Basic Things To Know About Structuring The Headings Of A Dissertation


Every school has different deadlines and procedures for dissertations. It is important you know what to do and how to do it with structuring this very important writing. There are some parts of the piece that are always the same, no matter what school you attend, and there are some times that the rules are different. You must know these times for both situations. The headings of the piece have some set rules to always follow. Remember, the format of this very important paper has to be exact and precise. The commmittee will notice if your paper is not set-up in the correct way.

  • Capital Letters
  • All letters in every word of the different titles and headings must be capitalized in this section. Do not use any lower case letters for this part of your project. So, if you title was exploring crime in Florida, the title was read like this: EXPLORING CRIME IN FLORIDA.

  • Required Sections
  • You will have some required sections to your piece, such as methodology, so make sure to have those parts titled.

  • Different Styles
  • There will be times when some styles call for bold or italics in the section titles. The best way to keep up with these nuances is to find a good handbook, such as one for the APA, and have that handbook beside you as you work for easy reference. One can be located online. Do not mix up your different style formats.

    Some styles borrow formats from other groups. Some of the styles that do this are the: AAA(which uses Chicago), the JFS(which implements the ASTM), and lastly the CSE (which employs the APA). Make note of these exceptions.

  • More Than One
  • When you are working within a certain section, and you feel the time is right to create a sub-heading, know that there are rules for this, as well. You should never just have one of them. It is similar to an outline where you never have a 1 without a 2, or have an a without a b. Stick to the at least two category rule, and you will be safe.

Use these rules and guidelines as you research and compose this very important paper. Pay attention to capital letters, required sections, different styles, and multiple ones. The presentation of the paper is very, very important.