university thesis writing guide. description, cataloging, compilation, or other simple procedures...

UniversityThesisWritingGuide

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JesseCantley

R e v i s e d S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 7



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DearMaster’sCandidate:

Youareabouttoembarkononeofthemostimportantaspectsofamaster’sdegree,thepreparationofamaster’sthesis.Thethesiswillprovideyouwithanopportunitytodemonstratetheideas,researchskills,andcreativeabilitiesyouhavegainedduringyourgraduatework.

Aswithyourpreviousmaster’scoursework,thefirstplacetobeginthisnewendeavoriswithyourdepartment.Themostimportantpersoninyourdepartmentatthistimewillbeyourthesisadvisor.Youshouldselectanadvisorwhoisagoodmatchwithyourresearchinterestsandwithwhomyouhaveagoodacademicandworkingrelationship.Theselectionanddefinitionofaresearchtopicandmethodologyisakeyelementforcompletingasuccessfulthesis.Yourthesisadvisoristhepersonwhowillhelpyoudothisandwhowillguideyouthroughthecontentandresearchrequirementsofthethesis.

TheOfficeofAcademicProgramsandGraduateStudieswillassistyouwiththestyleandformatofyourthesis.TheUniversityThesisWritingGuideandtheThesisFormatOne-Pagerpresenttherequirementstofollowwhenyouwriteyourthesis.ReadingandfollowingtheseguidelineswillhelpyoutoprepareathesisthatwillbeinconformancewithUniversitystandardsandthusacceptableforformatandstyle.Questionsofcontentandacademicqualityaredeterminedbythethesisadvisorinyourdepartment.

AfteryouhavereadtheThesisFormatOne-PagerandtheUniversityThesisWritingGuide,pleaseemailthesiseditor@csueastbay.eduifyouhaveanyquestionsconcerningstyleandformatnotcoveredinthesepages.Iencourageyoutoclearupthesequestionsbeforethepreparationofyourfinaldraft.

CongratulationsonyourgraduateworktodateandbestwishesonyourUniversityThesis.

Sincerely,

Donna Wiley, Ph.D.

DirectorofGraduateStudiesAcademicPrograms&GraduateStudiesCaliforniaStateUniversity,EastBay


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TableofContents

GeneralFormatRequirements...................................................................................................5Introduction...............................................................................................................................51.Word-processingPrograms..................................................................................................................52.GrammarandStandardUsage.............................................................................................................63.ProfessionalStylebookGuidelines.......................................................................................................64.PaperStock..........................................................................................................................................65.Type,Fonts,PointSize,Styles..............................................................................................................76.Spacing,Margins,Indention,andAlignmentofText............................................................................7

Spacing..........................................................................................................................................7Margins.........................................................................................................................................7Indenting.......................................................................................................................................7AlignmentofTextRequirements...................................................................................................7

7.PaginationRequirements....................................................................................................................8TypeofNumbering........................................................................................................................8PlacementofNumberonthePage................................................................................................8Font..............................................................................................................................................8

8.SubheadRequirements.......................................................................................................................89.QuotationRequirements.....................................................................................................................8

BlockQuotations...........................................................................................................................910.FootnoteRequirements.......................................................................................................................9

RequirementsforFootnotesattheBottomofthePage...............................................................911.Proofreading.......................................................................................................................................912.RequirementsforSpecialFormats.....................................................................................................1013.RequirementsforCharts,Figures,Graphs,Tables,etc.......................................................................1014.RequirementsforPlatesandPhotos.................................................................................................10

Option1.......................................................................................................................................10Option2.......................................................................................................................................10

15.OversizedPDFMaterials.....................................................................................................................1116.PrinterSpecifications.........................................................................................................................11

SpecificFormatRequirement...................................................................................................12RequiredandOptionalSections...............................................................................................................12i.TitlePage..........................................................................................................................................12ii.CopyrightPage..................................................................................................................................12iii. Abstract............................................................................................................................................13iv.SignaturePage..................................................................................................................................13v. Acknowledgments............................................................................................................................13vi. TableofContents..............................................................................................................................14vii. ListsofFigures,Graphs,Photos,Plates,MapsorTables...................................................................14viii.Preface.............................................................................................................................................14ix.Text ...............................................................................................................................................14x.Endnotes...........................................................................................................................................15


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xi.Bibliography......................................................................................................................................15xii.Appendix/Appendices......................................................................................................................15

AdviceforStudentsHiringaProfessionalTypist/Word-Processor............................................16

AvoidtheFollowingCommonErrors........................................................................................16

ThesisTemplates—TitlePageandSignaturePage....................................................................18


