Doctoral Dissertation Template Template User Guide Revision: Version 4.0 January 2017 January, 2016 Version 3.1 (Superseded by Version 4.0) July, 2015 Version 3.0 (Superseded by Version 3.1) April, 2014 Version 1.0 (Superseded by Version 2.0) November, 2014 Version 2.0, 2.01 (Superseded by Version 3.0 For use with all doctoral programs Contents Overview... 2 Formatting for all sections of the dissertation have been pre-configured:... 2 Headings... 2 Spacing... 2 Writing Style... 2 Tables and Figures... 3 Deviations from APA Style... 3 Using and Removing Comments... 4 Additional notes... 5 1
OVERVIEW This template is for use by any doctoral program at CTU. The template is based on APA 6 th edition (with some exceptions). In addition to the Dissertation Template and Template User Guide, you will need to refer to the CTU Doctoral Research and Writing Guide for additional support in preparing your research. Formatting for all sections of the dissertation have been pre-configured: Cover page, Abstract, Dedication, Acknowledgements, Table of Contents, List of Tables, and List of Figures are setup and formatted. Each section of the template contains a description of the information being requested for that section. Use the descriptions to help in assuring you are providing the information necessary for that section. When you are ready to complete a section, remove the description for that section. The description is contained in brackets; remove the brackets as well. All tables and figures must fit within the margins of the page. If the table or figure extends over the page margin, you must refit the figure or break the table into multiple tables to avoid extending past the margin. Do not include table or figure captions or title inside the table or figure. Headings All section headings are pre-configured and build the Table of Contents automatically. Do not change heading styles. The template defines the dissertation title, chapter heading, and first two section levels. If you use more than two heading section levels, you will need to refer to the APA 6 th edition publication manual for correct section heading style. The various styles used are all identified by the prefix CTU or use the normal style. DO NOT remove style formatting. If you remove a heading by accident, you can restore the style using the CTU custom styles for the appropriate heading. Headings should not be ALL CAPS in the table of contents but should be ALL CAPS in the text of the document. Spacing DO NOT add extra spaces between sentences. A single space should be used between sentences. DO NOT add extra spaces to the end of paragraphs. There should be a carriage return between paragraphs, just no extra spaces after the period of the end of the paragraph and before the paragraph marker. All Reference entries in the References section should be single spaced with a blank line between (see template). Writing Style Refrain from the use of contractions (Ex: Didn t, Don t, isn t, etc.) Bold face is only used for headings. If you need to emphasize text, use italics. 2
Tables and Figures You will note an example table and figure in Chapter 4. The examples are in CTU approved/apa format. Please use these as your example for all tables and figures. Table and Figure numbers should be consecutively numbered throughout the document. Format for Title and Figure titles: Tables have the Table number in normal font and the title in italics above the table: Table 1 Title in italics Figures are the opposite with the Figure number in italics and the title in normal font, placed below the figure: Figure 1 Title in normal font See Chapter 5 of the APA Manual for details and examples of tables and figures. DEVIATIONS FROM APA STYLE The template has been designed to make the development of your dissertation proposal and final manuscript as easy as possible. First, the template is based on APA 6 th edition. CTU does deviate from APA in the dissertation manuscript: No running head Page numbers are at the bottom in the middle Dissertation title and chapter titles are in all caps Section headings use Heading Level 1 format, sub-section headings use Heading Level 2 References are single spaced with a single blank line between each one One space after punctuation that ends a sentence rather than two. (You can use Find and Replace to search for two spaces in a row and replace them with a single space.) Single space block quotes Single space bulleted and numbered lists The template is a general pattern for the presentation of your doctoral dissertation. The template is the official guide to be used in writing both the proposal and final manuscript. However, it should be noted that students might use the template for different research traditions, including Quantitative, Qualitative, Action Research, or Design Science Research. As such, the template can be changed in specific areas, such as Chapter 1 and 3, to accommodate specific elements of the method as needed to document the study. This should be done with guidance and approval from your mentor The template is pre-configured with APA styles for the various pages (i.e. Cover Page, Abstract, Lists, and the Table of Contents). With a few exceptions where an explanation is not necessary, there are embedded Comments or a description is provided under the section heading that summarizes what is required for that section. Where a description is provided, the summarization, in brackets, should be removed before submission to the mentor or committee. An example is shown below: 3
Notice the text in the brackets below the heading. You would remove the text and brackets from the template. USING AND REMOVING COMMENTS The template also contains Comments that supplement the descriptions. These should be hidden or removed before submitting the final document to the mentor or committee. To hide the Comments: Click on the Comments checkbox to hide the Comments throughout the template. You can bring them back by rechecking the box. Hiding the Comments will keep them from showing on Word and also in any PDFs you create from the template. To delete the Comments permanently, follow the screen shot below: 4
Click on the Delete All Comments in Document menu item. ADDITIONAL NOTES Be sure to save the template as a file name that represents your dissertation name. Also, be sure to back-up your document as you begin to develop the proposal or final manuscript. Refer to the CTU Doctoral Research and Writing Guide for additional support in preparing your research. 5