Formatting Guidelines

The Rackham Dissertation Format Guidelines make all dissertations legible, accessible, preservable, and uniform in presentation. The steps you take now to format your dissertation will improve the file for future readers.

• Legible: Following the guidelines for fonts, margins, and spacing makes the file easier to see and read.
• Accessible: Following guidelines for structure, links, and text equivalents makes the file usable across various technologies including assistive technologies.
• Preservable: Following guidelines for metadata and formatting makes the file more sustainable over the long term of changing formats and technologies.
• Uniform in presentation: Following all guidelines makes the file recognizable as a dissertation submitted in fulfillment of a University of Michigan degree.

For examples of what many of the guidelines look like when implemented, see Rackham’s Dissertation Handbook. We strongly encourage you to use one of the templates provided in the Library Guide. It will give you a head start, as the templates have most of these guidelines already built in.

File Format

• Submit dissertation as a PDF file (required)
• If you have supplemental materials (such as data) that should also be made publicly available and associated with your dissertation, consider reaching out to [email protected] for help determining whether these should be deposited into one of the Deep Blue repositories.

Structure/Accessibility

Use correct document structure and metadata, including using an accessibility checker if the software you are using (such as Adobe Acrobat) contains one. See the U-M Library’s Guide to Microsoft Word for Dissertations for more information.

Set Document Title (required)

• The Document Title is a special property of the PDF version of your file, and isn’t the same as the filename. It can’t be set until after you’ve created your PDF.
• Find information about setting the Document Title here, in the Run the Accessibility Checker section of the Library Guide.

Use Correct Headings (required)

• Use appropriate heading levels for section and subsection titles. Use “Heading 1” for main section titles (e.g. a Chapter), “Heading 2” for subsection titles (e.g. a Chapter section), and so on.
• Learn more about using Heading styles in Word in the Library Guide.

Set Document Language (required)

Setting the document language not only ensures that the spell checker will work properly, it enables screen readers to correctly navigate your document: learn how to set the Document Language for your Word document here.

Set the Language of Parts (Quotations, Sections) That Are Different from the Main Language

If you have block quotes or other extended sections of text that are in a different language from the main text, be sure to select that text and set the correct language for it using the process mentioned above.

Create Lists, Columns, and Other Structures by Using the Appropriate Structural Element (required if applicable)

Do not use the space bar, tab, or Enter/Return key to arrange text in apparent tables, lists, or columns. The software you are using to compose your text has tools for doing this.

Images, Figures, Tables, Media

• Include descriptive alt text for all images and figures (required if applicable). Read more about Alt Text here.
• Create tables by using the Table tools in your writing software. (Recommended.)
• Do not use images of tables. Screen readers will not be able to navigate the table if it’s merely an image of a table.

Styling

Margins

• Use at least 2 inch top margin on Title Page. (required)
• Use a 2 inch top margin on the first page of every chapter and major section (Acknowledgements, List of Figures, Bibliography, etc.)
• Use at least 1 inch margins (top, bottom, left, right) on all pages. (required)
• For further margin requirements, consult the style guide you are using for your document (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.)

Text, Fonts, Color, Spacing

• Use a legible font, size 12 point, black color for all body text. (required)
  • Recommended fonts include Times or Times New Roman (serif fonts) or Arial (sans-serif font).
  • Images and text within images may be in color.
• Make text of the same kind (all Heading 1’s, all Heading 2’s, all captions, all footnotes) visually equivalent (same font, size, and styling). (required).
  • Headings may be visually different from body text (bigger, bold) and no bigger than size 16 point.
  • Font size for footnotes, endnotes, captions, tables, figures, and equations may be smaller than the body text and no less than 9 point.
• Make hyperlink text (text that links to a Web URL) blue and underlined. (required)
  • Text in the Front Matter that links to a location within the dissertation (from the Table of Contents, for example) should not be underlined or outlined as hyperlinks.
• Use embedded fonts. (required). This is a step in the process of saving your file to PDF. Read more about how to embed fonts when saving a PDF from Word in this section of the Library Guide.
• Use either 1.5 line or double line spacing throughout for all body text. (required)
• Use single line spacing for text in tables, lists, footnotes/endnotes, figure/table legends/captions, and bibliographic entries (with a blank line between each citation or entry). (recommended)

Numbering and Page Numbering

• The Library’s Guide to Microsoft Word for Dissertations has information about how to set Word to automatically number your chapters, section headings, figures, tables, and pages. With that in place, it will also be able to create your Table of Contents, and List of Figures/Tables/Appendices automatically.
• Number chapters consecutively and name them as follows: Chapter [#] [Title of Chapter]. For example, Chapter 1 Introduction. (required)
• Include the chapter number and name as a heading on the first page of chapter and in the Table of Contents.
• Number all tables, figures, appendices, etc. consecutively and name them as follows: Table [#] [Caption/Title/Legend]. (required)
• Tables, Figures, etc. may be numbered simply using whole numbers throughout the document (Figure 1, Figure 2, Figure 3) or by combining the chapter number and table, figure, etc. number per chapter (Figure 2.1, Figure 2.2, Figure 3.1). Choose one system from an appropriate style guide and use it consistently.
• Include a List of Figures, List of Tables, etc. in the front matter if the dissertation includes more than one figure, table, illustration, appendix, etc. (required if applicable)
• List of Figures (or List of Tables, List of Illustrations, List of Appendices, etc.) includes the title of each, its caption/title/legend, and page number on which it begins.
• Include page numbers in the front matter, centered in the footer, using lowercase Roman numerals, beginning on page ii (the first page after the Identifier/Copyright page). (required)
• Include page numbers in the dissertation text and following sections, centered in the footer, using Arabic numerals, beginning on page 1. (required)

Components of the Dissertation

Include the following components, in the following order. All required components must be included.

