---
name: dissertation-formatting-conventions
source: https://app.decimal.ai/s/dissertation-formatting-conventions@1/SKILL.md
source_sha256: 73e6a7127874
---

# Dissertation formatting conventions

## Contract

Enforces the formatting, structural, and stylistic conventions of a science dissertation/thesis.
Apply whenever drafting, formatting, or reviewing any thesis section — front matter, chapters,
references, tables/figures, abbreviations, or reported units. These rules override the model's
common defaults (global figure numbering, numbered citations, lowercase liter, citations in the
abstract).

## Rules

### Numbering of tables and figures
- Number tables and figures **per chapter**, not globally: `Table 3.1`, `Table 3.2`, `Figure 3.1`.
  The first number is the chapter; the second restarts at `1` in every new chapter.
- Use **Arabic numerals only** — never Roman numerals or letters (`Table 3.1`, not `Table III.A`).
- The count never carries across chapters: Chapter 5's first table is `Table 5.1` regardless of how
  many tables preceded it in Chapters 1–4.
- Tables and figures keep **separate sequences**: a chapter can hold both `Table 4.1` and `Figure 4.1`.

### Captions and placement
- A **table** caption goes **ABOVE** the table.
- A **figure** caption/legend goes **BELOW** the figure.
- Captions are brief; column and row headings are short and abbreviated.
- Every table and figure **must be referred to by its number in the running text** before it appears
  (`as shown in Table 3.1`). An unreferenced object is not allowed.
- A table/figure is confined to **one page**; if it must span pages, repeat the title and headings on
  each continued page.
- For a **reproduced or adapted** object, end the caption with a source line: `Source: Smith, 2019`
  (verbatim copy) or `Adapted from Smith, 2019` (modified).
- Non-standard abbreviations used inside a table are explained in a **footnote** to that table.

### Citations and references
- In-text citations use **Harvard author-date** form: `(Johnson and Lee, 2018)`.
- For **three or more** authors use `et al.`: `(Garcia et al., 2021)` — do not list every surname.
- For a **single** author: `(Patel, 2017)`.
- **Never** use numbered or superscript citations (`[1]`, `¹`, `(1)`).
- Order the reference **list alphabetically by the first author's surname** — never by order of
  appearance, and never numbered.

### Abstract
- A **single paragraph**, **500 words maximum**.
- Covers, in this order: **objectives, methods, results, conclusions**.
- Contains **no in-text citations**.
- Contains **no abbreviations** — spell every term out in full.

### Abbreviations (body text)
- **Never** use an abbreviation in the **title** or the **abstract**.
- In the body, **define the full term at first use, then introduce the abbreviation in parentheses**:
  `high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)`. Use the abbreviation alone thereafter.
- Use only **generally accepted** abbreviations.
- Collect **every** abbreviation in a **"List of Abbreviations"** in the front matter. Standard units
  of measurement (`kg`, `mL`, `°C`) are exempt and are not defined or listed.

### Units of measurement
- Report in **metric / SI** units; temperature in **degrees Celsius** with the symbol: `37 °C`.
- Write **liter as a capital `L`**: `mL`, `L`, `mmol/L`, `g/L`, `U/L` — **never** lowercase `l`
  (`ml`, `mmol/l`, `u/l` are wrong).
- Prefer SI (`mmol/L`, `g/L`); conventional clinical units (`mg/dL`, `mg/mL`) are acceptable.
- Use **one unit per analyte consistently** throughout — do not switch between `mg/dL` and `mmol/L`
  for the same compound.

### Front matter and structure
- Front matter includes a **Table of Contents**, a **List of Tables**, and a **List of Figures** —
  the lists of tables and figures each carry **page numbers** per entry.
- Title page carries the title, candidate's full name, the submission statement, supervisor names, and
  a centered footer (department, faculty, submission date).
- A **Declaration** of originality follows the title page, signed by the author and countersigned by
  the supervisor(s).
- **Chapter 1** is a comprehensive, up-to-date literature review that ends with the research
  rationale/gap and a list of general and specific objectives.

## Worked examples

**Numbering (per-chapter).**
- BEFORE: Chapter 3's two tables and one figure labeled `Table 1`, `Table 2`, `Figure 1`.
- AFTER: `Table 3.1`, `Table 3.2`, `Figure 3.1`.

**Numbering does not carry across chapters.**
- BEFORE: Chapter 5's first table, following eight earlier tables, labeled `Table 9`.
- AFTER: `Table 5.1` — numbering restarts at 1 in the new chapter.

**Caption placement.**
- BEFORE: data-table caption placed below the table; bar-chart legend placed above the chart.
- AFTER: table caption ABOVE the table; figure legend BELOW the chart.

**Reproduced figure.**
- BEFORE: a diagram copied from Smith (2019) pasted with caption `Figure 1. Pathway diagram.`
- AFTER: `Figure 4.1. Pathway diagram. Source: Smith, 2019.` placed below the figure, and referred to
  in the text (`see Figure 4.1`).

**In-text citation form.**
- BEFORE: "This effect was first reported by Johnson and Lee in 2018 [1]."
- AFTER: "This effect was first reported (Johnson and Lee, 2018)."

