uq thesis reference format

• How to format and submit a thesis
• Current students
• How to enrol in your thesis or final year project

Submitting a thesis in a course administered by the School of Mechanical and Mining Engineering? Follow these instructions.

Have a question? Get in touch with the student administration team [email protected] .

Unless approved otherwise by the Course Coordinator, your thesis must be typed and formatted to print on A4 paper, using a font size of 12 points for the main text. It is strongly recommended that you use a standard font: Arial, Calibri or Times New Roman.

Margins are to be: top 20mm, bottom 20mm, left-hand side 20mm, and right-hand side 20mm.

Headers and footers are to be within these margins.

Title page and submission letter

Your thesis must include the required front matter (i.e. the title page and a submission letter).

Download the relevant front matter for your thesis using one of the links below. 

1. Non-confidential thesis front matter

Complete the details required (title, author etc) in the Title Page and Submission Letter.  

Download non-confidential submission template (DOCX, 47.7 KB)

2. Confidential thesis front matter

If your thesis is to be confidential, complete the details required (title, author etc) in the Title Page and Submission Letter. 

Please also provide, or ask your industry supervisor to provide, a copy of the confidentiality agreement (including the number of years for which the thesis is not to be made available for distribution) which you have signed. 

Further instructions on preparing an agreement for confidential theses can be found on the thesis enrolment page .

Download confidential submission template (DOCX, 53.9 KB)

Thesis submission

Refer to the Electronic Course Profile for submission instructions.

Search my.UQ to find your course profile

• OHS and risk management for thesis students
• Past thesis

Additional resources

• EAIT Project Database

Thesis with publications

Process overview.

As part of the thesis, a candidate may submit published work that contributes directly to their arguments and supports their findings.

The minimum requirements for including publications in a thesis are:

• The work must have been carried out since the commencement of the candidature.
• The work must have been submitted for publication, accepted for publication, or published during the period of candidature.
• The scope and quality of the published work must be commensurate with the contribution of knowledge expected of a Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) or Master of Philosophy (MPhil) candidate.

Formatting and structural requirements

The thesis must meet the following requirements:

• The thesis must contain an introduction that contextualises the research in relation to the present state of knowledge in the field.
• Thesis chapters must be in a logical and cogent sequence leading to an argument that supports the main findings of the thesis.
• There must be an independent and original general discussion included that is entirely the work of the candidate and that integrates the most significant findings of the thesis.
• Clear statements of the candidate’s contribution to each paper must be provided in the preliminary pages of the thesis.
• Works submitted for publication must be clearly distinguished from work which has already been published or accepted for publication.
• Published works which are included in the thesis should not be submitted in the journal's published format, but rather in the format of the final author-submitted manuscript. This requirement is in place to maintain consistent formatting throughout the thesis.

Although they have gone through peer review, published works which appear in the thesis are  not exempt  from the revisions which examiners may request.

Learn more in the Thesis Preparation Guide for candidates.

• Thesis assessment items
• Current students
• Thesis coursework information

There are a number of assessment items you must complete throughout your thesis.

Always check your course profile to confirm the assessment items and due dates for your specific project course. The list in the course profile is the definitive version.

Academic Integrity Tutorial (online)

All EECS Thesis Project students must complete the UQ Academic Integrity Tutorial as a pass/fail requirement of the course. The tutorial can be accessed on the UQ Library website .

It is a University requirement that students complete the Academic Integrity Tutorial before graduation. However, academic integrity is particularly relevant to a thesis project so it's appropriate that student completion of the tutorial is verified early in the project. 

Annotated bibliography

Students undertaking a postgraduate (level 7) coursework thesis are required to compile an annotated bibliography of literature relevant to their project.

The annotated bibliography assists the development of proper referencing style and the short annotations form the kernel of the literature review in the thesis.

UQ provides guidelines and advice on how to write a literature review .

If using EndNote or other bibliographic management software always check that citations generated are correct. A full description of the IEEE citation reference style can be found on  IEEE’s website .

Library workshops  are available to help you prepare for this assessment item. The UQ Library also runs separate EndNote classes and training guides are available on the UQ Library website .

The bibliography is marked by the supervisor on a pass/fail basis using the  annotated bibliography marksheet (PDF, 51.7 KB)

The annotated bibliography is to be submitted via Blackboard (Turnitin).

Proposal Draft

Each student must write a project proposal which clearly defines the thesis topic, presents a review of relevant background materian and an assessment of the impact of previous work on the current project. The Proposal Draft is an earlier version of the final Proposal, with a particular focus on these items. In addition, a brief version of the project plan is to be included with a list of milestones, their dates and the required resources needed to complete these. This section will be expanded for the final proposal.

All background and related material should be appropriately references and appear in a bibliography. The proposal must also contain a satisfactory Occupational Health and Safety risk assessment for the project.

Assessment criteria

The proposal draft will be marked by the supervisor against the proposal draft marking criteria (PDF, 101 KB) .

The project proposal must be submitted via Blackboard by the due time.

Project proposal

Each student must write a project proposal which clearly defines the thesis topic, presents a review of relevant background material and an assessment of the impact of previous work on the current project.

