This document outlines the requirements and guidelines for formatting and converting theses and dissertations at MSU, as specified by the Graduate School and MSU Libraries. It details upcoming workshops, key formatting rules, margin settings, page numbering, and abstract formatting. Additionally, contact information for assistance with questions regarding Microsoft Word and formatting reviews is provided.

1. Formatting and Converting Theses and DissertationsRequirements of the Office of the Graduate School and the MSU Libraries

2. Office of Thesis and Dissertation Format Review Websitelibrary.msstate.edu/thesis

3. Upcoming WorkshopsFormatting and Converting Theses and DissertationsWednesday, March 09, 2011 6:00 PMONLINE ONLY: Word & Acrobat: Formatting and Converting Theses and DissertationsWednesday, March 23, 2011 6:00 PMFormatting and Converting Theses and DissertationsMonday, March 28, 2011 2:00 PM

4. Covered in the Workshops…Setting marginsDisabling AutoFormat Showing the RulerVertical Page PositionFormatting the Title PageUsing Section Breaks and Page BreaksUsing a table for the Committee Approval PageFormatting the abstractSaving multiple Word documentsPage numbersTab stops and dot leaders (table of contents)Page numbers for chaptersCombining files into one PDF

5. Setting the MarginsTop=1inBottom=1inLeft=1.5inRight=1inFooter=1in

6. Disabling AutoFormatUncheck all options EXCEPT for “Straight quotes” with “smart quotes.”

7. Showing the ruler

8. Vertical Page PositionRight click at the bottom of the Word window (anywhere in the gray or blue bar).Select Vertical Page Position.This shows the cursor’s position from the TOP OF THE PAGE, not the margin.Make sure you CLEAR the minimum spacing requirements, rather than not havingenough space.

9. Formatting the Title PageFull title in all caps, inverted pyramid styleFull nameTitle and name must be consistent throughoutTriple spacing = 2 blank lines between textDouble spacing = 1 blank line between text3.5” to 4”1”1.5”2 blank lines1 blank line

10. Page Breaks and Section BreaksPage Breaks move to a new page but keep the page numbers the sameSection Breaks create new sections, which can be formatted differently than previous or following sections. Useful for copyright page and landscape pages.

11. Using a Table for Committee Approval PageInsert a 3x4 table to properly format your committee approval page.The center column should be the width of the word “By” and the whole table should stay within your margins.Remove all borders and just add a top border to each cell for the signature line. Leave 3 blank lines to make room for the signature.

12. Abstract PageEach entry at the top of the abstract is separated by a single blank line (double spaced), but it is easier if you leave this part SINGLE SPACED and just manually add the blank linesFor the “Title of Study” line, set the hanging indent as shown, click before the first letter of the title, and press TAB to align it with the second line.

13. Abstract Page (cont’d)Leave 2 blank lines after “Candidate” lineSet the first line indent to 0.5” and double space the rest of the abstract.Thesis = 150 wordsDissertation = 350 words

14. Saving Sections as Separate FilesSave different sections as different filesMakes it easier to format each sectionMakes page numbers easierFiles will be merged together to make final PDF.

15. Page NumbersDouble click at the bottom of the page to open the Header & Footer ToolsMake sure the Footer from Bottom measurement is set to 1”Click Page Number > Bottom of Page > Plain Number 2

16. Page Numbers (cont’d)Make sure the page number is the same font and point size as the rest of the documentClick on Page Number > Format Page NumberChange the number format to small roman numeralsClick “Start at” and enter “ii” in the box.

17. Tab Stops and Dot LeadersDO NOT use the table of contents feature in WordClick in the ruler to add a tab stop. Double click the tab stop to open the options.Decimal Tab for roman numerals, Left tabs for headings, and a Right tab with a dot leader for the page numbers

18. Page Numbers for ChaptersChapter page numbers begin at 1The body of your thesis or dissertation can be a single document

19. Merging Files into Single PDFOpen Acrobat ProClick Create and select Merge Files into a Single PDFAdd the filesUse the Move Up and Move Down buttons to order the filesClick Combine Files

20. Questions?Microsoft Word QuestionsThomas La Foe and Stephanie Agnew662-325-8867Formatting Questions/ReviewDamen Peterson and James Nail662-325-8756 or 662-325-2170http://library.msstate.edu/thesis