Thesis Assistance: Templates and Resources for Preparing and Submitting

Find an SFU Thesis:

• Summer 2010 onward
  Alumni see also After Submitting
• all theses available online (prior to Summer 2010)
• all SFU theses in catalogue
• more info

Find a thesis from other (non-SFU) universities

• click here

Thesis Assistant's Calendar and Instructions

• Re: Submissions
  (Instructions and calendar in which green areas mark
  either available Appointment times or Drop-in times)
• Re: Troubleshooting Template issues
  (Instructions and available Appointment timeslots)
• Also posted on the calendar are the Workshops
  offerred by the Assistant for Theses

2. Help & Documentation
(Start Here Early, Fixes for Later,
and Complete before coming
with thesis to Library)

General Information

Best Practices
   ♦ for Grad Students
   ♦ for Departments 

Thesis Assistant's
   Workshops
SLC Workshops page

Thesis Templates
♦ Why use the template?
♦ MSWord Templates 
   Other Word Templates
   (Landscaped Tables
    extra-lg Bi-fold pages)
♦ LaTeX Template
♦ Open Office Users  

Help and Support
♦ with Writing (SLC) and
♦ books on writing theses
♦ your Liaison Librarians
♦ RefWorks/Write-n-Cite

FAQs
♦ Graduate Students
♦ Departments
♦ Undergraduates
 

Thesis Defence Room

Thesis Assistant's Workshops &
Workshop Handouts
SLC Workshops page

  ♦ General Information
  ♦ Citing/Referencing
    (Liaison Librarian help)
  ♦ Copyright permissions
  ♦ over-sized (11"x17") pages
  ♦ Hiring a Formatter/Editor
  ♦ Footnotes/Endnotes
  ♦ Tables/Figures/Equations
  ♦ Images/Scanning 
  ♦ Landscaped pages
  ♦ Page-numbering trouble
  ♦ Setting PDF preferences
  ♦ Statistical Symbols
  ♦ Video Files and DVDs

See also:
Help and Support Services
LaTeX Help/Common Errors

Deadline Dates
    ♦ Apply for Graduation
       (early to mid final semester)

Forms
1. Supervisor Revision Memo
    ♦ See grad assistant (GA) for this.
    ♦ must be signed/dated by Super.
    ♦ If supervisor's date is older than 
      3-weeks at submission (or no
      date), GA dates/signs, handprints
      name/position/dept. also.
    ♦ must have an orig. signature
      when student brings to Th.Office 
    ♦ not necessary for M.Pub, Approval
      page with 2-member committee,
       or "Supervisory Committee"s
2. Partial Copyright Licence (PCL)
    ♦ Your online PDF will be protected 
    from being edited.
    ♦ Academics advocate "Print&Copy",
    which helps others when quoting 
    your work. Some choose "PrintOnly,"
    which at least allows others to print
    and type your words. "Read Only"
    makes it quite difficult for others to
    quote/cite your work.
    ♦ no page #
    ♦ after thesis printed, insert after
     Approval page in ARCH copy;
     however, if your downloaded
     Nov2011 template, switch this page
     this page with the PCL page
     (already in your file).
3. Declaration of PCL
    ♦ no page #
    ♦ after thesis printed, insert after
     Approval page in CRIC copy;
     however, if your downloaded
     Nov2011 template, this page is
     not needed (already in your file).
4. Ethics Statement (proof required,
    see more info—must be in theses
    requiring human and/or animal
    ethics approval)
    ♦ no page #
    ♦ print/insert after PCL page in thesis
5. Theses Non-Exclusive Licence
      (from Library Archives Canada)
      We need 1 of the following versions
      completed. 
    ♦ fill-in by hand completely
       (sign with ink, hand-in /w thesis)
    ♦ fill electronically, sign manually
       (sign with ink, hand-in /w thesis)
    ♦ sign via digital signature
       (electronic sig., hand-in & upload)
    NB. Please enter full degree--e.g., 
       Master of Arts (not "Masters", MA, 
       or "Doctorate") AND 
       DegreeAwarded=DefenceDate
    ♦ info on Theses Canada
6. Copyright Permissions
7. Postponement of Publication 
    ♦ patent pending, publication in
      process, persecution 
      (see DGS for advice)
    ♦ applies to all print & digital versions
    ♦ 1 year limit
    ♦ must be reapplied-for each year
    ♦ submit to DGS' office for approval
    ♦ submit approved form when
       submitting your thesis to the Library

DGS pages and University Policies
1. Thesis Defences
    ♦ Preparation for Examinations
    ♦ Examinations (Defence)
    ♦ Degree Completion   
2. Ethics & Intellectual Property 
    ♦ Academic Honesty and Policy S10.01
    ♦ Research
    ♦ Ownership of Intellectual Property
    ♦ Links to Policies
    ♦ Other Resources
3. Publication of Thesis 
    (Graduate General Regulations)

Deadline Dates
Submission Hours
♦ Can't come in person?

3-Steps to Submission
1. Prepare & Format Thesis
2. Online Registration
3. Thesis Package

Requirement & Page Details
1. Overall Layout
2. Document Structure
3. Common Errors
    ♦ Title Page (no page number)
    ♦ Approval Page (page = ii)
    ♦ Abstract (page = iii or, if
     you downloaded Template
     Nov2011 onward, p. iv)
    ♦ Acknowledgements
    ♦ Dedication
    ♦ Table of Contents
    ♦ List of Tables
    ♦ List of Figures
    ♦ Preface or Executive Summary
       (if applicable) 
    ♦ Chapter 1 or Introduction
      (page = 1)
    ♦ References
    ♦ Appendices
      • whenever possible, include
        appendices in thesis file

AFTER SUBMISSION

After Submitting
    ♦ Errors in your thesis?
    ♦ Personal / Dept. Bound Copies
    ♦ if you wish, attend Convocation
    ♦ Fees/Tuition Refunds
    ♦ SFU theses, copyright