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Dissertation and thesis resources

The University Graduate School (UGS) offers guidelines for completing your dissertation or thesis, including:

Dissertation defense instructions for doctoral students

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Find instructions on defending your dissertation on the UGS website

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ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global

has an extensive collection of 3.8 million graduate works (both dissertations and theses); is available to authorized IU Bloomington users through IU Libraries

Dissertation abstracts database

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Doctoral dissertation formatting

In order to be accepted, your doctoral dissertation must comply with certain formatting guidelines. Be sure to read the list of requirements thoroughly before you begin, and check the list carefully before you submit.

• Font size should be either 11 or 12 point for the entire document with the only exception being the title on the title page, footnotes, tables/charts, and picture/table descriptions. Font up to size 16 point may be used for the document’s title on the title page only. Font as small as 10 point may be used for footnotes, the content of tables/charts, and picture/table/chart descriptions. Within tables, charts, or image descriptions, font smaller than 10 point may be used, but thought should be given to legibility.
• Black font is used throughout the document, with the only exception being areas where a different font color serves a purpose in explaining or highlighting some aspect of the research/document in a way black font could not.
• Be consistent in font style throughout your document. The following font styles are recommended for the ease with which they convert to a PDF. All documents have to be converted to a PDF in the electronic submission process.
•  Arial
•  Bookman Old Style
•  Calibri
•  Cambria
•  Lucida Bright
•  Times New Roman 

Page numbers and headers

• Page numbers must be clear, consecutive, and printed on every page, including appendixes, tables, figures, maps, charts, photographs, etc., except for the title page and vita page.
• Lowercase Roman numbers (e.g., i, ii, iii) are used for the front matter (the pages preceding the main body of work).
• Arabic numerals (e.g., 1, 2, 3) are used in the body of the work, the bibliography and the appendices.
• The title page counts as page i but does not bear a number.
• Begin the actual numbering with the acceptance page as page ii, and continue with lowercase Roman numerals until the start of the actual body of the dissertation. That page, whether part of your full introduction or of your first chapter, should be numbered using the Arabic numeral 1, and every page thereafter should be numbered consecutively until you reach the vita page.
• Ordinarily, page numbers should be centered at the top or bottom of the page, entered midway between the edge of the paper and the text to prevent their loss during the binding process.
• Running heads are not used in dissertation submissions. Please limit the content of your header and footer space to the page number only.
• Top, Right, and Bottom margins must be one inch. If the dissertation will only be electronically accessed, a one-inch left margin is acceptable. The left margin should be one inch if the dissertation will be bound in paper form by ProQuest. If using a bindery other than ProQuest, please consult with the bindery about the size of the left margin needed for their binding process.
• Proper margin space is critical for proper binding. Inadequate margins can result in part of your material being lost after the combination of copying and binding. Even if all the material remains, insufficient margins can affect the readability and appearance of your work.
• These margin requirements apply to all materials included in the dissertation, including figures, tables, maps, plates, etc., and any preliminary material you choose to include.

The material should be double-spaced. Long quotations within the text should be typed single-spaced with wider margins.

• Dissertations should be written in English, unless you and your department/committee have decided otherwise. In that case, an English-language abstract must be included in the dissertation.

Style manuals

Commonly used style manuals include:

• The Chicago Manual of Style
• Turabian, Kate L., A Manual for Writers
• Modern Language Association (MLA) style sheet
• American Psychological Association (APA) style sheet (especially for works in the social sciences)

Check with your research committee if you are unsure which style manual you should use.  IU Libraries also offer research support, including links to online versions of some style manuals. 

• Check with your department on this requirement. This format depends largely on your particular field or topic.
• For example, you may opt to have footnotes appear on the page where the annotation occurs, at the end of each chapter, or solely in the traditional reference/bibliography section(s). Be sure to follow the conventions of your department or discipline.
• Each document must have at least one reference section.

Photographs and images

• If photographs or detailed graphics are part of the work, make sure they are crisp and clear when printed.
• The IU Seal or Branding should not be used on any portion of the dissertation. These items may be used only with the written permission of the university.
• The bound copy must be hardcover, 8 1/2 X 11 inch, and identical to the final version that the Graduate School accepts within your ProQuest account.
• The Graduate School accepts only bindings that use the oversewn method. Velo binding available from some photocopying businesses is not acceptable.
• Ask the bindery to put the dissertation title and your full name on the front cover and the title plus your last name on the spines of the bound copies. Remember that this title needs to fit along the spine of the bound dissertation. The IU logo or seal should not be used on any dissertation.
• If submitting a bound copy to the Graduate School to fulfill the embargo requirement, you should arrange for the bindery to send the finished book directly to the Graduate School:

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Submitting accepted dissertations.

Following acceptance by the research committee, the dis­sertation is submitted to the University Graduate School. Students are expected to submit the final version of the dissertation within six months of the defense date to maintain sufficient academic progress. 

Title Page, Acceptance Page, and Abstract

Each dissertation must include a title page bearing the state­ment:

“Submitted to the faculty of the University Graduate School in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of ___________, Indiana University.”

(Note: Students majoring in programs will use "Program of;" students majoring in departments outside of the College of Arts and Sciences will use "School of.") The date of this page should be the month and year when all requirements have been satisfied; this is not necessarily the month in which you defend.

Following the title page is the acceptance page with the statement:

“Accepted by the faculty of the University Graduate School, Indiana Univer­sity, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy.”

