Write Your Thesis

Students are to consult with their supervisors concerning the general organization of the thesis, and also about special practices or rules that may apply to scholarly writing within the specific discipline. The latter comment relates particularly to the use of footnotes, the method of indicating references and the tabulation of bibliographic and reference materials. Style manuals are available in the University Library. Regulations concerning paper, print, duplication and binding, etc. are given below. The final copy of the thesis must adhere to these regulations. Failure to comply will result in delays in processing, and the student may incur additional expenses in producing a document acceptable to the corresponding Academic Unit and to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research.

Careful proofreading of the thesis for spelling and grammatical errors as well as for adherence to all other standards is the responsibility of the student and supervisor.

Choosing a Thesis Format Style

The Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research allows students to choose between two different thesis styles:

The traditional monograph-style thesis is an original document that addresses a specific research question. It begins with an overview of the relevant background literature, followed by a description of the methodology used to address the research question, a summary of the findings, and a discussion of how the research contributes new knowledge to the discipline. The traditional monograph-style thesis often includes a discussion of future directions and a summary of methodological limitations.

The collected manuscripts-style thesis is a collection of manuscripts the student has previously written or to which the student has made substantial contributions. Brought together in a thesis, the manuscripts collectively lead to a more comprehensive answer to a research question than is provided by any one manuscript on its own. Collected manuscripts-style theses can include any combination of published articles, articles submitted for publication, or articles prepared with the intention of eventual publication. In this style of thesis, the student writes an Introduction that provides an overarching summary of the relevant background literature and the research questions to be addressed in the thesis. The thesis concludes with a Discussion section that summarizes the new insights gleaned from the examination of the manuscripts as a collection and proposes future avenues for exploration.

Thesis Guides:

FGSR developed the following guides to assist students in preparing either the monograph-style or collected manuscripts-style theses. These guides outline how students should format and arrange their thesis prior to submitting it for defense. In all cases, the choice of whether to pursue a monograph or manuscript-style thesis should be made by students in consultation with their supervisor and supervisory committee.

Monograph-Style Thesis Guide (PDF)
Collected Manuscripts-Style Thesis Guide (PDF)

Arrangement of the Thesis:

Theses are generally arranged in the following order as outlined in the Arrangem ent of a Thesis (PDF):

Title page
Front matter (aka the “preliminary pages”, i.e. Abstract, Acknowledgements, Table of Contents, Transparency Statement etc.)
Body of the thesis (i.e. the Chapters)
Back matter (i.e. References and, if applicable, Appendices)

1. Title Page:

Format your title page as follows:

Center and double-space all text on the page.
Avoid using scientific symbols or Greek letters in your thesis title – spell out these terms because most symbols can’t be catalogued by the Library or National Archives and therefore aren’t searchable in databases.
Type your thesis title in sentence case.
Don’t refer to a doctoral thesis as a “dissertation” on the title page.
Use the month and year in which you submit your thesis to the Faculty of Graduation Studies and Research; you will update the submission month and year in the post-defense revisions of your thesis.
You must include a copyright notice on your thesis title page.
Don’t number the title page.

See example: Sample Title Page (PDF)

2. Front Matter (aka "preliminary pages")

The pages within the front matter must appear in the order outlined in the Arrangement of the Thesis.

Abstract

May not exceed two (2) double-spaced pages.
A concise and accurate summary of the thesis, which emphasizes what has been accomplished through research efforts.
Should include a statement or brief description of the research question, the methods or procedures used to address it and important findings or conclusions.
Must not contain tables, graphs or illustrations.
Normally be the only abstract in the thesis.
Immediately followed by a list of between four to six keywords to facilitate automated retrieval of the thesis from online databases.
Page number: Lower case Roman numeral(s) on the bottom center of the page.

Acknowledgements

May not exceed one (1) double-spaced page.
Must be included with the initial copy of thesis submitted for defense.
Must include reference any/all sources of funding for the study: scholarships, teaching assistantships, research awards, etc.
May recognize support/advice provided by the supervisor and committee members.
May acknowledge the extent to which assistance has been given by members of staff, fellow students, data technicians, editors, and/or others.
May acknowledge colleagues with whom journal articles have been written (see also “Statement of Contributions”).
Page number: Lower case Roman numeral on the bottom center of the page.

