what is a thesis manuscript

The Difference Between a Manuscript, Thesis, and Dissertation

By DALE JACKSON

When submitting academic work for consideration, there is a lot to consider. You need to be aware of referencing and formatting styles, not to mention your style, tone, and of course, spelling and grammar. But what exactly are you submitting? Is it a thesis, a manuscript, or a dissertation? Knowing the difference will assist in your academic journey.

 First and foremost, a thesis consists of a statement. During the writing process, your opinion needs to be investigated. Whether or not it is proven is not relevant; the thesis is a collection of your research and results—whatever they may be. Once you have a thesis statement, it helps to narrow down your research and provides a great starting block for your writing.

While the terms thesis and dissertation are often used interchangeably, some people think of them differently. Dissertations are usually book length, and can consist of years of original research on a topic.

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To clarify, a dissertation is a lengthier, more in-depth version of a thesis.

Manuscripts can be considered as condensed parts of a thesis or dissertation. Whereas a thesis has a lengthy introduction, a manuscript is shorter and more to the point. It is possible to write several shorter manuscripts from one thesis since less information is required.

So, if a dissertation is the longest, most in-depth study, a thesis is a shorter version of the same thing. Manuscripts may be produced from sections of dissertations or theses, and are more focused in their content.

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Manuscript-Style Theses and Dissertations

Before you begin, what is a manuscript-style thesis.

A manuscript-style thesis is a document that includes one or more scholarly manuscripts written in a manner suitable for publication in appropriate venues. A manuscript-style thesis allows a student to prepare and present his or her graduate research work in a format that facilitates publication.

A manuscript-style thesis is not, however, merely a collection of published or publishable papers. It must meet the principles and objectives required of a thesis .

Who can submit a manuscript-style thesis?

Number and focus of manuscripts.

Although the Advisory Committee will discuss and approve the number and focus of manuscripts at the proposal stage, this may be modified by agreement of the committee as the research progresses. Such revisions must be approved by the supervisor and Advisory Committee.

Principles of Manuscript-Style Thesis Writing

Consistent with CGPS Policies and Procedures , all theses and dissertations must be written in good scholarly style and conform to the requirements approved by the academic unit. The following are intended to act as guidelines for minimum requirements in the creation of a manuscript-style thesis. Academic units may choose to provide additional discipline-specific instructions.

Choosing the format

The format and style of a thesis may differ from department to department, and from discipline to discipline. The student’s academic unit will identify an acceptable format for the thesis and communicate it to the student, and the style selected must be maintained throughout the thesis.

Consistency

Consistency of format and style is essential in a manuscript-style thesis to produce a coherent and defendable document which will satisfy the principles of a thesis. Consistency will help maintain the integrity of the document as a cohesive whole and sustain the clarity required to facilitate the review of the thesis by the Advisory Committee and Examining Committee. 

Grammar, spelling and punctuation

Accepted rules of grammar must be followed, and forms of spelling and punctuation must be used with consistency.

Previously published manuscripts

Even if a manuscript was published in a particular format, when included as a chapter in a thesis, it will match the formatting standard of the thesis. For example, it is expected that the numbering of tables and figures within chapters should be done for the thesis as a whole, which means that there should not be two tables or two figures in the thesis with the same number. Previously published manuscripts should not simply be inserted into the thesis as copies of journal pages.

To ensure consistency and clarity in presentation, previously published materials should be assigned page numbers that are sequential within the thesis, and page numbers as they may have been assigned within the publication must be removed. The page numbers assigned within the publication will be included in the citation.

Chapter layout

Chapters of the thesis need to be numbered sequentially. Subsections, tables, figures and equations within each chapter will be assigned a unique number, (for example, use the chapter number followed by a sequentially increasing number, separated by a period, i.e. 1.1, 1.2, 1.3…), with no two elements of the same type having the same number. This will help ensure the clarity of the document and ease of navigation for the Examining Committee.

These can either be listed chapter-by-chapter, or be presented in a single list at the end of the thesis. If the chapter-by-chapter approach is adopted, each chapter, including chapters that are not manuscripts (such as the introduction and concluding chapters), requires a list of references.

If a single list appears at the end of the thesis, all references cited in the component manuscripts must be included in the list of references at the end of the thesis.

Getting Started

The thesis is a single cohesive document that presents and describes the entirety of the research work that was conducted as part of the graduate degree. Individual manuscripts in a manuscript-style thesis should fit together into a single body of work to achieve the goals of the thesis.

The manuscript-style thesis, as with any thesis, will develop a general theme that presents the candidate’s research work; it must include an introduction that outlines the theme and objectives of the research, and a conclusion that draws out its overall implications. The different chapters or sections will contribute to the general theme, but the substance of each chapter should focus on a different aspect of the research.

 As the thesis needs to be a single body of work, there needs to be some content of the thesis that deals with the thesis as a whole and unifies it into a single document. How this content is arranged may vary from discipline to discipline, and from thesis to thesis.

Introduction and Literature Review

The purpose of the introduction and review of literature is to

establish the student’s familiarity with relevant work in the field;

establish the purpose and objectives of the research;

place the research within the larger context of the discipline;

and provide overall context for the research manuscript(s).

The introduction should establish the central aim and themes of the research and explain how these are addressed in the various manuscripts making up the thesis. In some disciplines, a separate literature review (possibly as a distinct manuscript) will be a stand-alone chapter, rather than be included in the Introduction; while in other disciplines, the literature review may be incorporated as part of the manuscripts.

Methods (optional)

If appropriate to the discipline, a discussion of methodology, either as its own chapter, a section in the Introduction or, depending on the context, a section in each individual manuscript can be a necessary part of the thesis.

The manuscripts should fit together in the thesis much as chapters would normally fit together in any thesis. Specifically, it needs to be clear to the reader how each manuscript included in the thesis contributes to the overall objectives of the thesis outlined in the abstract and introduction, and should tie each manuscript to the overall aims of the research project.

There needs to be a clear and logical progression from one chapter to the next, so that the thesis functions as a complete and unified whole with a clear singular research project as its focus. How the author of the thesis accomplishes this task is at the discretion of the author, the Advisory Committee and, if available, the policies of the academic unit.

It may be useful to have short transition sections appended either to the beginning or end of appropriate manuscripts that explain the progression from one manuscript to the next; however, this transition may also be accomplished in the introductory and concluding chapters.

Manuscript(s)

Each manuscript should have its own chapter. While the manuscript may be a published document, the format of the document in its role as a component of the thesis must be consistent with the thesis as a whole, regardless of the format in which the document was published (see comments on formatting above).

The manuscript content may also differ from the published version, and may include additional tables, figures or text, as required to ensure clarity. The format of the manuscript would normally include a brief introduction and statement of the research problem; synthesis of the literature; description of research methods and study area (if applicable); analysis, and presentation and discussion of results.

Manuscript length may vary and is at the discretion of the Advisory Committee, although the intent is to emulate the norms of publication or presentation in the discipline.

Discussion and Conclusions

The final chapter revisits the main contributions or findings of the research manuscript(s) within the broader context of the literature and discipline, linking the findings of each manuscript back to the literature  identified  in the introduction. Directions for future research are normally identified in this section, as well as any limitations to the research overall.

Each thesis is required to contain a concluding section that relates the individual manuscripts, and the conclusions drawn in those manuscripts, to the overarching goal of the thesis.

Appendices and Supporting Documentation

Material that is not part of the research manuscript(s) but deemed necessary by the student’s Advisory Committee as supporting documentation (e.g. research instruments; raw data summaries; copyright permissions, additional site descriptions, etc.) should be included in Appendices.

If there are changes suggested to published manuscripts (i.e., chapters of the thesis) through the defence process, these changes may be addressed and included in a separate appendix at the end of the thesis, if copyright issues are a concern, or if it disrupts the flow of a published manuscript to make the changes within the published chapter itself. This consideration is for published manuscripts only.

Co-authored Manuscripts

These can be included in the thesis, if acceptable to the student’s Advisory Committee and approved by the academic unit. The Advisory Committee will confirm that the student has made a substantial contribution to each of the manuscripts, and determine that the paper merits inclusion in the thesis.

There is no limit to the number of co-authors.

Expectations

In a manuscript-style thesis, it is expected that the author of the thesis will be the lead author on at least one manuscript included in the thesis.

The manuscript-style thesis may include both published and unpublished manuscripts. However, the publication status of each manuscript should be clearly indicated.

For each published article, a complete citation, including first and last page numbers and recognition of the copyright holder, should be printed at the beginning of the manuscript.

To assist the Examining Committee in assessing work involving multiple authors, the student should include an explicit statement in the thesis describing his/ her original contributions to the paper in detail, and justifying the inclusion of the paper in the thesis. Individual disciplines and academic units may require further acknowledgment of contributions.

Where there may be two students who will include the same manuscript in two separate theses, each student should acknowledge the existence of the other thesis, and the fact that the manuscript appears in both theses.

Co-authors should understand obligations prior to thesis preparation

There may be cases when the student, supervisor(s) and other research collaborators are co-owners of the intellectual property presented within the thesis, and they may also be co-authors of the manuscript(s). Prior to preparing the thesis, all associated individuals should understand their respective obligations related to data confidentiality (if applicable), copyright, and authorship. The nature of these obligations will vary with discipline and with the specific policies of the academic unit.

With the approval of the academic unit, the same manuscript may appear in more than one thesis if multiple students are co-authors on the manuscript, and each made a significant contribution to the research and preparation of the manuscript.

Unpublished papers

For a paper that has been submitted but not yet published, a statement concerning the status of any dealing or contemplated dealing with the copyright or the auspices under which the work was prepared should be printed at the beginning of the manuscript.

Changes to original manuscript

Review of the thesis.

The merits of the manuscript-style thesis will be judged on the criteria outlined at the beginning of this guide and by the defence processes outlined for all theses. The judgement of the thesis rests with the Examining Committee (Advisory Committee plus the External Examiner) and is independent of, and separate from, any judgement (favourable or unfavourable) related to the acceptance of individual papers for publication or presentation within the relevant discipline.

Similar to all other theses, everything in the thesis is subject to review, criticism and possible revision following the oral defence.

Notwithstanding the status of a manuscript considered for publication by other means, the form and content of the thesis must be deemed acceptable by the External Examiner and a majority of  the Examining Committee in order for the student to complete the degree requirements.

It is the responsibility of the student and any co-authors of material included in the thesis to obtain from all copyright holders written permission to include copyrighted material in the thesis. Written permission must be obtained from any co-author who retains copyright, or from the person to whom the co-author has assigned copyright.

Any payment which might be required by the rights holder(s) is the responsibility of the student. The thesis should indicate that copyrighted and/or co-authored material have been printed either “with permission” or “under license” (either by a statement in the preface or on the first page of each article).

Copies of the letters of permission or licenses must be available upon request and may be included within the thesis as appendices. Given this, it would be good practice for students to inform the journals to which they submit manuscripts that these manuscripts may eventually be included within a manuscript-style thesis.

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How To Write a Manuscript? Step-by-Step Guide to Research Manuscript Writing

Getting published for the first time is a crucial milestone for researchers, especially early career academics. However, the journey starting from how to write a manuscript for a journal to successfully submitting your scientific study and then getting it published can be a long and arduous one. Many find it impossible to break through the editorial and peer review barriers to get their first article published. In fact, the pressure to publish, the high rejection rates of prestigious journals, and the waiting period for a publication decision may often cause researchers to doubt themselves, which negatively impacts research productivity.

While there is no quick and easy way to getting published, there are some proven tips for writing a manuscript that can help get your work the attention it deserves. By ensuring that you’ve accounted for and ticked the checklist for manuscript writing in research you can significantly increase the chances of your manuscript being accepted.

In this step‐by‐step guide, we answer the question – ­­ how to write a manuscript for publication – by presenting some practical tips for the same.

As a first step, it is important that you spend time to identify and evaluate the journal you plan to submit your manuscript to. Data shows that 21% of manuscripts are desk rejected by journals, with another approximately 40% being rejected after peer review 1 , often because editors feel that the submission does not add to the “conversation” in their journal.  Therefore, even before you actually begin the process of manuscript writing, it is a good idea to find out how other similar studies have been presented. This will not only give you an understanding of where your research stands within the wider academic landscape, it will also provide valuable insights on how to present your study when writing a manuscript so that it addresses the gaps in knowledge and stands apart from current published literature.

The next step is to begin the manuscript writing process. This is the part that people find really daunting. Most early career academics feel overwhelmed at this point, and they often look for tips on how to write a manuscript to help them sort through all the research data and present it correctly. Experts suggest following the IMRaD (Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion) structure that organizes research findings into logical sections and presents ideas and thoughts more coherently for readers.

• The introduction  should state the research problem addressed in your study and highlight its significance in your research domain. A well-crafted introduction is a key element that will compel readers to delve further into the body of your manuscript.
• The materials and methods  section should include what you did and how you conducted your research – the tools, techniques, and instruments used, the data collection methods, and details about the lab environment. Ensuring clarity in this section when writing a manuscript is critical for success.
• The results  section must include complete details of the most significant findings in your study and indicate whether you were able to solve the problem outlined in the introduction. In your manuscript writing process, remember that using tables and figures will help to simplify complex data and results for readers.
• The discussion  section is where you evaluate your results in the context of existing published literature, analyze the implications and meaning of your findings, draw conclusions, and discuss the impact of your research.

You can learn more about the IMRaD structure and master the art of crafting a well-structured manuscript that impresses journal editors and readers in this  in-depth course for researchers , which is available free with a Researcher.Life subscription.

When writing a manuscript and putting the structure together, more often than not, researchers end up spending a lot of time writing the “meat” of the article (i.e., the Methods, Results, and Discussion sections). Consequently, little thought goes into the title and abstract, while keywords get even lesser attention.

The key purpose of the abstract and title is to provide readers with information about whether or not the results of your study are relevant to them. One of my top tips on how to write a manuscript would be to spend some time ensuring that the title is clear and unambiguous, since it is typically the first element a reader encounters. This makes it one of the most important steps to writing a manuscript. Moreover, in addition to attracting potential readers, your research paper’s title is your first chance to make a good impression on reviewers and journal editors.  A descriptive title and abstract will also make your paper stand out for the reader, who will be drawn in if they know exactly what you are presenting. In manuscript writing, remember that the more specific and accurate the title, the more chances of the manuscript being found and cited. Learn the dos and don’ts of drafting an effective title with the help of  this comprehensive handbook for authors , which is also available on the Researcher.Life platform.

The title and the abstract together provide readers with a quick summary of the manuscript and offer a brief glimpse into your research and its scientific implications. The abstract must contain the main premise of your research and the questions you seek to answer. Often, the abstract might be the only part of the manuscript that is read by busy editors, therefore, it should represent a concise version of your complete manuscript. The practice of placing published research papers behind a paywall means many of the database searching software programs will only scan the abstract and titles of the article to determine if the document is relevant to the search keywords the reader is using. Therefore, when writing a manuscript, it is important to write the abstract in a way that ensures both the readers and search engines will be able to find and decide if your research is relevant to their study 2 .

It would not be wrong to say that the title, abstract and keywords operate in a manner comparable to a chain reaction. Once the keywords have helped people find the research paper and an effective title has successfully captured and drawn the readers’ attention, it is up to the abstract of the research paper to further trigger the readers’ interest and maintain their curiosity. This functional advantage alone serves to make an abstract an indispensable component within the research paper format 3 that deserves your complete attention when writing a manuscript.

As you proceed with the steps to writing a manuscript, keep in mind the recommended paper length and mould the structure of your manuscript taking into account the specific guidelines of the journal you are submitting to. Most scientific journals have evolved a distinctive style, structure, and organization. One of the top tips for writing a manuscript would be to use concise sentences and simple straightforward language in a consistent manner throughout the manuscript to convey the details of your research.

Once all the material necessary for submission has been put together, go through the manuscript with a fresh mind so that you can identify errors and gaps. According to Peter Thrower, Editor-in-Chief of  Carbon , one of the top reasons for manuscript rejection is poor language comprehension. Incorrect usage of words, grammar and spelling errors, and flaws in sentence construction are certain to lead to rejection. Authors also often overlook checks to ensure a coherent transition between sections when writing a manuscript. Proofreading is, therefore, a must before submitting your manuscript for publication. Double-check the data and figures and read the manuscript out loud – this helps to weed out possible grammatical errors.

You could request colleagues or fellow researchers to go through your manuscript before submission but, if they are not experts in the same field, they may miss out on errors. In such cases, you may want to consider using professional academic editing services to help you improve sentence structure, grammar, word choice, style, logic and flow to create a polished manuscript that has a 24% greater chance of journal acceptance 4.

Once you are done writing a manuscript as per your target journal, we recommend doing a  comprehensive set of submission readiness checks  to ensure your paper is structurally sound, complete with all the relevant sections, and is devoid of language errors. Most importantly, you need to check for any accidental or unintentional plagiarism – i.e., not correctly citing, paraphrasing or quoting another’s work – which is considered a copyright infringement by the journal, can not only lead to rejection, but also stir up trouble for you and cause irreversible damage to your reputation and career. Also make sure you have all the ethical declarations in place when writing a manuscript, such as conflicts of interest and compliance approvals for studies involving human or animal participants.

To conclude, whenever you find yourself wondering – how to write a manuscript for publication – make sure you check the following points:

• Is your research paper complete, optimized and submission ready?
• Have all authors agreed the content of the submitted manuscript?
• Is your paper aligned with your target journals publication policies?
• Have you created a winning submission package, with all the necessary details?
• Does it include a persuasive cover letter that showcases your research?

Writing a manuscript and getting your work published is an important step in your career as it introduces your research to a wide audience. If you follow our simple manuscript writing guide, you will have the base to create a winning manuscript, with a great chance at acceptance. If you face any hurdles or need support along the way, be sure to explore these  bite-sized learning modules on research writing , designed by researchers, for researchers. And once you have mastered the tips for writing a research paper, and crafting a great submission package, use the comprehensive AI-assisted manuscript evaluation  to avoid errors that lead to desk rejection and optimize your paper for submission to your target journal.

