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UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS

LOWELL THESIS AND DISSERTATION

STANDARDS AND GUIDE

Introduction

This guide outlines the required thesis/dissertation format, technical specifications, and

submission procedure to be followed by master’s and doctoral candidates at the

University of Massachusetts Lowell. If the author of a thesis or dissertation has a

question regarding a point not covered in this guide, he or she should confer with his or

her thesis/dissertation advisor, as the query may be one common to students in that

discipline. Should ProQuest and UMass Lowell guidelines conflict, UMass Lowell

rules take precedence. The main intent of this document is to ensure that the University of Massachusetts Lowell

theses and dissertations are presented in a conventional form, following universally

accepted standards for academic papers, and that they are written in a manner that will

provide maximum utility to readers who may use them in their research. This guide does

not deal with detailed information on how to research or write a dissertation or thesis.

Please use these guidelines from the moment you begin drafting your thesis or

dissertation as it will save you time as you prepare your final manuscript for electronic

submission. All thesis and dissertations must be submitted electronically to the

UMass Lowell ProQuest/ETD website. No paper copies will be accepted.

A step-by-step guide to submitting your manuscript to ProQuest/ETD is

available at https://libguides.uml.edu/ETD.

All research involving “Human Subjects” (including anonymous online

surveys, use of existing data, etc.) must be approved by the Institutional

Review Board (I.R.B.) email IRB@uml.edu or go to

https://www.uml.edu/Research/OIC/human-subjects/default.aspx for

guidelines, forms and additional information.

Research involving human subjects or animals, use of biological and/or biohazardous

materials and/or export controlled materials must have OIC approval BEFORE any

research activity may begin.

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Deadline for Submission

A complete DRAFT of the thesis/dissertation must be submitted to UMass Lowell’s ETD

Administrator as soon as available, but no later than one week prior to the final

submission deadline posted in the Graduate Academic Calendar. When submitting the

completed draft, students should also pay the $50 Archival fee (online) at

https://checkout.bluesnap.com/buynow/checkout?sku3534660=1&storeid=544359.

Submissions are not complete without payment of the $50 archival charge.

All defended, completely revised and approved, and fully formatted thesis and

dissertations are due on or before the deadline published in the Graduate Academic

Catalog for the semester in which the student will earn the degree. Academic

Calendars may be found at https://www.uml.edu/Registrar/Calendars/default.aspx.

These are hard deadlines, with no exceptions.

The student and the advisor are responsible for the content of the thesis/dissertation. It is

the student’s responsibility to make sure that the manuscript submitted to ProQuest/ETD

adheres to all formatting guidelines and is error free at the time of final submission.

Thesis/Dissertation Submission Check List and Overview

Prior to the defense date:

1) File your Declaration of Intent to Graduate Form by the deadline posted in the

Graduate Academic Calendar for the semester in which you will earn your degree.

2) Doctoral students must also submit a completed “Survey of Earned Doctorates.” At

the time of graduation clearance, the Registrar's Office sends all doctoral candidates

a link to the Survey.

3) If you are requesting an embargo of your thesis or dissertation, you will need

approval. Please see the Embargo Form at the end of this Guide.

4) Two weeks prior to your defense, but no later than the DRAFT submission deadline

listed on the Graduate Academic Calendar; submit a copy of your complete final

draft. Make sure this initial thesis/dissertation submission is formatted to meet all

formatting requirements and contains no blank sections. Keep a copy of the

original file you used to create your PDF in case you need to make revisions

prior to your final submission. Always use the most up to date version of Adobe

Acrobat to convert your document to a PDF.

(Students sometimes submit multiple drafts; please always use the notes section to

let the ETD Administrator know whether your submission is a draft, or if you are

submitting your final version. Once you submit your final version, you will NOT

be able to make additional changes.)

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5) Students must pay the $50 Thesis/Dissertation archival charge online at

https://checkout.bluesnap.com/buynow/checkout?sku3534660=1&storeid=544359

prior to uploading your draft document to ProQuest.

6) Two weeks prior to your defense, your thesis/dissertation defense MUST be posted

to Today@uml.edu. All thesis and dissertation defenses are open to the public. The

student and his/her advisor are responsible for posting this announcement.

7) Your defense announcement should include all of the following elements:

The ___(College)________________, Department of _______________, invites

you to attend a _____(Master’s thesis, doctoral dissertation)__________________

defense by ___(Student Name)___________ on “___(title of thesis or dissertation

)_______________.

Candidate Name:

Degree (check as appropriate): ( )Doctoral ( )Master’s

Defense Date: (Day of the week, Month, Day, Year)

Time (from/to):

Location (Room number, building, campus):

Thesis/Dissertation Title:

Committee:

Advisor (Name, Department, University):

Committee Members* (For each, list Name, Department, University or Company)

1)

2)

3)

4)

Brief Abstract:

(NOTE: *Your advisor must be a UML faculty member and at least 2 additional

committee members must be as well. Rules for committee members are detailed in the

Graduate Academic Catalog. – Master’s Thesis Committee, or Doctoral Dissertation

Committee)

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I’ve defended. Now what do I do?

