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The Arrangement Of Contents -- I
Every thesis or dissertation has three main parts or divisions: the preliminary pages, the text with optional appendices, and the bibliography. You must follow the order of items within these parts as listed below.
Preliminary Pages
- Blank Page
- Dedication (optional)
- Title Page
- Abstract
- Acknowledgments (optional)
- Table of Contents
- List of Tables
- List of Figures
The Main Text (including appendices)
The Bibliography
Specific Guidelines For Various Parts Of The Thesis
The Dedication: The dedication is optional. It should be brief and need not include the word dedicated. "To" is sufficient: e.g., To my wife
The dedication should be centered on the width of a line three inches from the top of the page. There should be no final punctuation. A dedication is not listed in the table of contents; no number appears on its page, and the page is not counted in the pagination of the preliminaries.
The Title Page: The title must be single-spaced, in all capital letters, and should begin at 5 cm (2 inch) from the top of the page.
The Abstract: The Abstract gives a brief account of the thesis or dissertation, including a statement of the problem, procedure and methods, results, and conclusions. The maximum length of the Abstract is 250 words for both Masters and Doctorate degrees.
Acknowledgments: This is optional. In this part the student expresses appreciation for any special assistance given to him or her. The heading, ACKNOWLEDGMENTS, appears centered between the text margins, without punctuation, 5 cm (2 inch) from the top of the page; the text begins at least three spaces below the heading. It should use the same spacing as the text (that is, double spacing).
Table of Contents: The Table of Contents must list the title of each chapter (and any parts and sections that they have), the appendices and the bibliography. The wording used for all entries in the Table of Contents must match exactly with what is used in the text. Each entry must have leader dots which connect it to its corresponding page number. The heading, TABLE OF CONTENTS, appears without punctuation centered between the text margins 5 cm (2 inch) from the top of the page. The listing of actual contents begins at the left margin at least three spaces below the heading. Chapter entries are separated by a space of one line. Page numbers are right justified.
List of Tables: A list of tables may be included for the convenience of the reader. If included, it will immediately follow the table of contents on a new page. The heading, LIST OF TABLES, appears centered between the text margins without punctuation 5 cm (2 inch) from the top of the page; the listing begins at the left margin at least three spaces below the heading. Each entry should have the same number and the same caption or title used for a table in the text, although a long caption may be abbreviated to the extent of using only the first full sentence. As in the table of contents, each entry must have leader dots which connect it to its page number.
List of Figures: If included, these lists must appear on separate pages and are governed by the same rules as the List of Tables.
The Main Text: All headings and subheadings should be presented in the same format in each chapter, in terms of capitalization, placement on the page and kind of type used. Chapters are numbered consecutively in Arabic or Roman numerals and capital letters (CHAPTER 1, CHAPTER 2, etc, or CHAPTER I, CHAPTER II, etc), but consistently. Chapters should begin with a new page. The heading CHAPTER 1 in all capitals is centered between the text margins 5 cm (2 inches) from the top of the page; the title goes two spaces below. The text begins at least three spaces below.
Format of Footnotes and Bibliography: All footnotes and the citation of works in the bibliography should be in a consistently applied approved style (e.g. The Chicago Manual of Style, MHRA Style Book). These style-guides are widely available in bookshops and libraries.
Direct Quotations: Direct quotations of 40 words or less should be incorporated into the text. Longer quotations or quotations that exceed three lines should be written as a separate block, single-spaced and indented from the margin, with no quotation marks at the beginning or end of the quotation, but in the same typeface/font size as the main text. For example:
This, then, reminds us that unless a Christian maintains his professionalism in everything that he does, including his studies and submissions, in all probability it will lead him to sloppiness in all areas of his life as well as ministry.
There are two acceptable systems concerning quotation marks. One, the American, uses double quotation marks at the beginning and end of the quotation, with any quotation within the quotation surrounded by single quotation marks. The second, British system is the reverse of this -- single quotation marks at the beginning and end of the main quotation, with double quotation marks for quotations within quotations. If your footnote and bibliography style uses double quotation marks around the title of a journal article, follow the American system in the text. If your footnote and bibliography style uses single quotation marks around the title of a journal article, follow the British system in the text.
Capitalization or not of the first letter of the first word of the quotation should depend on grammatical position in the sentence introducing the quotation, not on whether it is capitalized in the original, unless it is a proper noun expression, e.g. "London", "India", etc.
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