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Formatting requirements
The Library's Theses Office assists with formatting theses, projects and extended essays for submission to the Library. You are encouraged to use the Library's thesis template to help format your thesis. The requirements stated on this page are default settings for the thesis template
Parts of a thesis
|
Section |
Page |
Required/Optional; notes |
|
1: Title page |
Title page - no page number |
Required |
|
2: Preliminary pages (Roman page numbers) |
Approval page – always page ii |
Required |
|
Ethics Statement |
Required if the research was subject to ethics approval |
|
|
Abstract |
Required |
|
|
Dedication |
Optional |
|
|
Acknowledgements |
Optional |
|
|
Table of Contents |
Required |
|
|
List of Tables |
Required if the document contains tables |
|
|
List of Figures |
Required if the document contains figures |
|
|
Other lists |
Optional |
|
|
List of Acronyms |
Optional |
|
|
Glossary |
Optional |
|
|
Preface/Executive Summary/Image |
Optional |
|
|
3: Main body (Arabic page numbers) |
Chapters—always beginning with page 1 |
Chapters and subsections may be numbered or unnumbered |
|
References |
You may use a single reference section at the end of the document or include references at the end of each chapter |
|
|
Appendix(es) |
Optional |
File format, file size, and page size
The final copy of the thesis must be converted to .pdf for submission to the Library (maximum 256mb).
Theses must be formatted for US Letter (8.5X11) pages. Landscape 8.5X11 and 11X17 pages are permitted. Legal, A4, or other paper sizes are not permitted.
Font
|
Arial 11 point |
Word template default |
|
Times New Roman 12 point |
Recommended serif font for Word |
|
Computer Modern |
LaTeX template default |
Arial is the preferred font for SFU thesis submissions. You may use other fonts with the approval of your committee. See the Thesis Template Instructions for directions to change the default template font.
Line spacing
?The default template line spacing is 1.5 for text, with single-spaced block quotations.
Margins
Margins should be set to:
- 1.25" left/right
- 1" top/bottom
Pagination
All pages must be numbered, with the exception of the title page. Page numbers should appear at the bottom centre of each page, at a minimum of 0.5” from the edge of the page.
Preliminary pages of the thesis must be numbered with Roman numerals. On the first page of the main body, page numbers must restart with 1. The thesis template is preset with this numbering style.
Citation style
SFU Library does not require a specific citation style. Consult your supervisor, your department’s graduate handbook, or a liaison librarian for help determining which style is appropriate for your research.
The default formatting in the library’s thesis template may differ from some requirements of your citation style, but it is acceptable for SFU library submission.
Cumulative theses
Cumulative, or paper-based, theses must use the same general format as other submissions. Consult your supervisor or your department's graduate handbook for more information. If including published papers in a thesis, please consult the Copyright and your thesis FAQ.
Language
For theses written in a language other than English, the Library requires a second complete English title page. Supporting documentation must be in English.
Personal information
Individual personal information must be removed from the thesis before publication, including signatures, email addresses, and phone numbers. For example, if you are including a survey instrument or consent form, your own contact information must be removed.
Blank pages
Blank pages in the thesis must be removed before publication.