MANUAL OF BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR THESES AND DISSERTATIONS
Introduction
The East Carolina University Manual of Basic Requirements for Theses and Dissertations has been written to provide guidance in approaching the task of writing a thesis or dissertation. This publication is intended to serve several purposes in support of this endeavor:
To call the student's attention to the technical demands of clear and clean design and consistency in a form that is an important part of the research process. Such demands are identical to those that editors and publishers place on the writers who publish research findings in technical and professional journals. After meeting the demands of this manual, the student should find adapting to other sets of technical instructions less confusing and time consuming.
To facilitate construction, handling, study, and evaluation of the thesis or dissertation within the university.
To specify uniform size, paper, arrangement, and spacing. Standardized plans facilitate binding and storage and save time when people use the thesis or dissertation as a reference. Further, technical uniformity in particular types of research reporting makes comparison for information content easier.
To provide security for students and advisers. Through the use of the manual, they can be certain that a thesis or dissertation will be in an acceptable format. This guide protects the student from arbitrary modification requirements.
Writers of theses or dissertations are expected to follow this Manual of Basic Requirements. However, students and directors frequently desire to introduce important modifications to improve communication or quality of expression. Desired deviations from this manual can be submitted to the Dean of the Graduate School for approval before submitting the final copy.
