Body
Headings
All major divisions of the document, including chapter and appendix titles as well as sections such as Acknowledgments and the Biographical Sketch, should be listed in call capital letters.
Chapter Numbers
Chapter numbers should not be written out as "CHAPTER ONE" but instead should appear as "CHAPTER 1". The “001 CHAPTER NUMBER” style should be applied.
Chapter Titles
Chapter titles should be in all capital letters and in the "002 CHAPTER TITLE" style.
First-level Subheadings
The first division beneath a chapter is referred to as a first-level subheading and should have style “003 First-Level Subheading” applied. Additionally, the subheading is in title case, with each word capitalized, except conjunctions, prepositions, etc.
Second-level Subheadings
The second division beneath a chapter is referred to as a second-level subheading and should have style “004 Second-Level Subheading” applied. As with the previous subheading, this is also in title case.
Third-level Subheadings
The third division beneath a chapter is referred to as a third-level subheading and similarly uses the “005 Third-Level Subheading” style. This heading is in sentence case, in which only the first word and proper nouns are capitalized.
Paragraph Headings
Paragraph headings are bold, indented, in sentence case, ending with a period (or colon). The text continues after the period, on the same line as the heading. Paragraph headings can be placed anywhere; they are not hierarchical. Do not list in the table of contents.
Pairing Rule/At Least Two Subheadings in Each Section
Whenever you go down a subheading level, you are dividing that section into two or more parts. So if you only have one subheading in a level you need to do one of the following:
- Add another subheading within that level so there are at least two or more parts within that section
- Remove the single subheading within that level (either by combining it with the level/subheading it's under or just removing that subheading)
Naming Rules of Subheadings
Subheadings of different levels and chapter titles cannot share the same name. Names can be re-used in each subheading or chapter title as long as they do not belong to different levels. Please rephrase your headings so that they do not share the same name across different levels.
Body Text and Indentation
Please ensure that all indentation is consistent. It is very common that some paragraphs have extra indentation preceding the first sentence due to unnecessary tabs or spaces. These can be best seen through the use of the “show/hide” tool, accessed from the “Home” tab within Word. Once turned on, this tool will display tabs as a right-facing arrow and spaces as a floating dot. Please ensure that these are removed from the beginning of each paragraph. Afterward, you should also ensure that the paragraph has been placed in the “006 Body Text” style.
Text Flow
Every page that contains any paragraph text must be a full page with the exception of the last page of a chapter. You may place a page that contains only a figure or figures, table or tables, or a combination of tables and figures with any amount of white space at the end of its respective chapter as long as it contains no paragraph text.
If the figures and tables are to be placed in the body of the text they should be placed as close to their first mention as possible. However, this is the least stringent of the requirements. At no time should a page containing paragraph text have more than a 1" margin without a widow/orphan consideration other than the last page of a chapter.
Since maintaining this text-flow through the editing/revision process is extremely time consuming, and the benefit of placing figures and tables close to their first mention is less beneficial in electronic form than in the hard copy alternative, the logical grouping of figures and tables in a cohesive unit at the end of each chapter is recommended.
Bold, Italics, and Underlining
Bold and italics occur throughout the document naturally through the use of the styles. The only exception for the usage of bold, italics, or underlining not put in place by a style is either bolding of in-text titles such as paragraph headings, or use of terminology that calls for italics or underlining (i.e. scientific names, foreign languages, symbols, titles of literature, etc.) in the author’s specific field.
Block Quotes
Block quotes should be formatted using the "008 Block Text- Block Quote" style. This will make the block quote indented 0.5” from the left and right with single line-spacing, instead of the double spacing used throughout the document in normal body text.
Tables
Table Captions
The "013 Table Caption" style should be applied to all table captions. This is what will hyperlink the caption to the List of Tables page (after you apply it and update the List).
The table captions should appear on top of the table. The text should appear as "Table #-#. Caption text in a sentence." with the first # being the number of the chapter (or the letter of the appendix) that the table appears in, and the second # should be the number of the table within that specific chapter (or appendix). Examples:
- The third table within the second chapter: "Table 2-3. Caption for that table here."
- The fifth table within Appendix C: "Table C-5. Caption for that table here."
- The first table within the only appendix: "Table A-1. Caption for that table here."
