Electronic Thesis and Dissertation (ETD) Formatting Resources
At the University of Kansas Medical Center, Ph.D. students are required to submit a dissertation and some MS students are required to submit a thesis as part of their degree requirements. Theses and dissertations will be submitted to ProQuest, where the papers will be published. Specific formatting requirements have been established to meet requirements set forth by ProQuest, the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs and Graduate Studies, or both.
Each Fall and Spring semester, the Office of Graduate Studies in Lawrence offers an ETD workshop that is broadcasted live to the KUMC campus. See the Office of Graduate Studies Events webpage to find the date for the next scheduled workshop. The workshop is designed for graduate students at any stage of the thesis (master's students) or dissertation (Ph.D.) process. Various aspects of formatting and the basics of copyright are covered.
Recording of ETD Workshop
Watch a recording of the February 2023 ETD Q & A
Below are the resources for formatting your thesis/dissertation to meet KUMC standards required for publication and graduation. Students must use their respective template, which is included below. There are also visual support guides to aid students' understanding of the formatting guidelines.
- KUMC Formatting Guidelines
- KUMC Thesis Template(master's students)
- KUMC Thesis Visual Support Guide(master's students)
- KUMC Dissertation Template(Ph.D. students)
- KUMC Dissertation Visual Support Guide(Ph.D. students)
If you have questions about these materials, please contact the gradstudiesoffice@kumc.edu.
If any portion of the thesis or dissertation has been previously published or has already been submitted for publication, the student must contact a research librarian in the Research and Learning Department for A.R. Dykes Library to discuss the proper style citation for each publication instance. Copyright issues related to the previously published work(s) will also be discussed. You may contact Dykes librarians either by e-mail at dykesresearch@kumc.edu, by phone
Inclusion of a table or figure (or other visual component) from another source is acceptable. However, proper permission must be obtained for its use because it is not your original work, and it must also be properly cited. You are required to contact a research librarian to discuss permissions and copyright related to their use, and the librarian will advise on the proper style citation to be used for each instance. You may contact Dykes librarians either by e-mail at dykesresearch@kumc.edu, by phone
Paul Thomas, Library Associate at the Watson Library on the Lawrence campus, provides technical assistance with formatting tools in Word. He provides his services to graduate students on both the Lawrence and medical center campuses. Questions regarding the formatting requirements and the template can be directed to the Office of Graduate Studies at gradstudiesoffice@kumc.edu.
A.R. Dykes Library offers several online research guides covering topics like EndNote (recommended citation tool for theses and dissertations), Open Access, Remote Access to Library Resources, and more.
Two specific guides for students writing a thesis or dissertation are:
- Publishing Research - this guide covers tools for publishing research and includes important information regarding the Copyright Transfer Agreement. The transfer of copyright is required in the publication process.
- Dissertations & Theses: Using your Published Articles - this guide provides directions on using previously published articles as one or more chapters in the student's thesis or dissertation.
The Dykes librarians are available to consult with students on their research from brainstorming to publishing. They can provide individual guidance in the areas covered by the research guides. Planning ahead and utilizing the expertise and resources provided by the librarians will ensure ethical scholarly conduct and will help achieve publication goals. You may contact Dykes librarians either by e-mail at dykesresearch@kumc.edu, by phone
This checklist is a tool for committee chairs and program directors to thoroughly review dissertations and theses to ensure formatting meets ProQuest and Graduate Studies requirements.