Problems with the layout of the thesis? Have you finished writing your work and don’t know where to start to present it definitively to your advisor? Here are some useful tips on how to set the most common margins and graphic criteria to complete your thesis.
Graduation thesis layout: some practical tips
Although it may seem a marginal aspect in the drafting of the work, the layout of the degree thesis has its own importance because, if it is true that in all things the eye also wants its part, a well laid-out thesis is more readable and shows us how people are attentive to order and details.
In general, it is advisable to dedicate to final editing of the thesis at least a couple of days, during the re-reading phase, only after the work has been completed. This is because any changes can “spangle” the work, for example by scaling the images on the next page and creating embarrassing voids.
Most common graphic criteria
Here are some tips regarding the most common graphic criteria to use in the preparation of the thesis.
The margins and the line spacing of the thesis
It is advisable to set the thesis margins at the beginning of the work. This is because by doing so we will immediately be able to realize how much we are actually writing in terms of the number of pages. The standards usually used are:
- Top margin: 2.5 cm
- Bottom margin: 2.5 cm
- Right margin: 3 cm
- Left margin: 3 cm
- You can also decide later to increase or decrease the margins depending on the number of pages. However, too large margins must be avoided in order not to create the “square” effect that could give the idea to those who read you that you have chosen this solution to prove deceptively that you have written more.
Choose the font suitable for the thesis
Also in this case the choice of the character is very important, because it affects the readability of the thesis. The most used characters are Arial, Tahoma, Verdana, Times New Roman, Calibri and Garamond. Avoid excessively charming or playful characters like Comic Sans because they could diminish the importance of your work.
Regarding the size of the character you can oscillate between 12 and 13 points based on what you are writing. Also in this case avoid too big font sizes that give the impression of having been chosen to “lengthen the stock”. Then remember to make all the work “justified”.
The line spacing
Line spacing is the size of the space between two lines of text. Acting on its amplitude can facilitate the readability of the text. The line mostly used is 1.5 but in some cases it is possible to reach up to 2. To choose the best line spacing it is important to take into consideration which character you have chosen and what size. On the whole, the effect to be obtained is that of a homogeneous text, neither too thick nor too diluted.
In any case, remember that for all these aspects it is good practice to always ask the supervisor for confirmation. As on contents, even on margins, character and line spacing, his word is law.