Lines/Borders
In general, tables should not contain any vertical lines and should only contain three horizontal lines: above and below the table headers, and at the very end of the table.
Table Text and Alignment
Tables should contain only standard text, in Arial or Times New Roman, consistent with the rest of the document. The table itself should align with the left-hand margin and should not exceed the 1" margins of the page. The table should not contain bold, italic, underlined, colors, or otherwise-modified text. Text should also be left-aligned appropriately, though numerical data may have other requirements. Whenever a table contains numerical data, each column should be aligned by the decimal. This ensures that each numerical position aligns vertically.
Table and Text Flow
One of the major reasons why we recommend that Tables be placed at the end of the chapter is that any table that CAN fit on a single page, MUST be placed on a single page. You can only break a table across multiple pages if that’s the ONLY way to present the data. Moving text around to fix text-flow problems is a major headache and once you get the text-flow problems settled and everything’s in place your advisor will ask you to add a paragraph at the beginning of your Results Chapter and everything will move and need to be re-placed.
Since you’re rarely discussing a table on the same page as that table anyway, in an electronic document, it’s better to have Tables and Figures grouped in one location, open two copies of the file and read one and look at the Figures and Tables in the other.
Text Wrapping
Some spacing issues will be caused if Text Wrapping is applied to a table. Text wrapping is when the body text, or other items in the document, can wrap around the sides of a table/figure and are not limited to only appearing above or below the table/figure. You do NOT want text wrapping applied to tables. In order to remove text wrapping, you can right-click on a table and select Table Properties then you will want to select the box for None in the Text wrapping section.
Tables too long or too wide for a single page—broadside or upright—may be continued. The table caption should not be repeated. The caption should read: Table 4-1. Continued.
Continued Tables
If you're using Microsoft Word, you can split a table by putting the cursor in the first cell that appears on the following page and choose TABLE - SPLIT TABLE . However, you'll want to copy your column headings from the top of the first page of the table beforehand.
Here's the list of steps in order that you'll perform:
- Move your mouse cursor just beyond the left margin so that the cursor becomes a right pointing arrow.
- Click once in that area so that the entire first row (your column heading) is selected.
- Go to your menu bar and choose EDIT - COPY
- Then move to the last row that appears on that same page, and place your cursor in the first cell in that row.
- Then go to your menu bar and choose EDIT - PASTE ROW . That should paste the entire row of column headings at the bottom of the table appearing on that page).
- Place your cursor in the first cell of the row you just pasted in place, go to your menu bar and choose TABLE - SPLIT TABLE . This will separate the table at that point (allowing you to type Table #-#. Continued) between the tables.
- Then, place your cursor between the tables and select the text marked Table #-#. Continued. where #-# is the chapter number and table number respectively, corresponding to that table's location in your document.
- Make sure that your new Table caption has the Normal style applied to it, and that it appears at the top of the following page.
- If your table spans more than 2 pages, repeat steps 4-8 until each page has a Table #-#. Continued. and repeating column headings.
Figures
Figures are commonly used to insert photographs and graphical data into the document and, in general, should not have similar formatting to that of a table.
Figure Captions
The "014 Figure Caption" style should be applied to all figure captions. This is what will hyperlink the caption to the List of Figures page (after you apply it and update the List).
There should be a clear break between the image and the figure caption (i.e. a line of blank space). The caption should then be placed at the bottom of the figure.
The Figure caption should appear as: "Figure #-#. Caption text." With the first # being the number of the chapter the figure appears in (or the letter of the appendix) and the second # being the number of the figure within that section (that specific chapter or appendix). For example:
- The third figure within your first chapter would be: "Figure 1-3. Caption text for the figure."
- The second figure within Appendix B: "Figure B-2. Caption text for the figure."
- The first figure within your only Appendix: "Figure A-1. Caption text for the figure."
If the Figure is a photograph, the caption should contain some citation as to where it is from. If it was taken by the author themself, it should read something like "Photo courtesy of author," or insert their name instead of author.
Figure Alignment
Figures are commonly centered or left-aligned, You can choose either way but must stay consistent throughout the document with whichever you choose. EX: If you center one of them, you need to center all of them.
Borders Around Figures
Figures should NOT have a defined border around the entire figure.