Post-Defense Acknowledgments (optional)

May not exceed one (1) double-spaced page.
Students who wish to thank their External Examiner may do so in this section, but this page must be blank in the pre-defense version of the thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduation Studies and Research.
Page number: Lower case Roman numeral on the bottom center of the page.

Dedication (optional)

May not exceed one (1) double-spaced page.
The Dedication page is for personal, rather than an academic, recognition. May be used to recognize the support of others – family, friends, etc. – who aided indirectly in the completion of the work.
Page number: Lower case Roman numeral on the bottom center of the page.

Every thesis must include a Table of Contents formatted as follows:

Single page-wide column with page numbers right-aligned.
Entries are in order of the thesis as outlined in the “Arrangement of the Thesis.”
Each entry must be connected to a corresponding page number with leader lines …
Don’t put the word "page" in front of the page numbers.
Distinguish level of subheadings with increasing indents.

See example: Sample Table of Contents PDF

List of Tables, List of Figures, List of Plates, List of Appendices (where applicable)

If your thesis includes these lists they must be formatted as follows:

Where applicable, the List of Tables, List of Figures, List of Plates and/or List of Appendices follows the Table of Contents, in that order.
Each List is separate and must start at the top of a new page.
Each item on the List is numbered consecutively using Arabic numerals; if frequent reference is made to the Figures, Tables or Plates in the text, then use a decimal classification. For example, Figure 5.3 would refer to the third figure in the fifth chapter.
Each item on the List must include the title of the Table, Figure or Plate and the page(s) on which it appears.
The title of each entry must match those in the text and are in sentence case only.
Each entry must have leader lines (dots) between entry title and page number.

See example: Sample List of Figures (PDF)

List of Nomenclature: List of Abbreviations, List of Symbols, etc. (where applicable)

If your thesis includes these lists they must be formatted as follows:

If included, these lists must appear in the order as outlined in the Arrangem ent of a Thesis (PDF)
Each List is separate and must start at the top of a new page.
Page number(s): Lower case Roman numeral(s) on the bottom center of the page.

See example: Sample List of Abbreviations (PDF)

Transparency Statement

Beginning March 1, 2024, all theses submitted to FGSR will require a Transparency Statement to describe the use of artificial intelligence (AI) assisted technologies in the preparation of the thesis or to confirm that no such technologies were used.

All thesis committee members who review the thesis will be required to confirm on the Thesis Committee Release form they are aware of, and have approved, the use of AI-technologies as described in the Transparency Statement.

No use of AI-assisted technology:

If no AI-assisted technology has been used, the following statement must be included:

I declare that no AI-assisted technology has been used in the preparation of the thesis.

Use of AI-assisted technology:

When AI-assisted technology has been used in the preparation of the thesis, a Transparency Statement that addresses the following points must be included:

The name of the AI-assisted tool that was used
The purpose for which it was used. Such uses may include, but are not limited to:
Rephrasing sentences written by the author
Translation of sentences originally written by the author
Improvement of spelling, grammar, and sentence structure
Generation of ideas for the thesis
Generation of images, stimuli, or materials
Confirmation that the supervisor(s) and supervisory committee members are aware of, and have approved, the use of the preceding technologies for the stated purposes
Confirmation that no AI-technologies other than those listed have been used
Confirmation that issues with the biased, discriminatory, incomplete, and inaccurate output sometimes produced by AI technologies are acknowledged and have been corrected
Acknowledgment that the author of the thesis is solely responsible for maintaining the accuracy and academic integrity of the thesis

The transparency statment must be formatted as follows:

Start at the top of a new page.
Page number(s): Lower case Roman numeral(s) on the bottom center of the page.

See example: Sample Transparency Statement PDF

3. Body of Thesis

The organization of the chapters within the body of the thesis differs by academic discipline and should be discussed with your supervisor.

4. Back Matter (aka "end pages")

References, Works Cited, or Bibliography

This section of the thesis must list all of the references cited the thesis.

If the information referred to in the text of the thesis was obtained from an abstract, a translation or a textbook rather than an original publication, the reference must indicate this.
The list of references should include sufficient detail about the original source from which the information was taken, so it can be accessed by a reader of the thesis.
Wherever possible, the original source should be consulted.
Subdivision of the list of references is to be avoided.
Use the system outlined in the style guide recommended by your supervisor/academic unit.

