Office Of Graduate Studies Avoiding Format Problems In

Summary

OFFICE OF GRADUATE STUDIES
Avoiding Format Problems in
Thesis & Dissertation Document
The NJIT approved format for Master's Thesis and Doctoral Dissertations is given in the
second edition (1992 printing with the purple, gold, and white cover) of Guidelines for
Writing Thesis and Dissertations by Herman A. Estrin and Timothy E. Roche. This
document is out of print, and is on reserve in the NJIT Library

Most problems that have occurred in having final documents approved by the Office of
Graduate Studies can be traced to the failure to follow the official format guidelines. This
information is intended to assist graduate students and faculty advisors by listing the
most critical problems we have noted in the final review of documents by the Office of
Graduate Studies

GENERAL PROBLEMS
Copying a format used in a document submitted to NJIT prior to 2001

Failure to use a “spell-check” throughout the document and failure to check
spelling on figures and tables

Using a software to set up the document that does not conform to NJIT format;
failure to understand both the limitations and capabilities of software

Failure to have grammar and syntax reviewed prior to approval page sign-off by
the advisor and committee. Help is available through the HSS Department’s Dr

Janet Bodner, Associate Director, ESL Program

Inconsistency in capitalization (or inconsistent use of upper case) in titles,
headings, figures and tables

Inconsistency in the title of the document from the abstract to other
pages. Incorrect order of sections and front matter

1
2
PAPER QUALITY
The original document must be submitted in pdf format on a CD rom. The
printouts must be submitted on good quality, white, acid-free paper. Paper thin
enough to read the next page through it is unacceptable

Be careful of “off-white” paper boxed as white by off-campus discount vendors

ABSTRACT
The format and font size of the title should be the same as on the abstract page,
title page and the approval page

The description should be in third person and describe what was actually done in
the research. The importance of the topic, if it must be described, should be
limited to one or two sentences

TITLE PAGE
3
Incorrect spelling of names; incorrect academic titles of faculty members. Refer to
the Directory in the latest Graduate Catalog for correct spelling of names and faculty
ranks and titles. If you have any doubts check with the department secretary

Poor paper quality on approval pages

Inconsistent spacing between signature line and name below the signature line

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
Incorrect title or date of degree(s)

Incorrect spacing of lines Undergraduate or Graduate Education

It is preferable to have “New Jersey Institute of Technology” or any other
institutional name on a single line and not broken into parts on two lines

Under undergraduate and graduate education, include the most recent degree
(including the one being received)

Incorrect number of tabs

DEDICATION PAGE
Incorrect spelling of names;
Incorrect grammar, particularly tense or person

ACKNOWLEDGMENT PAGE
Incorrect spelling of names; incorrect or inconsistent capitalization

Spelling of “acknowledgment” (no “e” between “g” and “m”); although the
alternative spelling is becoming acceptable

TABLE OF CONTENTS, LIST OF TABLES AND LIST OF FIGURES
Inconsistency between the chapter, figure, or table titles identified in either the
Table of Contents, the List of Tables or the List of Figures. These must be
identical both in wording and capitalization

Omission of “Chapter”, “Table”, or “Page” in column headings

Failures to right-justify and properly align the page numbers

4
Failure to include or inconsistency in the use of dots leading from the title to the
page number. Most problems here are the result of inadequate knowledge of
word processor capabilities

Failure to use the word “(Continued)” in parentheses single-spaced and
boldfaced in the heading for second and following pages

Failure to use all caps in CHAPTER TITLES

5
TEXT
Inconsistency in format of chapter, section, and subsection heading from one
chapter to another

Inconsistent or inappropriate fonts and font sizes. Exceptionally large headings
because of use of certain types of software that do not match approved form;
chapter headings that appear in the middle of the page rather than at the top;
skewed (rather than centered) chapter headings. The font size for headings
should be the same as for the text (Arial or Times New Roman 12 point)

Unusual or inconsistent indentation or page numbering

Smaller tables broken to appear on two pages, or figures turned around the
wrong way or missing

Inadequate margins (required are: left 1.5 inches; right/top/bottom, 1 inch except that
page numbers appear in the footer at 0.5 inches from bottom and top margins)

Widows and Orphans. Sometimes these cannot be avoided. Acceptability will be
based on the professional appearance of the thesis with or without the pages
modified to avoid these

Facing pages and photographs not consistent with instructions in the
Estrin/Roche manuals. Facing page numbering should be noted as “facing page
45” (for example) at the upper left

Insufficient room for equations. Numbering equations by sections instead of by chapters

Page numbers not in bold or not located properly. They should be centered on
the bottom of the first page of each chapter and in the upper right hand corner of
subsequent pages and located within the margins. Appendix pages and
Reference pages should also numbered just like chapters. The font size for the
page numbers should be the same as for the text but must be bold

Section headings not handled properly at various levels. Subsections with 2
digits occur on the 4th line from the previous text. Subsections with 3 digits
appear on the 3rd line from the previous text

6
APPENDICES
Failure to provide a title and brief introductory description of what is contained in
each Appendix. Note the title of each Appendix should be in all caps

Appendices are identified by letters (e.g., APPENDIX A, APPENDIX B, etc.). If your
document has only one appendix there is no need to apply a letter (e.g., APPENDIX)

FIGURES, TABLES, AND EQUATIONS
The figure may be portrait (vertical) or landscape (sideways). If landscape is
used the bottom of the figure should face out (except on the facing page). The
page number will still appear in portrait layout

Numbering follows the chapter (e.g., Figure 1.1. Chapters 1, figure 1)

Samples of appropriate format are available in the sample document and on the
graduate studies web site

REFERENCES, WORK CITED
Improper use of quotation marks, italics, or underlines. Book titles should be
italicized or underlined but should not be in quotation marks. Each word should
be underlined individually

Inconsistency in capitalization or punctuation, or format. Be consistent. There are
a number of acceptable formats; some may be determined by the conventional
practice of particular disciplines. Be sure to end each line with a period

EndNote software is used for organizing references. If you use EndNote to
organize your references you can import the references from a database or add
your own reference and select the specific style and insert the references in to
the word document. You can download the EndNote software from
http://ist.njit.edu/software/display.php?id=338
For further reference, you may view:
http://library.njit.edu/researchhelpdesk/howto/cite.php

GENERAL PROBLEMS Copying a format used in a document submitted to NJIT prior to 2001. Failure to use a “spell-check” throughout the document and failure to check spelling on …

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do i contact the office of graduate studies?

We are available through Zoom by calling 1-669-900-6833 and using Meeting ID: 873 6694 4813 or through this link on Monday - Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Office of Graduate Studies serves as both the admissions and degree evaluations office for the over 40 graduate degree programs on campus.

What does the office of graduate studies do?

The Office of Graduate Studies serves as both the admissions and degree evaluations office for the over 40 graduate degree programs on campus. In collaboration with the academic college deans, graduate coordinators, and the graduate council, we also provide campus leadership and a vision for graduate education.

Where can i get help with graduate school applications?

Faculty and staff are available to assist you Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm. Reach us at [email protected] or call (813) 974-2846. Prof Development Do you have questions about how to apply to graduate school?