.........................................................................................
3
Resources for the Thesis or Dissertation Writer ...................................................................................
3
Rules and Advice for Preparing Thesis and Dissertation Manuscripts ...........................................
4
Mechanics ...............................................................................................................................................
4
Reprographic Processes ............................................................................................................
4
Corrections ................................................................................................................................
4
Type: Size, Fonts, Style ..............................................................................................................
4
Margins ......................................................................................................................................
5
Page Numbers ...........................................................................................................................
5
Spacing ......................................................................................................................................
5
Using Technology ...................................................................................................................................
5
The OIT Help Desk ....................................................................................................................
6
The Graduate School Web Page ..............................................................................................
6
Parts of the Thesis or Dissertation ........................................................................................................
6
Preliminary Pages ......................................................................................................................
7
Title Page ...................................................................................................................................
7
Copyright Page .........................................................................................................................
7
Signature Page ..........................................................................................................................
8
Acknowledgment Page ............................................................................................................
8
Abstract Page ............................................................................................................................
8
Table of Contents ......................................................................................................................
9
Text ............................................................................................................................................ 10
Tables and Figures .................................................................................................................... 10
Reference Materials ..................................................................................................................
10
Materials ................................................................................................................................................. 11
Paper .......................................................................................................................................... 11
Getting Paper Outside the United States ................................................................................
11
Non-Print Media ....................................................................................................................... 11
Photographs and Other Forms of Illustration ......................................................................... 12
Ways of Presenting Photographs ............................................................................................. 12
Mounting Illustrations and Images .......................................................................................... 13
Samples ..............................................................................................................................................
14
Title Page Copyright Page Signature Page Dedication Page Acknowledgment Page
Abstract Page Table of Contents (Three Versions) List of Tables List of Figures
Text (including examples of Chapter Headings, Tables and Figures) Notes
Appendix Bibliography
Appendices .........................................................................................................................................
36
Appendix A: List of Graduate Degrees Awarded at the University of Massachusetts Amherst ....... 36
Appendix B: Suggested Style Manuals ................................................................................................. 36 INTRODUCTION
The purpose of a thesis or dissertation is to contrib-
ute knowledge to your field of study through the
pursuit of research and scholarship. The process in-
cludes defining a topic, assembling a committee, ex-
ecuting the research, writing and submitting a manu-
script, and defending your findings. This is a complex
process requiring sustained work. You will take justi-
fiable pride in this project since it not only satisfies a
degree requirement but also positions you within your
discipline and advances your field of study, especially
when your thesis or dissertation is circulated to other
scholars and readers.
The Graduate School encourages and upholds the
Universitys standards of accuracy and soundness of
research, as well as the requirements of the individual
graduate programs regarding the Masters Thesis and
the Doctoral Dissertation. In addition, the Graduate
School provides assistance in the preservation and cir-
culation of your manuscript through the University
Library System and through the services of University
Microfilms International (UMI).
You will be required to submit two copies of your
thesis or dissertation to the Graduate School. One
copy will be available to the public as a circulating
copy, shelved in the W.E.B. Du Bois Library or the ap-
propriate branch. The other copy will be an archival
copy housed in the Librarys Special Collections and
Archives Department. A microfilm copy of all doctoral
dissertations is held in the Microforms Room of the
W.E.B. Du Bois Library.
How to Use This Manual
This manual is designed to aid you in the process of
submitting your thesis or dissertation to the Gradu-
ate School. The guidelines provide you with a num-
bered list of the basic rules for proper preparation
and form of the manuscript. You can use this list as
both a starting point and a quick reference as you
prepare your thesis or dissertation. The manual also
contains further explanations of form and style as well
as a wide range of suggestions and advice that should
clarify the rules and explain possible options in areas
where decisions about form and layout are at your
discretion. It is important that you read the entire
manual before you begin preparing your thesis or dis-
sertation so that you understand the format and the
purposes behind the rules.
Once you are familiar with the specific regulations,
you must consult a current and appropriate style
manual recommended by your department and used
by your discipline for all other issues of form and con-
tent. When submitting your manuscript, you will be
asked to designate the particular style guidebook you
have used. There is also a recommended list of recent
style guidebooks in Appendix B of this manual. Regu-
lations from the Graduate School take precedence
over rules found in style manuals (when they differ
from one another) because issues of clarity and leg-
ibility are extremely important for purposes of
microfilming and archival permanence. For example,
although you may prefer a particular font, your se-
lection may not be acceptable because it does not
reproduce clearly on microfilm.
Specific rules for the form and style of your thesis
or dissertation are numbered and boldfaced. Additional
information and suggestions are included following
the rules for each aspect of the manuscript prepara-
tion. Sample pages are provided in the Samples section.
In addition to this manual, the Graduate School of-
fers several other avenues of assistance to the thesis
or dissertation writer. You are strongly encouraged
to make use of these resources throughout the pro-
cess of writing your thesis or dissertation, since they
exist to assist you in the satisfactory completion of
your thesis or dissertation. In particular, the staff at
the Office of Degree Requirements in the Graduate
School are knowledgeable and familiar with many of
the issues you will encounter. The Office of Informa-
tion Technologies also offers excellent assistance with
technological aspects of formatting and organizing
your thesis or dissertation. It is our experience that
students encounter fewer obstacles when they con-
sult with these individuals along the way rather than
at the end of their project.
Resources for the Thesis or
Dissertation Writer
Office of Degree Requirements
Goodell Building, Room 534
telephone: (413) 545-0025
email: degreq@umassp.edu
web page: http://www.umass.edu/gradschool/
Office of Information Technologies (O.I.T.)
Help Desk
Lederle Graduate Research Center, Room A109
telephone: (413) 545-9400
email: help@oit.umass.edu
web page: http://www.oit.umass.edu/help/
University Store
(purchasing materi