Instructions for Preparing
Electronic Master's Theses

The Graduate School formatting requirements for an electronic thesis are provided below. Students should also consult the UK Libraries' Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETD) Web site for additional information on the production of an ETD.

Document Formatting

• File Format: The textual portion of the ETD must be submitted in PDF (Portable Document Format) format.
• Bookmarking: The following items must be bookmarked: Title Page; Abstract; Table of Contents (TOC); Tables; Figures; Preface; Introductions; Each Chapter; Each Sub-Section; Appendix; Bibliography; Index. Additional subsections may also be bookmarked. Set your document to open with bookmarks visible.
• Fonts: All fonts used in the document must be embedded.
• File Names: Use ONLY English letters, underscore lines and Arabic numbers. No spaces in the file name.
• File Links: File names included in the "List of Files" must be linked to the actual files.
• Security Restrictions: Do NOT incorporate restrictions such as prohibiting copy/paste, compression or password protection.
• External Links: Links to files not submitted with the ETD itself (e.g., URLs) are restricted to the References or Bibliography section ONLY.
• File Size: There is no specific size limit for UK ETDs.
• Multimedia Formats: The following multimedia formats must be used:
• IMAGES
• TIFF (.tif) - RECOMMENDED
• PDF (.pdf) use Type I PostScript fonts
• JPEG (.jpg)
• GIF (.gif)
• VIDEO
• MPEG (i.e., MPEG-1, MPEG-2) (.mpg)
• AUDIO
• WAV (.wav) - RECOMMENDED
• MPEG

Page Formatting and Font

• Margins: A 1-inch margin is required on the top, bottom and right sides of all pages of the thesis; a 1.5" inch margin is required on the left side of all pages to allow for binding.
• Line Spacing: Either single, one and one-half or double spacing should be used in the body of the thesis. Footnotes, bibliographic entries, long quoted passages, etc., should be single-spaced.
• No bold on Preliminary Pages.
• Justification: Either left justification or full justification is acceptable for the body of the text. "Orphans" (headings or sub-headings located at the bottom of a page that are not followed by text) and " widows" (short lines ending a paragraph at the top of a page) should be avoided.
• Pagination: Roman numerals must be used for the acknowledgment page and all pages following until the first page of the text. Begin with numeral " iii ". Arabic numerals must be used for the main text, illustrative material, appendices, references, and vita. Begin with page 1 and number consecutively. Numbers must be positioned 0.5 inches from the bottom of the page. They must be centered and must be consistent throughout the thesis.
• Font: A standard 11 or 12 point font is required and should be consistent throughout the thesis. This includes all preliminary pages, table of contents, list pages, table/figure headings and page numbers. The text must be black.

Page Order

The thesis consists of three major sections, the preliminary pages, the main text and the appendix/reference materials. The specific order of the pages is as follows:

1. Abstract: The abstract must not exceed 200 words and must be single-spaced. Do not include graphs, charts, tables or other illustrations in the abstract. If the abstract is not in English, provide an English translation. Include exactly 5 keywords or key phrases at the end of the abstract for indexing and cataloging purposes. If multimedia elements are used in the document, add this listing to the Abstract immediately after the keywords. For example - Multimedia Elements Used: JPEG (.jpg); Apple Quick Time (.mov); WAV (.wav).
2. Approval Page
3. Rules for the Use of Theses
4. Cover Page for Thesis
5. Title Page for Thesis
6. Dedication Page (Optional): The information should be centered on this page; this page is not paginated.
7. Acknowledgments (Optional)
8. Table of Contents: This Table of Contents must provide the page location of the Acknowledgments, List of Tables (if included), List of Figures (if included), each chapter or section and sub-sections, as well as Appendices, Bibliography/References, and Vita.
9. List of Tables (Required only if tables are presented in the text): This page must include the table number, exact title, and table page number. Do not include the table legend.
10. List of Figures (Required only if figures are presented in the text): This page must include the figure number, exact title, and figure page number. Do not include the figure legend.
11. List of Files (Required only if files are presented in the text) : This page must include the name, the type (.pdf, .gif, etc.) and the size of each file, and is required even for just one file.
12. Text: This section must be divided into chapters or sections. Musical Arts Projects must include (I) Extended monograph of Lecture Recital and (II) Program notes.
13. Appendices: Appendices include materials that are independent of but relevant to the thesis, for example surveys, additional data, computer printouts, symbols, abbreviations, definitions, etc. The appendices must conform to the rules for margins, but the print may be reduced in size.
14. Bibliography and/or References: A bibliography is a comprehensive list of all sources used in the preparation of a thesis, whether those sources are cited or not. References are those works cited in the text, including traditional footnotes and parenthetical citations. Either option is acceptable to The Graduate School. Bibliographies must be alphabetized even within sub-headings if used. References may be listed either alphabetically or numerically (in order of citation). References for a Musical Arts Project must follow each of the two individual parts of the project. The Bibliography (presented at the end) covers both parts. References/Bibliography must be collected at the end of the work, not at the end of each chapter.
15. Vita: The vita can be compiled in a list or paragraph format and should be restricted to the following information:
• Date and place of birth (required for Library cataloging purposes)
• Educational institutions attended and degrees already awarded
• Professional positions held (do not include job descriptions)
• Scholastic and professional honors
• Professional publications
• Typed name of student on final copy

