Format specifications

A copy of each honors thesis must be self-submitted in electronic form (exceptions to this policy are noted below).

General Formatting

1. General Format: Your thesis should be formatted so that the primary text is double spaced, is on a white background, and may be printed out (if necessary) on 8-1/2" x 11" paper. The left-hand margin should be 1-1/2" wide, all other margins at least 1".
   
   
2. Pagination: All prefatory material including the title page, abstract, preface, table of contents should be numbered in lower-case roman type (i, ii, iii, etc.). Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, etc.) should be used from the first page of your text all the way to the end, including any appendices, bibliography and illustrations.
   
   
3. Title Page: Strict adherence is required to the form of the title page illustrated in the sample. Information on the title page should use upper and lower case as indicated and include the name of the author, title, date (year) of graduation, and name of the department(s) or program(s) for which the thesis was written. For department or program names, use the form given in the Union College Academic Register. If you use a running title or “header” that is different from your main title, please also include it on the title page as indicated.
   
   
4. Footnote and Bibliography form: Consult your thesis advisor and the department for their requirements.
   
   
5. Title: A good title or subtitle ought to give a casual browser a fair idea of the nature of the material in the thesis.
   
   
6. Abstract: You will be required to submit an abstract which summarizes the procedure and findings of your thesis and lists your advisor(s).The abstract should immediately follow the title-page of your thesis. This will also be used to describe your work while self-submitting your thesis to the College’s Institutional Repository. In addition, you should come up with some basic keywords to enhance discoverability of your thesis in the Institutional Repository. These keywords will not need to be placed directly in your thesis text.

Saving and Submitting Your PDF

Submit one PDF file that includes a Title Page, Table of Contents (if available), Abstract, and the thesis content. This PDF file should have no restrictions or security implemented. Keywords to increase discoverability in our Institutional Repository should be manually entered on the online submission form. When saving your file to PDF format, use “reduce file size” to optimize storage.

Images: All images within these documents should not require outside applications (such as QuickTime) to display properly. Open your thesis file(s) on another, non-Mac computer to check this.

File Names: Please name your file(s) in the following fashion: 2021, underscore, your last name, your first initial. Example: 2021_SmithJ.

If you have more than one file, place numbers at the end.

• Example: 2021_SmithJ1, 2021_SmithJ2, 2021_SmithJ3.

If you are submitting more than one thesis, continue the numbers throughout.

• Example: Thesis 1: 2021_SmithJ1 ; Thesis 2: 2021_SmithJ2, 2021_SmithJ3

Exceptions to the Self-Submission Requirement

The library copy of any thesis or project work which cannot be submitted in print form (such as original works of art) should be discussed by the student with library staff at the time the work is submitted for final approval. (See contact information below.) The library staff will discuss options and, when possible, assist in making arrangements for representing this material in the College archive and in its thesis repository.

Audio and Video Formats: Submit audio or video files in a shared Google Drive folder directly to the respective department administrative assistant, checking to be sure that it can be played successfully on both Mac and Windows systems.

Contact information

For questions or additional information, contact digitalservices@union.edu