Once the thesis/dissertation has been successfully defended and the final version is

approved, the student must:

Submit the original signature page, dated and with signatures of the

thesis/dissertation advisor and all committee members to the Registrar’s Office no

later than the deadline for submitting the final thesis/dissertation to the ETD

website (https://libguides.uml.edu/ETD). Remember you will need a scanned

copy of the signature page to submit with your final manuscript, so keep a copy!

Double-check your final, approved document to make sure it is formatted in

accordance with the standards published in this guide. Your document will be

published exactly as it looks in PDF form, so check it carefully!

Submit your document to the ETD website. Your document must be defended,

revised (if required by your committee), and fully formatted before you

submit it. You must have the paper copy of your signature page signed by your

full committee before you submit your final document. Submit a pdf of your

document via the UMass Lowell ETD website https://libguides.uml.edu/ETD.

UMass Lowell’s ETD administrator must approve your submissions and will

authorize the release to ProQuest for publication.

PDF conversion

Your materials must be a PDF (Portable Document Format). If you have any

problems, contact ProQuest customer service at 800-521-0600,

disspub@il.proquest.com, www.proquest.com and a representative will assist you.

Supplemental Files

You may also include other items in supplemental files such as datasets and larger

tables, figures, or appendices. Supplemental files will be included on a CD in the

bound volumes.

“Fair Use” and copyright permissions

Remember that for submissions of previously copyrighted materials that exceed

the parameters of "Fair Use" as that term is used in U.S. Copyright law,

submitters must obtain permission from rights holder. For more information,

please visit the U.S. Copyright Office at www.copyright.gov.

Requesting an Embargo

A student might want to restrict access to his or her work for reasons including a

patent pending, data sensitivity, and pre-publication concerns. (Since most books

produced from dissertations require considerable revision, there is a strong

argument that depositing a thesis or dissertation in the repository would not

amount to a prior publication.)

The ETD submission software provides a method for written restriction requests.

Any requests for embargoes must be pre-approved for a 6 months, one year, or

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two-year period as recommended by your advisor, and approved in writing by

your graduate program director, and Associate Dean for Graduate Studies in your

college (or his/her designee).

At the end of the requested period, your document will join all other theses and

dissertations available to the public at ProQuest and via the UMass Lowell

library.

The period of embargo that you select in ProQuest in the “Publishing Settings &

Copyright” section for Traditional Publishing (ProQuest) must be consistent with

the period of embargo approved by the University.

Regardless of whether you elect to embargo your document, your

dissertation/thesis abstract will be publically available.

Copyright Information

A thesis or dissertation automatically falls under general copyright protection as

soon as it is fixed in final form (including storage as an electronic file). No fee or

formal registration with the Library of Congress is required. However, you are

required to include a copyright notice; this page comes after the title page.

If formal registration is desired, you may either contact the Copyright Office at

the Library of Congress (www.copyright.gov) or you can request copyright

registration as a supplementary service ($55) from ProQuest when the

thesis/dissertation is submitted. Students retain their copyright without

registering; however, should a student’s copyright be infringed upon, only

copyright holders who have had their copyrights registered would be eligible for

statutory damages and attorney fees. Unregistered copyrights only allow for

actual damages and not attorney fees.

An electronic copy of your abstract may be kept by Library and may be published

(hard copy or electronically) as part of collections of abstracts, theses and/or

dissertations.

University of Massachusetts Intellectual Property Policy, University of

Massachusetts Lowell (Doc. T96-040) states: “Theses and Dissertations - The

texts of all student theses and dissertations, and derivative works of these works,

are considered Exempted Scholarly Works; therefore, the student will own

copyright to the Scholarly Work …., subject to a royalty-free license to the

University to reproduce and publish the Scholarly Work…..,”

Purchase Requirement When you submit your document you will be required to purchase one bound

copy for your program. If your program does not require a bound copy, this copy

will be released to your advisor. During the electronic submission process, you

will be able to order personal copies, too.

Below is a table indicating which departments require a bound copy. If your

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department does not require a bound copy, please include the name and office

address of your advisor in the notes to the ETD administrator.

Programs List - Thesis Masters and Doctoral Programs Only (updated

Spring 2019 - Professional doctorates are not included)

Program by College

Required departmental copy? If

no departmental copy is

required, this copy will be given

to your advisor.

Fine Arts, Humanities & Soc Sc App Psych & Prevent Sci (PhD) NO

Autism Studies (MS) YES

Community Social Psychology (MA) YES

School of Criminology and Justice (MA/PHD) YES

Global Studies (PHD) NO

Peace & Conflict Studies (MA) YES

History (MA) YES

Music Education (MM) YES

Sound Recording Tech (MM) YES

Sciences

Applied Biology (PHD) YES

Biology (MS) YES

Chemistry (MS/PHD) YES

Computer Science (MS/PHD ) NO

Environmental Studies (MS) NO

Mathematics (MS) NO

Physics (MS/PHD) YES

Polymer Science (PHD) YES

Radiological Science (MS) YES

Education

Education (PHD) NO

Leadership in Schooling (EDD) NO

Engineering

Chemical Engineering (MSE/PHD) YES

Civil Engineering (MSE/PHD) YES

Computer Engineering (MSE/PHD) NO

Electrical Engineering (MSE/PHD) NO

Energy Engineering (PHD) YES

Energy Engineering (MSE) NO

Energy Engineering Nuclear (MSE) YES

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Energy Engineering Renewable (MSE) NO

