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• Dissertation
• Dissertation Binding and Printing | Options, Tips, & Comparison

Dissertation Binding and Printing | Options, Tips, & Comparison

Published on September 9, 2022 by Raimo Streefkerk . Revised on July 18, 2023.

Congratulations, you’ve finally finished your dissertation . It’s been professionally proofread and checked by a solid plagiarism checker .

The final step is printing your dissertation, which means choosing between:

• Types of binding
• Color vs. black & white

Single vs. double-sided

• Paper thickness

There are a few printing and binding services to choose from as well. This article presents a few options that can help you make the right decisions.

Printing service options

Table of contents

Types of dissertation binding, dissertation printing options, production and delivery times, last checks before printing, overview of printing and binding services, other interesting articles.

Binding keeps the pages of your dissertation together, and comes in a variety of price points. Spiral binding is cheaper, a hardcover book binding is much pricier.

The type of binding you choose can depend on:

• Guidelines from your university or department
• The version (draft vs. final)
• The type of work you’re submitting ( PhD vs. master’s thesis vs. undergraduate thesis )

Spiral binding (± $7)

• Professional appearance
• Opens flat, so browsing through the pages is easy
• Fairly inexpensive

Comb binding (± $5)

• Pages are easy to browse
• Binding can be opened and closed
• Can be cheap-looking

Fastback binding (± $8)

• Professional, book-like appearance
• Available in different colors
• Individual sheets can come loose with time

Paperback binding ($10–20)

This type of binding makes your dissertation more durable and professional. In most cases, it’s possible to add front and spine lettering.

• Durable and professional
• Book-like appearance
• Opening and browsing is less smooth than with spiral or comb binding

Hardback binding ($20–50)

• Customizable cover
• Quality comes at a price

Color vs. Black & White

Check your university’s guidelines to see if there is guidance about whether to print your dissertation in color or black & white. Note that printing in color is on average two to four times more expensive.

In general, a color-printed dissertation looks more professional, but it is often not required.

Printing double-sided is often cheaper than printing single-sided, due to the paper savings — it makes your dissertation half as thick. However, some universities require you to print your dissertation single-sided. Be sure to check the guidelines.

When printing your dissertation double-sided, pay attention to the following points:

• New chapters should start on the front side of the paper. You will need to take this into account and insert “blank pages” when preparing to print.
• Add a blank page after the title page so that the acknowledgments and abstract are not printed on the back of your title page.
• The page numbering is often placed in the bottom right on the right side of the page and bottom left on the left side. You can easily set this in Word by choosing “outside alignment”.
• Check your style guide to make sure there aren’t any rules for printing.

Paper weight

The thickness of the paper (measured in gsm or grams) is something most students don’t think about, but it does have a significant impact on the look and feel of your printed thesis or dissertation.

Standard printing paper has a weight of 75–90 gsm. For a bachelor’s or master’s dissertation, this is likely fine. If you want the paper to look and feel more professional and durable, a paper weight of 100–130 gsm is better. This is often used for PhD dissertations.

Number of copies

It is common to print three to five copies of your dissertation. Depending on your university’s guidelines, you might need to submit one to three copies to your supervisor and department. In addition, you might want to have a copy for yourself or your family.

The production time for printing and binding takes on average two days, and delivery takes at least another day. For an additional charge (ranging from +20 to +80%), the production and delivery time can be shortened.

Have a looming deadline? Your local print shop is likely able to print and bind your dissertation faster, and it eliminates delivery time. However, keep in mind that this is often a little more expensive.

Before sending your dissertation to a print shop, there are three things you should do:

• Save your file as a PDF By saving your file as a PDF, the formatting will be consistent on every computer. This way you prevent any unpleasant surprises, such as offset pages, when receiving your printed product.
• Check for language mistakes There’s nothing worse than finding a language mistake in your printed version. Make sure to proofread your dissertation or make use of a professional proofreading service .
• Update the contents page Before saving your dissertation as a PDF, don’t forget to update the table of contents and cross-check the page numbers listed there with the actual page numbers.

The table below provides an overview of two popular dissertation printing and binding shops, including information on delivery costs and review score.

*Prices are based on a spiral-bound dissertation of 40 pages , printed single-sided , in black , on 80-90gsm  paper, including a clear outer front and back cover .

**Prices are based on a hardback-bound dissertation of 200 pages , printed single-sided , in black , on 90-100gsm  paper.

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Streefkerk, R. (2023, July 18). Dissertation Binding and Printing | Options, Tips, & Comparison. Scribbr. Retrieved April 9, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/dissertation/binding-and-printing/

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Thesis and Dissertation Binding

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We offer archival-quality paper in 25% Cotton or 100% Cotton, as well as standard 20 lb & 60lb Bond paper. You will only pay color printing rates for your specified color pages. Lots of photos? Consider our 80lb Gloss paper. Your entire book will be printed in stunning full color at a low color printing rate. Click here to view a detailed list of available paper options.

Headbands & Archival Endsheets

Our Hard Cover books include top & bottom Headbands – chequered fabric that decorate and protect the edges of the spine of your book. Hard Cover books also use archival-quality Endsheets – the pages which attach your book’s body to its Hard Cover case, as well as heavy blank/fly pages on the front & back cover.

Mail-In your paper document for Binding Only

We can print your document from a PDF file (see sidebar), or you can mail your already printed document for Hard Cover Binding. Simply click your Hard Cover binding style above and follow the instructions. You will be prompted to print your order form. You’ll then pack it with your documents and ship us the package.

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I’ve highly recommended you guys to the administrators, I’ll recommend you to all my MA and PhD colleagues.

– Bob

I received my theses last week and they look great! Cheers.

– Nic

Our first doctoral graduate has received her bound dissertation copies – our first with your company. They are excellent! Thank you for your quality product.

– Harold

Just got back three bound thesis volumes. Beautiful work. Thank you.

– Fred

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– Natalia

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– Gianni

The thesis binding and the efforts of your company were excellent in all respects. I truly appreciate the promptness. Thank you for making my experience with your company and my finished project remarkable.

– Kimberly

I am completely satisfied with your service and speed. I would definitely recommend you to the grad students in my department. Thank you again for the wonderful job.

– Abdul

Thanks for taking such good care of my work. I will enjoy presenting them to my dissertation chair and the president of my organization next week.

– Barbara

I just received my dissertations in the mail. They’re perfect! They arrived quickly and in mint condition.

– Joe

I am thrilled with my thesis. You did an excellent job. Thank you. I have recommended you to some of my classmates.

– Tau

You put the finishing touches on a 30-month effort and exceeded my expectations…In terms of quality, speed, and overall "wow" factor. Thank you very much.

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– Doreen

You’re the best in the businesss! Keep up the great work.

– Leeanne

Just a quick note to thank everyone who worked on putting my book together. It looks beautiful, I could not be happier.

– Elissa

Can definitely recommend the service! Good quality binding, 2-sided, color and at a very acceptable price.

– Scott

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Thesis binding and printing options

• By DiscoverPhDs
• November 29, 2020

If you have recently completed your dissertation congratulations are in order! But the work is not finished – you now have to get your dissertation in front of examiners in a professional format. There are a number of factors to consider when producing a physical copy of your thesis :

• Type of binding (for example: helical or softback)
• Paper size (are some pages better suited for A3?)
• Print options (single or double-sided?)
• Paper quality (a range of gsm options are available)

What is Thesis/Dissertation Binding?

Thesis binding involves fastening the physical pages of your dissertation together to produce a single presentable document. As simple as it sounds, there is a lot to get right, and dissertation binding is important in giving a good impression of your work.

What are the different types of dissertation binding?

Spiral/helical/wired binding.

Spiral binding (also known as helical binding) and wired binding are very common for bachelors and masters dissertations. These options give a professional look and allow pages to be rotated 360 degrees, making for easy reading. Spiral binding uses a plastic coil, whilst wire binding uses a metal wire.

Fastback/softback binding

Fastback binding (also referred to as softback binding) uses glue to keep your dissertation pages together. This is not a very common choice for dissertation binding as it is rather formal for bachelors and masters, and perhaps not formal enough for PhD theses. Fastback binding also comes with a risk of glue losing fixity over time leading to pages falling out.

Thermal binding

Thermal binding is not very common but can be used for bachelors or masters dissertations. This type of binding is permanent (so pages cannot be easily added/removed) but is generally inexpensive. Another disadvantage of thermal bindings is that pages cannot be opened 360 degrees (as with fastback binding).

