this list:
Approval forms that have been typed incorrectly, even though they have already been signed, will be returned to the student. Forms with signatures in blue ink are unacceptable.
The title page for a dissertation must include the name of the major professor approximately 1 inch below the graduation date.
Doctoral candidates can complete the "Authorization to Apply for Registration of My Claim to Copyright" section of the Doctoral Dissertation Agreement Form sent to University Microfilms Inc. (UMI). For a $35 fee, UMI will act as an agent with the U.S. C opyright Office.
Whether or not a copyright claim is filed, a copyright page may be included after the title page to acknowledge copyright ownership. The year of publication and the author's full name should be centered vertically and horizontally on the page.
For dissertations, a copy of the abstract must be submitted for publication in Dissertation Abstracts International (DAI). This abstract will be mailed to UMI. Maximum length of the abstract is 350 words (approximately 35 lines of text). Numbers, symbo ls, and abbreviations each count as one word. Care must be taken in the preparation of the DAI abstract, because it will be published without further editing or revision.
Please note that the abstract actually included in the dissertation is not limited by DAI requirements. The student may include an abstract in the dissertation that is longer than the one submitted to UMI.
Chapter or section headings and at least all first-level subheadings must be listed in the Table of Contents. Do not list pages that precede the Table of Contents. Appendixes must be listed also.
If more than one page is necessary, continue on the following page at the 1-inch top margin. Do not repeat the heading or use the word continued.
Each table in the manuscript, including those in the appendixes, must be included in the List of Tables. Table titles must match those in the text.
If more than one page is necessary, continue on the following page at the 1-inch top margin. Do not repeat the heading or use the word continued.
Use the same format for the List of Tables, List of Figures, List of Symbols, Abbreviations, or Nomenclature, and other lists in the preliminary pages.
Margin requirements and paper specifications must be met. Appendixes are titled, lettered alphabetically, and separated by buffer pages. The appendix letter and title should be capitalized and centered at the 2-inch top margin of each buffer page.
If more than one page is necessary, continue on the following page at the 1-inch top margin. Do not repeat the heading or use the word continued.
History students are required by their department to follow a specific endnote style. A handout describing the required endnote style for history is available from the thesis/dissertation editor.
The heading LIST OF REFERENCES is centered, without punctuation, at the 2-inch top margin. The reference list may be single-spaced as long as double-spacing is used between citations. A hanging indent (first line flush left, other lines indented) for ea ch citation in the list is preferred.
If more than one page is necessary, continue on the following page at the 1-inch top margin. Do not repeat the heading or use the word continued.
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