UMass Amherst

CE Manuscript Documentation & Formatting

Documentation Requirements for Commonwealth College Students

Students enrolled in a Capstone Experience of any kind are expected to document their work. This documentation must take the form of a thesis or project manuscript conforming to Commonwealth College formatting requirements (see below). Students seeking honors distinction upon graduation are required to submit a Capstone Experience thesis or project manuscript for archiving.

This manuscript must be accompanied by a completed "Capstone Completion Form" (see "Forms" at left). Both must be submitted to the Commonwealth College office for approval and forwarding to the Archives.

THESIS

Thesis manuscripts traditionally include the items noted below. However, the Capstone instructor/committee may authorize adjustments to numbers 3 - 8 to meet professional standards set by the department.

  1. Title/Signature page
  2. Abstract (2 copies)
  3. Introduction
  4. Summary of work of previous researchers
  5. Explanation of current methodology and goals
  6. Report and discussion of research results
  7. Conclusions and implications for future research
  8. Bibliography
  9. Appendix (optional)

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PROJECT

The project manuscript should include

  1. Title/Signature Page
  2. Abstract (2 copies)
  3. Minimally two of these:
  • Contextual information: e.g., literature review or a discussion of theoretical or artistic influences
  • Process information: e.g., what did you wish to achieve? How did you set out to achieve the goals?
  • Reflections: e.g., what did you learn or contribute? What changes would you make in hindsight? Implications or suggestions for the future?

4.  Appendix (for artifacts, e.g., videotape of choreographed dance performance)

Project outcomes often conform to a professional format appropriate to the field of study, e.g., poster presentation, case study, novel, curriculum module, photojournalistic essay, film, website CD, screenplay, original art, choreography, musical score, engineering design, a report, etc. Therefore, project manuscripts may therefore take a variety of forms:

  • Integrated manuscripts: e.g., a 40-page case study report that incorporates at least two of the three elements from #3 above
  • Preface manuscripts: e.g., a collection of poetry with a preface, minimally 5-10 pages in length, which includes at least two of the three elements from #3 above
  • Accompanying manuscripts: a manuscript, minimally 5-10 pages in length, which includes at least two of the three elements from #3 above and accompanies an artifact* that was the primary outcome of the project

While manuscripts must be minimally in the 5-10 page range, the actual length and scope are determined by the Capstone instructor/committee.

*Artifact examples include collections of poetry, screenplays, slides/videotapes/CDs of creative work, case studies, engineering plans, landscape designs, photojournalistic essay, etc. Artifact formats should follow the standard of the discipline.

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Manuscript Formatting Requirements

Thesis and Project manuscripts must meet minimum quality standards for submission to the University Archives. In general, they must

  • Be unbound, the pages loose (no staples, clips, hole punches, or other bindings of any kind)
  • Be printed on clean, white, 8.5 x 11 inch paper of consistent quality and weight
  • Have margins of 1.5 inches on the left side (for potential binding) and 1 inches on remaining sides
  • Have consistent font type and size throughout (e.g., Times Roman 12 pt) (exception: Appendix artifacts)

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TTILE/SIGNATURE PAGE AND ABSTRACT PAGES

The title/signature page and abstract pages must be formatted according to the examples noted below (the same sample is displayed in pdf and MS Word for your convenience):

For assistance writing an abstract, see "Guidelines for Abstract Writing" in the Undergraduate Research Conference section of our website.

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MANUSCRIPT BODY

Follow general formatting requirements above. In addition:

  • Pages should be numbered consecutively
  • Typing should be double-spaced (exceptions: block quotes, footnotes, itemized or tabular material)
  • A consistent style manual should be used (e.g., Psych APA, English MLA, Chicago, etc.)

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ARTICFACT LABEL

Artifacts such as CDs or videotapes must have typed labels affixed which list the student's

  • Last name, first name
  • Spire ID
  • Major
  • Date that manusript is submitted
  • Thesis or Project title from the manuscript title page

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ARCHIVES DEADLINE

Students should submit their final manuscripts and artifacts accompanied by a completed "Independent Capstone Completion Form" or "Course Capstone Completion Form" (see "Forms" at left), to the Commonwealth College office by the last day of final exams. This date can be found on the Undergraduate Registrar's academic calendar web page.

We recommend that students submit their materials in person in case there are problems or questions.

Approved manuscripts and materials will be forwarded to the University of Massachusetts Amherst Archives for permanent inclusion in their collection of undergradute honors research.

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