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GeneralFormatRequirements

IntroductionAUniversityThesisisaformalpresentationofanobjective,criticalinvestigation.Itistobewritteninaformal,scholarlymannerinstandardEnglish.ThequalityofboththepresentationandcontentofthefinishedthesisisamajorconsiderationinitsacceptancebytheUniversity.TheUniversityThesisdemonstratesoriginality,clearpurpose,appropriateorganization,criticalanalysis,independentthinking,andaccurateandcompletedocumentation.Style,language,andpunctuationmustbeconsistent.Description,cataloging,compilation,orothersimpleproceduresarenotadequate.TheCSUEBThesissubmissionprocessisanall-electronicandmustbesubmitteddigitally.BoundcopiesareforthemostpartoptionalandnotrequiredbytheAPGSofficeortheCSUEBLibrary.Boundcopiesareavailableforpersonaluseandfewdepartmentsrequirethem.Checkwithyourdepartment.TheThesisAdvisorinyourdepartmentdeterminesquestionsofcontentandacademicquality.TheOfficeofAcademicProgramsandGraduateStudieswillassistyouwithformatandstyle.FollowingtheguidelinesinTheUniversityThesisWritingGuidewillhelpyoutoprepareathesisthatwillbeinconformancewithUniversitystandardsandthusacceptableforformatandstyle.ForinstructionsvisittheUniversityThesis:Preparation&ElectronicSubmissionpage.Forquestions,[email protected].

Note:TheAPGSofficedoesnotreviewDepartmentalTheses.Thesesmustadheretothefollowinggeneralguidelines:

• Seerecommendedwordprocessingprograms.• UseofstandardAmericanEnglish.• Useofstylebookguidelinesadoptedbythestudent’sprofessionalfieldforthoseelementswhichdonot

havespecificUniversityThesisguidelines(e.g.,bibliography).• UseofUniversity-approvedpaperstockwithtextprintedononesideofeachsheet.• UseofUniversity-approvedfont,pointsizeandtypestyle.• UseofUniversity-approvedspacing,margins,indentations,andalignmentoftext.• UseofUniversity-approvedpagination.• Useofconsistentformatforsubheads.• UseofUniversity-approvedformatforquotations.• UseofUniversity-approvedfootnotestyle.• Completionofthoroughproofreading.• Securingofapprovalforspecialformats,forexample,musicalscores.• Useofconsistentstyleforgraphics,charts,andothernon-textelements.

1.Word-processingProgramsMoststudentspreparetheirthesesusingaword-processingprogramonapersonalcomputer.Professionalquality,up-to-datesoftwareisrecommended.Somesuggestedprograms:


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IBM(PC)Windows MacintoshMSWordWordPerfectMSWorks

MSWordWordPerfectAppleWorksFrameMaker

2.GrammarandStandardUsageAsareferenceforgeneralrulesofAmericanusageforsuchthingsassentencestructure,wordform,pronounusage,grammaticalconsistencyandpunctuation,studentsshouldrefertoagrammarhandbooksuchasTheBedfordHandbookforWritersbyDianaHacker,theKeysforWritersbyAnnRaimes,orthePrenticeHallReferenceGuidetoGrammarandUsagebyMurielHarris.TheseguidesarecurrentlyrecommendedbythewritingskillsstaffofourEnglishDepartment.

3.ProfessionalStylebookGuidelinesIngeneral,studentsshouldfollowthestylebookfortheirfield.Note:Foryourthesis,allspecificguidelines(suchasthosepertainingtomargins,fontstyle,blockquotes,bibliography)describedinthisthesisguidetakeprecedenceovertheprofessionalstylebook.IftheUniversityThesisWritingGuideseemstobeinconflictwithyourprofessionalstyleguide,choosetofollowthethesisguide.Ifyouhavequestionsaboutthis,calltheAcademicProgramsandGraduateStudiesofficeat510-885-3716.Thefollowingprofessionalstyle-booksandguidelinesusedbythegraduatedepartmentsofthisUniversityarelistedbelow(usethemostrecentedition):

• Anthropology:"StyleGuideandInformationforAuthors,"AmericanAnthropologist• DepartmentsoftheCollegeofBusinessandEconomics:AManualforWritersofTermPapers,Theses,

andDissertations,byKateL.Turabian,UniversityofChicagoPress• EducationalPsychology:PublicationManualoftheAmericanPsychologicalAssociation,rev.byAPA,Inc.,

Washington,D.C.• English:TheMLAStyleSheet,MLA,NewYork• Geography:EditorialPolicyStatement,rep.fromAnnualoftheAssociationofAmericanGeographervol.

60,no.1,March1970.• History: AManualforWritersofTermPapers,Theses,andDissertations,byKateL.Turabian,University

ofChicagoPress

4.PaperStockIfyouchoosetoprintanoptionalhardcopyforbinding,papermustbe81/2"x11",white,andofsuchqualityastoensurereproductionofperfectcopies.(Onion-skinortexturedpapersareunacceptable.)20-24lb.whiteorbrightwhitepaper(asfoundatprofessionalcopycenters)isacceptable.(Youmayuse28lb.paperifyouhavecoloredillustrations.)Typeorprintononlytherightfacingsideofeachsheet.


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5.Type,Fonts,PointSize,StylesAUniversityThesisshouldhaveacleanandsimplelook,withoutornamentationorunnecessarycomplexity.Font,pointsize,andtypestyle(useofboldface,italics,andunderlining)mustbeconsistentthroughoutthethesis.Changesinfontorpointsizearenotpermitted.Thefollowingfonts/pointsizes(andtheircorrespondingitalicandboldtypefaces)areapprovedfortheses.Ifyouwishtouseanotherfont,contacttheThesisEditorintheOfficeofGraduateProgramsforapproval.