Plastic comb binding

Comb binding involves punching holes down the side of the page and binding with a plastic comb strip. This binding option is also suitable for bachelors and masters dissertations. It is a cheap option but can sometimes become difficult to navigate as pages become stuck on the plastic combing. One advantage of plastic comb binding is that it is easy to add and remove pages.

Paperback binding

Paperback binding will give your manuscript the appearance of a book and comes with personalisation options i.e. a titled cover page, spine and back. This gives a very professional appearance, too formal for a bachelors or masters dissertation, but ideal for a PhD thesis.

Hardback binding

Hardback binding again gives a book like appearance, but is expensive and typically reserved only for PhD theses. In addition to custom titling, spine and back, there is a range of material and colour options for hardback binding e.g. the gold lettering you may have seen on academic books.

What Paper Size Should I use?

Most universities will provide very clear instruction on paper sizes, most often A4. However, some pages such as technical drawings or maps may be best shown on A3. In these cases ‘fold out’ pages are an option but must be approved by your university guidelines.

Print Options:

Check your university guidelines when deciding whether to print single or double sided. If printing double sided, be careful as some pages should not be printed back to back. For example, new chapters should start on the right hand page (of a double spread) so blank pages may be required.

What Paper Quality is Suitable?

Paper thickness is measured in grams per square metre (gsm). Although there is no ideal paper thickness, too thin and you risk your dissertation feeling low quality. Too high and you risk your dissertation pages feeling like cardboard, and again pointing to low quality.

Popular UK Services:

Ryman is an affordable thesis binding service, with a range of options for dissertations and theses. Ryman often have stored on University campuses or nearby, so you can check the services provided by your local store (as an alternative to ordering online).

Doxdirect is an online service which offers a large amount of customisation when choosing a thesis binding option. The door to door service also offers a wide range of delivery and production options so you get your bound thesis in your hand as quick as possible.

Thesis Online has been around for a long time (established in 1920), and have a very good reputation. They offer an online thesis binding service and have a hand online calculator which allows you to modify your binding, printing, and deliver options and see the impact on cost in real-time.

Things to Note:

Whichever service you use to bind your thesis or dissertation, there are a few important things to remember:

When using an online service check the turnaround time. Most services take around a week to print, bind, and deliver, though faster services are available at a cost. Some universities have an onsite printing service that students can use. These services likely offer binding options which satisfy your department’s dissertation submission requirements.

An electronic copy and physical copy of your dissertation will be read differently. Whilst consecutive pages are easy to compare on a computer screen, a physical copy may have pages printed on opposite sides of a single page (if double page printed) which makes side by side comparisons difficult. This is something to consider if your text frequently refers to images or tables overleaf.

Most thesis printing services only accept PDF file formats. Ensure that when you convert your dissertation to PDF that you review the document to ensure no errors occur during conversion.

Check your university dissertation guidance on margin requirements. It is also important to factor in margins when considering binding options. Typically a minimum margin of 2.5cm is required on the side of the page to be bound.

Although it comes with an additional cost, it may be useful to purchase personal copies of your bound thesis. You can then bring your bound copy to your Viva , and ensure that what you and your examiners are looking at are identical.

Starting your PhD can feel like a daunting, exciting and special time. They’ll be so much to think about – here are a few tips to help you get started.

Do you need to have published papers to do a PhD? The simple answer is no but it could benefit your application if you can.

Impostor Syndrome is a common phenomenon amongst PhD students, leading to self-doubt and fear of being exposed as a “fraud”. How can we overcome these feelings?

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Self-plagiarism is when you try and pass off work that you’ve previously done as something that is completely new.

Find out how you can use Scrivener for PhD Thesis & Dissertation writing to streamline your workflow and make academic writing fun again!

Islam is in the final year of his Physics PhD program at Washington State University in the field of particle cosmology. His research is on the Possible Connections Between Inflaton and Dark Energy Within An Oscillating Reheating Framework.

Nidhi is a PhD student at Virginia Tech, focused on developing an engineered platform to study the breast tumor microenvironment, for diagnostic and prognostic purposes.

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• Knowledge Base
• Dissertation
• Dissertation binding and printing

Dissertation Binding and Printing Options | Comparison and Tips

Published on 3 April 2019 by Raimo Streefkerk . Revised on 10 July 2019.

Your dissertation is finally finished, you got it proofread and checked for plagiarism . The final step is printing your dissertation, which means choosing between:

• Types of binding
• Colour vs. black & white

Single vs. double sided

• Paper type and thickness

You also need to decide which printing and binding service to use. This independent article explains all options and helps you make the right decisions.

Overview of printing services

Table of contents

Types of dissertation binding, dissertation printing options, production and delivery times, last checks before printing, overview of printing and binding services.

Aside from keeping the pages of your dissertation together, the binding is also responsible for your supervisor’s first impression of your dissertation. There are various types of binding, ranging from the cheaper spiral binding to the more expensive hardcover book binding .

The type of binding should depend on:

• Guidelines from your university or professor
• Your dissertation’s version (draft vs. final)
• Type of dissertation (PhD vs. undergraduate dissertation)

Spiral binding (± £7)

• Professional appearance
• Browsing through the pages is easy (can be opened flat)
• Fairly cheap

Comb binding (± £5)

• Enables easy browsing of the pages
• Binding can be opened and closed (not easily)
• Has a cheap appearance

Fastback binding (± £8)

• Professional book-like appearance
• Available in different colours
• Risk of pages falling out after a while

Paperback binding (£10-20)

• Durable and professional
• Book-like appearance
• Opening and browsing is less smooth than with spiral or comb binding

Hardback binding (£20-40)

• Customizable cover
• Quality comes at a price

Colour vs. Black & White

Unless specifically stated in your university guidelines, it is up to you to decide whether to print your dissertation in colour or black & white. Printing in colour is on average two to four times more expensive.

In general, a colour-printed dissertation looks more professional, but it is not required. Does your dissertation contain graphs or figures that rely on colour? Be sure to print at least these pages in colour.

Printing double sided is often cheaper than printing single sided due to the paper savings – it makes your dissertation half as thick. However, some universities require you to print your dissertation single sided. Be sure to check the guidelines.

When printing your dissertation double sided, pay attention to the following points:

• New chapters should start on the right side. You will need to take this into account and insert “blank pages” when preparing your dissertation.
• Add a blank page after the title page so that the acknowledgements or abstract are not printed on the back of your title page.
• The page numbering is often placed bottom right on the right side of the page and bottom left on the left side. You can easily set this in Word by choosing “outside alignment”.

Paper weight

The thickness of the paper (measured in gsm or grams) is something most students don’t think about, but it does have a significant impact on the look and feel of your dissertation.

Standard printing paper has a weight of 75-90 gsm. For a bachelor’s or master’s dissertation this is fine. If you want the paper to look and feel more professional and durable, a paper weight of 100-130 gsm is better. This is often used for PhD dissertations.

Number of copies

It is common to print three to five copies of your dissertation. Depending on your university’s guidelines you might need to submit one to three copies to your supervisor. In addition, you might want to have a copy for yourself or your family.

The production (printing and binding) takes on average two days, and delivery takes another day. For an additional charge (ranging from +20 to +80%), the production and delivery time can be shortened.

Have a looming deadline? Your local printing shop is probably able to print and bind your dissertation faster, and it eliminates delivery time. However, keep in mind that this is often a little more expensive.

Before sending your dissertation to a printing shop, there are three things you should do:

1. Save your dissertation as a PDF By saving your file as a PDF, the formatting will be consistent on every computer. This way you prevent any unpleasant surprises such as offsets when receiving your printed dissertation.

2. Check for language mistakes There’s nothing worse than finding a language mistake in your printed version. Make sure to proofread your dissertation or make use of a professional dissertation proofreading service .

3. Update the contents page Before saving your dissertation as a PDF, update the (automatic) table of contents. Don’t forget to cross-check the page numbers listed in the table of contents with the actual page number.

The table below provides an overview of the most popular dissertation printing and binding shops, both online and offline. The shops are ordered by price, with information on delivery costs and review score.

*Prices are based on a spiral bound dissertation of 40 pages , printed single-sided , in black , on 80-90gsm  paper, including a clear outer front and back cover .

**Prices are based on a hardback bound dissertation of 200 pages , printed single-sided , in black , on 90-100gsm  paper.

