Standards to Consider in Preparing a Manuscript

Your thesis, more than just having a compelling argument, needs to abide by the following format and technical standards in order to win the approval of professors.

Paper - Use a standard white 8 ½ x 11-inch paper.

Margin - The margin of the top, bottom and right side of the page should be 2.5 cm. Leave a 3.25 margin on the left side of the page for the binding.

Font - Use a font that is reader-friendly or commonly used by theses, like Times New Roman or Arial.

Spacing - Choose the double-spacing or 1.5 spacing between lines because they are easy on the eyes. To be sure, ask your professor if he has a specific preference.

Page Numbering - Before submitting your final copy, make sure the pages are properly numbered. Do not place a number on the title page, but consider it as a page on the table of contents. Pages after the title page until the page before the first chapter should be marked with Roman numerals (ii, iii, iv, v…). Then, the rest of the pages have to be marked with Arabic numbers.

Illustrations – Make sure your illustrations, tables, graphs and images follow the specific layout of your discipline. To be sure, ask your professor or check the theses done by other students in your field of study about this layout. Your work will most likely be photocopied, so do not put graphs that are colored-dependent.

Printing - To have a clean and legible manuscript, use laser or high-quality printers. These printers will also make all the graphics, photographs and illustrations in your thesis clear and alive in color.

Avoid using the following materials as they can make your thesis look sloppy and photocopying difficult: adhesive tapes or rubber cements, colored papers (unless necessary in your discipline), and excessively large illustrations.