What citation style does Edinburgh require?

Edinburgh allows Harvard, Oxford (footnote), and Chicago Manual of Style. Your school or department may have specific preferences. Check your program guidelines.

What are the margin requirements for Edinburgh theses?

Edinburgh requires a minimum of 1.5 inches on the left margin and 1 inch on the right, top, and bottom margins.

How do I submit my thesis at Edinburgh?

Theses are submitted to the University of Edinburgh's online thesis repository and through your school's graduate office. Digital submission is standard.

University of Edinburgh Thesis Format Guide (2026)

University of Edinburgh Thesis Format Guide

The University of Edinburgh maintains rigorous formatting standards for all graduate theses and dissertations to ensure consistency, professionalism, and proper preservation of scholarly work. This comprehensive guide covers all formatting requirements for your Edinburgh thesis submission.

Page Setup and Margins

All Edinburgh theses must be formatted on standard A4 paper (210 × 297 mm or 8.27 × 11.69 inches). US letter size (8.5 × 11 inches) is also acceptable.

Margin requirements:

Left margin: Minimum 1.5 inches (4 cm) to accommodate binding
Right margin: 1 inch (2.5 cm)
Top margin: 1 inch (2.5 cm)
Bottom margin: 1 inch (2.5 cm)

The left margin must be larger to allow for binding of physical copies and to accommodate archival standards.

Text should be left-aligned with a ragged right margin. Avoid justified text alignment, which can create uneven spacing in academic writing with citations and technical terms.

Line spacing: Your thesis must be double-spaced throughout the main body of text, including paragraphs, block quotations, and most front matter. Single spacing is acceptable for footnotes, endnotes, captions, and the bibliography, though double spacing is also acceptable for consistency.

Font Requirements

Edinburgh requires clear, professional fonts suitable for long-term academic preservation and readability.

Approved fonts: Times New Roman, Garamond, Palatino, Cambria, or Georgia at 12 points.

Font size: Body text must be 12-point font throughout your thesis. Footnotes and endnotes may be reduced to 10 or 11 points if necessary, but must remain consistently sized.

Text color: Use black text for all body content. Colored text is acceptable only in figures, diagrams, maps, or charts and only when necessary for clarity and comprehension.

Styling: Avoid underlining for emphasis; use bold or italic formatting instead. Do not use decorative or unusual fonts.

Consistency: Use the same font throughout your entire thesis. Do not change fonts between chapters or sections except for specialized content.

Title Page

The title page is the first page of your thesis and should not be numbered. Center all content on the page.

Include the following elements in this order:

TITLE OF YOUR THESIS (capital letters or title case)
by (lowercase)
Your Full Name (as registered at Edinburgh)
A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (or appropriate degree: Master of Science, Master of Arts, Master of Research, etc.)
University of Edinburgh (centered)
Month and Year of submission (e.g., “June 2026”)

Use the same font as your body text. If your title is longer than one line, use single spacing between title lines while maintaining the overall centered layout. Leave adequate white space between sections for visual balance.

Abstract

The abstract provides a concise summary of your research and contributions, typically 200-350 words for a doctoral thesis.

Placement: Begin the abstract on a new page following the title page.

Heading: “Abstract” centered at the top in bold.

Format: Double-space the abstract. Present a clear overview of your research question, methodology, major findings, and conclusions.

Numbering: Number the abstract page with lowercase Roman numerals (i, ii, iii, etc.) as part of your front matter pagination.

The table of contents lists all major sections, chapters, and appendices with their corresponding page numbers.

Format: Begin on a new page with “Table of Contents” as a centered heading in bold.

Content: List all chapters, sections, appendices, bibliography, and any supplementary materials with their page numbers.

Generation: Use your word processor’s automatic table of contents feature to ensure accuracy and enable updates.

Spacing: Format with double spacing and the same font as your body text. Number this page with a lowercase Roman numeral.

Headings and Section Organization

Establish a clear hierarchical structure for headings to guide readers through your thesis.

Chapter headings: Bold, 12-point font, centered or consistently left-aligned. Include chapter numbers (Chapter 1, Chapter 2, etc.) or use chapter titles without numbers.

Section headings (Level 1): Bold, 12-point font, left-aligned.

Subsection headings (Level 2): Bold or bold-italic, 12-point font, left-aligned.

Ensure at least one line of body text follows each heading. Do not place a heading at the page bottom without subsequent body content.

Page Numbering

Different numbering systems apply to front matter and body content.

Front matter pages (abstract through introduction): Use lowercase Roman numerals (i, ii, iii, iv, v, etc.). The title page is not numbered; numbering begins with the abstract as page i.

Body and back matter pages (Chapter 1 onward): Use Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, etc.), beginning with the first page of Chapter 1 or your introduction.