Importantly, the proposal should state the purpose, aims, coverage and relevance of the project and a project plan for its completion.

All background and related material should be appropriately referenced and appear in a bibliography. The proposal must also contain a satisfactory Occupational Health and Safety risk assessment for the project.

There is no set format or length of the project proposal, and this should be discussed with the thesis supervisor.

Using the format of the final thesis will assist in the integration of the material from the progress report into the final thesis.

The length of actual text (excluding title pages, tables of content, etc) is usually around 15 pages.  

The project proposal will be marked by the supervisor against the  project proposal marking criteria (PDF, 307.1 KB) .

Library workshops  are available to help you prepare for this assessment item.

The project proposal must be submitted via Blackboard (Turnitin) by the due time.

Check with your supervisor as they may want a paper copy as well.

Seminar and seminar participation

Approximately half way through their projects, students orally present the key content of their research and the progress of their work.  

The seminar should describe the scope and relevance of their thesis, the reviewed literature and its relevance to the thesis, the work carried out so far and the work remaining to be done.  

The material should be prepared in a fashion that suits oral presentation and gives justice to the progress made so far.  

It is essential that the seminar is not merely an oral presentation of the previously submitted project proposal but is focused on the progress in the project since the submission of the proposal.

Your seminar will be marked by your supervisor using the criteria on the  seminar marksheet (PDF, 211.4 KB) . 

You should consult with your supervisor to arrange your Project Progress Seminar at least one week prior to the scheduled assessment. 

The supervisor will provide you with a Zoom link for the agreed time. You will be able to see the complete seminar schedule via the Assessment tab in Blackboard. 

Seminar participation

You must also participate in at least five other seminars and have your participation recorded on the  seminar participation form (PDF, 66.9 KB) . You do not need to book to attend the seminars that you participate in, only your own presentation timeslot.

Completed seminar participation forms are to be emailed to  [email protected]  with the subject 'Completed Seminar Participation Sheet'.  

Failure to participate in five seminars means your overall mark for the course is capped at 49% and your final grade is capped at 3.

Note: your seminar will be recorded for official moderation and review of results as required.

Conference paper

Postgraduate coursework thesis students must complete a 2-page or 4-page conference paper.

This item of assessment introduces students to an important medium of scientific and professional communication.

Students are required to submit a conference paper on their research findings in the form of an extended abstract.

The paper must follow the  conference paper template (Microsoft Word format) (DOC, 38 KB) . (The paper doesn't have to be completed using Microsoft Word, but it must still follow the template.)

The conference paper will be marked by your supervisor using the criteria on the  conference paper marksheet (PDF, 226 KB) .

You must submit your conference paper via Blackboard (Turnitin).

Page length requirement

#4 unit courses - submit a 2 page conference paper #6 or #8 unit courses - submit a 4 page conference paper

Poster and demonstration

Each student must verbally and visually present the results of their work at a time negotiated with their supervisor and examiner during the demonstration week.

Where tangible working hardware or software has been produced, it should be demonstrated.

All students will be required to produce a poster documenting their work to support their presentation.

The poster and demonstration will be marked by your examiner using the  Poster and Demonstration marksheet (PDF, 244.7 KB) .

The poster should clearly identify the project title, goals, some relevant background information and outcomes.

The abstract should clearly state the project aims and goals, methods used and the project outcomes.

The posters may be created using this   poster template (PPTX, 122.5 KB)  (more information is found on the template itself).

The posters are designed to be printed in colour on A3 paper (print using the  size to fit  option). Colour A3 printing is available on campus via POD or the UQ Union Print Shop.

Final presentation

Students undertaking a CEED or placement project have a final presentation at the end of the project, at a time and date to be negotiated with the industry and academic supervisors but no later than the date given in the course profile.

For a placement away from the Brisbane area, the presentation will take place on the student's return to UQ at an agreed time.

The presentation will be marked by the academic supervisor using either the  seminar marksheet (PDF, 196.1 KB)  or the  demonstration marksheet (PDF, 158.7 KB)  as appropriate.

Thesis (final report)

The project thesis is the major means of reporting the contribution of the project.  

The thesis should be such as to facilitate assessment by persons other than the supervisor, and should comprehensively include material on the problems and goals of the project, applicable methods, the approach taken, major decisions and the reasons for the selection of goals and methods, results, the extent to which the goals have been achieved, the relevance, importance and context of achievements and the reasons for any shortcomings.  

Production of the thesis is regarded as part of the educational value of the project, and the supervisor should give guidance where appropriate.

Please refer to the Formatting your thesis page for more information.

The thesis will be marked by both the supervisor and examiner using the  thesis marksheet (PDF, 407.1 KB) . Their marks will contribute equally towards this component of the assessment.

Students must submit their thesis via Blackboard (Turnitin). 

Please refer to the  Thesis Submission Information page  for more information.

• Find theses for your research

Find UQ theses

Online uq theses via uq espace, print copies of uq theses, uq schools' theses, ordering copies of uq theses (for non-uq clients).

