What are the format requirements for my thesis or dissertation?

More information about format requirements for thesis and dissertation documents can be found in the ASU Graduate College Format Manual.

Thesis/Dissertation Format Requirements

Margins

Every page of your document must meet the margin requirements of 1.25 inches on the left and right, and 1 inch on the top and bottom. All materials including appendices, if you choose to include them, must meet the margin requirements.

Font and Size of Text

The Graduate College requires that students use one of the TrueType fonts listed below. You should retain the same font and font size throughout your document (preliminary, main text, back matter pages); the only exception is endnotes and footnotes which may be in a smaller point size.

• Arial 10pt
• Century 11pt
• Garamond 12pt
• *Georgia 11pt
• Sans Serif 10pt
• Tahoma 10pt
• *Times New Roman 12pt 
• *Verdana 10pt 

*These fonts are designed for easy screen readability and are highly recommended. There are multiple versions of Times New Roman font that vary slightly. If using Times New Roman, make sure that only one version is used consistently throughout entire document. 

Line Spacing

All text must be double-spaced, except: block quotes, appendices, table/figure captions, material in tables, footnotes, endnotes, reference citations, and the optional biographical sketch. You must single-space individual footnotes and reference entries, then double-space between each note and entry.

Consistency

You should make every effort to apply formatting consistently, as indicated by your style guide and this manual, throughout your document. Also, it is important to use terms, abbreviations, word order, capitalization, and punctuation (i.e., hyphenation) consistently in your preliminary matter, main text, and back matter.            

Contents and Order

Your document must be in the following order:

1. Title Page
2. Copyright page (if document is copyrighted, copyright fee must be paid)
3. Abstract
4. Dedication (optional)
5. Acknowledgments (optional)
6. Table of Contents
7. List of Tables (if tables appear in document)
8. List of Figures (if figures appear in document)
9. Other lists (e.g., nomenclature, definitions, glossary of terms, etc.)
10. Preface (optional; must be less than 10 pages)
11. Main Text
12. Notes (if you have elected to use endnotes)
13. References (AKA “Bibliography” or “Works Cited”)
14. Appendices
15. Biographical Sketch (optional) 

Pagination

• Title page is not paginated
• All preliminary pages (title page to preface) are paginated with lowercase Roman numerals, starting with “i” on the abstract
• Continue numbering consecutively on the preliminary subsequent pages up to the first page of the main text
• All main text and back matter pages are paginated with Arabic numerals consecutively; starting with “1” on the first page (example: Chapter 1 is page 1)
• Place all page numbers at the bottom of the page, centered between the left and right margins and directly upon the 1-inch bottom margin
• Continue numbering consecutively on the main text/back matter subsequent pages to the end of the document (including appendices)
• You may use a footer feature if your software provides one, but be sure that your page numbers are the same font and size as the rest of your text and are set to begin at 1 inch from the bottom edge of the page       

Headings and Subheadings

The format for headings and subheadings should be determined by your style guide; please review it carefully. Headings and subheadings should appear in the same font and size as the rest of the text, even if a style guide makes such alterations.

Paragraphs and Indentation

All paragraphs of your text should be indented as indicated by your style guide or journal. Indent consistently throughout your document. Indentation of block quotations and reference entries should conform to your style guide or journal article.

Other Text Considerations

Justification

Justifying both margins is not recommended because it can cause a number of problems, especially in the references. Many programs that justify your text at both margins add spaces between words to stretch out a line, leaving awkward gaps in the text.

Widows and Orphans

“Widow” lines occur when the last line of a paragraph appears alone at the top of a page. “Orphan” lines occur when the first line of a paragraph, or heading or subheading, appears alone at the bottom of a page. To fix a “widow” or an “orphan,” move a line from the previous page to accompany it or move the line onto the next page. You may allow more than 1 inch at the bottom of a page in order to avoid “widow” and “orphan” lines. Use good judgment in correcting such problems, but avoid placing text within the 1-inch bottom margin. Most word-processing programs, including Microsoft® Word, have a feature to prevent or fix this error.

In-text Citations

You must identify all sources for other’s concepts, ideas, quotations, or paraphrased text that you have used in your document. Ensure that the author name, publication date, or page number (depending on your style and the type of source) are correct.

Follow your style guide for the treatment of in-text citations in terms of appearance, content, punctuation, and placement.          

Notes

Wherever you elect to place your notes, they must be formatted consistently throughout the document. All notes should be indicated in the text with corresponding superscript numbers (here1 rather than here1), so that they are distinct from the text. Follow your style guide or journal for the numbering and format of notes. You should single-space each note, and use double-spacing between them. To format a document with endnote or chapter note organization, begin the notes section on a new page. If you use notes, please choose word- processing software that allows for superscripts.

Photographs and Graphics

Each photograph or graphic, like all figures, must be given a number and a caption and must meet margin requirements, reducing the image if necessary. A “LIST OF PHOTOGRAPHS” or “LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS” should also be included in the preliminary pages to assist readers in finding the images.

Should you wish to include photographs or illustrations, you have two options: (1) scanning them; or, (2) reproducing them xerographically (provided that the resolution is clear enough). Whichever method you choose, the resulting image(s) should be sharp with good contrast quality. 

Policy on using Previously Published/Publishable Works

Students who are planning to incorporate a previously published or publishable work in their document should refer to the Policy on using Previously Published or Publishable Work in a Culminating Experience Document.