Courier(12pt) Palatino(12pt)Geneva(10pt) TimesorTimesRoman(12pt)Helvetica(12pt)

Exceptions:Asmallerpointsizemaybeusedforfootnotes,graphs,tablesorfigures.SeeNo.10,"FootnoteRequirements,"andNo.13,"RequirementsforCharts,Figures,Graphs,Tables,etc."Appendicesmayalsoincludeoriginalitemsindifferentfontsorpointsizes.Seethe"Appendices"sectionunderSpecificFormatRequirements.

6.Spacing,Margins,Indention,andAlignmentofText

Spacing• Double-spacethetext.Seesectionson"Quotations,""Footnotes,"and"Appendices"forexceptions.• Leaveonespaceaftereachword,comma,colon,andsemicolon.Leaveoneortwospacesafterperiods,

questionmarks,andexclamationpoints. Eitherisacceptable,aslongasthespacingisconsistentlythesamethroughoutthedocument.

• Toformadash,useyourprogram’scommandforadashifithasone;otherwise,typetwohyphenswithnoaddedspacebetween.Donotaddaspacetoeithersideofadash.

Margins• Allpagesofyourthesismusthavethesamemargins.ThisincludesTableofContents,

Acknowledgments,ListsofFigures/Tables,allfigures,illustrations,appendicesandbibliography.• Theleftmarginmustbeatleast11/2"toallowforbindingarea.• Therightmarginmustbeatleast1".• Thetopandbottommarginsmustbeatleast11/4".

Note:Pagenumbersmaybeplacedoutsidethesemargins.See"PaginationRequirements."

IndentingIndentparagraphs½”. Donotaddextraspacesbetweenparagraphswithinsectionsoftext. Also,seethesectionon"QuotationRequirements"forindentrequirements.

AlignmentofTextRequirementsAlltextmustbeleftaligned(jaggedrightedge).Centeredorjustified(evenrightedge)alignmentisnotallowed.(Word-processingprogramsareunabletoproducejustifiedtextwithoutleavingunsightlygapsinthetext.)


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7.PaginationRequirementsEachpageinthethesis(exceptthetitlepage)shouldhaveapagenumber.

TypeofNumberingRomanNumerals:UselowercaseRomannumeralsforthepreliminarypages,beginningwith"ii"forthepagefollowingtheTitlePage.ArabicNumbers:UseArabicnumbersforthebalanceofthethesis,beginningwithnumber"1"forthefirstpageoftext.Fromhereon,theentirethesisshouldbenumberedconsecutively.Thisincludesmaps,figures,illustrations,bibliographyandappendices.

PlacementofNumberonthePageRomanNumerals: Forthepreliminarypageswhichrequirelower-caseRomannumerals(i,ii,iii,iv,etc.)centeredatthebottomofthepage.ArabicNumbers:Fortheotherpages,beginningwiththefirstchapterofthetext,thepagenumbershouldbeplacedintheupperright-handcornerapproximately1/2"to1"fromthetopofthepageand1"fromtherightmargin.Usethenumberonly.Donotaddaheaderorornamentation(parentheses,dashes,etc.).Thedefaultpositioninmostword-processingprogramsforcenteredandupperright-handpagenumbersisusuallyacceptable.Thepagenumbershouldbeatleast1/2"fromthebodyofthetext.

Tip:Ifyourword-processordoesnothavetheabilitytonumberpagesinonefileintwodifferentplaces(e.g.,theupper-rightcornerandatthebottom/centerofthepage),youcouldcutandpastethepagesrequiringRomannumeralsintoaseparatefile,thennumberthesepages.

FontUsethesamefont,pointsizeandstyle(noitalicorbold)forpagenumbers(RomanandArabic)asyouuseforthetextofyourthesis.Adjustthedefaultsettingforpagenumbersinyourword-processingprogramtomatchthefontandpointsizeyouhavechosenforyourthesis.

8.SubheadRequirementsIngeneral,youshouldfollowtherecommendedformatforsubheadsequencinginthestylebookyouareusing.Werecommend,however,thatyouputthreeorfourblanklinesbeforesubheadsandtwoblanklinesaftersubheads.Subheadsthatarecenteredcarrymoreweightthansubheadsthatareflushleft.Youmayuseacombinationofall-caps,bold,italicorunderliningtodistinguishbetweendifferentweightsofsubheads.Whateverformatyouchooseforsubheads,checktobesurethatallsubheadsofthesameweightareformattedinthesameway.

9.QuotationRequirementsForallquotations,usethesamefontandpointsizeforthequotationasusedinthemainbodyofyourthesis.


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BlockQuotationsBlockquotationformatisnormallyusedforquotationsoffourormorelinesoftextwithinasinglequote.Formatextendedquotationsasblockquotations.Single-spacetheblockquotationanddouble-spacebetweenquotationparagraphs.Alsodouble-spacebetweenthequotationandthemainbodyofthetext.Indentablockquotation½”fromboththeleftandrightmargins.Ifyouwish,youmayalsoindentthebeginningofaparagraphinablockquotationanother½”.