• Australian theses
• International theses
• Further help

UQ Library holds Higher Degree by Research theses and some Honours and Coursework master's theses. 

Print or online UQ theses

• Go to the Advanced search of Library Search
• Enter your search keywords in the search box
• Use the drop-down option to choose UQ School, Centre or Institute  and add the name of the School
• Under Content type select Theses
• Click Search to see the results
• Under Refine my results you can sort the results further by relevance or date.

UQ eSpace is the institutional repository for UQ research publications, including UQ Higher Degree by Research theses

Find online versions of UQ theses :

• Go to  UQ eSpace
• Enter your search keywords or title
• At Work type choose Thesis
• Scroll down to click Search

A UQ staff or student log in may be required to view the full text of online theses. Some theses may be unavailable due to embargoes.

To request access to a print copy of a UQ thesis:

UQ students and staff and Alumni Library members: 

• Make sure you have logged in 
• Click on the  Available at link in the result in Library Search

• Complete the form details. 

• Click on the  Place a Request  button

Many theses are kept within collections in University of Queensland schools.

This is often the only way to obtain honours theses and coursework master's theses.

Please contact the appropriate school .

If you are NOT a UQ student, UQ staff member or Alumni member of the UQ Library you can:

• order copies of UQ Theses
• place requests through your own educational institution or local library.
• order copies online via the National Library of Australia's  Copies Direct service.
• << Previous: Find theses for your research
• Next: Australian theses >>
• Last Updated: May 30, 2024 3:19 PM
• URL: https://guides.library.uq.edu.au/how-to-find/theses

• Starting at UQ
• Programs and Courses

What is a thesis statement?

A thesis statement can be used by higher degree by research (HDR) students who need to demonstrate that:

• your thesis has been submitted and you’re currently waiting for results, or
• you’re required to make changes to your thesis

This statement can be used to prove your current status to professional bodies, associations and government agencies (e.g. Department of Home Affairs). 

There are 2 types of thesis statements available:

A thesis submission statement includes:

• your program name
• thesis submission date
• the date your results are expected

A thesis corrections statement includes:

• the date your thesis examination results were received
• the date by which you’re required to complete any amendments to your thesis

For further information about thesis statements and other certified documents see  my.UQ .

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Related answers

• How can I get a degree completion statement?
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• What is an enrolment statement?
• Can I request that the full text of my Higher Degree by Research (HDR), Undergraduate, Honours, Masters (by coursework) or Professional Doctorate thesis be made available open access via UQ eSpace?

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Written style guide

Presenting written information in a consistent way across the University enhances our professionalism and credibility.

This written style guide pulls together all the resources we use to write corporate documents, news stories and website content for The University of Queensland.

At UQ we use the Australian Macquarie Dictionary for spelling. You'll need to sign in through the Library to access UQ's account.

View the Macquarie Dictionary (staff login required)

Punctuation and style

We follow the Australian Government Style Manual (AGSM) for all other matters of written style, except for some UQ-specific exceptions and additions (see below).

View the Australian Government Style Manual

Style quick reference

We've compiled a printable PDF of some of our most-used written styles, including numbers, dates and UQ-specific terms.

Download the written style quick reference (PDF, 189.2 KB)

UQ-specific terms

Some UQ-specific exceptions and additions apply that over-ride the Australian Government Style Manual.

Enter your query in the search bar or scroll through the list below to see styles that are particular to UQ.

abbreviations

• Avoid adopting (or inventing) obscure acronyms or abbreviations, or relying too heavily on University acronyms. It’s appropriate to use the full name at first reference, then to use generic terms like ‘the association’, ‘the group’ or ‘the committee’ in later references.
• When using a term in place of a specific unit with the University, capitalise (e.g. ‘the University’, ‘the Institute’, ‘the Faculty’, ‘the School’).
• Spell out ‘Professor’ and ‘Associate Professor’: do not abbreviate to ‘Prof’ and ‘A/Prof’.
• Spell out ‘and’: don’t use ampersand (‘&’) unless part of an official title (e.g. H&M), in a table, or space is very tight.
• When writing about academic programs, always use their full name at first mention (e.g. Bachelor of Commerce). If appropriate, and if the reader will understand, you can then refer to a program’s abbreviated form (e.g. BCom). Never use full stops in program abbreviations. Refer to UQ's Awards Table (PDF 242.3 KB) for a full list of program abbreviations.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples

• Always use the full term ‘Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ in the first instance before using shorter terms such as 'Indigenous', ‘First Peoples’, ‘Indigenous Australian peoples' or ‘First Nations’ to avoid repetition – but note the use of capitals in all instances.
• Refer to an Aboriginal person by their clan if it is known (e.g. use ‘Turrbul woman Casey says that...’ rather than ‘Aboriginal woman Casey says that...’).
• Always use 'Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' in full – don’t abbreviate to ‘ATSI’ or 'A&TSI'.
• Don't use 'aboriginal' as a noun (e.g. 'the aboriginal') and never use the word ‘aborigine’.
• Be conscious in your writing not to exclude or isolate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples (e.g. stating that ‘all Australians have access to quality medical care’ excludes the lived experience of many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples).
• Don’t trivialise or misrepresent important cultural beliefs and practices (e.g. don't refer to the Dreamtime as myths or legends).
• Don’t make assumptions about someone’s ancestry or identity based on their physical features. Terms such as ‘half-caste’, ‘full-blood’ and ‘part-Aboriginal’ should not be used.