• Helen Eassom, 5 Options to Consider After Article Rejection. The Wiley Network. Retrieved from  https://www.wiley.com/network/researchers/submission-and-navigating-peer-review/5-options-to-consider-after-article-rejection
• Jeremy Dean Chapnick, The abstract and title page. AME Medical Journal, Vol 4, 2019. Retrieved from  http://amj.amegroups.com/article/view/4965/html
• Velany Rodrigues, How to write an effective title and abstract and choose appropriate keywords. Editage Insights, 2013. Retrieved from  https://www.editage.com/insights/how-to-write-an-effective-title-and-abstract-and-choose-appropriate-keywords
• New Editage Report Shows That Pre-Submission Language Editing Can Improve Acceptance Rates of Manuscripts Written by Non-Native English-Speaking Researchers. PR Newswire, 2019. Retrieved from  https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-editage-report-shows-that-pre-submission-language-editing-can-improve-acceptance-rates-of-manuscripts-written-by-non-native-english-speaking-researchers-300833765.html#https%3A%2F%2Fwww.prnewswire.com%3A443

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Based on 22+ years of experience in academia, Editage All Access empowers researchers to put their best research forward and move closer to success. Explore our top AI Tools pack, AI Tools + Publication Services pack, or Build Your Own Plan. Find everything a researcher needs to succeed, all in one place –  Get All Access now starting at just $14 a month !    

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What Is A Manuscript And How Do You Craft One?

Crafting a manuscript is a journey of creativity, dedication, and storytelling prowess. In literature , a manuscript is more than just a collection of words on paper; it is a carefully sculpted piece of art that brings ideas, emotions, and narratives to life. It is a widely studied literature course in universities in Canada . This blog will guide you to what is a manuscript, its importance, and how to write one. Let’s explore further. 

Table of Contents

What Is A Manuscript

A manuscript is an author’s original text before it undergoes the process of publication. It is the raw, unfiltered expression of an author’s thoughts, ideas, and creativity, often taking the form of a novel, short story, essay, or any other written work. Unlike the final printed or published version, a manuscript provides a glimpse into the author’s initial vision and the evolution of their work.

However, a manuscript is more than just words on paper. It is a testament to the author’s commitment to their story, characters, and the art of writing itself. From the carefully chosen words to the deep plot structures, a manuscript is a canvas upon which literary dreams are painted.

Importance Of Crafting A Manuscript

Crafting a manuscript is a crucial step in the journey of a writer. It involves meticulous planning, thoughtful execution, and a deep understanding of the craft of storytelling. Creating a manuscript allows writers to explore their creativity, develop unique voices, and share their perspectives.

Moreover, the importance of crafting a manuscript extends to the impact it can have on readers. A well-crafted manuscript can transport readers to different worlds, evoke emotions, and provoke thoughts. It serves as a medium through which authors can connect with their audience on a profound level, leaving a lasting impression and fostering a love for literature.

Components Of A Manuscript

A manuscript is the original draft of a writer’s work before it undergoes the editing and publishing process. It is the author’s unfiltered expression, captured in words and laid out on pages, embodying the essence of their literary vision.

The components of a manuscript go beyond mere words. They include the structure, organization, and thematic elements that give life to the story. From the opening lines that captivate readers to the meticulously crafted characters and the development of a compelling plot, each component contributes to the overall tapestry of the manuscript.

Sections such as dialogue, narration, and description play pivotal roles in shaping the reader’s experience. Furthermore, formatting considerations, such as font, spacing, and page layout, are essential elements that contribute to the overall aesthetic and readability of the manuscript. Understanding these components is crucial for writers seeking to convey their ideas effectively and engage their audience from start to finish.

Different Types Of Manuscripts

Manuscripts come in various forms, each tailored to different genres, purposes, and styles of writing. Understanding these types is instrumental in crafting a manuscript that aligns with the author’s creative vision and the expectations of the intended audience.

Fiction Manuscripts

These are narratives born from the author’s imagination, ranging from novels and novellas to short stories. Fiction manuscripts allow writers to explore diverse worlds, create intriguing characters, and weave compelling plots that captivate readers.

Non-Fiction Manuscripts

Rooted in reality, non-fiction manuscripts encompass a broad spectrum of genres, including memoirs, biographies, essays, and informational books. These manuscripts often require reading extensive research papers , a keen eye for detail, and the ability to present factual information engagingly.

Poetry Manuscripts

Poetry, with its unique rhythm and artistic expression, is often compiled into manuscript form. Poetry manuscripts showcase the poet’s ability to evoke emotions through carefully chosen words, imagery, and poetic devices.

Screenplays And Play Manuscripts

In visual storytelling, manuscripts take the form of screenplays for films and television or scripts for plays. These manuscripts involve a specialized format to convey dialogue, stage directions, and visual elements essential for performance.

How To Write A Manuscript

Writing a manuscript is a multi-faceted process involving careful planning, thoughtful execution, and a deep connection to one’s creative instincts. 

Pre-Writing Phase

Before the ink hits the paper or the keys are tapped, the pre-writing phase sets the stage for a successful manuscript. During this stage, writers engage in crucial activities that shape the direction, tone, and substance of their work.

Research And Planning

Research is the cornerstone of a well-crafted manuscript. Whether writing fiction or non-fiction, thorough research adds depth, authenticity, and credibility to the narrative. In this phase, writers dive into topics related to their manuscript, gathering information and gaining insights that will inform and enrich their storytelling.

This might involve researching historical periods, cultural aspects, or specific locations for fiction writers to ensure accuracy and vivid world-building. Non-fiction authors delve into data, conduct interviews, or explore various perspectives to present a well-rounded and informed narrative.

Planning, hand in hand with research, is equally vital. Outlining the structure of the manuscript, creating character profiles, and sketching the plot are essential steps. This process helps writers establish a roadmap, preventing aimless wandering during the writing phase and ensuring a cohesive and engaging final product.

Choosing A Genre Or Style

Choosing a genre or style is a defining moment in the manuscript crafting process. It shapes not only the content but also the tone, narrative techniques, and audience expectations. Writers must consider their own passions, strengths, and the type of story they wish to tell when making this decision.

Genres range from romance and mystery to science fiction and fantasy, each with its conventions and expectations. Non-fiction writers may choose a genre, such as memoir, biography, or self-help, based on the nature of their message and the audience they aim to reach.

Style encompasses the author’s unique voice, narrative approach, and the mood they wish to convey. It may involve deciding on the perspective (first-person, third-person), the tone (formal, informal), and the overall atmosphere of the manuscript.

Choosing a genre or style sets the tone for the entire writing process, guiding decisions on character development, plot structure, and even the language used. Writers who understand their chosen genre can better tailor their manuscript to resonate with their target audience.

Writing Phase

With the groundwork laid in the pre-writing phase, writers transition into the heart of the manuscript crafting process: the writing phase. This is where creativity takes center stage, and words start to flow onto the page. 

Developing A Strong Outline

An effective outline, just like a thesis statement , is the compass that guides a writer through the labyrinth of their manuscript. It serves as a roadmap, providing direction and structure to the narrative. Creating a strong outline before diving into the actual writing can prevent common pitfalls such as plot holes, inconsistent pacing, and meandering storylines.

• Introduction and Setup: Clearly define the setting, characters, and the central conflict of your story. Introduce key elements that will set the stage for the unfolding narrative.
• Plot Points and Developments: Outline the major events, twists, and character arcs. Consider the rising action, climax, and resolution to maintain a well-paced and engaging storyline.
• Character Profiles: Develop detailed character profiles for the main and supporting characters. Understand their motivations, strengths, flaws, and how they contribute to the overall narrative.
• Themes and Messages: Identify the themes or messages you want to convey through your manuscript. Integrating these elements cohesively adds depth and resonance to your storytelling.
• Chapter Breakdowns: If applicable, plan the structure of individual chapters. Consider the rhythm of your narrative, balancing moments of tension with quieter, reflective scenes.
• Transitions and Flow: Ensure smooth transitions between scenes and chapters. A well-organized outline helps maintain a logical flow, keeping readers engaged from start to finish.

Drafting Techniques And Tips

Once the outline is in place, writers embark on the exhilarating journey of drafting. This is the stage where the manuscript starts to take shape, and creativity is given free rein. Here are some drafting techniques and tips to enhance the writing process:

• Free Writing: Allow yourself to write freely without overthinking. Let ideas flow, even if they seem imperfect at first. You can always refine and edit in later drafts.
• Set Writing Goals: Establish daily or weekly writing goals to maintain momentum. Consistent progress, even in small increments, contributes to the completion of your manuscript.
• Embrace Imperfection: The first draft is not meant to be flawless. Embrace imperfections and resist the urge to edit excessively during the drafting phase. Focus on getting your ideas on paper.
• Experiment with Style: Explore different narrative styles, tones, and perspectives. Don’t be afraid to experiment with your writing voice to find what resonates best with your story.
• Revision Notes: If you encounter areas that need improvement while drafting, make revision notes rather than interrupting the flow. Address these in subsequent drafts.
• Seek Feedback Sparingly: While drafting, limit external feedback to avoid distractions. Once you have a complete draft, seek constructive feedback to refine and enhance your manuscript.

Revision Phase

The revision phase is a crucial stage in the manuscript crafting process, where the raw material of the first draft transforms into a polished work of art. In this section, we’ll delve into two essential components of the revision phase— the importance of editing and proofreading, and the valuable practice of seeking feedback from others.

• Editing: This involves a comprehensive manuscript review for structural, stylistic, and thematic improvements. Editors scrutinize the overall flow of the narrative, character development, dialogue, and adherence to the established outline. They may suggest changes to enhance clarity, tighten pacing, and elevate the overall quality of the writing.
• Proofreading: Once the editing phase is complete, proofreading eliminates grammatical errors, typos, and inconsistencies. It is the final meticulous examination that ensures the manuscript is error-free. Attention to detail is paramount during proofreading, as even minor oversights can diminish the professional polish of the work.

Seeking Feedback From Others

Writing is often a solitary endeavour, but the input of others is invaluable during the revision phase. External feedback provides fresh perspectives, identifies blind spots, and highlights areas that may require further attention. Here are key considerations when seeking feedback:

• Diverse Perspectives: Gather feedback from a variety of sources, including fellow writers, beta readers, or writing groups. Diverse perspectives can offer insights that a single viewpoint may overlook.
• Constructive Criticism: Embrace constructive criticism as a tool for improvement. While positive feedback is uplifting, constructive criticism helps identify areas for refinement, contributing to the overall growth of the manuscript.
• Specific Questions: When seeking feedback, provide specific questions or prompts to guide readers’ responses. This ensures that you receive targeted insights on areas you may be uncertain about.
• Open-Mindedness: Approach feedback with an open mind. It’s natural to feel attached to your work, but being receptive to suggestions fosters a collaborative and iterative process that leads to a stronger manuscript.
• Implementing Feedback Thoughtfully: Not all feedback requires immediate incorporation. Evaluate the suggestions received and implement changes thoughtfully, considering how they align with your artistic vision for the manuscript.

The research paper we write have:

• Precision and Clarity
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Genre-Specific Considerations

The manuscript crafting process varies significantly based on the genre of the work.

Creating Compelling Characters

The heart of any fiction manuscript lies in its characters. Compelling and well-developed characters breathe life into the narrative, capturing the readers’ imagination and fostering emotional connections. Consider the following when crafting characters:

• Depth and Complexity: Develop characters with depth, complexity, and relatability. Explore their backgrounds, motivations, and internal conflicts to create multidimensional personalities.
• Arcs and Growth: Characters should undergo meaningful arcs and growth throughout the story. Whether it’s overcoming challenges, changing perspectives, or evolving relationships, character development is essential for reader engagement.
• Distinctive Voices: Ensure that each character has a distinctive voice and perspective. This not only adds authenticity but also helps readers differentiate between characters, contributing to a richer reading experience.

Building A Riveting Plot

A captivating plot is the backbone of a fiction manuscript, keeping readers eagerly turning pages. Crafting a compelling narrative involves careful consideration of the story’s structure, pacing, and unexpected twists:

• Story Structure: Outline the key elements of your plot, including the introduction, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. A well-structured plot provides a framework for a seamless and engaging reading experience.
• Pacing: Balance the pacing of your narrative to maintain tension and interest. Alternate between moments of action and reflection, allowing readers to absorb the unfolding events while staying connected to the characters.
• Conflict and Resolution: Introduce conflicts that resonate with your characters and propel the story forward. The resolution should be satisfying and provide closure while leaving room for lingering questions or anticipation.
• Twists and Turns: Incorporate unexpected twists and turns to keep readers on the edge of their seats. Surprise elements add excitement and prevent the narrative from becoming predictable.

Research And Fact-Checking

Non-fiction manuscripts rely heavily on accurate information and a thorough understanding of the subject matter. Research and fact-checking are paramount to establishing credibility and delivering a compelling narrative:

• Extensive Research: Dive deep into your chosen topic, using a variety of reputable sources. Verify information through multiple channels to ensure accuracy and completeness.
• Citation and Attribution: Properly cite sources and provide attribution for data, quotes, and references. This not only upholds ethical standards but also allows readers to explore the material further.
• Interviews and Expert Insights: If applicable, conduct interviews with experts or individuals relevant to your subject. First-hand accounts and expert insights enhance the authenticity and depth of your non-fiction manuscript.

Organizing Information Effectively

Non-fiction manuscripts often deal with a wealth of information, requiring thoughtful organization to make the content accessible and engaging for readers:

• Clear Structure: Develop a clear and logical structure for your manuscript. This could include chronological order, thematic organization, or a problem-solution framework, depending on the nature of your content.
• Subheadings and Signposts: Use subheadings and signposts to guide readers through the content. This aids in navigation and allows readers to locate specific information easily.
• Visual Elements: Incorporate visual elements such as graphs, charts, or images to enhance understanding. Visual aids can break up dense text and clarify complex concepts.
• Transitions: Ensure smooth transitions between different sections or topics. Thoughtful transitions help maintain a coherent flow and prevent readers from feeling disoriented.

Tips For Manuscript Success

As the manuscript crafting process unfolds, certain tips can significantly contribute to the success of your work. From setting realistic goals to overcoming obstacles like writer’s block, these insights will guide you through the thorough journey of bringing your manuscript to fruition.

Tip 1: Setting Realistic Goals

• Clear Milestones: Break down the writing process into clear milestones. Setting achievable goals for research, drafting, and revisions ensures steady and measurable progress.
• Realistic Timelines: Be mindful of your schedule and commitments. Establish realistic timelines that align with your availability, allowing for a sustainable writing routine without overwhelming yourself.
• Flexibility: While goals provide structure, be flexible in adapting to unexpected challenges or inspirations. Allow your manuscript to evolve organically, even if it means adjusting initial plans.

Tip 2: Overcoming Writer’s Block

• Change of Environment: Move to a different writing space or take a break outdoors. A change of scenery can stimulate creativity and break the monotony that often leads to writer’s block.
• Freewriting: Set aside dedicated time for freewriting. Put pen to paper or fingers to the keyboard without any specific goal, allowing thoughts to flow freely. This can help overcome mental blocks and spark inspiration.
• Focus on a Different Section: If a particular section is causing frustration, temporarily shift your focus to another part of the manuscript. This can reignite enthusiasm and create a sense of accomplishment.

Tip 3: Staying Motivated Throughout The Process

• Celebrate Small Wins: Acknowledge and celebrate small achievements, whether it’s completing a challenging chapter or reaching a word count milestone. Recognizing progress boosts motivation.
• Connect with Fellow Writers: Join writing groups or forums to connect with other writers. Sharing experiences, tips, and encouragement fosters a sense of community and accountability.
• Visualize the End Goal: Envision the satisfaction of completing your manuscript and the potential impact it can have on readers. Keeping the end goal in mind serves as a powerful motivator during challenging moments.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a manuscript.

A manuscript is a handwritten or typed document, typically the original draft of a book, article, or document before it is published. It serves as the author’s work in progress, containing the text before final edits or printing.

What is a manuscript in research?

In research, a manuscript is a written document presenting original findings, methodologies, and conclusions of a study. It undergoes peer review before potential publication in academic journals, contributing to the dissemination of scientific knowledge.

What is a book manuscript?

A book manuscript is the complete, written text of an author’s work submitted for publication. It encompasses the entire content of a book, including chapters, sections, and any supplementary materials, serving as the basis for editorial and publishing processes.

What is a manga manuscript?

A manga manuscript is the original hand-drawn or digitally created work submitted by a mangaka (manga artist) to a publisher. It includes the detailed illustrations and dialogue that form the basis for the production of a manga series or volume.

What is a manuscript for a journal?

A manuscript for a journal is a written document containing original research findings, methodology, analysis, and conclusions. It follows the journal’s guidelines and undergoes peer review, aiming for publication to contribute to scholarly discourse within a specific academic or scientific field.

What is a manuscript page?

A manuscript page is a single sheet or leaf of a handwritten or typed document, often containing text, illustrations, or other content. In publishing, it refers to the formatted page of a manuscript submitted for review, editing, or publication.

What is a novel manuscript?

A novel manuscript is the complete written text of a novel submitted by an author for publication. It includes the entire narrative, chapters, and other elements, serving as the basis for editorial processes before the novel is prepared for printing and distribution.

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Essential Guide to Manuscript Writing for Academic Dummies: An Editor's Perspective

Syed sameer aga.

1 Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Quality Assurance Unit, College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS), King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KAIMRC), Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs (MNGHA), King Abdulaziz Medical City, Jeddah 21423, Saudi Arabia

2 Molecular Diseases & Diagnostics Division, Infinity Biochemistry Pvt. Ltd, Sajad Abad, Chattabal, Srinagar, Kashmir 190010, India

Saniya Nissar

Associated data.

No data were used in this review.

Writing an effective manuscript is one of the pivotal steps in the successful closure of the research project, and getting it published in a peer-reviewed and indexed journal adds to the academic profile of a researcher. Writing and publishing a scientific paper is a tough task that researchers and academicians must endure in staying relevant in the field. Success in translating the benchworks into the scientific content, which is effectively communicated within the scientific field, is used in evaluating the researcher in the current academic world. Writing is a highly time-consuming and skill-oriented process that requires familiarity with the numerous publishing steps, formatting rules, and ethical guidelines currently in vogue in the publishing industry. In this review, we have attempted to include the essential information that novice authors in their early careers need to possess, to be able to write a decent first scientific manuscript ready for submission in the journal of choice. This review is unique in providing essential guidance in a simple point-wise manner in conjunction with easy-to-understand illustrations to familiarize novice researchers with the anatomy of a basic scientific manuscript.

1. Background

Communication is the pivotal key to the growth of scientific literature. Successfully written scientific communication in the form of any type of paper is needed by researchers and academicians alike for various reasons such as receiving degrees, getting a promotion, becoming experts in the field, and having editorships [ 1 , 2 ].

Here, in this review, we present the organization and anatomy of a scientific manuscript enlisting the essential features that authors should keep in their mind while writing a manuscript.

2. Types of Manuscripts

Numerous types of manuscripts do exist, which can be written by the authors for a possible publication ( Figure 1 ). Primarily, the choice is dependent upon the sort of communication authors want to make. The simplest among the scientific manuscripts is the “Letter to an Editor,” while “Systematic Review” is complex in its content and context [ 3 ].

