Instructions to authors of degree thesis or the equivalent in biology, geography, environmental health, physical geography and natural guiding
1 General
All changes from version 2014-11-12 in italics
1.1 Structure
A thesis usually has the following headings in this order:
Foreword
Abstract
Table of Contents
Introduction and Background
Materials and methods
Results
Discussion
References
Sometimes it can be written with slightly different headings depending on the type of thesis. Check with your supervisor or examiner.
1.2 Target group
The target group for the study is the course mates and any third-party clients.
1.3 Language
Swedish or English should be used by arrangement with the instructor. If you write in English, you must also be prepared to do the seminar in English. An English title and an abstract in English must be included in the thesis, even if it is written in Swedish.
1.4 Text Layout
To get a common look of the reports the official university font, Georgia, is used. The text is written in one column, line spacing is 1. Leave 2.5 cm margins on the sides and 2.5 cm top and bottom of the page. The text can be written as in these instructions or with a straight right margin. Keep in mind that we normally print two-sided and that side 1, i.e. where the thesis begins with the introduction and background, always is a right page. Center page numbers at the bottom of the page in Georgia 11 pt. To get the page numbering to start a few pages into the document, make a section break and number the pages from there. Section breaks are also made for each attachment. Use the Help feature in Word for instructions on how to do this.
• Heading 1: Georgia, 16 pt, bold (This is heading 1, not the size of the title on the cover)
• Heading 2: Georgia, 12 pt bold
• Heading 3: Georgia, 11 pt, bold
• Text: Georgia, 11 pt
• Table and figure captions: Georgia, 9 pt
A maximum of three levels of chapters and sub-chapters should be used, check with the supervisor if you want to use more levels. The chapter headings are numbered, but not preface, abstract or table of contents.
1.5 Footnotes
Used only to clarify or comment on the text, not to refer.
1.6 Paragraphs and chapters
Leave an empty row between paragraphs and sections, and two rows between main chapters. Note that in Word you can set an automatic spacing between paragraphs. Set this to zero and use the line feed to get the appropriate spacing between paragraphs and chapters.
1.7 Figures and tables
Figure legends are written below figures and table heads above the tables. Figures and tables are numbered. All figures and tables should be referred to in the text. Figure legends and table heads should make the reader able to understand the figure or table without seeking information in the text. Put a lot of effort into getting tables and figures correct and easy to read.Pictures from books, the Web, etc. may be used only with permission from the author. A small number of figures in color can be used, but use shades of gray if possible and reserve color for shapes and images where color is really needed. Check that the figures with shades of gray or pale colors really work when printed.
1.8 Maps
Maps are drawn with north arrow and scale bar if it is relevant, the scale is not listed as for example 1:10 000, but as a scale bar.A legend should be on the map or in the figure caption if it is not obvious what the symbols mean. All locations within the survey mentioned in the text should normally be included on the map. All signs on the map to be included in the legend and all the charactersin the legend should be on the map. Documentation points (mainly applies to field sampling) is usually numbered with year, month, date and serial number, e.g. 960616-23. Maps from the Internet should be avoided, partly for copyright reasons but also because the quality of the printing is usually too low. This does not apply to maps downloaded via the digital map library.
1.9 Terms and Abbreviations
If you use many terms or abbreviations that are not obvious to the reader, it may be appropriate to make a list with explanations.
2 Content
2.1 Cover
A separate wrapper template can be downloaded from this website:
2.2 Abstract
The report should contain an abstract in English of not more than 250 words. The purpose of the abstract is to call attention to the report and to make its contents known to a larger audience. The abstract should be useful in the DIVA-database at the University library. The title of the report in English, the author's name and the word Abstract should appear in that order on separate lines above the abstract.
The abstract should be written as a single paragraph. The abstract should for the most part be written in the past tense (imperfect) as it describes completed work. The conclusions drawn from the results may be written in present tense as they hopefully will continue to be valid for some time. There should be no tables, figures or references to the literature in the abstract. Do not use an abbreviation that is not self-evident to a large audience. If used, introduce abbreviations in parentheses after the complete expression the first time it appears in the abstract. Avoid slang and jargon (e.g., call your work a "report", not a "paper").