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Streefkerk, R. (2019, July 10). Dissertation Binding and Printing Options | Comparison and Tips. Scribbr. Retrieved 9 April 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/thesis-dissertation/binding-printing/

Is this article helpful?

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Smith-Shattuck Bookbinding

Thesis binding styles.

Library Standard Binding (Buckram) The least expensive book we offer is the library standard binding. This is machine oversewn, with a black buckram cloth cover binding of acid-free construction. Your last name and date of degree are gold stamped on the spine. This is the binding style that graduate students need in order to meet the requirements for a Doctorate at Princeton University. It is also attractive enough for presentation to advisors or undergraduate thesis submissions.

Books up to ½-inch thick are made with a square (unrounded) spine. We round and back the spine for sizes above ½ an inch.

View an assortment of doctoral thesis library standard bookbinding here .

Buckram Roundback Binding The buckram roundback binding includes all the features of our library binding process. In addition, we gold foil stamp the book’s title and your full name on the front cover along with a separator line between the title and name. On the spine we will put your last name and date of degree, along with decorative double lines at the top and bottom of the spine. Our stamping design can be varied to meet the requirements of your school. Stamping colors available include gold, silver, copper, white, black, red and blue.

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Dissertation Printing & Binding

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Inhaltsverzeichnis

• 1 Why Choose BachelorPrint
• 2 Our Bindings
• 3 Comparison Of Bindings
• 4 100% Real Reviews

Why Choose BachelorPrint

FREE express delivery

Upload your dissertation into our online shop, choose your binding and submit your order. Receive your order with free express delivery within a few days!

INNOVATIVE look inside function

Check your dissertation online before printing – this is possible with our look inside-function that lets you browse through your dissertation online with all extra gadgets displayed.

Online 3D configuration

Configure your dissertation with just a few clicks. Every modification to your binding is shown online, live in a 3D preview, plus estimated date of delivery and price calculation.

Our Bindings

You can pick from various bindings at BachelorPrint. However, depending on the type of work, you should ensure that you have it bound correctly. Thermal binding is a good choice if you have your dissertation bound. Most students like the thermal binding because it offers exceptional value for money.

Tip: The binding should reflect the content. The higher the significance of your work to you, the higher the quality of your binding should be. However, it is imperative that you verify whether your university has any specific submission requirements.

Leather Book Bindings

Premium leather binding, refinements, standard leather binding, excellence at its finest.

Configure Now

Thermal Binding

Spiral binding, metal spiral binding, plastic spiral binding.

Advantages Of An Online Printing Service

Order from the comfort of your home

Printing and binding your dissertation is a breeze from your own living room. There is no need for endless searches for a copy or print shop, annoyance-inducing trips through the city, or lengthy waits. Simply configure your desired binding and receive your dissertation the following day via free express delivery.

Numerous possibilities & all in one place

At BachelorPrint, you can choose from many types of bindings that are good quality. You can also customize them with various options and features. You can decide how your dissertation looks by using different tools like ribbon markers, book corners, or individual embossing.

Furthermore, you don’t have to worry about how your binding will look when it’s all done. With our live preview and the look inside function, you can look at your dissertation and see if everything fits.

Ordered today, delivered tomorrow!

Deliver anywhere you want in a flash!

Comparison Of Bindings

Over 100,000 Satisfied Customers Since 2016

The customer is king! We care about your opinion, and we do everything possible to meet your needs. Take a look at our Instagram channel or read the Google reviews of our happy customers.

100% Real Reviews

Are You Having Any Questions?

You can check out our FAQs or contact our customer service team

Why should I do my dissertation binding online?

BachelorPrint as an online printing service offers you several advantages:

• 24-hour delivery for dissertations, even in large quantities. Order before the countdown above runs out, and we deliver the next day (depending on your location)
• Free delivery
• No minimum order value
• Free 100 g/m² branded paper for optimal print quality
• High-quality binding for your dissertation
• 3D live preview in the BachelorPrint print shop
• Customizable embossing for your cover with the logo of your institution
• Free “type of work” embossing (e.g., bachelor’s thesis, master’s thesis, dissertation)

What are the costs for dissertation printing?

The most important factor for most students when it comes to dissertation printing is the price. The price includes factors such as the type of binding and the number of pages when printing and binding your dissertation. You can calculate the exact price for your dissertation printing beforehand in our print shop .

Would you like to print your dissertation, for instance, with 20 pages, and then bind it with the premium leather binding with additional embossed details? The estimated cost is $64.80. This is 45% less compared to other market prices! Plus: with BachelorPrint, your order is delivered for free!

At BachelorPrint, we use 100 g/m² premium paper as standard for printing and set the same price for color and black/white printing.

Where can I order my dissertation binding?

To have your dissertation printed and bound, you can either go to a copy shop or simply order your dissertation binding online. Both have their advantages and disadvantages.

One advantage of the print shop is that you can conveniently place your order from home. You configure your binding and then look at the end product using our 3D live preview. Then simply order and get your order delivered the next day for free.

Which paper to use for printing and binding a dissertation?

For works, such as dissertations, either 80 g/m² paper or 100 g/m² paper is used. At BachelorPrint we use 100 g/m² paper as our standard, as it is not only more robust but also feels better when you browse through the dissertation. However, if you want to print and bind your dissertation on both sides, we recommend that you use 120 g/m² paper to ensure that the text does not show through.

If you want to know more about the right paper for your dissertation, follow this link to our blog post: Which paper for dissertation printing & binding?

Which type of binding is recommended for a dissertation?

We recommend high-quality binding for important works, such as a dissertation. For this reason, the leather binding is our top recommendation! It looks noble and high-grade and gives your examiner a perfect first impression.

How long does dissertation binding take?

If you decide on dissertation binding with BachelorPrint, we recommend that you keep an eye on the countdown above and make use of the delivery time calculator as soon as possible. The next-day express delivery is free of charge at BachelorPrint.

Visit the print shop to see your exact delivery date.

How can I save money when printing a dissertation?

With BachelorPrint you have many options to have your dissertation printed and bound inexpensively. Additionally, you can also get embossing for “type of work” free of charge, as well as express delivery.

Do you want to save extra money? Check our page for free printing !

Do you have further questions about the printing and binding of your dissertation? Contact us: [email protected] 724 281 3937 Free 24h Customer Service  

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• Printing and Binding

Preparing a Thesis or Dissertation

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Do you need a bound copy?

Consult your advisor or committee chair to find out whether your department requires you to provide a bound copy of your thesis or dissertation.

If any bound copies are needed for departmental use or for your own personal use, it is your responsibility to make arrangements for printing and binding.

If you need a bound copy

Many students choose the university's Print Services for their theses and dissertations. Here are the steps:

• Electronic (preferred), in PDF format to insure the formatting. (To be delivered by email, disc, or flash drive.)
• Refer to Print Services for current details for printing/copying, covers, binding, and mailing.
• Get a binding order form from the Print Services front desk and fill it out.
• Pay by cash, check, NCard, or a requisition from your department with Cost Object Number.
• Deadline: 5:00 PM on Thursday. Copies can still be brought to Print Services on Fridays, but if the Bindery has already picked up the orders for the week, your order will be sent out the following Friday.

Alternatively, students may order bound copies elsewhere so long as the finished product satisfies any departmental requirements. Doctoral students may order a bound copy from ProQuest as part of the upload process.

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Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Guide

This guide supersedes all previous Auburn University manuals and Guides for the preparation of theses and dissertations. Last updated: March 2021.

Sample Pages and Templates

View our Samples Page and try our easy-to-use Templates.

A Latex Template is also available for theses or dissertations containing many equations (typically for mathematics or engineering students).

Introduction

Auburn University requires a dissertation for all Ph.D. degrees and a thesis for many master’s degrees. The thesis or dissertation is a demonstration of the student’s mastery of the field of study and an example of the student’s creativity, dedication, and the ability to work independently. It should make a significant scholarly contribution.

Auburn University graduate students are also required to demonstrate competency in electronic publication and must submit their theses/dissertations through AUETD (the Auburn University Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Library). AUETD allows a student’s work to be viewed freely by anyone on the World Wide Web.

Style Guides

This Guide provides specific, but minimal, requirements and general guidelines for the preparation of theses and dissertations to ensure that the electronic document is of a consistent high quality and suitable for publication on the world wide web.

