Many articles and guides give you an idea of what you need to include in the body of your dissertation, but did you know that the format of your work is also important? This is commonly overlooked, but formatting your work, including binding the final copies, takes time and you should allow for this.
Title Page
Your title page may be provided to you by your university. You'll want to have the necessary information on this page. So, include your full name, your candidate number, your University, faculty, title and date. Don't miss out any key information here!
Numbering
Numbering your sections is important. Oxbridge Essays, an essay writing service helping students with essays and dissertations in the UK, says that numbering your dissertation is all about ease of understanding. They say that your reader and marker needs to be able to find the exact part of your dissertation that they need to look at easily. You'll want to add larger sections, and break these down. So, a typical dissertation sample might include section 1, 1,a) and 1,a)i. Why is this important? Well, you don't want them getting in a muddle. It also helps you as you're writing the work to ensure you've covered everything, and that your work is comprehensible. Number as you go along, to help you as you go, rather than all at the end.
Page numbers, margins, etc
Your university may have a standard format they wish you to follow when it comes to the nitty-gritty of formatting, so follow this if they tell you to. They may like you to use line spacing of 1.5, for example, or to only print on single sides.
Remember to also consider page numbers, a table of contents, the standard font you should use (something like arial or times new roman is easy to read) and margins. When it comes to margins, you need to ensure your binding won't obscure any text on your pages.
Binding
When it comes to binding, you can do it yourself or you can hire a professional company to do it for you. It really depends on how confident you are with doing it yourself. Some professional services can be quite cost effective and could be worth considering. Remember to get extra copies to keep for yourself. You'll love the look of your dissertation when it is printed, bound and in your hands! It really adds that final finishing touch to all that work you've put in.
And finally...
You'll find your dissertation to be a huge challenge, but what an accomplishment when you're done! Read more about dissertation tips here, including how to manage friends and family when you're bogged down with dissertation work. The formatting of your dissertation is just one part of this, so allow yourself plenty of time and plan well ahead to achieve the best quality of work possible.
Good luck with your dissertation!
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