university of leeds dissertation cover page

• Academic life
• Registration
• Module Enrolment
• Making changes
• Attendance and Absences
• Academic Dates and Deadlines
• Study Support
• Leeds for Life
• Plus Programme
• Higher and Degree Apprenticeships
• School of Medicine
• Lifelong learning centre
• Online learning support
• Navigating online learning systems
• Key dates and locations
• Preparing for your assessments
• Online assessments
• On-campus assessments
• I need help during the assessment period
• What happens after the assessment period?
• Classification
• Academic Integrity
• Artificial intelligence (AI)
• Postgraduate research
• Starting your research
• During your research
• Thesis Submission and the Viva
• Postgraduate researcher policies and procedures
• Funding for postgraduate researchers
• The Doctoral College
• Research practice
• Prepare for your graduation ceremony
• Leaving the university
• Official documentation and regulations
• Feedback and complaints
• Responding to your feedback
• Research student policies and procedures
• Taught student policies and procedures
• Paying fees and charges
• University scholarships and funds
• Leeds Bursary
• University Financial Assistance Fund
• External funding
• Student loans
• American and Canadian student funding
• Funding for medics and dentists
• NHS Learning Support Fund
• Study abroad and work placements
• Finding work
• Opportunities
• Languages for All
• The Turing Scheme
• Leadership programmes
• Support and wellbeing
• Counselling and wellbeing
• Groups and workshops
• Togetherall, resources and self help
• Your emotional wellbeing
• Healthy relationships with yourself and others
• Dealing with academic challenges and life stress
• Academic stress and challenges
• Life stress and challenges
• Support for our diverse students
• Disabled student support
• Who we support
• Setting up your support
• Funding for disabled students
• Support for disabled students
• Your safety
• Online safety
• Safety at home
• Your safety out and about
• Your personal and emotional safety
• Bereavement
• Medical services and what to do if you're ill
• Harassment and misconduct
• Sexual Violence
• Your campus experience and life in Leeds
• Study abroad
• Where can I go?
• Prepare to apply
• Get ready to go
• Study Abroad funding and costs
• During your Study Abroad year
• Returning to Leeds
• Summer abroad
• International students
• Prepare for Leeds
• Your first weeks at Leeds
• International orientation
• Complete start-up processes
• Opening a bank account
• Settle into life at Leeds
• Global Community
• Intercultural work and volunteering
• Intercultural experiences
• Explore Languages and Cultures
• Living in the UK
• International families
• Work volunteering and your visa
• Student Life
• Your time in Leeds
• Finding Your Way Around
• Children and Family
• Staying Safe
• Fraud and scams
• Health and wellbeing
• The Leeds Partnership
• Laidlaw Leadership and Research Programme
• Undergraduate research opportunities
• Applications and interviews
• Career options
• Starting your own business (SPARK)
• Jobs and work experience
• Discover your future
• Final year support
• Leadership programme

Submitting your final eThesis

It is common practice both in the UK and internationally to deposit your thesis in an open access repository, making it available to a wide audience.  

Please see the Guide to the thesis submission process on the Policies and Procedures page of the SES website for more information on the processes explained on this webpage.     

All postgraduate researchers (PGRs) must submit their successful thesis for retention in the University Library in White Rose eTheses Online (WREO) . The University of Leeds has withdrawn the requirement to submit a hard bound copy of your final, corrected thesis for the award of your degree. You only need to upload your thesis to WREO.   

Following a successful examination, PGRs may have their final thesis proof-read by a third party as part of any corrections to the thesis after the viva. You can find out more about proof-reading in the Postgraduate Research Proof Reading Policy and Guidance on the Policies and Procedures page of the SES website . 

You should only upload your thesis after your internal examiner has approved the correction of any editorial and presentational corrections or minor deficiencies identified at your examination. Please see the University Library website for further advice on the upload process. You will not be able to make any changes to the uploaded file, so you must ensure you are uploading the correct version that has been approved by your internal examiner. 

Deadlines for submission of the eThesis are as follows: 

If the award of the degree was made without corrections, your eThesis must be submitted no later than one month after the oral examination.   

If you have made editorial and presentational corrections or minor deficiencies, the deadline is no later than one month after the corrections are approved.   