Appendices (where applicable)

Appendices include additional materials and documentation that readers can optionally refer to in order to have a better understanding of the work or the process that led to it. This section is where you include anything you didn’t write yourself.

Examples include (but are not limited to):

Research Ethics Board approval certificates, for research involving human participants (please be sure to redact any signatures appearing on the certificate).
Letters of permission from copyright holders for any material for which the student does not hold copyright. Please see additional information about copyright in the context of graduate theses here.
Research materials (e.g., survey questions, stimuli, examples of standardized test questions, data bases, etc.).
Supplementary data analyses.

Formatting a Thesis

Final copies of the thesis must adhere to these regulations. Failure to comply will result in delays in processing, and the student may incur additional expenses in producing a document acceptable to the corresponding Academic Unit and to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research.

Margins

One-inch (2.54 cm) margins for the top, bottom, left, and right (unless your supervisor or academic unit requires you to bind a physical copy of your thesis, in which case the left margin must be 1.5 inches to accommodate the binding).

Typescript/Font

The text of the thesis must be the same font type and size throughout. Times New Roman or Arial are recommended.
Print must be 12 Pt. (points) or 10 cpi (characters per inch).
The font type of the headings must be the same font type as the text but may be larger (e.g. 14 Pt).
Titles/captions for figures, tables, plates, etc. must be the same font type as the text of the thesis but may be smaller (e.g. 10 Pt).

Line Spacing

Double-space the entire thesis, with the exception of captions (e.g. for tables, figures, etc.), footnotes, and long quotations which may be single-spaced.

Paragraph Alignment and Indentation

Align the text in the body of your thesis to the left of the page (“left-aligned”).
In the body of the thesis, indent the first line of new paragraphs.

Pagination

Don’t number the title page.
The front matter (aka the “Preliminary Pages”), that is the Abstract through the Statement of Contributions are numbered consecutively with lower-case Roman numerals placed at the bottom center of the page.
The body of the thesis (beginning with the first page of Chapter 1) through the List of References and Appendices are numbered consecutively with Arabic numerals placed in the top or lower right-hand corner of the page.
Don’t place the word “Page” before the page numbers.

Length of the Thesis:

A thesis is to be succinct and well-written:

50-110 pages of text for a Master’s thesis
150-300 pages of text for a Doctoral thesis

It is recognized that certain research topics may result in shorter or longer theses, but Master’s theses are not to exceed 150 pages. Theses exceeding these limits will be returned for editing unless special permission has been sought and received from the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research.

Headings and Subheadings

The number and title of each chapter (heading) is presented as the section on the Table of Contents and are centered on the page. Similarly, the number and title of each subdivision are presented as given in the Table of Contents and are aligned with the main body of the text along the left-hand side of the page.

Example:

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Chapter 1: Introduction

1.1. Nature and scope of the work

In this this thesis, I explore the question of how people learn to recognize familiar faces. The study of face recognition has a

long history beginning with ....

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Format of Citations and References

Reference to the work of others within the text (aka “in-text citations”) may be indicated in a variety of formats. And the information required for a reference list varies across disciplines, e.g., the order in which this information is listed, and the use of punctuation and underlining Use the system outlined in the style guide recommended by your supervisor/academic unit throughout your thesis. Additionally, if you want to use footnotes or chapter notes in your thesis, you should consult your supervisor on their use and format.

Format of Visual Elements (Tables, Figures, Plates)

Use clear titles and descriptions for visual elements (e.g. labels and legends for data points in a table).
If your visual element relies on different colours to represent various data points, consider adding patterns and labels to ensure accessibility for the visually impaired.
Location: Insert visual elements smaller than one page into the text of the thesis where the element is discussed. Place visual elements that take up an entire page on a separate page situated immediately before after the page containing the text where the element is discussed.

Binding (only if required)

Consult with your supervisor/academic unit about whether a bound copy is required (most don’t). If a bound copy is required, or if you want a bound copy of your thesis, binding is available through U of R Printing Services after you receive Library Approval: https://www.uregina.ca/is/printing/printing/bindery.html

Use high quality, white bond 8.5 x 11 inch (21.59 x 27.94 cm) paper throughout.
Print on one side of the paper only.
Left margin must be 1.5 inches (3.8 cm; to allow room for binding).
Size figures, graphs, plates or tables to fit 8.5 x 11 inch (21.59 x 27.94 cm) paper. If oversize visuals must be used: print and fold to reserve margin for binding.