**Three-or-more authors.**
- BEFORE: `(Garcia, Smith, Wong, Ahmed and Rossi, 2021)`.
- AFTER: `(Garcia et al., 2021)`.

**Reference ordering.**
- BEFORE: list kept in citation order — Zhang (2020), Adams (2015), Müller (2018), Brown (2019).
- AFTER: alphabetical by surname — Adams (2015), Brown (2019), Müller (2018), Zhang (2020).

**Abstract length and content.**
- BEFORE: a 720-word abstract that ends `…consistent with the key prior study (Lee, 2017).`
- AFTER: a single paragraph ≤ 500 words ordered objectives → methods → results → conclusions, with the
  citation removed.

**Abbreviation in the abstract / title.**
- BEFORE: title "Detecting marker X by ELISA"; abstract mentions "(HPLC)".
- AFTER: title "Detecting marker X by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay"; abstract spells out
  "high-performance liquid chromatography" with no parenthetical abbreviation.

**Abbreviation in the body.**
- BEFORE: first body mention written as "HPLC".
- AFTER: "high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)" at first use, "HPLC" thereafter, and HPLC
  added to the List of Abbreviations.

**Units — capital L.**
- BEFORE: "5 mg/ml", "2 mmol/l", "50 u/l".
- AFTER: "5 mg/mL", "2 mmol/L", "50 U/L".

**Temperature.**
- BEFORE: "incubated at 37 degrees" or "98.6 °F".
- AFTER: "incubated at 37 °C".

**Unit consistency.**
- BEFORE: glucose reported as `mg/dL` in one table and `mmol/L` in another.
- AFTER: glucose reported in a single chosen unit (e.g. `mmol/L`) everywhere.

**Front-matter lists.**
- BEFORE: "Contents" only.
- AFTER: Table of Contents, plus a List of Tables and a List of Figures, each entry with its page number.

## Edge cases & exceptions

- **Standard units are exempt from abbreviation rules** — `kg`, `mL`, `°C` are used directly, never
  defined at first use, never placed in the List of Abbreviations. Only non-standard term abbreviations
  (HPLC, ELISA) are defined and listed.
- **Units inside the abstract** — numeric quantities with standard unit symbols (`5 mL`) are allowed;
  the no-abbreviation rule targets term abbreviations, not unit symbols.
- **Multi-page table** — when an object genuinely cannot fit one page, repeat its title and column
  headings at the top of each continued page rather than splitting silently.
- **Adapted vs. copied** — use `Adapted from …` when you changed rows/values, `Source: …` for a
  verbatim reproduction. Both still get a per-chapter number and a body reference.
- **Two-author works** keep both surnames joined by "and" (`Johnson and Lee, 2018`); `et al.` starts
  only at three authors.
- **Same surname / same year** still sorts alphabetically by surname in the reference list; the
  in-text form stays author-date, never a number.

## Do / Don't

- **Do** number per chapter (`Table 3.1`). **Don't** number globally (`Table 1`, `Table 7`).
- **Do** put table captions above and figure captions below. **Don't** place them uniformly.
- **Do** write `(Author, Year)`. **Don't** write `[1]` or a superscript number.
- **Do** order references alphabetically by surname. **Don't** order by appearance or number them.
- **Do** keep the abstract ≤ 500 words, one paragraph, no citations, no abbreviations. **Don't** cite
  or abbreviate inside it.
- **Do** spell terms out in the title. **Don't** put abbreviations (ELISA, HPLC) in the title.
- **Do** write liter as capital `L`. **Don't** write lowercase `l` (`ml`, `mmol/l`).
- **Do** pick one unit per analyte. **Don't** mix `mg/dL` and `mmol/L` for the same compound.
- **Do** reference every table/figure in the text. **Don't** leave one unmentioned.

## Common mistakes

- Defaulting to **global** table/figure numbers (`Table 1`, `Figure 2`) instead of per-chapter.
- Reaching for **numbered citations** `[1]` (IEEE/Vancouver habit) instead of Harvard author-date.
- Keeping the reference list in **citation order** rather than alphabetical by surname.
- Writing liter **lowercase** (`ml`, `mmol/l`) — the convention requires capital `L`.
- Letting **citations or abbreviations leak into the abstract**, or exceeding 500 words.
- Using an abbreviation in the **title** (`…by ELISA`).
- Placing a **figure** caption above it, or a **table** caption below it.
- Adding a table/figure but **never referring to it** in the running text.
- **Mixing units** for the same analyte across tables.

## Quick checklist

- [ ] Tables/figures numbered per chapter, Arabic (`Table 3.1`, `Figure 3.1`).
- [ ] Table caption above, figure caption/legend below; each referenced in text.
- [ ] Reproduced/adapted objects carry a `Source:` / `Adapted from` line.
- [ ] In-text citations Harvard author-date; `et al.` for 3+; never `[1]`.
- [ ] Reference list alphabetical by first-author surname, unnumbered.
- [ ] Abstract ≤ 500 words, one paragraph, objectives→methods→results→conclusions, no citations, no abbreviations.
- [ ] No abbreviations in the title; full term + parenthetical at first body use; all listed.
- [ ] Liter as capital `L`; temperature in `°C`; one unit per analyte.
- [ ] Front matter has List of Tables and List of Figures, with page numbers.