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Formatting Examples

Use the formatting checklist to check that all of your content is formatted according to Graduate College requirements. Also, schedule a format check with a CCE thesis/dissertation consultant to get feedback on your formatting.

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 Title Page

Including a Title Page is required. Some of the most common thesis/dissertation mistakes are made on the title page. Follow the bullets below, paying close attention to capitalization, spacing, line breaks, actual date of graduation, and copyright statement. These bullets will guide you through the title page.

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• No page number is displayed on the title page. It is always assumed page 'i'
• Title is at top of page, formatted with Title style
• Title is single spaced
• Title does not contain a period
• The first word in the title and the first word following a colon are capitalized
• Proper nouns and acronyms in the title are capitalized
• The word "by" is lowercase
• BOLD your name and the title
• Student name should match name in AccessPlus
• If student name does not match name in AccessPlus, include AccessPlus name in parenthes is under the name you are using
• The word “Thesis” or “Dissertation” is used in the “fulfillment of requirements” statement
• The phrase “MASTER OF...” or “DOCTOR OF...” is used
• Only the Major(s) and (if applicable) the specialization(s) are listed (minors are not listed)
• Do not include Dr., Esq., Ph.D., AIA, or other titles or affiliations before or after your name or faculty names
• “Major Professor” is listed after the respective faculty’s name
• For Co-major Professors, list both as “Co-major Professor”; do not use “Major Professor”
• Committee member names are single spaced
• Either the word “Thesis” or “Dissertation” is used in the “responsibility of content” statement
• Iowa State University is listed
• Ames, Iowa is listed
• Graduation year is listed
• Copyright statement is written as: Copyright © [Name as Shown on AccessPlus], [Graduation Year]. All rights reserved.

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Annotated Examples

 

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  Table of Contents

Including a Table of Contents is required. The Table of Contents shows the reader the organization of the document as well as displays the correct page numbers. The bulleted items explain various heading styles for you to follow. They also demonstrate various preliminary pages' formats.

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• DEDICATION, if used, precedes the table of contents. Its heading is formatted with Heading 0 (NOT IN TOC)style, and the page number is 'ii'
• Page is numbered using lower case Roman numerals, top center
• The heading TABLE OF CONTENTS, is formatted with Heading 0 (NOT IN TOC)style
• Do not list 'DEDICATION' or 'TABLE OF CONTENTS' in the Table of Contents
• The order for the preliminary pages that follow the table of contents are LIST OF TABLES (optional), LIST OF FIGURES (optional), NOMENCLATURE (optional), ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS (optional), ABSTRACT (required)
• Preliminary page numbers are lower case Roman numerals in the same font as the document's text, top center
• Single-space chapter headings and subheadings. Double-space before a new chapter
• Chapter titles are uppercase letters, same size and font
• Chapter 1 begins with Arabic numeral '1' in the same font as the text
• Indent first and second level headings below the major headings. No underlining, boldface, or italics
• Ensure page numbers in the Table of Content agree with the text
• All headings must match the corresponding headings in text

Annotated Examples

Traditional Format Table of Contents

Journal Format Table of Contents

Single Journal Format Table of Contents

MFA Format Table of Contents

 

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  List of Tables or Figures

Including a List of Tables and/or a List of Figures is optional. If you have one list, you must have the other list. Each list starts on a new page regardless of how many entries are on the page.

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• Page is numbered using lower case Roman numerals, top center
• The headings LIST OF FIGURES or LIST OF TABLES are formatted in Heading 0 (Included in TOC) style
• If you have one of these lists, then you have the other as well
• Page number columns are right justified
• "Page" is written above the page numbers column (only on the first page of the list) and is right justified
• The word “Table” or “Figure” comes before the title or figure number (e.g., “Table 1. Title”)
• Titles have all the same capitalization, size, and same font
• Single-space list entries
• Double-space between list entries
• Entries should not be bolded or italicized
• Numbering of Tables or Figures:
  • Traditional format: Continue numbers throughout the document (e.g., Figure 1, Figure 2, Figure 3)
  • Journal article format:
    • Option 1:  Restart Figure/Table caption number for each chapter (e.g. Figure 1, Table 1),  write "Chapter 1", "Chapter 2", Chapter X, etc. to separate each chapter section in the List of Figures and/or List of Tables. 
    • Option 2: Use Figure/Table caption number with each chapter number, (e.g. Figure 2.1, Figure 2.2, etc. or Table 2.1, Table 2.2, etc.), write Figure/Table + Chapter number followed by figure/table number for the respective chapter.

Annotated Examples

List of Tables Traditional Format

List of Figures Traditional Format

List of Tables Journal Article Format (Option 1: Restart numbering)

List of Figures Journal Article Format (Option 1: Restart numbering)

List of Tables Journal Article Format (Option 2: Use chapter number)

List of Figures Journal Article Format (Option 2: Use chapter number)

 

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  Abstract

An abstract is required. The abstract is a concise summary of the dissertation or thesis’s purpose, highlights the main points, states the method used, provides findings, and states conclusions. Oftentimes, readers only read the abstract to determine if they should read the document.

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• Page is numbered using lower case Roman numerals, top center
• ABSTRACT in Heading 0 (Included in TOC)
• Double-spaced 
• Indent paragraphs like other paragraphs in your dissertation/thesis
• There is no word limit for the ABSTRACT

Annotated Examples

Abstract Page

 

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 Traditional Body Format

There are two format styles—traditional and journal. The traditional format is basically one document; whereas, journal is a compilation of several manuscripts for journal publication. See the Journal Article Format section for instructions for papers including journal publications.

