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Doctoral Guide to Finalizing Your Dissertation

This guide explains requirements for the final steps after you've successfully defended your dissertation, and your committee has signed the dissertation approval form -- the format check and OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center (ETD) uploa

Title Page

The dissertation title page must match the formatting of the template (see below). The most common mistake made on the cover page is failing to properly list the committee chair/members in the order they are listed on the approval form.

NOTE: do not list the committee chair/member's degree, but do precede their name with "Dr." (without quotes). 

Copy of sample dissertation title page showing required formatting.

Table of Contents

The table of contents must be double spaced and include all level 1, 2 and 3 headings, along with references and appendices.

The main chapter headings are designated as level 1 headings. The first level of subheadings in the chapter are designated as level 2 headings, and subheadings under level 2 headings are level 3 headings.

Each level of heading should be indented 1/2 inch under the previous in the table of contents. For example (the example below is for illustration, because it is an image, and the spacing may not match the original):

table of contents formatting showing level 1 headings flush right, with a 1/2 inch indent for level 2 headings and a 1 inch indent for level 3 headings

You may also find the following "How To" from Microsoft helpful:

How to Format the Table of Contents

 

How to Automatically Create Table of Contents Using Styles

While it is better to use heading styles and automatically generate your table of contents, if you manually create the table of contents entries, the page numbers must line up on the right. This means that you cannot space over, but must use a right tab with dot leaders to set the page number. The video below shows how to do this. The right tab stop in the video is set at 4", and for your dissertation table of contents you should set the right tab stop at 6.5".

Headings

Headings must be formatted as follows:

example of properly formatted level 1 through level 5 dissertation headings

Heading levels cannot skip a level (i.e., heading level 3 must be under heading level 2). 

You can use styles in Microsoft Word to set the formatting for your headings. Each time you create a heading of a certain level, using Microsoft Word styles will let you automatically apply the correct formatting for that heading level. See the videos on the "How to" Videos tab of this box to see how headings are formatted and how to use Word styles to format your headings.

For additional information, on using styles in Word, see:

The Chapter headings must be formatted as Level 1 headings, and must be titled as follows, depending on the type of dissertation:

  • Mixed-Methods
    • Chapter 1: Introduction
    • Chapter 2: Literature Review
    • Chapter 3: Methodology (Mixed-Methods)
    • Chapter 4: Data Analysis Results
    • Chapter 5: Conclusions, Implications of the Study, and Recommendations
       
  • Qualitative
    • Chapter 1: Introduction
    • Chapter 2: Literature Review
    • Chapter 3: Methodology
    • Chapter 4: Findings
    • Chapter 5: Conclusions, Implications of the Study, and Recommendations
       
  • Quantitative
    • Chapter 1: Introduction
    • Chapter 2: Literature Review
    • Chapter 3: Methodology
    • Chapter 4: Data Analysis Results
    • Chapter 5: Conclusions, Implications of the Study, and Recommendations

Tables and Figures

Tables and figures must be formatted according to APA requirements. 

  • They should be numbered consecutively throughout the document (Table 1, Table 2, etc. and Figure 1, Figure 2, etc.).
  • The word "Table" or "Figure" followed by the table/figure number in bold should be the first line.
  • One double spaced line below that should be the table/figure title, using Initial Capitalization and italic font.
  • The table or figure should be below that
  • Blank lines above or below the table (as necessary) are appropriate to separate the table/figure from the text.
  • Figures must include alt text (see the Digital Accessibility Requirements). If tables are inserted as images, they will also require alt text (tables created using the word table format do not require alt text)

If you have three or more figures or tables in your dissertation, the dissertation must include a separate list of figures and/or list of tables after the Table of Contents. The videos below demonstrate (1) how to properly format your figures/tables, (2) how to use styles to caption your figures/tables, and (3) how to automatically create the list of tables/figures:

For additional information about the APA requirements, see:

How to Format Figures and Tables in Your Dissertation

 

How to Use Word Styles to Caption the Tables and Figures in Your Dissertation

 

How to Automatically Generate the List of Figures and List of Tables

Extra Spacing Between Paragraphs and/or Headings

Your dissertation should be double-spaced. This requirement does not only apply within paragraphs. The spacing between paragraphs, and between paragraphs and headings, should also be double-spaced.

Sometimes, there is extra spacing between paragraphs and/or between paragraphs and headings. In this example, you can see that the document is double-spaced within the paragraphs. However, there is extra spacing between the heading and the paragraph and also between the two paragraphs (as indicated by the red lines below).

Screenshot showing a double spaced document with extra line spacing between the heading and the first paragraph as well as between the two paragraphs

You can fix this by selecting your text, and selecting the paragraph edit options in word (the angle with an arrow next to paragraph)

Screenshot of Microsoft Word menu bar on the home tab, with the paragraph callout option circled in red

Then, you can make sure that the spacing before and after paragraph is set to 0 and select don’t add space between paragraphs of same style.

screenshot of the word paragraph options screen with the before and after options, as well as the checkbox for don't add space between paragraphs, highlighted

(and, of course, click OK).

If you are not automatically generating your table of contents, please check the page numbers in case things move around.

For more information, see:

IRB Approval Letter

You must include your Franklin University Determination / IRB approval letter as an Appendix to your dissertation. You can download a copy from Cayuse.

You can either paste the text of the letter in the appendix, or use an image. However, if you paste an image of the IRB approval letter, alt text is required (as discussed in the "How to Meet the Digital Accessibility Standards" box below.

Note: when you follow the instructions below, if you have already closed your study you will need to look in your archived studies rather than active studies.

You can find information about how to identify and access your Franklin University Determination / IRB approval letter from: