| dissertation requirements |
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Submissions of completed dissertations are to be made directly to the Library to Doris Oliver. Students should be sure and review the specifications below prior to submitting their report. Reports that do not meet set guidelines will not be accepted.
Archived Stevens Doctoral Dissertations by Stevens students are available on microfilm on the 3rd floor of the Library, room 322, or online via Proquest Dissertations from 1987 through present. Dissertations can be accessed through Special Collections. To view a specific report, fill out a thesis request form or make an appointment with Doris Oliver in Special Collections.
Any questions about submitting a dissertation should be directed to: Doris Oliver
Assistant Curator
Phone: 201.216.5415
Fax: 201.216.8319
doris.oliver@stevens.edu | report specifications |
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Three copies of the dissertation (1 original and 2 copies, either xerographic, photocopied, offset or letter quality printer) are to be supplied to the Library. In addition, an abstract independent of the document is to be supplied to the Library. The announcement for Ph.D. dissertation defense is to be given to The Office of the Registrar at least 1½ weeks prior to the defense. A sample defense announcement can be found in sample pages.
You must hand in your dissertation in person to Doris Oliver. If Doris is not available, Nydia Cruz can also accept dissertations. Dissertations cannot be mailed to the Library and cannot be handed in by another person.
Doris Oliver is available to accept dissertations from 9:30am - 1:00pm and 2:00pm - 4:00 pm, M-F. Appointments are not necessary but are highly recommended.
Publication Agreement and Survey Forms
The UMI Publication Agreement Form and a Survey of Earned Doctorates Form are submitted with the dissertation. The forms are available from Doris Oliver and online. Both forms must be completed and returned to Doris Oliver with the final dissertation. The UMI Publication Agreement Form includes the application form. This should be read, filled out and returned to Doris Oliver. The Survey of Earned Doctorates form is available online in two documents: the Survey of Earned Doctorates brochure and the Survey of Earned Doctorates form online. UMI also provides a brochure on privacy as it relates to dissertations.
Use of Previously Published work in your dissertation
If you are including previously published material as part of your dissertation, either as an appendix or as part of the body of your paper, you must obtain written permission from the publisher to have the work included as part of your paper. Even if you are the author of the published material, you still must get permission from the publisher.
UMI/Proquest provides this guide to understanding copyright and copyright infringement: http://www.proquest.com/assets/downloads/products/UMI_CopyrightGuide.pdf
UMI/Proquest also includes information written by Kenneth Crews, a professor at Indiana University on the issue of copyright. His work covers how to request permission from publishers, and sample permission letters: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/copyright/
It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that all portions of their dissertation adhere to copyright law.
Binding and Microfilm fee for Doctoral Dissertation
The present fee for Doctoral Dissertations is $220.00 ($110.00 for binding and $110.00 for microfilming). Checks should be made payable to Stevens Institute of Technology and are due when the paper is submitted. The present fee (binding and microfilming fees) is not part of the graduation fee.
Submission Date
The Office of the Registrar is responsible for setting submission deadlines for dissertations. Dissertations should be submitted by the last day of classes as set on the Academic Calendar. Date extensions are only given through the Office of the Registrar.
Doctoral Dissertation Processing
Once the dissertation has been accepted, one copy is sent for microfilm processing and is available electronically within the Stevens network. All copies are professionally bound, and upon their return to the Library, one is cataloged and becomes part of the Library's collection. The two additional copies and are sent to the department. Students wanting to have additional copies of their dissertation bound may do so at their own expense. The Library can refer them to an outside bindery company (not affiliated with Stevens) with whom they can make their own arrangements.
Title Page requirements
The title page of the dissertation must contain the report title, student name, degree, name of chairman of the advisory committee, names of all members of the advisory committee, and the year the dissertation was completed. It must be in the format shown in the examples shown in sample pages. For more information see the formatting requirements section below.