accessibility

• Ensure all web content complies with UQ’s Web Accessibility Guidelines
• ‘Alum’ is singular and ‘alumni’ is plural. UQ's preference is to use 'alum' as a non-gendered, less formal alternative to 'alumnus'.
• An 'alum' is any student who has attended UQ (e.g. exchange students are UQ alumni, even though they graduate at their home universities). A ‘graduate’ is someone who completes their degree at UQ.
• For female alumni, use 'alum' for singular or 'alumni' for plural. Do not use the Latin feminine versions 'alumna' for singular or 'alumnae' for plural – although these loanwords are traditionally associated with female alumni, UQ's preference is to use non-gendered terms.

apostrophes

• For year abbreviations following degree qualifications, point the apostrophe toward the omitted characters (e.g. Bachelor of Science '69).

bachelor's degree

• Not bachelors degree or bachelor degree.
• Use an apostrophe, and don’t capitalise unless part of a degree title (e.g. Bachelor of Arts, bachelor’s degree in arts).
• Plural: bachelor’s degrees.
• Always write out dual degree titles in full (e.g. ‘Bachelor of Journalism / Bachelor of Arts’ – do not abbreviate to ‘Bachelors of Journalism/Arts’).

building names

• Capitalise the official names of campus buildings, as well as levels and room designations (e.g. Room 4, Level 2, JD Story building).
• Do not capitalise the word ‘room’, ‘building’, or ‘campus’ unless it forms a part of an official name (e.g. Campus Travel can be found at the St Lucia campus; I visited the JD Story building).
• Do not capitalise ‘campus’ unless it forms a part of an official name (e.g. Campus Travel can be found at the St Lucia campus).
• When referring to campuses, say either ‘UQ St Lucia’, ‘UQ Gatton’, ‘UQ Herston’ or ‘St Lucia campus’, ‘Gatton campus’, ‘Herston campus’.
• Do not use both in combination as a general rule (don’t say ‘the UQ St Lucia campus’); however, for media releases sometimes this is appropriate.

capitalisation

• 'the' in The University of Queensland, even if in the middle of a sentence
• names of faculties, institutes and schools (e.g. the School of Education, the Faculty of Science)
• the words ‘University’, ‘School’, ‘Institute’, ‘Centre’ or ‘Faculty’ if you are using them to stand in for a specific UQ body or an official title (e.g. ‘He advised that the School has expertise in the arts.’)
• program names (e.g. Bachelor of Architectural Design) – use lower case when referring generally to a program/degree (e.g. arts program, law degree, UQ engineering students)
• names of program majors and fields of study (e.g. Peace and Conflict Studies, Political Science, Marine Biology) – use lower case when referring to general areas (e.g. studying politics, studying science) and remember, a student can study marine biology without majoring in Marine Biology
• general titles, job titles, academic titles, executive titles (e.g. Mr, Mrs, Communications Manager, Dr, Professor, Vice-Chancellor, Chief Executive Officer)
• titles of events or event series (e.g. Open Day, O-Week, Research Week, Global Leadership Series); however, note that only the official event title should be capitalised, and the description of the type of event, such as ‘webinar’, should remain in sentence case (e.g. Global Leadership Series: The Future of Cybersecurity webinar)
• building names (e.g. UQ Centre, Brian Wilson Chancellery), but not ‘building’ (e.g. JD Story building)
• the word ‘Indigenous’ in all contexts
• set periods of time (e.g. Semester 1, Semester 2, Trimester 1, Trimester 2, Trimester 3, Year 1, Year 2, Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Mid-Semester Break, Year 12 student).
• alum, alumni
• bachelor’s program
• first-year, second-year, third-year (as adjectives for ‘student’)
• high school
• master’s program
• postgraduate
• student (e.g. student ID card, student resources)
• undergraduate.
• The University uses ‘course’ to refer to the individual study components that make up a degree program (e.g. ‘She is studying 4 courses in Semester 1.’).
• A ‘subject’ is a specific branch of knowledge or a theme (e.g. ‘The subject of the lecture was Chinese philosophy.’).
• Capitalise official course titles (e.g. Auditing and Public Practice, Introduction to Web Design).
• Do not use ampersands in course titles – always spell out ‘and’ in full.
• Use one word (e.g. ‘master’s by coursework’ not ‘master’s by course work’).
• Students enrol in programs and are awarded degrees – a program is an approved sequence of study that leads to the award of a degree qualification.
• Capitalise the full and formal names of specific programs (e.g. Bachelor of Architectural Design, Doctor of Philosophy).
• When referring to programs, disciplines or degrees in general ways, use lower case (e.g. studying arts; courses about politics; bachelor’s degree; undergraduate programs).
• Insert space for dual degrees (e.g. Bachelor of Journalism / Bachelor of Arts).
• Higher degree by research (HDR) programs at UQ include the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) and the Master of Philosophy (MPhil): note these were previously called Research Higher Degrees (RHD).
• Capitalise the proper names of UQ’s faculties, schools, research institutes and centres.
• Use lower-case ‘university’, ‘faculties’, ‘schools’, ‘institutes’, or ‘centres’ if you are using these words in general ways or for a plural (e.g. ‘UQ has 6 faculties.’).
• Use upper-case ‘University’, ‘School’, ‘Institute, ‘Centre’ or ‘Faculty’ if you are using these words to stand in for a specific body or an official title (e.g. ‘He advised that the School has expertise in the arts.’).

