1. Style of Dissertations, Theses, and Papers
You should request instructions regarding your program's form and style from your major adviser. Regardless of the style used, three points must be kept in mind.
2. Academic Honesty and Originality in Dissertations, Theses, and Papers
The disquisition must respect the intellectual rights of others. Statements (three or more words) taken verbatim from other publications must be appropriately cited as quotations. Ideas, summaries, paraphrased material, and other information taken from the literature must be correctly referenced as required by your discipline.
The disquisition must include components that represent your original contributions. The significance of these contributions to the discipline must be clear to the supervisory committee.
3. Nature of Dissertations, Theses, and Papers
3.1. Dissertation (Doctoral Degree)
A dissertation is a scholarly presentation of
original research, including inception, design, conduct, and
conclusions. With the advice and consent of your supervisory
committee chair and members, you must gather sufficient
information, conduct appropriate study, and complete a discussion
of the results. The dissertation must meet the scholarship
standards of the leading refereed journals in your
discipline.
After consulting with your major adviser and selecting a
dissertation topic, you will carry out the planning and other
preliminary activities in frequent interactions with all the
supervisory committee members. Once the overall goals and
procedures have been established, you are expected to conduct the
research in an independent manner and to keep all members of your
supervisory committee informed. Your failure to maintain an
appropriate channel of communication can result in the
dissertation's rejection shortly before anticipated
completion.
The copy of the dissertation submitted to your supervisory
committee is considered a draft which is subject to changes the
committee requires. Such changes could involve rewriting major
sections. The copy of the dissertation that the supervisory
committee has approved should be produced in final form, with
meticulous attention paid to Graduate School requirements, and
submitted to the disquisition editor for approval. Final review and
approval decisions rest with the dean of the GraduatemSchool
3.2. Thesis (Master's Degree)
A thesis is a scholarly presentation of your original research,
including inception, design, conduct, and conclusions. Under close
supervision and with the consent of your supervisory committee
chair and members, you must gather the information, conduct the
study, and write the thesis. The thesis must be consistent with the
generally accepted standards of scholarly activity in your
discipline.
After consulting with your major adviser and selecting a thesis
topic, you will carry out planning and other preliminary activities
in frequent interactions with all supervisory committee members.
Once the overall goals and procedures have been established, you
are expected to conduct the research in an expeditious manner and
to keep your committee members informed. Your failure to maintain
an appropriate channel of communication can result in thesis
rejection shortly before anticipated completion.
The copy of the thesis submitted to your supervisory committee is
considered a draft which is subject to changes the supervisory
committee requires. Such changes could involve rewriting major
sections. The copy of the thesis that the supervisory committee has
approved should be produced in final form, with meticulous
attention paid to Graduate School requirements, and submitted to
the disquisition editor for approval. Final review and approval
decisions rest with the dean of the Graduate School.
3.3. Paper (Master's Degree)
The paper is a scholarly presentation that represents your own
work, written under the close supervision of your supervisory
committee chair and members. The paper is part of the comprehensive
study option in certain degree programs and is available to
students who will benefit from substantial coursework. The paper
must be consistent with the generally accepted standards of
scholarly inquiry/creative activity in your discipline.
You should ask your program about policies and guidelines relating
to papers. Acceptable papers may take on a variety of
forms--illustration, example, analogy, comparison/contrast,
cause/effect, or review--depending on the topic chosen and methods
used in the study. In consultation with your adviser and
supervisory committee members, you must take care that the subject
is developed adequately. The purpose of the paper should be clear,
the development logical and coherent, and the conclusions
convincing. The purpose should reflect an analysis that is
insightful, enlightening for the reader, relevant, and
intellectually stimulating.
After consulting with the major adviser and selecting a paper
topic, you will carry out planning and other preliminary activities
in frequent interactions with all supervisory committee members.
Once the overall goals and procedures have been established, you
should complete the paper in as expeditious manner as possible and
keep all members of your committee informed. Your failure to
maintain appropriate communication can result in the paper's
rejection shortly before anticipated completion.
The copy of the paper submitted to your supervisory committee is
considered a draft which is subject to changes the supervisory
committee requires. Such changes could involve rewriting major
sections. The copy of the paper that the supervisory committee has
approved should be produced in final form, with meticulous
attention paid to Graduate School requirements, and submitted to
the disquisition editor for approval. Final review and approval
decisions rest with the dean of the Graduate School.
