Thesis and Dissertation Specifications
Revised, December 2006
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Introduction
Deadlines
Fees
Thesis Organization
Thesis Formatting
Introduction
This booklet provides the campus-wide specifications for theses and dissertations presented for graduate degrees at the Graduate School of the University of Colorado at Boulder. Student Advisors in the Graduate School are available daily to answer format questions, and the Graduate School strongly recommends that students schedule an appointment for a thesis format pre-check by calling 303-492-7401. We recommend that students consult a style guide or standard handbook for more detailed specifications. A student's department will provide information on requirements in a specific field of study.
Submission
The Graduate School accepts theses electronically only, uploaded as a pdf document, through the ProQuest website: http://dissertations.umi.com/colorado/. This site contains information on converting word documents to pdf documents, and has a helpful section of frequently asked questions. In addition to the one copy submitted electronically, a signature page with original signatures must be submitted to the Graduate School. This signature page must contain the original signatures of at least two committee members, the chair of the committee and one other member. Further information can be found in the signature page section of this document.
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Deadlines
To graduate in a given semester, the thesis must be submitted by a specific deadline. To determine the deadline for the semester in which you plan to graduate, see the Graduate School calendar at www.colorado.edu/graduateschool/calendar.html or contact your academic department or the Graduate School.
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Fees
The following fees are paid at the time the thesis is submitted as a pdf document. They are paid online directly to ProQuest. Fees subject to change at any time.
Master’s thesis: publishing $45.00
Doctoral dissertation: publishing $55.00
copyright registration (optional) $65.00
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Thesis Organization
The final copy of the thesis submitted to the Graduate School is organized in the following order. The starred items (*) are required in every thesis; lists of tables, figures or maps are required if they appear in the thesis; the other items are optional. Examples of formatting for these items are provided in the sample pages. Each division listed (1-11) and each chapter begins on a new page.
*1. Title Page
*2. Signature Page
*3. Abstract
4. Dedication
5. Acknowledgments
*6. Contents
7. List of Tables
8. List of Figures (or List of Maps) ↑lower case Roman Numerals
………………………………………………………………………………………………..
*9. Text ↓Arabic Numbers
*10. Bibliography, Selected Bibliography, References
11. Appendix
Thesis Formatting
Title Page | Signature Page | Human Research Committee (HRC) |Abstract | Table of Contents | Bibliography | References | Tables | Figures | Text | Acknowledgments, Preface, Introduction, and Glossary | Copyright Guidelines
Pagination
Every page is assigned a number, but numbers are not printed on the title page, signature page or dedication. Items 1-8 in list are numbered with small Roman numerals. Items 9-11 use Arabic numbers beginning with 1. Numbers should then continue straight through to end of thesis. Page numbering for abstract or items 5-11 can be done in two ways. [1] Page numbers appear on all pages. [2] The page number can be left off the first page of a major division or a chapter with more than one page. Pages generally are numbered in the upper right hand corner; usual placement is at least 3/4 inch from the top and 1 inch from the right edge. Centered numbers at the top or bottom of the page are also acceptable.
Type
Type size for the thesis should be between 10pt and 12pt and should be consistent throughout the thesis--in text, figure captions, and table titles. Any unusual type style should be approved in advance by the Graduate School; script type may not be used. Equations, formulas and words within figures must also be typed.
Margins
Minimum thesis margins are 1 3/4 inches from the left edge and 1 inch from the other three edges. These margins are essential for copying and binding. The right edge of the text may be either justified (all lines the same length), or ragged (lines vary in length).
Spacing and indents
The body of the text of the thesis is double spaced with about six single spaces per vertical inch. With 1 inch top and bottom margins; page lengths usually vary from 24 to 27 lines.
Table titles, figure captions, and chapter headings are single-spaced. Footnotes and entries in the Contents and Bibliography are also single-spaced, with double spaces between entries. Quotations of four or more lines may be single spaced or double spaced depending upon the formatting or style guide used.
The first line of paragraphs or footnotes is indented uniformly in the thesis. The number of spaces for this indent depends on the style. A standard indent is eight spaces (1/2 in); a five space indent is also frequently used. Single-spaced quotations are indented in their entirety four spaces from the left margin (1/4 in).
Headings
A student should choose a hierarchy of headings and subheadings for a thesis and use it consistently. The spacing above and below headings should be uniform throughout. Examples of headings are provided on the sample pages. The student may choose another style.
Style
The student may consult the thesis advisor in his/her department about a style guide, which will describe formatting details. The style guide may be from a specialized association (Garibaldi & Achtert, Modern Language Association Handbook for Writers of Research Papers), leading journal (Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association), or thesis manual (Turabian, a Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses and Dissertations).
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Title Page
The title page contains the thesis title; candidate's name; candidate's degrees, granting institutions, and dates received; statement shown on the sample page here (.pdf) ("A thesis submitted to ..."); name of department or school granting the degree; and year the thesis is submitted.
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Signature Page
The signature page is included as page ii (between title page and abstract) and contains lines for at least two signatures, the chair and one other member. The statement at the bottom of the page, as shown in the sample, must be included. The page is included in the uploaded pdf version with blank lines, and no actual signatures. The signature page must then be printed, original signatures must be obtained and the single page must be submitted to the Graduate School by the applicable thesis submission deadline. Your thesis is not considered to be complete until this page is received. While the page must be signed by the chair of the student’s committee and one other member, other members of the committee may sign. If the minimum two members will sign, extra lines should not be included for other members. There should be no blank lines on the page that is submitted to the Graduate School. (See sample signature page).
