Overview of Changes
Starting Spring 2024, the Graduate College will release a new set of Thesis/Dissertation templates and requirement checklists. The requirements have been carefully reviewed and discussed with interdisciplinary consultants to optimize Iowa State University theses and dissertations for accessibility, usability, readability, and consistency. Skip to the end of this page to read definitions of these priorities. The updated requirements also take into account basic academic norms and variation across disciplines. This page lays out the requirements that will be put into place.
One aim of releasing these format requirement updates at this time is to ensure that the Graduate College is in compliance with Iowa State University's Digital Accessibility policy, which will go into full effect in July 2026.
The updated requirements are presented in three sections:
- New Format Requirements. Prior to January 2024, these requirements have not been listed in the checklist or enforced by Iowa State University thesis/dissertation reviewers. Graduate students and faculty are advised to carefully review the new requirements. Tutorials and support will be available to students to ensure they have the skills to incorporate these requirements into their thesis/dissertation manuscripts.
- Continuing Format Requirements. These requirements have been listed in the checklist and enforced by Iowa State University thesis/dissertation reviewers since the last template update. Tutorials and support will continue to be available to students to ensure they have the skills to incorporate these requirements into their thesis/dissertation manuscripts.
- Discontinued Format Requirements. Some requirements listed in the checklist prior to January 2024 will now be designated as recommendations.
Grace Period (Gradual Implementation)
To accommodate students who are currently close to completing their thesis/dissertation, and who started their writing process with the old templates, there will be a 12-month grace period from January 2024-December 2024. During this grace period:
- The New Format Requirements and the Discontinued Format Requirements will be treated as recommendations.
- Only the Continuing Format Requirements will be treated as requirements.
- Starting in January 2025, the New Format Requirements will be treated as requirements.
The following section delineates the differences between recommendations and requirements.
Protocols for Requirements and Recommendations
Requirements
Iowa State University thesis/dissertation reviewers will check all theses and dissertations submitted to ProQuest after the student passes their Final Oral Exam. Where the submitted mansucript fails to meet one or more requirements, the reviewer will issue a request for revisions. Students must implement these revisions and resubmit their manuscript within one week of the submission deadline for that semester. If the requirements still are not met, the reviewer will issue another request for revisions. The thesis/dissertation will not be accepted until all requirements are met, even if this results in a delay to the student's graduation.
Recommendations
Students are strongly encouraged to implement these recommendations, which enhance usability, readability, and consistency in theses/dissertations. Iowa State University thesis/dissertation reviewers will check all theses and dissertations submitted to ProQuest after the student passes their Final Oral Exam. Where the submitted mansucript fails to meet one or more recommendations, the reviewer will issue a single request for students to revise. If the thesis/dissertation is resubmitted without the recommendations implemented, it will be acceptable. It is important to note that theses and dissertations cannot be revised after they are accepted. Students who resubmit theses and dissertations that do not follow the recommendations will not have another chance to improve the appearance of their manuscript.
New Format Requirements for 2024
| Feature | New Requirement | Explanation of Change | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Page Numbers | Page numbers must be located only in the center of the page header | Page numbers are required to be in the document header. | Accessibility |
| Page Numbers | The page number for landscape pages is located on the center of the right-hand side, rotated 90° clockwise. The page number must be in a text box anchored in the page header. | Page numbers are required to be in the document header. | Accessibility |
| Headings | Chapter numbering must be consistent throughout the manuscript (Arabic numerals are recommended; spelled-out or Roman numerals are acceptable). | Arabic numerals are no longer required. | Deference to variation across disciplines |
| Headings | Numbering, including decimal outlining, is an acceptable way to differentiate heading levels. | Numbering for headings is explicitly acceptable. | Deference to variation across disciplines |
| Headings | Discernible sections must be separated by headings, e.g., "Tables and Figures" section. | Content must be identified with meaningful headings. | Accessibility Usability |
| Headings | Headings must be formatted as tagged bookmarks (H1+ in PDF); PDF must contain a hierarchical outline that provides an overview of the document. | Headings must be formatted using Heading styles. Format attributes (e.g., bold, centered) are not sufficient for headings, since they are not perceivable to some assistive devices, such as screen readers. | Accessibility |