Environmental Studies (MS) NO

Mechanical Engineering (PHD) YES

Mechanical Engineering (MSE) NO

Plastics Engineering (MSE/PHD) YES

Intercampus

Biomedical Eng/Biotech (MS/PHD) YES

Marine Science & Tech (MS/PHD) YES

College of Health Sciences

Health Informatics & Management (MS) NO

Nursing (MS) NO

Nursing (PHD) YES

Pharmaceutical Sciences (MS) NO

Pharmaceutical Sciences (PHD) NO

Work Environment (SCD) NO

Business

Business Administration (PHD) YES

The UMass Lowell ETD administrator verifies your submission and sends the

final version to ProQuest for publishing.

The copy you order for your program will be delivered to the University

approximately eight to ten weeks after the end of the semester. Any personal

copies you ordered will be mailed to you by ProQuest. Please make sure

ProQuest has your most current address. If you move, please contact ProQuest

customer service at 800-521-0600 to update your contact information.

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WHAT DO I NEED FOR SUBMISSION TO THE PROQUEST WEBSITE?

1. Your thesis or dissertation in PDF format; make sure there is no password

protection on the file.

2. An electronic copy of your abstract to cut and paste

3. Supplemental files that are part of your document, if any.

4. Signed Signatory Page, which should be included in your PDF. Also, send the

original signed signature page to the Registrar’s Office. Please note: Your final

submission is not complete and will not be reviewed without an electronic copy of

your signed signature page.

5. A list of your Chairperson and Committee Members names and titles

6. Subject Categories - ProQuest will ask you to assign categories to your document.

7. Credit/Debit Card for payment. (You will be completing two separate transactions.

One payment is to UMass Lowell for the library archival fee; the other payment is to

ProQuest.)

Make sure you include a note in the “notes to the ETD Administrator” section

specifying whether your submission is a draft or the final version.

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Summary of Thesis/Dissertation Charges

ITEM COST REQUIRED/OPTIONAL

Thesis/Dissertation Archival Charge

$50 Required for all submissions

ProQuest FEES FOR SUBMISSION (as of Spring 2019)

The fees for the submission of your thesis/dissertation must be paid when you submit

your final thesis/dissertation. The amount of the fees will depend on the publishing

options you select. ProQuest determines these fees.

Department Bound Copy

$30

Required (This copy will be sent to your

advised if your academic department does not

require a copy)

Traditional Publishing

$0

Open Access Publishing

$95 Optional

Personal Copies Variable costs Optional

Copyright $55 Optional

When you have submitted your document to the ProQuest website, the site will send you

an email acknowledgement. Your submission will not be delivered to ProQuest until the

ETD Administrator sends it.

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Technical Specifications

While your thesis/dissertation should be a completed work prior to your defense,

plan enough time for any necessary minor revisions to your thesis/dissertation after

your oral defense. Do not assume that you will be able to submit the

thesis/dissertation immediately afterward.

Type

The thesis/dissertation should be double-spaced except for tables, headings, footnotes, quotations, and title pages. The first sentence of a paragraph should be indented ten spaces. Use Times New Roman font; be consistent throughout the main text. A 14-pt. font size should be used for all major headings (Introduction, Methodology, etc.), and 12-pt. for the remainder of the document.

Do not use bold, italics or underlining in the Table of Contents. In the actual text, you may use bold, italics and underline, except in chapter heading.

Title/Author/Degree The title of the work, the author’s full name and the degree to be awarded must appear

exactly the same on the title page, signatory page, and abstract. In other words, this

information must be identically worded and punctuated in all three places. The title must

appear in all capitals in all three locations.

Margins

Make certain that ALL MARGINS, including those for figures and tables, are a

minimum of 1 ¼” on the LEFT and RIGHT, and 1” on the TOP and BOTTOM.

Nothing is to protrude beyond any margin of any page of the thesis/dissertation (page

numbers may be within the 1-in. bottom margin, but must be centered on the page).

This applies to subject matter, reference numbers and equation numbers, any part of a

graph or diagram, photographs, or anything else contained in the thesis/dissertation.

Two exceptions to the rule: CHAPTER HEADINGS - text must start two inches

from top. TITLE PAGE - top margin may be greater than 1 inch. The goal in

spacing should be to make the page layout pleasing to the eye, without crowding the

text onto the page. More white space makes reading easier. Be consistent!

Page Numbering

For the preliminary pages (Abstract Title Page, Abstract, Acknowledgment, Table of

Contents, List of Tables, and List of Illustrations), small Roman numerals are used

centered at the bottom of the pages. The numbering should begin with iv, on the first

page of the Abstract. The abstract title page is not numbered.

For the remainder of the thesis/dissertation, Arabic numerals are used. Each page must be

numbered. Do not use letter suffixes such as 10a, 10b, etc. The Arabic numbering should

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begin with 1 on the first page of the Introduction and run consecutively to the end of the

thesis/dissertation and be centered on the bottom of the page.

Tables and Figures

Follow the style for tables and figures that is standard for your discipline. The format

and styles must remain consistent throughout your thesis or dissertation.