• Table/Figure Placement: There are three options for table and figure placement within the thesis. Use one consistent method throughout the thesis. Tables/figures may not be grouped at the end of the thesis.
• Place the table/figure on the page along with the body of the text (do not wrap the text around the table/figure).
• Place the table/figure on a separate page immediately following the page in which it is first cited in the text.
• Group tables/figures at the end of the chapter in which they are first cited in the text (note that when grouping, tables precede figures).
• Table/Figure Numbering : The recommended method is to identify each Table or Figure according to the chapter in which it appears (Table/Figure 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 3.2, etc.)
• Table/Figure Headings:
• Table headings must be positioned above the table using the same font style and size as used in the main body of the thesis. Use a continuation notation for tables that exceed one page in length. For example, Table 3.1 (continued).
• Figure headings may be placed either above or below the figure, depending on the convention used in the discipline. For larger figures that fill the area of the page, it is acceptable to place the corresponding heading on a separate page that immediately follows the figure in the thesis. Both the figure page and the heading page should be numbered in the usual consecutive manner. Do not abbreviate the word "figure."
• For landscaped tables/figures, headings placed on the same page must be oriented to read from bottom to top.

Signatures

NO signatures are to be reproduced in electronic theses because they will be available on the Web. TYPE the Author's name (and date) on the Abstract Page. TYPE the names of the Director (Co-Directors) of the thesis and of the Director of Graduate Studies on the Signature Page.

Copyright Information

In any work, copyright implicitly devolves to the author of that work whether or not you so state. Copyright arises automatically when a work is first fixed in a tangible medium such as a book or manuscript or in an electronic medium such as a computer file or e-mail. To make your ownership of the work clearer, The Graduate School now requires a copyright notice be placed centered at the bottom of the thesis title page: For example, Copyright © John J. Smith 2001. Because of the high visibility of an ETD we recommend that you place this copyright statement at several unobtrusive places in the body of the thesis. The bottom line on the last page of each chapter is a possibility for such placement.

By submitting a thesis to the University of Kentucky Graduate School, the student attests 1) that all material contained therein is the original work of the student 2) that proper scholarly attribution has been given to all outside sources and 3) that all necessary copyright permissions have been obtained for any third-party-copyrighted material included in the thesis. Students must obtain written permission from the author and/or copyright owner if using copyrighted materials beyond the "fair use" policy. If you have any questions concerning copyright law or what constitutes "fair use", consult Copyright Law & Graduate Research: New Media, New Rights and Your New Thesis by Kenneth Crews by visiting the Bell & Howell / UMI web site at <www.umi.com/hp/Support/DServices/copyright/>.

In submitting the thesis, the student will be granting to the University of Kentucky and its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible the thesis in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. However, the student retains all other ownership rights to the copyright of the work, including the right to use it in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of the work. Further, the student is free to register the copyright to the thesis.

• Pre-published Materials: Students should be first authors on any publications based on their thesis work. This reflects the primary creative role students should play in the organization, development, and execution of their research with guidance from the advisory committee. If a student is not first author on a manuscript presenting the thesis research, then written approval must be obtained from the Director of Graduate Studies for the work to be included in the thesis. Written verification of DGS approval must be presented to The Graduate School with the Thesis Approval Sheet. Any of the student's work that has been previously published must be appropriately referenced within the thesis. It is the student's responsibility to contact journal editors regarding an individual journal's copyright regulations prior to publication with that journal. The journal may hold the copyright to the material, and a request for release should be made prior to reproducing that material in the thesis.
• Proprietary Content: In certain circumstances, the thesis may contain information of a proprietary nature. The Graduate School will honor requests to hold a thesis for a period up to one calendar year prior to releasing it for publication and archiving in the UK Libraries. A written request must be presented to the Dean of The Graduate School that specifies substantive reasons why the thesis should be held; this request should be endorsed by the Major Professor and the Director of Graduate Studies.

WARNING : While the Graduate School will check the thesis for proper format and pagination at the time of submission, it cannot assume any responsibility for editing or correcting the thesis. Therefore, each author should take care to proof for spelling and format, as well as the inclusion of all components, before bringing the thesis to the Graduate School for final submission. Note that the Graduate School cannot accept replacement copies or other changes once the final thesis has been submitted.

Direct questions to the Degree Certification Officer for your program.

CHECKLIST

FAQ's

Direct questions to grad.webmaster@email.uky.edu
Last updated July 28, 2006