Each department is encouraged to provide more specific guidance to students by selecting or developing a style guide (or guides) that is appropriate to the academic discipline of the graduate student preparing the thesis or dissertation for publication. The choice of style guide typically reflects the standards of leading professional or scholarly journals in the academic discipline. With these guidelines in mind, the graduate student’s advisory committee has primary responsibility for judging the acceptability of both the form and content of the electronic thesis or dissertation. Once the advisory committee has reviewed and approved the ETD, the committee attests to the acceptability of the ETD by signing the “Electronic Thesis/Dissertation Final Approval Form,” which the student then submits to the Graduate School.

If there are differences between other style guides and this one, the Graduate School guidelines take precedence.

The Graduate School will also accept theses and dissertations in alternative formats provided that 1) they include the required components in the prescribed order described below in “Order and Components”; 2) they are paginated; 3) they have the approval of the student’s advisory committee; and 4) they are deemed acceptable for publication on the World Wide Web by the Dean of the Graduate School.

Order and Components

The thesis or dissertation is typically organized into three main sections: 1) the preliminary pages; 2) the body; and 3) the reference pages.

Preliminary Pages

The preliminary pages include the title page, abstract, acknowledgments (optional), table of contents, list of tables (required, if applicable), list of figures or illustrations (required, if applicable), and list of abbreviations or symbols (optional).

Preliminary page headings are of a uniform font size (12 point), consistent with the font size used throughout the document. All headings in the preliminary pages are centered, one inch from the top of the page for all pages except the Title Page. The Title page is 2 inches from the top. Headings may be in mixed case (e.g., “Table of Contents”) or in all caps (e.g., “TABLE OF CONTENTS”). Mixed case is preferred. All preliminary pages are counted in the pagination, but no page number appears on the title page. All other pages in this section are numbered using lower case Arabic numbers (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4 etc.). Page numbers are centered, at least ½” from the bottom of the page.

Title Page (required)

The title page includes (in the following order):

• Title In boldface type, centered, 2″ from the top of the page, followed by one blank line
• By-line The word “by”, centered, followed by one blank line
• Author Your full name, centered, followed by four blank lines
• Statement The following statement, centered as illustrated. No blank space separates this statement from the name of your degree, which follows.

A dissertation [or thesis] submitted to the Graduate Faculty of

Auburn University

in partial fulfillment of the

requirements for the Degree of

• Degree The name of your degree, centered, for example: “Doctor of Philosophy” or “Master of Science” followed by one blank line
• Location The location of the university (e.g., “Auburn, Alabama”), centered
• Date Your graduation date, in month/day/year format (e.g., May 14, 2019), centered, followed by four blank lines
• Keywords (Optional) The word, “Keywords:” and up to six keywords or phrases, centered, on two lines, followed by two blank lines
• Copyright notice (Optional) The word “Copyright” followed by the current year, e.g., 2019, followed by the word “by” and then your full name, followed by two blank lines
• Approvals The words “Approved by”, centered, followed by one blank line
• Committee Chair The name of your advisory committee chair (or first co-chair) followed by the word “Chair” or “Co-chair”, followed by the person’s academic title (e.g., “Margaret Waters, Chair, Professor of Kinesiology”)
• Committee Co-chair or Member The name of your advisory committee co-chair (if any), followed by the word “Co-chair” (if applicable), followed by the person’s academic title, all centered; if no co-chair, then the name of the first advisory committee member, followed by the person’s academic title, all centered.
• Committee Members The name of each additional committee member, followed by the person’s title, each on a separate line, all centered

The title page is not numbered but is included in the page count of the preliminary pages.

See Sample and Template.

Abstract (required)

The heading, “Abstract”, is centered, 1″ from the top of the page, followed by two blank lines. The text of the abstract begins on the following line at the left margin (the first line is indented). The text generally should not exceed 150 words for a thesis and 350 words for a dissertation. The Abstract is the first page to include a page number (e.g., page “2”). The page number, in Arabic numbers, is centered, at least ½” from the bottom of the page.

Acknowledgments (optional)

The heading, “Acknowledgments”, should be centered 1″ from the top of the page, followed by two blank lines. The acknowledgments begin on the following line at the left margin (the first line is indented). The page number, in Arabic numbers, is centered, at least ½” from the bottom of the page.

Table of Contents (required)

The heading, “Table of Contents”, is centered 1″ from the top of the page, followed by two blank lines. The Table of Contents lists all parts of the document (except the title page) and the page numbers on which each part begins. The titles of all parts are worded exactly as they appear in the document. These titles are aligned (not indented) with the left margin. Titles and headings and the page numbers on which they begin are separated by a row of dot leaders. Page numbers are aligned flush with the right margin. Entries are generally double-spaced; however, titles and headings of more than one line are indented at the second line and single-spaced. The list of contents begins at the left margin on the fourth line below the heading. The page number, in Arabic numbers is centered, at least ½” from the bottom of the page.

List of Tables (required, if applicable)

A List of Tables is required if the document includes tables. The heading, “List of Tables”, should be centered 1″ from the top of the page, followed by two blank lines. The list of tables begins at the left margin, on the fourth line below the heading. The page number, in Arabic numbers, is centered, at least ½” from the bottom of the page.

List of Figures or Illustrations (required, if applicable)

A List of Figures or Illustrations is required if the document includes figures or illustrations. The heading, “List of Figures”, or “List of Illustrations”, is centered 1″ from the top of the page, followed by two blank lines. The list begins at the left margin, on the fourth line below the heading. The page number, in Arabic numbers, is centered, at least ½” from the bottom of the page.

List of Abbreviations or Symbols (optional)

If a significant number of abbreviations or symbols (sometimes called “Nomenclature”) are used in the document, a list of abbreviations or symbols may be included. The heading, “List of Abbreviations”, or “List of Symbols”, is centered 1″ from the top of the page, followed by two blank lines. The list begins at the left margin, on the fourth line below the heading. The page number, in Arabic numbers, is centered, at least ½” from the bottom of the page.

Body (required)

The body typically includes all divisions of the text, such as parts, chapters, sections, and subsections. It may also include parenthetical references, footnotes, or references to the bibliography or endnotes.

The body of the document should be formatted consistently throughout. Consult departmental guidelines for the standard format(s) in your discipline.

The body may include one (or more) paper(s) submitted (or to be submitted) to a peer reviewed scholarly journal, each as a separate chapter. Formatting (including footnotes or endnotes and the citation of references) must still be consistent throughout the document.

Reference Pages (required)

The reference pages include the list of references and any (optional) appendices.

References (required)

Consult departmental guidelines for the standard format(s) in your discipline.

Appendices (optional)

All appendices (if any) are placed at the end of the document and labeled with a heading. Consult departmental guidelines for labeling standard(s) in your discipline.

General Formatting and Requirements

The document should have uniform text margins throughout the document. Set margins of at least one inch on all sides (top, left, right, and bottom).

Exceptions:

Headings. Any pages with a major heading (e.g., most preliminary pages) should have a 1″ top margin.

Pagination. Page numbers should be set at least ½” from the bottom of the page.

Binding Note: If you plan to print and bind your document, a left margin of 1.5″ is recommended.

Font Size and Type

Size . The selected font should be 12 points in size. Subscripts and superscripts should be no more than 2 points smaller than the size of the text font.

Type . Embedded fonts, such as Post Script Type 1, are required. Embedded fonts “travel” with the document, enabling that readers see the document as it was intended to be viewed. Standard fonts such as Times New Roman are recommended. Limit the use of italicized type to non-English words and quotations.

Spacing and Indentation

Spacing and indentation should be consistent throughout the document. Consult departmental guidelines for the standard(s) in your discipline.

For conventional documents, double spacing, single spacing or 1.5 spacing is acceptable. Single spacing is recommended for the following: bibliographical entries (with double-spacing between entries), long quotations, long endnotes or footnotes, long captions, and long headings.

Pagination should be consistent throughout the document.

All pages are numbered except for the title page.

Preliminary, body and reference pages: Use Arabic numbers (1, 2, 3, 4, etc.).

Center all page numbers within the margins at least ½” from the bottom of the page.

Footnotes and Endnotes

Consult departmental guidelines for the standard(s) in your discipline.

Tables, Illustrations, and Figures

All tables (illustrations, figures, etc.) should be numbered, labeled, and oriented consistently throughout the document. Consult departmental guidelines for the standard(s) in your discipline.