The acceptance page must be signed by members of the research committee. See the online guide on the University Graduate School website for the complete order for the front matter.

The candidate must also submit an abstract of no more than 350 words for the dissertation that has been approved and signed by the research committee. The abstract will appear in ProQuest Dissertations & Thesis Database, managed by ProQuest Dissertation Publishing, Ann Arbor, Michigan. If the original abstract is not in English and an English translation has been made, submit both the English and non-English language abstracts.

Any creative work, such as a dissertation, is automatically copyrighted; however, registration with the U.S. Copyright Office provides (various/certain) legal benefits. The cost for registering a work through ProQuest is currently $55. Contact the University Graduate School for details.

Electronic Submission

This is the preferred submission method. Once approved and finalized, the dis­sertation should be submitted electronically in the form of a .pdf file to ProQuest. A microfilm version will also be made available for purchase from ProQuest Dissertation Publishing by all those who request it. Effective September 27, 2010, there is no longer a fee for those dissertations submitted electronically and opting for Traditional Publishing. Open Access publishing has a fee of $160.00. Should the student wish to submit the dissertation as an unbound paper copy rather than electronically for review by the University Graduate School, they should contact the University Graduate School recorders.

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Accessing Dissertations and Theses

If you are looking for a thesis or dissertation, we offer several different resources to help you locate the item you need.

ProQuest Digital Dissertations

You can use   ProQuest Dissertations and Theses   to search for the full-text of dissertations published at universities and institutions across the globe, including those written by former students at IUP. If you wish to only search dissertations from IUP students, visit the   ProQuest IUP Dissertation Collection .

Print Collection

In addition to the digital collections mentioned above, we also house a print collection of dissertations and theses written by IUP students. The dissertation collection is located on the ground floor of Stapleton Library.

To search our print collection, do the following:

• Go to the   Library Home Page .
• Enter your search terms.
• Select   Library Catalog   from the "Search In" dropdown list.
• Click   Search.
• In the right-hand column of the search results window, click   Available in the Library   under   Resource Type   filter, and then   Dissertations   under   Location.   This will limit results to physical copies of dissertations held in the IUP Libraries collections.

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Council of Graduate Schools (CGS)/ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award

The College of Arts and Sciences is seeking nominations for the  2024 Council of Graduate Schools (CGS)/ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award . Full details about the award can be found on the  CGS website . The fields for this year’s awards are:  1) Mathematics, Physical Sciences, and Engineering  and 2) Social Sciences . In each category, only one institutional nominee can be selected.  We will use the following timeline/process:

• Submit nomination materials electronically to Dr. Brian Orefice ( [email protected] ), Assistant Dean, Graduate Studies.
• ASC nominations will be competing with nominations from other colleges in each category, so the Graduate School will identify the institutional nominee. 
• Nominees must have had their doctoral degree awarded between July 1, 2022 and June 30, 2024.
• An abstract of the nominee’s dissertation (not to exceed 5 double-spaced pages).  Appendices containing other material, such as charts, tables, and/or references may be included as additional pages. All pages should be numbered, and each should bear the name of the nominee.
• Three letters of recommendation letter evaluating the significance and quality of the nominee’s dissertation work. One letter is to be from the nominee’s dissertation supervisor, another from a member of the nominee’s dissertation committee, and the third from a person of the nominee’s choice.
• The nominee’s curriculum vitae (not to exceed five pages).
• Monday, June 24 – Nominations due from College of Arts and Sciences to the Graduate School
• Wednesday, July 3 – Graduate School submits materials to CGS

Finding Dissertations and Theses

• IU Dissertations
• Bibliographies
• Other Resources

Ask a Librarian

Need additional help? Chat with a librarian below.

Locating Old and/or Print Versions

Many older dissertations may be listed in bibliographies. Search  IUCAT  to identify these bibliographies:

SUBJECT= dissertations academic bibliography

Some examples of bibliography citations in  IUCAT  are:

Titles of dissertations and theses completed in home economics. Auxiliary Library Facility (ALF):   Z5775  .A512 1968-1969

Armenia and the Armenians in academic dissertations. Supplement one: a bibliography Wells Library - Research Coll. - Slavic Reference: Z3461 .A945 Suppl.

To find bibliographies of dissertations from outside North America, add the name of the country to your search:

SUBJECT = dissertations academic bibliography AND [country name]

(Refine your results using keywords for your field of interest.)

Most bibliographies are shelved in the Reference Reading Room, the Research Collections stacks, or the  Auxiliary Library Facility (ALF) .

When you identify a dissertation you want to read, search IUCAT to find out if the IU Libraries own a copy. If the IU libraries do not own a copy, search ProQuest Dissertations and Theses. If it is not listed there, place an Interlibrary Loan request on the item.

Comprehensive collection of dissertations and theses from around the world, including millions of works from thousands of universities. Each dissertation published since July, 1980 includes a 350-word abstract written by the author. Master's theses published since 1988 include 150-word abstracts. Simple bibliographic citations are available for dissertations dating from 1637.

Includes the following: ProQuest Dissertations & Theses: UK & Ireland ProQuest Dissertations & Theses: A & I ProQuest Dissertations & Theses: CIC Institutions

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• Last Updated: Dec 7, 2023 4:47 PM
• URL: https://guides.libraries.indiana.edu/dissertations

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