Once you've uploaded your eThesis, a confirmation email will be sent to you, your supervisor(s) and Doctoral College Operations (DCO). Your eThesis will not be made live until after your degree has been awarded and your name has appeared on a pass list. However, if you've placed an embargo on access to your thesis, your eThesis will not go live until after the embargo has expired. Please see the ‘Restricting access to your eThesis’ section further down on this page for more information on embargo arrangements. 

eThesis format 

One complete PDF eThesis file MUST be supplied as follows: 

This must be a single PDF file of the final, corrected thesis approved by your internal examiner for the award of your degree (including all appendices). 

On opening the file the first page accessed should be the title page of the thesis. 

The ethesis should be given a standard filename: Surname & initials, school, degree, year of submission, for example: Smith_ABC_Chemistry_PhD_2020.PDF. 

Please note that the filename will be visible to anyone accessing your eThesis through WREO. For this reason it is important that you follow the filename format given here and do not include other information in the filename (for example your 9 digit student ID number). 

To help ensure longer-term digital preservation of your thesis, it is strongly recommended that you also provide your thesis in its original source file format (e.g. Word, LaTex). The PDF file is the version of your thesis that will be made live in WREO and accessible by users, after any embargo period has expired.  

If you are a practice-led researcher your eThesis will comprise both the written commentary and the related practice material. You must upload both the written commentary (as a single PDF file) and all the practice material in appropriate electronic files (for example pdf, jpeg, mp3) to White Rose eTheses Online. Please refer to the practice-led policy for your faculty/school on the Research Degrees Codes of Practice page on the SES website . 

Restricting access to your eThesis

Wherever possible, theses should be made ‘open access’. However, in some cases immediate access to a thesis may not be possible and you might need to add a temporary embargo. Examples include where the thesis includes confidential or politically sensitive information; where the thesis includes commercially sensitive information or where you are planning to publish part of your thesis. Access to the full text of your thesis can normally be restricted for one, two, three, or five years. In the case of a patent pending or in other exceptional circumstances, it may be possible to embargo your thesis for longer. If you think this might be necessary, you should consult with your supervisor. A case must be made by your Director of Postgraduate Research Studies to the Progression and Examinations Group. 

Decisions on whether an embargo is required and how long is appropriate should be taken in consultation with your supervisor(s). Therefore, before you upload your eThesis you must discuss the retention of thesis arrangements with your supervisor(s).  

Please see the Guide to the thesis examination process for more detailed information on thesis embargo arrangements. 

Copyright permissions & redacted eTheses 

Please consult the University Library website for further advice on copyrighted material. You are expected to make all reasonable efforts to seek permission to include third party copyright material in the electronic version of your thesis. However, if you've not been able to obtain the permission of the copyright holder, you must prepare two versions of your eThesis: 

eThesis 1 - A “complete eThesis” - a single file including the final, corrected content of your thesis (as approved by your examiners). 

eThesis 2 – A “redacted eThesis” file with any third-party copyright material redacted and replaced with a statement such as "This image has been removed by the author of this thesis for copyright reasons”. If possible, when removing material from the digital copy, a placeholder should be included to retain the pagination of the original document. 

In all cases, one complete eThesis file must be supplied and held by the University but will not be made available online. 

• The Library
• Leeds University Union
• Terms & Conditions
• Accessibility
• Privacy and cookies
• Freedom of Information

© 2024 University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT

Have a language expert improve your writing

Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, automatically generate references for free.

• Knowledge Base
• Dissertation

Dissertation title page

Published on 30 May 2022 by Shona McCombes . Revised on 18 October 2022.

The title page (or cover page) of your thesis, dissertation, or research paper should contain all the key information about your document. It usually includes:

• Dissertation or thesis title
• The type of document (e.g., dissertation, research paper )
• The department and institution
• The degree program (e.g., Master of Arts)
• The date of submission

It sometimes also includes your student number, your supervisor’s name, and your university’s logo.

Instantly correct all language mistakes in your text

Be assured that you'll submit flawless writing. Upload your document to correct all your mistakes.

Table of contents

Title page format, title page templates, title page example, frequently asked questions about title pages.

Your department will usually tell you exactly what should be included on your title page and how it should be formatted. Be sure to check whether there are specific guidelines for margins, spacing, and font size.

Title pages for APA and MLA Style

The format of your title page can also depend on the citation style you’re using. There may be guidelines in regards to alignment, page numbering, and mandatory elements.