Publication Guidelines and Academic Integrity

Use of Human Subjects

The Auburn University Institutional Review Board for the Protection of Human Subjects (IRB) reviews all research activities that involve the use of human subjects, regardless of funding, for compliance with applicable regulations and ethical research principles. All Auburn University faculty, staff, and/or student Principal Investigators (PI’s) conducting human subject research must obtain approval from the IRB before the research may be conducted. All non-AU PI’s conducting research on AU premises or facilities or with AU staff, students, or faculty must also receive IRB approval. For more information about submitting a protocol for IRB review, please visit: http://www.auburn.edu/research/vpr/ohs/https://cws.auburn.edu/OVPR/pm/compliance/irb/home

Multiple Authorship

A dissertation or thesis must be the result of the student’s own research, analysis, and writing, and generally must be the work of a single author. When articles prepared for publication in a professional journal or journals are included in a dissertation or thesis, multiple authorship may be permitted if the student is the primary author. Papers that include other authors can be used provided that the efforts of the other authors represent less than half of the total effort. The primary (student) author’s effort should represent, in the judgment of the faculty supervisor and the student’s advisory committee, a majority of the total effort expended in performing the research and preparing the manuscript (51 percent or more).

Use of Copyrighted Material

The use of copyrighted materials in a thesis or dissertation requires the permission of the copyright holder. The student is responsible for securing all necessary permissions, beyond what is permitted by “fair use,” and for paying any permission fees. For a more comprehensive discussion of copyright, please refer the following links: Copyright at Auburn University & U.S. Copyright Office

Copyright Registration

If you plan to copyright some or all of your ETD, you should discuss these plans with your advisor, especially if the ETD includes shared data.

Although the U.S. Copyright Office notes that copyright is secured automatically when the work is created in a fixed form, there are advantages to registration. For information about “Copyright Basics” and “Frequently Asked Questions about Copyright,” visit the U. S. Copyright Office website at http://www.copyright.gov/ .

Embargos or Restricted Access

Students have the option of restricting public access to the thesis or dissertation for a period of up to five years. An embargo is usually requested if the student anticipates that immediate publication will have an adverse effect on subsequent publication opportunities. The length of the embargo should be indicated on the ETD Final Approval Form (although the Publishing Agreement checkbox indicates a two year maximum, a maximum up to five years may be indicated).

Paper Copies

The Graduate School neither requires nor accepts paper copies of theses and dissertations; however, individual departments and/or major professors may continue to require paper copies. Students should consult with their advisor and/or department for requirements.

Students who need bound paper copies to satisfy departmental or advisory committee requirements are advised to consult with the Graduate School for available options. A 1.5″ left margin is recommended for documents to be printed and bound.

The National Library Bindery Company in Roswell, Georgia, offers binding services to students. Contact them at [email protected] or 770-442-5490/800-422-7908.

Approval Process

Thesis Approval

The student conducts research and prepares the thesis under the guidance of the major professor and with the advice of members of the advisory committee. The thesis is first submitted to the major professor, who may consider it satisfactory or may require corrections, additional research, or other work. When the major professor is satisfied with the thesis, a copy is circulated among the committee members, who may request additional revisions or research. The student then prepares a revision incorporating all changes and corrections.

The student should then prepare the thesis using the Graduate School’s format requirements in the Electronic Thesis and Dissertation (ETD) Guide.  Once the student is ready to defend the thesis, they should submit the “ Request for Report of Master’s Thesis Final Exam .”  With this form the student provides the date, time, and location of the final exam, as well as the desired embargo options for their thesis. Completion of the form is necessary to proceed to the final examination. The final examination should be scheduled before the deadline specified on the Graduate School’s website.  Once the final examination date is reached, the committee will be emailed a link to the Report of Master’s Thesis Final Exam where they will provide the results of the final exam.  If the major professor or any committee member marks the Report of Master’s Thesis Final Exam as Unsatisfactory, it will be necessary for the student to resubmit the “ Request for Report of Master’s Thesis Final Exam ” with a new exam date and time.  If after the final examination the major professor and committee determine that additional work is still required, the student will need to make the necessary changes and then provide a copy of the updated thesis to the major professor and committee.

Once the “Request for Report of Master’s Thesis Final Exam” has been approved by the major professor and committee, the “Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Publishing Approval Request” workflow will begin.  The major professor and committee will automatically be sent an approval request where they will indicate that the thesis is ready for publication and appropriate embargo options have been chosen.  When all work is completed and the “Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Publishing Approval Request” has been approved by the major professor and committee, the student should submit the thesis by the Graduate School deadline, in a single PDF file, through the Auburn University Electronic Thesis and Dissertation (AUETD) system for final review and in order to graduate that semester.  A publication processing fee of $50.00 will be placed on the student’s Bursar bill.

Dissertation Approval

Following written examination(s), the student should submit the “ Request for the Report on the General Oral Examination ” at least one week before the day on which the examination is to be held.  Once the General Oral Examination date is reached, the committee will be emailed a link to the Report on the General Oral Exam where they will provide the results of the exam.  If the major professor / chair or any committee member marks the Report on the General Oral Exam as Unsatisfactory, it will be necessary for the student to revise their examination responses, as needed, and resubmit the “ Request for the Report on the General Oral Exam ” with a new exam date and time.

After passing the examination, the student conducts research and prepares the dissertation under the guidance of the major professor / chair with the advice of members of the student’s advisory committee. The dissertation is first submitted to the major professor / chair  who may consider it satisfactory or may require additional revision or research. When the major professor / chair is satisfied with the dissertation, a copy of the dissertation is circulated among the committee members, who may also suggest revisions or additional research.  The student should then prepare the dissertation using the Graduate School’s format requirements in the Electronic Thesis and Dissertation (ETD) Guide.

The student then submits the “ Dissertation First Submission Approval ” form.  Once the Dissertation First Submission Approval form is approved by the committee, the University Reader will be sent the Dissertation Evaluation form.  The student and major professor / chair should carefully select the University Reader as they must be Graduate Faculty (Level 0, 1, or 2) and from outside of the student’s department.  As the representative of The Graduate School, the University Reader will review the dissertation and serve on the student’s committee during the final examination.  The student then submits the approved dissertation, in a single PDF file, to the Graduate School (email to [email protected] ) for a format check.  When the University Reader returns the completed Dissertation Evaluation form, the student will be notified electronically so that the University Reader’s comments and suggestions may be addressed, if needed.  The student will receive the “Request for the Report on the Final Oral Exam” form to identify the date, time, and location of the final examination, as well as the embargo options that they have chosen for their dissertation. This must be completed at least one week before the day of the final examination. The final examination should be scheduled before the deadline specified on the Graduate School’s website.  Once the Final Oral Examination date arrives, the major professor / chair and committee will be emailed a link to the “Report on the Final Oral Exam” where they will provide the results of the final exam.  If the major professor or any committee member marks the final oral exam as Unsatisfactory, it will be necessary for the student to resubmit the Dissertation First Submission Approval Form. Following the final oral examination, the major professor / chair and committee members may determine that additional work is still required. In that case, it will be necessary for the student make the necessary changes and provide a copy of the updated dissertation to the major professor and committee.

Once the final oral exam has been approved by the major professor and committee, the “Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Publishing Approval Request” workflow will begin.  The major professor / chair and committee will automatically be sent an approval request where they will indicate that the dissertation is ready for publication and appropriate embargo options have been chosen.  When all work is completed and the “Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Publishing Approval Request” has been approved by the major professor / chair and committee, the student should submit the dissertation by the Graduate School deadline, in a single PDF file, through the Auburn University Electronic Thesis and Dissertation (AUETD) system for final review and in order to graduate that semester.  A publication processing fee of $50.00 will be placed on the student’s Bursar bill.  At this time, the student should also complete the Survey of Earned Doctorates.

Last modified: September 13, 2023

Dissertation Support: Formatting, printing and binding

• Formatting, printing and binding

Dreading the Word formatting part of your dissertation?  See our FAQ which includes help, training and a template document to drop your text into.

Printing and binding

Get advice on printing your dissertation and make an appointment to get it bound.

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University home > Print Services > Print > Dissertation printing and binding

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We offer a cost-effective, timely dissertation printing service, with a choice of bindings . We use a standard A4 90gsm silk stock for printing dissertations. Detailed content that requires a larger, A3 format (such as diagrams) can be accommodated by concertina folding an A3 sheet to fit within A4 size.

How to order dissertation printing and binding

Students can email their pdf file to  [email protected] with a completed  External Request Form (Office document, 244kB) for Soft/Heat, Wire and Comb bindings - please check which type of binding your department has requested. If you are submitting a Hardbinding for submission to the library please also complete a  hardback binding form (Office document, 110kB) giving details of the information to go on the spine.