10.FootnoteRequirementsFootnotesareusuallyatthebottomofthepageforthecitationsmadeonthatpage,althoughsomedepartmentsrequirethatthe"notes"becollectedattheendofeachchapterorattheendofthetextbeforethebibliographyasendnotes.Followthedirectionsofyourdepartmentforcontent,format,andplacementoffootnotes/endnotes.

Footnotesorendnotesappearingwithin,orattheendofachaptershouldbenumberedbeginningwithnumber1foreachchapter.Ifendnotesareplacedattheendofthethesisbeforethebibliography,includethechapterheadingsonyourendnotespagesfollowedbythenotespertainingtothatchapter.Thisallowsreaderstoeasilyfindthenotespertainingtoaparticularchapter.

RequirementsforFootnotesattheBottomofthePageUsethefootnotingstyleofyourword-processingprogramaslongastheprogramprovidesalineseparatingthefootnotefromthetextandleftjustifiesthefootnote.AnyvariationfromthisstandardformatrequiresapprovalfromtheOfficeofAcademicProgramsandGraduateStudies.Single-spaceeachfootnoteanddouble-spacebetweenfootnotes.Thereshouldbeatleast1/4"betweenthelastlineofthetextandthelineseparatingthefootnote(1/2"ispreferred).Thelinesseparatingthefootnotesshouldallbethesamelength(11/2"to2"isrecommended).Asageneralrule,usethesamefontandpointsizeasthemainbodyofyourthesis.If,however,youhaveextensivefootnotes,youmayreducethefootnotepointsizeto9or10points.Whateverpointsizeyouselect,useitforallthefootnotesofyourthesis.

11.ProofreadingTheUniversityThesisshouldbecarefullyproofreadbythestudentandthestudent’scommitteeBEFOREitissubmittedtotheAcademicProgramsandGraduateStudiesStudentServicesofficeforformatreview.Checkthefollowingitems:

• Alltextreferencestobesuretheyarecorrectandcompleteinthefootnotes/endnotesandbibliography.• Allchapterheadingsandsub-headings,aswellasfigureandtableheadings,tobesuretheyare

formattedinthesamewaythroughoutyourthesis.• TheheadingsinyourTableofContentsandListsofTables/Figurestobesuretheycorrespondtothe

headingsastheyappearinthebodyofthethesis.• Pagebreakstobesurepagesdonotbeginwiththelastlineofaparagraphfromtheprecedingpageor

endwiththefirstlineofaparagraph.


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12.RequirementsforSpecialFormatsUniversityThesesofunusualsizeorshape,orthosethatincludespecialinformation(forexample,taperecordings,musicalscores,lengthymusicmanuscripts)musthaveformatapprovalfromtheAcademicProgramsandGraduateStudiesoffice.Largemaps(pre-foldedbythestudent)orCD'scanbeinsertedinsturdypocketsbuiltbythebinderyinsidethebackcover.Onecompletesetoffoldedmaterialmustgotothebinderywiththemultiplecopiessothattheycanbuildapocketofthecorrectsize.

13.RequirementsforCharts,Figures,Graphs,Tables,etc.Theruleforcharts,figures,graphs,tables,etc.isthattheymustbeconsistentwitheachotherinstyleandhavethesamegenerallook.Allphotocopiesanddigitalimagesmustbecleanandsharp.Theyshouldusethesamefontandpointsizeasthetextofthethesisifpossible.Exceptions

• Ifitisnotpossibletousethesamefontandpointsizeasthetextofthethesis(i.e.,thereisnotenoughroom,ortheitemhasbeengeneratedonanothercomputerwhichdoesnothavethesamefonts),itisallowabletouseadifferentfontorasmaller/largerpointsize,aslongasallthecharts,figures,graphs,tables,etc.inthethesisusethesamevariationsconsistently.Forexample,ifathesishasfivemapswithlegends,thetypesizesofthelegendsshouldmatcheachother.

• Charts,figures,graphs,tablesmayalsobeplacedhorizontallyonthepageiftheywillnotfitvertically.Thepage,however,shouldhavethesamemarginsastherestofthethesis.Ifpossible,(1)placethetoporheadingattheleftmarginwiththebottomoftheitemattherightmargin,and(2)placethepagenumbersothatitappearsinthesameplaceandwiththesameorientationasonalltheotherpagesofyourboundthesis.

• Hand-writtensymbolsandhand-drawntableorgraphlinesmustbemadewithblack,permanentink(notwithball-pointorwatersolublefelttippen).

• Hand-colorworkonmaps/graphsmustbedoneinpermanentink;donotusecrayon,coloredpencil,orfelttippen.Eachbookmustcontainacompletesetofanycolorillustrations.

14.RequirementsforPlatesandPhotosIfyourthesisincludesphotosorplates,onecompletesetofplates/photographsmustbesubmittedtotheofficewiththeoriginal,departmentally-approvedcopyoftheUniversityThesisbythethesisformatreviewdeadline.Youmaychooseoneofthetwofollowingoptions:

Option1Includeclearblackandwhiteorcolordigitalimagesorphotocopiesofthephotos,onthesamethickness/typeofpaperastherestofthethesisineachcopyofthethesissubmittedforbinding.

