ETD for VT Authors

Thesis/ Dissertation Content

Formatting Guidelines

Title page

• Use the template provided on the ETD website and substitute your information.
• Use base 14 fonts like Times, Courier or Helvetica. Use consistent fonts
• When including committee information, don’t add titles and educational qualifications of the committee members. For example, Dr. Jane Doe, PhD. is “NOT” acceptable.
• Don’t insert page number on this page.

Abstract

• Refer to the template provided on the ETD website.
• The abstract can be a maximum of 250 words for a Masters thesis and 350 words for dissertations.
• Don’t insert page number on this page.

Dedication (optional)
Acknowledgements (optional)

Table of contents List of figures (if tables are included in the thesis/ dissertation)
List of tables (if tables are included in the thesis/ dissertation)
List of abbreviations (optional)
Preface/ Attribution (required only if the manuscripts are co-authored)

• Start displaying numbering from the page right after the abstract page.
• Use small case roman numerals for numbering pages in the front matter section of your thesis/ dissertation.
• The page numbers start from (iii) in the front matter section.

   

• Preface/ Attribution can be included as a part of the front matter or the Introduction chapter.

Divide your thesis/ dissertation into chapters. Usually, the chapters are organized in a logical manner which may include the following titles:

1. Introduction
2. Literature Review (optional)
3. Title for Manuscript 1
   1. Title
   2. Abstract
   3. Introduction
   4. Materials and methods
   5. Results
   6. Discussion
   7. References
4. Title for Manuscript 2 (see chapter 3 above)
5. Conclusions
   1. Summary
   2. Overall model if appropriate (text or illustration if appropriate)

• Use Arabic numerals for the body and back matter of your thesis/ dissertation.
• The first page of Chapter 1 of your thesis/ dissertation will be numbered (1).
• Use consistent fonts (true type) and styles.
• Follow your department guidelines if any regarding the styles to be used.
• Consistently identify the sources of images, figures and tables i.e. provide captions and attributions
• Place captions and attributions consistently above or below the figures, images and tables.
• Numbering should be sequential and consistent.
• Margin settings: 1 inch on all sides and on all pages

References (for those not already included in the chapters)

Appendices

• Follow your department guidelines for citations.
• Include an appendix with an annotated list of figures
• When formatting the appendix, place the word "Appendix", the appendix letter or letters, and the appendix title in large type at the beginning of each appendix.
• Appendices are enumerated alphabetically from A to Z, then AA, AB, and so on to ZZ,then AAA, AAB, etc.
• You may include the source code or output of computer programs as an enumerated appendix. Place figure references with PDF links to multimedia objects here also.
• Vita page is “NO” longer accepted. Don’t include one.