A manual for writers of research papers, theses, and dissertations, 7th edition - Kate L. Turabian 2007

Submission requirements
Appendix: зaper аormat and ыubmission
Part III. Style 20 spelling

A.3.1 Preparing your files

Following some basic practices for good electronic file management and preparation will help you avoid problems and produce a legible, properly formatted paper in any situation. These practices are especially important if you need to submit the paper electronically (see A.3.3).

FILE MANAGEMENT. Try to minimize the risk that data in your files will be lost or corrupted at some point.

Prepare your paper as a single electronic file, regardless of its length. Working with a single file allows you to search and make changes globally, to use your word processor's automated numbering functions accurately (for footnotes and the like), and to define and apply styles consistently (see below). Papers submitted electronically must almost always be in a single file.

Name the file simply and logically. If you save different versions of the file over time, name them consistently (always ending in the date, for example) to avoid confusion of versions.

Avoid working on the file in more than one type of software. Conversions always involve some risk of errors and lost data, even when moving between standard word processors.

Save the file often during each writing session.

Back up the file in more than one location after each writing session. In addition to your local hard drive, save it to a local network (if available) or a removable storage medium, such as a CD.

Print out the file before your submission date. Look it over for any software glitches, such as special characters that are not supported by your printer, while there is time to correct them. Label the printout “Draft” and keep it at least until you submit the final version. In an emergency (such as a computer malfunction or a serious illness), you can use it to show that you did indeed produce a draft.

TEXT COMPONENTS. Present all components of your text clearly and consistently.

Format each text component consistently, including regular text, block quotations, footnotes, and each type of title and subhead. The most efficient way to ensure consistency is to define and apply a style for each component (including typeface, capitalization, position, and so forth) using a common software function.

Set your word processor to left justify (with a “ragged” right margin), and do not use its automated hyphenation feature (see 20.4.1).

Create diacritics using key strokes or from the symbol font in your basic font set. Create other special characters (such as Greek letters, mathematical symbols, and paragraph or section marks) from the symbol font.

Avoid color fonts. Even if you print the paper on a color printer, it may be printed or copied later on a black-and-white machine, and the color might not reproduce well.

Create equations and formulas with the equation editor in your word processor, if possible. If not, create these items in the relevant program and insert them into your file as images (see below). Leave at least one blank line between an image and the text (if any) both above and below.

TABLES. Use your software to present tables that are clear, focused, and relevant.

Create tables with the table editor in your word processor, if possible. If not, create them in a spreadsheet program and insert them into your file as unlinked tables. Format them to match the surrounding text. See chapter 26 for discussion of table structure, format, and placement in text.

Put a table number and title on the line above a table (see 26.2.2). Run the title the full width of the table, and do not indent any runovers. Table titles may be presented in a smaller typeface than the rest of the text; consult your local guidelines.

Put table footnotes (if any) under the bottom rule of a table, with a blank line between the rule and the first note, and also between notes. Footnotes may be presented in a smaller typeface than the rest of the text; consult your local guidelines.

Leave at least one blank line between the table title and any text above it on the page, and also between the bottom rule (or last footnote) and any text below it. If the table appears at the top or bottom of a page, put it flush with the top or bottom margin.

Avoid shading, except in long or complex tables (see 8.3.2). Also avoid color. Even if you print the paper on a color printer, it may be printed or copied later on a black-and-white machine, and if it is a dissertation, it may be microfilmed. Shading and color do not reproduce well in any of these forms. If you use shading, make sure it does not obscure the text of the table, and do not use multiple shades, which might not reproduce distinctly. Consult your local guidelines for information about resolution and related characteristics.

Repeat the stub column and all column heads (see 26.2) on every page of a multipage table. Put the table number on a “continued” line at the top left of every page after the first, flush left, in italic letters (Table 2 continued). Omit the bottom rule on all pages except the last.

Maintain your paper's standard margins for a table that takes up an entire page or is in landscape orientation (see 26.1.2). Do not put any regular text on a page containing a landscape table. Set the table title in either landscape or portrait orientation. Number that page as appropriate.

Keep a table that cannot be presented in print form, such as one containing a large data set, as a separate file, and treat it as an appendix to your paper (see A.2.2).

FIGURES. Take care that your graphics are easy to read, accurate, and to the point.

