SchoolofPhilosophy,Psychology&LanguageSciences201617

DissertationSubmissionFrequentlyAskedQuestions

WordCount
8000words(checkprogrammehandbookifdifferentmaximumwordlimitapplies)
MScbyResearchstudentshaveawordcountof25,000or30,000words.
Bibliography,appendices,acknowledgementspage(ifyouhaveone),tableofcontents
andtitlepagearenotincludedintheoverallwordcount
Main text of the dissertation, footnotes, section headings, captions, figures/words in
tables/diagramsareincludedintheoverallwordcount

Abstract
200wordmaximumabstract,notcountedtowardstotalwordcount
5keywordsmaximum

Appendices
If appendices are used, they should not be excessive, and should not be essential
reading

WhattoSubmit
Print and staple 2 hard copies of your dissertation and submit them to the PPLS PG
Office (Room 1.06, 1st floor DSB). This does not apply to online by distance learning
students
EmailaPDFcopyofyourdissertationtopplspg@ed.ac.uk
As per all coursework submission, only your examination number must be on the
dissertationinordertomaintainanonymity
Eachpagemustbenumberedbutyoudonotneedtoputyourexaminationnumberon
everypage

Coversheet
Youmustconfirmyouhavereadthefrontcoversheettodeclaretheworkasyourown
andsubmitthiswithyourdissertationasaseparatedocument.

Earlysubmission&LatePenalties
Youcansubmitearly
Thedeadlinemustbemetunlessyouhaveanextension
Latesubmissionpenaltieswillapply

Margins&Layout
Defaultmarginsonyourprocessorwilldofine,aslongasthereisappropriatespacefor
readingontheinsideafterbinding

Titles
As long as you discuss a change of title from your research proposal with your
supervisor,itwillbeoktodoso

SchoolofPhilosophy,Psychology&LanguageSciences201617

TypeorPrint
Consistentandcleartypeoflaserprintqualityshouldbeusedforallcopiesforbothtext
andillustrations

CharacterSize&Styles/Fonts
Shouldbeatleast11points,withbodytext(textotherthanheadings)notexceeding12
points
Wherethereisachoiceofcharacterstyleorfont,aseriffontegTimesNewRomanor
PalatinoshouldbeusedforthemaintextandasanseriffontegHelveticaorArial
forheadingsandlabellingdiagramsetc

WordSpacing&Division
Textshouldbesettoensureanevenspacingbetweenwordsforanyparticularline
Linespacingshouldbesetfor1.5

TitlePage
TitleofThesis
ExaminationNumber
WordCount
NameofDegree
TheUniversityofEdinburgh
YearofPresentation