• MLA guidelines for formatting the title page
• APA guidelines for formatting the title page

Prevent plagiarism, run a free check.

We’ve created a few templates to help you design the title page for your thesis, dissertation, or research paper. You can download them in the format of your choice by clicking on the corresponding button.

Research paper Google doc

Dissertation Google doc

Thesis Google doc

A typical example of a thesis title page looks like this:

The title page of your thesis or dissertation should include your name, department, institution, degree program, and submission date.

The title page of your thesis or dissertation goes first, before all other content or lists that you may choose to include.

Usually, no title page is needed in an MLA paper . A header is generally included at the top of the first page instead. The exceptions are when:

• Your instructor requires one, or
• Your paper is a group project

In those cases, you should use a title page instead of a header, listing the same information but on a separate page.

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the ‘Cite this Scribbr article’ button to automatically add the citation to our free Reference Generator.

McCombes, S. (2022, October 18). Dissertation title page. Scribbr. Retrieved 29 April 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/thesis-dissertation/title-page/

Is this article helpful?

Shona McCombes

Other students also liked, thesis & dissertation acknowledgements | tips & examples, dissertation table of contents in word | instructions & examples, research paper appendix | example & templates.

Research proposals

Your research proposal is a key part of your postgraduate application. It's your opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge of your subject and how you intend to influence your desired research area.

We match your research proposal with the appropriate supervisors to make sure you have the best support during your research degree.

Before you apply, find out which researchers are working in your subject area and contact them with any questions. Or  contact the relevant graduate school to find out more about available supervisors. Don't worry if your research idea isn't fully formed when you get in touch. It's quite usual to firm up your ideas as you further explore the topic and talk with others in your field.  

Do you need to write a proposal?

You may not need to if you are applying for a funded project. Before you apply you should contact your academic department to check:

• Do you need a proposal?
• How long does the proposal need to be?
• Do you need any additional evidence? 

Proposal structure

Your research proposal should normally include the following information, but this may vary according to which school you are applying to: 

A working title of your research; this will change over the course of your research as your project develops but it is good to have a starting point.    

Context and literature

Set the scene of your research clearly. Show that you understand the research area and have started to develop an understanding of your research topic.  

Make sure that you:

Show awareness of current knowledge and debates 

Review current literature related to your intended project and make reference to key articles and texts to demonstrate understanding of the subject

Demonstrate your own expertise gained from previous study or employment 

Explain where there is a gap in current understanding and how your original research can push knowledge forward. 

If you have identified academics involved in your research area you should contact them to discuss their work. This would be a good opportunity to get further advice about your proposal and to potentially start building a supervisor relationship. 

Aims of your research

Your research aims show the overall purpose of your study and you should consider them carefully. Keep your research proposal concise, focus on one or two key research aims and how research questions can achieve the aims. This will help you, and potential supervisors, to decide if they are achievable.

Methodology

Consider how you will carry out your research, and address this in your proposal.

What type of data do you require, for example qualitative, quantitative or a combination?

How are you going collect and analyse the data?

How will these methods address your research aims, relating to current literature?

Plan your timescale

Plan a realistic timescale for your project so that your potential supervisors can make sure they are available to support you. This will also demonstrate that your research project is achievable. You should consider:  

Possible challenges and how you aim to overcome them

What will be the milestones of your research 

What you wish to achieve each year of your research project.

Expected outcomes

You should explain your potential outcomes to show you have thought through your research and why it is important. You may include how your research builds on current knowledge and what new understanding you will bring to your field. 

Focus your reading so that your references are relevant and up-to-date. Use Harvard referencing style . 

Proofreading your proposal

Your research proposal is your chance to show you can present information accurately, coherently and concisely.

When proofreading, ask yourself:

• Is your proposal clear and easy to understand?
• Have you written in a focused and concise way? 
• Does your proposal follow a logical progression that tells the reader a short story about your research aims, why they are important, your methods, and what you hope to find out?

After submission

The research proposal you submit is the start of the research process. Once you are accepted onto a PhD programme, you will refine and develop your original proposal as your knowledge grows and regular discussions begin with your supervisory team. 

Related links

Skills for Learning : IT & Digital Skills

Tools in Microsoft Word can help with your dissertation formatting. They will allow you to work on your document in the most efficient way. Using these tools will also give your dissertation a professional look.