The first sentences of the abstract should explain the purpose(s) of the study which led to the report, i.e., the questions you wanted to answer or the hypotheses you wanted to test. The sentences after the introductory sentences should describe how the study was performed. Describe briefly both the study design and the methods and materials used. Do not write that a literature study was made. A study of the literature is mandatory. The greater part of the abstract should be concerned with the results of your study. Novel results should be stressed. Include important data where possible. The abstract should end with a conclusion and the answer(s) to the question(s) posed in the introductory sentences or the implications of the results of testing your hypotheses.
The words Key Words: and a list of no more than five English terms or subject headings characterizing the study should appear below the abstract.
2.3 Preface
A preface may be included. Here you thank those who have helped during the thesis. There is usually no preface in an English thesis, and the author writes a chapter, "acknowledgment", after the discussion but before the references.
2.4 Summary
A summary in Swedish is included only if an external client explicitly requests this. A summary is considerably longer than an abstract.
2.5 Table of Contents
All page numbers in the table of contents (TOC)should be the same size and appearance. TheMicrosoft Word built-in function for the index is inappropriate to use as it gives page numbers the same size as chapter headings. Preface, abstract and summary are not numbered and are not included in the TOC. The headings in the table of contents should have the same size, font, etc., in the text.
2.6 Introduction and Background
The introduction presents the background and purpose, including questions. Purpose and questions have a sub-heading. It gives the opportunity for a further exploration of the topic. A good rule of thumb is that the introduction and background is usually not longer than the discussion.
2.7 Materials and methods
The Materials and methods describes the materials and methods in such detail that the reader should be able to repeat the study. The description of the study area in field works or the like may be included here. If your thesis includes experimental studies in the laboratory or in the field where you somehow manage and/or manipulate vertebrates, it requires an ethical permission for animal experiments from Animal Trial Ethics Board. Among other things, a passed course in animal trials ethics is mandatory before the practical part of the degree thesis is started, see the policy decision on the webpage: .It is your responsibility to check with the supervisor and coordinator for such authorization and that authorization is given for the type of study you do. Furthermore, your report should indicate that your study has ethical permission by the record number and the name of the licensee stated.
2.8 Results
This chapter presents the results of your own investigations. All of your results that you want to include in the report should be presented in this chapter. You can use figures and tables to illustrate your results, but you must describe with words that you want to illustrate in the figure or table (the figure and/or table is a compliment to the text, not the other way around). See “1.7 Figures and tables” for details.Results and discussion can sometimes be written in the same chapter. Important is that it is then clear what are the results and what is discussed. Ask your supervisor if you want to write results and discussion in the same chapter.
2.9 Discussion
In the discussion you interpret the results and put them in relation to previous studies. You cannot include new results from your study of this chapter. The focus of the discussion should be on the topics of the report, as outlined in the introduction. The chapter should end with your own concrete conclusions.
2.10 References
The purpose of the references is that anyone who reads what you have written to be able to find all the facts that have been used in the text. When referencesare missing, reader assumes that it is the author's data. Therefore, there must be references to anything that is not your own information or results or to things that are common knowledge. For example, that Stockholm is Sweden's capital need not be referenced, but if you claim that a nickel smelter is the largest industry in Norilsk, this must have a reference if this is a not result of your investigation. Maps, aerial photographs etc.,are not referenced but cited in the text, usually in the materials and methods, which maps, aerial photographs, etc. the author used.
All references in the text should be in the reference list (in the "References") and vice versa, i.e. all references in the reference list should be in the text.
We use the Harvard system of referencing. How the system looks in detail can be found here How references in the text should be written is described at Below is a summary of the Harvard system. Please observe that our system differs from the Harvard system that we don´t put page numbers after the reference in the text.
References should be written in the following example (alphabetical order):
Björkman, Anders. 2008. Final or beyond - a terminal experience. Västerbottens Kuriren.
February 19.
Bourgeon, Sophie, Guindre-Parker, Sarah and Williams, Tony D. 2011. Effects of sibling competition on growth, oxidative stress, and humoral immunity: A two-year brood-size manipulation. Physical and Biochemical Zoology 84:429-437.
