Complete Guide to Thesis Formatting (PAU Ludhiana): Margins, Fonts, Paper Size & Writing Rules
A step–by–step, PAU–aligned guide for M.Sc. and Ph.D. students — from setting margins and fonts to structuring chapters, handling “unwritten rules” of thesis writing, and completing submission, CDs, soft copy and open viva-voce requirements.
How to use this guide
The sections follow your thesis journey in chronological order — from planning and formatting, to writing each chapter, to final submission and viva-voce.
Before You Start: Advisory Committee, Synopsis & Planning
For M.Sc. and Ph.D. students at PAU, proper thesis formatting begins long before you open a Word file. The advisory committee, synopsis approval and research plan form the academic backbone of your thesis.
1. Advisory Committee & Major Advisor
- Each postgraduate student is assigned a major advisor within about two months of admission.
- An Advisory Committee is constituted and approved by the Dean, PGS.
- For Master’s: generally 3 members (2 from major subject including advisor, 1 from minor subject).
- For Ph.D.: at least 5 members (major advisor, one more from major field, at least two from outside the major, plus Dean PGS nominee).
2. Synopsis and research problem
- The synopsis should normally be approved and submitted to Dean PGS by about the middle of 2nd semester.
- Topic should match departmental research priorities and your advisor’s area of specialization.
- Make sure the working title and final thesis title are consistent in wording and spelling.
Core Formatting Rules: Paper Size, Margins, Fonts & Spacing
3. Paper size & margins (PAU standard)
- Paper size: A4 white bond.
- Left margin: 1.5 inch (for binding).
- Right margin: 1 inch.
- Top margin: 1 inch.
- Bottom margin: 1 inch.
- Printing: Allowed and recommended on both sides of the page (double-sided).
4. Font, size & line spacing
- Font family: Times New Roman.
- Main text: 11 pt, 1.5 line spacing, justified alignment.
- Abstract, tables, long quotations, footnotes: Single spacing.
- Chapter titles: 14 pt, bold, ALL CAPS, centred.
- First-level headings: 12 pt, bold, Title Case.
- Second-level headings: 12 pt, bold/italics, sentence case.
5. Page layout & page numbers
- Preliminary pages (title, certificates, acknowledgements, abstract) are part of the thesis but page numbers are usually not printed on them.
- Roman numerals can be used internally for preliminary pages; Arabic numerals start from Chapter 1 and continue till the end.
- First page of each chapter: page counted but number often suppressed (not printed) at the bottom.
- Do not use 15a, 15b, 15c etc. If pages change, adjust complete pagination.
Chapter-wise Structure for M.Sc. & Ph.D. Theses (PAU)
While details vary slightly by department, most PAU theses follow a similar order. For Ph.D. work the chapters are deeper and often include richer theoretical and methodological discussion.
6. Standard sequence of contents
- Title Page
- Certificate I
- Certificate II
- Acknowledgements
- Abstract (English, then Punjabi)
- Table of Contents
- List of Tables
- List of Figures (if any)
- Chapter I – Introduction
- Chapter II – Review of Literature
- Chapter III – Materials and Methods
- Chapter IV – Results
- Chapter V – Discussion
- Summary / Conclusions
- References
- Appendix / Appendices (if required)
- Vita
7. Chapter-wise purpose (short overview)
- Introduction: Background, research gap, rationale, objectives and sometimes hypotheses.
- Review of Literature: Thematic synthesis of previous work, ending each section and the chapter with a short conclusion that leads toward your study. Also includes theoretical orientation/conceptual framework if required by your department. PAU has removed this as a separate chapter. It is now integrated within the review chapter wherever appropriate.
- Materials and Methods: Locale, population, sampling, tools, scales, data collection and analysis procedures.
- Results: What you found — tables, figures and text explanations.
- Discussion: Why the results look like this — interpretation, comparison with previous studies, implications.
- Summary / Conclusions: Condensed statements of major findings, conclusions and sometimes recommendations.
Unwritten Rules & Technical Writing Norms
Beyond official PAU guidelines, examiners look for certain “silent” rules which appear consistently across approved M.Sc. and Ph.D. theses. These rules give your thesis a mature, professional and PAU-like look.
Review of Literature & Flow – mini conclusions & structure
How your Review of Literature should “flow” like PAU theses:
- Theme-wise organisation: Group studies under themes (e.g. socio-personal characteristics, knowledge, adoption, constraints) instead of random chronological listing.