| Preliminary Pages | In place of a Dedication, authors may include a Preface, About the Author, or other front matter. | Subject to approval by the Graduate College, some preliminary pages not included in the templates are acceptable. | Deference to variation across disciplines |
| Title Page | Title must match what is specified in the Document Information Dictionary. | File properties must include the full title of the thesis/dissertation. | Accessibility |
| Table of Contents | Table of Contents items must be linked to the respective heading location in the manuscript. | Users must be able to locate content using bookmarks in long documents. | Accessibility |
| Acknowledgments | Acknowledgments paragraphs must be formatted using Body style. | Consistent use of global format requirements is now explicity required for preliminary pages. | Consistency |
| Abstract | Abstract paragraphs must be formatted using Body style. | Consistent use of global format requirements is now explicity required for preliminary pages. | Consistency |
| Journal Article Format: Chapters | Preliminary details are required for every manuscript chapter:
| 'Modified from...' statement is no longer included in the preliminary details. | Consistency Usability Deference to variation across disciplines |
| Journal Article Format: Chapters | Manuscript chapters published, or under review, in academic journals may include this publishing status in a footnote on the first page of the chapter. | Authors are responsible for providing information about other places of publication, publishers' required disclaimers, etc. for their manuscript chapters. | Compliance with copyright laws and institutional authorship policies Adherence to basic academic norms |
| Journal Article Format: Chapters | If the manuscript chapter contains an abstract:
| Manuscript chapters are explicitly not required to include an abstract. | Usability |
| Journal Article Format: Chapters | Journal articles authored by multiple Iowa State University graduate students must include Shared Consent form at the end of the co-authored chapter. | The Graduate College has developed forms to use to ensure oversight and permission for the use of co-authored papers in ISU theses and dissertations. | Usability Compliance with copyright laws and institutional authorship policies |
| Tables and Figures | Table and figure captions must be consistently positioned throughout chapters (for Journal Article format) or manuscript (for Traditional format) | Figure captions are no longer required to be below the figure. | Deference to variation across disciplines |
| Tables and Figures | Table content must be tagged:
| Accessible tables need markup that indicates header cells and data cells and defines their relationship. Assistive technologies use this information to provide context to users. | Accessibility |
| Tables and Figures | Alt-text must be provided for figures. | Text alternatives are a primary way for making information accessible because they can be rendered through any sensory modality (for example, visual, auditory or tactile) to match the needs of the user. | Accessibility |
| Tables and Figures | Proper attribution must be provided for copyrighted figures reproduced in the ETD manuscript. | Proper attribution is now an explicit requirement. | Compliance with copyright laws and institutional authorship policies |
| References/ Bibliography | Paragraph spacing must be consistent within each reference list. | Double-spacing is not longer required for references. | Consistency |
Continuing Format Requirements
| Feature | Requirement | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Margins | 1” margins all around throughout entire thesis/dissertation | Readability |
| Font | Same standard proportional font, e.g., those identified by the APA, throughout, including:
| Consistency Readability Accessibility |
| Font | Font size must be consistent throughout document. Font size is legible (≈12 pt. in Word; 11 pt. in LaTeX) for:
| Consistency Accessibility |
| Font | Font size must belegible (8 pt. or larger) for:
| Consistency Accessibility |
| Page Numbers | Every page must be numbered sequentially, except:
| Consistency Usability Accessibility |
| Page Numbers | Page numbers for preliminary pages must use lowercase Roman numerals | Consistency |
| Page Numbers | Following the title page, page number must start at ii. | Consistency |
| Headings | Headings must have at least two lines of body paragraph on the same page (no headings at the bottom of a page). | Readability |
| Headings | All preliminary pages must be identified with a Heading 0, including LIST OF TABLES and LIST OF FIGURES. | Accessibility Consistency |
| Headings | All chapter and major section headings must bebold, centered, uppercase letters. | Consistency |
| Headings | Chapter titles must include the word, 'CHAPTER,' and a number. | Usability Consistency |
| Headings | Level 2+ headings are consistent, including case/capitalization, throughout
| Readability Usability Accessibility Consistency |
| Headings | Differentiation must be perceivable between heading levels. | Readability Usability Accessibility Consistency |
| Preliminary Pages | Pages must appear in the following order, if included:
| Consistency Usability |