Tables and figures should be numbered consecutively and consistently in Roman or

Arabic numerals. The numbering system must be consistent with what is listed in your

List of Tables or List of Figures. The table number should be centered and underlined.

Margins for Tables and Figures must be the same as for the rest of the manuscript.

Tables and figures that are too wide for the page may be placed on their sides on a

portrait-oriented page. The title should be at the top of the page, and the page number

must remain centered on the bottom of the page. No landscape-oriented pages are

allowed.

Headings and Subheadings

All major headings (Introduction, Methodology, etc.) and their Roman numeral

designations should be capitalized, centered from left to right on the page, and underlined.

Each major section should start a new page.

Chapter headings and subheadings must be identical, including words you choose to

capitalize, in the Table of Contents and in the text.

Equations

All equations should be numbered consecutively by means of Arabic numerals

placed within parentheses at the right margin.

Footnotes and Quotations

Both footnotes and quotations should be single-spaced, using side margins 5 spaces

narrower than those used in the regular text. Footnotes which appear at the bottom of the

page should be referenced by a superscript small letter. Footnotes are inserted by double

spacing after the last line of page type, moving five spaces in from the left margin, then

single-spaced below this for the beginning of the footnote. There may NOT be any

running headers or footers in a thesis or dissertation. Use of footnotes (rather than

endnotes) is acceptable, if approved by your program.

Bibliography

The bibliography should be single-spaced with double-spacing between entries. Follow

the standard citation format for major journals in your field and the style manual

recommended by your department.

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Divisions Pages should not contain “widows” or “orphans,” which are single lines of text at the

beginning or end of a page. At least two lines are required before the next paragraph or

division break. Set the widow/orphan control in WORD to avoid this problem.

Justification Do not justify the right hand margin of the page, because almost all word processors

achieve this justification by creating irregular spaces between words. This irregular

spacing is not acceptable.

Split References/Captions Do not split references in your bibliography from one page to another. Complete each

entry on a single page. Similarly, do not split captions in lists of

tables/figures/illustrations from one page to another. Captions for tables and figures must

be on the same page whenever possible.

HELPFUL HINTS TO FORMAT YOUR DOCUMENT

These hints are designed to help you avoid common mistakes that will take you the most

time to correct. In particular, any mistakes that affect pagination can be time-consuming

to fix because then you will have to redo your Table of Contents as well. So make sure

you follow the margin instructions exactly. Please use the following tips to help you

format your document.

1. Make sure you use Times New Roman 12 point font. If you use the wrong font,

your page numbers will change when you correct this, and your Table of Contents

will have to be redone.

2. Check your margins. They should be LEFT 1 1/4”, RIGHT 1 1/4”, TOP: 1”,

BOTTOM: 1”. The left and right margins must be 1.25” because any printed copies

of your document need room for binding and a too tight side margin will cause you

to lose important data. This is a common mistake. If you need to correct margins

after submission, all the page numbers will change and you will need to create a

new Table of Contents.

3. Page numbers should be positioned at least 0.5” from the bottom of the page

(measured from the bottom of the page number to the bottom of the page) and be

within the 1” bottom margin.

4. The title of each chapter must be 2” from the top of the page, and you should hit

return a few times to create some space between the title and the beginning of the

text. Use the same spacing between the chapter title and the text in every chapter.

5. Use the orphan/widow control found in most versions of Word. No page can begin

or end with a single line of text.

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6. Page numbering - Page numbering begins with roman numerals on the Abstract

page, which should be page iv. There should be no page numbers on the title page,

copyright page or signature page. Continue roman numerals until the first page of

your thesis or dissertation, which should be Arabic numeral 1.

7. Placement of Tables, Illustrations, and Charts can be tricky. If the table, illustration

or chart fills more than half the page, then it can remain alone on the page. If you

have sequential small tables, illustrations, and charts that can fit two to a page, then

do so. No landscape pages are allowed. They will not fit when the document is

bound into an 8.5 x 11 volume. You may place a table or figure on its side on a

portrait-oriented page to make it fit. You may also shrink it to make it fit. But the

title must be at the top of the portrait-oriented page, and the page number must be at

the bottom of the portrait-oriented page.

8. Lists of Figures and Tables - for titles in the Lists, use only the text up to the first

period of the title as the title, even if the title on the table/figure is longer than that.

Make sure the text you use for your title in the List is identical, word for word,

including the words you choose to capitalize, in the text and in the List.

9. All subheadings in the Table of Contents must be identical, word for word,

including the words you choose to capitalize, to the subheadings in the text.

10. References - don’t split references. Keep the entire citation on the same page.

11. Subheadings - this is a common area of difficulty for students and can be time-

consuming to correct. This is how it should work. The first time the reader sees a

subheading in chapter 1, that is the first level subheading. However, you format that

first level subheading in chapter 1 is how you must format every first level

subheading in the entire document. So for example, if the first level subheading in

chapter 1 is bold, centered, the first level subheadings in all chapters must be bold,

centered. Also, in the Table of Contents, the first level subheading is indented once.

