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Formatting Your Thesis

If you're wondering how to format a thesis, you should primarily follow your university's style guidelines and advice, but always address these core thesis formatting concerns.

Headings And Titles

Thesis headings are usually in a weighted hierarchical system (e.g. different font sizes). Most, if not all, are in bold; some lower-level ones are sometimes italicised, but check this is allowed. Also ensure consistent capitalisation of thesis headings in your thesis.

New chapter titles start on a new page and are often centred but sometimes left-justified (though variations exist). Three or four heading levels are common, but also consider spacing around headings and other instructions (e.g. using Arabic numbers and the word 'Chapter' with them).

Word Styles For Thesis Headings And Titles

Word has an in-built style system that has three main benefits for thesis headings and titles.

• consistent, standardised formatting for titles at all heading levels;
• easy tweaks: one alteration changes all headings at one level;
• efficient and effective auto-generation of a table of contents.

However, if you miss any/forget to style one, problems arise.

Paragraphs

Ensure paragraphs in your thesis are suitably spaced (e.g. double or 1.5 spacing) and justified or ragged right/unjustified accordingly.

Paragraphs are separated either with a blank line between paragraphs (no indentation for the first line) or with paragraphs closed up and a suitable indentation for the first line (check guidelines). Whichever one you have, the first paragraph under chapter and section headings are usually flush/without indentation.

Fonts

You should be given a choice of specific fonts or told one you must use, sometimes with another font for specific purposes (e.g. titles, illustrations), or you should get a general instruction (e.g. TrueType font). Font size is given in a range but 12 point is common for theses, though again certain thesis aspects may use other font sizes (e.g. artwork). Watch you don't accidentally make words, lines or chunks of text in your thesis another font.

Quotes/Quotations

Use single and/or double quotes consistently throughout your thesis as instructed.

For quotations, use the exact words, spelling, punctuation and formatting. Indicate any changes accordingly (e.g. italics to indicate tweaks) by noting 'emphasis/emphases added' or similar. Mark errors you've left in with [sic] after them, and indicate your author comments/interpolations in [square brackets]. Block quotations should follow requirements (line spacing, margins, justification, etc.). Always cite and acknowledge quotes to avoid accusations of plagiarism.

Bibliography And References

Your university and/or style guidelines will give the bibliography style to follow with specific formatting requirements (e.g. turnover lines, bold, underline, italics) as they will with referencing, though the subject area often demands a referencing style (e.g. Harvard referencing). Do exactly what is requested.

Artwork, Illustrations, Tables/Figures, Captions

Check what numbering system is required: one consecutive sequence for all artwork throughout, one for different types (e.g. Table 4, Figure 4), or double numbers to indicate chapters (e.g. Table 4.6, Figure 5.2)? Using Word styles for captions/legends means one can automatically generate a list of tables.

Check if captions/legends need to be justified left or centred, if the number/type (e.g. Table 1) should be in bold but the rest not (perhaps with italic), and if underline is requested (maybe less so nowadays). Always keep captions/legends on the same page as the artwork.

Footnotes And Endnotes

Thesis footnotes are at the bottom of the page while endnotes are either at the end of each chapter/section or the whole thesis. Follow guidelines and be consistent. Consider format, font and spacing within and between such notes. Each should be on a separate new line and numbered throughout consecutively or within chapters, but don't miss or duplicate any. Note indicators are superscript characters.

Hyperlinks

Formatting requirements change – for example, hyperlinks were once underlined in the traditional blue hyperlink colour, but many now request no underline. Check what elements are required (e.g. http, www) and what information is needed with them if they can't stand alone as a reference. Some universities' electronically submitted documents allow (or even request) actual hyperlinks being created in them (but do check).

Border Material

Follow specific instructions for page numbers and any running heads or running footers, if used. In their absence, check other published theses at your university to see what is common/standard and consult external style guidelines for advice.

Style Guidelines

Although you'll have various guidelines about formatting a thesis (e.g. university, reference books, British Standard Institution (BSI) (BS4821: 1990) recommendations for Presentation of Theses), these don't always cover all you need so sometimes you have to consult others (e.g. Modern Languages Association, Chicago Manual of Style or guides for specific subject areas such as APA) (see thesis/academic resources for more information) and make formatting decisions.

If you want specific help, including on working with Word styles, if you have a question or if you want to work with me on formatting all your thesis, then contact Thesis Services.

(Note that these points overlap with those in 'presenting your thesis'.)