- Concluding paragraph after each section: At the end of every major theme, add 1–2 paragraphs that summarise the key findings, highlight gaps and connect to your next theme.
- Concluding paragraph at end of chapter: The last paragraph should clearly state what is known, what is missing and how this justifies your present study.
- Avoid “telephone directory” style: Do not write “X reported..., Y reported..., Z reported...” in long chains. Compare and contrast studies: “Most studies reported..., however a few found...”
- Tense choice: Use past tense for specific studies (e.g. “Sharma (2018) reported...”), present tense for established facts (“Kitchen gardening provides...”).
Results Chapter – numbers, percentages & layout
- No line should start with a numeral: Rewrite the sentence so that it begins with a word or phrase.
Not: “78 farmers adopted the technology.”
Better: “A total of 78 farmers adopted the technology.” or “About 78 farmers adopted...” - Percentages:
- Inside tables, figures and brackets — use the symbol: 78.5 %.
- In running text — write as per cent (two words): “About 80 per cent of the respondents...”
- Table-first, text-after: Present the table/figure first, then explain the main pattern in the text. The text should not repeat every number; only highlight major trends.
- Consistent decimals: Use a fixed number of decimal places within a chapter (commonly one decimal place for percentages).
- Neutral, factual tone: Use phrases like “It was observed that...” / “The data in Table 4 reveal that...” instead of emotional or judgmental language.
Results vs Discussion – clear separation of roles
Results chapter = What you found (evidence)
- Presents empirical findings using tables, charts and short descriptive text.
- Focus on “what” — means, frequencies, significant differences, rankings.
- Use past tense: “It was found that...”, “The mean knowledge score was...”
- Interpretation is brief and attached directly to each table.
Discussion chapter = Why it looks like this (meaning)
- Compares your results with previous studies: “Similar findings were reported by...”, “In contrast, Singh et al (2012) found...”
- Gives reasons for high/low values, trends or unexpected results.
- Highlights practical implications, policy suggestions and field-level meaning.
- Includes limitations and directions for future research.
Core Technical Writing Rules – tense, person, numbers & style
- Person & voice: Prefer third person and impersonal constructions, especially in Methods and Results.
“Data were collected with the help of...” (preferred) rather than “I collected data...” - Abbreviations: Expand the term the first time it appears — “Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK)”, “National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD)” — then use only the abbreviation.
- Numbers in text:
- Write one to nine in words in running text (“four groups”), and 10 and above in digits (16 farmers), unless the number starts a sentence.
- Always use digits with units (5 kg, 2 ha, 3.5 t/ha).
- Consistency in spelling: Use one variety of English (preferably British: behaviour, programme, labour) and follow it throughout.
- Headings spacing: Keep consistent space before and after headings (e.g. 12 pt before, 6 pt after) so the document looks even.
- Avoid: contractions (don’t, can’t), slang, WhatsApp-style abbreviations and very emotional or casual expressions.
- Tense by chapter:
- Introduction & Review: mix of present (general truths) and past (specific studies).
- Materials & Methods: past tense (“was conducted”, “were selected”).
- Results: past tense.
- Discussion & Conclusions: mix of past (your findings) and present (generalised statements).
Title Page, Certificates & Acknowledgements – PAU style patterns
- Title page:
- Title in ALL CAPS, often bold and centred.
- Below it, fixed phrases: “Thesis / Dissertation submitted to the Punjab Agricultural University in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of...”
- Major subject, minor subject in brackets: “(Minor Subject: Agronomy)”.
- Student name, admission number, department, college, university name & address, and year on the last line.
- Certificate I: certifies that the thesis is a bona fide record of research work by the student and has not been submitted for any other degree.
- Certificate II: certifies that the thesis has been approved by the Advisory/Examining Committee after oral examination, with signature lines for major advisor, external examiner, Head of Department and Dean PGS.
- Acknowledgements page:
- Usually begins by thanking Almighty/God.
- Thanks major advisor, advisory committee, Dean PGS nominee, faculty, staff, friends, respondents and family.
- Often ends with a line similar to “All are not mentioned, but none is forgotten.”
Tables, Figures & References – PAU formatting habits
- Tables:
- Table number in ALL CAPS (e.g. TABLE 1, TABLE 2) above the table.
