Checklist of Common Formatting Errors

Title Page

• Is the entire page double-spaced?
• Is your title in ALL CAPS? Did you check the spelling of each word?
• Does your study title match the original study title on your RTAF? And if not, is it just a change in title that better reflects the content of your study versus a title that reflects a significant topic change in your study?
• In the middle section, is “in” on the third line lowercase?
• In the bottom section, does your name match the rest of the document, including middle initials vs. middle names?
• Do you list your graduation month and year, not the defense date? It should only be December, May, or August, plus the year.
• Omit any page number on the title page.
• Does your font size and style match the rest of your document, and is it consistent with your style guide? Most style guides recommend Times New Roman, 12-point font.

Copyright Page (this page is optional—disregard if you do not have a copyright page)

• Is the information centered at the bottom of the page?
• Do you only list the year after the copyright symbol?
• Does your name match your title page, signature page, and abstract, including middle names vs. middle initials?
• Do you list All Rights Reserved?
• Is the page number at the bottom and centered, using a lowercase Roman numeral ii?

Signature Page

• Is this page single-spaced?
• Only have Office of Graduate Education and Academic Planning, omit the prior to Office.
• Do you have the proper department listed?
• Does your name match your title page, copyright page (if included), and abstract, including middle names vs. middle initials?
• If there is no copyright page, does your page numbering begin on this page, at the bottom, centered, and in lowercase Roman numerals, with ii?
• Do committee members’ lines extend to the right margin? 
• Do committee members’ date lines have the date of your defense listed as mm/dd/yyyy ?
• Is “Approval on File” on the committee members’ signature lines? 
• Is the dean's signature line long enough to cover the credentials beneath it? 
• Is the dean’s date line blank?

Abstract Page

• Omit the word Abstract.
• Is the top portion single-spaced?
• Is your title in title case, with only major words (if MLA) and words with four or more letters (APA) capitalized?
• Does the second line of your title align with the first word of the top line of your title?
• Is there a blank line of space before your dissertation chair?
• Is there a blank line of space before your committee members are listed?
• Did you replace your committee members’ degrees with Dr. or Mr./Ms./Mrs.?
• Is the body of your abstract double-spaced?
• There must be exactly five space bar hits following each colon in the top four lines of this page. 

Acknowledgements Page (optional)

• Make sure “Acknowledgements” is not bold or underlined, but is in ALL CAPS and centered. 
• You can do anything you would like in the Acknowledgements section.

Table of Contents

• Is this section single-spaced throughout?
• Is “Table of Contents” in ALL CAPS, but not bold?
• Do you have chapter and page column headings on each page of your TOC?
• Is there at least one tab between the chapter numbers and chapter titles?
• Are chapter titles in ALL CAPS?
• Is there a blank line of space above and below the chapter title?
• Are you using dot leaders (as formatted by Word)? Do not just hold the period button down, as this causes a lot of formatting issues. Do not use dashes.
• If you are including headings in your TOC, are the first-level headings aligned with the chapter title, the second level indented a few spaces, the third level indented a few more spaces, etc.?
• Do your headings match the capitalization within your document, as defined by your style guide?
• Do your headings match word-for-word, including punctuation? What is listed in the body of your document? Do not include italics, underlining, or bolding in the TOC.
• Do your page numbers match?
• Are “References/Works Cited” in ALL CAPS and under the chapter heading?
• Is “Appendices” in ALL CAPS and under the chapter heading?
• Do you list your Appendices as Appendix A - Title, Appendix B - Title, etc., and are they aligned with your other first-level headings? Even if you have only one appendix, this is how it should be formatted.

List of Tables

• Is this on its own separate page?
• Is “List of Tables” in ALL CAPS, but not bolded?
• Do you have table and page column headings on all pages of your LOT?
• Are your table numbers separated from your table titles?
• Are your table titles in title case with all major words capitalized (if APA, words with four or more letters)?
• Do long table titles allow approximately one inch between the words and the page number?
• Do your table titles match word-for-word what is listed in the text, including capitalization and punctuation?

List of Figures

• Is this on its own separate page?
• Is “List of Figures” in ALL CAPS, but not bolded?
• Do you have figure and page column headings on all pages of your LOF?
• Are your figure numbers separated from your figure captions?
• Are your figure captions in sentence case, with only the first word and proper nouns capitalized?
• Do long figure captions allow approximately one inch between the words and the page number?
• Do your figure captions match word-for-word what is listed in the text, including capitalization and punctuation?

Body of Your Document

• Is your entire document double-spaced?
• Does Chapter 1 begin on page 1?
• Chapter numbers and chapter titles are in ALL CAPS and are not considered a level of heading.
• Omit all extra spacing between paragraphs (right-click on your document, select paragraph, in “Spacing” make sure Before and After each say 0 pt, and click on the box that says “Do not add spacing between paragraphs of the same style”). 
• Do you follow your style guide for headings, in-text citations, table and figure formatting, etc.?
• Do your chapter titles match word-for-word what is listed in the TOC? 
• Do your tables and figures fit within the one-inch margins?
• Are all hyperlinks removed?

References

• References are centered but not in ALL CAPS or bold.
• Do your references match your chosen style guide?
• There should be spaces between initials (APA).
• Are all hyperlinks removed? 

Appendices

• Do not include a title page with APPENDICES.
• An Appendices header is not needed anywhere above the first Appendix.
• Format your Appendices as you do the rest of your chapters.
• If you include tables or figures here, they are not required to be in your LOT/LOF, but they must be properly formatted and cited.
• Make sure you provide proper documentation and citations for any forms, surveys, or work you used from someone else.
• Include any and all permissions and email exchanges for use of proprietary information.
• Are all hyperlinks removed, including email addresses?