File Name
The following pages are all included in a single file named research.pdf along with the main content of the thesis or dissertation. They are part of the research document, and so are considered research materials.
The naming convention for this file is very specific. It should be all lowercase, exactly as it is here: research.pdf.
Section Order for “research.pdf”
The order of the sections in research.pdf is:
- Title Page
- Copyright Page (optional)
- Approval Page
- Dedication Page (optional)
- Acknowledgements Page
- Table of Contents
- List of Illustrations, Figures, Tables, Nomenclature (if necessary)
- Academic Abstract
- Main Research Content
- Vita Page (optional for theses)
Third-Party Copyright of a Thesis or Dissertation
If your work contains material that has been copyrighted by another party, students may need to seek permission to use the material in their thesis or dissertation. Examples of materials for which a student would need to seek copyright permission include but are not limited to:
- Third-Party Software
- Images
- Graphics
- Large Portions of Text
- Maps
If copyright permission is needed, submit written approval for the use of the copyrighted material along with the thesis or dissertation.
Substituting Copyrighted Materials in Theses and Dissertations
The Graduate School encourages students to seek permission to use copyrighted material in their theses and dissertations. The work is published after it is submitted in approved form to the Graduate School and will be available to audiences who wish to know more about the subject you investigate.
The more full and complete the thesis or dissertation, the better the experience for the reader, and therefore the better the response to the fruits of the student’s hard work. However, if the student is unable or unwilling to obtain copyright permission for some of the materials in the research, other items may be substituted for the copyrighted material.
Acceptable substitutions include:
- Redrawing or tracing of maps, images, graphics, etc.
- References to URLs, printed documents or physical locations where the copyrighted material can be found.
A student whose thesis or dissertation has had copyrighted material removed prior to submission must have their advisor sign a document reading:
“[Student’s name] has removed copyrighted material from the copy of the thesis or dissertation submitted to the Graduate School for electronic publication. I certify that I approve the thesis or dissertation in this form. The student has presented accurate information as to where the removed, copyrighted material can be found.”
Advisor’s Name
Date
Policy Regarding Theses and Dissertation Content
Students are prohibited from using research (data, results, methods or other content) in their theses or dissertations that could restrict subsequent publication or public disclosure of these documents. Examples of restricted information include classified or proprietary materials.
It is important to note that these restrictions do not apply to non-thesis or non-dissertation research approved by the student’s advisor and allowed by University of Missouri policies.
This policy was approved by the Graduate Faculty Senate. Questions regarding the applicability of this policy to thesis or dissertation content should be referred to the Graduate School.
Thesis Title Page Format
- Although the title page is counted as Roman numeral i, the number should not appear on the page.
- The body of the text should be centered on the page, both vertically and horizontally.
- Use the month and year of your graduation, not the month and year of your defense.
Dissertation Title Page Format
- Although the title page is counted as Roman numeral i, the number should not appear on the page.
- The body of the text should be centered on the page, both vertically and horizontally.
- Use the month and year of your graduation, not the month and year of your defense.
Copyright Page for Thesis or Dissertation
Copyright Page Format
- Copyrighting is optional. To have your material copyrighted, you must pay an additional fee. Copyright registration provides a measure of security, but does not expand your legal rights to your intellectual property.
- The copyright page will appear after your Title page and before your Approval page.
- This page is not counted, numbered or listed in the Table of Contents.
Proquest GradWorks Guide
UMI/Proquest is the company that does all the University’s thesis and dissertation processing. It has created a guide to copyright for dissertation and thesis authors, including how to avoid copyright infringement and how to protect your own copyrights. The document also includes a sample permission letter you may use to obtain permission for using copyrighted material in your dissertation or thesis.
Go to Copyright and Your Dissertation or Thesis by UMI/Proquest
Approval Page for Thesis or Dissertation
Approval Page Format
- The approval page is not counted, numbered, or listed in the Table of Contents.
- It follows your title page, unless you have included the optional copyright page, in which case it will follow the copyright page.
- The title must be centered.
- Each person on your committee must be listed.
- The approval page in your thesis/dissertation should not have committee signatures.
Dedication Page for Thesis or Dissertation
Dedication Page Guidelines
- The dedication page is optional.
- If used, it comes after the approval page.
- It is not counted, numbered or listed in the Table of Contents.
- It is used to acknowledge those who have supported you during your graduate school. This is not typically the place to recognize those who assisted you in your academic research, which is done on the required Acknowledgements page.
- There are no restrictions on the style or format.
Acknowledgements Page for Thesis or Dissertation
Acknowledgements Format
- The Acknowledgements page is required for all theses and dissertations. It follows the Approval page, unless there is the optional Dedication page, in which case it follows the Dedication page.
- Center the term “ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.”
- The page number should be Roman numeral “ii”.
- Indent and double-space the body of the text.
- There is no length restriction.
Table of Contents Page for Thesis or Dissertation
Table of Contents Format
- Center the term “TABLE OF CONTENTS.”
- The Table of Contents should only include listings for the Acknowledgements page and any sections following the Table of Contents.
- Item page numbers should align at the right margin.
- Follow the spacing guidelines included in your chosen style manual.
List of Illustrations
(Tables / Figures / Maps / Nomenclature)
List of Illustrations Page Format
- The title should centered.
- Single-space lines within entries, and double-space between entries.
- Item page numbers should align at the right margin.
Vita Page for Thesis or Dissertation
Vita Page Guidelines
- The vita page is required for doctoral students, optional for master’s students.
- It is the final page of the research document and must have a page number.
- This is not a curriculum vitae. Its purpose is to give a bit of background about the author.
- The title “VITA” should be centered.
- Formatting should be consistent with the rest of the research file.
- There is no restriction on the length.