Guide (thesis template)

The thesis template has been created as a tool for you as a writer and to give the theses that are published at Örebro University a uniform design. By using the template as it is intended, your thesis will also be accessible in compliance with the EU web accessibility directive.
The template is created in book format (157 x 223 mm), the format in which theses are printed.

Accessibility

The thesis template has been designed to comply with the accessibility standards prescribed by law. The layout in terms of font size, headings, colours and spacing have been chosen for this purpose and it is therefore important that you maintain these and do not change layout elements for reasons of aesthetics.

There is a section on Inforum providing support in creating accessible content (in Swedish and requires login) where you can find detailed instructions on how to create accessible documents.

The guide below mainly describes aspects that apply specifically to theses.

The template uses the fonts Trade Gothic Next (headings, tables etc.) and Sabon Next (body text). These fonts are available in Word (Office 365) and will be activated when you start using the template.

The template opens with the following compulsory parts:

Title page (p 1) – This is where you enter the title of your thesis. If you are logged into Office365, your name will appear automatically, otherwise you have to type it in. The thesis title and your name will then be inserted automatically in the footer as well as on the imprint page.

Imprint page (p 2) – Your name and the thesis title will be inserted automatically. You need to enter the year and month of printing and, if you have an image for your book cover, details of the photographer/illustrator. If you do not, just delete the field. ISBN and ISSN will be entered by the printing office (Repro) once you have submitted your thesis file. (NOTE! Some thesis series do not have ISSN, in which case the field will be deleted). If you are using the template to write a report you need to contact epublicering@oru.se to request an ISBN specifically.

Abstract with keywords (p 3) – Enter the text directly into the box. NOTE! The abstract may not exceed one page since this page must also fit on the back of the title sheet (spikbladet). If you enter more text than there is room for, the excess text will not be displayed.

Dedication (p 4) – This is where you enter a dedication or a quote. If you do not want to include anything here, just delete the field.

Table of contents (p 5) – The table of contents only needs updating. If you use the heading styles as described below, the table of contents will be generated automatically and correctly when you click to update.

List of papers – If your thesis is a compilation thesis you need to include information here. If you are writing a monograph, just delete this page.

Body text – This is where the body text starts. If you have questions about in which order things are to appear, that is a discussion you need to have with your supervisor. Where to place a summary in Swedish, acknowledgements etc. differ from subject to subject.

List of references – The list of references comes last in the document. There are dedicated style sheets for this.

Depending on what type of thesis you are writing, the page setup may vary. Ultimately, each discipline determines the specific design but there are a few general recommendations.

For monographs, every new chapter should start on a new right-hand page (odd page numbers are always placed on the right-hand page). When you use the style sheet ORU_H1_Heading 1 alt ORU_H1_Heading #1, the cursor automatically moves to a new page, but if you want all your chapters to start on a right-hand/odd page you need to adjust this by inserting blank pages where necessary. However, there is no need for you to do this until the end.

Within certain disciplines, it is customary to add a longer summary in another language (Swedish or English) than the one in which the thesis was originally written. Check with your supervisor if a summary is to be included and whether it should be placed at the start or at the end of the thesis.

Compilation theses should include a list of the papers included (List of Papers). It is also customary to add a list of abbreviations (List of Abbreviations). These normally follow directly after the table of contents.

Acknowledgements are normally placed towards the end before the list of references. Sometimes, however, they are placed before the table of contents. If you opt to place acknowledgements before the table of contents, read more in section 10 “Inserting page breaks/section breaks”.

The template works best if you work with it already from the start, writing you thesis directly in the template. Take some time to study the example texts to familiarise yourself with the appearance of body text, headings, quotes, lists, pictures etc.

You can also add texts, whole or in parts, created in other documents, but before you do you should read section 6 “Pasting text”.

Below follows some brief information about the style sheets used in the template. All style sheets start with ORU_ so you can easily identify them.

ORU_Body text
Sabon Next LT, size 11. Is used for body text throughout the thesis. If you press Enter, a new paragraph will start with spacing in between. The text is left aligned with a ragged right-hand margin. There are no indentations following headings, nor at the beginning of a new paragraph.

ORU_List of papers
This format is only used on this page and is a list (roman numerals)

ORU_H1_Heading 1 – ORU_H5_Heading 5
Trade Gothic Next LT Bold. Heading style with five levels. H1_Heading 1 will always start a new page.

ORU_H1_Heading #1 – ORU_H4_Heading #4
These are the same as above, but the heading text is preceded by indexation (1, 1.1, 1.1.1, 1.1.2 etc.). Select the heading style you want and stick with it – do not mix indexed headings with non-indexed ones. NOTE! This heading style only has four levels.

