A
Guide to Preparing Your Doctoral Dissertation
PRODUCING YOUR DISSERTATION
These guidelines should help you prepare your dissertation to ensure
that it constitutes a permanent document of quality appropriate for a
major graduate institution.
Your dissertation must conform to the standards. It must be unbound,
fully corrected, and complete. ProQuest (UMI) Information and Learning
microfilms and archives all accepted dissertations. Your final packet
contains the form needed to have your dissertation microfilmed. The
Graduate School sends the final packet to your department after you file
the Ph.D. Final Oral Committee Approval Form. This form must be
on file with the Graduate School a minimum of three weeks before
your final oral examination.
You are responsible for knowing and meeting deadlines for degree completion. The deadlines are published in: The 3-D's:
Deadlines, Defending, Depositing your Ph.D. Dissertation.
FORMAT REQUIREMENTS
Appendices
You may put unusual or supplementary materials (such as questionnaires or copies of photographs) into appendices. Number the appendices consecutively with the text of the dissertation. The paper quality and margins of the appendices must meet the standards for the rest of the dissertation.
Bibliography
The bibliography should meet your major department's style requirements, which often conform to the leading journals or book series of the field. They may be single-spaced with an additional space between entries.
Equations, Superscripts, and Subscripts
Equations, superscripts, and subscripts are acceptable provided they are legible when microfilmed. Generally, superscripts and subscripts may be one size smaller than the text. To identify each equation clearly, please isolate it with double spacing.
Footnotes and Endnotes
Footnotes and endnotes may be single-spaced with an extra space between notes. Please follow the preference of your major department when deciding where footnotes or endnotes should be placed in your text.
Foreign Language Use
You may include quotations in languages other than English in your dissertation. However, the dissertation itself must be in English unless your department certifies that one or both of the following conditions have been met: the foreign language is that of the readers to whom the work is addressed; or translation into English would make the study obscure and imprecise. Dissertations submitted by students from a foreign language department are acceptable in the language of that department.
Graphics
Computer generated figures and graphs must meet the same standards as the rest of the dissertation. Complete original material with a permanent, non-water soluble black ink (for example, India ink, Koh-i-noor rapidography drawing ink). Do not use pencils, ball point, or felt tip pens. Labels on photographs, charts, or other figures must be permanent. Headings, keys, and all other identifying information must be of the same quality of print as the text. If graphics, tables, or figures are in landscape mode, place the top of the printed page at the dissertation binding edge (left side of the paper) with the page number in the upper right-hand corner in the portrait page setup.
Margins
MINIMUM REQUIRED
- Use a minimum of 1" margin on all four sides.
- Page numbers must be in the upper right-hand corner one inch from the top and side of the paper.
Page Headers
Do not use page headers (except for page numbers) or decorative borders.
Page Numbering
The title page and the copyright page (if you are retaining and registering copyright) are not counted in the numbering of pages. The other pages are.
Number the preliminary pages (for example, dedication page, acknowledgments page, table of contents, and abstract) that precede the main text with lower case Roman numerals beginning with i. Put page numbers in the right-hand corner one inch from both top and side of the paper.
Number the main text consecutively beginning with Arabic numeral 1 in the upper right-hand corner one inch from both top and side of the paper. Check your dissertation to ensure that all pages are present and in numerical order.
Number appendices consecutively with the text, continuing the Arabic numeral sequence.
Paper Quality
- 8-1/2 x 11 inches
- Standard, white paper
- 20 pound weight
- Paper that meets these requirements can be purchased at book and stationery stores.
Print your dissertation on a laser printer. (Some high quality ink jet printers may be acceptable). The printer must produce output that meets all format and legibility requirements. A professional copy shop can produce an acceptable copy for the Graduate School. Some copiers enlarge the original between one and two percent. To avoid problems with margins, produce the original copy with margins larger than the required minimum. Look carefully at the copy before paying for the services and ask for pages to be recopied if necessary. Common flaws are: smudges, copy lines, specks, missing pages, margin shifts, slanting of the printed image on the page, and poor paper quality.
- Black print with a sharp, dark image
- Use 10 to 12 point type.
- Single-sided pages
- Double-space the dissertation
Lengthy quotations, footnotes, and bibliographies may be single-spaced with a double space between entries or paragraphs.
- Maps, charts, etc. are acceptable
Scanning and Mounting
You can scan photographs, tables, and graphs onto dissertation quality paper. Scan or photocopy photographs into your manuscript. Do not "glue" or mount photographs into the copy of your dissertation that is submitted to the Graduate School for ProQuest (UMI). The dissertation should be all in black and white for better microfilm quality. Color photographs, tables, and graphs are acceptable but not preferred.
Title Page
Do not number the title page. The title page must be double-spaced. Follow the format in the samples section. You may also view a sample title page.
ADDITIONAL GUIDELINES
UMI Abstract
The Graduate School sends ProQuest (UMI) Information and Learning abstract and a copy of your title page to ProQuest for publication in Dissertation Abstracts International. The abstract must be in English, 10 to 12 point type, double-spaced using dissertation margins and white quality paper, must not exceed 350 words, and must be signed by your advisor. (Abstracts exceeding 350 words will be returned by ProQuest. The title is not included in the word count.) The dissertation title on the abstract must be identical to the title on the dissertation title page. The original signature of your advisor must be at the end of the abstract text. This abstract is not part of your dissertation. Do not number the pages of your UMI abstract. Follow the form in the samples section. You may also view a sample abstract.
Abstract Within Dissertation
Your department may require an abstract to be part of the dissertation. Please follow your department's style requirements, and number all of these pages as part of the preliminary material (use lower case Roman numerals). Unlike the UMI abstract, this abstract must be included in the table of contents.
Copyright Page (optional)
If you choose to retain and register copyright of the dissertation, prepare a copyright page conforming to the sample in the samples section. You may view sample copyright page. Center the text in the bottom third of the page within the dissertation margins. Do not number the copyright page. There is an additional fee of $65.00 for copyrighting your dissertation which is payable at the Bursar's office along with the microfilming and binding fee of $90.00.
Corrections
To insure a clean final copy, correct and reprint pages. Do not use correction fluid, tape, or any thing of that kind in the final copy. Carefully examine your final copy before bringing it to the Graduate School for final review. Please make all personal or departmental copies before the final Graduate School final review.
Prechecks
We have reserved 9:00-9:30 each morning to answer specific formatting questions (for example: use of tables, graphs, and charts). You may bring in 8-10 pages to be reviewed in 217 Bascom Hall. No appointment is necessary.
Final Checks
For information about the final review and depositing your dissertation in the Graduate School, see The Three D's: Deadlines, Defending, Depositing Your Doctoral Dissertation.
Reprints and Use of Copyrighted Material
As the author of your dissertation, you will be asked to certify that any previously copyrighted material used in your work, beyond "fair use," is with the written permission of the copyright owner. Please refer to Copyright Law & Graduate Research: New Media, New Rights and Your New Dissertation by Dr. Kenneth Crews. This booklet is available at http://www.umi.com/products_umi/dissertations/copyright/ .
SAMPLES
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Contact:
Graduate Degree Coordinator
217 Bascom Hall, 500 Lincoln Drive
(608) 262-3011
gsacserv@bascom.wisc.edu
Bursar's Office
333 East Campus Mall #10501
8:00 - 4:00 Monday - Friday