The thesis is the final document you submit before approval for graduation. It reflects the knowledge and skills you have gained during the coursework. It should be printed and presented attractively to attract an excellent final grade.
There is a lot of aspects your need to understand while making your final thesis paper. For instance, you must have information on the thesis formatting guidelines and thesis paper sections, among others. Here are factors you need to understand when working on your thesis format.
- Submission deadlines
Due dates are essential when writing your master’s or Ph.D. thesis. You must understand the exact deadline for submitting your work before you begin structuring your paper. Before the due date, your work must be complete in the correct format. It should have the introduction, background information, literature review, references, and appendices described in the outline.
- Layout, paper margin, and font
There are always thesis formatting guidelines you need to follow while writing and formatting your thesis paper. Typically, your supervisor will provide an approach for the font, page margin, printing layout, and spacing. All this information is essential to your thesis writing. When you work against the writing and formatting rules, you are likely to attract a low grade or subjected to the correction that may consume more time.
- Sections of a thesis
The thesis section varies according to the institution’s guidelines. However, a standard format includes a Title page, Dedication (optional), Abstract, Acknowledgments, List of Figures, List of Tables, Table of Contents, Body of the text divided into its sections, with tables and figures Appendices and References.
- Numbering the thesis
For the thesis, all the preliminary pages such as abstract, title page a, dedication, acknowledgment, list of figures, page numbering should be in lower cases of Romans numerals (such as i, ii, iii. iv.). The title page comes first but without numberings. Number the remaining pages in sequence using whole numbers. Except for the title page that is numbered, all other page numberings should be at the center bottom, 0.5″ from the page margin.
- Thesis headings
Different heading levels separate your thesis into different sections. You should not use more than three levels in your work. The first heading level divides your work into significant parts such as abstract, conclusion, introduction, references, among others. The second heading separates your work into intermediates, while the third section separates the intermediate levels into minor thesis paper sections. The heading should never appear alone on the bottom of the page. It should always have a text below it.
Further, the first-order headings should be in capital letters, bold, and centered. The third order should have major words in capital letters, bold and centered. They should have major words capitalized, bold, and justified to the left for the third order.
- Printing your thesis
You should have four copies printed and distributed to various sections according to your institution’s guidelines. Have a copy to the library, and the rest distribute according to your program directives.
- Referencing
Citation is crucial in any honors thesis writing. Depending on your institution’s thesis formatting guidelines, apply the appropriate method of referencing and citation. Follow the standard way of citing other books and reference them in a proper format.
- Abstract formatting
Unlike other thesis paper sections, an abstract should include one independent page. It should never contain more than 250 words .it should come just after the title page and be numbered in Romans. You should separate all paragraphs in the abstract with a blank line.
Conclusion
Formatting your environmental science paper needs keenness. Different institutions have varied formatting guidelines that you should follow to the end. The formatting guidelines differ with the section. For instance, the abstract formatting requirement may not be the same for the rest of the pages. The best way of ensuring that you are on the right track is by constant consultation with your supervisor and referring to the writing instruction every time you write.