forward slash

• Use a space before and after a forward slash when writing groups of words (e.g. Bachelor of Commerce / Bachelor of Arts; Foreign Correspondence Manager / Corporate Relations Adviser).
• Don’t use spaces when you use a forward slash to stand in for ‘per’ (e.g. $800/week, 60km/hr), or when you are separating small words or values (e.g. his/her, he/she, and/or, 8/9).
• If using a space improves readability, use one.

graduate certificates and diplomas

• Capitalise for specific degrees (e.g. a Graduate Certificate in Writing, Editing and Publishing).
• Use lower-case for general use (e.g. She’s completing a graduate certificate).

inclusive language

• Inclusive language: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples (PDF, 116KB)
• Inclusive language: Age (PDF, 109KB)
• Inclusive language: Cultural and linguistic (PDF, 118KB)
• Inclusive language: Disability (PDF, 126KB)
• Inclusive language: Gender (PDF, 118KB)
• Inclusive language: Sexuality and gender diversity (PDF, 142KB) .
• Refer to the Diversity Council Australia Words at Work guidelines for more information.

master's degree

• Not masters degree or master degree. Use an apostrophe, and don’t capitalise unless part of a degree title (Master of Science; master’s degree in science).
• Plural: master’s degrees.
• O-Week (not OWeek, O Week or O’Week) is the name of UQ’s orientation week. O-Week is the official start to several weeks of activities for new and continuing students.

phone numbers

• International: +61 7 3365 1111
• Domestic: 07 3365 1111
• Local (South East Queensland): 3365 1111
• UQ Internal: 336 51111 (the preferred format for publications such as UQ Update , which are sent to all staff, including those who work from home or off-site and can’t access UQ’s phone system)
• Web: ensure phone numbers work on mobile by using the following code (change number as required): <a href="tel:33651111">3365 1111</a>.
• Mobile phones international: +61 404 000 000
• Mobile phones domestic: 0404 000 000.
• clinical immersion
• clinical placement
• clinical practice
• industry experience
• industry study
• practicum (prac)
• teaching practice
• work placement.
• Use ‘placement’ if you need a general term to describe any activity where a student gets to apply their classroom knowledge in a work setting.
• Other words, such as ‘internship’, will mean different things to different audiences (e.g. a medical internship is different to a marketing internship). If you are ever unsure, just use ‘placement’.

place names

• Asia–Pacific region (note en-dash instead of hyphen)
• Central West Queensland
• Far North Queensland
• Middle East
• North West Queensland
• Northern Hemisphere
• Queensland's south-east corner
• South East Asia
• South East Queensland
• south eastern Queensland
• South Pacific
• South West Queensland
• Sub-Saharan Africa.

Policies and Procedures Library

• UQ's Policies and Procedures Library (PPL) contains all of UQ's procedures, policies and guidelines that provide the framework for UQ's operation and activities.
• When writing for a general audience (e.g. students, external stakeholders, alumni), if you are referring to a policy, procedure or guidelines from the PPL, refer to it by using the relevant name. Don’t use the document number, and don't use italics (e.g. 'See the Higher Degree by Research Examination Policy', not 'See 4.60.08 Higher Degree by Research Examination Policy ').
• When writing for staff, if you are referring to policies, procedures or guidelines from the PPL, refer to it by using the relevant name, followed by the number in square brackets. Don't use italics (e.g. 'See the Higher Degree by Research Examination Policy [4.60.08]').
• Where possible, direct readers to a specific section of a policy, procedure or guideline (e.g. 'To learn more about oral examinations, see section 9 of the Higher Degree by Research Examination Policy.' – reference to the actual section here helps the reader navigate to the most relevant information).
• Avoid using synonyms for ‘said’.
• Use the person's full name (including awarded titles only) on first mention (e.g. 'Dr Elliot Parker said', 'Sasha Jones said') but only use their last name (and awarded title if relevant) for the rest of a page, story or article ('Dr Parker said', 'Jones said').
• e.g. “It’s groundbreaking technology,” she said (not ‘said she’).
• e.g. “It’s groundbreaking technology,” Dr Parker said (not ‘said Dr Parker’).
• e.g. “It was a great course…one of the best,” she said.
• e.g. “I had always loved education but I had probably taken it for granted until I came to Brisbane,” Milbourne said. “UQ set me on a completely different path and I think that’s where I really grew. “I learned that words and actions actually could make a difference.”
• e.g. “He [Jones] was so rude to me,” Ms Chan said.