To discuss your requirements, please visit us during office opening hours, give us a ring on 0117 928 9099 or email [email protected]

Document set-up tips

• Choose A4 page layout size
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• Save files as PDFs

We can normally soft bind your printed work on site while you wait if you have brought in the printed work.

Comb and wire binding will take longer please allow four working hours. 

Allow at least one working day for both printing and binding your work and two working days   for hardback binding.

If you wish to change pages at a later stage, there is a £5 charge for rebinding (soft, comb or wire binding only).

For departments  binding can be   Ordered with a UoB charge code  (staff) 

Collection and delivery

Please collect your dissertation from Print Services. Alternatively, we can deliver free of charge to your department or to the Exams Office .

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There are 5 different types of binding available for dissertations and thesis. Check with your Academic Unit which you require.

Comb binding

Binding method where single sheets and covers have holes punched in the left had edge and a plastic comb with rounded flexible teeth is inserted through.

A range of spine widths are available depending on the number of pages in your document and thickness of paper.

Plastic combs come in a choice of colours. Acetate front and or front and back sheets can be added, as can a board back.

Available from our on campus copy rooms.

Soft bound (glued)

Pages and covers are glued into a secure fabric tape strip that forms the spine. A range of spine widths are available in black and white.

You can have acetate covers added. Black covers with a gold University of Southampton crest are available for dissertations.

Soft binding (wire stitched)

Bound between manila or departmental covers. Wire stitched and a black cloth tape spine. Edges cut flush or uncut.

Available from External suppliers.

Channel bound

Loose pages are inserted into a metal channel in the spine and then securely clamped.

Hard covers are only available in black with the University of Southampton silver logo on.

Stiff bound

Quarter bound with reinforced end papers. Hinged stiff boards laminated with manila or departmental covers.

Wire stitched with a black cloth taped spine. Edges cut flush or uncut.

Full bound in black Arbelave library Buckram. Oversewn in to hard case with gold blocked lettering on the spine.

Princeton University Library

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• Master's Theses and Ph.D. Dissertations: Submission Guidelines
• Senior Thesis Submission Information for Students
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The Princeton University Archives at the Mudd Manuscript Library is the repository for Ph.D. dissertations and Master’s theses. The Princeton University Archives partners with ProQuest to publish and distribute Princeton University dissertations beyond the campus community.

Below you will find instructions on the submission process and the formatting requirements for your Ph.D. dissertation or Master's thesis. If you have questions about this process, please use our Ask Us form  or visit the Mudd Manuscript Library during our open hours.

Ph.D Dissertation Process

Overview of the Ph.D. Dissertation Submission Process

Publishing options, embargo renewals, formatting your dissertation.

• A ccess to Dissertations and Theses
• The Master’s Thesis Submission Process   

Ph.D Dissertation Submission Process

Step 1) Near the time of the final public oral examination (FPO) (shortly before or immediately after) the student must complete the online submission of their dissertation via the ProQuest UMI ETD Administrator website ( www.etdadmin.com/princeton ). Students are required to upload a PDF of their dissertation, choose publishing options, enter subject categories and keywords, and make payment to ProQuest (if fees apply). This step will take roughly 20-25 minutes.

Step 2) After the FPO the student should log on to TigerHub  and complete the checkout process. When this step is complete, Mudd Library will be notified for processing. This step will occur M-F during business hours. The Mudd Library staff member will review, apply the embargo (when applicable), and approve the dissertation submission in ProQuest. You will receive an email notification of the approval from ProQuest when it has been approved or needs revisions. 

Step 3) The vast majority of students will not be required to submit a bound copy of their dissertation to the library. Only students who have removed content from the PDF to avoid copyright infringement are required to submit a bound copy to the library. This unredacted, bound version of the dissertation must be formatted according to the Dissertation Formatting Guidelines , and delivered by hand, mail, or delivery service to the Mudd Manuscript Library by the degree date deadline in order to be placed on the degree list. Address the bound copy to: Attn: Dissertations, Mudd Manuscript Library, 65 Olden Street, Princeton, NJ 08540.

ProQuest Publishing Options

When you submit your dissertation to the ProQuest ETD Administrator site, you will be given two options: Traditional Publishing or Open Access Publishing Plus. ProQuest compares the two options in their  Open Access Overview document . Full details will be presented in the ProQuest ETD Administrator site.

Traditional Publishing

No fee  is paid to ProQuest; your dissertation will be available in full text to subscribing institutions only through the ProQuest Dissertations & Theses: Full Text database ; If you have an embargo, your dissertation will be unavailable for viewing or purchase through the subscription database during the embargo period.

Open Access Publishing Plus

$95 fee to ProQuest; your dissertation will be available in full text through the Internet to anyone via the ProQuest Database ; if you have an embargo, your dissertation will be unavailable for viewing through the open access database during the embargo period.

Optional Service: Copyright Registration

$75 fee to ProQuest; ProQuest offers the optional service of registering your copyright on your behalf. The dissertation author owns the copyright to their dissertation regardless of copyright registration. Registering your copyright makes a public record of your copyright claim and may entitle you to additional compensation should your copyright be infringed upon. For a full discussion of your dissertation and copyright, see ProQuest’s Copyright and Your Dissertation .

If you have questions regarding the ProQuest publishing options, contact their Author and School Relations team at 1-800-521-0600 ext. 77020 or via email at [email protected] .

Princeton’s Institutional Repository, DataSpace

Each Princeton University dissertation is deposited in Princeton’s Institutional Repository, DataSpace . Dissertations will be freely available on the Internet except during an embargo period. If your dissertation is embargoed, the PDF will be completely restricted during the embargo period. The bound copy, however, will be available for viewing in the Mudd Manuscript Library reading room during the embargo. 

According to the Graduate School’s embargo policy , students can request up to a two-year embargo on their dissertation, with the potential for renewal by petition. If approved, the embargo would apply to the dissertation in ProQuest, as well as in Princeton’s digital repository, DataSpace . Students in the sciences and engineering seeking patents or pursuing journal articles may be approved for a shorter embargo period. Students must apply for the embargo during the Advanced Degree Application process . More information can be found on the Graduate School's Ph.D. Publication, Access and Embargoing webpage .

Those who have been approved for the embargo can choose "Traditional Publishing" or "Open Access Plus" publishing when they complete their online submission to ProQuest. Mudd Manuscript Library staff will apply the embargo in the ProQuest ETD system at the time of submission of materials to the Library. In the case of Open Access Plus, the dissertation would become freely available on the ProQuest open access site when the embargo expires. The embargo in ProQuest will also apply to the embargo in Princeton’s digital repository, DataSpace

Those who wish to request a renewal of an existing embargo must email Assistant Dean Geoffrey Hill and provide the reason for the extension. An embargo renewal must be requested in writing at least one month before the original embargo has expired, but may not be requested more than three months prior to the embargo expiration date. Embargoes cannot be reinstituted after having expired. Embargoes are set to expire two years from the date on which the Ph.D. was awarded (degrees are awarded five times per year at Board of Trustee meetings); this date will coincide with the degree date (month and year) on the title page of your dissertation. Please note: You, the student, are responsible for keeping track of the embargo period--notifications will not be sent.

• To find the exact date of an embargo expiration, individuals can find their dissertation in DataSpace , and view the box at the bottom of the record, which will indicate the embargo expiration date.
• The Graduate School will inform the Mudd Library of all renewals and Mudd Library staff will institute the extensions in ProQuest and DataSpace .   
• Princeton University Archives'  Dissertation Formatting Requirements  (PDF download) document provides detailed information on how to prepare the dissertation PDF and bound volume (if you are required to submit a bound volume). Please take special note of how to format the title page (a title page example is downloadable from the upper-right-hand side of this webpage). The title page must list your adviser’s name.  
• ProQuest's Preparing Your Manuscript guide offers additional information on formatting the PDF. Where there are discrepancies with the Princeton University Archives Dissertation Formatting Requirements document, the Princeton University Archives requirements should be followed. Special consideration should be paid to embedding fonts in the PDF.
• ProQuest ETD Administrator Resources and Guidelines  web page offers several guides to assist you in preparing your PDF, choosing publishing options, learning about copyright considerations, and more. 
• ProQuest's Support and Training Department can assist with issues related to creating and uploading PDFs and any questions regarding technical issues with the online submission site.