Option2Afterthethesishasbeenbound,mountactualprintsontoacaptionedpageineachboundcopy.Toaddphotographicprints,thebinderyrequeststhatplatesandphotographsbemountedAFTERthethesisisbound,toavoidbucklingcausedbyunevenpagethickness.

Ifyouchoosethisoption,insertacaptioned(butotherwiseblank)pageintheappropriateplace(s)ineachcopyofyourthesisyousubmitforbinding.YoumaycontactValleyLibraryBindingat559-237-5224forspecificinstructionsregardingtheuseofstubbingsheets.


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Whentheboundcopiesarereturnedbythebindery,youwilltearawaythemainportionoftheperforatedstubbingsheet(leavingonlytheleftedgeinthespinetoprovideforthethicknessoftheplate/photograph)andwillthenmountthephotoonthecaptionedsheet.Itissuggestedthatyouuseanadhesivespraytomountyourphotossuchas"Photo-Mount"manufacturedby3-MandavailableatOfficeMax.Usingtapetoattachthephotoorplatetothepageisnotacceptable

15.OversizedPDFMaterialsYoucansavewhateversizepagesyouwantasPDFsandincludetheminyourthesisforuploadtotheInstitutionalRepository.Pagesizedoesn'tmatterinregardstodepositingintherepository,sinceallofitisthesamefiletype(PDF).YoucansaveasinglePDFwithmultiplepagesizes,orientations,etc.However,ifyouareunsureofhowtodothat,youcansendtheoversizedpagesasseparatePDFsthattheLibraryRepositorycancombinewiththetextofthethesisintothefinalPDFfordeposit.Ifyoucankeeptoonestandardsizeofoversizedpage(i.e.legal,ledger,tabloid,etc.)itwouldmakeiteasierforreadingthefinalthesis.However,whilepreferred,itisnotnecessary.Ifyouwantboundcopiesofyourthesis,pleasefollowtheinstructionsonp.10.

16.PrinterSpecificationsONLYthefollowingtypesofprintersareapprovedfortheses(use"bestquality"modeforyourfinaldraft).

AcceptablePrinters UnacceptablePrintersLaserprinters(preferred)InkJetprintersLetterQualitydotmatrix

LineprintersDotmatrixprinters(notletterquality)Anyprinterwithvisibleand/orunconnecteddotsformingaletter


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SpecificFormatRequirement

RequiredandOptionalSectionsThesesmustcontainthefoursectionsthatarelistedbelowinbold-facedtype.Additionalsections,aslistedbelowandmarkedbyasterisks(*),areoptional.Sectionsmustbeassembledinthefollowingorder:

I. TitlePageII. CopyrightPage*III. Abstract*IV. SignaturePageV. Acknowledgments*VI. TableofContentsVII. ListsofFigures,Graphs,Photos,Plates,MapsandTables*VIII. Preface*IX. Page1.FirstpageofthesistextX. Endnotes,ifnotintextoratendofchapters*XI. Bibliography*XII. Appendix*

i.TitlePageThetitlepageismandatoryandmustbepreparedaccordingtothetemplateattheendofthiswritingguide.Usethetemplateattachedasaprintedguidetoplacementofeachelementonthepage.Insertthesamenumberofblanklinesasindicatedonthetemplate.Textanddecorativelinesmustbecenteredbetweenthetop,bottomandleftandrightmargins.(Topandbottommarginsmustbeatleast11/4".Leftmarginmustbe11/2"andrightmarginmustbe1".)Makeadjustmentsasnecessary.

• Itisrecommendedthatthetitleofyourthesisand/ordissertationdoesnotexceed85spaces

(includingthespacesbetweenwordsandpunctuation).Yourtitleshouldbeinallcapitalletters.• Decorativelinesmustbe11/2"long.(Thesesonly)• ChecktheUniversityCataloglistof"GraduateDegrees"fortheofficialnameofyourdegree(i.e.,"M.S.in

BiologicalScience,"ratherthan"M.S.inBiology").DonotusethenameofthedegreeOption.• Thedateonthetitlepageshouldbethemonthandyearthedegreewillbeawarded(thelastmonthof

thequarteryouaregraduating).Forexample,summerquarter2015endsinSeptember,soyourthesisshouldbedatedSeptember2015".

• Thetitlepageiscountedaspage"i"butdonottypethisnumberonthepage.• Alignmentoftheelementsonyourtitlepagewillvarydependinguponthefont,word-processing

programandprinteryouareusing.Forthisreason,ifyoucopyandpastetheonlinetitlepagetemplateintoaword-processingprogram,theresultsmaynotmatchthetemplate.

ii.CopyrightPageTheinclusionofaCopyrightPageisoptional,buthighlyrecommended.Since1976,thecopyrightsymbolisnotrequiredtoindicatecopyright.Thecopyrightisautomaticallygrantedassoonastheworkisplacedina"fixedmedium."


