Writing and Submitting the 4th Year Thesis

1) Submission Format (Style)

General Formatting

• The thesis must be typed or printed on a high-quality printer (NOT dot-matrix) that has an ink cartridge that actually has ink (if you are running out of ink and the type is beginning to skip, please get a new cartridge).
• Hand-written theses or theses that are difficult to read because of poor print quality will not be accepted.
• Similarly, any figures, graphs or other graphic material must be of the highest print quality.

Spacing

• With the exception of the references, abstract/summary, tables, and figure legends (which should all be single-spaced), the text should be double-spaced.

Fonts and Margins

• Only standard fonts such as Helvetica, Courier or Times should be used.
• Do NOT use display fonts anywhere in the manuscript.
• Text should be 12 point with 1’’ margins all around (1.25” may be left on the left margin for binding purposes).
• Major headings should be 16 point bold.
• Subheadings should be 14 point bold.

Page Numbering

• Each single-sided page should be numbered consecutively beginning with the Abstract page.

Length

• The thesis should run between 20 and 50/60 pages in its major context (end material, such as references, appendices, etc. may be over this limit).

Submission Requirements

• You need to submit 4 copies of your thesis by the deadline given, one of which should be officially bound for archiving (see the UVA Copy Center, Kinkos or other commercial copy centers).
• One copy each should go to your mentors.
• Copies must be submitted to the director of the program by 5:00 p.m. on the last day of classes spring semester.

Deadlines

• The deadline given will be strictly enforced!
• No late submissions will be accepted for any reasons!
• University policy dictates that no incompletes or extensions can be granted to degree-candidate students and so it is imperative that you complete your thesis on time.

Review Process

Your thesis will be reviewed by:

• The director of the Human Biology program
• At least two other faculty members from the advisory committee
• Your mentors

2) Structural Format

The thesis should be organized essentially as indicated below, with modifications as necessary depending on the work being presented.

Each section MUST begin on a new page.

Required Sections

1. Title/Cover Page/Pledge
2. Abstract
3. Table of Contents
4. List of Abbreviations and/or Glossary of Terms

Major Portion of the Paper (Body)

• Introduction / Background section
• Results
• Discussion
• Methodology

Closing Sections

• Acknowledgements
• References
• Figures w/ Figure Legends, Tables, Graphical Material*
• Appendices (if any)

* Figures with legends, Tables, and any other graphical materials (charts, pictures, etc.) can be presented either at the end of the thesis as indicated or they may be incorporated directly into the section in which they are cited.

3) Suggested Writing Order

It is suggested that you do not actually write your thesis in the order of presentation.

Recommended Sequence

1. Results
2. Figures/Figure Legends
3. Discussion
4. Abstract
5. Methodology
6. Introduction
7. References

Write Last

• Title/Cover Page
• List of Abbreviations
• Acknowledgements
• Table of Contents

It is probably a good idea to work on more than one section at any one time, just in case you get stuck somewhere along the way.

4) Help/Input From Your Mentors

Draft Reviews

It is appropriate and recommended that you show an early draft of your thesis to your research mentors to solicit their comments, and then, if necessary, to show your mentors a nearly-finished version at a later date.

Some advisors:

• Prefer to see preliminary drafts section by section.
• Others prefer to see only a more “mature” draft of your thesis in its entirety.

Find out your advisor’s preference well in advance.

If Submitting Sections Separately

Remember that you cannot expect to receive informed criticism of the Results section unless it is accompanied by:

• At least a rough version (e.g., a photocopy of a figure or image) of the data you intend to report.
• A brief figure legend.

Time Expectations

Remember, your mentors have other responsibilities and in most cases will not be able to drop everything to read your thesis on short notice.

Typically, one to two weeks should be given for “turn around time”.

Advisor's Role

The role of your advisor is to advise, but not to act as a “ghost writer” or editorial proofreader.

Examples:

• Using which for that
• effect for affect
• mutant for mutation

If one or two instances are identified, you will be expected to find and correct similar errors yourself.

Proofreading Responsibilities

• Don’t expect your advisor to correct every spelling mistake.
• Do NOT rely on your word processor’s spell check program to find all of your errors.
• YOU must proofread your own work to make sure you find all errors.

Writing Resources

Most problems with syntax, grammar and clarity can often be discerned by merely reading the problematic sentence(s) out loud.

Useful guides:

• The Elements of Style (Strunk & White)
• The Bedford Handbook for Writers (Hacker)

Quality Matters

Poorly presented papers in terms of spelling errors, poor grammar, and lack of clarity will NOT score well in the review process and may affect your final standing in the Distinguished Majors Program.

5) Guidelines for Individual Sections

General Note

Again, due to the nature of some theses, the following sections may need to be reworked, particularly body sections. All sections, however, should be represented in a form that most clearly presents the results of your work.

5.1) Title/Cover Page/Pledge

Should include:

• A descriptive title for the project that conveys the sense of the thesis
• Your name
• The name, title, and departmental affiliation of your research mentors

Pledge

The pledge is required and you should physically write it out, in pen, and sign at the bottom of the cover page.

Required Disclaimer

This thesis is submitted in partial fulfillment of the degree requirements for the Distinguished Majors Program in Human Biology

5.2) Abstract

Represents a concise (no more than 1 page) summary of:

• The problem you studied
• What approaches (in general) you took to examine the problem
• The major findings that arose during your research/study

It should be perfectly clear from the abstract:

• What you did
• How you did it
• What you found

This means a specific statement that includes both:

• The biological problem
• The sociological implications of the problem

Avoid

• Non-essential details
• Wordiness
• Exaggerations

Be careful not to claim more than was actually achieved.