Whether a student pays fees to ProQuest in the ETD Administrator Site depends on the publishing option they choose, and if they opt to register their copyright (if a student selects Traditional Publishing, and does not register their copyright, no charges are incurred). Fees are to be submitted via the UMI ETD Administrator Site. Publishing and copyright registration fees are payable by Visa, MasterCard, or American Express and a small service tax may be added to the total. The options listed below will be fully explained in the ETD Administrator site. 

• Traditional without copyright registration: $0 to ProQuest (online)
• Traditional with copyright registration: $75 to ProQuest (online) 
• Open Access without copyright registration: $95 to ProQuest (online)
• Open Access ($95) with copyright registration ($55): $150 to ProQuest (online)

Degrees are granted five times per year at Board of Trustee meetings. Deadlines for materials to be submitted to the Mudd Manuscript Library are set by the Office of the Graduate School . The title page of your dissertation must state the month and year of the board meeting at which you will be granted your degree, for example “April 2023.”

Academic Year 2023-2024

• Tuesday, October 31, 2023, degree date "November 2023"
• Friday, December 29, 2023, degree date "January 2024"
• Thursday, February 29, 2024, degree date "March 2024"
• Thursday, May 9, 2024, degree date "May 2024"

Academic Year 2024-2025

• Friday, August 30, 2024, degree date "September 2024"
• Thursday, October 31, 2024, degree date "November 2024"
• Tuesday, December 31, 2024, degree date "January 2025"
• Friday, February 28, 2025, degree date "March 2025"
• Thursday, May 8, 2025, degree date "May 2025"

Please note: If a student is granted an extension for submission of their materials after a deadline has passed, the Mudd Manuscript Library must have written confirmation of the extension from the Office of the Graduate School in the form of an email to [email protected] .  

Access to Ph.D. Dissertations

Bound Copy : One non-circulating , bound copy of each dissertation produced until and including the January 2022 degree list is held in the collection of the University Archives. For dissertations submitted prior to September 2011, a circulating , bound copy of each dissertation may also be available. Information about these dissertations can be found in Princeton University Library's main catalog .

Electronic Copy (PDF) in ProQuest: ProQuest Dissertation Publishing distributes Princeton University dissertations. Members of the Princeton University community can access most dissertations through the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses subscription database, which is made available through the Princeton University Library. For students that choose "Open Access Plus publishing," their dissertations are available freely on the internet via  ProQuest Dissertations and Theses . Dissertations are available for purchase through ProQuest Dissertation Express . Once the dissertation has been accepted by the Mudd Library it will be released to ProQuest following the Board of Trustee meeting on which your degree is conferred.Bound copies ordered from ProQuest will be printed following release.  Please note, dissertations under embargo are not available in full text through the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses subscription database or for sale via ProQuest Dissertation Express during the embargo period.

Electronic Copy (PDF) in Princeton's Institutional Repository, DataSpace : Beginning in the fall of 2011, dissertations will be available through the internet in full-text via Princeton's digital repository, DataSpace . (Embargoed dissertations become available to the world once the embargo expires.)

Interlibrary Loan : Dissertations that have bound copies and are not under embargo are available through Interlibrary Loan (ILL) to libraries in the United States and Canada, either through hard copy or PDF. If PDFs are available, they can be sent internationally. 

Submitting Your Master’s Thesis to the Mudd Manuscript Library

Students who are enrolled in a thesis-based Master’s degree program must upload a PDF of their thesis to Princeton's ETD Administrator site (ProQuest) just prior to completing the final paperwork for the Graduate School. These programs currently include:

• The Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering (M.S.E.)
• The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (M.S.E.)
• The Department of Computer Science (M.S.E.)
• The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (M.S.E.)
• The Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (M.S.E.)
• The Department of Operations Research and Financial Engineering (M.S.E.)
• The Department of Near Eastern Studies (M.A.)

The PDF should be formatted according to our  Dissertation Formatting Requirements  (PDF download) . The Mudd Library will review and approve the submission upon notification from the Graduate School that your final paperwork is ready for this step. Bound copies are no longer required or accepted for Master's theses. 

Students who are not in a thesis-based Master's degree program do not need to make a submission to the library upon graduation. If you have questions, please contact the Mudd Manuscript Library using our Ask Us form.

Downloadable Documents

ETDs - Electronic Theses & Dissertations: Formatting

• Text version - ETD Submission
• ETD Policies
• Access and Embargos
• Finding Other ETDs
• Printed Copies of ETDs
• Copyright and Publishing Essentials for Dissertations

College Guidelines

• Andrew Young School of Policy Studies
• Brydine F. Lewis School of Nursing & Health Professions
• College of Arts and Sciences
• College of Education
• Honors College (Students should follow formatting for the college of their major)
• School of Public Health
• J. Mack Robinson College 

In Microsoft Word, use the References Tab for quick additions of endnotes.

For a thesis or dissertation, use a reference manager that integrates with the word processor for better management of citations. The University Library supports Endnote and Zotero.

Endnote is a commercial reference management system.  EndNote is available free of charge to GSU students, faculty and staff.  Download it here .  

Here is a guide to using Endnote .

Zotero is an open source reference management system that can integrate with your browser or be used as a stand-alone application

Here is a guide to using Zotero that includes links for downloading and installing the program.

The University Library offers workshops on using Endnote and Zotero.  Check the schedule for details.

Tables of Contents

To learn how to create a table of contents in Word, view this tutorial .

When coverting your thesis or dissertation to PDF format, do not use the "Save as PDF" function within Word. Your table of contents will not transfer properly.

Instead, use Adobe Acrobat (ideally) or another free-standing program to covert your document. Acrobat is available on the computers in most computer labs on campus, and is on all of the computers in the University Library.

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• URL: https://research.library.gsu.edu/ETD

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Thesis and Dissertation Services

Bindery and digitalcommons information, shipment dates.

Shipments to the bindery vendor occur four times per year. Copies must be received by the following dates in order to be included in a shipment. Copies received after a date will be sent with the next shipment.

• September 15

For student wishing for more features on their bindery order, we recommend working directly with our vendor . Library prices do not apply.

On campus bindery steps for students

• Print the number of paper copies to be bound. Ensure the printing company prints manuscript single-sided on high quality paper. Students can utilize UNMC Printing Services for these copies and have them delivered directly to the library, attention of Durrett Winter. The online ordering form includes thesis and dissertation specific printing requirements in the New Orders > Printing Orders drop-down menu. If not paying with a cost center, call Printing Services at 402-559-4282 with a credit card number or visit them at 601 South Saddle Creek Road to pay in cash.
• Pay $25 per copy, with an additional $10 flat rate for the whole shipment to be mailed to you.
• UNMC cost center payment is available.
• Mail the copies to the library (Attention of Durrett Winter, campus mail zip 6705 or USPS at McGoogan Library, 986705 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha NE 68198-6705). 
• When the bound copies are returned from the bindery, the requestor will be contacted. 

Long distance bindery steps for students not currently/no longer on campus

• Print the number of paper copies to be bound. Ensure the printing company prints manuscript single-sided on high quality paper. Students can utilize UNMC Printing Services for these copies and have them delivered directly to the library, attention of Durrett Winter. The online ordering form includes thesis and dissertation specific printing requirements in the New Orders > Printing Orders drop-down menu. If not paying with a cost center, call Printing Services at 402-559-4282 with a credit card number.
• Mail the copies to the library (Attention of Durrett Winter, campus mail zip 6705 or USPS at McGoogan Library, 986705 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha NE 68198-6705).
• When the bound copies are returned from the bindery, they will be shipped to the address provided in the ordering form.

Email [email protected] for questions.  

Preparation

• Read and accept the Submission Agreement
• Provide information about the manuscript
• Upload the digital file and any associated files
• The manuscript title
• The abstract
• A list of keywords
• A PDF file of the manuscript
• Digital copies of copyright permissions (to be uploaded as Additional Files )

Submission Instructions

• Once the manuscript has been finalized, go to the Digital Commons theses and dissertations site and click on the Submit Your Work link, located on the lower right-hand menu bar.
• Though logging in with a UNMC Net ID is possible, it is recommended that graduates create a new account and enter their personal email address in order to receive monthly usage reports and access to the author dashboard for additional analytics. Confirmation of the new account is made from an email sent to the registered email address.
• Once confirmed, read and accept the Submission Agreement.
• Next, enter the required information into the form. (graduation date, title, ORCID ID , keywords, advisor(s), abstract, etc.)
• Upload the PDF at the bottom of the form. Additional files can be uploaded by checking the corresponding box. After submitting the form, these files can be uploaded. These files could include any copyright permissions obtained, images, audio, video, animations, simulations, etc. The library will be notified of the submission via email and will post to DigitalCommons after reviewing. Graduate Studies will also receive that email notification for graduation requirement purposes.

