Graduate Thesis Guidelines
Guide for Preparing Theses
Table of Contents
Introduction
Thesis Approval
Paper
Requirements
Duplication
Style
Requirements
Format Requirements
Type
Margins
Placement of Page Numbers
Spacing
Page Numbering
Special
Problems
Use of Copyrighted Material
Mounting Photographs
Color Photographs
Color Copies
Extra Large Pages
Computer Diskettes / Compact Discs
Binding
Patents
University Library Requirements
Oversized
Materials
Non-Print Materials
Patented Theses
Detailed Arrangement of the Thesis
Thesis
Checklist
Sample of Thesis Duplication Release
Sample of Thesis Title Page
Sample of Thesis Approval Page
This "Guide for
Preparing Theses" will save you heartache, headache, irritation,
and delay if you will read it thoroughly and completely, follow
the directions carefully, and adhere to all standards and
requirements.
Do not use a
previous thesis as a sole model for your paper!
Because the thesis
is the culmination of a student's study and learning in a
graduate degree program, this work should represent and reflect
the excellence of the student's abilities and competency. The
subject should be current and pertinent to the discipline; the
language should be clear and free from jargon; the grammar
should be perfect; and the style, format, and quality of paper
must meet requirements stated in this "Guide."
For your
convenience, there is a check-list at the end of the "Guide"
that you can use as a reminder of items which need your
attention and a check-off for items you have completed.
If you have any
questions or if you are in any doubt at all, please contact your
major advisor before you proceed further. We prefer that you ask
for information before you proceed, rather than have you proceed
in error and be required to make what may be costly corrections
and/or adjustments later, and perhaps delay completion of your
degree.
Five unbound copies
of the thesis must be submitted to the University Library. This
must be done at least one (1) week (5 working days) prior to the
date the degree is to be awarded. You should submit your thesis
in a covered box.
Students should not
wait until the last minute to secure approval of their thesis.
They should allow time enough to make any corrections or
adjustments that may be required. If no corrections or
adjustments are required, there is no harm in receiving approval
well before the deadline. However, if some corrections or
adjustments are required and the student has not allowed
sufficient time to make these corrections or adjustments,
graduation and the awarding of the degree may have to be delayed
until the next semester and/or until approval has been received.
The five copies of
the thesis which are submitted to the University Library must
meet all specified paper and duplication requirements, all form
and format standards, and must not be punched or bound in any
way.
All master's theses
submitted to the University Library in partial fulfillment of
degree requirements must be presented on 8˝ x 11 inch,
high-quality white bond paper in at least twenty (20) pound
weight, 100% cotton fiber. There are no exceptions to this
requirement.
Master's theses
presented for deposit in the University Library may be machine
duplicated/reproduced provided that appropriate methods are used
and high standards of quality are maintained. If a thesis is
duplicated or reproduced, you must check that all copies are
clear and readable and the pages are in the proper placement.
The original typed copy must be clear, black, and neat so that
it will yield a very clean, distinct contrast between paper and
type.
A consistent
style must be used throughout the thesis. For matters of
style and directions on preparation of final copy, the student
should consult the sixth edition of “Scientific Style and
Format: The CBE Manual for Authors, Editors, and Publishers”.
This manual in no way supersedes directions given in this
"Guide." It answers most of the questions confronting
writers; other questions should be referred to the thesis
advisor. Textual or other material must be on only one
side of each sheet of paper. If two pages need to face
each other, the page facing down should be numbered on its back
so that the number will face up (consistent with all other
pages). Theses may follow one of two formats; a
traditional, chapter-based format or a journal article-based
format. The chosen format must be approved by the
student’s Advisory Committee. The chapter-based thesis
should be divided using sections that are headed sequentially
Introduction, Literature Review, Methods, Results, Discussion,
and Literature Cited. These subheadings may appear in
different forms, such as “Methods and Materials” or “Results and
Discussion” with an additional section titled “Conclusions”.
