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Front matter coach
Undergraduate Research Fellows
Hints for Front Matter: Title and Title Page, Abstract, Figures and Tables
Approval and Title Pages Hints
Abstract Hints
- Use clear and precise language, avoiding wordiness and jargon.
- Limit your abstract to 350 words.
- Use a style appropriate so that a lay reader understands the basic concepts of your thesis. (Remember that the abstract should be self contained and may be used by a broader audience than that of your thesis.)
- Include all parts of the thesis in the abstract, including conclusions and recommendations.
- Begin with a topic sentence and avoid short, choppy sentences. Instead, combine ideas, using transitions and conjunctions, to create a coherent summary "essay" of your thesis (you may use paragraphs).
- Spell out acronymns.
- As with the title, provide key words that would be used in a database search of your topic.
- Consult the Markel textbook and the Handbook of Technical Writing for more information.
Table of Contents Hints
- Use the major headings and subheadings exactly as they appear in the text. In the text, create meaningful headings and subheadings. (NOT "Background" BUT "What are Quantitative Trait Loci?").
- Include the page number where the headings appear.
Figures and Tables Hints
- Number tables and figures using Arabic numbers.
- Number tables and figures separately. (Figures are all visuals--drawings, photographs, maps, charts, and graphs; tables contain information in rows and columns.)
- List tables and figures in a separate section that identifies the number, title, and page where the illustration is found.
- Follow any specific guidelines for tables and figures denoted in your the style guide you are using to cite your sources.
General
Remember to consult the manual, rubric for your discipline, and thesis checklist for all thesis specifications.
c-raisor@tamu.edu/Texas A&M University
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