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IftheCopyrightPageisincluded,center(verticallyandhorizontally)yournameandtheyearofthepublicationasfollows:

Copyright©YearbyYourNameor

YourName©YearIfyoudonothaveafontthatincludesthecopyrightsymbol,e.g.,"©",youcantypethe"c"anddrawacirclearounditinpermanentblackink.TheCopyrightPageisnumberedwithalowercaseRomannumerals(ii)centeredbetweenthemarginsandplacedintheFooter.

iii. AbstractInclusionofanabstractisoptional.Anabstractisadefinitivestatementoftheproblem,abriefdescriptionofresearchmethodandmajorfindings,andconclusions.Itislimitedtooneortwopages.Checkwithyourdepartmentand/orThesisCommitteeChairtodeterminewhetheryourthesisshouldhaveanabstract.Ifincluded,double-spacethetextandusethesamemarginsasthebodyofyourthesis.ThesepagesmustbenumberedwithlowercaseRomannumerals,centeredbetweenthemarginsatthebottomofthepage.

iv.SignaturePageThesignaturepageismandatoryandmustbepreparedaccordingtothetemplateattheendofthiswritingguide.Usethetemplateattachedasaprintedguidetoplacementofeachelementonthepage.Insertthesamenumberofblanklinesasindicatedonthetemplate.Leftmarginmustbe11/2"andrightmarginmustbe1".Makeadjustmentsasnecessary.ForTheses:Signaturelinesmustbe21/2"long;datelinesmustbe2"long,endingatthe1"rightmargin.ForDissertations:Thesignaturelinesmustbe4"inlength.Also,thenameofeachcommitteemembermustbetypedimmediatelybeneathhisorherrespectivesignatureline.Aswithyourtitlepage,thealignmentoftheelementsonyoursignaturepagewillvarydependinguponthefont,word-processingprogramandprinteryouareusing.ThispagemustbenumberedwithalowercaseRomannumeral,centeredbetweenthemarginsatthebottomofthepage.

v. AcknowledgmentsAcknowledgmentsarenotrequired,butabriefstatementmaybeincludedtothankmentors,colleagues,individualsorinstitutionsthatsupportedresearch,ortogivecredittoworkscitedinthetextforwhichpermissiontoreproducehasbeengranted.Studentsarecautionedtopreventtheirstatementfrombeingoverlylongorpersonalinnature.Anappropriateacknowledgmentincludesthankinganinstitution,whichsponsoredaninternship.


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Theacknowledgmentsshouldbedouble-spacedandhavethesamemarginsasthebodyofyourthesis.Ifincluded,thispagemustbenumberedwithalowercaseRomannumeralcenteredbetweenthemarginsatthebottomofthepage.

vi. TableofContentsThetableofcontentsismandatory.Centerthetitle"TableofContents"atthetopofthepageandlistallpartsofthethesisexcepttheblankpages,titlepage,copyrightpageandsignaturepage.Fortheremainderofthetable,followtherequirementsofthestylebookofyourprofessionalfield.Note:Youshoulddouble-spacebetweenallthemajorsectionheadings(i.e.,ListsofTables,Chapters,Bibliography,etc.).Youmay single-spacebetweensubheadsthatarelistedunderthemainheadings.Allcolumnsmustalignneatly—raggedcolumnsarenotacceptable.Thepage-numbercolumnisright-aligned.Donotaddtheheading“Page”abovethiscolumn.ThetableofcontentsmustbenumberedwithalowercaseRomannumeralcenteredbetweenthemarginsatthebottomofthepage(s).

vii. ListsofFigures,Graphs,Photos,Plates,MapsorTablesIfyourthesisincludesfigures,graphs,photos,plates,mapsortables,youmustincludetheselists.DonotincludeanyitemsthatyouhaveplacedinanappendixinyourListsofFigures,Graphs,Photos,Plates,MapsorTables.Placeeachlistonaseparatepageandusethesamemarginsasthebodyofyourthesis.Centerthetitle(i.e.,"ListofTables"or"ListofFigures")atthetopofthepageandlisttablesorfigureswithpagenumbersinalignedcolumns.Ingeneral,followtherequirementsofthestylebookforyourprofessionalfield.

Youmaychoosetousethesameformatasthe"TableofContents"sampleintheprevioussection.Youshould,however,double-spacebetweeneachitem—i.e.,figureortableheading.(Youmaysingle-spacebetweenthelinesoftheheading.)Note:Columnsmustalignneatly—raggedcolumnsarenotacceptable.Thepage-numbercolumnisright-aligned.Donotaddtheheading“Page”abovethiscolumn.TheselistsmustbenumberedwithalowercaseRomannumeralcenteredbetweenthemarginsatthebottomofthepage(s).

viii.PrefaceInclusionofaprefaceisoptional.Ingeneral,aprefaceiswrittentoexplainthemotivationformakingthestudy,thebackgroundfortheproject,scopeoftheresearch,andpurposeofthepaper.Alsoaddsomeacknowledgmentsifthe"Acknowledgments"sectionhasnotbeenincluded. ThePrefacepagemustbenumberedwithalowercaseRomannumeralcenteredbetweenthemarginsatthebottomofthepage.

ix.TextThemainbodyofthethesisisusuallyseparatedintowell-defineddivisions,suchaschapters,andmaybeginwithabriefchapterentitled"Introduction,"orsimplystartwithChapterOne.Followtherequirementsofthestylebookforyourprofessionalfield.Note:textmustbedouble-spacedandprintedononesideofthepaperonly.