For second level subheadings, these must be formatted differently from the first

level subheadings, and every second level subheading must be formatted the same

way in very chapter. So for example, if the second level subheading in chapter 1 is

flush left, italics, then the second level subheading in every chapter must be flush

left, italics. The second level subheadings are indented twice in the Table of

Contents. For subsequent levels, format each level (3rd, 4th, etc.) in a unique way

and use that format in every chapter as you did for the first and second level

subheadings above. Then indent the subheading one more time per level in the

Table of Contents. So the third level subheading is indented three times, the fourth

level subheading is indented four times, and so forth. This can be confusing, but it

has to be done this way. One way to keep track is by listing Ch 1, first level

subheading, second level, etc., and the format of each one on a separate piece of

paper. Then when you do chapter 2 and all other chapters, refer to that list to keep

them straight.

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Formats

Traditional Format Sequence

Please note that fonts, spacing, punctuation, and styles must be precisely as

specified. Please follow the directions and the sample pages exactly. The content

of the traditional thesis/dissertation is to be assembled in the following sequence:

Title Page - Required, not numbered

Copyright Page - Required, not numbered

Signature Page - Required, not numbered **

Abstract Title page and Abstract - Required. Begin page numbers, using lower-

case Roman numerals, starting with “iv.” (Continue lower-case Roman numeral

page numbers until page 1 of your document.)

Dedication, Acknowledgments - Optional

Table of Contents - Required

List of Tables/Figures, etc.- If applicable

Text:

Introduction (begin Arabic numerals, starting with page 1)

Methodology

Results

Discussions

Conclusions

Recommendations

Literature Cited

.

Appendices - If applicable; numbered sequentially.

Biographical Sketch of Author (optional)

** Remember: The original, signed signature page should be delivered to the University

Registrar.

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Multi-Monograph (Alternative) Format

The Multi-Monograph thesis/dissertation has at its core a set of monographs

(commonly three, but this might range from two to six) each judged by the

thesis/dissertation committee to be of a quality and form suitable for

publication in the peer reviewed literature of a relevant field. In addition,

comprehensive introductory and concluding chapters are required and, when

appropriate, supplementary supporting materials are to be presented in

appendices.

The purpose of the introductory chapter is to explain the background or

context in which the research is set, and to lay out its significance for the field.

This chapter serves as an overview to connect the individual monographs

together. It provides an argument justifying the choice of thesis/dissertation

topic and would typically include a literature review demonstrating that the

research was needed, not yet performed by others, and has a reasonable chance

of achieving its stated objectives.

The monographs, which form the body of the thesis/dissertation, are of

“publishable quality” but they are often longer than the currently acceptable

length of papers in most journals. This permits the thesis/dissertation to serve its

archival value, documenting the detailed research methods and results more

fully than journal publication will permit. The level of detail in the monographs

will be agreed upon by the candidate and the thesis/dissertation advisor and/or

committee.

The thesis/dissertations concluding chapter provides the opportunity to present

the broad conclusions of the body of work because it focuses on implications for

the field as a whole, rather than simply on the next steps in the research process.

In addition, this chapter presents the necessary opportunity to discuss the

interdependence of the individual monographs.

The following outline presents the format for the multi-monograph

thesis/dissertation. The outline illustrates its basic similarity to the traditional

format. It differs in only minor ways, chiefly that methods, results, references,

etc. may be presented in smaller units relevant to the various aspects of the work,

rather than being collected together in single, large chapters.

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Multi-Monograph Thesis/Dissertation Format Sequence

Title Page - Required, not numbered

Copyright Page - Required, not numbered

Signature Page - Required, not numbered **

Abstract Title page and Abstract - Required. Begin page numbers, using lower-

case Roman numerals, starting with “iv.” (Continue lower-case Roman

numeral page numbers until page 1 of your document.)

Dedication, Acknowledgements - Optional

Table of Contents - Required

List of Tables, Figures etc. - If applicable

Text: Introduction (Overall) (begin Arabic numerals, starting with page 1)

Body - Each monograph must contain the following

Methodology

Results

Discussions

Conclusions

Recommendations

Literature Cited

Conclusion (Overall)

Appendix

Biographical Sketch of Author (required) ** Remember the original signature page should be delivered to the University Registrar. A scanned version is included in your PDF. NOTE: Although formats for citations vary from journal to journal, literature cited in

each monograph must conform to that of the traditional format. Each reference must

include complete authorship, title, journal name, date of publication, volume,

and inclusive page numbers.

In either format, traditional or multi-monograph, the work must be logically

connected and integrated into a thesis/dissertation in a coherent manner. Binding

reprints or collections of manuscripts together is not acceptable as a

thesis/dissertation in either form or concept. The thesis/dissertation must also meet

the requirements of the department and the University; these include originality,

creativity, and demonstration of mastery of the subject area.

When master’s/doctoral research is part of a larger collaborative project, it is crucial

that an individual student’s contribution be precisely delineated. Candidates must

demonstrate the uniqueness of their contributions and define what part of the larger

project represents their own ideas and individual efforts. The candidate should be the

sole or first author on the manuscripts included in the thesis/dissertation.

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Parts of a Thesis/Dissertation

Title Page The form and contents of the title page must follow the examples in this guide.

Scientific formulas and abbreviations should be avoided in titles whenever possible. The

year listed on the title page is the year in which one’s degree is conferred. It may or may

not be the same as the year the manuscript is submitted.