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• Begin first page of Chapter 1 with ‘1’. Numbers are the same font as the document’s text
• All chapter titles are written in Heading 1  style, which is centered, bold, and uppercase
• All non-chapter, high-level section (Preliminary Pages, Reference/Bibliography, and Appendix) titles are formatted in Heading 0 (Included in TOC), which is centered, bold, and uppercase
• Indent all paragraphs
• No blank pages
• Recommended: no excessive white space in text. Pages should be ¾ filled, unless it’s the last page of the chapter
• Recommended: Chapter section headings are bold and centered with title case. Use Heading 2 style
• Recommended: Chapter subsection headings are bold, left flush, sentence case. Use Heading 3 style
• Format headings consistently throughout the manuscript
• Differentiation exists between heading levels
• At least two lines of text should be included on a page before a paragraph is continued to the next page
• Headings or subheadings must include at least two lines of text at the bottom of a page
• Include the first page of the Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval in the appendix. Refer to it in the text

 

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 Journal Article Format

This manuscript format refers to the use of articles and/or book chapters to replace the standard thesis/dissertation chapters. Publication of the manuscript(s) is not a requirement of this format. The graduate student is the major contributor and writer of the manuscript(s). In the case of multiple authorship, the contribution of each author is detailed in the Introduction or footnotes.

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• Begin CHAPTER 1. GENERAL INTRODUCTION with page ‘1’. Numbers are the same font as the document’s text
• Chapter 1 must be titled “GENERAL INTRODUCTION” and the final chapter must be titled “GENERAL CONCLUSION”
• All chapter titles are written in Heading 1 style, which is centered, bold, and uppercase
• Each manuscript chapter (excluding GENERAL INTRODUCTION and GENERAL CONCLUSION) must include the following information in Body Style text:
  • Authors
  • Author affiliations
• Where included, Heading 2 should be used for the following sections:
  • Abstract
  • References or Bibliography
  • Figures and Tables 
  • Appendices
• Recommended: Chapter section headings are bold and centered with title case. Use Heading 2 style
• Recommended: Chapter subsection headings are bold, left flush, sentence case. Use Heading 3 style
• Continue the text of the paper on the same page as the title and abstract. Chapter titles should not stand alone on a page
• The References section should appear continuously after the manuscript text; it does not start on a new page
• Format headings consistently throughout each chapter
• Differentiation exists between heading levels
• At least two lines of text should be included on a page. This includes paragraphs that carry over to the next page
• Headings or subheadings must include at least two lines of text at the bottom of a page
• Appendices must be included within the respective chapters, NOT as sections at the end of the thesis/dissertation. See the Appendix section for more details on specific formatting requirements
• Include the first page of the Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval in the appendix. Refer to it in the text

Annotated Examples

Author Affiliation

 

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 Bibliography or References

Including a bibliography or reference section is required. Every thesis/dissertation that uses other sources, either by direct quotation or reference, must have a bibliography or listing of these sources at the end before the Appendices. The organization of references or bibliography according to specific disciplines can be accepted if approved by the committee.

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• For Journal Article format, use Heading 2 at the end of each chapter before any appendix(ces). The references continue after the body of the text (not start on a new page)
• For Traditional format, use Heading 0 (Included in TOC) after the final chapter, before any appendix(ces). Start on a new page

Annotated Examples

Citation Style Guides

Traditional Format References

Journal Format References

Discipline-specific Organization

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 Appendix

Use one or more appendices for materials that do not pertain directly, but are relevant, to the main text. Examples of appendix material include survey instruments, Institutional Review Board approval, permission forms, additional data, or raw data. The material within the appendices may be in a different font or use different spacing from the main text of the dissertation/thesis.

• For Journal Article style: Appendix(ces) appear within a given chapter, NOT at the end of the document; use Heading 2
  • If there is only one appendix in the chapter, the heading must read:
    • Appendix. Title
  • If there are multiple appendices in the chapter, the headings will read:
    • Appendix A. Title
    • Appendix B. Title
    • Etc.
  • Lettering schema restarts in every chapter
• For Traditional style: Appendix(ces) appear at the end of the document; use Heading 2
  • If there is only one appendix in your thesis/dissertation, the heading must read:
    • APPENDIX. TITLE
  • If there are multiple appendices in your thesis/dissertation, the headings will read:
    • APPENDIX A. TITLE
    • APPENDIX B. TITLE
    • Etc.
• Number all pages with the same font and location as body of thesis/dissertation pages
• Fonts may be different

 

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 Tables, Figures & Schemas

• Include tables, figures, and schema in the text below their first reference in the text or they can be grouped at the end of each chapter. Use a consistent style throughout
• Table, figure, and schema margins should be the same as the manuscript’s pages
• Position table and figure captions relative to the table/figure consistently throughout the manuscript (Traditional) or chapter (Journal Article).
• Position schema captions at the top or bottom consistently
• There must be 2 lines of the caption on the same page as the figure or table
• Table/figure/schema too large to fit on one page: use “Table X continued' at the top of the table on each subsequent page. “Figure X continued” above or below the figure on each subsequent page
• Turn landscape tables, figures, and schema so the top of the table/figure is located to the left
• Page numbers on landscape pages should not turn with the table/figure. Locate on the 8.5' end of the page in the same position and orientation as the other page numbers

Annotated Examples

Table Example

Table Continued Example

Figure Example

Figure Continued Example (Long Caption)

Figure Continued Example (Long Figure)

Figure in Portrait and Landscape Orientation

Page Numbers of Landscape Pages

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