Maps, suitably folded, may be placed in an envelope attached to the inner side of the back cover.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

When should a student opt for a collected manuscripts style thesis?

A: Students who have written two (Master’s) or three (PhD) or more manuscripts on their thesis topic that, as a package, tell a broader story about the work might find the collected manuscripts style thesis a good option. The manuscripts included cannot originate from works that were created to satisfy another academic requirement (e.g., a publication arising from a student’s Master’s thesis can’t be counted as one of the manuscripts in a doctoral thesis; a term paper written that was written to meet a course requirement cannot be re-used in a thesis).

What is the minimum number of manuscripts that are required for a collected manuscripts style thesis?

Two for a Master’s thesis and three for a doctoral thesis.

What exactly is considered to be a “manuscript”?

The key distinction between a traditional monograph style thesis and the collected manuscripts style thesis is with respect to the content each type of thesis includes, the process that led to the writing of that content, and the role of the supervisory committee. The content in a traditional monograph style thesis is specifically written with the overarching research question in mind, with input from the supervisory committee. The content in a collected manuscripts style thesis has already been written at the time the student begins preparing the thesis. The student is essentially bringing together a number of existing works to address a broader research question rather than specifically writing a new document to address this research question. Thus, any previously-written work that is deemed sufficiently substantive by the supervisory committee could potentially serve as a ‘manuscript’ for the purpose of a collected manuscripts style thesis. Normally, the work included in a Master’s thesis will have been written during the student’s Master’s program, and the work included in a doctoral thesis will have been written during the student’s doctoral program. The decision about whether a work can be considered a ‘manuscript’ for the purposes of inclusion in a thesis resides with the student’s supervisor and supervisory committee.

Do the manuscripts to be included in the thesis have to be published?

No. The manuscripts do not need to be published or even submitted for publication in order to be included in the thesis. The difference from a traditional monograph style thesis is that in a collected manuscripts style thesis the student is combining several existing papers they have already written on their thesis topic that, when considered as a set, tell a broader story than any one paper tells on its own.

Does the student have to be first author on co-authored manuscripts included in the thesis?

Normally, yes. However, first authorship means different things in different disciplines and the key consideration in all cases is whether the student has made a substantial intellectual contribution to the work. Students opting for the collected manuscripts style thesis must include an explicit statement in a Statement of Contributions section of the thesis that clearly outlines how they contributed to the work described in each manuscript in the thesis.

What if two students are co-authors on a paper that both wish to use in their thesis?

If more than one student who is first or second author on a co-authored manuscript wishes to include the same co-authored manuscript in their thesis, each thesis must include a signed agreement that details the contributions made by each author as an appendix. Please see the Guide for Preparing a Collected Manuscripts Style Thesis for details.

What happens if one or more of the manuscripts is already published?

If a manuscript to be included in the thesis is already published or has been accepted for publication, there is a good chance that the author has signed over copyright rights to the publisher. In this case, students will need to seek permission from the copyright holder to include the copyrighted materials in their thesis. Please see this page and the Guide for Preparing a Collected manuscripts style Thesis for further instructions on how to incorporate and acknowledge copyrighted materials in a thesis.

How does the format of a collected manuscripts style thesis differ from a traditional monograph style thesis?

In addition to the manuscripts, a collected manuscripts style thesis includes an Introduction section that introduces the broader research questions to be addressed in the thesis, provides an overview of the manuscripts, and includes a broader and deeper literature review than can typically be included in a published paper written for a more specialized audience. The thesis concludes with a Discussion section that explains how the manuscripts collectively address the research question, and come together to address broader themes that transcend those explored in the individual manuscripts.

Can a manuscript-style thesis literally just consist of two or three manuscripts collected together in a single document?