However, the basic elements of each of these sections must be
included in the thesis. The article-based thesis groups
journal articles with individual titles. This collection
of articles must have an introduction to the entire thesis that
indicates the relationship of the articles. The last
chapter must be a discussion/summary/conclusion encompassing the
entire thesis. A single table of contents must be used and
placed as in a traditional thesis. Literature cited may be
included at the end of each article or as a single listing
following the final chapter of the thesis.
.
The type
size should be 10-point or larger.
.
All pages
of the thesis must have the following margins:
left:
1˝";
right:
1";
top:
1"; and
bottom: 1".
Absolutely no
exceptions will be made for the margin standards and it is the
student's responsibility to see that the thesis or dissertation
conforms to them.
Placement of Page Numbers. In a
thesis, page numbering may be top right corner, top center or
bottom center, but consistency is essential. An exception is
that chapter title pages may be numbered at the bottom center.
When page numbers are at the top center or bottom center, they
are placed 3/4" from the top or bottom of the page. If page
numbers are at the top right, they should be no less than 1"
from right margin and 3/4" from the top. All pages after page
one, including chapter title pages, section-dividing pages,
appendices, etc., must be consecutively numbered using Arabic
numbers.
Spacing.
The main body of
the thesis must be double-spaced. The bibliography should be
single-spaced within the item and double-spaced between items.
Quotations should be single-spaced and indented.
Page Numbering.
The
duplication release page is not numbered. The title page and
signature page are not actually numbered but are allowed for in
the numbering sequence. Therefore, the page immediately
following the signature page will be numbered 'iii' (lower case
Roman numerals) and numbering will continue with lower case
Roman numerals until the first text page. All pages after page
one, including chapter title pages, section-dividing pages,
appendices, etc. and continuing to the final page, must be
consecutively numbered with Arabic numerals (i.e., 1, 2, 3,
etc.).
Use of
Copyrighted Material.
When any
copyrighted material is used extensively, that is, more than 150
words in a direct quotation, the student must conform to all
laws pertaining to the use of copyrighted material.
Mounting Photographs.
Photomount
paper or dry-mounting tissue, available at photographic supply
stores and most drug stores, must be used for mounting
photographs (black and white only), prints, etc., as needed.
Photographs (black and white only) may be included in the theses
provided the appropriate margins are observed.
Color Photographs.
Color
photographs must be developed on long-life photographic paper
such as Cibachrome® paper or Kodak® paper. Prior approval must
be received from the School of Forest Resources Director of
Graduate Studies before the photographs are dry-mounted on the
cotton paper.
Color Copies.
Color
copies are acceptable in a thesis and must be printed on the
required cotton paper. Some printing services will not print
color copies on 100% cotton bond paper. It is the responsibility
of the student to find an appropriate printing service.
Computer Diskettes / Compact Discs.
Computer
Diskettes / Compact Discs must meet the Library’s requirements (see
Non-print Materials). All information on the
diskettes must be included within the written text of the thesis
and must conform to all style requirements outlined in this
guide.
Do not bind the
thesis in any manner. The copies of the thesis must be submitted
in loose-leaf form. The University Library will be responsible
for binding the papers.
Defenses of theses
which contain information relevant to possible patent
applications shall be held in the usual manner with the
exception that those portions of these documents which deal
specifically with the patent related information will be
presented and discussed only after the meeting has been closed
to all persons except the candidate and the specifically
assigned members of the advisory committee. The meeting will be
re-opened when discussion moves to other portions of the work.
Theses containing
information relevant to possible patent applications will be
made available only to the members of the advisory committee.
After the work has been successfully defended, copies will be
deposited in the University Library but under special conditions
of limited access, i.e., listed in the library catalog but not
placed on the shelf, and will be available for access only with
the express permission of the Chair of the Patent and Copyright
Committee. Such documents will remain in this restricted status
until the patents have been applied for, at which time, specific
authorization for their release will be given by the Chair of
the Patent and Copyright Committee.
