HSU format requirements were developed to assist you in preparation of a thesis or project for publication through Humboldt Digital Scholar. It is your responsibility to make certain that the HSU format requirements are met. Theses or projects from the library or departmental offices should not be used as examples of correct format.
Each program must either (a) adhere to the university guidelines for thesis formatting, as described in the HSU thesis and project format requirements, or (b) develop and post its guidelines for the project or thesis, including documentation style, limits on length, and other standard elements of document formatting.
Each program must either (a) adhere to the university guidelines for thesis formatting, as described in the HSU thesis and project format requirements, or (b) develop and post its guidelines for the project or thesis, including documentation style, limits on length, and other standard elements of document formatting.
Consult your major professor or graduate program coordinator regarding the approved style manual for your program. For more information visit HSU Library Style Manuals or Purdue Online Writing Lab: Research and Citation Resources
Theses and projects are typed in a standard typeface using 12-point characters. Times New Roman 12-point is the font of choice. You may reduce the font size within tables or figures to fit within margins. However, keep the font consistent throughout your document.
Text must be double spaced, except for quoted passages that may be indented and single-spaced for emphasis and within the Table of Contents or List of Figures/Tables when a heading or caption title wraps to a second line. Text must be left aligned.
Bottom and top margins of text: 1.3 inch (93.6 pt) from edge of paper.
Left margin of text: one and one-half inch (108 pt) from edge of paper.
Right margin of text: one inch (72 pt) from edge of paper
Set header at 1” from top of page and footer at 1” from bottom
The preliminary pages (preceding the first main section) must have lower case Roman numerals starting with the abstract page that is numbered “ii”. The title page is unnumbered, but the implied number is “i” . The lower case Roman numerals are placed within the footer (bottom center).
The first page of text (typically the Introduction) uses the Arabic number “1” and pages thereafter carry consecutive Arabic numbers, including the pages in the Appendices and References. Arabic numbers are positioned in the upper right-hand corner, one inch from the top and one inch in from the right edge of the paper.
Heading level styles vary among disciplines. Please check with your committee regarding specific requirements in your discipline. Do not use character formatting, such as bold or underline for headings. Using Styles for heading levels will allow you to create a tagged accessible PDF. Each new primary heading must start on a new page. The following is a general heading level outline.
HEADING LEVEL ONE
The primary heading or heading level one is center justified, and all upper case. Triple space to text.
Heading Level Two
Heading level two is center aligned; the first letter of each major word is capitalized, and has spacing set at 12 point before and 18 points after.
Heading level three
Heading level three is left aligned; the font is underlined and sentence case. There is a double space to the following text.
The thesis or project includes preliminary pages in the following order. The abstract, acknowledgements, table of contents and list of tables/figures are heading level one.
Title Page: The title page is assumed to be page “i” but is not numbered. Your title is typed in all upper case. All text on the title page is center justified. See sample title page.
Abstract: The abstract should not exceed 250 words (approximately 1.5 pages). Literature citations and footnotes are not used. Double space down from the heading and center your title. Double space down and center your name (first and last name). Triple space down and start the text (left justified).
Acknowledgements (optional, unless your study was funded)
Table of Contents: Double space down from heading. Insert table of contents. All headings and subheadings are capitalized and punctuated exactly as they are in the text. The table of contents is double-spaced except when a heading or caption wraps to a second line.
List of Tables (if applicable): Triple space down from heading. Insert “table of figures”.
List of Figures (if applicable): Triple space down from heading. Insert “table of figures”. Change caption label to “tables”.
List of Appendices (if applicable)
The following presents a framework for a thesis or project. The information is offered as a general guideline. Please consult your committee or graduate coordinator regarding the specific primary headings in your discipline.
Introduction: background; statement of the problem; purpose of the study; theoretical bases; limitations of the study; definition of terms; and organization of the remainder of the study.
Review of the Literature: chronological, categorical or related theoretical viewpoints related to topic.
Materials and Methods: research design or approach (quantitative or qualitative); population and/or sample; collection and tabulation of data; and data analysis procedures.
Results: Present the findings of your research.
Discussion: Evaluate and interpret the implications of your results. Include similarities and differences between your results and the work of others. Present implications of your findings for practical application or future studies.
Conclusions, Recommendations or Summary: summarize the entire research effort.
References or Literature Cited: includes all sources used in the study. For help with citing references visit HSU Library: Tools to Manage References or Purdue Online Writing Lab: Research and Citation
Appendices: Include material too detailed or lengthy for inclusion in the body of the study (e.g., questionnaires, maps, photos, letters of permission). Each appendix is labeled alphabetically.
Table captions are placed above the table and figure captions are placed below the figure. Tables and figures are typically placed on separate pages. However, your department may require your thesis/project be formatted to discipline specific style manual guidelines. Please check with your committee for specific requirements for table/figure placement and table/figure captions.
Quotations of any length should be single spaced and block indented 0.5” left and right. Please check with you advisor for specific requirements in your department.
The general rule governing the use of numbers in manuscript writing is to use words to express numbers less than 10. Numbers at the beginning of a sentence must be spelled.
An abbreviation or acronym should only be used if the full expression is excessively long or if the abbreviation is well known to researchers in your discipline. Define an abbreviation the first time it is used.
Fill out the top portion of the Master’s Thesis / Project Approval form and then print. Read the HSU Humboldt Digital Scholar Non-Exclusive Distribution License.
Graduate Studies will check your document for formatting and style, according to the HSU thesis/project format requirements. Subject content, research quality, punctuation, and grammar will not be checked. Format reviews will be done in the order received. Allow time for corrections.
Email Graduate Studies at hsugrad [at] humboldt [dot] edu to request a format review. Subject line: Format Review
Attach your thesis/project (Word Document preferred) and your completed formatting checklist .
Use the following file naming convention for your thesis/project: last name_first name_middleinitial_graduation term. For example: if Susan A Smith was submitting her thesis for review and graduating in Spring 2013, her file would be named: smith_susan_a_Sp2013
Optional: You may also choose to have paper copies of your thesis or project bound for your personal use by an outside vendor. One option is Thesis on Demand a service of the HF Group at http://www.thesisondemand.com/
Spring graduation: May 10th
Summer graduation: July 25th
Fall graduation: December 10th
Note: (If the date falls on a weekend, the deadline will be extended to the following Monday)
Your degree will post to your transcript for the following graduation date if your thesis or project is received in Academic Programs after the deadline.