Types of manuscripts based on complexity of content and context.

3. Anatomy of the Manuscript

Writing and publishing an effective and well-communicative scientific manuscript is arguably one of the most daunting yet important tasks of any successful research project. It is only through publishing the data that an author gets the recognition of the work, gets established as an expert, and becomes citable in the scientific field [ 4 ]. Among the numerous types of scientific manuscripts which an author can write ( Figure 1 ), original research remains central to most publications [ 4 – 10 ].

A good scientific paper essentially covers the important criteria, which define its worth such as structure, logical flow of information, content, context, and conclusion [ 5 ]. Among various guidelines that are available for the authors to follow, IMRAD scheme is the most important in determining the correct flow of content and structure of an original research paper [ 4 , 11 – 13 ]. IMRAD stands for introduction, methods, results, and discussion ( Figure 2 ). Besides these, other parts of the manuscript are equally essential such as title, abstract, keywords, and conclusion ( Figure 3 ).

Generalized anatomy of manuscript based on IMRAD format.

Three important contents of the title page—title, abstract, and keywords.

IMRAD scheme was introduced in the early 1900 by publishers to standardize the single format of the scientific manuscript and since then is the universal format used by most the publishing houses [ 6 , 14 – 17 ]. In the next sections, the contents and criteria of each of them are explained in detail. A list of the most common mistakes, which the author makes in these sections, is also provided in the tabulated form [ 18 ] ( Table 1 ).

Common mistakes authors make in their manuscripts.

• The title is the most important element of the paper, the first thing readers encounter while searching for a suitable paper [ 1 ]. It reflects the manuscript's main contribution and hence should be simple, appealing, and easy to remember [ 7 ].
• A good title should not be more than 15 words or 100 characters. Sometimes journals ask for a short running title, which should essentially be no more than 50% of the full title. Running titles need to be simple, catchy, and easy to remember [ 19 , 20 ].
• Keeping the titles extremely long can be cumbersome and is suggestive of the authors' lack of grasp of the true nature of the research done.
• It usually should be based on the keywords, which feature within the main rationale and/or objectives of the paper. The authors should construct an effective title from keywords existing in all sections of the main text of the manuscript [ 19 ].
• Having effective keywords within the title helps in the easy discovery of the paper in the search engines, databases, and indexing services, which ultimately is also reflected by the higher citations they attract [ 1 ].
• It is always better for the title to reflect the study's design or outcome [ 21 ]; thus, it is better for the authors to think of a number of different titles proactively and to choose the one, which reflects the manuscript in all domains, after careful deliberation. The paper's title should be among the last things to be decided before the submission of the paper for publication [ 20 ].
• Use of abbreviations, jargons, and redundancies such as “a study in,” “case report of,” “Investigations of,” and passive voice should be avoided in the title.

5. Abstract

• The abstract should essentially be written to answer the three main questions—“What is new in this study?” “What does it add to the current literature?” and “What are the future perspectives?”
• A well-written abstract is a pivotal part of every manuscript. For most readers, an abstract is the only part of the paper that is widely read, so it should be aimed to convey the entire message of the paper effectively [ 1 ].

Two major types of abstract—structured and unstructured. Structured abstracts are piecemealed into five different things, each consisting of one or two sentences, while unstructured abstracts consist of single paragraph written about the same things.

• An effective abstract is a rationalized summary of the whole study and essentially should contain well-balanced information about six things: background, aim, methods, results, discussion, and conclusion [ 6 , 19 ].

Three C concept followed while writing the manuscript.

• An abstract should be written at the end, after finishing the writing of an entire manuscript to be able to stand-alone from the main text. It should reflect your study completely without any reference to the main paper [ 19 ].
• The authors need to limit/write their statements in each section to two or three sentences. However, it is better to focus on results and conclusions, as they are the main parts that interest the readers and should include key results and conclusions made thereof.
• Inclusion of excessive background information, citations, abbreviations, use of acronyms, lack of rationale/aim of the study, lack of meaningful data, and overstated conclusions make an abstract ineffective.

6. Keywords

• Keywords are the important words, which feature repeatedly in the study or else cover the main theme/idea/subject of the manuscript. They are used by indexing databases such as PubMed, Scopus, and Embase in categorizing and cross-indexing the published article.
• It is always wise to enlist those words which help the paper to be easily searchable in the databases.
• Keywords can be of two types: (a) general ones that are provided by the journal or indexing services called as medical subject headings (MeSH) as available in NCBI ( https://www.ncbi.nlm.gov/mesh/ ) and (b) custom ones made by authors themselves based on the subject matter of the study [ 6 , 20 ].
• Upon submission, journals do usually ask for the provision of five to ten keywords either to categorize the paper into the subject areas or to assign it to the subspecialty for its quick processing.

7. Introduction

• (i) The whole idea of writing this section is to cover two important questions—“What are the gaps present in the current literature?” and “Why is the current study important?”
• (ii) Introduction provides an opportunity for the authors to highlight their area of study and provide rationale and justification as to why they are doing it [ 20 , 22 , 23 ].
• (iii) An effective introduction usually constitutes about 10–15% of the paper's word count [ 22 ].
• The first paragraph of the introduction should always cover “What is known about the area of study?” or “What present/current literature is telling about the problem?” All relevant and current literature/studies, i.e., original studies, meta-analyses, and systematic reviews, should be covered in this paragraph.
• The second paragraph should cover “What is unknown or not done about this issue/study area?” The authors need to indicate the aspects of what has not been answered about the broader area of the study until now.
• The third paragraph should identify the gaps in the current literature and answer “What gaps in the literature would be filled by their current study?” This part essentially identifies the shortcoming of the existing studies.
• The fourth paragraph should be dedicated to effectively writing “What authors are going to do to fill the gaps?” and “Why do they want to do it?” This paragraph contains two sections—one explains the rationale of the study and introduces the hypothesis of the study in form of questions “What did authors do? and Why they did do so?” and the second enlists specific objectives that the authors are going to explore in this study to answer “Why this study is going to be important?” or “What is the purpose of this study?”.

Funnel-down scheme followed while writing the introduction section of manuscript, moving from broader to specific information.

• (v) Introduction is regarded as the start of the storyline of manuscript, and hence, the three Cs' scheme ( Figure 5 ) becomes more relevant while writing it: the context in terms of what has been published on the current idea/problem around the world, content as to what you are going to do about the problem in hand (rationale), and conclusion as to how it is going to be done (specific objective of the study) [ 1 , 23 ].
• (vi) Introduction is the first section of the main manuscript, which talks about the story; therefore, while writing it authors should always try to think that “would this introduction be able to convince my readers?” [ 25 ]. To emphasize on the importance of the study in filling the knowledge gap is pivotal in driving the message through [ 23 ].
• (vii) Introduction should never be written like a review, any details, contexts, and comparisons should be dealt within the discussion part [ 16 ].
• (viii) While choosing the papers, it is wise to include the essential and recent studies only. Studies more than 10 years old should be avoided, as editors are inclined towards the recent and relevant ones only [ 20 , 22 ].
• (ix) In the last paragraph, enlisting the objectives has a good impact on readers. A clear distinction between the primary and secondary objectives of the study should be made while closing the introduction [ 22 ].
• (i) It is regarded as the skeleton of the manuscript as it contains information about the research done. An effective methods section should provide information about two essential aspects of the research—(a) precise description of how experiments were done and (b) rationale for choosing the specific experiments.
• Study Settings: describing the area or setting where the study was conducted. This description should cover the details relevant to the study topic.

Different guidelines available for perusal of the authors for writing an effective manuscript.

• Sample Size and Sampling Technique: mentioning what number of samples is needed and how they would be collected.
• Ethical Approvals: clearly identifying the study approval body or board and proper collection of informed consent from participants.
• Recruitment Methods: using at least three criteria for the inclusion or exclusion of the study subjects to reach an agreed sample size.
• Experimental and Intervention Details: exhaustively describing each and every detail of all the experiments and intervention carried out in the study for the readers to reproduce independently.
• Statistical Analysis: mentioning all statistical analysis carried out with the data which include all descriptive and inferential statistics and providing the analysis in meaningful statistical values such as mean, median, percent, standard deviation (SD), probability value (p), odds ratio (OR), and confidence interval (CI).

Methods and the seven areas which it should exhaustively describe.

• (iii) Methods should be elaborative enough that the readers are able to replicate the study on their own. If, however, the protocols are frequently used ones and are already available in the literature, the authors can cite them without providing any exhaustive details [ 26 ].
• (iv) Methods should be able to answer the three questions for which audience reads the paper—(1) What was done? (2) Where it was done? and (3) How it was done? [ 11 ].
• (v) Remember, methods section is all about “HOW” the data were collected contrary to “WHAT” data were collected, which should be written in the results section. Therefore, care should be taken in providing the description of the tools and techniques used for this purpose.
• (vi) Writing of the methods section should essentially follow the guidelines as per the study design right from the ideation of the project. There are numerous guidelines available, which author's must make use of, to streamline the writing of the methods section in particular (see Table xx for details).
• (vii) Provision of the information of the equipment, chemicals, reagents, and physical conditions is also vital for the readers for replication of the study. If any software is used for data analysis, it is imperative to mention it. All manufacturer's names, their city, and country should also be provided [ 6 , 11 ].
• The purpose of the results section of the manuscript is to present the finding of the study in clear, concise, and objective manner to the readers [ 7 , 27 , 28 ].
• Results section makes the heart of the manuscript, as all sections revolve around it. The reported findings should be in concordance with the objectives of the study and be able to answer the questions raised in the introduction [ 6 , 20 , 27 ].
• Results should be written in past tense without any interpretation [ 6 , 27 ].

Interdependence between methods and results of the manuscript.

• It is always better to take refuge in tables and figures to drive the exhaustive data through. Repetition of the data already carried in tables, figures, etc., should be avoided [ 4 , 6 , 20 ].
• Proper positioning and citations of the tables and figures within the main text are also critical for the flow of information and quality of the manuscript [ 6 , 11 ].
• Results section should carry clear descriptive and inferential statistics in tables and/or figures, for ease of reference to readers.
• Provision of the demographic data of the study participants takes priority in the results section; therefore, it should be made as its first paragraph. The subsequent paragraphs should introduce the inferential analysis of the data based on the rationale and objectives of the study. The last paragraphs mention what new results the study is going to offer [ 6 , 11 , 20 ].
• authors should not attempt to report all analysis of the data. Discussing, interpreting, or contextualizing the results should be avoided [ 20 ].

10. Discussion

• (i) The main purpose of writing a discussion is to fill the gap that was identified in the introduction of the manuscript and provide true interpretations of the results [ 6 , 11 , 20 ].

Pyramid scheme followed while writing the discussion section of manuscript, moving from the key results of the study to the specific conclusions.

• (iii) Discussion section toggles between two things—content and context. The authors need to exhaustively describe their interpretation of the analyzed data (content) and then compare it with the available relevant literature (context) [ 1 , 29 ]. Finally, it should justify everything in conclusion as to what all this means for the field of study.
• (iv) The comparison can either be concordant or discordant, but it needs to highlight the uniqueness and importance of the study in the field. Care should be taken not to cover up any deviant results, which do not gel with the current literature [ 30 ].
• (v) In discussion it is safe to use words such as “may,” “might,” “show,” “demonstrate,” “suggest,” and “report” while impressing upon your study's data and analyzed results.
• (vi) Putting results in context helps in identifying the strengths and weakness of the study and enables readers to get answers to two important questions—one “what are the implications of the study?” Second “how the study advance the field further?” [ 1 , 30 ].
• The first paragraph of the discussion is reserved for highlighting the key results of the study as briefly as possible [ 4 , 6 ]. However, care should be taken not to have any redundancy with the results section. The authors should utilize this part to emphasize the originality and significance of their results in the field [ 1 , 4 , 11 , 20 ].
• The second paragraph should deal with the importance of your study in relationship with other studies available in the literature [ 4 ].
• Subsequent paragraphs should focus on the context, by describing the findings in comparison with other similar studies in the field and how the gap in the knowledge has been filled [ 1 , 4 ].
• In the penultimate paragraph, authors need to highlight the strengths and limitations of the study [ 4 , 6 , 30 ].
• Final paragraph of the discussion is usually reserved for drawing the generalized conclusions for the readers to get a single take-home message.
• (viii) A well-balanced discussion is the one that effectively addresses the contribution made by this study towards the advancement of knowledge in general and the field of research in particular [ 7 ]. It essentially should carry enough information that the audience knows how to apply the new interpretation presented within that field.

11. Conclusion

• It usually makes the last part of the manuscript, if not already covered within the discussion part [ 6 , 20 ].
• Being the last part of the main text, it has a long-lasting impact on the reader and hence should be very clear in presenting the chief findings of the paper as per the rationale and objectives of the study [ 4 , 20 ].

Crux of the conclusion section.

12. References or Bibliography

• Every article needs a suitable and relevant citation of the available literature to carry the contextual message of their results to the readers [ 31 ].
• Inclusion of proper references in the required format, as asked by the target journal, is necessary.

A Google Scholar screenshot of different styles of formatting of references.

• Depending upon the journal and publishing house, usually, 30–50 citations are allowed in an original study, and they need to be relevant and recent.

13. Organization of the Manuscript Package

Ideally, all manuscripts, no matter where they have to be submitted, should follow an approved organization, which is universally used by all publication houses. “Ready to submit” manuscript package should include the following elements:

• (i) Cover letter, addressed to the chief editor of the target journal.
• (ii) Authorship file, containing the list of authors, their affiliations, emails, and ORCIDs.
• (iii) Title page, containing three things—title, abstract, and keywords.
• Main text structured upon IMRAD scheme.
• References as per required format.
• Legends to all tables and figures.
• Miscellaneous things such as author contributions, acknowledgments, conflicts of interest, funding body, and ethical approvals.
• (v) Tables as a separate file in excel format.
• (vi) Figures or illustrations, each as a separate file in JPEG or TIFF format [ 32 ].
• (vii) Reviewers file, containing names of the suggested peer reviewers working or publishing in the same field.
• (viii) Supplementary files, which can be raw data files, ethical clearance from Institutional Review Board (IRBs), appendixes, etc.

14. Overview of an Editorial Process

Each scientific journal has a specific publication policies and procedures, which govern the numerous steps of the publication process. In general, all publication houses process the submission of manuscripts via multiple steps tightly controlled by the editors and reviewers [ 33 ]. Figure 12 provides general overview of the six-step editorial process of the scientific journal.

An overview of the journal's editorial process.

15. Summary

The basic criteria for writing any scientific communication are to know how to communicate the information effectively. In this review, we have provided the critical information of do's and don'ts for the naive authors to follow in making their manuscript enough impeccable and error-free that on submission manuscript is not desk rejected at all. but this goes with mentioning that like any other skill, and the writing is also honed by practicing and is always reflective of the knowledge the writer possesses. Additionally, an effective manuscript is always based on the study design and the statistical analysis done. The authors should always bear in mind that editors apart from looking into the novelty of the study also look at how much pain authors have taken in writing, following guidelines, and formatting the manuscript. Therefore, the organization of the manuscript as per provided guidelines such as IMRAD, CONSORT, and PRISMA should be followed in letter and spirit. Care should be taken to avoid the mistakes, already enlisted, which can be the cause of desk rejection. As a general rule, before submission of the manuscript to the journal, sanitation check involving at least two reviews by colleagues should be carried out to ensure all general formatting guidelines are followed.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank all academicians and researchers who have actively participated in the “Writing Manuscript Workshops” at the College of Medicine, KSAU-HS, Jeddah, which prompted them to write this review.

Data Availability

Conflicts of interest.

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Authors' Contributions

Both authors have critically reviewed and approved the final draft and are responsible for the content and similarity index of the manuscript. SSA conceptualized the study, designed the study, surveyed the existing literature, and wrote the manuscript. SN edited, revised, and proofread the final manuscript.

• Applying for Graduate School
• Understanding Expectations
• Developing Genre Awareness
• Establishing a Project’s Value
• Writing Scholarship and Research Proposals
• Writing Literature Reviews

Writing Theses and Dissertations

• Understanding the Publication Cycle
• Understanding Authorship
• Writing About Data
• Explaining Research to Diverse Audiences
• Writing with Integrity
• Revising with Intent
• Staying Motivated and Productive
• Creating a Writing Toolkit
• Building Grammatical Confidence

Graduate Writing: Writing Theses and Dissertations

Most research-based graduate programs require students to produce a thesis or dissertation. This document is evidence of the research project that you carried out as part of your degree. Many graduate students enter their program having previously completed an undergraduate thesis, but for some students this may be a new and potentially daunting task. Regardless of whether you have previous experience or not, you will need to understand what you will need to produce to successfully write and defend your thesis or dissertation .

Take time to review the Grad Hub's Thesis/Dissertation Roadmap , which covers everything from purpose to formatting. Your supervisor and your committee members will also be key sources of information as you put together this document.

The IMRD Thesis or Dissertation

IMRD stands for Introduction, Methodology, Results, and Discussion and refers to a common structure for theses, dissertations as well as journal articles. This structure offers flexibility to capture a wide range of research projects and consequently is commonly used in many disciplines, primarily within the social and physical sciences, but is useful for writing up any empirical or applied project.

The IMRD structure is an overarching organizing principle that can be modified to accommodate one or more studies. Introductions may serve as a standalone chapter or be merged with a Literature Review, while a Discussion chapter may also include the Conclusion. If reporting on multiple studies, there may be multiple Results and/or Discussion chapters followed by a separate Conclusion. Many theses and dissertations will also include an Appendix that contains supplementary material for your committee to reference and understand your project.

Using LaTex to write your thesis? Consider downloading the LaTex template developed by Professor Mark Eramian in the Department of Computer Science. 

Looking for more information about how to structure an IMRD thesis or dissertation?

• Bitchener, J. (2010). Writing an applied linguistics thesis or dissertation: A guide to presenting empirical research . Palgrave Macmillan.
• Note: Available as an ebook through the University Library .

Humanities Theses and Dissertations

Depending on the nature of their graduate research, some humanities students may opt for an IMRD structure to write up their project. However, these texts often follow a looser structure that focuses on building and sustaining a central argument, with chapters organized thematically in service of this aim.

Reviewing sample theses and dissertations that have been recently published within one’s discipline can provide insight into the different ways in which these texts can be structured.

Looking for more information on how to structure a humanities thesis or dissertation?