| Preliminary Pages | Abstract must be the last preliminary page, located immediately before Chapter 1. | Consistency |
| Preliminary Pages: Title Page | No page number appears on the title page. | Consistency |
| Preliminary Pages: Title Page | No period is used at the end of the title. | Consistency |
| Preliminary Pages: Title Page | The title that appears on the title page must be sentence case. | Consistency |
| Preliminary Pages: Title Page | The title that appears on the title page must be single-spaced. | Consistency |
| Preliminary Pages: Title Page | Title and author name must be bold. | Consistency |
| Preliminary Pages: Title Page | The word 'by' must be lowercase. | Consistency |
| Preliminary Pages: Title Page | The title page must correctly identify the manuscript as a thesis (for master's degrees) or a dissertation (for doctoral degrees). | Usability |
| Preliminary Pages: Title Page | The title page must correctly identify the earned degree. | Usability |
| Preliminary Pages: Title Page | The major must be identified, preceded by 'Major:'. Co-majors must be identified, preceded by 'Co-majors:'. | Usability |
| Preliminary Pages: Title Page | Specializations must be identified in parentheses, following the major. | Usability |
| Preliminary Pages: Title Page | Minors must not be identified. | Consistency |
| Preliminary Pages: Title Page | List of committee members must be single-spaced. | Consistency |
| Preliminary Pages: Title Page | Major Professor must be first in the committee member list, designated as 'Major Professor'. Both co-major professors must be first in the committee member list, both/all designated as 'Co-major Professor,' lowercase 'm'. | Consistency |
| Preliminary Pages: Title Page | Committee member names must not include 'Dr.,' 'Professor,' 'Ph.D.' before/after their names. | Consistency |
| Preliminary Pages: Title Page | Non-supervisory committee member names must not have any designation, e.g., 'Committee Member.' | Consistency |
| Preliminary Pages: Title Page | Title page must include a ‘Responsibility of Content’ statement, as follows: The student author, whose presentation of the scholarship herein was approved by the program of study committee, is solely responsible for the content of this thesis/dissertation [choose thesis or dissertation]. The Graduate College will ensure this thesis/dissertation [choose thesis or dissertation] is globally accessible and will not permit alterations after a degree is conferred. | Consistency |
| Preliminary Pages: Title Page | The manuscript type must be correctly designated as either a thesis or dissertation (2 places) in the Responsibility of Content statement. | Consistency Usability |
| Preliminary Pages: Title Page | Iowa State University must be correctly designated as the institution. | Usability |
| Preliminary Pages: Title Page | Ames, Iowa must be identified as the place of publication. | Usability |
| Preliminary Pages: Title Page | The graduation year must be identified as the date of publication. | Usability |
| Preliminary Pages: Title Page | Copyright must be claimed in the graduation year. | Usability |
| Preliminary Pages: Title Page | Copyright holder name must exactly match the author name at the top of the title page and in the university record. | Usability |
| Preliminary Pages: Title Page | Copyright statement must state, 'All rights reserved.' | Usability |
| Preliminary Pages: Dedication | Dedication must be no more than one page. | Consistency |
| Preliminary Pages: Table of Contents | Page number columns must be right-justified. | Consistency |
| Preliminary Pages: Table of Contents | The word 'CHAPTER' and chapter number must appear before each chapter title, except for single-article journal theses and MFA theses. | Consistency |
| Preliminary Pages: List of Figures/List of Tables | If one of these lists is provided, then both must be provided, unless the manuscript contains no figures or no tables. | Consistency Usability |
| Preliminary Pages: Nomeclature | Nomenclature must follow a two-column format with the abbreviation/term in the left column and the non-abbreviated form/definition in the right column. | Consistency Usability |
| Body of Thesis: Paragraphs | First lines of paragraphs must be indented 1/2". | Consistency Readability |
| Body of Thesis: Paragraphs | Body text must be double-spaced, left-aligned, not justified. | Consistency Readability Accessibility |
| Body of Thesis: Pages | The manuscript must not contain any blank pages. | Usability |
| Body of Thesis: Chapters | Sections must be continuous within each chapter. Only the chapter begins on a new page. Level 2 headings do not begin on new pages. | Readability |
| Journal Article Format: Chapters | First chapter must be titled 'CHAPTER 1. GENERAL INTRODUCTION.' | Consistency Usability |
| Journal Article Format: Chapters | Final chapter must be titled 'CHAPTER #. GENERAL CONCLUSIONS.' | Consistency Usability |
| Journal Article Format: Chapters | Manuscript chapters must be titled with the title of the manuscript. | Consistency Usability |
| Journal Article Format: Chapters | The text of the chapter must be continuous (no page break after the chapter title or abstract). | Consistency Usabililty |
| Journal Article Format: Paragraphs | Keywords, if included, must be formatted in Body style. | Consistency |
| Journal Article Format: Chapters | Footnote numbering restarts at 1 for each chapter, if applicable. | Consistency Usability |