Copyright / Registration of Copyright
All "original works of authorship" are protected under copyright law when the work is created. A page stating the date and name of the author can be included in the report but is not required, as copyright protection occurs automatically upon the creation of the work. To state copyright protection, a copyright page may be included in the thesis or dissertation after the title page.
The copyright of the dissertation can be registered, which may have certain legal advantages for the copyright owner, including easier prosecution of copyright infringement. Registration of the copyright is optional. Registration can be done by the author directly with the United States Copyright Office or UMI can register the copyright for an additional $65 fee. For more information, see Doris Oliver or view copyright registration information on the UMI website at UMI Proquest copyright registration .
Including an additional page after the title page with copyright information is optional, and works are still copyrighted without it. The copyright text should use the author's name and should be worded as "© 200X, Firstname M. Lastname. All rights reserved." To see an example of a copyright page, see sample pages.
Abstract
An abstract of 350 words or less, not including the title, is required for all dissertations, theses and reports. One extra, loose copy of your abstract is required for the library. In addition, an abstract is required as part of the PhD.
The abstract should be structured according to the formatting requirements. To see a sample abstract, see sample pages.
Dissertation Defense Announcement
For Ph.D. dissertations, the defense announcement must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar at least 1½ weeks prior to the scheduled date of defense. To see an example of a dissertation defense announcement, see the sample pages.
Paper
The original copy of the dissertation must be produced on good quality 8½" x 11", 20 pound acid-free white paper. The paper should not be stapled, punched, bound, colored or printed on letterhead.
The two additional copies of the dissertation can be photocopied or produced on copier or laser paper.
Ink
Black ink only
Margins
LEFT and TOP 1½"; RIGHT and BOTTOM 1".
Pagination
Pages must be printed single sided only.
Page Numbers
Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3…) must appear in the upper right-hand corner of every page starting with the first page of the body of the paper (usually the introduction or the first page of the first chapter). If it is necessary to print some pages in landscape format or if oversize pages or materials are necessary, adjust formatting so that the page number on these pages will appear in the upper right-hand corner of the page when the document is bound. Page numbers appear on every page of the body of the document, including the bibliography and the vita.
Lower case Roman numerals (i, ii …) must be used for the pages appearing before the body of the paper (called the front matter). The title page is considered page i, but there is no page number printed on the title page. The copyright page (if it is included) is considered page ii, but there is no page number printed on the copyright page. The remainder of the front matter (abstract, table of contents, etc.) is numbered with lowercase Roman numerals, starting with page iii (if no copyright page is used, the first page of the front matter is printed with page number ii).
If LaTeX or similar report producing programs are used, verify all document page layouts, such as margins and page number placement, even if you are using predefined document macros or classes. For questions about document layout and formatting, please see Doris Oliver.
Using LaTeX
The Library has a LaTeX template available for students to use. Using the template is optional, and it is provided to help students with layout of the title page and report numbering. If a LaTex program file is used that has been set up by someone else, all margins, page numbers and layout must conform to the standards as they are defined here. The requirements may have changed over time and must conform to current standards.
Spacing
The entire paper must be double spaced. Single spacing may be used for footnotes, quotations, and the bibliography.
Diagrams, Charts, Tables and other Illustrations
Graph paper may be used for original drawings, charts or illustrations. Original drawings may be in color or black and white, however, color is allowed for illustrations only; all text must appear in black. The original thesis must contain the original graphic or illustration, not a photocopy of the drawing, graphic or illustration.
If formulas and diagrams contain subscript and superscript characters, ensure they are large enough to read when printed in the final paper.
Computer Printouts
Any computer printouts must be on white paper, 8½" x 11". Larger printouts must be photoreduced producing a clear, accurate final copy.
Photographs
Glossy prints of good reproducible quality, either black or white or color may be used. Photographs can be printed on 8½" x 11" glossy finish paper, however, margin and page number requirements as stated above still apply for pages containing photographs. When attaching photographs to paper, double-sided tape may be used which causes the least amount of damage to the original paper.