• Research & Learning Online. (2021). Structuring a long text. Monash University. https://www.monash.edu/rlo/graduate-research-writing/write-the-thesis/writing-the-thesis-chapters/structuring-a-long-text

The Manuscript-Style Thesis or Dissertation

A manuscript-style thesis or dissertation is composed of a series of previously published articles bookended with an introduction and conclusion identifying the overarching themes of the collected work.

In its guidelines on Manuscript-Style Theses and Dissertations , the university explicitly states “A manuscript-style thesis is not . . . merely a collection of published or publishable papers. It must meet the principles and objectives required of a thesis” (para. 2).  What does this mean? Simply, that the work must cohere and build to a central theme that sufficiently contributes to knowledge (for more on this topic, visit Establishing a Project’s Value ).

This type of dissertation tends to be more popular in PhD programs and is sometimes referred to as a “PhD by publication.” If any of the previously published papers include co-authors, such texts commonly mandate an explicit statement of contribution to clarify the student’s involvement (e.g., data collection, data analysis, drafting of text). Having co-authored papers tends to be more conventional in the sciences as it is more common to work on projects as part of a larger laboratory or investigative team.

Looking for more information about manuscript-style theses and dissertations?

• Filippou, K. (2020, March 1). Writing a thesis by publication. Some reasons for and against. DoctoralWriting SIG . https://doctoralwriting.wordpress.com/2020/03/01/writing-a-thesis-by-publication-some-reasons-for-and-against/
• Pacheco-Vega, R. (2019, September 13). The dissertation analytical table (DAT) – an overview device to formulate a 3-papers thesis/doctoral dissertation. Raul Pacheco-Vega, PhD . http://www.raulpacheco.org/2019/09/the-dissertation-analytical-table-dat-an-overview-device-to-formulate-a-3-papers-thesis-doctoral-dissertation/
• Trietsch, C. (2019, October 24). Dear STEM students: Don’t write thesis chapters -- Write manuscripts. Insider Higher Ed. https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/gradhacker/dear-stem-students-don%E2%80%99t-write-thesis-chapters-write-manuscripts  

Alternate Formats

The structure of any thesis or dissertation should reflect the nature and purpose of the research project. While non-standard structures are often characteristic of certain creative arts disciplines, they are gaining traction in other fields too, such as the digital humanities.

Alternate theses and dissertations can also be very appealing for students who are foregrounding decolonization in their research as a non-standard structure may more accurately represent the scholarly perspectives or content contained therein. 

In discussion with your supervisor, committee members, and other university stakeholders, you will determine if it is appropriate, valuable, and permissible to present your work in a non-standard way. Like any decision, this should be made carefully. Regardless of the format you choose, what remains critical is that the text clearly and convincingly demonstrates to your committee members how you have advanced knowledge in a meaningful way.

Looking for more information about alternate formats?

• Canadian Association for Graduate Studies. (2021). Rethinking the PhD: Broadening the dissertation . https://cags.ca/rethinkingphd-dissertation/
• Carter, S. (2015, November 19). Innovation in the doctoral thesis: Cutting edge or over the edge? DoctoralWriting SIG . https://doctoralwriting.wordpress.com/2015/11/19/innovation-in-the-doctoral-thesis-cutting-edge-or-over-the-edge/
• Note: Available at the Education and Music Library, Indigenous Education Collection (LB2369 .J337 2008)
• University of Pittsburgh. (2022). Innovative dissertations.  Humanities Engage.    https://www.humanitiescareers.pitt.edu/innovative-dissertations

Planning and Project Management

Even if you are incredibly passionate about your research, it can be a challenge to carry your thesis or dissertation to the finish line. This text may be the longest you’ve ever written (and may ever write) so having a plan is essential, especially to circumvent those days (or weeks) when you just do not feel like writing.

As part of your early planning, look at a range of sample theses or dissertations in your field and ask yourself the following questions:

• How long are they?
• How are they structured?
• What commonalities do you see?
• What makes one more readable than another?

This review process will help you construct a mental framework, coupled with the formal guidelines from your department and/or CGPS. After all, what is the point in trying to write a 300-page document if a 180-page one will do?

Sample theses and dissertations can be found in repositories like USask’s HARVEST and other university repositories and/or showcases (e.g., Queen’s University ), ProQuest Dissertations & Theses , and Library and Archives Canada .

Having a clear understanding of what the final product will be is often key; from there, you can work backward to understand what steps they need to take to reach the end goal. To help with this process, a dissertation calculator can be a useful tool for helping to conceptualize a workable timeline.

Once you have the bigger picture in place, figure out a realistic schedule that identifies monthly, weekly, and daily goals—while also accounting for setbacks.

Keep in mind that it will be easier to write your thesis or dissertation if you have a regular writing practice and do not wait until your research is “finished” before starting to write up your work. Such writing might involve writing sections of your literature review or methodology or keeping a research journal that will then serve as stimulus material for your discussion. Plus, having a regular writing practice can help make writing less intimidating and more mundane and help reduce potential tendencies toward perfectionism that can make it difficult to get started on the project.

Looking for more information on planning and project management?

• Golding, C. (2017) Advice for writing a thesis (based on what examiners do),  Open Review of Educational Research ,  4 (1): 46-60, https://doi.org/10.1080/23265507.2017.1300862
• Lantsoght, E. (2018, January 11). Seven essential tips for managing a large research project. The Wiley Network. https://www.wiley.com/network/researchers/writing-and-conducting-research/seven-essential-tips-for-managing-a-large-research-project
• Santiago-Lopez, A. (2019, January 04). Six project-management tips for your PhD. Nature. https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-018-07860-6
• Saunders, F. (2014, November 05). How can you treat your PhD like a project? The Thesis Whisperer . https://thesiswhisperer.com/2014/11/05/how-can-you-treat-your-phd-like-a-project/

Productivity and Avoiding Burnout

As you write your thesis or dissertation, you may feel blocked, unmotivated, overwhelmed, or even hostile to the process. Such emotional responses are completely normal and reflect the complexity of the task at hand.

Fortunately, there are strategies you can use to help ensure that you continue to meet your goals while also maintaining your well-being.

Many productive academic writers identify daily writing as key to their success. Daily writing does not necessarily mean 3–4 hours of uninterrupted time, rather it could mean having anywhere from 30–90 minutes set aside.

These writers also set concrete, achievable, time-restricted tasks as part of daily writing. For instance, rather than saying, “I’m going to write for 60 minutes today,” they say, “Between 9–10:30am today I’m going to write two paragraphs for my literature review.” Having a tangible plan in place before writing means that writing time remains focused and outcome oriented. These outcomes might be small, but they add up quickly.

Having such plans in place can help with productivity, but it is also important to plan for life—and fun! By nurturing relationships and hobbies, we promote and protect our well-being and prevent burnout.

If you find yourself struggling or are finding it difficult to cope at any stage of your program, do connect with the Student Wellness Centre .  

Looking for more information on productivity and avoiding burnout?

• Ali, S. G. (2021, September 21). 6 tips for the final year of your dissertation marathon. Inside Higher Ed. https://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2021/09/21/tips-final-year-writing-your-thesis-opinion
• Belleville, G. (2019). Sit down and write your thesis! Practical and motivational tips for scientific writing. Canadian Journal of Cardiology, 35 (8), 945-947. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cjca.2019.04.011
• Bérubé-Lupien, É. (2021, March 23). 7 tips for efficient thesis writing. University Affairs. https://www.universityaffairs.ca/career-advice/career-advice-article/7-tips-for-efficient-thesis-writing/
• Office of Graduate Research Flinders University. (2020, March 5). Vlog 207 - How to set up your life to write [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZ6WohkWBZg
• Pain, E. (2018, April 30). How to write your Ph.D. thesis. Science Careers. https://www.science.org/content/article/how-write-your-phd-thesis
• << Previous: Writing Literature Reviews
• Next: Understanding the Publication Cycle >>
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Graduate Studies

Thesis and dissertation formatting guidelines.

The following format guidelines are intended to help you prepare your master’s thesis or doctoral dissertation and should be used in conjunction with the specific style adopted by your academic program. It is your responsibility to conform to the following format requirements and ensure that your manuscript’s presentation is of the highest quality. Because requirements may change over time, students should not use existing library or departmental copies of manuscripts as examples of proper format.

Graduate Studies strongly suggests that your committee chair review a draft of your entire manuscript before you electronically submit it to the UNM Digital Repository.

The Manuscript Coordinator is available to help you with issues related to format. You may contact the Manuscript Coordinator at (505) 277-1206 or by email, [email protected] . If you are calling from out of state, you may call 1-800-225-5866, press 5 for the Graduate Office and ask to speak to the Manuscript Coordinator. Please click on each section below for more information.

Note: Paid editing and/or formatting services are available from people not employed by the Graduate Studies office. Check the bulletin board located outside the Manuscript Coordinator's office at Graduate Studies, Humanities Building, Room 107, for listings.

General Regulations

Rights of the author and the university:.

Your graduate unit has the right to require that you provide them with a copy of your thesis or dissertation, and that certain original records and materials be retained as the property of the University. Publication rights to the thesis or dissertation are reserved to you as the author.

Deadline Dates

The final version of your thesis or dissertation must be submitted to Graduate Studies by:

• November 15 for Fall (Check with Graduate Studies for the date of graduation)
• April 15 for Spring (Check with Graduate Studies for the date of graduation)
• July 15 for Summer (Check with Graduate Studies for date of graduation)

Writing a Thesis or Dissertation in a Language Other than English

With the approval of a student’s thesis or dissertation committee and the Dean of Graduate Studies, a manuscript may be written in a language other than English. However, the manuscript must be accompanied by an abstract in English approved by the committee.

Accompanying Forms

The following forms must be submitted before your manuscript will be accepted by the Dean of Graduate Studies.

• A Certificate of Final Form : You must submit this with your manuscript.
• An Information Cover Sheet : This is a Graduate Studies form that is submitted before electronic manuscript submission.
• A "Survey of Earned Doctorate" (doctoral students only excluding MFA/EDD) - the survey is completed  online .
• A Doctoral Dissertation Agreement Form-University Microfilms International (UMI) booklet entitled "Publishing your Dissertation" (see below): This is required for dissertation students only, and is optional for thesis students. The form is completed online .
• If your department requires, a  Report on Thesis or Dissertation  ("gray sheet"), completed by each member of your committee: These are often sent separately after the defense by the graduate unit; if given to the student for submission with the manuscript, they should be sealed in an envelope by the graduate unit and marked "Confidential." Ask your department for more information.

You may use the template for the front matter pages, on our  Templates Page .

Submitting to ProQuest (Doctoral Students Only)

If you are a doctoral candidate (excluding MFA/EDD), you are required to have your dissertation published by ProQuest (formally known as UMI). This will bring your work to the attention of researchers in your field in a variety of ways. Your abstract will appear in Dissertation Abstracts International, which is considered the authoritative source for concise summaries of current doctoral research. Your entire dissertation will be published by ProQuest.

ProQuest Publishing does not require payment of a registration fee for doctoral students who submit via the ProQuest ETD Administrator website.  Doctoral students must select the "traditional publishing" option and not the "open access" option to activate the no registration fee feature, otherwise they will be charged as shown below.

Students are responsible for the associated fee, which is currently $65 for traditionally published dissertations that are not submitted via the ProQuest ETD Administrator website and $160 for open access dissertations; $55 for traditionally published and $150 for open access theses. Both the ProQuest registration form and fee must be submitted with your dissertation electronically. The registration fee is payable by credit card.

ProQuest provides copyrighting of dissertations as a supplementary service when the work is being registered with them. The current fee for copyrighting is $65.

The publication or copyrighting of master’s theses by ProQuest is optional.

Registering Your Copyright

Registering your copyright in your thesis or dissertation is optional. Under current United States copyright law, the moment you reduce a work to a tangible medium (i.e., write it on paper, save on hard drive or other storage device, take the photograph, record the music, etc.) your thesis or dissertation is copyrighted. This applies to unpublished manuscripts as well. There is no longer the need to register your work for copyright. Furthermore, there is no longer the requirement of putting a copyright notice on a work for it to be copyrighted. You may register your copyright either by having ProQuest do so (see above) or on your own by submitting a registration form, which you can pick up at Zimmerman Library Government Publications or download from US Copyright Office's web page, with a check for $35, and two copies of your thesis or dissertation. Additional information can be obtained by calling 202-287-8700 or visiting the US Copyright Office website .

Including Copyrighted Material in Your Manuscript

You should remember that if you quote or otherwise reproduce in your thesis or dissertation material previously copyrighted by another author, beyond brief excerpts, you must obtain written permission from the copyright owner. Keep in mind that if a work was created in or after 1989, there is no requirement that it have a copyright notice to be copyrighted. This includes foreign works and foreign works for which the copyright has been reinstated pursuant to international treaty.

Copyright law is extremely complex and it can be difficult to determine what action you need to take and where to begin looking for permissions. The web sites listed below contain a great deal of information and have been helpful to students. Graduate Studies does not provide copyright advisement.

• The Copyright Clearance Center
• U.S. Copyright Office Home Page
• (ProQuest) Copyright and Your Dissertation or Thesis - Ownership, Fair Use, and Your Rights and Responsibilities  
• The University of Texas at Austin Copyright Crash Course
• UNM Office of University Counsel
• Boston College Information on Copyright

Preparing Your Manuscript

All manuscript pages must be 8.5"x11" ("letter size"). 

The left margin of each page must be 1 1/4 or 1 1/2 inches, and the top, right, and bottom margins 1 inch. Additional information is available  here .

Placement of Page Numbers

There are only two ways to paginate your manuscript: upper right hand corner and bottom center. If your page numbers are at the bottom, leave two blank line spaces between the last line of text and the line on which the page number is placed. Whether they are at the top or the bottom, page numbers should appear just outside the 1-inch margins (.5 to .8 inches from the top or bottom edge of the page. Whichever method of pagination is selected, it must be followed consistently. Use lower-case Roman numerals for the front matter (which is all pages before the body of research), create section break and continue (beginning again with page "1") with Arabic numerals for the remainder of the manuscript, including the text, illustrations, appendices and references. Additional information is available here . 

Type and Font

Your manuscript should be double-spaced (one and a half spaces can be used if approved by the chair of your committee) and single-sided. References may be single-spaced with a double space between each reference. Indented quotations may also be single-spaced. Use a professional quality font (e.g., Arial, Times Roman, Courier or Helvetica). Font size for your text should be 12 point; headings may be up to 14 point. Fonts for tables, figures, and appendices may range from 8 to 12 point.

The style of your thesis or dissertation may follow any one of many standard style guides, as preferred by your graduate unit, or the style considered standard in your particular discipline. You should consult your advisor for preferences or additional requirements your department may have. In any case, your manuscript must be internally consistent.

Thesis or dissertation manuscripts are generally divided into three sections: the Front Matter, the Body of Research, and the Reference Matter. Detailed information about each section is provided below.

Front Matter

For a visual reference to format the Front Matter, reference the examples of completed front matter here . A  Thesis Example  and a  Dissertation Example  will help you format the Front Matter for pagination and the placement of the proper order of the Front Matter pages.

Approval Page

The Approval Page is the first page of the Front Matter and the manuscript. Count this as page "i". Type the names of the committee members on the lines provided at the center of the page. No signatures are required. Additional information is available  here .

The Title page contains the title of your manuscript, your name, your previous degrees (including your majors, institutions and years centered on the page). Count the title page as page "ii". The degree you will be receiving at UNM, and the month and year of your graduation should be listed toward the bottom of the page (check with Graduate Studies for the graduation date). When listing the degree to be awarded, please refer to the Master’s and Doctoral  Degree List . Do not use abbreviations. Additional information is available  here . 

Dedication Page

(Optional) This is an optional page. If you use one, number it in appropriate sequence with a lower-case Roman numeral. The title must be in capital letters, centered just below the top margin of the page. The dedication itself may be single or double-spaced.

Acknowledgement Page

(Optional) This is also an optional page. If you use one, number it in appropriate sequence with a lower-case Roman numeral. The title must be in capital letters, centered just below the top margin of the page. The acknowledgment itself may be single or double-spaced.

Abstract Page

On the Abstract page first list the title of your manuscript, your name, all degrees you have already earned (in chronological order), and the degree to be awarded. These lines should be centered on the page, beginning just below the top margin. Then double-space, and on the following line, center the word ABSTRACT. Double-space again before beginning the text of your abstract. Use paragraph indentation as appropriate. The text itself should be either one and a half spaces or double-spaced. Number the Abstract Page in appropriate sequence with a lower-case Roman numeral.

Dissertation/Thesis abstracts are limited to 150 words. 

Table of Contents

The Table of Contents page is counted and numbered with a lower-case Roman numeral. If you have used a List of Figures (optional) and/or a List of Tables (optional) , they must be included in your Table of Contents. Tab leaders should be used between the heading levels and the page numbers. (DO NOT simply type dots across the page--the spacing will not work properly. Instead, set a dot leader tab. Check "dot leader tab" in Microsoft Word in the "help" for more information. If you have multiple appendices, they must each be listed (see section on Appendices).

List of Figures

(If Applicable) Use a separate page after the Table of Contents. This page is counted and numbered with a lower-case Roman numeral. It may be single- or double-spaced. Tab leaders should be used between the title of the figures and page the numbers. This page should be listed at the beginning of the Table of Contents.

List of Tables

(If Applicable) Use a separate page after the Table of Contents. This page is counted and numbered with a lower-case Roman numeral. It may be single- or double-spaced. Tab leaders should be used between the title of the tables and the page numbers. This page should be listed after the List of Figures at the beginning of the Table of Contents.

Preface Page

(Optional) This page is counted and numbered with a lower-case Roman numeral.

Body of Research

Beginning with the first page of text in the Body of Research (begin again with page "1"), pages are numbered with sequential Arabic numerals through the end of your manuscript. Each chapter/major division of the text must start on a new page. Each of these lead pages should be counted and numbered.

Figures may include diagrams, charts, drawings, schematics, photographs, etc. Each of the two required copies of your manuscript must contain its own original figures, with the exception of photographs, in which case both may be high-quality copies either in color or black and white. Figures should be inserted as near as reasonably possible to the text to which they relate. They should be numbered consecutively with Arabic numerals as part of the continuing text.

Figures and their captions must appear on the same page, within the required margins. If captions are more than one line long, they may be single-spaced. They should be placed on paper of the same size and weight as the rest of the manuscript. Colored materials are acceptable, but since color does not reproduce on microfilm, an alternate key should be provided if it will be needed for interpretation of the figure in black and white.