Page number placement: Position page numbers in the top right corner, 0.5 inches from the top edge, or centered at the bottom of the page (select one method and apply it consistently throughout).

Citation Styles and References

Edinburgh allows flexibility in citation styles with department-specific guidance often available.

Harvard style: Uses author-date citations in parentheses (Author Year) with an alphabetical reference list. Very common at Edinburgh.

Oxford (footnote) style: Uses numbered footnotes with a corresponding bibliography.

Chicago Manual of Style: Notes and bibliography system acceptable in humanities and social sciences.

Discipline-specific formats: Engineering, sciences, and other fields may prefer IEEE, APA, or other specialized styles.

Consistency: Apply your chosen style uniformly throughout your entire thesis, including all text citations, footnotes, and bibliography entries.

Figures, Graphs, and Tables

All visual elements must be clearly labeled, properly referenced, and professionally presented.

Figures: Include a figure number (Figure 1, Figure 2, etc.), descriptive title, and source citation. Place captions below figures. Reference each figure in the text before it appears on the page.

Tables: Include a table number (Table 1, Table 2, etc.) and title above the table. Include source information and notes below the table.

Numbering: Number figures and tables consecutively throughout the thesis (Figure 1, Figure 2, Table 1, Table 2) or by chapter if applicable (Figure 1.1, Figure 2.1, Table 2.1, etc.).

Legibility: Ensure all figures and tables are legible when printed and fit within your specified margins. Color figures are acceptable and should be understandable in both color and black-and-white printing.

Lists: Include a list of figures and list of tables in your front matter if your thesis contains more than five figures or tables.

Bibliography and References

Your bibliography or reference list appears after your final chapter or conclusion and includes all sources cited in your thesis.

Placement: Begin on a new page with “Bibliography,” “References,” or “Works Cited” as a centered heading in bold.

Organization: Arrange all entries alphabetically by author’s last name. Use a hanging indent where the first line is left-aligned and subsequent lines are indented 0.5 inches.

Formatting: Use 12-point font consistent with body text. Single spacing within entries and double spacing between entries is standard, though some departments prefer double spacing throughout for consistency.

Completeness: Verify that all sources cited in your thesis appear in the bibliography and that you have not listed uncited sources.

Appendices

Appendices present supplementary material that supports but is not essential to your main argument.

Organization: Number appendices consecutively (Appendix A, Appendix B, Appendix C, etc.).

Placement: Begin each appendix on a new page with “Appendix A: Title” centered in bold.

Formatting: Apply the same formatting standards to appendices as to your main body text (margins, font, spacing, page numbering).

Documentation: List all appendices in your table of contents with their corresponding page numbers.

Declaration of Original Authorship

Edinburgh requires a declaration confirming that the work is your own original research and noting any collaboration or previous publication of material.

Placement: Include this declaration on a separate page, typically after the title page or before the abstract.

Language: Edinburgh provides standard declaration language that you should use; check your school’s specific requirements.

Acknowledgments

An optional acknowledgments section may appear after the title page or before the abstract to thank individuals and institutions that supported your research.

Format: Center “Acknowledgments” as a heading and maintain the standard double-spacing format.

Tone: Keep acknowledgments professional and genuine while expressing appropriate gratitude.

Electronic Submission

Edinburgh requires submission through the University’s online thesis repository (Edinburgh DataShare or similar system) and your school’s graduate office.

PDF submission: Convert your formatted Word document to PDF and review the entire PDF to ensure that formatting, fonts, spacing, page numbers, and all visual elements are correctly preserved.

Required documents: Submit your thesis along with the required declaration of original authorship and any additional school-specific documents.

Quality assurance: Verify that the PDF is of high quality and legible, as it will be preserved in Edinburgh’s digital repository long-term.

Deadline: Submit by your department’s specified deadline.

Word Processing Tips and Techniques

Use predefined styles: Utilize Word’s built-in styles (Heading 1, Heading 2, Body Text) to maintain consistency and enable automatic table of contents generation.

Set margins correctly: In Layout > Margins, set Left 1.5”, Right 1”, Top 1”, Bottom 1”.

Configure page numbering: Use Insert > Page Number and set different numbering formats for front matter (Roman numerals) and body (Arabic numerals) using section breaks.

Create automatic table of contents: Use References > Table of Contents to generate a table that updates automatically.

Apply consistent line spacing: Select all body text and set line spacing to 2.0 (double spacing).

Track changes during revision: Use Review > Track Changes while working with your supervisor to document all modifications.

Format block quotations: Indent 0.5 inches on both sides and maintain double spacing.

Save multiple versions: Keep your document in both .docx and .pdf formats for version control.

Final Submission Checklist

Before submitting your Edinburgh thesis:

Adhering to these comprehensive guidelines ensures that your Edinburgh thesis meets all institutional formatting requirements and is ready for acceptance and long-term digital preservation.