Choose your title carefully as scholars and researchers will use keywords to search

databases for published works. The title should represent the content of your

thesis/dissertation as accurately as possible.

All text on the title page should be centered both horizontally and vertically, so that

there is a

reasonable amount of space between written sections on the page. One good way to

achieve the

exact format is to use the electronic version of the sample page as a template, replacing

the

information on it with your own.

Copyright Page The copyright notation should be single-spaced and centered, just below the middle of the page. Please note capitalization on the sample page and the fact that there is no period after “All rights reserved….” There should be NO page number on the copyright page.

Signature Page

Abstract Title Page

Abstract The abstract should give a succinct account of the work so that readers can quickly decide

if he/she wants to read the complete thesis/dissertation. It should contain a clear statement

of the problem/issue, the procedure and/or method followed, the results, and the

conclusions. Although 350 words is the maximum length allowed for a master’s thesis

and 500 words for the doctoral dissertation, all abstracts should be shorter if possible.

Diagrams and illustrations are not appropriate for the printed abstract. Remember that the

abstract is published for the convenience of potential readers who are doing research in your

field. Tell them what they can learn from reading your thesis/dissertation. Have a friend not

in your field read the abstract. If they can understand it, then all of your potential readers

will probably also be able to do so.

Acknowledgements An acknowledgement page is optional. On this page you would note professional and

personal thanks to specific individuals for special assistance and/or permission to use

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previously copyrighted material. Use care to express yourself professionally and to be

consistent in your use of first or third person references.

Table of Contents The table of contents should list all parts of the manuscript other than the Title Page,

Abstract, and Acknowledgments, indicated in the preceding sections of the “sequence of

the traditional and multi- monograph formats” and should include the major divisions and

first level of subdivisions of the thesis. Page numbers for each heading are to be shown in a

column at the right margin, headed “Page”. It is therefore obviously not possible to prepare

the Table of Contents until after the rest of the thesis/dissertation has been typed. As with

the rest of your manuscript, be consistent. Make sure the numbering format, headings, and

capitalization match exactly.

List of Tables This should be a complete list of all tables and the respective page number on which they

appear.

List of Illustrations This should give a complete list of all figures and the respective page numbers of all

illustrations, including photographs, maps, and charts.

Text

Introduction

This should give a statement of the problem, the motivation for the research, and its

importance and relevance. The history and literature should be reviewed with appropriate

comments. It is essential to reference all material thoroughly to avoid plagiarism.

Methodology

This section should describe the work done in enough detail so that another person in the

same academic discipline could repeat the work by following the description. Any apparatus

or equipment specially designed for the thesis/dissertation work should be described in

complete detail. All materials should be described and identified carefully. Techniques

should be described thoroughly.

Results

This section will normally contain all data collected, examples of any calculations

required, and results from the data and calculations. Wherever appropriate, graphical

analysis is very beneficial.

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Discussion

The material covered and the method of presentation in this section will vary with the

nature of the thesis/dissertation. In general, there should be an exhaustive explanation and

interpretation of all results presented which should be related to the previously published

literature in the field.

Conclusions

This section should give a concise narrative of the significant conclusions drawn

from the thesis/dissertation.

Recommendations

This section should include suggestions for future work on the thesis/dissertation topic or

analogous problems.

Notes

The notes or footnotes may be at the bottom of pages, at the end of each chapter or at the

end of the main body of the text immediately preceding the literature cited. Use a consistent

style throughout your thesis/dissertation.

Literature Cited

Warning about PLAGIARISM: All ideas and concepts that do not represent your original thoughts must be

referenced. Direct use of someone else’s words must be set off with quotation marks

and properly referenced. Use of another person’s ideas, even if paraphrased, or word-

for-word copying of all or part of the work of another without due acknowledgment

constitutes plagiarism and is strictly prohibited.

The format for references must include: complete authorship (last name and initial of

first name), journal abbreviation, full title of the article, beginning and ending page

numbers, as well as the volume of the journal and the year when the article was

published. References to books must include the author and/or editor, the name of the book,

date of publication, publisher, city of publication, and inclusive page numbers. References to unpublished technical reports should explain as fully as possible where the document can be

found. In all cases, use appropriate abbreviations for journal names consisting of multiple

words. Never abbreviate single title journals such as Science or Nature.

It is essential that all text references appear in the section titled “LITERATURE CITED”

and that all references listed are cited in the text.

The numerical referencing system is recommended for your thesis/dissertation. Cite the first

reference [1] or multiple references [1-4] at the end of sentence within parentheses.

Abstracts do not contain references. Subsequent references are listed as [2], [3], [4], etc. in

numerical order throughout the remainder of the text. Compile your references in numerical

order at the end of your thesis/dissertation under the heading “LITERATURE CITED.”

Each reference should be single- spaced with a double-space between references. Only

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materials actually cited in the text are to be listed under the, “Literature Cited.” Additional

sources used but not cited should be added under the heading “Additional References Used

But Not Cited.”

Examples of acceptable format for journal and book citations listed below.

JOURNAL: 1. Devenyi, P., Robinson, G.M. and Roncari, D.A.K. 1980.