- Title immediately after the number: “TABLE 3. Socio-economic profile of respondents”.
- Text in tables single spaced.
- Minimal use of vertical lines; horizontal lines usually at top, headings and bottom.
- Source or note line below table, if required.
- Figures:
- Numbered as Fig. 1, Fig. 2 etc. or simply Figure 1, Figure 2.
- Caption placed below the figure.
- References (PAU style):
- Author–year system in text: “Singh (2019)”, “Kaur and Sharma (2018)”, “Sidhu et al (2015)”.
- In reference list, arranged alphabetically by first author.
- No comma between author name and year: “Singh RP 2014.” not “Singh, R.P., 2014.”
- Journal names often abbreviated; volume and page numbers included.
Length, Balance & Vita – practical expectations
- Typical chapter lengths (approximate):
- Introduction: 6–10 pages.
- Review of Literature: 15–25 pages (often the longest chapter).
- Materials & Methods: 6–10 pages.
- Results: 20–40 pages.
- Discussion: 10–20 pages.
- Summary / Conclusions: 2–4 pages.
- Total thesis length:
- M.Sc.: usually around 50–90 pages (excluding appendices and vita).
- Ph.D.: often 100–150+ pages depending on work.
- Summary vs Conclusions:
- Summary: condensed narrative of what was done and what was found.
- Conclusions: 5–10 precise, numbered statements capturing the essence of findings and their meaning.
- Vita: final page of thesis; includes personal background, academic record, research work and achievements, written in third person.
Layout & Consistency – small things that make a big difference
- Uniform paragraphing: Either use first-line indent or extra space between paragraphs — but stay consistent throughout the thesis.
- Blank lines around tables and headings: Leave a clear blank line before and after every table and major heading to avoid a crowded look.
- No footnotes: PAU theses generally avoid footnotes. If essential, use them sparingly; prefer explaining in text.
- Clean correction policy: Avoid overwriting or visible manual corrections; update the file and reprint instead.
- Uniform terminology: Use the same term for a concept throughout (e.g. “resource conservation technologies” everywhere, not mixing with “conservation technologies” / “R.C. technologies”).
- Chapter heading format: Follow one pattern, e.g. “CHAPTER – I” on top line, “INTRODUCTION” on the next, both centred and in capitals.
Ready-to-use PAU Templates (Times New Roman)
The following templates follow PAU structure and are meant as working formats. Replace placeholders with your own details and adjust spacing/indentation in your word processor.
PROSPECTS AND PROBLEMS IN ADOPTION OF RESOURCE CONSERVATION TECHNOLOGIES IN PUNJAB
Thesis submitted to the
Punjab Agricultural University
in partial fulfilment of the requirements
for the degree of
MASTER OF SCIENCE
in
EXTENSION EDUCATION
by
STUDENT NAME
(Admission No. XXXX-XX-XX-XX)
Department of Extension Education
College of Agriculture
Punjab Agricultural University
Ludhiana – 141 004 (India)
20XX
PROSPECTS AND PROBLEMS IN ADOPTION AND ATTITUDE OF FARMERS REGARDING RESOURCE CONSERVATION TECHNOLOGIES IN PUNJAB
Dissertation submitted to the
Punjab Agricultural University
in partial fulfilment of the requirements
for the degree of
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
in
EXTENSION EDUCATION
(Minor Subject: Agronomy)
by
STUDENT NAME
(Admission No. XXXX-XX-XX-XX)
Department of Extension Education
College of Agriculture
Punjab Agricultural University
Ludhiana – 141 004 (India)
20XX
CERTIFICATE – I
This is to certify that the thesis entitled “[TITLE OF THE THESIS]” submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science / Doctor of Philosophy in the subject of [MAJOR SUBJECT] of the Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, is a bona fide record of research work carried out by Mr./Ms. [STUDENT NAME] (Admission No. [XXXX-XX-XX-XX]) under my supervision and that no part of this thesis has been submitted for any other degree or diploma in any university.