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BeginnumberingwithArabicnumerals(startingwithpage1)attheupperrightcornerofthepage,andcontinuenumberingeachpagetotheendofthethesis.See#7,"PaginationRequirements"underGeneralFormatRequirements.

x.EndnotesIncludethissectiononlyifnoteswerenotinthetextorattheendofchapters.Alsosee#10,"FootnoteRequirements"underGeneralFormatRequirementsforadditionalinformationonendnotes.Centerthetitle"Notes"or"Endnotes"atthetopofthepage.Ingeneral,followtherequirementsofthestylebookforyourprofessionalfield.Textwithinindividualcitations/notesshouldbesingle-spaced,withdouble-spacingbetweeneachcitation/note.Studentsshouldrefertothestylebookoftheirprofessionforspecifics.Endnotesmustusethesamefont,fontsizeandmarginsasthetextofthethesis.

xi.BibliographyThissectionmaybemandatory,dependinguponrequirementsofthestylebookforyourprofessionalfield.Centerthetitle“WorksCited,”“Bibliography,"or"References,"atthetopofthepage.Studentsshouldrefertothestylebookoftheirprofessionforspecificformatrequirements.Formattingforeverycitationmustbeconsistent.Everyreferencemusthaveanin-textcitation.Everyin-textcitationmusthaveareference.Thebibliographymustusethesamefontandfontsizeasthetextofthethesis.

xii.Appendix/AppendicesInclusionofappendicesisoptional.Itemsproperlyrelegatedtoanappendixareexplanationsandelaborationsnotessentialtotheworkofthethesis,buthelpfultoareaderseekingfurtherclarification.Someexamplesmightinclude:textsofdocumentsorlaws,longlists,questionnairesandsometimesevenchartsortables.Ifchartsortablesareplacedinanappendix,theywouldnotbeincludedinyourListofTablesorListofFiguresatthebeginningofyourthesis.Donotplacefigures,tables,charts,graphs,photosorotherworkthatisneededanddirectlysupportstheworkofyourthesisinanappendix.Materialsofseparatecategoriesshouldbeplacedinseparateappendices.Ifthereismorethanoneappendix,eachshouldbegivenanumberorletter:Appendix1,Appendix2,etc.,orAppendixA,AppendixB,etc.Centerthetitleofeachappendixatthetopofthepage.Anotheroptionistocenterthetitleonaseparatesheet(inthemiddleofthepageoratthetop)immediatelyprecedingtheappendix.Itemsplacedinanappendixshouldbenamedandnumberedseparatelyfromsimilaritemsinthebodyofyourthesis.Ingeneral,formattheappendicesaccordingtotherequirementsofthestylebookforyourprofessionalfield.Note:Allitems(i.e.,text,charts,graphs,tables,etc.)intheappendicesmustusethesamefontandfontsizeasthetextofthethesis.Textshouldbedouble-spaced.ExceptionstothisrulemaybemadeasindicatedundertheappropriatesectionintheUniversityThesisWritingGuide.Forexample,see"RequirementsforCharts,Figures,Graphs,Tables,etc."forexceptionsallowedinpresentingtables.Inaddition,samplesurveys,letters,questionnaires,etc.canbeusedintheiroriginalform.

Iftheappendixincludescharts/graphsorotherillustrations,theymustbegenerallyconsistentwitheachotherinstyleandpresentation.


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AllpagesoftheAppendicesmusthavethesamemarginsasthebodyofthethesis,andallpagesmustbenumberedwithArabicnumeralsintheupperrightcornerusingthesamefontandfontsizeasinthebodyofthethesis.Photocopiesshouldbecleanandsharp.Beginnumberingtheappendiceswiththenumberthatfollowsthelastpageoftheprevioussection.Ifyouareusingitemsintheiroriginalform,thesemustbereducedtofitwithintheprescribedmargins.Youmaychoosetohaveacopycenterreducetheseforyou.Alsoifyouareusingitemsintheiroriginalform,white-outoldpagenumbersandrecopytheitem.

AdviceforStudentsHiringaProfessionalTypist/Word-Processor• Studentswhochoosetohireatypisttopreparethemanuscriptmustensurethatthetypisthasthese

instructionsbeforebeginningthejob.(TheUniversityThesisWritingGuideisavailableonlineathttp://www.csueastbay.edu/thesiswritingguide.)

• Agreeonalldetailsbeforeworkbegins.NeithertheUniversitynoranyofitsofficesordepartmentsisresponsibleformattersconcerningstudents'relationshipsoragreementswithanyoutsideagencyorindividual;therefore,neithertheUniversitynoranyofitsunitswilltakepartindisagreementsbetweenstudentandtypistconcerningservicesofferedorexpected(includingcostsbilledorpaid).Itiswiseforyouandthetypisttoagreeonalldetails,preferablyinwriting,beforetheworkisbegun.Suchagreementsincludethetypist'sestimateofcost(basedoninformationfromyou)andanestimateoftimeneededtocompletethetyping,aswellasanunderstandingofresponsibilityforanyrequiredretyping.Youareadvisedtoexaminethefirstfewtypedpagestomakecertainthetypistusesproperformatandproducesprofessionalcopy.Donotwaituntilthejobisfinishedtodeterminecompliancewithstandardsandrequirements.