Alcohol and high-density lipoproteins. J. Can. Med. Assoc.

123:981-984.

BOOK 2. Packard, C.J. and Shepard, J. 1983. Low density lipoprotein levels.

In: Gotto, A.M. and Paoletti, R., eds.,

Atherosclerosis reviews. Raven Press,

New York, Vol. 11, pp.29-63

3. Jones, Janice. 1987. Thermodynamics. Raven Press, New York, pp.35-48

Appendix Appendices are not always necessary in a thesis/dissertation. Its inclusion is largely a matter

of judgment on the part of the author and his or her advisor. It is generally used when there

are materials such as extensive data, involved derivations, and the like, which do not

conveniently fit into the main body of the thesis/dissertation. Each appendix should be a

self-contained document.

Biographical Sketch of Author The required brief biographical sketch should include the names of schools attended, the

exact designation of diplomas and degrees awarded, the title and nature of any post-

collegiate employment, together with the name and location of the employing organization,

and a description of any previous graduate study or related research, publications, or special

professional interests.

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COLLEGE IN THE LATER YEARS: THE EFFECTS OF FORMAL

EDUCATION ON ADULT DISTANCE LEARNERS

A Dissertation Presented

by

Alexander Cumnock

Submitted to the College of Education,

University of Massachusetts Lowell,

in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of

DOCTOR OF EDUCATION

May 2019

Leadership in Schooling Program

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Conductive Printing via 6-axis Robotic Arm and a Monocular Camera System:

Control, Tolerance Analysis, and Optimization

A Thesis Presented

by

James Wigglesworth

Submitted to the College of Engineering,

University of Massachusetts Lowell,

in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of

MASTER OF ENGINEERING

August 2018

Mechanical Engineering Program

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© 2019 by Alexander Cumnock

All rights reserved

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Format for a Doctoral Title (Signature) Page

A 10-MEGACYCLE CALIBRATED

PHASE SHIFTER USING A STABILIZED

TRANSISTOR OSCILLATOR (14pt.)

BY

JOHN DOE SMITH

B.S. UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN (1991)

M.S. UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS LOWELL (1993) (12pt.)

SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE

DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY

ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING (12pt.)

UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS LOWELL

Signature of

Author: Date: ____________

Signature of Dissertation Chair: _________________________________________

Name Typed: __________________________________________________________

Signatures of Other Dissertation Committee Members

Committee Member Signature: __________________________________________

Name Typed: _________________________________________________________

Committee Member Signature: __________________________________________

Name Typed: __________________________________________________________

Committee Member Signature: __________________________________________

Name Typed: __________________________________________________________

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Format for a Master’s Title (Signature) Page

A STUDY OF THE EFFECT OF DAILY EXERCISE PROGRAMS

ON LONGEVITY OF PATIENTS

IN CLASS B NURSING FACILITIES (14pt.)

BY

MARY ANN SHANAHAN (12pt.)

B.S. BOSTON UNIVERSITY (1991)

SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS

FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE

DEPARTMENT OF NURSING (12pt.)

UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS LOWELL

Signature of Author: ___________________________________ _Date: _______

Signature of Thesis Supervisor: _____________________________________________

Name Typed: _____________________________________________________________

Signatures of Other Thesis Committee Members:

Committee Member Signature: ___________________________________________________

Name Typed: __________________________________________________________________

Committee Member Signature: ___________________________________________________

Name Typed: __________________________________________________________________

Committee Member Signature: __________________________________________________

Name Typed: __________________________________________________________________

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Format for a Doctoral Abstract Title Page

SOME AZO-TRIAZINE DYES

CONTAINING SILICON (14pt.)

BY

WILLIAM Q. JONES (12pt.)

ABSTRACT OF A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS (12pt.)

FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY

POLYMER SCIENCE

UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS LOWELL (12pt.)

February 1996

Dissertation Supervisor: Joseph F. Shea, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry

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Format for a Master’s Abstract Title Page

A SURVEY OF CLASS B NURSING FACILITIES

IN WACO, TEXAS (14pt.)

1888-1990

BY

LINDA SOUTHWORTH (12pt.)

ABSTRACT OF A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE

DEPARTMENT OF NURSING

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS

FOR THE DEGREE OF

MASTER OF SCIENCE

UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS LOWELL (12pt.)

February 1996

Thesis Supervisor: John S. Doe, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Department of Nursing

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Style Manuals and Resources

American Chemical Society, Handbook for Authors. Washington, D.C. American Chemical

Society Publications, 1978.

American Institute of Physics, Style Manual: Instructions to Authors and Volume Editors for

the Preparation of AIP Book Manuscripts. 5th ed. New York: AIP, 1995.

American Management Association, The AMA Style Guide for Business Writing.

New York: AMACOM, 1996.

American Mathematical Society, The AMS Author Handbook: General Instructions for

Preparing Manuscripts. Revised ed. Providence: AMS, 1996.

American National Standards Institute, American National Standard for the Preparation of

Scientific Papers for Written or Oral Presentation. New York: ANSI, 1979.

American Psychological Association, Publication Manual of the American Psychological

Association. 5th

ed. Washington, D.C. American Psychological Association, 2001.