Embargoes & Restrictions

• There may be patentable rights or sensitive data in the work or other issues.
• There is an ethical need to prevent disclosure of sensitive information about persons, institutions, etc.

Email [email protected] for questions.

Thesis binding according to your institutions' guidelines and requirements

Our online communication channels are available 24/7/365, so you're guaranteed a fast and urgent response!

Your thesis printed in full colour.

We service all South African institutions, with door-to-door delivery!

PDF conversions & CD's, laminating and ring binding are just some of the extra services we provide

We are specialists in thesis and dissertation compilation. Our online service removes the fear and stress surrounding the presentation aspect of your thesis or dissertation. All our work is done in accordance with every South African academic institutions’ specifications and requirements. Our mission is to provide the academic society with a fast and efficient portal to compile and submit a thesis or dissertation.

Our core services, thesis binding.

Binding of postgraduate theses and dissertations according to your academic institutions’ guidelines, in high quality binding cloth, or cost-effective soft covers for examiner’s copies.

Thesis Printing

Black & white and full colour thesis printing services in single and double-sided (duplex) print.

Library Journals & Law Reports

Batch or single binding of library journals, periodicals or law reports. Journals and law reports can be bound according to the frequency of use.

PDF CD’s and Conversion

PDF conversion, bookmarking and optimisation of your document to a higher PDF standard that is prepared for library digitisation, cataloguing and archiving.

Book Restorations & Mending

Repairs and restoration of old and damaged books, to prolong their use, rebinding and strengthening of old textbooks and paperbacks.

Additional Services

Our other services include specialised projects and requests, file and folder creation, binding of CV’s, and custom blocking (lettering). School projects and lecture notes can also be bound into volumes.

ON A DEADLINE?

Our fast and efficient online processes assure you receive a quote within hours, this is how it works, it’s as easy as 1 2 3 4…and you don’t even have to leave your seat.

Once your final draft is complete, simply send us your work file/s via email or online file transfer (eg.Dropbox/Google Drive) in an MS Word, PDF (preferred) or other default format (Windows or Mac).​

We will print and bind copies of your final thesis/dissertation according to your personal, or your institutions’ requirements. We have worked with all of the major SA tertiary institutions​

Should you require a PDF version of your work/s for electronic submission, we will convert, bookmark, optimise the PDF document to library standards, and compile the CD in the correct format​​

Completed work is returned by door-to-door courier. A drop-off service is available at a minimal cost in the greater DURBAN area. We deliver throughout South Africa, and outlying areas.​

Honours, Masters, Doctoral candidate?

Our thesis packages have proved a phenomenal success, as we are also able to provide a one-stop-online portal for students who may not be in the vicinities of their academic institutions, locally or abroad. We reduce the stress associated with the compilation and submission of your thesis/dissertation.

We are the preferred service provider to, many of the top South African academic institutions. As a result we are are able to offer students and faculties/departments a convenient nationwide service, which recognises the importance and time sensitive nature of this academic piece of work.

Through the multitude of online and social communication channels we offer, completing your thesis or dissertation is easier than ever!

“Honours, Masters, Doctoral candidate?”

Thesis binding and printing. Quick, easy, and delivered straight to your door! Our thesis packages have proved a phenomenal success, as we are also able to provide a one-stop-online portal for students who may not be in the vicinities of their academic institutions, locally or abroad. We reduce the stress associated with the compilation and submission of your thesis/dissertation.

The Graduate School

Address: McKelvie Hall 102 West Rosedale Avenue West Chester, PA 19383

Phone: 610-436-2943 Fax: 610-436-2763

Hours of Operation: Monday-Friday, 8am-4:30pm

The Graduate School Information: Email: [email protected]

Graduate Admissions Information: Email: [email protected]

Additional Contact Information

• Financial Support & Awards
• Services & Resources

Thesis, dissertation & Culminating Projects

Below you will find important information that will assist you with deadlines, formatting, forms, and submission. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Graduate School:

For December Graduation:

October 1: Deadline to apply for graduation through myWCU November 1: Doctoral candidates confirm project title for commencement program November 30 at 5pm EST: Theses & Doctoral Projects signed off by committee due for online submission (see Submission section). Doctoral candidates who meet this deadline will be permitted to walk in the December commencement ceremony.

For May Graduation:

February 1: Deadline to apply for graduation through myWCU March 8: Doctoral candidates confirm project title for commencement program April 30 at 5pm EST: Theses & Doctoral Projects signed off by committee due for online submission (see Submission section). Doctoral candidates who meet this deadline will be permitted to walk in the May commencement ceremony.

For August Graduation:

June 1: Deadline to apply for graduation through myWCU July 30 at 5pm EST: Theses & Doctoral Projects signed off by committee due for online submission (see Submission section). Doctoral candidates whose degrees are conferred in August are eligible to walk in the Fall commencement ceremony.

Forms and Templates

WCU Manual for Culminating Graduate Research

Research Compliance Form - Students doing a thesis or doctoral culminating project. This form must be completed in order to register your project with The Graduate School.

Style and Formatting Information: Formatting Powerpoint Presentation

Preliminary Page Template: Thesis & Doctoral Project Preliminary Pages Template

Approval Pages Information and Templates: Masters Thesis Approval Pages Instructions and Templates DPA Approval Page Instructions and Template DNP Approval Page Instructions and Template EdD Approval Page Instructions and Template PsyD Approval Page Instructions and Template

Other: Masters Thesis Examining Committee Form - Please note, as of Fall 2018, this form is optional and for use by programs that require it.

Effective for Spring 2018, all students will submit their thesis or doctoral culminating project through the online submission process. Please find the applicable guides to assist you in the process.

1) Master's Thesis Submission Guide 2) Doctoral Dissertation and Capstone Project Submission Guide

It is strongly encouraged that each student download the appropriate submission guide above and review prior to submission. When you are ready to submit, please go to the submission page via Digital Commons. Submission Page

If you have any questions or concerns, please email

Binding of theses/dissertations is no longer required as of Spring 2018. West Chester University’s library no longer offers binding services.

Due to current limitations, bindery services must be completed directly with the Acme Binding Company . Click on “ Thesis & Dissertation Binding ” from the list on their web page to make your personal selections and for further instruction. They will ship the completed product to your home address. It is highly suggested to contact Acme Binding first before you begin an order to make sure they are operating normally. WCU related questions can be directed to

Note, thesis/doctoral culminating projects should not be sent for binding until they have been through the submission process, and you have received a confirmation email that your project has been accepted by the Graduate Dean.

• Submit the Approval Page with your committee signatures to the Graduate School (102 W Rosedale Ave, West Chester, PA 19383). Please work with your Committee Chair to have the hard copy approval page delivered to our office via interoffice mail, hand delivered, or regular mail (102 W Rosedale Ave, West Chester, PA 19382). You can also have it sent as a PDF attachment to [email protected] . If we receive a submitted master’s thesis or doctoral project prior to receiving the approval page, we will reach out to the committee chairperson and student.
• Digitally submit your master’s thesis or doctoral project via digitalcommons.wcupa.edu. for a formatting and compliance review. Please review the submission guidelines above.
• You will be able to upload a revised Microsoft Word or PDF document via the link provided to you from the post-Submission Email. You may also be required to submit a revised Microsoft Word or PDF Document during the formatting and compliance review process. If you discover additional edits that need to be made while your document is under review, please send an email to [email protected] .
• How do I obtain the Graduate Dean’s signature? Once your master’s thesis or doctoral project has been approved by your committee, a copy of your approval page with all signatures except for the Graduate Dean is submitted to the Graduate School. Once the Graduate Dean has accepted your thesis, your form will be signed and placed in your student record.
• Dedication (optional)
• Acknowledgements
• Abstract (250 words max)
• Table of Contents
• List of Tables (if required)
• List of Figures (if required)
• Thesis manuscript and references (as outlined in the Table of Contents)
• Appendices (if applicable)
• Microsoft Word or PDF
• Please contact [email protected] and we will get this corrected as quickly as possible.
• Anticipated review period is 2 weeks after submission.

Special thanks to Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s School of Graduate Studies and Research for allowing us to modify portions of their thesis/doctoral materials for our use.

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