Use the page numbering conventions given below. Every section below starts on a new page with 2 inch top margin.

Title Page (required)

• No page number. No page count.
• See Dissertation Handbook for format.
• See section below for details of component requirements.

Frontispiece (Illustration or Epigraph) (optional)

No page number. No page count.

Identifier/Copyright Page (required)

• No page number. Start page count here.
• See section below for details of component requirements.

Dedication (optional)

• Page numbers required. Start lowercase Roman numerals (starting with ii) here.
• Acknowledgements (optional)
• Page numbers required. Lowercase Roman numerals.

Preface (optional)

Page numbers required. Lowercase Roman numerals.

Table of Contents (required)

Page numbers required. Lowercase Roman numerals. See this page of the Library Guide for more information.

List of Tables, List of Figures, etc. (required if applicable)

• A List of Tables or Figures is required if there is more than one table, etc.
• Page numbers required. Lowercase Roman numerals.
• See this page of the Library Guide for more information.

List of Illustrations/Photos (required if applicable)

Page numbers required. Lowercase Roman numerals.

List of Appendices (required if applicable)

Page numbers required. Lowercase Roman numerals. See this page of the Library Guide for more information.

List of Abbreviations, List of Acronyms, List of Symbols (optional)

Page numbers required. Lowercase Roman numerals.

Abstract (required)

Page numbers required. Lowercase Roman numerals.

Dissertation Text (required)

• Page numbers required. Start Arabic numerals here.
• Appendices (optional)
• Page numbers required. Arabic numerals.

Bibliography or Reference section(s). (required)

Page numbers required. Arabic numerals. Insert at the end of each chapter, or the end of the dissertation, in the format preferred by the discipline.

Title Page Components

Include the following components on the title page, in the following order. Begin each item on a new line. Refer to the Dissertation Handbook for format and layout, and remember that the templates available in the Library Guide include much of this already.

• At least 2 inch top margin on Title Page. (required)
• Complete dissertation title, centered, and capitalized in title case. (required)
• The word “by,” centered, followed on a new line by author name, centered. (required)
  • Your author name should match your legal name or preferred name in Wolverine Access
  • You may use initial(s) for middle name(s).
• The following text, including line breaks, centered and single line-spaced. (required)
  • Enclose the name of the program in parentheses:

    A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of NAME OF DEGREE (NAME OF PROGRAM) in The University of Michigan YEAR

• The text, “Doctoral Committee:” left justified. (required)
• Names of committee members with correct titles, left justified and indented. (required)
  • List chair or co-chairs first (in alphabetical order by surname if more than one) with “Chair” or “Co-Chair” after their titles and names.
  • List other committee members in alphabetical order, by last name.
  • Include for each committee member:
    • Professor rank (e.g., Professor, Associate Professor, Assistant Professor, Emeritus Professor) or title (e.g., Dr.)
    • Complete full name
    • Affiliation, if not affiliated with University of Michigan (e.g., name of university, college, corporation, or organization)

Identifier/Copyright Page Components

Include the following components on the identifier/copyright page, in the following order. Begin each item on a new line, centered.

• Your full legal name. (required)
• Your @umich.edu email address. (required)
• Your ORCID iD. (Required except for A.Mus.D students)
• ORCID iD is a unique digital identifier that you control and that distinguishes you from other researchers. More info at org.
• ORCID iD profile URL recommended, but not required.
• Copyright notice. (Recommended.)
• Copyright notice notifies readers that you hold the copyright to this work and when it was established.
• Use the following format: © Full Name YEAR

Before submission, double-check that:

• All numbered series (pages, chapters, tables, figures, etc.) are consistently formatted and consecutive throughout the document.
• All entries in table of contents and any lists match contents as titled/ordered in the dissertation text.
• References/Bibliography entries are complete, and match the formatting preference of your discipline.

More Support

• Dissertation Handbook
• Library Guide to Microsoft Word for Dissertations
• Library Workshops
• The “Take Command of Your Dissertation with Microsoft Word” workshop is generally offered by the University Library every three to four weeks. A LaTeX workshop is offered only occasionally. If you have a group of six or more people, the Library can arrange a workshop specifically for your group – Word or LaTeX.

Follow guidelines as above, except for these specifics (review the DMA Formatting Guidelines PDF).

Music Performance and Music Conducting

• Music Performance and Music Conducting uses the same formatting rules as a dissertation, replacing “Chapters” with “Recitals”.
• Review the Music Performance and Music Conducting table of contents example.

Music Composition

• Music Composition uses the same formatting rules as a dissertation for the front matter.
• Front matter pages have one inch margins with the composition itself having one half to one inch depending on the composition size.
• Page numbers for the composition itself are usually alternated top left and top right. All composition pages must have page numbers.
• Must say “A composition submitted…” rather than “A dissertation submitted…” on title page.
• Review the Music Composition table of contents example.