Bates, Robert L., Rex Buchanan, and Marla Adkins-Heljeson, eds., Geowriting: A Guide to

Writing, Editing, and Printing in Earth Science. 5th ed. Alexandria: American Geological

Institute, 1995.

Campbell, William G., Stephen V. Ballou, and Carol Slade, Form and Style: Theses, Reports,

Term Papers. Sixth Edition, Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1982.

The Chicago Manual of Style: The Essential Guide for Writers, Editors, and Publishers.

Fourteenth Edition, Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Press. 1993.

Council of Biology Editors, Scientific Style and Format: the CBE Manual for Authors, Editors and Publishers. 6

th ed. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1994.

Dood, Janet, editor, The ACS Style Guide: A Manual for Authors and Editors. 2

nd ed.

Washington: American Chemical Society, 1997.

Garner, Diane L. The Complete Guide to Citing Government Information Resources: A Manual for Social Science and Business Research. 3

rd ed. Bethesda: Congressional

Information Service, 2002.

Holoman, D. Kern, editor, Writing about Music: A Style Sheet from the Editors of 19th-

Century Music. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1988.

Iverson, Cheryl, et al, American Medical Association Manual of Style: A Guide for Authors

and Editors. 9th ed. Baltimore: Williams, 1998.

Modern Language Association, MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. New York:

MLA, 1984.

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NEA Style Manual for Writers and Editors. Washington, D.C., National Education

Association of the United States, 1974.

Swanson, Ellen, editor, Mathematics Into Type: Copyediting and Proofreading of

Mathematics for Editorial Assistants and Authors. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1971.

Turabian, Kate L., A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations.

Sixth Edition, Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Press, 1996. (Available on “Microsoft Word

for Windows”, academic version).

In addition to these publications, you should consult the latest appropriate reference

work in your field. If such a publication does not exist, follow the format of the leading

journal in your field.

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Additional Tips for Thesis and Dissertation Writers

1. It is not advisable to use software specifically designed for industrial or technical

purposes to prepare the thesis or dissertation.

2. Include your prior degrees, and the institution and the year you received them

on the signature page.

3. Include the month and year you are receiving a diploma for this current degree (master’s

or doctorate) on the abstract title page. Make sure you correctly note the degree you will

be receiving. For example, the correct degree title is Master of Science in Engineering,

not Master’s of Science in Engineering.

Also, correctly note the month in which your degree will be conferred.

Spring graduates have their degrees conferred in May.

Degrees for Summer graduates are conferred in August.

Degrees for Fall graduates are conferred in February.

Please note that there is no comma between the month and the year and that the month is

not in all capitals.

4. Begin the Table of Contents with “List of Tables…………v” and “List of

Figures………….vi” (or appropriate page number) if these tables/figures are included in

your thesis/dissertation. Otherwise, begin the Table of Contents with

“Introduction…………..1.”

5. If you use colors in graphs and tables, choose colors, line styles, line widths and symbols

that are discernible after black and white copying. Identify lines on graphs by using labels

or symbols rather than by colors.

6. Make sure that the text does not run into the page numbers on any pages of the

thesis or dissertation.

7. Use inclusive page numbers in LITERATURE CITED for both books and journal

articles.

8. Proofread your final manuscript carefully before submission. Plan enough time to read it

through several times and not necessarily in one sitting. Make sure there are no missing

pages and that all pages are numbered consecutively. The UML ETD administrator is

not responsible for proofreading any materials submitted.

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Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Embargo

DELAYED AVAILABILITY – EMBARGO: Delayed availability of scholarly work due to patents pending,

sensitive data or pending publication. The request for an embargo should begin at least one month prior

to your thesis/dissertation defense. At a minimum, embargoing the thesis or dissertation requires the

following steps:

1. Obtain permission from the Graduate Coordinator in your department or Department Chair, your Committee Chair, and Dean of your School/Graduate Division.

2. Return the form to the Director of Graduate Student Services 3. Select the embargo option when submitting your thesis or dissertation electronically.

Your decision to embargo your thesis in the UML Library depository does not apply to ProQuest/UMI.

You must submit a separate request to ProQuest/UMI to embargo your thesis or dissertation on that

database when you submit your thesis/dissertation.

I want an embargo for my thesis or dissertation for the following reason(s):

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Note: Embargo requests must be vetted. All embargoes will expire at the end of the given period

starting with the month of graduation. Requests for renewals must be received by Graduate Student

Services and the ETD administrator at least one full month before the current embargo expires.

A. EMBARGO OPTION [choose one]:

□ 6 months □ 1 year □ 2 years

B. EMBARGO APPROVAL: Approval from your graduate coordinator or Department Chair, Committee

Chair and Dean of your College is required for an embargo to be placed on your thesis or dissertation.

Additional approval from the Office of Institutional Compliance or CVIP may also be required.

Student Name (please print): Department : ________________

Graduate Coordinator Name (print name):

Graduate Coordinator signature: Date: ________________

Thesis/Dissertation Advisor Name (print name): Department: __________________

Thesis/Dissertation Advisor signature: Date: _______________________

College Dean signature: Date: _______________________

Return this completed form to: Graduate Student Services, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Suite

109, Cumnock Hall, Lowell, MA 01854. Attn: Debbie White (Deborah_White@uml.edu).