ORU_Quotation
For quotes.

ORU_Insert picture
Use this style when you want to insert a picture. Press Enter after the last word in the preceding paragraph, select ORU_Insert_picture, and then insert the picture.

ORU_Bullet list
ORU_Letter list
ORU_Numbered list
Three different types of lists: bulleted list, letter list (A, B, C etc.), numbered list.

ORU_Table headings
To be used for headings within tables, often at the top of each column.

ORU_Table text
To be used for texts within tables.

ORU_Description figure
This format is for descriptive texts under pictures which are placed as captions under the picture in question. See section 7 “Inserting pictures”.

ORU_Description table
This format describes the content in tables and is placed as a caption above the table. See section 8 “Creating tables or diagrams/charts” .

ORU_Reference with numbers
To be used for the list of references if you want it numbered.

ORU_Reference without numbers
To be used for the list of references if you want it unnumbered.

ORU_Foot- or Endnote
To be used to format the footer. NOTE! Footers normally take on the correct formatting automatically.

Do you want easy access to the style sheets?

Expand the style gallery to always display it to the right in the document.

format-list

 

If you copy text directly from another Word document, the formatting of that text will be embedded, which can create problems when you are working with the text in the template. Style sheets which are not to be used will be added to your style gallery making it harder to find the correct style sheets.

We therefore recommend using the feature Paste special where you will be given the option to paste the text unformatted.

If you are using EndNote or any other reference management software and wish to be able to continue editing your notes using this program, you need to paste them into the template as formatted text (that is, you simply select Paste). The subsequent editing will be made easier if you choose the right style in the reference management program.

Select the Home tab. Click the arrow below the Paste button and select Paste Special followed by Unformatted text.

klistra in text special

NOTE! If there is formatting that you wish to keep, such as italics, make sure you highlight the pasted text and select the correct style sheet (for example ORU_Body text).

The easiest way to insert a picture is to place the cursor where you want the picture and select the style sheet ORU_Insert picture. Then select the Insert tab, followed by Pictures. Find your picture and insert. You can adjust the size of the picture by pulling either of the four corners. Consider cropping the picture to reduce the white space around it.

Caption
To add a caption, do the following: (illustrera)

1.      Right click the picture.

2.      Insert the caption.

3.      Make sure you select the correct label in the Label drop-down list (Figure).

4.      Enter the caption in the field Caption.

5.      Click OK and the caption will place itself correctly under the picture.

6.      NOTE! You can continue to edit the caption once it appears under the picture, for instance if you want to add italics to individual words etc.

infoga bildbeskrivning

Alternative text (ev länk inforum, tillgänglighet)
In addition to adding a caption, you also need to add an alternative text. To assist those who are visually impaired, all pictures and illustrations that carry meaning must have an explanatory alternative text that describes what the picture or illustration represents.

Do the following:

1.      Right click the picture

2.      Select View Alt Text

3.      A box appears in the right-hand margin where you enter your alternative text.

When you want to create a table or chart, the easiest way is to use the tools available in Word. Colour scheme settings have been preset and we recommend you use the blue variant displayed in the template.

For text within tables and charts, the style sheets ORU Table text and ORU Table headings are available.

Captions for tables/charts are inserted in the same way as for pictures. Make sure the full table is selected and the four arrows icon is displayed. Alternatively, place the cursor on the outside border of the chart. Right click and add the caption. Then make sure you select the appropriate label in the Label drop-down list (Table). 

 

infoga tabellbeskrivning

Alternative text
Tables and charts also need an alternative text.

Do the following:

1.      Right click the table/diagram.

2.      Select View Alt text.

3.      A box appears in the right-hand margin where you enter your alternative text.

The table of contents is generated based on the heading style selected, ORU Heading H1 - ORU Heading H4. Update the table of contents by placing the cursor in it, right click and then select Update Field. Then select to update page numbers only or the entire table.

Page breaks are used when you want the text to start on a new page. H1 headings (ORU Heading 1) have been set to include a page break and always places itself at the top of a new page. If you, however, would like a new paragraph or a picture to start the next page, you need to insert a page break manually.

To insert a page break, select the Insert tab and click Page Break.

NOTE! Never press Enter repeatedly to get to a new page. This will ruin the file from an accessibility point of view.

If you are using the Vancouver system and need to enter your list of references manually, use the style sheet ORU_References with numbers. If the references are already numbered of if you are using the Harvard, Oxford or APA system, use the style sheet ORU_References without numbers. Do not forget to use italics for titles of books, newspapers, magazines and journals if you are working with any of the three latter systems.