Frequently Asked Questions

How can I get a print copy of these guidelines?

The Graduate School has worked hard to make the online Guidelines optimized for printing; you can print each page easily in most internet browsers by choosing File › Print. We estimate that it will take you ten minutes to print the entirety of the Guidelines: the seven main chapters, plus any supplemental forms and example documents you choose.

Keeping the Guidelines online-only allows us to add clarifications and additional FAQ information that will help students better understand our policies without having to wait to reorder a new batch of printed copies that would have to be redistributed to all students.

Do I have to submit my thesis or dissertation electronically?

Since Fall 2006, all theses and dissertations must be submitted electronically. See Electronic Submission Basics for a quick overview, and be sure to read the Guidelines closely.

I have some copyrighted pictures or other materials I would like to use in my thesis or dissertation. Can I?

If your work contains material that has been copyrighted by another party, you may need to seek permission to use the material in your thesis or dissertation. If copyright permission is needed, you must submit written approval for the use of the copyrighted material along with your thesis or dissertation.

For more information regarding copyright and your thesis or dissertation, please visit: Copyright Law & Graduate Research by Kenneth Crews or University of Missouri: Use of Copyrighted Materials in Teaching and Research

I'm having trouble using the PDF templates the Graduate School provided. Do I have to use them?

You do not have to use any of the templates provided by the Graduate School (Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat PDF), but the documents you submit must follow the same formatting. Because of the various versions of Acrobat available, the templates provided might not work properly on all computers.

Do I need any special paper for my supplemental paperwork, such as the Approval page?

Electronic submission does not require any kind of special paper for the supplemental materials. Regular bond paper will be fine.

Is mailing a dissertation/ thesis in acceptable? Do we have to be present to turn it in?

Mailing a dissertation/ thesis in is acceptable. Be sure to use a reliable service that has tracking available, and provide us with contact information so that we can let you know it has been received and inform you of any concerns, should there be any.

Is the processing fee required?

Yes. The processing fee for theses and dissertations is mandatory. Your submission will not be processed without it.

My files won't fit on one CD. What do I do?

If all files will not fit on one CD, a DVD or multiple CDs may be used, as long as no single file is split between CDs. Multiple CDs are the preferred method, although DVDs are acceptable as well. Go to Technology & Your Thesis or Dissertation for related information.

I submitted my thesis/dissertation, but the abstract does not appear on the UMI Web site. What’s wrong?

If you select the "Release the entire work for University of Missouri System access only" or the "Release the entire work for University of Missouri access only" options on the release form, your abstract will not be listed with UMI or available to anyone outside your specified domain.

The guidelines instruct me to submit my work on a “high quality” CD. What is considered “high quality?”

CD-R media (the type you will use to create your CD for submission) vary greatly. Name brand, high-quality media are preferable to generic media bought in bulk.

In some cases, certain types of media might be recommended by the manufacturer of your CD-R drive. Consult your manufacturer’s documentation for more details. The only real requirement is that the CD can be read on a standard Windows XP computer.

On the Electronic Release form I can choose to restrict access to my work. If I do choose to restrict access, does that mean I still have to get copyright permission on third party copyrighted materials such as a picture from a magazine, etc.?

Yes. Restricting access to your work does not absolve you from your responsibility for obtaining copyright permissions when needed.

Do I have to embed a signed copy of my Approval page in my research.pdf file?

No. Signatures will not be posted to the Internet. You must include an unsigned version of the Approval page in the research.pdf file (see Approval page example). You should then print the page, have your committee members sign it, and include the printed, signed paper copy with the supplemental paper materials handed in to the Graduate School along with your CD.

I am having trouble with my page numbering. What should I do?

One way to ensure proper page numbering is to make separate files for each type of page numbering that you need — a file for pages with no page numbers, another file for pages with Roman numerals (starting with ii) and another file for pages with Arabic numbers (1, 2, 3, etc.). Convert each of the files into a PDF. Then you can use Adobe Acrobat Professional or another preferred PDF converter to merge all of the files into one file called research.pdf. All student computer labs on campus have Adobe Acrobat Professional.