Deadlines & Submission | Format | Visuals | Sample Title Page

DEADLINE AND SUBMISSION OF MANUSCRIPT AND PDF FILE

The Smith College Libraries are responsible for the binding, cataloguing, housing, and maintenance of an official record copy of all Smith College departmental honors theses.

Each candidate is responsible for submitting by the last Monday before Commencement (Monday, May 12, 2008):

• A print copy (see manuscript preparation below) of the thesis manuscript to the Chair of the Subcommittee on Honors and Independent Programs (SHIP), College Hall 101. The unbound library copy should be placed in an envelope suitable for containing and protecting the manuscript until it is bound.
• An electronic copy of the thesis in .pdf format (including .jpg files for slides if appropriate) as an email attachment to honors@email.smith.edu.

The Smith College Libraries, as holders of the official record copy of the thesis, will permit public access to it. For theses held in print format the Libraries may circulate the original through Interlibrary Loan, but no copies beyond ones for replacement or preservation will be made without permission of the author.

MANUSCRIPT PREPARATION: FORMAT

Paper and Printing: All theses submitted to the Smith College Libraries must be on 20 pound acid-free (also called archival) paper. Printing of the copy of the thesis is provided at Central Services through the generosity of the Nancy Kershaw Tomlinson Memorial Fund.

Binding: The Smith College Libraries will be responsible for the binding of the library copy of a thesis. Students wishing to make private arrangements for their own bound copy may pick up a list of local bookbinders from the Physical Preparations Office in the Neilson Library. Other options for binding are available at Central Services.

Style Manuals: Before beginning manuscript preparation, each student should consult with his or her adviser concerning the proper style to be used. Some departments may wish to use the style sheets issued by the principal journal or society of the discipline, although the latest edition of the following guides will answer most questions:

American Psychological Association. Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.

Modern Language Association of America

Turabian, Kate. Manual for Writers of Papers, Theses, and Dissertations.

University of Chicago. Chicago Manual of Style.

These guides are available at the reference desk in the Neilson Library. Also see the Libraries' online Citation Guides and Style Manuals page.

Page Format: Text should be printed on one side of 8½ x 11 inch sheets. Margins must be 1½ inches on the left and 1 inch on the right, top, and bottom. Font should be Times New Roman 12 point. All text should be double-spaced except for Table of Contents, List of Tables, List of Figures, lengthy tables, quotations, and footnotes. All equations and formulas should be typed.

Title Page: The title page of all departmental honors theses should follow the sample provided at the end of this document.

MANUSCRIPT PREPARATION: VISUAL AND OTHER NONPRINT MATERIALS

Thesis Illustrations: Thesis illustrations may take many forms: black and white photographs, slides, maps, graphs, charts, photocopies, original materials, etc. In order to ensure the permanence of any visual materials accompanying an honors thesis manuscript, it is important to observe some basic tenets, which will enhance both the preservation and the physical stability of the work. The following guidelines have been prepared to ensure acceptable quality.

Whenever possible, the paper used for the preparation of visual materials should be of pH-neutral or acid-free stock.

All labels and graphs should be in permanent type or ink or of permanent artist-quality materials. Felt-tip pens, markers, and pencils are impermanent.

Photographs should be fiber-based, black and white, glossy prints. An approximate size of 5 x 7 in. allows for labeling and adequate page margins as discussed above. Resin-coated (RC) color and Polaroid photographs are considered impermanent. If color photographs are necessary for superior information value, inclusion of a set of black and white prints as a permanent supplement is recommended. Color slides should be on Kodachrome slide film for maximum color permanency. Digitally reproduced images may be included provided they meet archival standards. Consult with the Libraries photographer (585-2957) at least eight weeks before submission.

Enclosures and supports for all visual materials should be constructed of pH-neutral paper or inert plastics. Acid-free papers and mylar (polyester) are safe for proper archival storage.

Materials considered impermanent or unsafe for long-term storage include glassine envelopes, vinyl or other plasticized sheets, kraft paper or envelopes, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), traditional album and scrapbook presentations, rubber bands, paper clips, pressure sensitive tapes, rubber cement and non-pH-neutral glues.

Photographs and other similar materials may be mounted using archival corners on 20-pound pH-neutral artist-quality paper, cut to conform to the dimensions of the text paper and observing the same margin and binding restrictions. Photographs and other images should be mounted only on one side of each sheet of paper. Labeling may be applied after the mounting process. Alternatively, photographs, slides and other similar materials may be fitted into clear pockets or sleeves made of mylar. All visual materials should be fully labeled and keyed to the accompanying text.

SAMPLE TITLE PAGE

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