University-Wide Requirements for the Ph.D. Dissertation: Dissertation Format

Dissertation Format

Additional information regarding formatting may be found in The Chicago Manual of Style or another style manual recommended by your department.

Font Style and Size

• Script, italic, or ornamental fonts are not acceptable. However, italicized font may be used when appropriate (genus and species names, non-English words, etc.).
• Body of the text is 12-point. (ProQuest suggests less for some fonts, but the University requires 12-point.)
• Text in tables and footnote text is at least 10-point.
• Super- and subscript characters, type in formulas, and so forth are at least 9-point.

Line Spacing

• Double-spaced: abstract, dedication, acknowledgments, and body of the dissertation.
• Single-spaced when appropriate: footnotes, table of contents or bibliographic entries (with a line space between each note or entry), captions, quotations as paragraphs, and items in tables, lists, graphs or charts.

Margins

• Margins are: Left: 1 inch; Right: 1 inch; Top: 1 inch; Bottom: 1 inch
• Nothing appears outside these margins, including page numbers, text, tables, footnotes, figures, captions, and the outer edges of any images.

Page Numbers

• All pages are numbered consecutively, and no page is missing.
• Preliminary pages use lowercase Roman numerals. The title page counts as "i" although the page number does not appear on it.
• The first text page uses Arabic numeral "1," and the pagination continues with consecutive Arabic page numbers throughout the body and the end matter of the dissertation.
• Each page has a page number printed on it with the exception of the title, copyright, dedication, part-opening, and epigraph pages. Although page numbers do not appear upon these pages, the page number is implied. Every sheet is counted for purposes of numbering pages. All page numbers appear inside the margins.
• Page numbers should appear centered at one inch from the bottom of the page.

Parts of the Dissertation

• An electronic dissertation does not have multiple volumes. 
• Front matter may include a title page, copyright page, dedication, and epigraph. These initial pages are not included in the table of contents. They are followed by the table of contents, next any lists (of tables, figures, illustrations, maps, etc.), then the acknowledgments, and other preliminary pages. The table of contents includes everything that follows it, although chapter subheadings are often omitted.
• The body, or text of the dissertation, may include an introduction, chapter one, and subsequent chapters, with figures, tables, and so forth interleaved within the text.  Each chapter begins on a new page, while sections within chapters do not, except by chance or to prevent the subheading from being the last line of text on a page.
• The end matter may include appendices, a bibliography, and other material.

Title Page

• The layout and style of the title page follow exactly the model provided by the Dissertation Office.
• The month noted is that of your convocation—December, March, August, or June.

Table of Contents

• All major sections are listed in the table of contents—front matter (acknowledgments, abstract, preface, lists of tables, figures, maps, abbreviations, etc.), body (opening pages for parts, chapter titles), end matter (appendices, reference lists or bibliographies).
• Title, copyright, dedication, table of contents, and epigraph pages are not listed in the table of contents.
• Subheadings may appear in the table of contents if this will be useful. Note: if any subheadings are included then all other subheadings of the same level must be included.
• If the dissertation is divided into parts, the division is noted in the table of contents. Page numbers are not listed for separate part-opening pages.
• Titles and page numbers appearing in the table of contents match the contents of the dissertation exactly.

List of Tables, List of Figures, and Other Lists

• All dissertations with tables, figures, or other images include a list of tables, a list of figures, and other lists, even if there is just one table, figure, etc. These lists are placed immediately after the table of contents. If more than one list is included, each list must begin on a separate page.
• The lists include the number and title of each table, figure, or other image and the page number on which it begins. Tables, figures, etc. appearing in appendices must be included on the lists.
• The title of the table or figure may be an abbreviated version of its caption.
• If a table or figure is longer than a page, only the first page is referenced.

Tables, Figures, and Other Images

• Each table, figure, etc. has a unique number assigned to it, along with a title or description of the figure or table. The number and title or description must appear on the first page of the figure or table.
• Captions, legends, tables, figures, and the outer edges of all images appear inside the margins.
• Captions and legends are single-spaced. If they will not fit on the same page as a figure, they may be placed on the second page. Facing pages are no longer permitted; there are no facing pages in the electronic version of the dissertation.
• If a table or figure continues to a second page, the continuation is labeled.
• If a table or figure is printed in a broadside (or landscape) orientation, the top of the item must be adjacent to the margin on the left. The page number must be placed in the same place and with the same orientation as the page numbers on portrait pages--centered at one inch from the bottom of the page.
• Tables and figures are interleaved with the text on the same page. When appropriate, they may be gathered in an appendix, but they must not simply appear at the end of a chapter or bibliography.
• Notes in tables are not numbered sequentially with other footnotes but use either symbols or superscript lowercase letters in a sequence that begins anew for each table.
• Notes in tables appear at the bottom of the table, not the bottom of the page.
• Sources for tables do not require footnotes. SOURCE, followed by the source, appears under the line rule at the bottom of the table.
• Black and white images are preferred. Color or grayscale images may not reproduce well.

References and Footnotes

• The use of endnotes is discouraged. Internal references and footnotes are preferred.
• Footnote numbering is not continuous throughout the text. Each chapter or appendix begins with footnote 1.
• Numbered footnotes begin on the same page as the footnote indicator.
• A short line rule called a separator divides the footnote area from the main text.
• Footnote text is single-spaced, and footnotes appear inside the margins.

Appendices

• Separate appendix opening pages may be used when appropriate.
• If there is more than one appendix, each has a number or letter in addition to the title.
• The title and page number of each appendix appears in the table of contents, as does the appendix number or letter when there is more than one appendix.

Bibliography

• Individual entries are single-spaced with a line space between each entry.