Guidelines for Writers of Masters Theses

LINKÖPING UNIVERSITY

IEI/Business Administration

Guidelines for writers of Masters’ theses

Writing a Master’s thesis

Guidelines for designing the manuscript

Autumn/Spring term 07/08

Department of Management and Engineering

Peter Gustavsson & Henrik Nehler

These guidelines deal with questions of the formal aspects of designing MSc theses written at the Department of Management and Engineering at Linköping University. The purpose of these guidelines is to bring about a common layout for design and format used in the PDF-file that is to be handed in. The compilation can largely be considered an example and suggestion of what guidelines should apply.

The design of the first pages of the report is important. The layout of the first pages is shown first.

After this you will find suggestions for appropriate typeface, signs, margins, headings, etc. Then the organization of sources, footnotes and references is suggested. It is self-evident that there is no referring to a “correct formula” for designing an MSc thesis. It is therefore important to see this document as a model for or example of a possible layout and organization.

The first pages of the report

The design of the first pages depends on what format the thesis is to be printed in. If the writer wants to print the thesis in A4 format the following is required.

Page 1 should include title (Swedish and English) and writer, centred on the page. No pagination. Start about 6 cm from the top of the page (A4 format) and centre the text using typeface Palatino (or similar typeface) 24 points, lowercase, and boldface. If there is a subtitle, use 18 points. In the top left corner write the ISRN-number.

Page 2 is the summarizing page. This page must contain title, author, supervisor, (English and Swedish title, respectively), background, aim, definitions, completion and results, and five appropriate search terms. This page should not be numbered.

Page 3 should include the preface, if any.

Page 4 has the heading “Contents” and here starts the “Table of Contents”. After the Table of Contents the figures are listed. Title: “Figures” (“Tables”). Here the reader is provided with numbers, titles and page references.

Page 5 is the first text page and here the pagination starts with Page 1. This page must always be a right-hand page. If the Table of Contents has an uneven number of pages, a blank page must be inserted before this first, numbered page.


If the writer wants to publish the thesis in S5, i.e. booklet format, the following is required.

Page 1 should include title (Swedish and English) and writer, centred on the page. No pagination. Start about 6 cm from the top of the page (A4 format) and centre the text using typeface Palatino (or similar typeface) 24 points, lowercase, and boldface. If there is a subtitle, use 18 points. In the top left corner write the ISRN-number.

Page 2 is left blank and unnumbered.

Page 3 is the summarizing page. This page must contain title, (English and Swedish title, respectively), author, supervisor, background, aim, definitions, completion and results, and five appropriate search terms. This page should not be numbered.

Page 4 is left blank and unnumbered.

Page 5 should include the preface, if any.

Page 6 is left blank and unnumbered.

Page 7 has the heading “Contents” and here starts the “Table of Contents”. After the Table of Contents the figures are listed. Title: “Figures” (“Tables”). Here the reader is provided with numbers, titles and page references.

Page 8 is the first text page and here the pagination starts with Page 1. This page must always be a right-hand page. If the Table of Contents has an uneven number of pages, a blank page must be inserted before this first, numbered page.

Layout (suggested)

Margins and typefaces

This text was written in MS Word. In this instruction the format of the document has been defined by using head margins of 3.5 cm, foot margins of 1.5 cm, and left- and right-hand margins of 3 cm. The text width (that is, the ruler) is 15 cm. The article was written with aligned left-hand and right-hand margins and the spacing is 17 points (that is, full width), which can be justified under “paragraph” in MS Word. Seventeen points equals spacing of between 1 and 1.5 points. The typeface used here is Times New Roman, 12 points. This information is very important if the thesis is to be printed in S5-format.

The reason why we use spacing of 1.5 points for the “normal” text is that the report is to be photographed down to 81% of full size when it is printed in the S5-format (in the case that the department decides to print the thesis in a booklet format). In that case, 12 points may be difficult to read. If the report is going to be printed as a “little book”, it is important that the margins should be wide enough so that the text near the inside margin is readable. We have chosen 3 cm as the minimum width for that margin.

If you choose another layout, try to reduce your A4-page to 81% on a photocopier and you will then see what the layout will be like.

The page numbers, in 12 points, are centred at the bottom of the page.

Typefaces in headings

In the text, chapter headings are set in, for example, 24-point type, lowercase, boldface, centred. Between the heading and the text two line spaces are inserted (two “return”). The next level heading should be centred as well, bolded, 18 points, and lowercase. The third level, 14 points, lowercase, boldface and centred. Between a paragraph and a new heading two line spaces are added (two “returns”). See example below.

1  Chapter 1

1.1  Level heading two

1.1.1  Level heading three

Avoid a fourth unnumbered level


Quotations

Quotations are always followed by a reference to the source and it goes without saying that quotations must always be accurately reproduced. Avoid numerous quotations and too long quotations as they make heavy reading.

Use quotation marks to set off a quotation and, if appropriate, indentation and italics. In the example below, the quotation has been indented; 1 cm on the left-hand side and 1 cm on the right-hand side, and it is printed in italics, in 12-point type. The source and the page number of the cited work are always placed beneath the quotation, in 12-point type. A quotation may look like this.

Att direkt använd andras formuleringar utan att ange källan betraktas som ett slags stöld.”

Source: Wiedersheim-Paul & Eriksson, 1987 (p. 109)

References

According to Wiedersheim-Paul & Eriksson (1987), references should always be given for indirectly reported statements. It may also be appropriate to give references in order to find support for an argument and account for which of the writer’s thoughts are based on specialized literature.