The help and assistance received during the course of investigation have been duly acknowledged.
|
Place: Ludhiana Date: ____________ |
(Major Advisor) Name: ____________________ Designation: ______________ Department of _____________ Punjab Agricultural University Ludhiana – 141 004 |
CERTIFICATE – II
This is to certify that the thesis entitled “[TITLE OF THE THESIS]” submitted by Mr./Ms. [STUDENT NAME] (Admission No. [XXXX-XX-XX-XX]) to the Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science / Doctor of Philosophy in the subject of [MAJOR SUBJECT], has been approved by the Thesis Advisory/Examining Committee after an oral examination on the same.
|
Advisory/Examining Committee 1. ____________________ (Major Advisor) (Signature) ____________ 2. ____________________ (Member) (Signature) ____________ 3. ____________________ (Member) (Signature) ____________ 4. ____________________ (Member) (Signature) ____________ 5. ____________________ (External Examiner) (Signature) ____________ |
Head of the Department ___________________________ Dean, Postgraduate Studies Punjab Agricultural University Ludhiana – 141 004 |
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
In this highly complex society, no work can be accomplished by a single individual; it needs the support, guidance and blessings of many people. I bow my head before the Almighty for His kind blessings and grace which enabled me to complete this piece of work.
I express my deep sense of gratitude to my Major Advisor, Dr/Prof. [NAME], Department of [DEPARTMENT], Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, for his/her valuable guidance, encouragement and constant supervision throughout the course of this investigation and preparation of this thesis.
I sincerely thank the members of my Advisory Committee, Dr/Prof. [NAME], Dr/Prof. [NAME] and Dr/Prof. [NAME] for their constructive suggestions and critical comments which greatly improved the quality of this work.
I am highly indebted to my parents and family members for their love, patience, moral support and blessings which have been a source of strength at every step of my life. I am also thankful to my friends and well-wishers for their encouragement and timely help during the course of this study.
I gratefully acknowledge the cooperation of all the respondents who spared their valuable time to provide the necessary information for this study.
All are not mentioned, but none is forgotten.
|
Place: Ludhiana Date: ____________ |
([STUDENT NAME]) |
CONTENTS
| Chapter | Title | Page No. |
|---|---|---|
| I | INTRODUCTION | 1–__ |
| II | REVIEW OF LITERATURE | __–__ |
| III | MATERIALS AND METHODS | __–__ |
| IV | RESULTS | __–__ |
| V | DISCUSSION | __–__ |
| SUMMARY / CONCLUSIONS | __–__ | |
| REFERENCES | __–__ | |
| APPENDIX / APPENDICES | __–__ | |
| VITA | __–__ |
Submission, CDs, Soft Copy & Open Viva-Voce (PAU Requirements)
13. Draft submission and evaluation process
- After your seminar and once the Advisory Committee agrees on the quantum of work, you may start thesis writing.
- The draft thesis should be submitted to Dean PGS in advance with a certificate from the Advisory Committee that the draft has been checked.
- Thesis is sent to external examiner(s). After acceptance, the final oral examination (viva-voce) is arranged.
14. Open viva-voce for Ph.D. students
The final viva-voce examination:
- Is conducted jointly with the external expert, Head of Department and Advisory Committee members.
- Is open to other faculty members and postgraduate students of the department/college.
15. Two CDs after viva-voce – without research papers
PAU requires postgraduate students to submit two CDs along with the final bound copies of thesis/dissertation after the final oral examination.
- Each CD should contain only the thesis in PDF format.
- Do not include research papers (published, accepted or submitted) in these CDs.
- This is to avoid research papers accidentally becoming public when theses are uploaded to Krishi Kosh or the institutional repository.
16. Soft copy to M.S. Randhawa Library (PDF rules)
For the soft copy submitted to the University Library:
- Head of department must email the PDF thesis/dissertation directly to the University Librarian.
- PDF must be without any password protection.
- PDF must be an exact replica of the printed thesis — same order of pages, tables and figures. If a table appears on page 100 in the hard copy, it should appear on page 100 in the PDF as well.
- An undertaking signed by the student, major advisor, Head of Department and Dean PGS nominee is sent to Dean PGS along with the certificate of final oral examination.
- All margins, fonts and spacing are uniform across chapters.
- Results and Discussion appear as separate chapters.
- Each major section in the Review chapter and each chapter ends with a clear concluding paragraph.
- No sentence begins directly with a numeral; percentages are written correctly (symbol in tables/brackets, “per cent” in running text).
- All tables and figures are numbered, titled and cited in text in correct order.
- References are complete and consistently formatted in PAU style.
- CDs contain only thesis PDFs; soft copy sent to library matches the printed thesis exactly.