Department of Ecology and Environmental Science. 2007. Research Groups,physical
geography. (retrieved 2007-06-19).
Lind, Martin. 2009 a Phenotypic plasticity and local adaptation. Dissertation.Department of Ecology and Environmental Science. Umeå university. Umeå: Umeå university.
Lind, Martin. 2009 b Gene flow and selection on phenotypic plasticity in an island system.
Evolution 63:1508-1518.
Retzer, Alan D. 1988. Studies of dust storms from satellite. In Remote sensing in
meteorology Alan P. Cracknell (ed.), 224-245. London: Blackwell.
Retzer, Alan D. and Barry, Ruebe G. 1974. Arctic and alpine environments. London:
Methuen.
Retzer, Alan D., Jones, Gerhard, Davies, John and Paul, David. 1987. Alpine soils of the
Rocky Mountains. Journal of Soil Science 4:23-31.
SOU 2008:11. . Obligatorieutredningen. Frihet för studenter: Om hur kår- och
nationsobligatoriet kan avskaffas.Stockholm: Fritzes.
Öhman, Lars. Director SSAB in Luleå in 2010. Interview 2010-03-12.
If an author has written two or more publications in the same year they are referred to in this text (Lind 2009 a, b Lind 2009) and in the reference list as above. Not the use of italics, that the magazine's name is not shortened, that the volume number is usually printed and the pages where the article is always printed. When it comes to books, thepublisher (not place of printing) and publisher name (not printing) is always written.
The references above in a text is written as follows:(Bourgeon, Guindre-Parker och Williams 2011), (Department of ecology and environmental science 2007), (Lind 2009 a), (Retzer och Barry 1974), (Retzer 1988), (Retzer et al. 1987)and at multiple references to the same data, they are written in chronological order: (Retzer and Barry, 1974, Retzer 1988). Personal communication is referenced: (Öhman, pers. Comm.) in the text. In the reference list, print out the name and affiliation of the person.
References from the Internet are written with the full address in the reference list (unless it is clearly impractical) or DOI number if one exists, and the date when the author found material. The text is written; author or creator and year, in the same manner as all other references. Be sure to refer to the page on the Internet where you can find the material. It is important to also specify the name of the page for the reader to find the material, if the network address changes. Please observe that printed matter that also can be found on the internet shall be referred to as a printed source, not as an internet source.
2.11 Attachments
Attachments are used for things that are too bulky to be included in the results and which are not necessary for context. Examples of this are raw data from various studies, surveys and interviews or questionnaires. The appendices are numbered separately and have headlines.
3 Publication of the thesis in DIVA
Whenyour thesisis approved, please uploadyour work toDIVAand notifythe course coordinatorthat this has happened. Exemptionsfromthiscan be givenin special casesby the course coordinator.You registeryour workby fillingout a form withbibliographicaldetails and attachpaper or thesis. Everything should becombinedinto one file, and must beinPDF format.You log inwithyourCASusers.If you haveproblems logging in, please contact ITS -Department ofIT support andsystems development.Once registered,your workispublished by the course coordinatoror the equivalentat the departmentthat administersthe electronic publication, i.e. approveandpublishyour work.It is only whenthis is donethatyour essaywill be visibleon the Web.
• Log on to
• Select Add publication / Upload Files
The parameters to be recorded are:
• Publication: Student essay (thesis). Continue>
• Name and Department: Ecology and Environmental Science
• Title: the thesis title
• University Level: Independent work at XX level (degree / bachelor / master / master degree)
• Credits: 15/30/45/60 hp
• Other information: Year and number
• National subject category: Science, if no other category is more suitable
• Programme: Enter the programme
• Keywords: your Key Words / keyword
• Abstract: The thesis abstract. Continue>
• Upload file in full text if you want to publish the entire thesis
• Tick the box to accept the terms of electronic publishing. Then click the Continue button to review all information before submitting your essay. Click the back button to change something else to go on by clicking on submit
• Now, the paper is ready to be reviewed and published. NOTE! Notify your course coordinator that you have registered your essay.
For further instructions on how to register your work -