Thesis Format Guidelines
1. COPIES: Present two (2) copies of the thesis. Both
title pages must have original signatures.
2. PAPER: Use 8-1/2 x 11, 100% cotton rag or 20 lb. bond
paper, unruled paper for all copies submitted. Either 16 or 20 lb. rag paper
may be used, but 20 lb. is recommended. Use one side of the page only. Check
with Delivery Services (the post office) for the purchase of thesis paper. The
correct paper is also loaded on a printer that resides in Mudd 109. For 10
cents a page theses can be sent to this printer. For public lab MACs the printer
is called "Mudd 109 Resume Printer." For NT PCs in the public labs
the printer can be found under "setting->printers-.owlnet
network->great-horned->printer name 'cottonps'- For further information
please contact Mudd.
3. PRINTING: A laser quality printer should be used for
the final copy.
The availability of sophisticated word processor packages
and of desktop publishing software has made possible a variety of dazzling
presentation options. However, the candidate should remember that features that
should stand out in the thesis include the quality of the scholarship or
research, the soundness of the logic, the originality of ideas, and the
lucidity of the prose, but not the size of the headlines. Therefore, the use of
headers or chapter titles larger than 3/16" is discouraged and the use of
excessive ITALICS or BOLD print is prohibited.
Acceptable fonts generated by word processing programs
include, but are not restricted to: Times 14, Helvetica 12, and Geneva 12 for Postscript
printers (Mac), and Times Roman 12, Letter Gothic 12, and Helvetica 12 for the
PC. The font provided through LaTeX is acceptable. However, if LaTeX is used,
be careful to ensure proper margins when producing the final copy.
4. SPACING: Double space the text. Only footnotes, long
quotations, bibliography entries (double space between entries), table
captions, and similar special material may be single spaced.
5. MARGINS: Left, 1-1/2 inches; top, bottom, and right, 1
inch. These are necessary to allow for binding and trimming. Do not punch holes
in the margin, since holes would make binding impossible. (It is important that
the margins on the thesis meet these requirements so the binding can be
completed correctly.) Page numbers do not need to meet the 1" margin
requirement. (PLEASE NOTE: If you do not follow the appropriate margin
guidelines that are included here, you might lose content when your thesis is
bound).
6. TITLE PAGE: Follow in detail the sample form
in preparing the title page. Note which items are in all upper case and which
are not. Note the approximate size of print. If you chose to copyright your thesis, see additional instructions here .
The degree must be shown as Doctor of Philosophy, Master
of Arts, Master of Science, or whatever the formal designation of the degree is
as detailed in the Degree Chart found in the Rice University General
Announcement.
The month shown on the title page should be that in which
the final copy is submitted to the Office of Graduate & Postdoctoral
Studies or the month in which the degree will be conferred (May or January).
The month of the oral defense should not be shown unless the thesis is actually
presented to the Office of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies during that
month.
The titles (i.e., faculty rank) of committee members
should be typed below the signature lines with their names and departments. For
example, John Smith, Associate Professor of Biology. The word Chair or Director
should appear after the faculty title as appropriate.
7. ABSTRACT: An abstract is to be included with each copy
of the thesis. Particular care should be taken in preparing the abstract, since
it will be published in Dissertation Abstracts or Master's Abstracts and the
length is limited by the publisher. The abstract may not exceed 350 words for a
doctorate or 150 words for a Masters. In style, the abstract should be a miniature
version of the thesis. It should be a summary of the results, conclusions or
main arguments presented in the thesis.
The heading of the abstract must contain the word
Abstract, and must show the title of the thesis and the writer's name as
indicated here.
8. ASSEMBLING THE THESIS: Assemble the thesis in this
order.
a. Copyright Notice (if applicable, see additional instructions here )
b. Title page
c. Abstract
d. Acknowledgments
e. Table of Contents
f. List of Tables, etc., if any
g. Preface, if any
h. Text (the first page of the text is the first
Arabic-numbered page)
i. Notes (unless they appear on pages of text or at end
of chapters)
j. Bibliography or list of references
k. Appendices, if any, may follow h, i or j
9. PAGE NUMBERING: Preliminary pages of the thesis, that
is, those preceding the text (Item 8h) are to be numbered in Roman numerals.
