Thesis Guidelines:
Library Requirements | Faculty Advisor Requirements

Section A - Library Requirements:

The bound copy of the thesis available to library users should be professionally presented as the scholarly document it is. Hence the thesis must comply with certain regulations as to format. Each year the library director assigns a library thesis advisor who checks the theses for form, who sets the deadline for submission of the library copy and who receives and signs off on the final document. The library copy of the thesis will be checked for, and must conform to, the following requirements:

Paper

Copy of thesis submitted to Cook Library must be on approved thesis paper: acid free, 20 pound weight, at least 25% rag cotton content, white archival bond. Paper may be purchased at the campus bookstore. For persons working on theses in other cities, a local college or university bookstore may have the paper in stock.

Margins

Margins must be sufficient to allow binding; that means a left margin of 1.5 inches. All other margins should be of one inch. Top, left and bottom margins should be regular.

Printing

Print must be clearly readable, not faint. 

Pages must be numbered consecutively throughout. (See Appendix 1))

Double space abstract and the body of the text. (See Appendix 2)

Make all corrections carefully and neatly.   

Illustrations

Photographs, charts and other materials mounted onto sheets for inclusion in the thesis must be securely fixed to pages.

Submission of Library Copy

Each thesis must be submitted in a cardboard box or heavy envelope (10" x 13") with the student’s name, thesis title, and year of graduation on the exterior. An extra copy of the title page attached to the outside of the box / envelope is suggested.

Additional audiovisual materials should be submitted along with the thesis text. On all slides, audio / video cassettes and computer discs, the author’s name and year of graduation must be printed.

The library copy of the thesis will contain an abstract, of no more than around two hundred words.

*The sponsor's signature is required.  If an unsigned thesis is submitted, the sponsor will be notified.

Note on Oversize Materials

Because of difficulties in binding, the library recommends avoiding the use of oversize materials, asking that charts etc. be reduced or redesigned to fit the page. If oversize material is used, it must be folded to fit in a pocket which will be inserted into the thesis.

The final library copy should be as free of corrections as possible. The library advisor may reject manuscripts with light or unreadable print, excessive corrections, or that otherwise do not meet the specifications of this list.

If the library advisor finds the thesis does not meet these standards, the author is responsible for making changes in time for graduation requirements. The library advisor will check the thesis once more before forwarding approval to the Office of Records and Registration. The library thesis advisor is responsible for accomplishing review in a timely manner.

Section B - Faculty Advisor Requirements:

Several matters of format require the approval of the faculty thesis advisor rather than the library thesis advisor. Students must get their advisor’s approval of their thesis abstract and should check with him or her on the following:

Printing

A standard unified type size and type face is customary, with script, italicized or slanted typeface reserved for emphasis, technical or other special terms and foreign words. Any necessary variations should be discussed with the faculty thesis advisor. Any symbols to be inserted in the text which are not on the standard typewriter or computer keyboard should be made in the same color ink (black is customary) as the printed text.

Illustrations

Graphs, charts and tables may be in color or black and white. Visual materials may be inserted at the appropriate point in the text, or at the end of the manuscript. Short tables may be placed on a page with some text, or centered on separate sheets.

Citations and Bibliography

Style of citations and format of bibliography (footnotes or endnotes) must be approved by the faculty thesis advisor. Students should consult the various style manuals held by the library for models.

Finally, any further questions of format or method not listed here will be matters for individual discussion between student and advisor during the course of writing the thesis.

Sample Title Page see Appendix 3

*Revised by New College Faculty on May 9, 1999.

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