Any questions about
the following library regulations should be referred to the
University Library.
In order to ensure
proper preservation, accuracy in processing theses for shipping,
binding, and shelving, as well as ease of access by the public,
the University Library requires that the student adhere to the
following guidelines when applicable.
Oversized
Materials.
1. Oversized
pages that are to be folded and placed in the text of the
thesis (no more than 11" high) should not be creased when
submitted to University Library but securely inserted in the
proper place within the text. These pages will eventually be
creased by the Binding Unit before binding. Page numbering
of oversized sheets that can be placed in the text should be
on the inside rather than the outside of the page to be
folded.
2. Oversized
materials that are not to be folded within the text (more
than 11" high) and that will be housed separately from the
body of the thesis must not be folded or creased but must be
submitted in either tubes or in covered boxes. Tubes and
boxes must be clearly marked with the student's name and
thesis title (do not use adhesive labels). Each individual
sheet should have the proper placement clearly identified
(if applicable) so that the reader can easily refer to it in
the context of the text without confusion. Any necessary
page numbering or page identification on oversized sheets
that are separate from the thesis should be done. Each
oversized sheet should have the student's name and title of
the thesis in type or print directly on each sheet. Adhesive
labels should not be used to identify separate oversized
materials.
Non-Print Materials.
These materials include slides, cassettes, diskettes, etc. The
student must submit two identical sets. Slides must be submitted
in covered boxes. Appropriate covers should be provided by the
student to protect any cassettes and diskettes that are
submitted, and each item should be clearly identified with the
student's name and the name or title of the item. Diskettes can
be inserted in the box in which the thesis is submitted. (See
Computer Diskettes / Compact Discs for additional information
concerning diskettes / discs.)
Patented Theses.
Copies of
theses awaiting patents will remain unprocessed and will be kept
in a vault in the University Library until such time as the
library receives a statement of release from the Chair of the
Patent and Copyright Committee. Theses awaiting patents may not
be accessed by any library user except by the author unless
expressly permitted by the Chair of the Patent and Copyright
Committee. See Patents for additional information about patents.
1. Fly Leaf (a
blank page, no page number);
2. Thesis
Duplication Release (Appendix
B-9)
3. Title Page
(assumed page number i,
Appendix B-10); The title
page should be centered between the 1˝" left margin and 1"
right margin. On the title page, the following information
is listed:
a. The title of
the thesis;
b. "A thesis
submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the
degree of Master of Science in Forest Resources;
c. The full name
of the author (this must be the name of the student record);
d. Previous
degree or degrees with the name of the institution and the
year awarded;
e. The month and
year in which the degree sought is to be awarded (contact
the Registrar’s Office for the correct month and year);
f. "University
of Arkansas – Monticello".
4. Approval
page with the following information (assumed page number ii,
Appendix B-11):
a. "This thesis
is approved for recommendation to the Graduate Council";
b. Spaces for
the signatures of the thesis advisor and members of the
advisory committee; the approval page of all copies of the
thesis must have original signatures. The name of each
committee member will be typed directly under each
signature.
5.
Abstract (actual page number iii);
6.
Acknowledgements (actual page number iv);
7. Table
of contents with page references (continue page numbering
with small Roman numerals);
8. Body
of thesis (begin page numbering and continue consecutively
to end of thesis);
9.
Literature Cited, (continue Arabic numbering);
10. Appendix
(optional), (continue Arabic numbering);
11. Index
(optional), (continue Arabic numbering);
12. Vita
(optional), (continue Arabic numbering);
A short,
one-page vita of the author may be included. This should be
a single-spaced, brief account of the student's training and
experience and of professional memberships and
contributions.
13. Final fly
leaf (a blank pa ge).
Thesis
Check-List
[PDF]
Sample of Thesis Duplication Release
[PDF]
Sample of Thesis Title
Page
[PDF]
Sample of Thesis
Approval Page
[PDF]
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