Footnotes and Bibliography
The format of footnotes and the bibliography are to be prepared in accordance with standard practice in the field in which one is working. Documentation formatting style must be discussed with and accepted by the advisor. See further information on Reference Styles below.
Typeface
The suggested typeface for dissertations is 10 to 12 point Arial. Other suggested fonts are Times New Roman and Helvetica. Script and italic fonts should not be used except as needed in the body of the paper. Consistency should be maintained throughout the paper, using the same font for all text, diagrams, etc. on all pages.
Electronic material
Electronic material, such as CDs and multimedia can accompany the dissertation. Each copy should be accompanied with a labeled CD. When bound, these are placed in an envelope in the back of the dissertation.
Oversized materials
Oversized materials (pages greater than 8½" x 11") can be included in the paper if necessary. Oversized pages should be folded so that 1½" on the left hand binding edge remains, allowing the page to be opened once the paper is bound.
Reference styles
The reference style used for formatting the paper must be confirmed with your department and advisor. Frequently used styles are the APA (American Psychological Association), MLA (Modern Language Association) and AMA (American Medical Association) styles. Style guides and manuals are available for each style. Page headers are not to be used.
Information regarding specific styles and their use with citations use can be found at citing sources. | formatting requirements |
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The document should be arranged in the following order:
Title Page:
- Follow the applicable title page format for the type of paper you are writing. The three (3) copies which you submit must be signed by YOU AND ALL MEMBERS OF THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE. Please type the Advisor's name and any Committee Member's names under the lines for signatures. See sample title pages in Sample Pages .
- The title page included with the original copy of the dissertation must contain original signatures. If the title page is formatted incorrectly, the candidate (you) will need to obtain new original signatures from all the signers. The two copies of the thesis or dissertation can have copies of the original title page.
- The degree you are obtaining must be on the title page as "Doctor of Philosophy".
- The name of the school (e.g. Charles V. Schaefer, Jr. School of Engineering & Science, School of Systems & Enterprises, Howe School of Technology Management) does NOT appear on the title page.
- The title page cannot be scanned.
- The title page counts as the first page of the paper (i), but does not have a page number printed on it.
- Sample Title Page
Copyright Page:
- Appears after the title page.
- The copyright page (if it is used) counts as the second page of the paper (ii), but does not have a page number printed on it.
- The copyright page is not required.
Abstract page(s) containing:
- Title of document on top;
- Abstract of document (350 words or fewer);
- Author's name on bottom;
- Advisor's name on bottom;
- Date on bottom;
- Department at bottom;
- Degree on bottom;
- The abstract should be the first page where page numbers appear, starting with page number iii (or page ii if a copyright page is not included). All pages after the abstract up to the first page of the body of the document continue with lower case Roman numerals (iii, iv, v, etc.)
- Note: 1 extra, loose copy of your abstract is required for the Library. In addition, an abstract is required as part of the Ph.D defense announcement to be submitted to the Office of the Registrar at least 1½ weeks prior to the scheduled date of defense.
Dedication Page (optional)
Acknowledgments
Table of Contents
List of Tables
List of Figures
List of Symbols
Body of Document:
If your department or advisor does not require a specific writing or formatting style, it is still advisable to refer to a standard style manual. The first page of the body of the document is page number 1, and is the first page to switch to Arabic page numbering (1,2,3...). The body of the document is arranged in chapters and sections usually (but not necessarily) including:
- Introduction
- Literature Review
- Experimental or Computational Procedures (if any)
- Results
- Recommendations (if any)
- Summary and Conclusions
- Appendices
- References
- Bibliography
Vita, required for Dissertations, to be placed at end of the document showing:
- Date and place of birth
- Education
- Industrial Experience
- Publications
- Honors
- Other biographical data of interest
| sample pages |
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These are sample pages only. Please see contact Doris Oliver for questions or special circumstances (dual degree, interdepartmental research, etc.)
Sample Pages:
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