Students may choose between two types of organization for the main thesis body:
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Traditional format: organizes chapters around a central problem and is normally used when no part of the thesis has been published or submitted for publication.
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Manuscript format: comprises the text of one or more papers/manuscripts that have been, or will be, submitted for publication. When included within the thesis body as individual chapter(s), these texts must follow the same formatting guidelines as in the Traditional format e.g. all chapters must have the same formatting of chapter headings, same sub-heading levels, font type and size, line spacing, margins, etc.
The main structural difference between the Traditional and Manuscript Format is that each chapter in the Manuscript format has its own individual "References" (or 'Bibliography") placed at the end of the chapter, whereas in the Traditional format there is a single "References" (or "Bibliography") for the entire thesis placed within the back-matter, after all chapters.
Both the traditional and manuscript format require a single Abstract within the front-matter. The Manuscript-style thesis must be more than a collection of paper manuscripts, in that all the components must be brought together into one cohesive unit, with a single Abstract for the entire document (i.e. no individual chapter abstracts), with logical progression from one chapter to the next, and following one consistent style throughout in each chapter, e.g. same formatting of chapter headings, sub-headings, heading levels, same citation style for each chapter references regardless of the citation formats of the journals in which the manuscript may have appeared or will be published.
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