FORMAT REQUIREMENTS
- Introduction
- Arrangement of Contents
- Electronic Formats
- General Format Issues
- Print Formats
- Style Guide

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Electronic Formats

Introduction | ETD File Types | Acceptable File Types | Multimedia | LaTex | Graphic Quality | Color vs. B/W | Format Exceptions | Technical Assistance

Beginning Fall Semester 2001 Marshall University requires the electronic submission of all theses and dissertations (ETDs).

This section focuses on formats generally applicable to electronic documents.  For print formats for theses, exempted for electronic submission (granted only in rare instances) or for bound copies that may be required by some departments and/or committee members, you need to check with your department, as well as the Office of the Graduate College, for direction.

Electronic File Types Required

Front Matter

  • The preliminaries (title page, abstract, table of contents, list of tables, etc.) must be presented in the portable document file (pdf) format.  The front matter material may be reproduced in more creative fashion within the body using an alternate format if desired.

Body Matter

  • Material in the body must be accessible from a commonly used public domain platform or format (i.e. can be viewed in a Web browser).
    • For most students, we recommend using the Adobe Acrobat (pdf) format for a variety of reasons.  The Acrobat Reader software, used to view and print these files, is freely available, works with Web browsers, and has become a de-facto standard over the years.
    • HTML or other formats are permitted, however, pagination structure, formatting and archiving become more problematic.  We suggest that pdf equivalent file(s) be produced to accompany the HTML or other file(s) in order to help resolve this problem.
    • Electronic formats used should provide the capability of uniform page numbering assignment as well as consistent screen and print output, regardless of platform.
    • This is important in order to help classify and describe the document, which will aid in cataloging and dealing with printed copies.  Because of this, we recommend the portable document file (PDF), ETD-ML or XML formats.  The former can provide consistent reproduction in a variety of formats, print or electronic, HTML can not.

Back Matter and Appendices Format

  • Material in the back matter such as appendices or other supplementary material may contain more specialized, platform dependent files, if you think they will be useful to fellow researchers (i.e. data sets or output files).  Often, this can be represented in ASCII format.  Where at all possible, try to use public domain platforms out of consideration for ease-of-use and preservation.

            If you are interested in submitting a hypertext ETD in the ETD Markup Language (ETD-ML) or Extensible Markup Language (XML), or have further questions, please contact Lisle Brown brown@marshall.edu



Acceptable File Formats for Marshall University ETDs

Thesis (front matter / preliminaries)

  • PDF

Thesis (body)

  • PDF (preferred)
  • ETD-ML
  • XML
  • HTML

Text (supplementary files)

  • ASCII (.txt)
  • SGML
    -- Note: We recommend Unicode for non-Roman characters.

Images

  • PDF (.pdf)
    -- use Type I PostScript fonts
  • JPEG (.jpg)
  • CompuServe GIF (.gif)
  • TIFF following version 6.0 or later, including CCITT G4 (.tif)
  • CGM Computer Graphics Metafile (.cgm)
  • PhotoCD
    -- Note: We recommend a minimum of 600 dpi resolution for images of pages with text.
  • Adobe Photoshop (.ppd)
  • Post Script (.eps)
  • PowerPoint (.ppt)

Video

  • MPEG (i.e., MPEG-1, MPEG-2) (.mpg)
  • QuickTime - Apple (.mov)
  • Audio Video Interleaved - Microsoft (.avi)
  • Streaming video applications

Audio

  • MPEG-2
  • MP3
  • CD-DA
  • CD-ROM/XA (A or B or C)
  • AIF (.aif)
  • SND (.snd)
  • Streaming audio applications
  • WAV (.wav)
  • MIDI (.midi)
    • Can be used with Finale software to reproduce score

Authoring

  • Authorware
  • Director (MMM, PICS)

Special

  • Spreadsheet - Excel (.xcl)
  • AutoCAD (.dxf)
  • ArcView (GIS)

Referring

  • "handles" as URNs (URLs don't last very long)
  • ISBN, ISSN

Multimedia Objects

        Multimedia object types include tables, complex equations, graphs, diagrams, digital pictures, digital video, digital audio, virtual reality, and even computer software that you have developed.

Simple objects

        Most simple objects like tables, graphs, and diagrams can be embedded in your ETD using your word processor.

  • Put the object at the point of reference or ``float'' it to the top or bottom of the page or to the top of the next page.
  • Center the object between the left and right margins of the page.
  • Directly below the object for figures and above for tables, center the type and number according to its position in the chapter (e.g., in Chapter 5 we may have Table 5.1, Table 5.2, and Figures 5.1, 5.2, and 5.3).
  • Give the object a concise, descriptive title.

For example:

Figure 1.4. Example Multimedia Object (GIF, 1k)

Complex objects

        More complex multimedia objects, however, require special treatment. They either do not fit naturally on a page or the file size is too large to fit reasonably within a document. For complex objects, do the following:

  • Place the type and number of the object along with its concise, descriptive title, centered on a line by itself. In parentheses, include the media encoding (e.g., JPEG) and file size (e.g., 1.5 Megabytes).
  • See instructions below on how to connect object titles using the PDF link feature.
  • Be sure to submit each multimedia object file you have linked when you submit your PDF file.

        Note that many complex multimedia object types have a simple object version (often called "thumbnail") that is a reduction of the picture or one frame of video. If possible, we recommend that you include this reduction in the main document along with a PDF link to the complex object.

For help preparing multimedia objects, please see contact the Center for Instructional Technology fourth floor of the Drinko Library.

Information on Using LaTex

Quality of Graphics:

  • Poor quality image scans are unacceptable:  If in doubt, prior contact Lisle Brown brown@marshall.edu.  Assistance with scanning technique is available from the Center for Instructional Technology.
  • Digital reproductions of images (computer scan) should be sufficiently legible when zoomed in on the screen and or produce legible laser print copies at 600 dpi.  The committee and student may decide the necessary level of detail, so long as the above indications are met.
  • Poor quality screen fonts are unacceptable, usually produced by  improper document conversion. 

Color vs. Black and White

  • Images and illustrative text in a thesis or dissertation may be in black and white or color. Keep in mind that maximum clarity for microfilming and duplicating is attained when there is good black and white or color palette contrast.
  • Color photographs should be used when they are essential for understanding the methods or results of the research.
  • If color photographs are used, appropriate labels must be provided to assist the readers of reproduced copies.

Format Exceptions

  • Marshall University does accept proposals for theses or dissertations that are artistic works, musical compositions, etc., which require elements that may exceed the established limits for electronic formats and multimedia applications herein indicated.  However, any proposed non-conforming thesis or dissertation must be approved by your college/school or department and then by the Dean of the Graduate College before final production.

Technical Assistance

  • For technical assistance you can contact The Center for Instruction Technology in the Drinko Library.

 

  
 
 
  Page last modified 11 December 2001 | Maintained by the Marshall University ETD Committee
etd@marshall.edu