quotation marks

• Use double quotation marks for direct quotes, and use single quotation marks for quotes within quotes.
• titles of unpublished documents
• titles of small parts of a larger work
• titles of articles in a journal or periodical
• titles of essays, lectures, poems, or songs (e.g. “You’re the Voice” from John Farnham’s Whispering Jack ).
• Use single quotation marks to draw attention to single words or phrases that aren’t direct speech (e.g. click the ‘Financial’ tab in mySI-net).
• Avoid ‘scare quotes’ – using quotation marks for emphasis – as they can seem insincere, sarcastic, or suggest the opposite meaning to what was intended (e.g. Mrs Lovett’s pies contain a ‘special ingredient’; UQ offers the ‘best’ programs).
• Capitalise 'week' and 'semester' when referring to the academic calendar and use numerals (e.g. Semester 1, Week 9).
• Use lower-case 'week' and 'semester' in other instances.
• Insert comma before year (e.g. Semester 2, 2022).
• For non-UQ audiences, always use ‘the UQ Senate’ first, then ‘the Senate’ for subsequent mentions.
• For internal UQ audiences, use ‘the Senate’, unless you need to distinguish the UQ Senate from the Senate of Australian Parliament; then use ‘the UQ Senate’.
• Always capitalise ‘Senate’.
• Refer to members as ‘Senate members’ (don’t call them ‘Senators’) – this is consistent with the University of Queensland Act 1998 .
• Use a colon between hours and minutes (not a full stop) with no space between the number and am/pm; not necessary to use :00 if the time is on the hour (e.g. 9am, 9:30am not 9.00am, 9.30am).
• [title] Emeritus Professor
• [first name] Stuart
• [last name] Pegg
• [postnominals if applicable] AM
• For non-academic rank holders: give full name (and postnominals if applicable) at first mention, and then use last name only (e.g. UQ’s COO is Andrew Flannery. Flannery was previously…)
• If it is necessary to give a title to a non-academic rank holder, use ‘Mr’ and ‘Ms’ rather than ‘Miss’ or ‘Mrs’, unless otherwise requested.
• For visiting international academics, refer to them by their international rank.
• UQ aims to distinguish between people who have received a doctoral qualification and those who practise in a medical field, and
• in fields other than human medicine, regulatory bodies (such as the Veterinary Standards Board , Dental Board and Psychology Board ) require that practitioners only use the title ‘Dr’ in context with their degree postnominals or in a way that could not mislead the public to think they are a human medicine professional.
• Chancellor. Do not abbreviate.
• Deputy Chancellor. Do not abbreviate.
• Vice-Chancellor and President. Do not abbreviate. For international audiences, reverse order: President and Vice-Chancellor.
• Provost. Do not abbreviate.
• Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic). Abbreviation: DVC(A).
• Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Global Engagement). Abbreviation: DVC(GE).
• Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous Engagement). Abbreviation: DVC(IE).
• Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation). Abbreviation: DVC(RI).
• Pro-Vice-Chancellor. Abbreviation: PVC.
• Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Advancement). Abbreviation: PVC(A).
• Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Teaching and Learning). Abbreviation: PVC(T&L).
• Level A: Associate Lecturer. Title: Dr (if they have a PhD).
• Level B: Lecturer. Title: Dr (if they have a PhD).
• Level C: Senior Lecturer. Title: Dr (if they have a PhD).
• Level D: Associate Professor. Title: Dr (if they have a PhD) (no abbreviation for subsequent mentions).
• Level E: Professor (no abbreviation for subsequent mentions).
• Honorary: Adjunct Professor (same rules as above depending on their level at another institution).
• Plural is ‘emeritus professors’, not ‘professores emeriti’ unless for a formal/traditional purpose; note all lower-case for plural (e.g. ‘Emeritus Professor John Smith AO presented at the conference along with other emeritus professors. Emeritus Professor Smith is well known to the group as a generous philanthropist.’).
• Level A: Postdoctoral Research Fellow (or Research Officer, Research Assistant)
• Level B: Research Fellow (or Senior Research Officer)
• Level C: Senior Research Fellow (or Research Scientist)
• Level D: Principal Research Fellow
• Level E: Professorial Research Fellow, Senior Principal Research Fellow.
• If you’re ever unsure what title to use, ask the person what their preference is.
• Contact [email protected] for advice about acknowledgements or protocol events.
• Full name: The University of Queensland (capitalise ‘The’ even in the middle of a sentence).
• Only use the full name once with ‘UQ’ in brackets after, then use ‘UQ’ for subsequent mentions (e.g. 'The University of Queensland (UQ) is an idyllic environment. UQ is a great place to study.').
• When referring to ‘the University’ without its full title, use a capital ‘U’ without capitalising ‘the’. Do not use a capital when using the word ‘university’ in a general way (e.g. ‘recruitment activities for the University have been growing’; ‘he applied to study at university’).
• Where general UQ contact details are requested, use the following: Postal address: The University of Queensland, Brisbane Queensland 4072 Australia Website: uq.edu.au Switchboard: +61 7 3365 1111
• UQ Library is the collective name given to UQ’s library branches (Central Library, Biological Sciences Library, Fryer Library, Dorothy Hill Engineering and Sciences Library etc.).
• Capitalise ‘UQ Library’ when using it as an umbrella term for all branches.

