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Part 6 Preparation and Presentation of a Thesis

There is a wide range of disciplines in which theses are written so this information will not necessarily cover all of the specific descriptions. Research higher degree candidates should consult with their Principal Supervisor regarding matters such as style and requirements peculiar to the particular field of research, before preparing the final draft of the thesis. Various style manuals are used within the University and most are held by the Library. There are University Guidelines for writing theses (Appendix G).

These guidelines are supplied to examiners.

Presentation

Candidates are encouraged to use a good word processing or desktop publishing computer package combined with a high quality printer to ensure that presentation is both clear and attractive to the reader.

The preferred typescripts are Times 11, Times New Roman 11, Ariel 11 or Ariel Narrow 11, although another font of similar size and appearance is acceptable.

It is recommended that a master copy, printed on one side only of the paper, be prepared in the first instance. Final copies can then be photocopied on good quality paper (e.g. bond).

Layout

- The paper used must be international size A4 (297mm x 210mm).

- A line spacing of at least 1.5 is required.

- Footnotes, if used, should be placed at the foot of the page to which they refer and not be carried over to another page.

- Left (spine) margin should be no less than 35 mm.

- Right, top and bottom margins should be no less than 25mm to allow adequate room for trimming.

- Diagrams, maps, photographs etc. interleaved in the text should be included in the page sequence and numbered accordingly.

Thesis pages may be double sided on copies submitted for examination.

Other media e.g. Video-tapes CD/DVD:

- Use high quality video tapes and VHS format.

- There are preservation and access risks associated with the use of information stored on computer disk. To overcome this problem include an associated printout of data.

Size of the Thesis

The thesis should not normally exceed the maximum number of words specified below:

Bachelor Honours 30,000

Graduate Diploma 30,000

Masters by Research 60,000

Professional Doctorate 50,000

Doctor of Philosophy 100,000

The limits set above are exclusive of appendices, bibliographies, etc.

Before producing final copies of a thesis for submission, the candidate should ensure that:

- all typing and other errors have been corrected;

- the spelling, grammar, punctuation and choice of language are of an appropriate standard; and

- the bibliography is complete and exact.

Attention to textual detail is essential as mistakes are extremely irritating to examiners and divert them from the substance of the thesis.

Order and Format of Contents

  1. 1.

    Title page of the thesis

  2. 2.

    Signed statement of access

  3. 3.

    Signed statement of sources

  4. 4.

    Statement on the contribution of others including financial and editorial help

  5. 5.

    Acknowledgements

  6. 6.

    Abstract (500-1,000 words)

  7. 7.

    Table of contents

  8. 8.

    List of tables

  9. 9.

    List of figures

  10. 10.

    List of plates

  11. 11.

    Main text

  12. 12.

    Bibliography (normally Harvard)

  13. 13.

    Appendices

The title page should show:

- surname and full given names and degrees and/or professional qualifications already held by the candidate;

- full title of the thesis;

- degree for which the thesis is submitted;

- School(s) or equivalent in which the candidate submitted the work;

- name of the University; and

- date of submission of the thesis – the month and year.

The Contribution of Others

In all cases, it is imperative that candidates acknowledge the work of others. This includes full and proper citation of all quotations, conclusions or findings reached by others, and important ideas or concepts. Since contemporary research, and the work of research higher degree candidates in particular, is increasingly collaborative or team-based, contributions to the research project by others are inevitable in almost every case. Research may be jointly published, may be carried out in collaborative teams, and may be done and/or written with the technical, theoretical, statistical, editorial, or physical assistance of others. A statement precisely outlining the contributions of others to the intellectual, physical, and written work must be set out at the beginning of every research higher degree thesis. When the thesis contains work that is also part of jointly-published papers, the contribution of the candidate and of others must be clearly stated at the beginning of the chapter and the publication details clearly cited.

Statement of the contribution of others should include (as appropriate):

- Fees

- Stipend support

- Supervision

- Other collaborations

- Statistical support

- Editorial assistance

- Research assistance

- Any other assistance

- Project costs

- Use of infrastructure external to JCU

- Use of infrastructure external to organisational unit within JCU

Thesis Submission

Three copies of a doctoral thesis must be submitted to the Graduate Research School for examination (four copies if there are three examiners); three copies for a Masters by Research examination. The thesis must be bound in a temporary form so that any corrections, which may be required following the examination, can be easily inserted. Theses should be bound with machine-sewn binding not ring back, thermal or brace binding, as these other binding methods can result in damage during handling and transit.

Library Copy of the Thesis

A final unbound copy of the thesis and normally a PDF file on CD must be lodged for deposit in the Library prior to conferral of the degree by the Council of the University.

Reference style manuals (Appendix H).