Preparation & Submission of the Dissertation

1. Lay-out of Dissertation

The layout of a dissertation will vary according to the subject matter. Your supervisor will be able to give advice on the layout of the dissertation most appropriate to your subject; there is no University standard layout.

1. Quotations should be cited precisely and should not violate the context from which they are taken; the reasons for their use should be clear, namely, for the reinforcement of an argument, or for ensuring the accuracy of a particular point, or to indicate the particular style of writing

References must be cited accurately, at the foot of each page, at the end of the chapter or at the end of the dissertation, according to a uniform pattern. The normal literary conventions should be observed. For guidance on these, consult the University's Study Support Services. Essentially there must be consistency throughout the dissertation in these matters.

Giving Notice of Intention to Submit: When you wish to submit your dissertation for a taught higher degree you are NOT required to provide the Student Administrative Services Office with advance notice that you will be submitting your dissertation; you may simply come to the Student Administrative Services Office and submit. You are advised to check with your supervisor that everything is in order before submitting your dissertation; it must be noted, however, that it remains your own responsibility to decide when to submit your dissertation.

1. A Taught Masters dissertation should not exceed 20,000 words, in any circumstances, and individual programmes may specify much lower limits.

If you are reading for a taught Masters degree you are required to submit two copies of your dissertation to the Student Administrative Services Office for forwarding to the examiners. The general University requirement for taught Masters degree dissertations is soft binding; however, certain Faculties may require their students to submit their dissertations in hard binding. It is the Faculty’s responsibility to inform their students of this requirement, if it applies; you are advised however to check with your Faculty which form of binding should be used.

A dissertation will not be forwarded to the examiners until you have cleared all outstanding debts to the University (including payment of tuition fees and submission fees). See the section on Submission Fees.

Preparing a Dissertation for a Taught Higher Degree

1. These notes amplify the Regulations common to all Higher Degrees which are available in the Quality Handbook.
2. The title page of the dissertation should be set out in accordance with the specimen sheet and should include the following:
   • the name of the candidate in FULL;
   • the candidate’s present degree(s), stating the University if other than Hull
   • the degree for which (s)he is submitting the thesis;
   • the title of the dissertation;
   • the month and year in which the dissertation is submitted.
   The dissertation may be typewritten or word processed
   • Text should normally be one and a half spaced, or double-spaced.
   • Output can be on both sides of the page as long as quality of the document is not impaired.
   • The font should be of a size that can be easily photocopied. NB double spaced text on one side of the paper only at 12 point size is recommended.
   • Candidates are advised to use a good quality A4 (210mm x 297mm) photocopier paper, at least 80g/m2 weight for the 2 copies to be submitted for examination.
   • The binding margin should be at least 40mm with 20mm on all other sides.

Photographs should be on single weight paper. The paper should preferably be the full size of the page allowing for standard margins around the photographs, but if this is impossible and it is necessary to mount small photographs on the page, a guard 25mm wide, of the same thickness as the photograph should be mounted on the left hand edge of the page. Mounting should always be done by using photographic mountants as some glues can stain prints whilst others lose their adhesive qualities with time.

The attention of all candidates is drawn to the importance of careful revision of the typrescript of a dissertation before it is sent for binding. Reading numerous typographical and linguistic errors only annoys your examiners.

Candidates are required to submit with their dissertation two copies of a separate summary of their work of not more than 300 words.  The summary should be headed as follows:

Summary of Dissertation submitted for (abbreviation of degree) degree by (name) on (Title of dissertation)

*These notes also apply to the preparation of project reports.

Sample Dissertation Title Page

Submission of Dissertations

1. Candidates for taught Masters degrees are required to submit 2 soft-bound copies of their dissertation, bound in accordance with University requirements (see below), to Student Administrative Services for forwarding to the examiners.* They are also required to submit two copies of a separate summary of the dissertation of not more than 300 words.

It is possible that dissertations submitted less than 4 months before either the July or February Degree Ceremony may not be examined and the result received in time for the degree to be awarded at the next ensuing ceremony.

Specification for Binding of Taught Masters Degree Dissertations

1. Master’s degree dissertations should be oversewn. The Spine cloth should be Arbelave buckram, shade No 562 (blue) - (manufactured by Red Bridge ( Bolton ) Ltd, Red Bridge Mill, Ainsworth, Bolton ). The sides should be Hi-speed Board, 230 microns, Deep Blue. There should be lettering down the spine of the dissertation in 18 point type, ‘Modern 20’ or similar, stating 

• initials and surname of the author,

leaving a space of 40mm at the head and the tail of the spine.

1. Abbreviated titles of degrees

The binders nominated by the University are:

• S. Ingram & D. Robinson Ltd
  Hull Bindery
  Carnegie Heritage Information Centre
  (Old Carnegie Library)
  342 Anlaby Road
  Hull
  HU3 6JA
• Tel. (01482) 35 35 58
  email. bindery@haveitbound.com
  website http://www.haveitbound.com/
  
• Spink and Thackray
  Broomfield Bindery
  Back Broomfield Estate
  Leeds LS6 3BP
• Hollingworth and Moss
  Manor Street Industrial Estate
  Enfield Terrace
  Leeds LS7 1RG
  http://www.mythesis.co.uk/ students who order their binding online can gain a 10% discount using the discount code DE07
  

Other binders may be used, but the dissertation must be bound in accordance with the specification above. It may be necessary to allow 3 to 4 weeks.

NOTE: Certain Departments/Faculties may require candidates to submit their dissertations in hard binding. It is the Department’s/Faculty’s responsibility to inform candidates of this requirement. Advice on the specification for the hard binding of dissertations is available from Student Administrative Services on request.