web addresses

• Use lower case for all URLs and email addresses when they must be included.
• Don’t include the ‘http://’ or ‘www.’ part of the web address, or the final forward slash at the end of the address (e.g. ‘google.com’ not ‘http://www.google.com/’ or ‘www.google.com’).
• Don’t include hyperlinks in headings.
• Where possible, hyperlink text to a website rather than including the URL in-text. For conventions regarding including links in text, view the ITS web content guide .
• When writing a URL in a sentence, rewrite the sentence where possible to avoid the URL being at the end of the sentence. Where this isn't possible, use a full stop at the end of the sentence even if it is after a URL.
• If a URL can’t fit on one line, the break should come before a full stop, single slash, or other punctuation mark. If a URL is so long that it breaks a line, consider using a link shortener such as bit.ly .
• Always check a URL before shortening it, as some older UQ sites require the ‘www’ to work properly; if a site requires the ‘www’ to load, include it.
• A website is a collection of linked webpages, and a webpage is any page that sits within a website. For example, this Written Style Guide webpage is part of the Marketing and Communication website.
• Spell 'website' and 'webpage' as one word, but 'web link' as 2 words. A web link is a link from one website to another.

Additional resources

For a general overview of UQ's written style, download:

UQ written style quick reference (PDF, 189.2KB) ›

Make your writing sharper and more accessible for a general audience with the:

UQ tone of voice guidelines ›

Develop inclusive language practice with the:

Inclusive language: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples (PDF, 116KB) ›

Inclusive language: Age (PDF, 109KB) ›

Inclusive language: Cultural and linguistic (PDF, 118KB) ›

Inclusive language: Disability (PDF, 126KB) ›

Inclusive language: Gender (PDF, 118KB) ›

Inclusive language: Sexuality and gender diversity (PDF, 142KB) ›

Access short UQ-approved blurbs on a range of topics through:

For academic and research writing, access specific styles at:

Referencing style guides ›

Find templates and images to illustrate or prepare your work at:

UQ Digital Asset Manager (DAM) ›

Understand commonly used acronyms and initialisms at UQ:

UQ commonly used acronyms and initialisms (PDF, 140KB) ›

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University of Queensland

Approved by publishing and review experts on SciSpace, this template is built as per for UQ Thesis formatting guidelines as mentioned in University of Queensland author instructions. The current version was created on and has been used by 496 authors to write and format their manuscripts to this journal.

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Home / Guides / Citation Guides / APA Format / How to Cite a Thesis or Dissertation in APA

How to Cite a Thesis or Dissertation in APA

In this citation guide, you will learn how to reference and cite an undergraduate thesis, master’s thesis, or doctoral dissertation. This guide will also review the differences between a thesis or dissertation that is published and one that has remained unpublished. The guidelines below come from the 7th edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (2020a), pages 333 and 334. Please note that the association is not affiliated with this guide.

Alternatively, you can visit EasyBib.com for helpful citation tools to cite your thesis or dissertation .

Guide Overview

Citing an unpublished thesis or dissertation, citing a published dissertation or thesis from a database, citing a thesis or dissertation published online but not from a database, citing a thesis or dissertation: reference overview, what you need.

Since unpublished theses can usually only be sourced in print form from a university library, the correct citation structure includes the university name where the publisher element usually goes.

Author’s last name, F. M. (Year published). Title in sentence case [Unpublished degree type thesis or dissertation]. Name of institution.

Ames, J. H., & Doughty, L. H. (1911). The proposed plans for the Iowa State College athletic field including the design of a reinforced concrete grandstand and wall [Unpublished bachelor’s thesis]. Iowa State University.

In-text citation example:

• Parenthetical :  (Ames & Doughty, 1911)
• Narrative :  Ames & Doughty (1911)

If a thesis or dissertation has been published and is found on a database, then follow the structure below. It’s similar to the format for an unpublished dissertation/thesis, but with a few differences:

• The institution is presented in brackets after the title
• The archive or database name is included

Author’s last name, F. M. (Year published). Title in sentence case (Publication or Document No.) [Degree type thesis or dissertation, Name of institution]. Database name.

Examples 1:

Knight, K. A. (2011). Media epidemics: Viral structures in literature and new media (Accession No. 2013420395) [Doctoral dissertation, University of California, Santa Barbara]. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing.

Trotman, J.B. (2018). New insights into the biochemistry and cell biology of RNA recapping (Document No. osu1523896565730483) [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses & Dissertations Center.

In the example given above, the dissertation is presented with a Document Number (Document No.). Sometimes called a database number or publication number, this is the identifier that is used by the database’s indexing system. If the database you are using provides you with such a number, then include it directly after the work’s title in parentheses.

If you are interested in learning more about how to handle works that were accessed via academic research databases, see Section 9.3 of the Publication Manual.