No. Students opting for the collected manuscripts style thesis will still need to write at least two new chapters: an Introduction and a Discussion. Like a traditional monograph style thesis, the collected manuscripts style thesis must include a comprehensive literature review that sets the stage for the work that follows, and conclude with a comprehensive discussion of the findings and insights yielded by the investigation. Although each individual manuscript will have its own brief literature review, the literature review that opens the thesis is not just a repetition of the focused literature reviews in the manuscripts. Rather, it is expected to be both broader and deeper than what might appear within a manuscript. The literature review should provide the necessary background for the reader to be able to anticipate and fully appreciate the overarching research question, which transcends the more focused research questions that are addressed in the individual manuscripts. Similarly, the presentation of the manuscripts must be followed by a robust, comprehensive Discussion section that summarizes the key insights of the investigation, relates the findings to the broader literature in the area, and describes the overall contribution of the thesis to the research area. Where appropriate, this section should include a discussion of methodological limitations and future research directions.

Each manuscript already has its own reference section/bibliography. Do I need to repeat these references in a ‘master’ reference list/bibliography at the end of the thesis?

No. The final reference section in the thesis should only include those works that have not already been cited elsewhere within the thesis, such as those cited within the Introduction and Discussion sections.

What is the role of the supervisory committee in the case of a collected manuscripts style thesis?

Because the work to be included in the thesis has already been completed, the supervisory committee does not have the same opportunity to contribute to the development of the research question and methodology as they would in a traditional monograph style thesis. Nevertheless, the supervisory committee can provide valuable feedback to the student on how to frame the overarching research questions, can make suggestions for what literature to review in the Introduction, and can assist the student in summarizing the key themes and conclusions drawn from the body of work.

What is the role of the External Examiner in the case of a collected manuscripts style thesis?

The role of the External Examiner is identical for collected manuscripts style and traditional monograph style theses. Irrespective of the style of the thesis, the supervisor, supervisory committee, and External Examiner all have the right to suggest or require changes to the thesis before approving it for defense. When changes are requested to a manuscript that has already been published, any changes (other than minor corrections of typographical errors or formatting) must be noted with footnotes in the thesis. If a comment requires a more substantive response, this should be addressed in a separate chapter following the manuscript. This could take the form of describing a hypothetical follow-up project, or describing how portions of the published work would be rewritten to address the concern if it were possible to do so.

Are there cases where it would be better for a student to opt for the traditional monograph style thesis?

Since the role of the supervisory committee is quite different when a student opts for a collected manuscripts style thesis over the traditional monograph style thesis, collected manuscripts style theses are only suitable for fully completed work where the supervisory committee is not expected to contribute to development of the methodology or data analysis.

The collected manuscripts style thesis option is most feasible when the papers to be included yielded clear, defensible conclusions. Papers that offer no clear answer to the research question are not likely to work well in this format because the student’s job is to tell a clear, coherent story that emerges from the collection of manuscripts, and transcends the narrative provided by any one of the manuscripts.

My articles have already been peer-reviewed. How does that factor in the evaluation of my manuscript thesis?

Students and supervisors should keep in mind that papers that were reviewed favourably by peer reviewers and journal editors may be assessed very differently by committee members. Prior publication of a manuscript in a high ranking journal does not override the committee members’ or External Examiner’s evaluation of the work. Further, the onus is on the student to explain how the compiled manuscripts included in the thesis answer a broader research question than any one of the manuscripts addresses on its own. Students who choose the collected manuscripts style thesis option are responsible for defending their methods and conclusions in an oral examination just as students opting for the traditional monograph style thesis are. Whether the work included in the thesis is of sufficiently high quality to meet the threshold for the degree sought remains within the purview of the supervisor, supervisory committee, and External Examiner.

One of my committee members has requested changes to a manuscript I’ve included in my thesis that has already been published. Can I change it?

Yes. However, if a portion of the manuscript is changed (other than minor corrections of typographical errors or formatting), a footnote should be added to the bottom of each page where a change was made explaining how the original manuscript was changed. If a comment requires a more substantive response (e.g., explaining what would have been done differently in light of what has been learned since the manuscript was originally written), this should be addressed in a separate chapter following the manuscript.

Should works cited in the manuscripts (and therefore listed in the manuscript’s Reference list) be included in the overall Reference section of the thesis?

No. Include only those references that appeared in the Introduction and Discussion sections of the thesis.

Where can I get more information about how to format a collected manuscripts style thesis?

Please consult the Guide for Preparing a Collected Manuscripts Style Thesis for detailed instructions on how to prepare a thesis in this format.

Who do I ask if I have questions not answered in this FAQ?

Please contact grad.defense@uregina.ca.