Length, Appearance, Typeface, Pagination, Margins, and Spacing

Below are the key formatting requirements for your thesis or project, including guidelines for length, appearance, typeface, pagination, margins, spacing, and more. The guidelines ensure consistency and accessibility throughout your document, making navigating and understanding your work easier for readers.

PAGE CONTENTS

PAGINATION

• Four sections of the thesis/project manuscript are comprised of the following sections:
  • • • Pre-text pages (Title, Approval, Dedication, Publication Rights, Preface/Acknowledgements, Table of Contents, List of Tables, List of Figures, List of Symbols or Nomenclature, and Abstract pages)
      • Text (The chapters and main body of the text)
      • Documentation (e.g., References, Works Cited, etc.)
      • Appendices (if applicable)
        
        All manuscript pages from the title page to the last page of the appendices are counted, but the title and approval pages in the pre-text section are counted but do not bear page numbers.
        
        
• Numbering of Pre-Text Pages
  Number the pre-text pages with lowercase Roman numerals starting with the lowercase Roman numeral iii (page 3) on the page after the approval page (this is typically the Publication Rights page, however, including the Publications Rights page is optional).
  
  
• Numbering of the Text Pages (Chapters)
  Number the text pages with Arabic numerals, beginning with the first page of Chapter I as page number 1.
  
  
• Number of Documentation (e.g., Reference, Works Cited, etc.) Pages and Appendices
  These sections are also numbered with Arabic numerals and follow the pagination of the text pages (For example, the last chapter ends on page 70, the four reference pages are numbered 71-74, and the appendices page numbering starts on page 75 and follows the progression to the end).
  
  
• Page Numbers in the Table of Contents
  Ensure that all page numbers are succinct and match what is listed in the table of contents.
  
  
• Placement of Page Numbers
  Page numbers must be positioned either in the upper right corner or the bottom center and must be 1" from the edges. Make sure the margins of the header and footer are set at 1" and that the positioning of your page numbers is accurate and uniform throughout the entire document.
  
  
• Note
  As you review other theses and projects throughout ScholarWorks, you will see that at the beginning of each chapter, the candidate has typed the numerals on the 1" bottom margin, centered with the body of the text, and subsequent pages for each of these sections are paginated in the top right-hand corner. However, as of Fall 2014, the position of the page numbers has changed to accommodate more students and expand the formatting options.
  
  
• Page Number Tutorial
  The thesis/project document will need to be set up into a minimum of three sections for page numbering. To create a section, use the section break (not to be confused with a page break) between the sections.
  
  
  • Section 1 Pre-text Title and Approval pages – No page numbers:
    These pages are counted, but no page numbers are included. Add a section break at the end of the content on the approval page (this will be after the last committee member is listed).
  • Section 2 Pre-text Pages – Lowercase Roman Numeral iii: Starting with the Publication’s Rights page (or the next page in the list of pre-text pages since the publications’ right page is optional). End the lower-case Roman numeral pagination on the last page of the Abstract page.
  • Section 3: Text, Documentation, and Appendices Pages – Arabic Numerals: Starting on the first page of Chapter I, use the number 1 following the progression to the last page of the appendices.
  • Technical Support: there are a lot of resources in the MS Word help feature and YouTube, and is easy to find through a Google search.
    • The Help feature in MS Word: search the help feature of MS Word
    • Google: How to number pages of a thesis or dissertation
    • Google: How to create page number sections breaks
    • Google: How to enter Roman numerals and Arabic numbers in the same document

Notes: This can be a challenging part of formatting a thesis/project. Creating the section breaks is key to ensuring you can enter the correct page numbers.

• Section Breaks and Page Breaks are different.
• Section breaks will allow for entering different types of page numbers and changing the page's orientation (Portrait vs. Landscape).
• When entering text into the document and there is a need to start a new page, it is important to create a Page Break (Ctrl+Enter is the shortcut key and should not be confused with a Section Break).
• If you are finding it difficult to insert a page number on a page that has a table or figure, you may need to remove the table and figure, then set up the page number, re-format the figure in Excel, and then enter the reformatted table or figure.

MARGINS AND SPACING

PARAGRAPH INDENTATIONS AND BLOCK QUOTATIONS