We run interactive workshops to help you develop your academic IT skills. Find out more on the Skills for Learning Workshops page.

Our Dissertations & Literature Reviews pages contain information about planning and writing your dissertation or major project.

We have online academic skills modules within MyBeckett for all levels of university study. These modules will help your academic development and support your success at LBU. You can work through the modules at your own pace, revisiting them as required. Find out more from our FAQ What academic skills modules are available?

Guide to formatting your dissertation in Word

This guide explains how to format your dissertation document using Word. It includes: setting margins; line spacing; heading styles; and inserting images and tables. Click on the link below.

• Word dissertation guide
• Wait until the end to create your table of contents. Do not do this manually.  Word has a tool that does this automatically.
• Word will also create your table of figures, tables, and equations, or you can create your own label.
• Do not create headings manually using bold/indenting. Use Heading Styles. This allows you to use the Table of Contents tool later.
• Use the Section Break tool in Word. It allows you to control where page numbers appear and in what format.
• Use Ctrl + Enter to insert new pages.  If you just hit the Enter key, your formatting may become distorted.
• If you type in capitals by mistake, you don't need to start again - Word has a tool that will change the case for you.
• For guidance on accessibility, click on Creating accessible Word documents .

Dissertation template

This Word document is a template which you can download and use to build your finished dissertation document. Click on the link below.

• Leeds Beckett Dissertation Template
• Download the file and save it with a suitable file name.
• Type your own text into the different sections – the page numbering will automatically adjust. Delete the instructional text.
• Add any additional sections or subsections as required.
• Delete any sections or subsections you do not require.
• Use the ‘References – Table of Contents’ function to update the table of contents as required.
• Dissertation formatting checklist

This checklist takes you through the main formatting steps for a structured dissertation document. Click on the link below.

There are variations in practice across different subjects and courses. Check course documentation or any other guidance you are given on formatting requirements.

• Academic Integrity Module in MyBeckett
• Assignment Calculator
• Building on Feedback
• Disability Advice
• Essay X-ray tool
• International Students' Academic Introduction
• Manchester Academic Phrasebank
• Quote, Unquote
• Skills and Subject Suppor t
• Turnitin Grammar Checker

{{You can add more boxes below for links specific to this page [this note will not appear on user pages] }}

Skills for Learning FAQs

0113 812 1000

• University Disclaimer
• Accessibility

Dissertations and major projects

• Planning your dissertation
• Researching your dissertation
• Managing your data
• Introduction

Managing your time

Structuring your dissertation, keeping going, finishing off and checking through, useful links for dissertations and major projects.

• Study Advice Helping students to achieve study success with guides, video tutorials, seminars and one-to-one advice sessions.
• Maths Support A guide to Maths Support resources which may help if you're finding any mathematical or statistical topic difficult during the transition to University study.
• Academic writing LibGuide Expert guidance on punctuation, grammar, writing style and proof-reading.
• Guide to citing references Includes guidance on why, when and how to use references correctly in your academic writing.
• The Final Chapter An excellent guide from the University of Leeds on all aspects of research projects
• Royal Literary Fund: Writing a Literature Review A guide to writing literature reviews from the Royal Literary Fund
• Academic Phrasebank Use this site for examples of linking phrases and ways to refer to sources.

Writing up your dissertation makes it sound like this is the last big step that you do, but it is a good idea to start writing as you go along, as the writing process will help clarify your thinking. It is also reassuring to have some words down on the page. You may have other coursework due so it is important to protect your dissertation writing time.

The guidance on this page takes you through the whole writing process from managing your time to those crucial mark-gaining final checks.

Plan an overall work schedule

Break down your dissertation into stages and  plan backwards from your deadline  to fit them all in.

• Start with your literature review
• Think about your methodology
• Identify primary sources
• Identify secondary sources, if appropriate
• Write as you go along
• Organise and analyse your material
• Redraft / check / proofread

Do a little bit on a regular basis

• Decide in advance when you're going to work on your dissertation – set aside time each week or have a particular day to work on it
• Give yourself a specific task to do in that time
• Do difficult tasks at the times of day you work best
• Do easy tasks when you're tired / less motivated
• Managing time for your dissertation (video) Watch this brief video tutorial for more on the topic.
• Managing time for your dissertation (transcript) Read along while watching the video tutorial.