4. IRB/IACUC/IBC Approval
If your research involves human or animal subjects or the use of biohazardous substances (i.e., rDNA, infectious agents, or bodily fluids or tissues), you must obtain approval from the appropriate campus committee--the Institutional Review Board (IRB), the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), or the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC)--BEFORE you begin your research. The timeframe for submitting the appropriate forms to the IRB, IACUC, or IBC for review is just after your supervisory committee has finalized your research design so that you have all of the approvals in place before you begin the research. Your disquisition will not be accepted by the Graduate School if it involves the nonapproved use of human or animal subjects, or biohazardous substances. IRB, IACUC, and IBC approval cannot be obtained retroactively.
5. Arrangement of Dissertations, Theses, and Papers
5.1. Required Title Page
The title page must conform to the appropriate sample form (Appendix A). The month and year indicate the date on which the final oral examination was successfully completed.
5.2. Required Approval of Disquisition Page
All copies of the disquisition must include an Approval of Disquisition Page (Appendix B) that follows the title page. This page must bear the signatures of those members of the supervisory committee who have approved the document and of the program administrator. The original form, available only at the Graduate School, must be submitted before making the final, approved copies.
5.3. Required Abstract
All disquisitions must contain an Abstract (Appendix
C) that is inserted following the Approval of Disquisition Page.
The introductory paragraph is single spaced and must contain the
information specified in Appendix C; the text is double spaced.
Abstracts must not exceed two pages. The Abstract appears on page
iii of the disquisition.
5.4. Required Table of Contents
All theses, papers, and dissertations must contain a Table of Contents (Appendix D). The Table of Contents follows the Abstract.
5.5. Optional Pages
Some programs require or allow other pages, such as an
acknowledgment or dedication page, which follow the abstract. For
all optional pages or sections, the main heading must match the
style of the Table of Contents heading.
The List of Tables (Appendix E), List of Figures (Appendix F), and
List of Symbols/Abbreviations follow the Table of Contents when
appropriate. Appendices and an Index may be added, in that order,
after the text and Bibliography. When optional pages are included
in the disquisition, they must be listed in the Table of
Contents.
5.6. Tables/Figures
Tables/figures should be placed within the text
after their first mention. Tables/figures should be formatted so
that they are clearly distinguishable from the text. You should
avoid splitting tables/figures that will fit on one page. If you
have tables and/or figures, you will need to include a List of
Tables and/or List of Figures after your Table of Contents.
Tables/figures which are not pertinent to the text may be placed in
an appendix.
6. Typing Dissertations, Theses, and
Papers
6.1. Method of Typing
The document must appear professionally typed and
printed. (Laser or letter-quality is the acceptable mode.) You may
pay another person to type and/or print the disquisition or do the
typing and/or printing yourself.
The entire text, including page numbers, must be produced with
the same font attributes. The font size should be 12 to 14 points
with 10 to 12 characters per inch, and headings should use a font
size not greater than twice the size of the text. Different fonts
may be used for equations and figures as long as the figure titles
are produced with the same font attributes as the text. Tables
included in a disquisition should be produced in the same font as
the text, although the size of the font may differ to accommodate
the inclusion of all data.
No handwritten symbols are allowed in equations, figures, tables,
or text. Superscripts or subscripts may be in a smaller font as
long as they are readable and, in the case of doctoral
dissertations, remain readable after microfilming (which reduces
the size by approximately 25%). Draft-mode, dot-matrix printing
required for special notations in a discipline must be legible and
used minimally.
6.2. Page Makeup
The left-hand margin must be at least 1 3/8 inches. Right-hand, top, and bottom margins must be at least 1 inch (Appendix G). Tables and figures, as well as appendices, included in the disquisition must meet these margin specifications. Bookbinders may trim as much as ΒΌ inch from the exposed sides of the pages. Use single-sided printing for all pages.
Page numbers must be used in a consistent fashion, follow the
font attributes of the disquisition, and be placed uniformly on all
pages (i.e., center bottom or upper-right corner). They must be
placed so that page trimming does not remove them. Pages, including
ones with illustrative material and within appendices, must be
numbered consecutively. When a page cannot be numbered (i.e.,
glossy photo), write the page number in pencil on the back of the
page in the upper corner to be bound in the spine. Sheets inserted
with special pagination are not allowed; properly numbered facing
pages are acceptable (Appendix H). Page numbers are to be entered
along with the text; the use of stamping machines is not allowed.
Pages in the prefatory section, preceding the main body of the
disquisition, must be numbered consecutively in lowercase Roman
numerals.
The body of the disquisition must be double spaced; the beginning
of paragraphs should be indented. Long quotations, footnotes, and
bibliographic citations may be single spaced if your discipline
allows it. Continue text (without leaving blank space at the bottom
of a page) if a chapter continues.