Tables that are a half-page or shorter in size may be placed at the top or the bottom of the page, or in the center, with text above and below. Tables may also be placed alone on the page immediately following the page that refers to them. The placement of tables should be consistent throughout the manuscript. Tables continuing for more than one page should be labeled [e.g., Table 1 (cont.)], and oversized tables should be treated in the same way as oversized figures (see above).

Reference Matter

Reference Matter may include notes to the text, appendices, a glossary, a list of references, and an index. The appendices and references are the two most commonly used categories. Detailed information about these sections is provided below.

The appendix (or a series of appendices) usually follows the main text, and contains material that is useful for a detailed review of the study, but is not essential to an understanding of the text. For example, an appendix is the appropriate section in which to place material such as raw data, the results of individual laboratory analyses, or sample forms. This may be useful supporting data even though it is not specifically utilized in the text. Note, however, that some reference should be made in the text to the fact that these materials appear in the appendix. The pages of the appendices are numbered in sequence with those of the text. Although it is preferable, you do not have to meet margin requirements for the material in your appendix, except for the left-hand margin.

After the last page of text, include a list of appendices on a separate page. Individual appendices should start on a separate page and should be clearly marked.

The list of appendices should also be included in the Table of Contents. To list appendices in your Table of Contents, use "Appendices" as your major heading. On the next line, indent five spaces, and begin listing each appendix with its title (e.g., "Appendix A. Survey Data") and page number.

No manuscript is complete without a full listing of the necessary bibliographic information about the sources upon which the study is based. In most cases, only those sources actually cited in the study are listed. This section will be called "List of References", "References Cited", or simply "References", and all pages are counted and numbered. The list is most often arranged alphabetically, although it may follow some other logical plan. It will follow the appendices.

Formatting Aids

Ms word template.

Templates for the Front Matter of your manuscript are available at the Front Matter Templates  section of this site. This page also includes samples of completed front and reference material. This section is a valuable visual reference to format the Front Matter with the proper lowercase Roman numeral pagination.

LaTeX Style

The LaTeX Style is popular with specific research disciplines, such as Engineering and the Math sciences. For a LaTeX Style File for formatting theses and dissertations, connect to  LaTeX Template and Style Files . 

Please note that computer-generated manuscripts are subject to the same formatting requirements as other manuscripts.

Common Problems

The problems listed below are among the most common, but manuscripts can be returned for other problems as well.

Formatting on Front Matter is very detailed. Make sure that formatting matches examples (especially red-bordered pages) and that pages are numbered correctly. (A sample of completed Front Matter is available on this web site.)

Margins for the entire manuscript must be:

• Left: 1.25 or 1.5 inches
• Top, Right, Bottom: 1 inch

Exceptions: Top, right and bottom margins may vary in the Appendix pages, but the left margin must be 1.25 or 1.5 inches throughout the ENTIRE manuscript (including Front Matter, References, and Appendices). Page numbers in the Appendices must also appear consistently as in the rest of the manuscript.

Landscape-oriented Figures and Tables

Margin requirements must be met, and page numbers must be placed consistently as in the rest of the manuscript.

Table of Contents/Headings & Subheadings

Your Table of Contents will be checked against the body of your manuscript.

• Page numbers must be correct.
• All headings and subheadings that appear at the same level should have the same appearance in the body of the manuscript and be distinguished from other heading-levels by appearance or numbering.
• All headings and subheadings (as many levels as you include in the Table of Contents) should appear in the Table of Contents. If you have some third-level headings in the Table of Contents, then ALL third-level subheadings should appear in the Table of Contents.
• The major section headings (usually Chapter headings) should each begin on a new page. Other levels should not be started on a new page.

All required manuscript forms must be submitted to Graduate Studies manuscript coordinator before submitting manuscript to UNM Digital Repository by graduate degree deadline. The forms to be submitted are attached below.

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Preparation and Submission

The University of New Mexico encourages open access to all theses and dissertations produced for graduate degrees. Therefore, all theses and dissertations are submitted electronically in PDF format to Graduate Studies. These electronically submitted theses and dissertations (ETDs) are uploaded on a server housed in the UNM Digital Repository, where they are accessible for search and download through web search engines such as Google.  In most cases, students submitting ETDs benefit from having their work available in the open access repository. In some special cases, however, students may want to delay making their work available for varying lengths of time.  For this reason, UNM has implemented an embargo policy that enables students, with approval from their advisers and Graduate Studies, to delay public-wide access to their work in the UNM Digital Repository. While under embargo the manuscript nonetheless remains available to the University of New Mexico academic community in order to satisfy requirements for the degree. Before submitting your thesis or dissertation, please consult with your committee chair and review the embargo restriction policy to determine whether or not you should release your work to open access or petition for an appropriate embargo option. If the decision is made to request an embargo restriction then the form must be submitted to Graduate Studies at the same time as you submit the  Announcement of Examination form   at least two weeks before your dissertation defense.

Steps for Submitting Your Manuscript

Once your thesis or dissertation committee approves your final manuscript and you have made all necessary revisions and corrections, you are ready to submit your work as a single pdf file to the  UNM Digital Repository  and, for dissertation writers, the  ProQuest ETD Administrator archive  following the  instructions below . At the minimum, you must submit your thesis or dissertation to Graduate Studies within (90) ninety days of your final defense or by the graduation deadline for the term in which you are graduating, whichever comes first.

Submission Instructions by Degree:

• Doctorate of Education
• Doctorate of Philosophy
• Master of Fine Arts
• Master of Arts or Master of Science

Note: You must submit the manuscript as a pdf file, thus you will need to convert your Microsoft Word document or any other document to the pdf format. As of May 2011, Graduate Studies has learned that when using either a PC or Macintosh platform with recent versions of Microsoft Office you may lose some formatting when converting your Word document into pdf or when submitting your pdf document to the UNM Digital Repository. To protect against such problems, it is important that you create and save all changes to your document on the same computer platform and using the same version of Microsoft Office. Thus, when you complete your final manuscript do not shift between computers and different versions of Word. If you encounter these problems, contact the Manuscript Coordinator at Graduate Studies for assistance.

Steps to Create Your Manuscript (Microsoft Word)

If you need help creating a single file for your manuscript,  click here .

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Congratulations! You have arrived at an important step in the pursuit of your graduate degree—the writing of your thesis or dissertation. Your scholarly publication reflects the results of your research and academic pursuits at Oregon State University.

Student Responsibility

Students are responsible for:

• Meeting the deadlines associated with its preparation. Visit the master's deadlines and the doctoral deadlines.
• Submitting the necessary forms.
• Ensuring that your document conforms to all requirements in this Thesis Guide.

Your document must clearly state your objectives and conclusions, and present your results in a lucid and succinct manner. It must have a professional appearance and be user-friendly.

Ethical research practice requires you to avoid the following:

• Plagiarism: failure to acknowledge the work of others by using proper citations and obtaining written permission to use copyrighted material.
• Fabrication: the creation of fictitious research results.
• Falsification: alteration of research results by misrepresentation or selective reporting of findings.

General Format

Standard Document Format refers to one thesis document that addresses a single theme. The Pretext Pages, Introduction, Conclusion, and Bibliography are mandatory. Your committee determines the additional chapters; you choose the chapter titles. The following parts comprise the Standard Document Format:

• Pretext Pages (see model pages illustrated in Figures 2-11)
• Chapter 1 – Introduction
• Chapter 2 – Literature Review
• Chapter 3 – Materials and Methods
• Chapter 4 – Results
• Chapter 5 – Discussion
• Chapter 6 – Conclusion

Bibliography

• Appendices (optional)

Manuscript Document Format is a single thesis document made up of several scholarly manuscripts or journal articles addressing a common theme. All manuscripts/articles must be related or address a single, common theme. You must be the primary author of each manuscript. Co-authors other than your major professor must be mentioned in a Contribution of Authors page (see Figure 9) in the pretext section of the document. Formatting should be consistent for each journal article and must follow the thesis guide formatting not the separate journal formats. The following parts comprise the Manuscript Document Format:

• Chapter 1 – General Introduction (common introduction linking all manuscripts thematically)
• Chapter 2 – First Manuscript
• Chapter 3 – Second Manuscript
• Chapter 4 – General Conclusion (common conclusion linking all manuscripts thematically)
• Bibliography (common bibliography covering all manuscripts, although each manuscript may have its own reference section)
• Appendices – (optional)

Note: Within the larger Manuscript Format thesis document, Chapter Heading Pages (see Figure 1 below) precede individual manuscripts that have already been published. If not published, page is not required. Manuscripts must uniformly conform to these thesis guidelines.

MANUSCRIPT TITLE CENTERED AND ALL CAPS

Your name and other authors

Journal name Address of journal Issue manuscript appears in

Figure 1. Chapter Heading Page for Manuscript Document Format

Page Layout

Margin requirements.

The left margin must be 1 inch unless printing and binding a personal or departmental copy then change to 1.5 inch. All other margins must be at least 1 inch, preferably 1.2 for top margin. Nothing may invade a margin. Every page must meet margin requirements. Margin requirements are especially important if binding a copy of your thesis.

Page Numbering

Pretext pages: Do not add page numbers to pretext pages.

Body: The body of the text begins with page 1 and all successive pages are numbered consecutively with Arabic Numbers (e.g. 2, 3, etc.) including Appendix/Appendices and Bibliography. Page numbers should be the same size and font as the body of the text. Page numbers must appear at the top right corner of pages, approximately 1 inch from the top edge of the page and at least 1 inch from the right edge of the page. Page numbers must not invade any margins. There should be at least one space between the page number and the first line of text.

Your title must be worded exactly the same throughout the document as it appears on the Abstract page, Title page and centered on page one (optional). Titles longer than one line should be single-spaced. The document's title does not count as a heading level.

Text Requirements

Text spacing.

Line spacing must be 1.5 or double, consistent throughout the document and matching which one you choose for the body of the thesis. Use single spacing only in the following situations:

• Headings longer than one line
• Figure and table titles and associated legends
• Bibliographical and reference citations
• Direct quoted material
• Items listed within the body of the text (optional)
• Where indicated in the pretext section

Use regular, unadorned print, 10- to 12-point size for text (headings may be 14-point only if all headings are 14-point). Font size within figures and tables can be smaller but must be readable. Use the same font style and font size throughout.

Chapter names are Level 1 headings. Subheadings of a chapter are Level 2 headings. Subheadings of chapter subheadings are Level 3 headings, and so forth. Each level must look different from the other levels. Headings of the same level must look the same throughout the document. All headings, regardless of level, must be the same font size. Either number all headings or number none (See figures 10a and 10b). Single space headings that are more than one line. Use adequate and consistent spacing between the headings and the text. A minimum of two subheadings may be used within a given level. Each level 1 heading begins a new page.

Appendix Heading Page

A numbered, counted page should be inserted in front of your document's appendix/appendices. The word APPENDIX (or APPENDICES) should be centered about 1/3 down this page. This heading page and its page number should appear in the Table of Contents.

Blocked Quotes

Use Blocked Quotes for quoted material longer than three lines. Use the same font size as within the text. Single-space the quotation, and indent it evenly on both sides. Left justify the quotations.

Use the same font size as within the text. Choose a reference style with the guidance of your major professor and your committee and be consistent. Single-space each citation and use adequate and consistent spacing between citations.

Footnotes collected at the end of a chapter are called endnotes. Use the same font size as within the text. Single-space each endnote, and use adequate and consistent spacing between endnotes.

Orphan Lines, Headers, Footnotes

No orphan lines may appear at the top or bottom of a page. No headers or footers may be used. Footnotes are acceptable.

Figures and Tables

Figures and tables may be located in one of two places in your document. You must choose one system and use it consistently throughout your work.

• Insert the figure within the text, as close as possible after the first reference is made to it.
• Place your figures at the end of the chapter in which it is first discussed or referenced.

Figure Definition

The definition of a figure is quite broad. “Figures” include charts, diagrams, drawings, examples, graphs, illustrations, maps, photographs, etc. In the majority of cases, if it's not a table, it is a figure. All figures must be listed in the pretext pages' List of Figures.

Table Definition

A table is broadly defined as a compact, systematic list of data (facts, figures, values, etc.), generally arranged in columns and/or rows. All tables must be listed in the pretext pages' List of Tables.

Figure and Table Labels and Captions

A figure's or table's label denote the type of figure or table and its number, and a figure's or table's caption is its title and description. Every figure or table must have a label and caption unless there is only one of its type in the document. Use consecutive label numbers by order of appearance within the text. Each figure or table must have a unique number, i.e., Table 1.1 for the first table in Chapter 1, Table 2.1 for the first table in Chapter 2, or start with 1 and number consecutively. As always, pick one method and use it consistently throughout your document. Label and caption font size is the same as body text size. Add one space between the figure or table and its label and caption, and between the figure or table and text. The label and caption should be placed outside its boundaries, commonly above a table and below a figure.

Oversized Figures and Tables

Illustrations that take up more than one page should have the label followed by “(Continued)” on the second page. If both a figure/table and its label and caption do not fit on one page, place only the label on the page with the figure or table, and place the label and caption on a separate page that precedes the figure or table (called a legend page). Single-space the label and caption and center it 1/3 of the way down the page. Include no other text on this page. List the page number of the legend page in the pretext list.

There are two ways of managing the inclusion of oversized figures if printing personal copies:

• Reduction: Photographically reduce the size of figures to meet margin requirements.Page numbers and figure captions must remain the same font size as the text.
• Accordion Fold: If you are printing a personal or departmental copy. The final folded page must be 11 inches in height and no more than 8 inches wide. Fold the page from right to left, making the final folded width 8 inches. Fold the page a second time from left to right so the page number appears in the same position as all other pages in the text.

Landscaping

Because of their shape, some figures/tables may need to be placed crosswise on a page. If so, the top of the figure/table should be at the left margin as viewed normally (i.e. portrait orientation), and the caption should be parallel to the right margin. Reformatting pages numbers to match location of portrait oriented page numbers is not required. Margin requirements apply.

Choose high-contrast colors to differentiate lines, bars, or segments or use symbols with or without the color.

Parts of the Document (in Order of Appearance)

Regardless of general format, the thesis includes particular parts in an established order as listed below. Model pages are provided for most pretext pages. In all cases, margin requirements apply (see above) and the same font style/size must be used in the body of the text and elsewhere. All titles of pretext pages should be formatted identically with respect to font size and style.

I. Pretext Pages

Download templates for pretext pages.

An abstract is a summary of the document's purpose, methods, major findings, and conclusions. Your name (designated “Student Name”) must appear exactly the same throughout the document. In all cases, use the official name of the major as found in the OSU Catalog on the Graduate School's website under Programs. Please add underlines where indicated in the examples. (See figs. 2, 3, and 4)

AN ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OF

Thomas A. Edison for the degree of Master of Science in Physics presented on January 30, 2024 A .

Title: Upon Recording Telegraph Messages Automatically.

Abstract approved: _______________________________________

Major I. Professor B

Begin text here, using the same line spacing (either double space or 1.5), font style and font size as within the body of the text in your document.

• Use official major name, not area of concentration
• Your name must appear exactly the same throughout the document
• For defense date use month spelled out, date, and year: January 30, 2022
• Title must be the same throughout the document

Figure 2. Abstract Page for Master's Degree. A The line breaks in these four lines are single space with a space after the defense date. B Include major professor's middle initial unless there is none. Do not include their title. Co-major Professors may share the same signature line; put both names below the line.

Student Name for the degree of Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies in First Concentration A . , Second Concentration , and Third Concentration presented on Defense Date B .

Title: Underlined Title Here

Major I. Professor C

• Use official major or minor name, not area of concentration

Figure 3. Abstract Page for Master's Degree. A The line breaks in these four lines are single space with a space after the defense date. B The line breaks in these six are single-spaced with a space between the defense date and title. C Include major professor's middle initial unless there is none. Do not include their title. Co-major Professors may share the same signature line; put both names below the line.

AN ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION OF

Student Name for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Official Name of Major presented on Defense Date A .

Title: Underline Title here.

Figure 4. Abstract Page for Doctoral Degree. A The line breaks in these four lines are single-spaced with a space between the defense date and title. B Include major professor's middle initial unless there is none. Do not include his/her title. Co-major Professors share the same signature line; put both names below the line with several spaces between names.

Copyright Page

Copyright by Thomas A. Edison January 30, 2022 All Rights Reserved or Creative Commons License

Figure 5. Copyright Page. Please choose either All Rights Reserved or Creative Commons License but not both. The copyright page is required. Inclusion of this page does not obligate you to go through a formal copyright process. Name must appear exactly the same throughout the document. Second line is the final defense date. Wording should begin one third down from the top and is centered.

Upon Recording Telegraph Messages Automatically

Title must match Abstract and page one title exactly. Do not boldface the title.

by Thomas A. Edison

Add two spaces after the title.  

A THESIS submitted to Oregon State University

Doctoral students may use “A DISSERTATION” instead of “A THESIS” on Title Page, Abstract, and Approval Pages.

in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of

Follow division of this sentence ( in partial fulfillment of... ) exactly.

Master of Science

Spacing should be the same after your name, “Oregon State University,” and your degree.

Presented January 30, 2023 Commencement June 2023 A

Defense date.

Figure 6. Title Page. A Commencement date is the June following the defense date, so if defense is after the commencement ceremony it would be for the following year. Only month & year, no date or it will be rejected.

Approval Page

On the Approval Page the Major Professor represents the major. The Approval Page considers your advisor as your major professor, regardless of his/ her official rank or tenure home. Official major names and department names can be found in the OSU Catalog. Some majors and departments have the same name while others differ. Your signature constitutes consent to have your document available for public reference in Valley Library, but the signatures on this page have been replaced with the ETD Submission Approval form.

Master of Science thesis of Thomas A. Edison presented on January 30, 2023.

_______________________________________ Major Professor representing Physics

_______________________________________ Head of the Department of Physics A

_______________________________________ Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School

I understand that my thesis will become part of the permanent collection of Oregon State University libraries. My signature below authorizes release of my thesis to any reader upon request.

_______________________________________ Thomas A. Edison, Author

Figure 7. Standard Approval Page. A If not part of a department, please list the head/chair/dean of the school or college.

Alternate wordings for signature lines:

Wording with two major professors:

Co-Major Professor, representing Name of Major

Head/Chair of the Name of Department, School or College

Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School

Wording with dual majors:

Co-Major Professor, representing Name of 1st Major

Co-Major Professor, representing Name of 2nd Major

Wording for MAIS:

Major Professor, representing Name of Major Area of Concentration

Director of the Interdisciplinary Studies Program

Acknowledgements

The acknowledgements page is optional but recommended. The exact content of the page is up to the student. Use same text spacing: 1.5 or double-space.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The author expresses sincere appreciation...

Figure 8. Acknowledgements Page.