Create charts, graphs, and diagrams with your word processor, if possible. If not, create them in the relevant program and insert them into your file as images. Format them to match the surrounding text. See chapter 26 for discussion of figure types, format, and placement in text.

Insert photographs, maps, and other types of figures into your file as images. If the item is available to you only in hard copy, scan and insert it, if possible. Images affixed to the hard copy of your paper do not reproduce well on photocopies and will be lost from any copies subsequently printed from your file.

Put a figure number and caption on the line below a figure (see 26.3.2). (For musical examples only, put these items on the line above a figure.) Run the caption the full width of the figure, and do not indent any runovers. If there is not room for both figure and caption within the margins of a page, put the caption at the bottom (or, if necessary, the top) of the nearest preceding text page. Figure captions may be presented in a smaller typeface than the rest of your text; consult your local guidelines.

Leave at least one blank line between the figure and any text above it on the page, and also between the caption and any text below it. If the figure appears at the top or bottom of a page, put it flush with the top or bottom margin.

Avoid shading and color. Even if you print the paper on a color printer, it may be printed or copied later on a black-and-white machine, and if it is a dissertation, it may be microfilmed. Shading and color do not reproduce well in any of these forms. If you use shading, make sure it does not obscure the text of the figure, and do not use multiple shades, which might not reproduce distinctly.

Consult your local guidelines for information about resolution and related characteristics of all figures.

Maintain your paper's standard margins for a figure that takes up an entire page or is in landscape orientation (see 26.1.2). Do not put any regular text on a page containing a landscape figure. Set the figure caption in either landscape or portrait orientation. Number that page as appropriate.

Keep a figure that cannot be presented in print form, such as a multimedia file, as a separate file, and treat it as an appendix to your paper (see A.2.3).

A.3.2 Submitting hard copy

If you are writing a class paper, submitting it may be as simple as printing out a single hard copy and handing it in to your instructor. You may instead be asked to submit it electronically (see A.3.3), or to submit multiple copies to multiple individuals (your classmates, or other faculty members). Follow instructions exactly, and always keep both a hard copy and the electronic file for your records. All copies should exactly match the original.

Although producing your paper double-sided may save paper and is now technologically simple, most instructors find it easier to read and comment on papers printed on only one side of a page. Unless instructed otherwise, submit your paper single-sided.

The requirements for theses and dissertations are more stringent because such papers will most likely be preserved in bound or electronic form by the university and possibly by an external dissertation repository. Well in advance of the submission deadline, review the specific guidelines of your department or university regarding such matters as the medium of submission (hard copy, electronic, or both), the number of copies required, and any paperwork or procedures that must be completed before you can submit the paper. If possible, have an official review the paper for proper format before you produce the final copies.

Nearly all departments and universities require you to submit one or more hard copies of your thesis or dissertation on a specific paper stock. Such paper should be 8½ × 11 inches (in American universities) and must be suitable for long-term preservation of the work, which means it should be acid free. If the guidelines do not specify the paper stock, follow the American Library Association's recommendation for twenty-pound weight, neutral-pH paper that is labeled either “buffered” or as having a minimum 2 percent alkaline reserve. Some but not all stock referred to as “dissertation bond” meets these requirements, so be sure to examine the paper specifications before making the copies.

Most universities are served by one or more copy centers, either on or near campus, that are familiar with the requirements for copies of theses and dissertations. Although using their services may be more expensive than producing the copies on your own, it reduces the risk that your paper will be rejected for incorrect paper stock or copy quality problems. Copy center workers generally do not check for errors in format, such as incorrect margins, so be sure your paper reflects all the necessary guidelines before you have it copied. Inspect the copies carefully before you leave the copy center, and notify a worker if you see any problems with them.

A.3.3 Submitting electronic files

Many departments and universities now require electronic submission of a thesis or dissertation in addition to or instead of hard copy. Instructors may also request electronic copies of class papers.

Consult your local guidelines for technical specifications, and seek assistance well in advance of the submission deadline if you need it. If required to submit a paper as a PDF file, be sure to embed the fonts to preserve the paper's appearance and format. Test all hyperlinks for accuracy. If the paper contains illustrations, set the resolution and other characteristics of the images depending on how the file will be used (preserved archivally, printed, posted online, and so forth). Check with the office of theses and dissertations or your instructor for handling of material that cannot be put into a single-file format, such as large data sets or multimedia files.