6.3. Headings
All main chapter headings must be consistent in font and style, centered, and in uppercase; they may be bolded and printed in a slightly larger font (Appendix I). These main chapter headings, appearing at the top of a new page, include the following:
ABSTRACT
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
DEDICATION
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
LIST OF
TABLES
LIST OF
FIGURES
CHAPTER
TITLES
REFERENCES
APPENDIX
Major subheadings, minor subdivisions, paragraph headings, and subparagraph headings should be consistent in font and style within the chapter and throughout the disquisition (Appendix I). Subheadings should not stand out more than major headings. If headings are numbered, a period should follow the number in the text and in the Table of Contents.
7. Illustrative Material for Dissertations, Theses, and Papers
Maps, pictorial figures, tables, and graphs should be prepared with attention to details generally equivalent to requirements for manuscripts submitted for publication. Lettering sets or other drawing devices may be used for legends and numbers for some figures and graphs; however, legends should be produced in the same font as the text when possible. Titles of tables and figures must be produced with the same font attributes as the text of the dissertation, thesis, or paper (Appendices J and K). Any photo reproduced as a letter-size page must conform to the margin specifications (left-hand margin at least 1 3/8 inches; right-hand, top, and bottom margins at least 1 inch). Photos may be in color.
8. Approval of Dissertations, Theses, and Papers
After your major adviser and the supervisory committee have
approved the disquisition, bring one copy to the Graduate School
for approval. This copy may be on regular paper. You will be
required to pay for the completion package at this time. The copy
should be accompanied by the Checklist for Dissertations,Theses,
and Papers (Appendix L). You and your adviser will proofread and
revise the disquisition following Guidelines for the
Preparation of Dissertations, Theses, and Papers and complete
the checklist. You, your adviser, and the program administrator
will sign the checklist. Documentation indicating that
IRB/IBC/IACUC approval was obtained or that it was not needed must
accompany the disquisition when it is brought to the Graduate
School. If approval was needed, a copy of the letter(s) of approval
must be attached to the disquisition. If approval was not needed, a
brief note indicating why approval was not necessary must be
attached to the document.
The Graduate School will check the dissertation, thesis, or paper
for format and overall quality. The Graduate School will check the
entire document for format and will perform a sample reading of
5-10% of the disquisition to check for compliance with
Guidelines and the checklist. Disquisitions that are
determined to be acceptable by the editor and the dean of the
Graduate School will be marked as approved, and you will be able to
produce the final copies. Dissertations, theses, and papers may be
found unacceptable for two broad reasons: format issues or
extensive mistakes in spelling, grammar, and/or punctuation.
If any revisions to the document are necessary because of format
issues, the document will be returned to the student. You will then
work to correct the problems; the disquisition editor will be
available for consultation during the correction process. Once the
document is determined to be acceptable, it will be marked as
approved, and you will be able to produce the final copies.
Dissertations, theses, and papers with persistent problems in
format or writing quality may be returned before a complete review
of the document is completed by the Graduate School. The document
will be returned to the chair or director of the student's program,
and it will be the program administrator's responsibility to return
the document to the adviser and student. The persistent problems
will be clearly identified, and it will be the responsibility of
the student and adviser to make the appropriate changes throughout
the entire document. The student will then resubmit the document
and reinitiate the review process. This process may be repeated if
the appropriate changes have not been made throughout the entire
document.
After approval has been received, final copies may be made. Final
copies must be delivered to the Graduate School, and all other
degree requirements completed, within one year from the date of the
final examination; otherwise, the final examination must be
retaken. Graduation date is based on when final
copies are received by the Graduate School.
9. Reproducing and Processing Final Copies
The approved copy of the disquisition can be photocopied. All
copies must be on white, 20-lb. weight, acid-free paper. All copies
must have a high-contrast image on white paper.
Five copies must be submitted to the Graduate School. Two copies
will be placed in the permanent collection of the university
library. One of the library copies must include the "Consent to
Photocopy" agreement. This form, requiring the signature of the
student, is a declaration to allow or disallow copying and is
available at the Graduate School. The remaining three copies are
distributed to the student, the student's major program, and the
major adviser. (A sixth copy of the dissertation is required of
doctoral students for microfilming purposes).
10. Binding Dissertations, Theses, and Papers
The Graduate School and the university library will process the
binding of theses, papers, and dissertations. Final copies of the
unbound document are submitted to the Graduate School; the Graduate
School sends the copies to the university library where the
document is cataloged and assigned a call number. The university
library is responsible for having the document bound. The Graduate
School sends a copy of each dissertation and abstract to Bell &
Howell in Ann Arbor, Michigan, for microfilming.
