Resources for Writing

When drafting your document, you must follow one of the Graduate School's approved templates and the Graduate School's Thesis and Dissertation Formatting Guide.  When submitting your proposal or final document, you must follow the Thesis and Dissertation Submission Guide.

Please work with your advisor and your department to determine which of the templates listed below you should use when drafting your document. The templates and guides are made availabel to assist you in organizing and formatting your manuscript according to Graduate School formatting requirements.

Templates (for both proposal and final documents)

Thesis/Dissertation Template (standard template)

LaTex Template (in a .zip file; used by some science departments)

    Example of LaTex template finished document

Biology Thesis Guidelines and Template

     Biology Template (for copying)

Guides

Thesis and Dissertation Formatting Guide

Thesis and Dissertation Submission Guide

The Graduate School reviews proposals and final papers to ensure they adhere to the Graduate School's formatting requirements as set out in the templates available and in the Thesis Formatting Guide and the Dissertation Formatting Guide.  

For questions or concerns regarding formatting, please contact Thesis and Dissertation Services in the Graduate School, (903)886-5968 or TDS@tamuc.edu 

Below is a list of style guides (with edition, if available) TDS consults when there is a question about style in a proposal, thesis, or dissertation. This is not a complete list of style guides, so if your department/program uses a different style guide, you may submit a copy along with your submission. The style guide you use will depend on your subject matter, field of study, and, most importantly, what you and your advisor decide is most appropriate for your document. The guides are offered as a resource for you to review and edit your own paper. The responsibility for making the document comply with your style's guidelines and formatting lies with you, the student. 

APA Style (7th edition)

• APA Style style and grammar guidelines - 7th edition
• In-Text Citation Checklist
• Journal Article Reference Checklist
• Abbreviations
• APA Style for Beginners
• Purdue Writing Lab

MLA Style (8th edition)

• MLA Handbook (9th edition)
• Ask the MLA Style Center
• MLA Style Sheet
• Purdue Writing Lab

Chicago Style (17th edition)

• Online Style Manual
• Citation Quick Guide
• Purdue Writing Lab

Turabian Style

• Citation Quick Quide

AAS/ApJ Style

• Online Style Guide

ACS Style (2020)

• Online Style Guide

IEEE Style (2020)

• Online Style Guide
• Purdue Writing Lab

AIP/APS (4th edition)

• Online Style Guide

American Mathematical Society (AMS)

• Online Style Guide

Journal of Wildlife Management (2011)

• Online Style Guide

Journal of Animal Science

• Online Style Guide

PLEASE NOTE: Whenever there are differences in format and layout between the Thesis and Dissertation Guide and your chosen style guide, the Graduate School formatting guidelines overrule.

The Graduate School provides students access to a university librarian who is available to provide specialized one-on-one research assistance tailored to your advanced academic needs. 

For research guidance and a basic review of the thesis and dissertation process have been compiled into a research guide that is available on the Waters Library website under Research Guides.  The name of the gude is Theses & Dissertations: A Comprehensive Guide to Academic Sucess (hyperlinked to guide).

Fatemeh (Mahta) Kholoosi Raftar, Research and Instruction Librarian, can help with the following topics:

• Resource Exploration: Learn about the university library's collections and databases using advanced search techniques to locate the most pertinent scholarly materials for your topic.
• Database Mastery: How to navigate complex databases effectively, ensuring you are accessing the most current and relevant research available.
• Citation Management: Understand and master citation styles such as APA, MLA, or Chicago by utilizing citation management tools to effortlessly organize your references.
• Research Organization:  How to organize your research materials and data, making it easier for you to manage and reference as you write.

You may contact Mahta at email: Fatemeh.Kholoosi.Raftar@tamuc.edu or by phone: 903.468.6047.

Scribendi 

This is a website providing proofreading and editing services.  The Graduate School does not recommend the editing services Scribendi provides; we do not have any experience with this company in that regard.  However, the site provides many wonderful articles and podcasts on writing, including articles and podcasts specifically for ESL students.   

Grammarly 

Formatting in Word 2010 - a hyperlink to 2010 Word turtorial

Formatting in Word (prior to 2007) - A resource for articles on various Word tips and techniques.  Most of the articles were written for Word versions before Word 2007 was released but some articles are newer. It is maintained by volunteers.

Word formatting for a Mac - A resource devoted to the Mac user who wishes to learn how to use or troubleshoot Mac Word.