CHAPTER SEPARATORS

Separate each chapter with a full page containing the chapter number, chapter title and a brief synopsis of what the next chapter covers. The synopsis is not just a summary, but also explains how this chapter relates to the previous chapter, reinforcing the concept that your thesis represents a project with an overall aim, and is not just a collection of manuscripts.

The separating page should be formatted in such a way that stands out as clearly separating one major component of the thesis from another. My preference is to place the text approximately halfway down a clean page. I use to styles for this. However, since they will only be a few separating pages in the thesis, it would be is not unreasonable to format them manually, provided all the separating pages are formatted consistently.

Insert a blank paragraph formatted as normal style at the top of the page. (I find that if this is not present, then the before-paragraph spacing of the next item on the page often does not work.)

Chapter number

Format font. Times new Roman 16 points, bold, upper case

Format paragraph. Alignment centred, indent left/right/special = 0, 0, none. Space before 200 points, after 0 points; Line spacing at least 19 points.

Chapter title

Format font. Times new Roman numeral 18 points, bold, uppercase.

Format paragraph. Alignment centred, indent left/right/special = 0, 0, none; Space before twenty-four points, after 12 points. Line spacing “at least” 15 points.

If your chapter consists of a manuscript, you may alternatively type “Manuscript:” followed by its title formatted in normal style and enclosed in quotes, all written in italics, or if the manuscript has already been published, enter its reference, preferably in the Vancouver style. Here are examples of these three possibilities. (They are not formatted, but are here to illustrate the content.)

CHAPTER 1
DISCUSSION

or

CHAPTER 3
Manuscript: “Effect of force feeding on the rat metabolome.”

or

CHAPTER 3
Manuscript: Effect of force feeding on the rat metabolome.

or

CHAPTER 3
Published manuscript: Smith JL, Mkhize FP, Gounden K. Effect of force feeding on the rat metabolome. International rodent feeding journal 2021, 6: 56 – 61.