• Allowtimetocompleteeachstepinvolvedinproducingyourthesis.Allowtimeforyourdraftpreparation.Agoodtypisttypesabouteightpagesanhour.Generally,onlythemostcompetent,professionaltypistisabletospendmorethanfourhoursadayonathesis.Alsoallowtimeforproofreading,forconsiderationbyyourUniversityThesisCommittee(aweekormore),formakingtheinevitablecorrectionsoradditions,andforobtainingthesignaturesonthesignaturepageofallyourcommitteemembers—allbeforetheformatreviewdeadline.

• Findingatypist.TypistssometimesadvertiseintheCalStateEastBayPioneernewspaper,ortheymaypostnoticesoftheirservicesonbulletinboardsaroundcampus.Typistswhospecializeinthesesalsoadvertiseintheyellowpagesunder"Word-ProcessingServices."

AvoidtheFollowingCommonErrors• Mostcommonerror—incorrectlyspacedorformattedtitlepageorsignaturepage.• InconsistencybetweenthetreatmentofheadingsandsubheadingsintheTableofContentsandtheir

appearancewithinthetext.• Useofunapprovedfont.• Inconsistentuseoffont,pointsize,bold,italics,and/orunderlining.• Incorrectlinespacing.• Incorrectmargins.• Pageswithoutnumbersorthewrongnumbers(includingfigures,maps,tables,bibliographyand

appendices).


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• Incorrectand/orinconsistentplacementofpagenumbersorfootnotes.• Allin-textcitationsmustbeincludedinthebibliography,andallbibliographyreferencesmustbecited

inthetest.• Inconsistentpresentationofgraphs,charts,illustrations,etc.• Blurredormessyphotocopiesofgraphs,charts,illustrations,etc.• Low-resolutiondigitalimagesnotsuitableforprinting.• Onion-skinpaperorothertexturedornon-standardpaper.


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ThesisTemplates

ThefollowingpagesarefullpagetemplatesoftheMaster’sThesisTitlePageandSignaturePageandtheDissertationTitePageandSignaturePage.


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THESIS TITLE (ALL-CAPS)* 1 **

CONTINUATION OF TWO-LINE TITLE 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

A University Thesis Presented to the Faculty 1 of 1

California State University, East Bay 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

In Partial Fulfillment 1

of the Requirements for the Degree 1

Master of Science in (Name of Degree) 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

By 1

Author’s Full Name 1

The end of the quarter month/year your degree is awarded

*Titles must match on the Title Page and on the Signature Page. ** Numbers indicate vertical spacing only; do not type. The three underlines are each 1½” long. Double-space text and center between margins (1½ left, 1” right). This template was prepared using Times New Roman and Microsoft Word. When lining up, template may not match exactly.


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THESIS TITLE (ALL-CAPS)* 1 **

CONTINUATION OF TWO-LINE TITLE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 By 1

Author’s Full Name 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Approved: Date: 1 2 3

Committee Member’s Name Typed Here

1 2

Committee Member’s Name Typed Here 1 2

Committee Member’s Name Typed Here

*Titles must match on the Title Page and on the Signature Page. ** Numbers indicate vertical spacing only; do not type. Double-space text and center between margins (1½” left, 1” right). “Signature” lines should be 2½” in length. “Date” lines should begin 5½” from left edge (“0”) of page and should be 2” in length. If your department only requires two signatures, type only two sets of lines. This template was prepared using Times Roman and Microsoft Word (Center proper Roman numeral page number in same place as the Roman numerals on other pages). When lining up, template may not match exactly.


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1* 2 3 4

DISSERTATION TITLE (ALL CAPS) 1

CONTINUATION OF TWO-LINE TITLE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

By Author's Full Name

B.A. (Full name of school) year M.A. (Full name of school) year

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

A Dissertation 1

Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree 1

Doctorate in Education 1 2 3

Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership for Social Justice 1

California State University, East Bay 1

** Date

* Numbers indicate vertical spacing only; do not type. The three underlines are each 1½” long. Double-space text and center between margins (1½ left, 1” right). This template was prepared using Times New Roman and Microsoft Word. When lining up, template may not match exactly. ** Use the end of quarter month/year your degree is awarded for the date.


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1* 2 3 4

California State University, East Bay Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership for Social Justice

1 2 3 4

This dissertation was presented by 1 2 3 4

Author's Full Name 1 2 3 4

It was defended on Month date, year and approved by:

1 2 3

Chairperson’s name, Chair Department affiliation

1 2 3

Committee member name Department affiliation

1 2 3

Committee member name Department affiliation

* Numbers indicate vertical spacing only; do not type. The three underlines are each 1½” long. Double-space text and center between margins (1½ left, 1” right). This template was prepared using Times New Roman and Microsoft Word. When lining up, template may not match exactly.

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