Contributions

Manuscript document format only. If no contributions remove this page. Use same text spacing either 1.5 or double space.

CONTRIBUTIONS

Dr. So-and-so assisted with data collection. Such-and- such was involved with the design and writing of Chapter 2. Dr. Whoisit assisted in the interpretation of the data.

Figure 9. Contributions (manuscript format only).

Table of Contents

Ensure that the page numbers accurately reflect where the headings appear in the text. Listing the chapter headings in the Table of Contents is required; listing the subheadings is optional, and you may list some levels but not others. Levels are denoted by indention in the Table of Contents. Wording, spelling, and capitalization of headings in the Table of Contents must match the heading in the body of the text exactly. If headings are numbered in the Table of Contents, they must be numbered correspondingly in the text.

List appendix or appendices (if applicable) in the Table of Contents, if more than five then create a separate List of Appendices. In either case, list the Appendices Heading Page (see page 3) in the Table of Contents. When listing an individual appendix, include its title.

If the Table of Contents is more than one page, subsequent pages should have the heading “TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued)” and additionally "PAGE" underlined above the page numbers.

Return twice between the TABLE OF CONTENTS heading and the first item in the table.

Do not underline, bold, or italicize in the Table of Contents (unless scientific species name)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 Chapter Title

1.1 Level 2 Heading

1.2 Level 2 Heading

1.2.1 Level 3 Heading

1.2.2 Level 3 Heading

1.2.3 Level 3 Heading

1.3 Level 2 Heading

2 Chapter Title

2.1 Level 2 Heading

2.2 Level 2 Heading

2.2.1 Level 3 Heading

2.2.2 Level 3 Heading

3 Chapter Title

3.1 Level 2 Heading

3.2 Level 2 Heading

Appendix A Title

Appendix B Title

Figure 10a. Table of Contents with Numbering.

Chapter Title

Level 2 Heading

Level 3 Heading

Figure 10b. Table of Contents without Numbering.

List of Figures

Lists are required if two or more figures appear within the text. (Reference figures 11a and 11b.)

List of Tables

Lists are required if two or more tables appear within the text. (Reference figures 11a and 11b.)

Choose one of the two methods of numbering in the model pages illustrated in Figures 11a and 11b and use it for both Lists of Figures and Lists of Tables. If a list is longer than one page, subsequent pages should be headed “LIST OF FIGURES (Continued)” or “LIST OF TABLES (Continued)" along with "Figure" or "Page" underlined above the figure names and page numbers. The first sentence of the figure or table caption must be listed, and the wording must match the text exactly. List only one page number per figure or table. When there is a legend page in front of a figure (see information on FIGURES below), list the legend page only. Figures in the appendices are listed on a separate List of Appendix Figures list.

Add two spaces between the LIST OF FIGURES/TABLES heading and the first listing.

LIST OF FIGURES

Name of the figure

First sentence of the legend matches the text exactly

List only one page number

Keep numbers and words in separate columns

Figure 11a. List of Figures/Tables with Consecutive Numbering.

LIST OF TABLES

Name of the table

Spacing requirements are the same as for the List of Figures

A List of Appendix Tables would look the same

All pretext headings should look the same

Figure 11b. List of Figures/Tables with Numbering by Chapter.

List of Appendices (optional)

If list of appendices is short, it may be attached to the Table of Contents. For more than 5 appendices, or list different heading levels are listed in the appendices, a separate List of Appendices is required. If two or more figures appear in the appendices, a List of Appendix Figures and/or a List of Appendix Tables are required.

List of Appendix Figures

For two or more figures in the appendices.

List of Appendix Tables

For two or more tables in the appendices.

Other Lists

If you are including other lists, such as lists of abbreviations, nomenclature, symbols, and so forth, each list must have its own page. The elements of these lists do not need numbering or page numbers.

Dedication (optional)

If desired, you may dedicate your document to the honor of someone. Dedications are usually short. Margin requirements apply. Use the same font/font size as text body. Arrangement of page is at your discretion.

Preface (optional)

You may include a preface.

II. Body of Text

Follow standard or manuscript document format.

III. Bibliography

Iv. appendix or appendices (optional), final requirements, printing specifications.

The Graduate School no longer requires you to submit a paper copy of your thesis/dissertation.

Formatting Template

A formatting template for thesis and dissertation pretext pages can be found on our website.

Electronic Submission

Submit one PDF copy of your thesis/dissertation, without signatures, electronically to ScholarsArchive. Ensure accessibility with Adobe Acrobat Pro. For uploading and accessibility instructions refer to the library's website.

Creative Commons License

DO NOT SELECT PUBLIC DOMAIN OR CCO. You may add a Creative Commons License to your item that allows copyrighted works to be shared and re- used. Either select License Type: Creative Commons or License Type: No Creative Commons License. DO NOT assign a Creative Commons license if you plan to place an embargo on your thesis or dissertation that allows only the OSU community access to your work.

Final Documents Submitted to the Graduate School

One signed Electronic Thesis and Dissertation (ETD) Submission Approval form by your Major Professor, Head/Chair/Director/Dean of your major, and yourself. The Graduate School Dean's signature will be added after the submissions of the form.

You can request an embargo in ScholarsArchive so your work will be accessible only to Oregon State University faculty, staff and students for up to two years.

Contact Info

Graduate School Heckart Lodge 2900 SW Jefferson Way Oregon State University Corvallis, OR 97331-1102

Phone: 541-737-4881 Fax: 541-737-3313

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Adapting a Dissertation or Thesis Into a Journal Article

Dissertations or theses are typically required of graduate students. Undergraduate students completing advanced research projects may also write senior theses or similar types of papers. Once completed, the dissertation or thesis is often submitted (with modifications) as a manuscript for publication in a scholarly journal. Thus, the dissertation or thesis often provides the foundation for a new researcher’s body of published work.

Writers will first want to determine whether the work in their dissertation or thesis merits publication. If it does, we then provide guidance on how to adapt a dissertation or thesis for submission to a journal.

Adapting a dissertation or thesis into a journal article is covered in the seventh edition APA Style Publication Manual in Section 12.1

Deciding to submit a dissertation or thesis for publication

When deciding whether to publish the work in your dissertation or thesis, first consider whether the findings tell a compelling story or answer important questions. Whereas dissertations and theses may present existing knowledge in conjunction with new work, published research should make a novel contribution to the literature. For example, some of your original research questions might be suitable for publication, and others may have been sufficiently addressed in the literature already. Likewise, some of your results may warrant additional experiments or analyses that could help answer the research questions more fully, and you may want to conduct these analyses before seeking publication.

You may also want to consider such factors as whether the current sample size provides sufficient power to adequately inform the analyses and whether additional analyses might clarify ambiguous findings. Consultation with colleagues can help evaluate the potential of the manuscript for publication as well as the selection of an appropriate journal to which to submit it. For information on selecting and prioritizing a journal (and tips for avoiding predatory or deceptive journals), see Sections 12.2 to 12.4 of the Publication Manual .

Adapting a dissertation or thesis for publication

Once a decision is made to convert your dissertation or thesis into a manuscript for submission to a journal, you will want to focus attention on adapting it for publication. By attending to brevity and focus, writing style, relevant literature review and data analyses, and appropriate interpretation of the results or findings, you can enhance the fit of your manuscript for journal publication. Editors and reviewers readily recognize an article that has been hastily converted; careful attention when reformatting the dissertation or thesis is likely to increase the manuscript’s potential for serious consideration and eventual publication.

There are several steps writers seeking to prepare their dissertation or thesis for publication can take beforehand:

• Look at articles in the field and in relevant journals to see what structure and focus are appropriate for their work and how they are formatted.
• Request and consider the input of advisors, colleagues, or other coauthors who contributed to the research on which the dissertation or thesis is based.
• Review an article submitted to a journal alongside their advisor (with permission from the journal editor) or serve as a reviewer for a student competition to gain firsthand insight into how authors are evaluated when undergoing peer review.

The original research reported in a dissertation and thesis can then be reformatted for journal submission following one of two general strategies: the multiple-paper strategy or the conversion strategy.

Multiple-paper strategy

The quickest strategy for converting (or “flipping”) a dissertation or thesis into one or more publishable articles is to use a multiple-paper format when initially writing the dissertation or thesis. This involves structuring the dissertation or thesis used to fulfill the requirements for a degree as a series of shorter papers that are already formatted for journal submission (or close to it). These papers are usually each the length of a journal article, conceptually similar, and come from the same overarching project—but can stand alone as independent research reports. Consult your university’s editorial office to confirm that this is an approved format for your dissertation or thesis and to obtain the specific guidelines.

Conversion strategy

A second strategy is to reformat and convert a dissertation or thesis into a journal article after completing your dissertation or thesis defense to fit the scope and style of a journal article. This often requires adjustments to the following elements:

• Length: Brevity is an important consideration for a manuscript to be considered for journal publication, particularly in the introduction and Discussion sections. Making a dissertation or thesis publication-ready often involves reducing a document of over 100 pages to one third of its original length. Shorten the overall paper by eliminating text within sections and/or eliminating entire sections. If the work examined several research questions, you may consider separating distinct research questions into individual papers; narrow the focus to a specific topic for each paper.
• Abstract: The abstract may need to be condensed to meet the length requirements of the journal. Journal abstract requirements are usually more limited than college or university requirements. For instance, most APA journals limit the abstract length to 250 words.
• Introduction section: One of the major challenges in reformatting a dissertation or thesis is paring down its comprehensive literature review to a more succinct one suitable for the introduction of a journal article. Limit the introductory text to material relating to the immediate context of your research questions and hypotheses. Eliminate extraneous content or sections that do not directly contribute to readers’ knowledge or understanding of the specific research question(s) or topic(s) under investigation. End with a clear description of the questions, aims, or hypotheses that informed your research.
• Method section: Provide enough information to allow readers to understand how the data were collected and evaluated. Refer readers to previous works that informed the current study’s methods or to supplemental materials instead of providing full details of every step taken or the rationale behind them.
• Results section: Be selective in choosing analyses for inclusion in the Results section and report only the most relevant ones. Although an unbiased approach is important to avoid omitting study data, reporting every analysis that may have been run for the dissertation or thesis often is not feasible, appropriate, or useful in the limited space of a journal article. Instead, ensure that the results directly contribute to answering your original research questions or hypotheses and exclude more ancillary analyses (or include them as supplemental materials). Be clear in identifying your primary, secondary, and any exploratory analyses.
• Discussion section: Adjust the discussion according to the analyses and results you report. Check that your interpretation and application of the findings are appropriate and do not extrapolate beyond the data. A strong Discussion section notes area of consensus with and divergence from previous work, taking into account sample size and composition, effect size, limitations of measurement, and other specific considerations of the study.
• References: Include only the most pertinent references (i.e., theoretically important or recent), especially in the introduction and literature review, rather than providing an exhaustive list. Ensure that the works you cite contribute to readers’ knowledge of the specific topic and to understanding and contextualizing your research. Citation of reviews and meta-analyses can guide interested readers to the broader literature while providing an economical way of referencing prior studies.
• Tables and figures: Make sure that tables or figures are essential and do not reproduce content provided in the text.

Theses and Dissertations Guide: Preparing Your Manuscript

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Attention Authors!

Remember to proofread your manuscript! Doublecheck spelling, page numbers, table of contents, etc.

Preparing Your Manuscript

The following guidelines should be used to prepare all UD theses and dissertations. Please note beginning January 2023 all theses and dissertations must meet OhioLINK's Digital Accessibility Standards. Visit "Digital Accessibility for ETDs" tab for more information and instructions.

A primary purpose of these guidelines is to ensure that all UD theses and dissertations present a consistent appearance.  Do not rely on previously accepted theses and dissertations.  While they may have met the guidelines at the time of their submission, they may not meet current guidelines.

Some departments have additional guidelines for preparing manuscripts.  I t is your responsibility to follow department-specific guidelines together with those found in this guide when preparing your manuscript.   When a discrepancy is found, defer to the department guidelines.   The final responsibility for the format of your thesis or dissertation rests with you as the author.   Correct s pelling, punctuation, and grammar should be used.   The Graduate Academic Affairs  reserves the right to reject any manuscript that does not observe these fundamentals and that does not follow accepted format guidelines.

Keywords for ETDs

One benefit of the OhioLINK ETD Center is the inclusion of author-supplied keywords. Please be prepared to supply several subject keywords to describe your thesis or dissertation during the online submittal process. Adding your name as a keyword is not useful.

Style Manuals

The Graduate Academic Affairs will accept theses and dissertations prepared in the format recommended by the style manual published by your discipline’s professional society as long as it falls within the general format and content guidelines described in this document. The most recent style manuals should be used. 

Roll over the Preparing Your Manuscript tab above then click on "Citing Images" pages for more information.

This section discusses requirements for the general layout of your manuscript, the order of front and back matter, and page numbering.  See the Sample Pages  for additional information. Guidelines are similar for both theses and dissertations; instructions specific to theses or dissertations will be marked accordingly.   

General Layout   

The Graduate  Academic Affairs  recommends that you use your word processor’s global page settings or create a template adhering to the following guidelines:   

Margins:   1 inch on top, bottom and right sides and 1 ½ inches on the left.

Line spacing:   Double-spaced; long quotations and footnotes may be single-spaced. Spacing on preliminary pages should follow the examples in the Sample Pages .

Fonts:   Text font and text size should be chosen for ease in reading. Font size 12 is recommended. Use consistent font styles for section headings.   

Footnotes or Endnotes:   Follow the accepted practice of your discipline or the chosen style manual. The format selected should be consistent throughout the manuscript.   

Spell check: Change the word processor spelling setting to include words in ALL CAPS.   

Pagination:   

Arabic numbers (1, 2, 3, etc.) are placed at the bottom center of the page on all pages, beginning with the number 1 on the Approval page.

Order of Preliminary Pages

The preliminary pages consist of the following pages in this order:

Title page (Required)

Approval page (Required)

Copyright page (Optional)

Abstract (Required)

Dedication (Optional)

Acknowledgements (Optional)

Preface (Optional)

Table of Contents (Required)

List of Illustrations (As needed)

List of Tables (As needed)

List of Symbols (As needed)

Title Page (Required)  

The title of the thesis or dissertation begins one inch from the top of the page and should be a meaningful description of the substance of the document.   It is recommended that word substitutes be used for formulas, symbols, superscripts, subscripts, Greek letters, and other similar material. The title page should also contain the following:   

Title of the thesis/dissertation IN ALL CAPS   

The word “Thesis” or “Dissertation”  

Statement of submission  

School or College  

Degree being sought  

Full legal name of degree candidate or name according to university records

Name of university granting the degree or the small UD logo located at http://logo.udayton.edu/basic.asp       

City and state in which the university is located  

Month and year degree is to be conferred  

Approval Page (Required)  

The approval page for the electronic submission will contain the names, but not the signatures of all committee members. However, the signed, original signature page must be submitted to the Graduate Academic Affairs before final approval is granted. If you are submitting paper copies to be bound, please make sure a copy of the Graduate Academic Affairs-approved signature page is included.

  The Title of the thesis/dissertation IN ALL CAPS   is centered and placed one inch from the top of the page. The name of the student is left-justified and added two lines below the title: Last, First Middle. Format the rest of the page according to the Sample Pages .  

Copyright Page (Optional)  

Your manuscript is automatically protected by copyright even if you do not include a copyright page. You may choose the additional protection of registering your copyright for a fee at   www.copyright.gov/eco .  For further copyright information, please see the U.S. Copyright Office Frequently Asked Questions at ( http://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/ ).

Format this page according to the Sample Pages .

  Abstract (Required)  

The abstract should briefly state the problem, describe the procedure or methods used, and summarize the conclusions reached in the thesis or dissertation. The length of the abstract should not exceed 500 words.  

The heading ABSTRACT is centered and placed one inch from the top of the page followed by the title of the thesis/dissertation in ALL CAPS, centered four lines below the heading. Author’s name and name of university are left-justified and single-spaced, two lines below the title.  The advisor’s name is left-justified and two lines below the university name.   The text of the abstract begins two lines below the advisor’s name.  

Dedication (Optional)  

The dedication is an optional page that gives the author the opportunity to dedicate the manuscript to an individual or group. The Sample Pages  show one option for formatting.  

Acknowledgements (Optional)  

The acknowledgements (or acknowledgments) page is an optional page that gives the author the opportunity to thank those who have provided help during the research and writing of a thesis or dissertation.  

The heading ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS is centered and placed one inch from the top of the page. The text begins four lines below the heading.  

  Preface (Optional)  

A preface is included in instances where the genesis of the research is important for the understanding of it, or when the method or procedure of investigation is so unusual as to require prefatory explanation.  

The heading PREFACE is centered and placed one inch from the top of the page.   The text begins four lines below the heading.  

Table of Contents (Required)  

The table of contents includes chapter headings, subdivisions of chapters, and all other parts of the thesis or dissertation listed exactly as they appear in the text along with the starting page number.  

The heading TABLE OF CONTENTS is centered and placed one inch from the top of the page.   The text begins four lines below the heading.  

Note: When using the automatic option in preparing a table of contents, remember to click "update" before submitting for review.

List of Figures or Illustrations (As needed)  

The figures page includes illustration or figure titles and page numbers.  

The heading LIST OF FIGURES or LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS is centered and placed one inch from the top of the page. The list begins four lines below the heading.  

Note: When using the automatic option in preparing a list of illustrations or figures, remember to click "update" before submitting for review.

List of Tables (As needed)  

The tables page includes table titles and page numbers.  

The heading LIST OF TABLES is centered and placed one inch from the top of the page. The list begins four lines below the heading.  

Note: When using the automatic option in preparing a list of tables, remember to click "update" before submitting for review.

List of Symbols, Abbreviations or Special Nomenclature (As needed)  

The list of symbols, abbreviations or special nomenclature is provided to acquaint the reader with symbols, abbreviations or special nomenclature that are essential to the work. When used, these lists can take any form acceptable to the discipline.  

The heading LIST OF SYMBOLS or LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS is centered and placed one inch from the top of the page. The list begins four lines below the heading.  

The Text (Required)  

The nature of the thesis or dissertation determines the organization of the body or main text into chapters, groups of   chapters, or other pertinent schemes of exposition.   These divisions are dictated by the nature of the discipline.   Punctuation, spelling, and general form should be consistent throughout the text. The text begins four lines below the heading.  

Quotation of Copyrighted Material (Required)  

The author of a thesis or dissertation is fully responsible for the use of any copyrighted material in the manuscript.   Generally, permission to use copyrighted material should be sought when a direct quotation of more than 150 words or an illustration is used.   Permission is sought from the author or publisher holding the copyright.   Generally, permission is granted on condition that proper acknowledgement is made.   In some cases, copyright holders require payment.   Necessary clearance for copyrighted material must be obtained before final submission of the thesis or dissertation.