Figure Quality and Text Flow
Figures, like tables, can cause severe text-flow issues when placed in the body of the text. In addition, the type of figure used can impact the quality and size of your document as well. A general rule to follow is, “If you can see the detail needed on a computer screen, 150 dpi is more than enough resolution.”
Compressed file formats (.jpg, .png, .gif) are generally better chioces than bitmapped images (.bmp), or tagged image file format (.tif or .tiff). While it is true these image formats CAN show a higher level of detail, in most cases a higher level of magnification at a lower resolution will demonstrate the detail better. You can actually show several lower resolution images and use less memory than one high-res image.
Text Wrapping
Some spacing issues will be caused if Text Wrapping is applied to a figure. Text wrapping is when the body text, or other items in the document, can wrap around the sides of a table/figure and are not limited to only appearing above or below the table/figure. You want all figures to be "In Line with Text". In order to remove text wrapping, you can click on an image and click on the arch button that usually appears near the top right of the figure, you would then be able to select the option for "In Line with Text". Alternatively, you can click on the figure, then go to the "format" tab and within the Arrange section you will see a "Wrap Text" dropdown, select "In Line with Text".
Figures with Subparts
When you have a figure with subparts, you must label and cite subparts of figures simply, logically, and consistently. Do not cite figures by location (“second part,” “below,” etc.). In the actual figure, give the subparts the labels A and B and C (etc.) [use capital letters]. Additionally, do not use A. or (A) in order to reduce punctuation clutter later—and to plan for consistent use. Then, in the figure legend (continuing immediately from the caption—do not skip a line) describe the subparts like this: Figure 1-1. General title of overall figure. A) Description of this subpart. B) Description of this subpart. C) Description of this subpart.
Figure Examples
You should be following the examples here. These are the rules to apply to the use of figures throughout (some of these may not apply to you):
- There should be only one single spaced blank line before and after a figure (considering the figure and figure legend as a unit, with only 1 single-spaced blank line between the figure and the figure legend.).
- Beneath the figure, place the word Figure; then the figure number, coded to the chapter in which it appears in and joined by a hyphen; flush left; then a period; then two spaces; then the figure title in sentence case.
- If suitable, use full width of page.
- Do not have any supplementary text above the figure (this is the purpose of the figure heading).
- Page and figure numbers, titles, and any supplementary information should be printed or typed on the reproduced image with the SAME typeface as the rest of the manuscript.
- Do not have frames around your figures.
Referencing Multiple Figures Within the Text
When you are referring to a Figure or Table within their text, you typically include the Figure number at the end of their sentence in parentheses as so: "Sentence text here (Figure 2-2)"
If you are referring to multiple figures/tables within that text, then you need to include all of them in the parentheses. The best ways to do this are listed below. You should AVOID using strictly numbers such as "...(Figure 4-7-8)" to demonstrate Figure 4-7 through 4-8. (this can be confusing for the reader!)
Good Examples:
- ...(Figure 4-7 and Figure 4-8)
- ...(Figures 4-7 and 4-8)
For more than two:
- ...(Figures 4-7, 4-8, and 4-10)
or including an entire range:
- ...(Figures 4-7 through 4-10)
Objects
Objects are any addition to the thesis or dissertation that does not fit the category of table or figure.
Types of Objects
- Sound files
- Movie or video files
- Spreadsheets
- additional PDFs
- etc.
Object Captions
The "015 Object Caption - movie/sound/etc" style should be applied to all object captions. This is what will hyperlink the caption to the List of Objects page (after you apply it and update the List).
Object captions should appear very similar to the figure and table captions. The first # should be the number or letter of the chapter or appendix, while the second # should be the number of the object within that chapter/appendix. The type (extension) and size of an object file should be included at the end of the caption but this information is not needed in the list of objects. Since the object caption will be hyperlinked to the additional file, as described below, the object caption should appear blue. Examples:
- "Object #-#. Caption describing the file attached (type of file and size)"
- "Object 2-1. The readme.doc file as a PDF document (.pdf file 34 KB)"
- "Object 2-2. Sample sound file of the University of Florida fight song (.wav file 9KB)"
How to Upload/Attach the Object
Most objects consume a lot of disk space. As a result they are best stored in a repository, either the Zenodo repository (recommended) or the the UF Digital Collections Institutional Repository. The reason we began recommending the Zenodo repository is because you can edit their object in the future, it is not dependent on UF login, and you are provided with a DOI. If you prefer to use the IR@UF, that is perfectly fine, and all objects already in the IR@UF will not be affected.
