Preparing a monograph (traditional) thesis

In addition to the wider requirements set out for all theses, there are further elements to consider when preparing a monograph-style thesis. 

Word count

You must adhere to the thesis word count set by your school, department or centre. For more information, please see your departmental PGR handbook.

Contact us

PGR Administration

pgr-administration@york.ac.uk
+44 (0)1904 325962
Student Hub, Information Centre Basement, Market Square

Sequence of material

The following drop-down box contains the recommended sequence of material within a monograph thesis. Requirements may vary slightly between departments, centres or schools, but starred (*) items must appear in every thesis. 

To see how this may look with the required information, see our Example thesis layout Nov 2022 (PDF , 68kb)

  1. Title and subtitle* 

  2. Abstract* 

  3. List of contents*:

    The List of Contents should reference the starting page number for ALL the relevant sections in your thesis. The sections to include, where present, are listed below:
     
    1. Abstract
    2. List of Contents
    3. List of Tables (if any)
    4. List of Figures (if any)
    5. List of Illustrations (if any)
    6. List of Accompanying Material (if any)
    7. Preface (if any)
    8. Acknowledgements (if any)
    9. Declaration
    10. all relevant sub-divisions of the thesis, including the titles of chapters, sections and subsections;
    11. Appendices (if any)
    12. Abbreviations and/or Glossary (if any)
    13. Reference List and/or Bibliography
    14. Index (if any)
      If a thesis consists of more than one volume, the contents of the whole thesis should be shown in the first volume and the contents of subsequent volumes in a separate contents list in the following volumes.

  4. List of tables, list of figures, list of illustrations, etc

  5. List of accompanying material 

    This is anything not included in the thesis document.

  6. Preface

    An introduction to the thesis as a whole - not to be confused with Chapter 1.

  7. Acknowledgements

    You may wish to acknowledge the help and support of colleagues, friends and family. This should not be confused with your author’s declaration.

  8. Author's declaration*

  9. Text*

    This is the main body of your thesis, divided into chapters, sections, etc.

  10. Appendices

    Appendices may consist of material of considerable length or of lists, documents, commentaries, tables or other evidence that, if included in the main text, would interrupt its flow. The presentation of appendices, including character size, should be consistent with the style of the main text.

  11. Glossary and/or Abbreviations

    Terms that require explanation should be defined in a glossary, which should include a key to any abbreviations used. For an abbreviation not in common use, the term shall be given in full at the first instance followed by the abbreviation in brackets.

  12. Reference List and/or Bibliography*

    A bibliography is a list of all of the sources you have used (whether referenced or not) in the process of researching your thesis. A reference list comprises only items actually cited in your thesis. You may include both combined in one, or address them separately.

  13. Index

    If an index has been produced, insert it as the final section of your thesis.

Page headers

Page headers may be used but, for ease of reading, it is recommended that the font used is smaller than the main body of the text and that no underline is used. Headers should not include personal information, such as your name or student number.

Headings

Headings should be used to indicate the hierarchical structure of the text. There should normally be not more than four levels, including the chapter headings as the first level. It is recommended that each level is distinguished from the others by position or typography, or both, and that the space that precedes and follows a heading is not less than the space between paragraphs. Headings should not normally be centred (except, possibly, for chapter and part headings).

Numbering

When using numbers in your thesis, the following format is recommended. 

  • Arabic numerals should normally be used for numbering all sequences within a thesis.
  • For ease of reading, it is recommended that page numbers are visibly clear of the text. 
  • The pages of the thesis should be numbered in a single sequence. The title page of the thesis should be page 1, but the numbering should be hidden. The abstract should be page 2 and so on sequentially throughout the thesis, including pages that carry tables, illustrations, appendices, etc.
  • For theses comprising more than one volume, the numbering should be continuous across all volumes (again, the title page of the second volume should be counted but hidden).
  • The use of blank pages should be avoided, if possible. 
  • Chapters should be numbered from the start to the finish of the thesis, continuing across volumes if necessary. Appendices should be numbered in a separate sequence from that used for chapters.
  • Illustrations should be numbered consecutively in a single sequence, generally without distinguishing between different kinds of illustration. 
  • Tables or figures within the text should be numbered consecutively in a single sequence, each separate from illustrations.

Illustrations

An illustration should normally appear near the first reference made to it in the text. The desirability of grouping illustrations at the back of a volume or in a separate volume should be considered if they:

  • need to be compared with one another
  • are referred to frequently in the text
  • need to be separate because of their nature, eg their size or method of production.

Illustrations should be of a technical quality that reproduces well.

Every illustration, including appendices, should be included in the list of illustrations with page numbers or other identification. It is recommended that any label within an illustration is positioned so that the part it applies to cannot be confused with any other, or linked to the part by a thin line; the lettering should be large and clear enough to be legible if reproduced. A short legend should appear beneath each illustration.

Contact us

PGR Administration

pgr-administration@york.ac.uk
+44 (0)1904 325962
Student Hub, Information Centre Basement, Market Square