It's a good idea to  write an overall plan  outlining what you need to cover in each chapter.

Think of a dissertation like a series of linked essays; each chapter is self-contained and has its own purpose, but they all connect together to contribute to the argument of your dissertation.

The chapters don't have to all be the same length – some can be longer because they are more detailed (like the literature review) and others can be shorter because they are summarising and finalising information (like the conclusion).

• Structuring your dissertation (video) Watch this brief video tutorial for more on the topic.
• Structuring your dissertation (transcript) Read along while watching the video tutorial.

Write up as you go along . It is much easier to keep track of how your ideas develop and writing helps clarify your thinking. It also saves having to churn out 1000s of words at the end.

You don't have to start with the introduction  – start at the chapter that seems the easiest to write – this could be the literature review or methodology, for example. Alternatively you may prefer to write the introduction first, so you can get your ideas straight. Decide what will suit your ways of working best - then do it.

Think of each chapter as an essay in itself  – it should have a clear introduction and conclusion. Use the conclusion to link back to the overall research question.

Think of the main argument of your dissertation as a river , and each chapter is a tributary feeding into this. The individual chapters will contain their own arguments, and go their own way, but they all contribute to the main flow.

Write a chapter, read it and do a redraft - then move on. This stops you from getting bogged down in one chapter.

Write your references properly  and in full from the beginning. Consider using a reference management tool such as EndNote or Mendeley to store the details of the materials you will want to use and to add them to your text.

Keep your word count in mind  – be ruthless and don't write anything that isn't relevant. It's often easier to add information, than have to cut down a long chapter that you've slaved over for hours.

Save your work!  Remember to save your work frequently to somewhere you can access it easily. It's a good idea to at least save a copy to a cloud-based service like Google Docs or Dropbox so that you can access it from any computer - if you only save to your own PC, laptop or tablet, you could lose everything if you lose or break your device.

• Writing up your dissertation (video) Watch this brief video tutorial for more on the topic.
• Writing up your dissertation (transcript) Read along while watching the video tutorial.
• Literature reviews LibGuide Expert guidance on researching and writing your literature review.
• Doing your literature review (video) Watch this brief video tutorial for more on the topic.
• Doing your literature review (transcript) Read along while watching the video tutorial.
• Managing references An overview of different systems for managing your references.

After the initial enthusiasm wears off, it can be hard to keep motivated – it's also natural to feel confused and overwhelmed at points throughout your dissertation; this is all part of sustaining a longer project. Here are some suggestions to keep you going:

Break down large, unappealing tasks  into smaller bearable ones. Molehills are always easier to climb than mountains!

Give yourself rewards  when you've completed tasks - these might range from a cup of coffee, to an exercise session, or a night out.

If you're not in a good thinking mood,  do more straightforward tasks  like compiling the bibliography or doing the title page.

If you're feeling confused about what you're doing,  try writing a short paragraph  summarising what your research is about. This can help you find a focus again.

If you're feeling overwhelmed,  try identifying the one thing that you need to do next ; often this will logically lead to further steps, and you'll be able to get started again.

Talk to friends or your supervisor about what you're doing ; explaining where you are in your project and how it's going can help clarify your thinking.

General principles are:

• Double-space your writing, do not have narrow margins, and print on one side of the page only.
• Use a font that is legible and looks professional (Comic Sans is not appropriate!).
• Check what should be included in cover pages and headers and footers (e.g. page numbers).
• Have a clear Table of Contents to help your reader, and a separate List of Illustrations or tables if appropriate.
• Consider what information should be put in Appendices and check that you have referred to the appropriate appendix in your text.

If you're trying to track down that missing reference for your bibliography, you can always ask your Academic Liaison Librarian  for help finding it.

Undergraduate dissertations are usually 'soft bound'. This means having a soft card cover, with the pages joined together with comb, spiral, or thermal binding. You can get this done at many print shops, often while you wait.

If you choose to get your work hard bound, it can take a few days (more at busy times), so check with the printers / stationers beforehand.

• Finishing your dissertation (video) Watch this brief video tutorial for more on the topic.
• Finishing your dissertation (transcript) Read along while watching the video tutorial.
• << Previous: Managing your data
• Last Updated: Dec 12, 2023 11:46 AM
• URL: https://libguides.reading.ac.uk/dissertations