To upload to Zenodo, you will create an account (ideally with their personal email to avoid any issues when you lose access to UF email). You will click New upload and upload the object. You will follow the required prompts (title, author, etc.). The required prompts that may not make sense are Access Right and License, which should be Open Access and Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International respectively. The rest should be easy to understand or optional. You'll click publish when finished and copy the link.
To upload to the IR@UF go to https://original-ufdc.uflib.ufl.edu/my/. Additional information on how to insert an object into a document can be found here https://guides.uflib.ufl.edu/etds/supplemental.
Once you have the object uploaded you will be given a permanent link address that can be attached to the object caption in your document via the “Insert”>”Hyperlink” process. The Object Caption would be the text for the link and the address given by the I.R. would be the destination of the link. Once this link is created in the Word file, when the pdf is created using the “Save As . . .” and selecting pdf as the file type, all of the links in the document should be preserved.
Equations
Equation Alignment
The equation itself can be centered or left-aligned, but must be consistently aligned throughout the document.
Equation Numbering and Referencing in Text
The equation number should appear as “(#-#)” following the same numbering scheme as tables and figures. This label/number should be in line with the right margin.
The easiest way to do this is to insert a space before or after the equation, go to the "INSERT" tab and then click on the table option. Afterwards you want to insert a 2x1 table. When this is done, you can copy and paste or drag you equation into the left section of the table and input the equation number into the section on the right; then drag the line that separates the two sections all the way to the right without cutting off the equation number. The last step would be removing the borders which can be done by highlighting the entire table, clicking the arrow next to the borders option in the "HOME" tab, and then selecting "No Border". Be sure to delete any extra spaces after your equation is properly formatted.
Additionally, when referencing equations within the text of the document, they should be addressed as Equation #-#, without the parentheses.
Footnotes
Footnote Overview
Footnotes should be listed on the same page as the text it references. If more than one footnote is included on the page, there should be a single line of space between each footnote in the footer of the page. Note that the above requirements should be the default behavior for Microsoft Word and no further correction should be necessary.
Restarting at 1 with each Chapter
Footnote numbering should restart at 1 at the beginning of every chapter. To achieve this, follow the steps below:
1. Ensure that each chapter ends with a section break (next page). To insert a section break, select the top tab for Layout. In the section for “Page Setup,” select the drop-down menu for Breaks and select Next Page underneath section breaks.
2. Then modify footnote settings for numbering to “restart each section”
a. Select the top tab for References. In the section for “Footnotes,” open the Foot endnote settings by selecting the arrow in the bottom right corner of this field. Then under the "Format" section change the Numbering: dropdown to "Restart each section" and apply changes to “Whole Document”.
b. OR you can right click on the footnote on the page you're working on, and select Note Options... Then under the "Format" section change the Numbering dropdown to "Restart each section" and apply changes to “Whole Document”.
3. Verify that the footnotes for each chapter restart at 1. If this is not the case, repeat the steps and verifying that settings were changed for footnotes rather than endnotes. This is determined by the “location” in the Footnote & Endnote settings. If "whole document" was not selected in step 2, then you will have to repeat the steps for the beginning of each chapter.
Note, this will NOT work properly if you do not have section breaks at the end of each chapter.
Unnumbered Footnotes
Unnumbered footnotes should be used in the case that an entire chapter has already been published. You will insert the unnumbered footnote at the end of the chapter title (of the chapter that is published) so that the footnote will appear at the bottom of the first page of that chapter. The content of the footnote should be along the lines of "Reprinted with permission from..." and the journal or chapter should be referenced as any other citation.
To insert an unnumbered footnote:
1. Place the cursor where you intend to place the footnote. Ex. At the end of the chapter title.
2. Select the top tab for References
3. In the division for Footnotes, open the Footnote & Endnote settings by selecting the arrow in the bottom right corner of this field.
4. Select the button for Symbol, next to the “Custom Mark” box.
5. Select the first item in this menu, symbol 32, which appears as a blank box. This will insert a space in place of a number or other symbol, while still giving standard footnote format at the bottom of the page.
