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Document Formatting Checklist

Aquila Document Formatting Checklist

Use this list to review the format of your document prior to submission to the Graduate School.

(See the Graduate School Document Guidelines for formatting instructions.)

 

Front Matter / Preliminary Pages

  • Did you fill in all of the blanks on the Title Page with the appropriate (and properly formatted) information about your document and your committee?
  • Is the title in ALL CAPS on the title page and in Title Case on the Aquila submission form?
  • Does the date correspond to your semester of graduation? (i.e. May + year for Spring graduates, August + year for Summer graduates, and December + year for Fall graduates)
  • Does the abstract meet the word requirement (max. 250 words for a thesis and max. 350 for dissertations and doctoral projects)?
  • Did you update the Table of Contents using the “Update Field” function?
  • Did the table populate as expected (i.e. with only chapter titles, headings, and subheadings), or did it include text and/or tables/figures that should not appear in the table?
  • Did you use the same function on any other lists in your front matter (tables, illustrations, schemes, etc.)?
  • Did you delete any unused pages (Dedication, List of Tables/Figures, etc.)?

 

Main Text

  • Does all of the text, including any tables, figures, and schemes, fit within the document margins?
  • The required margins are 1” left, 1” right, 1” top, and 1” bottom.
  • Is the text 12-point, Times New Roman font, and double-spaced throughout the document?
  • Do all chapter titles, table titles, figure titles, and first, second, third, and fourth-level headings have the appropriate Styles applied?
  • If the correct Styles have been applied, all titles and headings should populate in the Table of Contents
  • Is the spacing between paragraphs, between paragraphs and tables/figures, between chapter title and first paragraph, etc., consistent throughout the document?
  • Are all paragraphs indented, including paragraphs in your Abstract?
  • Are the page numbers in the correct order and font? Does Abstract begin on page ii? Does Chapter 1 begin on page 1?
  • If your document includes landscaped pages, are they properly formatted (i.e. are the margins correct? Is the page number in the left-hand margin, facing outward?)?
  • Have you eliminated all widowed/orphaned lines, including section headings, table and figure titles, or figure captions that are separated from their related content by a page break?

 

Appendices and References

  • If you do not have any appendices, have you deleted all sample pages (including the Sample IRB letter)?
  • If you have only one appendix, is it labeled “Appendix” (the first appendix should be labeled “Appendix A” only if there is an “Appendix B” that follows it)?
  • Have you included all documents necessary to show responsible conduct in research (IRB, IACUC, permissions from other scholars, etc.)?
  • Are all the sources you cite in the text included on the References/Works Cited page?
  • Is your Works Cited page formatted according to your field’s appropriate style guide (i.e. MLA, APA, Chicago, etc.)?