Required formatting for submission to be completed.

Elements of an Electronic Thesis or Dissertation

Title Page

The most important page to get right.

  • What to include
  • How to format it

Download Example (PDF)

Front Matter

  • Table of contents, abstract, lists, etc
  • Guidelines for deciding what to include and in which order

Download Example (PDF)

General Formatting

  • Order of required content
  • Spacing and type
  • Margins
  • Pagination
  • PDF/A export

Title Page

Element

Required Formatting
Page Layout
  • Center within left and right margins
  • Hide page number
Title
  • Approximately 1 ½ inches from top of page
  • All capital letters
  • Single or double spaced
  • No special characters
Author
  • Approximately 1 inch below the title and type the word “by”
  • On the next line below “by” (single spaced) type your name
Statement
  • Include approximately 1 ½ inches below your name
  • Do not include additional information such as your school or department name.

Masters Thesis

“A thesis submitted to Johns Hopkins University in conformity with the requirements for the degree of [your Masters degree]”

Dissertation

“A dissertation submitted to Johns Hopkins University in conformity with the requirements for the degree of [your doctoral degree]”
Publishing Location
  • Include approximately ½ inch below the statement
  • Type “Baltimore, Maryland” (regardless of your campus location)
  • Do not abbreviate the word “Maryland”
Submission Date
  • Include on the next line below the location (single spaced)
  • Month Year format (e.g. April 2019)
  • Must match the month and year in which you submit your ETD via the submission tool
  • Do not include any additional information such as a day
Copyright Notice

(optional)
  • Include 1 to 2 inches from the bottom of the page
  • Copyright symbol (©) Year Name format on first line (e.g. © 2019 Jane Doe)
  • “All Rights Reserved” on the second line (single spaced)
  • Do not include any additional information

Annotated Title Page Example

annotated title page

Front Matter

Element

Required Formatting
Abstract
  • Required
  • Must directly follow the title page
  • Double-spaced
  • Not more than 350 words
  • Includes a statement of the problem or theory, the procedure or methods, summary of results, and conclusions
  • Include name(s) of readers and/or advisors after body text
  • Must be in English, even if the thesis or dissertation is in a language other than English
  • Include in pagination
Preface
  • Optional
  • Includes acknowledgements and quotes
  • Place each element on a separate page
  • Include in pagination
Table of Contents
  • Required
  • Include chapter titles and page numbers
  • Start with Abstract
List of Tables
  • Required if any tables are included in the document
  • Must be on its own page; do not combine with other lists
  • Include titles and page numbers
List of Figures
  • Required if any figures are included in the document
  • Must be on its own page; do not combine with other lists
  • Include titles and page numbers
List of Plates
  • Required if any plates are included in the document
  • Must be on its own page; do not combine with other lists
  • Include titles and page numbers

Download Annotated Front Matter (PDF)

General Formatting

Element

Required Formatting
Order of Content
  • Title Page
  • Front Matter (in order shown above)
  • Main Text
    • Larger divisions and more important minor divisions indicated by suitable, consistent headings
  • References
    • Appendices
    • Bibliography
Spacing & Type
  • Main text and abstract must be double-spaced except for footnotes or long quotations
  • Other content elements may be single- or double-spaced at author’s discretion
  • Acceptable fonts include Arial, Calibri, Helvetica. This list is not exhaustive – but sans serif fonts that are commonly found on most computers are preferred for accessibility
  • The same type must be used for all body text (headers, captions, and footnotes excluded)
  • The font size must be 10pt or larger and footnotes must be two sizes smaller than the text but no smaller than 8pt
  • Chapter, section, or other headings should be of a consistent font and size throughout the ETD, as should labels for illustrations, charts, and figures
Margins
  • 1 inch on all sides for digital-only documents
  • If you intend to produce print copies, 1 1/2 inches are required on the left binding side
  • Applies to all portions of document including footnotes/endnotes, pages containing charts, graphs, tables, photographs, etc. and appendices
Pagination
  • Hide the page number on the title page; begin pagination with ii on the Abstract
  • Front matter (abstract, table of contents, etc.) should be in small Roman numerals (ii, iii, iv, etc.)
  • Text and all subsequent pages should be in Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, etc), beginning with Introduction
  • Notes:
    • Each page in the manuscript, including all blank pages, must be assigned a number
    • You must print on each blank page “Intended to be blank.”
    • Page numbers must be located within the page margins
    • Page numbers must be centered at the bottom of the page
    • Do not use suffixes to the Arabic numerals, such as 12a
    • If the description of an illustration or table is too long to be placed on the same page, it should be placed on the previous page and numbered accordingly
    • Pages containing charts, graphs, tables, or photographs must be numbered consecutively with the text
Footnotes & Endnotes
  • The arrangement of footnotes or endnotes should conform to the established practice in a given field
  • Consult with your department or use a standard manual of style such as A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, or the MLA Style Manual
  • Footnotes must in font size two point sizes smaller than the text, but no smaller than 8pt

PDF/A Export

PDF/A is an ISO-standardized version of the Portable Document Format (PDF) specialized for the digital preservation of electronic documents. You need to save your dissertation as a PDF/A file and upload it as your official submission. For more information, see the Wikpedia article on the format.

Note for Mac users: that while you can save a Word for Windows document as a PDF/A (see below for instructions) you cannot do so directly from Word for Mac. If you are a Mac user, consider saving your Word document as a PDF/A using a Windows computer, such as at the library, or use Adobe Acrobat Pro.

Notes about PDF/A format

  • you cannot include audio and video content; still images are fine
  • you cannot include JavaScript or executable files
  • fonts must be embedded

If you need to include audio, video, or other files, you can submit them as supplementary files. Contact us at etd-support@jhu.edu for more help with PDF/A or supplementary files.

Adobe Acrobat Pro

  • Select “PDF Standards” in the Tools menu
  • Select “Preflight” in the right hand column
  • Select “PDF/A Compliance”
  • Double-click “Convert to PDF/A-1b” then “Save”
  • Review your document to ensure it appears as you expect it to

Word for Windows

  • Select “File” then “Save as Adobe PDF”
  • Make sure file type is “pdf files”
  • Select “Options” and a box with “PDF Options” will open
  • Check the “Create PDF/A” box, then select “OK” and “Save”
  • Review your document to ensure it appears as you expect it to

LaTeX

Contact ETD Office

Milton S. Eisenhower Library
etd-support@jhu.edu