Closing Pages
Following the body of the document, you would have your appendices (if applicable), followed by the List of References and Biographical Sketch, which must be included for the submission document to be considered complete.
Appendices
The appendices are optional. The formatting in the appendices is a lot more flexible, however, each appendix must maintain the 1 inch margins on all sides and should typically keep the same font as the rest of the document (one exception being a certain font that needs to be used for coding examples).
Lettering and Titles
If included, these should be labeled by letters rather than numerals (e.g., Appendix A, Appendix B, etc.) If only one appendix is included, it should simply be titled Appendix, without any letter designation. The lettering should be very similar to the chapter numbers, with "APPENDIX A" centered at the top of the page, in all uppercase, with the "001 CHAPTER NUMBER" style applied. Each appendix needs to have a title, which will appear underneath the appendix lettering, in all uppercase just like the Chapter Titles (with the "002 CHAPTER TITLE" style applied).
Content
The appendix typically includes material inappropriate to the body of the main text. Use a separate appendix for each different type of material (for example, one for questionnaires, one for maps, one for particular types of data, surveys, etc.). If an appendix contains tables or figures that are going to appear in the List of Tables/Figures, number and format them to be consistent with all others in the thesis or dissertation. Code each to the letter of the appendix in which they appear as described in the Table/Figure sections above.
Landscaping Appendices
When an appendix contains material that needs to be landscaped, the Appendix Letter and Title can NOT be on a landscaped page. This means, if the landscaped material starts on the first page of that appendix, it will need to be pushed onto the next page, with the first page remaining Portrait with the appendix letter and title. The second page of the appendix (and any following if necessary) could then be landscaped.
List of References
The List of References can also be called "Citations" or any similar title that You prefers. The title of this page should be have the "002 CHAPTER TITLE" style applied.
Spacing
Reference lists must be typed SINGLE-SPACED with one single-spaced blank line between each of the entries. It is also recommended to have a 0.5 hanging indention, as shown in the template. To assist with this, the Times New Roman template has a "018 Reference Hanging" style that can be applied to the references, you can use this style in an Arial document as well, just make sure that the font type remains correct/consistent for their document. Reference lists cannot be added at the end of each chapter and must appear at the end of the document, after any appendices and before the Biographical Sketch.
Orphaned References
Individual references should be on the same page in your List of References. This means that a single citation in this list should not be split between the end of one page and the beginning of another. When a reference is split, it is known as an orphan. To fix this issue, place your cursor at the beginning of the orphan and use the Enter key to move the entire reference down so that it is all on one page.
Additional Information
A journal article in the author’s chosen field should be attached in the EDM System and used as a model when creating the reference list and when citing references within the body. The citation style chosen should be modeled consistently throughout the entire document. Regardless of the journal style chosen, a full reference list must be included at the end of the document. For ease of use when gathering citation notes and when creating the reference list, it is recommended that all students use programs such as endnote or RefWorks, which is available free of charge to all UF students and proves to be an invaluable tool to all who use it, although we do not have training in those referencing programs to assist with any issues.
Biographical Sketch
A biographical sketch is required of all candidates. "BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH" will be typed at the top of the page, with the "002 CHAPTER TITLE" style applied. The biographical sketch should be in a third-person narrative form. It typically includes the educational background of the candidate.
Key things to remember when compiling the Biographical Sketch:
- You will have graduated by the time this document is made available to the public; accordingly, you should feel comfortable writing your Bio. Sketch to reflect this fact.
- The names of seasons are not capitalized.
- Academic degrees in their proper noun forms are always capitalized (e.g., Master of Arts, Master of Science degree, Bachelor of Arts, Doctor of Philosophy, etc.); however, when you refer to them by laymen’s terms, you would not capitalize them (e.g., master’s degree, bachelor’s degree, doctorate, doctoral degree, etc.)
- Academic subjects, disciplines, or fields (e.g., biology, chemistry, engineering, architecture, mathematics, women’s studies, etc.) are not capitalized unless they are themselves proper nouns (e.g., Latin American studies, English, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, etc.).
- Therefore, applying this last rule, departments, divisions, etc. would be capitalized.
Creative Writing Thesis
Explanations
Candidates in the English department who author a collection of poems, short stories, or a novel for a thesis degree should consult the Editorial Office and NOT other theses as a guide to format. Typing, spacing, margin, heading, numbering, and formatting requirements in this guide apply to all theses.
If a thesis consists of a collection of poems that are NOT grouped under headings, the first page of each poem has a 1 inch top margin. Each poem title is centered and in all capital letters. Each page is numbered bottom center. The poems may be double- or single-spaced and left- or center-aligned but must conform to the other margin and formatting requirements in this guide.
If a thesis consists of a collection of poems grouped under several headings, the title of each grouping or part is in all capital letters. In the body, this heading appears on its own page, and the first page of each grouping has a 1-inch top margin. The titles of the poems under each group or part are treated as 1st-level subheadings; that is, they are centered and bold, with only the first letters of principal words capitalized. The poems may be double- or single-spaced and left- or center-aligned but must conform to the other margin and formatting requirements in this guide.
If the thesis consists of a collection of short stories, the first page of each short story has a 1-inch top margin. Each page is numbered bottom center. The short story title is centered and in all capital letters. Short stories must be double-spaced and must conform to the margin and formatting requirements in this guide.
If the thesis is a novel, the first page of each chapter has a 1- or 2-inch top margin. Each of the subsequent pages carries 1" margins all around. Each page is numbered on the bottom center. The Chapter Title (if chapter titles are used) is in all capital letters. If no title is used, the word CHAPTER is in all capital letters followed by the chapter number. Novels are typed double-spaced and must conform to the margin and formatting requirements in this guide.
Miscellaneous Formatting and Shortcuts
Change Casing of Words without Retyping
How to change casing without retyping the text; i.e. going from "Chapter Title" to "CHAPTER TITLE": Highlight the text, go to the Home tab in word, select the ‘Change Case’ icon (Looks like an "Aa" within the font section), select the casing desired. This is useful for the requirements for headings:
- Chapter Titles: UPPERCASE
- First and Second Level Subheadings: Title Case
- Third level and paragraph subheadings: Sentence case
Alphabetize a List or Table
How to put a list in alphabetical order quickly: Highlight the list of items, go to the Home tab in word, select the AZ icon called ‘Sort’ within the paragraph section, choose sort by Column 1, select ascending and click Ok.
Locating Styles
To expand the styles pane to make it easier to see and use, click the small arrow in the bottom right corner of the Styles section in the Home tab of the ribbon at the top. This will open the styles list in a small, moveable box. You can double click next to the word Styles in the gray area (or anywhere in the gray area) to permanently fix the Styles pane on the right side of the document for better visibility and functionality.
Note: The icon to click on looks slightly different on a Mac but is around the same area on the Home tab and shouldn't look that different.
How to Turn on Symbols (Show/Hide feature)
The Show/Hide button is very helpful when formatting your document. Hitting the Show/Hide button allows the non-printing characters to be revealed. "Nonprinting characters" is Word's term for anything that takes up space or has a formatting function but does not appear on the printed page, including spaces, tabs, page or paragraph breaks, etc. Paragraph markers are useful for seeing extra spaces in the document that wouldn't otherwise be noticed, as well as for seeing page/section breaks and where styles are applied. This button is located on the top ribbon in Word under the Home tab, in the Paragraph section. It looks like a backwards letter "P".
Ruler
The ruler feature allows you to ensure that the document is within the required 1 inch margins. The check box for the ruler can be found in the View tab by clicking on the box next to Ruler (in Show section).
Navigation Pane
The Navigation Pane makes it much easier to jump to and from certain parts of a document. It also allows you to see blank spaces with styles applied to them that should be removed. The check box to turn on the Navigation Pane can be found in the View tab > by clicking on the box next to Navigation Pane (in Show section).
PDF Conversion/Submission
All submissions to the Editorial Office must be made electronically (as a PDF). The only guaranteed method of PDF conversion is to use File > Save As and change the save as type to PDF on a Windows Computer/PC. You will want to double check that all of their hyperlinks are working properly in their PDF before submitting. Do NOT use the print-to-PDF method. Note, using a Mac will cause various hyperlink issues. Make sure to select the “Best for electronic distribution” option, or use a Windows device.
You can name your document lastname_firstinitial.pdf.
You can submit the pdf version of your document via the Editorial Document Management (EDM) System. We recommend watching the tutorial on their resource page at https://success.grad.ufl.edu/td/resources/