These guidelines have been developed in response to a growing need for clarification on the College requirements for the presentation of theses and should be used when presenting the final version of the work following examination. To assist with this process, each departmental Research Coordinator has been asked to build up a collection of recent MPhil and PhD theses from their discipline which represent examples of best practice. Research students should contact their departmental Research Coordinator for further details. Completed MPhil and PhD theses are also accessible in the RCA library.

The order in which the text prior to the main text of the thesis should come is:

• Title page
• Copyright statement
• Abstract
• Contents
• List of tables/illustrations
• List of accompanying material
• Preface
• Acknowledgements
• Author’s declaration
• Definitions

Note that some of these pages are optional, so do not be concerned if you are not including them in your thesis. An abstract, however, is essential. It should be bound into the thesis, but also submitted as a loose page with the thesis itself.

The order in which the pages following the main text of the thesis should come is:

• Appendices
• Glossary
• List of references
• Bibliography
• Index

Title page

• to be printed in at least 24 point type
• the title of the work in full
• author’s name and initials
• the award for which the degree is submitted (in partial fulfilment of its requirements)
• that the degree is awarded by the Royal College of Art
• the collaborating establishment (if any)
• the month and year of submission
• Logo of funding body (if any)

Copyright Statement

The following copyright statement should be
included in each thesis:

“This text represents the submission for the degree of Master of Philosophy/Doctor of Philosophy* at the Royal College of Art. This copy has been supplied for the purpose of research for private study, on the understanding that it is copyright material, and that no quotation from the thesis may be published without proper acknowledgment”.

^{* delete ‘Master of Philosophy/Doctor of Philosophy’ where appropriate.}

Author’s Declaration

• Be sure to include in the thesis a formal statement confirming that you have not been registered for any other academic award during the period of study.
• It is important to state accurately whether any of the work included in your thesis has been previously submitted for examination (i.e. the inclusion of material in a PhD which previously had been part of an MPhil study.)

Example of Author’s Declaration

1. During the period of registered study in which this thesis was prepared the author has not been registered for any other academic award or qualification.
2. The material included in this thesis has not been submitted wholly or in part for any academic award or qualification other than that for which it is now submitted.

C. Darwin
November 1859

The format of the text must be consistent throughout the thesis.

Typography

Character size should not be less than 10 point. Care should be taken when using smaller character size for notes as legibility may be lost when copies are made.

• One-and-a-half line spacing (or double if necessary) must be used in typescript except for indented quotations or footnotes, where single spacing may be used.
• Paragraphs should be: either (i) flush left with additional space between paragraphs or (ii) indented 5–10mm with no additional spaces between paragraphs; opening paragraphs and those that follow headings are not indented. Method ii) should be used if paragraphs are numbered. The format of the text must be consistent throughout the thesis.

Headings

Headings should not normally be centered.

• Consistency is essential throughout the text
• If used, a header should appear on the top line of the page, in smaller size than the main text, but only in the main text. Information included should cover name, year of submission, page number, etc.

Tables

Locate any tables used as close as possible to the first reference in the text. If there are numerous references or tables, locate them at the end of the text.

• Allocate one table per page as far as possible. If the table extends to more than one page, headings should appear on both
• Number and title should appear below each table, in that order
• Each row and column should be clearly labeled or headed
• Character size should be as in Typography, above.

Pagination

Numbers should normally be Arabic (1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and so on).

• Illustrations and tables should be numbered in a separate sequence from the pagination
• Pages should be numbered consecutively throughout the main text, including photographs and/or diagrams which are included as whole pages and numbers should be at the top outer corner of each page. Please note that the title page should be counted but not numbered
• Avoid blank pages, but if necessary, ensure that they carry the word ‘Blank’ and a page number.

Notes

Footnotes appear at the bottom of the page and should be separated from the main text and be preceded by an asterisk, symbol or number which should also appear above the relevant part of the text. Footnotes are used to explain terms or to put something into context and are essential for understanding the text. They can be in smaller character size.

Endnotes appear at the end of a section or a chapter, and should contain additional information which relates in general to the foregoing text and/or references or attributions which are not shown in the footnotes. They should be listed in numerical or alphabetical order.If numbers are used to indicate a note, make sure that they are clear, consecutive and not likely to be confused with others (such as those for tables or illustrations).

Images

It is important to bear in mind that the integration and relatedness of text and images is something that examiners will consider when examining a thesis. Images must be more than illustrative and the choice of caption is fundamental to their inclusion as it provides continuity between text and imagery. If many images are included they must be integral to the text. An alternative method is to consider producing a portfolio of images on DVD, which would be available to the examiners alongside the thesis and at the viva voce. This DVD would act as a companion to the thesis.