FYI-- The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI, BDI-II)   and the  Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI)   are examples of copyrighted materials that may not be included in an electronic thesis or dissertation. 

For more information:  

UMI Copyright Guide  

Copyright Law and Graduate Research  

Bibliography (As needed)  

The bibliography or reference list of sources used is required if applicable.   Pages should be formatted according to the style manual or discipline-specific guidelines used.  

The heading BIBLIOGRAPHY is centered and placed one inch from the top of the page.   The text begins four lines below the heading.  

Appendices (As needed)  

The appendix or appendices include reference materials such as tables, figures, charts, illustrations, abbreviations, and other addenda not placed in the text.  

When there are multiple appendices, the heading APPENDIX is followed by a capital letter or Arabic number.   The heading APPENDIX and capital letter is centered and placed one inch from the top of the page. Double space after this heading to insert the Appendix titles which should appear in lowercase letters with only major words capitalized.  The text begins four lines below the appendix title.   

Formatting Sequence

• Formatting Sequence for a Dissertation or Thesis 5/2022
• Sample Pages 7/23

These sample pages are designed to assist you in preparing your thesis or dissertation by giving you a visual representation of a variety of common pages along with guidelines for margins and appropriate information to include on the page. Some departments may have slightly different requirements and you should follow those as directed.

The closer your paper follows these guidelines, the fewer corrections you will

have during format checking.

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What is a Thesis? Everything You Need to Know about a Graduate Thesis

If you’re looking into graduate school, you may have read about graduate thesis requirements. In today’s blog, we’re giving you the rundown of what a graduate thesis is and whether you need to complete a thesis at Emerson . 

What is a graduate thesis?

A graduate thesis is a capstone project that demonstrates what a student has learned in graduate school. Some programs require students to conduct research for their thesis, while others may require a creative project. Regardless of what form it takes, a graduate thesis is a substantial project that showcases your ability to do independent, graduate-level work.

At Emerson, a graduate thesis can take multiple forms and might be optional, depending on your program. You may have the option to complete research, write a creative manuscript, or complete a film or other creative project as a graduate student at Emerson. 

Regardless of what format your thesis takes, students are expected to submit some form of academic or creative writing as part of their thesis. 

For a research thesis, this written submission will take the form of an academic research paper that presents your research question and findings. Programs at Emerson offering a research thesis track are:

• Communication Disorders
• Publishing and Writing
• Theatre Education & Applied Theatre 

If your thesis is a piece of creative writing, such as a novel or collection of poems, your manuscript will count as the written portion of your thesis. You would complete this type of thesis in the following programs:

• Creative Writing
• Popular Fiction Writing and Publishing

For a film or creative project as a thesis, the written portion of your thesis would include an explanation of your work and what purpose it serves within your field of study. These are the programs in which you might complete this type of thesis:

• Media Design
• Film and Media Art
• Writing for Film and Television
• Publishing and Writing 
• Theatre Education & Applied Theatre

Do I have to complete a thesis as part of graduate school?

It depends! Some of Emerson’s graduate programs don’t even offer thesis options, and many offer optional thesis opportunities. Only a handful of our programs require a thesis. 

The following programs at Emerson require students to complete a graduate thesis:

• Students complete a design book that includes a literature review, creative portfolio, media design for a specific organization’s need, and plan for continued work with the partner organization.
• Students complete a film or multimedia installation project as their thesis. They must also write an academic paper about their project.
• Students in this program complete at least 100 pages of a near-publishable novel. The novel can fall within any genre, from mystery to science fiction to romance. Along with the manuscript, students also write a 3-4 page synopsis of their thesis.
• Students submit a near-publishable manuscript in one of three categories: fiction, poetry, or creative nonfiction. Page requirements vary based upon the genre in which students are writing. 
• Students in this program complete a screenwriting thesis project. Generally, students can choose between writing a feature length screenplay, two pilot screenplays, or one pilot screenplay for a mini-series plus Treatment for Series that includes a summary for the other episodes in the series. 
• In the MA track of the Theatre Education & Applied Theatre program, students write a research paper about a topic that interests them. The research must be about a topic within the theatre education or applied theatre fields.
• Students in the MFA track of this program complete a two-part thesis, consisting of a thesis project and thesis paper. The thesis project is an opportunity to gain experience in the field of theatre education and/or applied theatre. For example, students could direct a play or design and implement their own curriculum as a thesis project. Students can either complete the thesis project independently or collaborate with 1-2 other MFA students for the project. Each student also completes a thesis paper, which is a critical reflection on the thesis project. 

For other programs, completing a thesis is optional.

The following Emerson graduate programs offer optional thesis tracks:

• Theatre Education & Applied Theatre, MA

Where do I start with a thesis?

The prospect of completing an entire research study or creative project yourself can be daunting, but Emerson faculty support students throughout the thesis process. While graduate theses are largely self-directed, each thesis student receives support and guidance from a thesis advisor. 

Usually, the thesis advisor is a faculty member within the student’s graduate program who has interest in or experience with the student’s thesis topic. The process of finding a thesis advisor varies slightly from program to program, but the advisor will schedule periodic check-ins with their thesis students, offering advice and support as needed. A graduate thesis is the student’s responsibility, but students are not alone in the process!

What are the benefits of completing a graduate thesis?

Having a graduate thesis under your belt can help set you apart as someone who is capable of self-directing large projects or research. This is helpful when you’re looking for work after graduation, or if you’re applying to PhD programs or want to work in research. 

Additionally, completing a creative project for your graduate thesis is a means for students to get their work recognized. For students in our writing MFAs, the thesis requirement gives them a polished, near-publishable manuscript that they can use to query agents after graduation. Students completing a film or media art project for their thesis will leave graduate school with a professional-level piece of work to showcase. Whether it’s a manuscript, film, or other creative project, completing a creative thesis in graduate school gives students material they can use to establish themselves in their field after graduation. 

Lastly, a graduate thesis is an excellent way to grow and challenge yourself. Whether you’re writing a novel, completing a research study, or creating a marketing design for a company, a graduate thesis will challenge you to get outside of your comfort zone. You’ll try new things and learn through your mistakes, all of which will help you grow both personally and academically.

We hope today’s blog has made the thesis process at Emerson a bit clearer. If you still have questions about graduate theses at Emerson, be sure to schedule a call with someone from our admissions team. To get an idea of what kinds of theses Emerson students complete, check out our Project Spotlight blog page. 

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Olivia is a second-year student in Emerson's Communication Disorders MS program. Originally from Ohio, she is loving Emerson and city life. When she's not writing for the Grad Life blog, she loves to read, bake, and crochet.

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• Dissertation

How to Write a Thesis or Dissertation Introduction

Published on September 7, 2022 by Tegan George and Shona McCombes. Revised on November 21, 2023.

The introduction is the first section of your thesis or dissertation , appearing right after the table of contents . Your introduction draws your reader in, setting the stage for your research with a clear focus, purpose, and direction on a relevant topic .

Your introduction should include:

• Your topic, in context: what does your reader need to know to understand your thesis dissertation?
• Your focus and scope: what specific aspect of the topic will you address?
• The relevance of your research: how does your work fit into existing studies on your topic?
• Your questions and objectives: what does your research aim to find out, and how?
• An overview of your structure: what does each section contribute to the overall aim?

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Table of contents

How to start your introduction, topic and context, focus and scope, relevance and importance, questions and objectives, overview of the structure, thesis introduction example, introduction checklist, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about introductions.

Although your introduction kicks off your dissertation, it doesn’t have to be the first thing you write — in fact, it’s often one of the very last parts to be completed (just before your abstract ).

It’s a good idea to write a rough draft of your introduction as you begin your research, to help guide you. If you wrote a research proposal , consider using this as a template, as it contains many of the same elements. However, be sure to revise your introduction throughout the writing process, making sure it matches the content of your ensuing sections.

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

Begin by introducing your dissertation topic and giving any necessary background information. It’s important to contextualize your research and generate interest. Aim to show why your topic is timely or important. You may want to mention a relevant news item, academic debate, or practical problem.

After a brief introduction to your general area of interest, narrow your focus and define the scope of your research.

You can narrow this down in many ways, such as by:

• Geographical area
• Time period
• Demographics or communities
• Themes or aspects of the topic

It’s essential to share your motivation for doing this research, as well as how it relates to existing work on your topic. Further, you should also mention what new insights you expect it will contribute.

Start by giving a brief overview of the current state of research. You should definitely cite the most relevant literature, but remember that you will conduct a more in-depth survey of relevant sources in the literature review section, so there’s no need to go too in-depth in the introduction.

Depending on your field, the importance of your research might focus on its practical application (e.g., in policy or management) or on advancing scholarly understanding of the topic (e.g., by developing theories or adding new empirical data). In many cases, it will do both.

Ultimately, your introduction should explain how your thesis or dissertation:

• Helps solve a practical or theoretical problem
• Addresses a gap in the literature
• Builds on existing research
• Proposes a new understanding of your topic

Perhaps the most important part of your introduction is your questions and objectives, as it sets up the expectations for the rest of your thesis or dissertation. How you formulate your research questions and research objectives will depend on your discipline, topic, and focus, but you should always clearly state the central aim of your research.

If your research aims to test hypotheses , you can formulate them here. Your introduction is also a good place for a conceptual framework that suggests relationships between variables .

• Conduct surveys to collect data on students’ levels of knowledge, understanding, and positive/negative perceptions of government policy.
• Determine whether attitudes to climate policy are associated with variables such as age, gender, region, and social class.
• Conduct interviews to gain qualitative insights into students’ perspectives and actions in relation to climate policy.

To help guide your reader, end your introduction with an outline  of the structure of the thesis or dissertation to follow. Share a brief summary of each chapter, clearly showing how each contributes to your central aims. However, be careful to keep this overview concise: 1-2 sentences should be enough.

I. Introduction

Human language consists of a set of vowels and consonants which are combined to form words. During the speech production process, thoughts are converted into spoken utterances to convey a message. The appropriate words and their meanings are selected in the mental lexicon (Dell & Burger, 1997). This pre-verbal message is then grammatically coded, during which a syntactic representation of the utterance is built.

Speech, language, and voice disorders affect the vocal cords, nerves, muscles, and brain structures, which result in a distorted language reception or speech production (Sataloff & Hawkshaw, 2014). The symptoms vary from adding superfluous words and taking pauses to hoarseness of the voice, depending on the type of disorder (Dodd, 2005). However, distortions of the speech may also occur as a result of a disease that seems unrelated to speech, such as multiple sclerosis or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

This study aims to determine which acoustic parameters are suitable for the automatic detection of exacerbations in patients suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) by investigating which aspects of speech differ between COPD patients and healthy speakers and which aspects differ between COPD patients in exacerbation and stable COPD patients.

Checklist: Introduction

I have introduced my research topic in an engaging way.

I have provided necessary context to help the reader understand my topic.

I have clearly specified the focus of my research.

I have shown the relevance and importance of the dissertation topic .

I have clearly stated the problem or question that my research addresses.

I have outlined the specific objectives of the research .

I have provided an overview of the dissertation’s structure .

You've written a strong introduction for your thesis or dissertation. Use the other checklists to continue improving your dissertation.

If you want to know more about AI for academic writing, AI tools, or research bias, make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

Research bias

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The introduction of a research paper includes several key elements:

• A hook to catch the reader’s interest
• Relevant background on the topic
• Details of your research problem

and your problem statement

• A thesis statement or research question
• Sometimes an overview of the paper

Don’t feel that you have to write the introduction first. The introduction is often one of the last parts of the research paper you’ll write, along with the conclusion.

This is because it can be easier to introduce your paper once you’ve already written the body ; you may not have the clearest idea of your arguments until you’ve written them, and things can change during the writing process .

Research objectives describe what you intend your research project to accomplish.

They summarize the approach and purpose of the project and help to focus your research.

Your objectives should appear in the introduction of your research paper , at the end of your problem statement .

Scope of research is determined at the beginning of your research process , prior to the data collection stage. Sometimes called “scope of study,” your scope delineates what will and will not be covered in your project. It helps you focus your work and your time, ensuring that you’ll be able to achieve your goals and outcomes.

Defining a scope can be very useful in any research project, from a research proposal to a thesis or dissertation . A scope is needed for all types of research: quantitative , qualitative , and mixed methods .

To define your scope of research, consider the following:

• Budget constraints or any specifics of grant funding
• Your proposed timeline and duration
• Specifics about your population of study, your proposed sample size , and the research methodology you’ll pursue
• Any inclusion and exclusion criteria
• Any anticipated control , extraneous , or confounding variables that could bias your research if not accounted for properly.

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What are the boundaries between draft, manuscript, preprint, paper, and article?

In the terminology for a peer-reviewed publication to be submitted to a reputable scientific journal, what are the differences and characteristic properties of the following?

My own take on it would be that my text is a draft until I submit it to a journal, at which point it becomes a manuscript. When the manuscript is accepted it becomes a preprint, and when it gets published it becomes a paper, which is synonymous to article.

Would that be an accurate summary? Would anyone have corrections or additions?

• publications
• terminology

• See also this related question on the difference between preprints and accepted manuscripts, and on its copyright implications. –  henning no longer feeds AI Commented Feb 3, 2016 at 23:20

5 Answers 5

paper = article : In the academic meaning of the words, papers and articles refer to the same thing: a published piece of writing. The term is used for journal papers or journal articles , which means they have been published by a journal, but also for less traditional publications, including self-publication ( “Dr. Who just published a great paper on the intricacies of time travel on his webpage” ) and e-print repositories such as arXiv ( “check out the latest paper by Galileo on arXiv, that guy has mad ideas!” ).

Some journals have different categories of “articles”, and differentiate between letters, communications, reports, reviews, and full papers (sometimes abbreviated as just “papers”). In usage I have seen, paper (or article ) used as a generic term covers all of those: you would say, for example, that “letters and full papers are two types of articles” .

A preprint (more commonly used without the hyphen) refers to the distribution, in advance of formal publication, of something that will be published in print . The preprint may differ from the final publication.

Preprint status does not always indicate that the work has been formally accepted for publication. It just means the authors intend to publish it in a more formal venue (journal, book, etc.) but wanted to distribute by other means beforehand (preprints used to be distributed to colleagues as photocopies, but are now mostly circulated by email or repositories).

A manuscript is, in the New Oxford American Dictionary 's words, “an author's text that has not yet been published ”. Any piece of writing that you have not published in any way (but intend to) is a manuscript.

A draft is the same as a manuscript, except that it insists on the unfinished state of the manuscript.

Summarizing, I could say:

Here's the draft I've been working on, please amend it with your corrections. Once we have done this final round of revision, I will upload the manuscript to the editor's website, and we can start circulating it as a preprint to colleagues whom you think may be interested. Once it is accepted and published, we'll just send them the published version of the paper for their records.

• 9 These rules sound really weird to me. I describe any written result as a paper regardless of its publication or submission status. ("Are you planning to submit your TSP paper to FOCS?" "No, it still needs some more work.") Similarly, a preprint is a paper that is available but not in final published form, again regardless of submission or publication status. For example, all papers on arXiv are preprints, but not all arXiv preprints have been submitted for publication. In my opinion, the only word in this category with a restricted definition is publication . –  JeffE Commented Sep 30, 2013 at 16:54
• @JeffE I believe there is some confusion on what a “preprint” is, so I listed the term as it is used by notable sources ( Nature policy, SHERPA RoMEO , etc.). Of particular note: while arXiv is sometimes called a “preprint server”, it calls itself an “e-print server” –  F'x Commented Sep 30, 2013 at 17:01
• While I am not a mother-tongue English speaker, I've occasionally had the impression that paper and article , while being synonyms, have slightly different connotations. One tends to say "paper" for an own result, or one that they feels closer/related to, and "article" for "something you read in a journal, but you have no personal interest in". Is it the case? Or is it only a wrong impression created by talking too much with other non-native speakers? –  Federico Poloni Commented Oct 1, 2013 at 12:39
• 2 -1 This might vary between fields, but the word "paper" is certainly used for unpublished writeups, including the editors of the top journals in my field (economics). Working papers are papers too. –  Michael Greinecker Commented Feb 13, 2018 at 9:31
• I guess this is field-dependent, since other commenters report different usages, but my understanding of paper (from pure maths/logic) definitely agrees with this answer: to me, paper implies published status just as strongly as article does. –  PLL Commented Mar 22, 2019 at 16:51

In French, paper is definitely informal, while article is the term to be used in a written document.

However, in English I feel that we tend to use

• "journal article" more often that "journal paper",
• "conference article" less than "conference paper",
• "workshop article" far less often than "workshop paper".

So paper might tend to designate a piece of work of lesser importance than article, or as jakebeal said have a more general use. It still sounds slightly more informal to me, probably because I am a French native speaker, but I'm pretty sure many French colleagues of mine have the same feeling even if they work in some English-speaking country.

My field computer science > machine learning, in case the terminology changes from field to field, and my location is the US.

Some statistics (obviously biased by the corpus):

Journal paper vs. journal article :

Conference paper vs. conference article :

Workshop paper vs. workshop article :

• @FranckDernoncourt In the last plot, what's the difference between three lines? They are all workshop papers. –  enthu Commented Oct 18, 2014 at 16:40
• 1 @EnthusiasticStudent Different cases: in the Ngram Viewer when you only plot 1 ngram with case-insensitive mode on, it will plot different cases separately. Since not enough occurrences of "workshop article" were found, the query "workshop paper, workshop article" was regarded as plotting only 1 ngram, not 2. –  Franck Dernoncourt Commented Oct 18, 2014 at 17:03
• What about "newspaper article", or "student newspaper article" are these of less value then a conference paper? –  Ian Commented Oct 18, 2014 at 18:16
• 3 Since you mention French, a quick note about Italian: the formal word is articolo ; there is no Italian word with the same root as "paper", but people in academia often use informally the humorous Italianization papero , which literally means "duck". So it has a more informal connotation, too. And one often gets weird looks from non-academics when using it in their presence. –  Federico Poloni Commented Oct 18, 2014 at 20:20
• Is it OK with you if I merge this answer into the duplicate (i.e., it will appear as an answer to this post with a note indicating that it was merged to explain why it only partially addresses that question.) Since the other post is the 'canonical' one that we point people to when they ask similar questions, I think it would be a shame not to have this answer there. –  ff524 Commented Dec 12, 2014 at 7:43

I think that a piece of writing during the pre-submission stage is a draft and during the post-acceptance, but pre-publication, stage is a preprint. I think that this agrees with your terminology.