Lettering will appear on the spine of each bound volume. Beginning
at the top of the spine, the order is as follows:
11. Microfilming Dissertations, Theses, and Papers
11.1. Doctoral Dissertation
For the microfilmed copy of the dissertation, you
will prepare an abstract not to exceed 350 words (Appendix C.3). If
the original abstract is 350 words or fewer, you may use it for
microfilming. All words, except the ones in the title and the
single-spaced introductory paragraph, are counted. Footnotes, if
any, are included within the 350-word limit. The number of hyphens
determines the word count. (i.e., A single-hyphenated word is
counted as one word; a word containing two hyphens is counted as
two words.) A letter followed by a period ("L.") is counted as one
word, as is any single numeral (100 = 1 word). Pages must be
numbered, and the student's name must appear in the upper
right-hand corner of each page. The exact number of words in the
abstract must be indicated in the upper right-hand corner of the
first page. The text will be double-spaced. Your major adviser must
approve and sign the abstract which will accompany the copy of the
dissertation that is sent for microfilming. The quality of printing
in the abstract must be identical to the dissertation text.
Bell & Howell in Ann Arbor, Michigan, will print the abstract
in Dissertation Abstracts, which indicates the availability of the
dissertation for microfilm and Xerox reproduction and distribution.
You should check and sign the Memorandum of Agreement with Bell
& Howell regarding the provision for microfilming the
dissertation.
You are expected to ensure that the abstract, dissertation, and Memorandum of Agreement are consistent in the name of the author, title of dissertation, and date of degree. All pages must be numbered and in the proper order. Care must be taken to ensure that copyrighted materials are not used without permission. In all cases, printing and illustrative material must be clearly legible.
11.2. Master's Thesis or Paper
All programs have the option of requiring master's papers and
theses to be microfilmed. If your program requires microfilming,
you will prepare an additional abstract not to exceed 150 words
(Appendix C.3). All words, except the ones in the title and the
single-spaced introductory paragraph, are counted. Footnotes, if
any, are included within the 150-word limit. The number of hyphens
determines the word count. (i.e., A single-hyphenated word is
counted as one word; a word containing two hyphens is counted as
two words.) A letter followed by a period ("L.") is counted as one
word, as is any single numeral (100 = 1 word). Your name must
appear in the upper right-hand corner; the exact number of words in
the abstract must be indicated in the upper right-hand corner of
the first page. The text will be double spaced. Your major adviser
must approve and sign the abstract which will accompany the copy of
the disquisition when it is sent for microfilming. The quality of
printing in the abstract must be identical to the
disquisition.
Bell & Howell in Ann Arbor, Michigan, will print the abstract
in Master's Abstracts International, which indicates the
availability of the thesis or paper for microfilm and Xerox
reproduction and distribution. You should check and sign the
Memorandum of Agreement with Bell & Howell regarding the
provision for microfilming the disquisition.
You are expected to ensure that the abstract, disquisition, and
Memorandum of Agreement are consistent in the name of the author,
title of disquisition, and date of degree. All pages must be
numbered and in the proper order. Care must be taken to ensure that
copyrighted materials are not used without permission. In all
cases, printing and illustrative materials must be clearly
legible.
11.3. Items to Note in Preparing for Microfilming
Keep the following items in mind during preparation:
12. Guidelines for Including Scholarly Journal Manuscripts as a Component of Disquisitions
All programs have the option of allowing students to use one or
more related manuscripts submitted for publication (or already
published) as an integral component of the disquisition. For this
option, the student is required to submit a document in a format
that is consistent with Graduate School guidelines.
Many journals require economy of presentation that is inconsistent
with disquisition practice, which encourages an extensive
literature review and extended discussion of experimental findings,
sometimes to include speculation and logical future research. If
journal manuscripts make up one or more chapters of the
disquisition, additional chapters must be included to provide a
more extensive literature review and a discussion that unifies the
disquisition.
When journal manuscripts are included as part of the disquisition,
the student must have had primary responsibility for assembling and
interpreting the information and for writing the disquisition.
Moreover, a component required in this modified format is the
clarification of contributions made in any multi-authored
manuscript. Since all disquisitions require some originality, the
description of the student's contribution must be clear and
complete. No manuscripts can be included in the disquisition if the
student's contribution is modest, even though the student may have
been included as a co-author.
During the final examination, the examination committee must be
able to question the student about the components of the
disquisition and the multi-authored papers. Any editorial action on
or review of these journal manuscripts must be made available to
the examination committee.
13. Completion Package
A completion package fee of $200 is charged to all master's students who are completing a thesis or paper. The fee covers the costs for
The fee covers the costs for
Additional bound copies are available at a cost of $20 per
copy.
Students who are not required to complete a thesis, paper, or
dissertation will be assessed a $25 graduation processing fee.