A Message From The

Dissertation Secretary

Hi! My name is Bonnie Proctor, and I am the Dissertation Secretary for Andrews University. I am part of the School of Graduate Studies, and my duties include reading all theses and dissertations, before defense, to see that they conform to the University's standards with regard to format and style.

Many students ask me, What is the difference between format and style? I don't understand!

Format governs how the dissertation or thesis looks–how it is placed on the page. This includes such things as the margins, the line spacing, the order of the pages within the thesis/dissertation, and the content of the preliminary pages. At Andrews University everyone uses the same format! See Andrews's specific formatting requirements at this same web site.

Style governs other issues such as:

1. Whether you use footnotes (Turabian) or whether you use in-text references (APA)

2. Whether to use the percentage symbol (%–APA), or the word percent written out (Turabian)

3. The treatment of numbers–Do you spell them out or write figures?

4. The layout and placement of tables and figures.

All of these rules for style are spelled out in the American Psychological Association's Publication Manual, Kate Turabian's A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, or another manual that your school or department chooses. (Your thesis/dissertation committee will work with you in choosing which style to use.) The two manuals listed above are available at the University Bookstore.

In addition, the publication Andrews University Standards for Written Work (downloadable at the Graduate School's web site) covers in detail the rules for both style and format. Other resources at the Graduate School's web site include "Andrews University's Formatting Rules," "Using Turabian Style," and "Using APA Style." These are abbreviated help sheets, with the most pertinent rules covered. Also available at this web site are two templates that may be downloaded for preparing your dissertation in WordPerfect and Microsoft Word. These templates will eliminate most formatting problems if used from the very beginning.

If you need help, I am always available for consultation via e-mail (proctorb@andrews.edu), telephone (269-471-3276), or in person (Room 209, Administration Building) regarding these matters. Please feel free to contact me at any stage during the dissertation process. I am eager to help you in any way I can—especially to help you avoid frustrating and time-consuming formatting and style problems. Getting things correct from the very beginning saves precious time in making tedious corrections later on.