The Abstract should be a “stand-alone” section, fully comprehensible to a non-expert even if they do not have the rest of your thesis in hand.

5.3) Table of Contents

Presents a brief index of major and minor topics along with page numbers.

Recommendations

• Prepare the Table of Contents last.
• Be consistent in formatting throughout the thesis and in the Table of Contents (upper and lower case, bold-faced type, etc.).

5.4) List of Abbreviations and/or Glossary of Terms

Provides a list of topic specific abbreviations and definitions that are not common in your field of study or between disciplines.

Abbreviation Rules

• Use discipline accepted abbreviations only.
• Do not create abbreviations yourself to reduce typing.
• Only abbreviate terms you will use frequently.

Examples

1. DNA is a commonly used term that should not be in the List of Abbreviations or spelled out in the text.
2. WMD (weapons of mass destruction) is not widely familiar and should go in the List of Abbreviations.

If needed, include a glossary immediately following the list of abbreviations.

6) Body Text

Body text may take the form of chapters if necessary.

If Using Chapters

Each chapter should, in most cases, contain each body section as it relates specifically to the chapter content.

Integrating Biology and Society

You may find it easier to:

• Integrate them throughout the thesis, or
• Discuss biology first and societal issues afterward

In the latter case, add a section or chapter where the separate discussions are blended back together.

6.1) Introduction

Presents a peer-appropriate, concise review of:

• The state of the field
• Your question
• Its relevance

If chapters are used:

• Include a general introduction.
• Add chapter-specific introductions as needed.

The Introduction Must Include

1. The Question

• What is being investigated?
• What is the scope?
• Why should we care?

2. Background

• What was known before the project began?
• What are you contributing?

3. Biological Relevance

• What is the basic biology behind the project?
• ALL theses need an identifiable biological question.

4. Societal Relevance

• How does the problem relate to society?
• ALL theses need an identifiable societal question.
• May include policy, ethical, legal, or other social issues.

5. General Approach

• Explain the approach used to answer the question(s).

6. Findings Preview

• One or two sentences maximum stating what was discovered.

6.2) Results

Presents experimental or research results (not raw data).

Organization

Arrange results in a logical order that tells the “story” of the research project.

Include

• Text
• Figures
• Tables
• Pictures
• Interviews
• Surveys

Recommendations

• Avoid presenting too many negative results.
• Summarize failed research attempts.
• Show partial failures or unexpected findings that redirected the project.
• Present repeated findings as representative examples.

Presenting Results

• Use text, tables, figures, or pictures as appropriate.
• Begin with a few brief sentences introducing the research.
• Describe each experiment, what it showed, and how it led to the next step.
• Walk the reader through the results.

Avoid

• Writing results as a list of figure captions.
• Speculating about broader meaning (save that for Discussion).

Subsections may be used for clarity.

6.3) Figures and Figure Legends

Numbering

All figures, pictures, and tables must:

• Be numbered in order of reference.
• Be accompanied by a descriptive legend.

Terminology

• Figures, schematics, and pictures = “Figures”
• Tables = “Tables”

Legend Requirements

• Begin with a title sentence.
• Follow with a succinct description.

Placement

• Figure legends go immediately below the figure on the same page.
• Table legends go immediately above the table on the same page.

Image Requirements

• Actual photographs must be photo-quality printed or scanned and printed.
• Nothing taped or glued onto paper is acceptable.

Laboratory Images

Must be fully labeled:

• Lanes
• Markers
• Areas of interest
• Areas of focus

Cropping

Crop photos to show:

• Only relevant experimental areas
• Only relevant image content

Image Integrity

Never “doctor” any image presented so it looks better or conforms more closely to what you want to find (this is fraud).

Graphs

Ensure:

• Axes are labeled.
• Units are included.
• Symbols remain consistent.

Different plots may be distinguished either:

• In the legend, or
• Directly on the graph if done neatly and clearly.

Final Reminder

Figures, pictures, and tables should contribute to the presentation of information and not detract from it.

6.4) Discussion

Presents a thoughtful, clear, well-worded analysis of the results.

Begin With

A brief summary of:

• Major conclusions
• Supporting evidence

Discuss

• How results relate to previously published work
• Current ideas and models in the field

Be Careful

Do not over-state results or claim more than the data support.

Speculation

Permissible if:

• Realistic
• Clearly labeled as speculation

Include

• Methodological limitations
• Potential improvements
• Better designs or execution strategies

Conclude With

Future directions for the research.

Optional Structure

If appropriate, Results and Discussion may be merged.

6.5) Methodology

Provides a concise description of how the work was performed.

Goal

Include the minimum information necessary for someone to repeat the research.

For Laboratory Research

• Cite standard protocols, manufacturer protocols, or standard recipes.
• Describe significant modifications.
• Avoid jargon and imprecise terminology.
• Review published Materials and Methods sections for guidance.

For Non-Laboratory Research

Include:

• Search engines used
• Library research methods
• Reference staff consulted
• Interviews
• Information compilation methods
• Analysis methods

Describe how information was acquired and analyzed, without merely listing references.

6.6) Acknowledgements

A brief paragraph listing individuals who contributed substantially through:

• Project assessment
• Analysis
• Proofreading
• Formatting
• Other assistance

This section appears before References.

6.7) References

References cited within the text and the listing of references at the end of the paper should conform exactly to the style of the biology journal Nature.

Please do NOT deviate from this format.

6.8) Appendices

• Appendix material should follow the References section.
• Appendices should be single-spaced.
• Explanations of what the appendix contains should accompany all appendix material.