A neat way of referencing is to refer to the cited writers consecutively. In that case, the writer’s surname and the work’s publication year are enclosed in parentheses in connection with the argument (see Wiedersheim-Paul, 1987). Otherwise, the source is incorporated as part of the text as in the example below.

“…liknande resonemang framför av bl.a. Lundahl & Skärvad (1982) vilka poängterar vikten av att använda källhänvisningar för att styrka ett resonemang”. …eller ”Som bl.a. Weber (1920) påpekar, så måste organisationen…”.

If you base an argument on several writers, you can note that in parentheses after the paragraph or the sentence (see eg Kotler & Armstrong, 1991; Keegan, 1984; and Alvesson, 1989) or (cf Hofstede, 1991; Knutsson, 1984; Frost et al, 1986). Thus, names and years are written in the main body of the text whereas the complete reference is placed in the systematic list of references at the end of the thesis. If references are used consecutively in the text, the footnotes may instead be used for providing explanations or “extra” information[1].

List of references

In the list or references works referred to are given in alphabetical order according to writer’s name, publication year, title, publisher, and place of publication. See example below.

Dwyer, F. R., Schurr, P. H. & Oh, S., 1987, Developing Buyer-Seller Relationships, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 51, No. 3, pp. 11-27.

Frost, P. J. et al (eds.), 1985, Organizational Culture, Sage Publications, Inc., Beverly Hills, California.

Lundahl, U. & Skärvad, P. H., 1982, Utredningsmetodik för samhällsvetare och ekonomer, Studentlitteratur, Lund.

Wiedersheim-Paul, F. & Eriksson, L. T., 1987, Att utreda och rapportera, Liber Förlag, Malmö.


Instruction for converting a doc.-format (Word) to a PDF-format

1.  Open the word-document

2.  Choose ‘Print’, but instead of the regular printer choose to print with ‘Acrobat Distiller’ (See image below). When Acrobat Distiller is chosen press OK and decide where the file is to be saved (for instance your file storage). The PDF-file now has the same name as the word-file.

3.  Done! If everything is done correctly the PDF-file should now be in your file storage.

Image

Attendance and participation requirements at the seminars

Attendance and active participation are required of the students at no fewer than six of the meetings that make up the seminar series “Master of Science Work” (that is, four meeting in addition to opposition and own presentation). The final seminar is the meeting that discusses one final report (thesis). In those cases where the number of seminars within one’s own seminar group is fewer than six, the students are obliged to participate in other seminar series’ final seminars so that, in this case, too, every student participates in at least six final seminars. The students must themselves be able to report which final seminars they have attended outside of their own seminar series (and, if necessary, be able to show a certificate of their attendance) by presenting to the seminar leader, at the last seminar, a list of seminars attended (including name of supervisor, title of thesis and name of writer).

Deadlines for handing in theses

Planning reports are to be duplicated and handed over to the seminar leader and the chosen group of opponents the day before the planning seminar at the latest and to the rest of the members of the seminar at the planning seminar.

A sufficient number of copies of the final report, in a finished state, should be handed over to the seminar leader by 9.00 five working days before the final seminar at the latest. This means, for example, that a thesis which is to be discussed at a final seminar on a Tuesday must be submitted to the seminar leader on the previous Tuesday at 9.00. (This does not apply to planned seminar series where common submission and distribution has been decided upon by the course co-ordinators.)

A summary of the opposition must reach the seminar leader and the writers one working day before the final seminar. The summary should include the main outlines of the positive as well as negative criticism that the opponents want to present (see above).

Handing in theses for filing, etc

When the thesis has been accepted (after small adjustments, if necessary), the writer/s design the first pages of the report.

The instructions for handing in the thesis can be found at the Master thesis webpage. NB you must hand in one PDF-file (via email) for internal archive to the administrative registrator, (<>). Furthermore, you should also send a PDF-file of the completed version to the supervisor for his/her file.

Classification of the thesis

When, in certain cases, the thesis treats delicate questions, it may happen that some party having revealed delicate information wants the thesis to be classified. In that case, the company sends a written application for classification to the Dean of the Department for Management and Engineering expressing a wish that the thesis should be classified. This letter must reach the Dean of the department before the thesis is accepted. The letter should include the following items.

·  Which thesis the letter applies to and who wrote the thesis.

·  The reason why classification is wanted.

·  The classification period wanted (five years is the maximum period).

Publish

(not mandatory)

The thesis must have an ISRN-number in order to be published on electronic press, the number is given at expeditionen at IEI (013- 28 15 22 or <>).

The following is the code used on the front page:

LIU-IEI-FIL-A-yy/00000--SE

yy= year

The ceros represent the ISRN-number. When you have received your ISRN-number exchange it with that many ceros, start from right to left. For example if your ISRN- number is 135 then the correct code will be 00135 (LIU-IEI-FIL-A-yy/00135--SE).

If the writers attend different programs/courses the thesis must have two ISRN- numbers. The thesis is also to be published in two places if the writers attend different programs/courses.

Publish on Electronic Press

It is of utmost importance to the university and its surrounding world that the knowledge produced by employees and students is being spread and made available for others scientists and society in general. The publication of this knowledge is an important part of the university’s profiling and in extension it reflects the way the university is viewed by its stakeholders. Therefore the University’s objective at large is that all research results and more qualified works done by students will be published on LIU E-press. However this is not mandatory in order to pass. The electronic publishing requires an active consent by the writer. The form for this can be found on the Electronic Press homepage, www.ep.liu.se/authorinf/contracts/publ_student_en.pdf