Pages of the text itself and of all items following the text (i.e. 8 i-k)
should be numbered consecutively throughout in Arabic numbers, beginning with
number 1 on the first page of the first chapter or introduction (but not
preface). In this section, (8 h-k) number every page to be bound, including
pages on which only illustrations, drawings, tables, or captions appear. The
page numbers do not need to meet the 1" margin requirements.
Page numbers should not be shown on the Title Page, the
Abstract, or on the first page of the Acknowledgments, Table of Contents, List
of Tables or the Preface. However, following pages (e.g., the second and
succeeding pages) of sections 8d-g (Acknowledgments-Preface) should be numbered
using Roman numerals. The count for these preliminary pages should start with
the title page. For example, if the thesis has a two page abstract, then the
second page of the acknowledgments should be the first page showing a number,
and it should be numbered with the Roman numeral v.
Page numbers should be placed in the upper right corner
of the page. The default placement of page numbers of the word processing
program used is acceptable. Only the number should appear, not page 9 or the
abbreviation p. 9 for example. On the first page of each chapter, the number
may be placed at the center bottom, one double space below the last line of
type (the conventional placement), or at the top right corner.
10. DRAWINGS: Any material which cannot be typed or
computer generated should be drawn with permanent black ink in neat and
workmanlike manner in heavy lines, to allow for reduction in microfilming.
Photographs of drawings are acceptable. Xerox reproductions of drawings are
acceptable if reproduced on the correct paper and if they are of high contrast.
No press-on letters may be used.
When a graph, map, etc. is oversized, there is a limit on
how much of this can be handled by UMI. There can be a pocket in the back of
the bound text to hold these oversized documents, but submission is limited to
two of them, with a depth not to exceed one half inch.
All figures should appear within the text at the point
where reference to them is first made.
11. PHOTOGRAPHS: Mount small photographs with white
casein (e.g., Elmers glue), Pritt glue stick, or dry mounting tissue. Do not
use rubber cement or tape. Full page photographs on 8-1/2 x 11 heavy
photography stock, are acceptable, and high-clarity Xerox copies of photographs
are also acceptable with permission of the Graduate Office. Both copies
submitted should be alike.
12. FOOTNOTES: In presenting footnotes and bibliography,
use a consistent form acceptable in your discipline, such as Kate L. Turabian,
A Manual for Writers (University of Chicago Press), the MLA Style Sheet, or Campbell's Form and Style
(Houghton Mifflin). Electronic Styles: A Handbook for Citing Electronic
Information (Information Today, Inc.) is helpful for noting electronic
information. There are style guides for almost every discipline. Check with the
library for further information.
13. MULTI-VOLUMES: Any thesis that is more than
1-3/4" thick must be bound in two volumes. The thesis should be split in
more or less equal parts at some sensible point, such as the start of a new
chapter, and each part should be packaged in a separate envelope. A separate
title page containing the heading "Volume II", the student's name,
and the thesis title, in some sensible looking arrangement should be prepared
for the second section.
14. EXTRA COPIES: Extra copies of your thesis may be
ordered at the time of submission. There is a ONE-TIME-ONLY AUTHOR DISCOUNT
OFFER form in the UMI Dissertation Agreement packet. Please note that the extra
copies are reduced in size (6 1/2" X 8 1/4"). If you would like a
copy of your thesis in book form (regular size, printed on both sides of the
page) this option is also available. Once your thesis is processed through UMI
and appears on their web site a book copy can be ordered. If you think you may
do this you should make certain adjustments to your thesis prior to submission.
Margins should be 1 1/2" all the way around OR you can use 1" on the
top, bottom and right margins if you put the page numbers at the middle-bottom
of each page. The font should be Arial and the font size should be 12 pt.
Alternative bookbinders can be located in the Yellow Pages or here .
If doubt exists as to the correct form, the candidate is
encouraged to consult with the Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies Office
before the final copy is printed.
Candidacy
Thesis Defense
Thesis Submission
Frequently Asked Questions