RESPONSIBILITY FOR THESIS PREPARATION

A thesis is required for all programs leading to a Plan A master's degree, and a dissertation is required for the doctor of philosophy degree. In general, a single set of guidelines regarding form and organization may apply to both. In setting out these guidelines, this manual uses the word "thesis" for simplicity. It should be taken, however, to refer to either a thesis or dissertation.
While a variety of formats and many modes of presentation are appropriate, all theses should meet rigorous standards of quality. This is to insure that theses are legible and easily read. A sloppy or inconsistent manuscript does not communicate as effectively as a well presented one. Among other things, copy must be reproducible in microform without image degradation. Further, bound copies of theses must stand up to hard use; they must be durable if they are to be permanent parts of the cultural record.


The Adviser/ Guide
The graduate student's adviser serves as a mentor both while the student is doing the thesis work and while the results of that work are prepared for the thesis. Although the student has primary responsibility for the content, quality, and format of the thesis, the adviser and the Graduate Advisory Committee must be consulted frequently. They should approve the final form before it is submitted to the Graduate School. Advisers are particularly asked to insure that the abstract summarizes clearly and concisely the major points of the thesis and that, in the case of dissertations, the work is acceptable for microfilming.

The Student
The student is responsible for making all arrangements for the word processing or typing of the thesis as well as its reproduction. The student should also consider the following:

1. Consult a style manual approved by your department for correct format for quotations, footnotes, and bibliographical items 
3. Edit draft for correct sentence structur e and grammar, paragraphing, punctuation, and spelling.
4. Prepare tables in the form in which they are to be printed.
5. Furnish numbering and legends for all tables and illustrative materials.
6. Proofread final printed copy and check to see that corrections are made accurately.
7. Arrange for mounting photographs.
8. Present a printed copy, ready for reproduction, to the Graduate Advisory Committee for their review.
9. Have the appropriate number of final copies reproduced. Number of copies and binding requirements for each department or for personal use may vary.
10. Submit two unbound copies of the thesis or dissertation to the Graduate Office. A plain white flyleaf should be on the top and bottom of the document. The unbound copies must be submitted in separate manila envelopes with name, department, degree, and term of graduation written on the outside of the envelopes.

Certain additional pages are required:

4

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Master's thesis
Two extra title pages
One photocopy of the signature page

Ph.D. dissertation:
Three extra title pages
One extra abstract (350 words or less)
One photocopy of the signature page
Survey of Earned Doctorate
UMI Doctoral Dissertation Agreement Form Dissertation Release Form

11. All other copies of a student's thesis - including those required by the department or adviser - are
considered to be "personal" copies. The arrangements for binding these copies must be made independently.