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Human Research Committee
All students involved in any type of research which involves the use of human subjects must have been assigned a protocol number by the HRC which is to be listed on the signature page.
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Abstract
The abstract provides a succinct, descriptive account of the thesis. It is limited to 350 words and should include specific details for indexing. The abstract must include your name, the initials of your degree, your department, thesis title, and faculty advisor - as shown in the sample abstract page.
Please note that master’s students are limited to 150 words on the abstract which goes on the “about your submission” profile page. The abstract within the actual pdf document may still be 350 words, but you will need to prepare a shortened version to place on the profile page.
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Bibliography
The bibliography lists books, articles or other works consulted in preparing the thesis. It is included even if end notes or footnotes are used. The arrangement of the bibliography and the information in each entry are determined by the chosen style. Usually the entries in the bibliography are single-spaced with a double space between entries.
References
References in a thesis may be cited by footnotes, author-year citations, or numbered bibliography.
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Footnotes
Footnotes are indicated by superscript numbers in the text. They may be placed at the foot of each page or at the end of each chapter. Footnotes at the bottom of the page may be numbered either beginning with 1 on each page or consecutively throughout a chapter. When footnotes are used, the bibliography includes all references cited in the notes (and additional sources) and is arranged alphabetically. Footnotes may be typed in a smaller size than the text or in the same size; they are usually single-spaced with a double space between notes.
Author–year citation
References within the text may be cited by using the author's (or authors') last name(s) and the year of publication (and a page number for direct quotations). These references refer to works cited in an alphabetically arranged bibliography.
Numbered bibliography
When a numbered bibliography is used, each entry in the bibliography is numbered consecutively. These numbers are inserted in the text to cite the references. The numbers in the text are enclosed in parentheses or brackets or printed as superscripts; they will not appear in consecutive order in the text.
Tables
Tables are placed immediately after their first mention in the text, either on a text page or on a separate sheet. They may be numbered consecutively within each chapter or throughout the thesis. Tables that will not fit within the required margins may be typed in a smaller font or may be reduced; they also may be printed broadside with the top of the table toward the left margin. Students should refer to a style manual for formatting tables.
Titles and footnotes
Table titles and footnotes may appear above or below the table, but should be consistent throughout the document. Table footnotes have no relation to text footnotes.
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Figures
Figures are placed immediately after their first mention. They may appear on the text page or on a separate page. They should fit within the standard thesis margins for copying and binding.
Captions and footnotes
Figure captions may appear above or below the figure, but should be consistent throughout the document. Captions should fit within the standard margins and are not reduced if the figures are reduced; they may appear on the page preceding and facing the figure. Figures may be printed broadside, with the top toward the left margin; the caption then appears beneath the figure and is typed from bottom to top of the page within the standard margins. Footnotes to a figure are typed immediately below the figure, above the caption. On pages with broadsided (landscaped) figures, page numbers should appear in the same position on the page as all other pages.
Photographs
Photographs or acceptable photocopies, black and white or in color, may be used for figures in the thesis. Photographs or other supplemental material placed in an appendix must have appropriate page numbering and fit within stated margins.
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Acknowledgments, Preface, Introduction, and Glossary
The acknowledgement mentions persons or groups that contributed to the thesis or provided funding.
Prefaces are seldom used in theses. A style manual provides guidelines on content.
Chapter 1 of a thesis is usually the introduction. However, if a separate introduction precedes Chapter 1, it is still regarded as part of the thesis rather than as preliminary material and its pages are numbered in Arabic numerals rather than Roman numerals.
A glossary of terms may be included as a separate page in the introductory material (with a Roman numeral) or as an appendix (with Arabic numbers).
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Copyright Guidelines - Facts in Brief
•Copyright is a form of protection provided to authors of “original works in authorship,” including literary, musical, artistic and other intellectual works.
•Copyright is secured automatically upon creation--even for works not bearing a copyright notice.
•Copyright registration (which is not required but which establishes a public record of the copyright claim and is necessary prior to filing an infringement suit) must be handled through the Copyright Office at the Library of Congress.
•Standard forms of copyright notice: (You do not need to include this page. It will be inserted for you before it is bound)
Copyright 1998 Jane Doe
© 1998 Jane Doe
Copyright © 1998 Jane Doe
•CU faculty and students may copyright their personal, original work.
Some•Copyright Information Sources
U.S. Copyright Office: www.copyright.gov
Fair Use Information: www.copyright.gov/fls/fl102.html
ProQuest/UMI: http://www.umi.com/umi/dissertations/
Gaining permission to use copyright material: Ask the copyright holder in writing for permission. Be sure to quote exactly what you plan to use and in what context. For a fee, the Library of Congress can conduct a search for the copyright holder. See: http://www.copyright.gov/records/.
Survey of Earned Doctorates (Doctoral students only)
The Survey collects information from all research doctorate graduates, and this compiled data is extremely important information used by policymakers and used in evaluating the nation’s work force. This form can be filled out online at http://survey.norc.uchicago.edu/doctorate. If you would prefer to fill out a paper copy of this form, contact the Graduate School.
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