In-text citation examples :

• Parenthetical citation : (Trotman, 2018)
• Narrative citation : Trotman (2018)

Author’s last name, F. M. (Year Published). Title in sentence case [Degree type thesis or dissertation, Name of institution]. Name of archive or collection. URL

Kim, O. (2019). Soviet tableau: cinema and history under late socialism [Doctoral dissertation, University of Pittsburgh]. Institutional Repository at the University of Pittsburgh. https://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/37669/7/Olga%20Kim%20Final%20ETD.pdf

Stiles, T. W. (2001). Doing science: Teachers’ authentic experiences at the Lone Star Dinosaur Field Institute [Master’s thesis, Texas A&M University]. OAKTrust. https://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/ETD-TAMU-2001-THESIS-S745

It is important to note that not every thesis or dissertation published online will be associated with a specific archive or collection. If the work is published on a private website, provide only the URL as the source element.

In-text citation examples:

• Parenthetical citation : (Kim, 2019)
• Narrative citation : Kim (2019)
• Parenthetical citation : (Stiles, 2001)
• Narrative citation : Stiles (2001)

We hope that the information provided here will serve as an effective guide for your research. If you’re looking for even more citation info, visit EasyBib.com for a comprehensive collection of educational materials covering multiple source types.

If you’re citing a variety of different sources, consider taking the EasyBib citation generator for a spin. It can help you cite easily and offers citation forms for several different kinds of sources.

To start things off, let’s take a look at the different types of literature that are classified under Chapter 10.6 of the Publication Manual :

• Undergraduate thesis
• Master’s thesis
• Doctoral dissertation

You will need to know which type you are citing. You’ll also need to know if it is published or unpublished .

When you decide to cite a dissertation or thesis, you’ll need to look for the following information to use in your citation:

• Author’s last name, and first and middle initials
• Year published
• Title of thesis or dissertation
• If it is unpublished
• Publication or document number (if applicable; for published work)
• Degree type (bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral)
• Thesis or dissertation
• Name of institution awarding degree
• DOI (https://doi.org/xxxxx) or URL (if applicable)

Since theses and dissertations are directly linked to educational degrees, it is necessary to list the name of the associated institution; i.e., the college, university, or school that is awarding the associated degree.

To get an idea of the proper form, take a look at the examples below. There are three outlined scenarios:

• Unpublished thesis or dissertation
• Published thesis or dissertation from a database
• Thesis or dissertation published online but not from a database

American Psychological Association. (2020a). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1037/0000165-000

American Psychological Association. (2020b). Style-Grammar-Guidelines. https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/citations/basic-principles/parenthetical-versus-narrative

Published August 10, 2012. Updated March 24, 2020.

Written and edited by Michele Kirschenbaum and Elise Barbeau. Michele Kirschenbaum is a school library media specialist and the in-house librarian at EasyBib.com. Elise Barbeau is the Citation Specialist at Chegg. She has worked in digital marketing, libraries, and publishing.

APA Formatting Guide

APA Formatting

• Annotated Bibliography
• Block Quotes
• et al Usage
• In-text Citations
• Multiple Authors
• Paraphrasing
• Page Numbers
• Parenthetical Citations
• Reference Page
• Sample Paper
• APA 7 Updates
• View APA Guide

Citation Examples

• Book Chapter
• Journal Article
• Magazine Article
• Newspaper Article
• Website (no author)
• View all APA Examples

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To cite a published thesis in APA style, it is important that you know some basic information such as the author, publication year, title of the thesis, institute name, archive name, and URL (uniform resource locator). The templates for an in-text citation and reference list entry of a thesis, along with examples, are given below:

In-text citation template and example:

Use the author surname and the publication year in the in-text citation.

Author Surname (Publication Year)

Cartmel (2007)

Parenthetical:

(Author Surname, Publication Year)

(Cartmel, 2007)

Reference list entry template and example:

The title of the thesis is set in sentence case and italicized. Enclose the thesis and the institute awarding the degree inside brackets following the publication year. Then add the name of the database followed by the URL.

Author Surname, F. M. (Publication Year). Title of the thesis [Master’s thesis, Institute Name]. Name of the Database. URL

Cartmel, J. (2007). Outside school hours care and schools [Master’s thesis, Queensland University of Technology]. EPrints. http://eprints.qut.edu.au/17810/1/Jennifer_Cartmel_Thesis.pdf

To cite an unpublished dissertation in APA style, it is important that you know some basic information such as the author, year, title of the dissertation, and institute name. The templates for in-text citation and reference list entry of an online thesis, along with examples, are given below:

Author Surname (Year)

Averill (2009)

(Author Surname, Year)

(Averill, 2009)

The title of the dissertation is set in sentence case and italicized. Enclose “Unpublished doctoral dissertation” inside brackets following the year. Then add the name of the institution awarding the degree.

Author Surname, F. M. (Publication Year). Title of the dissertation [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Name of the Institute.

Averill, R. (2009). Teacher–student relationships in diverse New Zealand year 10 mathematics classrooms: Teacher care [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Victoria University of Wellington.

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