| Journal Article Format: References/ Bibliography | Citation styles are not required to be consistent across manuscript chapters. | Deference to variation across academic journals. |
| Journal Article Format: References/ Bibliography | Citation style is required to be consistent across the GENERAL INTRODUCTION and GENERAL CONCLUSIONS. | Consistency |
| Journal Article Format: Chapters | Each manuscript must have its own Abstract, References/Bibliography, Appendices, etc. (they cannot be combined for the entire thesis/dissertation). | Usability |
| Tables and Figures | Caption styles must be consistent within chapters (for Journal Article format) or manuscript (Traditional format)
| Consistency |
| Tables and Figures | Tables and figures that do not fit on one page:
| Usability |
| Journal Article Format: Tables and Figures | Figure/table numbering must restart for each chapter. | Usability |
| References/ Bibliography | References must be provided:
| Consistency Usability Accessibility |
| Appendices | Appendices must be located:
| Consistency Usability |
| Appendices | Page numbering in appendices must be continuous and formatted consistently with numbering for pages in the Body of Manuscript. | Consistency Usability |
| Appendices | Appendix titles must be preceded by the label, 'Appendix.' If there are more than one appendices, then each must be labeled sequentially as 'A,' 'B,' or '1,' '2,' etc. | Consistency Usability |
| Appendices | Appendix titles must be formatted as:
| Consistency Usability Accessibility |
| Appendices | IRB approval letters must be provided as appendices, where approval was required for the study. | Aderence to based academic norms |
| Appendices | Letters and Documents must not contain signatures or personal information. | Consistency Adherence to basic academic norms |
Discontinued Format Requirements (No Longer Required After November 30, 2023)
| Feature | Recommendation | Explanation of Change | Enhancement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Table of Contents | 'Page' should be written above the page numbers column (only on the first page of the TOC), right-justified. | No longer a rejectable requirement | Usability |
| Table of Contents | Long headings should not overlap the page number column. | No longer a rejectable requirement | Readability |
| List of Tables / List of Figures | 'Page is written above the page numbers column (only on the first page of the LOF/LOT), right-justified. | No longer a rejectable requirement | Usability |
| List of Tables / List of Figures | The word 'Table' or 'Figure' should come before the table or figure number. | No longer a rejectable requirement | Readability |
| List of Tables / List of Figures | List entries should be single-spaced. | No longer a rejectable requirement | Readability |
| List of Tables / List of Figures | There should be 12 pt. blank space between each list entry. | No longer a rejectable requirement | Readability |
| List of Tables / List of Figures | If table/figure captions are longer than one line, there should be a hanging indent the width of the table/figure label and number. | No longer a rejectable requirement | Readability |
| List of Tables / List of Figures | Table and figure captions, page number, and dots should be roman (not italic, not bold). | No longer a rejectable requirement | Consistency |
| List of Tables / List of Figures | Only the first sentence of the table/figure caption should be included in the List of Tables / List of Figures. | No longer a rejectable requirement | Usability |
| Pages | The manuscript should not contain more that /1/4 page blank, except:
| No longer a rejectable requirement | Usability |
| Paragraphs | At least two lines of each body paragraph should appear on a page | No longer a rejectable requirement | Consistency |
| Journal Article Format: Preliminary Details | If an address for the corresponding author is provided, it should be a long-term address. | New recommendation for co-authored articles | Adherence to basic academic norms |
| Content | Use discretion regarding personal information in the thesis/dissertation. Consider the purpose and longevity of the information. | Removed the requirement to exclude all personal information from thesis/dissertation | Deference to variation across disciplines |
| Tables and Figures | Figure and table captions may be located either above or below the graphic. Placement must be consistent for all figures/tables throughout the chapter (Journal Article format) or manuscript (Traditional format) | Removed the requirement to place captions below figures/above tables | Deference to variation across disciplines |
| References/ Bibliography | References should not be split across pages. | No longer a rejectable requirement | Usability |
| References/ Bibliography | References should be single-spaced with 12 pt. of blank space between each item in the references list. | No longer a rejectable requirement | Readability |
Glossary
| Priority | Definition |
|---|---|
| Accessibility | The quality of being able to be used by everyone, regardless of how they approach it |
| Usability | The ease with which a product or system can be used to achieve goals effectively and efficiently |
| Readability | The quality of being legible or decipherable, or easy or enjoyable to read |
| Consistency | The achievement of a level of performance that does not vary greatly over time |