Many journals publish original research findings under a number of categories including articles, letters, and reports and in some fields books are the predominant mode of publishing research. Therefore, I would say that a preprint does not necessarily become a paper/article when published and instead becomes whatever it is.

Defining a manuscript is the hardest for me. I have often seen acknowledgements which thank someone for reading a previous version of the manuscript. This happens frequently enough in my field that I believe that a piece of writing becomes a manuscript prior to submission to a publisher. I am not sure when a piece of writing becomes a manuscript. I think a piece of writing becomes a manuscript when the first complete draft is completed.

An "article" typically specifically means a paper in a journal, while "paper" is a more general term that also includes conferences, technical memos, etc.

• I would add that other accompanying words often clarify the meaning. For instance a "published paper" nearly always means a journal article, while a "conference paper" may mean something that was just a presentation with no actual written article. In some cases, an "article" can also mean a publication in a non-academic venue (e.g., Scientific American, The New Yorker), in which case it may also be qualified (as "article in the popular press" or the like). –  BrenBarn Commented Oct 18, 2014 at 20:18
• 2 @BrenBarn This is very field dependent. In computer science, for example, conference papers are often stiffly peer reviewed and quite clearly count as a "published paper." –  jakebeal Commented Oct 18, 2014 at 20:24

I would consider a preprint is the read-proof document that some Journals allow the author to distribute under some rules. So it is in post-acceptance but pre-publication stage. I don´t think the draft-manuscript-paper distinctions are relevant.

• 4 No, this is definite not what the term preprint usually refers to. –  Tobias Kildetoft Commented Feb 12, 2018 at 17:52

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Manuscript-Based (Article-Based) Theses

• Initial Thesis Submission
• Thesis examination
• Doctoral oral defence
• Final Thesis Submission
• Thesis Writing and Support Resources
• Letters of Completion/PGWP

FAQ on manuscript-based theses

As an alternative to the traditional format, a thesis may be presented as a collection of scholarly papers of which the student is the first author or co-first author. A manuscript-based doctoral thesis must include the text of a minimum of two manuscripts published, submitted or to be submitted for publication. A manuscript-based Master’s thesis must include the text of one or more manuscripts. Articles must be formatted according to the requirements described below. Note that a manuscript-based thesis must follow the general structure of a thesis as explained here . An FAQ explaining the difference between a standard and a manuscript-based thesis is available here .

Manuscripts for publication in journals are frequently very concise documents. A thesis, however, is expected to consist of more detailed, scholarly work. A manuscript-based thesis will be evaluated by the examiners as a unified, logically coherent document in the same way a traditional thesis is evaluated. Publication of manuscripts, or acceptance for publication by a peer-reviewed journal, does not guarantee that the thesis will be found acceptable for the degree sought.

A manuscript-based thesis must:

• be presented with uniform font size, line spacing, and margin sizes (see Thesis Format under Preparation of a Thesis );
• conform to all other requirements listed under Thesis Components on the Preparation of a Thesis page;
• contain additional text that connects the manuscript(s) in a logical progression from one chapter to the next, producing a cohesive, unitary focus, and documenting a single program of research - the manuscript(s) alone do not constitute the thesis;
• stand as an integrated whole.

Any manuscripts that are under review, accepted or published in a journal must be included in your manuscript-based thesis without changes (i.e. identical to the published or submitted versions). The only change is with respect to the font/size which should be the same as the one used for the rest of the thesis for consistency and homogeneity reasons. So each chapter represents a full manuscript and has its own reference list. Then at the end of the thesis, you have a master reference list which includes all the other references cited throughout the other sections of the thesis, mostly within the general introduction but also from the general discussion.

Depending on the feedback of your examiners and/or the oral defence committee, you may be required to make revisions to your thesis before final submission. The committee’s comments must be addressed in the connecting text between chapters and/or the discussion section. You must not make any changes to the manuscripts themselves in your final thesis.

In the case of multiple-authored articles, the student must be the first author . Multiple-authored articles cannot be used in more than one thesis. In the case of students who have worked collaboratively on projects, it may be preferable for both students to write a traditional format thesis, identifying individual contributions. Consult this page for information on intellectual property and required permissions/waivers.

In the case of co-first authored articles , only one student can use the article in a manuscript-based thesis and must have a written agreement from the other co-first author student(s).

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial 4.0 International License . Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, McGill University .

Department and University Information

Graduate and postdoctoral studies.

Thesis and Dissertation Guide

• « Thesis & Dissertation Resources
• The Graduate School Home

• Introduction

Copyright Page

Dedication, acknowledgements, preface (optional), table of contents.

• List of Tables, Figures, and Illustrations

List of Abbreviations

List of symbols.

• Non-Traditional Formats
• Font Type and Size
• Spacing and Indentation
• Tables, Figures, and Illustrations
• Formatting Previously Published Work
• Internet Distribution
• Open Access
• Registering Copyright
• Using Copyrighted Materials
• Use of Your Own Previously Published Materials
• Submission Steps
• Submission Checklist
• Sample Pages

I. Order and Components

Please see the sample thesis or dissertation pages throughout and at the end of this document for illustrations. The following order is required for components of your thesis or dissertation:

• Dedication, Acknowledgements, and Preface (each optional)
• Table of Contents, with page numbers
• List of Tables, List of Figures, or List of Illustrations, with titles and page numbers (if applicable)
• List of Abbreviations (if applicable)
• List of Symbols (if applicable)
• Introduction, if any
• Main body, with consistent subheadings as appropriate
• Appendices (if applicable)
• Endnotes (if applicable)
• References (see section on References for options)

Many of the components following the title and copyright pages have required headings and formatting guidelines, which are described in the following sections.

Please consult the Sample Pages to compare your document to the requirements. A Checklist is provided to assist you in ensuring your thesis or dissertation meets all formatting guidelines.

The title page of a thesis or dissertation must include the following information:

• The title of the thesis or dissertation in all capital letters and centered 2″ below the top of the page.
• Your name, centered 1″ below the title. Do not include titles, degrees, or identifiers. The name you use here does not need to exactly match the name on your university records, but we recommend considering how you will want your name to appear in professional publications in the future.

Notes on this statement:

• When indicating your degree in the second bracketed space, use the full degree name (i.e., Doctor of Philosophy, not Ph.D. or PHD; Master of Public Health, not M.P.H. or MPH; Master of Social Work, not M.S.W. or MSW).
• List your department, school, or curriculum rather than your subject area or specialty discipline in the third bracketed space. You may include your subject area or specialty discipline in parentheses (i.e., Department of Romance Languages (French); School of Pharmacy (Molecular Pharmaceutics); School of Education (School Psychology); or similar official area).
• If you wish to include both your department and school names, list the school at the end of the statement (i.e., Department of Pharmacology in the School of Medicine).
• A dissertation submitted to the faculty at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Public Policy.
• A thesis submitted to the faculty at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in the School of Dentistry (Endodontics).
• A thesis submitted to the faculty at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in the Department of Nutrition in the Gillings School of Global Public Health.
• A dissertation submitted to the faculty at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the School of Education (Cultural Studies and Literacies).
• The words “Chapel Hill” must be centered 1″ below the statement.
• One single-spaced line below that, center the year in which your committee approves the completed thesis or dissertation. This need not be the year you graduate.
• Approximately 2/3 of the way across the page on the right-hand side of the page, 1″ below the year, include the phrase “Approved by:” (with colon) followed by each faculty member's name on subsequent double-spaced lines. Do not include titles such as Professor, Doctor, Dr., PhD, or any identifiers such as “chair” or “advisor” before or after any names. Line up the first letter of each name on the left under the “A” in the “Approved by:” line. If a name is too long to fit on one line, move this entire section of text slightly to the left so that formatting can be maintained.
• No signatures, signature lines, or page numbers should be included on the title page.

Include a copyright page with the following information single-spaced and centered 2″ above the bottom of the page:

© Year Author's Full Name (as it appears on the title page) ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

This page immediately follows the title page. It should be numbered with the lower case Roman numeral ii centered with a 1/2″ margin from the bottom edge.

Inclusion of this page offers you, as the author, additional protection against copyright infringement as it eliminates any question of authorship and copyright ownership. You do not need to file for copyright in order to include this statement in your thesis or dissertation. However, filing for copyright can offer other protections.

See Section IV for more information on copyrighting your thesis or dissertation.

Include an abstract page following these guidelines:

• Include the heading “ABSTRACT” in all capital letters, and center it 2″ below the top of the page.
• One double-spaced line below “ABSTRACT”, center your name, followed by a colon and the title of the thesis or dissertation. Use as many lines as necessary. Be sure that your name and the title exactly match the name and title used on the Title page.
• One single-spaced line below the title, center the phrase “(Under the direction of [advisor's name])”. Include the phrase in parentheses. Include the first and last name(s) of your advisor or formal co-advisors. Do not include the name of other committee members. Use the advisor's name only; do not include any professional titles such as PhD, Professor, or Dr. or any identifiers such as “chair” or “advisor”.
• Skip one double-spaced line and begin the abstract. The text of your abstract must be double-spaced and aligned with the document's left margin with the exception of indenting new paragraphs. Do not center or right-justify the abstract.
• Abstracts cannot exceed 150 words for a thesis or 350 words for a dissertation.
• Number the abstract page with the lower case Roman numeral iii (and iv, if more than one page) centered with a 1/2″ margin from the bottom edge.

Please write and proofread your abstract carefully. When possible, avoid including symbols or foreign words in your abstract, as they cannot be indexed or searched. Avoid mathematical formulas, diagrams, and other illustrative materials in the abstract. Offer a brief description of your thesis or dissertation and a concise summary of its conclusions. Be sure to describe the subject and focus of your work with clear details and avoid including lengthy explanations or opinions.

Your title and abstract will be used by search engines to help potential audiences locate your work, so clarity will help to draw the attention of your targeted readers.

You have an option to include a dedication, acknowledgements, or preface. If you choose to include any or all of these elements, give each its own page(s).

A dedication is a message from the author prefixed to a work in tribute to a person, group, or cause. Most dedications are short statements of tribute beginning with “To…” such as “To my family”.

Acknowledgements are the author's statement of gratitude to and recognition of the people and institutions that helped the author's research and writing.

A preface is a statement of the author's reasons for undertaking the work and other personal comments that are not directly germane to the materials presented in other sections of the thesis or dissertation. These reasons tend to be of a personal nature.

Any of the pages must be prepared following these guidelines:

• Do not place a heading on the dedication page.
• The text of short dedications must be centered and begin 2″ from the top of the page.
• Headings are required for the “ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS” and “PREFACE” pages. Headings must be in all capital letters and centered 2″ below the top of the page.
• The text of the acknowledgements and preface pages must begin one double-spaced line below the heading, be double-spaced, and be aligned with the document's left margin with the exception of indenting new paragraphs.
• Subsequent pages of text return to the 1″ top margin.
• The page(s) must be numbered with consecutive lower case Roman numerals (starting with the page number after the abstract) centered with a 1/2″ margin from the bottom edge.

Include a table of contents following these guidelines:

• Include the heading “TABLE OF CONTENTS” in all capital letters, and center it 2″ below the top of the page.
• Include one double-spaced line between the heading and the first entry.
• The table of contents should not contain listings for the pages that precede it, but it must list all parts of the thesis or dissertation that follow it.
• If relevant, be sure to list all appendices and a references section in your table of contents. Include page numbers for these items but do not assign separate chapter numbers.
• Entries must align with the document's left margin or be indented to the right of the left page margin using consistent tabs.
• Major subheadings within chapters must be included in the table of contents. The subheading(s) should be indented to the right of the left page margin using consistent tabs.
• If an entry takes up more than one line, break up the entry about three-fourths of the way across the page and place the rest of the text on a second line, single-spacing the two lines.
• Include one double-spaced line between each entry.
• Page numbers listed in the table of contents must be located just inside the right page margin with leaders (lines of periods) filling out the space between the end of the entry and the page number. The last digit of each number must line up on the right margin.
• Information included in the table of contents must match the headings, major subheadings, and numbering used in the body of the thesis or dissertation.
• The Table of Contents page(s) must be numbered with consecutive lower case Roman numerals centered with a 1/2″ margin from the bottom edge.

Lists of Tables, Figures, and Illustrations

If applicable, include a list of tables, list of figures, and/or list of illustrations following these guidelines:

• Include the heading(s) in all capital letters, centered 1″ below the top of the page.
• Each entry must include a number, title, and page number.
• Assign each table, figure, or illustration in your thesis or dissertation an Arabic numeral. You may number consecutively throughout the entire work (e.g., Figure 1, Figure 2, etc.), or you may assign a two-part Arabic numeral with the first number designating the chapter in which it appears, separated by a period, followed by a second number to indicate its consecutive placement in the chapter (e.g., Table 3.2 is the second table in Chapter Three).
• Numerals and titles must align with the document's left margin or be indented to the right of the left page margin using consistent tabs.
• Page numbers must be located just inside the right page margin with leaders (lines of periods) filling out the space between the end of the entry and the page number. The last digit of each number must line up on the right margin.
• Numbers, titles, and page numbers must each match the corresponding numbers, titles, and page numbers appearing in the thesis or dissertation.
• All Lists of Tables, Figures, and Illustrations page(s) must be numbered with consecutive lower case Roman numerals centered with a 1/2″ margin from the bottom edge.

If you use abbreviations extensively in your thesis or dissertation, you must include a list of abbreviations and their corresponding definitions following these guidelines:

• Include the heading “LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS” in all capital letters, and center it 1″ below the top of the page.
• Arrange your abbreviations alphabetically.
• Abbreviations must align with the document's left margin or be indented to the right of the left page margin using consistent tabs.
• If an entry takes up more than one line, single-space between the two lines.
• The List of Abbreviations page(s) must be numbered with consecutive lower case Roman numerals centered with a 1/2″ margin from the bottom edge.

If you use symbols in your thesis or dissertation, you may combine them with your abbreviations, titling the section “LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND SYMBOLS”, or you may set up a separate list of symbols and their definitions by following the formatting instructions above for abbreviations. The heading you choose must be in all capital letters and centered 1″ below the top of the page.

Previous: Introduction

Next: Format

Manuscript vs Thesis - What's the difference?

As nouns the difference between manuscript and thesis, as an adjective manuscript, abbreviations, derived terms, related terms, external links.

HISTORY 495S/496S: Honors Thesis Seminar 2024/25

• Topic: Impact of Rabbinical Teachings on Israeli Settlers Violence 1967-1980
• Thesis Writers & Duke Libraries
• Browse all Guides at Duke Libraries
• Define Archival Materials and Primary Sources
• Appreciate the "Finding Aid" for Archival Material
• Search Across Finding Aid Portals
• Organize and Cite Your Sources
• Topic: The West and the Soviet Union
• Topic: France Colonialism
• Topic: NAZI Germany Persecution US Perceptions
• Topic: US and Bosnia 1992–1995
• Topic: Counter Culture and Black Power Movements
• Topic: Canada and the American Civil War
• Topic: Asante Female Power
• Topic: Trinity College, Black Workers, and Durham
• Topic: Cherokee Women, Property, Law, and Slavery
• Topic: Sexual Assault in US. Army
• Topic: Page Act
• Topic: Credit Lending and the Rise of Investment Banking
• Topic: Child Welfare Legislation
• Topic: Reagan to 9/11: Impacts on American Muslim Communities

Subject Librarian:

Jerusalem post and jerusalem report, archival and manuscript material, secondary materials: books, secondary materials: articles.

• Topic: Anti-imperialist music of Colombia

Rachel Ariel, Librarian for Jewish Studies, [email protected]

https://guides.library.duke.edu/jewishstudies

Jerusalem Post is a daily newspaper in English: 

On Microform (since 1950):  https://find.library.duke.edu/catalog/DUKE000556700

Online (since 1988)    Jerusalem post

The Jerusalem Report is a Biweekly Israeli Periodical in English:

https://find.library.duke.edu/catalog/DUKE99119281303808501

Marty Rosenbluth papers, 1980-2006 and undated.

Rubenstein Library — Manuscripts, On-site  

https://find.library.duke.edu/catalog/DUKE003816748

To find books on the topic, conduct a subject search in the library's  online catalog  for the following Library of Congress-defined subject headings and limit the results by language (e.g. English):

To expand your search outside of Duke library, conduct the same subject search in the union catalogs of  TRLN  and  WorldCat . 

Gush emunim (Israel)

Religious Zionists

Religious Zionism Israel   - a lot of titles!

Land settlement West Bank     Israelis  

  West Bank Politics and government

Vigilantes West Bank

Rabbis who influenced Gush Emunim:

Kook, Abraham Isaac, 1865-1935     Philosophy

Herzog, Isaac, 1888-1959     Philosophy

Ṿ aldenberg, Eliʻezer Yehudah     Philosophy

Yisraeli, Shaul R.   Philosophy

Goren, Shlomo, 1917-1994   Philosophy

War Religious aspects Judaism

Search “subject” in the following databases :

You may also search directly in the Library.duke.edu by clicking on the Articles box and searching keywords or subjects

• Index to Jewish Periodicals  
• Historical Abstracts (EBSCO)

ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials  

JSTOR 

Project MUSE 

PAIS Index  

• << Previous: Topic: Reagan to 9/11: Impacts on American Muslim Communities
• Next: Topic: Anti-imperialist music of Colombia >>
• Last Updated: Aug 15, 2024 3:38 PM
• URL: https://guides.library.duke.edu/history_honors_thesis

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CrystEngComm

Light-up covalent organic frameworks via the flexible walls design for chemical sensing.

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are a novel type of nanoporous and crystalline polymers with a precise and highly conjugated skeleton, making them promising candidates for constructing emissive materials. However, the strong high conjugation structures between adjacent layers easily lead to aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ) emission properties. In this study, we have designed COFs with flexible skeleton to suppressing ACQ effects, enhancing their luminescent activity. In addition, the high density of nitrogen and oxygen atoms on these flexible walls serves as binding sites for hydrogen bonding interactions, indicating sensitivity and selectivity towards nitro-explosives. This strategy establishes a new approach to creating luminescent materials for chemical sensors.

Supplementary files

• Supplementary information PDF (1901K)

Article information

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Permissions.

W. Zhao, C. Xing, Y. Zhang, J. Ren and H. Li, CrystEngComm , 2024, Accepted Manuscript , DOI: 10.1039/D4CE00635F

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported Licence . You can use material from this article in other publications, without requesting further permission from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given and it is not used for commercial purposes.

To request permission to reproduce material from this article in a commercial publication , please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page .

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party commercial publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page .

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content .

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