1. Thesis formatting and layout
- Font size: 12 p, spacing: one and a half lines.
- Use fonts used in publications (e.g. Times New Roman).
- Justified lines.
- First line indentation: at least 1-1.5 cm.
- Margins: 2.5 cm right margin, 2.5 cm left margin.
- Page numbers should be in Arabic numbers aligned in the centre at the top or bottom of the page.
- The first numbered page of the thesis should be the table of contents created with a text editor. (Reminder: MS Word can generate a table of contents (TOC) automatically only if the appropriate level “Heading” is applied to the chapter/section titles.)
- Smaller font size and single line spacing without justified lines may be used in annexes, appendices, tables, illustrations and their captions.
- Figures, diagrams and tables should be numbered separately. Each figure, diagram and table should have a title and a source in addition to a number. The title should be above and the source should be below the figure, diagram or table.
- Numberings should be continuous throughout the thesis, e.g.: Table 1, Table 2, Figure 1, Figure 2, Annex I, Annex II, etc. To ensure this, automatic numbering should be used through, for example, the References/ Insert caption command.
- Tables, diagrams and images may only be inserted in the body if they are exhaustively analysed. Otherwise, they should be inserted as annexes or appendices.
- Decorations for their own sake should be avoided: illustrations that have only loose relation to the text and do not serve the exploration and understanding of the topic have no place in the thesis. Clarity and transparency should be the main focus when creating figures and diagrams.
- Titles of the same level should be formatted identically: this is just another argument for using the “Heading” styles.
- Chapters and subchapters (sections and subsections) should be numbered consistently, e.g. 1.1, 1.2, 1.2.1, etc. Using more than three chapter levels should be avoided.
- New chapters should always begin on a new page, subchapters may be written continuously. However, only place a new subchapter heading at the bottom of a page if not less than two lines of text fits under it.
- Information that breaks the train of thought in a thesis and remarks of minor importance are recommended to be inserted as footnotes. Footnotes should be placed at the bottom of the page with continuous Arabic numbers (not restarting at every new chapter).
