Submission of thesis for Examination
You will initially be required to submit your thesis electronically, in PDF format. Should your examination panel request hard copies we will let you know, and you can arrange for the required number of thesis to be deposited with the Doctoral College.
As part of submission you will be required to submit your thesis onto Turnitin (via Blackboard). Once you have received the full Turnitin output report you should upload this, along with the e-version of your thesis, onto PhD Manager.
Final submission of thesis
Once the Board of Examiners are satisfied that you have met the requirements of the award and any amendments have been approved by the Internal Examiner (where appropriate), you should submit your final thesis on PhD Manager and ensure you complete all related examination workflows.
Presentation Guidelines
The following guidelines should be adhered to when formatting your thesis, for both submission for examination and for final copies. Included is information on Ulster University house style for printing and binding, should you wish to obtain final bound copies for personal use.
Paper quality and typographical detail
When printing, A4 size white paper, of good quality (see end-note 1), should be used; both sides of the paper may be used for printing; however; should only one side be used, this should appear as the right hand page (rectos).
The size of character used in the main text, including displayed matter and notes, should be not less than 2.0mm for capitals and 1.5mm for x-height (height of lower case x).
Method of Production
The presentation should be a permanent and legible form in typescript or print with uniform density of type (see end-note 2) and drawings and sketches in black ink. Colour may be used in illustrations only if it is necessary to improve scientific clarity. Copies, produced by xerographic or comparably permanent processes, should be clearly legible and capable of photographic reproduction.
Lay-out
Margins at the binding edge should be not less than forty millimetres and other margins not less than twenty millimetres. Double or one-and-a-half spacing should be used in the typescript, except for indented quotations or footnotes where single spacing may be used. Quoted matter which is displayed, normally more than thirty words, should be indented 5 millimetres to 10 millimetres.
Numbering of Pages
Pages should be numbered consecutively through the thesis, including appendices but excluding photographs and/or diagrams which are not embodied in the text. Introductory pages may be in numerals, separate from the main text. Page numbers should preferably be located in the top outer corner of each page.
Introduction of Thesis
The following preliminaries to the thesis shall be presented in the order listed:
Title Page:
The title page shall give the following information in the order listed:-
- the full title of the thesis and the sub-title if any; ii. the total number of volumes if more than one, and the number of the particular volume; iii. the full name of the author and full details of his degree;
- the Faculty, and the University's name e.g. Faculty of Life and Health Sciences of Ulster University
- the degree for which the thesis is submitted; vi. the month and year of submission of the thesis.
- a statement regarding the total word count of the thesis (I confirm that the word count of this thesis is less than 100,000 ((or 60,000 for MPhil)) words) excluding the title page, contents acknowledgements, summary or abstract, abbreviations, footnotes, diagrams, maps, illustrations, tables, appendices, and references or bibliography.
Contents
Acknowledgements
The candidate shall acknowledge any assistance received. Where the research programme is part of a collaborative group project the candidate's individual contribution and the extent of the collaboration must be clearly indicated. Any part of the work which has been previously submitted for any other degree must also be clearly indicated in the thesis.
Articles which have appeared in journals to which the copyright has been assigned should not be included within the thesis without the express permission of the journal.
Abstract
There shall be an abstract of the work not exceeding 300 words in length.
This shall provide a synopsis of the work and shall state clearly the nature and scope of the research undertaken and of the contribution made to the knowledge of the subject treated.
There should be a brief statement of the method of investigation where appropriate, an outline of the major divisions or principal arguments of the work and a summary of any conclusions reached.
Abbreviations
Where abbreviations are used a key shall be provided. Abbreviations may be used at the discretion of the author. For an abbreviation not in common use, the term shall be given in full at the first instance followed by the abbreviation in brackets.
Footnotes
The manner of presentation of footnotes shall follow the accepted practice of the Faculty in which the author is enrolled.
Diagrams, Maps, Illustrations, Published Papers, Tables
Binding
Whenever practicable diagrams, maps, illustrations, published papers and tables shall have a binding margin of at least forty millimetres and should if possible be bound in the thesis near the appropriate text.
Photographic Print
Photographic print shall be on single weight paper or permanently mounted on cartridge paper for binding and shall be securely fixed in the thesis.
Other Illustrative Material
Other material which cannot conveniently be bound in the text may be placed in a pocket to be attached to the inside back cover by the book binder. A list of the materials contained within the pocket must be securely affixed to it.
Numbers and Captions
The numbers and captions shall be at the bottom of the illustrations. The top of an illustration which is bound sideways shall be to the left of the page.
Tables
Tables shall be numbered consecutively throughout the text. The method of numbering shall be distinct from that used for other material. There should also be a title for each table which should follow a number.
End Matter
Appendicies
Appendices shall follow the main text and precede the index (if provided). Appendices may consist of supporting material of considerable length or of lists, publications, tables or other evidence which, if included in the main text, would interrupt its flow.
List of References
In arranging the list of references, the author should adopt the accepted practice of thesis submitted in the author's Faculty.
Binding (where applicable)
Cloth
Cloth shall be of buckram with colours as follows:
PhD (Red 535)
MPhil Green 557)
Samples of the colours used can be seen in the Library on application to the Librarian . Theses must be bound in colours identical to these.
Lettering
Gold lettering shall be used on the spine, giving the following information:
- Year of submission e.g. 2023
- Degree e.g. PhD
- Author's initials and name e.g. A.N.Other
Note: (1) and (2) should run across the spine, the bottom of the lettering being 20 millimetres and 50 millimetres from the top of the spine. The author's name should run from top to bottom of the spine, beginning 80 millimetres from the top of the spine.
If work consists of more than one volume, the spine shall also bear the number of each volume.
Responsibility for Binding of Thesis
The transaction between the author of a thesis and a bindery is entirely personal and Ulster University will not act as agent.
Names of possible binders are on the last page of this booklet.
Paper
Recommended Paper
A4 within the range 70 gsm to 100 gsm.
Paper for mounting photographs or other material
Any paper, preferably white, not below 120 gsm and not above 200 gsm.
Gsm = Grams per square metre; the higher the value the thicker the paper.
Binders' Addresses
Below are the details of some binders in Belfast, but you are not limited to using these binders.
H D Finch Reprographics Ltd
7 Elmwood Avenue
Belfast
BT9 6AZ
Tel no: 028 9068 3699
Email: info@hdfinch.co.uk
H D Finch website
Finebind
Queen’s University Belfast
Tel no: 07851091411
Email: qubprint@gmail.com
Belfast Book Binding
Unit 7, North City Business Centre
2 Duncairn Gardens
Belfast
BT15 2GG
Tel no: 028 9074 8411
Email: info@belfastbookbinding.com